I have prophetic dreams

Do you ever wonder what lies beyond the threshold of life, or whether our loved ones who have passed on find ways to communicate with us? I've had vivid dreams and unsettling premonitions that blur the lines between the world we know and the one beyond. I'm not sure whether it's a blessing or a burden.

- CHARIS TORRANCE

I guess this all started with author and writing coach Sarah Bullen's books Love and Above and The Other Side. In her first book, she shares how she fell gravely ill, and during a three-week-long coma journeyed to other realms, and returned with a renewed sense of purpose. And in the second book she explores the mysteries of life after death, drawing on her own neardeath experience, and on interviews with people who have crossed to the 'other side' or can contact it.

When The Other Side came out in 2024, I was eager to get my hands on a copy. As someone who interacts with what I call 'people in the beyond' through dreams, I wanted to find out whether Sarah and others' experiences mirrored my own.

BLOBS, BEINGS AND THE OTHER SIDE

In The Other Side, people who'd had near-death experiences described seeing 'beings' or undefined 'blobs' on the other side. These beings weren't physical; they were light, energy and presence, like stars shining in the distance.

Sarah, for example, recognised her husband as one of these bright entities, even though she couldn't see him as he appeared in life.

Mediums and psychics often see those who have passed on in physical form, but my encounters have been very different.

I've always felt that I fall under 'clairaudience': I don't often see visions of people but I hear messages clearly voices, words, even full conversations. It's not a constant connection, as mediums describe, but these dream encounters feel just as vivid and real. I'm not sure why it's different for me. Is it tied to faith or belief, or perhaps something else?

In her book, Sarah explores how personal beliefs shape our understanding of the other side. The female rabbi featured in the book, who is a psychic medium, experiences her encounters as affirmations of her unwavering faith. I feel a similar certainty, although my perspective differs from hers.