Author: L. Sydney Fisher

“I first witnessed the paranormal at the tender age of eight. This experience unlocked a doorway to a world full of unexplained mysteries, miraculous insights, and terrifying ghostly visits that have spanned a lifetime. Join me as I explore these stories…one book at a time.” ~L. Sydney Fisher Sydney on the WEB: Http://www.LSydneyFisher.com

Crossing Over~A Bridge Between Two Worlds

Published on by L. Sydney Fisher3 Comments
A cross forms a bridge over the cliff into a bright landscape.
A Bridge Between Two Worlds

The following essay was recognized and awarded for ranking #58 in Personal Memoir/Essay out of 19,000 entries, Writer’s Digest Annual Competition. (2001)  Modified, July/2015

I wrote this some years ago…but I thought you might enjoy reading it today.  One night when I was driving home from a babysitting job, I lost control of my car and crashed over a bridge into water some 30 to 40 feet below.  With no street lights around, I was surrounded by total darkness.  This moment in April, 1986 changed my life…for the rest of my life.

A Bridge Between Two Worlds

My eyes flew open.  I frantically reached for the handle to roll down the car window as the vehicle flooded with muddy water.  I didn’t realize that every window in the car had shattered upon impact.  Splinters of glass covered by head and I could feel tiny, sharp slivers of glass protruding from my face.  Sand swirled around my eyes causing them to sting and burn.  I hung upside down, my legs pinned under the steering wheel.  The car had flipped as it went over the side of the bridge.  Suddenly, I realized there was no way out.  I was overwhelmed with despair and sadness as I realized that I wasn’t going to live even though I struggled, suffocating before my lungs filled with water.

Flashes of light darted in and out of my mind.  Scenes of my childhood zipped through my mind like a movie reel.  Scenes from my childhood days until the age of fourteen.  Then suddenly it ceased. My body began to feel limp and lifeless as life quickly evaporated.  It felt much like the physical sensation of fainting as my soul was sucked from my body.  A vacuum pulling the spirit away into another realm.  A realm where I floated as if by magic.  I stood suspended above the vehicle and stared at the once shiny, new Oldsmobile upside down in a deep, muddy creek some forty feet below the old farm bridge.

Praise The Lord

The night sky was black except for a bright, shining full moon until suddenly a massive light burst forth surrounding me.  The light consumed me and forced me to close my eyes for a moment.  I stood bathed in the light, void of any earthly clothes or possessions.  It was an indescribable canvas before me.  A pathway painted with light.  The light was pure love, but it was a love beyond any earthly experience.  It was the love of a mother for her child multiple times over.  It was an unconditional love, with no expectations or assumptions.  As I stood paralyzed by its glory, I became confused for a moment.  Moments were seconds or milliseconds in the time scheme of things.  I turned and looked back at the car in the creek.  I thought about my loved ones and wondered if it was really meant for me to die at the young age of sixteen.  Something urged me to return.  There was something that I had not accomplished.

I was stunned by a loud but warm, male voice that echoed around me instructing me to “just walk toward the light”.  I swung back around and faced the light.  The voice repeated the instructions again.  “Just walk toward the light.”  It was so tempting.  The love and peace in the light was so great, I yearned to know more.  And then just as quickly as the voice spoke, the light disappeared.  In a flash, I was back in my body fighting to hold my breath for just a few seconds longer.

I felt my legs sliding free from the steering column.  I floated on my right side away from the driver’s seat.  The headrest and roof of the car had caved in locking me in a near death position, but at that moment I miraculously floated through an opening in one of the windows.  I opened my eyes and saw a light beaming into the water as I neared the top, aching for a breath of air.  The water splashed as I surfaced and I gasped and coughed taking in large gulps of air.  I sobbed and stared at the moon in bewilderment as I began to swim toward the creek’s edge.  My shoulder ached as I realized that it might be dislocated.

The creek bank now posed another challenge since it was more than 30 feet high and was nothing more than red, clay dirt.  There was not any handy tree branches or roots growing out of the side of the embankment for me to grab hold of.  I dug my fingers into the mud pulling my 128 pound body up the steep incline.  My fingernails peeled and bled as I pulled myself to safety.  The red clay hid the blood trickling down my hands, but it could not disguise the pain as my fingernails ripped and tore with each struggle.  After finally reaching the top of the bank, I lay in the farm field and grieved.  The top of my thighs throbbed with pain.  I massaged my legs beneath the wet jeans and felt the ten inch long welts from the blow to the steering column.

I slowly stood up and began my half-mile walk back to a fellow church member’s house.  I was once again surrounded by darkness since there were no lights on the country road, and the only company that I had was the sound of barking dogs in the distance.  I stumbled into the yard and limped up the porch steps. I knocked on the door.  Martha opened the door and gasped upon seeing my blood stained face and my sweater ripped to shreds from tree branches that penetrated the car windows as it crashed into the creek.  Martha refused to give me a mirror until my insistent begging finally convinced her that I needed to examine my mouth.  I placed the mirror in front of me and opened my mouth to remove the remnants of muddy leaves and a leech that had attached itself to the inside of my bottom lip.  A few hours later after a trip to the hospital, I fought sleep as I battled the sound of sand swirling around my ears during the crash.  And attachments unlike the leech had already began moving in.

Two people communicating by telepathy. Digital illustration.

It wasn’t until several years after my accident that I discovered the impact near death experiences have on people like me.  I was doing some research on psychic phenomena, a subject I’ve studied for many years, when I learned that survivors of these experiences typically report an increase in psychic abilities.  I was shocked and relieved to learn of this new revelation since I seemed to have an increase in what I called “weird” insights.  These insights came to me over the years with increasing regularity, sometimes on a daily basis.  Although I have always thought of myself as being in tune with the supernatural, it wasn’t until this accident that I seriously began to question what happened that night.

Over the years I have learned through frequent research trips to the local library and through conversations with like-minded people, that the soul we possess, capable of travel to another dimension, is simply an energy field.  This same energy field is known as an aura composed of bright light surrounding our bodies in hues of the primary colors.  It is capable of picking up both positive and negative vibrations in the physical world, as well as the spiritual world.  According to this research, I must have inherited a heightened sense of awareness while I was near death.

There have been times when I have physically felt the aftermath of premonitions.  One day while sitting at work, I suddenly felt a crushing blow to my head and chest area.  Having sensed for several days that something dreadful was imminent, I realized the crushing sensation must be from a near future accident.  Approximately three weeks later, I was involved in a serious car wreck that left me with cuts and bruises to my head and airbag burns to my wrists.  The car was totaled.

How do I view this uncanny talent?  At times, I am not sure.  It is certainly frightening and unnerving from time to time.  On the other hand, it’s a blessing.  I have experienced so many insights that there are too many to mention here.    Are all premonitions only meant to serve as warnings?  I don’t think so.

That bridge changed my life in several ways, but most importantly it changed my perception of what life really is.  It solidified my belief in a hereafter.  It also brought with it a realization of the treasures that surround me everyday in the physical world.  I am no longer scared or ignorant of the unexplained.  Nor am I critical of those who trust me enough to share their own extraordinary experiences.

Over the years, I have learned to accept a heightened sense of awareness.  I have learned to give in to life’s promptings and follow the yellow brick road.  Although there have been times when I wasn’t sure where that road would take me, I developed a soulful peace that I can thank the Light for while I was on that bridge.  For it is when we ignore that nagging feeling, that the real doom prevails.  Sometimes it is not always a warning that we must heed, but a message we should grasp, or a path we should follow.

Praying to the Divine Spirit

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? The Universe is Calling….

Published on by L. Sydney FisherLeave a comment

Universe_jf

Is the Universe speaking to you?  Have you ever prayed, “God, send me a sign”?  For many of us, we do this daily.  Millions of people across the globe speak these words, “I need a sign”.  A sign for what?  Are you looking for a sign to tell you which career path to take or if you should remain in a certain relationship?  Be prepared for an answer if you ask.

I believe in signs.  I do not believe in coincidences very much.  My whole life has been filled with signs.  Sometimes, I have received so many signs that I actually began to respond to it with humor.  I developed a sense of humor around God’s way of speaking to me and I often wondered if everyone on the other side was getting a good laugh out of seeing me so confused and annoyed.  So how can we use signs in our everyday life to avoid disaster or ensure that we are choosing the right path?

The very first instruction that I would advise is to learn how to read your own intuition.  It is an internal compass that you were born with.  It is your instinct.  Your ability to “know” when something is not right.  You know what I am talking about.  As many times as I have tried to prove my intuition wrong, it wins every single time.  EVERY.  SINGLE.  TIME.  It’s your gut feeling.  The “something doesn’t feel right” comment.  Next, get in touch with nature.  Often times, the Universe or God (in my world) uses nature to speak to us.  The Native Americans believed in the language of the animals.  This spirit talk often delivered messages through the appearance of certain animals at specific times.  Perhaps you are praying for a new beginning in your life and suddenly you see butterflies everywhere.  Butterflies typically represent transformation.  It’s a good “sign”.  It may be the Universe trying to convey to you that all is well.  Another example may be a bird such as a red cardinal.  The cardinal can have many messages but the primary message is a message of hope and good tidings in your future.  Keep in mind that the universe is going to communicate with you in a way that only you might understand.    And usually, the universe isn’t going to present you with a crystal ball.  You have free will.  Every choice that you make holds consequences.  Regardless of whether they are good or bad, there will still be consequences.

In my book, The Haunting of Natalie Bradford, Natalie experiences some strange coincidences and signs.  These coincidences were so incredible that you have to wonder if all of it wasn’t already predestined.  How could she have avoided this?  If it had never happened, I wouldn’t have written the story.  Why did I write the story?  Was it that important?  The murder happened over 41 years ago.  Read the story and let me know what you think.  You decide.

Signs can come softly like a whisper or a gentle breeze or they can be delivered through another person.  Most of the time, the messenger has no idea that they are being used to deliver hope or comfort to a hurting soul.  I once met a man whom I believed I was meant to know.  There were multiple signs but I was reading them wrong.  It happens.  One day after feeling total disgust and aggravation, I locked the door to my office and came home.  I picked up my children and took them out for Hibachi.  I was in no mood to go.  I didn’t want to be around anyone, much less at a hibachi table where everyone is sitting practically on top of each other and not making conversation is considered “unfriendly”.  When we arrived at the restaurant, we were seated with a small group of people waiting for the last customers to fill the seats.  That was us.  We sat as far away from the other people as I could get.  Anger and despair rumbled through my body.  It filled my thoughts and I could fill my face twisted in anguish.  I managed to order my meal and only conversed with my children as I ignored contact with the other guests except for an occasional smile in their direction.  It was the best I could do at the moment.  I pretended to enjoy the chef’s show at the hibachi grill and finished eating my meal in silence.  I noticed the others talking among themselves.  A very pretty lady with long, brown hair and an angelic face glanced in my direction several times. I noticed her demeanor was especially gentle and she seemed to radiate kindness.

When the server delivered our ticket, the lady across the table suddenly stood and announced that she was paying for our meal.  I sat there dumbfounded.  She reached for the ticket as I was shaking my head and saying, “No, no.  Don’t do that.” She then got up and walked around the table to where I was sitting.  She reached for my hands as I looked at her with a puzzled stare.  I was quiet, waiting for her to speak.

She said, “The Lord has placed something on my heart just now and I was told that I needed to give you a message.  He said to tell you that He has something very special planned for you and that He loves you very much.”

I sat there with tears in my eyes completely frozen.  To say that chill bumps covered me would be an understatement.  I stared into her eyes.  The greenest, most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.  I saw pure love radiating through them and she appeared to almost glow as she stood in front of me.  I was mesmerized.  I could not speak.  Finally, I was able to mumble “thank you so much” through a shaky voice.  And all I could think about was the sign that I had asked for only hours before.

I shared that story with you because I wanted you to be aware and be watchful as your signs are delivered.  This was a tender, special moment for me when God answered with a huge “I GOT THIS” message.  Sometimes another person will be the messenger.  Other times, you may receive a sign through song lyrics or in nature.  But you must be discerning and vigilant.  Divine communication is coming your way every day.  The Haunting of Natalie Bradford is the extreme of prophetic signs.  She didn’t believe in all this supernatural phenomena.  But the universe is calling and it’s asking… CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?  Denial can be deadly.  Are YOU next?

OUIJA for One, Please.

Published on by L. Sydney Fisher4 Comments

Ouija Board

So you think you want to play Ouija all by yourself?  That’s probably not a good idea.  Haven’t you heard about the dangers of stirring up the spirits and risking the possibility of having an unwanted ghost attach itself to you?

During my freshman year of college, a horrible incident occurred that was related to a Ouija game. The Ouija group started out as a few girls living next door to me.  Every afternoon about 3 p.m., these girls would gather in the dorm and call up the spirit of a man they believed to be a former student of the college during the 1970’s.  This particular spirit gave himself a name and confessed that he had killed himself in the boy’s dormitory several years before.  He was 21 years old at the time of his death.  The details that the spirit provided were quite convincing.  He went on to name the weapon that he used.  It was all very disturbing and should have made most anyone uncomfortable to the point that they no longer wanted to continue talking to something or someone they could not see.  Unfortunately, one of the girls found herself being drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery and allure of the game.

Weeks later, I moved out of the dorm and back home with my parents.  I commuted to campus and still talked to my former dorm mates on occasion.  One night I was invited to a “hang out” on campus.  When I arrived, I was expecting to see about twenty-five other students gathering for a bonfire and roasting marshmallows.  But what I saw caused the flesh on my body to crawl with a chilling coldness that I had never felt before.  There it was.  Outlined on the sidewalk.  A pentagram with the head of a goat etched in chalk in the center of the circle.  This was not my kind of party.  I questioned a couple of people who remarked that the circle was meant to be for a séance but some of the participants had already backed out.  So where was everybody?   They were inside a nearby campus building gathered in the lobby.  Seated in the floor.  Hands on the planchete as it raced back and forth across the board.  I watched for a moment before deciding that I had to try it.  It must be a hoax.

Moments later, I sat down with a mousy, brown-haired guy who never bothered to look up at me as I joined him, placing my hands on the planchete.  Nothing.  Not even a scoot or a scratch to indicate that it was moving.  I waited.  Someone in the crowd began to ask “it” questions and we all followed suit trying to stir the spirits.  Seconds passed.  Only seconds.  Then with a violent swish that seemed to slice across the board, the planchete began to slide back and forth.  My fingertips were barely touching it.  I was in awe.  I was scared.  It kept circling the board, racing from side to side.  I looked across at the guy in front of me.  He seemed to be in a daze as he never moved his eyes away from the planchete’s wild display.  Then screaming.  Horrific screaming came forth as the lights in the building shut off and the front, glass doors rattled and shook.  Everyone was running.  Screaming and running.  There was total chaos as people tripped over each other trying to escape the area.  I stumbled and fell backwards as I struggled to follow the crowd out of the building.  And my partner?  He was just sitting there.  Still there as I ran out.

Fast forward a few months…I heard that the Ouija game members had dwindled to only a few players still occupying the old dorm room.  By now, the local campus police had heard about the game playing on campus but had not attempted to dissuade the group.  One evening the girls gathered for their usual talk with the spirit.  But this night was different.  This was the night when the girls decided to challenge the spirit and have him “prove” that he was really capable of moving objects or causing something to manifest in the physical world.  Within thirty minutes of beginning their taunt, smoke filled the building as it ignited in a fiery blaze.  Luckily, everyone escaped but no one was ever able to pinpoint exactly what had caused the fire to ignite from the opposite end of the hall on the second floor of the dormitory.

In my book, Waking the Dead, Part II of The Haunting of Natalie Bradford (Based on TRUE EVENTS), Timothy experiments with the Ouija only to find that he has provided a doorway to our world.  It’s not a game that I would put on my Christmas Wish List.  I once had a Ouija.  For about five minutes.  Long enough to decide that I had made a mistake and didn’t need that anywhere in my house.  Are you kidding me?  You can always call an exterminator to rid your house of unwanted pests, but try getting rid of an entity that has attached itself to you.  And the damn things can follow you.

So you think you want to play the Ouija by yourself?  Just remember after it’s over, will you still be alone?

Waking the dead entity