Recognizing Signs From Deceased Loved Ones

Do you believe in an afterlife? A place where souls go after they die? If so, do you think our deceased loved ones can send us signs from beyond the grave?

It’s a question that’s intrigued me since 1986 when my best friend invited me to her nine-year-old slumber party.

“Take a look at this,” she said after I arrived at her house. “It’s my sister’s Ouija board!” she announced, shaking the board as she jumped up and down. 

“Should we summon my dead grandmother?”

“No way!” I said, terrified by the very idea of it.

“Are you scared?” she asked. “Are you a chicken? Buk, buk, buk, ba-gawk!” she taunted while raising her arms up and down like a bird.

Luring dead people into my friend’s room was the last thing I wanted to do, but I tried not to act concerned.

“I don’t think those things work,” I said as calmly as I could. “Everyone knows you’ll move the pointer and spell whatever you want.”

“I think you’re scared,” she said with a wicked grin. “Let’s see if we can make it work.”

When night fell, my friend set up the board, gathered other party-goers around the table and turned out the lights. I sat on a chair as far away from the action as possible. 

Summoning spirits from beyond the grave gave me the heebie-jeebies, and I wanted no part of it. I have a wicked imagination and do my best to avoid horror films and ghost stories. Honestly, my eyes water uncontrollably, and goosebumps emerge just thinking about paranormal stuff. 

I forgot about that Ouija board and my best friend’s nine-year-old birthday party until the day my dad died.

Did My Dad Say Goodbye, or Is it a Coincidence

My dad died at roughly 5 a.m. on a cloudy Sunday morning. Around that same time, I woke from a deep sleep gasping for air.

What caused me to choke and sputter myself awake? Was it acid reflux, a hypnagogic jerk, a postnasal drip, or my dad saying goodbye? 

I can’t be sure, but I shot out of bed and immediately thought about him. A strange sense of fear struck, followed by an almost immediate sense of calm. Twenty minutes later, my brother called with the news. My dad was gone.

As my brother spoke, I couldn’t help but wonder, when a loved one dies do they visit you?

What are Common Signs that a Deceased Loved One is Nearby?

After my father’s death, unusual signs, symbols, and events appeared around me. At first, I thought they were coincidences, but over time I began to wonder if they were signs that my dad was nearby. It turns out I’m not alone in my thinking.

After Death Communication Symbols

After death communication signals are well documented. Here are a few I experienced shortly after my dad died.

1. Electrical Interferences

The day after my dad died, our internet got wonky. We didn’t have any new equipment, and there weren’t any known issues in the area, but for some reason, our devices kept disconnecting from the network.

A lightbulb in my home office blew out, and another in our main bathroom. Are lights flickering a sign from beyond the grave? Were these spiritual signs from my dad?

2. Networking Interferences and Phone Calls

A few months later, another sign from my dad emerged. Before my dad died, I told him to visit us in North Carolina.

“If we all meet up there, no one will get lost,” I jokingly told him.

A week or so after we arrived at the beach, I found my husband walking around our beach house, unplugging devices.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Something keeps trying to connect to the internet,” he told me, “but I can’t figure out what it is. I checked our cell phones, televisions, the kids’ iPads, everything.”

“That’s strange,” I thought and walked away. Moments later, I dashed through the door of our bedroom. 

“Wait, could it be my dad’s cell phone!” I hollered to my husband.

I hadn’t planned to bring my dad’s phone to the beach, but sometimes I still need it for certain bank transactions, so I tucked it into the top of my backpack, where it had been sitting since we arrived.

I handed over the phone and smiled at the thought of my dad reaching out through the internet.

“That’s it!” my husband yelled from the other room. “Your dad’s phone is trying to connect.”

“I told him to meet us at the beach, and maybe this is his way of telling us he arrived,” I said with a grin.

Is technology pinging our network, or is my dad sending me a sign? I won’t say I felt my dad’s presence at that moment, but I did feel comforted by the idea that he might’ve been reaching out to me.

3. Numbers

A week after my dad passed away, I stood in line at Wawa feeling rather sorry for myself. On a whim, I stopped for gas and decided to buy a sandwich between running errands for my mom. 

The pain of my loss was palpable, and though I tried to check off the boxes on my to-do list, I cried as I punched my order into the kiosk.

I wiped my tears, grabbed a drink, and looked down at the receipt. The number staring back at me was 555—my dad’s favorite number.

Was this a random set of numbers or a sign from my dad? I smiled and relaxed as I handed the cashier my receipt and paid for my food.

Could numbers be a way that our deceased loved ones reach out to us, or is this just a random string of digits?

4. Pennies and Dimes

Over the years, I’ve found a lot of pennies and dimes on the ground; I must look down a lot when I’m out for a stroll. I love any excuse to recite the Find a Penny, Pick It Up rhyme whenever I see them.

My dad often found money too. One time he was driving the car, saw something fluttering in the median, pulled over, and found a $20 bill.

Years ago, I stumbled across a beautiful poem called, I Found a Penny Today. It’s a poem about pennies sent from guardian angels. Here’s a snippet:

He said when an angel misses you,

They toss a penny down,

Sometimes just to cheer you up,

To make a smile out of a frown.

So don’t pass by that penny

When you’re feeling blue;

It may be a Penny from Heaven

That an Angel’s tossed to you.

This summer, my kids and I found pennies and dimes in the most unexpected places. 

Do you think pennies could be signs from deceased loved ones? I don’t know. I’m waiting for my dad to send $20 my way.

5. Dragonflies & Butterflies

Was my dad sending me signs from beyond the grave? I started to wonder. Then I thought, “maybe, but eh, what do I know,” which is exactly how my dad would’ve responded to the question.

One afternoon, I sat on the pool deck reading Signs From the Universe. The book takes a deep dive into the art of recognizing signs from deceased loved ones. Inside the pages, I found a long list of after-death communication symbols seen by those whose loved ones have passed away.

Just then, a couple of dragonflies dipped into the pool before me. A small group of butterflies followed them. Then one butterfly broke free from the pack and sat on the chair next to me.

According to the book, dragonflies and butterflies are common after-death communication symbols sent from deceased loved ones. Was this another sign for me?

6. Visitation Dreams

I’ve always been fascinated by dreams. I started keeping a dream journal when I was young, and I sometimes wonder if my prevalent dreams about money, particularly paper money, led to my eventual wealth.

Shortly after my dad died, I began experiencing visitation dreams. Visitation dreams occur when a missed loved one appears in your dreams.

In the first dream, I was able to touch my dad, but he told me no one else could touch him or he would die. In subsequent dreams, he’s just walking around as he did in real life. There is no mention of his death or that he is no longer with us.

Some people believe visitation dreams are visits from the deceased. Perhaps they return to send a message or tell you they are alright. 

Are my visitation dreams the spirit of my dad coming to visit or simply neurons firing in my brain?

Spirit World

While my mom and brother are very religious, I’ve always been more of a spiritual soul. It’s something my dad and I had in common. Shortly after my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I asked him what he thought about life after death.

“I’m just not sure what to make of it,” he said.

“Me neither,” I said in response. I’m still not sure.

When a Loved One Dies Do They Visit You?

Supernatural and paranormal ideas simultaneously intrigue and terrify me. I have a strange fascination with tarot cards and palm reading. I’ve always wanted to know my future but fear hearing negative news. 

Where do we go after death? Can spirits send us recognizable signs? Do they use common after-death communication symbols to grab our attention? I have no idea.

Before starting this post, I wondered how many people believe they’ve been in touch with someone who died. 

After searching the internet, I found numbers ranging from 29% to almost 50%. One study reported that 46% of people think a dead loved one has returned from the other side to contact them again. 

I particularly loved another study that said 23% of people don’t believe in the paranormal but fear provoking anything that could prove them wrong.

Perhaps, I’m searching for recognizable signs because I don’t want to believe the universe is random. I want to believe that my dad wants to communicate with me as much as I want to talk with him.

Loving someone so much makes it hard to say goodbye. I don’t think it matters if the events are random or signs from my deceased father. If the signs provide comfort and solace, I’ll happily welcome more of them.

Ancient cultures looked at the stars and crafted stories to better understand their world. Is my dad sending me recognizable signs, or am I trying to make sense of a world in which I have to exist without him?

I’m not sure, but dad, if you’re out there, I love you. Also, please send me this week’s lotto numbers.

Has a Loved One Who Passed Away Ever Come Back to Visit You?

Have you recognized signs from a deceased loved one? Did you sense their presence, hear their voice, sense their touch, hear their favorite song, smell a particular fragrance, or see something that reminded you of them? If so, please share your story by leaving a comment below.