Crisis Apparitions

I have heard many stories about people who feel that they have experienced a crisis apparition. * 

Crisis apparitions are when recently deceased spirits come back to say goodbye to someone they had a close emotional tie with. 

Sometimes these encounters are described as disturbing or even chilling. But more often, they provide comfort to the grieving person who is left behind. 

Some people believe that Crisis Apparitions are actually guardian angels sent back to comfort the grieving.

Bonnie McEneaney wrote a book entitled Messages, where she tells the stories of many people who lost loved ones on September 11^th. 

Many of these accounts are good examples of how people experience crisis apparitions. McEneaney’s book is fascinating.

Here is one of her stories that reflects an encounter with a crisis apparition.

Deidra had bought a small Mom and Pop shop on the main street of the small Midwestern town where she grew up. She loved the rural community, where she knew her customers well.

She and Sam had known each other since first grade. In recent months Sam had been visiting her shop more often. Deidra lent a sympatric ear as Sam let off steam about his divorce and the custody battle for his kids.

Sam’s wife had left him the year before--leaving town with their children and Sam’s younger brother, to the delight of the town’s vicious gossips. He had gotten in the habit of swinging by her shop after work. 

The two old friends would often grab a bite to eat before Deidra headed home. One chilly winter afternoon, as Deidra was closing the shop, she spotted Sam standing outside.

As she approached, he turned to her with a broad grin, it was the smile she remembered from their childhood. Deidra was relieved because Sam had learned recently that he had lost his custody battle, and she was concerned about his mental state. 

As she locked the shop’s front door, Sam stated that he could not stay long. “I just wanted to thank you for all the support you have given me recently. I really do appreciate it.” 

He then shooed her home stating it was too cold for such a good friend to be outside.

The following morning Deidra received an alarming phone call from her minister. It seems that Sam’s body had been found early the day before at his farm. He had committed suicide. 

Deidra dropped the phone in shock. How could that be? She had seen and talked to him eight hours later, at the entrance to her shop. When she had time to adjust, she realized that Sam had come back to say goodbye.

Not all crisis apparition encounters involve the appearance of a deceased person. The following story is one example.

It was the early 1970s, Clara was in love with a great guy. Tom had a wonderful sense of humor, and he was such a friendly person, people naturally gravitated to him. 

He also was generous to a fault, but to Clara’s frustration, this meant that sometimes people took advantage of him. The two became engaged and decided to move in together.

Clara wanted to tell her mother the good news in person, so she left for a long weekend to visit her parent's home. 

The phone rang well after midnight waking the household up. 

Her mother answered and then passed the phone to Clara. There was so much static on the line Clara could barely hear, she realized it was Tom’s voice. She listened carefully to catch his words,

“Sweetheart, I just wanted you to know that I will always love you. Take care of…”

The rest of his words were lost in the static, that took over the line, and then the phone went dead. Worried, Clara tried several times to call him back, but he didn’t answer. When she woke up the next morning, she couldn’t shake a strong sense of dread. 

She tried calling Tom again, but still there was no answer. Later that afternoon, she was so concerned that she announced to her mom that she was leaving.

Her mom caught her as she was getting into her car. There was a phone call for her. She rushed into the house, thinking it must be Tom. 

But it was Tom’s mother. She told Clara that he had been murdered the night before around midnight. The police believed he had given a stranger a lift, had been shot in the head and died instantly. 

For many years Clara tried to rationalize Tom's phone call, but today she states that it was Tom's way of letting her know how much he cared.

*  Crisis Apparition is one category ghosts are grouped within.