by Sue Allen

It is important to stress that for the majority of time we are perfectly safe. Many people never experience a spirit attachment or possession in their lifetime. Everyone at some point in their existence however, will experience an event that I will mention in the next few paragraphs. This might be bereavement, time in an hospital, drinking alcohol, seeing a therapist, having a massage or sitting in a room full of people meditating. This does not mean that you will allow a spirit to attach to you or possess you by participating in these activities. If spirit attachment happens to you it happens for a reason and can be dealt with.

Often when we lose people we love it is very hard to let them go. This can happen with people who pass into spirit, but also those with whom we have had a relationship which comes to an end. I frequently see living people in client’s auras, occasionally a partner or an ex, commonly a parent. This usually happens when one of the participants cannot release the other or when one has become needy or even dependent. Sometimes I find that there is a co-dependency where neither will let the other go. A living person may be psychically seen as two dimensional within the energy field of the client. A deceased person has a different quality of feeling to them and is seen clairvoyantly as three dimensional. In these situations the person on some level has allowed and perhaps wants the attachment.

It may be particularly difficult to let someone go if they have committed suicide. The people left behind often feel a range of emotions including anger or guilt and wonder if there was anything they missed or could have done to prevent the death. The person who has taken their own life sometimes regrets their actions and the distress caused, wanting to explain or make redress, and so remains earthbound. It is thought by some that our belief of what occurs after death affects what happens to our spirit. Many people hold the belief that if they kill themselves they will be plunged into limbo or even into Hell. Given this scenario a spirit in this situation might consider it is better therefore to attach to a loved one instead. Following a death many people are vulnerable to attachment due to their grief and strong emotions. After funerals the common event is a gathering or wake where people may drink alcohol. This can open someone up psychically and expand their auric field giving access to the departed spirit. If in addition to this they want the attachment then it is almost inevitable.

A friend of mine gave healing to a woman whose fiance two years previously had thrown himself off a cliff weeks before their wedding. The man was found standing in her aura, earthbound and distressed at what he had done. My friend gently told the client and explained that this was not helpful to either of them. Each of them was stuck in their distress and unable to move on with their lives. The client had been depressed and was also starting to have thoughts of suicide. She was apparently aware of his presence, but could not allow herself to let him go. After much discussion the client continued to refuse to allow her fiance’s release from her energy field. In this situation without her permission, it would have been extremely difficult to successfully detach the spirit. If he could have been energetically detached by the healer then the spirit may well have been pulled back to her because she was not yet ready to let go.

Unfortunately we do not know what happened in this very sad situation. I do hope that at some point the woman had a spirit release carried out as her risk of suicide would have been high. In a case of attachment the person might feel and sense the spirit’s emotions and thoughts. Many people become depressed or anxious, feel trapped or suicidal and may not realize that these are not their own feelings or thoughts, but those of the spirit attached to them. It is only when the spirit is released that the person discovers that those emotions and ideas did not belong to them. One of the classic statements that clients make when they come for a spirit release session is: “I feel as if it is not me.”

Some people collect one or more spirits and then refuse to let them go because the spirits give them a role or function in their life. Occasionally this is because the living person feels a strong need to help, look after, rescue or save others. They may carry out this function with incarnate people as well as discarnate. One psychic I met stated that she collected the spirits of children and animals to look after them because they were not safe anywhere else. It is very misguided to believe that we humans can care for spirits more successfully than if they are released into the Light where they belong.

I met another woman who spent a very lonely existence who found that if she went to certain places she could gather the spirits of elderly people. She’d collect about four or five spirits and then go for spirit release to one of her many therapists. Unfortunately this lady would experience all the various physical ailments of her elderly attachments. She’d recognize the release of each spirit by announcing “oh that’s better I can see again” or “he’s gone and taken his arthritis with him.” I only worked with her for a short time as my explanations of how bad this was for her fell on deaf ears. I encouraged her to find other more suitable and probably financially cheaper activities to fill her time. Any work we did on protection and grounding was ignored and she happily continued to collect people. In the end I told her I was not going to collude with her in this dangerous activity and that I would only work with her again once she was ready to stop doing it. I therefore removed myself from her circle of therapists and have not seen her since.

On occasions I have been referred cases where one or more people blame another for passing spirits onto them. Hypothetically Amanda accuses Brenda of having spirits attached and claims that those entities are jumping from Brenda to Amanda and causing her difficulties. In this scenario Brenda may or may not actually have spirits attached. The key to this situation is for Amanda to examine why she is allowing herself to be affected rather then blaming her friend. Unfortunately it might be Amanda who has unresolved issues which are causing the problems which instead of being dealt with are projected onto Brenda. In this instance spirit attachment is only one possibility that needs to be investigated.

Some people have other life contracts, debts or issues that lead to a spirit attachment. There may be a sense of guilt or of failure, perhaps of being unable to protect a love one, prevent harm or even death in a previous or sometimes current lifetime. If a spirit is looking for someone to take care of or protect them then this person is ideal. I have met a number of clients who have declared that they love the attached spirit and find it very distressing to consider letting it go. We tend to attract spirits to us that resonate with our emotions, thoughts, needs or issues in some way. If an individual desperately wants to love or look after someone else, but cannot fulfill that need normally then they may attract and retain a spirit with whom they feel they can do so. Sometimes this can lead to an active relationship where the person converses and in extreme situations may develop a sexual life with the spirit. On a couple of occasions I have met clients who declare they have undergone a marriage ceremony with one of their attached spirits. In one such case the woman wore a wedding ring to indicate their union.

Other people attract spirits to them with their negative thoughts, emotions or behavior. If a spirit is very angry then it will be attracted to a living person who also holds a lot of anger. The spirit will feel very at home in that angry energy field and may even increase the person’s rage. The same scenario may happen with those who have a lot of greed, envy, hatred or jealousy. People who are insensitive to others, aggressive or selfish, need revenge when anyone upsets them or has an obsessive need for power and control may attract a spirit that also has these same desires and ways.

A few healers and frequently those who go into the field of spirit release therapy have experienced just one personal experience of a spirit attachment. This provides a lesson for the healer that can help them in their future work. It also proves to the unbeliever that spirits do indeed attach themselves to humans and can affect us in various ways. This usually one-off experience may also be enough to show the healer that there is nothing to be afraid of. If they then find a case of spirit attachment in a client they will have some understanding of what the client might be experiencing and perhaps how to help.

I am regularly asked by people who have experienced an attachment why they had to go through that and why their Guide did not prevent it from happening. My usual answer is that before they came into this incarnation maybe they chose this experience or the Guides allowed it to happen knowing that the person needed to learn this particular lesson. Nothing happens without a reason. In my view there is no such thing as coincidence – there is however, synchronicity. This word means “the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related.” It is often these synchronicities which show us our next task or give us necessary information. For instance we may ask for guidance on a particular issue and then read something in a book or hear a song lyric that gives us the answer we need. This is not pure coincidence – these signs are happening for a reason. It is up to us to recognize those signs, listen to them and if we choose, act upon them. The experience of a spirit attachment probably indicates that the person requires that learning for them to progress or develop. It may highlight unresolved issues or traumas which need to be explored such as negative emotions or thoughts, childhood sexual abuse or the need for effective cleansing and protection techniques. The event may also awaken previous powers or skills that the person held in another lifetime, perhaps as a shaman or a healer, which could be utilized in this life.

At the other end of the scale some people deliberately seek contact with spirits. Trained mediums and psychics know how to do this safely and use their skills in positive ways to receive guidance or bring comfort to a grieving family member. Unfortunately other individuals love the glamour and drama of declaring they have a spirit attachment. Some people dabble in unsafe occult practices and use such equipment as the Ouija board. I have met many people who, usually in adolescence, played with an Ouija board as a bit of fun with their friends. These individuals complain that since that time they have been plagued by bad luck, depression, anger, unhappiness or a feeling of being out of control. Some hear voices or see things nearby which frighten them. The problem with this type of activity is that there is often no control over what type of spirit makes contact with those using the Ouija board.

This can also apply to people who use automatic writing, trance, channeling or healing without knowing exactly what it is that they are doing. If you carry out unsafe activities without the relevant professional training then you may be putting yourself at risk of attracting a lower energy than you intended. On the other hand if you know how to ground and protect your energy, raising your vibration to the highest possible level before you enter a trance state or channel healing, psychic energy or automatic writing then you can usually be safe. Training helps you to manage your energy properly and to recognize entities that are beneficial to work with and those that are not.

There are those who practice the dark arts which includes the summoning of spirits to attack and harm other people. These occultists want power and are in danger of having very dark spirits attach to them. There are also those who ask for attachment or even possession by a spirit in order to give them what they feel they lack in normal ways. Some believe they can obtain power, control or psychic abilities in order to make another unwell or even in an attempt to kill them. Fortunately the people who have admitted this to me have seen the error of their ways and have returned to the path of Light before they have caused irreversible harm. I am aware that there are others who have not yet arrived at this point and continue down the dangerous path of darkness.

We are also susceptible to spirit attachment through serious wounds or trauma. This can be physical, emotional or mental trauma and might include unconsciousness during which time a spirit may enter the energy field. The trauma could cause fragmentation which can also allow spirit attachment. If surgery is required this provides another opportunity for a nearby spirit to connect. Under anesthetic the consciousness or the astral body separates from the physical form while remaining attached on a cord. During the time after the operation while the anesthetic wears off the consciousness returns to the physical body. However, during an operation something is generally either removed or added to the physical body and therefore a change occurs. On returning the astral consciousness does not quite recognize the body because a change has taken place and therefore takes a little while to completely reattach itself. This accounts for some of the feelings of disorientation and of not feeling quite one’s self after surgery. During the time that the astral body is separated and not yet fully connected there is the potential for fragmentation or for a passing spirit, of which there are many in a hospital, to attach itself. It is also known that blood transfusions and organ transplant can also bring the spirit or aspects of the person or people that have acted as donors to the recipient.

In a similar vein unsafe astral travel may also lead to fragmentation or spirit attachment. Even though the astral body separates from the physical body as above there is rarely a problem in reconnecting the two because a change has not taken place as in surgery. However, unsafe travel on the astral plane can lead to psychic attack by another traveler during the absence from the physical body. It may also provide an opportunity for spirit attachment to either the astral or physical bodies. Once again this would be due to the astral traveler’s poor management of their energy. If they have not ensured they are grounded and protected before consciously traveling or before sleep, when many people travel unawares, then they may be at risk.

Generally speaking a continued lack of grounding, cleansing, self awareness, closure of the energy system and protection may lead to psychic attack or spirit attachment. I cannot stress enough that a healthy body, mind and spirit generally equates to a strong energy field which is highly effective against unwanted intrusion. It is important for us all to recognize when we are feeling a bit low, unwell, stressed, or lacking in self-esteem and confidence so that we can deal with it. We can at the very least try to keep our energy as clear as possible, obtain some healing, counseling or other appropriate support while remaining grounded and protected.

Other reasons why someone might attract a spirit include being too open and unprotected with people or in certain places. Therapists sometimes leave themselves open to attachments from their clients. These might include teachers, counselors and psychotherapists, body and energy workers such as masseurs and reflexologists, sensitives and healers. If you consider what happens during a session of this nature, the therapist or sensitive naturally opens and expands their energy to connect with yours. There is an interaction on at least one level and the connection made may be mental, physical, emotional and/or spiritual. It is every practitioner’s responsibility to clear and prepare their work space and themselves before seeing a client. It is also their responsibility to keep both themselves and the client safe during the session and to cleanse their energy and that of the room after each person. This lessens the risk of picking up any unwanted energy.

There are certain jobs that hold a higher risk due to the nature of their role. For example, police and fire officers, paramedics, doctors, nurses and morticians all work with people who may be ill, suicidal, dying or deceased. These are all conditions where there may be the involvement of an earthbound spirit. Any entity attaching or possessing the body will want to free itself once the energy field of that person is so weakened that they can no longer feed it. If the body dies then the entity needs to attach to someone else who can sustain it. The spirit will choose the person on the scene to whom they are attracted.

In addition to these roles or professions there are also certain places where there is a higher incidence of spirits than others and a higher probability of attachment due to the nature of the activities carried out in those places. For example, hospitals are very common places to pick up an attachment as people are often very sick or traumatized and therefore more vulnerable. People who die in hospitals sometimes pass while unconscious or in shock and may not be expecting to die or are not ready to do so. Places such as cemeteries, churches and funerals are often frequented by spirits who are lost and confused or not ready to depart because they wish to stay with their loved ones.

Other sites where a spirit may attach are places where alcohol is drunk in quantity. Alcohol naturally expands and may also weaken the energy field; it opens us up psychically. Discarnate spirits in pubs and clubs literally wait for the effect of the alcohol to take effect and then jump on board. Other places where we might be vulnerable are therapy rooms. During many “hands on” therapies spirits may be dislodged from one client and passed to another or to the therapist. Haunted houses and offices may also harbor a spirit or two that decide to leave with you at the end of your visit or work day.

Some objects may hold a spirit which may then pass to a person. This method is sometimes employed in intentional psychic attack where an object is used to trap a spirit and then given to the victim as a gift. The spirit might stay trapped within the object and affect everyone within its vicinity or may be able to transfer from there to the victim. In some houses I have been asked to clear I have found such objects, usually ornaments of some kind or even pictures. Most of these items can be cleared in a similar way to clearing a spirit from a person.

Excerpt from Spirit Release: A Practical Handbook

See Part II here.