Did Steve Jobs Have A Deathbed Vision?

An interesting development re Steve Jobs. Most folks know that he postponed treatment for the Cancer but this is an add on. The biography goes on to describe how Jobs tried to combat the cancer using a number of "alternative" treatments. These included a vegan diet, acupuncture, herbal remedies and even, most bizarrely, consulting a psychic. According to the biography after having the surgery in July 2004, Jobs regretted his decision to wait so long. "'I really didn't want them to open up my body, so I tried to see if a few other things would work,' he told me years later with a hint of regret," Isaacson writes. ... In her eulogy for her brother Steve Jobs, writer Mona Simpson closes with the technology guru's final words: Steve’s final words, hours earlier, were monosyllables, repeated three times... " Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH When I quickly read through the eulogy yesterday, I assumed that Jobs was referring to his family (and how much he was in awe of them). But Steve Volk pointed out to me that Simpson says he looked at his family and then "over their shoulders past them". Which made me think - did Steve Jobs experience a death-bed vision? This would not actually be all that surprising - in the 2009 paper "Comfort for the Dying" (Fenwick et al), researchers found that almost two thirds of doctors, nurses and hospice carers that they surveyed reported witnessing transpersonal end-of-life experiences such as deathbed-visions. And one of the features of these visions is often looking past 'real' people in the room at 'intrusions' from another realm. For example: [O]ne lady, about an hour before she died said, "they’re all in the room; they’re all in the room". The room was full of people she knewWOW. OH WOW. said, "they’re all in the room; they’re all in the room". The room was full of people she knew and I can remember feeling quite spooked really and looking over my shoulder and not seeing a thing but she could definitely see the room full of people that she knew. I'm also reminded of an account found in Sir William Barrett's Death-Bed Visions - The Psychical Experiences of the Dying (post-humously published in 1926): A matron was also present, and reported: “Her husband was leaning over her and speaking to her, when pushing him aside she said, "Oh don’t hide it; it’s so beautiful."...

Another Report From A Ghost To A Celeterity!

Srrms to be happening a lot these days.Tori Spelling through john Edwards had a message,
"A year after Farrah Fawcett died, her old neighbor Tori Spelling is promoting a new book and claiming to have talked to the seventies sex symbol's ghost. Not that the two have anything to do with each other.

Spelling told Out magazine that Farrah, with some prodding from TV spirit medium John Edward, opened up from the Great Beyond to her.

"It was pretty surreal," Spelling says. "We were neighbors for years. She basically wanted me to give a message to [Fawcett's son] Redmond and to her family and she was doing these very specific call-outs for things that they would understand."


Edward is so good at conversing with the dead that he did his part over the phone.

"He offered to do a reading with me and I was hoping I would talk to my dad. I'd lost a best friend a long time ago and I was hoping he would come through. And then, all of a sudden, [he said] Farrah Fawcett's coming through," Spelling says.

Now, cynics may wonder if all of this supernatural chatting has anything to do with Spelling's ongoing promotional blitz for "Uncharted TerriTORI." But Spelling said Edward, who regularly matches up guests and ghosts on his television show "Crossing Over," makes it legit.

"If it had been some psychic that I'd walked in off the street for five bucks it would have been different," she said. "But it came through John Edward. He's a medium, so he channels people. I've been to regular psychics that turn over cards, tarot cards, and sort of read your future, that type of thing. But, with him, literally people just come to him and say things that they want the person to hear."

Spelling took the information straight to Ryan O'Neal, who recently told the "Today" show he still feels Farrah's presence in the Hollywood home the shared.

"I've actually written a letter to [her partner and actor] Ryan O'Neal and explained to him in the letter everything that happened. I said, if none of this makes sense, please don't think I'm crazy, this literally happened. I'm just passing on information but it was pretty bizarre at the time."

Tori Spelling: Farrah's Ghost Talked to Me:
http://www.nbcmiami.com/entertainment/celebrity/Tori-Spelling-Farrahs-Ghost-Talked-to-Me-97150494.html

Onceupontheend Has A Story

Cheryl of onceupontheend has had several unusual experiences.Today we will talk about her and some of her experiences and thoughts about the paranormal.

Tomorrow, I will share her favorite ghost story.
This talented artist is from Illinois.Some of her work is in the video.You may see more at http://onceupontheend.etsy.com<
I was first struck by what she included in her shop information.If you have not yet seen it here it is.

SHOP OVERVIEW
Welcome! I put my heart, absolute care and great pride into each project. My interests vary greatly. There is and will continue to be a wide variety of product type and style in this shop. I enjoy learning new techniques, skills and trends while I also stand by classic concepts and items that I love to create. Please enjoy your journey while here & thank you so much for visiting.
- Cheryl

ABOUT ME
I am currently a stay at home mom. I am blessed with a wonderful family (husband & two children). Some of my interests additional to papercrafting are writing, reading, painting, cooking, gardening…

For more information on me or behind the scenes info on the shop, Please visit my blog at :
http://onceupontheend.blogspot.com/

Some of the things I asked her about were how long she had been crafting,how she came to Etsy and what she liked best to make.she says

" I have always been creative (ask me anything about math or science and my mind goes blank!). My heart belongs to writing and I used to paint and draw a lot, but when my daughter was born….I started scrapbooking and that became an instant passion of mine! I started making anything and everything I could with paper…including cards! I also started scrapbooking and making cards for friends and family. A friend of mine suggested I look into Etsy to sell my crafts online. This sounded ideal for me, as I am a stay at home mother of two beautiful and amazing children! I looked into Etsy, I started Etsy, I fell in LOVE with Etsy! Seriously, Etsy has been such a blessing for me! I get to be creative and productive and I get to help contribute to the family income. My favorite part truly has been the other artists and customers that I have meet and some very special relationships that have developed. Etsy inspires me completely.



She really is special.
Here is the story for today.In her own words


"Some other paranormal experiences that I have had are that I have smelled strong men’s colognes when male relatives have passed on.
I also have smelled strong floral scents when female relatives have passed (and I instantly “knew”).

I have also had very strong dreams involving relatives and friends that have passed in which important messages had been communicated.

I have had signs from pets that have passed as well. One really neat one is: I had a cat that had to be put to sleep, in the morning I dropped her off at the vet and said my final goodbyes, they told me they would put her to sleep within an hour or so…I had proceeded to go to a meeting later that morning
… While at the meeting, a little girl started pointing at me and at my chair and telling her mom: “look mommy, black kitty! black kitty!” (this little girl “saw” my cat next to my chair and I feel that was my cat’s way of saying goodbye and that everything was o.k.).
I don’t believe that I have any special gifts, I just believe that I am open to receiving signs. I do believe there is more out there than what we can see…or sometimes we do see it!"

No doubt you will want to hear her favorite story tomorrow.
Thank you, Cheryl

Gracie Bird Has Spirit Guesrs

Cheryl has a shop selling Handmade products on Etsy.Her various talents in creating are shown there.Some are in the video. She says she can not remember when she was not creating."I come from a long line of amazingly talented craftswomwn she says."
See her shop
http:// graciebird.etsy.com


I asked how she came to be at Etsy, and what she most enjoys making.
"I discovered Etsy about 18 months ago while doing a Google search for a tutorial on duct tape wallets. I never made the wallet but I signed on with Etsy and put up my first listing that day.
Making jewelry is my primary passion and the one I always come back to. That said, I dabble at everything else from flameworked glass to my current obsession with toddler clothing."

When asked her thoughts about the supernatural,she said
"Other than a deep conviction that the spirit or essence of those who've gone before us remain close, I don't think much about otherworldly matters. If you were able to read the little memorial poem from my wedding pics, it kind of sums up my feelings."
I did not,but it was the story of her wedding that drew me to her along with her charmand talent,of course.Here is the wedding in her own words.

" I never thought much one way or another about such things until recently. I'm sure you are familiar with the phenomena of spirits orbs in photographs. I was married last September and when I got my wedding pics, several have what my sister swears are spirit orbs.My wedding was Sept. 15, 07 an almanac will confirm there was no full moon.
My wedding was in the courtyard or a 100+ year old church. Part of the prelude to the ceremony was my mother lighting a candle in memory of my father, my groom's mother, his God-father, his stepbrother, and a dear friend.

One photo shows three orbs- one near my mother and another near a young widowed friend of mine whose husband's memorial service was held at the same church. I have goose bumps telling you this!

I'll let you see what you think before I point out what I believe I see. On the second photo, if you are viewing on an LCD screen you may have to sort of look down on the screen. There are many more."


Thank you for telling your story.Cheryl.It is nice to know your loved ones attended your wedding.
You will enjoy visiting her shop.Nothing supernatural there just supertalented.

Ouija Wonderings?

As the plachette goes to goodbye on the ouija board just wanted to add a few more reports and thoughts from the Etsy forum on the subject.

So what might the future hold for the Ouija Board? It would appear that even in the fast pace of the twenty first century the board has managed to keep up. It now has a computerized counterpart! David Kelly from the Department of Mathematics at New Hampshire University developed it and is amazed by the success.Hr did have to change the name.He says, "The previous name, the World Wide Web Ouija, made use of a trademark, ouija, which is owned by Hasbro Inc. Their lawyers did not like the use of the word and asked me to change the name."

Some interesting points from history and trivia include:As early as 1924, Harry Houdini wrote that five people from Carrito, California were driven insane by using a "board.[15]

The late Roman Catholic priest Malachi Martin believed talking boards are dangerous and claimed that by using these devices a person opens themselves to demonic oppression or possession, topics upon which Martin spoke and wrote extensively for many years.
The American demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, stated that "Ouija boards are just as dangerous as drugs."

Thr trivia include a number of singers using it in their music albums including KMorrisey and Cheryl Crowe.More is listed in Wikipedia.

On the subject reviewed by skeptics is the curious ending with "As a final note about this enigmatic subject; the Ouija Board, whether it be deemed apparatus to communicate with the dead or simply something to help demonstrate harmless psychological behaviour, it is probably best avoided


Here are some comments from Etsy artists in their own words:
"it's definately not a game!!!!!.....we had a heck of an experience in high school!!!!......haven't touched one since!!!!....dh still doesn't like to talk about it!.....we both still get goose bumps just thinking about it!!!!"

fascinating thread - i wouldn't get within 10 feet of one of those boards. creepy and definately not something i want to invite in my life"

"ome doors should be left closed."

"A properly made Ouija board is a portal. And messing with portals is just stupid -- especially if you don't know what you're doing.


So, er, confused. Do you mean Parker Brothers is churning out properly made boards? I just have a hard time believing anything mass produced like that is problematic in and of itself. Doesn't mean I don't necessarily believe in portals, or in supernatural events (or that I do), just that I doubt the ability of PB to produce anything more inherently supernatural in nature than Candy Land."

"someone mentioned and I forgot to add...they made it into a game because of the $$$$!"

"power of belief, that's about it. I'd love to think there was something more and perhaps, sometimes there is. I also don't really belive in the idea of "evil." I think it's something conjured up to keep people in their places. However, I also think that it is possible that since we have believed and feared "evil" for so long that we have created it, thus sometimes things like Ouija boards might acctually be more then the phsycosomatic. But I think the majority of supernatural things are only our desperate desire to see something more. Ultimatly I say the only thing I know for sure is that I know absolutely nothing and neither does anyone else."

bad things always happen when i have used one"

So, What do you Think?
Join me tomorrow for Ghost Ships if you are interested.

Ask The Ouija Board?

Did you ever use a ouija board?They were popular at sleep overs and parties when I was youngerThat and table rapping seemed spooky fun and harmless.Later as I found out more about paranormal activity,and a personal experience,that changed.I would not use one now.
We discussed this in a forum on Etsy the other day.I have not catagorized all of the 181 responses but did go back over the first four pages.Those played out for "Ouija boards Pro or Con?" with 9 people saying it was dangerous or they would never use one.Two thought there was nothing to it.Three thought it was just fun,Here are some of the comments chosen at random

"I think they are the equivalent to saying hey anybody and everybody out there in the spirit world, come on in. I Hate Them"

"the information the ouija gave me was information that i knew already (a name). later, i found out that the name i knew for that person was a false name, and that i even had the spelling wrong (and the spririt had spelled it the way i thought it was spelled)
so, was it me and my subconscious? or was it some sort of spirit just responding on the basis of what i knew (and "reading" my

mind you, the in the middle of summer, while we were doing this, the room i was in got freezing cold and the lights were flickering.i'm torn"

"My mother used one once in our home when I was young and brought in something that scared the crap out of all of us frequently thereafter. I will never use one nor let my kids have one in our home."

"i played with one... but in retrospect, i can't say for sure if what was happening was a product of my conscience or of a spirit."

"Played it as a kid,but as an adult I don't mess with those things.I don't think people have any clue as to what they may be conjouring up-I don't think them as just a game."

"I played it in my adolescense and I was the one pushing it to depict messages from "dead people". So yeah, not a believer.

This fits with the findings of some research.We will talk some more later about some specific experiences people had.

Where did this thing come from and is it a game?

There are conflicting thoughts about the origin.One author says the board has been around since the time of the Roman Emperor Valens in the fourth century. It is also thought to have been used by the Greeks since before the time of Christ.

Another says Ouija boards came into existence as a parlor game in the mid-1800's, when spiritism and channeling were at the height of fashion.
The word "Ouija" is a blend of the French and German words for "yes." Adolphus Theodore Wagner first patented Ouija boards, sometimes referred to as "talking boards," in London, England on January 23, 1854.
In the patent, Wagner called his invention a "psychograph" and its purpose was to read the minds of people with "nervous energy." By 1861, Frenchman, Allan Kardac, was describing the Ouija board as instruments with which to open communications with the spirit world. In seven short years, the Ouija board had evolved from a mind-reader to portal of communication with the dead.

A sort of definition/description indicates
The theory behind the practice of using the board, and the placing of fingers on a glass or slidable message indicator, is to facilitate communication with the spirits of the dead. Once fingers are lightly placed upon the apparatus of choice, a question is asked out loud and the spirits are said to reply when the tumbler or 'planchette' (slideable apparatus), appears to move of its own free will. It is sometimes thought that the spirits are invoked or channeled and work through the fingers of the operator(s) by moving the planchette towards letters, words or numbers.From these letters and numbers it is hoped that intelligent messages will build up to answer any given questions put to the board. Many ouija board users claim that often information is imparted that no one present could possibly have known. Such claims over the years has helped to add to the whole aura of danger and mystery which still surrounds the ouija board today

The Ouija board was first introduced in the United States in 1890 as a parlor game sold in novelty shops. E.C. Reiche, Elijah Bond, and Charles Kennard created a new design. They spread the letters of the alphanumeric in twin arcs across the middle of the board. Below the letters were the numbers one to ten. In the corners were Yes and No.

There are several theories about the origin of the term "Ouija". According to one of these, the word is derived from the French "oui" (for "yes") and the German/Dutch "ja" (also for "yes"). An alternative story suggests that the name was revealed to inventor Charles Kennard during a Ouija séance and was claimed to be an Ancient Egyptian word meaning "good luck.".
However Ouija is not the Egyptian word for good luck. Since the board repeatedly told Kennard that Ouija was the Egyptian word, the name stayed.

In 1966 the Parker Brothers purchased the rights to the Ouija Board and shifted its manufacturing facilities to Salem, Massachusetts. "Ouija" is a registered trademark.
Reportedly ot says ...A Game Or Is It?

Today, it is found in all discount chain and toy stores.Unfortunately someone said in Walmart they were low on the shelf in easy reach of children.I agree with the mother above who said she would never let her children have one.
I had a terrifying experience trying to get rid of one when my daughter was a pre teen.Will tell you about that and some other even more upsetting experiences of others,