There is a profound mystery in the way the soul journeys beyond the veil, and I have often encountered moments when those who have passed feel the need to return—just for a little while—before they can fully move forward into the next stage of their existence. This experience has occurred in many spiritual settings, whether within a training circle, during a reading, or while demonstrating in church. Time and again, spirits draw close to the earth plane, seeking a final connection before they continue their ascension.

I recall one particularly moving encounter with a young woman whose mother had been one of the most gifted mediums of her time. She had been a woman of great discipline, deeply rooted in her ways. Yet, three years after her passing, she returned with an intensity that was almost tangible. As she drew close to her daughter, I could sense the deep emotions that surfaced within her—perhaps unspoken words, perhaps a lingering attachment. After the reading, I felt a shift in her presence, as if the act of returning had granted her the peace she needed to move on to a higher plane.

Many years ago, while practicing trance mediumship with my family—who themselves were gifted in spirit communication—I observed how the first return to the earthly realm could be an overwhelming experience for some spirits. One gentleman, a World War II fighter pilot, came through with a rush of disoriented energy. His last earthly memory was the moment of his passing in a plane crash, and it was as if he had to relive that moment before he could speak. Yet, once those emotions were released, his soul found clarity, and he was able to communicate freely.

There is also something sacred in the way spirits of those I have helped move on sometimes return—not simply to express gratitude, but to step once more into the world they left behind, gathering their final memories before transitioning fully. I have witnessed this in homes where spirits, once bound to a place for decades, summon the courage to revisit, even if their memories there were difficult. In one instance, while demonstrating in church with two mediums I had been training, I sensed the presence of a woman standing beside the lady chairing. I recognized her as a spirit I had once helped cross over from a house where she had been trapped. She was hesitant but felt safe in the church’s sacred space, allowing herself this one last earthly moment before truly letting go. It was a stepping stone, a final embrace of what once was, before embracing what was to come.

All of this speaks to the vast and infinite nature of existence. We move from one realm to another, guided by unseen hands, carried by divine wisdom. For those of us still in our physical bodies, the fullness of these transitions may be beyond our comprehension, yet time and again, spirit shows us glimpses of this eternal journey. Particularly in circle, where souls find the courage to return, we witness the beauty of release—the spirit’s willingness to face the past and, with newfound freedom, step into the radiance of the next world. It is a testament to their strength, to their free will, and ultimately, to the ever-expanding journey of the soul.

Rob Harvey President