Buzz
The afterlife has long been a topic that both captures our curiosity and fills us with dread. Where do souls go after death? Do some truly experience death, visit places like heaven or hell, and then return to share their experiences of what lies beyond? Can those still living connect with the spirits of the departed? Is it possible for the dead to leave behind messages or make their presence felt by the living?
10. Knock-Knock Stories
At just four years old, Jacie O’Brien lost her father in the tragic 9/11 attacks. Soon after, her mother, Lisa, was shocked to discover Jacie talking to herself in an empty room. When asked, Jacie revealed that she had been speaking with her father, who was telling her knock-knock jokes.
To verify Jacie's claims, Lisa showed her a photo of her father and his colleagues—victims of the same tragedy. Jacie, despite never meeting some of them, was able to recall their names. She also told her mother that she would often see her dad on the swings in the playground whenever she played outside with her friends.
9. "Please Be Careful"
Author Dean Koontz, renowned for his chilling horror stories, came perilously close to becoming the protagonist of his own real-life nightmare. In September 1988, while at work, Koontz received a strange phone call from a woman. Her voice sounded distant, as if the connection was poor, but he could clearly hear her say, "Please, be careful."
Koontz demanded to know the identity of the caller, but the woman only repeated the phrase three more times, her voice growing fainter with each repetition. He thought the voice resembled his mother’s, yet he knew it could not be her—she had been gone for nearly 20 years.
Two days later, Koontz visited his father at a care facility to confront him. His father had been exhibiting increasingly violent behavior, including attacking another patient, so Koontz planned to have a serious conversation with him.
When Koontz entered his father’s room at the facility, the elderly man suddenly grabbed a fishing knife and tried to stab his son. After a brief struggle, Koontz managed to disarm him. Stepping out of the room, he encountered a group of police officers who immediately drew their weapons upon seeing the knife in his hand. Realizing that the officers might shoot him if he didn't drop the weapon, Koontz complied and convinced them that his father was the one they had been searching for.
Koontz recalled the strange phone call and became certain that someone, or something, had been watching over him, helping him stay alert and out of harm's way. He never received another similar call after that day.
8. Tony
In October 2010, twenty-year-old Tony Woodmansee was involved in a terrible car accident that resulted in him being hurled through the windshield of his vehicle. A week later, he passed away in the hospital. At his funeral, two of his friends told his mother, Sally, that they had planned a session with a medium before Tony’s accident, and surprisingly, the appointment fell on the same day as his funeral.
Sally, a skeptic, initially dismissed their story. However, things began to happen that made her rethink her disbelief. Kitchen utensils in her home started moving on their own, and both her TV and car radio began turning on and off by themselves.
Alarmed, Sally visited the medium, who informed her that a young man with blonde hair wanted to contact her and suggested she try automatic writing. The next morning, Sally sat in the dark with a pen and paper, attempting to communicate with Tony. As she wrote, she felt a presence move her hand across the page. When she switched on the light, she was astonished to see the word "Tony" written on the paper.
Four years after the incident, Sally had accumulated 20 A4 notebooks filled with writings from Tony. While many are skeptical of the grieving mother’s claims, Sally remains firm in her belief that her son is communicating through the writings, with her physical arm guiding the pen.
7. Texting from the Afterlife
In 1988, Frank Jones and his family were plagued by what seemed to be a malevolent ghost or poltergeist in their home in Blackpool. Unseen hands would pull the covers off the beds while the children slept, doors would slam shut, and taps would turn on by themselves. The disturbances became so intense that Frank sought the help of a church, having his home spiritually cleansed.
Five years later, the spirit seemed to have disappeared. But then, tragedy struck. Frank’s son passed away, followed by his wife, Sadie, just three months later. In accordance with Sadie’s love for her phone, she was buried with it.
Soon after Sadie’s funeral, Frank noticed a missed call on his phone, but strangely, the phone had not even rung. Upon checking the number, Frank saw it was from his own landline at home. This made no sense, as no one else was in the house at the time. Moments later, Frank smelled Sadie’s perfume and the scent of her favorite cigarettes drifting through the air in the house.
To make matters even stranger, Frank also claims to have received text messages from Sadie’s phone. The texts contained phrases that Sadie often said during her life, yet the number sending them never appeared on his screen.
6. "I’m Watching"
Jack Froese, a Pennsylvania resident, tragically passed away at the age of 32 from a heart arrhythmia in June 2011. His family and friends were left heartbroken by the loss.
Five months after Jack’s death, his best friend, Tim Hart, was checking his emails on his phone when he received a message from Jack’s email account. The subject line read, “I’m watching.” The email’s body contained just three sentences: “Did you hear me? I’m at your house. Clean your f-ing attic!!!”
Tim was stunned, as he and Jack had been the only ones in the attic shortly before Jack’s death, discussing what to do with the extra space.
Jack’s cousin, Jimmy McGraw, also received an email from Jack after his passing. In the message, Jack predicted that Jimmy would break his ankle and tried to warn him to be careful. Remarkably, Jimmy had fractured his ankle just a week before receiving this chilling email.
5. Purple Flowers
In August 2014, Vinto Scarabello lost his wife after almost 64 years of marriage. The heartbroken widower decided to visit her grave as often as possible, particularly every Sunday. He would bring flowers from their garden or sometimes from a shop. However, every time he returned to replace the old flowers, they would inexplicably be purple.
Vinto tried using various colored flowers, but without exception, he would find purple flowers at his wife’s graveside. Purple had been her favorite color, and even though florists had a logical explanation for the phenomenon (flowers turning purple with age), Vinto firmly believes it’s a miracle, a sign from his wife wherever she may be. This experience even led him to return to church.
4. "The Lad’s Done Well"
Actress Maureen Lipman, known for her work on stage and screen, completed her husband’s autobiography after his passing in 2004. In 2006, she portrayed herself in the adaptation of the book titled Jack Rosenthal’s Last Act.
Years later, while reading the first draft of a novel her son Adam was working on, Maureen began to criticize it quite harshly. The novel featured a character named Enk, and Maureen offered advice on how to improve the weaker parts of the story. Not long after, as she was fiddling with her mobile phone, a message appeared on the screen from her late husband. The message read: 'The lad’s done well—Enk.'
While Maureen considered that the message might have been an old one that somehow reached her years later, she believes that Jack sent it to remind her to be kinder to their son, as he was doing well.
3. Robin
In 2014, four-year-old Jack Robinson passed away from a brain tumor, leaving behind his parents, his identical twin brother, and three sisters. His mother, Marie, frequently visits his grave, but something very unexpected occurred during her visit on April 1, 2017, the anniversary of Jack’s death.
Feeling overwhelmed with sadness, Marie asked her dearly departed son to send her a sign that he was at peace. As she sat by his grave, a robin suddenly swooped down from the sky and perched on her foot. The bird flew away but soon returned, landing on a nearby gravestone where it kept her company. Marie, seizing the moment, pulled out her phone to capture it, only to be stunned when the robin flew back to her and sat on her hand, gazing at her. At one point, it even perched on her shoulder.
Marie was convinced that this was the sign she had been yearning for. Interestingly, robins have been linked to death for centuries, and myths and legends have long portrayed the bird as a symbol of the afterlife.
2. Smiley Face
Anyone who loves dogs knows that their pets are more than just animals—they are part of the family. The Callaghan family felt this way about their rescue dog, Bandit. Bandit had many health problems and had to undergo multiple surgeries, but sadly, he passed away after his final surgery at the age of 15. His death left a deep void in the hearts of his family.
Just two days after Bandit's passing, Catie Callaghan, the family’s mom, went into the backyard and noticed Bandit's water bowl was still there. As she bent down to pick it up, she noticed something extraordinary. The remaining water in the bowl had formed a smiley face. Catie believed this was a message from Bandit, telling them not to worry because he was okay, though others dismissed it as a mere natural settling of water drops.
1. Butterfly
In 2013, Amanda tragically lost her six-year-old daughter, Azalee, to cancer. Azalee never had the chance to meet her mom’s new husband, Chip, whom she married in 2015. Wanting to keep the memory of her daughter alive on her wedding day, Amanda asked a photographer friend to capture images of Azalee in the wedding photos. In addition, she planned to release a set of butterflies in her daughter’s honor.
As the butterflies took flight, one remarkable butterfly lingered and gently landed on Amanda’s wedding dress. The bride and groom, along with all the guests, were deeply moved by the moment. Amanda is certain that the butterfly was a message from Azalee, showing that her little girl was happy for her and giving her the blessing to start this new chapter of her life.
