Have any of you ever felt as if a presence is behind and slightly above you?

[csmith0404]

I’ve noticed that while I am praying, and sometimes when I am not, I will strongly feel as if there is some sort of presence behind and slightly above me. Sometimes I hear whispers coming from where I believe the presence to be as well, although I typically can’t make out anything in particular besides my name on occasion.

One thing I have noticed is that I wear a crucifix necklace, and sometimes I will feel it tugged slightly backwards after I feel the presence and hear a whisper.

In addition, there was a time when I was praying one Our Father, followed by 3 Hail Marys, and I noticed that presence while I was praying the second or third Hail Mary. When I got up and looked behind me afterwards, I thought I saw a shadow-like object behind me.

Two weeks ago, I started thinking about my grandfather who passed away 9 years ago quite a bit, and I prayed for him at that week’s mass. I’ve used holy water throughout my house and on myself, so I’m fairly sure it’s not anything malicious, and I’m wondering if it’s him in purgatory.

 

[Kei]

Pray for him.
If it bothers you, speak with a priest.

Feeling a presence can be just our imagination, but hearing things in addition to this and seeing shadow like things for me is a sign it could potentially be something more, possibly.

 

[CatholicSpirit]

I had a situation the other day that I was just going about my business and heard a choir of angels singing from across the room, not sure what it was but nothing visual happened to be there

 

[JanR]

Quick some folks are to dismiss these things as just one’s imagination. But, angels are all around us, as are demons, and it’s quite possible for even the spirits of people we’ve known in our lives to become present in our times and spaces, if God permits it or even wills it. Perhaps these loved ones have been given permission, or even assigned to watch over us, or perhaps are attracted by our prayers for them – again, they would only appear in our realm if God lets them. And while ghosts aren’t earthbound spirits as some folks believe, they can still slip in and out of our world for special reasons or on specific missions, perhaps to help us with something or to reassure us, or maybe even to guide us.

Of course, it’s also possible for demons to disguise themselves as people we knew to haunt us or cause emotional, psychological or spiritual mayhem, sometimes even physical mischief. That’s why we must be very careful, and somewhat skeptical, when these things occur.

What is the feeling you get when this happens? Do you have a sense of calm and do you feel peaceful. Is there a sense of joy, of warmth, of goodness? Or, are you troubled or disturbed by these presences? That can give you a clue as to whether you’re in friendly or unfriendly company. Or, maybe you’re neutral.

Not everyone who experiences these things has a mental problem. You should speak to your priest about this. And perhaps keep a log and record each time you have these experiences. They can indeed be real.

 

[Todd_Easton]

I once forty-years ago felt an unnaturally-tall, silent, warm, peace-giving presence behind me. In that case, I am pretty sure it was an angel sent by God, though I never got around to turning around and looking at him at first because I was too afraid and then because I didn’t want to do anything the might make him leave.