Spirit Actualized

[Zzyzxd]

I’m trying to frame this question properly, so bear with me. For most of my life I’ve been pretty sceptical when it comes to spirits in a literal sense. I’ve always leaned more toward seeing things like angels or demons as archetypal or energetic expressions, something real in a symbolic or non-physical way, but not necessarily something that could take on a formed presence.

At the same time, I do believe in consciousness, energy, and reality as an emanation of a deeper source, and have come to find magick is real, so I’m not coming at this from a purely materialist angle either.

What I’m genuinely curious about is this, has anyone here had a direct experience where a spirit seemed to actualise in a formed, perceivable way, something that felt distinct from imagination, symbolism, or internal vision, something that presented itself as an external presence with its own agency?

I’m not asking about general feelings, intuition, or altered states alone, but rather experiences where you felt you encountered something that was, for lack of a better term, a formed spirit, not just spirit as an abstract or underlying essence.

Would be really interested to hear how people interpret or make sense of those kinds of experiences, especially from those who didn’t always believe in that sort of thing.

 

[Ohana]

I encountered something once. It was at night and I woke up and I'm pretty sure I saw a ghost look down at me. It was kind of blue-ish and its form didn't look stable so when I moved it vanished.

I always thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me since I was asleep but it seemed real. It was kind of vaporish but had heavy feeling of disappointment? Judgement? I don't know. It looked like my late grandma.

Even after expierencing this I still didn't fully believe in really spirits still since it at night and I thought I might have been dreaming. It was a little weird though because the spirit was watching me sleep.

 

[borbponderer]

If you believe in "archetypal or energetic expressions" why not just call it a spirit? Having to rationalise this stuff in psychological terms gets old pretty fast. I experience it as if it's real, so it is real. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.