Ardent Spirits

Fred and Laura, a couple in their mid-twenties, were headed for the Watering Hole, their favorite hangout. Laura had had a few drinks, which put her in an amorous mood. She moved her body up against Fred and put her arms around him.

“Honey, not while I’m driving,” Fred admonished Laura as he gently but firmly pushed her back. “Why don’t you wear your seat belt?” he continued but knew that was a lost cause.

“It’s uncomfortable,” was Laura’s standard answer.

When they arrived, the parking lot was nearly full, as was typical on a Saturday evening. They took their seats at the bar and ordered their usual drinks. Fred noticed his friend Ben seated to his right, who was there with his wife Rita.

“Hi, Ben,” Fred said.

“Nice to see you,” Ben returned the greeting.

They passed the time with light banter. While Fred limited himself to two drinks — he prided himself on being a safe driver — such was not the case with Laura. When Laura had become visibly inebriated, Fred decided that it was time to leave.

“Time to go,” Fred said.

“Aaaaall right,” was Laura’s response.

Fred helped Laura off of the stool and supported her as they walked to the car. He somehow managed to maneuver her into the front seat before she passed out.

Midway on the way home, Laura woke up and said “I lllllove you,” as she threw herself on Fred, causing the car to swerve into the path of an oncoming truck.

* * *

Fred found himself back at the Watering Hole, seated at the bar. The last thing he remembered was that he was about to collide head-on with a truck, although he didn’t recall the actual impact. Perhaps, he thought, he was lying in a hospital bed in a coma, although he found it hard to imagine how he could have survived such a crash. In any case, the experience felt very real, not like in a dream.

Fred noticed that Ben and Rita were seated where they were when he was at the bar earlier, although he saw no sign of Laura. He turned to Ben and said, “Hey, Ben.” Ben ignored him. Fred tried to get the attention of the bartender and was likewise ignored.

It was at this point that Fred noticed that all of the people were surrounded by luminous auras. Out of frustration, he shouted, “Why is everyone ignoring me?!”

From across the bar, a ghostlike figure drifted toward him. It had a humanoid form and a luminous body. “Hi, I’m Sam,” the figure said.

“You’re a ghost!” Fred exclaimed.

“So are you,” Sam chuckled.

Fred looked down at his hands and was shocked to see that he too had a luminous body. “Does this mean that we’re dead?” he asked.

“We no longer have physical bodies, but we’re very much alive in spirit,” Sam explained.

Fred wondered what happened to Laura. “Why don’t you call out to her,” Sam suggested.

Fred did just that. “Laura, Laura, where are you? I’m here at the Watering Hole.”

After about a minute of persistent calling, Laura’s ghostly form appeared on the barstool beside Fred. She stated that she had been in a dark void and was able to follow Fred’s voice to their favorite bar.

Fred explained the situation to Laura and introduced her to Sam. After getting over the shock of being a ghost, Laura asked, “Do we remain earthbound spirits or do we get to go to heaven?”

“Some of us remain here by choice or circumstance,” Sam explained. He had passed three months ago as a result of a heart attack and, like Fred, found himself at the Watering Hole, his favorite haunt. “Let me introduce you to our group,” Sam continued.

Fred and Laura followed Sam as they walked — or rather floated — to a table in the back of the bar. On the way to the table, Fred inadvertently passed through a man; he remembered that he was invisible to the living.

Seated at the table were three discarnates. Tom and Mary, like Fred and Laura, had passed together as a result of a car accident. Jake passed several years ago from a heart attack and was the most knowledgeable of the group in matters of the spirit.

As they conversed, Fred became aware that they were not actually talking in the physical sense, although he continued to move the lips of his spirit body out of habit. Rather, they communicated by directing thoughts to each other.

In answer to Fred’s inquiry regarding transitioning to the hereafter, Jake explained that a person is often met by his loved ones, sometimes accompanied by helpers — so-called angels — at the time and place of his passing in order to escort him to the realm of the hereafter. Sometimes, this opportunity is missed if the loved ones are at the place of the passing but the person’s spirit has moved elsewhere. This may have been the case for Fred and Laura.

A second opportunity for a person to transition is at his funeral. Jake had been to several funerals, including his own. Near the end of the ceremony, after the decedent has had an opportunity to listen to the eulogies by his friends and family members, a portal would open from which a bright white light would be emitted and from which spirit beings would emerge who would escort the decedent to the hereafter.

From conversing with the angelic helpers at his funeral, Jake learned that one has a choice as to whether or not to go through the portal. If one chooses to remain, as he had done, and later changes his mind, he can go to another funeral and ask to be taken to the hereafter along with the decedent in whose honor the funeral was given.

“What do you do for fun?” Laura asked the group.

“I’m glad you asked,” said Sam. “Follow me.”

Fred and Laura followed Sam to the front of the bar.

Fred noticed a man seated at the bar whose aura had opened up at the top of his head. “Watch me,” said Sam. He floated several feet above the floor and then moved directly above the man with the open aura. He then lowered himself into that man’s body through the gap in his aura. The man then stood up and shouted “Hip hip hooray!” and sat back down. Sam then exited from the top of the body, leaving the hapless man to deal with the consequences of the outburst.

Sam explained that a living person’s aura normally acts as a shield against possession by discarnate spirits. However, when a person becomes sufficiently inebriated, his aura opens up, providing an opportunity for a spirit to take possession. When that person eventually sobers up, the occupying spirit is automatically expelled.

“I noticed that your body was slightly brighter after you exited the man’s body,” said Fred.

“Astute observation,” said Sam. “We need to periodically draw vital energy from the living; otherwise, we will gradually fade away.”

“If you were to fade away completely, would you then cease to exist?” asked Fred.

“I don’t know and have no desire to find out,” Sam replied.

“Isn’t that like being a psychic vampire?” Laura wanted to know.

“I suppose you could look at it that way,” said Sam. “However, we don’t draw enough energy to do the living any harm. Unlike us, the living have the capability of regenerating their vital energy.”

Laura noticed that the auras of both Ben and Rita were open at the top of their heads. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked Fred. Given the telepathic nature of their communication, the question was purely rhetorical.

Fred was hesitant at first but then thought “Well, why not?”

Fred and Laura rose several feet in the air. Fred moved directly above Ben while Laura positioned herself above Rita.

“On the count of three,” Fred said. “One, two, three.”

Fred and Laura simultaneously descended into the bodies of Ben and Rita respectively.

Fred looked down at his hands — Ben’s hands — and saw that Laura was likewise examining her borrowed body. “Is that you, Laura?” he asked in a voice not his own.

“It’s weird being in the body of another woman,” Laura said.

Fred noticed that the bartender was giving them a strange look. “Let’s exit before we attract attention,” he said.

Once out of the body, Fred felt energized. “I could get used to this,” he said.

Sometime later, as Ben and Rita were leaving, Fred and Laura decided to follow them home.

“Happy haunting,” Sam chuckled as they were leaving.

Fred and Laura sat in the back seat as Ben drove home. Traffic was unusually slow for this late in the evening. Eventually, they came upon the scene of the accident.

“That’s our car!” exclaimed Laura. Their car had been totaled and was barely recognizable. Both the car and the truck with which it had collided were in the process of being removed from the road.

Once they were home, Ben and Rita went into the kitchen and poured themselves some drinks while Fred and Laura watched. When Ben and Rita had become sufficiently inebriated for their auras to open up, Fred and Laura took the opportunity to “borrow” their bodies.

Fred found that being in Ben’s body took some getting used to, like driving an unfamiliar car. He imagined that Laura was having a similar experience.

When Fred looked at Laura in Rita’s body, he was reminded that before he passed, he had fantasized about having an affair with Rita, although he never came close to acting on that fantasy. Now, it seemed, he was getting his wish, although, he told himself since it was Laura who was occupying Rita’s body, he wasn’t really cheating on Laura. Whether taking over the bodies of Ben and Rita, even temporarily, without their knowledge or consent was a form of cheating was a question that Fred was not prepared to deal with at the moment.

Fred knew that he would have to carefully monitor his intake of alcohol. Too much would impair his ability to perform sexually. Too little would result in him being expelled from Ben’s body.

After having a few drinks, Fred said to Laura “I think we had enough.” He then led her into the bedroom where they undressed and made passionate love.

* * *

The first thing that Ben noticed when he awoke was that he wasn’t wearing his pajamas. The next thing he realized was that he didn’t recall going to bed. His last memory was having drinks with Rita in the kitchen. Could he have blacked out? That never happened before, so he considered it unlikely. In any case, that wouldn’t account for the fact that Rita, who was still asleep, was also naked; she usually wore a nightgown.

When Rita awoke, she shared the fact that she had a similar lapse of memory. Ben made a mental note to schedule an appointment with their family doctor to have them both checked.

When they went into the kitchen to have breakfast, Ben noticed that there were two empty glasses on the table. This was unusual since Rita would normally have rinsed the glasses and put them in the dishwasher. Ben was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, one way or another.

* * *

Near dawn, Fred and Laura were expelled from the bodies they had occupied as the effects of the alcohol wore off. Both agreed that their lovemaking experience was the best sex they ever had. Fred wondered if they could make love in their spirit bodies. Laura picked up the thought and was amenable. As they embraced, they melted into each other. In that merged state, they were able to share each other’s thoughts and emotions. While the experience lacked the raw passion of lovemaking in the physical, it had an intimacy all its own; both felt it was worth repeating.

Afterward, they decided to do some exploring. Laura thought of Times Square. Fred held Laura’s hand so they wouldn’t get separated as they both visualized being there and they were instantly transported to that location. They found themselves walking among people in the early morning. As Fred proceeded along the sidewalk, his left shoulder passed through the left shoulder of a man walking in the opposite direction. No harm done, but the encounter was a bit disconcerting. He remembered that they were invisible to the living — well, most of the living.

They passed a little girl who pointed to them and exclaimed: “Look, Mommy, ghosts!”

The mother’s response was “Susan, you know that ghosts aren’t real!”

Shortly thereafter, they passed a dog that barked in their direction. Apparently, some animals could sense their presence as well.

Fred noticed that interspersed among the living were discarnates, many of whom were floating through the air. They passed by a discarnate man making a futile attempt to get the attention of a living woman. When the man saw them, he explained that he had set up a trust for his wife but passed before he could give her the details. Fred felt sorry for the man but didn’t see how he could help him. “Try contacting a medium,” he suggested.

After a while, Fred sensed that Laura was getting bored. “Where would you like to go?” he asked.

“Let’s do Paris,” Laura responded. Fred picked up the thought and they found themselves facing the Eiffel Tower.

Fred remembered that they weren’t bound by gravity, so he grabbed Laura’s hand and they levitated about 50 feet in the air. They approached the Eiffel Tower to get a better view and circled around it to see it from all sides.

Next, they went to Egypt to see the pyramids and from there explored the other wonders of the world. While their travel experiences were more engaging than watching a movie, they lacked the feeling of presence associated with being there in the physical, where they could interact with the people and the environment. Operating in virtual reality would come closest to describing what their experience was like.

Laura was once again getting bored. Fred suggested that they try something that would have been difficult if not impossible to do while they were living. Laura was open to that.

Fred suggested space exploration but Laura nixed that idea. Laura proposed that they drop in on the president. Getting close to the president was next to impossible for an ordinary citizen. That should be no problem for them in their present form, they thought.

They visualized the White House and found themselves outside the main entrance. It was early evening and the door was closed, presumably locked. Fred put his arm through the door and encountered no resistance. Both of them then walked through the closed door.

They floated rather than walked down the corridor; they found walking to be too slow. They passed by two men in uniform, presumably guards, who were oblivious to their presence.

They next encountered two discarnate men standing in their path. The men explained that they were former Secret Service agents who volunteered to continue their duties of protecting the president after they passed. They went on to explain that the Russian government was recruiting and training out-of-body travelers as well as discarnate agents as spies. Nor was espionage the only threat. While the auric field of living persons normally protects them from being affected by discarnate entities, that auric field could be weakened and eventually breached by a sustained psychic attack. Those in poor physical or mental health, as well as users of alcohol and other recreational drugs, are especially vulnerable.

During the exchange, the agents probed Fred and Laura for hostile intent and concluded that they were harmless tourists, although Fred detected a note of disapproval from the agents regarding their practice of entering the bodies of the living. The agents were able to recharge their vital energy by making contact with the auric field of willing donors.

The agents offered to give Fred and Laura a guided tour of the White House. Since the agents had to remain at their post, they called on two others of their number to act as tour guides.

As they went from room to room, Fred noticed that while most of the rooms were unoccupied by the living, several were inhabited by discarnates. The guides explained that these were mainly the spirits of former presidents and members of the White House staff.

When they came to the Oval Office, the president was in a meeting with several people. In addition to the usual Secret Service agents, there were two discarnate guards flanking the president.

As Fred examined the room, his attention was drawn to a discarnate entity that entered the room through the ceiling and made a beeline for the president. The guards reacted quickly and intercepted the intruder. They learned that the intruder was a Russian spy — with telepathic communication, it’s difficult to conceal one’s thoughts, especially from experienced interrogators.

The spy was a novice and hadn’t acquired any sensitive information. An experienced operative would have chosen a more surreptitious approach. The guards eventually released the Russian agent, who made a hasty exit through the ceiling.

After the White House tour, Fred and Laura went to the home of Ben and Rita, who were sitting at the kitchen table having drinks. Fred suggested that they try something different, namely, that he would enter Rita’s body while Laura would occupy Ben’s body. Laura reluctantly agreed.

When Ben entered Rita’s body, the first thing he noticed was his — Rita’s — breasts, which were sensitive to his touch. He saw that Laura was likewise examining her — Ben’s — body. Although Fred was now occupying a woman’s body, his sexual orientation had not changed. Thus, he found the prospect of making love to Laura while she was in Ben’s body to be quite unappealing.

“Let’s switch,” Fred said in a strange feminine voice.

“Fine with me,” Laura said.

They exited from the top of their respective bodies and made the exchange.

As they had done on the previous evening, Fred and Laura had a few drinks, went to the bedroom, undressed, and made passionate love.

* * *

When Ben awoke, he noticed that he was naked. Laura, still asleep, was likewise naked.

“Not again!” Ben said out loud.

Ben remembered that they had an appointment to see their doctor today and awakened Rita so they wouldn’t be late.

At the doctor’s office, Ben and Rita described their experiences to the doctor. After giving each of them a physical examination, the doctor had them meet him in his office for a consultation.

“I could find nothing physically wrong with either of you that could account for your memory lapses,” the doctor reported. He paused, then scribbled some notes on a pad, after which he tore off the top sheet and handed it to Ben. “Dr. Stevens is a psychiatrist who specializes in unusual cases. He may be able to help you. Until then, I recommend that you avoid consuming any alcohol.”

Ben and Rita were able to make an appointment to see Dr. Stevens that day.

“Do you mind if I record this session?” Dr. Stevens asked.

“No problem,” replied Ben.

“Please describe the sequence of events that brought you here,” Dr. Stevens directed.

Ben did most of the talking, with Rita interjecting from time to time to provide additional information. Dr. Stevens took notes and would occasionally ask questions.

After Ben and Rita finished relating their experiences, Dr. Stevens wrote a few additional notes and then addressed them.

“Memory lapses are not that uncommon and can have a number of causes. What makes your case highly unusual is that the missing time intervals that both of you experienced precisely coincided.

“Let’s consider the possibilities, however unlikely. In both cases, your memory lapses followed the consumption of alcohol, which would suggest that alcohol was at least a precipitating factor, if not the cause. However, blackouts due to alcohol consumption would not explain why your periods of missing time precisely matched.

“In people with dissociative identity disorder, the alternate personalities often have no memory of what occurred when one of the other personalities was in control of the body. However, this condition is extremely rare, so the likelihood that both of you manifested alternate personalities at the same time is vanishingly small.

“People who were reported to have been abducted by extraterrestrials often experience missing time. In some cases, more than one person was taken. However, most abductees are highly traumatized and show other symptoms that neither of you appears to exhibit, so this possible explanation is unlikely in your case.

“A final possibility that I am aware of is spirit possession. Alcohol intoxication could potentially make you vulnerable to such possession. However, there have been very few documented cases of this phenomenon and none involved the simultaneous possession of more than one person, so this possibility, like the others that I described, is highly unlikely.”

“What do you recommend, doctor?” Ben asked.

“Allow me to suggest some alternatives and then we can decide on a course of action,” Dr. Stevens replied.

“One possibility is to do nothing and see what happens. The phenomenon might or might not go away on its own.

“Since in both cases, your experiences of missing time were preceded by alcohol consumption, you might try abstaining from alcohol. However, this is not a long-term solution unless both of you are prepared to avoid drinking alcohol for the rest of your lives.

“Hypnosis is a possibility. I have used this technique to recover repressed memories, with mixed results. The procedure is likely to require several sessions.

“The only other option I can think of is to set up video cameras to record what’s happening during your periods of missing time. Since I sense that both of you are eager to determine the cause of your memory lapses, I recommend that we go with this option first, as it has the potential to yield the quickest results, while keeping the option of hypnosis in reserve.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Ben.

After Ben and Rita left, Dr. Stevens listened to the recording of the session and made a few additional notes. This case would make an excellent addition to his collection of unusual cases that he planned to include in the book he was writing. He rearranged his schedule to accommodate daily sessions with Ben and Rita.

On their way home, Ben purchased two video cameras. He installed one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. Prior to commencing their evening drinking, Ben activated both cameras. “This should be interesting,” he said out loud.

When Ben awoke the next morning, he again found himself naked. After he and Rita got dressed, they eagerly went to the kitchen to view what the camera had recorded. The video began with them sitting at the table having a few drinks. A few minutes into the recording, Ben and Rita briefly froze, stood up, and embraced each other. Neither of them had any memory of embracing nor anything after that until waking up the next morning.

It was as if two alternate personalities had taken over their bodies. They watched themselves having a few more drinks before retiring to the bedroom. When they viewed the video on the camera in the bedroom, they saw themselves making passionate love. “It’s been a while since we made love like that,” said Ben wistfully.

Ben transmitted a copy of the recordings to Dr. Stevens and made an appointment for them to see him later that day. When they arrived at his office, Dr. Stevens addressed the two of them.

“Let’s go over what we have learned. First, we can definitely rule out the extraterrestrial abduction hypothesis. Second, the alternate personalities that take over your bodies seem to know each other quite well.”

“I’ll say!” Ben interjected, recalling watching the video of their lovemaking.

Dr. Stevens continued. “The available evidence seems to suggest spirit possession, so let’s take that as our working hypothesis. My guess is that they are the spirits of a couple who passed recently and haven’t ascended to the spirit realm. Their motivation for occupying your bodies appears to be so they can enjoy the earthly pleasures of sex and possibly drinking as well.”

“So where do we go from here?” Ben asked.

“I was getting to that,” Dr. Stevens said. “I would like to try to engage these spirits in conversation so that I can learn more about them. To this end, here is what I propose.

“Set the cameras to transmit the video to me in real time. I can assist you with this if necessary. When I see that the spirits have taken control, I will give you a call. If no one answers, I will drive to your home and ring the doorbell. If no one answers, I will let myself in with the key that I will need from you.”

“I’m fine with that plan,” said Ben.

* * *

When Fred and Laura arrived at the home of Ben and Rita, the latter were seated at the kitchen table and drinking as usual. Fred and Laura had grown bored with their daily travels and looked forward to their evening activities in the bodies of Ben and Rita. After the takeover, Fred and Laura embraced as usual. Shortly thereafter, the phone rang.

“Should we answer it?” asked Laura.

“No, let it ring,” replied Fred.

They had a few drinks and prepared to retire to the bedroom. Just then, the doorbell rang. They heard a man’s voice from behind the door say “Ben, Rita, are you there?” The doorbell rang again and the voice continued “If no one answers, I’m coming in.”

“What should we do?” asked Laura.

“Let’s leave,” answered Fred.

They both made a hasty exit from their respective bodies.

* * *

Ben was startled to find himself in the living room facing the front door as it opened. The last thing he remembered was sitting at the kitchen table with Rita. Then he remembered their plan.

Later, when they retired to the bedroom, Ben suggested that they make love. “Why should we let our possessing spirits have all the fun?” he asked rhetorically. That night they made passionate love. It was the best sex they ever had.

During their meeting with Dr. Stevens the next day, the doctor addressed them. “Although I wasn’t able to engage the spirits in conversation, we did learn something useful, namely, that the spirits don’t want to reveal their identities. We are at a disadvantage because while the spirits can see us, we can’t see them. We need to level the playing field.”

“How do you propose to do that?” Ben inquired.

“I know a medium who works with a team of paranormal investigators. She has the ability to perceive discarnate entities. She may be able to confront the spirits before they are able to take control of your bodies.”

Mary, the medium, arrived early in the evening. At the request of Dr. Stevens, they set the camera in the kitchen to record the session. Mary sat at the kitchen table with Ben and Rita. Ben offered Mary a drink but she declined, saying that the only type of spirits that she involved herself with were those of the non-alcoholic variety. Ben and Rita then proceeded with their usual evening drinking.

* * *

When Fred and Laura arrived for their evening visit, they were surprised to find that in addition to Ben and Rita, there was a strange woman seated at the table. She had an expanded aura and appeared to be aware of their presence. Standing by her side was a discarnate figure that resembled an American Indian, complete with headdress.

“Should we leave?” Laura asked.

“No, let’s check it out,” Fred replied. “We can always escape if things get dicey.”

The Indian explained that in his former life, he was Chief Swift Eagle. He was now Mary’s assistant, Mary being the medium seated at the table. He mildly rebuked them for using the bodies of Ben and Rita without their consent, causing them to feel ashamed when they realized how inappropriate their behavior had been.

Mary, who was observing the exchange, relayed the information to Ben and Rita. “The spirits that have been occupying your bodies are Fred and Laura. They say that you know them.”

“So that’s who’s been taking over our bodies!” Ben exclaimed, both angry and relieved: angry because he felt violated and relieved because the mystery was solved.

“Is there anything you would like to say to Fred and Laura before they leave?” Mary asked them. They both said yes.

Mary turned to Fred and Laura and offered them the opportunity to speak to Ben and Rita through her.

Fred, recalling his previous experience occupying a woman’s body, agreed to let Laura speak for them. Mary’s spirit stepped away from her physical body and offered to assist Laura in entering her body. Laura was familiar with the process and needed no such assistance.

When Laura gained control of Mary’s body, she said “This is Laura. We’re sorry for any trouble we may have caused you.”

“You could have at least asked our permission,” Ben said, before realizing that asking permission wouldn’t have been an easy thing for them to have done.

Rita felt sorry for them. “We forgive you,” she said, “but you must promise never to do it again.”

“We promise,” Laura said.

They said their goodbyes, after which Laura left Mary’s body. When Mary resumed control, she addressed Ben and Rita. “This is Mary. I hope that you now recognize the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. Aside from the deleterious health effects, you open yourselves up to all kinds of unsavory spirits, including those of the demonic variety, which, if they get control of your body, can cause you far more trouble than the spirits of your former friends did.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” said Ben.

After Laura exited from Mary’s body, Chief Swift Eagle informed Fred and Laura of their options. “You are free to remain in the physical world or you can move on to the spirit realm.”

“We’re ready to move on,” Fred said. Laura indicated her agreement.

The Chief explained that he had evolved sufficiently to be able to freely travel between the physical world and the spirit realm. “Wait here while I check on the arrangements,” he said.

The Chief disappeared from view and reappeared a few minutes later. “Your departed friends and family members are planning a reception for you following your joint funeral scheduled for next Monday,” he reported.

While Fred was curious to see how he would be eulogized, he did not relish the prospect of hanging around for five more days in a place in which he had lost interest. “We would like to leave as soon as possible,” he informed the Chief.

“I’ll see what can be arranged,” the Chief said.

Once again, the Chief disappeared from view. Several minutes later, a luminous portal appeared. The Chief emerged from the portal along with a spirit whom Fred identified as his mother as well as the spirit of another woman whom Fred did not recognize. Fred hugged his mother and introduced her to Laura; they had not been married when his mother passed.

Fred’s mother introduced the other woman to Fred and Laura. “This is Donna. She’ll be your orientation guide. I’ll catch up with you later.” Fred’s mother then went back through the portal.

“Follow me,” said Donna as she led Fred and Laura through the portal.