to post a 'woo woo' question?

I read a very interesting book called 'Forewarned' by Colm Keane years ago. It dealt with many stories of people who were forewarned about the impending yet sudden death of a sibling, spouse etc. Or they sensed a relative had died before being informed. A supernatural world appears to exist and perhaps we are all spiritually connected.

Gently, YABU, she hasn’t “shown you a sign” because this isn’t a real thing that happens.

I had a not dissimilar experience lately when my mum passed away last year. Like you, I’m sceptical, but I have experienced some things I can’t explain rationally so I keep a somewhat open mind.
Not long after Mum died I had to send off documents so went to the Post Office. I’d got other difficult things going on at the time so was already extremely unhappy at the time she died. I wanted to do some comforting rituals, candles, crystals, meditation etc to improve my mood and resilience. So I visited a nearby woo shop and chose some items, wanting a labradorite stone, possibly jewellery, for protection and healing.
I looked at some jewellery but didn’t see what I wanted and was about to just get the rest when I spotted a ring with an unusual and beautiful blue stone that really spoke to me. It was in my price range so I got it.
As she wrapped my goods the woman in the shop commented what a lovely opal ring I’d picked.
Opal is my birthstone and Mum liked to get me opal jewellery, particularly for special occasions. Call me daft if you will, but I felt that was a little parting gift from her and it brought me much comfort.

I subscribe to the block universe model. Your birth is out there in space-time. Your death, too, is in space-time. Every moment of your life is out there, somewhere, in space-time.

According to the block universe theory, the universe is a giant block of all the things that ever happen at any time and at any place. On this view, the past, present and future all exist — and are equally real.

So your mother is out there somewhere, cradling you as a baby, meeting your father for the first time, dropping you off at school etc.

That’s why I find it hard to believe in the after life, if my mum could come to me in anyway I know she would but she hasn’t so it must be impossible.

I believe that when we have very vivid dreams about the people we have lost, it's then visiting us.
It sounds like your mum is visiting you and lovely that you got to show her your ring 😊

I’m a total sceptic but a few years after DM died DH and I were having a discussion before going to sleep. We had a TV and video recorder ( it was 20yrs ago) in the bedroom, both had been turned off ready to sleep. All of a sudden the video recorder display lit up and the word NO appeared. Nothing else. DH looked at me and we laughed, DH claimed it was my DM commenting on our discussion.

There have been a few similar incidents over the years. DH calls them our “watching over” moments.

I think that they are just huge coincidences.

You see a lot of people getting all exited about random bird feathers. We have wood pigeons living in our garden so feathers are always floating around.

I've said this story before on MN but when my
Mums mum died there was a storm and our house was stuck and our aerial socket exploded - it was fine just needed a new cover. My mum always said that she'd make a storm when she died, she'd said this since I was 9 when my nan died, and used to say it all the time. My mum died when I was 40, it took her many weeks to die, and literally 20
Minutes after she died we had a huge storm, it was called a supercell thunderstorm, there were 3
Across the UK, over when i live, and also another where my brother lives!! it's in Wikipedia too, 28 June 2012), and was across the mid-north of the UK. I think it was my mum, I may be bonkers but she literally said it all the time, it was a bit of a joke 'yes mum I know you'll show me a sign with a storm when you die' ... make of it what you will be if nothing f else it was a huge coincidence - supercell storms, not that common in the UK, not just a rain cloud

Another open minded sceptic here.

I think there is more to it all than we will possibly ever know.

On the subject of dreams, I have had a recent dream about my late DP who died just over two years ago which included an element of physically feeling holding his hands as I sat with him which is not something I have encountered in dreams before. Previous dreams have included an element of being told I had to explain to him what had happened. In the recent one, the conversation implied he was in a new dimension and just "living" a different life.

Bottom line is if feeling or believing you are being visited in dreams helps you, take the comfort you want and need from it.

Sending love x

I’ve had many experiences that mean I’ve started to believe there is far more to us than we can possibly know.

IME the signs come when you’re having moments of feeling calmer and less desperately grieving. Don’t look for them.

My parents are still alive but a friend of mine lost her mother suddenly 2 years ago. She isn't as lonely as she thought she should be as she genuinely feels her mothers presence nearby. She feels as though she hasn't passed on yet.

I am Catholic and believe most people go to purgatory to be cleansed before heaven. I have prayed for the souls in purgatory, asked for help in return, and I have had unanswerable prayers answered. Our ancestors hear us. I do think they're still with us, just in another realm.

Apologies if my answer comes across as 'woo woo'. Its just what I believe and other faiths have a different take.

I’m sorry for your loss, OP, but dead people are dead. Regardless of their own beliefs about the supernatural, they don’t pay visits to the living. That’s just wish fulfilment on the part of the living. I had incredibly vivid dreams about my grandfather after he died, but they weren’t supernatural communications, they were just because I missed him — he was essentially another parent, as we lived with him.