Why do some spirits stay earthbound?

Earthbound spirits, commonly known as ghosts, are deceased souls who remain attached to the earthly realm after dying. When the body expires, the spirit of a person usually moves into the astral realm (via their astral body) to begin a new existence. This astral dimension is very close to our own. Some call it heaven. Sadly, there are spirits who do not fully cross into the light of the astral realm immediately upon death. These spirits are commonly referred to as “Earthbound Spirits”.

Earthbound spirits are souls who either consciously decide not to cross over, are not aware they have died, or are so traumatized by the death experience, they literally cannot see the light. Earthbound spirits are bound to an isolated existence. They continue conscious awareness in their own little world and often linger in earthly locals where they once felt the most comfort and safety. They often have an agenda. You might encounter these spirits in a home, a place of business, or even wandering around a property. In other cases, spirits might inhabit a space somewhere in our reality but are not consciously aware of where that is and are not tied to a specific place.

There are spirits who don’t know they are dead. As hard as it is for us to understand this, it does happen.  These spirits can be benign or very angry because they are confused.

Again, failing to make the normal transition at death can happen for any number of reasons. The death could be sudden and traumatic causing confusion, the spirit exists in a dazed twilight condition, or might even feel rage at being robbed of life. Other reasons could include fear of how they will be treated on the other side, emotional attachments to those left behind, massive guilt, or unfinished business. There are even those who stay for the sake of curiosity or revenge. Some cannot bear to be separated from family members or are worried about a particular family member–such as a spouse left behind. Many earthbound spirits are not aware or choose to ignore guides and loved ones from the other side who have come to escort them across the veil (another term for entering the astral plane). They instead, elect to continue on as before with their emotions and attitudes unchanged.

Some reasons why a spirit would get stuck

1. Unresolved grief of a loved one. When a loved one such as a parent, a child, or a sibling dies and a person is not able to accept the loss, the unresolved grief of the survivor seems to make an energetic pull on the deceased that prevents the spirit from fully moving into the next world.
2. Strong negative feelings at the moment of death. When a person dies in a state of terror, anger, or rage, these feelings are like lead bags holding down a hot air balloon that should rise.  They seem to chain the spirit to the gravitational field of the earth.  For example, civilians who are killed in wars often have very strong negative feelings, because soldiers are only supposed to kill other soldiers, not civilians.
3. Not knowing what to expect. People with no spiritual training may not know what to expect at the moment of death.  They may think consciousness will end, as if the lights went out and they ceased to exist.  The spirit never dies, and after it leaves the physical body, one still has feelings and can hear and see everything.  Athiests may think that they are still alive and not notice that the body they are in is not their own.  In fact, Gary Leon Hill, author of People Who Don’t Know They Are Dead quips, “Being dead is so much like being alive that many people die without realizing their condition.”
4. Confusion or disorientation at the moment of death. Other factors that may contribute to a person not realizing what is happening when everyone stops talking to them (except Soul Detectives!) are situations that impair cognitive brain functions:  head trauma such as a car accident, Alzheimer’s, or drug stupor at the moment of death either from a drug overdose or from opiates given to ease the pain of the final stage of terminal illness. Please note that most people who die make the transition into the next world just fine.  Not everyone who dies from one of the situations listed above becomes earthbound—just a few.
5. Fear of punishment. When people have done things they know are wrong, they may turn away from the Light because they fear they will be sent to a place of punishment.  People who have been raised in strict religious traditions often believe that God is an angry God who will punish them for all of their sins.  The Catholic Church has taught that after death, the soul goes into purgatory, a place of fire, where one’s sins are burned away to purify the soul before it is ready to go into heaven.  Sometimes people are so afraid they will go into purgatory or hell that they refuse to budge and stay earthbound.
6. Unfinished business. People who stay earthbound because of unresolved interpersonal issues.  Once the situation is resolved, they are at peace and can cross into the Light.
7. Attachment to material possessions. Some people become so attached to their material possessions that they do not want to leave them when they die.  Real estate agents know that sometimes the deceased former owner of a house has not vacated the premises and is still “living” in what that person considers his or her home.  The new occupants may hear footsteps and noises, and lights may go on and off—all signs of poltergeist activity.