The Ghost Chick Diaries: The Afterlife Affect

Sarah LaBrie is a model by day, paranormal investigator by night. She joins us to share stories about life in front of the camera and behind the IR. (Photo courtesy Prodigy Images)

The Afterlife Affect On My Life

Being able to see and sense spirits definitely makes “fitting in” quite a task. As a child growing up in a Christian home, I was taught spirits are either evil, or even the devil himself. For many years, as spirits would come to me late at night, creeping through the darkness of my room, I was terrified I was being haunted by evil spirits.

It wasn't until many years later, in the quiet downtime during an otherwise hectic photoshoot, that the thoughts of all these "dark encounter" rushed back to me. 

Despite the religious warnings of my family, I realized these visiting spirits never once caused any harm. They never came to me in a violent, angry way. As an adult, I discovered how wrong my family was. If these were demons, why weren’t they hurting me?

Later that same night after the grueling shoot, I laid in bed with confidence during the witching hours. I threw the covers off me and sat up to wait for the usual nightly encounter ... and face it head on.

The clock ticked by and the night became eerily quiet. Then I saw her out of the corner of my eye. A woman, in her mid-twenties, with blonde hair and in a pale dress, stood in my bedroom doorway. In a weird way, she reminded me of a fellow model on the catwalk (what an odd thought to have when encountering the dead!). My heart skipped a beat - as it normally does during these first glimpses - and I held my breath. 

Trying desperatly not to lose control, I looked at her looking at me. 

“You can see me,” she said, sadness filling her voice. She seemed more scared than I was. My heart settled and my breathing returned to normal. 

“Umm ... Yeah” I replied. 

She gave me a slight smile then faded away. She wasn't a demon. She was a sad, lost soul. And I could see her. I could help her. A whole new outlook on my lifelong ability came to light. The fear I'd held for so long melted away, and an importance and peace came about me.

Now, when a spirit comes to me, I listen. Sometimes they just need a friend to talk to, sometimes they are looking for someone. Imagine yourself being locked in a dark room for years and years before finally encountering a light when someone comes into the room.

That's what I was to these souls. And I proudly took control of my ability and began to practice and grow stronger.