How does a Soul become Earthbound?

Is your home haunted? Do you get woken in the night often? Do you feel watched…even when you’re alone?

Having an earthbound spirit is like having an extra housemate without a body! You will feel their presence. It’s like standing in a crowd and knowing someone in the distance is staring at you. They might look away when you stare in their direction, but you can still pinpoint where they are. You can sense it.

An earthbound spirit will often give you a visceral sensation – goosebumps, chicken skin, the hair standing up on the back of your neck. If you are a HSP (highly sensitive person), an empath or an intuitive you’ll be able to sense more. You might be able to tune in to exactly what they look like and may hear them whispering to you.

You might be able to see them, hear them, and feel what they feel.

What is an Earthbound Spirit?
Earthbound spirits and astral entities are souls who’ve lost their way. Somewhere between leaving their body and entering the light, they succumbed to doubt, fear or denial. We are incredibly creative beings. If a soul denies their own death then they will create their life for themselves and carry on as if nothing’s happened…

They come unstuck when it’s evident no one speaks to them, no one sees them. “Why are they ignoring me? What did I ever do to them? Why won’t they talk to me? I feel so alone!” I’ve had this same conversation countless times with distraught, confused and angry earthbound spirits all over the world.

Denial has clouded reality to the point where they’ve conveniently forgotten they even died! It’s a tricky conversation to have. Some just need to be reminded, to feel seen, heard and loved and the memories will flood back. Others are so deeply entrenched in the lie they’ve told themselves they won’t listen to an outsider argue with what they’ve built up for themselves.

Still more are just desperate. They need comfort and a soft place. They’ll do anything to feel safe again. These ones are most likely to seek a person to attach to. Most of the time there’s no malicious intent. They aren’t parasitic vampires, out to get you! They just see you filled with love and light, full of love that they crave. They want it so bad they merge into your aura. That’s what’s called an astral entity.

Souls who decide to remain earthbound have chosen, for one reason or another, to resist the process of transition into the afterlife. The soul exists in a temporary state between worlds, inhabiting Earth as a spirit without a physical body, until they are ready and willing to fully cross over. This leaves the soul feeling confused and frustrated, experiencing little peace, love or joy.

Earthbound spirits are disembodied people who have remained attached to the physical realm, Earth. They have not moved on beyond it after their physical bodies have expired. Why do they remain?

Earthbound spirits are lost, living in a world of confusion and often frustration. They live in their own personal nightmare without any idea of how to escape. Both hell and heaven are states of mind, and not places that people go after death. One is a state of bliss and the other a state of self-inflicted suffering. You can experience these states on earth while still living as they are a state of mind.

After a sudden, unexpected or traumatic death some fail to realise they are dead. Sometimes the soul continues to behave as if they were still living, going about their daily routine in an delusion that nothing has changed. Sometimes even though the soul realises they are dead they continue live in the same surroundings either because of their attachment to material possessions left behind or their love for the people left behind.

Reasons earthbound spirits remain on the Earth plane:
• Fear of the afterlife
• Guilt from their most recent lifetime
• Reluctance to leave loved ones or the familiarity of home routines
• Attachments and addictions or earthly pleasures
• Unfinished business
• Misguided desire to help loved ones
• Identify too strongly with their physical body
• The living can also inadvertently hold on too long

Earthbound spirits often identify too strongly with their physical body and are reluctant to lose this sheath. The spirit will see themselves as a body still; this will form as an etheric form so that they are able to feel comfortable and at ease until they are ready to transition and loose the security of form.

Some spirits remain at or near the site of their death, especially if it was sudden and unexpected. They feel confused and don’t realise they have died. 

Some spirits still enjoy the people and places here on earth and just don’t want to leave, preferring to remain close to those they know and love.

Fear holds souls back and they can become stuck. Fear acts as a barrier. Some may be afraid to move forward into the light where a life review will occur, believing they may be punished for their wrong doings in their most recent lifetime.

Some spirits stay behind to take care of unfinished business. A soul may need to deliver a final message to a loved one in order to feel released to progress on to their next right place of expression.

Some spirits will not move on due to former addictions, attachments, earthly pleasures or something that gives security because they feel familiar. 

Emotional traumas, physical pains and conditions continue even though the spirit no longer has a body. Addictions to drugs, sex or alcohol remain unresolved. The Soul may seek relief from the addictions or trauma on the physical realm rather than seeking out the light. The Soul becomes trapped in the past and past behaviours, in a prison of their own making. They can’t even see their loved ones waiting for the Soul to join them in the light. This is hell on Earth.

The soul will often continue to experience a physical or mental illness they had while in the body. Unhealthy mindsets like victim or martyr mentality can’t dissolve even after entering the light. If the person gained something from a mindset or an addiction, even if it was unconscious, the craving and dis ease will continue with death and prevent the Soul from leaving in the Earth plane.

These earthbound spirits are attracted to people with similar vibrations, addictions or emotions. People suffering from an addiction or unhealthy attitudes can pick up an earthbound spirit. These attachments drain and influence the living in unhealthy ways, often encouraging or increasing the addiction in order to feed off it themselves. If you go into old pubs and look up at the ceiling you can often see earth bound spirits swirling around, seeking a likeminded host.

Guilt can be another reason for a spirit being stuck here. They may feel like they have left the family or loved ones too soon and uncared for. Often those who have taken their own life or whose death was caused by their actions (suicide, alcoholics, drug overdose, etc) remain behind, burdened by guilt.

The living can also inadvertently hold a spirit here by not letting go and allowing them to continue their journey into spirit. The spirit can feel bound by love and unable or unwilling to go on until the living can come to terms with the loss. 

When people go through a normal grieving process and do not become obsessed with the deceased person the gradual letting go and acceptance of how things are allows the spirit to transition.  They feel that they left things unsaid, undone, etc. and they feel guilt over it. 

Some spirits believe they are helping their loved ones, by bringing guidance and strength. They act as self-appointed spirit guides and are often oblivious to the unintended harm they cause the loved one and themselves. There is s distinct difference between an impartial spirit guide and a well-meaning mother or grandmother who actively engages in the lives of her children – sometimes offering too much of their opinion!

Spirit guides tend to be pretty tight lipped when asked for too much information that’s not necessarily in your highest good to know! They tend to prefer to encourage you to do what you feel is best and will be positive and affirming whatever choice you choose to make.

There is never a good reason for a spirit to remain earthbound. Remaining in transition causes unnecessary suffering. Spirits who have moved into the light can still return and visit those in the earthly realm. They do not negatively affect those who are in physical bodies as ghosts often do, but bring hope, love and encouragement.

If an Earthbound Spirit Contacts You
Spirits who don’t realise they’d even died may try to make contact with anyone sensitive to spirits. These spirits wish to walk among the living is to try and be recognised as still being alive. It’s confirmation that their death was not a dream.

Speak to them and acknowledge you see them, hear them and feel for them. Treat them as human beings, for they are in essence, the same as you.

A spirit may be too afraid to move on toward the light, believing they may be punished for their wrong doings in their most recent lifetime, that their existence will end, fear of the unknown, fear of going to hell or of being judged for past deeds. The spirit may be afraid to face an uncertain future, leave behind loved ones, possessions or places.

If you can identify the fear, the soul can release it and will be able to see the light. It often helps to let them know that they can still visit the Earth plane later, after heading to the light.

Earthbound spirits need to be acknowledged and heard. We all feel lighter after sharing their story to a loving and impartial ear. This is exactly what an earthbound spirit needs too. Often, the earthbound spirit needs to accept their death in order for them to be able to see who is waiting patiently to guide them towards the light. Earthbound spirits have not always had an easy time in life and often have heartbreaking stories. Treating an earthbound spirit with loving kindness and generosity offer an opportunity for healing that assists their progression.

If you Encounter an Unfriendly Earthbound Spirit
I have met very few unfriendly spirits intent on scaring a household out of their wits; so, few in fact that I can count them on one hand. Malevolent earthbound spirits are as rare and unusual as malevolent people on Earth. Even angry earthbound spirits are usually just frustrated and trying to get someone’s attention by any means possible.

If you feel threatened or frightened build a bubble around yourself. If you need, enlarge it to surround your room, your home or your community until you feel safe. This is a strong protective bubble that can still reflect love and light but will keep unwelcome energies from you.

Most importantly emanate love. No harm can come from you if you are expressing yourself as a Being of Love and Light. Love is the best protection there is.

If you need assistance please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I hope this expose helps to reduce fear of the unknown, particularly fear of earthbound spirits. They mean no harm! They are just souls, people without a body.

I hope that next time you experience an earthbound spirit you see beyond the initial rush of fear and are able to respond to them with love. They need us!

I am continuing this series on earthbound spirits in the coming weeks. I am going to offer more of my personal experiences, talk about children with sight and give you an easy practice to contact and communicate with earthbound spirits for yourself. There’s just so much to talk about!

If this really resonates check out my Spirit Rescue Course…

This is a calling. If you attract earthbound spirits regularly it is wise to train so you are spiritually protected and can help these souls. We are all soul, all Beings of Love and light- some just need more help than others to find their way home.

So, what does this bring up for you? Are you afraid of earthbound spirits? Have you had an encounter that scared you? Or is it a fear of the unknown, unseen world of Spirit? I’d love to hear your experiences! Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments.

Art by Jeffrey Smith (Ascending Storm)