The Path That Found Me

How my journey through loss opened the door to my true calling

My fascination with the afterlife began long before I understood what it meant. As a child, I sometimes saw things I couldn’t explain.

As a young boy, I would sometimes see spirits and didn’t know what to make of it. Despite the fear it caused me, I assumed these experiences were normal. I wondered if every child at school saw them too. When I tried to explain what I was experiencing, I struggled to find the right words to describe the feelings and sensations that came with it. My mom often reassured me that I had simply watched too many scary movies. Over time, I accepted her well-intentioned explanations, and these experiences gradually faded away.

Then my world changed forever when I was fourteen years old.

My mom and I were living on opposite coasts when she suddenly fell ill. I rushed to be with her and arrived just in time to say goodbye before she passed away. I was devastated and struggled to comprehend how she could truly be gone.

Two days later, I woke in the middle of the night.

I remember opening my eyes and noticing the entire room illuminated with a beautiful, peaceful light. For a moment I simply stared, unsure whether I was awake or dreaming. Then I saw my mother standing beside my bed in spirit.

She was radiant and beautiful again — healthy and whole, not the suffering shell of herself I had seen at her hospital bedside.

In that instant, I understood that her physical death had not truly taken her from me.

That moment changed everything.

Over the next three years, my fascination with what I had experienced grew stronger. I began researching life after death and exploring what people referred to as “the other side.”

One day while out with friends, I wandered into a small psychic reading room in a strip mall. Before I could even say a word, the psychic looked at me and told me I was highly gifted, but that I wasn’t ready to accept that truth about myself yet. It would take a few more years before I fully understood what she meant.

Soon after turning eighteen, and feeling more and more drawn to find answers, I attended what I believed was a lecture on mediumship. When I arrived, I quickly realized it was actually a class on developing psychic abilities, and that evening’s focus was mediumship.

The moment I walked into the room, the two teachers greeted me and immediately commented on the strong energy they felt from me. Within minutes I learned that I would be giving readings to two people I had never met before.

I remember thinking to myself: What am I doing here? Should I leave before anyone notices?

But something told me to stay.

A kind woman sat across from me and asked a question. One of the teachers instructed me to close my eyes and simply say whatever I was seeing, feeling, or hearing. I followed her instructions, even though it didn’t feel extraordinary to me — I was simply describing what came into my mind.

When I opened my eyes, the woman sitting in front of me was stunned. She couldn’t believe the validations I had just shared with her.

Later in the class, during a mediumship exercise, I sat with another woman. Again I was told to close my eyes and listen to my inner awareness to see if anything or anyone came forward. Within minutes, I sensed the presence of her close friend who had passed from a drug overdose. In my mind’s eye I saw bottles of pills toppling and spilling over.

As I shared what I was seeing, the woman became emotional and deeply moved by the unmistakable presence of her friend coming through.

By the end of that evening, both teachers told me that I had “the gift” and that it was something I should develop in order to help others. I felt overwhelmed and unsure what to think, but something inside me knew my life had changed.

They described this ability as a “golden link” to the other side, and from that moment forward I committed myself to developing it. I practiced with friends and continued strengthening my connection.

Within a month of beginning professional readings, I finally accepted that this ability was a true part of who I am.

What once frightened me as a child had become my life’s purpose.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that the connections we share with our loved ones never truly end — they simply continue in a different way.

Today I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to help bring comfort, healing, and connection to those seeking reassurance from their loved ones in spirit.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story. I look forward to connecting with you.

“We will always grow if we let the light guide us.”

— Bill Philipps