Quick answer
The classic list of presence signs is short: chills or hair standing on end, lights that flicker or devices that misbehave, repeating numbers, feathers and coins, orbs in photographs, a familiar smell, and a sudden calm. Each has an ordinary account. Chills come from a draft or from emotional attention, the same shiver a piece of music gives. Flickering lights come from loose bulbs or ageing wiring. Repeating numbers come from checking the clock at habitual times. Feathers come from birds moulting, orbs from dust lit by a flash, smells from memory, and calm from the slower breathing that follows a pause. None of that makes the moment empty. The feeling of company is real and arrives most often in grief, and it can be kept. One caution: if the presence comes with headache, nausea or drowsiness, check the house for carbon monoxide. The full guide is Signs Spirits Are Contacting You: What Each Experience Usually Is, When It Is Grief, the House or Health, and Consulting a Guide.
Presence signs and what usually explains them
| Sign | Ordinary explanation | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Chills, hair standing up | A draft, a temperature change, or frisson from emotion | Notice what you were thinking; that is the content |
| Flickering lights, devices acting up | Loose bulbs, worn switches, old wiring, low batteries | Have an electrician check; faulty wiring is a fire risk |
| Repeating numbers | Habitual clock-checking and selective memory | Keep a two-week log and read it back |
| Feathers and coins | Moulting birds, dropped change, and a mind primed to notice | Keep them if they comfort you |
| Orbs in photographs | Dust, pollen or moisture lit by the flash close to the lens | Take the same photo without flash |
| A familiar smell | Smell is wired to memory; a similar scent triggers the whole person | Let the memory come; say what you would have said |
| A sudden calm or warmth | Breathing slows when you stop and pay attention | Enjoy it; it is yours to repeat |
What the old version got wrong: It said guides use electronics to send messages. Faulty electrics need an electrician, not an interpretation. A felt presence with headache, dizziness, nausea or sleepiness, especially in more than one person in the house, is a reason to get outside and test for carbon monoxide. For feathers in particular, see whether feathers mean angels are talking.
Read the full guide to spirit contact
Signs spirits are contacting you: what each experience usually is, when it is grief, the house or health, and how to consult a guide.
I appreciate the information, but I’m skeptical about the significance of these signs. Could there be other explanations for seeing repeating numbers or experiencing electronic malfunctions?
This is a fascinating insight into the ways our spirit guides can communicate with us. I’ve personally experienced some of these signs and it’s truly a powerful connection.
This is all very intriguing, but I can’t help but feel like these signs could easily be dismissed as mere coincidences.
The idea of spirit guides using electronic devices to communicate is quite intriguing! I wonder how that would work.
I find it hard to take this seriously. Feathers and orbs as signs from spirit guides? Sounds more like wishful thinking than anything else.
The mention of butterflies and new beginnings feels a bit cliché, but I suppose it’s a comforting thought for those seeking guidance.
Thank you for sharing this, it’s important to be open to different ways of receiving guidance. These signs might not resonate with everyone, but it’s valuable to explore different perspectives.
I’m not convinced by these supposed signs. It seems like a stretch to attribute random occurrences to messages from spirit guides.