I meandered my way through the streets, shuddering at all the postwar construction, knowing exactly why old Berlin no longer existed, sensing history unfold before my eyes.
East Berlin, Germany. The Iron Curtain. The Stasi. Espionage. Hohenschönhausen. Death.
Not exactly a fun place to live in during Soviet occupation. Curiously, I wasn’t all that interested in the Berlin Wall or postwar East Berlin when I arrived in the city. My focus was on WWII, although I knew that I had to, at the very least, make my way to the wall, especially given that Hans was “insisting” that I go there.
I meandered my way through the streets, shuddering at all the postwar construction, knowing exactly why old Berlin no longer existed, sensing history unfold before my eyes.
I am a novice at sensing the spirits around me. At this point, I am unable to access the dead whenever I feel like tuning into them. It doesn’t come to me that naturally, and yet, when it does, it can feel more real than physical “reality” itself. And whenever my sensing moments dissolve, I get frustrated.
“She can see us!”
I could feel myself about to break down from the intensity, so I stepped away from the crowd that had gathered near me.
When I saw the Berlin wall in the distance, an unexplained force started to pull me toward it, knowing something paranormal was going to happen. I approached a monument that displayed dozens of photos honoring those who had been killed trying to escape East Berlin. I looked at each photo, reading the names of the victims, trying to feel the dead.
An overwhelming sense of sadness suddenly overtook me. I could feel myself about to break down from the intensity, so I stepped away from the crowd that had gathered near me. I walked toward an adjacent cemetery to take a few deep breaths and to collect myself, but as I walked the open field where dragon’s teeth and electric barb wire had once divided the city, I started to “see” hazy figures slowly walk towards me.
I realized that these ghosts were not the victims of the Berlin Wall.
As soon as they sensed my attention, I “heard” one of them say. “She can see us!”
I concentrated on the field, trying to make out the figures and when I finally started seeing them, I realized that these ghosts were not the victims of the Berlin Wall. They were the ghosts of German soldiers who had died fighting during the Battle of Berlin. It hadn’t even occurred to me that they would be here, or at least I hadn’t given it much thought, considering my sensory overload of taking in Berlin.
Soldiers Running through the Streets
For someone who sees dead people, I tend to be the most skeptical of these experiences.
My mind’s eye became flooded with images of war. Buildings crumbling to dust, soldiers running through the streets. The images of chaos whizzed through my head, as I gazed at the ground. When I looked up, there were nothing but soldiers standing around. Although they kept their distance, some stared at me blankly, while others seemed to be reenacting past events–energetic imprints.
I spent about three hours at the wall and museum. From the observation area on the top of the museum that looks onto the field and the cemetery, I could still see the ghosts standing on the field.
For someone who sees dead people, I tend to be the most skeptical of these experiences. It’s easier to disbelieve and to just focus on the physical world. Then again, once you’ve seen the other side, it’s difficult going back to “normal.”
Shutting Down for the Night
As I made my way back to my Airbnb apartment in Kreuzberg, I could sense several of the field ghosts tagging along. At the apartment, I lit candles and drew a bath. I created a white shield of light around me to keep the ghosts out and to prevent more encounters during my stay in Berlin.
Sometimes, I have to shut down my unrefined abilities, otherwise, I can get too caught up with the dead.
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