Do animals live on in spirit? Will they be there to greet us when we pass? Gordon Smith believes that animals share the same spark of consciousness that makes us all spiritual beings. That spark is not extinguished when they pass: it's the part of any being that moves on to a higher realm. Indeed, in the development of his mediumship skills, Gordon soon realised that animals that have been close to us in life also continue to visit us after their death, bringing messages of love and reassurance from the other side. They remain loyal companions to people who have passed: in the afterlife, as in life, they provide comfort and love. In The Amazing Power of Animals he recounts some of the amazing experiences that people have had with animals, both in the spirit world and our world, including wonderful tales of his springer spaniel, Charlie. 252pp, 128mm x 196mm, softback, 2008
Extract If we look closely at our animals, it won't take us too long to see that there are all levels of star qualities in them, just as there are in humans. In the same way that we witness people who have shown amazing compassion in their lives, whether through a vocation like nursing or when some harm came to those around them, we can see animals that are truly exceptional. Patch, who was looked after by Terry Davies of Llanelli in Wales, was one of them:
Patch was a mongrel dog who was in our family for 16 years. He was always there for me when I needed him and fitted happily into our household of three cats and later another dog, Tia.
My mother lived opposite us in a terraced house and her friend, a neighbour of ours, was a lovely lady called Rose, who lived alone and loved animals. She was just one of four OAPs that Patch would sneak off and pay social calls to; no matter what we did to keep him in he'd find a way and off he'd go. We worried about the risks he took with crossing the road, but there was no stopping him keeping his appointments! He kept up his daily routine for the last six years of his life and was a blessing to the four elderly people. He really lifted their spirits and they drew great comfort from him.
On two occasions, however, he didn't shift from his basket. Later we got phone calls or visits from some of his friends to ask if he was safe and well, and nothing seemed wrong with him. It turned out, though, that those were the days when my mum and Rose sadly passed. Patch obviously knew before we did.
When he himself got old he would still make the effort to go on his rounds, although he didn't always make it, but his pensioner friends would call us every day to check how he was. It was testament to his loyalty. The good he generated in his life for these people was priceless, as they were in real need of company. Our lesson from Patch was to look more deeply at how we conducted ourselves with friends.
Now, not every dog is like Patch, but then again, not every human is like Mother Teresa! We all have the capacity to go beyond what's expected of us in life, though, and that's just what Patch did. A cynic would say he was just after an extra biscuit or two, but I doubt it. If it had just been a Pavlovian reaction to jammy dodgers, he would have carried on looking for his treats after his friends had passed. That dog was just giving his services, like any person who volunteers to visit the residents in an old folks' home or mentor young kids in their spare time. He was something special, the kind of dog that the Tibetans would say had a consciousness that would give it a higher rebirth in its next life. He was a pure giver of love and a compassionate being, and, as Terry says, if a dog can do that, we have to think about what we humans have to offer.
Although Communication with All Life is about animal communication, it isn't just a how-to book, but a guide that will help you discern how much you're already exchanging feelings, words, and... [more]
Psychic barber Gordon Smith, star of a recent Everyman documentary, is the proverbial seventh son of a seventh son, who experienced strong psychic experiences as a child in his native Glasgow, and went on to develop outstanding abilities as a medium
Through My Eyes by Gordon Smith describes the world from his point of view, offering comfort and healing to the bereaved through his work as a spiritual medium.
Psychic development 
