Rhianna Benson
Have you ever sensed that someone no longer with us, is still with you?
It could be something as simple as a shiver down your spine, items seeming to vanish and reappear, or a certain song that immediately makes you think of a person that has passed.
And whilst you might think that only certain individuals harbour the gift of communication with the dead, one psychic believes these abilities can be channelled - specifically with regards to taste.
Judy O'Brien, who experienced her first sighting following a traumatic childhood experience, says she has been able to communicate with the deceased ever since, and says these spirits communicate in various different ways.
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"I’m extremely grateful and I thank God and my angels every day for this," she began of her gift during a recent interview.
"There is no death, there is life after life, we will always continue on, we will always love and always be around."
Back to the different means of communication - O'Brien told Starts at 60 recently that some of these ghosts show their loved ones that everything is going to be okay by creating a sense of warmth in their relatives.
Others, the medium believes, work through the senses.
Discussing her own experience, O'Brien explained: "They [spirits] give me things to taste. They remember what they used to love and share that with me. So, if someone loved cheesecake, I will taste cheesecake."
She went on to jibe: "Sometimes I laugh at spirits and say, ‘can’t you give me a hamburger?’."
As we say, however, the psychic doesn't believe she's the only individual who can encounter lost loved ones through taste. In fact, she says people actively looking to feel a deceased relative's presence should start with flavours and scents that remind them of that person.
So, if your late father wore a certain cologne, she advises making yourself familiar with that fragrance. Or, if your late mother had a particular appetite for trifle, familiar yourself with the taste of that specific desert.
In doing so, you're bringing yourself closer to that lost individual, which it turn might at least provide some emotional support.
According to Cruse Bereavement Support, reports have shown support of O'Brien's theory.
The website states: "Some people also report sensing the smell or warmth of someone close to them, or just feel a very strong sense of their presence. Sometimes these feelings can be very powerful.
"They may be comforting but also feel disturbing."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.