The unusual occurrences I’ve witnessed with my iPhone defy explanation, leading me to believe it’s haunted. And I mean that in a good way. 

The notion of a haunted iPhone may sound strange, but it raises compelling questions about the nature of technology and its potential to act as a conduit for spirits to convey messages and interact with us. Some believe spirits operate through an electromagnetic field that allows them to cause electrical disturbances to get our attention. Unexplained flickering lights, phone glitches, even phantom images have long been associated with spirit activity.

In this digital age, some believe our widespread use of smartphones has created a kind of collective consciousness, a shared field of energy and information that spirits can tap into to make their presence known. An online search reveals countless stories, Siri making strange sounds at 3am, the voices of departed loved ones cutting into live conversations, and phantom images mysteriously appearing in camera rolls. The idea of a haunted iPhone was also the basis of a Stephen King story, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, adapted into a film starring the late Donald Sutherland, further blurring the line between digital life and the afterlife.

Olivia Newton-John, the iconic performer and devoted animal lover, also believed in the paranormal. In a touching episode of the podcast, A Life of Greatness with Sarah Grynberg, she spoke candidly about living with cancer, her belief in the afterlife, and her encounters with spirits. A year after her passing, her daughter and husband shared a remarkable story about supernatural signs they received, captured through their smartphone cameras. (Read their story here.)

A Persistent Glitch or a Message? 

Shortly before the strange occurrences began with my iPhone, I attempted to upgrade to the newest model. The first phone I bought had a problem, so I returned it. The second had the same issue. When the third phone also presented with the same glitch, I decided to keep the one I had. 

In hindsight, this was a sign; I wasn’t meant to part with my phone. Another layer of my spiritual journey was about to be revealed through this spectral device. 

Not long after, unusual images began appearing in my camera roll, photos I hadn’t taken. These weren’t accidental pocket-snaps. They were distorted and surreal scenes of familiar places and faces, some of whom I recognized as those I’ve loved and lost. 

Then, one day, as I was scrolling through my photo library, an image appeared that took my breath away; it was my childhood pet rabbit, Petoola. 

A Sign from the Past

Just a few days before this image of my rabbit appeared, I unexpectedly came across a childhood diary I hadn’t seen in decades. As I flipped through its pages, one entry tugged at my heart, “A sad day at the Niemeier household. Petoola died today. Boo-hoo.”  Seeing my nine-year-old penmanship preserved between these pages, the sentiment so child-like, took me back to that time of innocence and wonder. Long buried memories resurfaced, with a wistful nostalgia for my lost youth. 

The timing of discovering this heartbreaking diary entry, followed by the mysterious image of Petoola on my iPhone, left me questioning the workings of fate. It was a photo that I couldn’t have possibly taken, but the message was clear. As I looked at this image, I noticed several spiritual signs and symbols. 

The scene was bathed in a luminous blue, a color associated with the divine. In Christianity, blue symbolizes purity, wisdom, and Heaven itself. The Blessed Mother is often shown in flowing blue robes. 

The familiar walkway has a fence that is made of straight, even slats, but here they appear to jut out erratically. This sense of motion feels like a metaphor, a new life path emerging, with the fence representing the turbulence that often accompanies life’s transitions.  

Petoola is enveloped in a swirling energy that moves through the frame. The effect is ethereal, suggesting the continuation of life beyond the physical world. 

My right hand appears in the image, holding a yellow metal tape measure, though it looks more like a bar of gold than a tool. In Christianity, the right hand is a symbol of God’s power, protection, and blessing. Yellow is a sign of enlightenment, wisdom and a spiritual awakening. 

In the lower right, a sculptural thumb presses against the edge of my hand. Reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, it evokes the moment of divine touch or inspiration.
                                                                                                                                                                             

A Message from the Ceiling

While writing this blog, I took a short break and walked into my kitchen. There, on the ceiling, I saw another apparition, my mother face-to-face with my rabbit. A moment so tender, so precisely timed, I stood there in awe. 

My mother’s presence with Petoola was a clear sign, not only of validating my recent experiences, but it also echoed something I’d been told during a reading with renowned medium George Anderson. In that extraordinary session, George acknowledged the loss of my beloved dog, Chloe. Then, after a brief pause, he saw several of our departed pets and said my parents are taking care of all of them.

The thought of my mom and dad reunited with our cherished animals in the boundless fields of paradise is very comforting; a heavenly realm where they are free from pain, suffering and the limitations of their earthly lives. In their celestial playground, they run wild and free, a place surrounded in love and light. 

When we open ourselves to the possibility of receiving signs from our loved ones in spirit, we affirm the enduring power of love and the eternal connection that unites us. Whether through a memory, a dream, or even the lens of an iPhone, they will always find a way to reach us.