Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe

Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe is a parapsychology text by American author and psychic medium Laura Lynne Jackson. Originally published by The Dial Press in 2019, Signs explores the power and possibilities of communicating with the beyond. Jackson incorporates experiences from her own life and her clients’ lives to convey the Interconnection of Life and the Afterlife, the Personal and Universal Meaning of Signs, and the Transformative Power of Engaging with the Unseen. 

This guide refers to the 2020 Dial Press paperback edition of the text.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide include depictions of the death of a child, the death of a loved one, animal death, gun violence, death by suicide, the termination and loss of a pregnancy, substance use, life with addiction, domestic unrest, illness, and themes of loss and grief.

Summary

In her introduction, Laura Lynne Jackson describes her work as a psychic medium, explaining that while she began sensing her intuitive and clairvoyant powers from a young age, she wasn’t always sure what to do with these uncanny capabilities. After studying law and earning a degree in English, she became an English teacher, but found she couldn’t ignore her psychic gifts. After having these gifts verified by the Forever Family Foundation, Jackson left teaching to become a psychic medium full time. Since the publication of her first book The Light Between Us, she has devoted herself to helping others communicate with their late loved ones and forming connections with the unseen world. In Signs, she hopes to encourage her readers to form similar connections and to open their minds to the spirit world, or the “Other Side.”

Jackson argues that everyone can connect with the Other Side if they are open to it. Such connections can happen by noticing and interpreting signs that the universe sends. Jackson uses her own experience at a conference as an example. She was nervous and unsure if her work was actually reaching people. She asked the universe to send her a sign in the form of an orange to assuage her self-doubt. When she finished her talk, she encountered a whole table full of oranges. She notes that the orange is just one example of how the universe is looking out for us. She goes on to share stories from her clients’ lives, some of whom had lost young children and came to her for help. She did readings for them and helped them communicate with their late loved ones. Sometimes their late loved ones offered signs in the form of playing cards, dragonflies, deer, hummingbirds, or music.

Jackson claims that if someone wants to communicate with the Other Side, they can develop a language of their own. She offers the story of Brandon, Angela, and Bert as an example. After Brandon died in a car accident, his mother Angela and his friend Bert wanted to communicate with him. In a dream, Bert received a transmission from the universe in the form of a numerical sequence: 1379. He shared it with Angela. The two chose 1379 as their way of communicating with Brandon. Soon Brandon began sending them this numerical sequence in countless places. Others of Jackson’s clients have developed similar signals with the Other Side (and their “Teams of Light,” or spiritual guardians) that involve phone calls, street signs, candles, or animals. No matter which signs the individual chooses, Jackson holds that developing this language with the universe can lead to transformative, spiritual experiences.

While many people rely on psychic mediums to help them communicate with their late loved ones, she holds that the spirit world also wants to offer guidance, comfort, and support throughout life’s trials. She shares several stories from her life and her clients’ lives to support this notion. Amy, for example, discovered she was pregnant after breaking up with her boyfriend. She scheduled an abortion because she didn’t think she’d be able to raise the baby on her own. She grew despairing as the abortion appointment drew near, unsure if she was doing the right thing. Around this time, she got in touch with Jackson. During their reading, Jackson informed Amy that her grandfather thought she should have the baby, because he would be a gift. Her grandfather told her he’d send her a sign in the form of a blue bow. Not long later, Amy encountered a blue bow and decided to go through with the pregnancy. Other individuals saw rainbows or flashes of light from the Other Side that helped them grow their families or change career paths.

Jackson argues that the Other Side and our Teams of Light will always guide us if we remember to surrender ourselves to them. She offers a personal story about her daughter Ashley, who was about to start high school. She fell ill with a mysterious condition that changed her personality. She became ornery, anxious, and rebellious—traits she’d never shown before. Ashley also couldn’t sleep or attend school. Frantic, Jackson brought her to the doctor but no one had any answers. Finally one day she remembered to ask her Team of Light for help. She soon received transmissions from the Other Side that pointed her towards Ashley’s actual condition. A doctor confirmed Jackson’s suspicions and started Ashley’s treatments.

Jackson reflects on the stories and lessons she’s shared, reminding her readers to stay open to the signs around them so that they can grow and change. She also offers tips for how to be a more spiritually attuned person, encouraging her readers to meditate, pray, take walks, and eat well.