“Spirit Whisperers” is a book that delves into the topic of suicide, inspired by the author’s personal experience of losing a close friend to suicide. The book explores the subject through the perspectives and teachings of Indigenous peoples, as well as drawing wisdom from Eastern beliefs and traditions.
The book examines suicide from a different perspective; viewing it as a fresh start for a spirit that has endured lifelong pain.
When speaking about the Indigenous teachings that are shown in the book, Aguilar said he felt a need to present a different narrative.
Say you had a life expectancy of 80 and you are suicidal at 20. For 60 years your spirit will wander, lost. Only after 60 years will it finally join the spirit world, and I said to myself, this friend of mine was kind and gentle. There is absolutely no way her spirit is just wandering lost nor is her spirit damned to hell or purgatory. I felt a need to present a different narrative.
Aguilar mentioned that this book offers a deep sense of compassion within the narrative of mental health and suicide. It also introduces a different perspective to family members who have lost a loved one to suicide.
Aguilar explains that the new narrative introduced in the book provides a refreshing perspective as opposed to the alternative of hell or a lost spirit in the universe.
The author mentioned that he didn’t plan to write a book; it began as a journal to cope with the grief and loss of his good friend. He never intended for it to become a book, but during the writing process, it just started flowing.
Challenging the narrative of suicide was one of the highlights of the book. After telling the story, the story aims to provide a new look at suicide from a different lens.
The book provides a new way of looking at suicide, it gives the perspective of the person who engaged in suicide. The perspective being that this person is okay and this person is with our ancestrial spirits and if there is guilt, that guilt is related and replaced with a sense of empathy for ones self along with empathy for the person who engaged in suicide. – William Aguilar, author of Spirit Whisperers
Aguilar expressed his hope that readers would have a different experience and feel warmth and love instead of anger following a loss. He acknowledged that we can never fully understand the pain that leads someone to suicide. Aguilar aims for readers to have empathy, acceptance, and a sense of peace as they move forward.
The author explained that he was deeply affected by the loss of his close friend, which influenced the shape of the narrative he developed.
William expressed how blessed he was that the story came to him and it needed to be told with the narrative that views suicide with compassion and acceptance.
The Spirit Whisperers book can be purchased through the Blue Quills online store, all proceeds from the book will go into the Ludivina UnBQ Pinto Student Support Fund.
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