I was raised in a culture where spirits are strongly acknowledged. The influence of spirit awareness is seen in the traditional dress, the large doorframe that serves as the entrance to a house, and even the way in which a baby is held. Bali is a place where spirituality defines the culture. I never imagined England to be a place where the presence of spirit had any influence, for I always associated the belief with a Hindu or Buddhist culture. It was easy to forget how spiritual Christianity can be.

As we toured the Shakespeare houses, our attention was continuously brought to the beds. The placement and design of the bed was more significant than I had understood. In the belief that bad spirits lurked in the walls, people would position their beds closer to the center of the room, as it was said that these bad spirits would latch onto the sleeping soul if the bed were to touch the wall. I was oblivious to the fact that serious acknowledgement of spirits was a prominent part of British culture centuries ago.

It’s interesting how today there is less of a prominence of this acknowledgement of spirit,when in so many other cultures the presence of spirit remains strongly understood.

William Blake was also a very spiritual figure. It is said that many of his carvings were inspired by visions or dreams he had. He also spoke of seeing his brother Roberts spirit ascend from his body upon his moment of death. Blake recognized the presence of spirit, and allowed it to influence his work and his life.

There existed recognition of the divine, and a link between the belief in God and the supernatural world. The acknowledgement of spirit seemed to become a kind of religion in itself, in the way that it influenced the culture of England.