I am a Buddhist nun, called an ani. I live near the Manassas Battlefields in Virginia, and I've frequently gone there to pray for the lives that were lost so tragically. The battlefields cover many miles, and some of the bloodiest battles of the US Civil War were fought in that area. Many Buddhists believe that praying for the dead can help them, especially if they died in confusion or misery. I wanted to help anyone trapped there if I could.
A couple of years ago I went to the battlefields as usual and did my prayers. This time I chose a new site, the location of a mass grave of unknown Union and Confederate soldiers. I thought how horrible it was that these young people died and were buried, without their families ever knowing conclusively what happened.
When I returned home that day, my television set turned itself on and off, twice. It has never done that before, or since. I prayed again, and asked forgiveness from any spirit I may have brought home with me.
I haven't been back there since. I've always heard that the intent of the prayers is what matters, not the faith. But I think maybe I offended a spirit out there, because when my tv turned itself on and off, I felt my hair stand on end and an awful feeling in my stomach.
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I VERY MUCH doubt that you offended anyone. Regardless of their faith, I pray for trapped souls often. Mine is simply another opinion, but perhaps you were simply feeling the misery of a trapped soul that "connected" with you. You are obviously sympathetic, but perhaps you are also empathetic. You might have attracted the attention of a trapped soul that is afraid to move on and you felt his misery. Maybe he saw you as a "life preserver" or a beacon of hope. When I feel a single one connecting with me and I don't feel they are moving on; i.e., crossing over, my interpretation is that perhaps they are afraid and need more individual prayer and persuasion. Remember, many of the soldiers were just young boys that had been told all their lives that killing would send one to a bad place in the afterlife. I normally pray more for the individual and attempt to convince them that there is forgiveness and nothing to fear.
Kind Regards,
Lynev