Spiritual FAQ:  Is it a Spirit Guide, or a ghost?

Answer:  Good question, and the short answer is, "It could be either, or both." :-)

You didn't mention whether you also experience other activity that could signify a haunting, such as hearing voices and footsteps, cold spots, a sense of presence, etc. I will assume none of that is taking place, and you only experience these light touches during meditation.  Most likely, that would be the work of one of your spiritual guides. How to tell for sure?

Both ghosts (earthbound spirits) and spiritual guides (enlightened spiritual helpers) can come through to us in various ways. Most often it will depend on our level of sensitivity and practice in discerning communications they put forth. Sometimes we are open enough to hear communications clearly, and other times they might need to affect our physical environment in order to get our attention.

Likewise, the type of communication can often depend on the type of spiritual being you're dealing with. An earthbound spirit is more likely to try to get your attention in more "physical" ways, like moving objects, touching you, rapping noises, or speaking audibly to you. Our spiritual guides usually have a more subtle approach, sending us mental images, vivid dreams, or whispering softly into our ear during moments of clear receptivity.

However, there are no set "rules" with either of these generalities. The best ways to get clear on the communications you receive are by strengthening intuition and practice.

First and foremost, ALWAYS perform some spiritual protection techniques before meditation. This does two things:

1) It raises your vibrations so you can more clearly tune in to the presence of your guides.

2) It creates a cocoon of protective light to keep away unwanted spiritual visitors, especially those of the lower realms.

In my own experience, meditation not only opens our awareness of things we may not have been able to discern while in a normal waking state, but it also attracts those energies and entities that might be seeking an audience (or even assistance in some form).

Once you have surrounded yourself with protective light and asked God/Goddess/Source to keep away unwanted or negative influences, you should feel more confident about tuning into who is touching your arm.

Probably the best way to do this is by asking questions. When you feel a touch, mentally or verbally ask, "Yes, how may I help you? Do you have something to share with me today?" Or whatever questions you choose to ask. Then listen quietly for an answer. It may arrive as an audible voice, an image in your mind, or words coming through telepathically.

Also be prepared to go through this process several times before you get a clear answer. It might seem like nothing is happening when you ask the questions, but it might simply be that you need to focus on opening your awareness to hear more subtle messages.