NDE Dreams

QUESTION:

"Below is an account of an NDE dream I had early this year. This dream was very powerful and I was wondering if you think the ball of light was my soul or the soul of another entity?

"As I was walking west along 50th Street in a Washington State town, an orangish yellow ball of light came towards me from the sky, at which time I ducked to avoid it. I was then walking east along 50th Street, when the same ball of light came at me again from the sky. This time I left my fear behind and jumped up towards the light ball, opened my mouth, and the ball of light entered my body from the mouth. I immediately fell to the ground with my arms fully extended, waves of euphoria swept over my body and I had at that moment achieved a nirvana-like state of all-knowing. I could then hear a car coming down the road, so I slowly stood up and moved aside. I recognized the occupants, though they were not wearing their usual clothing, but instead one was dressed as a cowboy, the other a police officer. I walked west along the road to my old home, but my parents were now living there, and my father, who was for some reason in a wheelchair, called for me to come inside for coffee. While these strange events were happening, the voice of the light now inside me was saying 'This is but another reality. There are infinite realities that are open to you if you only ask to go. Realities exist like pages in a book and we can walk around one page or simply turn the page to enter a new reality. We are in control and can do whatever we want or need to in Life.' The voice then said, 'When you wish to leave the current reality, simply ask and you can leave. Go and write down what I am telling you so others will know where you've gone. Life is for learning, gaining knowledge, and nothing more. You have chosen to live in human form, but your true form is light.'

"When I awoke from this dream I was still in a euphoric state, and remained in this state for several days afterward." ....Eric

ANSWER:

When we are opening up to our spiritual path, called "the inner journey," all manner of things occur - be they dreams, visions, mountain-top experiences, unitive experiences, voices, knowings, and so forth. One after another they come, sometimes when we least expect it and in ways we would never have considered. Always these special moments both thrill and challenge us. There is never an "opening" of this sort without a "test" of some kind that will follow the event, an opportunity, if you will, to discover if our "opening" was real, valid, and usable in our life.

What trips people is that "testing" period. We never expect it. We think that the moment or episode of illumination is a capstone of sorts, leading to ever more wonders and secrets revealed. And it is, in a way, but the testing period which follows is by far the more important. Yes, indeed, you can visit other reality systems. Yes, indeed, you can venture afar and learn more than you ever imagined. Yes, indeed, in so doing, you can encounter your true self, your divine self, your soul, and be significantly changed by the encounter - perhaps lifelong.

But - and it is a big "but" - nothing you gain means two-tiddly-winks if you cannot integrate that into your daily life in such a way that your life takes on new meaning and new purpose in a positive, uplifting manner.

If you have read any of my books, you know about aftereffets and the challenge of integration. You cannot explore or open up to greater and higher or different realities without aftereffects. Not possible. And those aftereffects in essence create and produce the testing period: can you use what you learned, can you live with you know, how have you changed, what are you going to do about what happened?

There's a wonderful little book written by Hugh Lynn Cayce (now deceased) called "Venture Inward." You can still obtain copies through the A.R.E. in Virginia Beach, VA (www.are-cayce.com). In the book, Hugh Lynn talks about some of the pitfalls of the spiritual path and about becoming more psychic (they go together) and what you can do to ensure a healthy, positive outcome to being open to spirit and spiritual things. There are other books, too, but this one is a "keeper."

To name your dream an encounter with your soul or a type of near-death experience would be a misnomer. It is enough to say that it signals an opening you have made to other ways of perceiving reality. And that's great. More will follow. Just keep your eyes on the prize: becoming who you really are. Exploring different realities and different ways of perceiving life are "come-ons," avenues of enticement and possibilities. Although fun, they are not the goal. The goal is a better YOU. Blessings, PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

*** A wonderful weekly newsletter on afterlife and near-death findings is available free of charge to anyone who wants to subscribe. Called "Friday Afterlife Report," it is available from Victor and Wendy Zammit in Australia. Contact them directly at victor@victorzammit.ccsend.com. Should you wish to reach him at his home, write to him at P. O. Box 1810, Dee Why, NSW 2099, Australia.

*** Near-death experiencers as a whole are challenged by finances, careers, jobs, money, and expenses afterward. That's because they return filled to overflowing with either spiritual truth, a shifted sense of reality, or at least a more detached way of looking at things. It is commonplace for experiencers to quit their jobs, give away most or all of their money and possessions, and strive to live more simply and more in accord with service (volunteerism), prayer and meditation. Yet, as you can imagine, this different way of looking at things can create problems, sometimes disasters. In one case, recently brought to my attention, the puzzle of how to live afterward and help your family but still be true to what was experienced on the other side of death, led to a suicide. The near-death experiencer could not make the adjustment. He became consumed with the guilt of no longer being able to provide for his family in the manner he felt he should. A friend of his - Margo Spilde - has now launched a research project to seek out other stories, how many other experiencers have this challenge and what can be done to help them.

I will carry Margo's entire letter to me on my
website at www.pmhatwater.com. To contact her directly, e-mail her at
margos@kc.rr.com.