An "Oh, I get it" Moment

COMMENTS FROM GARY


This is not a question, per se, but an interesting comment from a man becoming more spiritually aware. I’d like to share his letter with you.


“I’ve been reading stories on your website and it compelled me to write to you. Although I have not had an NDE, I did have an experience of enlightenment in November of 2007. The reason I am writing to you is that my experience has left me with very similar results that the stories, as those who have experienced NDEs, reveal.


“I was sitting in front of my computer one morning, thinking of life and what is really going on. Suddenly, I had an “Oh, I get it” moment. I understood the life cycle, how we got here, why we are here, what happens to us when we die, dreams, etc. I understood that all living things are here for the same reason. I could see the root of what drives us. After about two weeks of this rolling through my mind, I felt I had to start writing about it. I knew that it was the only way I could progress past the same whirlwind of thoughts that were going through my mind. As I was writing I was realizing that, I am not a writer, and how difficult it was to explain what I knew. Keeping it in coherent order was a challenge. The experience changed my life in much the same way as those that have had an NDE. Most notably, a lack of desire for material possessions, money and success, and an enhancement to help others. Although the quest for money was never much of a priority in my life, I gained a feeling that there would always be enough to survive.


“I noticed the explanation of life as a river, on a (your?) website. I had the same thoughts as I was trying to figure out how to explain my new understanding of life. I have been astounded to find the same analogies that I have come up with over the past two and a half years. I never thought that I would find anyone that thought the way I did. I didn’t get it from books or church. It just came to me. Now, I am beginning to find that there are others that have similar results, although they don’t seem to explain it the same. It’s been challenging, but rewarding in many ways. Rejection of my understanding seems to be the norm. I have had better results through application than explanation.


“I have spent much of my life thinking about this. Reading, wondering, thinking, observing. I realized at an early age, that all of the clues are right in front of us. I was raised in a Christian environment, going to Church and Sunday School regularly. I never really understood much of it. There seemed to be something to it, since so many believe in it. I read the Bible, from cover to cover, around the year 2000. I had no preconceived idea, other than to read every word and see what unfolded. I came away with a bit of a different understanding of it than what I had been taught. In my quest to understand life, I had been exposed to Buddhism, chanting, astral projection, and even looked into numerology, astrology, and quite a variety of other things that left me with as many questions as answers. It all gelled that morning. The outcome was quite different than what I had observed, but my new knowledge is indisputable in my mind. I have been finding corroborating evidence ever since.


One of the things that came to me was the purpose of dreams. I have come to the conclusion that there are three states of mind. Awake (awareness in the physical), dormant sleep (lack of awareness), and dreams (awareness outside of the physical). The purpose of dreams is to allow for the understanding that our souls are separate from our bodies, although fully integrated. That there is awareness outside of the physical experience. The level of awareness is diminished from the out-of-body experience and NDE. The vividness of the latter two is enhanced. Just before my father died, he expressed some very vivid dreams. I viewed them as out-of-body experiences in preparation for his passing. The doctors passed it off as hallucination. He also experienced things when he was awake. The doctors classify it as “sun downer syndrome.” It seems to be related to some of the things that people experience after their NDE. I will stop here.”....Gary


A NOTE ON GARY’S COMMENTS


We all wonder about life and how things work, at times. Some of us go through a “peak experience” when suddenly the puzzle pieces fall together - maybe because of a revelation or with a new understanding. Spiritual experiences, those revelatory moments that catch us off-guard, are rich with insight and meaningful upliftment. Sometimes “a special light” illuminates what was once invisible to us. Almost every adult who truly made a difference for the better in this world, had an illumination like this as a child. The near-death phenomenon feeds this desire in us to know more, to glimpse behind the visible world and see what else is there. I thank Gary for sharing with me. Near-death states touch into every aspect of life and its living. They challenge or inspire us in ways little else does. People were dead - no breath, no heartbeat, no brain wave or cortical activity - and now they’re back. . . and they have a story to tell. And we need to listen.


It is my hope that you will read my newest and last book about my research of the near-death phenomenon: Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story (Hampton Roads; Charlottesville, VA, 2011). There are many voices who speak through my findings. Don’t skip over or underestimate them. This is not “same old.” Slowly but surely I introduce new material until Chapter 16 when the whole book changes. It changes because our view of near-death experiences needs to change. The near-death experience is not some kind of anomaly; rather, it is part of the larger genre of transformations of consciousness. People like Gary touch into that higher reality. They take a step into light and are forever changed. Read about threshold experiences and the science of fluid dynamics in the book (this explains so much). Read about the real truth behind spiritual experiences - the biological imperative that they are. Read about the new Christology, what Christ Consciousness really is.


Spirituality is an important and necessary part of life. For those of you who discover that through stories about near-death episodes and the work people like me have done, thank you for opening your mind - to the awareness of your own soul. Blessings, PMH

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.