In Cynthia Sue Larson’s most intriguing and mind expanding book Reality Shifts, she says, “Reality Shifts are physically observed changes that occur without any direct physical intervention; they are mysterious appearances, disappearances, transformations, and transportations that occur in and around us. Some reality shifts seem to result from the intention of prayers and wishes, and some involve healings related to prayers, while the reason for others is not at all obvious.” This was indeed the case with Salwa; a teenager at the time visiting Massachusetts from West Virginia. During a tour of a family friend’s home, an anomalous encounter left her questioning the very nature of reality and her part in it. She recounts some ten or so years later, what seemed to be an authentic reality shift and how this poignant experience changed her forever.
Salwa – We were visiting a friend and getting a tour of her home. It all started on the first floor. She had three floors. And in every room there would be a different painting - beautiful oil paintings. Mostly landscapes from what I can remember.
The first one was in the bathroom and it was a landscape of a lake in a secluded mountain range; it resembled the Rockies. And there was a small cabin. The cabin had a dock that went into the lake. I remember being in awe of the painting, but then I would almost see myself, as if like a fantasy, where I would kind of zone out and see myself sitting on that dock with my feet dangling in the water. And then seconds later, I’m actually there in the painting! The people that were with me, including our host was no longer next to me and I’m no longer in her house. I’m in the painting! And I’d come out very quickly, although it felt like a long time in that painting, it was strangely only a short time because seconds later I would hear our host say “are you ok?” because she could tell that there was something not right. So I said to her, “yeah, I think so,” although I was a bit foggy.
So we went to the next part of the house and it kept happening; every picture that I would look at that somehow caught my attention, mostly the landscapes, I would disappear into – I was lagging behind everybody else because I was lost in these pictures for what in our reality would be seconds, but in the grand scheme seemed like forever.
Alexis – So while you were in these scenes, could you smell, touch or hear anything? Were any other senses at play?
Salwa – Hearing yes. Mostly it would be birds, the wind - things that you would normally hear if you were out in nature. Like by the lake, I could hear the water a little bit. I could hear a little gust of wind or light breeze. It was minimal. I don’t know - it wasn’t completely in detail. I don’t remember tasting anything and I don’t remember feeling anything except my presence actually being in that scenario. Like actually being in my own body, looking at the water, looking at the mountain. And then really quickly coming back and realizing that I’m looking at a picture.
Alexis – Between the time you were in the picture and observing it, did you feel any shift or pull? Any sensation whatsoever? Was there any demarcation between the time you seemed to shift realities?
Salwa – Not really. I was in and out of it really fast. The only sensation I guess you could say I felt was sort of this whoosh - like “I’m back.” (in the house). That’s pretty much how I would describe it. I couldn’t necessarily feel any sensation, I would just feel kind of light headed and confused. Like when you’re in a place and you’re not sure where you are. Like you’ve been wandering in a crowd and you become lost or disoriented…you know what I mean?
Alexis – Each picture that you went to you were in a different scene? In other words, it wasn’t a continuation of the initial scene, but a different experience altogether?
Salwa – Right, because it wasn’t the same landscape. It was a landscape but the pictures were very different. And quite frankly, I don’t remember all of them because I think part of me at the time was so overwhelmed that I was having this strange (and real) experience, I was confused. I didn’t know what to make of it.
Alexis – So did you say anything to anybody that was with you?
Salwa – Our host had a feeling, and I talked to her about it but we really didn’t go into a lot of detail. She just knew that I was feeling really weird and out of my element and I wasn’t really sure what was going on, so she just kind of comforted me afterword because after my whole experience, which was happening all throughout the tour she was giving us, I had a massively strong headache. Being an energy worker, she did some Reiki on me to help me get rid of it. But in the meantime, I never talked to anyone about it. I didn’t know how to approach anyone about it.
But it went beyond that after we went to the 3rd floor. By then, I was very quiet and subdued during the rest of our little tour, after the first time this all happened, I went completely quiet. We got up to her 3rd floor and she was showing us some of the things that she had; she showed us the crystal grid she had built on the floor and how to feel the energy when we placed our hands over the grid. I felt the energy without question. It was very strong. But then something profound happened while on that floor. She had this black and white sketch that was on her wall and from what I remember of it, it was a mountain range and then there were symbols everywhere on this drawing. So she told me to sit in front of it like on my knees and put my hands up to feel around the picture and concentrate on feeling the energy. I can’t tell you which symbol it was, because I don’t remember but every time I put my hand over it, I would begin to pass out! I literally would feel this power come over me and then I would come back to consciousness. The others that were with me became concerned. I don’t know. I didn’t feel any pain; it was just this overwhelming power that was just kind of engulfing me.
Alexis – You don’t remember what the symbol was?
Salwa – No because every time my hand would scan it, I would be out…I would pass out. I wouldn’t be completely out to where someone would have to wake me up. It was - you know when you’re feeling dizzy and you feel like you could pass out but you catch yourself? That’s how I was feeling. So I don’t know what kind of symbol it was. But it happened three or four times.
Alexis – Each time it would happen it was the same symbol that was in different parts of the picture?
Salwa – That’s what I remember. I was confused and dumbfounded about the entire experience of being in that house and all that happened to me.
Alexis – What do you think was going on, now that you look back on this experience? It’s been quite a few years since this happened.
Salwa – When I reflect, I think about symbols in particular and I know from my own studies that some symbols are very powerful. I’m well aware of that now. And the meaning behind them and what they can represent. But since I don’t know which symbol was having this effect, I can’t look back and connect the dots. As far as the whole experience – the pictures, disappearing into these landscapes…I don’t know whether this had something to do with the energy she had in that house, you know, because she did her own work in there. I’m sure the energy in her house would be much stronger than it would in the average home. And from the way she had it set up - I mean the whole house was very Feng Shui based, it seemed like the energy was constantly flowing; especially the third floor, where she did much of her work. Somehow the veil thinned for me during that day. The whole experience, I think opened me up somewhat psychically. Things were never quite the same since then.
Cynthia Sue Larson states, “People who witness reality shifts are emotionally energized with minds open to such new experiences.” Subsequent to Salwa’s experience, she admits that she could never look at anything quite the same way again. Later in our conversation, she went on to explain how this one encounter has spawned a passion for reading and learning about our own psychic abilities, energy, consciousness and the nature of reality. A clear paradigm shift for sure, Salwa’s story is a picture worth far more than a thousand words, but more aptly a thousand worlds!
Further Reading:
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