Robin Williams, Connection, and the Synchronicity of Experience

The pain, the joy, the sadness, the exuberance, the unfamiliar and familiar, are but a host of expressions of one continuum of consciousness and we are connected to it all!

It was only days ago that the world learned of the death of a beloved figure in the world of entertainment, Robin Williams.

Despite the personification of artistic genius, Williams apparently struggled with general acceptance, reportedly since childhood, gradually spiraling into a cumulative vortex of addiction and deep depression.  

Still, with his broad spectrum of persona; his convincing and infectious character, both on screen and off, millions upon millions of people came to know, love, admire, and marvel at this brilliant creator, leaving an indelible mark of emotion and connection in the hearts of the many who followed his work and his life.

It is this connection that is often intensified when it comes to those individuals well known to the masses.  Particularly those like Robin Williams who had the uncanny ability to virtually morph into any character whether comedic or dramatic, spanning the gamut of human experience, thus creating and/or fulfilling the universal archetypes that are said to be embedded in the collective unconscious of all living souls.  It is in this connection that a primordial link between individuals, whether personally known or not, can tether our collective psyche and unfold as synchronicity when notable events occur.

Keeping this premise in mind, I found the following play out of events worth noting here, which I would deem indicative of this very Jungian-esque idea.

The week prior to Williams’ death I had been on vacation with my husband on Martha’s Vineyard, a popular island off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.  While there, I had this clear and spontaneous urge of wanting to watch the movie What Dreams May Come starring Cuba Gooding Jr., and Robin Williams.  One of my favorites, I’d seen the movie several times years ago and read the original novel by the late Richard Matheson at least as many times as I’d seen the film.  Why I had this urge to watch it again, and why now, I did not know - and since we were away from home, the likelihood of my finding it on the island was slim.  So I let it go.

A few days later (August 11), I’d been having a late meal with my husband and discussing the recent suicide of a young man several weeks ago whom I only knew of, through another close friend.  His suicide, which was carried out by asphyxiation stunned so many in his wide circle of friends, including my dear friend. The full spectrum of his story and all of the multi-dimensions of this short life touched both my husband and me so intensely that we’d spent hours talking about this young man, feeling as if we knew him.  Our conversation about him intensified on the evening of August 11th.  

Earlier in the day, I’d been visiting my friend who knew this young man quite well.  She felt the need to painstakingly describe his character to me: a young, vibrant, talented and extremely funny guy, though morbidly troubled since childhood.  She’d shown me several photos of him clowning around with friends, clearly captivating his audience at every turn.  A seemed dichotomy of character rolled up into one 21 year old individual.  

It was this theme that later dominated our dinner discussion on the evening of August 11th - the conflicting personalities that appeared equally present - that of the funny, warm, gentle kid vs. the dark, mischievous, restless soul.  Unfortunately as circumstances would have it, the latter won out!  He was found by a family member in his home, having hung himself.  An unspeakable tragedy to be sure!

Although both my husband and I had been aware of this awful incident for several weeks and had discussed it at some length, something about this day, August 11th, had cast an unusually sympathetic spell on our conversation.  First, it was the visit to my friend’s house, where she had felt intent on sharing an important slice of his life with me via the photos that depicted him as a “happy, go-lucky guy.”  Then we mused over how such an unfathomable act could be possible, given his oft experienced personality that was anything but dark.  I then carried the emotion of his story home with me, feeling the need to discuss it further, trying my best to understand “why?” 

Only minutes after wrapping up our meal and our exhaustive analysis of the loss of this young soul, along came the breaking news: ”Robin Williams 63, dead, apparently of suicide by asphyxiation…”  Needless to say, an absolute chill came over me - initially of the unexpected news of this massive tragedy but also of the preternatural details of what we had been speaking of only moments before!  

It was psychologist Carl Jung who postulated that each and every individual is somehow connected to what he called, the collective unconscious - a stream of experience encompassing past, present, future, and virtually every expression of the human experience.  Although often appearing as arbitrary in its surfacing, this field of awareness is always present, although buried deep in the psyche of man.

In Jung’s seminal volume, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, he recounts a story in which shortly after after delivering a lecture and then spending some time with friends, he retired to bed, although finding himself uneasy and unable to sleep.  Once he finally dosed off, he then awakened with a start, feeling as if someone had intruded into his room.  Perplexed as to the activity he thought he’d experienced, he then realized that what had awakened him was not an intruder but the sensation of a dull pain in the back of his head.  The next day, Jung received news that his patient had committed suicide, shooting himself in the head!

The collective unconscious is…the foundation of what the ancients called the ‘sympathy of all things.’

Jung later reasoned about the episode, “This experience was a genuine synchronistic phenomenon such as is quite often observed in connection with an archetypal situation - in this case, death.  By means of a relativization of time and space in the unconscious it could well be that I had perceived something which in reality was taking place elsewhere.  The collective unconscious is common to all; it is the foundation of what the ancients called the ‘sympathy of all things.’  In this case the unconscious had knowledge of my patient’s condition.  All that evening, in fact, I had felt curiously restive and nervous, very much in contrast to my usual mood.”

Might it have been our pre-occupation with the act of suicide and the loss of such a vibrant soul that linked past with present, unlocking a stream of experience from deep within the unconscious mind?

As I juxtapose Jung’s experience which happened many years ago with the unusually sympathetic and almost obsessive demeanor that both my husband and I exhibited, particularly since we did not know this young man personally, strikes a chord of curiosity.  Just like the unconscious had knowledge of Jung’s patient’s condition, the unconscious had knowledge of the death of Williams, which was happening at the same time or shortly before our deep discussion about a young (funny, bright, and conflicted) man who chose to end his life in the same manner that we learned would be Williams’ fate only moments later!

When we speak of archetypes and the collective unconscious, we are acknowledging that there are symbols depicted in people, places, things, and events, both fictional and non-fictional, that on some level carry a measure of familiarity to us all, whether experienced directly or not.  In both of the aforementioned cases, the archetype is suicide, but are the implications even greater?

This archetype, though focused on one individual expression (the young man), it would later be mirrored in another (Williams).  The sympathy of emotion became the synchronicity that would connect the two seemingly separate events, illuminating the idea that all things are indeed connected at some fundamentally deep level.  

Further adding credence to an all but explainable phenomenon of synchronicity, the movie What Dreams May Come, depicts a character played by Robin Williams who tragically dies and spends his post-mortal “time” trying to understand all of the subtle nuances of the afterlife and the ties of love that infinitely bind us all together to transcend the process we call “death.”

We are all inextricably linked and capable of glimpsing virtually any expression and at any moment.  When we fully realize this, we will understand that the separation of time and space as we know it is the real illusion and that the demarcation of life and death are equally illusory. 

Let us all carry on with this knowledge and evolve into the understanding of what connection really means!

If in doubt, synchronicity might just be our greatest clue!

Alexis Brooks is the best-selling author of Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential and is the host of the popular  Conscious Inquiry Radio program, exclusively presented by Conscious Life News.  Visit Alexis on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

Acknowledging the Dream and the Art of Dream Recall

Learn how to improve dream recall with this one simple process...

The dreamscape has long been considered an elusive and precarious terrain, almost impossible to interpret, or so it would seem.  And yet there are many who rely faithfully on their dreams as a source of guidance - much like the many indigenous cultures who have for thousands of years sought out the wisdom of shamans to glean messages from the non-physical realm.

The non-physical it has been said, is a very real though subtle, mysterious dimension.  Some call it the imaginal realm, an actual reality, but without the density and perceived separation that we experience with our senses while in the waking state.

Despite its vague signature, many in modern culture find something very tantalizing about the prospect of dreams as an all-wise oracle - beholding profound knowledge and wisdom, about the past, present, and future - that which we experience as our linear time/space framework.  

We’ve heard many times, stories of individuals who actively utilized the dreamscape as a tool to solve problems, discover historical breakthroughs, or create complex artistic compositions.  In some cases, dreams were even used as a means by which to save lives.  I highlight one such story in my book Conscious Musings, about how African American abolitionist and humanitarian Harriet Tubman obtained critical knowledge in the dream state in order to free hundreds of slaves, using methods and training herself to understand the metaphors that were encoded in her dreams!

Despite the impressive anecdotes that have persisted throughout history, many are still at a loss for how the utilization of dreams can be practically used for self improvement and overall well being.

First it starts with our ability to recall dreams  

Because of the elusive nature of dreams and its persistent non-conformity to a linear cause and effect process, dreams can be a difficult dragon to slay.  But before one can even attempt to distill the meaning of any given dream, one must be able to recall as much of the content of a dream scenario to begin this process.

How is this done?

Some people do have a predisposition for remembering their dreams, while others swear they don’t dream at all.  Despite this adamancy of being a non-dreamer, it has been well documented that most people over the age of ten dream an average of four to six times per night.  So the question becomes, “Why can’t I remember?”

This is a loaded question to say the least.  And there are probably as many answers as there are people who ask the question.  One clue may lie in our habit of being tethered to a fixed reality with little wiggle room for any type of departure from our normal waking life.  But that’s another story entirely…

In an attempt to reconcile this persistent quest to reveal a dream’s significance, there have been a multitude of approaches to help people recall their dreams.  Among them is the process of dream journaling.  But if you can’t recall the dream to begin with, how would this process be of help?

I recently interviewed well known dream researcher Henry Reed to discuss this and other advice having to do with the dreamscape and how to interpret its messages.  During our conversation, he shared a very insightful and yet very easy process that can be used to help trigger recall.

“Honor the process of dreaming and the dream will serve you well.”

-Alexis Brooks

Dream Play-Out

Regardless of what little fragment you remember from your dream, you can incubate your dreams by honoring its legitimacy whereby acknowledging just one tiny piece of recalled information.  For instance, if you were to dream something and all you remember is a color that was prominent in the dream, say red - you could wear the color red the following day.  Or if your dream included a scene where you were eating chicken, you would honor the dream by preparing chicken for dinner the following evening.

You can take literally any little fragment of the dream that you do remember, no matter how mundane,  and commit to acknowledging its reality by playing it out in waking life.  Why is this so important?  Reed says that by doing this process, you not only trigger a potential stream of recall of the bigger message coming from that particular dream in which you remembered, but you can also prime yourself for a habit of future dream recall.

Imagine, you could take any one tiny fragment of dream memory and acknowledge its presence by playing it out in the waking state and in effect unlock a virtual stream of consciousness!

Several years ago, I recall having a conversation with someone who was having persistent dreams of sea life, particularly of dolphins and whales.  In one peculiar interaction, she’d been talking to a whale while swimming in the sea.  She recalled that it was a vivid and important conversation, and yet she could not remember the essence of the message that was conveyed to her from her whale companion.  I then recommended that she take the time and go out on a whale watch day trip (here in New England whale watches are readily available to the public).  I then told her to find a private place on the boat where she could re-connect with this image of the whale, and when she spotted a whale (any whale), simply state out loud, “I see you and I hear you.  Now, what is it that you want to tell me?”   This simple process of acknowledging and honoring the dream image by taking an action of any kind can indeed trigger greater recall and ultimately lead one down the path of knowledge and resolution.  A powerful yet simple concept!

But one need not go out on a day excursion at sea to get the bigger message.

Here are some additional suggestions:

In the case of dreaming of a conversation with a whale or dolphin.  If you cannot get yourself to the nearest commercial whale watch, you can simply find an image of a whale or dolphin, either in a magazine or on your computer and communicate the same message: “I see you and I hear you.  Now, what is it that you want to tell me?”

Let’s say you dream of a prominent color or simply recall a series of colors in your dream, you can write down the colors by name on a piece of paper or even speak them out loud.  This, by the way, you can do with any image that remains in your  mind from a dream.  As intuitive expert Sonia Choquette has said, “When you name it you claim it!”  And by acknowledging this process by playing it out in the 3D realm, you are bringing the non-physical closer to the physical where the message can be gleaned and understood!

So what’s happening here?

We must consider that when you commit to acknowledging your dreams, you are making a decision to mirror a very real, though malleable dimension.  Although this dimension is less tangible than what you are typically accustomed to in waking life,  it still carries consciousness. 

By validating that reality, you are inviting its reality from the dreamscape into your life in a more concrete way.  By honoring this process you set up the likelihood of a stream of recall about the particular dream of which you committed to acknowledging, and then you open up a gateway and a means by which to understand the language of the Universe.  Despite how foreign this language may seem, you become innately connected to it and can then recall how to speak in its “tongue.”  And that’s what a little process called dream play out can elicit!  Powerful!

By committing to take every little piece of the remembered dream seriously, no matter how mundane it may seem, and mimicking the scene, whether it’s wearing red, or eating chicken,  just the simple act of playing it out, tells the dreamscape (aka, The Universe, God, All That Is, et al) that you see it and thus it will see you and now - that message that you’ve been longing for is primed to manifest!

Keep these ideas in mind…

It is important and essential to engage your dreams.

Dreams are a gateway into intuition.

Edgar Cayce said, “Everyone can benefit from working with their dreams.”

Dreaming is a normal and necessary human ability.

Dreams have a purpose - align yourself with the purpose of dreaming and it will align with your purpose!

Happy Dreaming!

Alexis Brooks is the best-selling author of Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential and is the host of the popular  Conscious Inquiry Radio program, exclusively presented by Conscious Life News.  Visit Alexis on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

What is Psychic Ability?

Psychic ability or "Psi" as it is called in some academic circles is a phenomenon that few

truly understand and yet this amazing faculty has persisted throughout history.

Intuition, psychic ability, mediumship, ESP - although these abilities may have some unique attributes as they relate to one another, they are all nonetheless apparently a part of this nonlocal connection we all possess to what some have called "The Field."

This field or zero point of the universe is said to permeate all existence or rather all of us permeate it; we glean information from it - we communicate with it and it to us and perhaps this is the basis for which psychic information is derived.

The term psychic is formally defined as "outside of scientific knowledge; spiritual" and "sensitive to influences or forces of a non-physical or supernatural nature."

To first understand how psi or ESP works we must first understand that the average human has a very limited range of  sight as compared to many other species.  Our typical range of sight (called the visible spectrum) is only 390-700 nm or 430-790 THz.  Essentially, we are only picking up a tiny, tiny fraction of information around us at any given time.

There are exceptions however - those who for whatever reason can extract a little more of this spectrum.  Additionally, on occasion, unusual circumstances can intercept our own typical physical environment resulting in a blending or intersection of frequencies.  It is then that one can experience something not usually available through normal channels.  Certain physical locations on the earth apparently carry these cross-section of frequencies and are known as ley lines and vortices; intricate grid patterns of energy that can be tapped to heighten psychic ability.

In addition to the picking up of information, psychic information through the visible channel or clairvoyance, there are other means by which pockets of information can be gleaned.  Among them are hearing (clairaudience), or feeling (clairsentience).  These are two additional "channels" that we can often pick up information outside of the usual frequencies we operate within.

I recently had a chat with psychic and medium Mike Schopp to discuss these dynamics - just how the psychic channels do in fact work and why.  This was a fascinating discussion as we traversed many elements of psychic ability including the idea that we all have some measure of psi ability.  Too often, our everyday lives have usurped this ability, especially due to the fact that we live in a world where quick decision making and reflexive responses to the myriad of stimuli (namely from our technologies) have taken center stage.

I have always had a pure fascination with the inner workings of reality and how intertwined we are with this invisible world.  Moreover, if we can first accept this ability as innate within us all and make an affirmative decision to incorporate these abilities into our everyday lives, we may just find that our lives will be so much more fulfilling!

Make sure to listen to my interview with Mike as we discuss the dynamics of psychic ability and ponder for yourself, the possibilities!

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
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Learn more about ESP and Remote Viewing with These Titles

After the recent passing of the father of remote viewing, Ingo Swann, I thought it apropos to take a look at the modality that he was most known for and the broad subject of extrasensory perception (ESP) to which he dedicated his life's work.

Although these areas of psi research still remain largely elusive in scientific and academic circles as well as mainstream society, Swann brought a sense of understanding and credibility to a faculty he believed to be inherent in us all.

Here are some titles that will certainly aid in the quest to understand the mysterious workings of the mind and spirit, including a couple by Swann himself.  I encourage you to browse through these books to learn more about two fascinating areas of research within the field of parapsychology.

The Reality of ESP: A Physicists Proof of Psychic Abilities by Russell Targ

Limitless Mind - A Guide to Remote Viewing and Transformation of Consciousness by Russell Targ

Mind Trek - Exploring Consciousness, Time and Space Through Remote Viewing by Joe McMoneagle




Penetration - The Question of Extraterrestrial and Human Telepathy by Ingo Swann



Everybody's Guide to Natural ESP: Unlocking the Extrasensory Power of Your Mind by Ingo Swann



I highly encourage you to explore this most intriguing subject.  These books should give you a most excellent start.

Make sure to read my article on the passing of Ingo Swann at Conscious Life News.

To the legacy of Ingo Swann - You will be missed!  Bon Voyage!

(September 14, 1933 - February 1, 2013) 

Leave your comments about remote viewing and ESP on our Facebook page!  We'd love to hear from you!

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Whitney’s Home-Going, Cissy’s Signal and the Omniscience of Spirit

“Death is not the end, it is simply walking out of the physical form and into the spirit realm, which is our true home. It’s going back home.” – Stephen Christopher

The sudden passing of Whitney Houston left an indelible mark on millions of people who adored and cherished her vocal prowess, gleaming good looks and super iconic image. The timing could not have been more poignant – on the eve of music’s biggest night – The Grammy Awards. The news soared through the airwaves - seemingly faster than the speed of light. One of those moments where many will never forget where they were when they heard of the tragedy. As for me, I happened to be on a plane en route to Los Angeles to celebrate the 75th birthday of my own Grammy award winning cousin, jazz legend Nancy Wilson. My husband and I were so looking forward to spending a couple days in L.A. and then a drive to my family's 2,000 acre ranch near Palm Springs and a relaxing few days celebrating Nancy’s birthday. Nonetheless the news which conveniently carried on the TV screens of our jet heading west quickly eclipsed any chance of settling in comfortably for a long flight across the country. We virtually spent the entire 6 hour flight watching as the news unfolded with all its layers of so called “information” about what happened to Whitney.

Just one week later however what I, and many others at this point, have now read – a moving and frankly stunning letter to Whitney from her Mom which splashed the back page of her memorial program, amazed me even more – Cissy Houston’s revelation that she had been told by the Holy Spirit at Whitney’s birth that her daughter would not be with her long. Further Cissy recounted in the letter how she had been depressed, sad and crying for the last two months although she did not understand why this was so. In what was perhaps the most stunning of the confessions, she tells of the day Whitney would die, although not aware of it at the time, how the doorbell of her residence kept ringing, but when she went to answer it – no one was there. In hindsight Cissy believed this to be the spirit of her daughter coming to see her.

These are absolutely amazing scenarios that Cissy felt she needed to share with Whitney and ultimately, the world. Amazing at first glance, but the themes articulated in this poignant letter are not unfamiliar to many - both personally and in the field of “psi” and “survival of consciousness” research.

The data about such phenomena as premonitions or “presentiment,” a term used by psi researcher Dean Radin of which he defines as “a vague, non cognitive sense that something good or bad will occur,” suggests that our central nervous system has the capacity to respond to events and activities that have not yet played out in linear time. Cissy’s sense of foreboding, expressed by an insistent depression and sadness some two months prior to her daughter’s passing seems to indicate some aspect of presentiment taking place.

We’ve no doubt heard these sorts of accounts before. The literature is replete with instances, in particular of a loving parent receiving a nudge – a dream, a sense of something serious that is about to or has already happened to their child. This was no exception.

In Dr. Larry Dossey’s book The Power of Premonitions, he discusses research that was produced by the Institute of HeartMath, out of Boulder Creek, California, in which there is evidence showing “that the heart may register future events before the brain does,” thereby suggesting that the heart is a stronger conduit for events that may happen outside of our space-time continuum, and moreover that it is our link to receiving this information into conscious awareness. Given the emotional bond that can exist between a parent and child, incidents of premonition or presentiment occurring with the parent lend due credence to this theory, and that the heart’s emotional resonance may act as a doorway to be able to see, hear and moreover feel “future” events.

But what about the incident where Cissy laments about how the doorbell continuously rang, but no one was at the door? She even goes farther to say that she checked with her building’s concierge to find out whether they had seen anyone enter the building and go toward Cissy’s residence. They saw no one!

It is ironic that this month at Higher Journeys we are covering such issues as life after death and the evidence for such a phenomenon. After Death Communication or ADC’s of which I covered at some length in my review of the book Hello from Heaven discusses the myriad ways a person can be contacted by their deceased loved one. Although you could roughly put the “doorbell” experience in one of several categories, including: auditory ADC’s (which is typically hearing a voice), ADC’s of physical phenomena or material ADC’s seem to be quite a common occurrence among experiencers. Material ADC’s cover a range of physical phenomena that can occur either at or just after the death of someone, often a loved one. Accounts of lights turning on and off, doors opening and closing and even objects moving and levitating have been reported. I personally have experienced such phenomena of which I would put in this category. On the day my father-in-law passed away, we had just left the hospital and returned to the family home in New Jersey. After a short while, we began to witness one of the living room lamps turn on and off at least three times by itself. The lamp did not have a short and never displayed such behavior prior to. On another occasion, another family member recounted an incident on the day of his mother’s funeral. Mourners had gathered at the home of the loved one for a reception. While sitting at the dining room table, several witnessed a glass inexplicably lift slightly and sweep across to the other end of the table. This family member is convinced that it was the spirit of his deceased mother.

These phenomena are thousands, perhaps millions in number and have occurred throughout human history. Cissy Houston apparently witnessed first-hand the miracle of her daughter’s spirit coming to signal her transition. Although the data alone could make a plausible case for life after death, I think what will carry as absolute validation of such a phenomenon is the anecdotes that persist in our own experience both individually and universally. For as Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.”

On another sad and ironic note, on the day of Whitney’s service, my husband and I - still out in California amid the quiet mountains of the high desert, received a call that our cat Paws, who had been ill, was dying. Invariably, while we both sat on the phone with the doctor in tears, Paws took his last breath lying in the arms of a loving caretaker at the hospital. The night before he passed, I dreamt that we were at home and I kept hearing his meowing, loud and distinct but I could not find him. Fate it is said is not without a sense of irony – My love for this angelic animal triggered what I will call a presentiment that I shall never forget.

Rest in peace, Whitney and Paws. Much love and eternal life to you both!

Footnote: The author has decided to not quote directly from the “letter” described herein due to the nebulous nature of whether its dissemination was intended by the family of Whitney Houston. If you are interested in seeing the program and the letter, you will find many copies of it available online, although I urge you to use constraint in its further dissemination out of respect for the family and the fact that legally, this may not be public domain.

Further Reading:
The Power of Premonitions – How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives, Larry Dossey, M.D.
(Click on the book image below to purchase from Amazon)

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
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