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!

11:11 and the Multiplicity of Meaning

Spiritual Prompt, Reality Encoder, Personal Oracle. The meanings are as diverse as YOU!

As the quest to resolve the mystery of the 11:11 phenomenon continues, so do the interpretations.  Why are many seeing this number so frequently but many others are not?  Why does this master number seem to attach itself to a range of synchronistic experiences?  Is there one universal meaning or many, depending on who is experiencing this phenomenon?

I checked in with some of my fellow colleagues – extraordinary researchers in the areas of metaphysics and consciousness to get their weigh in on what this ever-present number may signify.

Diane Brandon is an Integrative Intuitive Counselor & Intuition Teacher and says that she has been getting clients curious about the 11:11 phenomenon since the 90’s.  “11:11 and variations thereof may be a subtle, unconscious reminder of things that are coming and to attend, pay attention, and prepare in some way, while being on one’s spiritual path.”  She goes on to say, “In general, I feel that it’s a message from the Universe to pay attention – whether to be on the lookout for an upcoming event, to listen for messages, or to strengthen one’s spiritual connection.  Sometimes it may be a confirmation of one’s spirituality or spiritual orientation or that one is on the right path – or a confirmation that these are momentous times spiritually and to pay attention to events for spiritual import.

To me, the beauty of the messages behind the phenomena being individual messages underscores the need to pay attention to one’s inner voice and how one is guided, as opposed to looking for a one-size-fits-all meaning.”

As Diane so clearly articulates, 11:11 may just be a spiritual wake-up call of sorts.  We have definitely heard different variations of the spiritual significance of this master number in the past, but then the question arises, if we are all spiritual (at our core), then why are some recognizing this number as an integral quotient in their lives and not others?

Here’s what she had to say from this perspective: “Perhaps back in the 90’s some of this phenomenon had to do with confirming to people that they were on a good spiritual path or had a role to play.  With the increase in occurrence in the past few years, my sense is that it has to do with these times.  I started to feel a couple of years ago that it was even more important for people who would be facilitators to get on the path.  It feels as if this is a time of clearing, opening of awareness even more, and some sort of preparation for shifts and changes that may be in the offing.  Some people were saying back in the early 90’s that in the future everyone (meaning spiritual facilitators) would be needed.  There seems to be a consensus among some people that we’re on the cusp of that time.”

The idea that some – maybe even millions have been called to be spiritual facilitators on this planet is intriguing.  It seems evident that we are indeed on the precipice of a global, or even universal paradigm shift.  Perhaps these spiritual catalysts, though previously unaware of their purpose in life and during these times have been given the signal to come into conscious awareness of that purpose through the 11:11 signal.

Throughout the course of my research on the subject of 11:11, I’ve surveyed a variety of individuals about their own 11 experiences, and then measured this against some of their individual characteristics.  Clearly those who’ve acknowledged the 11 phenomenon in their own lives fell into *several different personality categories:

1. Tend to be spiritually inclined (not necessarily religious).
2. Have a pre-disposition or sensitivity to psychic (psi) phenomena in their lives.
3. Fall into a “youth” (12-18) category, both male and female; could be described as crystal, indigo, or “new” children.

(*Note that this does not preclude those witnessing 11:11 who do not fall into any of the aforementioned categories).

The latter category is an intriguing subject on its own – the idea of new humans coming to this planet, often able to demonstrate feats of intellectual, psychic and even physical prowess well beyond their years or that of their adult counterparts.  The idea that some, if not many of these “new children,” a term I prefer to use, are also aligned with the 11:11 phenomenon may give us a clue as to the evolutionary significance of this number. 

Interestingly, those youth that I’ve surveyed who see 11:11 (or variations of 11 like 1:11, 5:11, 9:11 and so on), seem to have a level of ease or a natural affinity to its presence whereby they are not necessarily questioning the frequency of the number, but rather accept it as a natural phenomenon or even a sort of celestial language.  On the other hand, some of the older individuals (including myself) who synchronistically began seeing the number in their later years have found themselves a bit more perplexed as to the how and why these numbers are appearing, although many sense that the presence of 11 carries some aspect of spiritual or psychic import.

Does 1111 lie beneath “The Matrix?”

In the original Matrix movie, it is suggested that reality experienced physically is but a construct and that everything that is lived out within the matrix (or physical 3D reality) is actually a code comprised of numbers arranged in a particular sequence.  Although couched within a “fictional” framework, the suggestion from this film is that our brains are sophisticated decoders, able to take complex strings of numbers and decode them into the experience of five sense reality.   Interestingly when we look at binary code, a numbers system composed of 0’s and 1’s  that are used to form images, words, and other strings of information, you will notice a strong representation of 11 in various forms: 11,111,1111 with 0’s separating out these sequences.  Even more curious is a recent finding by Professor Randall O'Reilly of the University of Colorado at Boulder who made a discovery that could bring mind-blowing significance to the 11:11 code.  Based on his research, he found very unusual correlations between the binary code of a computer and how our brains function.  According to his findings, he now contends that the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia part of the brain operate much like a digital computer system, which is based on this binary system.

The following is excerpted from an October 2006 news release from the University of Colorado at Boulder: Part Of Human Brain Functions Like A Digital Computer, According To CU-Boulder Professor 

"Many researchers who create these models shun the computer metaphor," O'Reilly said. "My work comes out of a tradition that says people's brains are nothing like computers, and now all of a sudden as we look at them, in fact, in a certain respect they are like computers."Digital computers operate by turning electrical signals into binary "on and off states" and flexibly manipulating these states by using switches. O'Reilly found the same operating principles in the brain.

Could it be that those who are witnessing a steady string of 11’s are getting a peak through the veil of what has been termed the matrix – a constructed reality based on a binary system?  The mere idea that there is a direct correlation in how the brain processes information with that of a computer, makes for an inquisitive postulate that could lead one down the proverbial rabbit hole of reality, returning with a whole new perspective on what our physical reality truly is!

This scenario brings about a much larger question of course.  Similar theories have been proposed in books like The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot.  The idea that our physical reality is but a construct based on a holographic model and that our brains are holographic in nature, able to decode a mathematical system into experiential reality has been discussed widely in new science circles.  Of course this can be a difficult concept to grasp, especially if one is loathed to admit that everything in this physical world at the subatomic level is not solid but is based on energy vibrating at a very slow rate – only appearing as if it is solid.  If everything is energy, numbers are certainly an integral part of the reality equation!

Another somewhat scientific approach to understanding 11:11 in our experiential system has to do with something called orbital resonance.

Here’s what quantum researcher and author Cynthia Sue Larson had to say about the correlation of 11:11 with such a model:

“There's a concept known to astronomers and cosmologists of something called orbital resonance, such that when larger celestial bodies such as Jupiter and Saturn are in orbit around our Sun, their orbital resonance is 1:1.   This is the same ratio as 11:11, and one could say 1:1 is a more simplified version of resonance... yet a version with information.”

So what, exactly, is orbital resonance? Here's a great summary from Wikipedia.

Cynthia goes on to ask, “And how, exactly, does an orbital resonance of 11:11 have meaning for us today?  You can think of this as a time of ‘great clearing’ in which many of us literally need more ‘space’ because our consciousness is greatly expanding. This in turn, impacts the nature of our relationships, and how we ensure we stay in healthy, balanced relationships that accommodate each of our individual needs to expand and grow, while at the same time respecting the needs for the growth and expansion of everyone else we are connected with. 

The significance of this time as being critical for human awakening at a time when we are learning more about the super-fast expansion at the time of the Big Bang is not lost, and indeed we can now begin to realize that each and every one of us were all together As One at the time of the Big Bang.  As this big, beautiful multiverse expands, so does each and every one of us, at a level exponentially greater than at any other previous time of transition on Earth.”

Whether it is the binary system undergirding our physical reality that has been exposed through a thinning of the veil or the integration of orbital resonance like movements invading our consciousness that is causing this oft seen master digit, it is clear that the pervasiveness of 11 on this planet cannot be ignored.  For its presence could have massive universal implications in the trajectory of mankind!

11:11 and Synchronicity

For many who tend toward using a spiritual compass to steer them in life, the recognition of synchronicity can play a key role in life changes and new inspirations, serving as guideposts along the journey of one’s path.

Award winning author of the book Lavender and dream expert Judy Gardiner is one who recognized the 11’s as central to several discoveries that were featured in her book. 

“On 11/11/94 a dream message that the optic nerve would be a breakthrough for mankind led to years of scientific dream warnings focused on the Earth. I had no science in my background.”

Judy then acknowledges a very personal though cosmological connection - "My mother passed away on 1/11/02.  I reconnected with the Earth.  I am the child from my mother - the Great Mother Earth.  The convergence of the material and the spiritual is what Pierre Teilhard de Chardin called the ultimate reunion at the Omega Point - the maximum level of consciousness - giving direction to the whole evolutionary process.  This exemplifies 11/11.  On 11/11/09 I discovered convergent vision through a dream; the ability to merge the invisible with the visible - the past with the future - to integrate what we feel and what we sense with what we see."

Taken together, the optic nerve breakthrough, convergent vision and the interrelationship of micro (mother) with the macro (Mother Earth) as well as other synchronistic puzzle pieces, make for a most extraordinary journey that Judy lays out in her book Lavender - An Entwined Adventure in Science and Spirit.  Blending the practical and the imaginal, Judy allowed the 11 symbolism to help her navigate through a maze of metaphors that lead her to some amazing realizations for humanity through what she calls "The Cosmic Dream." 

Similarly, Suzie Daggett, an inspirational speaker and intuitive counselor chose to use the presence of 11’s in her life as an intuitive mapping approach to discovering her entrepreneurial sweet spot culminating in an organization called, Dear Source.

“On 11-11-11 at 11:11, I was sitting on a bench overlooking a peaceful pond when I heard the words: Seekers Central – where did they come from?  I was not asking.   I was not seeking.  Yet when I heard the words (from some angelic being no doubt), I came home and grabbed the domain. 

At the time, I was in the process of selling one business and perhaps Source had this idea for a new business.  It felt like I was to create a website to introduce seekers to spiritual information all in one place.  As I started the creative process, Seekers Central looked way too big for me to create on my own.  After some intensive business strategy meetings I was overwhelmed. Friends suggested I start small, so I reworked the process and started tiny.  Seekers felt solid, real, and like something that might grow and help people.  However, after a year of hard work it did not take off and the business was not to be.

What came out of this 11-11 moment?  I believe it was a sounding board for me to take the next jump and instead of focusing on helping others get their word out (which I had been doing for over 10 years), it was time for me to start producing and marketing my words, my voice, my ideas.  Thus, Dear Source was created. I now have a website offering words of wisdom from Source interpreted by me in my voice and teach and speak about Intuition. I have published a book, PEARLS – 52 Contemplative Insights and have many projects ready to go.

It is a journey, no matter where you start or how you start. As long as you start, be comfortable changing directions when the energy dissipates and follow the dots to your idea of Source energy and All That Is.”

Suzie used a process that I have called “mapping manifestation.”  It can be done through the dreamscape, much like Judy’s cosmic dreaming, or through the recognition of 11’s and how they relate to our ideas, inspirations or even voices from the angelic realm!  The key is to know how to stay open and not settle on one course of action, even if it seems right at the time, but rather use the signals as signposts to guide you – unpeeling the layers, until you’ve reached your desired destination.  This is what Suzie did and I applaud her practical wisdom while going through this process!

I too have used 11’s as a sort of guide or signpost to navigate out of what I called, “A season of crisis.”  The details of this synchronistic journey are featured in my new book, Conscious Musings – Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential, and ironically it was in large part the synchronistic promptings that stalled the release of my book, now a best-seller, until just the right time!

Whether we will ever unravel the meaning for the omnipresence of 11’s in our lives remains uncertain, but what seems to be ever increasing in our collective awareness is that meanings, like synchronicities are subjective – brilliant spectacles of the universal process that knows each and every one of us so intimately that it will design scenarios that only we will recognize, and the 11 may just be one number to show us that spectrum of purpose, just like the spectrum of humanity that exists on this planet today.

Although the 11 is considered a master number, perhaps its message is to remind us that we are the masters of our own life and its mission is to simply help us along the path of a life creatively, joyfully and fully lived!

Learn more about the work of the incredible contributors featured in this article:

Diane Brandon

Integrative intuitive counselor & intuition teacher, author, and speaker -- Specializing in personal path/growth & dream interpretation

www.dianebrandon.com

Cynthia Sue Larson

Quantum researcher and best-selling author of the books, Quantum Jumps and Reality Shifts

www.realityshifters.com

Judy B. Gardiner

Dream researcher and author of the award winning book, Lavender

www.cosmicdreaming.com

Suzie Daggett

Intuitive counselor, author, presenter and speaker

www.dearsource.com

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!

Creativity and the Nonlocal Mind

Esteemed physician, researcher and author Dr. Larry Dossey kindly agreed to allow me to excerpt a portion of his latest piece published in the Huffington Post entitled, Where Does Creativity Come From? In it he posits that our creative impulse may be derived from a broader spectrum of information; a field of sorts of which we have an intrinsic connection.

I had the pleasure of perusing this compelling post just yesterday and was particularly struck by his myriad examples that would lead one to truly contemplate the idea that our unique creativity may not necessarily originate with ourselves, nor be generated by our brain but rather gleaned from an infinite field of information that some refer to as the quantum field.

I’ve often contemplated this notion, wondering whether original creations are instead channeled from an all pervading and omnipresent source.  This is an intriguing concept and one that allows us all to consider the true access we have to information based on the idea that we are innately hard-wired to this field.

Before we get into Dr. Dossey’s compelling piece, allow me to quote Intuition expert, Sonia Choquette whom I interviewed earlier this year about how we are indeed connected to this quantum field and how “invention” may not reside solely with the individual personality.

Choquette states…

“The heart wisdom of you is an intelligence that actually precedes your brain. It is a profound informing intelligence that works on a number of levels. First, it works on connecting you to information in this realm. So you can actually have telepathic crossovers. This is how two people discovered and argued for quite a time over who discovered the AIDS virus, an American or a Frenchman, because they both did…They were actually telepathically sharing information. We also have souls that have access to far more than our local brain consciously contains and that’s why when all of a sudden you start a new project and you just know how to do it. Get on the ski slopes, I know how to ski. I start renovating a house –  all of a sudden I’m designing stained glass windows. How do I know? I don’t really know. Because we access the quantum field.”

…And now, let’s delve a little deeper in to where creativity comes from with Dr. Larry Dossey:

My online dictionary says that "create" means to bring into existence something that is new, something that did not exist before. We often imagine creators as solitary individuals struggling against great odds, trying mightily to craft new inventions, music, or art that is novel, fresh, unique. We assume that prior training and skills are crucial in the creative process. Someone who doesn't know arithmetic will never be a great mathematician. A tone-deaf person will never compose majestic music. Someone who is not grounded in the classics can never be a great philosopher.

So much for logic.

When developmental psychologist Joseph Chilton Pearce was in his early 30s, teaching humanities in a college, he was engrossed in theology and the psychology of Carl Jung. Pearce describes himself as "obsessed" by the nature of the God-human relationship, and his reading on the subject was extensive. One morning as he was preparing for an early class, his 5-year-old son came into his room, sat down on the edge of the bed, and launched into a 20-minute discourse on the nature of God and man.

"He spoke in perfect, publishable sentences," Pearce writes, "without pause or haste, and in a flat monotone. He used complex theological terminology and told me, it seemed, everything there was to know. As I listened, astonished, the hair rose on my neck; I felt goose bumps, and, finally, tears streamed down my face. I was in the midst of the uncanny, the inexplicable. My son's ride to kindergarten arrived, horn blowing, and he got up and left. I was unnerved and arrived late to my class. What I had heard was awesome, but too vast and far beyond any concept I had had to that point. The gap was so great I could remember almost no details and little of the broad panorama he had presented ... He wasn't picking up his materials from me. I hadn't acquired anything like what he described and would, in fact, be in my mid-50s and involved in meditation before I did ... My son had no recollection of the event."

Events like this pose deep questions for creativity. Where does the wisdom come from that makes creativity possible?

Baron Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, the renowned German physicist who was a contemporary of legendary physicists Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr, thought deeply about creativity in science. In any great scientific discovery, he said, "We find the often disturbing and happy experience: 'It is not I; I have not done this.' Still, in a certain way it is I -- yet not the ego ... but ... a more comprehensive self."

What is this "more comprehensive self"? I propose that it is a domain of consciousness that is nonlocal or infinite in space and time, in which all information resides. Throughout history it has been called many names -- the Source, the Absolute, God, Goddess, Allah, Universe. My favorite term is the One Mind, in which all individual minds come together.

Continue to read the full post here

The web site of Dr. Larry Dossey

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Journey to Atlantis with Dr. Bruce Goldberg

Many are familiar with the Bermuda Triangle, as an area in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean, well known for the mysterious disappearances of a number of aircraft and sea vessels as well as their occupants.

Jeanne, a vacationer who went on a snorkeling excursion within the Bermuda Triangle, managed to escape its potentially dangerous wrath, only to emerge with a possible clue to what could have been a past life during the civilization of Atlantis.

An intriguing account to be sure, we weighed in with noted hypnotherapist, past life regressionist and author, Dr. Bruce Goldberg to try and make sense of this otherwise anomalous and mystifying encounter.

What he has to say just might give us all pause for thought on the true nature of spiritual growth and our evolution both individually and as a species.

Listen to the full interview here.

You can read Jeanne’s fascinating account here.

Dr. Bruce Goldberg’s web site: www.drbrucegoldberg.com

What are your thoughts about the lost civilization of Atlantis? Tell us what you think on our Facebook Page!

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! 
...thank you!

What On (This) Earth Does "11" Mean?

You're hearing about it more and more; this perplexing and increasingly ubiquitous phenomenon of people looking at clocks, receipts, signs - and the number 11 is staring back at them. Of course the most frequently talked about is 11:11 (The official make a wish time), but my surmise is that it goes much deeper than that.

It happened to both me and my husband in 2005 during an extraordinarily emotional time in our lives. We were renovating our home. Stress and anxiety was at peak levels for both of us. We had also experienced some curious shift of energy in our home; nothing of the negative sort but certainly a recognizable and all-encompassing change of atmosphere, well beyond whatever aesthetic changes we were making. I found myself glimpsing at the clock - any clock - all clocks, and there it was: 3:11, 1:11, 8:11, 12:11, and yes, 11:11. This was occurring far beyond the probability of "chance." Initially I would just smile when it would show up. After a few serendipitous occurrences I took notice of it a bit more. When the majority of the time I glanced up to see the time and invariably it would be 11 after the hour, I thought "okay, what on God's Green Earth is happening here?"

As a metaphysical researcher, I had been somewhat familiar with some of the more elusive aspects of numbers and symbols as they relate to dimensional reality. I was aware that numbers are a language of sorts, they interact with our planet; our solar system; the galaxy. They map the constellations, and our DNA! But this intrusion of 11 and further why it seemed to be showing up with such tenacity and why now, I did not know.

I scoured the Internet, doing key word searches like, "seeing 11 on the clock" "11 after the hour" and "people seeing 11" to learn whether I was just losing my sense of reality or whether I had company! Only a few obscure references came up, but certainly enough to suggest that something was going on.

Finally I couldn't hold it back any longer. I decided to confide in my husband: "Honey, I'm seeing 11 on the clock all the time...". No sooner did I get the phrase out of my mouth when my husband glanced at me with the most perplexing look. "Me too!" I didn't know whether to jump for joy that I was not alone in this odyssey or shutter with fear that this was some menacing omen.

This all began for us six years ago, and it has not relented since. And apparently, neither for the increasing numbers of us who are somehow privy to something that means something VERY timely and relevant. Today (as of the date of this writing), if you search "11:11" on Google, you will get approximately 1,700,000,000 (that's 1.7 billion!) results. If you search "people seeing 11 all of the time", you'll get 944,000,000 (close to 1 billion)! Talk about the significance of numbers!

What is Going On?

Theories abound, we are now seeing every conceivable explanation, from every aspect of the new age, the occult, and numerology circles.

From the 1111spiritguardians.com website, it says:
These 11:11 Wake-Up Calls on your digital clocks, mobile phones, VCR’s and microwaves are the "trademark" prompts of a group of just 1,111 fun-loving Spirit Guardians, or Angels, and the 11:11 prompt is their way of using our innate ability for pattern recognition to let us know that they are here. Once they have your attention, they will use other digits, like 12:34, or 2:22 to remind you of their presence. Invisible to our eyes, they are very real.

From the crystalinks.com website, it states:
Seeing 11:11 frequently creates synchronicities and changes in one's life to understand reality and where consciousness is going.

In Numerology 11 represents impractical idealism, visionary, refinement of ideals, intuition, revelation, artistic and inventive genius, avant-garde, androgynous, film, fame, refinement fulfilled when working with a practical partner. Eleven is a higher octave of the number two. It carries psychic vibrations and has an equal balance of masculine and feminine properties. 11 represents balance.

Then of course there are those prophetic associations one cannot resist tethering to the “11” anomaly:

September 11, 2001 (aka, 9:11)
December 21, 2012, which of course is said to be the end of the Mayan Calendar. (if you add up 1,2,2,1,2,0,1,2 you get 11)
And so on...

Now publishers from both New Age and even more mainstream genres are seeing fit to release a whole lot of books on the subject (I will reference a few at the end of this article). YouTube has no shortage of videos on the subject as well. At last check when I searched “11:11” within YT, I got 16,600,000 (that’s 16.6 million videos). Of course, not all videos are directly related to the phenomenon that we are speaking of, but a staggering amount were!

I found this short video to be somewhat objective in its approach to the subject, while not backing away from the "11" significance...



Note that this video has received almost half a million views!

What I find the most intriguing are the myriad anecdotes that just keep pouring in; the online threads, twitter chats, etc where people tell their 11 stories, initially with a sense of trepidation and more recently with a sense of purpose.

I was chatting with my dear friend's nephew maybe a couple of years ago. He was around 8 or 9 at the time. Nothing in particular would lead him to talk about "11", but all of a sudden, in a childlike way he uttered, "every time I look at the clock it says 11 and it's really weird!" That was it for me. I called it to my husband's attention; and told the little boy to tell my husband what he had just said, just to make sure I was hearing it correctly. All my husband could do was shake his head in disbelief.

Could the "11 experience" be some covert mind mapping program to keep the masses in servitude? Could it be a signal from "beyond" about the current and accelerating shift? Could this shift indicate a thinning of the dimensional veils and 11 be some sort of a numeric portal? Could it be the angelic realms making their presence known through the twin doorways just to give us a wink and a nod? Could it be a complex vibrational resonance preparing us for 4th density existence? Could it be all of the above? Perhaps.

As much as I would love to have some definitive answer for you (and for me): the ultimate meaning; its significance - obviously I cannot do that. What I will commit to is that some sort of phenomenon is occurring here. Its presence to more and more on this planet is burgeoning. My sense is that its proportions are big, the implications vast, and conceivably its revelations forthcoming. Will it be on December 21st 2012? Sometime beyond?

As the Anchorman behind the camera says: stay tuned! And as I will say, "stay tuned in: this channel will one day surely be revealed."

Read about Alexis' own interaction with "11:11" and how she used this time prompt to guide her journey through crisis in her new book, Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential!

The Nature of Reality, Consciousness, the Universe – Where Does Your Journey Begin?

In my travels, you can only imagine how many times I get asked “where do I start my journey of exploring these subjects?” I often find that to be a loaded question, because I have spent so many years on my own journey of researching, contemplating, experiencing; asking the big questions; and the myriad approaches to so many aspects of The nature of reality and consciousness. I’ve come to one conclusion: “The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.” –Einstein, Socrates, et al.

It’s funny, because I think I resolved myself to that conclusion some years ago, during what you might call an enlightened moment – an epiphany I had that revealed “your goal in life is not to know all things (even if on some deeply unconscious level we already do) – but rather to explore possibilities! In other words, do not be so emphatic about arriving at a final conclusion about “how things work” because chances are, you will run into another experience that may demand an entire shift in paradigm and you’ll be at ground zero once again. Rather, enjoy the journey, build on the exploration and know that there are “truths” at all levels of reality.

That said; make the process fun and exciting. There are now SO many resources, especially online where you can begin your trek - and still so many books (both classics and new titles) approaching these subjects, from a multiplicity of angles. Below I have for you, what I call a “starter kit” of reading. These are some of the first books I read that I still consider “perennial classics.” I’ve recommended them and given them as gifts to many people! In later years, my area of inquiry got a little more complex and a bit more challenging, albeit, deeply fulfilling. You’ll find that as your interest begins to pick up along with some fundamental level of resonance, you’ll be guided to the resources that are best suited for you depending on where you are on your journey!

Finally, what I also tell people is, at the end of the day, no matter how many books you read or classes you take, there comes a time when you have to put down the book, shut down the “outside” and get quiet with yourself (meditate, contemplate)…just be still. The answers will begin to come. “Stop looking for the guru ‘out there.’ They are no measure to the Guru you already know.” –AB.

An interesting footnote: I’ve often found that if I spend time first in silent contemplation and then pick up a book, seemingly at random, I will find just the right phrase or piece of information that corresponds with the thought which ultimately yields “the answer.” That’s what we call synchronicity!!

Begin the Journey!

*All Titles are available on Amazon.com. Just click on the book image below.

Mind-Awareness-Ability (Easy and fluid reading, these are all classics!)


As a Man Thinketh – James Allen (Written in a poetic tone, this classic is well over a century old and still a top seller. Also,I have seen free and legal downloads for this if you want the e-book. Take a look online).

The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale (Another classic. My parents had this book on their shelves as far back as I can remember.)

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind – Joseph Murphy (One of my first books on the subject that I read in the 80’s. A simple and easy to understand theory on how the subconscious mind works to form our everyday reality).

Nature of Reality-Consciousness (A bit more complex but absolutely fascinating for the “intermediate” explorer).


Seth Speaks-The Eternal Validity of the Soul – Jane Roberts (see my previously published article: You Create Your Own Reality, So Says Seth, 2001. I consider myself a “student” of Seth’s teachings. Powerful!)

The Nature of Personal Reality – Jane Roberts (I’d recommend reading Seth Speaks before you get into this one. Plus there’s a whole series of Seth books still available including the “Early Sessions.”)

The Holographic Universe – Michael Talbot (Truly comprehensive in its approach with great references for further reading. To this day, one of my favorite books on the subject of the nature of reality and how the universe “works.”)

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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Reality, Self, the Universe and the Urgency of Now

As some of you know, I have been on a mission to advance the premise of the Higher Journeys blog and get the momentum up quickly. The subject matters we will be exploring warrant it. And I’m happy to be contributing to what is becoming ubiquitous dialogue about spirituality, the self and all the mystery that surrounds it.

I must tell you that in the midst of doing some personal campaigning for Higher Journeys over the weekend, I received many wonderful emails about the blog, but one email that I received from a friend and associate caught my attention as one of her comments underscored a key point I had been trying to make in my previous entry, The True Nature of Reality – Should We Know More of the Story?

Her email was a pleasant one – and she admitted she finds these subjects interesting. But she quickly followed with the fact that these are the types of things you think about when you “get a free minute.” Now consider that there are still so many, that spend what little “free moments” they have doing nothing of the sort. Contemplate the mysteries of the universe, why we are here and who we are? No chance. Not when there are so many distractions to ensure we stay occupied with day-to-day “stuff.” So first, my hats off to her for taking occasional free moments to even ponder such wonders. But here’s my point: I think the time has arrived, where although taking those precious free moments to spend contemplating our spirituality and moreover our potentiality and our place in the Universe is a good start, it is now vital – absolutely vital that we take the responsibility to truly realize our potential, by first pondering, then studying and ultimately applying some of these otherwise abstract notions. We ARE powerful and spiritual beings. Every one of us – I am convinced of that. No matter your faith; no matter what religion or even no religion at all – and my sense has always been that our religions are but interpretations of a fundamental truth – there is something there for us to see and then fully incorporate and once we realize the “practical applications” – the sky is the limit (so to speak).

Recall how our paradigm quickly shifted post 9/11 – our fears, anxieties; our security or in-security as it were became blatantly magnified and still no signs of letting up – Unless….! We have now reached a crescendo - perhaps 9/11 being the impetus – such that our “normal” way of life no longer works. Might it be that in order to graduate to the next level of evolution as a species that the proactive incorporation of spiritual practices, benevolent practices, altruistic practices, all innate abilities, dormant as they may be, will help ignite our power and enable us to navigate the shift many are admitting is underway? This of course, is yours to ponder. My only plea: please consider taking more than a few minutes of your time to think on these things. For in the words of noted author Lyall Watson “Our future lies in the mind and our understanding of it…”

Relevant insight: See Victims of the Attack, Martyrs for Meaning (by Alexis Brooks, 2001).

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! 
...thank you!