Talking To The Dead

Imagine one day, being able to take a small device about the size of an iPod out of your pocket or purse, pressing a button and connecting with your dear aunt Sarah in the “afterlife.”

According to paranormal researcher Rosemary Ellen Guiley who co-authored the book, Talking to the Dead, we may be on the edge of a breakthrough in technological advancements in spirit communication that could yield regular exchanges with the other side.

The book, which debuted late last year by Coast to Coast AM’s George Noory and Guiley describe a spectrum of technological developments in talking to the departed. Those in the field of paranormal research have a working knowledge of some of the more cutting edge spirit communication devices since the advent of EVP or electronic voice phenomena; a process by which inexplicable voices are heard during the playback of a tape recorder, although not heard initially at the time of the recording. But in recent years, a phenomenon called “Real-Time EVP” which as the name implies, allows the experimenter or “operator” to speak to the dead - live - has reached many in the larger community of people interested in making contact, often for their own personal reasons.

Margaret Downey, an LA based spirit communications researcher works with the bereaved to help them have their own communications via real time EVP or as she calls it “simulated real time” – a delayed conversation in which she periodically stops to review the recordings as they go along. Downey also works in collaboration with intuitive channel and film producer Lisa Winther-Huston to conduct sessions for the bereaved. The pair was featured on an episode of the Biography Channel’s My Ghost Story. Like many who actively work in this area of the paranormal, Downey and Winther-Huston claim to have assistance from discarnate entities vis-a-vis the devices they use, to help them perfect the process of communication. Some of these associates even describe themselves as never incarnating in human form. Names such as ethereals have been used to describe entities who exist in higher realms or parallel worlds and have pronounced themselves as helpers to those wishing to hone their skills in using technology for spirit communication.

Consciousness Plays a Major Role

Despite the advancements in technological spirit communication over the last 100 or so years including Thomas Edison’s purported interest in possibly dialing up the dead, there appears to be a consistent theme occurring among practitioners who receive a good measure of success. Natural mediumistic ability appears to be a common denominator in effective spirit communication. When psychic ability is active within the practitioner, the device used becomes a tool or perhaps an amplifier but not the actual source of the connection that’s being made. The consciousness of both the operator and the spirit communicator, along with pure desire and intent become the dominant ingredients for the intersection of energy and the resulting communication to take place.

Mark Macy, a practitioner and researcher of EVP and ITC or instrumental transcommunication, was told during a series of dreams and out of body experiences that “too much emphasis just on the technology would not produce success.” The consciousness of the practitioner is of utmost importance in achieving a connection.

Martha Pierce Copeland of Atlanta is one who used EVP in hopes of easing the burden of losing her daughter, but became so convinced of its efficacy she later went on to found one of the most well known spirit communication support groups for the grief stricken. However, one poignant message which came from her daughter during her early experiments using a computer made her realize the necessity for our own internal mechanism for contact. Awakened in the middle of the night Copeland heard the voice of her daughter in her mind saying, “You do not need to use the computer. You can hear me in your mind.”

Could it be that those in the afterlife, higher dimensions and parallel worlds understand something that we can’t fully assimilate as yet? Whether it be divining practical wisdom about our daily lives or dialoguing with the departed, we are the source of the results we seek; it is consciousness creating the connection.

Spirit Communication and Electromagnetic Energy

Rosemary Ellen Guiley even acknowledges that the devices may be tapping into levels of consciousness and processes we don’t yet understand. That said, apparently EVP does have an important role to play. This raises the question as to whether there is some sort of intersection of energy that occurs when an electromagnetic resonance is achieved between the operator, the device and the discarnate communicator.

Guiley who has been a regular experimenter of several real-time EVP devices including one called the “minibox” did an in-studio demonstration prior to going on-air with George Noory for his popular Coast to Coast AM broadcast. During the demonstration Noory asked why there was a need for a lot of background noise. “In order to talk to us, those in another dimension seem to do best when we give them a background of sounds. They’re not using the vocal cords of the living,” states Guiley. The communicators have said that “they manipulate energy on their side and sound on ours.”

As is well known, everything in our known universe including our selves operates within an electromagnetic spectrum. Ultrasonic sound frequencies occur well above 20 KHz, typically outside the range the human ear can pick up. However with the aid of certain background sounds, such as radio static coupled with the frequencies of the human electromagnetic energy field, the device may build a bridge where the EM frequencies can begin a resonance with each other and communication then ensues.

In fact, it has been recently discovered that the human heart actually emits much more energy both electrically and magnetically than that of the brain, making it a powerful conduit for connecting with energy sources well outside of our typical sensory system. This information would support the idea that an emotional connection, pure intent and love play a vital role in making a successful connection with loved ones in spirit.

Clearly, Talking to the Dead is a book whose focus is squarely on the history and advancements in technological spirit communication, however its consistent intimations of the vital role that psychic ability, consciousness and even alchemy play as necessary elements in bridging dimensional realms does not go unnoticed.

The book achieves balance by nicely weaving in correlations with experiments throughout the history of spirit communication, including the common theme that the discarnate communicators often play a support role in helping humans to develop such feats of technological expertise.

Rounding out its offering, the book also covers such elusive aspects as spirit forensics, the dark side in the lower astral realms and even sex in the afterlife.

Talking to the Dead gives readers a breadth and scope of resources for further investigation and also offers suggestions in its appendix for experimenting on your own with EVP.

One question that emerged both at the book’s beginning and end: what will be the societal implications once irrefutable proof of an afterlife is revealed, perhaps through the advancement of technology? Certainly our beliefs will be challenged; perhaps our entire worldview will need to be re-examined. We appear to be on the threshold of a paradigm shift for the entire planet, the information this book offers couldn’t be timelier!

As stated in its final pages: “Proof of the afterlife and communication with the Other Side will give us new knowledge of the process of dying and the transition to a new state of being. Redefining death will lead to a redefining of life. We will alter choices we make about how we live life.”

Give Talking to the Dead a read and contemplate the possibilities of life and beyond.

Learn more about "talking to the dead," and the phenomenon of "after-death communication" in Alexis' new revealing and  best-selling book, Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential!

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! 
...thank you!

Investigating Life Beyond Death

The prospect of the afterlife has both eluded and intrigued mankind since the beginning. The “survival of consciousness” theory has been studied, scrubbed, and hypothesized from virtually every conceivable angle and still, no one knows for sure just what, if, or how it exists. I covered the “survival” issue in two of my previously published articles: Hello from Heaven as well as my interview with psychic medium John Edward in an effort to glean some insight as to what this is all about. Still, I can only wonder and no doubt continue to be amazed!

To kick off our February Afterlife series, it is my pleasure to welcome New York Times bestselling author, Eldon Taylor as a guest blogger to Higher Journeys. Eldon is an award winning author of over 300 books, and audio and video programs. He is the inventor of the patented InnerTalk technology and the founder and President of Progressive Awareness Research. He has been called a “master of the mind” and has appeared as an expert witness on both hypnosis and subliminal communication.

Eldon does an incredible job of investigating this highly provocative subject, maintaining neutrality throughout and inviting the reader to explore along with him as he presents a well rounded and multifaceted approach to his research. I encourage you to take a listen to the interviews he conducted, which boasts incredible depth and perspective and from a broad range of sources on a subject that continues to gain interest and momentum among the masses – life after death!

Enjoy!

Investigating Life Beyond Death by Eldon Taylor

The idea of life after death is a subject that cynics often debase by using that old Freudian logic, “Religion is a sugar-coated neurotic crutch.” They may continue by drawing on the words of the philosopher, John Wisdom, pointing out that it’s a bit like having Daddy at the end of the hall when you have a nightmare or become afraid.

The Creator by whatever name is of course responsible for providing an after-life. As such, it doesn’t matter if you’re a deist or theist or even an agnostic, proof of the after life does not necessarily imply the living existence of the Creator. After all, as some have insisted, God may have created everything but then he must have died or there would be no evil in the world, and so forth.

Personal Consciousness Surviving the Grave?

Now this article is not intended to investigate the various philosophies behind the notion of a Divine creator, but rather to tackle the idea of personal consciousness surviving the grave. For in the great grand scheme of it all, it is the next step from this earth plane that should be of our utmost interest.

Thirty years ago I gave little thought to the after-life, if any. Few of us actually turn our thoughts to dying when we’re young, vital and exploring the cornucopia of life. Then one day, in what seems as the blink of an eye, we are looking back on fifty, sixty and even more years and our interest in life after death takes on a new role. At least it did for myself and those around me.

My Research

I decided to investigate the matter and see just what evidence I could find. I was aware of the many stories regarding reincarnation but as a skeptic by nature, I was also aware of the frauds. I knew of the famous case of Bridey Murphy, by way of example, and how this story that grabbed the imagination of the world turned out to be easily dismissed as false.
I had seen specials on television and read books on electronic voice phenomena or ghost recordings. I purchased expensive special equipment and failed to capture any of my own. Still, I met a neurosurgeon who had the voice of his best friend on tape and the recording was made months after the friend had passed over. Could this be true?

I spoke with mediums and researched the history of their dialogues, séances and what not, all calling upon the deceased to share information about the other side. I even found a research study that purported to verify the veracity of certain claims made by some mediums. Still, I knew all about the skeptics opinion on matters of this nature and I had seen Professor Ray Hyman dupe an audience into believing he was psychic when in fact he employed only the skills and tools of a good psychologist. I had also read the papers of famous debunkers like Michael Shermer and as a result I knew all about cold readings, warm readings and the like. Indeed, as a former criminalist who specialized in lie detection and interrogation, I knew all about the information our faces and body give away without us ever speaking a word. So could I trust the medium?

I created a reconnoiter and systematically included all of the possible areas from which a good case might be built that would either prove or disprove life after death. My list included everything from near death experiences to animal psychics who allegedly speak with our deceased pets. I read the books, searched out the research papers, investigated both sides of the aisle, interviewed the experts, and when I was done I reached my verdict. To that end I have compiled seventeen interviews with experts from every area of enquiry and I would like your verdict. Did I prepare a case that either proves or disproves life beyond death to a standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt?”

What Do You Think?

Listen to all seventeen interviews absolutely free by going to this link today: Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

Visit Eldon's web site at: www.eldontaylor.com

Learn more about life beyond death and the phenomenon of "after-death communication" in Alexis' new best-selling book, Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential!

2012: A Year of Fire & Change - By Guest Blogger Rosemary Ellen Guiley

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce prolific author, researcher and speaker (and old friend) Rosemary Ellen Guiley!

In keeping with this month's "2012" theme, Rosemary gives us a snapshot of what 2012 could represent for many of us on the planet - swift and sweeping changes, evolution, risk, reward. It's all packed in what many have deemed a turning point in our existence...

Strap yourself in: 2012 is going to be a fast and sometimes rough ride – but not without reward. In Chinese astrology, we are entering the year of the dragon, and those who know how to master the beast will achieve what they want. Precision thinking and action are emphasized this year, and the adage “be careful what you wish for” takes on new importance. The dragon is all about swift transformation.

The dragon embodies knowledge, wisdom and power, and the ability to both destroy and create. Dragons breathe fire, ice and poison, all fearsome means of destruction. The fire energy is especially potent, and dragon energy can lay waste to a landscape in life in nothing flat. The destruction, however, is a fast track to change. The ashes fertilize new growth.

This energy of dramatic destruction followed by creation will characterize the year. To benefit from dragon energy, it is important to be clear and focused about what needs to go and what needs to come in. Let go of whatever you no longer need and pursue the things you want to manifest in your life. Spend time daily in meditation to set and visualize goals, then follow through with action. Fire energy is intense, so persevere, even when the going gets tough.

Above all, apply your knowledge, wisdom and power with discretion. Dragon energy will ultimately destroy blind and misplaced ambition, but it serves those who choose the high road.

The illustration shown above is taken from the King of Staffs card in The Alchemical Tarot, a book and deck set co-created by me and artist Robert Michael Place, who designed all of the cards and holds the copyright to them. Staffs represents getting things done in the material world, and the dragon king and his fiery energy represent inspired choices and decision-making, authority, power, and mastery over one's domain. My thanks to Bob for permission to use his work.

About Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Rosemary Ellen Guiley is one of the leading experts on the paranormal with more than 47 books published by major houses on a wide range of paranormal, spiritual, and mystical topics, including nine single-volume encyclopedias. Her work is translated into 14 languages. She has worked full-time in the paranormal since 1983, researching, investigating, writing, and presenting, and teaching. Her present work focuses interdimensional entity contact experiences of all kinds, technological and mediumistic spirit communications, spiritual growth and development, problem hauntings, and “portals,” or geographic areas of intense paranormal activity. She spends a great deal of her time out in the field conducting investigations and research.
Be sure to visit her site at: www.visionaryliving.com

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!

Three Minute "Mindfulness" Meditation by Bestselling Author Sonia Choquette

I have become simply enchanted by this lovely individual and spiritual teacher, Sonia Choquette; by her wisdom and by her common sense approach about the very thing that eludes the ego but imbues the spirit, and the channel that we use to access "spirit." Our intuition. I "happened" upon this interview she gave back in February of this year, where she discusses, among other things mindfulness meditation. The timing of my "stumbling upon" this interview, only several days after posting part two of How To Meditate where we highlighted "the mindfulness approach to meditative practice," serves as being nothing short of synchronistic!

In this segment of the interview, Sonia reminds us that you must frame meditation correctly. Take a temporary pause from everyday life. Yes BE in the moment. She says, "your emotional self lives in the past - your mental self lives in the future and you can't create or be intuitive in the past or the future." You can only access intuitive guidance from a position of being present.

Watch this video and get a wonderful suggestion on how we can access our unfailing intuitive aspect with this useful three minute meditation. I also urge you to watch the interview in its entirety on YouTube, and brought to you by Conversations with Robin.

In the spirit of the Holiday season, let us all be present to ourselves and to each other. May you all be blessed beyond your wildest dreams!

Happy Holidays!

Read Sonia's latest book:

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!

How To Meditate - Part Two

In part one of How to Meditate; we established that there are a range of modalities that can be utilized to achieve a meditative state. We understand that the practice of meditation generally aims to produce a peak level of awareness as the brain shifts into a slightly hypnogogic or alpha wave pattern, which sets the stage for a potentially effective and authentic meditative experience.

But why is it that we have a desire to meditate and what is it that we endeavor to obtain from the act of meditation? Again, I would venture to say that there is no singular answer to this question. Each individual has their own motivations for incorporating this practice into their lives. However, one theme that seems to be common among avid practitioners is to obtain spiritual enlightenment, through the act of "Being", ergo recognizing that we are simply and profoundly spiritual beings. In our everyday waking lives we are not generally experiencing this aspect of ourselves. Deep meditation can bring us back to that objective "being-ness."

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the late founder and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement wrote in his book by the same name, "Experience shows that Being is bliss consciousness, the source of all thinking, of all existing creation. It lies out of relative existence where the experiencer or mind is left awake by itself in full awareness of itself without any experience of an object. The conscious mind reaches the state of pure consciousness which is the source of all thinking. ...Being is the absolute in eternal freedom." Therefore, to experience the essential nature of Being (pure consciousness) is to experience enlightenment, or Being-in-the-light.

Meditation as a Bridge to "Non Ordinary Reality"

Many have reported that their meditative experiences have sometimes yielded unexpected shifts in reality; unusual events that we might deem anomalous. Others have admitted that they have used meditation to consciously traverse these mysterious realms.

Out of body experience (OBE) or astral travel, angelic/spirit communication and even the impingement of parallel dimensions on ones awareness have oft been reported as an epiphenomenon of deep meditation. These excursions can tantalize the meditator to the extent that they subsequently become a primary aim of the practice where others may be taken so off guard by the shock of the experience that they cease meditating out of fear of the unknown, or the prospect that they may be going "insane." For some people, regularly practiced meditation can even develop one's psychic "muscle" producing occasional non-ordinary states even during everyday activity.

One example is offered by Dr. Mitchell Gibson, M.D., a former practicing board certified psychiatrist and recipient of the Albert Einstein Foundation Research Award for his work in Sleep Disorders. Through many years of conscious spiritual exploration, Gibson recognized that in spite of his medical training, which is rooted in material science leaving no room for mystical experience, he was nonetheless drawn to its foundations through a number of phenomena that he had witnessed firsthand including during his training and practice as a medical doctor. Gibson had begun meditating at the age of twelve, after a Buddhist monk had visited his grade school to teach the class about meditation. He recounts an experience where during which time he had discovered his meditations were taking on some anomalous "side effects." While in his first year of medical school during gross anatomy where students work on deceased individuals who have donated their bodies to science, Gibson tells of an encounter where he had begun making an incision on a male cadaver and upon first touching the body, he began to get energetic impressions, emotions and fleeting images from his consciousness. He then recognized that these were directly emanating from the cadaver. Frightened by the experience, he decided to cease meditating for the next two or so years or else be in a state (he feared) of mental instability. Fortunately, he ultimately did not let these experiences deter him from his quest to understand the more mystical and wider aspects of reality. As a result, Gibson has retired from the traditional practice of psychiatry and has devoted his time to writing, teaching and spiritual research. He now works full time helping hundreds of clients on a spectrum of spiritual issues.

Well known in the field of consciousness research, Dr. Stanislav Grof, M.D. discusses an incident in his book The Holotropic Mind, in which his wife Christine during her first marriage had an incredibly profound experience occur during a meditation retreat facilitated by Swami Muktananda:

"During a meditation period, he (Muktananda) first looked at me and then, with some force, slapped me several times on the forehead with his hand. The impact of that seemingly simple event blew the lid off the experiences, emotions, and energies I had been holding down since (her daughter) Sarah's birth.

Suddenly I felt as though I had been plugged into a high-voltage socket as I started to shake uncontrollably. My breathing fell into an automatic, rapid rhythm that seemed beyond my control, and a multitude of visions flooded my consciousness. I wept as I felt myself being born; I experienced death; I plunged into pain and ecstasy, strength and gentleness, love and fear, depths and heights. I was on an experiential roller coaster, and I knew I could no longer contain it. The genie was out of the bottle."
(This account quoted in The Holotropic Mind and taken from The Stormy Search For The Self, Christina Grof, Stanislav Grof, -Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1990)

I have had my own, you might say, "curious" phenomena emerge from some of my meditative sessions. I cannot say I have consciously experienced an OBE during meditation (although I sense I've actually had many), but there have been occasions when I could feel my awareness shifting gears into a state that was far less concrete and even timeless. Some of the familiar hallmarks associated with the out of body state including, temporary paralysis, humming or vibrating sensations and a sinking feeling are all qualities I have felt at one time or another during my meditation. These are typically known as preludes to an OBE.

Focused Meditation for Specific Outcomes

Others take on meditation with more practical applications in mind.

Karen Murray, a well recognized commercial voice actress from New York City, and meditator trained in TM, had been going the traditional route to find that special someone to be a part of her life. It occurred to her however that intention based meditation; the act of mentally rehearsing a desired outcome through visualization might be an effective alternative.

She began a daily practice of listening to the guided meditation CD by Kathy Freston entitled Finding a Great Relationship which allowed her to shape in her mind's eye, a specific scenario, in which she would meet the perfect male companion.

"I had been using the meditation CD for about three months. On command, I found myself envisioning this scene of being at my local grocery store, specifically in the health food aisle. I was always looking at the same shelf. There is this man standing next to me also looking for organic food items. I could feel that he wanted to say something to me; look for a reason to approach me. Maybe make conversation around eating healthy or something." Karen said that this was a recurring scene during the meditations, as if on auto pilot, landing on her awareness without any cajoling on her part. Was Karen initiating the vision entirely herself, or was she getting a glimpse of the actual "future" that was in store for her (the grocery store, that is)?

Not too long after these series of visions, Karen indeed had been at this same market and as she approaches the check out, she notices an attractive man in front of her. When space allowed for her to unload her groceries onto the belt, the man then turns around, their eyes lock, and then he quips, "so what's the difference between organic and regular eggs? I've been trying to eat more healthy." Preceding the question Karen again felt that he would say something to her, just like in the vision.

Although no match was made on that day, the two again ran into each other about a month later in the same grocery store. "Organic chicken?" "No, eggs," Karen reminded. This second encounter led to the two having their first date, a relationship quickly followed and they have been inseparable ever since - for over two years!

What was taking place during these guided meditations? Karen insists that the act of the repeating visualization cemented a probability of the encounter manifesting, although the actual event was slightly different than she had envisioned. But moreover, considering the hypothesis that time and space may be just a physical construct with no basis in ultimate reality, during deep meditation, one may exit the linear confines and enter the no-time zone, whereby glimpsing any one level of the continuum as the ever present now, including what we call the "future!"

Grof states, "...transpersonal consciousness allows us to experience past and future, leaping across boundaries that clocks, calendars, and the aging of our own bodies seem to make so inexorable." A multitude of findings, primarily within the quantum theoretical framework, clearly give pause for thought on the "no time" hypothesis.

As a footnote, Karen’s dear friend and neighbor Rhonda trialed another Preston guided meditation, called Abundance at the same time Karen was meditating, both beginning in September of 2008. Concurrently, the two also practiced yoga together several mornings a week in Rhonda’s apartment. Rhonda had been repeatedly unsuccessful in bringing a child into this world. She and her husband sorely wanted children. In the guided meditation, Rhonda settled into a vision of seeing she and her husband travelling around the world, with children in tow! The tenacity of that vision as well made an imprint on Rhonda’s consciousness and as a result (directly or indirectly), she became pregnant in November of that same year and now has a healthy young boy!

The implications are staggering– Not only do we create our own reality, but have far more control over the reality we create, and meditation may be a fitting channel to do just that!

One final point that is worth noting: despite the temptation to assign “power” to the things we may use in meditation whether guided meditation cds, crystals, singing bowls, whatever - they are merely tools and nothing more. YOU are the true force that’s creating the results, in whatever form they may take, from finding a mate to having a child to advancing your own psychic attunement. Never forget that and you will truly come to know that the possibilities are endless and you are in the driver’s seat!

Further Reading/References: (Note all titles are available from Amazon.com - Click on the Image below.)

Transcendental Meditation (Formerly Titled: The Science of Being and the Art of Living) - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi


The Living Soul - Mitchell Earl Gibson, M.D.


The Holotropic Mind - Stanislav Grof, M.D. (with Hal Zina Bennett)


Finding A Great Relationship (CD) - Kathy Freston


Abundance (CD) - Kathy Freston

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!