Monday, June 3, 2013

Reiki

In my own words, Reiki is the channeling of a universal, high-frequency energy that in my opinion can only be described as pure love. It is performed on a person by a practicioner with non-invasive hand positioning like that of a massage therapist without the massage. It is a tremendous healing experience for those suffering any type of physical, mental or spiritual discomfort. It is the oldest formal natural healing modality. It also compliments and enhances any other methods of healing a person chooses.

To learn Reiki does require some study, but is a process of attunement from a Master who instills symbols into your heart and third-eye chakra and opens up portals for higher vibrational energy to flow through. It is very much a spiritual experience although it has tremendous healing effects on one's physical body as well. Reiki has been known to shrink and remove tumors, regulate heart rates and eliminate symptoms of various mental disorders. I have personally seen testimony of a person who has been cured of cancer with Reiki treatments while different doctors claimed that it was nothing short of a miracle. In fact, many cancer-care facilities are beginning to recognize Reiki as an effective method to compliment other treatments that mainstream medicine has to offer these days.

The word Reiki is of Japanese origin and was discovered and developed as a healing method by Dr. Mikao Usui in the early 20th century. Rei is simply defined as "Spiritual Wisdom" and can be interprited as a simple understanding of love and harmony or as a complex channeling of esoteric knowledge and wisdom. Ki is defined as "Life Energy" and is expressed as many different words in many different cultures. Chi energy, Orgone energy, Life-Force energy and is ultimately expressed as a divine Love energy. It is the same energy that makes plants grow, that makes the world turn and the sun continue to burn throughout the millenia. It is the eternal driving force of all existence, expressed through a pure and divine beam of consciousness when channeled correctly.

My first experience with recieving a Reiki treatment was short but incredibly beneficial. The instant the practicioner began, I felt a wave of calming energy flow through my body and surround me like a blanket. It was a feeling I haven't had since I was a child without a care in the world. I could feel places like my neck, back and shoulders completely relax when they were normally quite tense. I felt all of my exterior concerns melt away as I instantly slipped into a deep, relaxing meditative state. Any sort of tension or aches that I was experiencing immediately disappeared and I just felt like I was completely balanced and in tune with everything that was wonderful about the universe around me.

The Reiki Master that had performed this on me went on to tell me how Reiki had changed her life and the way she viewed the world around her. Being a fellow intuitive being she described how she would often be out in public and sense unbalance in the people, animals and even the plants that were around her and give them Reiki treatments and watch them suddenly become brighter and more alive. This particular Reiki Master practiced without physically touching anyone and kept her hands a couple inches away from those she was treating. The more common method of Reiki treatment involves direct hand placement on a person's body and both methods are perfectly acceptable and equally as beneficial. One beautiful part about the Reiki system of healing is that the practicioner recieves a healing experience while performing treatment on a client as opposed to some Shamanic healing treatments where the healer can actually take on a client's illness and put themselves at risk of becomming physically or emotionally harmed by the healing process they are performing. Reiki is certainly the "safest" form of natural energy healing and has never been known to be harmful. The only exception to that is that when Reiki is used to heal repressed emotional trauma, sometimes negative memories will briefly surface on their way out of the body as part of the healing process and can lead to temporary emotional distress or uncertainty. Some of these symptoms point to the collapse of the ego which can be confusing and emotional at first, but are certainly beneficial in the long-term.

The steps to becomming a Reiki Master start with a first attunement and a class on the ethics, history and basic set up for beginning to share Reiki energy with others. This is the level that I've currently been at for the last year or so. I find it's more of a stage of becomming familiar with the mindset of Reiki and experimenting with it on myself, plants, animals and the occasional loved one with tension or headaches. The next step (Level 2) of the process is learning how to heal people from a distance instead of physically being present and involves different symbols and tuning the frequencies to higher levels to increase healing capacities and essentially one's own consciousness. The 3rd level is the Reiki Master level where one can safely say they're qualified to open their own Reiki practice or teach others the benefits of it. There is some more formal training involved with the teaching and administering Reiki attunements, at least that was the route that I chose. There are many qualified masters out there that have nothing but good intentions but I was fortunate enough to have been given a Reiki Lineage chart that shows the master who attuned me was attuned directly (through a couple generations of Reiki Masters) by William Lee Rand the founder of The International Center for Reiki Training, who in turn was attuned by predecessors of Dr. Usui himself. The only advantage this route has to offer is the assurance that the source of this divine energy is pure and not misinterprited by others who are claiming to be masters without the proper attunement.

Reiki practicioners are readily available all over the world and can assist anyone experiencing any type of physical, emotional or spiritual discomfort. Although Reiki is only one of many natural healing modalities I would suggest that it is the best place to start for anyone looking to seek treatment or become a healer themselves. There is certainly no risk involved and absolutely infinite amounts to gain from what it has to offer.

The following video is just one example at Reiki's ability to heal in ways that modern medicine can not. You will witness (after a brief talk) a video of this healing occur via ultrasound in real time while a client undergoes a treatment from three practicioners at once. This is an extreme case of healing and everyone will experience something different but this is certainly evidence of Reiki's power.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

2012 is over??

I know the irony that this blog started as a countdown to some sort of mass spiritual awakening if you don't believe that anything happened on December 21st, 2012. The fact of the matter is though, in many ways things did change or remain the same in the sense that change is the only constant. I personally encountered a life-changing event that day and decided to move out and focus my attention on new things and inspire more independence and creativity within myself. In a lot of ways it was actually the end of the world as I knew it. A time to choose my own reality and free myself from certain patterns and people that were harmful to my own existence.

Things did become quite real for me on that day and it was a time to start fresh in a sense. The dawning of a new age in the sun wasn't something that was a dramatic change but something that was slowly happening and will slowly continue to happen over time. On the timescale that the universe operates in, 2000 of our years is a mere fraction of a second in it's timescale. Nevertheless, this was a day that did mark certain significance of our planet reaching the peaks of certain energies and the valleys of others. Personally, I have been feeling different energies and emotions since then as I am incredibly receptive to the subtle energies of the planet whether I like it or not. These are all subtle changes over time and can be seen with tension building in some parts of the world, economies getting worse every year, weather patterns becoming more extreme and unpredictable and even in the actions of the people and animals around us. The song "Age of Aquarius" was composed almost 50 years ago, and it's lyrics state the truth that this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. We still have 2600 years left to go.

Anywhere you look, there is some evidence of collapse in societies which only paves the way for rebirth and new beginnings. When there are more vacant and foreclosed homes in America than there are homeless people, that to me is a clear indication that something is severely wrong with this system we have going here. When it's literally impossible to survive financially on minimum wage with all of the increasing expenses of transportation and cost of living, people are having no choice but to resort to any means of survival they can. Generally if people are forced to turn to crime they end up getting arrested and charged and forever labelled a criminal which disables their oppurtunities for earning an honest living and pushing them right back into crime again. Some people work two full-time jobs to support their families and never get to see a vacation or even have time to think for themselves their entire lives. Then those people who are fortunate enough to have enough income to support themselves comfortably are trapped in houses they can't afford, driving gas-guzzling vehicles they can't afford and never seeming to have time or the mental capacity to enjoy life at any level beyond the surface. This is all subjective however because the amount of money one needs to survive varies person-to-person depending on what that person is comfortable with. If image is all one is concerned about from the most shallow of existences then that person better be prepared to pay the most, with the least long-term satisfaction. In fact the long-term effect of such stresses and lack of appreciation for some people will ultimately lead to their own suffering and demise. When nothing is ever good enough, nothing can ever be good.

I truly believe that more and more people on this planet are beginning to awaken and those who are caught in this egoic state of money-driven lifestyles are no longer the majority of the population. Although in this day and age a source of income is required to live any type of lifestyle, this doesn't have to be something we have to sell our souls for. A humble lifestyle requires only a humble salary and it's not someone's income that defines them but simply their choice of spending their money and ultimately their life achieving.

The ability to adapt to our surroundings is what determines our success as individuals. There are some people who are constantly changing their perspectives and outlook such as myself, and there are those who desperately cling to the past and resist any type of changes in their lives despite the ever-changing nature of the world and the universe. This resistance to change becomes disruptive to the mind, the heart and ultimately results in disease due to energy blockages. That constant fighting against what is natural is a long-term, agonizing form of suicide. Even short-term ruts can lead to depression and lower self-esteem, can drive people away from what they actually need in life and turn them to simple pleasures that form addictions and drain all of our attention away from being genuinely happy and finding a purpose to our lives and turning the world into a better place through simply changing ourselves. As cliche as this sounds, it's entirely possible for anyone to do and I am living proof. The key is not letting this realization of power and control over your own happiness get to your head. If you feel on top of the world, it's easy to get into a state of harmful behavior if not properly grounded. There is no point where you can really relax and coast through life without losing touch of who you really are and your ultimate purpose since your ultimate purpose involves constatnly changing and evolving in whatever you choose to do. There is no blaming others or society for what you lack in your own life. Once you realize that and forgive yourself for that, the slate is wiped clean and you can start fresh, moulding your own life into whatever you want it to be.

This is what I realized on December 21st, 2012.

Since then, I've managed to secure a new apartment and although it took a lot of hard work and drained most of my income, I can say that it is now apparent that I am the only one to blame for my own sucesses and failures. I am forced to deal with the changing economy and not take my income and oppurtunities for granted. Some of my major expenses were things that were terrible for my own spiritual and physical health and some things that are great for my overall health like sunshine, excersize and fresh air are completely free. I have certainly become more creative, producing and selling art, composing music for fun and been inspired to write more. I see the world in a new light as I accept the new energies on this planet for the changes that we ultimately need to awaken as a planet. There was no real change in my income, just a major reconfiguring of my expenses. I find that it's actually cheaper to eat healthy. Fruits and vegetables are much cheaper snacks than chocolate and chips. Not going out and drinking or wasting my energy on things that are harmful to me saves so much money and is much healthier for me. Walking or biking to work saves me hundreds of dollars not needing a vehicle and is excellent excersize. Different changes like these I have been able to embrace to better my own existance, become more humble and allow myself more freedom and less of an ego or reputation to maintain constantly.

When we, ourselves become genuinely happy and aligned with our true callings in life, we are balanced and full of life to the point where our gratitude and love start to radiate outwards. Slowly, even the thickest of egos that surround us begin to soften and open up. The future is seperate from the past and we have to start looking at every moment as "right now" instead of later on. No more dwelling or procrastination. The moment to start changing is right now and always will be. Embrace those things that make you truly happy and find ways to discard anything that is simply causing you stress or sucking the life out of you. There's never anything wrong with finding a new job although it may take some careful planning. The time to start looking is right now though and there is no greater time to do so. If more people start embracing changes instead of fearing them, the world will be a lot more free instead of this self-imposed slavery that we choose for ourselves.

I believe that 2012 was the point at which some people awakened at different stages. Some people with their first spiritual realizations and some people who's purpose and callings simply got stronger and clearer. There are still those that are resistant to any changes though and that is their choice. It is not our job to force them to change, but simply be there to guide them should they ever choose to and inspire them to do so not by rubbing it in their faces but by being genuinely happy ourselves and eventually they will aspire to be the same. This is the shift of consciousness that 2012 is all about.

Shamanism

It's taken many ups and downs to get me to this point in my life but isn't that what life is all about?

Last year I took a workshop in Shamanism through The Foundation for Shamanic Studies in my hometown that was facilitated by a spiritual mentor of mine. I wasn't even in the best place in my life and slowly drifting away from my spiritual side and being sucked into the lower frequency 9-5 lifestyle of being burnt out and surrounded by the financial issues and mass media distractions that are swarming around our heads each day and stinging us constantly. I must say though, once you recognize your spiritual side it always remains with you even though it sometimes takes a traumatic event or major failure to make us remember it. These traumas and life-changing events come often to some and few and far between for others. A job lay-off, a nasty break-up, a sick family member or anything for that matter can spring up at anytime and although there may be no light at the end of the tunnel for the time being, these are all learning experiences and ultimately blessings in disguise.

"Life is only 10% what happens to you and 90% how you deal with it."

To put things into perspective, almost 4 ago when I started to get into any sort of spirituality or had any type of awakening, I was jobless and freeloading in my sister's basement. Broke and depressed, I was using drugs and alcohol to escape reality and really had no purpose or reason to even exist anymore. I viewed the world as a negative place because that's all I seemed to experience. I had attracted nothing but negative people around me, a negative mindset and a negative outlook on the world around me.

Thankfully, my sister was kind enough to put up with me for about 6 months during the time I had no job or income and literally dedicated my life to researching "how the world works" on the Internet by myself. This was the period in which I started this blog as a way to keep all of my resources and links and thoughts in one place for myself and also in case anyone else was interested in this journey as well. This was the most educational experience I've ever had since I wasn't learning based on some necessary government curriculum. A part of me wanted to abandon all my material posessions and become some travelling hobo hopping freight trains and encountering shady characters along the way, but there was also a part of me that realized I didn't necessarily want to give up on society, but merely filter out the bullshit and refine it so that the world around me was perfect. I saw that I had more gifts and potential than some people that weren't as fortunate. People that were forced into lives of addictions and depression, financial burdens and hardships, lack of love and support and ultimately the lack of motivation to even want to better themselves. On some level, I believe that this describes a majority of the people in the world. People that are just comfortable barely making ends meet and being stuck in an endless rut of a negative cycle. I was there and still struggle with it to this day.

I must say though the road has been difficult and without focussing on too many details of my own life, I went through still a series of traumatic exeperiences that were ultimately caused by my use of drugs and alcohol that seemed to creep back into my life after being under control. I was working full-time, had my own vehicle and a girlfriend who I cared about to spend my time with. Soon, though I started taking these things for granted and it wasn't until they were gone that I realized that I should have appreciated them more. This is probably the #1 spiritual lesson I've learned: It's all about GRATITUDE. If you want your life to be better, be grateful for everything around you. Truly learn to appreciate everything you have and watch the world completely change around you. I've practiced this and it's difficult to put into words how much it actually works.

Although it is easy to lose sight of this gratitude, it is so important to keep in mind everything that is going right in your life and look at the flaws as ways to improve it. I felt like although I was grateful for having a good job and good people around me that I was still getting bored and felt like I was beginning to fall into a rut again. So, I stopped and listened to my heart for a second and it immediately told me I needed to take that Shamanism workshop that was coming up in the near future. I went as far as to borrow money to take it and it was unlike anything I could have expected as far as enlightening changes in my life go.

There was no handouts or information pages associated with the course but what I learned will forever be with me. It wasn't so much learning as it was getting in touch with things I already knew in a way. It ultimately taught me how to connect with different spirit guides and ascended masters that can perform healing and guide us from the other side. What I discovered on my own is that I can journey into other realms to visit my realitives that have passed on. There was absolutely no fear involved with this experience at all. In fact, fear is what drives away passed loved ones from coming to you because they don't intend to scare you at all. The difference about this and seeing a ghost of a loved one is that you are venturing into their realm and not the other way around. Spirits will come into this realm if you invite them and from what I understand they enjoy it when we venture into theirs. Keeping in mind there are many dark and dangerous spirits that can do harm in this realm, we must keep our intent pure and based on love and respect for them. There are definitely rules to venturing into the 3 different levels of the spirit world. Essentially it takes a deep meditation and a specific physical place on this planet that you've been to where you can venture to in a sort of out-of-body experience while someone stays in this realm to drum for you and guide you with different beat patterns and tempos (it can actually be done alone by use of audio recordings). You then state your intent of which level of the spirit world you intend to travel to.

Before I continue I must say that although Shamanic Journeying can be self-taught and experimented with, that I definitely would have been left confused and frustrated with it had I not taken some kind of formal training from an experienced professional. There is always someone that is more spiritually advanced than you on this planet to learn from and it's a far greater advantage to learn in person than it is to simply watch inspiring videos or read information in books or on the internet sometimes although that can be an excellent resource to connect you with different ways to better yourself and the world around you. Ultimately this is all just for greater wisdom, peace of mind and inner-happiness which in turn generates abundance and prosperity, independence and creativity. I can safely say that I've made dramatic improvements in my life and I simply wish the same for other people that don't know where to turn like I have so many times. In times where we need guidance and some sort of clarity, I found personally that it was greater forces than exist in this realm that were able to help me. The signs and oppurtunities are all around us, it's just a matter of recognizing them and embracing changes out of love instead of avoiding them out of fear.

My first journey was into the Lower world of the spirit realm to meet my power animal. This was my experience: 
 Journey to the Lower World

My second journey was into the Upper world and was a very personal experience of healing from spirit guides with infinite love and wisdom. It involved a lot of white light and intense comforting feeling along with a surge of knowledge and wisdom that I had been lacking in my life. It was something I feel I cannot describe in words or even art or music for that matter. I would simply invite others to feel it for themselves.

My third journey was into the Middle world  and this was the first I had ever attempted to journey on my own. The workshop notes I did take were on the middle-world being full of spirits who have passed on but are still attached somehow with their ego if they suffered a traumatic death or had unfinished business here. Death itself crosses one's soul into non-ordinary reality, but their soul may get stuck in the middle-world unless they can let go of their ego/physical attachments and transcend into the upper-world. Sometimes it may even take help from us to help them cross over. Excessive grieving for example can hold a soul in a lower state which is exactly what I experienced here:
 Journey to the Middle World

This journey was ultimately life-changing for me in recognizing things from outside perspectives and helping loved ones cross over. Like I said earlier, there was no fear involved with encountering these spirits, it was based all on love and was absolutely comforting and beautiful.

I found that once I had the proper guidance to journey on my own that it started coming more naturally to me although I've only attempted it a few times. I was even shown how to retrieve other people's lost power animals or spirit guides and taught a few things about spirits that may occupy homes and ways to release and protect against them. These were very vivid and real experiences for me and were definitely healing and changed my life for the better. This probably isn't for everyone although personally I think that anyone should keep an open mind towards things and experience it for themselves.

Here is a link to the workshop's website and information page:
http://www.shamanism.org/workshops/calendar.php?Wkshp_ID=10


Shamanic Journeying to the Middle World


November 18, 2012

Late at night, right before bed I attempted to journey by myself for the first time. It was a lot harder to focus without the energy of the group and most importantly the drumming.

As I lay there and focussed on my breathing, this wave came over me and I could actually hear the drum in my head, exactly as it were when I was learning at the workshop.

I found it much harder to get to my entry point in Lake Superior. I actually had to leave my city, hit the highway and travel there instead of just ending up there like before. When I crossed the border into Ontario, snow started falling and by the time I arrived at the lake, it was frozen. I knew I wouldn’t be accessing the lower world in this journey. I also didn’t feel it was right to go to the upper world either, so I stayed in the middle world.

I somehow ended up in the land of the dead.

I felt a presence and asked it to identify itself. It was my grandfather and he seemed genuinely happy to see me (he had Alzheimer ’s disease and often didn’t recognize his family towards the end, so that alone was great relief). I offered him the piece of his old schoolhouse that my sister had brought me back from the Ukraine when she went to visit his old village with my aunts and cousin the year before. He told me how incredibly meaningful that was to him and how absolutely honoured he felt when my family travelled half-way across the world to see where he grew up, a place he always told stories about. I told him I loved him and that I was so thankful to see him. I gave him a hug and he left.

The next person to appear was my father who passed away when I was three years old. When I realized who it was I instantly began to cry in spirit, and my physical body. I told him that it was great to finally meet him and that I love him even though I resented him most of my life for choosing alcohol over his family and dying tragically. He began to explain to me that he and I were each other’s spirit guides and that when one of us is alive in this realm, the other one dies to watch over them from the spirit world. He told me that he will be incarnated again and three years later, I will die. He actually gave me a specific year of his incarnation which was 2064 meaning the end of my life will come in the year 2067 (I guess we’ll have to wait and see, I’ll be 83 years old then). He explained to me how similar in nature he and I were and I began to see how right he was. One very powerful message he had was not to make the same mistakes he did, a lesson I already got on the 25th anniversary of his death earlier this year. He reminded me that the last time I saw him was 3 days after he died (my mother always tells me this story) when I woke up next to her and started walking towards the edge of the bed (it was several feet off the ground and most likely would have been a painful fall for a three-year-old). She asked me where I was going and I told her, “with Dad”, a term that I had never used before (he left while I was still an infant). He reminded me that the spirit world transcends the space and time that we have in our ordinary reality and that he actually died so that the course of my life would be exactly how it should be. I felt nothing but pure appreciation and love for him and gave him a hug. From there, I looked around and noticed that he wasn’t in the nicest surroundings. It wasn’t “hell” but certainly was no one’s idea of heaven either. He told me, “I’m fine here, seriously.” He assured me that “its okay” and I assured him that I knew it wasn’t and I knew he hadn’t fully crossed-over yet. We were in some kind of hotel, and I took his hand and walked him through the bar and outside where we suddenly beside an old country house surrounded by beautiful scenery, the warm sun and flourishing nature. I said, “Isn’t this better?” but he refused to let go of my hand, much like a child not wanting to let go of their parent. I told him, “You have to let go, we aren’t meant to be in the same place together, remember?” He said, “I know.” With a frown on his face and said, “I just miss you.” We both began to cry and he slowly let go of my hand (I felt the sensation in my physical body as well). I assured him that it wouldn’t be another 25 years before we met again now that I know how to journey. He smiled and said goodbye and I thanked him for the experience.

The third person that showed up ended up barging in almost immediately, it was my grandmother. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “I came to say hello!” I told her. She reminded me of when she was alive how much she loved it when I came to her house just to say “hello”. She was so happy to see me, absolutely radiating with happiness. It was a very light-hearted and happy visit. She still had her grey hair but her spirit seemed much more lively and free to move around (I’m glad for her they don’t have arthritis in the spirit world). The only real message she had was for me to take better care of myself. She pleaded me. I assured her that I would (like “okay grandma” as you half roll your eyes). I gave her a huge hug and told her how happy I was to see her and thanked her for showing up.

I was so happy after this that I just took a moment to breathe and enjoy my happiness. I could still hear the drum in my head.

It was at this point that a beautiful girl appeared to me coming from my left side. She had a beautiful headpiece on that was silver with jewels on it. She had long dark hair and big brown eyes. She was stunning. I asked her name and she said, “My name is Suriyama”. The moment she said her name I was reminded that her and I had a connection, that at some point in a past life we were in love and that she was here as a spirit to heal me. She was just a very gentle, kind, loving and beautiful spirit. I felt so “at home” in her presence like her and I were meant to be together and she assured me that someday we would. She began to massage my shoulders and I could see and feel her energy surround me like a vortex. I just completely relaxed and let this wonderful energy take over my body. Our souls danced with each other and she and I became one combined force. Her name still rings in my head, “Suriyama”. She healed me, loved me and assured me that everything was perfect. I told her how deeply I loved her and how thankful I was to “meet” her again.

At this point the drumming in my head sped up and I knew this was my “callback”.

I returned myself to this world, face still wet with tears and wrote down the name, “Suriyama” which has become my mantra.

Shamanic Journey to the Lower World


November 17th, 2012

As I listen to the beat of the drum made by Shamanic Practitioner and spiritual teacher Giselle Rhyon-Berry, I lay on the ground with my eyes shut and began my journey into the lower level of the spirit world to meet my power animal.

The journey begins with a place in nature that has some significance to me. I remembered the rest stop along the Trans-Canada Highway between Kenora and Thunder Bay, Ontario on the western tip of Lake Superior and the Canadian Shield. This is an area that is bursting with wildlife, beautiful scenery, fresh air and massive rock formations that are rich in Amethyst which happens to be my birthstone. I remember the first time I was there, I was maybe six years old and the picture of that spot is still crystal clear in my mind after a couple decades (I return there anytime I travel that way as well). Right along the lake I remember hopping across the tops of rocks until I made it to “my island” which was merely a six by three foot flat rock that was poking out of the shallow edge of the lake. It was there that I could sit for hours even after sitting for hours in a car. I didn’t know it then, but the energy in this spot was enough to put even a cranky, hyper six-year-old into a peaceful meditative state. I remember anytime we were there, it took me much convincing to leave. It was a place that I could just sit for hours.

From this point in my mind’s eye, I descended from “my island” into the lake. As the water became deeper, I felt my meditative state get deeper until I was in way over my head and began sinking and leaving my physical body. I could see the light at the surface fading and everything became dark as I sunk into the world of spirit guides and power animals.

At first I saw a salmon and asked if he were my spirit guide. He seemed very friendly but assured me that he was not. Suddenly I sunk deeper, only to find myself atop a huge rock formation overlooking a narrow channel leading to the lake, completely secluded with a breath-taking view. I knew that something was with me and it took a little time for it to appear to me. Suddenly, staring me face-to-face was a beautiful Gray Wolf (which is actually native to that area). I asked the wolf if he were my spirit guide and he smiled. I asked again and he confirmed that he was in fact my guide.

The first message he had for me was that wolves are very misunderstood in the sense that they have a reputation for being ruthless predators. People are scared of them thinking they are mindless beasts that savagely attack and kill for no apparent reason. People generally take one look at wolves and instantly fear them generating all sorts of negative emotions and actions towards them. I can totally relate. I am a tall guy, wear hoodies, have a rough complexion and there have been thousands of people that instantly fear me and judge me based on looks and preconceived notions without even getting to know me. This was the identical message that the wolf was trying to portray. He then showed me his family. Two young pups wrestled playfully under the gentle, watchful eye of their parents, living in complete happiness and harmony.

He then told me that he is definitely a predator, but there isn’t an animal on Earth that doesn’t need to kill another animal or plants for food to survive. This is a precious and sacred circle of life and is nothing to be labelled as savage. It is the most natural cycle on the planet and is something to be accepted, not feared. He answered his own question by saying, “If I was desperate and hungry, would I eat a human? Most definitely! Just as a desperate and hungry human would eat a wolf to survive.” He gave me this grin as if to say, “I’m a lot smarter than you thought, eh?”

I asked him what he does all day, what his life consists of. He told me that his main priority was food for his family. Once a successful hunt took place and his family was fed and his responsibilities were taken care of, all there was left to do was relax. I asked him what he does to relax and it was nothing more than sitting on the edge of a cliff watching the world from his amazing vantage point (I honestly couldn’t think of anything more relaxing to do). Since he doesn’t have to fear any predators except for us humans, he was grateful for just being a wolf and having the highest sense of security out of any animals in that area. He actually made it quite clear to me that I was not the dominant species in this endeavor, that I was on his turf and I humbly thanked him for being such a gracious host.

To my left a fox appeared. Very intelligent looking and well groomed. The wolf introduced me to the fox and said they were good friends. To the right, an owl appeared in a tree and in the middle, a cat. The wolf introduced me to his friends who perhaps I will be journeying with someday?

I was starting to focus on the physical features of the wolf. His brown eyes, his whiskers and his shiny, very well-kept fur. I pet him and even went so far as to hug him out of sheer appreciation for the whole experience.

It was at that point that I pulled out a large hunting knife and cut his stomach open.

He looked at me and laughed with a huge grin on his face and asked, “Don’t you get it?” I waited for him to elaborate but instead I looked at my physical body and it began to implode into a single point of light resonating from my third eye chakra or pineal gland. The wolf’s body did the same thing until we were both tiny specs of light surrounded by darkness. We were still able to communicate with each other but the message he gave me was that this, along with every other experience in the waking world, dream world or any other world, completely transcends the physical structure that humans are so compelled to focus on. I took a minute to let that idea resonate with me and at this point, Giselle’s drumming increased to about 420 beats per minute. I knew this was time to go.

I thanked the wolf from the bottom of my heart and offered him all of the food I had on me (which was lots for a guy with no physical body). I left with a smile and a great sense of love and insight. I said “See you soon, I love you.” The wolf responded with the same salutation and told me he loves me too.

As I drifted away into darkness, a light started to appear. It was the surface of Lake Superior and I was about 100 ft away from it. I swam up to the top, realigned with my physical body (still in the meditative state) and slowly walked back to shore. I dried myself, then sat on the edge of the water, took a couple of deep breaths and said goodbye to my new favorite spot.

It was at that point that I came back into “ordinary reality”. While sharing our experiences, the lady to the left of me said that she met a beautiful, well-dressed fox in her journey.