My Journey part 5 – A Near Death Experience and A Course in Miracles

My Journey part 5 – A Near Death Experience and A Course in Miracles

I had at this time left my University computing career. We had a family pet and aquarium business which grew for some time then competition led to its collapse. My health collapsed with it and I ended up in hospital intensive care with pericarditis, which is an infection of the heart membrane, and pneumonia at the same time. The doctors could not bring the fever under control for a few days. A nurse later told me I had almost died; a psychic much later told me I had died and had had a near death experience (NDE). While in that fever, I had some expanded experiences. One was working with angelic beings to release the souls of people who had died in the hospital but were still earthbound. I could “see” the souls being released and rising up into a vast vortex to be met by the bright beings ready to assist them on their soul journey.

This left me physically very weak but something had shifted in me. I knew that I had to give priority to continuing my spiritual growth and spent several years by myself in Sydney.

Something else of great significance occurred which I did not fully acknowledge or retain at the time. I started to develop the symptoms of urinary retention which I had had before. I was taken to Katoomba Hospital in New South Wales and was asked to wait in the treatment room of intensive care, because the only doctor on duty was attending to an emergency. As the pain increased, I began to walk around and call on the Masters I knew of from the meditation groups to help me. I called on the Archangel Michael, Sananda and others but the pain just got worse. Finally I found myself addressing God by name and it became bearable until the doctor came. She was very apologetic and gave me excellent treatment and I stayed in hospital overnight. For many, this would be natural but it was not for me. I did not think of myself as having a real connection to God or Jesus at the time.

A lady in one of the meditation groups was prompted to drive across Sydney to loan me “A Course in Miracles” which was felt to be transmitted by Jesus. I went to the Academy in Byron Bay, New South Wales, several times; then moved there in July 1999.

We had light sessions in the morning and evening with additional study in the afternoons for six days of the week. This was the first time in my life that I had been immersed full time in an intensive spiritual practice. It was very effective in furthering my growth. In the morning session, we would use music and movement to raise our vibrations, then one of the teachers would speak on some aspect of the Course which was appropriate to the group at the time.

I remember walking on the beach with our principal teacher, Hector, discussing my development. He then quoted from the Bible: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else shall be brought unto you”. As he said this, I could “see” myself focusing all my attention above me and sensing many things being swept in from the sides to join that upward sweep. I did not think of myself as religious at the time.

Within a few months, I was offered a plane ticket to attend a worldwide gathering at the Academy in Wisconsin. About 60 of us set off filling most of the upper deck of a Boeing 747. The meeting was to start on the 9th of September 1999: 9-9-99. There were about 600 people there from many countries for the three weeks of the gathering. I learned more from the Master Teacher, Charles Anderson, who had the same birthday as Sai Baba (and also Mother Teresa). I delayed my return to Australia several times, then met Raya, a student of the Course from California. She came to visit me in Australia soon afterwards and we were married.

I learnt a great deal and had many experiences in Wisconsin. One important one occurred in an evening session with just a few others present. We had been using music and some movement as usual to raise our energy. I was immersed in this when my back arched strongly and some others had to support me. I had experienced the rising of the Kundulini energy from the base of the spine for the first time. After a while I could stand by myself again and became very still for a long time. This occurred once more.

Raya and I stayed with the Academy in Byron Bay for about a year, then had the feeling that we needed to continue away from any organized group.