Thirteen years ago this month on July 17 and 18 my life was changed forever. The experiences happened while I was on my 3-day solo as part of a ten day vision quest sponsored by the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). Even though I kept a meticulous daily journal on the quest, I never thought it would ever see the light of day, or that I would share these experiences in their entirety with anyone.
Only a profound synchronicity of recent events has made me feel certain this is now the time and place to tell the story. Let me explain these happenings chronologically:
March - Carl Calleman issues his world call for the Conscious Convergence on the exact same days as my vision quest experience and on its 13th anniversary, a number that has significant meaning for me (1 plus 3 = wholeness). Over the years, Carl Calleman has earned my trust with his integrity, scholarship, and research.
April - I am a business executive and competitive athlete with a healthy lifestyle, so it was a surprise when I was diagnosed with a lung condition in its most severe and final stages. With multiple lung function tests confirming this diagnosis, it appears there are many more days behind me than ahead of me.
May - After 14 years, my beloved Westie, Slick's time had come for sleep. He, along with his predecessor, Muff had toiled mightily for 29 years to teach me all about loyalty, trust, and love. My great attachment, identification, and responsibilities as Slick's master are gone.
Poem 52: Because They're Angels (Pets)
Taking on lower forms, coming from above;
mine a Cairn and a Westie - in the world but never of.
Their sacrifice soul-ly made, teaching loyalty, trust, and love.
Ever eager to please, hoping a treat to reap,
Always too quickly their day ends as the time comes
for sleep.
Agonizingly I wonder, "How do they get in so deep?"
As I am captain of my ship, they've been companions
and the crew
and if all over again, a renaming to do,
Muff and Slick would simply be rechristened Love I and Love II.
-- TeddyShark Saves Shibboullyville
June - The last of my experiences, and the ones that convinced me unequivocally it was time "in time" to tell this story were two dreams that happened June 16 and 21:
The first dream on June 16: I'm driving a large four-door sedan across a great expanse of land. The dream seems to drag on at a snail's pace as I just keep looking straight ahead, plodding across the country at a very slow speed when at last I reach my destination. I slow down pull over and park the car near a small body of water. I'm relieved as I sit in the driver's seat and continue looking out the front windshield. There's a slight drizzle and fog with very limited visibility as I gaze outward. The all of a sudden, much to my amazement I look at the control panel and realize I've been driving the entire time with the lights off! I'm stunned as I look outside again and realize for the first time how dark, foggy, and overcast the weather's been for the entire trip. I feel great relief that I've made it to my destination and that I'm safe and sound. I look at the control panel and realize I can now turn the lights on. I'm excited; with the lights on I'll be able to see clearly and drive safely.
The second big dream comes on June 21: To give it a little context let me just say that from my earliest memory (3 or 4 years old) the first and only dream I remember occurring over and over in childhood is that I'm on my hands and knees slowly crawling across a narrow bridge that spans a powerful river below. In these dreams that continued intermittently into adulthood I'm always in the same crawling position going at an excruciatingly slow pace in the middle of a narrow bridge (while others in the outside lanes are coming and going in both directions walking effortlessly). This dream had never changed in my whole life. Until now! In this dream on June 21 I'm walking across a narrow bridge with a little child 3 or 4 years old. The child is playful and confident as it walks and skips a few feet ahead of me. As we have just crossed over the highest span and are walking in a slight downward incline I now can see over to the other side where the bridge ends. There is a flooded area where the river current has risen above the bridge just before the other side. I am scared as the child runs ahead and says, "follow me." I don't know what to do so I sit down in the middle of the narrow bridge and with my large wing span grab a hold of the bridge railings on both sides with my powerful hands. I test the railings by trying to pull them together as well as shake them. I'm astounded at how strong the bridge is and at the same time how old and black it is. I get back on my feet and am relieved and happy with the sturdiness of the bridge. Now my attention is back on the child who is now calling me forth to play in the river current as it flows through the bridge. I fearfully walk toward the child playing in the water and it reaches out and grabs my hand and confidently walks me through the water to the other side. The last thing in the dream I remember is the child saying to me, "Now that you've made it across, you have to go back and tell your story."
It doesn't matter anymore if people believe the story of TeddyShark or not. What does matter is that it's told as truthfully and articulately as possible. By bringing this story forth, I only hope and pray it inspires and helps others as it has changed and transformed me on my inner journey to wholeness.
2010 Copyright © TeddyShark
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