blinkstar.gif (494 bytes) Lynn Russell

In May of 1973, shortly after college ended for my second year, I had three magnificent spiritual experiences. Actually, I see them more as episodes that in the end, linked together into one. They blew me away and taught me great insights. In sharing these experiences I find it difficult to find the right words. Words are extremely poor tools to relate such deep learning.

Each of these events occurred in the middle of the day. My children, Leah and Brad were at school and three-year-old Gwen was down for her afternoon nap. They all happened on different days and always when I was busy doing housework.

The first episode occurred while I was doing dishes. Just above the sink was a window and beyond the window in the yard stood an old fruit tree. Its gnarled branches twisted and turned in awkward directions. I looked out that window at the tree so many times that I ceased paying attention to it. On this particular day I suddenly had the overwhelming and unquestionable feeling that the tree and I were one. I'm not talking about a simple kinship with the tree; I have felt that many times. This time, I became the tree, and the tree became me. 

I was overwhelmed with a feeling of great joy and connectedness to all of life. Within the exuberant happiness I had a feeling as though everything was in its proper place and all was humming along, as it should.

Standing with my hands dripping with suds, I thought of various other forms of life; fish in the ocean, lions and elephants in Africa, the bird that sat in the tree and the bug the bird was about to eat. Whatever form of life I thought of, I became so enmeshed with it that I was not able to tell where the creature began and I ended. It felt as though whatever life forms I thought of and myself were identical! There simply was no separation.

That was the end of the first installment in a series of three. While the whole experience lasted less than a minute, it had a lasting effect on me. I no longer saw the world in the same light. I knew deep in the center of my being that everything in the world was wonderfully connected in a way I did not yet understand. When it was over, I was thrilled. I felt extremely privileged as though I had been invited to view one of the mysteries of the universe.

The next piece of the puzzle came a few days later while I was completely unprepared. Again, it was the afternoon. I was doing housework and the house was quiet. This time, I was washing fingerprints from the hall walls. My mind was on anything but spiritual things, yet, as unexpected as before, it was as if my conscious thought was being taken over by something beyond me.

In this second experience, I was intensely aware of an atom in my mind. I visualized the atom's nucleus with the electrons spinning around the core as though they had a consciousness and knew exactly what they were to do. The planning and order of the phenomenon of an atom seemed to dominate my awareness.

Without warning, my vision changed. I was now viewing our solar system with the sun in the center and the planets spinning around. Again, I found myself concentrating on the deliberate order, rhythm and planning of what I was viewing. Inexplicably, I seemed to know without a doubt there was intelligence behind all I was being shown. I knew deep in my soul that the order and planning of the universe was not just an accident. 

The visions continued to expand until I felt as though I was looking at the micro and macro universe simultaneously. Over and over the same message was being given to me. The order and rhythm of everything in the universe is not accidental. There is intelligence and planning behind all that is.

At this point I got a message that kept me wondering for many years. I did not hear a voice, yet the information came to me in such a powerful way I was completely unable to dispute or deny it in any way. It was so strong it hit me in the center of my gut. "Your being is intricately connected with the operation of the universe!"

It was such a strong knowing that I was powerless against it. Still, I don't have delusions of grandeur. I know when it comes to the universe I'm smaller than a speck of dust. So how could my being have anything to do with the operation of the universe? It took me eleven long years to realize that we are all a part of a magnificent Oneness. It is through our connection with this Oneness that we each play a part in the operation of the universe.

The final experience was even more vibrant and with deeper learning, if that is possible. As before, it too came in the afternoon when the house was quiet. It was several days, or perhaps even a week, after the last event and was fully unexpected. 

I had just finished picking up the children's toys in the living room when the final experience occurred. Standing in the middle of the room, I scrunched down to see if there were any toys under the couch or chair. I do not understand how it happened, or why. All I know is that without warning there was a presence in the room with me. I did not see anything, yet it was undeniable, I was not alone. I felt as though I was engulfed in an enormous blanket of more love, peace and joy than I could ever come close to describing. This overwhelming love was being directed right at me.

Next, I felt as though I had an umbilical cord in my stomach, connecting me to the presence. It was then I heard actual words. The words were external to me and seemed to come from my right. The voice said, "This is where you came from and this is where you will return." 

Then, just as suddenly as it began, the experience was over. No other events followed.

When I think back to the experiences as a whole, I believe that the entire experience was designed to teach me about the Oneness of all. I have come to realize that if we are all one and there is planning, order and an intelligence within the operation of the universe, then we must all be connected to that Intelligence the Oneness.

For months I walked several feet off the ground in ecstasy. Nothing bothered me, not even my father. Before these experiences I was terrified of dying. At night I lay in bed working myself into a worried mess, knowing that eventually I would have to die and there was nothing I could do to stop it. After these events I looked forward to dying. Not that I became suicidal. Still, I knew when the day came it would be a positive experience.

Another change happened after my spiritual experience. I was a serious nail biter. My nails were bitten back so far that I could not chew any more. When I ran out of nail to work on, I chewed the skin around the nails. They looked like bleeding, gnawed, piggy fingers. After these beautiful experiences, one day I looked down at my hands and I had nails. I do not recall stopping myself from biting them. It just seemed to happen unassisted.

It took me many years to understand the meaning of these spiritual events, but the learning made me feel alive. Life has become a joyous adventure.

prosperlr@shaw.ca


Kevin Williams' reply: In my opinion, it sounds like the third experience you had was an out-of-body experience. You felt a presence that you were connected to by an umbilical cord. This is a clear reference to being aware that your soul body (or "astral" body) had left your physical body and the umbilical cord you saw attached to it was your so-called "silver cord." It also sounds like it was a spontaneous out-of-body experience that either bordered on a near-death experience or was a near-death experience. Probably only you can really know for sure. Anyway, you were certainly out of your body and experiencing the astral realm.

Like spontaneous out-of-body experiences, spontaneous near-death experiences also happen. I remember watching a British NDE documentary on television and they described a spontaneous NDE that was reported by an elderly British woman. She was just sitting in her chair reading a book. Suddenly, she found herself out of her body and looking down on herself. Then she flew out into space and had a regular NDE. Then at some point, she immediately found herself back in her body, dazed and amazed.

So, these kind of things can happen just all of a sudden when you don't expect it. Granted, these kinds of experiences you don't hear about very often. Also, your habit of chewing your fingernails sounds like a side-effect of an anxiety problem of any degree. And it sounds like your experience resulted in taking away this problem. Such changes are very common in these kind of experiences because they are profound and life-changing. Hope this helps.

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