Since my out-of-body experience during Sammy Hagar’s rock concert several years ago–the moment that changed my life forever–I have stumbled upon others who have had similar experiences but through different means. And I’ve been discussing this very thing in a lot of my radio interviews lately. I’m often asked, “So, what can others do to have a mystical awakening?” I tell them that one doesn’t have to be a guru or a yogi or a nun or a monk on a hilltop to experience enlightenment, heaven, Nirvana, mystical experience or whatever term one cares to use. A spiritual awakening can happen to anyone, anywhere, through any means. That’s because each person’s spiritual needs are as different as each man, woman or child. And our ways of looking at life are just as unique.

While there is no set of rules that if one follows, will ensure a mystical experience and we cannot make it happen–these things happen when they’re meant to, when the soul, for whatever reason, is ready to hear and receive the message–there are things one can do to help expedite the process. I will discuss this in another post

For now, I’d like to introduce you to some of the people who like me, have personally experienced this amazing and wonderful clarity of mind. It is my hope that as you read these accounts, many more of you will step forward and share your stories as well. There are a lot of us out there, but many hesitate to talk about their experiences for personal reasons. But we cannot help others by remaining silent.

Meet Dean Miller. He was minding his own business, just enjoying being in nature and doing a little fly-fishing when his life changed forever. I would like to personally thank Dean for allowing me to share his story with you. Writes Miller:

I stood, not in a crowded rock-and-roll bar in a foreign country, but in a river—a solitary figure. Surrounded by high canyon walls, the warm October sun reflected golden hues that glinted off of the river’s surface. I was indeed searching, but it wasn’t to touch the divine, but simply rainbow and brown trout. I found the trout—and something quite unexpected.

The river flowed gently against my legs, its cold penetrating my waders. Fishing trinkets clinked against each other as I made each cast, accompaniment to the gurgle and babble of the slow moving water. A light breeze, nearly imperceptible, brushed my arms. My heart settled into a comfortable rhythm. The rest of my life drifted downstream, carried by the current to another time.

I made a cast and watched the imitation grasshopper float toward me. No luck. A second cast placed the foam bug further upstream, and I watched again. But this time I could see myself standing in the river. Strangely, I was unsurprised at my new perspective.

I ascended a bit higher and then paused, not of my own accord or thought, but from reaching a state of equilibrium with everything around me. I experienced no physical sensations, only complete love…from everything seen and unseen. The rocks, the water, the air, all transmitted the same intense joy that I felt from a source beyond the physical realm.

Suspended in that timeless domain I knew the answer to every question, should it be asked. Touching to farthest reach of the universe was just a thought away. But there was no need for action on my part, as “it—this love and knowing” was already melded with my soul. I was involved with everything and desired nothing. In that brief span of cross-dimensional existence, I understood what lay beyond my physical being. And I saw how easily the filigreed curtain between body and spirit can be lifted.

Suddenly, a trout swallowed the hopper pattern and without reason or explanation, I was back in my body. I resumed my earthly presence, still radiating with the feeling of what had just transpired. Landing, and then releasing the fish, I exited the river and sat for a moment. Overhead, a lone hawk circled once, then soared above the canyon walls and disappeared from view. I was again, alone, forever changed, with nothing else to do but continue my life.

I choose not to speculate where I would have ended up, or what would have happened, had that trout not taken the fly. My time in the mystic realm, however fleeting, helped direct the next phase of my journey here on earth. Knowing what is “out there” is enough for now.

 –Dean K. Miller

Dean K. Miller is a freelance writer and member of Northern Colorado Writers. His work has appeared online and in Trout Magazine. Employed by the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller for over 23 years, he was the 2010 Northwest Mountain Region recipient of the NATCA Archie League Safety Award. He resides in Loveland, CO and enjoys fly fishing, family, and friends. Please visit his website at: http://deankmiller.blogspot.com.