You are More Than Your Physical Body

 

Salvadore DaliHave you ever had an out-of-body experience? Have you ever thought that there is more to life than what we see with our eyes? Have you ever wished to connect with like-minded individuals (in this waking state of consciousness and in other states of consciousness–without the use of drugs) to discuss your experiences and questions or to be able explore them further?

If so, please consider attending the next meeting of our group TMI of Northern Colorado on Feb. 10, 2015 from 6:30-8:30 pm. We’re a local chapter affiliated with the famous Monroe Institute, a non-profit organization based in Faber, VA, which is dedicated to exploring and expanding human consciousness.

TMI does not espouse any religion or philosophy, we only ask that you consider that you are more than your physical body.

I have twice attended six-day workshops at TMI in VA. Recap of my experiences can be found here.

Each person’s experiences will be different than those of the next person. The goal of TMI is to help you discover your own personal truths and the answers to whatever questions are most important to you. Our monthly meetings consist of the use of Hemi-Sync audio technology, group discussion, guest speakers, films and other exercises geared toward helping you reach your personal goals.

We are growing and expanding with each meeting and would love for you to join us, share your experiences or just get reinforcement in knowing that there are many, many others who share your interests and experiences.

For more information on our group, directions, etc., please visit our meetup.com page at: TMI of NoCo, or email me at info@bajarockpat.net.

Looking forward to meeting you!

**Painting by Salvador Dali

I’m Through Apologizing

sad alone woman in fieldAll my life, I never thought I was “enough”–not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, tough enough, cool enough, whatever-the-latest-something-is enough. And because of that, I always found myself apologizing. I think a lot of us do that–apologize incessantly. I know I did it (and still do) because, God forbid, I disobey the rules or either accidentally or on purpose, (gasp) break the rules!

As some of you know, I wrote a memoir called “Dance of the Electric Hummingbird,” and in it, I bared my soul. It was perhaps one of the toughest things I’ve ever done–reveal to complete strangers personal details about my life, what I think, how I feel, and what I’ve done. Whenever one publishes something for the public, one opens one’s self to ridicule and judgment, and I don’t know about you, but the last thing I needed was someone else judging me when I already did a fine job of it on myself.

Before my book came out, my publisher had a hard time classifying which category it fell into. Was it best presented as New Age? Self Help? Spirituality? Music? Memoir?

All of these. Because, you see, I do not fit into any one category. (And neither do you.) I was under the impression that most spiritual books were written by authors who were so clean and nice that sugar could melt in their mouths. Well, that’s not me. I cuss sometimes. I have tattoos. I have my share of bad days where no matter what I do, nothing seems to go right.

In other words, I am human.

I thought that I should have to be like those other authors who were perfect all the time—and that I should never, ever have a bad day, and if I did, I surely would never let the public know about it. I wrote a book and got it published; that was a big accomplishment and people looked up to me. I had to set a good example; I had to put forth a positive image all the time and always do the right thing. Bullshit! That takes too much energy; and the older I get, the more I value having energy because tomorrow something mental or physical might hurt too much to warrant my even getting out of bed!

I have since learned to accept and embrace who I am—imperfectly perfect, or perfectly imperfect, however you want to look at it. And I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to be pure and saintly and positive 100% of the time to be a spiritual person, or to find self-realization or self-fulfillment or to make a positive contribution to the world. You are already perfect just the way you are. Uh huh, I said it.

Since I’ve already shared so much about myself, I figured why not share some more? Because by sharing parts of ourselves with the world, it lets others know that they are not alone and that, right there, is empowering. And since it’s my goal to help others discover their personal paths to self-realization, all I can do is point the way to “The Way,” then it’s up to them to find their own truths.

There’s a Zen saying that goes:

The way to enlightenment is like a finger pointing at the moon. If you focus on the finger, you won’t see the moon.

kickboxing silhouette

So here goes. I’m done apologizing:

  • for going out in public wearing sandals without painting my toenails (“Suck it, Trebek!”)
  • for wearing jeans and T-shirts and sometimes too-short shorts
  • for having tattoos and piercings
  • for no longer subscribing to all the tenets of the religion in which I was raised and for picking and choosing bits and pieces of other religions and philosophies to put together my personal spiritual belief system.
  • for saying “bad” words and laughing at dirty jokes
  • for not buying into your political stance or religion—and by the way—I don’t judge you; you’re entitled to your own opinion, just as I am
  • for believing that dreams really do come true
  • for being naive and unworldly sometimes
  • for being open-minded to a fault sometimes
  • for my shoes not matching my purse (or sometimes not even matching each other! Yeah, it’s happened.)
  • for practicing (and loving) the “unladylike” martial art of taekwondo
  • for liking kim-chee, merlot, good tequila, strong coffee, any sort of potatoes and milk chocolate (white chocolate is NOT chocolate in my opinion!)
  • for believing that gays and lesbians deserve the same rights as everyone else
  • for believing that women should be allowed to be priests and that priests should be allowed to marry and have families
  • for not wanting to eat or drink from anything made of plastic
  • for believing that there are good people and not-so-good people of every race, color and creed
  • for believing in magic and miracles
  • for playing my music too loud
  • for having a special place in my heart for bikers (the kind who ride motorcycles, have tattoos, and wear leather and do-rags)
  • for not always wearing the right clothes for the right occasion, i.e. overdressed for a casual event or underdressed for a special event—clothes just aren’t that important to me
  • for loving, loving, LOVING heavy metal music (the raunchier the better) and rock, hip hop, blues, and classical
  • for NOT loving the music of Celine Dion
  • for dancing or singing when I feel like it—so what if I’m no good? Don’t watch!
  • for focusing all my love on my family and friends—they come first
  • for your misunderstanding of what I said
  • for not needing a gazillion dollars to make me happy
  • for loving the smell, the feel, the sounds, and the sight of everything having to do with horses
  • for celebrating Christmas, Halloween, Easter and the Fourth of July
  • for abhorring sitcoms wherein is piped that insipid canned laughter. Ugh!
  • for believing in God, angels, saints, spirits and ghosts, and my Higher Self
  • for not presenting home-cooked meals in an artful manner—as long as it tastes good, who cares if it’s on a pretty plate? Serve yourself out of the saucepan. There’s less cleanup that way
  • or if you stay overnight at my house, your towels and bedding may not be color-coordinated, but I’ll give you the best I’ve got and they will be fresh and clean and super-comfortable!
  • for being nostalgic and romantic
  • for being able to relate to Eastern philosophies so much more than to most Western philosophies
  • for my house being messy if you drop over unexpectedly—I have a little plaque in my kitchen that reads “I cleaned my house yesterday. Wish you could have seen it!”
  • for spending too much time writing
  • for loving philosophy and deep conversations
  • for needing to feel appreciated
  • for spending countless hours just watching my babies sleep when they were newborns
  • for loving babies of any kind—human, canine, feline, equine, you name it
  • for thinking too much—mulling things over and over and over in my mind until I make myself nauseous (and believe me, that can take a looooooong time)
  • for being overly sensitive
  • for believing that people are innately good
  • for getting older
  • for wearing clothes that are “too young” for me. I love distressed jeans.
  • for enjoying reading about sex, writing about sex, talking about sex and engaging in sex
  • for hugging you full on, and with my entire being. It’s not sexual—I really do love you that much.
  • for telling you how good-looking, smart, or wonderful you are. It’s not a ploy; I sincerely mean it.
  • for believing that no one has the right to hurt another person or animal
  • for believing in the power of prayer
  • for using meditation and other methods of tapping into my mind and spirit
  • for believing that elderly people deserve respect
  • for knowing that “you” do not end with the death of your physical body
  • for being patriotic and loving my country
  • for believing that God is both male and female at the same time
  • for mourning my dear parents who have passed on
  • for teaching my kids to have manners
  • for having respect for those in my life, not just because they’re in a position of authority or because they’re famous, but because in my opinion, they earned it
  • for believing that every woman has the right to choose what happens to her body
  • for being needy for no apparent reason
  • for being kinky for no apparent reason
  • for being silly for no apparent reason
  • for needing to hear you say that you love me
  • for spending too much money on my kids and grandkids and spoiling them rotten. Isn’t that what kids and grandkids are for?
  • for drinking too much tequila sometimes (although not for a long time)
  • for loving you first, before I even know you, and giving you the benefit of the doubt until I am convinced that you don’t deserve it (and it takes a LOT for me to determine that you don’t deserve it)
  • for loving you too much. I don’t believe there is such a thing as loving too much
  • for trying to please/feed/clothe/house/protect you too much
  • for not wanting to be in the company of those who put others down
  • for not being phony. Yeah, I’d like breast implants, a butt lift, botox and a tummy tuck, but I’ll deal with what I’ve got. (However, I might be able to be persuaded on a few of those things…)
  • for not laughing at your racial jokes
  • for wearing my heart on my sleeve
  • for not holding down a regular 9 to 5 job—I’m a writer
  • for being a stay-at-home mom when my kids were growing up
  • for being friends with people you don’t approve of
  • for asking too many questions
  • for buying too many books (There’s no such thing as “too many” books.)
  • for anything I’ve said here that may seem contradictory
  • for anything I’ve said here that may offend you

Now—your turn. It’s a new year. What are you through apologizing for?

tiger face

Your Personal Journey to Self-Discovery

TMI logo photo by Baja Rock Pat

In 2003, I had an out-of-body experience (OBE) that changed my life.

Before that, I had no idea that things like that could really happen. Well, maybe if you were a monk or a nun who spent his or her entire life in meditation on a hillside in Tibet, but certainly not to an ordinary person like me who hasn’t exactly lived the life of a saint. (And I still don’t–what fun would that be?) And definitely not in the middle of a rock concert!

I won’t revisit the story. If you don’t know it, you might want to consider reading my book, DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD. However, since my OBE, and my search to understand such things, I’ve taken part in two 6-day programs–Gateway Voyage and Timeline–at The Monroe Institute (TMI) in Virginia. Archives about my experiences can be found here: Exploring Uncharted Legions of the MindGateway to Altered States of Consciousness and Voyage into the Mind and Limitless Possibilities.

TMI by Baja Rock Pat

These programs reinforced in me that we are so much more than our physical bodies and that there are countless other levels of consciousness and awarenesss that we can tap into at will. In fact, the possibilities are endless–we are limited only by our own minds and thoughts. Here in text, those words sound flat and essentially meaningless until you actually experience it for yourself.

Here’s your chance.

Our newly-established local chapter,TMI of Northern Colorado, meets the second Tuesday of each month to experience and discuss with like-minded people, the unlimited capabilities that we all possess, various states of consciousness, peak human potential, the power of the mind and spirit, OBEs and related topics. This chapter is affiliated with The Monroe Institute.

As founder, Robert Monroe said, “The greatest illusion is that mankind has limitations.”

From TMI’s website:

The Monroe Institute (TMI) is a non-profit research and educational organization dedicated to enhancing the uses and understanding of human consciousness.

We are not affiliated with any religion, philosophy, or spiritual practice.

We ask only that you consider the possibility that you are more than your physical body.

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We use Hemi-Sync® audio technology, as developed by Robert Monroe, as well as group discussion before and after each exercise. (Disclaimer: If you have a tendency towards seizures, auditory disorders, or adverse mental condition(s), DO NOT listen to Hemi-Sync® without first consulting your physician.)

For more info on Hemi-Sync® click here: Hemi-Sync

 

NEXT GATHERING:
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014                                                                                                   6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

(Place and meeting time may vary from month-to-month, so please contact me at info@bajarockpat.net for information.)

Refreshments will be served.

Please bring stereo headphones if you have them, and a floor pillow and/or blanket if desired.

 Are you ready to change your life in profound ways? Come join us!

Walk-ins are welcome, but if you know in advance, please RSVP to info@bajarockpat.net.                                Bring a friend!**

Questions? Feel free to post them here, or email me personally.

**If you’re new to Hemi-Sync®, I will meet with you prior to the group session to help familiarize you with the exercises and answer any questions.

(All photos of the grounds of TMI taken by Patricia Walker)

Guest Post by Author Dean K Miller: Whose Voice Do We Hear?

What is “automatic writing”? Can this technique be of any benefit to you?

Please welcome my friend and fellow author Dean K Miller. I will allow him to explain. (Following his post, Dean has a free, but limited-time offer you’ll want to be sure to take advantage of.)

Whose Voice Do We Hear?
by Dean K Miller

The ways authors find inspiration are as different as the individual authors themselves. Add to this mix the countless places writers find their words and stories and you can see why writing is such an individual (but not necessarily lonely) pursuit. But what if you heard a story being told to you, even if it didn’t seem to be in your own voice? Would you trust those words?

A couple years ago I was working with a technique called “automatic writing.” There are several definitions of automatic writing, but in general the practice allows one to channel your Higher Self or Spirit Guides through claircognizance and then transcribe that onto paper. (Here is one resource for automatic writing from Anna Sayce: http://annasayce.com/how-to-do-automatic-writing) After completing several sessions (always asking for protection before starting each one,) I found myself compelled to bring those words out to the real world. But how? The automatic writing was fragmented, seldom containing complete sentences or even entire thoughts. As one writes with this technique (without judgment or correction) the results appear as babbling, random words.

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Example of automatic writing session from Dean’s personal journal.

These unconscious ideas continually nagged my conscious brain to bring them to life. As I began to assemble my first book of essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry, I kept those writings in mind. Somewhere in the process I found the inspiration to work my automatic writing samples into a fictional tale. This allowed me to present the material in a manner that kept the most personal aspects and words private, but still permitted the collective positive vibes to be published. The Odyssey of a Monk was born.

The short story is about a young orphaned monk who leaves the Buddhist temple he was raised in, to venture out on his own. It was an exciting challenge to weave my automatic writing pieces into a fictional tale and its characters. First I needed to make coherent thoughts out of the bits and pieces I had written down. Weeding through each session’s pages, I found common themes and intertwined them. Next I created various elders (monks, a shaman and others) to present these words of wisdom to the young monk as he travels the countryside. As the young monk encounters the wise elders, each one offers advice and answers the monk’s questions via the passages from my writing sessions. The storyline flowed naturally from this process as each encountered gives the young monk the advice he needs at different points in his life.

Odyssey of a Monk Cover_Final

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Thanks Patricia for hosting me today and I hope your readers enjoy the free download of The Odyssey of a Monk, which is available for Kindle readers from Oct. 10 – 12. Here is the link for the Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Monk-Dean-K-Miller-ebook/dp/B00O2A097I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412613430&sr=1-1&keywords=the+odyssey+of+a+monk

PAIDDean K Miller is an author and free lance writer who resides in Loveland, CO. His first book, And Then I Smiled: Reflections on a Life Not Yet Complete was released in February 2014 via Hot Chocolate Press. The short story The Odyssey of a Monk opened to Kindle readers on September 29, 2014. His first poetry collection, titled Echoes: Reflections Through Poetry and Verse is scheduled for release November 1, 2014, also via Hot Chocolate Press.

Dean works for the Federal Aviation Administration, logging more than 26 years as an air traffic controller. He listens to the voices, both at work and in the world around him, because one might tell him something worth writing down. Learn more at www.deankmiller.com

 

Relief Efforts for Cabo Victims of Hurricane Odile

Photo by Lynn Pierce. Used by permission.

“My book would not exist at all if it weren’t for Cabo and the people of Cabo, because that’s where the story all began,” says Patricia Walker, author of DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD.

 

There really hasn’t been much media attention to what happened down in Cabo recently. In fact, most people I talk to haven’t even heard about it. Hurricane Odile made a devastatingly direct hit in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, Todos Santos, La Paz and neighboring towns in Mexico on September 14, 2014.

Photo by Suset Esquivel Flores. Used by permission.

It affected people I know personally, and as of this writing, many still do not have electricity or water, nor can they return to their homes to determine if their homes are still standing.  The airport was severely damaged and remains closed, but according to local sources, it will be opening soon.

Cabo Arch

El Arco. Photo by Patricia Walker

When most of us think of Cabo San Lucas, it brings to mind the breath-taking, world-renowned arch or El Arco, extraordinary fishing, fancy hotels, vacations, beaches, sun and margaritas. And while those images do describe Cabo, it’s also true that there are some very poor people who live there. I have personally witnessed people living in cardboard shacks without plumbing.

Rich, poor or in-between, many lost everything they had. The wealthy can afford to rebuild, but I couldn’t just sit back and not do something to help the rest of these amazing people.

IMG_0136I have a bunch of books in my office right now, books I’ve purchased personally from my publisher, (yes, I have to buy my own books) so I’m donating the money from the sale of them to the people of Cabo, but my offer only applies to books purchased here, through my website because I have no control over Amazon.com or other outlets. In selling these books, it gives me the means to donate much more money than I could afford to donate on my own.

If you buy a book from my website, you’ll have to pay for shipping, but 100% of what you pay for the book will go to the people of Cabo. I will post which charity it’s going to so you’ll know exactly where your donations are going.

And, if nothing else, if I can help raise awareness of the devastation done to Baja California del Sur, perhaps more people will schedule their vacations there. The locals are working tirelessly to rebuild, and our vacation dollars are exactly what these people need right now to help them get back on their feet.

Cabo 10-2 & Fishing 008
Land’s End

Cabo will soon be back and better than ever, I have no doubt.

So please, even if you don’t feel moved to buy a book, please just do what you can. It all helps. (Obviously, it’s important to do your research before donating to any charity.)

And come experience the beauty and magic of Cabo San Lucas for yourself. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Thank you for your kind generosity.Dance of the Electric Hummingbird

To purchase Patricia’s book, please click here: http://www.bajarockpat.net/my-book/ordering-information/

Because I personally know most of the people involved, current donations are being made to: Wicked Pizza Employees/Family at http://www.gofundme.com/envqes

(Important: ONLY books purchased through bajarockpat.net are eligible for the hurricane donation fund. Offer does not apply to books purchased through other outlets.)

Guest Appearance on Transitions to Transformation

Transitions to Transformation Radio host Reverend Sue and Author Patricia Walker, discuss Patricia’s book, Hurricane Odile relief efforts in Baja Mexico and how we can help.

Listen here: Blogtalk Radio

Patricia is donating all proceeds from her book “Dance of the Electric Hummingbird,” her real life story of survival and spiritual awakening thanks to the Red Rocker himself, Sammy Hagar, to the people of Cabo.

To purchase Patricia’s book and help those who lost so much to the recent Hurricane Odile, please click here www.bajarockpat.net. Thank you.

NCW Event This Tuesday: Patricia Walker’s Book Sales to Benefit Cabo Hurricane Victims

Please join author Patricia Walker as she, along with other members of Northern Colorado Writers, will be reading excerpts from their work from 7:00-9:00 p.m. this Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014 at Bas Bleu Theater in Fort Collins.

Following the reading, authors will be selling and signing copies of their books.

Dance of the Electric Hummingbird

Walker is donating 100% of her share from sales of Dance of the Electric Hummingbird at the event to benefit the people of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, who recently suffered severe damage as a result of Hurricane Odile. NBC News reported that Odile was the worst hurricane in history to ever hit the Baja peninsula. No deaths have been reported but the majority of residents have very little to begin with and many lost everything.

Says Walker:

There really hasn’t been much in the news about what happened down in Cabo recently. In fact, most people I talk to haven’t even heard about it. But if it weren’t for Cabo, and the wonderful people who live there, my book would never have happened. DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD is the true story of mystical events that changed my life and it all started in Cabo. I feel that the least I can do is to give something back to these people. Hurricane Odile made a devastatingly direct hit in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, Todos Santos, La Paz and neighboring towns on September 14, 2014, two weeks ago, and as of today, many residents still do not have electricity or water, nor can they return to their homes to determine if their homes are still standing. The airport was severely damaged.

They’re making progress down there, but it’s still very bad. I can’t just sit back and not do something to help.

Photo by Suset Esquivel Flores

Evacuation at San Jose del Cabo International Airport. Photo by Suset Esquivel Flores. Used by permission.

When most people think of Cabo San Lucas, it brings to mind the world-renowned arch or El Arco, extraordinary fishing, fancy hotels, vacations, beaches, sun and margaritas. And while those images do describe Cabo, it’s also true that there are some very poor people who live there. It’s a stark and shocking contrast.

Cabo pretty much has no middle class. With a few exceptions, people who live there are either dirt poor or movie-star wealthy. I have personally witnessed people living in cardboard shacks without plumbing. The lucky ones are those who work at your fancy hotels–who tirelessly serve your margaritas and guacamole and chips, but they certainly don’t live in mansions, nor do they live in middle-class-type houses.

Then there are those who spend all day every day tramping up and down the burning sand on the beach and hawking trinkets in the scorching sun–even the elderly who can barely walk and children who can’t be more than 3 years old.

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Photo by Lynne Pierce. Used by permission.

We take so much for granted in the United States. We have no clue how good we have it compared to most of those people. And now, many of them lost everything they had.

Cabo 10-2 & Fishing 008

Land’s End photo by Patricia Walker

Some may question why I’m asking for donations for the people of Mexico when there are so many in our own country who are in need. My response to that would be: donate to whomever you like; just do SOMETHING. People are people wherever they live. Do what you can. It all helps.

We can also help by booking our vacations to the Los Cabos area in the near future. Our dollars will help these people get back on their feet.

Cabo Arch

El Arco photo by Patricia Walker

Donations from purchases of my book will only come from those that I bought personally from my publisher, not from the sale of books from Amazon.com or other outlets. This is coming straight out of my pocket. I’m hoping to keep contributing to various charities in Cabo as long as I am able, but obviously I can’t afford to do it indefinitely.  If you buy a book from my website, you’ll have to pay for shipping, but 100% of what you pay for the book will go to the people of Cabo. And I will post which charity it’s going to so you’ll know exactly where your donations are going.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Because I personally know most of the people involved, current donations are being made to: Wicked Pizza Employees/Family at http://www.gofundme.com/envqes

So please, if you can, come support Northern Colorado Writers this Tuesday, and buy a book for yourself or for a friend. Or just come and hear some great stories. For more information on the event:

Readings by Writers_Sept 30_bas bleu-3

Enjoy an evening of readings by local writers on September 30 at 7:00pm at Bas Bleu Theater. There will be poetry, excerpts from novels and essays. Written and read by members of Northern Colorado Writers: Josh Lehman, Lynn Kincanon, Mary Roberts, Diana Balogh, Pat Walker, Kerrie Flanagan, Eleanore D. Trupkiewicz and Donna Nitz Muller. Doors open at 6:30pm and admission is $5.

Refreshments will be served following the readings. Books by NCW members will be available for sale in the theater lobby.

Please be aware that this is a PG-13 event if you are thinking about bringing children.

*This is not a Bas Bleu Theater Company event.

Tickets available at the door or for online tickets, please click here: http://northerncoloradowriters.com/upcoming-events-mainmenu-133/upcoming-classes-and-events/special-event/readings-by-writers

**All photos used by permission. Please do not copy without permission.

Exploring Uncharted Legions of the Mind

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View of the grounds at TMI in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

How brave are you really? Would you dare to enter the uncharted legions and depths of your mind?

I did. Repeatedly. I’ve always been interested in how the human mind works; I should have been a psychologist. Through my personal studies, though, I’ve discovered that truly NOTHING is impossible. Whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve–or–if you can imagine it, you can make it happen.

I just completed a six-day program at The Monroe Institute (TMI) in Virginia, called “Timeline”, which focuses on the exploration of past, present, and future lives and how they influence our current lives. Fascinating stuff.

This painting by Salvador Dali pretty much sums up the sort of things I’ve experienced during programs at TMI:

Salvador Dali

Wait–you don’t get it? No, no drugs are involved. Let me attempt to explain.

You spend most of your time in your CHEC unit (Controlled Holistic Environmental Chamber), which is more or less a bed that’s enclosed on all sides except for an opening, which allows you to crawl in and out. A heavy black drape covers the opening so that the entire unit is completely dark to minimize external sensory distractions and maximize internal focus. Through headphones, you listen to recorded exercises, which are similar to guided meditations with the incorporation of Hemi-Sync® binaural beats. (More about this later.)

CHEC Unit

CHEC Unit

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The founder, Robert Monroe’s home, where the “Timeline” program took place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does it feel like to enter another dimension of consciousness?

(Please keep in mind that these are my personal experiences—those of others may vary.)

After a series of mental steps to help you feel comfortable and safe during your “excursion,” you are then guided to different levels of consciousness which are referred to by number, i.e. C-1 represents full, waking consciousness, followed by F10, F12, F15, F21, F27 and so on. The “F” stands for “Focus Level.” F10, for instance, indicates the state of “mind awake/body asleep” and in F10, you feel as if you’re on the verge of falling asleep, but you can still feel your body lying on the bed and you’re fully aware that you’re in a room and what you’re doing there. In F12, (the state of expanded awareness) you begin to let go a bit more, and when I “arrive” in F12, I often “see” someone waiting for me there. Sometimes it’s someone I know in my current life, or sometimes it’s someone I’m familiar with but don’t know personally. It appears that these “people” always have a personal message for me, something I’ve been ignoring and need to address because they seem to get immediately in my face and are generally very insistent.

Often the images I encounter in the different levels of consciousness are symbolic or metaphors for something in my waking life and sometimes I know exactly what they mean; other times I never seem to figure them out. So far, the meaning of the images I encounter immediately upon my arrival in F12 are pretty easy to decipher, because it’s always a person (as opposed to an inanimate object, or a sound or a feeling) and he or she instantly moves toward me as if we’re opposite magnets.

Throughout any focus level, I am always in complete control of what I’m experiencing, and I have the ability to end the session or ask for clarification on anything at any time I choose. This is extremely important, because before my initial sessions at TMI, I was afraid that I would somehow relinquish control of my mind. But this is NOT the case. Ever. I always have control, but sometimes I have to remind myself of that fact! Just like in my everyday life.

galaxy-379213_640 Most of the Timeline program took place in F15, the state of consciousness where time doesn’t exist. It is a very deep, meditative state and there’s a feeling of floating. During my first experiences in F15, I found it a bit difficult to breathe; it felt as if my “surroundings”, for lack of a better word, were thick and intense, as if I was floating in a substance as dense as ketchup. Once I became more familiar with it, though, I told myself to relax, told myself that I could breathe easily, and that knowledge allowed me to float effortlessly and allow experiences or realizations to come to me. It’s like having a dream, where you’re in the REM state and you’re not aware of your physical body.

What I’m attempting to relate is nearly impossible to describe in words, because I experienced a richness to my sessions, where my visuals were accompanied by feelings and the use of all (or most of) my senses, but in a much more heightened manner. My perception also varied from one session to the next. (Sometimes I would simply “click out” or fall asleep, and experience nothing! This isn’t uncommon.)

TMI logo photo by Baja Rock PatFor instance, I interacted with energies that were clearly not human, but whom seemed to know me and (often) love me unconditionally, and the words “alien” or “angel” or “spirit” or whatever familiar term one might attach to it, does not adequately describe what I thought, felt, saw, or heard. The terms alien, angel, or spirit are relative terms anyway–they mean something different to each of us. TMI refers to them as “other energies or other energy systems,” a more appropriate description, because these “individuals” weren’t made of flesh like you and me, but of vibration, or energy, or thought. And just because they weren’t in human form didn’t mean they were more intelligent or advanced than we are. Now isn’t that an interesting concept?

walnut half During several sessions, I received a “knowing” that where I had requested to go (you set an intention for each exercise) required me to leave my physical body behind, and I worked very hard to make this happen. (That was my first mistake–“working very hard.” I now know that by trying to force things, it only hindered me–again, just like life.) In F15, my body felt heavy and “crispy,” and like a walnut shell that’s cracked in half, if you scoop out the nut, the empty shell remains the same shape it was in before you removed the nut, so too, my body retained its shape, but it was as if the top part had been removed, and my “insides” were rather gelatinous and began to “slosh” back and forth horizontally from head to toe like when you shake a bowl of jello. This gelatinous part of me then began to vibrate as it attempted to float upward, but it never got “out” completely. It rose up about three or four inches, but something kept it attached to my crispy shell (body).

Many who have experienced the out-of-body state, describe a vibration feeling that happens just before they leave their bodies, but some describe leaving their bodies without that feeling. I think my focusing too much on trying to achieve the out-of-body state may have been the very thing that kept me tethered at times. And although during the entire 6-day program, I never got the feeling that I completely went out-of-body, I’m certain that it happened many times without my ever realizing it, because there were times I knew I was completely immersed in another dimension of consciousness without regard to how I got there (because “how I got there” wasn’t important at the time; I wasn’t focusing on that aspect). My body felt paralyzed, in a sense, but my mind went jaunting off into other “territories”.

In addition to being limited by words to describe such experiences, another challenge is that there is no empirical proof whether the things one has experienced are real or imagined; but perhaps a more important question is: “If I just imagined all this, why did I imagine this particular scene and not something else?” The mind is a powerful tool, and when you let go of trying to control your environment, and simply allow things to come to you, amazing things happen. This isn’t just true for TMI sessions, it is true for one’s everyday waking state as well.

meditation-389700_640 The Timeline program reinforced in me that I am much more than my physical body, and that “I” do not end with death. In several sessions, I actually experienced the dying process of my physical body in previous lifetimes, although I did not allow myself to feel the pain associated with it. I realize this sounds frightening, but I learned so very much from these exercises. What I experienced was a separation of spirit and body, a release similar to my being given an epidural during the births of my children, and the moment the drug took effect, the pain vanished instantly. The death experiences felt similar to that–the moment the spirit left the body, there was instant relief from pain, combined with a release from mental anguish as well. This was completely unexpected, and the “I” who was witnessing the whole scene, was surprised at the tremendous sense of relief and release.

In 2003, I had an out-of-body experience (OBE) in the middle of Sammy Hagar‘s concert, and that moment changed my life. While in the out-of-body state, I “saw” landscapes that were clearly not earth, and beings that were not human. Thousands of them. I wrote about this in Dance of the Electric Hummingbird. At the time, I assumed they were representations of alien worlds that exist beyond human comprehension. Now, after the things I experienced at TMI, I wonder if they were glimpses of previous lives that I had lived, or future lives, because there is a school of thought that considers that we may indeed, be living all of our lives simultaneously, similar to the space-time continuum theory in physics. With this theory in mind, some say that just as each of our cells makes up different parts of us, all these other lives are merely different aspects or parts of us–each being integral to the whole. And ultimately, just as these different aspects of us make up one whole that we think of as the “self”, we too, are all different aspects of what we call God–each of us connected to form one consciousness that is God.

I can certainly see now, how this could very well be possible.

I also saw that since “I” exist far beyond the constraints of my physical body and that since the boundaries of what I call “me” overlap and merge with other living and non-living beings, what I do to others (or to the earth), I also do to myself.

Too, it’s important for me to realize the blessing of existing here, right now, in this physical body, for there are aspects of spiritual growth that cannot be learned by any other means. Therefore, I shouldn’t squander my life fretting over “the small things,” because every moment is meant to be enjoyed with every fiber of my being.

wave-64170_640 I learned that if I look closely enough, and with the eyes of a child (Zen calls this “Beginner’s Mind”), I can actually see my entire essence—the very essence of life itself, in a drop of rain, the veins of a single leaf, in a freckle on a stranger’s face, the song of a cardinal, and in every being—living and non-living. All of these things are me and they, like me, since we are all fibers of God, are infinite. Time is merely an illusion; it’s something humans created to make sense of and feel in control of our environment.

At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I believe that my initial OBE during the rock concert, planted a kind of “seed” in my subconscious. This seed continues to grow the more I feed it spiritual wisdom, the sort of wisdom I uncover during TMI sessions, because these sessions put me in contact with—and enhance—dimensions of my mind (that are also in contact with higher levels of consciousness) that I previously never knew existed.

Bob Monroe's Cabin photo by Baja Rock Pat

Robert Monroe’s cabin, where he wrote most of his books on his many out-of-body experiences and the exploration of altered states of consciousness

Why is any of this important when there are people starving in the world and so many other important things one could be focusing on?

The exploration of the mind and its capabilities can give us insight into the reasons we behave the way we do, help us achieve personal goals, and give us tools to teach others, thereby healing the world by first healing ourselves. Visiting some of my other lives not only explained the roles certain people play in my current life, it also showed me how and why I adopted some of my limiting beliefs. Knowledge, then, is power—the power to change and to better myself. I shall continue to explore the power of my mind and spirit, for there is much to learn, and that, I believe, is the meaning of our lives—to grow and to experience emotion in its many forms–the greatest and most important of these–is love.

TMI by Baja Rock Pat

Giant crystal on the property

(To read about my first experience at TMI, please click here: Gateway to Altered States of Consciousness)

**TMI is dedicated to exploring human consciousness and peak human performance with the use of Hemi-Sync® audio technology, which uses the scientifically adapted method of binaural beats to induce the meditative state and bring both left and right hemispheres of the brain into balance. The balanced brain then, is much more capable of achieving things of which it may not have previously been capable, thereby providing a tool to help listeners achieve goals such as weight loss, quitting smoking, improved concentration, stress or pain relief, and many other areas of self-improvement. For more information, please visit http://www.monroeinstitute.org/resources/hemi-sync