A Mid-Night Visit

"My mother came and sat on the edge of my bed. It was the middle of the night and I was sound asleep but the gentle movement of the bed awakened me. I wondered why she was here in my room speaking to me. It was hard to understand what she was trying to tell me, but I knew she had deep concern for my dad's welfare. "
As a therapist I often hear this sort of introduction to a client's issue or concern. However, as "Ray's" story unfolded, it was clear it was no ordinary story. Ray's mother had died many years prior to her visiting her son. And this wasn't the first time she had visited. Ray needed to explore and understand what was going on.

How do we explain these sort of occurrences? What goes on in the mind? There are some occurrences which we might pass off as coincidences, an over active imagination, wishful thinking, or some sort of odd dream. But there are some, such as Ray's experiences (more on that later) that are so powerful that they cannot be so easily explained away.
Researches find this a fascinating area of study. Not only modern researchers and psychologists, but sages and philosophers thru the ages have weighed in on topics which include the study of the mind. Where do thoughts come from? How do "coincidences" take place? How is it that we sometimes "know" information that guides us in life? How do miracles take place? And how on earth do we explain paranormal experiences such as the one Ray shared with me?

At this time in history more and more people accept the presence of angels and are more open to the idea of paranormal experiences.The book shelves are filled with accounts of special messengers and comforters. NDE (near death experiences) are talked about openly, but before the publishing of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's work with death and dying, people having these experiences hid away their true life accounts. No one talked about these sorts of things.
What is on the book shelves is all well and good, but when it is you that has a paranormal experience, it can be a little unhinging! So, what is going on and might a clue be in studying how the mind operates?

An interesting theory is that of Edgar Cayce, a Christian mystic philosopher and intuitive healer to thousands. Although Mr. Cayce had only an eighth grade education, he was able to diagnose illnesses of those who came to him for readings and offer successful suggestions for healing. Considering that Mr. Cayce died in 1945, his holistic philosophy of life and attention to the blending of Eastern and Western traditions were well before his time.
His model of the mind and how we might traverse our spiritual quest was based on a dream he had in 1932. He received all of his information by going into a deep relaxed state. A stenographer took notes on what he said, and he did not remember the information when he came back up into normal awakened state. How was he able to be so accurate and ahead of his time?

Cayce saw the mind as being three levels: the conscious, the subconscious and the superconscious. He deemed the superconscious as the "heavens". In a very relaxed state he would quiet the conscious mind, pass through the subconscious mind and finally make a connection with the superconscious or "all knowing" mind. Mr. Cayce noted that this is where we make a connection with our higher self or the divine. However, note that we pass through the subconscious. In other postings I have shared that it is within this part of our mind that we face all our memories and emotions, fears, desires and resentments. For those of you who are interested in psychology this would be what Jung refers to as the "shadow self".

But the overall point is this: In more than 99% of Cayce's readings the source of his outstanding knowledge was within himself. It was as if he reached his way into an all-knowing Mind ~ and he thought of himself as no one special, because for that matter this same journey through the levels of the mind lies within all of us.

As for Ray, the gentleman who came to me so that we might explore and find an understanding about his mother's visits ~ the one I shared with you, in which she was concerned about Ray's father's welfare, came just prior to his father dying in a grizzly accident.
Somehow, we all inner-connect beyond time and space. Because Ray somehow knew that his father's well-being may be at risk, he made sure that he let his dad know how much he loved him and how thankful he was for all he taught him. Though he was deeply saddened at the loss of his father, he was at peace with it. And he was very thankful that although his experience with his mother's visit was out of the ordinary, that he respected the message she brought to him.

May we all respect the wonderful gift of our minds and mysteries they hold.

Until next time,
Dr.DyAnn

Our Prison Keys

Anyone who knows me, either through my work as a clinician or by my writing, knows that I am fascinated with the power of the human mind. I believe my purpose is to bring that information to others. With it, you have the keys to make your life so much better ~ so much sweeter. You have true power.

At times I share with you about my own life, or my work with clients. Today I want to share with you an amazing account, one of the most provocative I have ever read, about the power of the human mind. If it doesn't make a believer out of you, I don't know what will. Dr. Maroslav Borysenko, Tufts University School of Medicine, and visiting professor at Harvard University, cites writer and psychologist Jeanne Achterberg's 1980 case of a young girl who was kidnapped, raped, tortured, and left for dead with both of her arms cut off (Bill Moyers, Healing and the Mind, ed. Betty Sue Flowers and David Grubin. New York: Doubleday, 1993) 187. Here it is~


"Miraculously she walked miles to safety without bleeding to death even though both radical arteries were severed. When asked how she managed to save herself , the girl replied that she thought of herself as the bionic woman, an invincible character in a popular television show of the time. This young girl, who survived through the power of imagining herself bionic, had inadvertently used an indirect form of hypnosis to staunch the flow of blood. While meditation has to do with emptying our minds of images, bringing forth the nonspecific healing physiology of the relaxation response, hypnosis is about creating vivid mental images that our bodies respond to specifically. About one in twenty people are so capable of absorbing themselves in fantasy that their bodies can respond like that of the girl mentioned above."

Dr. Borysenko defines meditation as the removal of mindsets so we can perceive the world freshly. Hypnosis, in contrast, is the cultivation of a particular mind set. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University's Medical School, states: The mind that has not been developed or trained is very scattered. That is the normal state of affairs, but it leaves us out of touch with a great deal of life, including our bodies. All of this is happening below the surface of awareness, which means that our unconscious thoughts are creating kind of a prison which regulates a lot of our behavior.

Thankfully we don't find ourselves in the horrendous situation such as that of the young girl described above. But, what kind of prison do you find your own mind in? Where do your thoughts and feelings take you? Are you in a place of calm relaxation which leads to self control and empowerment? Or do you at times think of yourself as dis-empowered with life and its circumstances?

I will confess that at times in my life I have been in that dark valley in which I have felt very discouraged and dis-empowered. Just like you I have felt an overwhelming sense of loss. I know that right now many of you are dealing with discouragement. I have come to realize that it is not our circumstances, but our response to them that makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. When my family relocated almost two years ago, my plans suffered several strong, harsh blows. I had losses that brought me to my knees and the brink of despair. About the time I pulled myself up and out, another blow would come my way. I began to wonder if it was endless - would I ever find my way out. I was caught in the web of that prison described by Kabat-Zinn.

Most thankfully, I also had within me the knowledge of the power we each carry within us. And even though dark days sometimes turned into weeks, I always knew that if I hung on, hung in there and worked with what I knew, I would be okay and I could turn things around.

I speak/write frequently about "feeding your soul" and that is a staple for me. When we store up positive thoughts in the form of verses, poems, stories and quotes, (and there is a storage unit so-to-speak in our mind) we can call upon them when we are in times of trouble. They will help to break us out of that prison. Here are a few of my favorites for you to ponder:

Hope is the feeling that the feeling you have isn't permanent (Jean Kerr).

Life is a wilderness of twists and turns, where faith is your only compass (Paul Santaguida).

God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us - in the dreariest and most dreaded moments - can see a possibility of hope (Maya Angelou).

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly (Edward Teller).

Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; if you find it, then there will be a future, and hope will not be cut off (Proverbs 24:14 NASV).

I hope you will continue to join me on the incredible journey into the understanding of your magnificent mind.

Namaste,

Until next time,

Dr. DyAnn