On some level, no matter our age, we are all little children, afraid of the dark. From the deepest recesses of human consciousness, we are fearful beings by nature. It is a primal instinct; a visceral response instilled within each of us...fight or flight. The strongest of human emotions, capable of altering our perceptions, fear is a force to be reckoned with from birth until death. The thing we fear most of all is death. It is nothing to be ashamed of or denied, as it is ancient; inescapably imprinted in our DNA. This is an intrinsic element of our structure and often functions to alert us to dangerous conditions or circumstances; an imbued mechanism as internal
construct...intuition: a vital technique for self-preservation. Though fear protects us it need not limit us in the process. When mortal beings are no longer morbidly preoccupied with the abject fear of death, our cumulative psyche, the "collective consciousness" will become free, liberating us to live on a higher level, to live in each moment embracing the beauty of it, as if it were literally our last. When we realize that spirit is a free-floating manifestation of pure energy, distinct unto itself, connected yet unattached to the form and substance of a body, the human spirit will soar and come to know the incredible lightness of its being. Though relegated to the confines of the current vessel, spirit has the potential to lift us to its own level and we become free to float through life, unburdened and unfettered by thoughts of the inevitable transition which awaits, thus transforming us in every conceivable way.
Human beings are fascinated by it, often welcoming fear into our realm of experience, as if it is an emotion with which we must occasionally re-familiarize ourselves now that we live relatively safe lives. Simply making the decision to go see a horror movie will heighten our awareness, creating the excited anticipation of being scared in the relative darkness of a theater. Climbing into a motor vehicle, we'll snap a seat belt around our fragile bodies then drive like the wind, pursuing speeds that would certainly claim us in an accident, regardless of how securely we're strapped into a machine which would crumble and disintegrate around us at the velocity attained. Why do some feel the compulsion to tempt fate as a matter of course? Why do we seek the sudden surge of adrenaline? Because it makes us feel more alive. Standing on the precipice of the chasm, we feel exhilarated, deliberately exposing ourselves to the gut-wrenching sensation of being "scared to death". What urge prompts such reckless behavior? Perhaps we crave the ancient stimuli to remind us of how our ancestors survived to create us, though it could be less complicated. It may simply be the "rush" we find so enticing; the internal process triggered by a self-inflicted wound.
There is a specific type of fear unlike any other; uninvited and unwelcome. Millions of mortals claim to have experienced it yet are reluctant to discuss its point of origin. Those who encounter "spirit" in an alternate form of existence immediately question their own sensory perceptions of it. What they've relied upon lifelong to identify the "reality" of an environment becomes suddenly suspicious. Essentially, they don't believe their eyes. Such shock and awe-inspiring encounters are raw and uncensored, utterly inexplicable; beyond our capacity to reason and comprehend, provoking a visceral response. When any human being unaccustomed to the stark imagery is confronted by the manifestation of an entity seemingly not of this world, the engagement instantly alters every previously established perception, introducing a notion difficult to process in the moment of occurrence or in its aftermath. Once the paralysis subsides, life begins anew. Everything prior to it presumed to be known and understood is internally interrogated, including one's own state of mind. Cognition becomes transient as that which we spend our lives seeking is confirmed: proof of an afterlife being the obvious and logical conclusion drawn. Yet what the individual has witnessed is illogical in comparison to "reality" and our tendency is to decline the invitation imposed as a life sentence. Frightened out of our mortal minds, we are compelled against our will to consider immortality: the concept that there is indeed some form of existence beyond death. The intensely disturbing fear which manifests as an apparition (capable of transforming an environment) makes its presence known is compelling in two respects. These encounters are quite phenomenal enough in their own right. Likewise, they compel us to reconsider all else, which becomes entirely irrelevant as the profound impact of this contact stuns us into submission, thrusting us into an "alternate reality". Whether the human reaction breeds contempt or fascination, such imagery is impaled within memory where it lingers for life, no matter how valiant the attempt made to suppress it. Those comfortable with the sensory confines of three dimensions are instantly transported into a fourth, often much to their dismay. Myriad questions emerge from the experience, revealing the rather uncomfortable idea that we don't know everything. A natural conversion begins. There is no turning back once we step onto the bridge and peer into the chasm. Even the most stoic among us remain haunted by the vision, revealing concepts contrary to all we have "known" before its occurrence. What was merely an illusive notion only moments before takes on a whole new meaning, bridging an abyss which we were unaware existed until the poignant moment of recognition. Forced to reconsider our death as a fallacy, therein lies the irony of the situation. We fear what should ultimately provide us some comfort. As we find what we seek, proof of afterlife, instead of thinking of it in terms of wish-fulfillment, we frequently attempt to deny the revelation. It is disquieting, reaching deeply into our consciousness, there to dwell among the cinders of what we once feared to be the truth of our existence: ashes to ashes...dust to dust. Most mortals want to believe there is something beyond this life, something more and we worship an invisible deity with heartfelt faith, praying to the Holy Spirit for our own immortality. Once confronted with proof of the assertion, we begin to doubt ourselves in the midst of a belief system which becomes validated, thus warped and skewed by the evidence: an unexpected vision of something beyond this realm.
Now, taking the quantum leap into first person narrative, from a highly personal perspective, I know of what I speak in written word. From the age of twelve, I was certain of my position on the matter. My natural fear of death dissipated into the ether with the knowledge, overcome as I was by a vision I too was reluctant to share at the time. The great question which has plagued humanity has an answer, though I do not presume to fully comprehend what I witnessed. However, I always considered myself privileged and blessed by the encounter. Expanding my mind against my will, I've spent several decades attempting to absorb the significance of it. I stand on this bridge firm-footed, refusing to be intimidated by the chasm below, knowing that it will not collapse. Even if it does, I can float across at any given moment. At the core of our being we are all little children, fearful of the dark. Embrace your fear and it will disappear. Let there be Light. Spirit is and anyone can float once they acknowledge the fact that we are all essentially spirit. Be not afraid.
Here...take my hand.
