The Meaning of Life

I have been curious about this world and finding the answer to this question my whole life, and I have come across a couple explanations that I believe best capture the essence of what it means to be alive on this journey. It is the reason I call my practice Journey Mindfulness. There is a reason for living and there is absolutely meaning in your life. In fact, there is a meaning for everything. One explanation comes from a notable counseling psychologist and master hypnotherapist, Dr. Michael Newton, who wrote several books on the journey of the soul based on experiences from his life’s work. The second explanation is channeled through Suzanne Giesemann, a retired Navy Commander and former aide-de-camp for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during 9/11, who learned how to become an evidential psychic medium after the tragic passing of her pregnant daughter to find out what happens on the other side of life after death.

My personal progression in learning about these topics goes something like this, I learned several forms of meditation and it opened me up to higher realms of consciousness. Put simply you are far more than your thoughts and thinking mind. I’ve had a few of what people know as paranormal experiences, have an excellent true ghost story, was saved by my guardian angel on a ferry in Bangladesh, and visited by my loving grandmother during a particularly difficult time in my life, and since it is increasingly in the news, have seen some UFO’s as well. Turns out the world I thought I knew was opening to the vast universe of possibilities. A story that has always stuck with me in this process is Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.”

Then something interesting happened to me. One of my clients had gone to see a psychic medium to find some answers to a specific problem they were having, and in that session the medium discussed me and our counseling relationship and details they could not have possibly known about me or our counseling relationship. This client came back and told me that their “Spirit Guides” had told them to take counseling more seriously as it was helpful to them. My mind tried very hard to make sense of how that could be, and I had no good answers, as this client was honest, and not a deceptive type of person. Not being able to draw any logical conclusions I did the next best thing. I set up an appointment with the medium to find out more about them and see if there was anything to this or if this was complete bull shine.

The session that I have with this particular psychic medium again blew me away. They knew details about my life, my relationships, my children, my job, and my life that they could not ever “google.” I asked questions about things in my past and got solid and insightful answers. To give you an idea about accuracy, a good evidential medium gets about 70% or higher in terms of their hit rate. Often things that might be misses in the moment often turn out to be hits discovered at a later data. I learned that I had spirit guides, we all do, and they are always with us, along with a guardian angel, and they are often communicating with us, in our thoughts and other synchronicities we experience in life. We have free will, although there is a plan, and they cannot intervene with some things, as we all have lessons we previously agreed to learn and work on.

Needless to say, my world further opened up, and it was during that session that I was compelled to learn about hypnosis- because it would give me another tool to help people heal, one of my main missions here on Earth. I found a mentor, learned inner child regression therapy, and in the process learned about past life regression, and did my own. I learned through my own regression work that I have lived many lives. If you are curious to learn more about past lives the book by Dr. Brian Weiss is highly recommended or you may book a past life regression session with me.

However, one of the most magical moments of my past life regression was going into the space after my death, in which I entered the spirit realm- heaven may be an easier explanation to visualize although there is more to it than that. I observed my funeral of that particular life, which was very hard, and saw everyone grieving for me, although it had been a good life, and I was old (for that time) I was then guided to where my soul went next, and my next memory was being welcomed by all my family and friends who were alive and also deceased, they were all present, and I was congratulated and lovingly received, I felt no pain, only love, warmth and joy, no fear. I was surprised because people that were still alive were there to welcome me. I would learn about how that happens later, but the time between lives was blissful, as it should be because life on Earth can be quite challenging.

At some point after this time, I read a book about the Journey of Souls by Dr. Michael Newton. It was very exciting to learn about reincarnation and past lives, but even more exciting to me was the time between lives and what goes on in the spirit realm, and the meticulous planning that occurs with our teachers and guides as we review our lives and plan our incarnation and the lessons we want to experience. Newton’s work is spectacular, and his notes provide stunning details that we can use in our current research as we expand our knowledge of what happens behind the veil.

It is during one of these sessions that the higher self (soul) of one of his patients under hypnosis shares this insight about what it means to live and fulfill our destiny on this journey to Earth, in the Destiny of Souls by Dr. Michael Newton:

“Coming to Earth is about traveling away from our home to a foreign land. Some things seem familiar, but most are strange until we get used to them, especially conditions which are unforgiving. Our real home is a place of absolute peace, total acceptance, and complete love. As souls separated from our home, we can no longer assume these beautiful features will be present around us. On Earth we must learn to cope with intolerance, anger, and sadness, while searching for joy and love. We must not lose our integrity along the way. Sacrificing goodness for survival and acquiring attitudes either superior or inferior to those around us. We know that living in an imperfect world will help us to appreciate the true meaning of perfection. We ask for courage and humility before our journey into another life. As we grow in awareness so will the quality of our existence. This is how we are tested, passing this test is our destiny.”

Read these words with a gentle and curious attention. Do they resonate with you? Do you remember? They may or may not, so take what does and leave the rest. We are all on our own path, and no path is better or worse than any other.

***

Moving along to the retired Navy Commander, her story is compelling to me because before the death of her daughter any thought of the spiritual world was simply out of bounds for Suzanne Giesemann. It was not a part of her personal and especially not in the military world. Her story is interesting because in her and her husband’s grief she became strongly determined as a military officer might to solve the puzzle of life after death and find the answer to what happened to their daughter, and eventually she did. She met with a medium in her search for answers, and her daughter connected with them, along with the soul of her unborn grandson. Both were quite alive and well on the other side, because we never die, and that is how this all works. Suzanne has gone on in her second chapter to become one of the most notable and influential mediums in the world because her life story has been so helpful to others healing from grief of loved ones, and the fact she has opened her work to be studied and researched by science. In her book, Messages of Hope, Suzanne channels her spirit guides, known to her as Sanaya. The following passage is from Sanaya:

All Is in Perfect Order Always

 (*note: if the concept of God does not fit for you choose another term, the universe, source, intelligent infinity, etc.)

“All of the universe exists for your enjoyment. You are here to play and create for who are you but a focus of the consciousness of the great creator. It is through your experiences that God experiences God's creations, how else would God be able to play? Go forth each day with an attitude of playfulness and joy, knowing that all is in perfect order always. Let this be a mantra that falls from your lips at every moment as you see things you question, say this important phrase again all is in perfect order always. As this phrase becomes part of your creative consciousness, sit back and watch the perfection unfold. Laugh with joy as you see what happens as you go through your day in harmony with the flow of the universe. A small coincidence is no longer luck, but a living example that you are in the flow. Part of creation itself, helping to create the perfection that is life. And then go out and play some more creating yet more perfection, and as you do so, smile. For would not God smile down on God's creation and say, it is good.”

To live is to experience it all- bliss, joy, happiness, love, as well as the polarity & contrast of fear, doubt, pain, suffering, and unimaginable trauma, grief, and negative aspects of guilt, shame, and humiliation. I share this because I experience and must work through some of the very same things that my wonderful clients go through, and it can be very challenging and difficult, but it is absolutely possible to heal, love, accept, understand, forgive, let go, and appreciate the totality of good and bad from any experience and become wiser and stronger for it. Each experience allows for the expansion of consciousness and soul growth. Everything is energy, and once you begin to understand some of these concepts you can begin to harness this energy in constructive ways for your growth, love, and empowerment. May you know that you are safe, held, loved, and supported by the universe. Everything is happening for you.