Category Archives: Uncategorized

Jun 12
0

Our Kickstarter Adventure

By | Uncategorized, Writing | 3 Comments

Today I’m posting a guest blog by Anna Skarie on her experience with Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a great website for funding creative projects. Anna and her mother, Joy Dey, have written a wonderful, unique dragon book that allows children to chose what they want to do. Here is their description of the book:

“In a DoU Adventure, your child is the hero, making choices on every page that lead through over 75 possible pathways, out of the frying pan into the fire, until they get back home safely. Whew! Each choice has an icon that matches a tab. Kids use the tabs to navigate their customized adventures.”

As many authors know, finding a publisher is hard work, and self-publishing is hard work WITH a large cash outlay. We decided to go the hardest of these and start our own publishing company, because what is life without the adventure? “Just Another Monday” (the book that started all of this) is an interactive children’s picture book. In short, the hero chooses their own adventure by following tabs along the right edge of the book. If you check out our Kickstarter video or go to our website, there is a longer explanation with pictures.
We’re here to tell you the things we’ve learned so far on our search for the funding portion of this. If you have any questions after reading, please don’t hesitate to contact us (info@swakpublishing.com). In return, we’d like you to consider passing the word along via backing, facebook likes, following, pins, blogging, or whatever your preferred method is.

 

The basics…
First, if you already know what Kickstarter is all about, you can skip this paragraph. Kickstarter is basically a seed funding website. If you have a project (or a book), and you need money to get that project started (or publish your book), I highly recommend this approach, even though we’re only three quarters of the way through our journey so far. You can make an account to back other projects and/or upload your own. The idea is that each project has a monetary goal and “backers” try to help you reach your goal. They may do this out of the goodness of their hearts, or for the rewards. Reward tiers are decided by the project creator (you), and usually offer something extra (eg, signing or creativity). This last bit is important though: if you don’t reach your goal, you don’t get any money. That’s the basics, and hopefully the following will fill in the gaps.

Our start…
Our journey began long ago (in May), surrounded by some brilliant minds, on my living room sofa. Every Tuesday, we have a “mastermind” meeting of brainstorming any projects we’re working on, and my sister-in-law, came to this meeting with this “Kickstarter” thing none of us had heard of. I have since learned that kickstarter is currently responsible for 10% of the venture capital funding in the United States. We had been racking our brains for how to come up with the $20,000 required to print a larger run of Just Another Monday. The larger run is required because the tabs need to be die-cut (ie, have their shape stamped out of the paper) and the heavy dies cost money up front. The larger the run, the more that cost is spread out over the books. Cue kickstarter!

Why kickstarter…
Pros:
– little or no monetary risk (depending on how you market yourself)
– you will likely get “Kickstarters” who back you and are not part of your network
– succeed or not, it gets your name out and gives you contacts who are interested in your project
Cons:
– it’s up to you to get the word out
– projects with previous followings generally have an easier time of it (maybe not a con depending on your project)
– you MIGHT be rejected (although you can resubmit easily and well thought-out book projects seem to have a high acceptance rate)

Notes:
1. Your network – it really matters how much time/effort/interest/money you can drum up yourself. Kickstarter funders, although generous, won’t fund a project completely on their own, and you probably shouldn’t even count on “mostly”. Friends, current followers, family, friends of friends, anyone who can help you pass the word on (even if they don’t back you) is an important part of your network.

2. Social media is also important. If you don’t use facebook, twitter, pinterest, reddit, stumbleupon…you get the idea…you should find a helper who does. Getting higher on Kickstarter’s “popular” pages (and thus viewed more often) seems to be some combination of your backers, comments, % of goal, and such on Kickstarter; your links, facebook likes, and other buzz on the web; and the place your project is at (you get a boost at the beginning and end of your project)

3. It is a lot of work to keep buzz going through the life of the project. Be ready to have to flog for the length you set (30 days is usually the most successful), and have some fun doing it 🙂

What it has been like for us…
Some of this sounds so ominous, but really kickstarter is an amazing resource for anyone looking to fund a dream project (Like us!). We’ve fleshed out our idea the more we’ve blogged, facebooked, commented, and talked to people about it. One thing that really worked for us is a card with how to get to the kickstarter page on it. Since our project is a printed book, it made sense for us to try a few approaches for people who are less likely to use the internet. It also makes great “small” talk. We’ve had a lot of fun hearing people’s takes and opinions. It’s a great feeling whenever someone puts their belief in you. We really appreciate people doing whatever they can. Every time a friend or acquaintance wrote something like this we were very touched:

“One of my girlfriends and her mother made a children’s book. I have actually seen a copy of it and it is awesome. They are trying to get this book published with the publishing company that they created and need help. If you like the book and can pledge money towards it that’s great but she also understands that money can be tight. Even if you could just keep passing this along to others it would be a great help. The following links are to their Facebook page and to a kickstarter page (it is where you can propose ideas and get the word out to get funding).
http://www.facebook.com/SWAKpublishing
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1541772125/just-another-monday-2”

 

All in all, it’s been a wonderful adventure. We haven’t succeeded yet, but here’s hoping and I still completely recommend the kickstarter journey. If you plan it, prepare it, and push push push it, they will come 🙂

Cheers, and happy adventuring!

~ Anna Skarie

co-founder of S.W.A.K. Publishing

(sit with a kid!)

 

 

We’re happy to answer questions. To contact us or lend us some support, here are the links…
our email: info@swakpublishing.com
our project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1541772125/just-another-monday-2

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SWAKpublishing
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SWAKpublishing
pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sitwithakid
our blog: http://sitwithakid.wordpress.com

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May 13
0

Keoki Flagg on Tedx Talks about Grant Korgan

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A good friend sent me a remarkable youtube video of her nephew Keoki Flagg, an adventure sport photographer, on Ted x talks. The talk is about Grant Korgan’s journey to the South Pole that made history on January 17, 2012. Grant was the first adaptive athlete to trek to the South Pole. It was done on the 100-year anniversary of the first South Pole explorers.

Keoki joined the journey to photograph it. To make the expedition he had to get into shape because he had to pull a sled with 500 pounds of equipment on it.

Two years ago Grant Korgan had a snowmobile accident that left him a paraplegic. Grant decided to make an expedition to the South Pole as part of his recovering program and to raise money for medical research for paraplegics. The trip was funded by the High Fives Foundation, which helps injured athletes recover. Grant used a custom sit ski to trek 75 miles in two weeks. With ski poles he pushed himself along. Keoki compared it to sitting in a cardboard box and pushing it across the room.

The weather was as cold as forty degrees below zero with head winds of 10 to 20 knots. At those temperatures it is hard to function.

In the youtube video you’ll see some of Keoki’s remarkable photos of the trip. IN discussing his photography, he said that original art touches the viewer emotionally.

Keoki also talked about the experience of making this journey. The land is flat and the sun never set so there was no way to gain perspective as to how far he had gone each day. There weren’t any clocks, phones or internet in the South Pole. Being removed from all this technology helped Keoki find inner peace and balance. He said that we all need more peace. He wants to affect the world in a positive way. He ended his talk with: “The message of positivity in these times is critical. Dream as big as you can and change the world.”

Here is the Youtube:

To learn more about the project go:
http://www.southpolepush.com./

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Apr 12
0

Two Inspiring videos

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For the new year I want to share two special videos.  The first one is called Gratitude by Louie Schwartzberg.  What better time than the beginning of the year to think about all we have to be grateful for.  Schwarzberg talks about being present and celebrating life as he shares his amazing time lapse photography.  He has captured some flowers unfolding, the movement of clouds in the sky, and butterflies.   His talk and films are both inspiring. 

The second part of the video is called “Happiness Revealed” and is from the point of view of a child and elderly man.  One of the things the elderly man says is to look at the faces of the people you meet.  Each one has an incredible stories behind their face.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyOrNdfBQNk

 

The second video is for those of you who love dancing.  This video is of a couple who dance with amazing grace and beauty. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=cWIhXzZT8dE&vq=largeS

 

I hope you are uplifted as much as I was by these wonderful videos.  Enjoy the gift of life in this new year.

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Apr 12
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Caribbean Cruise: Vacations Can Open Our Awareness

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Last month my family and I took a Caribbean cruise and spent a week in Puerto Rico. The trip wasn’t only an escape from the cold Minnesota weather; it also provided a chance to experience different cultures, ways of life and people. When I travel I’m more aware of everything and living in the moment because everything is so new and different. Sometimes I have more vivid dreams or even a past-life memory.

This trip broadened my understanding of the Caribbean islands and sparked my interest in its history. The islands have such features as tropical rainforests, mountains and white sand beaches surrounded by aqua blue ocean.
(Here are some photos of our trip.)


The main language in Puerto Rico is Spanish though many speak English so it isn’t hard to get around. One Puerto Rican highlight was a guided hike in El Yunque, a large rainforest. After visiting the rainforest we paddled kayaks into an ocean bay to see the bioluminescent water. At night the water sparkles like fireflies when you paddle or put your hand in it. It seems magical.

I find many of the things I worry about at home disappear when I’m traveling. I enjoy just sitting on the ocean, feeling the warm sun, watching the waves and swimmers. It’s also fun to spend time with my family and meet new people.

Traveling can be a trigger for remembering past lives. It sparks memories, sometimes subtle and other times direct. While I didn’t remember any past lives on this trip, when I visited Fort San Felipe Del Morro (a five-hundred-year-old fort in Puerto Rico) I felt a deep heaviness I knew stemmed from a past life.

The fort is historically significant because it served as a base of Spanish power.
Puerto Rico was discovered by Columbus on his second voyage and colonized by Spain. Today none of the native people remain. The island has a natural harbor, fresh water and was the first place the ocean currents brought ships when they sailed to the new world from Europe. From this fort Spain controlled the gateway to Mexico, Central and South America to better rule this part of the world. They pillaged gold and silver from these countries and had a large slave-trading business. (Here are some photos of the fort.)


On the island of Barbados we saw the amazing Huntes Garden set on the site of an old sugar plantation. Chairs where you can sit and enjoy the flowers and serenity are placed throughout the garden. While there we met Grace, a woman from England. She lives in an old house outside of London that was once a monastery in the 1500s. I asked, “Have you ever been visited by a ghost?” She said yes she had, by a monk on three occasions. The first time he appeared was when she was ill. He came into her room and was a comforting presence.



Grace told us she once experienced a challenging situation when her family had wronged her. She was upset until she had a dream where she left her body and met with Jesus, her spiritual guide.

He said, “You’ve been forgiven. Now it’s up to you to forgive others.” After the dream she was able to let go of the situation and forgive her family members.

My husband Jim asked, “That changed your life, didn’t it?” She replied it had.

Jim said, “We call that ‘Soul Travel’” (an Eckankar term that can mean a shift in consciousness to a higher state of awareness or an experience of leaving the physical body either while awake or when dreaming).

Grace said she’d never heard of Soul Travel, but found the idea interesting.

(Here are some photos of the garden.)

I returned home refreshed from these wonderful adventures with my family and felt enriched by the many people I met along the way.

Have you met an interesting person or had an experience when traveling that opened up vivid dreams or gave you an insight into a past life? I’d love to hear your stories.

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Jan 16
0

Louie Schwartzberg: Two Amazing Videos

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For the new year I want to share two special videos. The first one is called Gratitude by Louie Schwartzberg. What better time than the beginning of the year to think about all we have to be grateful for. Schwarzberg talks about being present and celebrating life as he shares his amazing time lapse photography. He has captured some flowers unfolding, the movement of clouds in the sky, and butterflies. His talk and films are both inspiring.
The second part of the video is called “Happiness Revealed” and is from the point of view of a child and elderly man. One of the things the elderly man says is to look at the faces of the people you meet. Each one has an incredible stories behind their face.
The second video is for those of you who love dancing. This video is of a couple who dance with amazing grace and beauty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=cWIhXzZT8dE&vq=largeS

I hope you are uplifted as much as I was by these wonderful videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=cWIhXzZT8dE&vq=largeS

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Oct 07
0

Wonderful Stories and videos

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I fell down last Saturday hiking near Lake Superior and broke my left wrist, making typing a challenge, so I am sharing some wonderful videos for this post.  The first one is about an elephant that made me cry, though the video is the happy part of the story.  The second is an amazing story about two unusual friends, a little black cat and an owl, that made me laugh.  The third is a video my friend Ali made in Italy, a humorous video about out-of-body travel.

Above is my husband, Jim, and my son Paul on the trail we were hiking on.

I’m also sharing a story about Steve Jobs who died recently.  He was a remarkable man and started Apple.   I am grateful to Mr. Jobs.  I’ve used Apples exclusively since the first came out.

The  photos are from my hike (before I fell) showing fall color and photos of hawks, taken at Hawk Ridge in Duluth. The hawk are caught, tagged and released in the fall.

Sunrise on Lake Superior

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall at Lake Superior

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 elephants reunited after nearly 25 years later. Just remarkable! And absolutely worth the watch….

http://www.dogwork.com/relp8/

Elephants Reunited After 20 Years

Here is the video of the cat and owl. Very cute.
http://www.wimp.com/catowl/

Here is the video Alison Wylie made.  Her website is www.astral wings.com

And last, the story about Steve Jobs sure to inspire you.

Steve Jobs gave this as his second story of his Commencement Address at Stanford University on June 12, 2005.Steve JovsLove and LossI was lucky. I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation – the Macintosh – a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started?Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down – that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me – I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT.I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple.It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.

Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

Steve Jobs
1955-2011

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being,” read a banner on the company’s website. “Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”  International Business Times

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Sep 05
0

Three Great Stories

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I love good stories and wanted to share three insightful ones that I heard recently.  The first story inspired me to be aware of how I touch others with just my attitude and presence.  It’s about a clerk…

“I learned to love you today.

You’re miserable and probably one of the rudest people I’ve ever come across.

When I approach you, you turn away and pretend that I am not there, until you’re ready.

I have tried a thousand times to make you smile and you have tried a thousand times not to.

I have dreaded even having to deal with you. I even tried coming at another time only to find you there at all hours.

The hard, staid, look on your face remains unchanged no matter what day it is, what time it is or even what season.

A “Beautiful day!” gets a moan.

“Hello, how are you today?” always returns “The same.”

I have given up on you, I have been angered by you, I have even thought about complaining to the manager, but didn’t.

Then one day I caught myself acting just like you and realized that I must stop.

I finally resolved myself to the fact that you are who you are and I cannot change that.

You are a fact of my life and I must learn to deal with it.

You made me.

The one day that I permitted myself to return the emptiness, rude behavior, terrible attitude and silent treatment, you chose to say something.

I approached the checkout and you said, “Are you Okay?” I was stunned. I could actually feel my brow, my entire face scrunch up apparently angry that you would ask.

“Am I okay?” I said in disbelief.

“Yes.” you replied. “You are usually so upbeat and chipper.”

I stood in this dream-like state confused by what was going on.

You looked at me and said, “I depend on you to lift my spirits every time you come in. I work three jobs, my bills are piling up, my kids need clothes for school, my husband left me and three weeks later I found out I have cancer.”

I was speechless.

“Now you come in with this attitude today,” she said.

I actually apologized.

I never considered that you were much more than a clerk. I never tried to understand that behind that face was personal pain, life challenges and loss.

Sure you should learn to separate work and life, but sometimes life digs in, hurts, and you end up wearing it like an ugly dress. Fits, but no one wants to see it.

Knowing now how difficult your life is I will see you through the eyes of love.

Love is more than romantic. Love is compassionate. Love is kind. Love is forgiving. Love is seeing beyond the pain.

I learned to love you today.”

Bob Perks

Bob Perks is an inspirational author and speaker. Bob’s new book I Wish You Enough has been published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. A collection of stories based on his Eight Wishes expressed below. Visit www.BobPerks.com

“I Wish You Enough!”
(c) 2001 Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Goodbye.”

Bob Perks story illustrate how important a smile or friendly greeting can be.  Right after hearing this story I heard another one with a similar message.

This woman I’ll call Patty was filled with a lot of anger and hatred.  She didn’t like crowds because she felt crowded in.  One day she decided to go for a walk with a different attitude; she filled herself with love instead of her usual anger.  On her walk a man and his dog went by and the man smiled at her.  This didn’t normally happen because of the negativity that usually surrounded her. Patty’s mood lifted.  A tingling of  happiness filled her and she smiled back.

Life is a blessing and what we give out is what comes back to us.  Be aware of what’s happening around you and how you affect others.

A third story I wanted to share is about a little bird that opened my heart and many others. We can learn so much about love from animals.  Animals are soul just like us.

A female mate was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

Her male mate brought her food and attended her with love and compassion.

 

He brought her food again, but was shocked to find her dead.

 

He tried to move her – a rarely seen effort.

 

Aware that his mate was dead and would never come back to him again, he cried with adoring love…

 

 

…and stood beside her with sadness and sorrow.

 

Millions of people were touched after seeing these photos in America , Europe, Australia , and even India .  The photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the most famous newspaper in France .  All copies of that edition were sold out on the day these pictures were published.

All three of these stories illustrate how we affect each other by our action and words whether we are human or an animal.  Little things are important like smiling at a sales clerk or a stranger on the street.  We touch people in ways we will never know.  Give out positive, loving energy.  You never know when the love you give out will uplift another person and bring more joy into both your lives.

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May 11
0

THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES

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We all get emails sent to us with cute stories and photos.  The one that came to me today was letters from children to God.  I had just gotten off the phone with someone whose friend’s wife had died quickly and unexpectedly of cancer.

One of the children’s letters was:

It is an interesting question and one that we all wonder about at some point in our life.  Why do people die?  Why doesn’t God just keep the people he has? We all have our own beliefs.  Mine is that this world is a school and we experience what it is like to go through all stages of life in many different countries over a series of lifetimes.

I enjoyed many of the other letters as well.  Here are some more:

The letters are sweet in their innocence and honesty.  While other letters are delightfully humorous.  They also touch on truth.  For example, Larry suggests that if Cain and Abel had separate rooms they “would not kill each so much.”  He hints at one of the problems in the world today.  There are a lot of people on earth with crowded conditions making it harder for everyone to get along.  We fight over land, material wealth and different religions. Living at this time in history is a spiritual opportunity for people to learn how to share the world and how to love more.

Nan also writes about love and how hard it must be for God to love everyone in the “whole world.”  “There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.”  She hits on something that is challenging for many people.  It’s not easy to give everyone unconditional love, even within your own circle of loved ones.  Yet we are born into a particular family because they are the right ones to teach us the lessons we need to learn to grow spiritually.

The letter from Denise is funny.  She doesn’t want to come back as Jennifer who she hates.  Is she really wondering about reincarnation?  Do we return to earth and if so who do we come back as?  Denise won’t come back as Jennifer, but she might come back as a person in of a different race or religion she was taught to hate or that she doesn’t understand.  For example, a Christian might come back as a Muslim or a Muslim as a Christian.  A black person might be reborn as a white person or a white person as a black person or Chinese person etc.

The last letter is particularly funny.  The child thanks God for his new baby brother, but what he wanted was a dog.  How many of us get gifts from God, but what we really wanted was something else?  Maybe the relationship we wanted didn’t work out but we eventually found someone we loved even more or maybe we didn’t get the job we wanted but we got one that turned out to be even better.

I hope you enjoy these children’s letters to God as much as I did.   There is a lot of truth in them.

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Apr 25
0

Have You Had a Spiritual Experience?

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A study said that one out of every three Americans has had some kind of extraordinary spiritual experience.  Most of the time these experiences are never talked about because the person is afraid of other people’s reactions.  For the third of the people who have had these experiences or believe in near death and out-of-body experiences I’d like to share a few stories.

I’ve changed everyone’s names to protect their privacy.

Joe told me a story from over forty years ago when he was a young man. He went to visit his uncle who had a young toddler.  After visiting for a while, Joe got in his car and was about to back down the driveway when a voice said, “Stop!”  He turned off the car, wondering where the voice had come from.  He looked around and didn’t see anything.  He turned the car back on again and for the second time the voice said, “Stop!”  This time Joe got out of the car and walked around it.  In back of his rear wheel the toddler was sitting!   With his heart racing at what had almost happened, Joe lifted up the child.  At the moment the mother came running out the door looking for her child.  Joe gave her the child without saying anything about the voice.  He was afraid she’d think he was crazy.  Many years passed before he shared his story with anyone.

I found it surprising that this amazing miracle happened in this man’s life and he’d didn’t feel safe to share it. Yet, this voice saved this child’s life.  Why is it taboo to discuss spiritual experiences in our society?

More recently I was at a luncheon when Peggy started telling about her friend’s funeral.  She was outside at the burial when this bird flew overhead.  She felt light shoot down from the bird and pierce her heart filling her with love.  Peggy instantly knew that it was a sign from her deceased friend that she was all right.  I was grateful that Peggy had the courage to share such a special story and heartened that perhaps people are beginning to feel more comfortable sharing them.

Jill shared a special dream she had as a child.  In the dream she walked down the hall of a church and saw three doors to the left.  The third door was open and inside the room was a bright yellow piano.  She hit the b sharp key on the piano and it didn’t work.  She was living in Minnesota at the time, but later her parents got a divorce and her mother took her to live in Texas.  On the first day of Sunday school she looked down the hallway and saw the three doors to the left.  She immediately knew where she was from her dream experience.  Sure enough in third room was the bright yellow piano and when she hit the b sharp key is was flat. This experience touched her on a deep level.  What an amazing glimpse into the future!  How many of us are shown things in our dreams but never pay attention?

At a workshop recently I heard two amazing stories about out-of-body experiences.  In the first one, Mike lay in bed one morning staring out the window at the orange sunrise and listening to the birds sing.  Suddenly he felt a tingling in the center of his forehead.  The vibrations of his body changed and he felt a swirling from one ear to another.  He heard the loud sound of a drum, then a popping sound.  Mike felt himself leaving his body and looked down at it from the ceiling.

Mike was scared at being out of the body and thought he was dead.  Then he realized.  “I’m not dead.  I’m alive.”  A master manifested and love poured out from this being.  Mike was Catholic so at first he thought it must be Jesus.  But the man had blond hair and so he decided he wasn’t. Mike told the master, “I’m not ready to go.  There is so much more I need to learn.” The Mater raised his right hand and Mike flew back into his body.  He woke up with a jolt and wondered what had happened.  This experience led him on a spiritual quest.  For eight years he explored different paths searching for answers. Eventually he learned about out-of-body travel.  He even learned the name of the inner master he’d seen.  The Master’s name was Gopal Das.  Here’s his picture:

At the same workshop Ben told of his a near death experience.  He was struck by lightning and found himself out of his physical body.  While out of his body he went to a place of tranquility and love. It was so wonderful there that he didn’t want to leave.  He met a wise white bearded man who knew things about him.  Ben thought the man was God. Ben awoke from this experience to a life he didn’t recognize.  He told the doctors about his experience and they told him he’d have to go to another type of hospital if he didn’t stop talking about this other world.  They thought he was mentally unbalanced.  Ben didn’t talk about his experience for twenty years.  Eventually he found like-minded people he could share his remarkable experience with.  He also saw a photo of the white bearded man and discovered the man wasn’t God, but a spiritual guide named Fubbi Quantz.  Here is his picture:

Maybe you’ve had a spiritual experience like one of these or an experience that is uniquely your own that you’d like to share?  Have you met one of these masters or another spiritual teacher?  I’d love to hear your story on this blog.

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