I’d like to meet Dan Millman,” I said as Michael and I headed toward the door. In Tony’s hall entrance, I noticed a large picture of a man with curly black hair.
“That is a picture of Sai Baba,” said Michael. He explained that Tony had been to India to see this Divine person. I was not fully paying attention to what Michael was saying because my thoughts were focused on getting to the Sage Experience on time, but Sai Baba would soon become an important part of my life.
As the evening sun faded, Michael drove me to the community center. A large crowd of people had gathered for the seminar. It was apparent that everyone had signed up for Sage with at least one friend. I only knew Michael, and he would soon be leaving. “This isn’t easy for me,” I said with a quiet voice.
“You’ll be fine. I’ll see you around midnight.” Michael embraced me. I felt like a little kid who did not want to let go of her Mommy. I could confidently teach a class of College students how to dance, but mingling with a crowd in a social environment was incredibly difficult.
The crowd made its way into the community center to begin the seminar. We worked on what was called processes for the rest of the evening. Each one was a tool for dealing with buried emotions.
When midnight arrived, I was happy to see the face of my dear friend. I felt empty and confused as Michael drove me home. I knew that I was looking for something inside myself, but I still did not know what it was. All I knew was that I was searching.
“Why don’t you take a hot bath by candlelight? It’s a great way to relax. I’ll make you some tea,” said Michael as we entered his house. He seemed to sense my frustration.
The candle flickered as I leaned back into the water. My mind was swimming with thoughts. Was it true that someone had been healed of cancer when Michael was at the last Sage Experience? Would Sage help me to release myself from the bondage of illness? Did anyone know what life was about? I sipped on a hot cup of herbal tea and thought about the answers.
Saturday and Sunday felt like two of the longest days of my life. I was beyond exhaustion from doing psychological processes at eight in the morning until long after midnight. It was believed that when a person became that tired, defense mechanisms disappeared. The walls would come down and a person could reach emotions that were not at the surface level of awareness.
I enjoyed the love and support of the group, but I could not find any emotions that were hidden inside me. There would be people crying as they discovered their pain, while I felt like I was missing something. If I was acting out a particular emotion like anger, it was only drama.
Sage had helped many people. I could see this by their glowing faces. They had obviously released major emotional burdens, and, as a result, they were experiencing a state of bliss. I pretended to be happy, but I felt disappointed.
Tony’s voice echoed in my mind. “You only get what you put into it.” I had tried to put my heart into it, but much of my attention had been placed on trying to stay awake. My kidneys were aching and I felt weak.
Michael came into the community center with curiosity written all over his face. My body was shaking with exhaustion and I was relieved to see him. I silently followed Michael out to the van. “What did you think?” asked Michael as we drove down the street.
It took me a long time to answer. “I’m not sure.”
“When I did Sage, the important thing for me was the unconditional love and support that I experienced.”
“Yes, unconditional love was definitely a part of the Sage experience,” I said grinning.
“Would you like to walk along the beach?” asked Michael, as we pulled into the driveway of his house.
“That sounds like a marvelous idea. I need to release the stress from today. Some fresh air would be great.” I slipped on my running shoes and we walked down the steps to the beach. I could hear the sound of the waves becoming louder. The last step to the beach was very high. Michael jumped down first and then he reached out his arms to help me. He gently lowered me onto the sand.
We strolled along the beach, sharing ideas and dreams. Michael had many interests and aspirations. “I want to make sculptures out of crystals,” said Michael. “I feel more alive when I’m using my creative energies.”
“I guess that’s why I receive so much pleasure from dancing,” I said.
Michael and I followed a path that lead to a garden with a large sculpture that was shaped like the letter M. A mysterious glow emanated from it, as the incandescent floodlights shone from below. “That’s wild,” said Michael. “I’ve never seen this place and we were just talking about sculptures.”
“It’s the first letter of your name and mine too if we turned it upside down. Neat coincidence.”
“Nothing happens by coincidence,” Michael reminded me.
The Biltmore Hotel was around the corner. We found a magnificent garden with arching trellises. Each was covered with colorful sweet-smelling flowers. “This reminds me of a garden in Singapore. Maybe one day I’ll show it to you.” The thought of traveling with Michael was exciting.
We stood before two French doors that lead to the hotel restaurant. There were beautiful plants inside and tables set with a flare of elegance. “I don’t believe it, Michael! This is the same scene from one of the dreams I had about you.” I described the details of the dream as Michael listened with interest.
“Your dreams can be intriguing,” said Michael.
“Yes, they often tell me about the future.”
“Did you gain any insights from Sage?” asked Michael as we began to walk home.
“Not really. I’m feeling a little frustrated over it. I want answers and I want them now.”
“Would you like to see a channeler tomorrow?” asked Michael. “I’ve made an appointment. Maybe you can find answers to why this health stuff is happening.”
The curious side of me wanted to go, while the skeptical side questioned whether it was a waste of money. “This trip has been about new experiences. I might as well include channeling into my repertoire.”
“Verna will be doing our channeling. She is an associate of the man who channeled on Shirley MacLaine’s movie, Out on a Limb,” said Michael. I wondered if Michael was correct about Verna being associated with Kevin Ryerson. The idea of this was comforting because Kevin was well known for his work. “They say it is difficult to get an appointment with Kevin since the movie. He’s booked solid.”
Is Channelling Real?
The next morning, Michael and I sat in Verna’s office. It was a cozy room with a fireplace and three chairs. We discussed what was going to happen and then Verna prepared herself to go into a trance. “Let’s see what the spirit has to say,” said Verna. The flames flickered in the fireplace, giving the room an atmosphere of mystery.
Verna became silent. Had another spirit entered her body? I became tense from the uncertainty. My legs were crossed and Michael reached over and moved my leg so that both feet were planted firmly on the ground. I did not understand why he did this. Had I done something wrong? I began to feel skeptical and frightened.
“This is Indera,” said the spirit who began to speak through Verna’s body. She had an Indian accent and her voice was different from Verna’s. Indera welcomed us and said that there were many interesting circumstances surrounding Michael and me.
She told Michael that he had been a drifter in his life, but that the present time was not for drifting. It was time for him to move forward and accomplish what needed to be done. I listened with fascination and began to lose my skepticism. Everything she was saying had truth. I was filled with awe.
“There is a new teacher who stands by your side. He indicates that to work with you, it is necessary