5/19/2007
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— Dave @ 11:37 am on
I wrote this back in March
On this predawn Sunday morning I was in my early spring church, the sugar shack. I had decided to boil the sap I had collected from my maple trees the day before. This is one of my spring time rituals that get me out the house and back into nature, where I feel at peace. It helps me to recover my center. When I awoke this morning I immediately saw it was one of those special mornings. We live in the
Finger
Lake area of
Central NY. (The snow belt to some upstate folks.) On these early spring mornings the snow cover melts as the warmer air come in from the south. This produces the most magical mornings with thick ground fog. We are also in the path of the eastern flyway. We have thousands of migrating birds move through our area. Just yesterday my wife and I saw thousands of snow geese in the stubble of last year’s corn fields across the street on our neighbor’s 280 acre farm. So, when I woke and sleepily wandered down stairs, I chanced a peak out the window into the dim morning. I couldn’t see past the trees just outside our house because of the fog. “Great”, I thought I love these mystical mornings. So, with new energy I got the fires started and the sap boiling. As I headed out to the shack I could hear the honks of some Canadians in flight. “That adds to a perfect morning” I thought. I got busy getting the wood split needed to start a hot fire and preceded to produce a good rolling boil in the sap pan. Every so often a flock of geese would fly directly over head. I especially love the snow geese because they do not honk as they fly; you just hear a vizz vizz vizz sound as they fly by. I stand in the doorway and watch as they appear out of the mist like magical beings.
rig is home made, out of an old wood stove and a 12 x 20 pan that fits pretty well on top. I’ve rigged a pan above to preheat the sap and slowly feed the warm sap into the boiling pan. It’s not a fancy modern evaporator but it serves my needs of supplying the family and bribing the neighbors. But it requires a certain level of focus to keep the fire hot enough and the level in the pan just right to keep the sap boiling. This part I love as well because it helps me to develop a greater level of mindfulness and thus my center. When I reach that mindfulness apex I can see auras of the trees and nature. I had every thing going well and just settled into my chair by the door, when I distinctly heard Spirit say to me; "Expand your awareness into the oneness and witness the wonders of our interconnection to all.”
That phrase then kept echoing in my being, my true self. So I stepped outside into the misty dawn. I started to touch that doorway within myself that connects me to the light I’ve known so well since my near-death experience. I could then feel my awareness reach out beyond what I could see through the fog that surrounded me. I could feel the drops of water clinging to the branches that were out of sight. I could sense the energy of the mist moving all around me and the waves of life force connecting it to me. My connection to spirit grew as well and I was experiencing the overwhelming love and delight that connection brings. I could hear some geese flying in the distance. I expended my awareness in that direction. I could feel the small group of geese and they turned and headed my way. Spirit then said
“Now Watch the Interconnectedness of All.” I could understand the direction Spirit was giving to the geese to fly directly over head. Seconds later the geese appeared curving and not in their normal V formation but in a single row toward me directly overhead only as high as the tree tops. I felt as if I could fly with them. They disappeared from my physical sight back into the mist. With my expended awareness I was carried along with them. They began another turn in the opposite direction and headed back in my direction. Once again they appeared at treetop above my head and then made another turn back on their original direction. They had completed a perfect figure eight or infinity symbol over my head. Spirit showed me that our interconnection was infinite. Just to drive the point home further, more flocks came and completed the same maneuver over my sugar shack.
ppened in what seemed like fifteen to twenty minutes and I thought I better get back to my boiling and surely the fire is low. As I stepped back inside I could hear the roar of the boiling sap and feel the heat of the fire. It was as if no time had passed. I just took in the aroma of syrup in the air and found a peace. I returned to my boiling keeping my awareness open and a connection to the all. Spirit kept sharing knowledge with me. “
Keep connecting and expanding your awareness; Stay in the oneness as often as possible”, was a main theme in the sharing. A message I have heard before but it took on more emphasis with this experience, refreshing the importance and strengthening the meaning.
“Encourage the others that know how as well”, was more of the message.
shared in the past that when I receive guidance like this I should give thanks and gratitude. So I gave my gratitude prayers and was answered with the friendly honks of a pair as they touched down in the field behind the sugar shack.
ay cleared and brightened I would practice my expansion, I found I could sense a flock of red wing blackbirds and lovingly ask them to come and sing about this wonderful day. The trees then filled with singing birds and I could feel the connection they had to each other as a group mind, again the interconnectedness. Then the geese would join in, followed by cardinals, chickadees, yellow finches, robins and a red bellied woodpecker I felt like a music director conducting a symphony. I knew the rise and pitch of the song, until something would break my concentration and they would all fly away, leaving me laughing, again grateful and loving this life’s experience.
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— Dave @ 11:34 am on
Fear of death is like the way we fear our first day in a new class. We have some anxiety, apprehension and fear of the unknown. But those of us that have died and returned have had our introduction to the class and the other students. We found that we really liked the subject and the other souls we found there. We know there is going to be some intense study ahead. But we are looking forward to it. So in the meantime we are doing our pre-course requirement here in this life. We are now gaining as many experiences as we can, so we can bring them back to the class for examination when the time is right.
fear of death gives an incredible freedom. Freedom to live life unbridled and to its fullest, filled with joy and gratitude with each encounter or experience. It also gives a sense of calm and ability to relax, no longer needing to get caught up in the rat race. Not that I do not participate in life on the contrary, I want more than ever to live a full life. Carrying on through hardships and good times overcoming and taking it all in.
itive as I humanly can through all times. When I can accomplish this, there comes a sense of completion, which is usually when something synchronistic will occur and signal the end or the direction of a new path to move toward. If I have learned anything from my experiences it is to follow those synchronistic events in life. There is always more to it and even though I can’t see the bigger picture when it is happening I know it will reveal itself at the right time and place.
oo good to be true. That we can connect to the greater universal consciousness but when it does happen I can physically feel my heart opening and filling my being with that warm love and acceptance. I sometimes feel like it is lager than me and projecting beyond my physical self. It is when I am in that place that I can see my light and sometimes the light of others. Also at time like this is when spirit speaks softer loving encouragement to keep moving forward and giving me the strength to take on what is next in this wondrous journey.
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life review when I was a child I also felt the disappointments, injury and loss. And the feelings that went with it, my reactions to the disappointments were negative. I also saw how actions of mine perpetuated the negative energy. I’ve learned to not feed the negative energies that envade our lives.
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5/20/2006
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— Dave @ 10:15 am on
We have some very exciting news. We (Cindy & I) have been asked to be hosts on Voice America’s new "7th Wave Network". It is internet radio! We are doing a 13 week trial that starts Saturday, July 1st. at 10am eastern. Cindy and I will share the hosting and we will talk about Metaphysics, Near Death, Surviving Cancer and Cindy will do her Psychic Thing! We are going to have guests as well. We are very excited our show is called Spiritual Simplicity.
Voice America is a reputable talk radio internet site and they are adding 7th Wave Network to their three existing networks. They are redoing the website over the next month and you will be able to access the 7th wave through the main site (www.VoiceAmerica.Com). What stood out for us was the quality of the programming. We have listened to other sites that aren’t as good. Also, Voice America is one of the top in Internet Radio. They archive our show and it is downloadable onto ipods and such for those that can not stay attached to their computer on a Saturday morning.
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3/1/2006
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— Dave @ 5:18 pm on
I was really touched by your near death and new life experience that you described. I was practically in tears to hear that you received life in a much more peaceful and accepting way. It gives me hope that eventually every individual given the chance will choose compassion and loving kindness as a path. Thank you for that hope…On another point, I find your altars very beautiful. I am in the process of trying to find an altar that suits my purpose and has a peaceful quiet appearance. The style you have is just that. I guess I want to know more about them. How long does it take, which woods do you like working with best, how you design them, do you make small portable altars, and the logistics of buying one. Again, thank you for your experience and I hope you continue to share the wisdom of loving kindness.
Yours in the Dharma,
Patricia
Patricia,
Thank you for your kind thoughts about my experiences. I am finally in a place were I can share my experiences with others. I find it funny how the universe understands when we are ready. Because as soon as I agreed to share, requests came that had me traveling to speak to groups. That resulted in requests for me to write a book, that I am now in the process of compiling. It seems to me that I am doing what is in my path and purpose. So every day (good or bad) is wonderful for me.
I felt like I had to share that with you because, As I was reading your feedback, a small life drama was playing out, just outside my window. A Sharp Shined Hawk had caught a dove and was starting to dine on it under the cedars that are outside my window. Hawk to me is a messenger telling me to pay attention to what is going on around me or, what was I just doing. Well I was reading your post at the time. Then as I started to reply another Sharp Shined Hawk swooped past the window and landed nest to the first one. Well this resulted in a tussle and the second one was the victor. The first hawk flew into the ash tree 25 feet away and started making some squeaks and squawks and I got the feeling these two were a pair. So as the second one is now dinning, and the first has flown out of site, I got the message that I should share a little more with you than a thank you.
As far as your inquires about my altars, I make them one at a time and each one is a bit of a journey for me. I love working with the wood and use a number of domestic and exotic types, whatever speaks to me at the time. I stopped making custom built altars because the demand was too much for me. I am disabled and can not work steady in the shop. At this time it is maple syrup time so that takes me away from the woodshop and into the sugar shack which I love as well. My designs are my own and I keep getting new inspirations. I will be getting back to the shop pretty soon. I will put your email name on a list to let you know when I have a new altar available. If you like it, then you can let me know or use PayPal to purchase it. I can ship inside the continental US.
Blessings,
Namaste,
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2/25/2006
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— Dave @ 11:41 am on
Here is a quick report on the Syracuse Discussion/Interest Group meeting we had on 2/10/06. Wow what a great meeting. We had 27 people at the meeting and that was not including us, (
Cathy, Don, Kiki,
Cindy and myself). So we had 32 people squeezed into a meeting room I thought would fit 25. The snow was falling only very lightly, so I think that helped bring out a group of folks that were very anxious to exchange ideas. We had a good mix of people the attendance sheet indicated we had about 1/3 experiencers.
We introduced our experiencer Mary Grace to share her experience to start the meeting. This section of the meeting was about 40 minuets. I asked the standard three questions. Everyone has been talking about Mary Grace’s experience since the meeting.
That left us with about an hour and a half for open discussion and question/answers. That is sometimes the best part of our meetings.
I can hardly wait for the next meeting, we will have Artist Cara Mayo sharing her experience with us.
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10/31/2005
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— Dave @ 5:42 pm on
I haven’t blogged this before, but I have been volunteering to be questioned in a research project by Dr Bruce Greyson. He came to my Presentation at the IANDS VA Beach conference in September 2005. I do not know how this feels to other experiencers but these questionnaires in the research project brings up a lot more of my Near-death Experience. Wow, it’s like tapping into the Light all over again. I am finding myself integrating more of my experiences just when I was thinking that I had explored all that there was to mine. It is like Doc has opened a window and asked me to look outside myself. I never thought to look in some of these directions before, so I didn’t know there was more to see and experience. It is like I had blinders on and now there off. So as you can see I have been very busy since I gave my presentation at the IANDS North American Conference
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— Dave @ 5:40 pm on
Last week Oct. 24,2005 we, (Chuck Swedrock and I) went to Youngstown State University to give a presentation to the new Friends of IANDS at the university. YSU is the first campus to have a chapter of IANDS. I spoke about my Three Transformative Experiences starting with my Near-Death Experience. I was very happy to meet the co-founders of the Chapter, Kathy Barreca (KaBarreca@hotmail.com) and Michael Augustine (lazybear81@yahoo.com). Contact them if you are in the area and want to attend a meeting. I also had a brief moment with Prof. Christopher Bache who has spent the last twenty years researching consciousness and he uses Near-Death Experiencers in his research. A fascinating man I ordered his book (Dark Night, Early Dawn: Steps to a Deep Ecology of Mind) from Amazon. That was all on Monday, then we headed to Buffalo NY to help kick off their new Near-Death Experience Discussion/Interest Group meetingon tuesday night. We enjoyed some great discussions after both presentations and have made some new friends along the way.
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— Dave @ 5:36 pm on
Wow, I can’t believe it is the end of October already. I have a lot of catching up to do so let’s get to it. On September 9th I gave my presentation of Three Transformational Experiences at the IANDS (International Association for Near Death Studies) North American Conference. What a great time we had. If you have never gone to one of these conferences I urge you to go. Two weeks before the conf. I 
was asked to put together a PowerPoint presentation of an award ceremony at the closing banquet. The award was the 2005 outstanding service award going to P.M.H. Atwater. (My hero by the way) I was so jazzed it gave me the opportunity to correspond with P.M.H. before the conference and to finally meet her. We got together with a bunch of old friends and we met a lot more. My talk went very well and was very well attended. Dr. Bruce Greyson came up to me before my talk and said "I read your experience and was very moved by it. Now here is a guy that has read thousands of Near-Death Experiences so I was blown away. Then he sat front and center, hanging on every word, it was a little intimidating as I stepped up to the mic. Just as I began to speak the recording and amplification equipment went dead. I was a little over charged at this conference you might say. It was a good thing my wife was video taping the talk so they could get the recording to sell as CDs. So if you want a copy of the talk go to www.iands.org and go to the 2005 conference page and the CDs will be available soon I am told. There were many late nights with so many like minded people to talk to. And the content of the conference was wonderful. And to have two other friends give there first presentations at IANDS was a treat as well. We gave each other moral support.
After the conference we spent a day at the A.R.E. Edgar Casey Foundation. We spent a little time at the beach as well (had to touch the ocean at least).
After we got home we had a childhood experiencer come up to our IANDS group here in upstate NY. Then in the beginning of October I had my Near-Death Experience Discussion/Interest Group meeting here in Syracuse.We had about fifteen folks sharing and discussing their experiences. I week after that, I went to Rochester to help Chuck and Sinead with there Discussion/Interest Group meeting. It is like this NDE stuff has taken on a life of its own.
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8/11/2005
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— Dave @ 3:53 pm on
On Friday the fifth of August, I flew down to Virginia Beach. The next morning I gave a talk to the Virginia Beach, local IANDS group. I was fortunate enough to see what they were planning for the upcoming national conference in September. I met a wonderful group of enthusiastic individuals that were dedicated to the near-death experience. Cheryl Burch the leader of the group, drove me around Virginia Beach on Friday night. It was like a trip down memory lane for me. I remembered all those days there as a sailor in the Navy. Some good times and some bad times. Cheryl, even got me telling some old sea stories. I had a wonderful time and got to meet a bunch of wonderfully warm like-minded souls. So now I’m really looking forward to the national conference. This trip got my juices flowing. I can’t wait to speak to a national audience, and meet a whole new group of folks. If anyone reading this blog is going to the IANDS North American National Conference, let me know so we can hook up. Or if you want more information let me know, I’ll be glad to pass it along.
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5/23/2005
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— Dave @ 12:41 pm on
Here’s a picture of our pear tree in bloom, it shows us the beauty in this world, especially at spring. This picture was taken after a killing frost, it goes to show the hardiness of some life forces, even in the harshest of times. We all need to take a moment to breathe in the beauty of what this life has to offer.
We had a wonderful and informative meeting of the upstate New York IANDS Saturday, May 21, 2005 in Webster, New York. We showed a video and had an interactive discussion afterwards. It’s a wonderful thing, when you can bring together a group of like-minded individuals to discuss a topic such as the near-death experience. As usual after the meeting we went across the street and had a bite to eat and continued the discussions.
You can see, I have been busy in the shop working on a few altars. One of which is made of Indian rosewood and the grain matched up perfectly. This is an exceptional piece of rosewood that I found in one of my travels. When you work with wood that is as beautiful as this, you can feel the creators presents every time you look deeply into the grain. This is the work that makes my heart sing and brings me closer to Spirit.
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