Dear Julia:

In June of 2008, I was at the lake for a surprise party for my 48th birthday. It was a day I will never forget. A sudden storm came up, and the tree I was under was hit by lightning. I caught some of what my physicians called <q>flash over current.</q> I wound up with singed hair and a major concussion. I struggled with memory issues and headaches for a few months, some of which continue today. A few months afterward, something happened that I can't explain. I honestly thought I was losing my mind! I started having visions, seeing swirling colors when I closed my eyes to relax, seeing faces of people I hadn't yet met (but met later) in clouds, and hearing voices. The most startling was discovering that stones and crystals seem to speak to me. I found this out quite accidentally at a jewelry store when I picked up a bracelet and it vibrated. At times, the sky <q>calls</q> me to come outside because it has something to tell me, and when I do, there are messages in the clouds. This has been both disconcerting and incredibly interesting, as I never know what will happen next. Could this lightning strike have awakened some ability that I was previously unaware of? What do I do with it now?

Mel

Dear Mel:

I think you would be very interested in Dannion Brinkley's books, especially Saved by the Light. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't stumbled across them already, for much like you, Dannion was struck by lightning, had a near death experience, and then a profound psychic awakening. You can find the fascinating story of his first near death experience In fact, I'm surprised you haven't stumbled across them already, for much like you, Dannion was struck by lightning, had a near death experience, and then a profound psychic awakening. You can find the fascinating story of his first near death experience here.

Though you don't remember having a near death experience, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Further, whether or not you traveled through a tunnel toward a divine light where you met a being of unimaginable love and compassion and all the rest, you almost died, and almost dying is known to spark profound spiritual transformations.

In fact, trauma of any kind – physical, emotional, mental or spiritual - is known to be a powerful initiator of spiritual awakenings. For this reason, shamans and mystics will actually induce trauma through fasting, sleep deprivation, physical pain and other practices in order to disassociate from the physical body and align with the spirit world. Some say that this leads to a purification of the body or a shift into a higher vibration. Certainly there is a relationship between physical and emotional "suffering" and spiritual growth and awareness. It sounds like you have yet to consciously label what you're going through as a spiritual awakening, but that is precisely what is causing these extraordinary experiences.

There are a couple of reasons why you may be especially confused and disoriented by all of this. Usually, psychic awakening is a result of years of spiritual practice and devotion, so those who experience it both welcome and understand the strange and wonderful things that begin to happen to them.

I imagine people who have a conscious near death experience would tend to have an easier time with all the changes that occur in the aftermath than those who have no idea what happened to them. When people of no great spiritual background die only to find themselves outside of their bodies and very much "alive," they are naturally catapulted on a conscious quest for greater spiritual understanding. Most people who have a near death experience come back knowing that they will be forever changed. These changes often include new psychic abilities, which may be amazing but are also accepted as part and parcel of the profound transformation they are undergoing on every level.

When awakening occurs suddenly as a result of trauma, as it did for you, it can be very unsettling. Since you didn't have a conscious near death experience, it makes sense to me that you didn't notice these changes right away. You had no reason to question the "reality" you had lived in all the years of your life, and it doesn't sound like this experience launched you on a big spiritual quest - at least not until strange psychic events began to occur.

A related term for the spiritual awakening you're going through is "kundalini experience." (You might find it very helpful to research that term.) As a surge in the life force energy known as kundalini can spark a sudden spiritual awakening, I imagine any surge in energy through the body could have a similar effect. I'm suggesting that you may have been hit double, first by the surge of energy from the lightning, and second from the subsequent surge in life force/kundalini energy that this trauma unleashed.

Spiritual awakenings and kundalini experiences are known to induce psychic abilities. Frequent headaches and/or strange feelings of pressure in the head are one of the most common kundalini symptoms. Kundalini surges have also been known to cause amnesia or memory loss. As you can see, all of these fit what you experienced after being struck by lightning.

Why trauma causes a surge in kundalini is debatable. As I see it, incarnating into a physical body involves "stepping down" our spiritual vibration in order to remain anchored to this plane. It is unusual to leave our physical bodies and then return to them again, especially in a conscious manner. To do so is to reconnect with the higher vibration of the soul and to shift our general vibration in that direction. This is why practicing astral projection, leaving the body in a near death experience, and mentally disassociating from the physical via prolonged meditation lead to profound spiritual transformation and greater psychic awareness: through these experiences, we are reconnected to the higher vibration of the spirit world.

I must admit that I have never heard of anyone being called by the sky or receiving "messages" in the clouds before. However, the idea that we can receive messages "from the heavens" is as old as time, and there are many people who see visions in clouds. While there could be all sorts of explanations for your special relationship with the sky, I’m betting your spirit guides have simply found this to be the easiest or most effective way to get your attention in order to communicate with you. If you further develop your psychic awareness and begin to dialogue with these messengers in the sky, you may discover the true source of these communications.

As for how you are to handle all of this, the answer is carefully. You'll want to relax into this new awareness and at the same time remain well grounded. Balance is the key to a smooth, pleasant journey. When undergoing kundalini surges, life becomes something of an exciting roller coaster. Your whole being is rapidly changing and experiencing all sorts of peaks and valleys as it integrates this new level of energy, so it's especially important to honor your true needs. Sometimes you will feel called to dig in to spiritual practice or use your gifts in new ways; other times you will feel like taking a break from all this spiritual stuff so you can just enjoy physical life. Your needs may change from one moment to the next as your energy waxes and wanes, so you'll have to be extra mindful to honor your feelings and inner guidance for a while.

- Julia

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