Rain Blessing

May the blessing of the rain be on you--

the soft sweet rain.

May it fall upon your spirit

so that all the little flowers may spring up,

and shed their sweetness on the air.

May the blessing of the great rains be on you,

may they beat upon your spirit

and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there many a shining pool

where the blue of heaven shines,

and sometimes a star.

--Old Gaelic Rain Blessing

I invite you to view my new music video "Rain Blessing."

Quantum Theory of Soul's Existence

In his book, "Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the Nature of the Universe," Dr. Robert Lanza explains his new theory of biocentrism. Biocentrism teaches that life and consciousness are fundamental to the universe.  It is consciousness that creates the material universe, not the other way around.

The theory implies that death of consciousness simply does not exist. If the body generates consciousness, then consciousness dies when the body dies. But if the body receives consciousness in the same way that a radio tuner receives radio waves, then of course consciousness does not end at the death of the physical vehicle. In fact, consciousness exists outside of constraints of time and space. It is able to be anywhere: in the human body and outside of it. In other words, it is non-local in the same sense that quantum objects are non-local.

In support of Dr. Lanza's theory, two world-renowned quantum scientists claim they can prove the existence of the soul. American Dr. Stuart Hameroff and British physicist Sir Roger Penrose developed a quantum theory of consciousness asserting that our souls are contained inside structures called microtubules which live within our brain cells. Their idea stems from the notion of the brain as a biological computer, "with 100 billion neurons and their axonal firings and synaptic connections acting as information networks".

Dr. Hameroff and Sir Roger have been working on the theory since 1996. They argue that our experience of consciousness is the result of quantum gravity effects inside these microtubules -- a process they call orchestrated objective reduction (Orch-OR). In a near-death experience the microtubules lose their quantum state but the information within them is not destroyed. Or in layman's terms, the soul does not die but returns to the universe.

Dr. Hameroff explained the theory at length in the documentary "Through the Wormhole," which was recently aired in the US by the Science Channel. "Let's say the heart stops beating, the blood stops flowing, the microtubules lose their quantum state," Dr. Hameroff said. "The quantum information within the microtubules is not destroyed, it can't be destroyed, it just distributes and dissipates to the universe at large. If the patient is resuscitated, revived, this quantum information can go back into the microtubules and the patient says 'I had a near death experience'. In the event of the patient's death, it was possible that this quantum information can exist outside the body indefinitely -- as a soul."

This quantum theory of consciousness explains things like near-death experiences, astral projection, out of body experiences, and even reincarnation without needing to appeal to religious ideology. The energy of your consciousness potentially gets recycled back into a different body at some point, and in the mean time it exists outside of the physical body on some other level of reality, and possibly in another universe.

The Call of the Psychopomp

Many people in today's world are being called by spirit to become psychopomps. The psychopomp is a guide who leads the soul on its journey to the afterlife. The term derives from the Greek word psuchopompos, literally meaning the "guide of souls." The psychopomp is a universal, cross-cultural archetype. In Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the conscious and unconscious. It is symbolically personified in dreams as a wise man or woman, or often as an animal guide. Stories of psychopomps are widespread throughout the myths, legends, and religious texts of cultures around the world. Psychopomps have been associated at different times and in different cultures with angels, horses, whip-poor-wills, ravens, dogs, crows, and owls. In many cultures, the shaman also fulfills the role of the psychopomp. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply to provide safe passage.

Unfortunately, many of the psychopomp myths and rituals that once helped prepare people for this final rite of passage have become lost or forgotten. When people are unprepared to face death, they often need additional assistance. Souls that die in a state of fear or confusion may also need assistance crossing over. Other souls are held back by grieving relatives who cannot let them go. If not channeled properly, grief is useless to the dead and dangerous to the living. For example, in funeral rites among the Dagara people of West Africa, drumming and singing are used to open the mourners to grief. Grief is then channeled in such a way that it will convey the newly deceased soul to the afterlife. Without the help of the drummers, musicians, and singers, the powerful emotional energy cannot be unleashed.

There are many techniques and ways to perform psychopomp work. I work primarily with the drum and the power of a clear intention to help earthbound souls move beyond their worldly attachments and progress towards the Light. When you play a drum, the sound can be heard by the spirits throughout all realms of the spirit world. The sound waves create a bridge between the physical and spiritual planes. In the sound world, a tunnel opens through which souls can pass, or our helping spirits come to us. When you stop playing the drum, the bridge disappears. 

The drum also serves as a concentration device for stilling the mind and focusing our attention. Shamans have understood for centuries that sustained focused attention on a specific intention, while in a state of inner silence, channels our creative energy into manifesting the physical equivalent of the focus. It is consciousness that creates the material universe, not the other way around. The creative power of our intent is limited only by what we believe is possible. 

I begin by creating a purified sacred space where well-being and health can flourish. I visualize a beacon of luminous white light emanating from the center of my sacred space and out into the net of light around our planet. I then call in the spiritual energies of the seven directions--East, South, West, North, Above, Below, and Within. I also call upon the Archangel Michael, the spirit horses of the four directions, and all of my helping spirits. Next I state my intention to help earthbound souls cross over into the afterlife. I then begin drumming a steady, metronome-like rhythm pulsed at around three to four beats per second. As I drum, I silently recite my intention like a mantra. The key is to focus your energy to that point on the drumhead's surface that you are striking, not beyond it. Transfer your energy and intention into the drum, stroking it firmly, yet gently, until it sings and hums. With practice, you learn just how much energy to send out to achieve a desired result and how much to retain so that you don't tire. When you have finished your psychopomp work, sacred space must be closed. To learn more, look inside my book Shamanic Drumming.

We are currently in a time of great transition where a growing number of people are being called to fulfill the sacred role of the psychopomp. Some choose to offer their assistance in conjunction with their function as a hospice worker, or as a midwife to the dying. Others, like me, prefer to focus more on helping those who may be trapped in the spirit realms. If you are being called to become a psychopomp, then look inside the book Delayed Departure: A Beginner's Guide to Soul Rescue by author and regression therapist Ann Merivale. This book contains valuable information for anyone interested in embarking on the important work of soul rescue, with illustrations taken from the author's own practice. 

The Descent of the Feathered Serpent

In March of 1994, I was fortunate enough to visit the Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chich'en Itza, Mexico on the vernal equinox when the sun projects an undulating pattern of light on the northern stairway for a few hours in the late afternoon--a pattern caused by the angle of the sun and the edge of the nine steps that define the pyramid's construction. These triangles of light link up with the massive stone carvings of snake heads at the base of the stairs, suggesting a massive serpent snaking down the structure.

           

According to legend, twice a year when the day and night are in balance, this pyramid dedicated to Kukulkan (or Quetzalcoatl), the feathered serpent god, is visited by its namesake. On the equinox Kukulkan returns to earth to commune with his worshipers, provide blessing for a full harvest and good health before entering the sacred water, bathing in it, and continuing through it on his way to the underworld.