| He felt the familiar dislocation as he drifted away from | | | | Hesitation disappeared as he stared directly at the |
| his physical form and came to rest beside the bed that | | | | obscene and malevolent beings that pressed forward. |
| contained his and his wife's sleeping bodies. Looking | | | | Once prepared, he issued a command that left no |
| down at them briefly, he felt both a part of them and | | | | room for negotiation...and quite simply ordered them to |
| as if he was a detached onlooker. This phenomenon | | | | go! |
| had begun during a serious childhood illness and | | | | His adversary seethed with anger but he knew now |
| continued to occur in the present day. He became | | | | that they could only wreak havoc if he allowed them |
| aware of the same conditions that had accompanied it | | | | to...They fed off fear but could do no physical harm |
| in the past. The darkness was suffused with a vibrant | | | | unless he first granted them permission. |
| blue aura as he hovered slightly above the floor. | | | | With this knowledge he was also aware that what |
| The sense of well being and energy that permeated | | | | confronted him could never deny him providing he |
| him was in no way related to the physical state of | | | | believed in himself and the greater powers that gave |
| existence. Although he presently appeared to have a | | | | him existence. |
| tangible body, this was probably a superfluous effect, | | | | Once again he commanded the evil to be gone and |
| as his thoughts were free and completely removed | | | | once more the throng endeavoured to intimidate him |
| from bodily considerations. He experienced a profound | | | | but their rebuttal was weaker now. Unwaveringly, he |
| lucidity that belied the possibility that this was a dream... | | | | pressed them for a third time and the mass bridled but |
| Any further observations came to an abrupt halt, as | | | | withdrew in spite of itself, vanishing into a void, leaving |
| just then, the doorbell rang. | | | | his home serene once more. |
| He fleetingly acknowledged that this was unlikely in the | | | | He relished the tranquillity for a moment before |
| early hours but he could not prevent his own | | | | gradually turning to view the sleeping couple. |
| immediate movement towards the head of the stairs. | | | | At that moment he heard a voice that conveyed a |
| In passing, he noticed that his feet were not actually | | | | message of gentle pride as it congratulated him. "Well |
| touching the steps as he descended the staircase and | | | | done" was all it said but, with that, a wave of warmth |
| made to unlock the front door. It was far too late to | | | | and love overcame him. He could not remember |
| heed the inner voice that startled him with its urgent | | | | feeling such sheer contentment before and, |
| imperative not to open the door. | | | | uncharacteristically on these occasions, he was happy |
| Conclusions surfaced during the seconds that it had | | | | to return to his body. Drifting towards his inert form as |
| taken for him to commit to this inadvisable action. | | | | it lay on the bed he let the restoration process take |
| The door that he was opening did not relate to this | | | | place. |
| house but was instead one step removed from | | | | There was a brief period of adjustment as the two |
| material reality. His instant reaction had left no pause | | | | forms began to merge, then finally they were one |
| between thought and deed and the fact that he'd | | | | again. He opened his eyes and lay there for a while |
| taken his normal route through the house was | | | | basking in the afterglow and then at last, with a smile |
| attributable to habit rather than necessity. | | | | on his face, he dropped off to sleep. |
| Dread filled him as he swung the door back and | | | | The sense of well being was still with him the following |
| absorbed the nightmare scene facing him. He | | | | morning. He was making small talk with his wife when |
| retreated while realizing that he was not seeing the | | | | she happened to mention that she'd had a bad dream |
| true face of the threat but, instead, a representation | | | | last night. She had dreamt that their doorbell had rung |
| based upon his own expectations. Nevertheless, the | | | | and, in her dream, they were both suddenly in danger... |
| danger was real and he had invited it into his home. | | | | Footnote: |
| His mind raced as he decided that he must protect the | | | | For those of you that have experienced this |
| souls in the bedroom above. He urgently backtracked | | | | phenomenon or something like it, perhaps you feel as I |
| up the stairs while facing the mélange of | | | | do that it cannot be easily dismissed. There are |
| creatures that poured through the doorway. Positioning | | | | increasing reports of near-death experiences that bring |
| himself at the foot of the bed, between the couple and | | | | with them a wealth of detail. The implication being that |
| the approaching evil, he knew that only moments | | | | the Out of Body state may be more than simple |
| remained to ward off the impending harm. The horde | | | | fantasy. My own experiences over the years have |
| crowded into the room and panic wracked him as he | | | | provided substantial evidence both for myself and for |
| desperately searched for a way to fend off this | | | | those closest to me. The Tao Buddhists refer to our |
| impending peril. | | | | earthly existence as MAYA or Illusion, believing that |
| Suddenly, out of nowhere, a sense of calm and | | | | we are in some way curtained off from true reality. |
| enlightenment infused him. Knowledge of what had to | | | | One is given to wonder then what we would see, if |
| be done and a sheer confidence settled in where | | | | we could pull aside the curtain? |
| apprehension had previously existed. | | | | |