I am reminded about my journey to Sedona, Arizona.

In the past, I saw many speak about this location as a place of high spiritual quality. Many of the locals spoke about the area being a vortex of accelerated energy, that anyone can attune to. I thought this sounded cool so I decided to go. As well, there happened to be a channeling event that was being held there.

This was basically the first time I traveled away from home, on a journey, where I would be all by myself. It was a liberating feeling to be alone like this, listening to various new wave retro songs or podcasts, to keep me entertained while I trekked the seventeen hour long drive from Kansas To Arizona. Stopping by a hotel along the way, where I felt that sweet sense of wanderlust. It was nice, because usually I am just at home doing nothing special.

Arriving in Sedona was astounding to me, since living in Kansas, I am mostly use to the rather mundane and flat environments. Seeing the penetrating reddish-orange peaks and cliffs was like seeing something from my desktop wallpaper and not something I expected to marvel in reality.

Then things got interesting.

Meeting A Friend

During the channeling event, I met a lot of interesting people. All with their own unique life paths and particular challenges. Certainly, it was easy to see this gathering through a type of “cultish” lens, as the event was centered around a very charismatic channeler, whom ostensibly was connected with extraterrestrial consciousness. However, this was just a seminar and not much of a cult (if it was trying to be one). I have seen much worse behavior, being exhibited in workplace environments, but somehow those exploitative organizations are usually free of any accusation, of similar ilk. Usually, since they are part and parcel of our accepted culture. One lady from the seminar, even made a joke about the possibility of this event being a part of a cult, as she also bought their green “contact” crystal that they were selling. To which I replied, “A cult that is self-aware, is not much of a cult at all.” It is something that everyone involved is keenly wary of.

Amid my stay in Sedona, I experienced an amazing amount of synchronicity. One such meaningful synchronicity was during the end of the event. As I was talking with some people, a man with long thin blonde hair, a bristly chin, bright green eyes and a mystical attire, approached me. I immediately recognized this event as significant, because his left arm was slightly smaller and weaker than his right. To anyone else, this would only be a simple intrigue, but for me it was more. For my right arm had the same injury as his, known as a type of “brachial plexus injury” where the arm is weak and has limited movement. I have had mine since birth, and coincidentally, his was from an early age as well.

It seemed like providence for us to meet. I cried profusely when I saw him, as his appearance was like a crystal clear reflection of my own self. This turned out to be an understatement. As we began to talk deeply about the nature of Enlightenment and our mutual quest to embody that state of being more realistically. His name was Andrés, a local from Denmark.

We had numerous conversations with each other. First, by speaking about Zen, the future of the human race, consciousness evolving consciousness, and what needed to be done to reach an Enlightenment, wherein, suffering would cease to exist as an experience. This, I still emphatically see, as a definite possibility.

We sat down after the event and on a piece of paper he began to chart the human experience as he knew it. Giving approximations of existence by stating the conscious and subconscious dimensions that rise in levels as we rise in vibration, so to speak. Citing how he became aware of negative beliefs in his mind, and removed them through awareness. He proceeded to tell me that once the core belief is removed from the human psyche, Enlightenment can be experienced. Placing aside the idea that any movement towards enlightenment — hinders one’s realization of it, I accepted the wisdom of these facts from the structure it was underlying. I asked him what this core belief was, and he replied with, “I am fairly sure it has to do with self-worth”, he paused for a moment looked down at the chart again and said “unless you can tell me otherwise.”

I accepted this too. Whether one wants to call it a removal of a negative belief or an awareness of one’s “true self”, the idea that holds us back from experiencing a perpetual state of bliss is the idea that we are not worthy too experience such a state. Now, very well, you may believe you are worthy of such a state, but this is different than knowing you are. The belief of self-worth is a positive belief that has to be removed, for a knowledge of its reality.

The Great Dialogue

For once in my life, I felt as though I was finally speaking to someone who could actually allow me to realize more self-knowledge. He had an understanding of everything I said, from the mystical east to the mystical west. From ancient knowledge to modern day wisdom. It was obvious we were both only concerned with a single subject. How can we evolve our consciousness higher? How can we make Earth a more harmonious place?

The most liberating feeling about talking with Andrés, was the fact that we became completely transparent to each other. If we did not like something about a situation, we would eventually pinpoint why. Though, at first we would only give approximations in our mind.

We traveled around the town, to various hiking locations, and to his house a few times. One memorable conversation took place as we drove up to a high cliff in Sedona, that overlooked a good portion of the town. As we walked towards a higher level of the cliff, we began to get more real with each other. He was about to tell me something and then stopped. I asked him why he had stopped. “I don’t want to say, it isn’t important”, he reluctantly replied. I urged him that it was likely important, that the more transparent we are with each other, the better for our spiritual growth. He then said “But, you may not like what I say, what if you feel bad as a result?” I continued to urge his free expression anyways. He then told me that there was something about me that was off, that he didn’t enjoy. But, he realized the paradox of such a statement, as anything in the external reality is always a reflection of our own inner turmoil. He went on to describe how he was bullied as a child and how I reminded him of one such person.

I actually felt there was something to this. I had an immediate insight that my mannerisms were very reactive indeed. I would always strain myself to smile and laugh at anything that is being said, so that I may give off the impression of being a friendlier person. I told them this, and told him that in all honesty, I rather not expend so much energy in a conversation.

As we went to his home, his Mom greeted us. Like me, he was also content not working any kind of job. He had a room to himself that was ornamented with a huge picture of Buddha and various spiritual statues and art. As I sat down, he mentioned the work of Eckhart Tolle, who I was quite familiar of. He then said, “Will you be able to do this technique with me, and stay focused within the energy of the body?” To which I enthusiastically agreed, as I often do so anyways. This time however, I decided to become even more focused.

After awhile he thanked me for doing so. He was surprised, as he never knew anyone else that could just sit in silence with him. As more time passed with each other, he began to notice that my face was no longer reacting to the circumstances. It remained peacefully neutral. He pointed this out and told me “You look so much cooler now”. And I was. I was now completely comfortable as myself, even though I was near another. For an extreme introvert such as myself, this was a great insight. That I could be me, without any interruption.

The Consciousness Game

Part of our conversation was talking about the negativity we had to let go of, and the other part of our conversation was speculation about the nature of our reality. As I have written about before, there are distinctions we can make within the realm of consciousness. Levels of experience, each with their own themes and energetic intensity.

We considered the possibility that extraterrestrials and other spiritual beings, gave us channeled information in order to grow the consciousness within humanity. Which leads towards more ecstasy for us and them. The whole point of contacting new races of beings is so that they may be enriched by the innate power of their own freedom in consciousness. Thus, interactions and joy can occur between more and more people, and more enlightenment can spread to the universe. We equated it to a video game in ways, where like a strategy game, certain planets could change the motion of positive integration. And in those movements, more levels of experience could be reached.

In this way, these beings accelerate consciousness to expand itself and create more ecstatic experiences. This would be in contrast to the more negative aspects of consciousness, that would rather dominate, control, or otherwise use entities for their own means. Which only stalls the evolution towards the higher planes, and stalls the deepening joy that can be experienced.

Though, I can’t recall the exact timing, during my stay in Sedona, I met up with a very nice lady, by the name of Stephanie. She was also keen on these topics and was compelled to see if she could have a contact experience with extraterrestrials. Apparently, saved to her phone, was a song codified with higher dimensional symbols and sounds. Part of the CE-5 protocol (a known method to literally communicate with UFOs). She invited me to try it out.

I had no opinion whether or not it would work, but I wanted to find out, so I suggested we meet at the Cathedral Rock hiking entrance at night. When we arrived, we found a flat area and laid down on some towels she brought. Then she proceeded to play the unusual sounding song that was suppose to trigger a sighting. We looked up at the night sky together.

Shockingly, out of the blackness of the sky, in between the twinkling stars of the night — we both saw a stream of white light, like a shooting star before us. Immediately, we both proclaimed our vision was true. “Did you see that?”, she wondered. “Yes, there was definitely something there!”, I enthusiastically told her. Relieved she said, “Good! So I am not going crazy, we both just saw that.”

We were going to continue but, the experience was far too overwhelming for her to do so. The synchronicity was profound for the both of us.

Andrés and I tried a similar contact ritual. We decided to go to the base of Bell Rock at night and simply meditate with our intention for contact and a photocopied paper that held ET “flag”-symbols within an interstellar enneagram.

This turned out to be rather underwhelming. However, as we both laid down to view the night sky, a small rock hit me. I asked him if he threw a rock on me, and he said “No, it wasn’t me”. I didn’t know what to think of it. I figured it could have been kicked up by an animal or something or the cooler possibility of some kind of inter-dimensional interaction. “I mean, could be. I would take your word for it.” Andrés said to me. I decided to take the small rock for safe-keeping. It still sits on my altar to this very day.

We then began talking deeply again, and Andrés had an interesting outward flow of expression. “Oh, I remember now! I am supposed to be a channel for you!” Andrés exclaimed. “I am diluting the higher knowledge so that you can have access to it, that is my purpose!” I looked down at the ground and said, “Woh, that is cool”.

I actually, don’t remember what he said before that. But, it felt more like an energy of something to come, than something I was experiencing in the moment. He talked about how he once had a glorious vision when first meeting a guru figure, of sparkling lights and effulgent radiance everywhere. He talked about one of his spiritual guides acting like a “Zen master”, constantly with a stick to his head, whenever he would have any negative mindset at all. That “Zen master” guide, once told him that in the future, he would be in so much bliss, he would not care about his injured arm anymore.

I took everything he said to heart. Perhaps, to the reader it may seem a bit odd, the things said, but they changed the way I saw the universe. The universe could definitely be a magical place. Enlightenment could very well be a hair’s breadth away. So long as we lean into it.

I bid Andrés farewell. I asked him for his number, and he gave it to me but with a caveat. “I may not answer, as I do tend to disappear a lot”, he said. As it turned out, I eventually did lose his number, but was not perturbed at all. Certainly, our exchange felt complete.

I went to my hotel room and enjoyed myself immensely. I decided to end my trip by venturing to one of the vortex areas, the next day. Hearing stories of crystals sometimes being found in Sedona, I thought maybe I would find one. As, I got half-way through the trail, there was a vista of a huge rock ahead of me. I sat down, and to my utter amazement, there was a very small raw quartz crystal at my feet. I started to cry. Everything seemed perfect. Everything seemed profound, as though it was all setup beforehand. Something with mysterious depth and meaning, that it is often obscured from our usual eyes.

Overjoyed, that night I went to my hotel pool where I was all alone with just the stars, forgoing all the parts of me that like to believe I had to do more, or be afraid of an imminently decaying society.

I wandered the streets of Sedona with much gratitude and awe. With a more integrated mindset, I had to return to the everyday world in Kansas. Completely unaware of just how much more conscious energy had to be gathered into me.

In retrospect, it is good that I did not care.