Channeled Writing: What is Sickness?

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Illustration by Kurt Komoda

I asked the question, “What is sickness?” and here was the answer I received from the divine powers: As long as you believe the crumbling of the body proves the body is real, you will cling to your belief in sickness. You may consume pills and potions to heal your illnesses, but, know this, the character within the dream cannot heal himself, only the dreamer can do that. Healing is the release of what is false and unloving. The release allows you to become fully aware of the love that has always been there, but has been blocked from recognition by your fears.

Do not judge yourself harshly when you are sick. It is an experience. No different than any other experience. And, like all experiences, it offers a lesson. Sometimes the lesson is not learned until moments before death or soon afterward, and, for this reason, bystanders may not be aware of a person’s transformation. Even if the lesson is not learned in this lifetime, the experience will serve to further his or her lessons in the next lifetime. Keep in mind that I am using the term “lifetime” because it is a term that you understand. You are never really born nor die. Your mind simply chooses a part of this dream to live within as if it were real. What is deemed mortal cannot be of heaven, and so sickness appears to “prove” that separation from the Creator is possible, but this is false. Dreams are never real, and mortality is an illusion.

You do not need to overcome sickness. You need to recognize that it means nothing. Let go of its value and recognize that you are not a body, but rather the perfect child of the Creator. As long as your sickness holds value for you, it will remain in your mind as if it were true. If you believe it is something to be conquered, you are attempting to make it real, which again, proves to you this life is real.

What is the role of a healer in helping the sick? You are helping people to recognize their own perfection and facilitate the release of their fears. You do this with the help of the divine teachers, such as myself, who wisely guide the process.

Enter to Win “Dreams of Heaven” by Elizabeth M. Herrera

“Dreams of Heaven is like an epiphanous dream probing the mysteries of birth, life, and death. It is one of those gems of spiritual literature that becomes a permanent fixture in our lives.” — Hal Zina Bennett, Ph.D., Best-selling Author

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Savannah Watkins is haunted by a dream of losing her family in a tragic car accident, which causes her to vacillate between two lives—before and after the car accident. As she struggles between realities, Jesus Christ suddenly appears to offer her unorthodox guidance. He accompanies her to the grocery store and for walks on the beach while answering some of life’s toughest questions.

“Dreams of Heaven” takes you on a fantastical journey with Jesus, who leads the way through an alternate interpretation of his ancient teachings and applies them to one of our worst nightmares—being separate from the ones we love.

 

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Dreams of Heaven by Elizabeth M. Herrera

Dreams of Heaven

by Elizabeth M. Herrera

Giveaway ends February 16, 2018.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

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The Smallest Particle

Blood Cells

Image by Andrew Mason via Flickr

One lazy day, when I was 14-years-old, I was lying on the living room floor letting my thoughts wander. For no particular reason, I wondered if there was a limit to how small a particle could be. I envisioned a blood cell, then the particles that made up the cell, then the sub-atomic particles that made up those particles, imagining each particle dividing into a smaller particle. My mind zoomed through each division until suddenly I was in the presence of God!

What an unexpected occurrence! There was no doubt in my mind that the vision was real, yet the reason for the vision was beyond me at the time. So today, many decades later, I asked the Spirit to give me the meaning. Below is the channeled response:

“You do not find yourself out there. You find yourself within. The vision was symbolic. It showed the journey to the inner self, the self that is connected to God…the self that is not fooled by outward forms and dreams of temporary events. You let your mind be open and receptive, if only for a moment, but that was enough..that is all it takes. You do not need a lifetime of trying to find yourself. You are already with God.

The outward form is an illusion created by the mind, a smoke screen blocking your awareness of your true self. When you are ready to let go of this ‘protective’ shield, you will see the world for what it is…nothing. You will be at one with your perfect self, as you were created. You will be awake once again.

Your thoughts continue to block your return. Thoughts shield you from hearing your true self, who is trying to reach out to you…thoughts block help from the Spirit. Sit quietly and let it come. What have you to lose except unhappiness and fear?”


“It is quite possible to reach God. In fact it is very easy, because it is the most natural thing in the world. You might even say it is the ONLY natural thing in the world.” ~ A Course in Miracles

Shaman Stone Soup

The Book that will Help You Believe in Miracles!

I wrote Shaman Stone Soup after learning that some people were afraid of shamanism. This was surprising, since I had discovered through my experiences with shamanism that it offered a divine connection with enlightened beings, nature, and the loving Spirit. I have experienced many miracles in my life, and I wanted others to know that miracles occur and to believe that they could receive these wonderous gifts for themselves!

The title Shaman Stone Soup was based on the parable of Stone Soup, which demonstrates that when people give a portion of their abundance to others who lack, we create a pot of delicious “soup” that can be shared by all. A wonderful analogy of miracles!

The book includes a short, introductory memoir of how I was led to the path of miracles and 20 true-life stories based on my personal experiences and as a healer for friends, family, and clients.

In Shaman Stone Soup, I offered a view of the healing process from the “other side” by showing how spirit guides, angels, and enlightened teachers answer our calls for help through miracles.

Inside the book are stories of a ghost who overstayed her welcome, the spirits of ancient wise men who offered advice and a miraculous cure from cancer, a conversation with a hurricane and its unintended impact, the man who got out of his wheelchair to go hunting and fishing, the severing of karmic ties and its healing impact on a young college boy, a vivid dream of a pastor who needed guidance, the transformation of a schizophrenic, loving contact from my mother who died unexpectedly, and more.

Shaman Stone Soup offers a multifaceted view of miracles that is not limited to shamanism, A Course In Miracles, religion, spirituality, or lack of faith, but rather emphasizes that miracles are natural occurrences experienced by everyone.

“I really enjoyed reading Shaman Stone Soup…clearly written from the heart.”
— Sandra Ingerman, Author of Soul Retrieval and Shamanic Journeying. www.SandraIngerman.com

“Beautifully written and heartfelt stories.”
— Hal Z Bennett, Author-Writing Coach and Best-Selling AuthorSpirit Animals & The Wheel of Life: Earth-Centered Practices for Daily Living and Spirit Guides: Companions & Mentors for Your Inner Journeywww.HalZinaBennett.Com

“Take this journey into the world of the Shaman and the miraculous power of love in the healing process.”
— Louis LaGrand, Ph.D., CT Loss Education Associates. Author of Love Lives On. www.ExtraordinaryGriefExperiences.com

“Unique and captivating.”
Awareness Magazine, www.AwarenessMag.com

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It Might Get Worse, Before It Gets Better

“I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats.”  Eckhart Tolle

“I have lived with several Zen masters — all of them cats.”
Eckhart Tolle

Your higher mind is split between listening to your ego and your divine self, and is always choosing which side to listen to. When your ego realizes you are no longer listening to it, it will use attack methods to gain your attention. Your ego may induce fear, old grievances, anger, anxiety, random thoughts, etc., switching from one to another in an effort to force you to pay attention to its concerns instead of your divine self’s guidance.

Because of the ego’s attacks, you may remember old events or feel deep-seated, negative emotions. You may become fearful or angry when these emotions/memories/thoughts arise, but, keep in mind, this is an opportunity for healing (although it might not feel like it). Each unwanted emotion or thought that comes to your attention is an opportunity to release it through forgiveness. With each release, the veil becomes thinner and your connection to the Spirit becomes stronger. For more on releasing unwanted thoughts and emotions, read Meditation Techniques.

As your healing progresses in a seemingly worse manner:

  • Realize that the ego’s negative thoughts are not true
  • Train your mind to listen to your divine self instead of the ego
  • Quiet your mind and feel peaceful
  • Reduce fear, anger, anxiety and other unwanted emotions through recognition and release (forgiveness)
  • Let the love of the Divine flow through you (meditation or prayer can be helpful). This will energize and restore your mind and body

Freedom of the Mind

When we use the spiritual to accommodate the physical, we have lost our correct perspective. The physical should be the tool for finding our spiritual selves.

Freedom is often a goal we want. We desire freedom from financial concerns and pain, such as anger, anxiety, depression, etc. We believe that once the body’s concerns are taken care of, we will feel free. But those who have achieved fame, fortune and health, realized that this is not true. It’s in the mind where happiness, joy, love and true freedom is found. The mind is not your brain, but rather a spiritual conciousness which is the gateway to your true self.

Finding freedom for the mind will eventually lead you on a spiritual journey towards love and a strong connection between the Creator and all of humanity — and away from fear, pain and loneliness.

Freedom is achieved by:

  • Connecting to our Creator, through methods such as prayer, meditation, shamanic journeying, yoga, etc.
  • Forgiving others and ourselves
  • Understanding that this life is a temporary awareness and a complete distortion of our true spiritual selves
  • Learning that we are loved completely by our Creator and are able to share that love
  • Knowing that we have the power of our Creator, since we are created in his image. We are not weak and held hostage by this world.
  • Learning to follow the Spirit’s guidance on a daily basis. We can begin to make the correct decisions for our lives when we follow the Spirit’s lead, instead of following our own perspective which is often incorrect and limited.

Freedom is found by following the Spirit’s guidance, but we often believe this means we will lose our worldly possessions. The Spirit is not concerned about taking away something from you — whether you are rich or poor is not important. The Spirit only uses physical means as a tool to help you find freedom.

We are eternal spirits, so our concerns about this temporary physical realm are misguided. The Spirit will make sure that you have what you need. It only asks that you allow It to lead the way. When you no longer worry about having your needs met, you can be free at last!

Blessed journeys!

Three Life-changing Meditation Techniques

Below are three meditation techniques I frequently recommend to people. These meditations are useful for strengthening your connection to the Divine Energy (this has many names: Holy Spirit, Great Spirit, God, Allah, Goddess, etc.), removing unwanted thoughts, and releasing fears, stress, anxiety, depression and many other unloving emotions.

1. Connecting to the Divine Energy Meditation

To begin, sit quietly and let your mind go blank.

Breathe deeply while envisioning the Divine Energy entering your crown chakra (top of your head), letting your breath carry the Divine Energy through your body all the way to your feet.

Next, release your breath, envisioning the energy circling up around your body until it rises out of the top of your head. Repeat this process as many times as you feel it’s needed. I recommend 15 minutes or more daily, but even a few minutes can be beneficial.

The results will differ from person to person, and even from session to session. You may experience bliss, or at the very least, your mind will be calm and you’ll forget about life’s stresses for a little while.

My ultimate goal when doing this meditation is to connect to the Divine Energy because of its healing powers. It is possible to connect to the Divine Energy the first time you try this meditation, but it usually takes days or months, so don’t give up too soon. Each time you try, you are making progress, and eventually you’ll feel the Divine Energy.


2. Releasing Day-to-Day Negative Emotions Meditation

The first time I tried this technique was after my family moved to North Carolina. My husband and I were both looking for jobs, but it was just before the holidays and during the 2008 recession, so we weren’t getting any interviews. We had a limited income and were dipping into our savings. The stress had become overwhelming and I was about to have my first anxiety attack. I stood up from my computer and raced to the stairs. Before stepping down, I decided to give this burden to Holy Spirit by saying, “I give this to you. Please take it and heal it. Thank you.” I felt a warmth enter my body, which caused the fear to leave by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs. I went outside and looked at the clouds floating by, grateful to look at them without fear or panic. It was a huge relief to have the anxiety leave so quickly without escalating into a full-blown panic attack.

One nice aspect about this technique is that can be used anywhere, in the car, in the store, in a meeting, etc. without anyone knowing that you are doing it. It can also be used to give away any of your other unwanted emotions/thoughts, even the smaller ones, such as irritation and impatience.


3. Releasing the Past Meditation

This meditation has been life-changing for me. The goal of this practice is to release the trauma, pain, anger and discomfort from past events, such as being bullied, problems with your parents, unfairly losing your job, breaking up with a love interest or friend, etc. The first time I used this technique was after a real estate offer fell through. It was the perfect house for us and the only one within our price range. After having our offer outbid, it felt like nothing was going right, especially since I had been unemployed for nearly two years. I had never had a problem finding a job before in my life. At my core, I knew my inability to forgive my past was limiting me from accepting the universal abundance in my present day.

To heal my past, I spent an entire morning releasing everything that entered my mind — from my parent’s bankruptcy when I was a child during the 1970s recession (a hungry, cold and dark period) to being bullied in middle school, as well as many other events that I had long forgotten about. Then I moved onto more recent events, such as failing to keep my graphic design business afloat and having to declare bankruptcy due to the financial meltdown of 2008. (It was a lesson in forgiving others and myself.) After I finished the meditation, I felt peaceful, but I wasn’t sure what would come of it.

Well, my life dramatically changed within a few days. The low-ball offer my husband and I had placed on the house, (the one that had been outbid), was now unexpectedly accepted. The next day, I was called to interview for a good-paying position as a creative marketing manager. What made this call so odd was I didn’t apply for the job. The employer had found me online (and I got the job).  My daughter commented at dinner, “It’s like the universe is punking us.” Yes, but in a good way.

It was an amazing transformation that resulted from me asking for healing and being willing to release and forgive my past. With the removal of each blockage, I had more room to accept the abundance, happiness and health the universe had to offer.

To practice this meditation technique, find a comfortable place, such as your bed. Let your mind go blank and wait for the first negative memory to arrive. When it does, acknowledge it, and then give it to the Divine Energy for healing by saying, “I give this to you. Please take it and heal it. Thank you.” After releasing the memory for healing, let your mind go blank again and wait for the next memory to appear. Continue doing this meditation until the memories trickle to a stop. The first time could potentially take hours. I recommend doing this weekly in the beginning, and then as needed after that.


NOTE: Some people have expressed a concern that they felt worse during or after meditation, so I wrote another post , It Might Get Worse, Before It Gets Better, which helps explains this.

A Possessed Mind

I have come to realize that more than a spirit can possess a person. We can be possessed by other people’s thoughts. When our spouse’s, best friend’s or even a stranger’s words or actions take us out of our peace of mind – it has possessed us. Their thoughts or opinions have become more important to us than our own, and we no longer control our own thoughts or actions. We think or act according to how another would have us think or act.

How many times have you walked through a store and had someone’s actions take you out of your happy mood? Or walked through a public place and someone’s stare bothered you. You have just allowed someone else to control your mind.

Try for one day to keep your peace of mind. No matter what someone says or does, you will not be altered. Try possessing your own mind. It’s not easy! But by becoming conscious of how we are altered by others, we begin to train ourselves to stay true to our self, and let society’s expectations remain outside ourselves. We start to walk the path toward enlightenment.

Laugh, Live, Love

I shamanic journeyed today to try and find direction for my life. I journeyed to the middle realm and was ushered by spirit warriors to a fire pit. The ancestors arrived and we sat around the fire and passed a peace pipe. One of the ancestors began to talk. His first words were, “Laugh, live, love.” I knew the words meant that everything else was not that important. Our job, our car, the house – were all just meaningless details. I begin to think that my occupation doesn’t have to bring in a lot of money as long as I love what I do. “Aha!” I hear. One of the ancestors agrees with my thoughts. I continue with this train of thought. What would I love to do? What can I be proud of?

I consider starting a holistic directory. It’s communication. It will bring people together who are searching for their spiritual path. It seems like a noble path to follow. But, I am concerned that I am following the “realistic” path that this world values. I want to be sure that my thought process is following the divine will for me.

The sky opens and I begin to fly! Up towards the light, passed the clouds, beyond this universe into the light. A hand reaches down and picks me up. I am settled into a bright cloud where I sit and talk with my Creator. Like so often happens, the conversation is erased from my mind. I can see myself sitting there, I know I would have expressed my concern that I follow his will. Now, I remember a bit… he mentions that he also wants to see what I do with this life. That he is often disappointed that we don’t remember that we are sons and daughters of God… which means we have the power of God within us. We walk around limited by our own thoughts. Living disappointing lives and going to jobs we hate. This is not the way it is supposed to be!

I am returned by my Creator’s hand to the middle realm. Where I sit once again with the ancestors. One nods and says, “God is good.” The others nod in agreement. No big ceremony here!

I go on a vision, where I am in a temple with two people sitting up front. I walk up front and sit next to them, but realize that I feel unworthy to sit there. They turn to me and motion for me to go up front and stand in front of a giant Buddha that is glowing with light. When I turn around, the pews are filled with people and Buddha reminds me that we are glorious and worthy, and that includes me.

A power smolders within. I need to find courage to be myself and live the glorious life that I was meant to live. Does it come from me? It certainly doesn’t come from my thoughts or this body. I will have to rely on my spirit – that part of me that has never lost its power to help me remember my glorious self. And live a life that is courageous and successful in terms of having laughed, lived and loved enough. The rest is just details.

Blessed journeys!

It’s Not Easy Being Special

In the book, The Prince of Tides, the mother whispered to each of her children that they were special and that she loved them the most. This “specialness” created a guilty secret and made each child feel separate from their siblings. Feeling special never creates the emotions that we think it will.

Feeling special is to feel separate. Being separate creates feelings of isolation, fear and loneliness. In our drive for being special, we think everyone will adores us and that things will go our way. But we find that no matter whether someone thinks we are beneath them or above them – it is always a separate relationship. The only way to feel connected is to see ourselves as equals. Not in abilities, but in value.

There is no need to feel guilty about our blessings of health, wealth and happiness. Be glad! If you achieved fame because you love acting or wrote a book that millions loved to read – that’s great! The point here is to examine why you are doing what you are doing. When trying to make correct choices, we are often confused whether we are listening to our ego’s desires or our spirit’s true calling. To decide if you are following the correct path, listen to your inner wisdom to examine whether you are making your choices out of fear or love – love for yourself or others.

We can lead rich and fulfilling lives without the need to feel special.

Now go and fulfill your life’s purpose!

Blessed journeys!

The Two Sides of Eve – Ego vs. Spirit

Over and over for a week, I have heard comments from people stating that they don’t fit in this world – and never have. I knew they were echoing what I felt as well. Especially this last week, when I kept vacillating between peacefulness and flights of profound sadness and fearfulness. I realize now that it was a lesson to show me the rewards of being connected with the spirit versus being connected with the ego.

What is the ego?
The ego was created by our thoughts (we are creators, just like our Creator). We create an ego for ourselves and each person we meet. The ego will die without us, but believes that it can live without us. It’s mad and insane. It longs to be free of us, thinking it can live without its creator. It is emulating our original decision that we could live apart from our Creator. It fears that we will awaken and realize that the ego is not who we really are—that we will remember our true spiritual self. Once we know our true self, the ego will cease to exist—a state of mind called enlightenment.

The ego uses conniving methods, such as feelings of bravado to motivate us, and fear when we are headed toward enlightenment to cloud our vision. You could compare the creation of the ego with the ‘Garden of Eden’ scene in the Bible where Satan convinces Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. The forbidden fruit was symbolic of the thought of living separately from our Creator—a decision that created the ego thought-system which deceived us into believing that we could be created by something other than God, and at the same dissociating ourselves from the fear and guilt that stemmed from the separation.

How do we live on this earth without the torment of the ego?
I believe that it is possible to listen to our spiritual self through the Spirit to know how to go about our day. Listening to the Spirit is not a conscious act to ignore the ego, but rather the natural outcome. When listening to the Spirit, we are connecting to our higher selves which automatically fills us with love and overpowers the thoughts of the ego. There are only two basic emotions – love and fear (lack of love). The ego is ruled by fear and the Spirit is love.

Dark and Light Force Healings

My mother told me the other day, that some people have expressed concern about whether my healings come from an enlightened source. They were afraid that dark forces are at work (perhaps in disguise?).

My answer was, “We are always following either a dark or light force. It’s a moment by moment decision, whether it’s conscious or unconscious.”

Our actions and thoughts reflect which force we are following. Every action or thought that isn’t loving is following the dark force. This doesn’t make us evil, just mistaken. A mistake that can be changed instantly by correctly our perception and thereby changing our behavior. By consciously choosing to follow the light force, we greatly increase our consistency in following this path.” Although we all make mistakes – it’s part of being human.

I respect people’s concern about the power source behind the healings I offer. It is easy to fear what we don’t understand, and there is some basis for their fears. There are shamans who follow a dark path, but you will find that in any practice or religion throughout the world. Although, most shamans and energy healers have the best intentions and follow a higher calling, I urge you to choose a healer as carefully as you would a doctor or spiritual teacher. Make sure their ideologies and skills are ones you admired and respect. A healer is a catalyst through which power flows through. It’s okay to ask where the power comes from.

Blessed journeys!

I’d love you, but…

I read several comments in the newspaper lately where the religious leaders were asking the question: “Is it okay to love people outside your faith?” This is mind boggling to me. I haven’t been to church in 20 years, so maybe I am out of the loop on the ‘love your brother as yourself, as long as he is member of your church/temple/mosque’ ideology.

I am going to offer an answer on this, although I am sure that those asking this question don’t care what I think.

First, love everybody. The saints, children, your mother and father, politicians and lawyers (they really need it), hard working teachers, your neighbor, and everybody else! How we feel toward others and treat them is a direct expression of how we feel about ourselves. And since we are all connected, we really do hurt ourselves when we hurt others, and love ourselves when we love others.

“…See the Love of God in you, and you will see it everywhere because it is everywhere. See His abundance in everyone, and you will know that you in Him with them. They are part of you, as you are part of God.”
A Course in Miracles

Shamanism vs. “A Course in Miracles”

I read A Course in Miracles (ACIM) book a year ago in August, because I wanted to compare the beliefs in this book against shamanism. The writings were channeled by Helen Schucman and put into words by William Thetford, both professors at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. The channeling was a strange occurrence to have happened to an atheist professor who had never practiced metaphysical activities.

Last August, my family and I were about to take a two week road trip from Florida to Michigan to visit family, and I knew I would have a lot of time to read. My father had given me the A Course in Miracles book several years earlier, but I had only read the first page to where it stated, “All miracles mean life, and God is the Giver of life…” when I saw the word God I had stopped reading. The book had sat in my bookshelf ever since. But I had changed my viewpoint on God since then, although not religion. I wanted to read A Course in Miracles to see how it claimed miracles occurred and whether it was a different thought process than shamanic healing.

The ACIM book is written in a biblical style and is difficult to read. To be able to read as much as possible and utilize my time on the road, I would read a paragraph or page at a time and set it aside for a few minutes. Once the words sunk in, I would resume reading. In the several days it took to reach Michigan, a week visiting family, and the travel back to Florida, I managed to read the entire book except for the daily lessons.

I was surprised that I could not find anything in A Course in Miracles that contradicted shamanism. In fact, it added valuable insight into how shamanic healing occurs. ACIM talks of how there are teachers of teachers (teachers in spirit form) such as Jesus and others. In shamanism, the others would be called spirit guides. In a religious context, they might be called saints, angels and the Holy Spirit. In my shamanic journeys, I work with spirit guides, Jesus and angels, as well as nature spirits, ancestors, and animal totems.

ACIM talks of how miracles alter space and time to undo the perception of illness. I have seen for myself how a past life healing can cut the karmic ties between a past and present life. And, a soul retrieval can release the negative effects of a past trauma through acknowledgement and forgiveness.

Shamanism is the oldest known spiritual practice and has endured because it follows truths that have stood the span of time. The book, A Course in Miracles, although a much more recent revelation, offers ancient truths and is a perfect companion to my shamanic practice.