Guidelines for Afterlife Contact, Appendix C

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APPENDIX C: GUIDELINES FOR AFTERLIFE CONTACT excerpted from
Voyages into the Unknown

A woman died recently. I never knew her. Seemingly in good health she'd given all the signs of someone preparing to leave this world. Over the past months she'd satisfied her urge to visit her grandchildren, friends and relatives who are scattered across the country. Then, quite unexpectedly she had a stroke. In less than a day's time she entered the Afterlife. Her timing couldn't have been better. I was attending a seminar at TMI in August 1996 when it happened. My manuscript was finished except for a suggestion by my publisher. He'd asked me to consider writing guidelines for readers who might wish to join in assisting the recently departed. I'd queried other seminar participants, wondering how someone without my formal training and experience could accomplish such a thing. Before breakfast the last day of the seminar I had my answer.
Janet, the woman's' daughter-in-law, and a fellow seminar participant, had gotten a phone call at midnight from her son telling of Grandma's stroke. The next morning, as I stood alone on the deck outside with my cup of decaf and cigarette, Janet stopped to share with me what had happened. She knew about my retrieval activities and asked me what she could do to help grandma. I'd been puzzling over this very issue for over a week. As I tried to answer her question something came through me and out into the air between us as words. We were both hearing them for the first time. I've added more detail to our conversation than actually occurred to clarify the method. In the few minutes of that conversation the procedure I'd been trying to come up with was born. It's no accident that Janet is a midwife.
"First you need to get Grandma's attention."
"How?" Janet asked.
"Start by relaxing. You're familiar with Focus 10. Lie down, move to Focus 10 and let your mind clear of distractions. Any quiet, meditative state will do. Then bring Grandma to mind, remember a time you and she were together, talking pleasantly. Allow yourself to feel what it was like to be with her."
"Like when she was visiting last Spring and we sat out on the patio drinking ice tea?"
"That would do fine. The important thing is to remember what it felt like to be with her. How you felt as you talked to each other, the sound of her voice, your surroundings. Bring it all back to mind, remembering as much detail as you can."
"Surroundings? You mean like the patio table and chairs, the hot sunny day, the shade from the patio umbrella?"
"Exactly. Bring to mind as many details of the time you were together as you need to be able to feel what it was like to be there talking with her. Then begin a pretend conversation with her."
"Pretend?"
"Yes, pretend you're telling her about the time you were sitting out on the patio, drinking ice tea. Pretend she's listening as you reminisce with her about that time together. You can even pretend that she talks back to you, reminding you of things that happened or things she said."
"Why pretend?"
"It's a way of opening up the power of your imagination. Imagination is a nonphysical means of communication. I use the word pretend because it doesn't matter if you believe your conversation is really happening or not. Only that you pretend it is.
"What if I can't actually 'see' Grandma or the patio or 'hear' her voice while I'm pretending?"
"That's completely okay. You are only pretending after all, just pretending to see and hear her. You don't have to actually see or hear her for you to be able to contact and assist her."
"I don't?"
"No. In fact, that you have any conscious awareness of Grandma, your surroundings or conversation is not necessary for you to be able to assist her. The only thing that's necessary is that you pretend to."
"In my pretend conversation with her could I tell her things I wanted to say before she died? Would she hear me?"
"Yes. From my experience I know she'll hear anything you say to her in your imaginary conversation. I know lots of times people wish they would have told someone something before they died and wish they still could. Yes, if there's something you want say to her I know she'll get your message. You can do this any time."
"Is it possible I might actually 'see' or 'hear' something that is really happening while I'm trying to help her."
"Yes. That's entirely possible. From my experience the more willing you are to go along with the pretending the more likely it is such a thing might happen. Something might happen during your pretending that you know you didn't pretend. These are usually small details like something Grandma might say or do that you had no way of knowing about beforehand. That's a sign of actual conscious contact with Grandma if it happens. But it's not at all necessary that it happen in order to help her."
"Okay, so I'm pretending a conversation with Grandma, feeling what it felt like to be there with her, then what?"
"Next bring to mind another person. This could be someone both you and Grandma know who already lives in the Afterlife."
"That could be Grandpa. He died several years ago."
"Bring Grandpa to mind. Remember how he looked, who he was and what it felt like to be in his presence at a happy time. Invite him to join you and Grandma. Using your example, you might pretend to invite him to come and sit down on a patio chair at the table. Pretend your pouring him a glass of ice tea. Pretend you're calling Grandma's attention to the fact that Grandpa is joining the two of you. Pretend a conversation with him in which you tell him you're trying to help Grandma to go to right place for her."
"Like, 'Grandpa, I'm trying to help Grandma go to Heaven?"
"Sure. I might say 'the Park' or 'the Reception Center', but you can use Heaven, Paradise, or whatever your own beliefs would allow. Then pretend that Grandpa begins to talk to Grandma. Pretend he tells her he's come to take her to that place. Pretend she sees him and talks to him. Pretend they stand and embrace. Pretend that as she and Grandpa leave together that you thank him for coming. You could even pretend he turns and says something to you as they leave."
"That's all there is to it?"
"Yes, it's as simple as that. Afterwards you might want to jot down in your journal any impressions you had during the experience. How it felt, what happened, what was said, things like that."
"After she leaves could I still tell her things I wanted to say before she died, but didn't?"
"Yes, of course. You could use the same patio scene, and invite her to come. Just pretend she comes and in your imaginary conversation tell her whatever it is you'd like her to know. It's a lot like prayer. From my experience I know your message will get through to her."
"But what if I don't believe any of it really happened?"
"That's perfectly all right. If all you did was pretend you felt any of it happen I can assure you Grandma heard you and got the assistance she needed. She and Grandpa, or the Helper who came in his place, will be in contact with each other. Once they can communicate Grandpa or the Helper will be able to do whatever is necessary to assist Grandma from there on."
"The Helper?"
"Sometimes the person you decide to invite may not be available for some reason. I've seen that happen once or twice. In those cases someone who lives in the Afterlife will come in that persons' place. Sometimes it might be someone else Grandma knows. You might even get an impression of who that person is. Sometimes it's person who volunteers to do these things, I call them Helpers."
"And if I don't believe in any of this"
"That's okay too, as long as you can pretend it's happening. Besides, what do you have to lose?"
"Well, I personally do believe in an afterlife, but even if I didn't I can't see any harm in trying."
As Janet and I stood on the deck talking a TMI staff member came out to tell her she had a phone call. Moments after she left, the overwhelming sadness I began feeling told me Janet was hearing over the phone that Grandma had died. I also knew that while she and I had stood talking she had been imagining the events as they were described. I knew Grandpa had come to the patio table as we talked about him. I knew Grandma had seen him. And I knew they had left together.
Contact and communication with those in the Afterlife is as easy as thinking about them. As easy as remembering what it felt like to be in their presence when they were living Here. Communication using thoughts, feelings and impressions is always a component of my explorations in the Afterlife. Even when I believed I was making it all up in my head it still worked. For anyone with a sincere desire to contact and assist a departed loved one this method of communication will work. It's really not much different than what might be taught in church or Sunday school as silent prayer. Just a quieting of the mind and then expressing what you want to say in your thoughts.
A week after I returned home from the seminar I received a letter from Janet. A little while after we had the conversation above, she used the technique to try to assist her mother-in-law. Janet is a powerful woman with a highly developed sensitivity at a nonphysical, energetic level. Her awareness level is more developed than the average person. She's a skilled meditator and chose to try to assist Grandma during a walking meditation. Janet's description of her experience confirms, for me, the usefulness of the method. Paraphrasing her letter:
After talking to you, I decided to do a meditation walk and decided to walk the labyrinth. (Note: the labyrinth was a special, circular footpath constructed by two other seminar participants.) As I walked I thought through the instructions you had given me. I had an immediate awareness of Grandma's presence. Then I called in Grandpa and felt/saw a merging of bright light as the two of them recognized each other and felt their love for each other. As I got to the center of the labyrinth, I felt/saw a blaze of light that seemed to completely surround and interpenetrate me. It was a very ecstatic moment - the three of us connected to the entire universe. I just stood there in glory with them. I felt Grandma's gratitude that this sassy daughter-in-law that she loved like one of her own kids had been there for her. Seems like I also felt some kind of apology from her about some times she had been critical of me. Sort of like she saw me from a different perspective and was being called on to review some of her actions.
Gradually I took my leave and began to walk out of the labyrinth. It was a feeling of great celebration. On a humorous note, I thought I should check in with Grandma about whether or not she was ready to go to the light. She definitely was not! She wanted to stick around with Grandpa for the funeral. Just like her to never miss a family get-together!
Some might question the need for attempting to assist a loved one who now lives in the Afterlife. For the vast majority of them it's most likely true no such assistance is necessary. In the balance of things it can do them no harm to try and has the potential to do much good. It may provide just what's needed to help your loved one become aware of their situation. It may provide the means of bringing into their awareness those who've come to meet them. It may bring Afterlife Knowledge to you through your own direct experience. All of these things are possible.

PROCEDURE FOR ASSISTING A DEPARTED LOVED ONE

So to summarize the technique I received during my conversation with Janet the following procedure can be used.
1. Lie down in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed or distracted. No ringing telephones, sudden loud noises or interruptions.
2. Close your eyes and allow yourself several minutes to completely relax. If you know how to meditate that's a perfect way to do this step. If you feel you don't know how to relax sufficiently you can contact TMI using the 800 number on the card in this section. They can provide a Hemi-Sync&Reg; tape especially for this purpose. Use the instructions that come with that tape to learn to relax in a quiet state of mind.
3. Bring to mind the person you wish to assist. Let's call this person Betty. Obviously you will use the name of the person you wish to assist. Pretend to remember a scene in which you and Betty were talking pleasantly while she still lived Here.
4. Bring to mind another person, one both you and Betty know, who previously entered the Afterlife. Let's call him Paul. Invite Paul to join the two of you.
5. Pretend a conversation in which you tell Paul that you would like him to assist in moving Betty to the best place for her. You can use any name for this place that fits with your beliefs.
6. Pretend a conversation in which you introduce Betty to the fact that Paul has joined the two of you.
7. Pretend a conversation between Paul and Betty in which they acknowledge each others' presence.
8. Pretend Paul and Betty leave together.
9. Pretend you thank Paul for coming.
10 Write down in your journal any impressions you had during the experience.

At this writing The Monroe Institute is considering the possibility of producing a special tape for use with the above outlined method. With Hemi-Sync sound support this tape would provide the relaxation necessary and voiced guidance in the procedure.

A NOTE TO SOME READERS
While reading Afterlife Knowledge some of you no doubt recognized landmarks you've already seen. You may have realized you've already begun exploring beyond the physical world in your own way. When I've talked to people about my experience some of them realize they've been doing retrievals. Sometimes they remember meeting a person in a dream and "providing transportation" to an airport, bus or train station. For some it's to a doctor's office, a hospital or an introduction to a third person. If this resonates with you, the people you meet in such dreams may be familiar to you or they may be total strangers. From my perspective such dreams are often valid Afterlife experience from which you can begin to explore further. Journaling such dreams and talking about them with others who've had similar experience can be very useful. Just the desire for more experience and information can be the beginning of your own journey. I'd like to encourage you to begin that journey. For me the rewards have been most gratifying.