Hello. Really enjoyed reading this subject and all its replies. Thanks Berserk and all others. Just going to add my 2cents worth. I obtained a book that was published privately and sold privately(not sold in bookshops or internet)from Australia. It was published in 1999 and was titled "One Man's Journey" by Joseph P Yates. Some quotes:

"My first spiritual experience was in New Guinea during the 2nd World War at a small village called JEVEVENANG, on the Huon Peninsula on the way to a larger village called Satalberg. We were attached to Australian (9th Division) Troops-a company. Our group consisted of three European Sergeants and about fourteen native troops. We were in the village and could not go any further. We were cut off by the Japanese so we had to 'dig in' and we were isolated for approximately six days. We could not go forward and no other Australian troops could come in to relieve us nad our lines of communications were cut. The enemy had surrounded us and cut us off because they were removing men and equiptment from Lae to Satalberg to make a 'last stand' there and we were a threat to their passageway.

In the final two to three days of being cut off I had an experience one night while while sitting in my slit trench(fox hole). In such a situation as we were in, we spent a lot of time with our thoughts. I was had been wounded twice before and I was thinking about being wounded a third time-would the third time be final. I recalled a story from the 1st World War(1914-1918)where three soldiers were lighting three cigarettes off the one match-the third light off the match was killed. These thoughts flashed through my mind. During these thoughts I felt a 'presense' and the mental thought came to me, 'Don't be too concerned-things will be alright.' I made a promise to myself(or whoever)that I would go to church every Sunday if I came through this situation. Sure enough, within two days, we were able to retire out of the situation we were in and about 60 of us went down a gully and met other Aussie troops who were endeavouring to get to us. We did this all without any fireworks and loss of life."

Joseph P Yates was 21 years of age then. 35 years later while living on his 20 acre property in Mudgee(country Australia) he completes this above story.

"The completion of this story-my first OOBE at Mudgee re-started my spiritual journey and had a dramatic effect on me and was the beginning of my 'awareness' and my teaching. I was 56 years of age-35 years after the village incident when I was 21 years.

Thirty five years later, whilst living at Mudgee, I had an OOBE nad travelled back to the village of Jevevenang and I was 'flying' over the village.  There I was over the village in New Guinea and a strong mental thought said to me, 'Remember your promise'.

People now say to me 'Yes, you didn't go to church since you made that promise, but you built a church'. This thought never occured to me until many years later. The Centre was started approximately two to three years after the OOBE and took three years to build. So this is the story of how it all started-Whitehaven Centre."

J P Yates and his wife sold their property and the Whitehaven Centre which stood on it in 2000 and retired to a retirement area on the coast called Port Macquarie, a sort of small Florida type area in Australia. But the story continues. To go back to the time of building the Centre or Church as his friends called it.

"In another dramatic OOBE I had in the first year, I was placed in the body of Christ while out in the Spirit World. I was floating down a 'street' and I 'knew' it was back in Biblical Times(a strong knowing again). In the distance were a couple of buildings and a few men sitting down and one figure, who appeared to be Christ, was standing moving his arms and talking(spiritually). I was about 10 feet away and standing opposite him.

Within a very short time I was behind the Christ figure, and slid, or was placed in 'his' body. I became 'him' and felt like 'him' and he became 'me'. This was a dramatic moment for me, especially when I returned to my physical body later.

I had realized that most of my travels and experiences when out of the body were lessons and teachings for what I would be doing now and in the future, ie. the spiritual work.

After about two years my conscious OOBE's ceased or I was unaware of them and very rarely do I go out now. When the teachings were completed I was given a definite direction, "Now go and do'."

JP Yates had another another dramatic experience. This time on the physical reality level. It happened about the same time as the above OOBE's.

"This happened on the physical level, about twelve to eighteen months afte the OOBE to New Guinea. I was working on a job about 45 minutes from home-doing carpentry work-building extensions on a large property. The owners had gone to Sydney and left before I had arrived. It was lunch time. I had just finished my lunch and it was a beautiful day, quiet and peaceful. I was completely relaxed. I started to think of the Bible and Jesus Christ and the teachings and all of a sudden I felt an overwhelming Christ presence. I was facing a westerly direction and the horizon just lit up with a tremendous glow of white light nad I felt knowledge come into my body/mind. I found it very hard to describe the feeling and the knowledge. I felt I had been given all the knowledge there was in the world, all in the space of minutes. The best way I could describe it was if someone had  a syringe(a very large one at that)which contained all the knowledge and it was stuck into my arm and the plunger pushed in.

I could not work the rest of the afternoon. I was emotionally affected and tears rolled down my face nad I could not concentrate on my work. So I packed up and drove home to Betty my wife. nad explained to her what had happened, including standing in the middle of the lounge room in tears. It took me about two weeks before I again felt 'normal'.

All this had a dramatic affect on me. I immediately went to bookshops to look for books on the subject, knowing I must have had an experience likened to St Paul on the road to Damascus-that famous story. The best book I found was 'Cosmic Consciouness', written by Dr Bucke , a doctor who had the same experience nad afterwards researched and wrote of other peoples enlightenment experiences. It is a famous classic book."

JP Yates and his wife are in their late eighties and still alive to this date. JP Yates main spiritual calling besides giving lectures at his Centre was rescue work-the exorcism and rescue of lost earthbound beings and other energies. Sincerely. Carl and Family.  

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Thanks Don for your reply. Much Thanks. It never fails to impress me, on a emotional level, to hear how the positive unseen spiritual world shows its love and understanding and works through us physical beings. To keep on topic now.

I've read on other subject threads that you do not validate the use of Ouija Boards. I agree. Many years ago when I was in England, Carlisle to be exact. I was introduced to a Scotsman who at the time was the assistant personnel manager of a large canning factory. When we got to the subject of spirituality he suddenly had a change of face towards the negative. At this point I must say he was not a practicing Christian. He was an agnostic. His story from memory.

When he was at university in Scotland he lived on campus. In the same floor or building were two other guys studying the same degree as him. They both were good friends. They somehow?got hold of a Ouija board. They could not help themselves and told others about the 'contacts' they made on this board. As time passed their personalities change to the point of being in a manical expression of contact with other students. They missed lectures and became somewhat aloof in a extraverted sort of way. Eventually the university authorities issued their dismissal(expulsion) from the university. At this point the police had to be called to remove them as they refused to leave. One was placed into a mental hospital and the other went somewhere? Probably back to friends or relatives(my assumption-Carl).

I can still remember the look of utter shock on my friends face. He was definately sincere in telling me this story.

On to another side of the coin, the same coin. A few years ago I was reading about Indian Gurus when I came across  the name Ram Dass. Ram Dass was Richard Alpert a professor at Harvard Univerty. Together with Timothy Leary, another professor, they experimented with LSD, Magic Mushrooms etc in the 1960's. They were fired for this(I apologise if you or others know this). Richard Alpert made his way to India in 1967, eventually being introduced to the Indian Guru Neem Karoli Baba. He recounts how this Guru could tap people on the forehead and they would go into some sort of spiritual ecstasy and fainting spells. He, Richard, experienced this himself. He also states that this particular Indian Guru oozed love. 'A fountain of love' as Alpert explains in his various Youtube segments and on the various websites dedicated to this Guru. Richard Alpert now 'Ram Dass' returned to america and wrote a book about his Guru called 'Be Here Now' This book proved to be a major bestseller which caused the exodus of many 'hippie' americans to visit this Indian Guru in his Ashram in India. I believe this Guru died in the early 1970's. To cut a long story short, and you can read this on the various websites about him(Dass and his Guru)I don't remember the actual link or website, but you can search and you'll find it....When confronted with the hoardes of young americans and others who descended on his Ashram because of Alperts book 'Be Here Now' , Neem Karoli Baba said to a close nearby aid and this was heard by many americans sitting at his feet...."Why do all these these westerners come here to see me when they have Jesus?".... Alpert(Ram Dass)suffered a stroke a few years ago and he now lives in Hawaii. I don't follow any Indian Gurus or am a card carrying member of any traditional established religion or sect. If you want to know, I'm a fence sitter. Yours Sincerely. Carl and Family.