Setting the Stage

Setting the Stage for Spirit

Invitation, Intention and Meditation

I am going to simplify this section as much as possible, completely intentionally. I don’t want to start talking about chakras, or archangels or odd or esoteric invocations that the average person will NEVER try, apply or approach.

Instead, I’m going to give you a series of one word concepts that are super simple, incredibly powerful, and distill much of the mumbo jumbo spirit speak into bite sized steps and strategies you can really use.

(and then can be used together, to build upon and “stack” for even quicker access to extraordinary experience)

**First, let’s look at the 3 basic elements of what I call “setting the stage” for spirit.**

These are the 3 fundamental steps to spirit communication that I truly believe all skillful communicators use.

Whether you are a medium, someone who travels in serious spiritual circles or someone who just wants to reach out and connect with your own loved ones like I expect most of my readers are, these are the basic sequence of steps I have found to be most productive for beginners and “expert” communicators alike.

**INVITATION (some call this an Invocation)**

Step 1: Identify exactly who it is that you want to connect with, and invite them.

Ask them to appear, in whatever way they are able. (more on this later)

**INTENTION**

Step 2: State the reason why you want them to appear. Gratitude, love and loneliness in their absence is always a good reason. But so too can be forgiveness, and the releasing of feelings of anger, resentment or emotions that were not cleared or claimed prior to their passing.

Stating your reason why can be an amazing way of facilitating spirit and clearing channels that may be blocked, both in your mind and body as well as their energetic equivalent as well.

(verbalize your vows)

Another piece of intention could be a small prayer.

Or what I call “verbalizing your vows” , which is often an offering, that asks for help if you need it to move forward with this process. Let’s be honest. This can be awkward at the beginning, and we can all use help getting validation that it’s worth doing.

Offer help if you have it to give your loved one in spirit. At minimum, this gives you something else to powerfully put forth into the universe to ask for help in a vibrational way. (through voice)

MEDITATION

“Enlightenment is an accident. Meditation makes you accident prone.” ― Roshi Richard Baker.

Meditation is the KEY spiritual component to all that will follow.

Spirit communication may often HAPPEN like an accident, but when you practice, try and apply the techniques and simple concepts we’re covering here, you become VERY accident prone with regard to opening a wild and wacky and wonderful window into the bright and beautiful spirit world as well.

If you do nothing else I recommend in this book, and are sincere about communicating with your loved ones, or having eye opening experiences with spirit, begin to mediate.

Period.

Meditation allows that part of your mind, both the biological parts of the brain, and the extended and expanded awareness of creative consciousness, to access information, energy and insight that ordinary awareness doesn’t allow.

Said differently?

These practices outlined below, especially the meditative ones, are much more likely to facilitate spontaneous (or surprise) spirit visitations even if you don’t have direct experience while engaged in the exercises below. (repetition is key – the more you meditate – the more “spirit” prone you become!)

(NOTE: Believe it or not, there has been a lot of recent scientific interest in what is happening in the “mind” when a medium believes he or she is in contact with spirit. Recent papers and research by major universities, or sponsored by the Windbridge Institute for applied science – as well as more “pop” culture science done by media personalities like Dr. Oz, have seemed to show that there are significant changes in the actual brain activity of those in the throes of deep spiritual experience.

Some people believe that the meditative process quiets the mind and shuts down the “ego” centers that cause us to feel separate from the outside world.

This would include the spirit….and this is, to simplify things a bit for a general audience, what I tend to believe from personal experience well. When the conscious mind gets quiet and distraction disappear, the amount of information, or bandwidth that is available from other channels, seems to increase in proportion to how deeply one is able to enter an altered state.

Others however, believe that mediation actually “activates” certain parts of the brain that allow for spiritual experience. To me it matters not.

The most important thing is that it WORKS.

Meditation is truly like widening a window into the next world, and getting a glimmer or glimpse of all sorts of information that our ordinary awareness seems to block out.

The primary ways you will actually EXPERIENCE spirit

Attention (Applying your awareness in a structured way)
Location (where You and spirit meet. Can be a felt sense in your body, or beyond)
Sensation (how it feels when you connect)
Visualization (what appears)

**And of course……**

Repetition (keep practicing until it happens!)

I learned these very simple meditation techniques from a very simple, yet direct teacher, and they really do work wonderfully well.

As a quick aside, I can’t stress how important these simple ideas are. Almost ALL spirit communication, whether it’s being done by a well coiffed TV psychic medium or whether it’s happening spontaneously in your own home, has 3 these elements at their core.

For example?

Some of us may SMELL or sense spirit, while others, even having the same encounter, may see or FEEL them instead.

One may have sensations in the body, and another may feel nothing, but SEE spirit as solidly and structurally as looking at another human being.

These are all sensations.

How they arise, appear and manifest differently in different people based on factors well outside of the scope of this book, but are really important to explore.

The mediations below, especially those that deal with visualization, are a great way to transmute “feeling” sensations to SEEING sensations, which is something that can be developed with practice.

(and is really the type of experience many of us truly wish to have when we’ve lost someone we love)

Another quick note, before we being trying and applying some of the specific exercises and techniques below.

I’m going to start by outlining some meditative exercises that work very well, .and then we’ll move on to some more conventional spiritual tools and techniques that you may want to try instead, or in addition to, or even together if you are spiritually ambitious.

In the interest of not repeating the same basic mediation instructions over and over (I did include them once or twice below) the general way I like to enter an altered state, using the breathe – is a follows.

You are going to start each mediation, with your PHYSICAL EYES closed, by counting backwards from 10.

Breathing in and out deeply and fully, begin counting silently as follows.

1. Breath IN on 10
   Exhale OUT on 10
   Breathe IN on 9
   Exhale out breath on 9
   Breathe IN on 8
   Exhale OUT on 8
   Breathe IN on 7
   Exhale out breath on 7
   Breathe IN on 6
   Exhale out breath on 6
   Breathe IN on 5
   Exhale out breath on 5

• Continue to you get to 1
  Breathe IN on 1
  Exhale out breath 1

Some of you, will begin to feel the initial “tingles” and sensations of feeling light and deeply relaxed….with an open and awake awareness, in as little as 10 good, deep breaths.

When you exhale on 1, with your physical eyes closed, I want you to open your “ethereal eyes” or imagine, on the last exhale, opening your inner eyes wide, bright and crystal clear.

Get acclimated to what you see around you, and continue the exercise from there.

Remember, it’s most effective to keep your physical eyes shut, and yet, simultaneously, to allow your “ethereal eyes” or your sense of spiritual vision to be active, alert and involved in each exercise.

Don’t forget to enjoy! Done properly, these meditation techniques are a fun, fantastic and FREE way to explore the edges of your awareness and seek a spiritual center that is bigger than your body. So have fun! (I know I always do 🙂

The Beginner Spirit Communication Exercises:

**Gratitude and Forgiveness: **

Cleaning and clearing conflict is a great way of inviting spirit by actively engaging and forgiveness.

Many people want to communicate with their loved ones who have crossed, but simultaneously feel a sense of anger or resentment or hurt about a loss.

All crisis is a gift.

All conflict is a gift. Every opportunity someone gives you to go, grow and flow to develop as a spiritual being, to be a better person, is a favor.

You can look at every stress and mess in your life as an opportunity.

More specifically?

Those that are borne out of loving family relationships can be visualized as a karmic challenge for BOTH parties, or in an extended karmic crisis, for ALL parties. (many families face these extended conficts that transcend 2 people)

Resolving them, for the benefit of all beings involved, is without question a critical key to spiritual growth.

Releasing negative feelings, and verbalizing this, is a great way to invite spirit in.

It’s also a great way to allow spirit the space to go in the direction of their own destiny as well.

(something you’ll hear a lot from people who talk about stuck spirits, or trapped souls and that sort of thing. It’s not something we’re going to cover a lot here, and I don’t believe it’s all even true per se, but suffice it to say, forgiveness and offering gratitude is a great way of allowing this energy to expand)

This exercise says:

“I forgive you – I love you – and I am deeply grateful for ALL of the gifts you have given me – even the ones I thought of with anger when they were offered.”

You can use your own words of course, but this is uniquely suited for those of you who have unfinished conflicts with loved ones who have crossed.

The loving kindness meditation for spirit communication

• Step 1: Set the invitation (identify the specific spirit you want to connect with)
  Step 2: Create the intention of creating mutual healing, connection after crisis or confusion and offering (and asking for ) forgiveness
  Step 3: The Meditation (counting backward from 10 to 1 with deep, full breaths)
  Step 4: Open Your Inner (ethereal) Eyes (with physical eyes closed)
  Step 5 (verbalize your vows – see below)

Visualize your body as a great, airy ball of light.

Start by visualizing light traveling through the whole of your body….starting slowly from the soles of your feet and gently caressing and touching every part of your body as it works its’ way up

Allow yourself to immerse yourself in the sensation of love and light.

• You are now in a world of light.
• There is no you – and no not you.
• Just bright and beautiful light.
• Look into the light.
• Picture your loved one slowly appearing from the light – you see them smiling – looking beautiful and blissful
• Really see their smile
  Just visualize their smile
  Feel the warmth of this light..
  Feel them step forward – you are deeply relaxed, open and aware.
  They are close now – you recognize their step – their smile – their unmistakable sense of self is around you – and you feel their warmth – and forgiveness and love.
• You feel blissful.

**Now verbalize your vows**

• I sit in front of you and wish you to be happy
  I miss you and forgive you
  I wish you a great safe journey
  I always hold you close
  I know I will see you again
  You are missed.
  And I love you.
• Again, your own words are the piece of this you need to do yourself. But remembering a time you felt great love, comfort and connection with someone who has crossed, and simply amplifying that sensation, is really amazingly effective. (even if the last months, moments or even years were difficult)

Remember, go back to a time of great happiness, and great love. See them smile. Feel the love. Hold that gold. Energize all of the empathy and emotional connection you can. And then release.

Creating a space for spirit

It’s important to find a sacred space for spirit. This is often a location both in the real world……and in the spirit world, AND in the mutual world you shared together in life.

For example?

A special place in your house may be where you do your meditation, and you may visualize a meeting place in a world of light when doing some of these exercises, OR you may visualize a place that was sacred, or special to both of you together in the past.

Creating these sacred spaces is critically important.

They provide anchors and create a comfort zone that can really ramp up and dramatically increase the speed at which you have some extraordinary experiences.

If there is a place that was very special to both of you in life, this sacred space can often be the very BEST way to facilitate an experience when they’ve crossed into the next as well.

Don’t over think it – just allow what unfolds to unfold.

You CAN also use this physical space FOR the non physical meeting as well if you’d like.

If you have a special park or place in nature that you both loved in life, you can go to this space physically, and “invite” your loved one to meet you there in the non physical space as well.

Let’s do the exercise:

• State the Invitation
  Express Your Intention
  Begin the Meditation

Count down from 10 to 1
Breathe in at one
Allow yourself to be in your sacred space
notice what you notice
feel the beauty, bliss, and sensations of safety

Imagine you are INVITING your authentic self – the purest, most beautiful and blissful part of you – the real you that never dies – the light outside of your safe space
Allow the spirit – the spark to approach
Allow your higher self say hi
Allow your higher self to invite your loved one
Find a really safe place
Picture your sacred space in it’s more beautiful moment
Go there and sit – be by yourself
Invite your loved one in spirit
After invision they are coming.
You see them at a distance.
Wave and welcome.
Understand that this moment is going to be short and sweet and there is going to be healing done
Extend loving kindness – care – compassion – understanding and connection to your love one
understand that while you may not understand it all – you are connected – soulmates – part of a sacred spiritual family and eternally grateful to each other
Allow yourself to be overcome with feelings of love, light, compassion and connection
Notice what you notice
Allow yourself to be overwhelmed with sensation
Or allow yourself to just be
Allow the experience to unfold and end on it’s own
Don’t force it
Just feel it
And when it feels over…..allow the sensation of completeness, and connection and gratitude, say goodbye….and let it go.

Count 1 to 5 and come out of the mediation

Expanding Awareness Exercise (allow yourself to grow flow and in the direction of your intuition)

God is a Verb

One of the first books I read when I began my own spiritual journey was the excellent memoir by David A. Cooper titled “God is a Verb”.

The key lesson I learned, and something that totally transformed my own ability to begin to tap into my expanded awareness, was the idea that there is SO much going on around us, all of the time that we almost consciously filter out.

Right now…as you read these words and are focused on this page or pixel, there are things happening or events you can observe that are right in your field of active awareness, but you have simply blocked out.

Take a moment and just become aware of more.

What is happening around you right now?

What is available in your extended awareness that you don’t even need to shift in your seat to instantly see?

Maybe a fan is humming in the background that you sort of filtered out of your moment to moment consciousness.

Maybe your kids are playing, or there is a neighbor mowing his lawn outside a window not far from your seat.

Maybe you are at the beach and there is an avalanche of activity for as far as eye can see.

Some may be right smack in front of you, but that’s not all that you can taste, touch, and feel with your inutitive awareness.

When you slowly allow your awareness in the fullness of where it naturally goes and flows when you allow it to grow.

This is an excellent illustration, both literally and figuratively, of what psychic ability, and spiritual awareness is truly all about.

There are wonderful worlds of amazing energy and activity around you right now…..that you can tap into when you allow your awareness to expand.

Letting what you notice extend beyond what you can see

The following is a wonderful exercise for beginning the process of exploring your own extended awareness, and the out of body state, which can lead to all sorts of amazing and incredible experiences.

Many types of spirit communication come from a perspective OUTSIDE of your physical form, and people will report seeing all kinds of cool things – and being able to see, speak to and communicate with energies by telepathy, esp or thought alone.

From my perspective?

This is your energetic body.

Your subtle spiritual body.

Your dream body as some call it, and in my view, your TRUE, authentic and eternal self.

It is in this body you will find communicating with loved ones in spirits…as well as many other types of spiritual beings – much easier than while “rooted” in the heaviness and density of our everyday physical shell.

Let’s begin again:

**Start with the invitation**
**Set your intention**
**Enter meditation**

Count slowly backwards from 10 to 1 inhaling and exhaling on each number

At 1, feel your energy body vibrating
It may feel like you are on train and going over a bumpy part of the track
you’ll feel a sense of increased energy in the body
Allow yourself to slowly expand your active awareness
With eyes closed, but your ethereal eyes OPEN, imagine yourself as a small dot of light getting up from your seat…and exploring areas outside of your current space or location
Begin to look around your house
Look very specifically at items, things, really focus your attention on details
What do you see?
Who do you see?
Leave your safe space…and begin to explore – leave your home and enter your street – your neighborhood…or go UP and beyond
Notice what you notice
if you begin to see energies, balls of light, spirit bodies, look for your loved ones
Concentrate, and visualize those that you love
Stay focused….
Reset the invitation and intention for your loved one to appear
Don’t be afraid
This is your natural, spiritual state and you are safe
Look for loved ones
You are happy, and light and free
Allow yourself to explore and experience
Continue to notice what you notice

The above meditation can work WONDERFULLY well in conjunction with specific sound technologies which are very conducive for out of body states and astral projection.

Hemi Sync technology is very effective for inducing these experiences. (but a bit pricey)

(Robert Monroe, the the late founder of the Monroe Institute in Virginia and creator of Hemi Sync, taught tens of THOUSANDS of people to communicate with their loved ones through sound based meditations and out of body states, and the Monroe Institute continues to this very day, to be one of the most innovative spiritual communities in the world)

Binaural beats and other similar sound technology tools can often be downloaded for free, check out YOUTUBE for some good free examples, or drop me a note and I’ll send some I like and recommend.