Sunday, Jan. 18 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Orcas Public Library
— by Margie Doyle —
Dr. Rosie Kuhn, author, therapist and life coach
The public is invited to a new group forming with the guidance of Dr. Rosie Kuhn to share their experiences that have been spiritually transformative.
The meeting will be at the Orcas Island Library this Sunday afternoon, January 18 and the discussion will cover Spiritually Transformative Experiences such as:
• out of body
• mystical
• near death
• angelic presences
• altered state of consciousness
• visions
• energy experiences sometimes called Kundalini awakenings
Kuhn says, “These exceptional human experiences often provide individuals with a sneak preview of what’s beyond our normal ‘consensus’ reality.”
She explains that these “paranormal” experiences are actually quite normal; from 50 to 80 percent of the population has had, or will have, some form of spiritually transformative experiences, or STE. But people hesitate to describe them as normal experiences because of a reluctance to admit to them or discuss them with others.
Kuhn, the author of Self-Empowerment 101 and ME… 101 Indispensable Insights I Didn’t Get in Therapy, gave a talk in November at a conference in Dallas on Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STE), and is out to change the reluctance to explore these experiences. She is curious to see if Orcas Islanders would like to join a support group to facilitate that exploration.
“Children and adults often have STE that others cannot comprehend. Thus, they feel rejected and don’t know where to turn for support and validation. They are afraid they will not be understood and accepted if they share their experience with others. Are they crazy, or more normal than is generally admitted?”
Kuhn hopes the meeting this Sunday, and those that may follow, will bring awareness to how common STE are; to consider ways of looking at STE that are empowering; and to bring to light the reality beyond our conscious reality.
The meetings that may follow will allow the “normal” people who have experienced STE to engage with their island neighbors with a sense of community and safety to speak without judgment, to meet regularly for support.
She calls attention to a group called HOPE (Holistic Opportunity for People Everywhere) in Lubbock Texas that “came together to feel a sense of community around STE. It started with a potluck, and now 300 people come to meetings for support.”
Kuhn says, “Most people don’t talk about their experiences, they think it’s ‘abnormal; it’s like coming out of the closet.
“But it’s so empowering to experience synchronicity, surrender, awe , mystery. Then the questions become: ‘What are the consequences? What needs to be integrated? How do I integrate?”
Kuhn is in a unique position to facilitate the responses to those questions. Initially a therapist, she studied to be a spiritual guide, then found Life Coaching, which “not only integrates Therapeutic and Spiritual Guidance Skills but also empowers individuals to discover and live by their own truths.” She is on the board of the American Center for Integrative Spirituality (ACISE) and has created a coaching training program for the organization.
“If there is interest on Orcas, I’m happy to work here to empower people to benefit from their STE.”
She hopes that family members and island counselors who want to learn about the STE of others will come and that the group members “can express their truth in a supportive environment.”
She expects that the group will bring “an open and accepting orientation to life as it unfolds for us, for our friends and family; and will contribute in significant ways to the evolution of consciousness in all of us.”
I died one afternoon as a major brain stroke was starting to happen. I was supposed to die. I was “assisted” by a group unknown to me. I survived with a heavily damaged brain, no short term, little medium term, and zero long term memory. For next 2 years I lived with a foot in this physical world and the world beyond the physical. I could hear and feel all “dead” ones around me talking to me and encouraging me to keep going. My life would have been much simpler if I had simply passed over like the circumstances demanded. Now I know things I simply cannot unknow and have tried hard to cope with this reality. Gradually my memory has returned. Sort of. Now mostly I feel abandoned by the Godforce and work hard to reconcile things no one can understand. I gave up trying to communicate honestly about my experience and just keep it to myself now. But-maybe someone could benefit by what I know. I likely will die with this knowledge and experience. This is a time of “who cares?”. Sad. This is the age of the sociopath-someone without any conscience. This effort is probably wasted.
Ronald, I for one am interested. Just know that many of us have experienced something that makes us question our selves and sanity, additionly our society’s mores don’t encourage any of us to believe in our own ”unprovable” knowing. Let alone that anyone else will want be along for our ride by sharing that knowledge. How does one even explain, describe or reveal this inner realm. I’m thinking you will be very surprised at the stories of others experiences and that will help to discover what ‘meaning’ there may be for self and others in these stories. What is in fact the afterlife/otherside energy that tickles our wonder? Won’t it be fun to see where the threads lead? Oh goody! That’s where I am, curious and continuing to question and explore. Holding inner realm experience inside and quiet for a time is an important part of the process to integrate and understand how it wants to chaange us. Stepping on ‘it’ by talking/telling too soon causes us to miss and forget essential details.
Thank you Ronald and Judy for your comments.
It’s not uncommon for people to feel as you do, Ronald – Wishing they hadn’t returned: angry, depressed and feeling abandoned by the Godforce. Experiencers like yourself inspired me to give this talk at the Library today. You are not alone. There are people who share similar experiences, and want to know they too are not alone.
As Judy pointed out, you sharing your story with others enriches all of us. It helps makes sense out of our circumstances. It empowers others to trust themselves, to trust their experience and to defer to no one, just like you.
Today’s talk at the Library will hopefully be just the beginning of an opportunity to come together to listen, to hear and understand what at times appears to be unfathomable apathy and discontent. We are only now just beginning to realize the extraordinary multidimensional Universe we live in. Thank you both for sharing! Blessings, Rosie