Following a Vision

In late 2008, I began seeing a vision in my mind’s eye… the image of a woman holding her hand upward. This vision came and went for months, and I finally mentioned it to my husband. “Sounds like the Statue of Liberty to me,” he said, and his answer rang true. Yes, it was this famous statue! I knew then that I would be going to New York – when and how I had no idea, but it was clear to me that I was being called there.

It was some time later that a friend told me about a well-known medium named James Van Praagh. Curious, I looked him up on the internet and discovered he was presenting a workshop in Rhinebeck, New York at the Omega Institute in June of 2009. When I saw the abbreviation “NY” in the name of the workshop, I just knew this was it. This was what had called me. My mind went into overdrive with questions about how to make this happen. Old fears kicked in – fears about spending money, flying, going into the unknown, and not being met by someone at the other end. I struggled within myself about the logic behind taking such a trip, but I couldn’t deny the impulse to do so.

Determined to make it happen, I marked the time off in my diary and contacted Omega to register. Weeks went by without receiving any confirmation from them, and I began to think maybe I wasn’t going to get there after all. I considered visiting my sister instead, and handed the decision over to the Universe. The next day after surrendering to the possibility that I wasn’t going to Omega, I finally heard back from them. My heart was racing when I read the email that said I was on the list. I was overwhelmed with emotions and a sense of urgency – there was so much to do! Quickly I moved into “full steam ahead” mode and made the plans.

When I bought my ticket to New York City, I pushed my terror aside about flying. I booked a hotel room in a city where I didn’t know a single soul and reserved a bus ticket from NYC to Rhinebeck. Before I knew it, there I was at the institute, about to experience the most life-changing event of my life. The wisdom imparted by James Van Praagh was just what I needed at that point in my spiritual development. The workshop truly exceeded all my expectations. More than anything, it was the love I felt in watching James work that lifted my soul higher, instilling in me a sense of purpose concerning my own path and developing my gifts. Seeing how he poured himself into what he was doing, truly giving each of us a piece of his heart, inspired me beyond words. It sparked in me a desire to work harder than ever before so I could serve Spirit and humanity as fully as possible. Under his guidance, I realized how much our time here on Earth matters and how there’s not a moment to waste. During that workshop, I fully embraced the work of Spirit with renewed passion and commitment. I headed back to Australia a changed person.

Upon my return to Sydney, I struggled to adapt again to the world in which I lived. I had connected heart to heart with some new people while in Rhinebeck, and I was missing those connections immensely. There was a hunger and thirst for more of what James had to offer. I felt restless, filled with a powerful longing to understand the whispers, the feelings, the visions, and the teachings of the Spirit world in a deeper way. The joyful energy I’d felt during the workshop had been infectious, filling me with a sense of comfort and empowerment, but when I left that space of love and safety and had to face the physical world with all its contrasting vibrations again, I was bombarded with feelings of being exposed and vulnerable. I’d often struggled with these kinds of feelings when returning from an intense workshop, and here it was happening once more. It was going to be hard work to keep my mind, body and emotions in balance.

As it turned out, James’s meditation CDs would give me the grounding I needed. I had bought the CDs while at the workshop and now I delved deeply into the material. For the next six weeks, I focused upon one set of CDs in particular called “Divine Love”, which helped me understand whether my choices were coming from fear or from love. These CDs triggered incredible changes within me. I felt a “new me” emerging – a braver, more adventurous and authentic me.

I was aware that James was conducting another workshop in a couple of months, this time from a cruise ship that was departing from Rome. Trying to be objective I watched old fears, patterns and memories resurface in my heart, telling the same old stories that I’d continued to believe. I heard the voice of doubt begin to echo in my mind, asking “How can you possibly take another trip so soon? How can you spend more money on this?“ The list of how’s, why’s, when’s, and where’s went on and on.

Each time this occurred, I sat in deep meditation and focused on the questions “What would fear do? What would love do?” I recognized that the old me was afraid to ask my husband if I might return to James’s next workshop. The old me was also afraid of becoming seasick, as I’d often been carsick as a child. The new me, though, had the courage to visualize how wonderful the experience might be, to step out of my comfort zone to tell my husband what I knew I needed…

Read the rest of the story! You can order Knowing – A Medium’s Journey at  https://marilynwhall.com.au/product/knowing-a-mediums-journey/