A New Year’s Blessing

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Author Richard F Holmes

I’ve never been a great lover of New Year’s Eve and tend to just hibernate until it’s all over. This year was no different, but at 00:45 a.m., just 45 minutes into 2012 I decided to start the year with a meditation; and what a wonderful meditation it was. I lit some candles and got comfortable; very quickly blocking out the sound of fireworks from outside. It wasn’t long before I was enfolded in the most amazing celestial presence. It was like being covered in candy floss but without the stickiness; the energy was so soft and gentle. My celestial friend sat next to me and held my hand as I opened my heart and shared my hopes and fears for the coming months.

I have to say that this kind of thing is not uncommon, in fact it’s quite a regular occurrence, and I also have to say that sometimes I do forget just how lucky I really am. I have experiences on a regular basis that many will only ever dream about, and these experiences are as natural to me as switching on a light or making a cup of tea.

As if I wasn’t blessed enough at the onset of 2012, later in the day I made the trip to Bath to attend New Year bhajans with my friends in the Bath Sai Baba Group. We had a wonderful shared lunch followed by devotional singing; it really was a lovely afternoon.

Yes I am a very, very lucky man indeed and I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to God for all the blessings I have received over the years, all the blessings I continue to receive today and the many blessings I will receive in the future….. and to you dear reader I would like to wish you a 2012 of peace, health, happiness and golden opportunities.

May God be with you always.

The Astral Adventure Of A Lifetime

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

Just when I thought my days of incredible astral adventures were over I’m blessed with the mother of all out-of-body experiences; if ever anything was worth waiting for, this most certainly was.

As in most cases it started as a dream, and not a very nice one, although not a
nightmare. The dream seemed to be centred on “basements”; and dark ones at that. At one point I found myself trying to clamber through a ground level window in order to get into a basement. The window was very narrow in height so I couldn’t struggle through, but width-wise it was more than long enough for my body. The reason I needed to clamber through was because a bomb was about to go off, although I didn’t see this bomb at any point. As dreams do, this one shifted, and I found myself in a dark basement where someone had stuck a pin in me. I think I pulled this pin out, but there was someone else whom I couldn’t see in the darkness who was not only trying to stick more pins in me, but also inject me. I was trying to keep this person at arm’s length and we seemed to take a tumble in the darkness. At this point I woke up but kept my eyes closed.

In my wakened state I was aware of the familiar feeling of being enfolded in a spirit presence. I was kind of hoping that I would now be taken on a journey, but I wasn’t holding my breath, given the length of time since my last significant experience. But I suddenly felt myself being carried off, and as is the norm when this happens, I sent out my thoughts to my companion expressing my gratitude. The journey seemed to go on for a while and when I was eventually dropped off I initially felt a bit disappointed. The journey had been so smooth but it seemed that I had been taken for a ride only to arrive straight back in my body. But I very quickly became pleasantly surprised. What made me think that I was straight back in my body was the continued darkness. But through this darkness I could just about make out someone coming towards me and I knew then that I had been taken to a specific destination. I could not make out this person’s face but they took my hand and led me into the darkness; and I followed in child-like innocence.

We arrived at what looked like the entrance to a classroom. There was a lot of activity; people milling around and comings and goings etc. What happened next was truly wonderful.

People seemed to be greeting each other with short hugs and kisses on the cheek. A young white male soul passed by on his way into the classroom and insisted (not in an aggressive way) that I kiss him on the cheek. I did this and noticed that although he was extremely active and energetic, there did not appear to be any warmth or emotion; it was almost mechanical. However, a fair-skinned black lady; very slender and beautiful, appeared from nowhere, came straight up to me and greeted me (calling me by name), she gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek saying how great it was to see me. I felt a very deep spiritual connection to her as if I’d known her forever, but it happened so fast and she disappeared into the classroom. I was then engaged in conversation with another darker black lady, and after we exchanged pleasantries, I said to her something like “you do realise I haven’t got a clue what’s going on here don’t you”. She acknowledged this, and even though we were communicating via telepathy, she opened her mouth to reveal the strangest looking teeth I’ve ever seen.

Another black lady who seemed to know me appeared. We greeted and I remember telling her how good she looked. She said I was looking good as well, radiating many different colours. Even in my out-of-body state this made me think, because even though I could see and touch all other souls present, I could not see my own astral form. I can’t remember exactly what I said to her next, but after she told me I was radiating many colours I told her that I had some sort of defect or dis-ease going on at the moment. I got the impression that she was a kind of therapist because in a really matter-of-fact way she said we could carry out some sort of healing process to correct it. Now I can’t remember her exact words but I think she said something like “that’s ok we can carry out a criminal treatment if you want” and she was nodding in the affirmative as she said it. Now the use of the word “criminal” here (if indeed that is what she said) is not in the same context as we would use it within the Earth dimension. It refers to something that can be likened to a “spiritual bug” that finds its way into us and causes reactions that are not in line with our soul purpose or spiritual pathway. Oh by the way, whatever it is I’ve got, I take full responsibility and acknowledge that somewhere along the way I’ve done it to myself.

I felt a great closeness with the souls in the classroom, especially the two black ladies who obviously knew me very well. But the feelings I had for these two very beautiful ladies were not of a sexual nature. They were feelings of a great depth and love of spirit that you only get when you have known someone for eternity; and they both seemed to know me inside out. But I felt a great affinity with everyone; it was as though this was a regular gathering, and I soon realised exactly what the purpose of the class was.

I noticed that all the greetings that had been going on, between everyone, not just myself, seemed to be rather gushing and over-the-top (with the exception of the light-skinned black lady who hugged and kissed me on the cheek). I also noticed whilst engaging with the other black lady, the therapist, that I was feeling a very definite emotion. Now in the past during out-of-body experiences I’ve never been aware of any defined emotion apart from the pure love of spirit. What I mean by defined emotion is this. Normally as we go about life we are quite oblivious to a lot of our emotions because we are so wrapped up in the earthly state of illusion. So, unless we are feeling particularly elated or sad we won’t necessarily be aware of our emotions; and in most cases will be oblivious when we are feeling emotions such as resentment, jealousy, greed etc. because they just blend in with our other thoughts and feelings. But I was aware of a definite feeling of pride; the pride that is very much ego attached and not the justified sense of pride you get for yourself or a loved one that comes with having achieved something worthwhile, for example.

Yes, it occurred to me that I was part of a class that taught freedom of ego, and what everyone was doing was unloading their earthbound ego within the astral realms where it could cause no harm. It all makes perfect sense; everyone present seemed to have a great sense of purpose, even the young white male who wanted me to kiss him on the cheek. We were all students having one of our regular get-togethers. That would explain the great feeling of togetherness.

Just as I was really enjoying myself I felt that all too familiar, and disappointing,
feeling of returning to my body. I just lay there in bed for a while pondering my wonderful experience with amazing friends and thinking how truly blessed I am.
Oh thank you my loving God for a wonderful life.

Extracts

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

The following are extracts from my book Astral Travelling, The Avatar and Me.

To buy at the discounted price of £7.49 (inclusive of postage and packing) click on the link. http://ukunpublished.co.uk/ukbookland/9781849440738.html

Extract One: ”At some stage, I really can’t remember when, I’d started having strange experiences during the night. I either dismissed these experiences as dreams or tried to convince myself that they simply hadn’t happened. One of the earliest that remains really vivid to this day was when I found myself travelling through the air at a terrific speed. It was quite dark and I found myself heading towards trees. It was a very hairy experience. I braced myself waiting for the impact, convinced I was going to get impaled on the branches. I was amazed when I realised I was simply flying through them as though they were not there.”

Extract Two: ”One of the most incredible of those early journeys was when I was transported to a house. I was dropped off outside and I remember stepping through the door and finding myself in a place that was dark. Whenever I recalled this experience I always referred to the house as “the dark and dingy place”. I seemed to step onto a landing and I was just standing there when all of a sudden my right hand felt warm. I looked down, and to my amazement, there was a small black child holding my hand. I recall at some stage that a rather rotund black lady appeared on the scene. I understand that I was being shown this house as a place that I was connected with in a previous life. It was a house where children suffered but the large black lady and I did our best to help these children.”

Extract Three: ”Without any prior indication, I entered into an involuntary state of meditation. I felt myself being bathed in pure love and all of a sudden I heard the most beautiful, sweet voice in my head. I can’t remember the words that were spoken because of my heightened state of being, but they were so, so sweet; like I was being spoken to by a father who loved me dearly. They were truly Divine words of love letting me know that Baba was with me. I just wish that I could remember exactly what was said. I didn’t want the experience to end, but I remain to this day, so eternally grateful for having had it.”

Extract Four: ”When I got to the steep part of the road I just gripped onto the wheel for dear life; it was at this point that I learned the meaning of white knuckle ride I was screaming for Baba now, literally, and I continued to hold onto the wheel for all I was worth. The car skidded, and even though I’ve known for ages that you are supposed to steer into a skid, what did I do? I can’t believe that I steered against it, but that’s what I did. The inevitable happened. I screamed some more and the car stalled again with the back end appearing to be in a ditch.

”I can’t remember if I got out of the car at this stage but I do remember starting it up again and putting it into gear. As before, I gave it a few revs, eased off the clutch and the car just started moving. Unbelievable! My heart rose as I thought I recognised a land mark through the whiteness that told me I was near the bottom of the hill. But it sunk again just as quickly when it appeared to be not so. As it turned out it was only the whiteness playing tricks on my eyes, and my heart rose again when I realised I was virtually at the bottom of the hill. “Nearly there”, I thought as I tried to gather myself for the last stage of the journey.”

Can You Ever Be Victorious Without Winning?

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

In the aftermath of the riots here in the UK, and in view of all the drug, knife and gun crime that has swept the nation in recent years (which incidentally the media seem to delight in sensationalising) I thought it would be appropriate to write about something positive; because lets face it, the true nature of the human race is that of love and harmony; not violence. I was therefore prompted to recall an incident that occurred back in the Summer of 2002 during the latter stages of the football World Cup, which was hosted by South Korea and Japan.

Anyone who is familiar with this tournament will be aware of the rather pointless match, that takes place prior to the final between the two losing semi-finalists, to see who finishes in third and fourth place respectively. I say pointless for a couple of reasons. Firstly, anyone who plays a competitive sport generally does so in order to win. So for a professional football team to lose a final would be considered by most to be a failure; after all, no one remembers the losers? With this in mind then, what professional footballer would want to finish third or fourth? Because of this, over the years, countries have been inclined to use the third and fourth place play-off as a platform to give younger and squad players a kick-about. Also because of the rules it is actually possible for a team to be considered the third best in the world without actually winning a match in normal playing time during the whole tournament. For example, a team could qualify for the knock-out stages by drawing all three matches during the group stage and then draw their games in the knock-out stages but go through to the semi-finals by winning penalty shoot-outs. They could then lose in the semi-final, draw the third and fourth place play-off, but win the match via a penalty shoot-out and thus be considered to be the third best International team in the world. As I said….pointless!

But back in 2002 I remember visiting my mother one Saturday afternoon whilst the World Cup play-off for third and fourth place was being shown live on TV. South Korea were playing Turkey and the final score was 3-2 but I can’t remember who actually won (the word ”pointless” springs to mind)! The crowd was made up largely of South Koreans who were absolutely delighted that their small country had made such an impact on the tournament, but there were also lots of other nationalities too. At the final whistle something quite incredible happened that I’d never seen at the end of a football match before; I haven’t seen a repeat since either. Both sets of players intermingled and joined hands in a long line and ran towards one section of the crowd. That simple gesture of togetherness seemed to have a real impact on everyone in the stadium. There was a surge of cheering and happiness, and in that moment as I watched from across the miles, my heart was touched and I had a tear in my eye as I felt the tangible feelings of harmony that existed between players and spectators alike throughout the stadium. It was a truly amazing moment that will remain with me forever.

It may have been a pointless game that no team could truly win, but it spawned a great victory for the human race.

Why Would You Need A Sidekick To Astral Project? 3

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

Just when I thought it was safe to go back to the astral planes…. someone queried (and very validly) a point I made, or rather didn’t make, in the previous article. Namely, if we have already learned lessons and gained knowledge from previous incarnations, why are these lessons then blocked with each subsequent incarnation, thus making our journey more difficult than it needs to be? This query was prompted by what I said about the memory being temporarily veiled just prior to incarnation. This is the answer I gave.

The lessons we have already learned are not blocked as such; once a lesson has been learned it does not need to be re-learned over and over again. Further, with regard to lessons already learned, our inner guidance prevents us from falling into age old traps. For example, would anyone with half an ounce of spiritual understanding contiunue to put their hand into the fire in the knowledge that it’s damn hot and going to hurt like hell?

The adventures we face with each sojourn into the flesh represent things that still need to be resolved in order for us to take further steps towards enlightenment; not things that have already been resolved. So, if we had prior knowledge of the answers it would render doing the exam pointless, and we would never truly be able to move on from where we are stuck. To use an anaology to clarify this further; I could go on the internet and purchase a bogus degree in nuclear physics but it wouldn’t make me a nuclear physicist. The worlds greatest leaders and spiritual teachers, sports professionals etc. achieved success by making great sacrifices and enduring great hardship. What I’m trying to say is that no one ever achieves anything truly worthwhile by ”breezing” through a process. There has to be some form of sacrifice along the way.

The phrase ”no pain, no gain” springs to mind.

Why Would You Need A Sidekick To Astral Project? 2

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

So, in the previous article we established why I have been escorted to various astral locations. But in doing so the question arose as to why, if I already have experience of these places at various stages of my existence, do I have to experience them again in this lifetime. The answer to this question, I believe, is simple and I shall now endeavour to explain.

We know that when we incarnate into flesh our limitless “God memory” is temporarily veiled from us. We also know that each incarnation into flesh represents a gradual unfolding of awareness that leads us to a greater understanding of who we really are. This unfolding is achieved via our experiences, regardless of whether we perceive them to be good or bad. If our memories were not temporarily veiled from us we would still have access to ”the wisdom of the ages” during our time within the Earth dimension and we would be able to breeze through life, thus rendering the whole journey completely pointless; it is via our greatest hardships that we gain our greatest strengths. We also get to know more about ourselves through our trials and tribulations. So, with all this in mind it is apparent to me that the whole purpose of my astral journeys is to give me access to certain detail that has been temporarily screened from me. It then jogs my memory to the extent that I have been able to write about the experiences, and in doing so, I have given others a glimpse into areas of creation that they would not otherwise have; areas of creation that exist beyond the Earth vibration.

I have been able to share with others such truths as; we are solid beings no matter what dimension we dwell in, we communicate mainly via telepathy beyond the Earth plane and that our thoughts materialise instantaneously on the astral planes. These are just three examples but I think the reader will get the gist of what I’m trying to say here.

All that remains is for me to thank Melissa in sunny California for planting the seed in my head and prompting these two articles. Thanks Melissa and I hope I have managed to satisfy your curiosity.

Why Would You Need A Sidekick To Astral Project?

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

Someone wrote a review of my book, Astral Travelling, The Avatar and Me, recently. It was by no means a bad review, but it posed a question that had only ever fleetingly popped through my mind; “why should you need another soul on hand to assist you if you astral project?” Why should you indeed! I must admit that it made me think; I’d never given it any serious thought before, I was just grateful for all the amazing experiences I’d had over the years. So, the question having been posed, my brain whirred into action.

The first thing that occurred to me is that I don’t consider what I do to be astral projection. To me ”astral projection” implies that you are going to project yourself to a predetermined destination; therefore, you are setting off with a clear goal in mind. I have indeed astrally projected in the past, but this has always been on an inner level; usually in a group and usually for the purpose of clearing a house where there are negative energies causing mischief. I have also astrally projected on my own, on an inner level, to visit people I know for various purposes. What I wrote about in my book, to me anyway, has got nothing to do with astral projection. It’s also got nothing to do with what are commonly referred to as near death experiences, where someone may find themselves hovering over their own physical body.

I’m aware that people may have their own definitions and opinions of these subjects and may disagree, but I would like to point out as well that I am not “of the norm” shall we say. With very few exceptions I avoid the company of other mediums and psychics like the plague and also steer clear of anything remotely resembling mainstream new ageism, spiritualism and religion etc. I have been guided in a certain direction, and that is the direction I’m going to take; in fact, I believe very strongly indeed that I have barely started my spiritual work yet.

When I astral travel, I never know where I’m going to end up; this is why I believe I get escorted to the destination. I also firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and these destinations are carefully selected for me to gain the experience of them. After all, I never get brought back; I always make my own way back simply by using the power of thought, or I seem to instantaneously end up back in my body if it’s just a fleeting visit. So, what criteria are used to determine which particular destination and when?

The destinations are chosen because they represent significant points; milestones even, in my existence. They are places I have visited on many occasions in the past; places where I have lived and places where I have worked. Each and every one of us is a timeless and formless being of light. But we have taken form at various stages and eras in imaginary time, in many dimensions and for many different purposes. These places are places that I have no memory of whilst I am encased in flesh within the Earth dimension, but they are places that I actually know very well indeed. This would explain why, when I encounter other beings on my travels, that they quite often appear to know me. This has now thrown up another question. If I have already experienced these places in the past, why do I need to experience them again during this sojourn into flesh? Hmmm I feel another blog post coming on….. watch this space.

Astro Man

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

Over the last year or so my out of body experiences have been fleeting to say the least. I’ve had very few, and the ones I’ve had have been so uneventful that I have not felt the necessity to write about them. However, during the early hours of the morning of August 7 I experienced what I hope will be the tip of the iceberg of a new series of astral adventures…. oh how I’ve missed them.

I was aware of a very powerful energy around me as I lay in bed, and after a few moments I felt the familiar sensation of being lifted from my body and then travelling at speed through the darkness. I made a point of not trying to have a peek at my companion because I didn’t want to do anything that would hinder the experience [during the early years whenever I tried looking around to see who my companion was it automatically triggered a return to my body]. Over the years we seemed to overcome this problem, but nonetheless I wasn’t going to take any chances; after all, this was my first astral experience in a while and I wanted to enjoy it.

We continued to travel at a great speed for a short while, and then I felt myself slowing down. As we came to a halt there was a young girl waiting; she communicated by way of her smile. I acknowledged her, and within a split second I was back in my body. I was disappointed that my first astral journey for some months had ended so quickly but at the same time I was very grateful for having had the experience.

An Invisible Bee

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

Look how desire has changed in you,
how light and colorless it is,
with the world growing new marvels
…because of your changing.

Your soul has become an invisible bee.
We don’t see it working,
but there’s the full honeycomb.

Your body’s height, six feet or so,
but your soul rises through nine levels of sky.

A barrel corked with earth
and a raw wooden spile
keeps the oldest vineyard’s wine inside.

When I see you,
it is not so much your physical form,
but the company of two riders,
your pure-fire devotion and your love
for the one who teaches you.

Then the sun and moon on foot behind those.

~Rumi

Sai Humour #2

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Author Richard F Holmes

As I wrote in a previous article Sri Sathya Sai Baba was famous for the way he used humour to get his point across to people, and I’m going to share a few more examples of this with you now.

It was well know among devotees that Baba never slept, ever. He was engaged in ”God” business 24 hours a day for every single day of the 85 years and six months that he was in his physical body. Once when someone asked him if it was true that he never slept, he replied ”if I wanted to rest I wouldn’t have incarnated”.

In his younger days Swami would quite often leave his body in order to go to the aid of a devotee in distress, or to administer a cure for a life threatening illness. An elderly devotee, also a non-swimmer, once fell down a deep and wide well and found to his astonishment that he was being supported from the waist up. He remained supported until a rescue operation was mounted and he was hauled to safety. The man knew that Swami had to be involved somehow and decided to go to Puttaparthi the next day to thank him. He was sitting on the sand patiently waiting for Baba to come out for darsham, when all of a sudden Baba appeared on the balcony, and on seeing the man, shouted; ”hey! Do you realise my shoulders are still hurting from holding you up last night!”

Another one of my favourite examples of Baba’s sense of humour was when an American lady was telling him of her worries regarding earthquakes in California. She said ”but Swami what shall I do if there’s an earthquake”, to which Baba replied ”PREPARE TO DIE!”

More to follow.