Countdown to Awareness

This book is a wake-up manual for spiritual awareness. Many of you, when you read this book, will say to yourselves, "Is he making this up?" Or "Can he be right?"

Set in present time, with an eye toward the near future, most of this book revolves around conversations between Julie and John Randall as he prepares her for the coming changes in civilization. John is an old soul, spiritual guru; Julie is his student and lover.

This book is a spiritual survival guide for the next decade and beyond. Only those who can adapt to the spiritual requirements of the next civilization will be able to survive the imminent changes. Countdown to Awareness explains these requirements and helps prepare readers for the coming transition.

We are quickly approaching the end of the current civilization. When the chaotic changes begin within the next decade, we need to be ready to help with the birth of the new civilization. We needn't be fearful of the coming changes, but eager for the opportunity to experience the birth.

No one has all the answers or knows the complete truth about life. For this reason, I suggest that you never consider any material definitive. Always search out other sources and assimilate your own beliefs. You have to find your own truth. No longer can we create dogmas to follow.

I opened my mail slot with my key. Immediately, I noticed my high school's name and colors on the envelope. Likely it was an invitation to my twenty-year reunion. Walking to my apartment, I contemplated whether to attend. I had only recently moved from California to Colorado Springs and had not planned to attend. After entering my apartment, I tore open the envelope and read the contents. The reunion was six weeks away.

In addition to the invitation was a note from Eddie, a member of the reunion committee, requesting that I speak at the dinner. I now felt obligated to call Eddie.

As I stood contemplating attending, a thought crossed my mind. I could call Julie and ask if she wanted to go with me. That would be interesting. She lived in Denver and I hadn't talked with her in years. There was a chance she would want to go. She had been a friend during high school and I'd always had a crush on her, and she knew it. We'd never dated although I always wanted to. If Julie wanted to go to the reunion, that would be a reason for me to attend.

I switched on my computer and connected to the Internet. In less than a minute, I was searching for Julie. After locating her e-mail address, I sent her my request. Two days later, I received her e-mail response. She was ambivalent about attending the reunion. She suggested we get together and talk. I immediately sent her another e-mail, with my phone number, asking her to call so we could plan a lunch. She called me that night. We planned to meet Saturday in Denver at a restaurant downtown.

* * * * *

Saturday arrived and I made the hour-and-a-half drive to Denver from Colorado Springs. I felt exhilarated when I saw Julie sitting alone at a table. She was still very attractive. Everything about her was appealing: her body, hair, face, skin. The inherent beauty that had captured me when I was twelve was still there.

I approached Julie and smiled. She rose and we hugged briefly. I sat in the opposite chair. "You look great," I said.

She smiled. "So do you. It's been a long time. Are you still working with computers?"

I smiled back. "No, I made a career shift. I'm a writer now. How about you?"

She laughed. "I made a career shift, too. I'm a Human Resource director."

I placed a rolled-up future map of the world on the table, along with one of my books.

"What did you bring?" she asked.

"I write about the spirituality of the future. I brought you my most recent book. It's about the coming changes and the spiritual reasons for those changes. This is a future map of the world. It displays what the world will soon look like."

I had expected Julie to give me a look of contempt. Instead, she smiled. "Really? I've been reading some books on new age spirituality. A friend told me I need to read Conversations With God. Have you read it?"

I nodded.

"That's what you write about?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Eddie wants me to give a short speech at the reunion about my books. That's why I e-mailed you. I don't really want to go, but a trip with you would make it worthwhile."

She hesitated. "You don't know me, and I haven't seen you in years. How do you know you want to take a trip with me?"

I grinned. "Julie, I would love to spend time with you. I doubt very much that I would be disappointed with your company. Let's have that one date we never had."

She looked uncertain.

"You can ask your dad," I said, smiling.

"What? My dad's dead."

I nodded. "I know."

"Then what are you talking about?" she asked, uncomfortably.

"I can contact him, and you will know it's him." I watched the expression on her face.

She just stared at me with a look of uncertainty.

"Julie, you can trust me," I said to reassure her.

She covered her eyes with her hands, then pressed her palms together, with her fingers to her lips. "Okay, but this better work," she said with an implied threat.

"Don't worry, we can go somewhere quiet after lunch."

While eating, we talked about what we had both done since high school. Julie had graduated from college and had a somewhat successful career in finance. She wasn't satisfied though and had switched careers. She had married in her early thirties, but it ended with a divorce and no children. Currently she had a boyfriend, but he wasn't the "man of her dreams."

After lunch we went to Julie's condo. She wasn't as nervous as I had thought she would be.

"How do we do this?" she asked. "Do you have any incense?"

"Yes."

"Light one, and a few candles if you have them."

After Julie lit the incense and candles, we sat on her sofas opposite each other in the living room.

I said, "I'm going to do a short prayer before I make contact. I'll make a request to my guide Joe to clear the energy and protect us. He is my personal guide and he's always with me."

I closed my eyes and said to Joe, "Joe, allow only white light into this room, the Christ light. I request that this contact be for the highest good of all involved. Allow no intruders to interrupt this communication. Lastly, keep this room clear of all negative energy."

I opened my eyes and looked at Julie. "We're ready. The energy's been cleared. I'm going to close my eyes again and shift my consciousness now. In a moment you will be able to talk to your dad through me. Do you have any questions about this before I begin?"

She shook her head, no.

I closed my eyes again, calmed my mind and shifted my consciousness from the physical world to the spiritual world. I waited to hear from the spirit world. After I had established a connection, I opened my eyes.

"He's here. He is smiling and happy to be able to talk with you, Julie. He is sorry he wasn't there for you. He wants you to know he has watched over you your entire life--from the times you cried yourself to sleep as a child, to just recently when you cried yourself to sleep for being lonely. He wants you to know he loves you very much."

Julie looked at me with skepticism. "What was the name of my first cat?"

"Bumpkin," I said, repeating what I heard from Julie's dad. "You liked to scratch his tummy."

Julie's eyes widened and her skepticism diminished a bit. "And how old was I when you died?" she said to her dad. "How did you die?"

I repeated what I heard. "You were three. I had cancer. I'm sorry I left you at such a young age, but it was my time. That's all I can say."

Julie asked, "One time in high school I snuck out of the house and had sex with a guy in the park. Who was he?"

"Larry. It was cold out and you drove around to warm up the car before parking. It was a blue car, with a dark blue vinyl interior. It was a strange evening. You didn't talk very much with him, and it was the only time you ever had sex with him. You both enjoyed it, and he took you home almost immediately after you were done. You learned that night that sex without love wasn't what you wanted."

Julie gasped and started crying. "I never told anyone about that night! No one!"

She got up to get a tissue, then sat and wiped her eyes. I waited for her to ask another question.

"This is so strange," she said, wiping her eyes again. "I had no idea I could communicate with my dad."

"No one dies, Julie," I said, relaying her dad's words. "In fact, it's much better on this side after you leave your body. We have nothing but harmony here. Life is hard on earth, but you will come home. We will see each other again."

"Is there any advice you would like to give me, Dad?" Julie asked, with her eyes still tearing.

"Learn to love, both yourself and everyone else. Listen to John. He knows more than most when it comes to these issues. You can trust him. When he says we are all One, he is telling the truth. There is nothing to fear, Julie. You are immortal, my dear. Your life will go fast, then you will join me. Then you will know the illusion of life. You want advice? The only expectation you need is that life is forever. Enjoy your life. It is an unconditional gift. I love you."

"He's gone." I grinned. "That was nice. He loves you very much."

Julie wiped her tears again. "That was incredible. What did he mean, life is forever?" Julie looked at me with intense curiosity.

"Exactly that. We are eternal."

"You know, don't you?" she asked in amazement.

I nodded.

"I want to look at the book you brought me . . . and see the map."

I got up. "First, let's go for a walk in a park. Let's go enjoy this beautiful day. We can watch the children and talk." I paused. "You don't have anything you need to do, do you?"

She smiled. "No. Let's go. I know a park nearby with lots of children."

* * * * *

The park was beautiful, with trimmed hedges, abundant trees, and lush green grass. The sun shone in a clear blue sky. Young children with their siblings and parents were numerous, along with their dogs.

Julie and I walked barefoot on the grass.

"What's on the future map?" she asked.

"It reveals what the world will look like after the earth changes. Water will inundate many parts of the world, leaving far less landmass. The inundations won't begin for at least a decade, but the new geography will be complete by 2030. The inundations are only a part of the coming changes, although they will be a major factor in the depopulation of the planet."

"Depopulation?" She looked concerned.

"Yeah. Only about twenty-five percent of the population will survive the changes. Billions of people will die from starvation, disease, and floods over the next few decades. It's going to be very chaotic, and the beginning of these changes is less than a decade away."

"How do you know this?" she asked skeptically.

"I've done research since 1989. More than that, I have a strong connection to the other side, and I've been guided to information. Just last week, I listened to three shows on the Art Bell radio program, which all confirmed the coming changes."

"What's the Art Bell show?"

"A late night show for five hours every Monday though Friday hosted by Art Bell. Most of the programs deal with paranormal or obscure topics that the mainstream media ignores. Bell has a national audience of more than ten million listeners. Many of his guests talk about the future. It's been a good source of information for me. Last week, Gordon-Michael Scallion said the intensity of the changes will begin soon, and the intensity will continue to magnify for several years. The future map that I brought you is nearly identical to the map that Scallion made from his visions. He is one of the few modern-day prophets.

"Ed Dames was Art's guest the following night. Ed also has predicted that the changes will begin to intensify. He gave three significant predictions. The first, that the U.S. economy will begin to have problems. Second, a nuclear confrontation between North and South Korea. Third, a solar event that will affect earth. Both Dames and Scallion profess to chaotic changes over the next decade, which will result in millions of people dying.

"A few days later, Hopi elders were Art's guests. It was an historical event because it was the first time they had spoken on national radio. I've read the Hopi prophecies, so nothing they said surprised me. They, too, talk about the coming changes to civilization and the planet. They said the current fourth world will collapse and be replaced by the fifth world. They talked about death, disease, starvation and chaos; and they called this the end times, the end of the fourth world. They said we are close.

"The Hopi elders expect weather anomalies, earthquakes, fire, volcanoes, floods, and other disasters. They predict disease, insect infestations, bacteria outbreaks, and viruses. And they predict a conflict between people with spiritual beliefs and those with material beliefs. The elders also spoke about the corruption that exists today in society because of material beliefs.

"Julie, there is very little time before society will begin to collapse. Then it will be time to put on our survival hats. This "hat" must be dipped in love and spiritual awareness for us to survive. Survival is for those who want to help with the initial building of the next civilization. Only those who can help this building process will stay. For everyone else, the planet will be depopulated."

Julie looked at me with uncertainty. "Yes, there are social problems, but fighting for our survival? That doesn't seem possible."

"No, not yet. Not until the energy shifts. Soon cultural and societal changes will threaten our way of life."

We walked in silence barefoot on the grass. Nearby, children laughed as they played.

"It sounds so unbelievable," Julie said.

* * * * *

We returned to her condo. She reached for the future map on the table and spread it out. She looked surprised. "I see why you moved to Colorado. There aren't very many choices in the west, are there?"

I looked at the map. "No, the western part of the U.S. will be pretty much submerged. California will become a series of tiny islands. Oregon, Nevada, and Utah will be almost completely under water. Washington and Arizona will lose nearly half of their land to water. I considered living in Arizona or New Mexico, but Colorado felt best for me."

"What is the expected time-frame for this map?"

"It won't happen all at once, but over a few decades. The changes will begin with a widening of the Mississippi River and an inundation of the tip of Florida. Major inundations will follow the first phase. The exact timing of the first phase is unknown, but likely to begin within a decade or two. I expect the map to be complete by 2030."

Julie looked up. "This is hard to believe, but for some reason I do. I can't explain it. It feels right . . ."

"Intuition?"

"Yeah. Strong intuition."

I grinned. "If you will read my book, we can talk about it on the plane."

"Oh yeah, the reunion. Are we going?"

"Unless you don't want to go . . ."

She laughed. "Yeah, I want to go--although I was planning on saying no."

I smiled. "Sometimes life surprises us."

I met Julie at the Denver International Airport two weeks later. She was wearing shorts and sandals, with a thin button-less cotton top in which she was very appealing.

"You look really nice," I said. "The men will be happy you decided to go. Now they can stare at you one more time and reminisce."

She smiled. "Thank you. You look good yourself."

We had packed light for the weekend and took only one carry-on each. After checking-in at the terminal gate, we sat and waited for the flight.

Julie asked, "So, God and I are the same?"

I smiled. "You read my book? Did you like it?"

"It was interesting. Now I have questions."

"Let's wait until we get on the plane. Otherwise we'll be interrupted in about ten minutes for boarding."

While we waited, we talked about our lives. "Tell me about your family," I asked.

"There isn't much to talk about. My sister lives here in Denver. She's married and has two kids. I have a seven-year-old nephew and a two-year-old niece. I spend a lot of time with them. My dad died a few years ago. I have an aunt, my mom's sister, who lives in Dallas, but I haven't seen her in years. That's about it. I don't have any grandparents left."

"Do you have any close friends?"

"Several. I have a good life here. I'm with my friends all the time."

"But romance is a bit lacking?" I said, hoping the answer was yes.

She smiled. "Yeah. I can't seem to find the right guy. What about you?"

"My life has been a bit rough, although I can't complain the way it has evolved. I've spent more time alone than I would have liked. I have a lot of friends, so isolation was my own choice. It's not that I wasn't happy. It's just that my life could have been better. It was a bit of a struggle to get where I am today."

"So you're content?"

"Yeah, very much so."

Our boarding call was announced.

I looked into Julie's eyes. "If you're interested, I can tell you about my life. I don't mind talking about it, but I don't want to bore you either."

She laughed. "You can tell me. I'd like to know."

We joined the boarding line, found our seats, and put our carry-on bags into the overhead compartments.

Julie turned to me. "Are we and God the same? You write that there is no separation. What do you mean? How can we be God?"

I was surprised by Julie's interest. I had hoped she would like my book and want to talk about it, but I hadn't expected so much interest. Most of the ideas I wrote about were too big for the average person.

I smiled. "The answer is yes, and it's the most important concept to understand. If we can't grasp this concept, we won't be able to stay. We'll have to leave."

I waited for her response.

"The planet?" she replied. "We'll have to leave because our spiritual awareness isn't compatible with the planet?"

I nodded. "You read well. Now, there's nothing wrong with being forced off the planet. After all, we are eternal beings. But we have the opportunity now to help create the next civilization. It's a fantastic opportunity."

"How can we be God?" she asked. "I don't feel like God."

"God cannot create something from nothing. God can create only from itself. So when God created us, God re-created itself. Thus, everything that exists has been created from God and is God."

Julie just stared back. I continued. "Think of God as consciousness. Everything that exists is consciousness and is interrelated and connected to everything else. Any perception of separation between anything is an illusion."

Julie adjusted in her seat as the plane headed down the runway. "Why an illusion? Why is God hiding from us? If we are God, why don't we know ourselves to be God? Why all the misery, pain, conflict, corruption, crime? Why would God create such an environment for us to live in?"

"Simply put: for the experience. We must experience the negative in order to know the positive. We are all constantly learning and growing spiritually. We are all learning from our experiences. To expand our awareness, we learn lessons, mostly emotional, but also technical and creative."

I paused. Julie was contemplating. Then I continued. "Life on this planet is a grand play, where everyone helps each other to become more aware . . ."

"Aware of what?"

"Aware that we are God. Once we become completely aware that we are God, we are enlightened."

"Can you explain how it works? I'm not that clear yet."

"Think of our previous civilizations as a series of theatrical plays. Our current civilization is another play, with a beginning and an end. Before we incarnated, we chose which play we wanted to experience, and we chose from plays unfolding all over the universe. Then we chose where we wanted to live--our parents, friends, looks, intelligence, traits, phobias, and many other factors. We incarnated into a part in the play in order to learn a few lessons and become more spiritually aware."

Julie looked at me seriously. "So without reincarnation, life wouldn't work?"

I shook my head. "No. One life is only a blip of experience. We incarnate many, many times to learn the lessons we desire."

"Okay . . ."

"Eventually, these plays come to an end. This is the case with our current civilization. It's about to end. In many respects, we are in a countdown to awareness. The next play on this planet will be very different. It will be based on love and harmony--a far cry from our current world, which is based on power and conflict.

"The next play will have a foundation of awareness, and only those with awareness will remain or incarnate. Thus, my warning: If we cannot grasp that God is all--that we are God--we cannot stay and help."

"Why?"

"It's about energy. Everyone vibrates at a certain level. As the energy on the planet changes over the next few decades, unless we are compatible with the new energy, we will die."

"How?"

"Disease and earth changes will be the two biggest reasons. Those who are spiritually aware will be drawn to safe areas. Others will remain in areas that are susceptible to these events."

"Let me get my notepad," Julie said. She found a notepad in her handbag, then began writing. I waited for her to write her notes. Then she looked up and asked, "Why does so much conflict exist in the world today?"

"Because people perceive they are separate from each other. Anytime we communicate with someone, we have a relationship; it can be two people, two races, two companies, two countries. Relationships are filled with conflict because the two parties perceive a separation between them. The greater the feeling of separation, the greater the conflict.

"Separation is an illusion, although most people think it is real. This illusion has been used during our civilization to create experiences that have allowed us to learn lessons--because until we are actually tested, nothing is learned. We cannot learn by watching or reading. We have to do it. We are initiated by experience. Everything experienced by the soul is remembered.

I glanced at Julie's pad. She was writing questions. "What about reincarnation?" she asked. And how does life work on the physical plane? And is there life on other planets?"

It was exciting to get these questions from Julie. It was exactly what I had wanted. Before answering, I said a silent thank you to the universe for allowing this conversation. Then I said to her, "Everything is planned and carried out in a meticulous way. For instance, earth has more than six billion souls incarnated into bodies. Each soul has at least one guardian angel. Most of us have several souls, many of whom are our friends, with us at all times or at various times. Many souls are involved with managing our coming and going, births and deaths."

"Angels?"

I nodded. "Angels are no different than us, although many of them have never incarnated. Billions and billions of souls are involved in just this planet alone. Among the myriad of planets throughout the universe are trillions of eternal souls like you and me. For incarnation to be carried out in an orderly way, there have to be rules and regulations. These are God's laws . . ."

Julie interrupted. "Can you tell me about some of these laws, to give me an idea of what you mean?"

"Sure. As a soul, our home is not the physical plane. When we incarnate on a planet, like earth, we are limited dramatically. In a body, we take on characteristics that limit our abilities. These limits are determined by what we need to learn and the nature of the environment of the planet we chose."

"What about when we aren't incarnate?"

"We are pure energy. In our pure energy state, we have the free will to do whatever we want. We can access the universal mind for any information we desire. We can see and talk to whomever we want. We enjoy the bliss that resides on the other planes of existence. The other planes are nonphysical higher planes that provide unlimited opportunities . . . in a blissful state of existence."

Writing feverishly, Julie asked, "Why would we choose to incarnate? Why leave such a beautiful place?"

"Well, many souls never incarnate for that reason. But many of us see the opportunity to expand our consciousness. That's what incarnating is all about. You see, the experiences we get to have are precious. We get to remember them and learn from them. They become part of our consciousness. Being already perfect doesn't mean we can't change and expand our awareness. At creation, we were blessed with a connection to God, an interrelated link with All That Is. This connection gives all souls divine abilities and eternal life. It's this connection that makes us perfect."

"Is there another reason we incarnate?" Julie asked. "Why do we keep coming back again and again?"

"When we incarnate, we experience life in profound ways that are impossible on the higher planes. Here on the physical plane, we can experience pain, fear, trauma, and paranoia, as well as physical pleasure."

"I get the idea. On the higher planes, we can feel only harmony and bliss."

"That's right. Once we come down to the physical plane, we get to experience unique emotions and feelings. That's what keeps bringing us back."

She nodded. "That makes sense."

"Reincarnation requires rules. If more than a trillion souls are going to incarnate, there have to be rules. So we created a system for souls to incarnate. That's how the reincarnation cycle originated."

"Who's we? Who made the rules?"

I hesitated. "It gets complicated discussing the other side. Words don't capture the essence. Here we think in terms of separation; on the other side, everything is closely integrated. If I say God created the rules through manifesting through us, that would describe how it occurred but that wouldn't be totally accurate either."

She shook her head in wonder. "This is so amazing. How can you know that?"

I paused. "Knowledge is being released at this time because of the transition from one civilization to another. Our civilization is on the verge of a traumatic transition. For this reason, knowledge has been released over the last few decades to help prepare us. Being a fifth-level old soul, I am able to discern this information more easily than most. Also, I think I have been spiritually guided to this material for the purpose of releasing this information through my books."

"If you're right, it's as if society is living in a bubble." I smiled. "I know. It's as if everyone is hypnotized."

"My head is spinning, John. I think I'm becoming un-hypnotized."

I laughed. "I hope I popped your bubble."

Julie looked at her list. "I have another question. Does one universal mind connect everything together?"

I nodded. "Yes, the universal mind is the mind of God. It encompasses everything and is aware of everything. Our soul and consciousness are part of the universal mind. We are connected to it. We are like cells in the brain of the universal mind. By being connected to the universal mind, we have access to it. In other words, all knowledge is available to us¾when we know how to access it."

"Do you know how?" she asked.

"Yes, to a certain degree. Many people, especially psychics and people exposed to metaphysics, can tap into the universal mind. We can talk more about this later. It's a big topic."

She made a note on her pad. "Okay, then just a little more for now please."

"The universal mind keeps track of and influences all events that transpire. Accidents are impossible . . ."

"What?" she said incredulously. "How can that be?" I laughed. "If you keep interrupting, I'll never finish."

She smiled. "Sorry. Keep going."

"Since the universal mind is intertwined with all events, it can and must influence all events . . ." "Oh God, now I know what you mean by big ideas. Sorry to interrupt, but, my goodness, that's a huge idea. You're saying the universal mind controls all events."

"Not controls, influences. The subtle influence is complicated. Another big topic."

Julie continued writing on her notepad. "Doesn't that imply that we don't have free will? How can we be free if we're influenced?"

I smiled at Julie's enthusiasm. "Free will is determined by the universal mind. So in an absolute sense, we are not free. However, we can create in accordance with the universal mind. We are free to co-create in a mutual sense. We are all co-creating with everyone and everything else."

"My God, your ideas just get bigger and bigger. You're implying that we don't live in isolation. That the whole concept of being alone is an illusion. Not only are we not alone, but we are always co-creating our lives. Everything we think and do impacts others. Our responsibility is awesome, John. We don't even perceive this responsibility!"

I smiled. "You're starting to wake up."

She let out a long breath. "I don't know if I want to. Ignorance might be bliss."

"No, the truth is bliss."

"Okay, continue. I'll try not to interrupt too much."

"We aren't separate from the universal mind because everything is connected. When we decide to do something, the universal mind determines if it is appropriate or not. If our choice is within the range of an acceptable event, it will transpire. If we try to choose an action outside the range acceptable for the event, the universal mind will prevent our action."

"Prevent our action? How?"

"Did you see the movie Fight Club?"

She nodded.

"Remember the scene where Brad Pitt is driving and Ed Norton is in the passenger seat? Brad becomes frustrated with Ed's fear, so Brad decides to teach him a lesson?"

"Brad lets go of the steering wheel."

I nodded. "Ed panics, which Brad expected, and Brad tells him, 'You're pathetic. Look at you!' Ed realizes he's letting fear dictate his life. He leans back and allows Brad to decide if he's going to grab the wheel or crash. If Brad isn't going to be afraid, neither is he."

"They crash, then laugh at beating fear."

"Yeah. That scene not only reveals how fear can influence our behavior, but also how much free will we have. Can we let go of the steering wheel? Is it only our choice? I submit there are outside influences impacting our lives. If the universal mind doesn't want us to let go, we're not going to let go."

Julie looked skeptical. "If the universal mind has that much impact on our lives, I can see how accidents are prevented. But that's hard to believe. You're implying that I can't do anything without the universal mind's approval."

"Yes, and it gets complicated. Your thoughts are the thoughts of the universal mind. Thus, the universal mind can influence your thoughts."

"Whoa. Now you're scaring me, John. We're controlled?"

I nodded. "To a certain extent. Again, it's complicated. When we incarnate, we have a mutual plan with the universal mind. Our possible experiences are highly limited when we are born. The experiences we select on a day-to-day basis are largely known in advance. When we deviate from our plan, such as thinking about suicide, the universal mind gets involved. I take that back, the universal mind is always involved."

Julie contemplated. "That's not so unbelievable. I must admit, I do feel guided."

"We have choices to choose from in our daily decisions, but we don't have the free will to override the universal mind. A partnership exists between the universal mind and us. All decisions must occur within the partnership. This is why there are no accidents and no mistakes. In fact, everything occurs in a perfect manner because of the partnership."

Julie pleaded. "I don't want to believe we're being controlled, John. I want to feel free and independent."

"Do you also want to be mortal?"

"No."

"Well, being One with God has its downside. Our ego gets pissed off."

We laughed.

I continued. "As we become more aware, we realize the perfection in being connected. We realize it's better to be connected than to be isolated. Once this awareness becomes strong enough, we surrender to it. When we surrender completely, we are enlightened."

Julie nodded. "That makes sense. My fear of losing my identity is from my lack of awareness of who I really am: God. If I knew I was God, I would care less about my personality."

I nodded. "Exactly. Most people haven't surrendered in the slightest degree. Instead they identify with their personality. They think they are real and separate from God. Until we realize our soul isn't separate from God and, in fact, is God, we can't surrender. That's what spiritual awareness is all about."

"I think I understand," she said. "The universal mind is everything and, thus, us. We just think we are separate from it . . . which is an illusion . . . which keeps us from finding our truth."

I smiled.

"Another question, John. Does this mean all of us are one big family? And when we aren't incarnate, do we recognize each other as God?"

"Both answers are yes. When we are discarnate, we know exactly who we are and what life is all about. Only on the physical plane is our consciousness limited. On many planets, limitations are barely perceptible. Some planets almost experience being discarnate. These are ideal places to incarnate except that we must attain a high level of awareness before we are allowed. Until we are ready, we will create conflict on these peaceful planets."

"Allowed by whom?" Julie asked.

"Again, talking about the other side is not easy with words. I will give you a short description, but it will not clearly explain the intricacies that exist."

"Is it beyond our tiny human brains to understand?"

I nodded. "Yes, our brains are very limited for comprehending the complexity of reality."

"That makes sense. Okay, try to explain."

"When we prepare to incarnate, we work with advanced souls who help us choose a possible fit. These souls give us options that are appropriate, considering our past experiences."

"In other words, we don't get to incarnate into random bodies? There must be a match of some kind?"

I nodded. "Exactly. Everything is done very precisely."

"Is this why so many must leave this planet?"

"Yes. Earth is transforming into a civilization based on love and harmony. If our spiritual awareness can't attain love and harmony toward others, we will upset the harmony. The level of spiritual awareness required is much higher than what is required today. Until recently, nearly any soul could incarnate on earth. As of 1989, primarily mature and old souls have incarnated here. Most children born since 1989 have a high level of spiritual awareness, many an incredibly high level."

"What are old souls and mature souls? And what is a level of spiritual awareness? You said you were fifth level."

"When we decide we want to incarnate and experience the physical plane, we have to follow certain rules. First, we make a major commitment. We can't incarnate for only one lifetime, then go back to being discarnate. We must commit to a reincarnation cycle. A cycle lasts approximately one hundred and thirty lives."

"It sounds complicated, John."

"Which is why I'll give you only an overview. When we begin a reincarnation cycle, we have very little spiritual awareness while incarnate. At the beginning of the cycle, we have no idea that we are God and we feel completely separate from everything and everyone. As we progress through the cycle, our level of spiritual awareness increases. Steadily we remember who we are: God. We begin to feel compassion and a connection with all life. "A cycle has five phases. Each phase requires approximately seven to twenty incarnations. We begin in the infant phase and learn lessons about survival. Then we enter the baby phase where we learn to follow rules. Next, we enter the young phase where we learn lessons related to our ego. In the mature phase, we learn about emotions. In the old soul phase, we learn lessons about love. In the mature phase, our spiritual awareness is much higher than when we began the cycle."

Julie interrupted. "What does it mean to be spiritually aware?"

"Spiritual awareness is the degree to which we recognize that everything is connected. At one end of the spectrum, we recognize no connection; at the other, we recognize that everything is God. By the time we reach the mature phase, we begin to recognize this connection. That's why emotions are so intense during the mature phase; we feel more connected to people and are consumed by our relationships. People in the mature phase generally have a lot of emotional traumas through relationships.

"On the other hand, young souls feel connected only to others of like mind, religion, social status, etcetera. Young souls are ego-oriented. They care only about their identity and how others perceive them. Since young souls do not perceive a connection to people with whom they don't identify, they have strong beliefs in right and wrong. From their beliefs, they enjoy telling others how to live. For this reason, they enjoy business, politics, and worldly achievements. Most politicians and upper management are young souls.

"Old souls are concerned more for others and humanity than with themselves. Injustice upsets them because of their perception of the connectedness of everything. They want equality, justice, harmony, and love. They want everyone to get along and love each other. Love is their highest value, and conflict is their lowest.

"In America, ninety percent of the population are young, mature, or old souls. The mature and young souls are closely split at about thirty-five percent each. Old souls are fifteen to twenty percent. These percentages are changing rapidly, because mainly mature and old souls are incarnating now."

"How does spiritual awareness affect our lives?" Julie asked.

"Everyone is at a certain level, and that level dictates our experiences in the world. Each time we incarnate, we retain our previous level or we increase by one level. Since there are seven levels for each phase, I have only a few more incarnations to complete this reincarnation cycle. My lessons revolve around remembering who I am: God."

"So," Julie said, "the reason only mature and old souls are incarnating now is because their level of spiritual awareness is conducive to surviving the transition? Whereas, baby and young souls wouldn't have enough awareness to survive?"

I nodded. "Exactly. Baby and young souls won't be on this planet much longer. They'll leave and incarnate on another planet more appropriate for their lessons. What they need to complete their reincarnation cycle is no longer available here. Duality, which provides conflict, is going away. All experiences regarding conflict will be found somewhere else."

"What is duality?" she asked. "The belief in right and wrong, or good and evil. Duality is the denial of the perfection of life. Currently, society views some behavior as right and other behavior as wrong. That's duality."

Julie grimaced. "I hope you're kidding . . ."

"Nope. Duality is an illusion too. All of life is perfect."

"You're crazy," Julie said softly. "At least that's what everyone is going to think."

"I know. The belief in separation is pervasive."

"How can I find which phase and level I'm on?" she asked.

"Old souls can usually guess after reading a book about the reincarnation cycle, titled The Michael Teachings; or you can have it channeled by someone that does Michael channeling. That's what I did. If you decide to do that, I recommend doing it twice to confirm the first channeling."

"I'd like to read the book first."

"Okay. We'll get a copy in Bakersfield. I'll take you to Insight Books."

"Yeah, that sounds good."