chapter 4
Taking the Path
of Contemplation
Jason and I have worked together a few times over the years. He is seeking guidance through a SESR session to learn more about the patterns of things and some of the decisions he’s made that have brought him to this point in his life; he knows that they came from a place that was “bigger” than himself. He is curious about what lies ahead, and wonders how he can pass on spirituality to his children without going to a formalized church.
Regarding patterns, Jason has an interest in numbers; he is also curious about how the “taste of things” can evoke such strong memories. Jason owns a chain of pubs. Sometimes, while going through his daily routine, he experiences flashes of past lives, like when tasting certain foods or stirring a pot of food. His children also remember previous lifetimes related to foods and events, such as being Japanese and sipping tea in ancient Japan.
Jason’s guide takes him through a series of lifetimes that are relevant to the bigger picture Jason is curious to explore. Following is one of those lifetimes with additional significant messages from his guide during Soul Awareness.
After crossing into the spirit world, Jason’s spirit passed through a wooden door, rounded at the top with wooden bars. He recognized his surroundings to be medieval times around the 1300s in France. There was a long table laid out with round metal trays piled high with fruit and bread. The walls were arched and cave-like, resembling the inside of the lower level of a church. Oil paintings covered the walls. The room was dimly lit by only the light streaming in from the high windows above. This church-like place felt familiar to Jason and he commented that it reminded him of the décor in his pub in his current life.
His name was Brother Henry and he was a monk. This sect held the common belief of service and contemplation as part of their religious practice, though they were more lighthearted than other sects.
Brother Henry served his brothers and the village as a bread baker for the monastery. A wooden table in the kitchen held bowls of grains that provided the ingredients for Henry’s bread recipes. He baked the bread in a large wood-fired oven. Henry was meticulous with his bread recipes and enjoyed spending time baking different kinds of breads and then analyzing it to perfect the recipes. He especially appreciated the wonderful, yeasty smell of fresh baked bread. A favorite meal of Henry’s was a chunk of aged cheese, which they also made at the monastery, served with a fresh piece of yeasty bread.
On this day, delivery day, horse-drawn carts loaded with supplies were waiting on the cobblestone streets outside. Brother Sal was helping with the unloading. It was nearly eleven o’clock in the morning. Nearby, other monks, who are dressed in dark gray-brown robes with hoods, began gathering. Their hoods were up, signaling that prayer time was to begin. Brother Sal continued to unload the carts in preparation for lunch once prayer time was over, while Brother Henry went to gather wood for the fire.
On the way to collect firewood, Brother Henry passed by what he called his “thinking tree.” It was situated at the point where the street to the village intersected with the path from the monastery. Although he found pleasure in the solitude of spending time under this beautiful, sprawling oak tree that had a calming effect on his spirit, there wasn’t time for that today. Fortunately, he could pass the thick, solid hardwood on the way to and from running errands. A glimpse of the tree would have to suffice for today.
As he passed the tree again on the way back with the wood for the fire, Brother Henry thought for a moment of his dear friend Brother Sal and how not only were they good friends, but they worked well with one another in the milling area. With just the two of them there, they often joked and were lighthearted. They let go of the traditional formalities and didn’t always call one another “brother” like the other more serious-minded monks adhered to so, when they did, they laughed about it.
Henry returned to the kitchen and placed the wood on the fire. He observed that prayers were about to start. “Time to get serious,” Sal commented. They put their hoods up and gathered up their books. As they enter the gathering room upstairs, Sal joked again, “Why can’t they make these seats more comfortable?” Henry observed to himself there were too many monks and not enough room on the bench.
As one of their brothers led them through morning prayer time, Henry looked down at the cross etched on the front of his Bible. It was burned into the leather cover. Henry thought for a moment of how he had tried to learn leatherworking upon first arriving at the monastery, but he didn’t like it. He much preferred working with the bread instead. Making bread was his “useful purpose.” His mind quickly returned to the prayers he and the other monks spoke in a mix of French and Latin.
It would be lunchtime soon. When prayers were over, the brothers would all exit out of the gathering room and go to the dining area downstairs to eat together at the long table with the long bench. Another bench with too many monks and not enough room on the bench, Henry mused.
Henry shared again how this sect was more lighthearted than a typical monastery. This abbey was part of the village and unlike many, it had its own stables. The breads they baked and cheeses they cured were not only to feed the monks but were also traded with the farmers in the village. They traded bread, cheese, and grains for fruits and vegetables they didn’t grow on their own. Henry and Sal knew how to pick out the best fruits, despite the farmers trying to pass off the worse ones in trade.
To supply the monastery with water, the monks bottled mineral water they got from the creek that ran through the village. The mineral-rich water had medicinal healing properties. The village was famous during this era for having the best water.
Later that day after lunch, Henry left to go to the village to purchase more milking cows for the monastery. Although the city was not far away, Henry preferred the peacefulness of the village. Riding along with his horse and cart, Henry enjoyed this little excursion. As he rode through the village he identified the shopkeeper’s daughter, the tailor, and the blacksmith as people he knew in his current life.
This time on the way back to the monastery, Henry had time to stop and sit under the thinking tree for a bit. This tree provided a place of quiet contemplation for Henry that was separate from the place the monks gathered for prayers. In the solitude, he could “feel” the energy of his family there.
Henry sat under the thinking tree, at first fondly remembering the good times with his family. His mother’s nurturing, loving nature became almost palpable as he recalled the taste of the fresh jam with figs and rich butter that she used to make for him because she knew how much he loved it. Henry remembered fun times playing around with his younger brother when they were kids, before the terrible accident that had killed his brother. Just two years apart, they had been close.
His memories of his father were mostly of his harder, denser, downtrodden energy. He worked hard delivering coal to provide for his family. They didn’t have an easy life, but they were happy together. Soul Recognition revealed several of the monks, Henry’s family, and the boy who was responsible for his brother’s death as people he knows in his current life.
Over the years, Henry had spent a great deal of time ruminating under this tree about his life prior to entering the monastery. He had even built himself a bench to sit on there. He would ponder things like the loss of his younger brother, and the death of his parents of the plague just a few years later.
This tree had been Henry’s refuge, his anchor of sorts as he sat there trying to release the anger he felt over the senseless loss of his brother. It needn’t have happened were it not for the actions of the other boy. His brother was helping his friends train a spirited horse when one of the boys provoked the horse and was mean to it. The frightened animal kicked and then trampled Henry’s eleven-year-old brother to death.
After the accident, it had been difficult for Henry to see his mother in such pain at losing her son and he was devastated at losing his only brother. His mother was sad and cried a lot, while his dad, more stoic, held his feelings inside. The bond between Henry and his mother grew deeper over their shared loss. However, her grief had diminished her energy and she had nothing left to fight with when the plague spread through the village not too long after. Henry lost both parents and his friends in the village to the plague.
At sixteen years old, with nothing keeping him there, Henry left to go to school. He lived in the city for a short time. After finishing his religious training, he joined the monastery. It was his anger toward the boy that had caused his brother’s death that had brought him to the monastery.
Over the years, Henry sat in quiet reflection under the thinking tree. It was his solo spot where he had time to reflect on all that had transpired. A myriad of thoughts convened there at that tree. Here he could smell the mineral smell of the spring water; its sulfuric waters felt healing and cleansing to him. Henry loved watching the clouds from his tree, commenting that it was the one constant from life to life. Although he didn’t understand the reason for his brother’s death, he had managed to find peace with it.
The scene moved forward to many years later in Brother Henry’s life. A fire swept through the village causing him to leave. Henry now served as a deacon in a small church not far from the monastery. As a church elder he had more interactions with the parishioners than he did at the monastery.
Henry found a new contemplative space in one of the hallways off the side of the church. The crimson-colored glass windows reflected off the beautiful artwork that lined the hallways. The energy here felt similar to the spot under his thinking tree.
Brother Henry lived out the rest of his days there. He died peacefully, feeling he had fulfilled his useful purpose and his agreement to serve. He was content knowing he had learned to overcome anger through the power of contemplation and quiet thought. As his spirit leaves his body, he is optimistic as his spirit knows there is more than just this life.
Upon entry into the spirit world, Henry’s spirit is met by a loved one whom he describes as an angel of energy. She is very happy to see him, and they are very close to one another in her current life. A female guide named Jharisma joins them. Her name is a combination of “charisma” and the “J” from Jason’s name, representative of their partnership with one another. Jharisma’s energy is gentle, yet feminine, and she hugs them both. The hugs between them are uplifting for Henry’s tired spirit.
Jharisma takes him to a place with no physical walls for Soul Reflection. There are wispy, glowing clouds and swirling round energy lights here—akin to the northern lights on Earth—served to enclose the space. She discusses with Jason how in that life as Henry, he was given the challenge of anger and then worked to conquer it. At this point, Jharisma begins speaking to me [Bryn] about Jason as if it were just the two of us having a conversation about him. “I gave him the challenge of anger and then watched to see how he would handle it. Each life I give him a different challenge,” Jharisma says.
This often happens in session when clients in this deeper state begin to channel their soul, their guides, past life persona, or even Ascended Masters, who come through to assist the client. The client, although fully aware of what’s being said, begins speaking about themselves in the third person to me.
Jharisma further explains: “Choosing the life of a monk was about how to take the anger and have the ultimate challenge of self-contemplation … people can take anger many, many ways and carry it through many, many lives. It can be a good force or a negative force.” She is proud of Henry for rising to the occasion and overcoming the challenges he faced.
Henry’s life had been a fulfilling one. “Every life we try another challenge and use these to learn from …” Jharisma adds, “As with every life, our energy and things are carried forward. We pick up skills to make the next life better, this is how we measure growth … with each successive life, we determine what needs to be worked on.”
Jharisma goes on to explain that each life is grown from the previous life; whether it’s food appreciation or how to healthfully deal with anger, even joking with friends, it compounds and passes on to the next life. The friendships, his senses, and the tastes were some of the most enjoyable things about that lifetime. These had been in sharp contrast to pain and anger he experienced due to loss of his family.
Jharisma reveals that Henry’s sense of taste was more developed because he slowed down more in that lifetime than in other, busier lifetimes. Jason understands why he readily picks up on tasting patterns and how flavors take him back somewhere.
In the Soul Awareness area, Jason learns more about the interactions with his soul group. Jharisma works with his soul group on how to keep moving forward with the direction of their energy based on experiences from their incarnations. One of the members chimes in: “What do you want your soul to be remembered for?” Jason responds, “There’s basic good or evil. Some souls choose to be remembered for evil. Mine definitely wants to be remembered for good!”
With each life, souls take bigger leaps. Soul growth happens down in the bodies, while processing the lives happens above in the spirit world with one’s spiritual team. The more souls grow and expand their core purpose, the more they’re able to break through human-made bindings of the life, brain, and bodies they’re in. Even with a handicapped body, souls can accomplish great things. The experiences of the bodies strengthen the soul.
Jason’s soul group leads with soul. Since it’s easier for the body to overpower the soul, the tenacity of the “old” souls helps younger souls strengthen the balance. With so many “younger” souls presently incarnating on Earth, the old souls have to work harder to achieve this balance to keep the younger souls from destroying themselves. There’s no room for hatred when leading with soul.
Jharisma reveals that there are several tiers within soul groups. The members of Jason’s soul group are deployed often. As a group they explore living dual lives where they play support roles for one another or they can “meet up” when they sleep to foster each other’s growth. Jharisma advises that Jason can remember more from this when he awakens if he is mindful of it.
Jharisma addresses Jason’s questions about patterns. She helps him to understand that patterns and numbers are the same. Numbers are a way to clarify, measure, and recognize patterns. Although it’s thought that humans only use part of our brain, it’s more accurate to say that we only use part of our soul connection to the brain. The brain needs to measure and quantify what the soul already knows. Jharisma uses the example of humans’ natural connection to ancient sites, such as the pyramids and Mayan ruins, to show Jason how this connection comes from the soul’s knowing without having to quantify, but the brain needs to measure and quantify. She adds that the computer was invented as a way to measure what the soul already knows.
Using “soul power,” not “brain power,” allows patterns in the world that are created from plague, illness, or war to be shifted by a soul correction that takes place. These are needed after these “purges” take place on Earth. The new souls are created to make up that gap; however, it puts more work on the older souls to keep the balance.
Also, fear patterns created by dictators and other treacherous leaders can cause the younger souls to get rooted in the hatred and fear. Jharisma reminds Jason that not all old souls are necessarily good. Some choose evil and actually lead others toward it. Other times they simply get carried away and take things further than what is needed. “Evil” souls return to the spirit world after their incarnations and go through their own process with their soul groups.
Although it may seem that “evil” souls make big change, there are other ways, too. Part of Jason’s soul’s purpose during incarnations is to seek out other thinkers with open minds and open hearts and bring them together to assist in change. He doesn’t lead change as a physical leader, but rather leading the energy that effects change through open, thought-provoking discussions. Jason is advised to “seek out the thinkers and the spiritual will flow.” Jharisma reminds him that “all religions have elements of spirituality, but man made them.” When you put the spiritual thinkers together, things will fall into place.
During further exploration regarding the incarnation process, Jason is given details of how the soul enters the body. The placenta serves as the entry point for the incoming soul. Inside the womb, the placenta is a shining, glowing power force that serves as an entry or exit point for the soul. The incoming soul enters through the gut, where it’s anchored, and then goes up in the body in the shape of an internal light saber with a sheath around it. The soul has a helix (spiral) shape to it, like a continuation of the umbilical cord, that runs along the spine the length of the abdomen to the third eye. The soul force resides there encased in a ball of energy that starts at the gut just below the belly button (the base) and runs up to the third eye (the tip) of the light saber.
Jharisma reminds Jason that he’s here to hold a big snowball of light energy. He throws these energy balls like energy forces that explode and open people up. Like a positive mushroom cloud of energy, it enlightens them. She tells him he’ll recognize who to throw them to by the light. “I’ll know by looking into their eyes,” Jason says. “The eyes don’t lie.” Some of them are members of connected soul groups and some are not. Jharisma says it’s like a soul correction by empowering them with a little “recharge.” The snowballs of energy he throws to others are similar energy to the light saber, the light force from them is meant for people who need a little recharge.
Jason learns the secrets of how to recharge; there’s a silent way or a nature way of recharging. The silent way is to turn your attention within. The nature way of recharging happens by looking up into the trees and into the sky. Standing on the ground and looking up through the layers of trees blowing in the wind opens the energy from above, while the tree roots are grounding.
He’s aware of the responsibility these gifts carry. It’s not to be wasted, it’s to be used. Through experiences earlier in his current incarnation, Jason has planted his rock-solid roots which give him the balance needed to hold the energy of change for many souls because his roots are firm. He has the added soul connection with Jharisma, who comes to nudge him when necessary. Jason remarks, “It’s as if she’s able to get in and briefly take over the controls.”
Jharisma is not there all the time but comes to share energy with Jason to lift him so he can share with others. Her presence gives it intensity. She describes it like airplanes that connect for refueling as needed. She gives Jason a sample of how it feels when she’s charging him up, so he’ll recognize it more easily in the future when she’s there. As she does, he feels a sensation running along his internal light saber.
As the session comes to a close, Jason is advised to take the “contemplative course” when dealing with his current life. He is to make sure he protects his space and finds a thinking tree no matter where he is, because that’s the anchor that brings him back. He also has an appreciation of water from that lifetime that he carries with him in his current incarnation.
After our session, Jason smiles as he shares with me that his chain of pubs is named after this lifetime as Henry. Nestled in the mountains, it’s a great place for enjoying a heavenly brew. As a result of our sessions, he’s begun to recognize the surprising ways his past lives display themselves, for example by things he finds himself drawn to that don’t have current life reasons. He also sees his connection to his family, community, and nature as ways of sharing spirituality without the need for a formalized church.
_ Soul-Minded Exercise _
I have had several special trees in my life that I enjoy sitting under while I contemplate life. I return to them in meditations and connect to the energy of that place. One in particular was by a lake with a thick, soft cushion of grass for me to sit on. For Henry, the thinking tree served as an anchor for him to ponder and to reconnect to the earth.
Discover your own thinking tree. Do you have a tree that’s special to you? If not, find one. Find a quiet spot in the shade under a tree in your yard, near your job, or in a local park, that feels “right” to sit under and recharge.
Go to your tree and sit with your back against the tree. Take your shoes off, let your bare feet touch the earth. Sit quietly and observe what’s happening around you.
• Close your eyes and listen to the sounds you hear.
• Feel the air, the sun. Is there a breeze? Can you feel the warmth of the sun on your skin?
• Where are you in your thinking—the past, present, or future? Bring your thoughts into the present.
Bring your attention to the tree and feel its wisdom connecting with your innate ability to connect with your soul’s wisdom. Can you feel its energy boost as it connects with yours?
• Allow the tree’s energy to help you find the answers to problems you wish to resolve. Let the tree lift the weight of those things from your spirit and send it up into the light.
• Allow yourself to relax and know that the answers you seek are available. As you tune inward, you will know what it is that you need to know, what actions to take, and what to do next.
Practice this often to get in the habit of tuning in and recharging. Afterward, journal the messages that come through your meditations under your own thinking tree.