Mystical Experiencer: Male in early forties
Current location: United Kingdom
Age at time of experience: 39
Background – I had been depressed for years (perhaps 10), though never sought a professional opinion. My wife child and I had been living in the UK for 8 years. Our marriage had drastically fallen apart on account of my wife having PTSD. I was working away from home during the weekdays, and coming home on the weekend. My most important experience happened on the way home from work…
I was on a commuter train in the UK, heading from Liverpool to my home in Durham UK (a three-hour journey). I was reading a book on the wisdom of yoga. I really liked this book and it was my second or third time reading it.
I had a lot on my mind: My marriage problems, the stress of my job, my depression, and my extreme exhaustion due to working away from home (to name a few). As I started reading a particular chapter in the book, thinking about the definitions that were presented on the “ego ideal” and the “ideal ego”, I started to close my eyes.
Because, the sun was shining bright, which doesn’t always happen in the UK, I was aware of the bright light gently passing through my eyelids. This is nothing out of the ordinary. Then, as the train passed through what I think was a section of trees, I could see the shadows of the leaves and branches affecting the light that passed through my eyelids; again, nothing out of the ordinary.
Then, the shadows and light took on interesting patterns – beautiful symmetrical patterns. At first there were local patterns in one place, and then both eyes were filled with perfect tiny patterns from the light and shadows. Then, the light that was passing through my lids started to break down into rainbow colours, as if my eyelids were prisms. My eyes were still closed at this point.
As I watched the strange, yet beautiful patterns unfold (for how long I don’t know) there came a total feeling of bliss – a feeling of total enlightenment. I can’t describe the feeling, other than it was pure joy. I just “got it”, meaning I seemed to understand everything about being connected and one with everything, subject, object and cognition. All the information was just there. Downloaded, really.
I just sat in awe of the lights, the feeling of absolute bliss and also at times opened my eyes to explore the world in and outside the train. The train pulled into the station and I stepped out. The deep feelings expressed did not go away. They were as intense as when they were first observed.
On my walk from the train station to my home (about fifteen minutes) I was captivated in the wisdom that was spilling from my thoughts. I never thought this way – real wisdom, connection, love, understanding, patience, care etc. Then, a thought popped into my head. I will be asked for money before I get home.
The area I live in never has homeless people about. I have never been asked for money while in Durham outside of the train station in the five or so years I had been commuting. As I rounded the top of the hill, about fifty meters from my house, a couple approached me and asked for money (there was no way I could have seen them as I walked up the hill – and I must stress that in this area of town, this never happens and has never happen to me before; it is beyond unusual). I walked with them back down the hill and got money out of a bank machine for them. I then walked home.
The next day I woke from a deep sleep with exactly the same intensity of bliss, and this occurred for a full week, where it was at the same intensity. Many things happened during this week. The strangest thing was I was out walking my dog, while still experiencing this extreme bliss. A thought popped into my mind that I was to take a fork in the path and head in a direction that I never go, as I will need to help someone.
So, I did take that fork. About a kilometre up the path I came upon a large walled garden and was drawn to the garden. I poked my head in. The two people that were inside the walled garden were distraught. They had erected a large canopy tent the night before and it had blown over during the windy night.
There was to be a public garden party to celebrate this particular place the next day and they were fearful that the tent was ruined and that they didn’t have the manpower or strength to raise the huge tent. I offered my services and an hour or so later, we had erected the massive (and very heavy) tent (it was a canvas canopy with a central pole, the size of a telephone pole, but half the height). I was thanked for helping and invited to the party the next day.
The next day arrived, and in bliss I arrived. I entered and was greeted by a lady who was talking to her friend about a mysterious traveler who helped them raise the tent the day before. I looked at her and laughed and said “I’m that strange traveler” … As I said, there were so many weird experiences during the whole week.
The key point though is that I knew I was “called to service” to help the community. I was somehow able to predict when, and where I was needed. I had a sense of connectedness to everyone and everything. Might I add that my professional job is in chemistry and I don’t believe one bit in predictions or seeing the future or whatever went on.
After a week, the bliss started to fade away and I was back to normal three or four days after. I will never forget this experience, the wisdom I spouted, the sense of knowing and seeing, and all the whacky stuff that I did. It has slowly changed my life forever. A few years after, I had other experiences and am now studying original sacred texts and reading interesting books on spiritualism and mysticism.