My Exceptional Human Experiences
Noelia Espinal, Atlantic University
Life is the manifestation of a universal evolution, where as an
individual, we align our personal legend to express our soul's intents and
desires. Each moment of our life is guided by a greater force, a frequency that
is tuned to the nature of our heart. According to Paulo Coelho in the The
Alchemist, "It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one
great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when
you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of
the universe. It's your mission on earth." (Coelho, pg. 22). This same force will
sometimes burst into extraordinary moments of insight, where one is remarkably
in tuned with the energy of the world and one's integrated consciousness is
blessed with the 'face of God.' These are moments referred to as epiphanies or
'Exceptional Human Experiences' by Rhea White,
who amassed a huge collection
of such stories.
The Exceptional Human Experience I am most familiar with is
synchronicity, though I have also experienced other types of connectedness.
These Exceptional Human Experiences has been present from my birth date to my
name, from childhood interest that carried out throughout adulthood, and moments
of unexplained coincidences. There are key moments or experiences that has
expanded my consciousness, such as, transcendental music, creative insight, deja
vu, daydreaming, intuition, and noetic experience, however, synchronicity has
been the most apparent and influential.
My life has been one huge coincidence, continuous moments of
synchronicities, providing me with inner insight and a curiosity to seek
spiritual knowledge. My mother gave birth to me on January 6, 1984. This date is
essential to my evolution for a very distinct reason; it's the day of the 3
Kings, and it created a deep connection to the essence of my being.
Realizing that my birthday was on the same day of the 3 Kings, also
called the celebration of Epiphany, set the foundation for my interest in
religion, prior to distinguishing the difference between religion and
spirituality. In the Dominican Republic, the country of mybirth, the day of the
3 Kings is synonymous for the western tradition of Christmas, where Papa Noel
was Santa Clause and he bare gifts for all the 'good' children. This popular
western holiday has its roots in Christian tradition to commemorate the birth of
Jesus. However, the 3 Kings holiday was more commonly celebrated in the
Dominican Republic. The 3 Kings, Melchor, Gasper and Baltasar, were guided by
the brightest star in the East, Sirius, and "by following its guidance they
arrived at the stable in Bethlehem where the Savior had been born"
(The Story of the 3 Kings).
In finding baby Jesus, who was born from a miracle, an
immaculate conception by the Virgin Mary, the 3 Kings brought him gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh. This is where the custom of exchanging presents
originated from.
Coincidentally, being born on January 6 initiated my fascination with the
holiday, its meaning, and my personal legend. As Jesus was born from a miracle,
so was I. Literally. My mother's name is Milagros, which means miracle in
Spanish. I was given the name Noelia to represent the female Papa Noel. Since I
was born on the 3 Kings day, I was given the middle name Reina, which means
queen in Spanish. For this reason, I took a huge interest in understanding the
significance of the 3 Kings and their involvement in my life's purpose, and I
was determined to figure it out. "When someone makes a decision, he is really
diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed
of when he first made the decision" (Coelho, Pg. 68). Here I am today, still
intrigued with uncovering the truth about concepts on Exceptional Human
Experiences.
Though my date of birth sparked a curiosity in my search to discover my
personal legend based on these holidays, the more I began to research these
concepts, the closer these understandings unraveled through synchronal
connection.
From childhood I experienced a sense of connectedness and a heighten
sense of intuition beyond my understanding, but I knew without knowing that
there was something, a force, greater than my own comprehension. I felt deep in
my soul the connections and interactions between people and the world. I was
meticulously observant to people's behaviors, actions, thoughts, and values.
Even as a youngster, I was incapable of doing things I felt were wrong in my
heart, and if I did, I felt guilty for a lifetime. I was by no means a saint.
When someone crossed me the wrong way, I was completely reckless. My cousins and
I were mischievous kids always looking for an adventure and trying to solve a
mystery, or explain why something is the way it is. I always noticed how I was
treated differently from my cousins, and the only thing that separated me from
them was my skin complexion. I'm dark, while they are light skinned. This is
what led me to investigate the disparity between dark skin people versus light
skin people from a very young age. I had a strong sense of morality when it came
to treating people equally regardless of race and gender, and the only reason I
would misbehave or treat someone foul was if I felt offended by their behavior
or character. These concepts of morality, inequity, and innate force of
intuition tend to carry over to my adulthood and guided my search for truth.
As I got older, this feeling of connectedness magnified as I started
having coincidental experiences more frequently. I began to realize that there
is no such thing as coincidence but more like a system of attraction and
synchronicity. These moments would play out in various ways; from meeting a
perfect stranger that revealed truths about transcendental ideas to listening to
music that inspires thoughts of divinity, or watching unexpected shows with
answers I was seeking, or following a path of spiritual research that leads to
wider insights with transformative conclusions. These moments of sudden
realization or connectedness usually inspired more moments of epiphanies by
indulging in the process intuitively. I may experience deja vu or begin to
daydream about these new ideas, connecting dots to other ideas and/ or theories
on metaphysical concepts. "We are experiencing these mysterious coincidences,
and even though we don't understand them yet, we know they are real. We are
sensing again, as in childhood, that there is another side of life that we have
yet to discover, some other process operating behind the scenes"
(Redfield, pg. 7). The
process of synchronicity has opened my eyes to the pull of energy guiding me
into my destination.
The force that has directed me to seek truth from the spiritual
standpoint has created a wave of synchronicity to make me aware of its
existence. In different occasions I've been faced with a higher intuitive force
that attracts various means to understand the supreme truth. Once, my friend
came over with his friend, whom I met that night. We decided to watch a movie
his friend recommended would blow our minds and would reveal truth about our
current condition. This movie, "Zeitgest: The Movie," broke down astrology,
religious symbols, modern civilization, and power through control. I was mostly
interested in the religious aspects of the film and their explanation of
symbolism in the bible based on astrological understandings.
These were some of the findings:
"The birth [of Jesus, among other messiahs] sequence is completely
astrological. The star in the East is "Sirius," the brightest star on the night
sky, which on Dec 24th aligns with the 3 brightest stars of Orion's
Belt. These 3 bright stars of Orion's Belt are called today what they were
called in ancient times, the 3 Kings. And the 3 Kings and the brightest stars,
Sirius, all point to the place of the sun rise on Dec 25th,
this is why the 3 Kings follow the star in the East in order to locate
the sun rise; the birth of the sun. The Virgin Mary is the constellation Virgo,
also known as Virgo the virgin. Virgo in Latin means virgin. The ancient glyph
of Virgo is the altered M. This is why Mary, along with other virgin mothers,
such as Adonis's mother Myrra, or Buddha's mother Maya, begin with a M. Virgo is
also referred to as the "House of Bread." And the representation of Virgo is a
virgin holding a sheath of wheat. This House of Bread and the symbol of wheat
represent August and September, the time of harvest. In turn Bethlehem, in fact
literally translates to House of Bread. Bethlehem is thus a reference to the
constellation Virgo. A place in the sky, not out on earth.
There's another very interesting phenomenon that occurs around Dec. 25th
for the winter solstice. From the summer solstice to the winter solstice the
days become shorter and colder. And from the perspective of the northern
hemisphere, the sun appears to move south and it gets smaller and more scarce.
The shortening of the day and the expiration of the crops when approaching the
winter solstice symbolize the process of death to the ancients. It was the death
of the sun. And by December 22nd the sun's demised was fully
realized. For the sun having moved south continually for 6 months makes it to
its lowest point on the sky. Here a curious thing occurs. The sun stops moving
south, at least perceivably, for 3 days. And during those 3 day pause, the sun
resides on the vicinity of the Southern Cross, or crux, constellation. And after
this time, on Dec. 25th, the sun moves 1 degree, this time north,
foreshadowing longer days, warmth and spring. And thus it was said, the sun died
on the cross, was dead for 3 days, only to be resurrected or born again. This is
why Jesus and numerous other sun gods shared the crucifixion, the 3 day death,
and resurrection concept. It is the sun's transition period before it shifts its
direction back into the northern hemisphere bringing spring, and thus
salvation." (Zeitgeist).
I was in awe at the discovery of biblical symbolism pertaining to the
cosmos. The interpretation of the 3 Kings, the constellation of Crux and Virgo,
the 3 day death, resurrection, and salvation now had a deeper, more valid
meaning. Not a meaning based on mythological fairy tales, but astrological
processes. My birth landing on the same day as the 3 Kings has taken me on this
journey of discovering and decoding religious concept deeper than its
mythological stories.
In another occasion, I was walking pass a book vendor and decided to take
a look at the books and DVDs he was selling. At first the book seller, Abdul,
seem anti-social, almost withdrawn. But I started to ask about a couple of DVDs,
he was surprised at my selection and began talking to me about spirituality,
perception, thought frequency, energy, and melanin. He even gave me a free DVD
by Dr. Jewel Pookrum, where she spoke in details about neuronal activation of
the brain through meditation and a distinct sort of concentration on specific
mandalas. The latter one is what Dr. Pookrum focuses on the most, as she
describes 'The Balancing Program.' The program is geared towards stabilizing the
mental potential number, the emotional coefficient number, and the reaction
symbol by focusing on geometric forms for 5 minutes every day, until the brain
is locked and balanced. She also discusses the power of melanin and the effect
of the sun on biological living light. Dr. Pookrum explains how melanin absorbs
the sun's rays and nourishes the body, giving it information through a frequency
perceivable to those with extra sensory perceptive quality. These powerful
frequencies, depending on its hertz, can stimulate the specific region of the
spine by activating the dormant energy and awakening your higher self. As you
become more aware of this energy, you begin to recognize and attract experiences
attuned to your intention. My focus has always been to seek truth and
understanding of human evolution, historical context, and spiritual
transformation. Ever since I ran into Abdul, I've become a great admirer of Dr.
Pookrum's work, and the research she has undertaken and exposed about biological
living light, energy and neuronal activation. My most honored spiritual mentor
came by way of a synchronal connection with someone who guided me further into
understanding the power of the mind, melanin and the sun.
Everyday I am honored with a glimpse of God's face, a trace of an
Exceptional Human Experience. My birthday, as well as, my name has been the
guiding force that led me on a mission to self discovery, spiritual awareness
and universal resonance. My birthday falling on the same day as these traditions
(Christmas and the 3 Kings) that are celebrated from below in honor of the
above, sparked the initial synchronicity. Hence, my name. Noelia is my
connection to the mundane, the worldly tradition of Christmas, where my search
for understanding began in biblical texts. Soon after, decoding the 3 Kings
became my new attraction, enabling my search to further connect the tradition
with the insight of the sky, more specifically the constellation of Orion's
Belt. Even my last name, Espinal, which is a derivative of spinal, prickly, or
thorns, are affiliated with the understanding of the 'through and beyond'
concept of spirituality. As I always say, piercing through the glass ceiling of
reality, in this case 'prickling.' The spinal cord, or spine, serves as the
direct gateway to the universal knowledge and greater understanding of the
infinite which governs our lives on Earth. As a result of my name, synchronal
experiences have been the foundation for my growth in activating my interest in
parapsychology and metaphysics. The force of life has compelled me to strive
towards my personal legend as I align my soul's intent to manifest into what I
had desired in the soul of the universe; As above, so below.
With this understanding, and eventually the Transpersonal Theory and
Practices Degree, I would hope to work with children of early education in order
to inspire them to recognize their personal legends at an early age. I would
like to develop a program where they seek truth in every moment and firmly hold
on to their soul's purpose by exploring different activities. This program will
allow the students to feel comfortable expressing their ideas and experiences
that has shaped who they are at the moment and who they see themselves becoming
in the future. Through creative means and open communication, the students
should develop a sense of self and the ability of listening to their heart's
desire without the negative association placed on Exceptional Human Experiences.
In the words of Pierre Teilhard de
Chardin, "we are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are
spiritual beings having a human experience." The more openly people accept
Exceptional Human Experiences as part of the "human" experience, the more
frequent these experiences will occur, unlocking the true human potential.
References
Books:
Coelho, Paulo. (1993). The Alchemist. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Redfield, James. (1993). Celestine Prophecy. New York: Warner.
Chardin, Pierre Reilhard de. (1955). "The Phenomenon of Man." France:
Harper Perennial.
Internet Sources:
Old and Sold, Antique Auctions and Market Place. "The Story of the 3 Kings."
http://www.oldandsold.com/articles03/santaclaus11.shtml.
1909.
The Zeitgeist Film Series Gateway. "Zeitgeist: The Movie."
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/.
2007.