Chapter Excerpt:

 

For quite some time, Barney had been encouraging me to connect with the member of our group called Tau. Although I valued Barney’s insights and recommendations, I frequently felt resistance to talking with Tau. I wasn’t sure exactly why, but a fog of indifference kept me from initiating anything on my own.

 

Leave it to Barney, then, to promote this meeting one morning by flatly stating, Tau would like to speak with you and begin a dialogue about different modes of perceiving reality. And, without any space for a response from me, the dialogue began:

 

This is Tau. Do you have questions before we begin?

 

“Um,” I stalled. “Maybe you could tell me more about who you are and where you come from?” 

 

It is so very interesting to be allowed to watch your life and follow the manner in which you think your thoughts and perceive the world. As I previously mentioned, this is very different from how I am used to interacting with a particular reality.

 

I exist in the spirit world—that is, the ‘I’ that is speaking to you now is grounded in the spirit world. However, I am aware of several of my other selves, most of which reside in other galaxies and dimensional worlds. I am aware of five of these selves, though am told there are quite a few more. I have been with this group before, but was gone for a long absence and have now come back to share information. You might think of me as an anthropologist who goes to study remote cultures, then comes home to lecture upon it. 

 

I am involved in the shapeshifting group not only because of my interest in the way you and others perceive reality, but also because of my interest in what you call ‘dreams.’ This is the manner in which I link into shapeshifting. I have had much travel experience in the dream world as a shapeshifter—sometimes as a large black feline, one who travels in the jungles and leaps in the trees. I have assumed other shapes as well, but in what you call South America. I work with shamans and journeyers in helping them to achieve information through particular animals—the information is mostly of the outer space variety. I often help with assisting them out of their bodies and up beyond the jungle into the outer reaches of what is known as the cosmos in that vernacular. There, we work with all manner of dream images—though not night-time dreams as you know them—rather, dreams of a kind that exist from the deep psyche's creation into real ‘space-time’. Sometimes we travel to a pre-existing dreamscape that also exists in other space dimensions; other times we create or add to dreamscapes and sometimes we build new worlds, new landscapes, though this is usually only with very accomplished shamans and shapeshifters.

 

If you hold an image of shamans in the jungle, I can help to link you with them and you may learn more about what I do in these dream journeys. I would also appreciate and be honored if you would allow me to perceive your world, to be a ‘visitor’ in your consciousness—if this is acceptable. It would allow us to share information and serve to give you experiential awareness of how it feels to be the host in a shapeshift of this type.

 

“You are welcome to visit,” I agreed. 

 

Thank you then. I will contact you in your future time and we will share more. 

 

Falling for the Illusion

 

This is Tau, he announced the following morning. I smiled at his polite persistence and had to admit I was enjoying his presence much more than I had expected.  

 

Perhaps you are wondering why we have been paired in our group. In many ways, we are at the same level of development, though each in a different way. As such, we have much to share. I would like to share with you some of the ways in which I perceive the world. And perhaps you will do the same. So together, in dialogue and through certain experiences, we can begin to grow, teaching each other and learning from each other. Are you interested?

 

“Of course,” I said. “You know I am.”

 

Very well; I will begin. As mentioned, I am something of an adventurer, especially in relation to learning from other cultures. On earth you think of this mostly in terms of exploring other cultures, but from where I am from, we explore various races from different planets, galaxies and realities, and from alternate time periods and dimensions as well. This is my specialty. I travel on both the time and space continuum to learn from different beings through a variety of their lives and, sometimes, from a variety of their ‘selves.’

 

Here are some of the basics as I see it: Spirit experiences itself in a grand array of manners. The individuation of spirit—what you might call a soul, or a grouping of selves—might be thought of as a strand of spirit, something like a cosmic DNA coding that chooses to further individuate, to experience a variety of lives and learnings. 

 

The idea that many have on earth—that there is one soul experiencing life—is a simple version of this. From my understanding, your person is one instance of your greater being—many alternative selves simultaneously learning and experiencing life. In this there is grand diversity, and your soul can choose any form in which to manifest or incarnate. Many on earth do not utilize their software to feel this at an experiential level.

 

Most of the beings I work with do use this software. So, some of what I do is to visit with the alternate selves of the various beings I meet and interview. It is as if I take an objective point of view, as your anthropologists do—though I am of the understanding that as I learn about others, I also learn about myself. I am well aware that by seeing others—by looking within the mirror of my reality—I am better understanding myself.

 

You might think of it as being a journalist who wants to know more about a specific individual. In addition to interviewing that individual, the journalist might also interview the parents, the siblings, the friends, the lovers and so on, in order to gather a larger picture. This is what I do, though the beings I ‘inter-view’ realize they are all related in essence—they are all versions of the same being.

 

A shiver flew up my spine and sudden awareness burst open between my eyes. “It is no coincidence that you are talking to me about this, is it?”

 

Ah! I wasn’t sure you would catch on so quickly.

 

“You are me?” I stammered.  “Is this why you are talking to me? Is it because you are also me?”

 

None other! I am you within our group, from another time, another dimensional world. I work with all of our other selves. It is my job to bring us together, to unite us and help each of us become more aware of the others.

 

The reason behind my reluctance of talking with Tau fell into place with a thudding domino effect, suddenly setting off many other realizations. It felt too much, too quick, and I tried to shake it away. “This is too complicated for my brain,” I protested, with full intention of stopping the conversation right there and then. 

 

Breathe deeply, he said kindly and slowly. We are all working together. Most of us are all at the same level. We are ready. As our friend Zak notes, ‘When one is ripe, the awakenings occur!’ It is at this point that we begin to blend our beings, pool the knowledge, experience, wisdom, feelings—everything that we are—in order to open more fully to our oneness.

 

In truth, all of us are one. Everyone—isn’t that a funny word? Every One. There was a good deal of humor involved in the creation of your language, you know. Our language! This language of English. Other languages too.

 

This is your Dawn. Do you think you were named that by accident? It is part of who you are to awaken in this life, to join forces and to begin to become aware of the totality of your being, our Oneness.

 

A childish wave of petulance rose to the surface. “How do I know this isn't just crazy talk?” I complained. “It feels like whenever I get to some steady ground, the rug is pulled out once again. Here I was feeling pretty good about you and now—look what has happened!”

 

Is it so hard to believe that we are one? Isn't that what all the animals tell you anyway?

 

“Well, yes, many animals do say that.” But knowing something—even accepting something—mentally is much different than feeling it deep inside. I felt another shiver of fear.

 

Fear of what?

 

“Fear that this is a little crazy.” Even as I said this, I heard an ancient echo of my constant refrain.

 

You do have fear of becoming lost in your mind. Why do you think that is so?

 

I softened as I realized that Tau was doing his best to talk me through this. “Maybe it is the dark side of the mind?” I ventured. “Maybe because I love thinking and using thoughts to arrive at new perspectives, my shadow side is about becoming lost in that place where thoughts are no longer a tool, but where I am being controlled by thoughts. So, that is the fear.”

 

This is a very core fear. And perhaps you notice it reflected in the world around you—stories of paranoia regarding the government, secret agencies, etc. Do you know why that is?

 

“I suppose it is a projection of our own inner fear—fear that the world isn't real, that things are not what they seem.”

 

Exactly. It is one of the—let us call it ‘challenges’—of living on planet Earth, of incarnating into this world. You forget. Not everyone does, of course, and it is true that some species forget less than others do. But for the most part, my observation is that nearly everyone on planet earth, all beings—animals, plants, etc.—hold a certain veil, a certain degree of ‘forgetting’.

 

However, underneath the forgetting is the core knowing that this is all an illusion. It is a game, a program, a means by which you may experience a particular way of being.

 

So, if you fall for the illusion, accept the illusion, and base your reality on the illusion, it is indeed very frightening to suddenly realize that it IS an illusion. 

 

Tau paused. Right? he asked.

 

“I suppose that is true.”

 

And so there are numerous ways of diverting from this information: make a huge joke of it, deny it, anger yourself, become re-involved with the illusion in a very strong way (often found among those who fight for ‘causes’), or—if you are just a little open to the idea—blame yourself and think you are a bit crazy. ‘You are hearing voices from animals and other beings, for goodness sake! Who do you think you are?’

 

I conceded a small laugh. 

 

Keep smiling Dawn, said Tau, this other me. And your world smiles with you.