*~*~*
Many years ago an extremely good friend of mine had a Near
Death Experience. When I first met her, she explained to me that there was
nothing “near” about it. She was as dead as a door nail until someone revived
her back to life several minutes later.
I had met
her when I was getting into the throws of writing. Little did I know she was
about to change my life forever, especially in the writing field (not to
mention every other field I entered into).
Her name is
Deborah B. Gregg, and this is how she died.
She was
standing at the edge of a river, looking down at the water, feeling the gentle
breeze across her body as she pondered if she should take a dive or not. The
instant she jumped, she saw something that the algae in the water had masked
moments earlier—a large boulder inches below the water's surface.
As her arms splashed into the water, she felt her hands hit the boulder. She pushed against the boulder in an attempt to guide her body away from it. Her hands slipped and she hit her forehead against the large rock, splitting her head open, tearing several ligaments in her neck, and temporarily paralyzing her.
She said
she did the dead man's float—face down, bobbing up and down, unable to move.
All she could do was watch the flurry of tiny fish swimming around, observe the
busy water bugs moving about, and look at the beautiful sand stirring into a
cloud, then settling to the bottom; all along not being able to do anything
except wait to die.
And it
wasn't a terrible death. It wasn't ghastly, horrific, or terrifying. No demons
came out of the ground and snatched her, taking her to the depths of an
unforgivable hell. It was the opposite. It was peaceful and the most loving
experience she had ever had.
When the
last seconds of her life started to fade, she popped out of her body, went up a
tunnel, had a life review where she felt the wrongs and rights she did to
others, then spoke with someone she called her “guide”—all in a place where
time doesn't exist. She was told wondrous things and given many insights.
When she
came back, it was to a very broken body. A body she had to learn to live with
in order to cope with the horrible pain that accompanied such a tragic
accident.
It was
years after her Near Death Experience when I met her. Fifteen years later we're
still friends.
[Get her story and experience at www.deborahbgregg.com]
As I've
stated above, she learned a great deal during her Near Death Experience, most
of which I've been able to listen to and incorporate into my own life, leading
me to success in many endeavors. In fact, I've learned just about everything I
know through her Near Death Experience, even writing.
Yes,
writing.
I'm a
writer, or at least that's what I told her when I first met her. I had no idea
at the time that I had to be a “good” writer in order for others to understand
what I was trying to communicate. She pointed that out many times, making me
practice and practice this sacred art. It helped that she was a damn good
teacher and a literary genius to boot—something her “guide” also told her
during her death experience.
Then it
happened. A day I won't ever forget. A writer's dream come true.
I was
walking into my bedroom after a long day of work when an inspiring idea, or
rather a story, exploded in my mind. The detail, the story line, the
characters—everything—was so vivid and real. I don't know how long I was
standing in my room, silent, staring at nothing but the book showing itself in
my mind, but when it stopped I immediately wrote down the summary of what I
saw, thinking that I'd get writing as soon as possible.
Two years
later, I had the summary and a couple of completed chapters. Life had gotten in
the way and I hadn't written much.
Then it
happened again. This time I was asleep, dreaming.
I was
dreaming of the book, the characters, the dialogue, the landscape, the map, and
much more—for months! This prompted me to start writing and writing. Everywhere
I went—to work, the park, a restaurant, you name it—I carried a pad and pencil,
jotting down the story as I saw it, weaving Deborah's words and wisdom of her
Near Death Experience into it. I even made a character with her personality. I
named her “Snow Tree”, using her voice to carry us into the profound texture of
my book. When I got deeper and deeper into the story, I realized that Nova, one
of my main characters, was taking on a portion of my friend's disposition.
Nova's dialogue was very similar to Deborah's, almost mimicking the way she
spreads her sage-like advice and important messages.
It wasn't
until the middle of the book that I realized the name of it, “The PureLights of
Ohm Totem”. It made perfect sense. You'll understand its titled when you read
it. It's a fantasy built in a world like none other, with characters like
nowhere else, simply because it originated from a unique point, the point where
the story exploded in my mind, offering itself to me on a silver platter,
finishing with a series of dreams, and combined with fifteen years of study and
friendship with my Near Death Experience friend, Deborah.
A reviewer
said it magically: “I couldn't put it down. I liken this book to doing yoga—it
allows your mind to escape the daily trials and tribulations of life while
simply being reminded to breathe. It is as much a spiritual retreat as it is a
great fantasy adventure. I loved this book as it took old themes of warring
groups and put a completely new twist on it. The book becomes a philosophical
journey around fears and insecurities and what the usual physiological
responses are but then explores creating new responses and a different way of
being. All the while the author has crafted a book with all the tension, drama,
humor and excitement of any great fantasy book.
“The main characters are siblings named Zoey and Coda who happen to wander into a mystical world of spirit animals. The reader is quickly thrown into the action as conflict erupts between the Dims and Sihu Tribe. As the story develops, the characters struggle with their responses to conflict while being gently guided to respond in new ways.” - chbaileyOR
“The main characters are siblings named Zoey and Coda who happen to wander into a mystical world of spirit animals. The reader is quickly thrown into the action as conflict erupts between the Dims and Sihu Tribe. As the story develops, the characters struggle with their responses to conflict while being gently guided to respond in new ways.” - chbaileyOR
By
combining the insights of a Near Death Experience with the magic, intrigue, and
plot of fantasy, you come away with a very rich experience. One that I think
you'll love and enjoy.
If you feel
drawn to my book, “The PureLights of Ohm Totem”, then I hope you feel
transported to a new, incredible world where adventure mixes with a myriad of
important life lessons, taking place in a world where dreams and reality merge
into one—the world we call Fantasy.
Thank you very much,
Author Bio:
Omon Hart was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up on the outskirts of the city in a little town known as Gladstone, where he graduated high school and moved on to college. After studying Therapeutic Bodywork at East-West College of the Healing Arts, he excelled in his field, becoming one of the Pacific Northwest's leading Therapeutic teachers and bodywork professionals. After several years, the love for writing tugged at his heart so much that he decided to put things aside and live his passion - write. He's now fashioning story after story, creating imaginative worlds of inspiration and art.
Author link: www.thepurelights.com
Omon Hart was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up on the outskirts of the city in a little town known as Gladstone, where he graduated high school and moved on to college. After studying Therapeutic Bodywork at East-West College of the Healing Arts, he excelled in his field, becoming one of the Pacific Northwest's leading Therapeutic teachers and bodywork professionals. After several years, the love for writing tugged at his heart so much that he decided to put things aside and live his passion - write. He's now fashioning story after story, creating imaginative worlds of inspiration and art.
Author link: www.thepurelights.com
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