The Ultimate Adventure
© 2002 by Mark Macy

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Where was the hospital room? Where was the pain? Where was his wife who had been sitting by his bedside? Everything was fading quickly into a dream as he opened his eyes. Familiar, loving faces—all young and vibrant—were smiling down at him where he lay on a soft, cool bed of grass. He was confused and delighted when he saw the face of his mother, young and lovely. Her presence warmed his heart, but she had died long ago. How could she be here now? Somehow it all seemed alien, but at the same time strangely familiar and natural to be here. His mother took him by the hand and helped him sit up. He shook his head, looked around, and beheld a paradise. He was in the most beautiful meadow he’d ever seen. Nearby flowers of unimaginable colors seemed to glow from within and gave off heavenly aromas that brought up long-forgotten memories. The trees, the mountains, the clouds, the people… everything seemed to be nearly bursting with enthusiasm and vitality. 

As the group climbed happily to their feet, he noticed that he was still wearing a hospital gown and slippers. He began to feel a bit out of place, and at that moment the slippers turned into a comfortable pair of shoes. The robe was replaced by slacks and a sport shirt. Somehow he had a feeling that’s how things worked over here. 

There was a sudden stirring in the air about ten feet ahead of them. A swirling mass of rainbow colors the size of a basketball appeared about four feet above the ground, then quickly grew to the size of a large door, and someone stepped through the doorway. Not just anyone. This was the most magnificent being he’d ever seen, with ribbons of luminescent, multi-colored light streaming out of his body in arcs that resembled ethereal wings.

What is this glorious creature doing here? he wondered. His mother looked at him and explained that it was one of many ethereal beings who pass through this world from time to time on important spiritual missions.

This world? he wondered. As though responding to his thoughts, his mother told him he had come home.

He felt a deep-seated comfort and sense of belonging which indicated to him that his mother was right. He was indeed home.

As the glowing being looked directly at him and smiled, he felt complete and utter awe. Tears rolled down his cheeks at the unbridled love he felt pouring over him like a gentle ocean wave. The being approached him and explained that the two of them would shortly embark on a tour of the man’s new world.

His mother kissed him on the cheek and said she would be waiting for him with some friends and loved ones upon his return. So the ethereal being and the newcomer walked to the doorway and entered.

The walls of the tunnel pulsated in rainbow colors as the two began to move, slowly at first, then quickly accelerating to lightning speed. A loud rushing sound filled his ears. Despite the incredible speed and unknown destination, he felt no fear. Who could be afraid in the presence of this celestial entity?

He saw a small light ahead that grew larger very fast, and they came to a halt at the opening of the tunnel. The being nodded toward the doorway, and the man looked in. It was the dark bedroom of his home. His old home—the one he’d left behind. How strange it felt to be here now, seeing the old woman lying in the bed. The whole situation seemed like a dream that had been forgotten but was now easing its way back into his mind. His wife! Of course! Their long, loving lifetime together. She was crying, half-asleep, and he thought, Oh, don’t be sad, Honey! It’s beautiful over here. I’ll be waiting for you. He wanted so much to climb in through the doorway, walk to her bedside, and comfort her. He looked at the ethereal being beside him, who smiled and nodded.

The man stepped gracefully out of the tunnel into the room and walked slowly to the foot of the bed, where he gazed at his beloved mate, a smile of adoration and contentment filling his face.

The woman in the bed half-awakened with a mild start, but at the instant she saw the vague figure of a man standing at the foot of her bed, she relaxed. It was a loving presence. She realized it was her husband! She was still half-asleep, and she was deeply moved by the countenance of peace on his face. Somehow she heard his silent words passing around unmoving lips, I love you. It’s beautiful here. She rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes, then glanced at the clock: 3 a.m. Looking back to greet her husband with a clear head, she was startled to see that he was gone! Vanished. Was it just a dream? Oh, so real! She lay back down, took a deep breath, and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, the man saw the sudden change in his wife. Their eyes had met, and he could feel the peace that had overcome her during their silent exchange of love. He had watched her rub her eyes, when the connection was suddenly cut. Once she left the dream state, she was no longer aware of his presence. Interesting! And confusing. Dreaming seemed to be the bridge between the two worlds. He knew at that moment that he would be visiting his wife frequently in her dreams. Together they would keep the dream alive, until she joined him in the next world.

Speaking of which, he noticed that the ethereal being was moving beside him. It was time to continue the tour. The man looked for the doorway through which they’d come, but it was no longer there! The being spoke to him with clear, wordless thoughts: The tunnel is a direct passageway between heaven and earth—or, more precisely, between the physical realm and the astral realm where humans are meant to awaken after physical death. It is a means of bypassing the quantum realm.

The man was unfamiliar with the astral and quantum realms, but he understood clearly from the being’s message that there was something wrong between heaven and earth—in this "quantum realm." Apparently there had been something wrong for a long time. Things were not as they should be, and he was about to observe the situation first-hand. The walls of the bedroom suddenly had the appearance of a scrim—a theatrical drop-sheet which seems solid when the stage in front of it is lighted, but translucent when the stage behind it is lighted. There was activity beyond the bedroom wall as the ethereal being and the man stepped through the scrim into a rather dark and dismal world.

Men and women around them were confused, some of them deeply troubled. They moved around idly, guided by their tormented patterns of thought, and they didn’t seem to notice these two visitors. The man noticed that there were others like himself present also, and other ethereal beings like his guide. His guide explained that these spirit beings were here in the quantum realm on a mission. They were here to observe the many lost souls as they worked through their troubled patterns, and when the lost souls were somehow complete, they would be whisked away to paradise by these missionaries from higher realms.

The man was overwhelmed by the wretched sight of the troubled souls who were stuck here in the quantum realm, and he felt a deep sorrow and sympathy welling up inside him, but his guide warned him gently to detach himself emotionally from the situation. Just observe.

On they went, from one dismal scene to another. He struggled to overcome the repulsion and sympathy. The ground below their feet was hard and barren. The air was heavy and gray. But as they continued their journey the man began to notice dry, brown vegetation under his feet, like countryside in the late autumn. The air was growing lighter, and the people they encountered seemed less troubled. These changes continued—the world around them becoming lighter and the people becoming happier. Eventually the vegetation underfoot became green and healthy, like a soft, living carpet. The ethereal being explained that they had passed through the quantum realm and had returned to paradise in the astral realm.

The two began to float, and the man was overwhelmed by awe as a panorama of meadows, forests, rivers, and mountains of unfathomable beauty came into view. Nothing could possibly be this beautiful, yet here I am! he thought in amazement as they began to soar. As they crossed the mountains he saw a large community nestled in the hills and forest. Along one particularly wide, winding river were encampments of tents and teepees where families wearing buckskin vests and moccasins enjoyed various activities. There was a sweat lodge where many adults were gathered. Families were sitting around campfires, and children were playing in the woods and swimming in the river, as the ethereal being and the man soared quietly by overhead.

Then they came to a city filled with skyscrapers, streets, homes, and other familiar structures. Vehicles and pedestrians moved about at a comfortable, unhurried pace. Everyone was happy and at peace. No tension or stress. How unusual! But at the same time, how natural and appropriate it all seemed to be here in paradise.

They reached the end of town at the shore of a large lake or river. The ethereal being and the man quickly descended to an altitude of about 20 feet, so that the swimmers, sailboats, and sunbathers passed by directly below in a blur, and off the two went across the water.

At the other side of the lake, things were even more lovely and light, if that was possible. Atop a hill rose a glistening crystal palace. The lush vegetation everywhere seemed to glisten and glow from within, the structures seemed more imaginative and wispy, and the people themselves seemed to have a dim, white aura about them. Most of them wore white robes. They were mostly young men and women, and they didn’t appear to be grouped in families, tribes, and communities. It was one large, multiracial community.

The ethereal being explained to the man that the two of them were not really travelling across a geographical landmass; that’s just the way it seemed to the newcomer because of the remnants of terrestrial thought patterns that still occupied his mind. Actually they were ascending in frequency; the vibration of their bodies was becoming finer and more rapid, and as that vibrational shift occurred within them, their surroundings evolved accordingly. That’s how things worked over here, the ethereal being said, adding that they were now arriving at the boundary.

Boundary? the man wondered, as they landed gently in the subtlest and brightest surroundings imaginable. He couldn’t recall ever feeling as peaceful, inspired, and brilliant as he felt at this moment. If he could just pass along to Earth a mere drop of the wisdom and understanding that was pouring through him at this moment, so many problems and conflicts and illnesses would be swept out of that world—at least that’s how it felt.

The ethereal being said they had reached the border between form and formlessness, and they would have to undergo a change before proceeding into the ethereal realm. At that moment the man felt all remnants of doubt, fear, and insecurity being washed out of his mind. He felt purified, and the subtle forms around him vanished. There was a complete lightness of being, and he felt one with everything. It was the most wonderful sensation he’d ever experienced. He felt the presence of other beings around them, and they were all exchanging oceans of information with each other instantly. Within seconds his ethereal friend told the others everything about the man—his lifetime on Earth and the tour they were on at this moment—and the man felt a loving acknowledgement from several of these infinitely wise beings. His ethereal guide then made it clear to the man that one could easily lose track of time in this place, and thousands of years on Earth could pass by in a heartbeat, so they would now return to the astral realm. The man had gotten a taste of ethereal living, and that was enough for now.

The subtle forms of paradise began to form magically around them, and the man realized that he once again had a perfect human body—an astral body—while his guide’s body once again emitted ribbons of rainbow light. And they resumed their tour, moving toward the man’s home frequency—the place in the astral realm where he would feel at home with loved ones from his recent lifetime.

What then? he wondered.

Indeed, what then? The ethereal being replied with a smile.