The Bell

Under certain circumstances I drift into a recurring dream state. Data indicates that some combination of artial fibrillation, exercise induced muscular fatigue, dehydration, lack of sufficient oxygen to cerebral cortex, including prefrontal lobes, hippocampus and hypothalamus. I know when these players have met for a board meeting because the notes are transcribed for me in real time. Immediate response is necessary to balance the symptoms of dizziness, sometimes extreme, heart palpitations, dense brain fog and muscle spasms. In general, the self-help treatments I find as effective as the costly trip to the ER, are threefold: 

1) Make sure food is immediately available as fuel (carbohydrate).

2) Ensure hydration is topped off.

3) Get horizontal, relax, breathe deep and allow the body to regain its homeostasis. 

Often when this frustrating, and as-yet non-lethal situation occurs, as it did yesterday afternoon, I have the choice of toughing it out (when things absolutely must get done or I have a responsibility elsewhere), or some combination of napping, meditating, taking a hot bath, or heading upstairs to read and hopefully fall asleep. 

I chose the latter last night and was interrupted only three times by Saturday night messaging. Once the heaviness of my eye-lids indicated that a segue from the written word to the four dimensional wonderful world of deep REM had been granted the green light, I took full advantage. But first, a relaxing technique I learned while martial arts training. 

Lie flat on back, reach the deepest state of total relaxation possible and take in a series of complete diaphragmatic breaths. Start with your toes and conduct a ‘total body check’, feel, REALLY FEEL, your feet, ankles, knees, hamstrings and quads giving focused energy to each part, sensing vibration, their connectedness, active state of wellness and harmonic balance. Note any imbalances, soreness, pain, inflammation or discomfort. Accept whatever data is transferred during this process with the goal of adding loving, healing, awareness to the therapy. When you have traveled this biological path, finish with a look at the part your soul plays. Are you harboring anger, frustration, dissatisfaction, rage, or masking pain, suffering or fear? What is the rate of your total vibration? Is it clear or muddied, shining brightly of diffused by the darkness? Is your love light on high? 

After the total body check, relax even deeper into this peaceful state and accept whatever challenges become apparent. You will see the prescription and hear the diagnosis. It will be a low hum at first but with practice the answer will ring like Johnny’s guitar. 

I am relaxed now, and can feel the changes brought about by my own introspection and commitment to reaching higher vibrations of non-judgmental acceptance. I sense satisfaction in the progress, not matter how small or slow, along this path. The one I have chosen as the path of my passion and the one I must, as a result, accept the success for as well as the failures from. I feel a balance that whispers to me that it will be OK, and with this I drift into….

…. more challenge. 

It is the dream where I am in a life or death game. My ‘captors’ (but ‘they’ could very well be my sub-consciousness cleverly disguised) have set up an intricate proving ground where I am given a series of tests. If I unlock their secrets I advance to another level and another, more difficult test. The rules are simple. If I correctly answer the question or preform the activity necessary, I move to the next level. If I don’t, I die. Game over. Shut it down. The end. Darkness and eternal sensory deprivation. Hell. 

I snap to attention in the dream awaiting the first instruction. I can feel a power in the awareness I hold fixed in the cross-hairs of my flow. I am ready. 

“Ring the bell,” I hear from an unseen voice.

I shake off the urge to ask the obvious question and immediately look around for a bell. Big Ben, a brass one with a black handle like we used when I was a ten year old alter boy? Did Chuck Berry leave one laying under the railroad tracks? The bell attached to a boxing ring? Is it Thich Nhat Hanh’s bell of mindfulness? 

I wake in a sweat bridging the gap between the worlds but still not seeing a bell anywhere. As I am sleeping on a bed in the house of my clients I am not familiar with all the decorations and furnishings, so I visually scramble for clues. I see a beautiful stained-glass lamp on the dresser next to the bed and process the materials of its construction, its essence, what is it made of, what are its characteristics? What sound will it make….if…I

Snap the glass of its shade sharply with my middle fingernail? I do this with the stress of knowing what will happen if it clunks of plastic. Producing...

The most beautiful, sensuous and harmonic resonating of peace I have ever heard. 

I fall back to sleep with its echo falling over my soul like a warm blanket. 

Where I hear the voice say to an assistance that there is no need for further testing tonight.