A Friend's Near Death Experience Brings Magic Into My
Life
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 throes 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, pondering 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. Instead, 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.
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.
It
was years after her Near Death Experience when I met her. It's fifteen years
later and we're still friends.
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” at the top of
the tunnel also pointed out 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 in my mind showing
itself to me; but when it had 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 just had the summary and a couple of completed chapters. Nothing
more. 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, then weaving Deborah's words
and wisdom of her Near Death Experience into it too. 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 as well. Nova's dialogue was very similar to Deborah's,
almost mimicking the way she spreads her sage-like advice and important
messages to all who will listen.
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 title
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
professional reviewer said it magically: “One of the best books I have ever
read, and probably the best I've read so far this year.” - Joanna at Coffee
Break
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 single place—the world we call Fantasy.
----------------------------------------
Brandon Ellis grew up on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon in a little
town known as Gladstone, where he graduated high school and moved on to college
and has two great loves in his life - writing and sports.
After
being declared an All State Baseball and All League Basketball player, he
obtained his Therapeutic Massage License and became one of the most successful
Sports Massage Therapists and teachers in the City of Portland. He's now
creating imaginative worlds of inspiration and art through his books.
Twitter: @thepurelights
