It was February 14, 2023. One day before the anniversary of my cancer diagnosis (but a few years after being cured). You will find I reference this experience a lot. It isn’t for attention or pity and it isn’t an experience I feel negatively about anymore. It is an important event in my life, one that shaped me into the person I am today. Some people choose to not discuss their journey or traumas, which I respect. I have always been a bit of a “deep-diver” and i’ve come to respect that about myself.

Anyways, back to the story! It was February 14, 4:00 PM ,Hawaii Standard Time. Overwhelmed by my personal life and the encroaching deadline of my masters thesis project, I lay on my back, a hard-wood floor under me, draped in pillows and blankets. I was desperate for a reset and I would do anything to get it. Eyes closed, the voice of a meditation facilitator guiding me nearby. The woman’s voice was monotone but serene. As she counted backwards from 10, snapping her fingers each time, i began to drift into an altered state of consciousness. This state of consciousness allowed me to to visualize with ease. It was almost as if i was visualizing with my actual eyes, rather than my mind. The facilitator had me imagine myself removing chains from my arms and floating above the earth. The intention was that in this moment, I would be able to forget about all of the current perceived “burdens” in my life. Skeptical at first, I went with it anyways. It was an empowering meditation experience. Past traumas and heartbreaks came up in an instant to be cleared from my “system. To be transparent, I cant even remember what else this facilitator had me visualize. I was so present at this point, that my ego was not in the mood to keep stock of everything happening in the moment. I was in a state of complete surrender.

As the session winded down and my analytical brain slowly came back into the picture, an incredible thing happened. As we were wrapping up, an image flashed brightly into my mind. It was as if it had been dropped into my mind automatically, as I made no effort at this point to visualize anything. The image was the entire earth covered in every single flower that existed, rotating on an axis with a bright gold background. It was so shockingly beautiful that i shed a tear in amazement. Just as I wanted to hold onto it, the image vanished immediately. I still can picture it in my mind. Maybe I will paint it one day :). It was a reminder of how incredible human existence really is. I hope you enjoyed this memory as much as I enjoyed sharing it.

Love,

Blake C