When I was younger, I enjoyed going on caving expeditions. Led by a guide, we would tunnel our way through specific mountains via a series of underground caves. There was always a point in the adventure when everyone could turn off their headlamps, and the cave would become completely black. You wouldn't even be able to see your hand if you held it in front of your face, it was that dark!
Then, after a minute or two, we would turn our headlamps back on, and suddenly you could once again see the space and the people around you. Very rarely are we surrounded by that much outward darkness, yet many, unfortunately, are plagued by darkness inwardly.
There is an amazing book that I have read many times called Testimony of Light. It tells the story of a woman named Helen Greaves who, after leaving her body, begins to communicate telepathically with a friend still living in this world, sharing her experiences of what life is like in the afterlife.
In one chapter, she describes an experience she had while visiting the lower regions of the astral world. What I found most intriguing was that, among all the inhabitants of this lower realm, there were also a multitude of beings of light whose sole purpose was to uplift these souls, who were encased in their own darkness, and encourage them to turn toward the light. She explains that these inhabitants remained there by their own choice and that, at any moment, they could choose to leave and turn toward the light. They didn't even realize these beings of light were there because they were too focused on the darkness they had created around themselves.
One might ask, "Why would anyone choose to live in darkness if they could just as easily choose to turn toward the light?"
Helen Greaves goes on to tell of a painter she met whose work was technically beautiful, yet all of his paintings were done in dark, muted colors. She was able to strategically convince the artist that there was a place where he could find colors of light to paint with. In that moment, a being of light was ready to escort him to his new and brighter home.
There is a light that continuously shines into every corner of our being. It is a light that has always been and always will be. We are as much apart of it as it is of us. Our soul's journey, with all its seemingly endless complexity, can be summed up by continuously turning toward the light. When we open our hearts to this light, there is help that guides us along the way. When you are in a dark cave and turn on a headlamp, the darkness vanishes immediately, as if it had never been.
Written by Jaidhara Sleighter
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