Morgan the Owl Can Soul Travel

By Stacy Rae Lake

Life was too busy, so I decided to take a vacation to Cozumel, Mexico, with a couple of friends. But when we arrived, the beach had a red-flag warning, meaning it wasn’t safe for swimming.

I didn’t let that get me down. I concentrated on doing a spiritual exercise from one of the ECK books. It was calming. I was grateful to surrender my day to the Holy Spirit, the ECK.

We decided to shop at a marketplace near the cruise ships. Many vendors were selling goods out of grass huts.

I felt guided by the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ, the Inner Master, to go to the last hut. There I was surprised to see a magnificent owl on a perch. His name was Morgan. His owner, Carlos, offered to take a photo, with Morgan sitting on my arm, for a small fee.

I immediately felt a strong connection with Morgan. The love from this divine Soul, perched on my outstretched arm, was palpable.

After the photo, I thanked Morgan for being so kind to me. Carlos then put him back on his perch.

Two days passed, and the weather was still stormy. Again there were red-flag warnings on the beach. My friends decided to shop in town this time, but I got a strong nudge from the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ that Morgan needed help, so I went back to the hut.

The owl was not well; one of his eyes was shut. I stood next to Morgan while I introduced Carlos to the HU. I said, “HU is an ancient name for God. When sung inwardly or outwardly, It may bring help to those in need.” I asked Carlos if I could sing HU to Morgan, and he happily agreed. I found it interesting that no one was around the hut at the time.

I began to sing HU softly to Morgan. After a few minutes, I whispered to Morgan, “Do you want to journey with me?”

I used my imagination to see us both in a beautiful, lush forest without people. I sensed that Morgan was sensitive to certain energies and there had been too many tourists handling him. He needed a time-out with nature.

We had a beautiful Soul Travel journey together. It felt like we were both absorbing nature.

Morgan then opened both his eyes, and he looked better. Carlos and I were so happy. I told Morgan I loved him, and after that I handed a HU card to Carlos. He was eager to read the information. We said our good-byes.

I was so grateful to be able to share the gift of HU with Morgan and Carlos.

The first night back home, I had a vivid Soul Travel dream with Morgan. He flew with me, guiding me to the tallest tree he could find. The owl and I sat on a branch together, bathing in moonlight and silence. Even though it was dark, I felt drenched in light. It was beyond the normal five senses. It was healing and uplifting.  I looked down, and I saw I had wings! It was a fun surprise.

I woke up with great energy and the feeling of deep divine love. I could hardly wait to write down my Soul Travel experience in my dream journal.

I noticed the book Stranger by the River, by Paul Twitchell, next to my journal. I felt a nudge to open it at random. The ECK never ceases to amaze me! This is what I opened to:

Man’s final glory is like the top of a tree, which has ascended into the heavens from its roots, into the divine sky, above all its fellow trees, and gone beyond duality of the earth into the unity of true space, of light and air.

Truth is the only source of knowledge, and man is the mirror for Truth. Yet man cannot receive more than what Soul can hold. Man reflects that which is within himself, and you must be the clear mirror to reflect Truth!

These words flooded my heart, and tears came. I am so thankful to the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ and the path of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ.


My Heart-to-Heart with a Horse

By Paula Flint

I love animals, and many years ago I was open to a new kind of love relationship in my life. Personal issues were overwhelming me. I wanted spiritual growth, but it appeared that all I was getting was physical drama and emotional pain.

I fought hard to accept life on its own terms, to be an example of divine love. To help me with this goal, I decided to do a spiritual exercise. I wrote, “I am a living, breathing example of divine love” twenty-one times for twenty-one days.

My husband and I thought having a horse might help relieve some of my stress. He’d owned horses growing up, and now we lived on four acres out in the country. We contacted my husband’s cousin, and he told us, “I have just the horse for you!” Dude was a young, sorrel quarter horse about fifteen hands in height.

We were very busy at the time Dude came to share our lives. Our three teenagers were in high school, and all were driving. I was primary caretaker for my eighty-year-old mother-in-law who lived with us because she’d had a debilitating stroke. We thought a horse would help her heal by reliving pleasant memories from her childhood.

I’d been an ECKist for about sixteen years, and my desire to be of service to the ECK, the Holy Spirit, was strong. I understood that animals are Souls too, and knew that to share my love with another of God’s creatures could bring about much healing and inner peace.

My Spiritual Connection with Dude

The moment I touched Dude and looked into his eyes, I felt a peace I’d never known before. A surreal calmness enveloped my entire being.

Dude immediately brought joy to my life. His pasture was literally all around our house. When he wanted attention, he’d step onto the back porch and look in the dining-room windows.

Every evening, as a way to de-stress, I’d go outside to the barn and run my hands lovingly down Dude’s back from his head to tail. As I did this, I gently sang HU, an ancient name for God that, when sung aloud or silently, is a love song to God. I’d spend hours outside singing to Dude so I could practice being divine love. I also put my attention on Prajapati, the ECK Master who works closely with animals. These two spiritual practices always transported me into an experience of spiritual freedom.

After we’d had Dude for about two weeks, I was feeling particularly overwhelmed one evening. I went out to the barn and started sharing my nightly spiritual exercise with him. A gentle rain made it very quiet and peaceful outside.

All of a sudden Dude walked in a complete circle around me and lay down with his side lightly touching the front of my legs. A feeling of awe and love overwhelmed me. Although I hadn’t grown up around horses, I knew enough about their behavior to realize Dude’s nearness was unusual. Horses seldom trust humans enough to lie at our feet. I slowly got down on my knees and whispered, “Thank you, Dude, for trusting me. What an honor.”

Cupping my hands under his muzzle, I continued singing HU. He slowly put the full weight of his head in my hands and fell asleep while I listened to his gentle breathing. We stayed in these positions for a long time while I held his head in my hands and cried.

The healing presence of divine love enveloped us as if we were one on a journey home to God. Dude gave me unconditional love and trust at a time when I needed it most.

Animals, as Souls, can serve as divine vehicles, opening our heart to where we can give and receive love. When I practice my spiritual exercises, it feels as if I’m riding a wave of love to God, back home where I came from. When it’s time to leave this world, I know Dude will be there, waiting for me to sing HU with him.

—Photos by Paula Flint


A Vet Meets a Guardian Angel for Animals

By Sri Harold Klemp

This is a story about a vet, a cat, and Prajapati—one of the ECK Masters, guardian angels of the highest sort—who takes a special interest in animals.

Our story begins with “Mike.” He’s a young man. He was riding his bike down on the beach, and there he saw a surfboard. Nobody was around, so he took it home, got on the internet, and went to a site that specializes in help wanted and lost items. He put a notice up—”Found: A surfboard.”

A little bit later, he got a call from a veterinarian. He identified his surfboard, and they made arrangements. So Mike took the surfboard over to this veterinarian, whom we’ll call “Doctor Ken.” Doctor Ken said to Mike, “If your family ever has need of my services, I’ll give you a discount.”

Not long after this, the family cat became very ill. They remembered the offer from this vet. So they took the cat, Simba, to him. When the doctor came in, he looked at the cat and said, “This cat is very sick.” He didn’t need to do a whole lot of poking and prodding to see the cat was hurting here, there, and everywhere.

Doctor Ken said, “I’m one of the very few vets who practices energy medicine.”

This sort of energy medicine is sometimes called remote treatment, which may be offered by a chiropractor or some other healer. It’s very effective but it takes a certain kind of patient. I think cats are very open to this sort of thing because it’s energy, and cats are very sensitive to energies.

While Simba was being treated, Mike’s father told Dr. Ken all about the ECK Master Prajapati.

The next day, Mike’s mother, “Ann,” came to visit Simba. She saw that the cat was in terrible condition, and she began to cry.

When Doctor Ken came into the room, he started asking all kinds of questions about Prajapati. Then he went on to describe him. He said, “Prajapati came to me in a dream last night. Don’t worry. He said everything is going to be OK.”

Three days later, Ann went back to the veterinarian. The doctor said, “I’ve got the blood-test results. But before I call them up on the computer, I want to make sure Prajapati is here.” He wanted to go into contemplation, shut his eyes, and be assured that the ECK Master was present. So Ann shut her eyes, and she began to sing HU, our love song to God. At the same time, Doctor Ken called on Prajapati.

After a bit, Dr. Ken opened his eyes and said, “He’s here. My skin is tingling. I can feel him. Can you feel him?”

Ann said, “Yes, he’s here.”

Then the doctor turned around, faced the computer, booted it up, and got the results. Finally, he turned back around with a big smile on his face, and he said, “The blood tests are all OK. Everything’s normal. You can take Simba home.”

The spiritual lesson here is that love is so strong that it can reach out through the Divine Spirit, the ECK.

I mentioned an ECK Master. It means a Master who is well attuned to the Holy Spirit. This love had come from the Holy Spirit, through the ECK Master Prajapati, to take care of one of the least of Its own. And this is how life is.


Life after Death for Our Beloved Boxer

By Will Harman

Bandit joined our family about eight years ago as a three-year-old boxer mix who had been given up for adoption. He had too much energy for his former family to handle. The second of our former boxers, Wilson, had recently crossed over, so we welcomed the love and energy that Bandit (whom we came to nickname B, or B-dog) brought into our home. We especially enjoyed watching him play with rocks the way people play soccer, only using his muzzle instead of his feet. He would always put on a show for our guests. And when we visited our property in the foothills, he became “swamp dog”—swimming, rolling, and sitting in the streams and wetlands. He loved life, and we loved him.

Eight or nine months ago, Bandit was diagnosed with mast cell cancer after a lump was discovered on his back leg. We pursued surgery and treatment with our local veterinarian and university. Bandit was always happy to see the caregivers because they gave him love—and treats. Unfortunately, he failed all treatment options, and the cancer progressed. We moved into palliative care. The last few weeks of Bandit’s life were rough. During his last week, he had twenty-one observable tumors. Two were ruptured, and one required frequent care. He wore a cone so he would not open the wound any more. His lymphatic system was compromised, causing one back leg to swell to many times the size of the other.

To look at Bandit, you would think he was miserable—his physical body was a mess. And yet, when I looked into his eyes and asked inwardly if he wanted help leaving the body, the sense I got from him was, No, I just want to be with you. You meaning our family. He did not seem to care about his body and how it looked or felt. He just wanted to be with us. So we spent a lot of time just sitting with him. His body deteriorated, and we knew he would continue to decline until the cancer took his life.

When another tumor ruptured, we made the extremely hard decision to work with our vet to help him cross over.

In the time leading up to the decision, I had been looking for signs to confirm that this was the right course of action. I was watching my dreams. I was asking for inner guidance. My wife, daughters, and I discussed options, and finally, we all agreed that it was the right decision. But there was not a defining inner or outer experience that gave me total confidence. We went to the vet with heavy hearts.

The process is so fast. Scary fast. One moment Bandit is looking into my eyes, and my wife’s hand is on his beating heart. The next moment, he is gone. I have practiced spiritual exercises for many decades and have had numerous experiences showing me that there is life after death. Death is just a transition out of the physical body. Yet, as I sat on the vet’s floor with B’s lifeless body, I couldn’t help but wonder, Is he just gone? The thought surprised me.

That night, I still did not dream about Bandit, which was odd to me. I had had lots of dreams about Wilson, before and after his translation. Why not now? I was miserably sad.

About halfway through the next day, I got an idea: If an inner experience is not happening on its own, I’ll create one. I’ll sit down and do a spiritual exercise and simply imagine what I want to happen. So, that’s what I did. I imagined Bandit running at the farm, swimming in the stream, playing rock soccer, and rolling in the wetland like the swamp dog he was. I imagined it all; I created it. And yet, when I came out of contemplation, I felt better. The experience felt very real. The heaviness was gone. I still missed Bandit, and I do still, but the heaviness was gone. Feelings of acceptance and love filled my heart, and the tears went away. I remembered that, as Soul, we are indeed eternal.

A month or two later, I finally had a dream about Bandit. We were in Mount Airy (the town where I grew up), on the road leading to my grandparents’ house. It’s a small side street lined with big trees. We were on bikes, and Bandit was running beside us. We arrived at the house, and Bandit ran down the driveway and under the deck where they parked the cars. There was a couch outside with newspapers. B jumped on the couch and lay down for about five seconds. Then he jumped up and started playing with the newspapers. He found a ball hidden in the papers and played with that too.

When I dream of Mount Airy, for me it symbolizes the past—of this life or others. My grandparents’ house represents family and love. I think the couch represents comfort and the newspaper, maybe current events. And Bandit’s play is happiness and freedom. In the dream, I saw that B was currently happy and free. He has found comfort with past family members (furry or otherwise).

The dream reaffirmed that we are all eternal and gave me the knowingness that Bandit is doing well. The spiritual exercise of simply imagining an experience proved to be quite powerful for my own healing. It taught me that, when life is hard, we can use the imagination as a powerful tool. It sets invisible forces into motion that can change our awareness and help us heal. We initiate the process, and then a greater force takes over.

Another gift of divine love came during a bike ride along a beautiful and pristine river. Within a half-mile stretch I saw three great blue herons. It surprised me to see three in such a short distance. It felt like a spiritual moment, so I asked inwardly what the herons symbolized. On my inner screen, I saw that each heron represented our past boxers—Bandit, Wilson, and Sampson, our first—living within the River of God. For me, a beautiful symbol that life does go on and that all is well.  

*  *  *

Many people love their pets very much and feel a deep sense of loss when they pass over. And they often worry, Is that the end? Does my dear friend simply cease to be?

Soul is eternal. Soul lives on in the next world, just as It did in this one.

And, if it is right for that Soul, It can come back to earth in another body, sometimes to the same family It was with before.

Is God’s love even sufficient for animals? Yes, it very clearly is—at least it is clear to those who have the eyes to see and the spiritual awareness to recognize this eternal truth.

—Sri Harold Klemp,
Animals Are Souls Too!


Releasing the Past with My Sled Dog

By M. Jane Hocking

When we were younger and living in Alaska, my husband and I had sled dogs. He did some racing, but I never really enjoyed running a team. With beautiful scenery and my dog buddies, mushing should have brought joy, not a heavy lump of dread in my gut. But I loved raising puppies, training lead dogs, and finding and clearing old trails, so I concentrated on those tasks related to sledding.

My lead dog, Dizzy, was born in one of the last litters we raised. We had a special bond from the time of her birth. While she was still in her prime, she suddenly refused to run. Normal sled dogs go wild with joy at the sight of harnesses or a sled, but now Dizzy would sit on her house like a statue, head turned away from me. We could find no physical reason; she simply declared herself retired. I ran my team less and less until I, too, retired.

One day, in contemplation, I saw myself walking up a high hill. When I reached the top, I remembered that old feeling of dread, so I asked why.

The scene instantly shifted from a hilltop vista to an open birch forest in late-winter sunshine, between one and two hundred years ago. In that life I was a Native or Metis man (a person of Indigenous and European descent living in Canada or the northern United States). I drove my dog team toward a trading post to sell my winter’s catch of fur. An inner voice in the contemplation told me that I would be killed for my dogs and furs. The voice also named a farm in Ontario where my body would be buried.

Now that feeling of dread about running a sled-dog team made sense! Every time I had driven a dog team in this lifetime, I was subconsciously reliving my approach to death in that other lifetime.

I decided to let go of the baggage from back then by loading the dread into my sled and hitching my old dogs for one last run. We would take a short loop trail and dump out that past-life memory at the turnaround point.

I gathered harnesses and carried them to the dogs. To my surprise, Dizzy was leaping and screaming with joy right along with the others. I instinctively knew that she had died trying to defend me back then. Clearly she, too, needed to let go of the past.

Like that long-ago day, this was also a bright, late-winter day. During our symbolic run, Dizzy and I left behind the residue of that lifetime and returned with light hearts into the freedom of Now.

—Photos courtesy of M. Jane Hocking


Sweet-Potato Man and His Dog

By Allen Anderson

Standing in line at a sprawling grocery store, I placed five bags of large sweet potatoes on the conveyer belt. A mature cashier with a kind, smiling face (I’ll call her Stacy) enthusiastically said, “Leaf’s food!”

Startled, I looked up. Although I’d been in Stacy’s line a couple of times, she wasn’t usually the cashier who rang up my weekly haul of sweet potatoes. And I didn’t recall ever telling her my cocker spaniel’s name.

Stacy enthusiastically explained. “We sometimes talk in the break room about Sweet-Potato Man,” she said. “Every week he buys bags and bags of sweet potatoes so he can cook food for his dog’s special diet. One of the cashiers told us at a store-employee meeting that the dog’s name is Leaf.”

I was very surprised that anyone remembered my purchases, much less my dog’s name. In the past, a cashier might say, “My, you must really like sweet potatoes,” or “Are you making sweet-potato pie?” or “Are you having a party?”

I would say, “We make home-cooked food for my dog. He has pancreatitis.” Often this explanation triggered a story about the cashier’s pet.

I realized I must have mentioned Leaf’s name to one of the other cashiers. “Wow!” I said to Stacy. “You have a great memory, considering all the people you see every week going through the line.”

Stacy glanced down at the bags of sweet potatoes covering her station. “You’re memorable,” she replied.

Leaf’s Special Recipe

We adopted Leaf from an animal shelter when he was about a year old. Although he’d suffered abandonment and abuse, he was generally in good health. When he was seven, he became dangerously ill with pancreatitis and repeatedly needed emergency veterinary care. After a few years of the disease, he was no longer able to tolerate prescription dog food. We were facing serious trouble. To save his life, we had to find a solution.

My wife Linda and I are ECKists. We appreciate the blessing of having a spiritual teacher, the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ, who inwardly helps us find solutions to problems. We’ve learned how to use our creativity to make better lives for ourselves and the family of pets in our care.

After finding out about Leaf’s condition, Linda and I each went into contemplation and used a spiritual exercise to focus our attention on his health. We sang HU, a sacred mantra that opens our hearts to the love within all life. The contemplation time I spend, often with Leaf in my lap, is key to a fuller expression of love, including the love he and I have for each other. This quiet time doing a spiritual exercise also allows me to see practical solutions to problems such as what would help Leaf become healthier.

Although the spiritual exercises didn’t immediately reveal what would reduce Leaf’s pain, our inner guidance was to take him back to his veterinarian for further consultation. We were relieved that our vet contacted a veterinary dietitian. This animal health-care specialist created recipes for Leaf’s breed, weight, and medical condition. His food options became limited due to all he couldn’t eat, but they expanded into human food mixed with prescribed minerals.

We were on the road to improved quality of life and longevity for our little dog.

A Labor of Love

Leaf quickly let us know which of the recipes he preferred. One called for green beans. We found a stack of them next to his food bowl. He had carefully removed each green bean and only eaten the rest of the ingredients. However, we noticed he gobbled down the food that included lots of sweet potatoes.

Who would have thought the process of selecting sweet potatoes every weekend would give me joy? I picked them out of a giant pile near the grocery-store entrance and carefully placed ten “perfect” potatoes in each of five bags. While examining each potato, I experienced quiet happiness from knowing this was for Leaf.

Other customers noticed my routine and the bags of sweet potatoes in my cart.  Some were curious, maybe picking up on my joy, and asked why I bought so many. I gladly told them. Out of courtesy for their time I kept my answer short, but I was always greeted by smiles and bright eyes. After hearing Leaf’s story, many shoppers looked happier. Maybe they were thinking about their special animal companions.

After buying Leaf’s sweet potatoes each weekend, I cleaned, peeled, chopped, and cooked them before mixing the bite-sized pieces into the recipe. Then Linda and I portioned the batch into twenty-one single servings. We put the week’s supply into containers and stored them in our freezer and refrigerator.

Although buying and making Leaf’s food was a labor-intensive, time-consuming process, I was rewarded with the attention of my doggy supervisor. He squatted next to me in anticipation that I’d drop pieces of sweet potato onto the floor. (I did.) The preparation proceeded with great care for a little fellow who brought so much love into our lives.

Even though his three meals were the same every day, he devoured them with gusto. It was as if he’d never tasted anything so delicious in his entire life. Every day was a new day for this dog. He exemplified the happiness of Soul living in the present.

Sweet-Potato Supply

When Stacy told me about the grocery employees’ nickname for me and how Leaf and I were a topic of staff conversations, I said, “Other stores only have small amounts and small potatoes. This store stocks a lot, and the sweet potatoes are big, so I don’t have to peel as many.”

Stacy leaned over the counter and whispered, “The people who keep up our inventory make sure there is a fresh batch of big sweet potatoes for you every weekend.”

My experiences at the grocery store and at home have shown me the spiritual value of Leaf’s sweet potatoes. Through the spiritual exercises I’ve learned in Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ, I’d been guided to find solutions for our dog’s survival. Leaf and I are two individuals going through life’s ups and downs together and helping each other as comrades. Fulfilling his needs was based on our mutual love and respect. Our love expanded to draw in the customers I met as well as the store employees. Together we’ve maintained Leaf’s health, but we’ve also shared so much more.

Leaf, as a spiritual team, we always have each other’s back.

Leaf, this grocery store has your back.

Leaf, the Mᴀʜᴀɴᴛᴀ has your back.

—Photos by Kristy Walker and Allen Anderson

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