Orb Update #3
Progress these past couple of weeks has been steady. I have rewritten a few thousand words and written a couple thousand more. The process of laying in first draft material into the outline seems to work well if I can stop being too self-critical. The story will begin once I've already entered the coma. Though at the time, I had no idea I was actually not conscious, everything that gets written from my point of view will begin inside my own head.
Small spoiler alert, I did survive the incident... so, some of the story will resolve after I 'woke up.' Though, after waking up, it took me at least a month or two before I had a grasp of what had been happening. Reality resolved slowly. Even after my trach came out, I was so convinced that I'd gotten into the hospital by hitting my head on a rusty amusement park ride, that I reported that to my brother on the phone. I still don't know how much he was just humoring me on that call. I'd think quite a bit in retrospect...
While I was relearning how to eat and walk and such, I kept thinking I saw faces I recognized on the hospital staff. One morning I remember I leaned in to one of the physical therapy directors thinking she was my old coworker, Kristin, and said, "You work here now?" And she nodded and said yes. This convinced me fully that she was indeed Kristin. "That's so cool! I can't wait to catch up with you!" I never saw her again. But there were plenty of others.
One person in particular, I still don't know if he was real or not. Lately, it's leaning toward not, but he sure seemed real to me. A couple of times post-coma in the recovery hospital, I managed to pull the feeding tube out of my nose. I had dreamt that a young black guy was helping me out, but evidently it was just me. But, later, this fellow kept showing up to tell me things. And, he seemed to have the same energy as one of the characters from the book, Gypsum.
He was the guide in the dream who told me my voice was gone and helped me get a new one. He helped me with the various puzzles and challenges I faced in the Orb, as well. The notion that he followed me out into the hospital in the real world is a little strange, but I guess it makes sense. Now I wonder if that's the voice I hear when I meditate or try to elevate my awareness.
Be that as it may, I'm interested in opening up the conversation about what we see, think, and feel when our daily persona takes a hike for whatever reason. Near Death Experiences are one way people can get there. But, we all feel like we are outside of society from time to time. And, we all (mostly anyhow) dream.
The top of the mountain where I met with J.
