In my late teens I befriended Annette DuCoeur, a beautiful young woman a couple of years younger than me. I photographed Annette on several occasions and was often a guest in her home. Annette’s mother took a liking to me. She and Annette often said that I should meet Annette’s grandmother. They didn’t elaborate on why but after the subject came up again for the third of fourth time I figured it couldn’t hurt to meet her. I was fond of  Annette and thought it would be a good gesture on my part to honor her and her mother's wishes.

Annette’s grandmother lived in Kankakee, Illinois about an hours drive from Hindsale where we lived. My constant companion Scot Robinson and I decided to take a drive to meet Annette’s grandparents one September day. A call was made to Kankakee and it was arranged for us to drive down and spend the night there.

Annette’s grandparents lived in a log cabin in the middle of a ten acre forest of mature oak trees. Shortly after marrying in the late 1920’s they built a charming two bedroom log cabin from the trees and stones on their property. Scot and I were completely enchanted by the place.

We arrived late in the afternoon and were graciously greeted at the door by Annette's grandparents. The grandmother wore a simple cotton dress and apron and the grandfather khaki slacks and a red and black plaid flannel shirt. They were friendly and sweet and welcomed us quickly to the dinner table where a home cooked meal awaited us.

The cabin had a large living room with a big picture window over looking the West view of the forest. The kitchen was a step up from the living room. It had a floor made from real slate. There was an old black cast iron wood burning stove, copper and iron kettles hung from the ceiling. The fragrant odors of dinner filled the cabin and soon we were all getting acquainted around the dinner table.

As we enjoyed our meal, Annette’s grandparents told us the story of building the cabin and of what life was like for them when they were young. After dinner we gathered in the living room. Split log stairs led up to the guest bedroom on the second floor. We sat on comfy hand made furniture laden with home made quilts.

Annette’s grandmother was intently curious about Scot and I much as was Annette’s mother. She asked us if we had ever heard about the religion called "The I Am". I was aware of a group by that name. There is an I Am temple in downtown Chicago. They prominently display an illustration of what appears to be the figure of the resurrected Jesus surrounded by a radiant rainbow of colors.

The I Am "religion" was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Ballard who in the early part of the last century traveled to the far East and apparently had some intriguing supernatural experiences. They returned to the US, shared their experiences with others and formed a group that followed their teaching.

Scot and I were quite taken by the Ballard’s mystical stories. Annette’s grandparents apparently thought Scot and I were "special" in some way and gifted us with their own personal frayed copies of the first edition of the Ballard’s books. It was soon time for the early rising couple to go to sleep. Scot and I climbed the split log stairs to the guest bedroom where two feather beds and hand made down filled comforters awaited us.

Though it was earlier in the evening than we normally would have retired, we climbed into the ultra comfy beds, heads filled with new thoughts, and fell asleep. A most amazing experience happened to me.

Within moments of closing my eyes and inviting sleep, I found myself consciously rising out of my body. I was hovering in mid air and could see Scot and me snuggly sleeping under the covers in our beds. Then I rose higher passing through the ceiling without resistance. I continued to rise higher and could see the cobble stone chimney of the cabin and the smoke from the fire place streaming up. I was now high above the cabin beholding the  surrounding woods and as I rose higher I could see the warm glow of the sunset on the Western horizon.

I went higher and higher and saw the curve of the earth quickly diminish as the earth grew smaller and smaller. Now I was floating freely in dark space surrounded by stars still going higher and soon passed through a spectrum of color to ultimately become enjoined in a sphere of pink light.

This was a warm place where I found myself freely swimming as it were up down and all around. It was effortless and fun. I was aware of my identity though homogenized into the light that surrounded me.

There was no gravity nor resistance in this place. I was immersed in a bath of warm loving light. There is nothing to confine you there because all is free and loving. Space and time are of no consequence. This realm has no boundaries, no darkness, no restriction. It was like swimming in a warm pool in zero gravity breathing the water as if it were air.

Love permeates the atmosphere there. All present are in perfect harmony each enjoining the others present as it were in a swimming dance of love and celebration of the other’s unique gifts.

On earth one desires intimacy with those they adore. As a kitten cuddles against you and you feel the warmth of fur close against your skin, in this place skin is as if transparent and the kitten’s fur would tickle you deeper than human earthly skin could ever permit.

A lover’s touch on earth stimulates physical response but this realm is devoid of physical limitation. The intimacy is enjoined without physical restriction. It is as if all is shared under one skin without fear, worry, or sacrifice.

I was aware of individual entities swimming around and amongst me that night. Most pronounced and intimate was the presence of Donovan Leitch and Chris Rhodes. In reality on earth I am enormously fond of and humbled by the talents of these two men. Now I was freely embodied in a sphere of love light surrounded by those I most greatly admired. It was as though I was so loved by these men that I was welcome into their most inner workings from whence their gifts emanate.

I must tell you that this pink ball of light I was privileged to experience is a true place. I believe what I experienced was a foretaste of heaven. I often recall this experience drawing from it perspective of both our destiny and our origin. I have great anticipation of returning there. Devoid of spiritual rebirth, natural man cannot possibly understand such a realm of freedom and love.

Without conscious passage of time I found myself becoming more aware of my own identity and soon of my physical body. I began to descend from the incredible pink ball of light. I left this wonderful place passing again through the spectrum of colors I encountered when first approaching the pink ball of light. Entering darkness, I found myself falling toward earth.

I could see the sun rising on the Eastern horizon and soon approached the oak forest and saw the faint trail of smoke streaming from the coble stone chimney of the cabin. Long shadows were now cast Westward by the dawning sun

Again I passed through the ceiling of the log cabin and could see my body sleeping in the bed. I entered my body and found myself awake with fresh memory of the experience I’d just had.

I'd never before nor since consciously experienced participation in the pink ball of light but I believe this place is real. One day I hope we shall all swim freely in that lovely place.

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