Me: Are there always people there who create the music—that can play these instruments? Is that the music you’re talking about that’s played in the arena, for example—and orchestra of spirits that play?

Erik: Oh, that’s like people on Earth being able to play music, you know, bands, orchestras, all kind of flavors of music: jazz, heavy metal. All that and more.

Me: Do you have music that doesn’t exist here?

Erik: Yeah. Not even—

Jamie bursts out laughing and blushes.

Jamie (to Erik): Erik, I just feel like I have to apologize to people when you start doing this.

Me: Uh oh.

Erik: Not even that New Age, spiritual, angelic shit. It doesn’t even touch what we have here.

Me: Mm. All right. We talked about colors—you mentioned colors. How are they different? I think you said that there are colors there that don’t exist here on Earth, but, in general, tell me about colors over there.

Erik: Yes, well once you die and you come back—ask those people who have near death experiences where they cross over—ask them about color. Ask them how it feels, emotionally, because it’s off the charts. Same way. Remember, Earth is solid like this. (putting his two fists like he’s about to box). It’s intense. Yeah.

Jamie and I both giggle at his pose.

Erik: Being away from your body, you can’t get this. (He makes the same pose). You can’t get this solidness. Like you look at the color black. It’s just, it’s just black.  I don’t know. It doesn’t even look alive. It’s just color, right?

Me: Are you talking about on Earth?

Erik: Yeah.

Me: Okay. I got it.

(Pause)

Jamie (to Erik, chuckling): You’re kind of rambling now, huh?

Erik: When you pass away, the colors look like they have life to them in and of themselves, and the colors on Earth look muted and flat even though there are some great, beautiful colors. It’s hard to think that there could even be another shade of a color, berceuse we think, on Earth, that we’ve got it nailed down, right? We’ve got the rainbow. We made it plus and minus—the hues and tones and all that jazz and—but there is. There are colors you’ve never seen before.

This post is a little short. I don’t want to short change you, so I’m including another short topic.

Me: Okay, Erik. This gentleman wants to know what your take is on New Age like Deepak, Marianne Williamson, and so on. You don’t have to use their names, but what do you think about most of them—spiritual gurus or whatever.

Erik: You mentioned Deepak, Marianne Williams—

Me: Williamson.

Erik (putting up his hands): Excuse me! Brian Weiss—

Jamie (to Erik): Oh, I forgot about that guy. Andrew Wile?

Erik: Gary Zukav, Eckhart Tolle. I dig these people. I totally handpicked those names, but I like the way that they’re presenting the material. I like what they’re teaching.

Me: Do you have any favorites?

(Long pause)

Jamie: You talk about favorites and he talks about Gary Zukav, and, um, he’s saying, “No, I just think that he’s a pretty cool guy, because he was talking about this shit before anyone else was, but he was doing it in a scientific way.”

Erik: And I think that really took balls, because that could have just fucking crashed his career in a heartbeat.

Me: Yeah.

Erik: But he took that risk anyway, and, you know, he’s still writing stuff. Finally, he gets to put the spiritual tone to it, because, hell, back in the 70s and 80s they didn’t want to do anything with it.

Me: Exactly.

Erik: Cuz I think that’s, uh, I think he’s pretty cool only because he started the change, you know? He changed how people perceived things. He was a visionary.

Me: Yeah, I have all of his books. They’re great. Now this same guy says he reads these channelings of Archangel Michael online. He says, “Sometimes they are truly beautiful and inspiring. Do these have any legitimacy?”

Erik: Yeah! Absolutely! But you also have to think about who they’re coming through and what their agenda is.

Me: Yeah.

Erik: Are they truly filter-free and not, you know, using judgment? Are they trying to shape you to become a better person, but know what they define as better or tell you what is wrong to do or right to do? Cuz that shit’s up to you, man. I always say go with what you’re attracted to but read it—

Jamie (to Erik): Do you say that? I say that too, man.

Jamie guffaws.

Jamie: I was like, ‘You sound like me right now.’ He said, “Take from it what you like,” and I told him I think I say it better. (Giggle.) He gave me this look.

Me: Ah oh.

Erik: Yeah. Take from it what you like.

Me: Yeah. What rings true on an intuitive level. What “feels” right, not what you “think” is right.

Erik: Yeah.

Me: Okay.

***************************

Dear Reader,

The journey on which you’re about to embark will take you through stories that are deeply personal and involves a relationship between a mother and her son.

As a physician raised by two atheists, I had no personal belief system about life after death. In a word, I was a confirmed skeptic. As my journey progressed, my mind opened. It is my sincerest hope that yours will open as well and that you will have a greater understanding of your own life and what’s to come ahead.

Although Erik sometimes paints a rosy picture of the afterlife, time and time again he stresses that suicide is not the answer to one’s problems. If you struggle, please understand that the information in my blog and my book is no substitute for professional help. Please click here for a list of resources for help when you find yourself considering taking your own life. Know that they are readily available when you feel that hopelessness and despair that many of us feel from time to time in our lives.

I refuse all donations and ad revenue on the blog. It is my dream to one day establish a nonprofit organization that delivers a variety of spiritual services for those who have lost loved ones to suicide and cannot afford that assistance on their own. It’s a mission of love, sacrifice, and dedication.

Love and light,

Elisa