Alexandra Solnado’s path as a spiritual healer began in a moment, when her daughter stopped breathing. Alexandra thought she had died. In that fleeting second, Alexandra met with something she had never encountered before to this magnitude — powerlessness. A woman who had previously maintained maximum control over her life, Alexandra looked up to heaven and said: “I give in.” Meaning, “I cannot save my daughter. I deliver this to heaven.” With those words, Alexandra knew that her life had radically changed.

She discovered that her daughter had a “spiritual” illness, not a medical one (based on a past life trauma). She saved her daughter by applying spiritual therapies that she learned from Jesus.

Shortly after the incident, Alexandra began living the spiritual path. Then, on March 28, 2002, Jesus appeared to her for the first time. Jesus immediately began to dictate to Alexandra messages for 11 books, for spiritual therapies and 1,000 meditations. He became and continues to be a constant presence in her life and consultations.

Alexandra’s latest book, a bestseller in her native Portugal and now receiving praise in America, is The Book of Light. Like the ancient I Ching, readers come to The Book of Light with a question. They select two letters from the ancient Aramaic language used by Jesus, and the combination of the letters points the reader to a select message from Jesus, transcribed by Alexandra.

The following is an email interview conducted with the author from her home in Portugal.

Alexandra, thank you for making yourself available to our readers Let’s begin with a little information about yourself. Were you raised Catholic like many in Portugal, and what was instrumental in your spiritual growth as a young woman?
Alexandra Solnado: My parents were not religious. They thought we had to grow up without following any religion so that we could choose when we grew up. My mother is quite mystical and my father was really skeptical, so I could see things from both sides. I have always been really interested in spirituality, but I did not know where to turn to. I had no direction. I just liked it, and I was curious about it, but that was it.

There was nothing particularly instrumental in my spiritual growth as a young woman. I was a workaholic. I just thought about work. I had no spiritual life. It took my daughter becoming really ill — being declared dead in front of me — for me to start realizing that there was something that could take my daughter away in an instant. When she was already sick, seriously ill, I heard a voice say “this has to do with you, this has to do with you….” It was then that I realized that I was also part of that drama, in other words, that I also had to do something. The idea was, “If my choices brought me here, to this hospital bed, then they were not very good choices. Maybe I have to relearn how to choose.”

So I went to relearn how to choose. A woman astrologer read my karmic astral chart and I fell in love with karmic astrology. It was from here onwards, through astrology, that I began to understand. Then I started to meditate, I started to find the Higher Self and many other beings of light.

Prior to March 2002, please describe the personal relationship you had with Jesus.
AS: I had always thought of Jesus as a great revolutionary, a master of freedom. Every time I saw people fighting for freedom, I remembered Him. I believed Jesus had been the first person to fight for freedom and to be a real revolutionary. But that was it. I had almost a political admiration for Him, for the way He fought, without violence. That was all. Mysticism? Zero, absolutely zero.

What happened in March 2002 that opened the channel in you to messages from Jesus?
AS: I was showing a friend something that I had discovered, a meditation where we would find our Higher Self, our divine half, that had remained up there, in heaven. Up until now, this has been one of the pillars of my work — to introduce people to their divine half, to whom they may ask questions, may ask for advice, may improve their lives by way of these precise guidelines for their evolution.

In the middle of the meditation, my friend asked me, “Are you up here?”

I replied “No, I am down here.”

He said, “Oh, so you are, His hand is so long. It is touching your head. He is thanking you.”

I thought it was my friend’s Higher Self that was thanking me, so I asked, “Thanking me for what?”

He replied, “For bringing people to this side, to the side of the light.”

And when my friend finished the meditation, he said it was Jesus. We set another day for me to take him up there again. I thought that was all really strange, but I had long ago opened myself up to things that appeared strange. So on the eve of the set day, I was doing my meditation at night when a giant being appeared to me. It was Jesus, an extraordinarily clear image of Jesus. He took my hand, put me in His heart, a giant heart, and said, “From now on, whenever you want to talk to me, just look up.”

And from then on, every time I looked up, I saw Jesus’ face, a huge, giant face. He emanated absolute peace. A sense of tranquility I did not know. It was like this that it all started and it continues even today.

How has Jesus appeared to you? Do you hear His voice?
AS: I have seen Jesus in all forms, as a person, with regular clothing, as a being of light. I have seen Him gigantic, I have seen Him small, I have seen Him in every kind of way. But the most important thing He has taught me is how to perceive His energy.

In almost 10 years that I have been seeing Him, I have clearly learned what is His energy and what is not. I know exactly when it is Him up there and when it is not. The presence of Jesus is unmistakable. A very powerful energy of love, tenderness, calmness, lightness, transcendence…and I could stay here all day….

Of course, there is a voice, for in order to write my books I hear a voice that dictates these messages to me, and He dictates with an absolute precision. Sometimes he dictates a word which I do not understand very well and do not know the meaning of. He remains there repeating the word until I discover which one it is. After He has dictated words that I didn’t even know the meaning of, I would then go to the dictionary and found that it made complete sense in the context of that sentence. He is really very precise.

How did you feel when you began receiving the messages? What effect did they have on you personally?
AS: I felt really confused, because it was something that was not part of my life. I was never Catholic, so it did not make sense…but I soon realized that that Jesus was not the Jesus of the Catholic Church. I soon realized — and He mentions this very early on in the first book — that it is Jesus who is responsible for humanity in the coming Age of Aquarius and that one of His tasks is to make humanity progress. Because He is the highest archangel in heaven, He is the highest energy there is in heaven before God, who is All. Up until this day, one of the words Jesus most often uses is: “Trust.”

Sometimes He asks for something that is difficult and then He says: “Trust. Trust.” And He has never let me down. Never once has He asked for something which I have then done — and sometimes He asks without explaining anything, He just asks — that has not been highly significant.

The messages have changed my life completely. They have completely changed the way I see the world, see myself and see other people. They have changed everything. I believe that no stone has gone unturned, nothing has remained the same. Nowadays, I have a clear notion that I see the world and life much more through the logic of heaven than through the logic of the earth. Each time I see things less through the logic of down here. Up in heaven, there is a logic and when we start following that logic we understand that everything — absolutely everything — is perfectly orchestrated, everything in matter is part of an energetic choreography. The thing is, those who are down here cannot see it.

Please give our readers a brief idea of how the book is to be used to help them in their lives.
AS: Someone has a doubt, any type of doubt — what shall I do with my career, how do I resolve a problem to do with love, how do I deal with this issue, how do I handle that issue, I have a problem concerning my child, what shall I do, whatever the problem is… — pick up the book, think of the light, think of Jesus, elevate yourself in any way possible and focus on the problem.

The deeper you concentrate the more at one you will be with the Universe, and as a result, the greater your communication with these messages.

Then, pick out two of the symbols that are included in the book. Then go to the chart that comes with the book and look for the picture of the first symbol on the vertical column and of the second symbol on the horizontal column. You will find a number where these two symbols intersect, which is the number of your answer. Try to read the answer with your soul, not with your mind or with your ego. There are also those people who prefer not to use the symbols, but simply open up a page by chance, that is up to you.

One of the biggest feedbacks we have had is concerning the accuracy of these answers.

Alexandra Solnado, a bestselling author in Portugal, is receiving worldwide praise for her new book, The Book of Light. Like the ancient I Ching, readers come to The Book of Light with a question. They select two letters from the ancient Aramaic language used by Jesus, and the combination of the letters points the reader to a select message from Jesus, transcribed by Alexandra.

On March 28, 2002, Jesus appeared to Alexandra for the first time. Jesus immediately began to dictate to Alexandra messages for 11 books, for spiritual therapies and 1,000 meditations. He became and continues to be a constant presence in her life and consultations.

Was there an initial message directed to you personally that changed your perspective on everything? What was it?
AS: All His messages are extremely beautiful. They are all very inspiring. Throughout these 10 years that I have been writing, I have received all types and forms of messages. I received messages I was writing for the books but which I also felt were meant for me, which made a lot of sense in my life. But I have to admit that the messages from Jesus, which I like the most, are the messages in which He shows the love He feels for Humanity, where He shows that in spite of sometimes being far from the light, of people being far from the light and having a lot of inner violence and being extremely intolerant, He continues to love us with open arms, waiting for us to look towards Him.

42: Unconditional Love

Today we are going to talk about unconditional love.
It is the forbidden love. It is the love that everyone yearns for, that everyone wishes to touch.
It is the love that is neither interested in what you believe in or the way you behave, nor in your status, religion, circumstances, or surroundings.
It is an unmitigated love, a love without fear and without judgment. It has no memory or feelings of revenge.
It is absolute love.
It simply loves and that is all. It loves for no other reason than to love. It loves without reservations.
No matter whom you are, no matter what you do, or what consequences you attract, or how you live your life, I will always be here.
Always ready, always whole, loving you as you are.
For the way you chose to be in this lifetime.
My love is not conditional, there are no restrictions. I only love.
This is my way of protecting you, guiding you, understanding you, and enlightening you.
Life teaches you lessons, and I love you. Together life and I work side by side in guiding you through your passage on earth.
Open up your heart. Let my love enter. Only when you have received my unconditional love and feel protected by heaven can you emanate love. Emanate self-love, which will inevitably allow you to forgive yourself and accept yourself as you really are – emanate love towards others, which in its turn will bring more love – emanate love towards the earth and animals, which will prolong human beings’ stay on earth.
Open up your heart. Reconnect with your feelings.
Just for a while, stop thinking, running, and flying without any sense of direction or meaning.
Stop. Look into your heart and open it up.
Let me inside, slowly, one step at a time. Let me enter and remain there.
And you will see how everything becomes clearer. How everything transforms into light.
And I will have one more reason for being here. And that reason is you.
JESUS

How did the book, The Book of Light, come together? Did Jesus give you the complete vision for how the book would be arranged and used by readers?
AS: Yes, absolutely. All the details are dictated. The first time He spoke to me about this book, I was at the launching of one of my other books, also with messages from Jesus, and He said the following: “We have written many books, intended only to be read, people read the books from start to finish, but then they don’t know how to integrate any of these concepts into their lives. Imagine: a person has a specific problem and taking into account all the books that we have already written, which concept is this person going to apply to this specific problem in his or her life? Let’s write a book with questions and answers, a book where if someone has a problem, all they need do is ask the question and then read the answer. They only read that message and then they have a direct reply to their problem. It will be a way of giving people spiritual concepts that they can apply more directly in their everyday lives.”

I refused. I said, “No, no, no. It is one thing to hear messages and to write them down, that I can accept — and I was already hesitant about accepting it, it was difficult but I did it — but to have the audacity to answer these questions, I don’t think I can do that.” I fought against this concept, against this request, because I didn’t think I was capable of doing it.

And He said, “All right, then there are to be no more books.” And we left it at that. Approximately a month went by without Him dictating anything, for He only wanted to dictate this book. I realized that I had to make a choice — either I trusted Him once again or there would be no more books. So I decided to trust Him. And it has been a tremendous experience.

Yes, He explained everything, how the “chart” works, that the questions would be asked using symbols from the Aramaic alphabet, which was the language that He spoke, and that one would remove two pieces and then go to one column and then the other to join the two pieces and receive the answer. He explained everything, absolutely everything. In fact, my work is to “remove” Alexandra during this time in order to receive only what He wants me to receive.

What reaction to The Book of Light have you received from the public in Portugal? Can you share any stories you have received about how the book has helped people?
AS: This book is very magical.

The Book of Light has had — and it is still having — a tremendous impact on the Portuguese public. The book became an instant bestseller, reaching No. 1 on the national top sales list, where it stayed for several weeks. But the most important thing about this book is how it has led people to look deep within themselves and actually helped them change their lives, as you can see from one of many stories I received….

One morning, while I was consulting a book about the wisdom of life, I got a message saying I would receive a gift. As I got to work, I met a friend who had just bought The Book of Light. As soon as I took the first two symbols, I realized I had much more than a simple book in my hand. I spent the whole afternoon asking questions and receiving answers. After a few days, almost all of my colleagues at work wanted to take the symbols, too. I bought the book, as well, and I started carrying it with me all the time. Such a precious treasure can´t be guarded, it has to — and should be — shared by everyone. All my colleagues who chose to follow the Light, have radically changed their lives, including myself. The Book of Light is my daily guide. There are days when the pain is so much that I get on my knees and cry…and others that I reach up so high in Heaven that I don’t even want to get down. It is not easy, but it is REALLY worth it…. The Book of Light has taken me to so many places inside me, and outside, too. The messages have such a transforming power. Vital messages for all humankind and of such an exceptional love. I have been waiting for you for a very long time…. Cláudia

The book makes use of 17 symbols in the Aramaic language used by Jesus when he walked the Earth. How would you describe the symbols and how they could be translated into English?
AS: The symbols are letters of the alphabet. Jesus did not wish to give a meaning to each symbol; He simply wished to use the alphabet so that the Aramaic energy, the energy that existed when He was here, would be present. That is all. The Aramaic energy is the connection; none of the symbols have a special meaning, they are just part of the alphabet. On picking out two of these symbols I am making the connection with Jesus, precisely through the language that He once spoke.

Why is Jesus offering this information to us now, at this time? What messages, if any, has Jesus given you that describe his feelings toward humanity at this time or describe how he interprets what humanity is going through now?
AS: There is an esoteric saying that goes, “Everything that reaches its limit, turns to its opposite,” and humanity is clearly reaching its limit, a limit of violence, of intolerance, of a lack of respect for others. There is a lack of emotion of a higher energy, a lack of feelings and an excess of mental activity. The Earth cannot take much more; its resources will not last much longer. It is as if Humanity is walking towards the edge of the precipice.

And the task Jesus has, as a Being of Light and for actually being responsible for humanity itself, is to help us make that spiritual leap, a qualitative leap in our energy, to prevent it from extinguishing. The Era of Pisces which is now coming to an end was also the era of the intermediaries, of judgment, of guilt, of fear and resentment. The Era of Aquarius, which is now arriving, is the era of the healing of the soul, of the healing of karma and of interaction between worlds.

The idea is to no longer have intermediaries. The idea is for people themselves to start meditating and learning how to go up to heaven to get information. The information that is useful for one person may be of no use for another. Each person has to go in search of their own information, without intermediaries. There is actually an esoteric saying that says, “Each and every spiritual guide can only help me as far as his own conscience goes.” If someone that is trying to help me has a low level of awareness, he won’t be of much help. The idea is to learn how to go up there, to heaven, to get exactly what my consciousness can reach.

Here are some of Jesus messages about humanity…

250: To Be Reborn

You are being reborn.
In all senses, in all forms, in the most trivial of day-to-day activities, you are being born again to a new life.
You are gradually becoming closer to me.
You are gradually becoming higher, purer and more subtle. You are gradually reaching the dimension of the sky where fairies can fly.
This is the time of rebirth. It is the time for men to understand their mission.
To recognize that man’s true mission, the only mission possible for human beings within humanity, is to be capable of being unique, distinct, and inviolable.
It is to be able to stand out from the seven thousand million people that exist.
Be authentic.
Be organic.
Be special.
JESUS

72: My Love

Give them my love.
That is all. Give them my love.
Give them the love that you receive from me.
Do whatever you need to do so that my love reigns in your heart.
Do your best to remove density and the negative and destructive memories, and emotions that exist.
Try to avoid having rage, hate, envy, and bitterness in your emotional system.
Reach into your pain as much as you need to, deactivate your memory and then ascend. When you arrive here, make sure that you are light, fresh and crystalline, so that my love can be blessed, so that my love can embrace the world through your vibrations.
And when you are out on the streets, when you talk to people, when you are where you need to be in your daily life, the enormous amount of love that I feel for humanity will burst forth from you and invade the whole planet.
And you will know that it is me.
You will know that it is I that has invaded the streets, and people’s souls.
And everything will become clearer.
And everything will become cleaner.
And everything will take on the vibrations of heaven, because this is the only way that man has of returning home.
JESUS

240: Feel the Love

…Summon the energy of those people you have loved and continue to love in this life.
Even those who were not always good to you but whom you loved.
Even those that hurt you but whom you continued to love.
Summon the energy of all those people. And feel the love.
Feel the love you have for them.
Acknowledge that regardless of what has happened between you, they are here in your life to teach you how to love.
And to honor the love that is inside you.
They are in your life to show you that you have all that love there inside you to draw on.
So that you may love without expecting anything in return.
Rather than being something you use to barter, love is a blessing for those who feel it. For those that can feel it. Simply feel it.
Hold on to the energy of those people that are before you. And love.
That is all. Love, love, love.
And regardless of their response to your love, you will feel your energy changing vibration and ascending.
And when your chest is on the brink of bursting open because of all the love that it emanates, raise your conscience and come and show me your love.
For you can only love me if you love other men – or their souls – if you are able to love life.
Therefore, when your chest is almost bursting with the love you feel towards humanity, irrespective of the many flaws it has, you will immediately be loving me.
And loving yourself, for you are part of that immensely imperfect, yet magical race called humanity.
JESUS

How has The Book of Light affected your life personally?
AS: It affected my life a great deal, because even though I had written many books before The Book of Light, this book revealed not only that the channel is open, but just how strong the channel is and how those people who are willing to receive information from heaven will receive it. It is remarkable.

Do you intend to share more messages from Jesus in the form of books or written communication now that this book has been published?
AS: I would love to publish all the books that I have already written and continue to write. Let’s see how the public in the U.S. reacts to The Book of Light, how the public in the U.S. reacts to the messages from Jesus.

“Seek not to become a Christian. Seek to become a Christ.” – Gospel of Phillip

Is it faith or fear that drives a Christian to believe in a one-dimensional definition of Jesus? The fundamental belief is this: Jesus was born to die for our sins. If we don’t believe He is our only lord and savior, we are going to burn in hell for all eternity. Coupled with the one path to God theory (through Jesus) there is only one “Word of God,” the canonical Bible. Anything outside the Bible is forbidden if you are a faithful fundamental Christian.

I am an ordained Christian Minster and this message is not about denying a Christian’s right to “their” Jesus. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I believe all Christians have a right to “their” Jesus. We need to ask ourselves why it isn’t enough to believe in Jesus. Why do so many fundamental Christians believe their path is the only righteous path to Jesus and their God is the only real God?

Why are we so afraid to ask basic questions about the Bible, especially when it pertains to Jesus? Why are there only two gospels written by actual disciples in the Bible? Where are the rest? Why is one man, who never met Jesus, except through a “vision” after Jesus died, responsible for most of the writings in the Christian Bible? Where are the gospels representing the other ten disciples who actually knew Jesus, one of which was Jesus’ brother?!

It is not my desire to do battle with anyone who believes in their Bible. It is my mission to share the forbidden teachings of Jesus with those who no longer believe the religious rhetoric that has existed for over 1,700 years. If you choose to let the politics of the 3rd century dictate your belief systems, then that is your prerogative. If your faith is strong in your Jesus, and he is your ONLY Lord and savior, then you have found your path and you should stop reading.

The rest of this information is for those who want to know the “Forbidden Jesus.”

Jesus never published one word. There are no documents that he signed into law. He had nothing to do with organizing Christianity. His teachings were documented by several authors. Some didn’t know him. Most writings weren’t even published until 70 years after Jesus died. All of his teachings are interpretations by a human author with a human perspective and human agenda. Editing the “Word of God” has become commonplace for centuries, so it’s impossible to know who wrote what and/or why. Some material may be inspired and some may be slightly historically accurate, but no one really knows the truth about Jesus’ teachings except those who were actually there. It is up to us to choose what we want to believe. Period.

Thankfully, courageous people are finally questioning the authenticity and accuracy of the teachings attributed to Jesus. Thankfully, we live in a time when powerful new information is surfacing to give us options and choices. The “Forbidden Jesus” is breaking through the walls that have confined his truth for thousands of years.

In 1945, the discovery of The Gnostic Gospels, in Nag Hammadi Egypt, shook the very foundation of Christendom. A quote by Douglas E. Hardy sums up the discovery by stating: “It is as if He, Himself (Jesus), had planted this beneficent time bomb in the cave at Nag Hammadi, carefully setting the fuse, to delay its explosion till the world would be ready for the impact. Like it or not, believe it or not, it was another truth, a truth forbidden by orthodox Christianity.

There is a Jesus that didn’t die for our sins, a Jesus that doesn’t care what religion we are. There is a Jesus who came to this planet to teach us that we are divine! This Jesus does not judge by the color of our skin, the lifestyle we choose, or how we worship our God. This Jesus isn’t hanging on a cross waiting for us to feel shame as we claim responsibility for his death. This Jesus is breathing right next to you as you read forbidden material about the “Christ Light” being within all human kind. This Jesus holds you when you sleep, cradles you when you are in pain and patiently waits for you to ask for his guidance. The “Forbidden Jesus” doesn’t belong to any one religion. In fact, this “Forbidden Jesus” doesn’t even belong to Christians. He belongs to everyone.

There is a plethora of documents about the “Forbidden Jesus.” No one can tell you what is right. No one. Although there are dozens of authenticated documents in the Coptic museum in Egypt, they too are just another author’s version of Jesus’ life. The “Lost Gospels” are forbidden by orthodoxy even though many historians say they have as much validity as anything found in the canonical bible. As wonderful as it is to know the Gnostic Gospels and other historical texts exist, they too have their own their own slant, their own version, their own agenda. Only one person can guide you through the maze and help you find your Jesus. That person is you.

You aren’t alone in your pursuit to find your Jesus. Your soul knows which path is right for you and your soul hangs out with Jesus, regularly. The best way for you to get to know Jesus is to get to know your soul. Do whatever it takes to get quiet and listen to the voice of your soul. Your enlightened Self will guide you. You will not feel bond to a belief system forced on you. When you learn to listen to the voice of your soul, you will become empowered to choose your spiritual path and your Jesus…without fear. You will not question what is right, because your Jesus will be guiding your soul, which will be guiding you!

Scientist, zookeeper, distance runner and gardener Larry Vorwerk balances his love of nature and science with his awakened heart, one that beats in harmony with a sense of oneness with all of creation.

An explorer at heart, Vorwerk’s new book, The Bartholomew Effect: Awakening to Oneness, is a testament to a soul who continues to reach beyond physical dimension for insight on the unseen. What if we were more aware of the power of our intentions? he asks. What if we became conscious, multidimensional spiritual beings? And what if we all spontaneously experience timelessness, weightlessness and the ability to move with a single thought – as if in a dream, just as Larry experienced on a number of occasions? And what if you learn that you are intimately connected – perhaps on the soul level – with someone who walked with Jesus (the apostle Bartholomew) but were uneasy about sharing that information but could not contain the love that the experience contains?

The Iowa native, who now lives with his wife, Nita Wolf, on ten acres of land near Northfield, MN, explores consciousness in the present moment, be it at work at the Minnesota Zoo, tending his fifty varieties of fruits and vegetables or running the byways of the rural countryside. His current incarnation is all about testing the boundaries of reality and the gifts of spiritual transformation.

In this interview with The Edge, Larry tells us that the Earth is undergoing the pains of birth, and we all can feel it deep in our souls. His message, however, is filled with hope as he promotes unconditional love, peace and oneness among us all.

You begin your book by writing, “By keeping an open mind toward everything, listening to our intuition and then acting on it, we begin to live life to the fullest.” What is your perspective on belief systems and the role they play in our lives?
Larry Vorwerk: I was raised Catholic and, as such, I guess that is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It was a very structured life. My parents were very traditional, but as I went to college, I really found it to be beneficial to have a spiritual background, as well as a scientific background. I used that to my advantage in trying to find answers to reality and life from looking at it from both perspectives.

Since I have had some multi-dimensional experiences, it gave me strength as far as having a stronger belief system and knowing that there is more out there than just what science can prove. Being the type of person who always is questioning life, I continue to explore my sense of reality. I never limited myself to what is possible. I explored different belief systems, everything from Native American philosophy to out-of-body experiences and dream states.

I found that in time they all started intersecting and supporting each other. As the puzzle pieces start to fit together, the puzzle border keeps expanding, and so there is really no end to understanding reality or life. But at the same time, as we do grow and become more aware, we do get a bigger and fuller picture of what is life and reality.

In the picture that we think we see, we think we know where the edges of life are, but it is constantly expanding on us.
Vorwerk: Yes, it’s constantly expanding. To give you an idea where science does help, look at modern physics which believes that there are 11 dimensions to reality, and yet we live in a third-dimensional world. A lot of the literature says we are moving into a fifth-dimensional experience. At the same time, I’ve had experiences that I believe were sixth dimensional, and these are the experiences of oneness. And yet, from what science says there are even higher dimensions that are incomprehensible while we are in the physical form.

As you mention in your book, you wrote about numerous experiences of being conscious in the higher dimensions, experiences that you describe as life altering. Why do some people have these and others do not?
Vorwerk: By being open to it. A person can close themselves down and be fearful about anything that is unexplained. That probably keeps a person from having those type of experiences. For myself, being curious and being open-minded, and actually putting out the intention to have higher dimensional experiences, has allowed me to have some of these. In the earlier years, a lot of these experiences came without any control or any way of knowing why they happened, but as the years have gone by I have had more control over some type of oneness experiences, which has been helpful.

What was the purpose for you having them?
Vorwerk: The purpose was to remember Home, meaning the afterlife; also to fulfill my purpose or mission in life and to be of service and to help other people on their awakening process.

You shared that your next incarnation will be as part of a group consciousness overseeing an evolving new planet and that many of your experiences outside of the realm of waking consciousness have been like training exercises for that incarnation. Can you elaborate on what you know about what that incarnation will be and what your role will be?
Vorwerk: There’s not too much I can say about it because it is beyond physical words. But another angle or way to approach that would be an outline view of a book on reality that I include toward the end of my book. I mention that everything converges as everything rises to a higher vibration, and I believe that is true in all aspects of life. The higher the vibration, the more inclusive everything is, including angels, archangels and even souls.

An individual of a species of animal comprises the soul of that species, and yet in humans each individual has a soul. As you get even into the higher dimensions and higher evolution, individual souls merge together to create a higher reality or a higher being, so to speak. From that experience that I mention in the book, post-human graduates merge together to become the consciousness of an evolving planet. Even though it was an experience like my other oneness experience, in the sense that energetically it was so expansive that it is hard to put into words, I did get an understanding of what that meant.

In the book I like to use analogies or parables to try to describe something that is hard to put into words, and another way of putting that experience of being the consciousness of a planet compared to being a human would be like the cells in your body compared with the known universe. A blood cell, for example, has no consciousness of what the whole body is doing, that I’m talking to you on the phone and you are in a different city and all of that. As we evolve and merge into a higher vibration, our reality becomes so much more expansive, so much more loving, so much more joyful, and yet at the same time incomprehensible as we are in a physical body at this time.

What role has emotional healing played in your spiritual journey?
Vorwerk: It helped me to come alive. To give you a little background, I was in an unhealthy marriage before and was not really happy in a lot of ways. My former wife had some mental health issues, and since it was emotionally painful in a lot of ways, I tried to stay out of feelings and be more intellectualized. But as I moved out of that relationship, moved into a healthy relationship, which I have now with Nita, I started to feel more and use my feelings as part of living and part of life. The more that you have feelings, the more you can experience life – the joys as well as the pain. Part of the reason to be on this earth in the physical body is to have those feelings and have those emotions that create your life experiences.

What is the Bartholomew Effect?
Vorwerk: At first when I started writing the book, I wasn’t even going to bring up the Bartholomew connection, but Spirit told me that the title of the book should be called The Bartholomew Effect. To do that, I then had to explain yourself. Once I started to write some of it, it was like, well, if you go this far you might as well go the whole way.

The interesting thing is that I asked myself, too, “Why is it called The Bartholomew Effect? Why wasn’t it called The Jesus Effect or something else?” I asked Jesus about that question. It is only called The Bartholomew Effect because it is my experiences, it’s my journey, it’s my awakening to oneness. If you were to write a book about your experiences, then it would be about your effect. So it doesn’t mean that mine is any better than somebody else’s. The point is that my experiences may be helpful to another person and might trigger some of their own growth. It might trigger some of their own awarenesses as they open up to this oneness experience.

The other aspect of why it’s called The Bartholomew Effect is because of different experiences I’ve had, which I explain in the book fully. There is a reason for me to believe that I am the apostle Bartholomew as a walk-in, but I really leave that open to the reader to come to their own conclusion. I leave it open that I could be a walk-in, I could be just overshadowed, or I’m just tapping into the collective unconscious, because it really doesn’t matter if I am or I’m not, because we are all one anyway. It’s just where my focus is at this point, and so I really didn’t want to make who I am the focus of the book.

It’s more about the message of where are we going, who are we as a whole, and what is the outcome. The main emphasis is how can we change our reality, and the biggest reality change that we can make is when we come to the awareness that we are all one, that we are all interconnected.

Once we come to that awareness, how does that change our reality?

What have you learned about Bartholomew and his role as an apostle?
Vorwerk: I have done a number of past life regressions. In fact, I did one a couple months ago since the book came out. I figured some people will start asking some questions about that. As I went through this session, I realized that a lot of the things that were said about Jesus in that time period did not fully answer who Jesus was in the message. I tried to explain it in some ways in the book, that the real message is that we are unconditional love and that Jesus was the way-shower. What was different between Jesus and most of us is he retained that awareness of Home that most of us have forgotten, for many reasons.

Since I started writing the book, I have a closer relationship with Jesus. When I finally made my commitment to write the book, Jesus came to me and said that He would always be present inside of me from that point forward, and I do feel that energy. I guess that’s the best way of putting it.

Everything is energy. I do feel that unconditional love energy that I would call Jesus, and yet there are many other avatars out there that carry that same energy of unconditional love. I bring up Jesus a lot in the book because that is the relationship I had, but if someone else had a relationship with Mohammed or Buddha or whomever, they could have that same type of experience of oneness and love. This isn’t just a Christian book. The message is the same no matter what avenue you come from.

What you have learned about Jesus that has changed your relationship with Him during this whole process?
Vorwerk: That is that He is very approachable. As I have said, I was raised Catholic, and if you know anything about the Catholic faith or a lot of the other traditional faiths, there is a lot of fear and guilt and shaming put around people because of what they do or don’t do. There is nothing like that from my experience that I had with Jesus, from the Bartholomew Effect.

I am totally acceptable, unconditionally the way I am, and I have my own faults and make my own mistakes like everyone else. And yet what that allows me to do is totally merge with Jesus because of that unconditional love, which is open to everyone. I don’t think traditional religious practice and teachings make that available for people. People see Jesus as something special, something above them, something that they could never attain themselves, and so they never have that true relationship with Him as a true brother that I see and experience at this point. So, from that point of view, my life has changed as far as my viewpoint of Jesus and His message.

The tagline of your book is “Awakening to Oneness.” Understanding oneness and knowing oneness are two different experiences. How does a person truly experience oneness?
Vorwerk: There are different levels of oneness. The one big experience of oneness that I had, where other souls merged with me, was at such a high energy level that if I were to retain that level of energy of oneness, I could not stay on this physical Earth. It is impossible for me to go to that level on a regular basis.

At the same time, I have learned in different ways how to get glimpses of bliss, of oneness, and a lot of that has to do with some of my spiritual insights that I include at the beginning of each chapter. One is to use your imagination. Just imagine yourself being at one with other things. What I have found is that you could be in love with your wife, and yet at the same time you could really feel at one with your pet dog. But try to do feel at one with all of them at one time instead of just one-on-one. I’ve had some experiences that have helped me to do that. There are now six other souls who have moved onto the other side that I can merge with at will now, and then I can do it with all six or seven of them at once. With each one it adds, it exponentially increases that feeling of oneness.

There are many ways to strive for that oneness, but unfortunately I can’t make it happen for someone else. In my book, I just share my experiences, things that have helped me. Some things were out of my control; I do some things now that I do have control of. One exercise that I do is visualize being at one with other souls. Just to let you know, everyone who reads my book is someone I have already merged with, and they have merged with everyone else that has read that book. It is my intention and visualization that as we all merge together at some level of awareness, we will start to feel it more and more. The more we experience oneness, the easier it becomes for others to also experience it. I know there are many other people out there who are doing their own thing on oneness. They may call it different names, but it still has the same effect.

Another thing I mention in the book is that by intention I open up my high self for other people to tap into to help with their awakening and awareness. Why reinvent the wheel? Why not share what we have learned from life experiences with others who are open to it or wanting to gain from it? Your intention and imagination, two of the insights that I mention, are very powerful.

CLICK HERE to continue to Part 2 of the interview.

For more information on Larry Vorwerk and The Bartholomew Effect, please visit www.awakeningtooneness.com.

A coaching client told me that every night she gives her 3-year-old son Owen a massage before he goes to sleep. Then the two pray to Jesus. Eventually the boy figured out that when mom starts praying, the massage is over and it’s time to go to sleep. One night as mom sat at the edge of Owen’s bed, he took her hand and placed it on his tummy. He told her, “No Jesus tonight, Mom. Just rub.”

Owen’s request may be symbolic of a dynamic you and I might employ if we truly wish to bring relief to those we encounter, and to receive healing ourselves. Simple human kindness might bring us greater release from pain than following dogma. We might need understanding and comfort more than concepts of sin, heaven and hell. We might appreciate others just being present with us and loving us as we are, more than prescribing behaviors that will fix us. We might need love more than religion.

Now, before you get all hot and bothered because you believe I am denouncing Jesus, hear this: I think Jesus totally rocks. If there is one spiritual master whose good works I would emulate, it is Jesus Christ. In my opinion he is the penultimate teacher of healing, compassion and forgiveness. If there is one message that the world could benefit from, it is the message of Jesus Christ.

It’s what’s been done in Jesus’ name that has brought fear, pain, guilt and suffering to the masses. More wars have been fought in the name of religion, and more people have been killed supposedly for God than for any other reason. If we removed religious separateness from the equation of humanity, how much more peaceful would our world be?

If Jesus were to come back today, I’m certain he would be appalled at what has been done supposedly for his glory. (Carl Jung declared, “Thank God I am not a Jungian.” What might Jesus say?) The story is told of a black man who applied for admission to a white church in the South. He was refused admission and given a lame reason. The next year he applied again and was refused for a different reason. Each succeeding year the fellow applied, and he was continually rejected. Finally, the man fell to his knees and prayed, “Dear Jesus, I have been trying to get into this church for ten years, and every year they won’t let me in.” Soon the man heard the voice of Jesus answer him. “Don’t feel bad, brother. I have been trying to get into that church for a lot longer than you, and they won’t let me in either.”

I am not against religion. Religion helps a lot of people. Every religion holds a truly spiritual element, which if discovered and lived, brings deep comfort, healing, and awakening to the soul. God bless religions that keep God at their essence. If you belong to a religion and it truly helps you live a happier life, then the religion is serving you as it should, and all is well.

Some elements of religion do not represent the work of God. Guilt is not an attribute of God. It is the invention of the fearful mind. Voltaire noted, “God created man in his image and likeness, and we returned the compliment.” Because we learned fear and punishment from people who felt disconnected from their source of love, we believe that God wields fear and punishment. If God were a person, he would surely need a course in anger management.

Yet, God is not a person with human frailties. God is a spirit, and a loving one at that. I wonder how ministers can stand in front of a church before a huge placard proclaiming, “God is love,” and teach fear. It just doesn’t make sense. I saw a cartoon depicting a preacher standing at the door of a church bidding goodbye to each parishioner as he or she exited the church after the Sunday service. As he shook each person’s hand, the preacher explained, “Nothing personal…Nothing personal…Nothing personal.”

Religion or any spiritual path should be deeply personal. It should touch you where you most want and need to be touched – in the heart. Any spiritual practice should bring you relief and respite from the pain of a world caught in blame and confusion. Going to a church or any spiritual gathering should feel like coming home, not a call to arms. You should be more relaxed about being who you are. There is no need to feel wrong, blameful or that you must change to toe a line set for you by others who could not tow an impossible line themselves. Prayer should be as comforting to your soul as a good massage is comforting to your body. No Jesus, just rub.

Jesus quoted, “Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise.” If Jesus himself sat at Owen’s bedside that poignant night, I don’t believe he would have been offended by Owen’s request. I think that he himself, like Owen’s mother, would have smiled, massaged his weary child, and bid him a sweet rest.

The Passion, a gruesome, violent account of Jesus’ death, is about to become the focal point of most Christian churches. Although traditional Christianity is solely focused on the belief that Jesus died for our sins, the graphic portrayal of his death is not always in the forefront. Easter ignites the fervor within all “good” Christians to remember we are sinners. Easter is the time we must remember he suffered and died in order to save our souls from eternal damnation.

Christians have been taught they must accept the violent account of Jesus’ demise in order to call themselves Christians. Many Christians claimed it was a spiritual experience to watch the hideously, violent portrayal of the crucifixion in Mel Gibson’s The Passion. Apparently, watching Jesus being tortured showed them just how much he really loved them!

Wow. Do we really have to buy this “Friday the 13th” version of Jesus’ life? No, we don’t. We don’t have to “buy” anything unless we know its our truth. If people are inspired by a beaten, bleeding, suffering Jesus, they have their right to that belief. Incredibly, people choose to believe the over-dramatized torture when it doesn’t even exist in the King James Bible. One gospel doesn’t even mention it, and the other three have conflicting stories.

Four accounts of Jesus’ life are not enough to tell his complete story. Where are the other disciples? Why aren’t they in the Bible? They aren’t there because none of them mention Jesus’ death. Their account of his life doesn’t follow the rules adopted in the Counsel of Nicea in 325 AD, when the Roman Emperor, Constantine, convened an assembly of Christian Bishops to decide what Christians were allowed to believe.

What if the “authorized” Bible lied? Can you choose not to believe? If you can’t feel the truth, then you don’t have to believe it. You have a right, and perhaps a responsibility to your soul, to turn away from the orthodox version of Jesus’ life that was politically forced into existence. Bart Ehrman, a renowned scholar of Christian history, states in his book Misquoting Jesus, that there are thousands of translation errors in the orthodox Bible, the proclaimed “Word of God.” That fact alone gives us the freedom to question if what we have been told is the only “Truth.”

What if you can choose your belief about Jesus? What if he really came here to teach us that we had the potential to evolve into a magnificent soul with magnificent potential? What if he came here to teach us that we “are” Gods?

If you had the right to choose your Jesus, without ridicule or fear, would you see him hanging on a cross, or would you see him laughing and smiling, slapping you on the back, or holding you in his arms? Would you choose a suffering Jesus if indeed he didn’t come here to die for your sins?

“Keyology,” which is the study of diverse spiritual principals, the foundation of the philosophy of Key to Life Center, fosters spiritual empowerment through diverse spiritual knowledge. We’ve spent years studying the origins of the orthodox Bible, and every other teaching about Jesus we can find. Are they all accurate? No. Are they all the truth? No. Years of study have inspired us to believe Jesus’ purpose is to help us resurrect the God consciousness within. When we truly honor his diverse spiritual teachings, we will manifest the life we were meant to live.

We live in an incredible time; a time when the lost teachings of Jesus are finally starting to surface. If we will thoughtfully explore everything we can, we will find an answer as to which belief is right for us. Our Jesus is a multifaceted spiritual being that taught many diverse spiritual principles.

Christianity isn’t the only path to our spiritual salvation. It’s just “a” path.

Jesus himself would tell you to embrace whatever path leads you to your highest truth, not out of fear, but out of inspiration. Following what is called the “Third Voice,” or the voice of your soul, will lead you to your greatest spiritual wisdom — and that will lead you to your destiny.

More than 30 years ago, I cracked open volume one of a forbidden book about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. By the time I read through volume two, my entire relationship with Jesus, the man, was changed, and my relationship with Christ, the Consciousness, began.

Those five little volumes, The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, by Baird T. Spalding, written around 1900, were forbidden by the Orthodox Christian church because their content was blasphemous. Was it possible that Jesus was still around? Could we really access him personally? Could we know Jesus without the Bible?! All of those questions were swimming in my head. Were these books a fairy tale? Does it matter? No, it doesn’t matter. The fact is, they blew apart the limitations orthodox religion placed on Jesus and gave me a relationship with my Jesus that will live with me forever. I don’t really care if anyone can validate their authenticity. No one can truly validate the authenticity of the Christian Bible. The voice of my soul tells me there is truth in their pages, and that’s good enough for me.

Jesus was not some Being sitting off in the heavens waiting for me to ask him into my heart. He was not some judgmental offspring of God, or pseudo incarnation of God, that demanded the children of earth “follow him” or they would burn in some fiery hell.

My Jesus is with me as I write and when I speak. He guides me to do everything I can to awaken people to a multi-faceted account of his teachings, even if it means that I must face ridicule and judgment. I am not afraid because I know his power and his strength is in me. It is also in you.

We do not celebrate the birth of Jesus because he came here to die for our sins. In fact, we don’t believe that it why he was born. We believe he came here to show us how to live and how to harness the consciousness of God, which dwells within every human being, Christian or not. I know traditional Christianity will be appalled by the blasphemy of these words. I’m OK with that. I don’t need to convert anyone to my way of thinking or to defend my Jesus any more than anyone else needs to defend their right to their religion.

We celebrate Christmas to honor the greatest message Jesus brought to this planet. “Know ye not that ye are Gods?” In one unbutchered sentence, the authors of the canonical Bible quote Jesus with the most profound truth in the Bible. He told us that we were Gods – just like him. Jesus was born to manifest the perfection of God in human form. He told us the “Kingdom of God was within.” His teachings extend well beyond one “authorized” version of his life.

“Keyology” is the study of diverse spiritual principals that unlock inner wisdom.” Some of these principals are not based on Christianity. We have many “bibles” and our Jesus guides us to celebrate the birth of Christ Consciousness in all human kind. Jesus was born to show us how to align with the God consciousness that lives within everyone. His vast teachings exist to help us live the best possible life we can live. The core of his teachings is about forgiveness, Divine unconditional love and non-judgment.

This is one of the most powerful times of the year for spiritual development. The actual presence of Jesus, the Being, is more prevalent at this time of the year than any other time. If we will slow down and disconnect from the chaos of the holiday season, and truly access the Christ Consciousness within us, we will have honored the very purpose of Jesus’ life; to embrace the power of God that dwells within all human kind so we can do what is our destiny; to make this world a better place. We will finally be on the path to fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus, who said, “This and greater things shall you do.”

“All great truths begin as blasphemy” – George Bernard Shaw

In 325 AD, a band of power-hungry Christians wrote into law one of the biggest lies in history: that Jesus died for our sins. Twisted into that lie was the “holy order” that all Christians must be absolved from the shame of being responsible for his gruesome and painful crucifixion or perish in the “eternal flames of hell.”

An army of Christian soldiers was dispatched to destroy the sacred teachings of the mystical Jesus, and hundreds of thousands of mystical Christians, who believed in the true teachings of Jesus, were murdered. More people have died in the name of Christianity then any other religion on earth. It is impossible to understand how the “Prince of Peace” can be the reason for so much hatred and death.

More than 1600 years later, the truth has finally surfaced. There is much more to Jesus’ life than what we have been taught. The truth is not contained in the only “official,” recognized, account of his life, the only proclaimed “Word of God.” A new generation of awakened souls is tired of living in the shame of being accused of Jesus’ death. Many have abandoned Christianity completely because the pain of recalling the brutal death of Jesus, in the violent depiction in the “Passion of the Christ” is too much to bear. The bloody image of Jesus hanging on the cross, and years of mental flogging with shame, blame, sin and guilt have backfired. Instead of rounding up a new flock of believers, enlightened souls are breaking the chains of orthodox control and crying out to reclaim the mystical Jesus that will set their souls free.

The majority of young people don’t buy the “myth” that they were born in sin and that anyone who isn’t Christian is going to burn in some fiery hell for eternity when the world ends. Those young people, and some of us who are not so young, stand side by side with our Native American friends, our Buddhist and Jewish friends, our Muslim and Gay and Lesbian friends, and ask the question: “What kind of a God would destroy more than half of its creation because they aren’t Christian?” There is an inner conflict with the belief that Jesus would incite so much death and destruction when his teachings proclaimed love, peace, tolerance and non-judgment.

The movement has begun. The true teachings of the mystical Jesus are surfacing, and the Spirit of “The Christ” is resurrecting in the souls of Christians who remember what he really incarnated to teach us – that “we are made in the image and likeness of God” and that “the kingdom of God is within.”

Easter, to those of us who practice Keyology, (the study of diverse spiritual principals that unlock inner wisdom), believe it is a time to “resurrect” the Christ light within all of us. It is a time to remember the purpose of Jesus’ life, not the myth surrounding his death. It is a time to align with the most powerful energy in this Universe – the consciousness of the man who manifested the power of God in human form, the man who taught us that the Christ light, the light of God, lives within US, whether we are a Christian or not.

The light of the Christ, the consciousness of God, dwells within every human being because we, too, are the Divine creation of God. This consciousness, this Divine light of creation, dwells within you. Jesus the man awakened to his Divine Potential and became the Christ. His legacy was to teach you that you too are Divine. He did not incarnate to die for your sins. He incarnated to liberate you from the bondage of limited human consciousness by showing you how to live the principles of Christ Consciousness, the perfected God consciousness, in man.

There are many teachings, outside of orthodox Christianity, that can guide you to an understanding of the mystical Jesus. However, the most powerful and profound method is to align with the “Third Voice,” the “Voice of the Soul.” It will speak to you of the personal, loving, powerful, master teacher who is waiting, at this very moment, to heal the wounds of past beliefs and awaken you to your true divinity.

Learning to silence the external noise of the world, including the negative controlling beliefs of orthodox Christianity, is the first step in learning to listen to the “Voice of your Soul.” This voice will remind you that you are Divine. Through the loving, parental, interpreter known as your “Third Voice,” you will hear Jesus himself say: “Know ye not that ye are Gods?”

An excerpt from the HarperCollins book, from part one: Seeker

A horse!" the temple lad cried as he ran in panting for breath. "Quick, come and see."

"Why?" I asked without looking up. I was in the middle of writing, which I did every morning. My scribbles never reached anyone outside this dim, falling-down hut, but that’s of no matter.

"Because he’s huge. Hurry, or somebody might steal him."

"Before you do, you mean?"

The boy was so excited that he kept sloshing his bucket of hot water on the floor. He was permitted to barge into the hut to fill my bath just after dawn.

I frowned at him. "What about detachment?"

"What?" he asked.

"I thought the priest was teaching you not to get so excited."

"That was before the horse."

If you were born high in these mountains, a stray horse is an event. Where would this one be from? The Western empire probably, where huge black stallions are bred. The locals knew animals by the compass. Elephants come from the south, where the jungle begins, and camels from the eastern desert. In all my travels, I had seen only one of these gray monsters, who are like walking walls.

From the north, over the passes, came small, furry ponies, and these were very common – traders used ponies to reach the villages with their goods: hemp, silk, incense, salt, dried meat and flour. The bare necessities plus the silk to adorn a bride in joy or wrap a corpse in sorrow.

I set the ink-laden brush back on its stand and rubbed the black from my fingers. "You’d better put that bucket down before you drown us both," I said. "Then fetch my cloak."

Outside, a storm had swooped down off the high peaks overnight, batting at the stretched animal skins over my windows and leaving another foot of fresh snow. I emerged from the hut and looked around.

More than a horse is here, I thought.

The temple lad couldn’t stand to wait for me and rushed down the trail.

"Find the stranger," I shouted.

The boy whirled around. I was calling with the wind, and at these altitudes my voice could be heard at a long distance.

"What stranger?" the boy called back.

"The one who fell off the horse. Search for him. Search hard, and don’t dawdle."

The temple lad hesitated. He much preferred gawking at a fine huge horse, but finding a body in the snow had its own appeal. He nodded and turned the corner out of sight. The boulders on either side of the trail were large enough for a grown man to disappear into, much less a scrawny boy.

I proceeded slowly after him, but not because of age. I don’t know how old I am. The matter lost its interest long ago. But I can still move without creaking.

I had foreseen the mysterious stranger two days earlier, but not the overnight storm. The snow wouldn’t kill him, but the blast of frigid air that howled off the peaks most likely would. Nobody from the world below anticipates that kind of cold. I’ve helped the villagers rescue the stranded travelers who were fortunate. Only their noses and toes were blackened. They were numb at first after being dragged to shelter, but started screaming with pain as soon as the rescuers warmed them up.

Everyone in my valley has enormous respect for the high peaks and their dangers. But they also revere the mountains, which remind them of how close Heaven is. I don’t need the comfort of Heaven.

The villagers didn’t call on me for rescue work anymore. It disturbed them that an old ascetic who looked like a crooked teak carving could trek in his bare feet when theirs were bound in layers of goatskin and rags. Huddling on long winter nights, they discussed this, and they decided that I had made a pact with a demon. Since there were thousands of local demons, a few could be spared to look after my feet.

I walked down the trail until I heard a faint distant sound in the wind, more like a rodent squeak than a boy’s voice. But I understood its meaning. I veered left where the sound came from and hurried my steps. I had a personal interest in finding the stranger alive.

What I found when I came over the next ridge was a mound in the snow. The temple lad was staring at the mound, which didn’t move.

"I waited for you before kicking it," he said. His face held that mixture of dread and relish that comes over people when they think they’ve discovered a corpse.

"Listen to me. Don’t wish him dead. It doesn’t help," I warned.

Instead of kicking at the mound, the lad knelt and began to sweep it furiously with his hands. The stranger had managed to bury himself under a foot-thick layer of snow, but that wasn’t as surprising as something else. When I finally saw his outlined body, the man was crouched on his knees with clasped hands folded under his chin. The boy had never seen anyone in that posture before.

"Did he seize up like that?" he asked.

I didn’t reply. As I gazed at the body, it impressed me that someone could remain praying to the point of death. The position also told me that this was a Jew, because as you travel east, holy men sit cross-legged when they pray; they don’t kneel.

I told the boy to run down to the village for a sledge, and he obeyed without question. In truth the two of us could have carried the body out on our own. But I needed to be alone. As soon as the temple lad had disappeared, I brought my mouth close to the stranger’s ear, which was still bright pink although covered with frost.

"Stir yourself," I whispered. "I know who you are."

For a moment nothing happened. To all appearances the stranger remained frozen, but I didn’t embrace him to give him warmth from my own body. If this was the visitor I was expecting, it wasn’t necessary. But I granted one small concession. I called the stranger by name.

"Jesus, awaken."

Most souls will respond when you call their name. A few will come to you even from the shadow of death. The stranger stirred, faintly at first, just enough to shake a dusting of snowflakes from his frost-matted hair. It wasn’t a question of thawing out. Humans aren’t like carp, which can be seen suspended in the ice all winter, only to wriggle back to life when the lakes unfreeze in spring. The stranger had willed himself into total stillness and now willed himself out again. If I had let the boy witness it, he would have been convinced that I was performing black magic.

Jesus lifted his head and stared blankly. He wasn’t quite back in the world. I gradually came into focus.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"It doesn’t matter," I replied.

I tried to help him to his feet. Jesus resisted. "I came only to see one man. If you’re not him, leave me." He was sinewy and strong, even after such an arduous journey, and his resistance pushed me back on my heels.

Jesus didn’t ask about his horse. The tongue he spoke was coarse Greek, the kind used in the marketplace of the Western empire. He must have picked it up on his journeys. I knew some Greek, learned from traders when I was about the stranger’s age, 25 or so.

"Don’t be stubborn," I said. "I came and dug you out. Who else would bother with an ordinary mound of snow?"

Jesus remained wary. "How did you find out my name?"

"Your question answers itself," I said. "The right man would know your name without asking."

Now Jesus smiled, and together we forced his knees to unbend from the cold. He stood up shakily, then immediately fell against my shoulder.

"A moment," he said.

In that moment I took his measure. I stood half a head taller than the mountain villagers, and Jesus was that much taller than me. He wore his dark hair and beard cropped, not trimmed neatly but rough, as a traveler will do when there’s no time for niceties. His brown eyes seemed darker than usual against his pale skin. Pale, one should say, compared with being sun-baked at altitude, where everyone looks like a leather wineskin.

Jesus allowed me to half carry him up the mountain against my shoulder, which told me that he trusted me now. He didn’t ask my name again. A subtle thing, but I took it as a sign of foreknowledge. I prefer strict anonymity. If you want perfect solitude, don’t give out your name and never ask anyone else’s. The local villagers didn’t know my name even after years of proximity, and I forgot theirs as soon as I heard them, even the temple lad’s. Sometimes I called him "Cat," because the boy’s job was to catch the field rats attracted inside the temple by incense and oil.

After half a mile Jesus straightened up and walked on his own. A moment later he broke his silence. "I’ve heard of you by reputation. They say you know everything."

"No, they don’t. They say I’m a stumbling idiot or a demon worshiper. Tell the truth. You saw me in a vision."

Jesus looked surprised.

I said, "You don’t have to hide your knowledge from me." I gave Jesus a look. "Nothing in me is hidden. If you have eyes, you’ll see."

He nodded. The trust between us was now complete.

Soon we reached my wind battered hut. Once inside, I reached up into the rafters and brought down a packet wrapped in dirty linen rags.

"Tea," I said. "The real thing, not the dried barley stalks they boil up around here."

I put a pot of melted snow on the brazier to boil. It made a smoky heat, because for everyday purposes I burned dried dung for fuel. The floor of the hut was plastered with the same dung mixed with straw. Women came in every spring to put down a fresh layer.

Jesus squatted on the floor like a peasant and watched. If I really knew everything, I’d know whether Jesus had learned to sit that way among his people or on his long travels. After the pure air outside, my visitor’s eyes watered from the smoke. I pulled aside one of the dried skins covering the window to let in a breeze.

"One gets used to it," I said.

I had no plans to write down this visit, even though I’d had only a handful like it in twenty years. To look at him, there was nothing special about Jesus. The superstition of the ignorant must make giants and monsters out of those with special destinies. Reality is otherwise. Were the eyes of Jesus as deep as the ocean and as dark as eternity? No. To the initiated there was something in his gaze that words couldn’t express, but the same is true of a desperately poor village girl seeing her newborn baby for the first time and bursting with love. One soul is every soul; only we refuse to see it.

By the same logic, all words are the words of God. People refuse to see that too. Jesus spoke like everyone else. But not everyone else spoke like Jesus, which is a mystery.

That first hour the two of us drank our black tea, brewed properly and strong in the visitor’s honor, not weak the way I usually had it. My supply had to last all winter.

"I think I understand your problem," I said.

"You mean my reason for coming to find you?" asked Jesus.

"They’re the same thing, aren’t they? You found God, and it wasn’t enough. It never is. There’s no hunger worse than eternal hunger."

Jesus didn’t look surprised. The right man would talk like this, without asking preliminary questions. As for me, I’d seen my share of feverish young men who came up the mountain with their visions. They burned out and left very quickly, taking their visions in ashes with them.

"It’s one thing to find God," I said. "It’s another to become God. Isn’t that what you want?"

Jesus looked startled. Unlike the other feverish young men, he had found me not by his own will, but by being guided invisibly, held by the hand like a child.

"I wouldn’t put it that way," he said soberly.

"Why not? You can’t be worrying about blasphemy, not at this point." I laughed; it came out as a short, soft bark. "You’ve already had the word blasphemy thrown at you a hundred times. Don’t worry. Nobody’s looking over your shoulder. When I shut the door, even the local gods have to keep out."

"Not mine."

After that exchange we didn’t talk anymore, but sat silently as the teapot hissed on the brazier. Silence isn’t a blank. It’s the pregnant possibility of what is about to be born. Silence is the mystery I deal in. Silence and light. So I had no trouble recognizing the light that Jesus brought with him.

There was more, though. This one’s road had been laid out before he was born. He was still young and had only caught a glimpse of it. But another might be able to see your whole road without tears. That was the reason Jesus had been guided through the snowstorm, to weave our two visions together.

He fell asleep sitting there, overcome with exhaustion. The next morning he began to tell his story to me. As the words poured out, the cold and dark of the hut made the tale seem unreal. But that was to be expected. Jesus long ago suspected that he might be living in a dream.

I heard his tale and saw much more in my mind. Listen to the story and judge for yourself.

At this time of year many people remember the birth and life of Jesus. Was the world he was born into really that much different from our own? Was there not the same need for peace and stability then as now? What does Jesus’s life truly represent to the world today?

What if Jesus wanted his followers – and us – to reach the same unity with God that he had reached? By following the young seeker from Nazareth on his path to Christhood, I’ve laid out a map of enlightenment. It wasn’t necessary to invent the map. Enlightenment has existed in every age. The path from suffering and separation to bliss and unity with God is well marked. I put Jesus on this path because I believe he walked it.

This holiday season, believing Christians and all seekers have even more reasons to be inspired. Seen from the perspective of Buddha or the ancient Rishis ("seers") of India, Jesus attained enlightenment. Can Jesus’s path also be ours? I believe it can. Jesus was a teacher of higher consciousness, not just a shining example of it. He told his disciples that they would do everything he could do and more. He called them the "light of the world," the same term he applied to himself. He pointed toward the Kingdom of Heaven as an eternal state of grace, not a faraway place hidden above the clouds.

The Jesus who is left out of the New Testament turns out to be in many ways the most important Jesus for modern times. His aspiration to find salvation vibrates in every heart. His life was a life of meditation and union with God. During this season as always, it is especially important to remember our responsibility in honoring and practicing what Jesus taught on our own way to reaching God consciousness.