One of the most enjoyable aspects of attending any conference, symposium, meeting, etc., is the networking that gets done in the halls and at the bar in the evening. The October 2012 Paradigm Symposium was no exception. This was the first of these conferences and based upon the popularity of this one, I imagine there will be many more. It was a gathering of like-minded people, minds open to the idea that we are being visited. Something from out there is visiting us, and has been here for a long time. I suspect that most of the people at the symposium had experienced their fair share of encounters with the unexplained, and at least half had likely had at least one UFO close encounter. Thus, it was no surprise that I heard quite a few stories of encounters.
I spent a chunk of time (and money) in the vendor room, looking at books, CDs, DVDs, etc. And in the process, I got to talking with quite a few people there. It turns out I had corresponded with a few of them by e-mail over the last few years. A few others remembered my name from this newsletter, a radio broadcast, a past symposium, etc. So more than once, I ended up talking with someone unexpectedly, and usually the person had a fascinating story to tell.
Later that evening, after Linda Moulton Howe's talk, I ended up conversing with a few of these same experiencers. Several had had classic abductions, yet most also described non-abduction contact experiences and information downloads. All of them had grown up with psychic abilities, several of them sensitive enough to do readings professionally. Most had family histories of strong psychic abilities - mother, grandmother, etc. Several had children who were psychic, empathic, etc., classic indigo children.
While meeting experiencers was a common occurrence over the weekend, I did note one unusual thing this time - something I had not seen before this. Most of the experiencers I talked with seemed more at home with the phenomenon in their lives. While still carrying the burden of mystery, and in some cases fear, the degree of acceptance I sensed was remarkable.
Perhaps it was the comfort level of the social setting. It was safe to talk in this group. There was no danger of ridicule here. Yet in some of the people I talked with, I sensed a stronger degree of resolution, extending beyond the safety of this group. Many of them had been aware of their unique life experiences for a long time. Many had already explored them and now had reached some degree of integration.
The overall result was that a growing core of experiencers appears to be increasingly comfortable with who they are. They are becoming a Cosmic Bridge between the normal work-a-day world and the world of the extraordinary. I suspect that as others become aware of their experiences, or as more people begin to have overt sightings and/or encounters, this aware core will continue to grow. And perhaps they can begin to provide a level of comfort to those who remain isolated, alone and afraid.
The conversations in the bar frequently make up the highlight of a conference and this one was no exception. And on this particular evening, it was neat to see so many people together with so many interesting stories to tell. This was a unique group of sympathetic, like minded people, a rare, delightful - and safe - gathering of experiencers.
