The desert air of Palm Springs buzzed with an electric energy as I lounged by the pool, soaking in the warmth of the sun. In my hands was The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer, a book that had accompanied me on this journey of reflection and relaxation. As I turned the pages, one chapter stood out—Singer’s profound experience with The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. I felt a strange pull, a whisper in my mind telling me that this book was going to be significant for me too. I resolved to read it one day.
As if the universe was conspiring, my wife called me that evening. She shared a vivid meditation experience where she kept seeing elephants—symbols of wisdom and strength. The synchronicity was uncanny, and it felt like pieces of a larger puzzle were coming together.
Our trip was winding down, and we stopped at a quaint vegan restaurant, its walls adorned with artifacts from India. I noticed a hat with an elephant and the phrase "Just Eat Plants." Smiling, I snapped a photo for my wife. It wasn’t until I was at the airport, zooming in on the photo, that I saw it. There, tucked beneath the hat, was The Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda. It was as if the book was calling out to me, demanding my attention.
Without hesitation, I ordered the book. When it arrived, I eagerly opened its pages but found myself struggling to grasp its depth. My conscious mind couldn’t keep up, but I sensed that my subconscious was absorbing Yogananda’s teachings. One evening, while meditating, I felt an intense presence. It was Yogananda’s energy, lifting me out of my body, and I floated in a cosmic space, guided by his spirit.
Days passed, and in a twist of fate, I accidentally ordered another copy of the book. When it arrived, I saw it as a sign that Yogananda’s spirit was persisting, urging me to continue. This time, something changed. The words began to resonate, and each page pulled me into a meditative state so deep that I could barely read more than a few paragraphs at a time.
The meditations became profound. I started experiencing lightning flashes—bright, sudden bursts of light that made me open my eyes, thinking something extraordinary had happened. My wife and I researched these flashes and discovered they could signify new spiritual guides entering one’s life. I reached out to a mentor, who confirmed this interpretation, encouraging me to embrace these experiences.
One particular evening stands out in my memory. It was 8:08 PM, and I was reading on the balcony with my wife. My eyes grew heavy, and I slipped into a deep meditation. When I opened my eyes, 20 minutes had passed. I moved inside and continued meditating, losing track of time entirely. When I finally surfaced, it was 10:06 PM. For nearly two hours, I had been in a profound state, my body feeling suspended, as if my organs were floating. I felt Yogananda’s presence guiding me closer to God consciousness, revealing layers of spiritual awareness I had never touched before.
This journey with Yogananda has taught me that we are all blessed children of God. The book's message—that we reincarnate until we remember this divine truth—hit me profoundly. Each meditation session, each flash of light, each word of Yogananda’s text brought me closer to understanding and embodying this truth.
Yogananda has become more than just a spiritual teacher; he is a mentor guiding me towards God consciousness. His teachings have unlocked a deeper awareness within me, and I realize now that the energy in his words was what I needed to break through my spiritual barriers. The journey has been transformative, and it all began with a book that seemed to find me at the most perfect time.
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