Dayspring by Kimberli Wilson - A Near-Death Experience

I was having a mild reaction to a drug prescribed to me for pain. I seemed to keep floating back and forth from semi-consciousness into a black void. When I left the void for the last time, I found myself in a boat on a large, clear blue lake, and I was heading toward an archway in the lavender rock which surrounded the lake. Through the arch I could see a small part of what appeared to be an incredible light which was flooding the entire area, and I can remember making a conscious decision to leave the boat and investigate the light.

As I passed through the archway, I saw the light form in its entirety. It was an oval three-dimensional body of brilliant, crystal clear white light - not unlike the kind that shoots out from a child's sparkler. The light was alive: it was a living being of light, and existing within it was the most beautiful celestial music I have ever heard. Come to think of it, it was the only celestial music I have ever heard. Emanating from the light-being were feelings of total acceptance, unconditional love, and quiet tranquility. It was also a cleansing light, and it felt as though it could pass through my body and wash away any impurities that were present. The light-being was without a center - it was its own source, and I sensed that it contained total knowledge of the universe and the creation of life. The light was perfection, and I remember thinking, "This is God."

I was only in the presence of the light for a brief moment, and I somehow knew that I was not allowed to stay - though if it had been my choice, I would have remained there forever. There were no words (as we know them) exchanged. All communication was through an intuitive understanding of one another. After leaving I had an overwhelming desire to return to the light, knowing that nothing on earth could begin to match its beauty. Although I searched for quite some time, I was never able to find the light again, and I returned to this plane.

Today, the morning after this unusual encounter, I am realizing that this light is here, all around me. I can see and feel its presence in trees, people, animals, plants - everywhere. The ethereal music, which I thought I would not hear again for a long time, fills the air, and now I truly see that our earth is perfect in its imperfections, and our life here is a reflection of that resplendent light.

Originally published in September 1983 NEW AGE gainesville. Kimberli Wilson is now Kiki Carter Webb. She and her husband, Greg Webb, are singers/songwriters who perform under the name dancing Light.

Read Kiki's wiki on wikipedia.org

You can hear dancing Light on ReverbNation

Or visit their website dancinglight.us/

1983 - NEW AGE gainesville - Issue #2 - September

Son Richard Greenwood did the cover art for Issue #2 which highlighted his brother Joseph Greenwood's article on the Mysteries of the Tarot II: The Celtic Cross. Richard continued as Art Editor for the life of this publication. The Art Staff for this issue included Gurelle Marquis, Marge Neufer, and Kimberli Wilson. Gurelle did the centerfold drawing, "A Coloring Page for Children of All Ages," illustrating a poem by Lonnie Lockett.

If you were in Gainesville in 1983, you no doubt remember our extraordinary holistic physician, Joel Friedman. I quoted him in my editorial for Issue #2 of NEW AGE gainesville. His words have stayed with me and guided me through a lot of life's challenges. How new the "new age" still was in Gainesville in 1983! It was no longer embryonic, having survived the '70s. I was awestruck by each discovery of a new way of looking at life and spirituality and wanted to experience them all. 

Here's my old editorial sixteen years later:

NETWORKING - THE NEW AGE IS EVERYWHERE

My friend and doctor, Joel Friedman, recently told me, "Everything we do, we do for ourselves. Even when we are serving, we are doing it because it makes us feel good."

For those of you who asked me why I decided to do this publication, I just want to say that I thought it would make me feel good to do it. I was right. I really enjoy the process and the people who plug in along the way. It's "ecstatic joy" as Paul Hoffman would say.

One person told me she had been waiting for years for someone to put out another new age paper. So had I.

I'm a new age periodicals addict. I collect directories, newsletters, and magazines from everywhere. I still have copies of The List, published by Astra's Garden years ago. That paper helped me find my way to what I use to call Gainesville's "spiritual underground" when this was all new to me. Then Andy Lopez left Gainesville and The List was no more. I hope you find the listings of Centers and Groups in this issue helpful.

In Crescent Beach, former Gainesville resident and dear friend, Irene Wilson, updated us on the groups she is aware of, from full-moon meditations on Vilano Beach, to spiritual art classes at Life Forces Research Foundation, the dome-shaped new age center on A1A in Beverly Beach, two miles north of Flagler Beach.

In Ormond Beach, we found the Gladstar Bookshop on US 1. It's a metaphysical book store where classes are held, a newsletter is published, and a need exists already for a larger meeting room.

We didn't get to Orlando, but when we do, we stop at Spiral Circle and the New Age Centre to catch up on happenings there. Same goes for Tampa, where Ram Dass spoke, thanks to the Suncoast Center for Attitudinal Healing.

Our friends in Maui, Bonnie Lou and Rick Golden, sent a care package including Common Ground, a publication designed to "encourage positive growth and transformation" in Hawaii. What an extensive network!

Then Melody, Larry, and Shan Coffey visited and reported that the new age is alive and well in New Orleans where, among all the action, they attend a Buddhist circle.

We flew to Phoenix on the way to the Grand Canyon and picked up a copy of Omega: New Age Directory, which took us to places and people we might never have found without it. The movement is escalating in Arizona. You could go to a different transformational group every night for months. There were signs of people opening up everywhere, sharing their processes - and their love. It was like that in Phoenix and Tucson, Scottsdale, and Sedona.

Sedona is red rock country, and if you haven't experienced it, you deserve to take yourself there. It is indescribably enchanting. The energy vortex which Dick Sutphen described in Past Lives, Future Loves is there, and thought to be over the site of an ancient Lemurian city. The vibrations are intensely powerful.

In Nogales, Mexico, where Yoga Teachers are not listed in the yellow pages, we wondered if the shifting paradigms stopped at the border. Then a wonderful thing happened. Friends in San Miguel somehow got a copy of NEW AGE gainesville and asked if they could publish it in Spanish, adding some of their local new thought news. New Age San Miguel. Far out! As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Love and Light,

Patti Normandy

Dottie Zavada's LIBRE Center at 604 NW 13th Street had a full calendar of programs in September, 1983.

Jill Cook taught several classes in metaphysics. Frankie Z. Avery did trance sessions channeling Oma. David Saltzman gave a talk called "The Hundreth Monkey and Other Things." Neil Kaber shared information about dowsing. Nadja Ribeiro told us about Shiatsu and the 5 Elements. Dr. Hanock Talmor's informative session was on Cancer Self-Help Education.

Issue #2 included these articles:

Affirmation and Visualization by Walter Busby

Hypertension by Renee Hoffinger

How Consciousness Evolves by laura Chase

Polarity, a Healing Art by Edwin Ricci

Book Review by Gordon Greenwood: Threshold to Tomorrow by Ruth Montgomery

Metamorphosis by Dottie Zavada

80's Astrology by Michael Parker

Dayspring by Kimberli Wilson

The Hundredth Monkey by Ken Keyes, Jr.

Mysteries of the Tarot II: The Celtic Cross by Joseph Greenwood

A Coloring Page for Children of All Ages. Artwork by Gurelle Marquis. Poetry by Lonnie Lockett

Dear Dolly Dass... Dolly answers your request for advice!

New Age Centers and Groups

There were about 30 New Age Centers and Groups listed in this issue along with the names of their contact people. How many do you remember?

A Course in Miracles Study Group - Jackie Tatum

Alternative University "People to People" - David Pais

Arica - Oscar Ichazo Teachings - Betty Sugarman and Paul Campbell

A.R.E. Study Group - Edgar Cayce Teachings - Bob Scott

Baha'i - Laura Newman

B'nai Or - Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi tapes. Kabbalistic mystical tradition - Renee Hoffinger

Creme, Benjamin - Reappearance of the Christ - Theresa Glaser

Eckankar - Jim, Jeff, or Guy

Feldencrais - Awareness Through Movement - Nancy Tyler

Full Moon Coop - Food buying club - Jose or Jean

Humanist Society - Joe Courter

Krishna - International Society for Krishna Consciousness

LIBRE - Wholistic Health Seminars - Dottie Zavada

Meditation Group - Mike and Lee Glancey

Meher Baba - Nancy Sencil

Peace Meditation Sunday closest to full moon - Fay Young

Psychic Awareness Group - Marge Romeis

Rajneesh - taped discourse and meditation

Sai Baba - Mike and Lee Glancey

Self-Realization Fellowship - Teachings of Yogananda - Pam DeWitt

Seth Discussion Group - Jhana

Siddha Meditation Center - Swami Muktananda's  teachings

Sufi Dancing and Singing - Claudio Belfort

Summit Lighthouse - Ascended Master Teachings - Beverly or Nina

Temple of the Universe -Spiritual Community in Hague - Mickey Singer

Transcendental Meditation Program

Transformational Information Systems - New Age Information and Referral - Paul Hoffman

Unity of Gainesville - Rev. Joe Bettencourt

Vegetarian Education Association

Yoga Center of Gainesville - Amrit Desai teachings and video tapes, Kripalu Yoga teachings

The advertising manager for this issue was Ed Ricci. Advertising Representatives were Laura Chase, Michele Rippey, and Paula Zamarra. Since home computers were not yet readily available, I made a lot of the ads on an electric typewriter. Ad prices were kept as low as possible to include as many people as possible. A business card size cost $12.50 if camera-ready, with an added $5.00 preparation fee if we had to create one from scratch. The highest priced ad was for the back cover, $125.00. It was always bought by our great supporter, The Book Gallery. At that time they had two stores, one at 1150 N. Main Street and one at the Millhopper Shopping Center.

Our Distribution Manager was our long-time friend, Lonnie Lockett, without whom we couldn't have done it. We also had a Special Consultant, Ronni Gardner, who wrote a column under an assumed name which I shall not reveal without her permission. (How about it Ronni, has it been long enough?)

Looking back, I can see clearly now how publishing this paper was a necessary stepping stone to creating my future books, Wholistic Gainesville: A Body Mind Spirit Directory; Metaphysical Florida: Spiritual Traveler's Directory; and finally the New Age Directory of Planet Earth.  I will be eternally grateful to all the people who participated in NEW AGE gainesville and nudged me in the direction of my dreams.

NEXT: Dayspring by Kimberli Wilson (now Kiki Carter Webb)