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  "What did you learn? Any info regarding Frank James?" Willy asked anxiously. "I've no idea," Cracker replied. "He explained some of the mechanical processes of hypnosis and said that I appeared to be an excellent subject. Following a half-hour interview, he used a technique he called progressive relaxation to induce a hypnotic trance. While under he apparently told me that I could remember everything, every experience I ever had as Frank James.”

  “When I awoke I recalled only a few snippets from the session. I felt great. Still do but I just don't remember much of what happened." "Let's play the tape and find out," Willy said, hitting play on the recorder.

  "This is Doctor Peter Billingsley. It is July 31st, 2014, 5:30 in the afternoon. My subject is Miss Virginia McCracken of Pearl City, Hawaii. This is our initial session. I have induced a deep hypnotic trance state and Virginia is resting comfortably on the couch in my study."

  "Virginia, I want you to imagine that you are moving through a peaceful tunnel that will take you into your most immediate past life. We will travel backward in time, year by year, to view your memories. As you float through the tunnel, you will find yourself going deeper and further back with each minute. You will be willing and able to talk to me about anything at all without awakening. As I count from five down to one, you will approach the end of the tunnel while you continue to progress into the deep mental realms of your mind."

  "Five . . . Deeper and deeper. Four . . . Floating now in a safe and peaceful way. Three . . . Letting go now. Two . . . Floating free very close to the end of the tunnel. One. Raise your right hand when you're ready to exit the tunnel and begin your move backward in time."

  "I am with somebody. I'm not sure who it is."

  "Tell me are you outside or inside?"

  "Outside."

  "Are you a male or a female?"

  "Male."

  "What do you see around you?"

  "I see sheep and cattle and horses. I see a barn and a small house with a weathered porch in front. I'm standing in a meadow just outside the house. There are two black men working in the corn field. I smell foul cigar smoke coming from inside."

  "What is happening in the house?"

  "A red-haired giant beefy man with a horseshoe mustache is talking to three other men. They are arguing over a wheat sack that is on the table between them?"

  "Who are these four men? Can you tell me?"

  "Red hair is called Cole. I don't know the others. They are not talking now."

  "Where are you? Can you see a landmark?"

  "I'm on a farm. Nothing stands out but the small house."

  "Do you see yourself? Look at yourself. Tell me what you look like."

  "I have a type of long black coat on. It is cold out. My trousers are tucked into worn black boots that have spurs on the side. A short knife in a sheath is inside my right boot. A revolver is in a black leather holster buckled by my right rear pocket. I am wearing a black string tie over a checkered colored vest. I am not wearing a hat, but I should be as my ears are cold."

  "Who is with you? Is it a male or female?"

  "A Male. He says his name is Clell."

  "Is there anything else of importance going on?"

  "No. We're just watching the men in the house."

  "I am taking you further ahead in time now. I will count backward from three to one and tap you lightly on the forehead. When you feel this tap travel ahead to the next significant event in this life. Give me your first thought or impression of where you are."

  "I am with Bob."

  "Tell me about Bob."

  "He has a blonde mustache, short brown hair, and overgrown eyebrows. His face is deeply tanned. We are on horseback".

  "What is going on around you?"

  "Chaos! I hear gunfire. My horse canters onto the sidewalk. A loud shrill steam whistle is going off. Church bells are clanging. I see that man Cole again. He is firing a shotgun. The shell goes through a window across the street. Another shot goes off. Cole is hit in his side. His horse is going wild. Bob's horse is hit by another bullet. Bob falls to the ground. He crawls behind some wooden crates. Large stones are being tossed at me from across the street. There is a storm of bullets coming at us. I turn my horse to get away from the chaos and a feel a sharp hurt in my thigh. I see blood running down my leg into my boot. I must get out of here."

  "What town or city are you in? Look around for a sign."

  "I see a sign for Hanover's Clothing Store. Another shot rings out. The bullet blew Cole's hat off. Two men lie dead in the street. We're going. We have to reach the bridge to get out of here. I'm hurting."

  "Leave this period now and relax completely as I count from three down to one. Are you tired?"

  "No."

  "Do you want to explore this lifetime further."

  "Yes."

  "Go to the next significant event. What do you do in this life?"

  "I don't know if I have a trade or a job. I seem to move around a lot."

  "Do you know the year?"

  "Late eighteen-hundreds I think. My brother and I are going separate ways. I am with my wife, Annie. I am saying goodbye to my brother. He ignores me. We don't seem to be on speaking terms".

  "What is your brother's name?"

  "Jesse."

  "What does Jesse look like?"

  "I can't tell. We left him. My wife and son and I are boarding a train going east. I don't feel well."

  "What's wrong?"

  "I feel sad to be leaving my brother even though I am with my wife and son."

  "Leave this period now and relax completely as I count from three down to one. Are you tired?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you wish to explore further?"

  "No. Not now."

  "I will count from five down to one. At the count of one you will awaken refreshed and reinvigorated."

  "Fascinating," Willy said, turning off the recorder. "Frank James took a wife in 1874. As I recall, her name was Annie Ralston. And they had a son as well. The brother Frank referred to must be Jesse James! The red-haired giant beefy man Cracker described in the house might be Cole Younger. Bob, with the blonde mustache, has to be Cole’s brother, Bob Younger. The chaotic scene she experienced might well be the great Northfield Minnesota Bank Raid. The man named Clell must be Clell Miller. He was also a member of the James gang and was shot and killed during the Northfield raid".

  "I'll do some research to determine if a Hanover's Clothing Store was located in Northfield in the late 1800's. There's more than enough here to keep me interested. What about you Marcus?"

  "I'm still skeptical about this whole thing but we've come this far, I suppose. Although Billingsley didn't steer Cracker to the right places or times."

  “That may come up in subsequent sessions,” Cracker replied. “Doctor Pete said we would take it nice and slow to start. I'm to meet him again tomorrow evening after my shift at the bar. From what he said, this regression stuff isn't an exact science. And now Marcus, let's have that nightcap you promised me, she said placing her hand on his thigh. You're just leaving aren't you Willy?"

  "Yes, dear, I'm on my way. Let's meet back here tomorrow evening, same time, for round two," Willy replied.

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  Namaste: You said before that I painted this mural?

  Sumantra: You did indeed, my friend. You've painted it throughout all your lives. Every single one is represented in your painting. Presently you are only focusing on the life lived as Marcus Reno.

  Namaste: May I experience the others as well?

  Sumantra: In time, Namaste. In time. You shall experience them all. Every single moment. At your leisure. You will relive each moment not only as it affected you, but as it affected the souls you interacted with. You may experience your lives sequentially, or at random or in any order you choose. And you may change or alter your painting in any way you choose, whenever you wish.

  N. You mean that I can change the past?

  S. Why yes, of course. If you alter
just one single thing on your mural all the pictures, that follow will change as well. The same applies to your future.

  N. How is that possible?

  S. Time and space are illusions. Useful illusions while one is in physical form on Earth but illusions just the same. Time does not exist. Everything is happening at once and only seeming to happen in sequence. You create the illusion of time as you march through the only moment there is—The Present Moment. And multiple possibilities exist at all times.

  In TIME, you will understand this.

  N. So then I may alter or change what has occurred in my past?

  S. Yes. You may experience the mural in any way you choose. You painted it Namaste. It is yours. If, for example, you found errors of judgment in your past you may correct them by altering the fresco. You may tweak and perfect the past as you wish.

  N. If I am dead as you say, and I am beginning to believe that I am, why do I not know all this and more right now?

  S. Just because a soul has left its physical form it still remains in the learning stage and is not necessarily more evolved than it was in physical life, my friend.

  N. And what of you Sumantra? Are you also in the learning stages?

  S. Oh yes. Very much so. But since I am no longer focused in physical matter I am aware of some truths you seem to have forgotten. You are in a trance now much the same as Virginia experiences, but little by little you must wake up. I am visiting you here to help you do so.

  N. How did I die?

  S. For now lets just say that your physical entity Marcus Reno died in a fight.

  N. Was it painful?

  S. Certain kinds of pain, such as you experienced in the fight, automatically eject the soul from the body. Such pain is very, very brief. It is more of a tearing free than a painful experience. I cannot adequately describe this in words. It is a mixture of brief pain and pleasure bringing about an exhilarating release of the soul. It is not something to be feared.

  N. How did you die Sumantra?

  S. Which time my friend? I have been born and died more times than even I can remember.

  N. This last life then. As Robert Albrecht. How did or will you die this time?

  S. In one sense Albrecht has not yet died. And in another he has since time is an illusion, and everything is happening at once. But I understand your question my friend. Robert Albrecht will die a peaceful death in his sleep.

  N. Will Robert Albrecht be reincarnated again as a new physical entity?

  S. Yes and no. It is not Robert Albrecht's spirit who would come back as a reincarnated physical being. Rather the soul of Robert Albrecht will create a new spirit of itself.

  N. That's the same thing isn't it?

  S. Not exactly my friend. The soul is your whole self. It contains the sum of all of your incarnations. The spirit, Robert Albrecht, in this case, will not create a new spirit of itself—his soul will.

  N. So then the soul and the spirit are not connected?

  S. They are indeed connected Namaste. The Soul, or Higher Self if you prefer, envelops the body of each of its many reincarnated spirits. To clarify let's say, for example, that Robert's soul creates a new spirit of itself named Pamela.

  It's not Robert Albrecht that is reincarnating as Pamela — it’s his soul creating a new spirit—Pamela. And when our Pamela is born she forgets what occurred in the afterlife in order to experience a new physical life and the game of life continues.

  N. Pamela forgets who she is when she enters a new physical body?

  S. Yes, and the goal of her soul is to realize itself while in the body. In other words, the work or job of the soul is to wake yourself up.

  N. Does Robert Albrecht's spirit disappear into his soul when he dies?

  S. Not at all. His personality along with his memories continues after physical death. Remember that the physical personality is only part of your entire identity. The spirit is not dumped aside upon death but taken along as itself to stand beside all other incarnations that all represent facets of the soul.

  N. I'm confused, but I'm also beginning to understand.

  S. The important thing to remember is that YOU are but one manifestation of your soul.

  N. When a spirit dies will they be greeted by their loved ones from prior lives?

  S. They will if that is their desire. They will be greeted not only by deceased loved ones from their immediate previous life but also by relatives, associates, friends and so on from ALL of their prior and future lives.

  N. That could be quite a crowd.

  S. Yes, if one considers all the people who have played a significant role in all of one's past lives. Quite a crowd indeed. Remember what I said earlier about how you and I have been related many times in one way or another?

  N. I do, yes.

  S. Consider that you and I have shared many lives with the same group of souls. We have incarnated time and time again in different roles, relationships, and different genders.

  N. That's a mind blower!

  S. Imagine the joy and surprise when a spirit passes to the Afterlife and meets an old friend who they have known in many lives under just as many different guises.

  N. What if that old friend was a hated enemy in a past life? Will they have it out?

  S. Depends on what you mean by "have it out," my friend. As a general rule, if you do not want to see a soul carrying a bad vibe from a prior life, then you won't.

  That particular soul will know that is your wish and will not appear to you. On the other hand, you and this other soul may, when you are ready, work on repairing those broken bridges.

  N. What does the average person experience immediately after they die?

  S. The average person approaches their death with no conscious knowledge of what happens next. They most likely experience some measure of fear as their death approaches.

  After they pass over completely, they are met by loved ones who already made the transition. They are immediately assured that everything will be fine. Much, much more than just fine actually. In short order, they become acclimated to their new spiritual home. Please note that the term "new" is misleading as these souls are returning to their true home.

  N. You mentioned that I've been with Maggie in prior lives, and I've known you and Virginia as well. Have I known any of these other characters?

  S. It may surprise you to learn that you and Roy Dunn have also shared many a challenging relationship.

  N. Roy Dunn? No shit?

  S. No shit my friend. The two of you have experimented with various affiliations in past lives. Some of those encounters have led to rather violent endings.

  N. Name one.

  S. I'm hesitant to delve too deeply into your past lives, Namaste but perhaps a bit of info here may be of value. Are you familiar with Custer's Last Stand?

  N. Sure, who isn't?

  S. You and Roy Dunn were on opposite sides of that battle. The Battle of the Little Bighorn, I believe it was called. Roy Dunn was a Hunkpapa Sioux warrior known as Tall Moon. You were a 7th Calvary Trooper named William Lancaster. On the morning of June 26, 1876, you and 175 other soldiers were attacked by a band of Cheyenne and Sioux warriors.

  Tall Moon was among the Sioux warriors. You were in the column headed by Major Marcus Reno, who himself was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.

  N. Major Marcus Reno?

  S. Yes, the synchronicity of this is truly amazing. And before you ask me what that means, a synchronicity is like a wink from the cosmos. It's a term coined by Jung that means a moment of meaningful coincidence.

  The coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality.

  In any event, you fought Tall Moon on a bluff overlooking the upper valley of the Little Bighorn River. You, William Lancaster, would have lost your life had not Major Reno ordered a retreat to the timber and brush along the river. Both you and Tall Moon lived to tell the tale.
Custer and the 265 soldiers under his command died there.

  N. So I was Marcus Reno in my most recent past life, and I was William Lancaster a soldier commanded by Major Marcus Reno in the life preceding that. That is mind-blowing. What does it mean?

  S. It's a wink from the universe my friend. A synchronicity. A pattern that repeats itself in time. It is an insight that cannot be fully appreciated until one reviews their many incarnations from the Afterlife.

  Occasionally, however, a synchronicity may assist one in awakening while in the physical body. In other words, it may serve as a doorway to enlightenment.

  N. Has or will this synchronicity serve as an awakening for Marcus?

  S. We shall see. Time will tell Namaste.

  N. Are Roy Dunn and I acting out a similar violent encounter in this most recent past lifetime?

  S. Excellent question my friend. Let us return to your Mural and see what you have painted next.

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  The next morning Willy was on the phone with Doctor Billingsley. "Thought I'd give you a call Peter to ask your impression of the Virginia sessions. What's your opinion so far?" "William, I'm glad you called. I'm quite pleased with our progress to date. Virginia is an excellent subject and a unique individual in her own way. The material we've uncovered has me fascinated primarily because she's not a scholar, has apparently no conscious knowledge of Frank James yet has recited verifiable facts, details, descriptions and historical facts regarding his time. Even if she were a skilled actress, I don't believe she could have recreated these scenes."

  "I agree," Willy responded. "I'm equally enthralled with the material. At the risk of sounding impatient, however, when will we glean some info about the locations of treasure that Frank James might be aware of?"

  "This is not an exact science, William. I can guide a subject to significant events in their past lives but not necessarily to precise locations or dates. Frankly, our interests are not mutually aligned in this regard. As you'll no doubt recall, I agreed to see Virginia pro bono if I determined that she was a good subject for regression. She has proven that she is, and I hope that our sessions may continue."

  "Keep in mind that my plan is to include these sessions in an upcoming book. As such I may also, with her permission, regress Virginia to past lives she may have had other than as Frank James. In any event, I urge you to be patient. I am aware of the material you're seeking, and I will nudge her in that direction if possible and if appropriate."