Welcome to My Spiritual Experiences
The Web Site of Betty Jane Rapin
My Spiritual Quest I, as Soul knew what to expect and willingly accepted the assignment and all the responsibility it required. If the human consciousness had known all the facts, the mind would have put a stop to this mission. It would consider this an impossible undertaking. When Soul enters the human form, the memories of all past lives vanish at birth. I may have been minutes old when I was born but a very old Soul incarnated to begin life anew. I was a newborn spiritual seeker on a quest. I began my assigned mission (1931); looking for answers that brought me to the place, I am today in a place of contentment. Not that life has been easy for me, far from it. Through trial and error and lessons learned, I came to accept every experience as a welcomed opportunity to gain a higher level of spiritual awareness while attending the University of Earth in the classrooms of my life experiences. At the time, I began thinking about my present incarnation and my parents. What did I hope to gain from being born to my mom and dad and the extended family of relatives I now have? Did I meet a friend or someone special from a past life that I truly wanted to meet again? Was I learning important spiritual lessons? That night I had a dream of my birth: I was hovering over my mother, who was in labor. From a vantage point of being above everyone, as thought on the ceiling, I could see the activity. I was witnessing my own birth, struggling to be born into the harsh reality of this world. When I awoke from the dream, I was astonished to find my body in a curled up fetal position, in my very own bed, in the middle of the night. I did not move. I could feel my knees pressed into my stomach, my head bent downward with my two cupped hands, forming fists, pressed against my chin. For me, a symbolic sign (fists), says I am prepared to fight back all the adversity that will try to abort my mission or make it a failed attempt to complete. I am ready to take it on the chin, when life knocks me down knowing that the wallop is an experience I need. During a difficult situation, I will keep my chin up and remain confident that Divine Spirit will guide me in the right direction. In the darkness of the room, without moving anything but my eyes, I tried to see the clock. I could not see it from the fetal position. I needed to raise my head a bit to see the illuminated number that read 3:00 a.m.—a time when Divine Spirit often awakes me. It is my wake-up call for a spiritual insight. I lay there in the stillness of the night, thinking about the unique happening. What was the dream telling me? At the time of this dream, I was deeply involved in the study of reincarnation. I was happy to learn that Soul would incarnate into conditions most suited for learning. I was born to live and learn how to become my spiritual best through life’s experiences. Working off negative karmic debts and adding positive karmic credits to assure a more spiritually improved future incarnation was my goal at this time. For information about reincarnation visit:http://www.eckankar.org/pastlives.html This karma compensation is accurately kept. Soul gets precisely what is due, in accordance with the code of conduct in previous lifetimes. The expression, “What goes around comes around”, is truly an appropriate description for karma. I often look at karma as a boomerang—what I give (causation) to life by way of thought, word or deed, comes back (effect) to me. Our first mutual bonding as mother and daughter was a struggle of love—her long laborious birthing and my difficult struggle to be born. My mother has experienced a painful ordeal to become a mom, a role she loved. She was a doting, over protective mother because I was an only child. Once when I asked her why she was so strict, she replied, “You were my only child. If I lost you, my world would end.” Motherhood was extremely important to her. I asked my mother about my birth. She told me, I was born at home after thirty-six hours of labor, and entered this world with a blue face and pointed head. The long hours of struggle in the birth canal resulted in a misshaped head and a tinge of a blue face. The doctor put me in the warm oven of the kitchen stove. Mother massaged my head daily to bring it back into its original round shape. My mother said, “You looked like someone from another world.” I laughed, in amusement from the image she created with her statement. It was laughter of pleasure, knowing that mom spoke a truth and did not even realize it. I did indeed come from another world—a heavenly existence. I remember when my son Michael age fourteen at the time, was upset with me. He firmly announced, “I didn’t ask to be born.” I looked at him square in the eye as I felt my lips curve into a smile and confidently said, “Yes, you did.” “In fact you chose me and your dad as parents, to bring you into this life.” Saying those words of truth felt so good, and so right. My words knocked the wind out of Michael’s angry sails. He was speechless. The birthing dream was given to me in order to understand more clearly, what being a parent as well as being a child meant—unconditional love. No matter what, love should reign supreme in all of life’s choices as well as a love of life and the opportunity to get it right this time around. I do my best at trying to sustain the right ethics in this life that will assure more positive karmic credits will be added to my “ledger of life”. Years later, I was able to recognize many lessons that carried significant spiritual insight from being born to my parents and from the extended family of relatives. I did meet several people from past lives that I truly needed to meet again as well as some I wanted to meet again. I came to earth on a mission. I am on specific assignment with clear-cut spiritual lessons to learn. I am aiming for that diploma that will get me into the University of higher learning—in the heavenly worlds of God. I had a near death experience that forever changed my life. It was 1959 and not much information could be I could not wait to see the priest. I was eager to tell him about the special event that filled my thoughts and warmed my heart. I was sure I could get answers to the many questions I had about Soul leaving the body. I walked into his office with a big smile and happiness coursing through my body. Filled with wonderment, I told the priest about my experience. Very quickly and directly to the point, I was told it was a miracle and to accept the blessing without question. It was like a slap in the face that removed my smile and replaced the happiness with disappointment. In my heart, I knew this experience was more than a miracle to become just a memory. It was a definite real experience—my reality! I knew right then, I would have to go outside my religious teachings to find the answers I was so desperately seeking before my wonderful experience slipped into a memory. I wrote to over twenty-five spiritual teachings whose advertisements I read about in magazines. What they offered to teach intrigued and excited me. Reading, researching and reviewing my notes became part of my daily life. Reincarnation was the one facet of my new knowledge that truly answered many questions for me. Not one person in my entire extended family, including my parents, believed in past lives, or, that I visited heaven during that hospital experience. All of my friends had the same attitude. Even my religion could not refer to the possibility of this particular belief that fascinated me. I stood alone in my belief of other lifetimes. Someone once wrote that they, as well as others, believed earth was the trash can of the universe and that other worlds would be better to incarnate into. I became one of the individuals who envisioned earth as a trash can. I did not want to come back to live on earth ever again. I often thought, “Who in their right mind would want to live here if they didn’t have to?” For me, I wanted a better next time. Earth was too full of strife and I opted for a better incarnation in some tranquil, loving, happy community of Souls for friends, neighbors and relatives. I just knew a place like that existed, at least I hoped so. I read hundreds of books, attended numerous lectures, classes, workshops and had personal conversations with like minded spiritual seekers who also attended these events. Finally, I came to a turning point. I knew what direction to take. My quest led me to the teachings of Eckankar, Religion of the Light and Sound of God. I the spiritual seeker finally found what I had sought. The awareness was euphoric! I knew about the Light of God from my previous religion, which spoke of the many saints who had dramatic encounters with the Light. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I could experience the Light of God in my lifetime. However, I did! Eckankar taught me how to recognize not only the Light of God, but also the Sound of God. For more about the Light and Sound of God visit; http://www.eckankar.org/light.html By choosing different bodies and different life experiences with each incarnation, Soul learns to view life from all sides of the spectrum. Each lifetime gives one the opportunity to balance out the causes that have been set into motion. The cause we set into motion as far back as a thousand or more lifetimes ago, or as near as a minute ago, will affect us in both present and future lifetimes. This is called cause and effect; action, and reaction; justice, retribution and reward as well as good and bad karma. There is a balance of karma, some positive and some negative. It is a sliding scale of life—it goes on and on—back and forth. We are here to balance the scales of karmic justice. We are accountable; therefore, we should become willing to strive for a higher state of awareness to decrease the result of negative karma and increase the positive karma. When Soul leaves the body at death, it goes to the next level of heaven where it has earned the right for entry. After reviewing past incarnations, including the life one just left, Soul is given guidance into what would be best for the continuation of spiritual advancement. In most cases, Soul comes back to Earth. My husband was watching a television program about antiques. As I walked into the room, I heard the statement, “One man’s trash can be another one’s treasure.” This brought to mind my reference to Earth as a trash can. I realized then, that to me, earth is no longer a trash can of the universe. In fact, it is just the extreme opposite—a treasure chest! A chest filled with many priceless objects, such as golden opportunities, jewels of insight, and valuable heirlooms (karma) from other lifetimes. All of this wealth and these priceless gifts (blessings) from God are available to everyone. When we reincarnate to earth, our personal treasure chest awaits. What we do with all of our accumulated possessions (karma) is entirely up to us. So how do we know what to do? Where does one start to learn about karma? How can spiritual lesson be recognizable? For me it was finding a spiritual teaching I was comfortable with, learning as much as I can from these teachings, and applying what I learned to my daily life by following my inner guidance, the voice of God, which manifests as Light and Sound—Divine Spirit. Divine Spirit guides me in many ways—through night dreams, waking dreams, contemplations, all forms of media, other people, our pets, and intuition, to name a few. Some refer to this faculty of consciousness as the still small voice within, a gut feeling, a nudge from Divine Spirit, a sixth sense and our higher self—Soul. Intuition is the ability of knowingness. When we view things from a spiritual perspective, the daily challenges of life are easier to deal with. When I have a feeling, a hunch or an idea that comes from my heart, I follow my instincts—my intuitive directive from God. All of us have this intuitive ability. Recognizing it is necessary. Trusting it is important. Using it is vital. The more that intuition is used the more adept one becomes. One listens with the heart, feels with the intuitive monitor and sees beyond what is visibly apparent—this is God’s intercom to us. At first, I had trouble trying to determine from what direction the guidance was coming. Was it from Divine Spirit, or from my mind? As you are well aware, the mind has a way of convincing us that we are making the right decision, even when we are not. With practice, the intuitive abilities will develop to the point of possessing instinctive knowingness. Confirmation that you have arrived at the right conclusion becomes evident with repeated insights that bring improved results from your active trust in this sixth sense. All I have shared with you, to this Web site, dear visitor are jewels from my spiritual treasure chest. Now I do not mind if I continue to reincarnate on earth because it is an excellent place to learn how to become my spiritual best. I am grateful to earth. I admit, it could be a much better place and perhaps it will be someday, if love becomes like a virus and overtakes the hearts of humankind. For better or for worse, earth is the best place to learn from life’s experiences. I am glad Soul chose to be born in this body, on this earth, in this lifetime. I am what I am, where I am supposed to be, doing what I am doing, because of free will, and the right to make my own choices in life. I am doing the best I can, most of the time. Moreover, if I do not get it right the first time, I will get another chance to correct the error of my ways. I am happy to be an earthling who will continue embracing Earth with love, goodwill and respect. Earth, the home base I presently occupy, I embrace with love. My first encounter with a group of Eckankar students was like a breath of fresh air that elated me—I felt A love that touched the core of my being (Soul) I knew I finally came to the end of my search. This was not just an introductory it was a gathering of love and I felt the spiritual “welcome home “embrace that brought me to tears of happiness. My quest had ended but my teaching had just begun—a new look at the realities of my life from a different and welcomed perspective. What I learned that night that opened my heart and mind I would like to share with you. I learned about The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master. Currently Harold Klemp serves in this position and is the spiritual leader of Eckankar, Religion of the Light and Sound of God. The Living ECK Master, while appearing in his inner spiritual form is the Mahanta. The Mahanta is always available to work 24/7 with Eckists (members of Eckankar) because he is the manifestation of Divine Spirit. Some Eckists who have developed expanded awareness can be cognizant of his presence when they need to be. This walking with Divine Spirit as the Mahanta by my side filled me with enthusiasm to begin studying under his watchful loving guidance. I discovered Dreams as a vital part of the teachings. I could learn to understand the language of not only my sleeping dreams but also Waking Dreams, which are, experiences that happen during the waking hours that carry a spiritual message. Past Life awareness enables me to see and understand how a particular past incarnation is influencing the present life. Soul Travel is an expanded consciousness, able to experience a 360° viewpoint—the viewpoint of Soul. The Spiritual Exercises are techniques that can open one to a greater spiritual awareness. By moving into a higher state of consciousness, one is able to have direct and personal contact with the Light and Sound of God. Doing a spiritual exercise particularly contemplation enables Soul to leave the body and travel to other places in this physical world as well as the other heavenly worlds of God. The HU Song is the most powerful spiritual tool I have ever used. From the time I learned how to pray until my late twenties, I knelt in prayer as I talked and often pleaded to God or to specific saints to help me. Then a friend got me interested in meditation. I would meditate, sitting in a cross-legged position for sometimes up to an hour as I chanted a mantra attempting to become a more enlightened being. I discovered the art of contemplation—a spiritual visualization exercise while singing HU—a love song to God. HU is an ancient name for God. The word HU pronounced like the word hue. For me this majestic word has become my access key that opens the inner door to a high state of consciousness, aligns me with Divine Spirit, and opens my heart to God. When I have the need to get above the human state of consciousness HU is the word I sing out loud or silently when other people are around. Daily contemplative spiritual exercises and singing HU, is what has worked best for me for over thirty-eight years. Whatever your present spiritual beliefs are, you can incorporate singing this love song to God. If you want to try singing HU, I invite you to do so. Sing the HU prior to prayer, meditation or contemplation. I do a daily contemplation each morning to set the tune of my day. I begin by reading something spiritually uplifting. Sit back in a comfortable chair, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. This deep breathing relaxes me. I take another deep breath and sing HU-U-U-U-U on the outgoing breath. I repeat this for a few minutes and then sit in silence contemplating on the spiritual writing that I enjoy reading or do a specific spiritual exercise of visualization for twenty minutes.
Sometimes I sing HU along with a tape I have. This HU recording is of thousands of people singing this precious word—a rolling HU. If you would like to listen to the singing of the HU visit this site: http://www.eckankar.org/hu.html
When I look at this little girl (me), I now know something that took me many years to find out. I, as Soul chose to incarnate into the family of which I was born. This calculated choice is in accordance with the Lords of Karma based on previous lifetimes of behavior of accumulated karma—positive and negative—as recorded in Soul’s book of life. I would incarnate into the human form where the appropriate circumstances were best suited for the experiences needed to improve spiritual development
Reincarnation—My Birth
I recall a movie I saw some fifty years ago about two Souls waiting in heaven to be born into a body on earth. They were having a conversation of their previous life together as best friends and they were hoping to become friends again in their next incarnation.
Searching for Answers
found about the subject of near death experiences. Because of this out-of-body experience, I wanted to learn more about where Soul goes when it leaves the body, especially what happens when we come close to death. I went to my priest with the wonderful recollection of the incredible event. I wanted to understand how I could leave my body, see my hospital room with me in the bed, and in the next instant be aware of being in another place embraced by love and wanting to stay there. Where was I as Soul for the five days I lay in a coma? Why did this happen? What part of heaven did I visit? How could I go there again? I knew it was heaven but it had no resemblance to what I thought heaven would be like.
A Gathering of Love
renewed and eager to take in more. It was an introduction to Eckankar but it seemed more like an open discussion on a variety of spiritual subjects with questions and input from the attendees. My mouth hung opened in awe of what I heard. Things I learned definitely convinced me this was the right choice of a spiritual path for me. I’ve listed a few of the topics I was informed about on my first jaw dropping experience at an ECK function which to me was a gathering of love.
