Bob Johnston's Post

Dragor Hotel Experience: Spooky Action Up Close?

Bob Johnston | 04.15.08 | 01:55 PM |

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Submitted by Bob Johnston on April 15, 2008 - 4:35pm.
Hi John, it's me again. I posted the following story under your post "Neuroplasticity . . . et al", but because it felt buried under all the other comments I decided to repeat it here. I was especially taken by your ending, "How can I see things in a new and different way? How can I make what I see useful?"

Your questions reminded me of an experience Mill and I had last August while in Denmark after a two-week cruise on the Baltic Sea. We disembarked on a beautiful sunshiny Friday afternoon without an inkling of the adventure, near misadventure, we were about to experience.

First in the comedy of errors was that the taxi driver couldn't find the Copenhagen Airport Hotel and no one had every heard of it. Yet, our confirmed prepaid reservations showed that as the name of our hotel. Finally we found it by the name of Dragor Hotel (not even the desk clerk knew it as the Copenhagen Airport Hotel). But because the address was accurate we finally located it.

It was a quaint old hotel in a picturesque fishing town named Dragor after fishermen noted for the way they dragged their nets. Dragor was just outside Copenhagen and twenty minutes from the airport. Our room was on the third floor, there was no elevator.

An attractive blond woman who spoke excellent English checked us in then advised that at the stroke of midnight all hotel personnel went home for the weekend. In Dragor everyone, she said, stops work for the weekend. After midnight there would be no switchboard and no one at the front desk should we need help. Our travel agent hadn't told us about this.

Stunned, with at least one bit of foresight we asked that she schedule a taxi for 3:30am as we had a 6:55am flight home. After a wonderful chicken caesar salad at a quaint brightly colored umbrella sidewalk restaurant and a walk around the marina we trekked back to the hotel and went to bed early so as to rise about 3:00am.

At about 2:30am I got the strong -- actually almost overpowering -- urge to get up. I dressed and began dragging our large bags down the three flights. Millis stayed in the room with the rest of our luggage. I had no sooner placed the first bag in the lobby when three young guys drove up, parked and tried to enter the front door. I went to the door and tried to open it for them -- several times -- it would not open. There was no inside latch or other means by which to open the deadbolt. Further, except for the open staircase leading up to the second and third floors we were completely imprisoned in the lobby, all other doors were tightly locked.

Then one of the men discovered a note from the hotel desk manager in a small wooden box just outside the door. Lo and behold the box contained their room key which also opened the front door. Can you believe that!? Who from the U.S. would have anticipated a vacation hotel closed tight on weekends?

When our liberators opened the door I made sure I inserted a rolled magazine between the door and the jam so it wouldn't lock us in again. I checked the box for another key. There was none so when the taxi arrived the driver could not have unlocked the door either. Although five minutes late, our taxi did arrive and we made our flight just fine.

Whew!!! That was a close one. Just imagine, what if I hadn't had the strong urge to roll out of bed earlier than planned and go down to the lobby just at the time the three drunk guys arrived . . . two or three minutes at very most either way . . . before or after . . . and we would likely have missed a window of opportunity to get out of our hotel prison in time to catch our flight. Think of the complications that could have ensued with the airlines -- no-show penalties, rescheduling our flight, et al.

What other options did we have available? Well, this is too much a long shot to be practicable but we could have thrown our luggage out of our third story window and jumped down after it. Then dragging our luggage we could have limped on maybe broken legs and who knows what else half way around the hotel to meet the taxi. No, we aren't quite that nuts but for a fleeting second it came to mind.

The renowned Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung had a term for such occurrences: "synchronicity", in other words, a meaningful coincidence. How else could one explain it? Good luck? A 'guardian angel'? A mysterious intelligence in Nature? OmniMind? Maybe you have an explanation.

Well, I couldn't help telling you about our Dragor Hotel adventure. Is there a 'moral' to our story? If you plan on visiting enchanting Dragor, Denmark you may, if it is to be a weekend stay, want to check the hotel's policies regarding staffing . . . will someone be on duty and the telephone switchboard working? And, oh yes, ask if they have a front door which can be unlocked from the inside even though you have a key which unlocks only from the outside. Got it?

We didn't ask for a different experience, not at least that different, but we got it. Talk about spooky goings on at at distance . . . how about up close?

What are your feelings and thoughts, John?

Bob

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Member Comments:

Hi Bob

Submitted by John K Arnold on April 15, 2008 - 2:46pm.

Thanks for the note. I guess you too are finding that the posts stimulate replies that turn out to be good posts themselves. I set out to jot down a few sentences and many words and paragraphs later I look at it and go wow, I guess something wanted to be written and also make it a post.

When I look out thru my windows to our world, I realize that most, more probably all, of what I see is my mind organzing things so it makes sense and lines up with my current view of the world. This is actually a very liberating way for me to see the world. With this point of view, I am not doomed by what I feel I am seeing as I feel it is my interpretation and so I can change the interpretation.

Synchronicity, for me, is an interpretation. It is a way to organize what we are seeing or experiencing in a manner that currently fits our world view. Nothing wrong about that. Any other way of seeing things would also be a way interpreting what was going on to match that world view. If a person sees luck whether good or bad then they might say it was good luck. If the person lived in a world of leprechauns, they would say leprechauns helped them. Whenever I find myself making fun of things like this, leprechauns, and people that believed that, I remind myself that my current view may appear in the same light to people hundreds of years in the future, or whenever there is new view. This helps keep me humble and open.

For me, what we call synchronicity is like looking only at the tops of waves on ocean and not seeing the sea. There are examples of how people in a two dimensional world might look to us and us to them. If we poked thru into their world, they would see only that event and not the connectedness that we see. Looking out from our world, we can't see the connectedness. It appears as separate events.

If we were in my group, I would ask myeself and others, to see if we can open our vision and look outside of what we know or believe we know about this. I would say that right now, right here we are the ones that will bring a new and different way of seeing to this phenomena. It is not important how much we know, but how willing we are to let go of what we feel we know and make room for something new to show up for us. This way makes it possible for anyone to be how a new view comes to humanity.

Right now, it is you and I on this. We have asked and so it is time to make room. In the space in consciousness we can find something or things that no person has ever seen before. We may not have words initially to describe it, but I will bet you that once we open the space, many all over the world will start to see it as well. This is a way to invite what we now call synchronicity.

John

Hi John . . . Another Possible Option

Submitted by Bob Johnston on April 16, 2008 - 6:59am.

Thank you, John, for your interesting response. Perhaps I was remiss in relating what I define as synchronicity.

For the purpose of a book I am currently writing, I define synchronicity as the meaningful coincidence of two or more events where chance does not seem likely. These events are drawn together by significant meaning for you, as the perceiver. To some people such events are known as coincidence or serendipity. By others they be known as telepathic or parasensory.

These events can (but do not necessarily) fall into the description outlined below:

• A coincidence between a thought or a feeling and an outer event. (For example, I think of an old high school friend I have not heard from in over 20 years. The phone then rings and it is the friend calling me).

• Having a dream or vision that coincides with an event that takes place and is later verified. (For example, I dream of an earthquake, and later find out that in another part of the world there is a big quake).

• Having a premonition about something that will happen in the future. (For example, I have a strong sense that I am about to meet someone who will change my life and that very day I meet someone who offers me a fantastic career opportunity).

• Experiencing a series of events, which seem like more than “just coincidence” (For example, today is 5-12-92. There is a message on my answering machine to call 725-1292. In the afternoon, I buy a lotto ticket with the numbers 5 12 92 and later that night attend a movie and the ticket stub reads 51292).

Your analogy with the sea is interesting in that in Jungian psychology the sea is in dreams often viewed as symbolic of the collective unconscious. Here's where our SIA colleage Larry Carson, a former submarine officer could help us with capturing the feeling of living in an ocean of water, to a significant degree analogous to fish living in an ocean.

Perhaps, in turn, it is analogous to the 'electromagnetic ocean' of our cosmic environment described by astrophysicists which connects us all in the most omnipresent, all-permeating, intimate, caring and nurturing way. Add omnimind to electromagnetic ocean and we have an intelligent psychoelectromagnetic 'environment' which pervades and connects us psychoelectromagnetic holons in the most essential level.

Perhaps the following account of my experience in an LAX satellite parking lot will better illustrate a more clearcut account of synchronicity.

The experience I am about to recount seems unbelievable, yet during the intervening twenty-seven or so years since it has served as a vivid valid and reliable benchmark for trusting innumerable additional psi experiences about which I might well have been skeptical had this one not occurred. In other words, I am no longer just a believer, I am a knower from first hand experience.

At the time I was an organization development consultant living in Huntington Beach, CA. A client had scheduled me to facilitate a five-day leadership workshop for twelve managers in an engineering and manufacturing division located in Jamestown, ND starting at 8:00 AM Monday. As was my custom I left my home on Sunday 2 1/2 hours in advance of flight time to make the usual 45-minute drive to LAX, find parking in one of their huge satellite parking lots, and take the shuttle in to the terminal. Usually I got there with much time to read while waiting for my flight. This day was very different.

I moved out onto the San Diego Interstate 405 only to find there had been a huge accident and the usual Sunday morning swift moving freeway had turned into a creepway. There was no viable alternate route.

To make a long story shorter, I arrived at the satellite parking lot with only enough time to catch the next shuttle and if I missed it I would miss my flight to Jamestown. That meant I would miss my connecting flight out of Minneapolis-St. Paul and the next flight wouldn't get me to Jamestown to start my workshop until sometime Tuesday. I drove into the entrance noting the shuttle sitting there with its motor running and nervously scanned the lot for a parking space. There didn't seem to be any, the huge lot was filled with cars as far as I could see.

Then suddenly out of nowhere there appeared windshield high in the air just in front of my car a big white curved arrow about a foot wide which seemed to say 'go that way', beckoning me to an aisle of cars immediately off to my right. Startled and skeptical, I stopped and looked down the double row to see if there was an open parking space -- none in sight on either the right or left, all spaces appeared full of cars. I decided I had nothing to lose because if I had to drive deeper into the multi-acre-sized parking lot I would probably miss the shuttle. So I drove down the aisle of probably thirty cars or so on each side. Then an open parking space appeared on my right, the third space from the end of the row. With great relief I pulled into the space, grabbed my bags out of the trunk, ran over to the shuttle and boarded just as the driver was about to close its doors and head to the terminal. I thanked and thanked the universe.

So my workshop in the midwest was saved by a parasensorily perceived white arrow which directed me to a parking space I could not have otherwise seen. Where did it come from? It seemed like more than a simple remote viewing event.

Did the car owner who had vacated the parking space somehow put a telepathic signal out into the local psychoelectromagnetic field which my theta brainwave picked up and my psyche translated into the big white curved arrow?

Or did an intelligence much larger than all of us which cared about me and the twelve managers eagerly anticipating my coming in Jamestown 'see' the empty parking space and form the arrow which would direct me to it? If so, what is that intelligence? "Zero Point?" OmniMind? What?

An associate in our community group suggested it was my "parking lot angel" An evangelical Christian said she thought "it was Jesus because he cares about people". Another person thought it was "God".

I asked my cosmic psychospiritual consultant and it-she-he said it was Omnimind (OM for short) who 'saw' the empty parking space and guided me to it via the big white curved arrow.

Perhaps the name or attribution is not so important as what the experience means to the recipient. For me this and other such experiences have had profound transformational ramifications, much too lengthy to describe here.

So, John, I'm again interested in receiving your feedback and that from other readers as well.

Yours with empathy and trust in evidence-based integral natural science and aware, timeless, 'infinite', all-permeating psychoelectromagnetic ocean Source of all conscious awareness,

Bob

Interesting path

Submitted by John K Arnold on April 16, 2008 - 12:55pm.

Hi Bob,

I like this discussion. It is interesting, thoughtful and helps me clarify my thoughts by putting them out there. Here is a quote from a TV show

Sometimes there are things in my head that are so purely what they are that when I try to turn them into words there are either no words or I don’t know how.

Charlie Epps in Numbers Episode Chinese Box

For me, everything is synchronicity. It is like light or air. I don't notice it unless there is some drastic change, such as sudden darkness, a bright flash, bad air smell, hurricane force winds or something causing me to turn my attention to it.

I feel what is described as synchronicity is like that. I feel synchronicity is noticed when some sudden or unusual series of events causes a person's attention to be paid or directed. I find that if I consciously turn my attention to synchronicity, then more and more synchronicity seems to appear. This idea taken out leads me to everything is synchronicity. In order for me to see the computer screen, type the message and all the other things that are happening in this moment, they had to be orchestrated in beautiful synchronicity.

The sea example is helpful. If for a moment we imagine that all we can see is the tops of the waves. We imagine that we do not know there is a sea there. There is nothing other that blips occurring, seemingly not connected. Let's say that there is a sheet of something that the waves can penetrate but we cannot see thru. All we would see is the part of the waves that came up thru the sheet and then receded. If we take that sheet and move it up or down, we experience more or less tips of the waves. If we move it high enough we do not see any waves at all. This might be how the world or reality appears to those that have no concept or experience of synchronicity or oneness. If we move the sheet low enough we see the sea and how all is connected and so all is synchronicity.

The reason I reply in this way is so that there is first a perspective. I am interested in the perspective. I don't get into questions on what it is except to find out more how someone is interpreting what is happening. I like seeing how others see things.

Here is an example. I am in Central Florida. At least once a year someone here sees the face of Jesus or Mary in something. Today, people are saying the face of Jesus is appearing on a window near the chapel at one of the hospitals. I guess if you look at it with that consciousness, yes, the face of Jesus is there. I can look at the clouds and create stories. This is one of the fantastic things about our mind. If it were not for this, we might never have evolved at all. I am interested in being conscious of this and using this amazing ability consciously. It is very fun to watch my mind creating ways that I can see stuff, such as consciousness. The sea picture is that, a picture, a way a showing something in a form my mind can comprehend. The more open I become the more I can comprehend and so the more I can see.

Here is a view of mine that shows a way I am seeing reality. I know this is in my mind, but I like it and find it useful. I like Johan Calleman’s interpretation of the Mayan Calendar and how it is timing the evolution of consciousness. I find this useful.

According to this, we are in the 8th underworld or Galactic Underworld. We have just left, in 1999, the 7th underworld, whose theme was Power. The 7th underworld began in 1755. The current underworld's theme is ethics, which means transparency or visibility, not morality. I see with youtube, the Internet, airport security, tracking all of our purchases and more how transparency and visibility is evolving.

I find people that want to argue with me about this. They want to convince me that there view is right and mine is wrong. I have no interest in any right/wrong consciousness or interactions. I can assimilate their views, accept their views and add them to mine as part of the oneness. I have no argument whether as to whether it is right or not as I am not asking right/wrong questions. I am asking, "How can see this differently?" and "How can make this useful?"

I am not interested in convincing anyone to accept my views. If someone finds something useful to him or her that's great. I ask to evolve and so by asking, I also ask to evolve beyond anything I can imagine. If I can imagine or conceive, then to me, this would be a quantum evolutionary leap, but might be some changes. My experience is that this is available to anyone that makes the request of consciousness or the divine at this time. One of the luminaries, Arjuna Ardagh is one of those that are on this path.

This is moving to observer position and then becoming conscious of that and how changing in observer creates changes in my perceived reality.

This is actually very useful and practical to me. I use this in my business everyday. If I sit down and put my attention on my business, my phone start ringing like crazy with customers. If I turn my attention away and move myself away from my business, almost immediately the phones slow. This is useful; as I know all I need to do to make money is turn my attention to my business and the rest is taken care of.

John

Thank You

Submitted by Bob Johnston on April 17, 2008 - 5:29am.

I appreciate, John, your taking time to discuss synchronicity with me. Perhaps we can pick it up again in the future. I am quite confident it is a constantly co-evolving phenomenon deserving more exploration and study.

Warm regards,

Bob

Thanks

Submitted by John K Arnold on April 17, 2008 - 11:05am.

Thanks Bob,

This was useful. What I endeavor to do is be conscious that my point of view is just that, my point of view. The story of the blind men describing the elephant is good example. I realize that I may see the elephant as a tree and someone else may see the elephant as a snake. My position is to add their experience to mine rather than get into a right/wrong discussion. I can feel when I want to be right and so observe this. Next, I make room to add more views to my consciousness. I find this takes some diligence on my part.

I feel we have an infinitely large puzzle with an infinite number of pieces. This feels discouraging when I feel the need to find The Answer". I find it very exciting when I free myself from needing or expecting answers, solutions or conclusions.

Best
John