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Nelson Noggle

Reflections about three back-to-back " expanded realities" which happened to me in 1983-84, and their lasting impact on me.

1.  An awakening in the night and being led to "awareness"
2.  Event on a golf course, which was "impossible" in our time and space
3.  A Dream later validated by deeper study of original text from scriptures

[EXPERIENCE #1] we lived in an old farmhouse in central Indiana at the time.  I was awakened, not a dream state, and led/swept downstairs by "a warm, encouraging and motivating force which allowed me to see completely despite total darkness".  Once downstairs, I was led/swept into the dining room, perhaps the darkest part of the old house, yet with clear vision I was drawn to the bookshelves and a specific book, which I drew from the shelf. It was only then that I turned on the light in the dining room and sat down at the table.  I was then "drawn" to place my fingernail at a specific spot along the edges of pages on the right side of the book, and opened it and began reading.  It spoke of the "bloody cross" of Christ used by victors and vanquished alike during the religious wars, and the "total focus" on Christ's death instead of His resurrection, and the ultimate accusations against the Jews as the "scapegoat" for His death.  For some reason -- somehow -- I got paper and pen and noted what I was learning as I read [which became my reality-maker the next morning when I awoke, thinking it was all a dream].  I don't remember going back to bed, but the next morning I found the book and the notes laying on the dining room table.  The book was a consolidation of the works of St. Thomas Aquinas.

[EXPERIENCE #2]  A week or so later, we visited my parents in Arizona, and had the luxury of playing golf in the winter.  We were practicing our putting, my wife, mother and I -- we were the only people on the putting green.  At one point, my mother asked me to give her some help with her putting.  I dropped my putter next to my two golf balls, thinking at first whether it was wise to do so, then thinking no problem since nobody else was on the green.  My wife huddled with my mom, and I gave them both some tips, which lasted maybe for five minutes.  When I returned to the putter and balls, the balls were gone -- naturally I checked my pockets and with my wife and mom, but to no avail -- they said that nobody else had come onto the practice green.  As I was standing there "dumbfounded" we were called to the first tee to begin our round of golf.  I was the first to tee-off. Despite aiming far to the left, my tee-shot went far to the right on the other side of a sand trap. When I walked to where my ball hand landed, I found not one but three balls -- the one I had just hit plus the other two that had disappeared from the practice green -- I knew this because I mark my golf balls for identification purposes.  Dumbfounded before on the green, now realization set in -- the night in the dining room with St. Thomas Aquinas was indeed real, and it was beyond explanation in human terms -- God had gotten my attention!

[EXPERIENCE #3]  A few months later, having moved near Santa Cruz, California, I was awakened from my sleep one night very "certain" about the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah -- I was sure it was the first AIDS story.  Lot was warned according to the various English translations of the Bible not to let his wife "look back on those cities"; else she would turn into a "pillar of salt".  But my "dream" revealed that she was warned "not to turn back to that way of life", which I verified later in an alternative translation of Hebrew or Greek [I cannot remember which].  Much later, I learned that scientists had determined the original source of the HIV/AIDS virus was some kind of monkey/baboon.  This was more than slightly interesting to me -- "bestiality" [sex with animals] may have been the cause of the virus in humans -- and "sodomy" [anal sex] seemed to be the major ongoing transmitter of it in humans -- both of which were condemned by God according to the same Biblical story.  In fact God's concern and condemnation, again according to the story, was so extreme that both cities "had to be burned" -- something Loving Spirit(s) might do to sacrifice a few to save many from a raging "plague".  I also learn later that an AIDS victim, if left unattended to die will wither and dehydrate, ultimately reduced to his/her "body salt".  [At the time, I "felt inside " this revelation had to be "true" -- God had gotten my attention again.]  As I apprised various Christians [clergy and other believers] from different sects and denominations [can't remember if I told any Jews] about my possible revelation, they "all" seemed to act in exactly the same way: (1) that's interesting, (2) never heard that one before, (3) there's probably a logical explanation for your dream, and (4) and they nervously and quickly separated themselves from me to cut off further discussion. Since then to today, when I tell people about the event, they either take me wrong, shy away from me, quickly change the subject or enter into a defensive-minded or stubborn, arguing stance against the logic of it.  And, in all cases I have been careful not present it authoritatively or in any way demandingly -- hopefully I haven't done it here. [Looking back, with logic, it still seems true -- the "feeling" is still there -- but also because I had not known "any" of the facts about AIDS beforehand.]

[IMPACT OF 1-2-3]  These three experiences set in motion a parallel study of human spirituality and human motivation against the backdrop of teaching practices in the home, school and church.  It led me to better understand the common goal of these important institutions -- "control" -- which manifests itself also in the workplace and government -- and how the practice is carried out -- I called it "The Box" -- psychologists call it "behaviour modification".  It led me to uncover other alternative translations of Biblical writings.  The one most revealing relative to "control" is the word "rebuke".  English translations from Greek, Arabic and Hebrew, plus various English synonyms revealed a 
mountain of words spinning off the major root word "admonish", which alternatively means scold, berate, set-straight, criticize, blame, punish, "put-down".  Fewer synonyms, but no less important, spun off the root word "exhort", which alternatively means to counsel, advise, point-forward, encourage, "lift-up".  Which one did Jesus mean when He "rebuked " sinners, using the phrases: "I understand my child."  "You are forgiven."  "Go and sin no more."?  From what I recall, the sinners did not tuck their heads between their legs and sulk away, nor did they angrily argue and stubbornly rebel against this process of "exhort" rather than "admonish".  These are but a few of the "doors" that have opened to me since I started "looking for the love story", even within doctrine.

Take Care
Nelson Noggle caepnoggle@qwest.net

The softness of her brow belied her compassion, and the curl of her mouth sweetened understanding. The light in her eyes showered the room with Love, and her outstretched hands offered total forgiveness. There she was the all of her countenance toward me, as I gazed upon God feeling both courage and fear. So I turned humbly to take her light from the room, not realizing that I just turned away from the mirror.

Oh how long I had searched in this room and that, to once again leave with emptiness so it seemed. But this one inescapable moment will never die, because what I found was from where I dreamed. God appeared as a wondrous and lovely vision, as I looked in a direction that I least expected.

It was as though night had been made into day, as the image of Almighty God in me reflected ....
Nelson Noggle April, 2001

 

Copyright Spiritual Journey 2007

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