A Journey Into Consciousness
By Jody Woodruff
Anette Carlström didn’t think she had time to include any more activities or responsibilities to her already busy schedule, especially not another lecture or workshop. “I didn’t want to go to the lecture that a friend wanted me to attend. No matter how sincere this presenter might be, I didn’t need another workshop, lecture, therapy, whatever. No. Been there, done that.”
Now in her early 40s, Anette, a single parent of two with a busy craniosacral practice in Helsingborg, Sweden, had all she felt she could handle. Nevertheless, flyers for this pesky lecture kept turning up in unexpected places in her home, friends kept urging her to attend. Despite her misgivings, she found herself setting off for the lecture hall, wondering why—especially since she had canceled two clients in order to go, a first for her.
“As I entered the lecture hall, I felt a red hot sensation in my whole body and experienced the physical presence of something I had been longing for all my life. Something I couldn’t put into words. It came from the presence in the room, not just the person giving the lecture.”
Because of his deafness, the lecturer’s speech was difficult to understand, but Anette clearly grasped the message that this was not about enlightenment—all he wanted to do was to help people feel good. He called what he did an “experience healing,” meaning that each person would receive what was needed for that particular individual. His words resonated with Anette, but she had more curiosity about the powerful energy she felt in the room. She watched with interest as he placed his hands on the top of people’s heads.
When Anette felt his touch she experienced an energy which she describes as a golden light enter her head and move into her body. She perceived it as an intelligent light that paused at certain chakras (energy centers) as if it were looking inside, scanning her being. It appeared to activate something that was already there—something she couldn’t put into words. What happened next, an angry reaction, was a surprise as years of longing and suffering burst through with an internal cry of “Why have you waited so long? I’ve been searching for so many years, so many lifetimes. Why?”
The response came immediately. “A very powerful voice told me something I had never heard before: Don’t be afraid to face your suffering. This had great meaning to me since I had spent years attempting to release my own and others’ pain and suffering. And as I accepted all the suffering I had been carrying, my whole body filled with the presence of Divine Light.” This proved to be the beginning of a dramatic change in Anette’s personal life and healing work.
As the evening unfolded she learned that the speaker had been to India where he had received the gift of healing from a man named Bhagavan, who along with his wife, Amma, had founded a school (subsequently to be called the Oneness University) for helping people reach deeper states of consciousness. Bhagavan believed Grace allowed him to pass on this healing energy to others. Later the transfer of this energy would become known as deeksha (which means “initiation” in Sanskrit) and more recently as the Oneness Blessing. At this time, however, the movement to share this phenomenon was just beginning.
Although this event which occurred in 2002 later proved to be a major turning point for Anette, her life up to then had not been uneventful. Always a seeker, at the age of three she insisted on attending Sunday school, an odd desire in her non-religious family. Nevertheless, her loving parents supported her religious inclinations while also imbuing her with a lasting interest in science and nature. This happy period of her early life lasted until her family moved from Stockholm to Helsingborg, where as a newcomer she was treated like an outsider and teased unmercifully by the other students in her new school. In the years which followed she experienced a withdrawal into shyness and suffered many social anxieties. Her belief in Jesus and his protection helped her through these painful teen years until she made the decision to escape by moving to Los Angeles as an au pair. Fate would keep her there for several years, during which time her varied experiences included working as a waitress and for a TV station, modeling, and eventually marriage and a child. Despite the exposure to new opportunities and a variety of people, Anette says her painful shyness and low self-esteem persisted.
Los Angeles, the mecca of New Age during Anette’s years in the US, offered new concepts to consider. She spent much time haunting bookstores, reading, attending workshops and lectures, continuing her learning and seeking a spiritual connection. An ashram in the Siddha Yoga tradition became a happy and safe haven where she discovered meditation and the relief of inner peace. She began working with alternative medicine, learning the basics of craniosacral therapy and began her life-long commitment to helping ease the suffering and pain of others. Eventually, Anette and her husband returned to Sweden for their child to be schooled and to be near grandparents. Another child would be born there.
Back in Sweden, Anette pursued her desire to help others by training in the Swedish Kinesiology School, learning about energy systems and qualifying as a craniosacral practitioner. She worked in the Helsingborg Hospital and gradually developed her own successful private practice. Anette had come a long way from the shy outsider, but her powerful experience at the stranger’s lecture created further change.
“Personally, I began facing my inner suffering and spending time with it instead of trying to explain it away or analyze it—just being with it and feeling a very strong relationship to my inner Divine Self, my inner God and Goddess—that didn’t belong to any particular religion, philosophy or culture. In Sweden, half of the population are atheists and it bothered me that God, or the concept of Divine Self could not exist in these people’s minds. I believe this Divine Self exists in every being and that you don’t have to actually believe in a God, but that everyone can have access to this presence that I was experiencing. For me it was like finding a Divine Mother and Father in my heart. Previously when I meditated I could reach what I called a higher self. I would go to this place and peace would come, but in my daily living, where was it? Hanging around on this higher plane, waiting for me to sit down and meditate. Now that changed. Now I had a presence that stayed with me in my daily life, in all my activities. I also came to the realization that what I called the inner self and higher self were the same thing.”
Anette’s relationships changed as she experienced accepting others the way they were without trying to improve everyone. She relates that she was always the spiritual seeker among her family and friends, calling everyone to tell them about a lecture or book they should read, giving books as presents that taught them how they could transform their lives. She now realized that she had been inadvertently sending the message, “Change a little bit and I can love you more.” She imagines they were as relieved as she was to find that with this new energy there was no teaching, just the experience of inner transformation.
Always curious about Bhagavan and Amma, a year and a half later Anette finally had the opportunity to travel to their University in India to meet them and to take what were called preparation courses. These courses assisted participants in going into deeper states of consciousness. Now a single mother and accustomed to working constantly, it was the first time Anette had ten days off—a blessing beyond measure. Here she experienced receiving deeksha, which was being given for the first time to people who were not studying at the University.
The news about the deeksha had spread and on this particular day people swarmed to the Ashram to receive the blessing. Of the 150,000 people who appeared, all were welcomed. About 10,000 at a time were taken into a large outdoor hall where Amma and Bhagavan sat silently in chairs, sending blessings to the group with their hands while their dasas (trained assistants) went among the crowd, putting their hands on peoples’ heads, giving deeksha.
Anette remembers her experience this way: “I felt a golden ball of liquid light move into my head, expanding as it filled my head and moved into my throat. It kept expanding as it moved on into my chest and then into my stomach. Then I became aware of a black hole that I had been carrying all my life—a hole I had been trying to fill with food, love, different experiences. The black hole filled with the golden liquid, nectar as sweet as honey.”
In India, Bhagavan and Amma are seen as Avatars, beings who have incarnated with special gifts. Bhagavan came into this lifetime in a state of consciousness where he experienced everything as peace and joy. As a child, he observed others suffering and realized he existed for a higher purpose. A mantra began repeating over and over in his head—a powerful presence that continued for sixteen years, creating a vortex of energy and an understanding that he would be guided in this lifetime to serve mankind. Amma, too, had known from an early age that she had a special purpose, that she would marry someone who would carry a divine energy. Consequently, Bhagavan and Amma married very young, not fully understanding at that time what their future would bring. Together they hold aspects of the same energy—the Divine Female and the Divine Male.
Bhagavan and Amma’s first endeavor was the creation of a school for children—an academic school with spiritual overtones, helping children to realize their highest potential. Later the school became a University, assisting people in experiencing higher states of conscious, inner peace and happiness regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds.
Meeting Bhagavan and Amma and receiving the deeksha blessing was another powerful experience for Anette, but even more significant for her was when after returning home she realized her concept of reality had changed yet again.
“The blessing maintained a presence in my heart at all times. There was no sense of separation from anyone and I felt the presence of peace no matter what went on around me. I wanted to share this blessing with others, but had difficulty putting words to my experience. Plus, my lingering shyness inhibited me from speaking to more than one or two people at a time.”
Anette decided to overcome her handicap by inviting friends and clients to her home on Sundays for satsang (sharing). Soon word spread and more and more wanted to come. Ultimately, she found herself with a microphone in hand, speaking in front of many people. In the past, to no avail, she had taken workshops and trainings to attempt to overcome the anxiety of public speaking. Now, to her surprise, as she stood in front of 90 or 100 people, it was just another experience—the memory of the anxiety was still present, but there was no charge, no reaction in the body. Everything became an end to itself, whether speaking in public, playing cards with her daughter, cooking, whatever—each was just an experience. She soon began traveling, sharing deeksha, which she called a healing. She transferred the energy through touching the head or looking into someone’s eyes. Most people responded positively and her presence became more and more in demand.
Anette returned to India in 2004 after receiving an invitation to participate in an Experience Festival Bhagavan was hosting for spiritual teachers and healers to share their experiences. Representatives from many religions and cultures came together with the knowledge that at this time in our history we are all moving into a shift of consciousness. At a meeting with Bhagavan Anette asked if this deeksha energy could be given in the west and she was informed that the University had recently started offering a 21 day process where individuals were trained to give deeksha. While in India, Anette was initiated into this process.
By this time, Anette had already been traveling around giving energy healings for six months and she asked Bhagavan if she should now add teachings along with the deeksha. He answered, “No. It is better to give people the experience of their own inner divinity before any teaching. Let them have their own experience first. You can sing or dance or tell stories, but don’t get concepts into peoples minds.” So Anette continued traveling, transmitting energy by the laying on of hands, through her eyes or, much to her surprise, through singing—a very helpful expression of the joy and love and peace that poured out of her and a surprisingly new phenomenon, since in the past Anette had been advised that she couldn’t sing! But now she started singing and chanting, able to reach people in that manner too. Anette came to understand that using Sanskrit words in her singing helps people enter a deeper state of consciousness.
Anette observes that the deeksha, or Oneness Blessing, works uniquely in each individual, bringing in an experience appropriate and natural for what is right for each person at that time. Each transmission may differ, some bringing an experience of joy or bliss, some bringing up past disturbances to be viewed and cleared away. Very common responses are lasting feelings of peace and comfort and less chattering of the mind.
Her practical explanation of the phenomenon is that we have both our human consciousness and our God consciousness within us and between these two there is a wall called the “mind” that filters our experiences. Receiving the Oneness Blessing is a way to puncture a hole in that wall, allowing God consciousness to begin pouring into the human consciousness. In that sense there is a feeling that ones true life enters as well and the mind has less power to prevent us from feeling life fully as it is. Sometimes many Oneness Blessings are required to allow the full power of the Divine consciousness to come through.
Anette explains, “We constantly make judgments about what is good or bad and we all have shadow sides that we don’t like. When the light comes in and embraces it all, sometimes we panic at first when we recognize what we’ve been carrying around, but that is part of the process. The Divine consciousness makes no judgments and allows us to become comfortable hanging out with all aspects of ourselves and others. In addition, our senses become enhanced when we are free to experience life the way we are designed to be.”
Christian Optiz, Ph.D., a German biochemist, has done extensive tests in India, scanning individual’s brains before and after they receive the Oneness Blessing. Utilizing an advanced electromagnetic frequency diagnostic tool, he established baseline brain functions, then retested after deeksha had been given. His tests showed significant shifts in subjects’ brain activity, primarily deactivation of the parietal lobes and the activation of the frontal lobes. People who had received a substantial amount of deeksha showed parietal lobes that were much quieter than their frontal lobes which had become more activated. Tests also indicated a slight dominance of the left frontal lobe, which coincides with reported feelings of happiness and integrated spiritual experiences.
Expanding his investigation, Optiz concluded that: The wave forms that deeksha receivers’ DNA emanated increased in strength with repeated transmissions. Measuring the septum pellucidum (referred to as the “joy” center) of Bhagvan’s disciples showed this brain center to be huge compared to the average person. The septum pellucidum is under-active in many people, especially those suffering from depression. And, finally, in the post-deeksha testing the brain stem (known as the “reptilian” brain), which plays a major role in aggressive and survival behavior, becomes quieted—an important step in creating a more peaceful humanity. Other medical practitioners, although not conducting extensive research, have observed that repeated deekshas cause a balancing of the hormonal system, lower blood pressure, promote better immune function and improve sleep. Scientific proof or not, the Oneness Blessing is spreading rapidly throughout the world, from individuals to classrooms, businesses, prisons.
Anette, now known as a powerful transmitter of the Oneness Blessing, continues traveling, giving workshops and transmitting the energy through teleconference calls all over the world. She also maintains her craniosacral practice and has written a book, From The Heart, which will be available in English in Fall 2007.
When I asked her why she thinks she is so sought after, she replied, “A person living in harmony seems to affect people in a very positive way.”
Anette Carlström will be in Ashland, Oregon for an evening presentation Fri, Nov 9 at the Unitarian Center at 87 4th St. She will also present a weekend Workshop Sat, Nov 10, Noon-6pm & Sun, Nov 11, 1-5pm, at the Chi Healing Center, 258 “A” St. #7 (see ad, page 2). Contact Cindy at (541) 488-3205 or cindyconnects@jeffnet.org. For more information about Anette’s events, conference calls, books and CDs visit www.invokethepresence.com.
Jody Woodruff is a retired social worker and educational film writer who now writes freelance from Talent, Oregon.
October/November 2007
Sister Joan Chittister Speaks Out on War, Feminism, and the Catholic Church
James Kullander
The Global Church and America's War
Jim Wallis
Creating a World that Works for All
Sharif M. Abdullah
Protecting Oregon's Heritage Forests from Myopic Management
Lesley Adams
The Movement to Commit Poetry
Eric Sirotkin
Larry Morningstar
A Journey into Consciousness
Jody Woodruff
Getting Out From Under: Natural and Holistic Help for Depression
Gaea Yudron
Are Emotions Obstacles or Allies?
Gangaji
The Enneagram of Personality
Carl Marsak. MA
Choosing to Live an Inspired Life
W. Bradford Swift
Cosmic
Calendar
Salina Rain
Anette Carlström
