Kathryn Harwig and me at the Continuum Center in Minneapolis
Psychic/author Kathryn Harwig told me a story for my book, Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything. Credit to Kathryn for reframing a hellish experience as a spiritual wake-up call. Click here to watch a video of Kathryn sharing her powerful story. Here’s an excerpt:
One Sunday night during dinner, six weeks before I finished law school, I suddenly felt an intense pain in my chest. Minutes later, I was screaming in pain, and my husband rushed me to the emergency room. After a quick exam, an intern said I had an obstruction in my esophagus; he had me drink barium so an x-ray could be taken. I immediately went into a tailspin. What we later found out was that a hole had been ripped open in my esophagus, and the barium had flowed out of that hole and into my chest cavity. Unaware of what had happened, I was admitted to the hospital to wait for a specialist to examine me the next morning.
Overnight, the barium hardened throughout my chest cavity, which caused excruciating pain. When morning came, I had blown up like a balloon and was barely conscious. The specialist took one look at me and turned green—he knew there was something a great deal worse going on than a simple obstruction. A nurse wheeled me into a tiny little closet area and told me to wait there. I didn’t know it but the specialist was in a panic, rushing around consulting with other doctors.
Slouched in the wheelchair, I felt myself leave my body. Just like that, I was floating near the ceiling, looking down at myself. I had no attachment whatsoever to my physical body. I remember thinking, completely dispassionately, Well, if they don’t do something very quickly, it’s going to die. It was as if I were looking at a pair of socks on the floor and had to decide whether to wash them or throw them away. In that state, I traveled to the room where doctors were consulting about me. They were terrified, not only about my condition but also about malpractice issues. I later verified much of that conversation with one of the doctors who was there.
The next thing I remember is waking up. Emergency chest surgery had managed to save my life, although I was extremely ill for another five years because of the damage to my heart, lungs, pancreas, and other organs. I was told my life expectancy was five to ten years. That was twenty-five years ago. I still have a lot of pain, but I learned some self-hypnosis techniques that control it pretty well.
To this day, whenever I think about that morning in the hospital, when I was looking down at my body slumped in a wheelchair, it reminds me that we can slip out of our skins as easily as we can slip out of our clothes—and that’s about how much our bodies actually mean to us. I’m still attached to my physical body and material possessions, of course, but I’m keenly aware of how ephemeral they are—they can easily slip right through our hands. I do my best to keep my attention focused on what truly matters.
ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA
Phil is the author of Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World, a comprehensive guide to living a spiritual life. Who will benefit from reading it?
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Phil is also the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten.
Here is a three-minute video that introduces you to Phil and his book. Click here to order Sixty Seconds. Click here to ask Phil to add you to his e-mail list for updates on his blog and books.
Reading this book is like spending a few minutes face to face with each of the contributors and listening to their personal stories. Click here to read unsolicited testimonials from readers. Learn more by visiting the official Sixty Seconds website.
Sixty Seconds was one of three finalists in the General Interest/How-To category at the 12th annual Visionary Awards presented by COVR (Coalition of Visionary Resources) in Denver on June 27, 2009.
May 31, 2009 at 11:16 PM
Thanks for this post Phil.
I was recently in a rather serious accident and Kathryn Harwig’s story reminded me that my physical body is insignificant in many ways. My spirit is still intact so I should not obsess over new scars, persistent pain, or debilitating injuries. I too have recently learned to “keep my attention focused on what truly matters.”
June 1, 2009 at 8:26 AM
I hope you continue to heal on all levels, Jackie. It’s wonderful that you have such a good perspective.