Morgana Taylor

The Light: Through a Child's Eyes

The Purple Hippopotamus - Morgana's childhood NDE in the summer of 1971

"And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me. Shine on until tomorrow, let it be. I wake up to the sound of music Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, let it be.."

"Let It Be" by the Beatles was playing on the radio at the beach.

I was thoroughly ecstatic over the Hippopotamus that my Mother had purchased for me earlier in the morning at our local five-and-dime store because it was rare she was able to indulge either my sister or myself in such a capacity. Funds were limited since she was a twenty-something widow with two daughters. 

Even at such a young age I was cognizant of how trying it was for my Mother to toil at two jobs simultaneously, yet, barely manage to make ends meet nonetheless. This made my Hippo all the sweeter to receive because it meant she loved me enough to sacrifice even a bit more. 

I thought he was just the prettiest hue of neon purple! Voluminous, multicolored polka dots adorned his torso which really made him stand out from the rest of the inflatable critters on the beach. The more garish the coloring, the more aesthetically enticing the toy, in the mind of a five or six year old. That alone made me feel extra special. As if, not only would the other children be compelled to take notice of my Hippo but certainly they would all examine my new friend with longing, too.

I decided to name him Charlie. After all these years I cannot recall precisely why. Most likely he reminded me of a friend of the family whom I was fond of. 

I huffed, and I puffed, until Charlie was fully inflated and prepared to sail across the waves. Spending a care-free afternoon at the ocean was my idea of Heaven! In fact, we resided so close to a beach during my youth back East that we even visited it on rainy days and during the winter prior to the water becoming solidified. When the acrid winds of that season made it too unbearable to go swimming we could still easily spend hours creating sand castles and playing on the swing-set... 

The Collision

I had always possessed a special affinity for the water and envisioned myself as a Sea Captainess on a secret quest for Mermaids and other Mystical Creatures. Deep within, the Dream prevailed that one day I would encounter a Mermaid who would be so adoring of me that she would bestow me with the Gift of Transformation so that I may become a Mermaid, too, upon whispered words of enchantment. 

I grabbed Charlie the Hippo and vigorously ran to the water's edge. 

My Mother called from behind that I need be careful as I had just consumed fried pizza topped off with a snow cone for dessert (not to mention the box of Good-n-Plenties I hid from Mommy's view!) and, as such, I still had a bit of a full tummy. Careful? Of what? I dismissed her warning. Why, this is going to be funnnnn! 

Charlie and I plunged into the water and I straddled his back; taking full command of the plastic reigns and - like Queen Nefertiti presiding over the Nile - I adeptly steered us toward a more isolated area of the beach so I could initiate my explorations. 

Once I arrived at a distance from the shore, my Hippo collided with a rather brisk wave and began to teeter to-and-fro. In my mind, however, I had determined that Charlie was just being ornery so I spanked him mildly on the rump which only served to make him more unstable. We both toppled over into the water soon thereafter. 

Panicking, I reached above my head in a futile effort to grasp onto my Hippo and pull myself upward but he simply popped out of my hand and bobbed further away from me. I flailed about for what seemed like an Eternity until I grew fatigued. Just as I finally relinquished struggling altogether due to the "headache in my tummy" (as we children would say) a larger wave - like a gaping, frothy mouth - devoured me... 

Spiraling Into The Abyss

Initially it felt as if I was being drawn under by some unseen force, but my attention quickly became more fixated on the fact that the sounds of the other children squealing and splashing were becoming barely audible. I also became acutely aware that I could no longer breathe which prompted me to hastily ingest several gulps of water that pierced my lungs unmercifully. 

As my lungs began to fill with yet more of the icy fluid I cast my eyes downward; mentally frozen by the concept that I could not visually detect what might lurk in the tenebrous waters beneath me. 

There was but a limited ray of sunlight sparsely breaking through the surface of the water above me at this juncture. I could vaguely hear that Beatles' song playing in the back of my mind, "Let it be, let it be," and for some reason felt this was a message for me to let go. I continued to waft downward in a subdued tendril motion until all sight and sound completely dissipated. 

I could no longer see the pale flesh of my hands even if I placed them immediately in front of my eyes. In their place I discovered a bluish-white "cotton candy" swirling about and - although this did not cause me any alarm - I did not comprehend what it was. My curiosity was piqued more than anything because somehow I sensed that this cotton candy was a part of me, yet, I could not fathom how or why. 

It was then that a sense of calm diffused throughout my entire Being; the quietude and the blackness now proving to be strangely comforting. There I remained, motionless in time, until I saw her...

The Mermaid Finds Me

The most beautiful Mermaid I had ever seen! Her hair billowed out from behind her like rainbow-colored seaweed. Her eyes were a vivid coral blue. I could not see beyond her translucent torso as the darkness enveloped her lower body, tapering into the distance like a magnificent tail. Wow! She's incredible! I excitedly proclaimed to myself. Yes, she was. Certainly more glorious than any Mermaid I had ever found in any of my pop-up books!

She smiled at me with lips as red as the nocturnal reef fish, and without uttering a sound the Mermaid explained to me that she was in actuality an "Angel." 

I could not physically speak in response, yet, I discovered that my thoughts had a voice of their own. I replied, skeptically, that Angels don't live in water and she looked more like a Mermaid anyway because she didn't have any Wings or a Halo. I expressed that, out of deference to her, I wouldn't mind referring to her as Angel the Mermaid - since Angel is such a lovely name - but to me she was still a Mermaid. 

I believe this genuinely amused her because she had the same gleam in her eye that my Mother was notorious for. That All-Knowing look which said, "You are just a baby. You don't understand." 

This Creature then further explained that I was not witnessing her true form but, rather, one that she thought would be pleasing to a child such as myself. She floated toward me a bit then halted at a safe distance, as if she could not inch any closer without my explicit consent. Her hand summoned me to view an area beyond her whereupon a beacon of light was beginning to invade the shadows...

Come Into The Light

Angel asked me if I wanted to go into "The Light" with her. I was not certain what The Light was precisely, but at that instant her Mermaid encasing dissolved; exposing a cotton candy swirl much like my own. Yet, hers was more of a golden-white hue. She radiated the purest, most unconditional Love and Acceptance that I had ever experienced in my brief life. One that penetrated every fiber of my Being until I thought I would disperse in a rapturous explosion. This exquisite phenomenon was certainly enticing enough for me to desire to remain with her and go anywhere she requested of me.

I reached out to her now-ethereal form, eagerly anticipating a New Life with my Loving Friend. 

At that very moment, the water began to wrench about me and I felt myself being callously extracted to the surface, causing the Vision of this Mysterious Entity to diminish. 

No! No! I protested. Let it be! But I sensed that the only two Souls on the planet who could hear me were me and my Angel...

Return From The Light

Immediately it felt as if an elephant was lambasting my chest with such great force I was certain my rib cavity would be reduced to nothing more than a heap of fractured bones. I felt overwhelmed by the sudden impact of physical sensations - blinded by the distorted features of those peering intently into my face and deafened by their shouts of, "Is she OK?! What happened?! Is she dead?!" 

I was intensely aware of my anger. Yes, anger. It was brief yet ardent nonetheless. I was angry that I had been removed from a warm, loving, safe atmosphere and returned to the harsh reality of the mundane world and the wracking pain of this physical vehicle as it continued to spew forth liquid from its lungs. I no longer felt airy and free like cotton candy but, instead, thought I would collapse under the weight of the human vessel that restricted my truest Essence.

Upon seeing my Mother's face, my sister's, and that of a few friends my ire abated. I soon felt delighted to be in their company again. 

However, I will never forget that day on the beach. It has served to be a constant reminder throughout my lifetime that there is indeed a another "life" aside from the one we are accustomed to. There is an existence whereupon the emotion of Love is so magnanimous that it pervades our Spirit to the very core. This Love we shall all encounter upon our passing from Mother Earth into the Spirit Realm. I find this knowledge sublimely comforting, and hope you do as well.

~ Man's Power of Choice enables him to think like an Angel or a Devil; A King or a Slave. Whatever he chooses, Mind will create and Manifest ~ Frederick Bailes

~The Temple of Wisdom~

Spiritual Readings, Paranormal Insight and Good Mojo
http://temple-of-wisdom.net 

A Personal Near-Death Experience.
Copyright 2002 . Morgana T. Taylor