THE MISTS OF ADVENTURE

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"MICHAEL HAS RETURNED WITH ME, ACIANA," (Aeon responded) "I WILL NOW ASSUME A MORE PASSIVE MODE SO I MAY PASS THE ESSENCE OF YOUR THOUGHTS TO AND FROM EACH SPEAKER," He continued. (I noticed the glow that was Aeon take on a brighter intensity)

"WELCOME, MICHAEL...THIS IS ACIANA," (an image of a somewhat smaller dolphin came across with these words. I also got a flood of nervous excitement on a parallel carrier wave)..."CAN YOU SEE ME?" she continued.

As I looked closer I could see one of the dolphins in the small circle was bobbing its beak up and down and sending what I sensed was an identification whistle. The effect of only one beak moving up and down amidst all those other quiet dolphins was eerie. They wanted to be sure I made no mistake in identification.

"I am here, Aciana...," I finally answered, "This is what my species would definitely consider a PEAK experience... Pardon me if I seem somewhat dumbfounded...the image of all your faces pointed in my direction is astounding. For once, a human has a dolphin audience instead of the other way around. Would you like me to do some tricks?" (I laughed nervously)

Instantly, there was an explosion of activity and chattering louder than I heard when we first arrived. There were dolphins bounding over one another, more tail surfing, and all kinds of breaching. This was one HAPPY bunch. Then, just as suddenly as before, the water became still and I could see Aciana swim to the edge of the gathering.

"I SEE YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR, MICHAEL...," (this time the carrier conveyed a warm sense of delight and recognition and I saw a quick glimpse of an unknown dolphin performing in some Marineland amusement park) "YOUR SINCERITY AND YOUR FEELINGS ARE COMING THROUGH TO US LOUD AND CLEAR. THANKS TO AEON, THIS MOMENT IS OCCURRING DECADES BEFORE WE EXPECTED IT TO," she added.

The clarity of her remarks was astounding! To feel and see as well as hear with each remark was, to say the least, a multi-channel banquet of communication. But my biggest surprise was her use of the words "to us" in her last remark. Could it be that the instant reaction to my humorous response was because ALL the dolphins below me could hear my words simultaneously? Were they telepathic?

"Aciana, you said 'TO US' in your last remarks. Are you telling me that ALL of you can now hear and feel what I am saying to you? Are dolphins capable of such mass communication?," I asked.

"WE ARE, BUT NOT USUALLY ON SUCH A GRAND SCALE," she responded, "BECAUSE AEON HAS SET UP A COMMON NET FOR US ALL TO TUNE IN, WHAT NORMALLY IS ONE-TO-ONE TELEPATHY HAS BEEN ENHANCED TO INCLUDE ALL OF US HERE. THAT'S PART OF THE REASON FOR ALL THE EXCITEMENT YOU ARE SEEING DISPLAYED. (For a brief instant, I could detect the obvious satisfaction they were feeling.)

"Well, Aciana, I am here to listen as well as speak. Aeon said something about urgency to speak with me? Just what is Project Babel supposed to accomplish, from the dolphin point of view? What can one single human possibly accomplish that will further the cause of dolphin-kind?," I finished.

There were more stirrings in the water and I saw many dolphins face each other as if to clarify my questions with each other ... or was it to formulate a response?

"AEON HAS TOLD YOU ALREADY ABOUT THE GRADUAL SPIRITUAL AWAKENING OF MANKIND...BOTH MAN AND DOLPHIN ARE NOW APPROACHING AN EVOLUTIONARY TURNING POINT...HE ALSO TOLD YOU WHY SOME HUMAN SPIRITS WILL INCARNATE AS DOLPHINS OR WHALES IN THE FUTURE...THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BRING THE PROCREATION OF MANKIND TO A STANDSTILL AND GAEA WILL INVOKE A REJUVENATION OF ALL DRY LAND AREAS ON THIS PLANET...SOME OF US ARE DUE TO MAKE THE TRANSITION SOON AND WE NEED YOUR INPUT TO HELP US PREPARE THEM FOR CROSS-INCARNATION TO HUMANITY. THEIR STRENGTH WILL BE NEEDED IN THE FINAL YEARS, AS WELL AS THEIR REMEMBRANCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE SEA," she concluded. (There was a mixture of sadness and pensiveness with her last remarks and I sensed that dolphins used the word transition to describe death.)

"I'm beginning to understand this now, Aciana," I quietly responded. (I'm sure my anguish over being reminded of man's final years was conveyed to them via Aeon.) "This awakening couldn't come at a better time for mankind, for it will be necessary to convince him that the end will not really be the end. It appears we are all still a long way from the Christmas of the Universe. But this very meeting, Aciana, makes me feel that we just got one step closer. I will assist you in any way that I can," I concluded.

Dawn was beginning to break at Grassy Key and I was detecting a sense of urgency from the assembled dolphins that it was time to depart this area. In fact, I could see that the world of humans was beginning to stir. Aciana swam back to the center of the dolphin assembly and some of the others on the fringe were beginning to swim out to sea.

"ACIANA...WE HAVE GATHERED AT THE PLACE OF MISTS... THE MULLET ARE RUNNING CLOSE BY AND IT'S TIME TO FEED...PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY... (Another faintly detectable message similar to the one I heard from Aciana before Aeon and I left for Grassy Key. It was obvious that it covered some distance.)

"MICHAEL, PLEASE FOLLOW US TO THE PLACE OF MISTS," she said, "WE CAN FINISH OUR CONVERSATION THERE... NIREN AWAITS US WITH OUR COUSINS YOU CALL THE COMMON DOLPHIN," she added.

That answered another question I would have posed about communication between the Bottlenosed dolphin and the Common dolphin. Apparently, they were well acquainted. Right now, though, I had a more pressing question... Who was Niren?

"ACIANA, THIS IS AEON...WE WILL MEET YOU AT THE PLACE OF MISTS...I AM TUNING IN NIREN'S CARRIER WAVE RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE ABOUT TO LEAVE. SHOULD I TELL HIM YOU ARE LEAVING NOW? (Aeon's voice surprised me, he had been quiet so long)

"PLEASE DO, AEON...," (she answered) "ALSO TELL NIREN THAT WE ARE DRIVING A DIFFERENT SCHOOL OF MULLET RIGHT IN THEIR DIRECTION...THEY SHOULD FEED WELL TODAY..."

There was the usual fading of one scene and the immediate fade-in of another, but this time I could not see a shore line. We were certainly further out to sea. I saw some dolphins off in the distance, running and diving, and then I saw about seven of them directly below me.

"Aeon, before you set up communication with the dolphins out here, could you tell me just who is Niren?" I asked, "...and what is the place of mists?" I added.

"I AM NIREN, MICHAEL..." (evidently, the communication link was still intact from my conversation with Aciana. There was a smaller, sleeker dolphin below me with a dark gray back and a pattern of yellow and gray streaks on the sides. His beak looked about three inches longer than Aciana's and this flippers were longer and black instead of light gray. Even more interesting, he appeared to have a black mask effect over his eyes, which contrasted the yellow around the mask. Of course, his beak moved up and down to let me know who was speaking to me.) "...I AM THE OTHER COMPANION FROM YOUR DISTANT PAST THAT AEON SPOKE OF. WELCOME TO THE PLACE OF MISTS, WHERE MINE AND ACIANA'S LIFE-GROUPS COME TO RELAX, UNWIND, AND SHARE NEWS WITH EACH OTHER. HER GROUP CARRIES NEWS GATHERED CLOSE TO THE SHORE, AT GRASSY KEY AND WE BRING NEWS GATHERED FROM CONTACT WITH OTHER DOLPHIN GROUPS MUCH FURTHER OUT. IT'S A KIND OF NETWORK, IF YOU WILL." he concluded.

I could see off in the distance there were Bottlenosed dolphins headed our way and, by the looks of it, they were running and jumping at a pretty good clip. That must be the group that started just before Aciana left.

"I'm thrilled to be here, Niren," I answered, "By the way, before I forget, Aciana says her group is driving another school of Mullet in your direction." I added.

"WE KNOW. THAT SCHOOL WAS ECHO-LOCATED SOON AFTER ACIANA'S GROUP STARTED THE DRIVE. WHEN WE ALSO DETECTED OTHER DOLPHINS BEHIND THEM, WE FIGURED OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. WE ARE READY FOR THEM." he said.

I had read how sophisticated the echo-location system of the dolphin was, but I never knew if it had a range. I did read somewhere that the sound waves emitted for distance location were so intense that they almost turned into HEAT. By the same method, they were able to zap their prey, temporarily stunning them long enough to move in for whatever they needed. I could see how this would be useful for defense against sharks as well. But to echo-locate a school of Mullet as far off as the one Aciana's group was driving was quite an accomplishment. If I had my lips with me now, I would be whistling in astonishment. I saw the Common dolphin running in the distance suddenly shift and set a course to intercept the incoming Mullet and Bottlenoses. This was going to be a real picnic.

"Tell me, Niren, just how is it that you and Aciana have an active memory of our acquaintance on the continent of Atlantis?" (Aeon said he would let them answer this for themselves.) And just how were we acquainted, anyway?" I added.

"ACIANA SAID YOU WERE FULL OF QUESTIONS, MICHAEL..." (I could detect a smile coming through with that one) THE DOLPHIN BRAIN HAS REACHED A POINT IN ITS EVOLUTION THAT IT CAN HOLD ALL PREVIOUS LIFE MEMORIES. THE HUMAN BRAIN COULD ALSO, BUT THE SPIRIT MUST BE READY TO ASSUME ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL AS BE STRONG ENOUGH TO ABSORB ANY ASSOCIATED TRAUMA. HUMANITY HAS NOW REACHED THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO DO SO BUT IT WILL HAPPEN ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. ACIANA WAS YOUR SON DURING OUR LAST SHARED EXPERIENCE ON ATLANTIS AND I WAS YOUR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW." (I got a very vivid image of what appeared to be a wedding in a beautiful white temple with Greek columns and lighted crystals along the walls. I could see the young man (my son) facing the girl and he was speaking vows. I couldn't see her face because this was evidently Niren's personal memory and it was from her/his point of view. I could see an older woman crying just over the young man's shoulder. She appeared to be one of the mothers, but I couldn't tell at first...then a chord of familiarity struck me like a bolt of electricity and I realized it was ME in that life.)

"Now that was quite an exchange, Niren!" I said, still recovering from the images. "I assume I am here to assist both your life-groups in the start of Project Babel?" I questioned.

At this time Niren's attention was diverted to more incoming Bottlenoses, Aciana among them, and I witnessed an incredible reunion of dolphins who were leaping, breaching, jumping over each other, swimming against each other, and chattering, squeaking and whistling. There was such much activity that the water appeared to churn from the wake of it all. Then I noticed something else...the expelled air coming from all those blowholes in such close proximity mixed with the moisture of the sea water and created a fine mist which hovered over and around them. The sun was shining through the mist and I could see a rainbow forming from end to end, stretching for hundreds of dolphins wide! There were sea gulls flying above them, looking for any pieces of Mullet that may be floating around them. I could see flashes of white wings flying through the mist and literally through the rainbow. It was incredible and awe inspiring! It was, in every sense of the word, a beautiful place of fellowship, a true place of mists as they had named it. And I was privileged enough to share in all of it. What an adventure this had proved to be!

"MICHAEL, THIS IS ACIANA AGAIN...NIREN WASN'T IGNORING YOUR LAST QUESTION. HE WAS CAUGHT UP IN THE THRILL OF THE REUNION OF OUR TWO LIFE-GROUPS. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S QUITE AN EXPERIENCE! AND SINCE PROJECT BABEL IS PROVING TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE ARE ALL VERY EXCITED. YES, YOU ARE HERE TO ASSIST US IN A MUTUAL LEARNING ENDEAVOR. NOW THAT WE HAVE COMMUNICATED IN THIS WAY, IT WILL NOW BE POSSIBLE TO AT LEAST VERBALLY EXCHANGE IDEAS OVER THE YEARS FROM GRASSY KEY TO YOUR HOME. AEON'S HELP WILL NOT BE NECESSARY BUT ALWAYS WELCOME," she explained.

"You did say OVER THE YEARS, Aciana?" I asked, "And what will we be mutually exchanging? I've already gleaned so much from this one visit, yet I feel it's only the tip of the iceberg," I added.

"AEON TELLS US THAT YOU HAVE A MACHINE THAT STIMULATES DELTA WAVES IN THE HUMAN BRAIN. THAT WILL BE VERY USEFUL TO ENHANCE OUR CONTACT IN THE FUTURE. THERE IS SO MUCH EACH OF US KNOWS FROM LIVING LIFETIMES AS A HUMAN OR DOLPHIN BUT TAKES FOR GRANTED WHEN TRYING TO CONVEY IT TO ANOTHER SPECIES. THESE ARE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT EACH OF US CAN FIND INVALUABLE BEFORE WE EMBARK ON A CROSS-SPECIES INCARNATION. AND THAT IS HOW WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER PREPARE. SOME OF THE SPIRITS HERE HAVEN'T BEEN INCARNATE AS A HUMAN BEFORE AND THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY WILL DWINDLE RAPIDLY IN THE FUTURE AS YOU ALREADY KNOW," she answered.

"ACIANA...NIREN?...I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT BUT MICHAEL IS REACHING THE LIMITATION OF THIS ASTRAL PROJECTION. WE WILL NEED TO LEAVE SOON..." (Aeon's patient voice came over a lot clearer when I was out-of-body, it seemed.)

"OF COURSE, AEON," came the voice of Niren again, "WE ONLY HAVE ONE PARTING FAVOR TO ASK OF YOU MICHAEL, IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND?" he continued.

"Name it," I answered.

"AEON HAS TOLD US OF THE VISUAL BEAUTY OF THE TREES AND GRASS IN YOUR WORLD AND IT SOUNDS SO WONDERFUL! OUR ANCIENT RIVER DOLPHIN FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN THE CHANG JIANG HAVE ALSO REMARKED ABOUT THEM BUT THEIR EYESIGHT IS VERY POOR AND ALL THEY CONVEY IS FROM ECHO-LOCATION. WE EVEN GO TO DRY LAND TO DIE, PREFERRING TO LIE IN THE SAND IN DRY SILENCE THAN TO BECOME FRAGMENTS IN THE BELLY OF A SHARK. WHILE WE CAN STILL SHARE VISUAL IMAGES THROUGH AEON, WOULD YOU MIND FOCUSING ON SOME BEAUTIFUL FOREST YOU HAVE VISITED SO WE CAN ALL SHARE IN THE WONDER OF IT?" he finished.

It was really dawning on me what Aciana had said about taking things for granted. The Chang Jiang river in the far east! Wow, our dolphin cousins REALLY know how to reach out and touch someone! And what they valued as a final request was imagery of a beautiful forest. I was moved to the depth of my spirit.

"That should not be a problem, Niren," I answered. "I shall long cherish the imagery I have witnessed here, in the mists of adventure. Aciana, we will speak again, I'm sure," I finished, sending warm emotional smiles to all of them.

With that, I called upon my favorite meditation in Clifton Gorge. The color of the autumn leaves alone would touch them deeply, I thought. I kicked in the other stimuli, including the bird sounds, the smell of moss and evergreen, and the soft brush of breezes against my cheek. I was just touching the cool blades of grass and following the rockabye descent of a russet maple leaf when I thought I heard two life-groups break out into joyous fin-dancing...

I came to my senses as a rush of air entered my lungs and I opened my eyes to see the walls of the apartment around me. I noticed two things immediately...it was dark outside and I had a healthy five o'clock shadow on my face. I walked to the balcony to confirm that the sun was setting instead of rising. As I watched it slowly sink into the western horizon, I wondered...Aeon?

"IT WAS NO DREAM, MICHAEL," came his familiar tone in my mind, "...IT WAS A JOURNEY WELL TAKEN AND WELL RECEIVED. AND AS THEY POINTED OUT, YOU'VE ONLY BEGUN TO LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER. UNTIL NEXT TIME MICHAEL...," his voice faded with the setting sun.

"Until next time, Aeon," I thought in return. "Thank you for opening the door between us all," I concluded.

For all the years I've read about the duality of spirit and body, one trip upon the wind with Aeon had taught me volumes about its reality. In fact, Aeon once told me we were "younger than the trees yet older than the forest." Speaking of which, I just got the notion to go out to the Gorge and sit amongst the trees. Tomorrow morning would be a good time. At the very least, I'll be doing it for some very old friends...