ABOUT three years ago, while in my hour of meditation one morning, I became conscious of ascending in a shaft of Light. I was also conscious of a Brother being with me, although I did not see him. We had ascended a way up this shaft of Light when its sides became transparent and I was able to look out. There I saw crowds of people with hands stretched toward us as if calling for help. I wanted to stop on our ascent and help these people. As soon as this thought came to me the Brother with me said, “No, my son, you cannot stop your ascent. If you do they will but hold you down in their realm of consciousness. Let not your attention be attracted away from the Light; know that all you can give is the reflection of the Light you are as you ascend to the Heights. They must come to know that they too are that Light, and turn their attention within to it.”

This did not satisfy me, I still wanted to stop and give them a helping hand, they seemed so earnest and desirous of help; when behold, I could feel the pressure gathering around me and pressing up against me until it seemed that I was gasping for breath. The people themselves had disappeared, the shaft of Light had gone and so had my Brother. I was alone and struggling for existence against this which seemed to be pressing the very life out of me. In my fear of it I called, “Brother, Brother, do not forsake me in my hour of need!” At once I was back in my room, and was breathing very hard when I became conscious in my body.

The meditation was over but the lesson stayed with me. For days and weeks I pondered over it. I wanted to help my brothers of earth, to see the Light. Was it not God’s will that we should help them? Was it not selfish to cast them aside that we might gain the Light for ourselves? These and many more questions arose in my mind, until almost a year later I had another experience during meditation.

This time we ascended some distance when again I was able to see as before, and again I wanted to stop; when I suddenly remembered what happened the other time. I turned again to the Brother, and the shaft of Light closed about us and we were on our way.