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The website of Author/Writer and Psychic Medium Astrid Brown. Making the most of 'YOU' i.e. how to achieve well-being and beauty from within ourselves. A truly holistic blog providing information on all aspects of psychic mediumship, spiritualism, philosophy, holistic therapies, nutrition, health, stress, mental health and beauty with a little bit of Wicca for good measure. Feeling and looking good is as much a part of how we feel inside as the outside.

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I am a great believer in Karma, but just what is it? Karma comes from the Sanskrit and ancient Indian Language with the underlying principal that every deed in our lives will affect our future life. For example, if we treat others badly during our lifetime we will have negative experiences later on in that lifetime or in future lifetimes. Likewise, if we treat others well we will be rewarded by positive experiences.

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ASTRID BROWN

Thursday 19 January 2017

BECOMING VEGAN, IS IT HEALTHY?


I'm not against anything for I believe in moderation in all things and for some people they have no option but to use soya milk in their diet. One of my own daughters developed a cows' milk sensitivity after a severe viral illness as a toddler and we had no option but to give her soya. As Dr, Nestor Demosthenous says below it is deficient in calcium and to make up for this I had to supplement her diet with sesame seeds which I might add are the richest  source of calcium but I am diversifying. As human beings we are not biologically designed to be vegans.

There might be some advantages of a vegan diet:

It may help lower cholesterol,  One study into Diabetes carried out in 2007 showed that people with Type 2 diabetes who adopted a vegan diet reduced their LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol by 21 percent 

It may help lower blood pressure:  vegetarian eating is linked with decreased risk of death from ischemic heart disease. The report also concluded that people who eat a vegetarian diet tend to have lower LDL levels and less incidence of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes in comparison to non-vegetarians. Further studies need to be carried out for Veganism.

It increases antioxidant intake: Vegan eating usually increases intake of wholesome foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes and whole grains, which are a high source of antioxidants vitamins and minerals, and of course fibre.

There are I would say more disadvantages of a vegan diet:

For eating a vegan diet is a  radical change: eating becomes complicated if you are not allowed to eat certain ingredients

There can be potential interference with existing medical conditions: If you have a condition such as osteoporosis or diabetes, it is essential to get your doctor’s advice and a registered dietitian when starting  a vegan diet.

It can be difficult when dining out: Not many restaurants offer true vegan choices and often confuse Vegans with Vegetarians
 
There is the loss of essential vitamins and minerals: There is evidence to show vegan diets do not contain vitamin B12, an essential nutrient only found in animal products. Though some vegan products do add it as a supplement

Lastly unrealistic expectations: "A person might believe that by becoming vegan they are making themselves healthier but unless you have a good basic knowledge you may be doing the opposite. At the moment there isn’t enough data to state a vegan diet is the healthiest

As with anything in life there has to be a balance to get the best out of your body you have to treat it well, eat a nutritious diet, drink plenty of water, regular exercise and of course give up smoking and avoid exposure to UV light whether it’s from the sun or a tanning bed. The two latter smoking and UV light are the worst culprits for damaging the skin

Article Below is from the DAILY MAIL

Is your soya latte ruining your FACE? Doctor reveals how a dairy-free diet can wreak havoc with your skin and bone structure

  • Cosmetic doctor Dr Nestor Demosthenous highlights the pitfalls of going vegan
  • Says a lack of calcium - and being exposed to added sugar - can wreak havoc with your skin and even your bone structure if you decided to cut out milk
  • Some soya lattes will contain added sugar to match naturally-sweet cows' milk
Each year more and more Brits undertake a virtuous vegan January in pursuit of healthier lifestyle.
But while dairy-free drinks might seem like a great alternative to cow's milk, is your soya latte actually doing more harm than good?
This year, as an estimated 50,000 of us try out 'Veganuary', a leading cosmetic doctor has warned that eschewing animal products can wreak havoc with your skin and even your bone structure.
Scroll down for video 
In some cases, going dairy-free can mean missing out on the regular dose of calcium  that many of us get from drinking cow's milk in takeaway coffees, on cereal, and in cups of tea 
In some cases, going dairy-free can mean missing out on the regular dose of calcium that many of us get from drinking cow's milk in takeaway coffees, on cereal, and in cups of tea 
Dr Nestor Demosthenous says a lack of calcium - and being exposed to added sugars - are the main culprits.
The aesthetic doctor and specialist in non-surgical procedures, who also works from Harley Street’s PHI Clinic, ran FEMAIL through some of the potential pitfalls going vegan can have on your skin.
ADDED SUGAR 
'If you've gone dairy-free this January and are feeling suitably smug about your soya milk, consider this: soya milk is often sweetened with sugar (up to 12g of it per carton!) to match it to naturally-sweet cows' milk.'
Some soya milk will list 'evaporated cane juice’ as an ingredient which also contains sugar.
'Not only is this not ideal for your teeth or your waistline, but it can have a major effect on your face too,' explains Dr Nestor.
Going for a soya latte? Cosmetic doctor Dr Nestor Demosthenous says a lack of calcium - and being exposed to added sugars - can wreak havoc with your skin and even your bone structure
Going for a soya latte? Cosmetic doctor Dr Nestor Demosthenous says a lack of calcium - and being exposed to added sugars - can wreak havoc with your skin and even your bone structure
'Sugar molecules bind to proteins such as collagen in the skin, which causes a loss of firmness and the start of premature wrinkles forming.
'As collagen breaks down, skin becomes less elastic, thinner and drier. We lose our even skin tone. This all contributes to a dull, aged complexion.' 
Dr Nestor adds: 'This lack of collagen can affect the face in different areas. Losing the fullness in the cheeks and forehead is another side effect of the loss of collagen, which usually happens naturally as we age, but can be aggravated and accelerated by external factors.
Dr Nestor is an aesthetic doctor and specialist in non-surgical procedures
Dr Nestor is an aesthetic doctor and specialist in non-surgical procedures
'The cheeks can atrophy [waste away] and fall down our face, deepening nasolabial folds and marionette lines, which gives us a sad look to the face.'
Dr Nestor suggests combating these effects by snapping up products containing ingredients like grapefruit oil (such as Ermana's Cleanse Balm) or vitamin C (like ZO Skin Health Ossential C-Bright Serum).
In severe cases, he suggests Botox and fillers as a way to lift the face and give skin a 'youthful boost'. 
LACK OF CALCIUM 
In some cases, going dairy-free can mean missing out on the regular dose of calcium (adults aged 19+ need 700mg a day according to NHS guidelines) that many of us get from drinking cow's milk - in takeaway coffees, on cereal, in that last cup of tea before bedtime.
And this lack of calcium can exacerbate the signs of ageing, according to Dr Nestor. 
'In the same way that our body loses bone density, so does our face,' he explains. 'Eye sockets expand, which makes the eyes look deep set, sunken and tired.

CELEBS GO VEGAN 

This is the fourth official year of the Veganuary campaign and, according to its organisers, it has grown from a mere 3,000 participants in 2014 to around 12,800 in 2015.
Its surge in popularity is due in part to high-profile vegans Beyoncé, Gwyeth Paltrow, Brad Pitt and Ellie Goulding, who have all raved about the benefits of an animal-free diet.
In 2013, Gwyneth famously boasted that she hadn't eaten red meat in 20 years, while Brad Pitt is an ardent animals rights activist. 
'There are two dynamics that happen in the ageing face, which can be exacerbated by dietary choices: bone expansion and bone resorption. We lose bone density in the maxilla and mandible [upper and lower jawbone respectively]. 
'This causes an appreciable reduction in facial height and a moderate increase in facial width and depth.' 
If you're concerned about keeping your jawbone defined and your face looking youthful, Dr Nestor recommends upping your calcium fix and opting for unsweetened milk - but a more extreme solution is to get fillers in the cheek, chin and under-eye area.
However if you've decided on a dairy-free diet, all is not lost: 'Calcium intake can be boosted with plentiful green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and kale, as well as almonds, figs and oranges,' says Dr Nestor. 
'For those who are cutting out major food groups, it's key to replace those lost vitamins and minerals wherever you can, for the good of your health, and of course, for the good of your skin.'

THE BENEFITS OF GOING VEGAN

There may be drawbacks but nutritionist Lily Soutter and Jane Land, the founder of Veganuary - the annual drive for people to try veganism in January - say there are plenty of benefits too.
WEIGHT LOSS
'There is ample research to suggest that vegan diets can be effective for weight loss,' says Lily.
'In one study, those following a vegan diet lost 2.52kg more weight than those following an omnivore or vegetarian diet. But the most interesting aspect of the study was that the vegan diets lead to a greater weight loss than the calorie-controlled diet, despite the vegan groups eating until they were full.
'It is likely that this effect is down to the rich fibre content of vegan diets. Fibre can delay stomach emptying, which balances blood sugar and delays feelings of hunger.'
REDUCED RISK OF CANCER
Jane says: 'Vegan diets tend to be higher in fibre, which decreases the risk of colorectal cancer. In 2015, the World Health Organisation classified the consumption of red meat as carcinogenic to humans. This association was observed mainly for colorectal cancer, but associations were also seen for pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.'
LOWER RISK OF HEART DISEASE
'High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for heart disease,' says Jane. 'In 2012, a cross sectional study in Public Health Nutrition compared the blood pressure of non-vegetarians, semi vegetarians, pescatarians, and vegans. The results showed that vegans had the lowest risk for high blood pressure.'
REDUCED RISK OF ARTHRITIS
'Studies have shown that arthritis suffers who are following a vegan diet may experience less joint pain and swelling,' says Lily. 
LESS LIKELY TO DIE
Jane says: 'A recent study conducted by experts at the prestigious Oxford University's Oxford Martin School have found that by 2050, widespread adoption of plant-based diets would avert 8.1 million premature human deaths every year.'






Astrid Brown (Author)
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Tuesday 10 January 2017

AN ESSENTIAL: ESSENTIAL OIL



LAVENDER A VERY VERSATILE ESSENTIAL OIL

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Lavender is from the same family as Rosemary and can be used in much the same way as Rosemary in cooking, often used in French and Moroccan dishes, it is relatively easy to grow and has a multitude of uses but here I want to talk about the use of Lavender as an essential oil.

Like all essential oils do not use in pregnancy or breastfeeding and in epilepsy and a known allergy

Lavender is the only essential oil that can be used neat on the skin (its extremely rare for anyone to have a reaction) and very useful to have in the first aid kit for MINOR burns where the skin is unbroken and the appropriate first aid routine as taken place first i.e. placing affected area into cold running water for 20 mins. It helps prevent scaring, its good to apply with a cotton bud on spots (unbroken skin) and insect bites and in fact applied onto pulse spots like the wrists, backs of knees and temples, neck etc. will help avoid being bitten in the first place. However for massage of large areas a 1% dilution for the head and face and 2% dilution for the body in a suitable carrier. If adding lavender to a bath either dilute in carrier oil and if you have no carrier it can be diluted in some milk and added to the bath.

It's one of the most popular of essential oils in Aromatherapy and has been used in healing in one form of another for centuries. Dried lavender bags have been used in time gone by to deter moths and insects in linen drawers as well as to fragrance them. It was used as an antiseptic back in Roman times who used it to cleanse their skin and wounds and the word comes for the Latin "Lavare" meaning to wash. Lavender was also very popular in Elizabethan times and English lavender was cultivated around Mitchum Surrey and now cultivated extensively in Norfolk.

It's properties were discovered or rather re-discovered by the French chemist Gattefosse quite by accident when he burned his hand and having no water to cool it he plunged it into a vat of lavender essential oil, he noticed how well the burn healed with no scaring and so heralded the birth of modern Aromatherapy.

It can lower blood pressure so can make the user feel a bit dull and drowsy so some caution is needed. It has a calming effect on the mind and can help insomnia however only in small doses if too much is used it will have the opposite effect. It's good for muscular aches and strains and beneficial for the respiratory system helping ease catarrh, laryngitis and colds (a couple of drops to some hot water for inhalations). It helps menstrual cramps massaged over the lower back and abdomen. Its good for headaches either a drop neat on the temples or better still added to some tepid water to make a compress to apply across the forehead

On a spiritual level Lavender helps stabilises the physical, etheric and astral bodies therefore induces a calm state of mind and helps dispel anger and soothes the spirit and helps dispel negativity.

There are so many ways to use this valuable essential oil both neat on the skin for spot treatments in dilution for massage and in the bath, as an inhalation, on pillows to help insomnia and in a burner and can be made into a room spray (a few drops of the essential oil added to some water add a drop of liquid detergent this acts as an emulsifier to disperse the essential oil throughout the water and can be placed in an atomiser 


Astrid Brown (Author)
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Wednesday 28 December 2016

Tales of people who believe they have seen an ANGEL


I have a few stories about Angels this one concerns my grandmother

Just as we need Mediums on the earth side, we also need spirits in the spirit realms who can go between just like Mediums do on earth. My grandmother was perfect for this role as she had been a platform Medium herself in the Spiritualist Church. She would tell me as a young girl about many of her experiences and one I remember very well, about the day one of my older cousins was born. 

One of my aunts and her husband stayed with my grandmother and my aunt was expecting her first child. It had been a difficult labor and it was obvious when the baby girl was born something was seriously wrong with the baby. She was floppy and unresponsive and the doctor attending the home birth had told my grandmother he did not expect the baby to survive the night. My grandmother took the baby into her room and placed her in a crib and made her comfortable and everyone expected the baby would not survive. My grandmother woke during the early hours of the morning and looked over at the baby in her crib, she was astounded to see the tiny baby surrounded by angels from tiny cherubs to larger angels all looking down upon my tiny cousin. My grandmother was transfixed by this scene and watched for some time and fell into a deep sleep. She was woken a few hours later by a baby crying lustily and obviously a very hungry tiny baby at that. My grandmother overjoyed took the baby through to her mother crying with joy and called the doctor. The baby was found to be perfectly normal and alert, a completely different little soul as to how she had been the day before.


That story still gives me goosebumps every time I recall it and one of many spiritual experiences and stories from my grandmother and my early years.

ARTICLE BELOW IS FROM THE DAILY MAIL

'I was just lying there then they appeared, two beautiful beings with wings dressed in white': Incredible tales of people who believe they have seen an ANGEL

  • Former squadron leader Tom Rounds believes angel saved his life while flying
  • Retiree Margaret Jones from Lancashire says an angel touched her in church
  • One in ten Britons have seen or heard an angel - double the proportion in 2010
  • 39% of women are likely to believe in angels compared to only 26% of men 
And it seems Margaret Jones and former C130 Hercules navigator Tom Rounds are not alone, with one in ten Britons claiming to have seen or heard an angel. 
Ms Jones, 78, from Fleetwood in Lancashire, said she felt an angel by her side 20 years ago when she was singing in the choir at her church with her eyes closed.
Margaret Jones
Tom Rounds
Angel experiences: Retiree Margaret Jones (left) felt someone touch her arm while former squadron leader Tom Rounds (right) has told how he heard a call to take action while flying 
As she sang, she said she felt someone touch her arm and hold her hand, adding: ‘I felt the pressure of what seemed like a human hand touching my own.
‘As I was standing on the edge of the choir I assumed that Deborah, who had been playing the organ, had come over to join us; so thought nothing of it.
'The hand then left mine and a few moments later I opened my eyes and was surprised to see Deborah was still sitting at the organ – she wasn’t there beside me.’
After the service, a member of the congregation told her: ‘An angel was here and he was stood next to you Margaret and touched you on your hand.’ 
A few years ago, Ms Jones then also saw two angels standing over her husband Vernie, as he lay asleep in bed - and is adamant she was not dreaming.
She said: ‘I was awake and just lying there then they appeared: two beautiful beings with wings dressed in white. What struck me most was that their hair was golden.
'It shone – they were just beautiful. Then they disappeared through the headboard. This always makes me laugh as it sounds silly, but they really did.’
Ms Jones then woke up her husband and told him. He said: ‘You daft woman, you were dreaming’. Ms Jones replied: ‘I know what I saw and I know I wasn’t dreaming.’
As a C130 Hercules navigator in the 1980s, Squadron Leader Tom Rounds (pictured) had been taking part in a routine low level flying exercise - 250ft above ground level
As a C130 Hercules navigator in the 1980s, Squadron Leader Tom Rounds (pictured) had been taking part in a routine low level flying exercise - 250ft above ground level
The figure of one in ten Britons claiming to have seen or heard an angel is double that of six years ago, according to the Bible Society poll revealed by MailOnline.
The survey found that a third of people believe in angels and the same proportion feel they have a guardian angel watching over them. 
Meanwhile Mr Rounds has told of his experiences of an angel while taking part in a routine low level flying exercise - 250ft above ground level.
As a C130 Hercules navigator in the 1980s, he and the highly experienced crew from RAF Lyneham went through Wales and the West Country.
Their flight was plagued with low cloud and rain and it suddenly became impossible for them to see, so at 280mph and 250ft, they were flying blind.
Mr Rounds said: ‘At some point I felt an overwhelming urge to climb the aircraft away from our then height of 250ft. 
'The hairs on my neck stood up. It was almost as though something was screaming in my head to take action immediately.
‘I duly screamed at the pilot to initiate a hard climb and rapid turn left, as I believed our safety was to be had out over the low lying land to our north over the valley’.
Watching over you: One in ten Britons claim to have seen or heard an angel ¿ double those who said the same six years ago, it was revealed today
Watching over you: One in ten Britons claim to have seen or heard an angel – double those who said the same six years ago, it was revealed today
Just as he yelled at the crew, the radar altimeter - a device which tells the crew the actual height of the aircraft directly above the ground - began shrieking.
Mr Rounds added: ‘We knew at that point that we were now less than 250ft from the ground despite the aircraft attitude being at over 50 degrees, banked to the left, and climbing. We were now flying parallel to the northern slope of the mountain.
‘We then watched mesmerised as the indicated height on the radar altimeter continued to fall and reached at just 50ft - where it stayed.
‘I absolutely believed the plane was about to crash straight into the mountainside and that I had now consigned us, as a crew, to the statistics book of another RAF aircraft lost on a training sortie.’
He added: 'Was that my guardian angel who spoke to me urging I take immediate action? I don't suppose I shall really know for certain but during a quiet moment, I like to believe it was.'
Some 39 per cent of women are likely to believe in angels compared to 26 per cent of men - but roughly the same proportion say they have seen or heard one. 
The Bible Society figures, revealed by MailOnline today, also show that the one in three people who believe in angels has stayed consistent over the past six years.
But you are far less likely to have seen or heard an angel if you are aged over 75, despite that group being more likely to believe in angels than at any other age.
Looking into the light: A third of people believe in angels and the same proportion feel they have a guardian angel watching over them, according to the Bible Society poll
Looking into the light: A third of people believe in angels and the same proportion feel they have a guardian angel watching over them, according to the Bible Society poll
Meanwhile angels are not limited by geography, with a similar proportion of people experiencing angels across Britain.
A Bible Society spokesman said: ‘Of course, there will be many who say it is people’s “imagination or wishful thinking”.
‘But Bible Society believe it’s hard to argue that one in ten people, in this country, claim to have experienced an angel.
‘The Bible makes it very clear angels exist and so, it seems, do people in 21st century Britain.
‘Bible Society believes it is very difficult to argue with those who claim to have experienced an angel and say what they have seen, heard or felt is wrong or a product of their own imagination.’
This research forms part of the Pass it On campaign, which encourages parents and young children to engage or re-engage with Bible stories.
The poll was conducted for the Bible Society by ICM, which interviewed an online sample of more than 2,000 adults across Britain in August.


Astrid Brown (Author)
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Saturday 19 November 2016

THE AFTERLIFE AND A GLIMPSE OF HELL




Other mediums and myself have been trying to enlighten people about the otherside for years and its good to see another account. Its just as I have been shown by my guides. I am not a medium to forecast the future for no one can accurately but to give survival evidence proof that life exists after physical death and its eternal. We are here on Earth to learn and grow, to grow more spiritually and to learn unconditional love is eternal and more important than anything.

The reason I started this blog in the first place was to show you there are much more to us than what we see on the outside and when you radiate unconditional love from your soul you'll experience more contentment and radiate true beauty from your soul.

There are many glimpse of the afterlife stories and they have a common theme, we see loved ones who have passed over and we have the opportunity to learn, grow and develop. This account is by a highly intelligent articulate man, who previously was materialistic and not interested in being spiritual. 

I might add he confirms what my guides have told me that Hell is of our own making and we are not destined to stay there if we realise the error of our ways and accept unconditional love for others is more important than anything. He has been given a wonderful gift and shown and to show others what is most important in life

***************************

I found the story below from The Daily Mail.


The top doctor who swears he saw a glimpse of hell: No-nonsense anaesthetist dismissed patients who said they'd had out-of-body experiences until HE went under the knife


  • Rajiv Parti heard people say they'd seen dead friends during cardiac arrest
  • Doctor said patients also claimed to have seen lights at the end of a tunnel 
  • He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had a series of operations 
  • During one operation he saw visions of his family and former patients
By all indications, the patient on the operating table was dead. His heart had been stopped, his body drained of blood and he was no longer capable of breathing on his own.
He was, in fact, in suspended animation — through a surgical procedure that replaces the blood with a cool fluid and stops all bodily functions. Meanwhile, surgeons had just one hour to repair a tear in the main artery leading to his heart.
This is a difficult operation, not to mention dangerous. And, as the hospital’s chief anaesthetist, it was my job to make sure that the patient remained deeply unconscious throughout.
Dr Rajiv Parti (pictured) had had many patients who claimed to have seen strange things while on the operating table but thought it was all nonsense. That was until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had to go under the knife himself 
Dr Rajiv Parti (pictured) had had many patients who claimed to have seen strange things while on the operating table but thought it was all nonsense. That was until he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had to go under the knife himself 

He did, and thankfully he survived.
In the recovery room later, I was there by his side as he woke up — with a smile on his face.
‘I was watching you guys in the operating room,’ he told me. ‘I was out of my body, floating around by the ceiling. I saw you just standing at the head of the table, I saw the surgeon sewing the patch on my artery, I saw that nurse . . .’
Everything he said was uncannily accurate. But could he really have witnessed it all?
No, of course not — how could he see anything when his heart wasn’t beating, his head was packed in ice and his brain had stopped functioning?
He wasn’t the first patient of mine to have reported strange events. Over the course of my 25-year career, I’d heard people claim to have seen deceased friends during a cardiac arrest, or lights at the end of tunnels or people made of light.
I’d always thought such stories were nonsense, so I said I’d return to talk to him later. But I never did.
By the next day, he’d been moved to another department, so he was no longer technically in my charge. And time, after all, is money. That’s how materialistic I was.
Within a few days, that patient had become just another anecdote.

In many ways, my wife, Arpana, and I had a charmed life. She ran her own dental practice and I was making a very good living not only as an anaesthetist, but also as the co-founder of a private pain clinic.
Soon we’d traded our small house for a larger one and then a mansion. Our cars went from average Fords and Toyotas to ‘supercars’, including a Porsche and a Hummer. I was even planning on buying a Ferrari: my goal was bigger everything — house, cars, art collection, bank accounts.
Naturally, I’d made sure my three children had the finest possible education. And I had my eldest son Raghav’s life all mapped out: he was going to follow in my footsteps and become a doctor.
The only problem was that he wasn’t that interested in medicine, and his grades reflected that. I had no sympathy: I shouted at him a lot, punishing him with my anger. Like my father and grandfather before me, my theory of child-raising was: ‘A bent nail must be straightened with a hammer.’
Otherwise, I felt my life was near-perfect.
Then, in 2008, at the age of 51, I found out I had prostate cancer. I was furious with God: what had I done to deserve this? Still, I booked an operation with one of the best prostate surgeons in the country and assumed that all would be well. ‘I can almost guarantee no complications,’ the surgeon told me — but something went drastically wrong, and I was left with incredibly painful scar tissue and other debilitating side-effects.
There were five more operations over the next two years to try to repair the damage, but none of them really worked.
Then one evening, just two weeks after my fifth operation, I suddenly felt faint. My temperature was 105f.
Dr Parti said he felt himself 'zooming straight up' as soon as he was put to sleep before his operation 
Dr Parti said he felt himself 'zooming straight up' as soon as he was put to sleep before his operation 
I knew instantly what was happening: despite two courses of strong antibiotics, an infection was spreading rapidly in my abdomen. And if I didn’t get help fast, I’d soon be dead from septic shock.
My wife, tears streaming down her face, managed to bundle me into her BMW and drive me to hospital, where I was quickly loaded on to a trolley.
I remember emerging from a fog to see a surgeon looming above me. He held his hands like a praying mantis, a sign that they were scrubbed for surgery and ready to be gloved.
Next time I surfaced, I was in the operating theatre. I managed to tell the anaesthetist what I did for a living and ask him what he was about to give me. Propofol and fentanyl, he said. In other words, the usual — exactly what I would have selected.
‘Are you ready?’ asked the surgeon. He waved his gloved hand at the anaesthetist, and I was asleep before I could answer.
Was it over? Was the surgery already over? I felt myself zooming straight up, as if in a lift. It was the same feeling you get in the pit of the stomach when you’re rocketing to the 20th floor of a skyscraper.
Slowly, my consciousness began to return: I could see the ceiling approaching, its glossy surface slowly getting closer.
Then I looked down and saw my own abdomen, now with several incisions. I heard the anaesthetist make an off-colour joke. I won’t repeat it, but everyone in the operating theatre laughed, including me.
But where was I? For a few moments, I froze with fright, worried that whatever was holding me up on the ceiling would suddenly let me drop. Eventually, though, I relaxed, watching in rapt amazement as the surgeons and nurses worked on my body.
‘Is that really me, or is this really me?’ I wondered. ‘How can I be in both places at once?’
Suddenly, I became aware of a shift in my perspective as my field of vision expanded. I was still in the operating theatre, but at the same time I could see my mother and sister sitting on a sofa in our family home, thousands of miles away in New Delhi — where I’d grown up.
The scene was vivid and detailed. My sister was wearing blue jeans and a red sweater and my mother a green sari and a green sweater.
‘What should we make for dinner?’ my sister asked.
‘It’s cold outside,’ said my mother. ‘We should make hot soup. Lentil sounds good.’
I was so focused on them that the sudden sound of instruments clanking in the operating theatre gave me a start. Turning my head to the left, I found I could still see and hear the scene below me.
‘This guy’s a mess. He’s lucky to be here. Give me more swabs,’ said the surgeon to a nurse.
I was now seriously frightened. What was going on? Would my untethered consciousness ever get back into my body — or was I destined to roam through eternity as a spirit?
I flew up to the ceiling as the medics operated 
Was I dead? I felt like an astronaut who’d left his spacesuit, only to find that a suit was unnecessary to begin with. With rising panic, I looked back and forth at the two scenes — until both started to fade like a fast-setting sun. Everything went dark. I was relieved: I’m returning to my body, I thought.
Then came a jolt of pure fear. To my right, I heard screams of pain and anguish. I was drawn in, as if on a moving pavement, to the edge of a flaming canyon. Smoke filled my nostrils, and with it the sickening odour of burning flesh. I knew then that I was on the lip of hell.
I tried to turn away, but each time I took a step back, an unseen force moved me forward. A voice spoke to me telepathically. ‘You have led a materialistic and selfish life,’ it said. I knew that was true, and felt ashamed. Over the years, I’d lost empathy for my patients.
Standing on the rim of hell, I remembered a woman who’d come to my clinic for treatment of chronic arthritis. She was in considerable pain, but that wasn’t the reason why she was weeping.
‘I need to talk to you, doctor,’ she said to me. ‘My husband’s dying of lung cancer, and I don’t know what to do.’
‘I’d love to talk to you,’ I said, writing out a prescription for pain-killers and sleeping pills. ‘But I have several patients waiting.’
I was like a robot. I’d trained myself to blunt my emotions. Worse, I had trained myself to think only of myself.
While asleep Dr Parti says he left his body and 'felt like an astronaut who’d left his spacesuit'. He saw visions of his family and former patients (stock photo) 
While asleep Dr Parti says he left his body and 'felt like an astronaut who’d left his spacesuit'. He saw visions of his family and former patients (stock photo) 
As the smoke billowed and the burning souls screamed around me, I thought of my possessions and how meaningless they were. Why did I have all these things? Why did I need a home so big that, when we were in different parts of the house, we had to communicate through our iPhones?
I felt steeped in shame. But I knew my chance to change was gone: at any moment now, I’d be pulled into the pit of fire to burn for eternity. There seemed no way out, but I prayed for one anyway.
‘My God, give me another chance. Please give me another chance.’
Almost at that instant, I did get my second chance — in the form of the last person I ever expected to see. It was my father. I recognised him immediately, though he looked at least 30 years younger than when he’d died.
He took my hand in his and led me away from the edge of hell, as if I were still a little boy.
Then, putting his arm around me, my father tried to comfort me — and it was the first time I could remember him touching me affectionately.
To be honest, I almost shrank back — even at the age of 53, I was still afraid that my father was going to beat me, just as he had so many times in my childhood.
But, just then, I had a vivid flashback of the day he found out I’d bunked off school and gave me a savage beating with a cricket bat.
Suddenly, I was seeing it all from his perspective. His own dreams of bettering himself had come to nothing, so he’d beat me because he couldn’t bear to see me wasting my life.
What I’d discovered in my father’s mind wasn’t hatred, but fear. He’d been frightened that I wouldn’t take advantage of my chances and go on to university. His tyranny, I finally understood, had been born of love.
And now this. My father, my cruel and despotic father, was spiritually rescuing me from hell! I looked into his eyes, and my hard heart melted with love.
No words came from his mouth, but for the first time I learned from him that his own father had abused him, just as he’d abused me.
‘Anger,’ my father told me, ‘isn’t usually about an event. It’s passed on from father to son. If you know that, you can stop it; you can choose not to be angry. Simple love is the most important thing in the universe.’
I asked myself, would I ever return to the land of the living? If I did, I would have to focus on love; I would have to break the cycle of anger in my family.
The scenery was changing: I noticed now that we’d walked straight into a tunnel. Incredibly, it was soon teeming with people I knew were my ancestors, reaching out hands of welcome.
I recognised my grandfather, who gave me a look of sheer joy. ‘Love is the most important thing there is,’ he told me. Then both he and my father simply faded away.
I was now halfway through the tunnel. And that’s when I had a life review — in which I re-experienced in detail all the good things that had ever happened in my childhood — from being given sweets by my sisters to the warm feeling of being swathed in my mother’s love.
Again, a telepathic message came from nowhere: ‘The simple moments are the most important. All moments are memory and lessons. They all build the person you are.’
I was nearing the end of the tunnel now, where a light shone more brightly than a thousand suns. I could feel it pulling me weightlessly towards it, but I felt no fear.
Before I could reach the light, however, two angelic forms emerged into the tunnel. Exuding powerful energy as they hovered above me, they introduced themselves as my guardians — the archangels Michael and Raphael.
Now, I’m a Hindu. So it was only later that I learned that St Raphael is the angel of healers, and St Michael is the protector of people and the angel who opens doors.
Both archangels had a human shape, yet they shimmered with light and had a thick translucence. Michael had a blue hue and long hair; Raphael was greenish and wore a cap.
In a moment, I was lifted by them and guided towards the blazing light before us. As we approached, I found myself high above a green meadow, peppered with rose bushes. Just the sweet smell of the grass and roses made me almost delirious with pleasure.
Burning souls were screaming all around me
We travelled on to a higher plane and then a higher one still, until I was surrounded by a landscape of clear light. Raphael explained that at the highest level, you are surrounded by a powerful energy that consists of pure love and intelligence — the underlying fabric of everything in the universe.
Enlightenment comes, added Michael, when a person realises that love is everywhere and is the only thing that matters. Yet most people don’t realise this until they leave the earth.
With that, they took me by the arms and we moved rapidly upwards towards a being of light, a silver-blue form that showed no sign of being male or female.
When it engulfed me with its blue light, I felt as if I were being wrapped in a blanket of pure love. ‘I am one with the universe,’ I thought.
The being started communicating telepathically. ‘You need to look at your life one more time,’ it said. ‘It’s important to reflect on changes that you need to make.’
It went on to tell me that I was destined to become a healer of souls — helping people with problems such as addiction, depression and chronic pain.
I would no longer be an anaesthetist; instead I’d become a practitioner of spiritual medicine, of ‘consciousness-based healing’.
I don’t know how long I stayed with the being. But my exit, when it happened, was sudden and rapid as I fell into a white fog. For the first time, my eyes began to hurt, so I closed them.
And when I opened them . . . I was in the recovery room. My heart was beating hard and my lungs pumping double time.
‘How do you feel?’ It was the anaesthetist, still in his scrubs. ‘That was a rough one,’ he said, referring to my surgery.
I must have looked stunned, because when I didn’t respond, the anaesthetist leaned closer. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
‘I saw you during my surgery,’ I said. ‘I left my body and watched you from the ceiling.’
Two angels lifted me up and guided me to the light 
‘Interesting,’ he said, his voice a study in disinterest.
‘No, really. I watched as you administered the anaesthetic and even heard you tell a joke.’ I repeated his risque joke, word for word, and he blushed.
‘I must not have given you enough anaesthesia,’ he said, looking hard at my file in order to avoid meeting my gaze.
I wasn’t about to be fobbed off. As one professional to another, I was determined to tell him exactly what I’d seen. So I described going to India, where I’d seen my mother and sister, and travelling to the edge of hell. I’d just started on the next part when he glanced at his watch and flipped the file shut.
‘Very interesting,’ he said. ‘I’ll come back later to hear about it.’
I never saw him again.
When the surgeon came in to check on me, I started recounting my out-of-body experience all over again, and this time got all the way to the tunnel entrance.
At that point, he reached for his phone — which wasn’t ringing. Then he excused himself by saying he had an ‘important call’.

POSTSCRIPT
After recovering, Dr Parti resigned from his job as chief anaesthetist at Bakersfield Heart Hospital in California — much to the bewilderment of his colleagues — got rid of all his expensive cars and sold his mansion, moving into a house half the size.
His wife supported all his decisions, keeping the family afloat while he established a new practice to heal people though meditation and other alternative methods.
Realising he’d placed his ego above his eldest boy’s happiness, Dr Parti encouraged his son — then in his third year at medical school — to find a career he preferred.
His son is now happily training to be a computer programmer and enjoys a close relationship with the father he once feared.

Adapted from Dying To Wake Up by Dr Rajiv Parti (Hay House, £10.99). © Rajiv Parti 2016. To buy a copy for £8.79 (valid to November 26, 2016), call 0844 571 0640 or visit mailbookshop.co.uk. P&P is free on orders over £15



23 Aug 2016


by Dr Rajiv Parti and Paul Perry
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PSYCHIC QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

PSYCHIC QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO FORECAST THE FUTURE AND OTHER QUESTIONS?

I am often asked various questions pertaining to the spirit world and various aspects of the psychic, here are some of them: I will in time feature more questions and answers as this webpage evolves

Q. Is a psychic or medium a fortune teller?
A. It may surprise you to know psychics and mediums are not fortune tellers
Q. Is it possible to forecast the future?
A.Well not 100% and this is because of free will.
Q. What is free will?
A. Free will is YOUR right to decide what you want to do about a situation, it is a choice
Q. How does free will affect a situation?
A. Well before we incarnate as Spirit in a human body, we decide on what experiences and challenges that will benefit our spiritual growth. However we are given the choice (free will) as to whether we go through with the experience or challenge. In effect we are allowed to change or mind.
Q. So are you saying we all know what lies before us?
A. Well in a way we all do. Remember we are 'Spirit' in a human body and your spirit does retain a memory but it is deep in our subconscious. This memory is retained deeply for a reason to help us fulfill our experiences and challenges we ourselves chose. However it is also at this deep level so we are not so aware. If you knew what lay before you would you go through with it? Probably not but we still retain this memory deeply and this reflects in our Aura.
Q. So what is the Aura?
A.The aura is The Aura is an electromagnetic field that surrounds living bodies, this includes people, animals, plants and crystals and is composed of several layers that are constantly moving. The Aura links us to whats known as Universal energy i.e. that is all the knowledge in the Universe past, present and future. It is on this aura that psychics are able to tap into and access your past, whats going on in the present and the possible future and I say possible specifically if your goal or desire is dependent on other people, for remember every person involved in a situation has free will.