A Year of Transformative Travel
By Elyn Aviva
I waited anxiously for FedEx to deliver the proof-copy of my new book, The Reluctant Medium: How Channeling Plotinus, Hypatia, and The Collective Transformed My Life. I felt exposed. Vulnerable. And determined, despite my nervousness, to share this combination of memoir and channeled messages with the public.
I cast my mind back over the last year and a half. I had suddenly, unexpectedly, embarked on a transformative journey from shock to awe, from disbelief to knowing, from arms-length observer to all-in participant. A journey where curiosity has been my guide, and open-minded skepticism has been my reality check.
Let me begin at the beginning, if there is such a thing. Almost 1 ½ years ago, my husband, Gary White, and I were drinking espresso in a charming coffee nook in a hotel in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, the town we currently call home. We were discussing a variety of topics, including: What is the nature of evil? Can we communicate with the deceased? What is the meaning of life? Is the universe neutral or does it care about humans? And so on.
Suddenly, I felt someone wanting to use me as a channel. My mouth changed shape, and a deep, slightly accented voice spoke through me. I was so startled that I stopped the process. But then I relented.
The voice continued:
“We humans are here to experience the full range of experience. That’s why we have incarnated. We learn from the ‘bad’ more than from the ‘good.’ We are in the process of spiritual evolution, and we need to have the full range of experiences to evolve.”
As I felt the presence withdraw, I had the presence of mind (I’d taken several evidential mediumship classes) to ask who was speaking. I “saw” the name “Plotinus.” I looked him up on Google: the father of Neoplatonism, an ancient Greek system of philosophy, Plotinus lived in the 3rd century CE. His teachings explored the very topics that Gary and I had been discussing.
I was stunned. Plotinus has been dead for 1700 years. He was dead, and yet he was listening in to our conversation. I knew that communication “across the Veil” was the premise of mediumship—but for me, it had remained pretty much an abstraction. I wasn’t what you would call a “natural” medium.
Eyes open wide, Gary said, “Well, that was interesting!”
I nodded, speechless. We walked out of the coffee bar in shock. There really was life after death. Plotinus was listening in from the “Other Side.” He had wisdom he wanted to share, and he had chosen me as his messenger. (See my earlier story for the full account: https://www.yourlifeisatrip.com/home/traveling-to-other-dimensions.)
Thus began a paradigm-shifting, transformative experience for both Gary and me. I began communicating with Plotinus regularly after setting clear boundaries. He had to leave when I asked, and I did not want him speaking through me unless I gave permission. Instead, I asked him questions (What’s it like on the Other Side? How do you spend your time? What happens after death?), and he answered silently. I heard his replies in my mind, a bit like telepathy. I wrote down the questions and the answers, and then I entered them into a word file.
Hesitantly, I started sharing this highly unusual experience with trusted friends, people I hoped would not think I had gone off the deep end. I found their responses reassuring. Several of them had questions they wanted me to ask Plotinus, which I did.
Soon, another long-dead person joined our conversations: Hypatia of Alexandria. She was a famous mathematician and astronomer, head of an important Neoplatonic academy in Alexandria, Egypt. She was brutally murdered by a fanatical Christian mob in 415 CE.
On several occasions I asked for evidence that I really was talking with Plotinus and Hypatia. They gave me information that I was able to verify—maybe not convincing enough for a court of law but convincing enough for me. For example, Plotinus gave me the name of another important Neoplatonist, one with whom he disagreed. I “saw” the robe that Hypatia was wearing and verified that she did wear it—even though it was a special garment only supposed to be worn by male philosophers.
Hypatia and Plotinus didn’t always agree. Their unique personalities were apparent even after death, yet another confirmation that consciousness continues after it leaves the physical body. On several occasions, they invited other long-deceased persons to answer my questions because, they explained, they did not know everything.
A group called The Collective, of which they are a part, also joined in, often sounding like a Greek chorus, a mixture of different voices speaking harmoniously. I asked who they were and was given some names, but I was also told I wasn’t ready to know all of them yet.
Over the months, our conversations shifted from general questions (What’s life like on the Other Side? Is there a battle between Good and Evil? What happens to people after they die who have committed terrible acts while alive?) to my asking for advice about my health and relationships. Plotinus and Hypatia began to function as my personal guides, and I appreciated their wise council and loving support. They care not just about me but about everyone.
Plotinus, Hypatia, and The Collective have important messages to share about the world situation. That humanity is going through a difficult, challenging period. That we are a dangerously off-balance species. Plotinus said several times: “[Remember that] we are all One. We must treat each other with love and compassion.” Hypatia reiterated, “What we do to each other, we do to ourselves.” They both affirmed, “You—everyone—are so very loved.”
They told me they weren’t talking to me just for my personal edification—they had urgent messages they wanted to communicate to the world, and they had chosen me (and I had agreed) to help them with this task. They kept urging me to write a book.
A year after I spontaneously channeled Plotinus, I sat down at my computer and began turning the Word file of channeled messages into a manuscript.
Elyn Aviva, PhD, MDiv, is a transformational traveler, writer, and fiber artist. She lives in Girona, Spain. She co-authors Powerful Places Guidebooks and writes novels on powerful places, pilgrimage, and quest. Her most recent is The Reluctant Medium. To learn more, visit www.pilgrimsprocess.com, www.powerfulplaces.com, and www.fiberalchemy.com.
