Chapter 1

The Early Years

THE RECOGNITION OF MY PSYCHIC ABILITY

I am often asked if I was "born with a veil" and if my abilities are a result of that special circumstance. To be "born with a veil" means that, at the time of birth, a part of the amniotic sac (in which the fetus has lived in the mother's womb) covers the face of the newborn. A superstition persists that those born with a veil possess extraordinary psychic powers, that they are psychically superior to the average person, and that it represents an omen from God.

To me, this theory is unfounded; it remains nothing more than a superstition. Many who were born with a veil don't even know it, and those who do know it certainly don't all exhibit fantastic psychic powers. It is also true that some of the most psychic and intuitive among us were definitely born without a veil. The answer I always give is, "Yes, I was born with a veil, but I don't attribute my psychic ability to an amniotic sac!" I have worked too long and too hard, developing this ability to a finer degree, to believe it is just a circumstance of birth.

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, of Italian ancestry. Both sets of grandparents came from Palermo, Sicily. Growing up, I experienced all the excitement, emotion, and intensity typical of an Italian family!

My school years were filled with sports, social activities, and just about every contest I could find to enter. Winning academic and sports awards brought me the attention I craved. With all my many activities, I was a highly self-disciplined student, so my parents never had to force me to study. I realize now that I was a perfectionist even way back then, and I took great pride in my ability to stay at the top of my class.

As early as age twelve I knew I had special psychic abilities. I recall, in particular, one day when I noticed what appeared to be colors around a junior high school teacher's head and shoulders, as he lectured. A flash of the color green, then an airplane, and then the city of Philadelphia appeared to me to the right of his head. I had had no psychic training -- in fact, I didn't even know what a "psychic" was -- but I felt this was an event coming up for him and that it would be good. (The green light gave me that indication.)

After class, I went up to the teacher and asked if he were planning a plane trip to Philadelphia. He said yes, he was, and then asked if he had mentioned it in class. I said, "No. I just had a feeling about it." Later, it was confirmed that he had a safe and enjoyable trip.

As time went on, it became apparent that whenever I saw or felt something to the left of a person, it represented the past. Something to the right represented the person's future. This remains true for me today: I "read" people like a book, left to right.

I began to understand that the colors I was seeing around people were part of the aura, or energy field, surrounding all living things. I began picking up thoughts from others telepathically and became adept at the most common form of extrasensory perception (ESP), the feeling of "just knowing" something was going to happen. This occurred more and more frequently, and I was right most of the time.

In high school, when I knew the answer to a question the teacher was asking, I would concentrate on my name being called without having to raise my hand. A good percentage of the time my little game worked! Without even realizing it, I was sharpening my mental abilities through practice. In college, my roommates constantly tested me, asking what grade they might get on an exam or whether they would hear from a certain boy at a certain time. The more I used this intuitive sense, the more accurate I became. (Practice does make perfect!) And because I felt close to God, having grown up in a devout Catholic environment, I believed my faith had a lot to do with my abilities.

MY PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT

After graduating from Ohio University in 1968, I moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with my family. I had been suffering for some time from severe migraine headaches and was experiencing some personal problems with relationships. These problems turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because in searching for answers, I took the advice of a friend, who told me to see a local psychic, the Reverend Jewel Williams.

I had been quite hesitant, at first, about seeing Jewel, because of my Catholic upbringing. Jewel was minister of her own church, the Universal Church of the Master Jesus. I knew my faith did not allow its members to attend or even enter other churches, but my intuition told me this was the right thing to do, and that intuitive feeling, once again, paid off. Meeting Jewel was to be a turning point in my life.

I began by attending -- with a friend! -- one of Jewel's regular Friday night "message services" at her home. About thirty people attended. Each of us wrote a question and put our initials on a slip of paper, which we folded and put into a basket. Jewel would take one of the papers, put it to her temple, and read exactly what it said -- without looking at it! This is known as "billet" reading. (Many famous psychics, such as mentalist the Amazing Kreskin, are adept at this practice.) On this night she selected my piece of paper, called out the initials "L.M.G." and said, "You do this work." Then she added, "You will do this in front of millions." She also knew -- intuitively -- about my migraine headaches and said I should have my neck examined by a chiropractor.

Everything Jewel told me turned out to be accurate and a blessing. Her puzzling prediction about my life's work has been and is now coming true. Even the advice on my headaches -- rather controversial at the time -- made a difference in my life: The chiropractor I chose was a practitioner of holistic health, a subject that has always interested and influenced me greatly.

After that first visit, I returned to Jewel's house on many occasions. At the same time, I visited other psychics and attended seminars and classes on "positive programming" given by Science of Mind, Unity Church, Maxwell Maltz, Napoleon Hill, Joseph Murphy, Norman Vincent Peale, Anthony Norvel, Dale Carnegie, and others. This proved to be an invaluable combination: While different psychics sometimes told me things about my future that upset me, I learned in my positive-thinking classes that I could change my future by "programming" for what I wanted.

Putting the psychic predictions and the positive programming together, I decided to concentrate on changing the things I did not want to happen. I decided to create my own future.

Before you jump ahead to the How-To section of this book, let me caution you that some crises or problems may not be "programmed away" if they are necessary for our personal growth. The trick lies in learning how to trust what you are doing and what is happening. As some would put it, "Let Go and Let God."

Once interested in all aspects of psychic phenomena, I read every available book on the subject. I also became involved in astrology, discovering that I was a Libra on the cusp of Scorpio, with my moon in Gemini and Capricorn as my rising sign. It was fascinating to learn that many aspects of my astrological chart -- based on the date, time, and place of my birth -- pointed toward an interest in health and spiritual topics and my concern for the well-being of others. My chart showed a good combination of influences on what has now become my life's work. (Though there remain many in our society who are skeptical of "these New Age practices," in fact astrology goes back to the ancient Hindus and is based entirely on the science of astronomy.)

I began working on my own psychic development with a combination of prayer, meditation, positive-thinking techniques, and creative visualization principles designed to bring only good into my life. I continued to search for a way to test my faith and theories and for relief from my lingering migraine headaches.

One thing I began to realize, by this time, was the fact that my whole concept of God had evolved considerably, from what had been my early experience. Growing up as a Catholic child, I thought God was a man in a chair, with Saint Peter sitting at his right-hand side and Gabriel blowing his horn. I believed that, if we were good, we would go to heaven when we died, get wings, and be assigned a cloud. If we were bad we would go to Hell, where there was a lot of fire and we would be forced to shovel coal while the devil poked at us with his pitchfork.

I now know "Him" as a vibrating sea of intellectual energy, a cosmic power, an infinite intelligence -- omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. "He" is infinite light, unmanifested, the Higher Power. I learned that this Higher Intelligence, which I call God, is known by different names to different people, and that although I refer to this Intelligence as "He," in fact it is neither man nor woman, personal nor impersonal. God is, for me, an energy, nondenominational, not limited to any religions, dogmas, ideologies, creeds, or preconceived ideas of man. Through my studies I realized we were all created in His image and should, therefore, not limit ourselves, and I learned to strive for an ever-increasing awareness of His all-encompassing light and love.

MY TRIP TO JAPAN

In 1970 I decided to go to Japan. At that time, I believed in reincarnation, and thinking that I had lived at least one previous lifetime in that country, I felt driven to find my roots there. My desire and need to prove certain metaphysical theories compelled me to go to a completely foreign land, where I knew nothing of the language or the people, and where I would be forced to depend upon the guidance of God, Jesus, and the angels for every move I made. The lack of itinerary would surely prove my faith and my ability to communicate with God.

This was to be a metaphysical experiment to prove that I could create my own future through the powers of my mind. I decided to program my mind for the things I wanted to accomplish, actively visualizing and reading my long list of affirmations. I spent many hours each day reading them to myself and aloud. (I recalled that, in Catherine Ponder's book The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity, she said the power of the spoken word is sometimes greater than that of the silent word.)

Much to the surprise of my family and friends, I abruptly sold my car, quit my job, and bought a one-way ticket to Tokyo. And -- feeling it would be good to have a contact in Japan when I arrived there -- I programmed my mind to attract such a contact before I left home. A few days before my departure date, I "saw" that I would meet an important contact for my trip in the Benihana of Tokyo restaurant, nearby in Fort Lauderdale. So I did not question it when I met two Japanese businessmen there, who offered to call a sponsor family in Osaka they were certain would be willing to let me stay at their home! My faith in the guidance of the Infinite Intelligence was validated.

The month I spent with that Japanese family further solidified my belief in the power of the subconscious mind. Even as I went about the usual tourist activities -- the World's Fair, the opera, the markets, etc. -- my strict daily meditations, visualizations, prayers, and mental attitude increased my psychic vibrations to a much higher level. I began to hear a distinct humming sound in my ears, the first stage in being able to hear clairaudiently. (Clairaudience is the ability to hear messages from "the other side" as well as from your own higher self.) Since I had already communicated with these celestial beings through visions and feelings, it was increasingly important to me to be able to hear their messages audibly. But just to be sure the humming in my ears had no medical basis, I did go to a physician, who assured me there was nothing organically wrong.

When I felt it was time to leave Osaka, I took the bullet train to Tokyo. Arriving without knowing a soul in that teeming city, I sat in the train station and meditated, visualizing that someone who spoke English would come to me and help guide me to where I was supposed to stay.

Suddenly, as I sat meditating, I received an impression that I was in the wrong place. I was reminded that, just prior to coming, I had asked for the location of the largest U.S. Air Force base in Japan, wanting to be near a big hospital. The largest base, I was told, was in Tachikawa -- exactly where my intuition impressed me to go from the Tokyo train station. I boarded the appropriate train and arrived, exhausted and somewhat dispirited, around ten o'clock that night.

Of course I knew no one in Tachikawa either. But I continued thinking positively, certain my needs would be met. Knowing this to be part of the testing of my faith, I kept repeating to myself, "I know Infinite Intelligence is guiding me to the right place. I believe thoughts are things and that I can create my own destiny."

Walking through the narrow streets carrying my absurdly large and heavy suitcases, I came upon a building with an upstairs bar. I had to get off my feet, and the noise and music drew me inside. Within minutes, a Japanese girl named Hiroko, who looked approximately my age, sat down at my table and asked who I was and where I was staying. When I explained my situation, she invited me to stay at her house for the night -- in Tokyo! I had been guided all the way to Tachikawa to meet this friend. My programming had worked again.

As Hiroko worked at Tachikawa Air Force Base, I accompanied her there on the personnel bus the following morning. Knowing I needed another helpful contact for a place to stay in Tachikawa, I visualized someone approaching me to help. True to form, I met an American girl at the bus stop. She invited me to her home, where I was greeted warmly by her family, who provided me not only with a place to stay but also with passes that allowed me access to all the clubs and shops on base. For the rest of my stay in Japan, I lived with this generous family and volunteered with the Red Cross in the base hospital, aiding wounded Vietnam War veterans.

My work at the hospital was highly rewarding, and my experiences in Japan were educational, but after a year I once again became restless. Many of my theories on metaphysics and positive-thinking techniques had been proven and my faith had deepened, but I felt frustrated at not yet being completely clairaudient. Emotionally still out of balance and feeling still spiritually incomplete, I realized I would not find all my answers in Japan, so I returned to Fort Lauderdale in the summer of 1971.

MY RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES AND THE TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE

Once back home, I went about the business of learning more about my chosen career as a teacher and lecturer on holistic subjects. Not completely satisfied with my efforts, I knew I could be doing even more to help others if only I could more fully develop my psychic energies.

One hot, humid night in Miami, I sat alone on the shores of Biscayne Bay, knowing I was facing a crossroads in my life. I knew I had much greater psychic ability than most people: I was clairvoyant, could read auras, and could feel the cosmic forces of the universe. I had even gone to the mystical Far East in my search for the truths that eluded me. I had prayed in gilded temples and ancient shrines, in remote churches and in great cathedrals. I had tried to learn everything possible about the positive and negative energies of all the people I met and had tested my faith in every possible way. Still, I was spiritually deaf. The gift of clairaudience was being kept from me.

In my heart I felt I knew the reason. I was a normal human being, a young woman who -- like most people -- sometimes was influenced by the frivolous lifestyles of those around me. I felt I had been singled out for a special mission on God's behalf, but why couldn't I receive more direct guidance? Knowing I had not put my whole being into the service of God, I began to wonder if He felt I had failed Him. I was desperately unhappy.

All I could do at that moment was pray. I told God I was choosing at that moment to release my life to Him, that I no longer wanted anything that was not for my highest good. I said to Him, "I no longer want to do anything except your Will in my life." And, suddenly, I found myself staring at the water with a new inner peace. The emotional catharsis I had experienced had calmed my mind.

The following morning I was awakened by a voice saying, "Linda, I want to help you." Startled, I sat up in bed -- thinking I had been dreaming. But the voice continued. "We will be working with you, guiding you, and we will present you with many opportunities to help you in the fulfillment of your chosen work." My reaction to this communication from the Higher Self was pure joy and spiritual ecstasy. I knew God had at last responded to my prayers.

Since that morning of July 30, 1971, my life has been guided by spiritual beings, angelic beings, and the God-force. I can hear their voices; I can feel their presence. For those of you who doubt these forces exist, I can only show you, in the course of reading this book and putting its theories into practice, how to experience this communication yourself.

I realize that many of the subjects in this book are controversial. The topics of religion, psychic phenomena, and nutrition always raise questions (and, not infrequently, eyebrows)! Not everything can be proven by scientific theory, but life is not lived based only on scientific theory. If it were, we would be nothing more than automatons. And, in any case, some theories are simply ahead of their time. To take but one example, look at the area of herbal medicine and how long it has taken the West to recognize its validity. Herbal therapies are as old as civilization, itself; yet only in the past decade have doctors in the United States "admitted" their efficacy.

No one has all the answers to life's questions, but we should always remain open to new sources of information. I shall never limit myself to "accepted" scientific or religious theories, and neither should you. A close friend of mine, the late Dr. Ray H. Cameron, has said many times, "The mind is like a parachute: It only functions when open!" Many people have attained higher consciousness and greater happiness using holistic principles. Others never try. Will you?

Everyone has a mission in life, whether great or small. Some of us never realize or acknowledge our life's mission; others realize theirs quite late in life. My mission is not to prove that I am a great psychic. Rather, I believe that God has presented me with the opportunity to bring together and then share all the information available today on holistic health. It is a tremendous job, one I may never fully complete, but I am doing my best to compile sources on the subject, including my own original research, and to introduce this information to as many people as possible. I also work hard at setting a good example.

Spiritual advisers tell me I am destined for my particular mission. To me, this is just another sign that I am on the right track. Even when things don't go as I had planned or wanted them to, I know that something better will come along and work out -- and it always does! In addition, the closer I come to my goal the faster positive things have happened. This is part of the synergism of holistic life, and a sign that I should continue with my mission. Occasionally I feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the assignment, yet it seems it is at these times that people "miraculously" appear in my life to help lessen the load.

As with any large undertaking -- especially one involving the introduction of new ideas -- I have encountered many setbacks and obstacles along the way. I have endured the anxiety of financial problems, the pain of migraine headaches, the emotional stress of broken relationships, the exhaustion of overwork, and the struggles of hypoglycemia. But I have allowed nothing to interfere with this project, as I feel I am doing God's will by working to help others and myself. My life truly is dedicated to completing this important mission.

HAWAII

One more special place must be mentioned in the story of my early psychic development. Having been ordained as a minister in 1972 after six months of study with Reverend Gehrling and the Universal Harmony Foundation, I moved to Hawaii in 1978, to study Eastern philosophy.

Eastern teachings have had increasing influence on the Western world since the 1960s, as they advocate a calmer, more peaceful life, one less frantic and frenetic and more spiritual and meditative. In addition to the beauty of the islands, I wanted to live in Hawaii because of the unity I felt with the people from other cultural and racial backgrounds. Those I met showed a great deal of receptiveness to the holistic principles of body, mind, and spirit. As I traveled through the islands, I conducted radio programs, held seminars, and regularly lectured at the University of Hawaii, all the while taking classes, myself, to learn from the Oriental and Polynesian cultures. The Eastern influence from Japanese and Chinese philosophy led me to absorb their spirituality through seminars, yoga classes, and fascinating discussions with people of many cultures, studying in many different spiritual and metaphysical areas.

In Hawaii I met and learned from a kahuna, a high priest, with great psychic powers. He lived at the base of a mountain on land he had inherited from his ancestors, and he gave spiritual readings by communicating with the ancient spirits. His healing was done with all the tools of Nature. As holistic and alternative therapies are such a large part of their culture and so widely accepted, I was able to learn about them constantly and on a daily basis.

Each day in Hawaii I learned new things and became even more aware of the direction my life was to take. It was an invaluable experience, one that has remained important to me as I live and teach holistically.

Copyright © 1996 by Linda Georgian