Your Metaphysical Initiation

 

11th Year Blog Anniversary

April 26, 2009 - April 26, 2020
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  NOTE FROM MRB: This article shares essential aspects related to my ‘paranormal initiation’ that unexpectedly commenced during the summer of 1995.  If used in a studious way, the information could bring substantial results and perhaps one can find comparison to a home study course.  If some of the details of my journalistic account are missed, the multi-faceted process of my ultimately life-changing paranormal initiation may not become readily apparent.  Blog newcomers need to know that I'd traveled to rural Oklahoma to investigate a contemporary ‘talking poltergeist’ haunting without realizing that this would be a fateful endeavor.  I’d learned about this case by reading a magazine article soon after completing a historical nonfiction book manuscript on the subject after years of extensive research while simultaneously working as a movie studio publicity writer here in Los Angeles.  Upon returning home, I continued experiencing phenomenal events and the pen name of "Bell" was passed along to me as an instance of transcendental communication heard by a surprised friend.

Pop songs, artwork and movies are aspects of creativity — a 1976 album cover is juxtaposed with a 2012 NASA image.  (See "Some Observations about 'Channeling' and "Ascended Masters and the Sun")

Beginning the 12th year of metaphysical blogging and reporting after publishing more than 500 metaphysical articles, this post is in two parts. 

The first part offers a list of links to ten blog article categories presenting data making possible expanded metaphysical and spiritual understanding.  The list is presented along with the Pop culture video originally accompanying it in the 2019 blog article "Awake Thou That Sleepest".  Creativity as with the rare cases of 'objective channeling' and other forms of psychic phenomena provide evidence that all consciousness is interlinked.  An example is provided with a brief hypnosis video "Hypnotized girl thinks she's an animal caller and ACTUALLY calls in a real bat! No Joke and it is worthwhile to consider the relevance of The Carpenters' 1977 version of the Klaatu song "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". 

The second part of this article offers some essential excerpts from the in-depth memoir being published in installments with the ongoing series of articles given the title 'My Unexpected Path of Spiritual Discovery.'  The excerpts presented below are from the identified articles in order of most recent to earliest.  One 'channeled entity' has been quoted that each individual person "everyone's opinion about any one thing will differ often vastly, for each has formulated that opinion based on his unique experiences and the understanding or misunderstanding that he has gained in his soul, not only from this life but from all lives lived before this one"; "wisdom is the product of emotion" and "emotions are what were created for the experience of what was created in the mind first."  Identifying Pop culture movies and songs may allow some comprehension of emotional aspects of mentality and context in regard to initiation.

Ten Categories of Ignored Evidence for Expanded Spiritual Knowledge 

   

Hundreds of available audio recordings evidence for Direct Voice phenomena (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Several detailed and nuanced UFOlogy/flying saucer contactee cases that seldom have been reported without a doubting slant — the evidence includes two amazing objects of 'physical proof' from Aboard a Flying Saucer (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Evidence for seance room materialization phenomena (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Evidence for channeling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Evidence for reincarnation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Transcendental Perspectives of Christ and Jesus (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Putting together the poltergeist puzzle (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

The Michael Pattern (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

The Bell Pattern (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

The Aquarian Age (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

 

 

from "When I Became a Metaphysical Author"

. . . working as a publicity writer at Paramount Pictures while in my spare time researching and writing about the paranormal provided me with a unique perspective upon finding myself experiencing a bizarre sequence of events beyond anything I’d seen at the movies or had read about in case study books documenting unexplained phenomena.  I was then living in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.  The articles in this series of autobiographical remembrances provide a way for readers to learn about some of my specific steps to expanded consciousness and make possible that some of my initial steps to expanded consciousness can also be yours.

The mysterious events in my life culminated after a research expedition to investigate a 'talking poltergeist' in Oklahoma only to discover that upon returning home to Los Angeles the 'haunting presence' was continuing to interact with me.  Considering the diverse paranormal occurrences I'd witnessed, I realized my personal lifelong 'guide' or 'guardian angel' was manifesting in ways beyond the earthly limitations of space and time as an aspect of an unseen Intelligence/guide/angelic Force.  I used the name 'Michael' for my personal interacting entity — the name familiar to me as that of the most prominent manifesting entity in Oklahoma . . .

from "An Esoteric 'Mystery School' of the 1990s"

The Blessed Angels (1980) is among the short books or 'monographs' by Manly Palmer Hall.  The Introduction mentions: "Early Christian concepts of cosmology were based upon the universal scheme formulated by Claudius Ptolemy, an Egyptian astronomer who flourished in the second century A.D. . . . All physical things are manifestations of spiritual principles.  These are invisible but all-powerful and the kingdoms of the earth are all subservient to the kingdom of heaven."  Manly wrote about the blessed angels:
 

The word angel, from the Greek angelos, means "messenger," and the angelic orders of life inhabit qualitative distances between divinity and humanity.  Their equivalents must exist is every solar system, and beings of inconceivable splendor preside over cosmic systems and galaxies.


Most religions and philosophies have directly or indirectly sanctioned the reality of orders of invisible life assisting in the management of universal law.


In the Old Testament the Archangel Michael is the guardian of Israel, God's vice-regent, the heavenly high priest, and the keeper of the keys of heaven.  In Christianity he is patron saint of the Church on earth and judge of the souls of the dead.  As generalissimo of the armies of heaven, Michael was commissioned by the Lord to war against Lucifer and his rebel spirits.  In Revelation 12:7-10 the chief of the rebellious spirits is called the dragon, but in The Golden Legend it is stated that the dragon was Lucifer.  Michael is sometimes shown in Roman armor bearing a lance and carrying a balance of scales for the weighing of souls.

 
To the old pagans there were countless spirits, most of them friendly, which mingled invisibly with mortals and occasionally communicated with them.  There was no emptiness in space.  Everywhere there was life — conscious and intelligent, though unseen.

 
It was believed that when a body dies the guardian angel departs.  Socrates notes that shortly before his death his protecting spirit bade him farewell.

 
So long as science has no satisfactory explanation for the intelligence everywhere present in the natural world, it actually has no valid hypothesis with which to refute the Greek belief in hierarchies of ministering spirits regulating cosmic affairs.  A genuine vision by which a devout person becomes aware of a superphysical presence cannot be discredited simply because the majority of human beings has not had such experiences.

from "The Ancient Mystery Teachings Divulged"

Manly's 'magnum opus' published when he was 28 years old is The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928).  In 2003 a "reader's edition" was published in a paperback edition. Some excerpts are provided —

 

From the chapter "The Ancient Mysteries and the Secret Societies, Part III":

Heckethorn sees in the Mysteries of Ceres and Bacchus a metamorphosis of the rites of Isis and Osiris, and there is every reason to believe that all so-called secret schools of the ancient world were branches from one philosophic tree . . .


In contrast to the idea of Hades as a state of darkness below, the gods were said to inhabit the tops of mountains, a well-known example being Mount Olympus, where the twelve deities of the Greek pantheon were said to dwell together.  In his initiatory wanderings the neophyte therefore entered chambers of ever-increasing brilliancy to portray the ascent of the spirit from the lower worlds into the realm of bliss.


From the chapter "The Cross and the Crucifixion":

The early Christians used every means possible to conceal the pagan origin of their symbols, doctrines, and rituals.  They either destroyed the sacred books of other peoples among whom they settled, or made them inaccessible to students of comparative philosophy, apparently believing that in this way they could stamp out all record of the pre-Christian origin of their doctrines.  In some cases the writings of various ancient authors were tampered with, passages of a compromising nature being removed or foreign material interpolated.


In the papyrus scrolls the Crux Ansata [ankh] is shown issuing from the mouths of Egyptian kings when they pardoned enemies, and it was buried with them to signify the immortality of the soul . . . The Cairo Museum contains a magnificent collection of crosses of many shapes, sizes, and designs, proving that they were a common symbol among the Egyptians.


The modern world has been misled in its attitude towards the so-called pagan deities, and has come to view them in a light entirely different from their true characters and meanings.

  
During Manly P. Hall's lifetime, Los Angeles and Hollywood would provide the microcosm for him observing worldly and flamboyant influences upon the sharing of the esoteric spiritual teachings.  While the teachings remain unknown to most people, all knowledge must eventually come to individual souls during the course of eternity.  Today these conditions seem to find expression in abstract ways among Pop culture creations.  (One example is a song performed by Ultravox.)

from "Diverse Aspects of My Life in 1995"

Another astonishing antique store discovery was a round silver pendant presenting a profile view of someone who looked just like me.  The likeness presented a profile view of a face very similar to what I remember seeing in the mirror every day throughout my younger years.

  

I soon learned that there was a period when Italy created replicas of Egyptian artifacts so the pendant seemed one of these.  
 
Looking back today at my perceptions about what my life would possibly be like as a metaphysical author after my experiences in 1995, something that I didn’t expect was some people’s lack of interest in my unexpected path of spiritual discovery.  They knew nothing about many of the ironies involved, such as the secret in the Bible or the parallels between Jesus and Bel.  The following passages are some excerpts from these articles.

  

There is a mention of 'Bel' in Tony Bushby's The Secret in the Bible (2003).  Bushby is an Australia-born researcher/author dedicated to elucidating mysteries of Christianity.  The sixth chapter of The Secret in the Bible includes the following.
  

Some biblical analysts suggested that Solomon's Temple was in reality a stepped ziggurat like that of Bel (Baal) at Babylon or perhaps a three-staged pyramid similar to those uncovered at Ur, the biblical home of Abraham.  Curiously enough, in the foundation of the pyramid of Bel, there was an empty lidless sepulcher similar to that found in the Great Pyramid at Giza.  Supporters of Bel believed that it was the actual resting place of their god who promised that one day he would return to earth as Savior of mankind, but, like the Great Pyramid, no corpse or treasure was ever found.

What follows is the translation of the tablet giving the programme of the Passion Drama enacted in memory of the sacrifice of the saviour-god Bel, the Christ of Babylonia, just as the Christian Passion Drama is enacted in our time at Oberammergau in Bavaria. A similar drama was produced in ancient Egypt, the saviour god there being Osiris. Here follows the Babylonian passion drama, and the corresponding incidents in the Christian drama:—

  

 Babylonian Drama.          Christian Drama.

 
Bel is taken prisoner.            Jesus is taken prisoner.
 
Bel is tried in the Hall of      Jesus is tried in the Hall
Justice.                                     of Pilate.
 
Bel is smitten.                         Jesus is scourged.
 
Bel is led away to the             Jesus is led away to
Mount.                                      Golgotha.
 
With Bel are taken two         With Jesus two malefac-
malefactors, one of                tors are led away; an-
whom is released.                  other, Barabbas, is
                                                   released.
 
After Bel has gone to the      At the death of Jesus the
Mount the city breaks           veil of the Temple is
out into tumult.                      rent: from the graves
                                                   come forth the dead,
                                                   and enter the city.
 
Bel's clothes are carried       Jesus's robe is divided
away.                                        among the soldiers.
 
Bel goes down into the         Jesus goes down from
Mount and disappears         the grave into the
from life.                                 realm of the dead.
 
A weeping woman seeks     Mary Magdelene comes
him at the gate of                 weeping to the tomb
burial.                                     to seek Jesus.
 
Bel is brought back to         Jesus rises from the
life.                                          grave alive.

from "Contemplating 'Guides,' Creativity, Channeling and the Higher Self"

. . . while writing Testament I realized the events I'd experienced made my 'Mark Russell Bell' persona a symbolic 'everyman' to convey the message of how every person should become a 'Christed One' and be personally responsible for one's decisions in life.  This message is also conveyed in some of the blog articles about channeling cases.  As I've commented before — readers will find that the experiences documented in my book correlate with many of the messages of so-called 'channeled' transcendental communication.  I found myself called upon to become an embodiment of some of these teachings.  Awareness of contemporary channeling cases and the metaphysical reality of each person having a 'guide' are profound dispensations and this news should be happily shared.

The guides interact with us in accordance with our awareness level so someone who has learned about metaphysical aspects of life will probably experience a comparatively more highly evolved interaction with one's guide (or 'guardian angel').  The limitations in the interaction with a guide suggests the complexity of the relationship — seemingly it is best to provide clues and allow the human counterpart to make sense of the clues through contemplation.  At all times a person should think about whether one is going through life merely reacting to the environment or alternatively being mindful to continually giving careful consideration to what studies and objectives to pursue.

from "Bel-Marduk, An Automatic Writing Session and My Interview with Marie"

Following my Oklahoma research expedition and discerning the Christian symbolism in my life, I began considering if there were parallels between people in my life and other biblical figures.  Vocalizing these thoughts was an escalation in my behavior pattern and a transcendental influence became known.  Associating my longtime friend Marie with the Virgin Mary involved spontaneous inspiration.  Marie for years had consistently been the sweet, enthusiastic and optimistic presence in my life.

Already familiar with biblical belief quandaries, among the books in my bookcase that I promptly investigated to see what elucidating historical records there could be found about the life of Jesus of Nazareth was The Wars of Gods and Men (1985) by Zecharia Sitchin.

After the name Jesus in the index of the book was specified a single page.  I turned to that page and found the paragraph mentioning Jesus.

. . . When Stephen Langdon included an English translation in his 1923 volume on the Mesopotamian New Year Mystery Texts, he titled the text The Death and Resurrection of Bel-Marduk and highlighted its parallels to the New Testament tale of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Bel-Marduk?  The parallel with my new Mark Russell Bell pen name was so striking that I had to consider if perhaps I was the reincarnation of Bel-Marduk.

Heinrich Zimmern, who transcribed and translated the Ashur text from clay tablets in the Berlin Museum, created quite a stir in theological circles when he announced its interpretation at a lecture in September 1921.  The reason was that he interpreted it as a pre-Christian Mysterium dealing with the death and resurrection of a god, and thus an earlier Christ tale.

 

I would study Sitchin’s work occasionally. He correlated the histroical records of Bel-Marduk, ‘Bel’ signifying “The Lord,” with Egypt’s Amun-Ra/Amen-Ra.

 
After reading about Bel-Marduk and Amen-Ra/Amun-Ra, my conclusion became that if I was the reincarnation of someone, it was probably this Bel-Marduk.
 
On October 26 was my scheduled appointment with the automatic writer I’d met at the Whole Life Expo.  I didn’t really know anything about Barbara beyond the channeled message she’d written spontaneously in my presence.

I also addressed the recent correlation discovered in the book by Zecharia Sitchin.  I phrased the question in such a way that I hoped would provoke some manner of unambiguous and comprehensible response: “I am asking You to clarify the relationship of Bel-Marduk with Jesus Christ.  Is the latter the reincarnation of the former — who died on the cross — or is the biblical story an allegorical retelling of historical events?”
  

The story of Christ does have some physical basis but is really more story.  The intent of it is to show souls what they should strive toward — it is so unfortunate that they waste so much energy fighting over trivial details like whether Christ lived or not and miss the real point which is this is how to live in love.  These are guidelines for life presented in a story form to make them as understandable as possible for all.

Although the response entailed nothing about reincarnation, I estimated that it was an appropriate answer.  I decided to pose a direct and unambiguous follow-up question to again address the matter of reincarnation by asking, “Am I the reincarnation of Bel-Marduk?”
  

He has much strong energy and is well on his path.  He is greatly influenced by this energy and very receptive to it.  He has an open mind and is willing to allow himself to be a channel for the energy.

  

from "My Unexpected Path of Spiritual Discovery"

This series of blog articles provides a concise description of some of the meaningful occurrences during this period.  I previously wasn't keeping a detailed record of the eventful hours and days upon returning from my research expedition to Oklahoma as I hadn't been expecting such an unpredictable turn of events.  As paranormal phenomena was continuing to manifest around me, what formerly had been estimated to be a haunting of a specific geographical area became something very different. 

When I began listening to the Centrahoma interview recordings, there were sounds and voices audible on the interview microcassettes that hadn’t been heard among interview participants in Centrahoma when the tapes were recorded.  As I worked at transcribing the tapes by playing them on the same small machine I’d used to record them, I wondered how it could be conceivable for there to be spirit utterances heard on the microcassettes.  This jolting recognition first came to me as I was listening to the third tape I’d recorded in the Mc Wethy house.  A succession of prominent and unmistakable words were audible in voices that were more stilted and emphatic than the usual human timbre of any of the interview participants.  These blatant spirit messages included “SOUNDS GOOD” and “NICE” — the messages seemed to be commenting on my discovery of this audio phenomena.  I’d never let the tapes out of my sight so I knew there couldn’t be any hoax involved.  I realized it was essential to find a way of listening to the tapes so that the contents were as distinct as possible.  When I went back and again listened to the preceding recordings, I was able to notice more 'spirit messages.'  At the time I wrote Testament, I knew nothing about the annals of Electronic Voice Phenomena and Instrumental Transcommunication.

I eventually also listened to some of my movie industry interviews and also found an array of EVP.  If one doesn't know that these messages can exist in all unedited audio and video recordings, one canhttps://web.archive.org/web/20070729054129/http://www.testament.org/testament/index.htmlnot recognize these forms of transcendental communication.  I included one example of my movie publicist interviews in Testament with a transcript of a telephone conversation with Neil Jordan, director of a comedy about two escaped convicts mistaken to be a pair of priests in a town famous for a miraculous local shrine.  In the scene below, the two hoods continue to find their lives complicated by Bob, the desperate killer who'd involved them in the prison breakout.  (This film clip is another example of my pop culture 'programming' in 1995.)

One night after working for several hours on transcribing, I decided to take a break and watch TV for a few minutes while I ate a snack.  One of the shows I regularly watched was on, MTV’s “The Real World,” although I’d missed the start of the show.  I’d seen the previous episodes of this documentary-style series that brought together a group of youths as roommates, this year in a city of great appeal for me, London.  I started to watch and I realized that one of the roommates was complaining that their telephone had suddenly stopped functioning and he commented about how frustrating he found the situation.  My TV set then went off. In Centrahoma, Twyla had told me about the battery of the video camera going dead as the rock had struck the car.  In my own life, displays of the miraculous aspects for technological discoveries and functionality was continuously part of my ongoing paranormal initiation.

'Michael' had made Himself clear that I had more important things to do than watching television.  He apparently wanted me to work on the case study of my recent experiences.

from "Anomalous Occurrences in a Psychiatric Hospital Intensive Care Unit"
 
This nonfiction article is a description of the sequence of experiences that I witnessed at a psychiatric hospital of the Los Angeles metropolitan area in 1995 [during five days].  This account was written around 12 years ago as a chapter for an unpublished autobiography.  The photographs mentioned are presented in an article presenting five photographs with paranormal aspects: one photo shows transparent-looking faces in a window and another is an anomalous photo with what appears to be an image suggestive of a movie camera on a tripod.

 

As my new book project seemed to be the reason for the intervention of my being brought to the hospital after expressing some momentary fearful thoughts to my brother that I quickly realized weren't reasonable, I signed my recently accepted author's pseudonym 'Mark Russell Bell' on the admission forms given to me.

 

Once when I was getting toothpaste or something at the counter, I was given a red knit shirt with a Frito Lay logo.  I told them I'd never seen it before and it must belong to someone else yet I was told to keep it as maybe my brother or friends had brought it for me.  I thought to myself that it didn't really matter how it came to be among my things, 'Michael' could've materialized it or perhaps a spontaneous subconscious thought expressing divine guidance might have influenced someone to give the shirt to me.  The logo on the shirt had a little pyramid under the 'R' and what looked like a 'G' inside the 'O' — another Egyptian correlation and the 'G' must stand for God I thought.

 

Another new patient in the hospital was a Latino teenager who told me that she was a channeler.  I don't remember if there was any explanation provided as to the reason she was there but I found this to be quite an astonishing development.

 

It was in the early evening and I was in the lobby area when the teenager started channeling 'Michael.'  I was flabbergasted that the Angel was suddenly conversing with me in a more direct manner as I had always wanted; however, He began scolding me for my smug attitude that he said derived from knowing that I was on the winning side.  I remember the precise meaning conveyed if not the exact words as there was no tape recorder.  I felt delighted to suddenly find myself apparently being addressed in direct and coherent terms by the Entity yet I was startled by the irate tone confronting me.  "Take that smirk off your face.  Everyone's got to go sometime.  I can't believe it — rejected in the game of love . . ."

"Wait!"  I insisted, frantic that the Angel was considering another Big Bang as an immediate option.  Worst of all, it was somehow partially my fault, presumably because I wasn't any good at playing 'Cybersex Jesus' in the symbolically fraught Los Angeles metropolitan area . . .

In such a beleaguered state as I was in, one is only able to state the simplest truth so I said: "Nothing's easy.  It takes two to reject."  I don't know what the reason was for the Entity thinking that I was rejecting Anyone.  I knew that there was nothing that I conceivably could offer such an advanced Intellect that knew everything that had ever happened as well as everything that ever would happen.  I noticed another break was beginning so took the opportunity to quickly make my way to the patio.

On the patio, I saw the older woman in the wheelchair who had previously been comforting to me and through whom the alien had spoken.  She was all alone so I expected her to still be in her recurring mute, listless state.  I stood beside her and saw that I was wrong about her awareness level as her eyes were open wide.  She whispered, "You're a genius."  This was all that was said.

Thinking about these very strange moments, I considered how I myself could be a 'genius.'  The only thing I could think of was that such a sentiment related to my intention of being completely honest when expressing myself and my feelings.  My emotions seemingly were becoming clearer for me to understand.  Something self-evident was that throughout my life I'd been oblivious to 'God.'  I considered how many acts of kindness one receives from other people each day, each one a part of our unlimited Creator.

As I was passing in the hall to retrieve my few belongings before leaving with Fiona, the buxom teenager with the bandaged wrists and doll bid me farewell from her room.  She was listening to the radio and turned the volume up.  The song playing was "Don't You (Forget About Me)" performed by Simple Minds.

On the way home, I told Fiona how starved I was and she stopped at a fast food drive-thru.  Considering some of the things that had happened at the psychiatric hospital, it was good to know that I wouldn't be alone while staying at my brother's home for a few days.  We soon arrived at my brother's house on Lyric Avenue (the same street where Walt Disney resided early in his career). 

Going downstairs to put my things away, I turned on a radio.  As I went into the hall, I realized that the song was a familiar one and the lyrics communicated such an expression of love that tears came into my eyes as I paused in the bathroom to find a place for my toothbrush and other grooming objects.  The song was "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" performed by Elton John.  I saw my brother's cat Dickens jump into the bathtub and recline against the cool white surface.  Although the feline's head was raised and her eyes were alert, the cat's mouth abruptly opened and closed in a movement seemingly meant to imitate a yawn.

I remember laying on the bed for a while with the light on.  That first night sleeping in James's room, I found that the overhead light operated in a pulsating manner expanding or decreasing in brightness after pushing the on/off control.  As soon as the light would go off, a group of tiny gnat-like insects would suddenly come from everywhere to alight directly upon my somewhat chapped lips.  Usually, such a circumstance would keep me up to deal with the problem yet now I considered how this occurrence might express the Superconsciousness connecting all creatures.

In the morning the insects were gone and when I glanced into a mirror my lips didn't look chapped anymore.  After Mike showered and ate a quick breakfast, he began his commute to Century City and I was left alone to plan the new course of my life.  I hoped to continue working on the book of interviews that had commenced with my trip to Oklahoma.  Considering a Superconsciousness involved with each individual's thoughts and experiences now allowed for many mysterious things assigned to the 'supernatural,' creativity and 'inspiration' to become feasible.

That first morning alone in my brother's house, I decided to conduct an experiment and turned on the television to see what would happen.  The morning show being telecast was "Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee."  Soon, without any explanation a cameraman zoomed in for a close-up of an object that apparently had just landed on the floor — it looked like the top of a water pitcher or something like that. Kathie Lee Gifford showed a startled expression but neither her nor Regis Philbin made any comment about what had just occurred.  What could they have said?

from "Other Revelations"

  

Los Angeles, August 14, 1995 (Monday night) — After the short trip in a shuttle van from Los Angeles International Airport, I was again at home in my condo on the western hillside overlooking Echo Park Lake.  My expectation was that all of the supernatural events that had happened to me in Oklahoma would take time to place in perspective.

When I turned on my recently-purchased state-of-the-art television monitor, I was startled a minute or so later when the screen suddenly went dark.  I checked the connecting cords and everything was in place just as before my trip.  I tried to figure out what was wrong with the apparatus.  The device seemed to still be on as there was a hum coming from inside yet the screen was completely devoid of any picture.

Everything was the same as usual.  I unpacked and listened to telephone messages that had been left. The first person I called was my longtime friend Marie, an actress and singer.  I’d originally met her when she worked as a temporary office assistant at the talent agency (before I became a publicity writer for Paramount Pictures).  We occasionally went to dinner and screenings together as we shared an interest in the myriad forms of popular culture.  Marie sounded upset as she told me that her bank account had suddenly been cleaned out for no apparent reason.  Some of her checks had bounced as a result of this and an urgent meeting with a bank representative had been scheduled.  It was a complete mystery.

This jolted me.  During my interviews with the family experiencing the 'talking poltergeist' phenomena, everyone kept telling me about how the entity was always taking their money (in small amounts).  On one occasion when they asked about this, the entity was reported to have said that he was collecting rent. I told Marie, “When I was interviewing the family about their spirit 'Michael,' they told me he was always taking their money but do you think it could be conceivable . . .”  Who could know?  Marie agreed to come by sometime and look at the photographs and other items I’d collected documenting the existence of this enigmatic being named Michael.

When I called my friend Fiona (she worked as a psychic Tarot card reader at the Psychic Eye Bookstore in Sherman Oaks) she suddenly exclaimed, “A magnet just flew off my refrigerator.”

I knew what this signified.

I was accustomed to regularly telephoning my mother, feeling sorry for her in leading such a reclusive lifestyle watching television all day in her Arcadia apartment.  On the phone, I told Ellen about the visit to Oklahoma, Marie’s odd situation with her bank and that a magnet had just flown off of Fiona’s refrigerator.  Then I said, “Michael, if you’re there, give me a sign.”

My mother responded by irately complaining that I was talking about nonsense.  In her opinion, anything that could be equated with the ‘paranormal’ in any form beyond the movies was something fit for scoffing as the alternative was obviously something she had no intention of considering.  “Well there’s nothing happening,” she said.  Then there was a pause and she said, “Just a moment. There’s a wasp . . .”  She momentarily put down the phone as she gave her attention to dealing with the insect that had somehow just flown inside.  I was reminded of the wasps inside the Mc Wethy house and told my mother that this too could be construed as a signal from Michael.  What could be the reason that all of this was happening to me?

Doing my grocery shopping at an Echo Park market, the only item with a price that didn't show up on the scanner was the Spirit brand drinking water.  Michael had found another new way of indicating His presence.

On Wednesday, August 16, I called my friend Cheryl, the current head of the Paramount Pictures publicity department, as I felt we’d always had a good rapport and she was somewhat prepared for what I would tell her as before my research trip I’d left for her to read the Fortean Times article about "America's Talking Poltergeist."  I said: “Cheryl, I’m going to have to take a sabbatical for a while from doing any publicity work.  I have major supernatural phenomena going on.”  She asked me what was happening.  I answered, “Time and space mean nothing to this Entity.  He could destroy our world in an instant.  He just cleaned out Marie’s bank account.”  I recall trying to explain how the Spirit had proven His powers to me.  She good-naturedly reminded me that I was still her ‘womb-mate’ (she was born on August 8 too) and said she was late for a meeting with William Friedkin (director of the Paramount movie “Jade”).

One night, I was half-asleep in bed when it felt as if someone grabbed my leg.  This was something I remembered experiencing occasionally before yet I’d always concluded that it was some kind of involuntary muscle contraction.  Now I knew it was Michael letting me know that He was here with me and had apparently always been here with me.  (Every human being has a 'guide' or 'guardian angel' during an Earth life.)

I recalled many of the things that happened in Centrahoma as I began reflecting about past occurrences in my life, including those already recounted (this is #12 in the current series of autobiographical articles).  Nobody had ever been able to place the talking poltergeist cases into perspective and suddenly this outlandish data had become pivotal information for me in attempting to make sense of my own life.

I thought about the numerous times I’d watched the mountain and stars appear as the studio’s logo at the beginning of a Paramount movie.  These images seemed a modern portent reminiscent of Moses’s mysterious trip to the mountain.  And then I remembered the two incidents of burning bushes outside my condo.  Even the nail that had bounced off my head in Centrahoma could be construed as offering a parallel in Christian symbolism.  I concluded that the circumstances surrounding the being nicknamed ‘Michael’—along with those involving the 'talking poltergeists' ‘Kate’ and ‘Gef’ in earlier epochs—provided bizarre and esoteric evidence of an intermediary spiritual Oneness.  As one who had formerly believed that it was impossible for people to comprehend the ways of God in relation to Earth life, I found that there was no other conclusion possible than a Loving and unlimited creative Superconsciousness had found a way of revealing participation in my life through this ongoing paranormal initiation.

I now was able to distinguish the relevance of the term Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit in signifying the omnipresent Spiritual Force (or Christ Force) manifesting the Divine Will of God.  I decided that the mysterious Michael could only be an aspect of the enigmatic Archangel Whose manifestations had inspired diverse cultural permutations throughout the ages.  For decades, psychical researchers had estimated the diverse ‘poltergeist’ phenomena as somehow tying-in with the subconscious mind yet they hadn’t defined a Superconscious element.  I felt joyful at the realization that all living beings from Earth, other planets or ascended realms are each a single aspect of the spiritual Source finding expression.

I began pondering if my predicament could have something to do with a previous life.  I’d never been inclined to believe in reincarnation and yet this seemed the best apparent explanation.  I couldn't help thinking, ‘What if this means I’m the reincarnation of Jesus?’

Although I’d read the Bible as a teenager, I’d forgotten more than I remembered yet I’d seen a lot of biblical movies, such as “Jesus Christ, Superstar,” “Ben-Hur” and “The Last Temptation of Christ.”  In fact the unforgettable 'rapture of Christ' that I'd experienced while living in Echo Park had included moments that reminded me of the latter movie as I'd realized that I had to return to the world from my 'rapture' to help people understand the true spiritual nature of life.

Considering reincarnation, the idea of living a former life as someone who was now the ultimate metaphor for human benevolence was something beyond any reasoning.  It seemed possible that my having turned 39 on August 8 could’ve made me a similar age to that of Jesus at the time of his crucifixion.

I gradually found myself becoming ecstatic with the realization that I might be some manner of Christed one.  The name of my city 'Los Angeles' meant 'The Angels' and here I was residing across from the landmark Angelus Temple with 'Angel us' seeming a momentous truth.  

 
Confronted with the source of unlimited creation and love manifesting in all living things, I then began to realize the depth of my own selfishness and greed.  (This was more of a feeling than something literally true.)

Tormented by the realization of how little I’d accomplished in life that didn’t have a self-centered purpose, I didn't know how to get past this dilemma.  This was when I glanced out the upstairs window and saw above the fountains at the center of Echo Park Lake a brilliant rainbow reflecting upon the vapor amidst the bright afternoon sunlight.  I'd never glimpsed a rainbow before when looking at the lake.  In my heart I understood the meaning and became calmer.

When Marie dropped by to see the photos and hear more about ‘Michael,’ she was sitting on a chair in the living room when she felt her lower right leg being tickled.  She started describing what had happened and we both laughed.  I remarked that perhaps I should use an author’s pseudonym for my planned book because of the political satirist seen on PBS who shared my name Mark Russell as people occasionally mentioned upon conversing with me.  Soon after the visit, Marie called me one morning.  “It’s Mark Russell Bell,” she declared.  She described how she’d been crossing Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Laurel Canyon when she heard a disembodied voice say “Mark Russell Bell.”  After taking a few more steps, she looked downward to see a Bell Telephone Book on the sidewalk.  “I knew I had to call you right away,” she told me.

On one occasion when my twin brother Mike and his friend James were visiting, I heard a 'whoosh' of air and a materializing penny hit my leg and fell on the floor.  The coin materializations had also occurred in the Oklahoma house.  After James expressed disbelief, a dime then appeared on the carpeting.

 

I decided that what we could only describe with the word ‘God’ couldn’t be a distant, aloof Creator but an all-pervasive Loving Consciousness in Whose presence each living creature experienced every moment of their lives.  I could only feel a profound gratitude for all of my experiences.

That night, I was startled as some kind of energy began emanating from me.  There was a sensation along the inside of my lower left leg where it felt as if something like electricity was rushing from me.  I immediately laid down on my bed.  I’d never read about anything comparable to such a condition yet there was a feeling of anticipation as the energy continued flowing out of me.  I considered if something physically was changing within me.

When I awoke in the morning, I felt my usual self.  There was no further sensation as I’d experienced the night before and I was surprised to have been able to fall asleep.  I was aware that my recent experiences had completely changed me yet my expanded consciousness now seemed to have resulted with the alteration of a physical aspect of myself in some manner impossible to comprehend.

Eager to tell my brother more about my experiences, I agreed to go shopping with him and then accompany him to a movie in Santa Monica.  When we were at Nordstrom, the pianist began playing "Oklahoma" as we were on the escalator and I told Mike that this was the type of thing constantly happening to me.  The movie Mike wanted to see was "Unzipped,” a documentary about Isaac Mizrahi.  The film revealed that his idea about embellishing upon an Eskimo theme for his fall collection was encouraged by spirit communications via the Ouija Board.  It became a poignant fact that the other designers had also embraced the Eskimo theme that same season.

I estimated that my planned book would be a way of sharing how a Superconsciousness had revealed Love to me and those who read about my experiences also would be able to expand their consciousness in this essential way.  In this manner, I realized I did have something in common with Jesus of the Holy Bible.

 

In discussing my progress with the people close to me, I felt continuously assisted in my work.  Where do our thoughts come from?  I noticed people expressing spontaneous thoughts at times resulted with effective suggestions indicating a guided aspect for the good and productive comments and suggestions.  I remember asking Marie about what to expect one day and one of the things she told me was that Timothy—the photographer whom we both knew and to whom I’d spoken to about helping me with the photographic evidence that would be included in the book—would visit me at the appointed time.  This was found to be correct. 

 

I was in the living room one afternoon when I started to realize how unusual had been some of my recent behavior, especially my preoccupation with reincarnation.  A moment later, there was what I can only express as a shift in consciousness. It felt to me as if my Angel had just stepped out of myself.  One moment I was feeling flushed and excited and then there was an abrupt tingling sensation and then my state of mind immediately returned to a more customary somber and relaxed state.  The room around me suddenly felt cool and looked diminished in some way.  I thought, “Oh my God, is this what being possessed feels like?”  I began pondering potential alternate interpretations of my strange circumstances and became afraid that the Entity could be able to control me and perhaps lead me to do something as unthinkable as committing a murder.

I telephoned my brother and said, “The possession is over. I want to die.”  He became concerned and inquired if I still thought myself the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.  “I’m the Antichrist,” I surmised miserably.  (This was a spontaneous response.  There are diverse and contradictory superstitions and perspectives about the ‘Antichrist’, an archetypal figure as is 'Jesus'.)

I remember my brother telling me that I’d been working too hard and needed to get a good night’s sleep.  He suggested that I let him arrange for me to go away for the weekend to get some rest and relaxation.  I could only agree because it was evident things couldn’t go on as at present.  I’d seen so many horror movies that it was hard to entirely relinquish negative expectations involving the realm of supernatural experience.  Many times Mike had told me about his visits to Palm Springs and how refreshing he found these weekend getaways.  Soon after hanging up, my fears about my Angel seemed foolish.

from "Investigating the Poltergeist Phenomena - Clues Near Culmination"

Maxine and her eldest daughter Fae sounded cheerful over the phone without any apprehension about their startling experiences.  Fae mentioned that the spirit allowed Maxine to hold its hand and when I asked how often ‘it’ spoke, Fae said, “Sometimes it talks and sometimes you just holler at it and it won’t talk unless it wants to.”  The family made clear that it hadn’t talked during the taping for the upcoming TV special that would feature the family.  During this phone conversation, I learned that Maxine’s ex-husband, Jearld Carlton Bell, had just passed away at the age of 59 from prostate cancer and the funeral would be on Saturday.  I was reassured that this was no reason to cancel my visit as the event had long been expected.  I agreed to arrive at around 10:30 a.m.  This was a startling development as the case study of the Tennessee 'talking poltergeist' of the previous century had also included an account of a funeral for a father with the Bell surname.

Twyla said that the manifesting voices were different: “Michael’s is high-pitched and the one we call E.T. is squeally and loud.  Sarah is really toned-down and quiet.  And Tammy and —”  I attempted to make a list yet it was apparent that even the family found it difficult to identify the spirit manifesting at any given time.  Twyla said E.T. was supposed to be Michael’s brother while Brenda commented that E.T. was the one that did the most damage.  There was also Sarah, the spirit of a small girl who once agreed to have her picture taken with Desireé; Rachel, who once attempted to talk Brenda into killing the husband who’d murdered her; Tammy, a spirit who once showed Twyla where she lived in Coalgate before her death from ovarian cancer; Katie, another little girl ghost; twin boys Ricky and Nicky; Grandma and Grandpa; ‘Trouble,’ a female spirit that threatened Brenda one night; John Hathaway known as ‘The Child Killer'; and Leader, his name being “what the other ones said he was” while also being described as “huge” and communicating only in “grunts, growls and groans.”

The most unique thing that happened to me was when a nail materialized and bounced off my head without drawing blood.

 

During a drive around the vicinity with Twyla, I clearly saw a pebble come from directly in front of the car and hit the windshield outside to then fall away.  Twyla was sitting to my right.  Then a dime came from the back seat area and struck the interior windshield.  Some time later, I suddenly heard otherworldly giggling from the back seat.  The tonality was different from anything else I've ever heard.  It definitely sounded like a little boy yet there was a metallic (for lack of a better word) resonance that accompanied a sensation throughout my body that could only be described as ‘a blood-chilling effect.’  It was the first time I'd heard a 'ghost voice' although throughout my life I'd experienced two previous occurrences of hearing disembodied voices.  “Michael, was that you?” I asked.  “Laugh again.  You’re funny.”

A few minutes later, the vehicle’s automatic doors started locking and unlocking.  Twyla said, “I’m so surprised he’s doing this much stuff.  But you never know if it’s him or the other ones . . . But it’s just that you’re so new.  I didn’t think he would do so much.  I guess he trusts you.”

“Well, he knows what’s going on,” I said.  “He knows our thoughts.”

After all that she’d experienced, Twyla still seemed bewildered.  “My heart’s beating like crazy.”

There was another spirit utterance when I heard a deep groan from the backseat: “Ouhouhouhouhouhouh.”

After I imitated it for Twyla, she said, “That’s Rachel.  That’s how she talks.”

Later, Maxine appraised that the voice must’ve belonged to Leader.  The groaning reminded me of the sound made by the ‘Lurch’ character from “The Addams Family” TV series — I don’t recall if the character also behaved this way in the Paramount “Addams Family” movies I'd helped publicize.  There would be other parallels between the family’s experiences and Hollywood entertainment.

 

My interviews with the Centrahoma family would encompass bigfoot accounts, UFOs and accounts of conversations of unseen extraterrestrial visitors.

 

Among the objects materialized by 'Michael' for the family were a padlock for Bill, a package of Trouble perfume for Maxine, baby formula and a "whole boneless ham."  Among the objects that materialized in my presence were an "Amusement Centers" token and a piece of costume jewelry with pearl and diamond symbols.

 

I realized that merely adding a chapter to my book about talking poltergeists wouldn’t be adequate to convey the magnitude of the phenomena I'd witnessed, including an episode with a scarab beetle flinging itself against my hotel door and my brother's entire house shaking during a hotel telephone conversation with him.  I decided that I would have to carefully reflect about what had happened in Oklahoma and then decide what should be my next step.  It seemed odd to have experienced such unexpected things and now be returning to my ordinary routine.

from "When My Life Became Uncustomary"

Between 1989 and 1996 I lived in a condominium complex situated on the western hill overlooking Echo Park Lake, a Los Angeles city landmark known for its fountain, bridge and lotus flora.  My condo was southwest of the famous Angelus Temple that had been built on the site selected by evangelist and spiritual healing facilitator Aimee Semple McPherson in 1923.  A Bodhi Tree grew at the center of the condo complex after being planted by the previous residents at the site.  Some unusual occurrences happened to me at this Clinton Street address in Echo Park, before and after the trip in August 1995 to investigate a ‘talking poltergeist’ haunting in rural Oklahoma.

Researchers who take the time to fully investigate such subjects as diverse aspects of mediumship (including trance, materialization mediumship and Direct Voice phenomena), channeling, spiritual healing, etc., know that for the most part that the documentation found in most case study books is authentic.  Hundreds of articles at this blog profile a small portion of this data.  However, most people who occupy themselves only with the mainstream media remain uninformed about these subjects.  At the current time celebrities such as Kanye West are reaching people at the traditional levels of spiritual discourse about God.  Something to consider is the predicament of the One/ones who manifest the phenomena.  Actually, I experienced such diverse reactions about the published case study book—including those from people who'd made assumptions about me without even bothering to learn anything about what I've written—that it made me contemplate the realization that the name 'Earth' is an anagram of the word 'heart' as well as of the word 'hater.'

 

One night while residing in Echo Park, as I was preparing to go to sleep, I heard a strange voice.  At that time, it was the only other occasion I’ve had such an experience since hearing my name called as a child yet I didn’t make any note of the precise date.  I didn’t realize the incident could be related to any of my other experiences or would become meaningful in relation to future experiences.  I was laying in bed and abruptly a man’s voice resounded in a tone that could be described as emphatic and devout: "Father, I have waited so long."  I opened my eyes wide with surprise and thought, "What was that?"  I felt fear because this was something totally beyond my understanding.  Slowly I became more calm because the voice didn’t say anything more.  I didn’t attempt to compare it with any other experience and at the time didn’t connect it with my childhood event.  I could only keep wondering about what on Earth had just happened.  It wasn’t a case of myself assigning additional meaning to one of my own thoughts.  This occurrence was a very odd moment of my passing reality that didn’t prompt analysis or introspection until years later. 

 

Something uncanny also happened while I was watching a poltergeist telefilm on network TV utilizing a cable hookup.  I had been recording the show on a VHS cassette at the time.  It was probably "Grave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive" (1992) starring Patty Duke.  The previous year, a similar program had been "The Haunted" (1991) starring Sally Kirkland, as I routinely watched programs dealing with this subject matter because I was always curious to see how the cases were being depicted.  I don’t remember at what point during the two-hour narrative that this occurred yet at one point, with no obvious correlation to the telefilm, a superimposed image of a bald man—comprised from white lines that could perhaps be compared to static—could be seen undulating on the screen and advancing in a way suggesting multidimensionality within the space of the flat screen.  The image of the head turned from one side of the screen to the other as if glancing around my living room before retreating backward without turning around and gradually receding with the image decreasing in size before vanishing.  My first estimation was that this was some kind of spirit manifestation over the TV.  My second thought was that perhaps this was a carefully crafted special effect that had been inserted into the telefilm by the producers yet it seemed too subtle to be some kind of publicity stunt.  I soon decided that my first response was probably correct.

 

There were two occasions when apparently anomalous events resulted with my calling the fire department.  The first time was at dusk on a Sunday in the summer of 1994.  I was upstairs and noticed a lot of smoke in the air outside.  Going to the large wall-to-wall eastern window, I saw that on the hillside directly beyond the parking area and walkway some bushes were engulfed in flames.  Concerned that the embers could set the roof on fire, I dialed 911 and then went outside to wait for a fire engine to arrive.  Since the fourth of July was approaching, I wondered if someone igniting a firecracker might have caused the fire yet I didn’t see anyone at all in the vicinity.

A couple days later I was thinking about the burning bush incident and began considering the possibility of a pyromaniac living in the area.  In the afternoon I was working at my computer downstairs and noticed some telltale wisps of dark smoke start to ascend in the air beyond the balcony.  Moving to the balcony wall, I spotted another large outgrowth of shrubbery on fire.  After being put in touch with the fire department, I raced downstairs determined to catch a glimpse of the pyromaniac who’d selected my condo complex to begin a campaign of terror.  Again, there was no sign of any interloper and the fire engine arrived in just a few minutes and extinguished the fire.

  

This is a photo of the two clumps of bushes that inexplicably went up in flames outside my condo (fourth from the left, second and third floors).  Regarding the two burning bush incidents, here is a portent of there later being a second President named Bush.  Considering the Clinton Street address of my condo, several years after moving in William Clinton began his tenure as U.S. President in 1993.   

I found out about this new case just as I had finished the first draft of my nonfiction book about historical 'talking poltergeist' cases.  Making the most of this opportunity became a new priority.  Perhaps, in addition to gathering some firsthand information, this case could also be a compelling basis for a case study book and/or screenplay.  I decided to schedule a visit to take place as soon as possible.

 

It astounded me when during my interview with the mother, Maxine, that there was Bell ancestry among family members so here was a link to the famous 'Bell Witch" talking poltergeist of the previous Century.

 

  

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To complete your metaphysical initiation, the reader is instructed to continue reading with the specification that the article "Hollywood Studio Publicity Writer Years (1987-1995)" be considered in the entirety.