LUCID

CHAPTER 17

A new day came, and a new part of my training. Rey turned up early, excited. "I think you're gonna love this," he said. I couldn't wait.

He teleported us to a desert location and bang in the middle of a bustling festival. There were thousands of people (mostly human... well, humanoid at least) camping, picnicking, barbecuing, dancing, partying and just plain 'chilling'. Bands were playing on diverse podiums, and bar-stalls and cafes were set up everywhere. Parked around the fringes of the festival-site were cars, trucks, motorcycles, motorhomes, and an interesting assortment of 'flying machines'.

But we weren't here for the festival. At the hub of all the mania was a monumental, Disneyland-styled palace, with its name circling like a halo above it in gigantic neon letters – 'VIRTUAL PARADISE'. That's where we were headed.

"We're on one of the intermediate levels of the fourth dimension," Rey said. "Souls on this level – those who have ascended from the third dimension – get to realize their greatest dreams and fulfill every ego-desire they ever had. It all seems somewhat superficial from a big-picture perspective, but it's a vital part of a soul's spiritual journey. This festival is just one expression of that ego-desire. It takes place year-round, 24-7, and it's normally packed like this. People on this level – mostly humans for some reason – can't get enough of it, and now they've finally realized that they don't have to work and earn money, ever again, they're like crazy lottery-winners. They do eventually get their fill and move on to more spiritual pursuits, but it can take them years... even lifetimes."

"Get their fill of what precisely?"

"I'll show you."

He led me into the palace building. Inside was a great round hall with tiered balconies rising up at least fifteen floors to the high, domed ceiling. All around the edges, on every tier, were grand, ornate doorways – there must have been hundreds in total – guarded by extravagantly uniformed doormen. The place was packed and bustling like the busiest of railway stations at rush-hour. I saw people being let in and out of the doorways and I wondered what lay beyond.

"So come on Rey," I said, "let me in on the surprise."

"Behind each door lies a virtual world in which a particular game is being played out – just like the virtual-reality computer games popular on your dimension, but these are fully immersive, fully experiential, of course. You choose your game, enter the doorway and begin playing. The rules, goals and levels within the games are set out the same as in your computer games – you have to play to reveal and understand them. You can play as long and as often as you wish. The only thing you take in with you is a wristband that records your play, score, and level, and it has a button that teleports you directly back to the portal so you can exit whenever you want without having to search for the way out – they are big worlds in there, you can easily get lost."

"But you can't get hurt..."

"No, it's quite safe."

"So what's the point?

"Fun, adventure, entertainment."

"No, I mean what's the point for me? How does it add to my training for the Void?"

"Good question. Whatever abilities you may have developed and learned in your astral travels – even over these last days – you can't always rely on them in the Void. The Void has a unique frequency, that is negatively charged, and it will resonate with, and exaggerate, every negative thought or emotion you hold within you. Even the slightest bit of doubt about being able to perform a task or utilize any specific ability will escalate exponentially – robbing you completely of that ability. The thought-forms in the Void will sense and react to this the same way a wild animal senses and reacts to fear... and at some point you will most definitely have to rely on physical combat. The better prepared you are for that case, the better your chances of survival, and of returning. I don't know how much actual combat experience you've had in the Astral, or in your world for that matter, but this is the safest and quickest way to get some. Many of these games are built around combat."