How could this be the purpose of life? Spend 30, 40, 50 years working, struggling, and endlessly pursuing more? Working unfulfilling and stressful jobs to accumulate money, status, and material things, only to die? This couldn't be God's plan for me or anyone else for that matter! I felt depressed, stressed, angry, sad, and confused. I felt I was going crazy!

Add in a marriage on the rocks and my son spiraling out of control, I reached my breaking point. This is what ignited my spiritual awakening.

At the time, I had no idea I was embarking on a spiritual awakening. It all started with a curiosity about what happens after we die. I began watching stories about NDEs on YouTube, dedicating at least 2 to 3 hours a day to them. Then, I stumbled upon a documentary on Tubi called "Unlocking the Soul." It resonated deeply with me and introduced me to the works of Brian Weiss (MD), Michael Newton (PhD), and Dolores Cannon. Dolores Cannon, a hypnotherapist who specialized in past life regression and quantum healing hypnosis, wrote the first book I ever read on spirituality and life after death: "Between Death and Life." I highly recommend it.

I delved into studying and researching many topics related to spirituality trying to make sense of everything I was experiencing. I went through a long and difficult transition, battling between my ego-self and higher-self—a struggle that never truly ends, you learn to manage it better, grow, and progress. I fought hard to let go of old ways of thinking, false teachings, mental constructs, religious dogma, and the identity I thought was me. These things don’t die easily; they cling to control and keep you trapped in worldly thinking. Throughout this process, I experienced extreme depression, sadness, anger, and an overwhelming sense of being lost.

As I began emerging from this tumultuous period, I realized I couldn't work a conventional 9 to 5 job any more. I was meant for something greater. I found myself drawn to helping others who were experiencing or had experienced similar struggles. People need support, guidance, and tools to navigate their Spiritual Awakening or just the feeling of lack of connection Spiritually. Most churches and religions don’t teach people what blocks their connection to their higher-self and God. People feel disconnected and don’t know why. I wanted to help people to learn this incredibly valuable information. This is when I decided to become a Spiritual Coach. I earned my Master Certification in Spiritual Coaching, but after receiving my certification, I stalled, procrastinated, and regressed.

I think this happened for a few reasons. First, I was afraid of what others might think or say. It sounds absurd, but many people seek approval and acceptance from others. Would my family and friends accept the new me, or would they always see me as the old Steve? At the time, I didn't realize that none of that mattered. When you're called by God, you must step into your calling, regardless of what others might think or say. This fear—fear of rejection, fear of not being accepted, fear of being seen differently, fear of being labeled crazy—holds many people back from stepping into their true purpose in life.

The second thing that had me hesitating was the nagging question, ‘Am I capable of this?’ Doubts started creeping in: Can I really do this? What makes me qualified? I had to realize that I was more than qualified—I had lived it! Experiencing the Dark Night of the Soul and a Spiritual Awakening gave me all the firsthand experience I needed. This journey ignited a genuine desire to help others who felt lost like I once did. I see and understand this clearly now, but at the time, I slowly convinced myself that the task was too big and overwhelming. This only fueled my procrastination.

I started falling back into old behaviors and thought patterns. I was running from my calling and my newly discovered true self. When I was around people from my "good old days," I regressed and reverted back, hiding who I truly was to fit in with my "old gang." The fear of judgment and ridicule made me dim my light. I don't blame them for this; they are who they are, and their soul's evolution is at a certain level. We are all on different paths and at different stages of soul evolution. That's just a fact. I hated it and felt terrible about it, but slipping back into familiar patterns was all too easy. As I mentioned before, old mental constructs and the ego-self don't die easily for many reasons.

I believe this was the cause of my Near-Death Experience (NDE). God was disappointed and upset that I was running from my calling.

On the morning of October 9th, 2024, my wife was returning home from visiting her mother and friends in the Sacramento, CA area. She called me before hitting the road, and I could sense she was feeling a bit down. I suggested that when she got home, we pack an overnight bag and head to Lake Tahoe for the night. I told her we could sit by the lake, relax, meditate, pray, and recharge spiritually.

When we arrived in Tahoe, we got our room and settled in. I had a strange, uneasy feeling that day, which seemed to intensify when we got to our hotel. I chose to ignore it and didn't mention it to my wife.

After dinner, we decided to drive up into the hills for some stargazing. On the way, my left arm began to tingle and go numb. When I took my hand off the steering wheel, I noticed my left hand was locked in the shape of the letter C, and I couldn't move my fingers. I used my right hand to loosen them. Though I'd never had a heart attack before, I knew enough about the symptoms to be concerned. My wife didn't notice, as she was looking out the window enjoying the scenery. Not wanting to alarm her, I kept it to myself.

We arrived near the top of the mountain, put the top down, and looked up at the stars. Almost immediately, my wife spotted a small white circle of light in the sky moving at a high speed.

It was among the stars, not within the earth's atmosphere, so it couldn't be a plane, helicopter, jet, or drone. We saw several planes in the area, which were easy to identify. My wife then noticed another light moving in a different direction. I saw one too. We ended up seeing about five or six of these small round white lights moving in various directions in the sky.

I was ecstatic and in awe! Most people don't see one UFO in their lifetime, and we had seen at least five. We sat there for a while, hoping to see more, but no more appeared. We decided to head back to the hotel. I couldn't stop thinking and talking about it—I was amazed! Although my wife acknowledged and appreciated the event, she didn't share the same level of excitement and awe as I did. I was racking my brain, trying to process and understand what we had just witnessed.

My wife mentioned she was cold and wanted to get a coffee. I have to admit, I felt a bit irritated. We just saw 5 UFOs, and she wants coffee? How can you want coffee at a time like this, I thought!? However, I kept that thought to myself, if you're married I'm sure you can understand. (I later gained clarity on this "UFO EVENT," which I'll share later.) After the coffee stop, the tingling, numbness, and finger locking returned. Something was definitely wrong, so I finally mentioned it to my wife. The symptoms subsided after a few minutes.

Back at the room, the strange feeling grew stronger. I ignored it again as we settled in for the night. While lying in bed, talking and watching TV, my left arm started up again. The tingling and numbness were more intense, accompanied now by severe pain in my left arm and chest. I was struggling to breathe, and my arm began to shake. I turned to my wife and said, "Oh my God, Wanda, I think I'm dying!"

At this time, I expected my wife to freak out and call 911. However, she did neither. She was calm, she just laid down next to me and held my hand. She heard a voice (which was God) that told her to “get into Position' she laid down beside me on my right side. (Only God could keep someone calm in this situation.) We were laying on our backs, my right hand holding her left, bent at the elbows with our hands cusped and in the air.

The tingling, numbness, pain, and shaking was slowly increasing. I began to pray to God for my life. My body was shaking and convulsing. I was unable to speak out loud. The following communication between me, my wife and God was done telepathically, nothing was spoken out loud. My wife and I could hear each other's thoughts and speak telepathically. We later realized that God opened up our ability to communicate telepathically. However, I couldn't hear what God said to her and she couldn't hear what God said to me. We put all this together after the event. I began begging God for my life:

Me: God, please help me! Please, God, please!!

God: You have wasted enough time.

Me: I know, God, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I know I've been procrastinating! I know, God, I know! I'm sorry, please forgive me, PLEASE! I know what you have called me to do!

Wife: We are transcending.

I thought, "So, we are dying, together?”

This is how I interpreted her statement in the moment. Later, she told me she had "no idea" why she said that—it's a word I'd never heard her use in 25 years. I believe it referred to a spiritual transcendence, not a physical death. At the time, I thought my wife was experiencing the same thing I was, but I later realized her experience wasn't as intense. She explained she felt pain in her left arm and chest, but it wasn't nearly as severe as mine.

I reached a point where I was exhausted and thought to myself, "Oh well, at least we will die together." At that moment, I stopped praying and began to let go. I remember seeing a white light, darkness, and feeling like I was in outer space or the universe. I feel like my soul was partially detached from my body.

My wife had a different experience. She remembers us being in a "capsule" with what looked like a window in front of us. As she looked out, the sky transitioned from white to black, and then to space. She said, "we looked directly into each other's eyes as we zoomed through space." That was her experience. She also mentioned that God said only one thing to her, and his tone was stern and a bit sarcastic: God: AND WHY SHOULD I LEAVE YOU HERE?! Wife: J. (our son)

I was fading and getting tired. I began to give in to death! I heard my wife say, “FIGHT, STEVEN!!!! FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!!!!!” This gave me a second wind. I began praying and pleading again to GOD!!! As I prayed, GOD spoke for the second time to me.

God: I have shown you all of these things and this is what you are doing?!

Me: I know GOD, I know I have a purpose!!! I know I'm not living up to it!!! Please God, please!! Please!!!

This pleading went on. Still nothing. Still, I was slowly fading. My pleads were not helping, not being answered by God. I was continually and slowly fading.

Me: GOD, J. needs us!! He won't make it without us!!!! If we die, this will kill him, please!! He needs the light in his life!!!! GOD, HE WON'T MAKE IT!!!! My mother needs me also!!! JESUS, PLESE HELP ME, PLEASE, JESUS!!!

Still nothing!!! I was on the brink of death, and saw the white light again!!!!!!

Me: GOD, DON'T DO THIS!!! GOD, DON'T DO THIS!!! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!!

I thought: nothing I'm saying is helping!! Nothing!!! What's the use!! So, I began to give in to death again. I was ready to die.

I had one last thought come in my mind.

Me: Wanda, HELP ME!

I don't know why I said that. It didn't even feel like me saying it. However, as soon as I did, she sat up in the bed and began speaking in tongues!! This is the first time during the event that either of us spoke out loud.

Now I did hear her, however I wasn't really listening. I was engrossed in my situation. In pain, shaking, and heading toward the light, getting ready to die. Yet still begging, all at the same time!

God: STEVEN, BE QUIET AND LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE!

A calm came over me and I was able to focus on her. I looked at her. As soon as I did, she stopped speaking in tongues and began to speak in an AFRICAN LANGUAGE!!!!

I was stunned and in total disbelief!!! The only language we know is English!!! This is impossible!!!

She then began to speak and chant in two other African languages!!!! Then she spoke and chanted in an Indian language!! I don't know African or Indian languages. However, I know them when I hear them. I could only assume she was praying in these languages.

This is when my shaking and pain stopped and I could feel my soul return to my body. It took my wife to intercede to bring me out of it! God told me to be quiet so I could be a witness to her speaking in these other languages!

By the way, back to the UFOs. It was revealed to me by God, after the event, that those weren’t UFOs! They were angels! The angels were near us, as they knew the event that was to come later that evening.