“…the flesh of living beings is not all the same kind of flesh; human beings have one kind of flesh, animals another, birds another, and fish another. And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; the beauty that belongs to heavenly bodies is different from the beauty that belongs to earthly bodies.”

—1 Corinthians 15:39-40

One of the more challenging chapters of Helder’s experience are the Grey People Stories.

My challenge isn’t their voracity but my spiritual capacity to absorb it all. Without exception, I trust whatever experience Helder shares is genuinely his story. Helder didn’t make things up.

One evening, sitting on the grassy brow of a hill on the West side of our property in the pines overlooking the small stream and pond below, which was their custom, watching the gathering sunset, Claire says, “How is it you have these experiences of the unseen and I have none.”

“Claire, I can’t say I know, but the image that comes to mind is the description in the Revelation to John. Remember, he wrote,

“At this point, I had another vision and saw an open door in heaven. And the voice that sounded like a trumpet, which I had heard speaking to me before, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”

—Revelation 4

That door is always standing open, beckoning all who Love her to enter and receive.

—Helder

The Sacred Spirit created all things, both seen and unseen. Remembering the words in the Nicene Creed,

“We believe in God, the Father [or Mother] almighty, maker of heaven and earth. Of all that is, seen and unseen.”

The unseen isn’t somewhere else far away. It is right here, now. Always has been. We are surrounded even now by “Angels, and Archangels, and all the company of heaven…” (BCP), not to mention being “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” (Hebrews 12:1) Only a portion of creation is seen through eyes. She put Human-kind in charge of everything (Genesis 1:26-31)—even that serpent in the garden—to cultivate, care for, and protect.

Claire and I prayed to thank Her for creating it so and asking for eyes to see and Her will in us to respond. So began the lifelong journey of learning to stand with one foot here and one foot in the heavenlies—as our Rabbi Jesus knew to do. In the Gospel record, he was never unaware of the unseen personalities and events surrounding him. Each of us needs that awareness. Most humans are clueless most of the time. All could be as our Rabbi is, but a responsibility comes with that wisdom.

• • •

“Helder…come here!” A rather anxious Claire called from our bedroom. That’s how our mutual experience of the unseen other began.

Claire explained when she first noticed they were there, she was asleep, and it felt like pressing against her chest with a vibrating presence—no, maybe more like a shimmering—only not by seeing. A shimmering feeling. She tried calling me but was, at first, unable to make a sound. When I responded, she was sitting up in bed. Shaken, excited, and very awake. I could not comfort her much. I hadn’t experienced the unseen precisely like that. We both agreed that this was the response of the Great Spirit to her desire to experience life beyond the door—the unseen. Claire did not feel threatened by or suspicious of the intentions of whoever wanted her attention. Both of us thought the interaction was a positive one.

“They want me to come with them.”

Within a short time, I began experiencing similar invitations. These became regular occurrences for both of us. And it wasn’t long before it became clear that the persons inviting us to a relationship with them wanted us to go with them. Somewhere.

On one occasion, while “in the Spirit (Revelation 1:10, ESV)”, I was introduced to a small party of the Grey People who were, judging by their dress, Native Americans. The one who seemed to be the spokesperson for the band addressed me with a sentence in a language that I didn’t know, but those words burned themselves into my consciousness, and when the vision was completed, and my feet were once again planted firmly on the grass in the courtyard those words remained.

At the time, I was engaged in trying to be of some help to the Native American population in my area, and as a result, I knew several tribal members.
Although she did not recognize the meaning of the words, she knew of a shaman or medicine woman, Neva Standing Bear, in the area who might be able to help. So…being properly vetted in advance and briefed on the appropriate protocol and gifts to bear when appealing for help to a woman of her stature in the community, I finally met her. I relayed the events and repeated the words to her, and she said, “They are ancestors, and the language is very old. I will do the best I can. Apparently, you built your home on what they call ’the way.’ This way is still traveled by many. You could have many travelers.” They were never a problem. Standing Bear was sufficiently impressed to follow up with us at our home to see for herself.

Paul’s assertion that “to be apart from the body is to be with the Lord” needs to be heard in its context. Paul was speaking explicitly about our death. Claire and I have been apart from our bodies many times without the purpose of being in the presence of the Holy One. That’s not precisely true in that there is never anywhere I can be that is not with Her, whether seen or unseen. But you get the idea.

We learned, over time, that they were inviting us to be apart from our bodies and to, for a time, be with them, which we did. Passerby, I hesitate to speak with you much about these things. The experience is similar to my story of dying, which I shared with you in detail. I am quite conscious apart from my body and its mind. It is my true self that animates my body, not my brain. But it’s a little awkward until you have a similar experience. It’s probably best to ask Her Holiness if you want to know more. She is the source.