One Member’s Journey to MIDG

Several summers ago, my friend Deborah and I embarked on a three-hour trip from Pittsburgh’s South Hills to join our mutual friend, Lora, at her cabin in Pithole, PA. We were buzzing with the anticipation of our weekend-long, off-the-grid (mostly) commune with nature, and the conversation quickly reflected that energy. At some point, we began sharing our encounters with ghosts and other paranormal stuff … like the time a dark mist whooshed out of my closet and over me as I was falling asleep (yes, I screamed), or the time when I looked at my uncle and heard a voice in my mind tell me that he was going to die soon – and he did, sadly.

After a while, Deborah turned to me (I was driving) and said, “Kelly, I think you are really connected.”

“Connected to what?” was my reply.

At 53 years old, I had no idea what she was talking about. My whole life, I’d explained away many encounters and experiences as either coincidence, imagination, or dreams. If it wasn’t those things, I’d be “off my rocker,” as the euphemism goes, right? I mean, I especially never talked about the “dreams” I had during my childhood, like the one where short gray dudes with big eyes were in my living room and they levitated me right through the wall above the front door.

Society deemed all that stuff as woo-woo nonsense, so as an adult, I’d suppressed the urge to understand what was going on. Moreover, I didn’t want to risk someone declaring me unstable and potentially unfit to raise my kids. So, I rarely shared my ghost stories, and I definitely never mentioned my alien “dreams” to anyone — not even Deborah during our roadtrip.

What Deborah next shared with me in the car on that beautiful summer day was life changing. She told me all about MIDG, the Mystical Interludes Discussion Group, founded by her dear friend, Emily, who’d had a near death experience (NDE) as a teenager. Deborah told me how Emily had written a book about her NDE and many other unexplained experiences she’d had throughout her life. I didn’t act on this new knowledge that such a group existed – in other words, I didn’t join MIDG or read Emily’s book – but a sense of validation had finally entered my purview, as well as permission, if you will, to stop poo-pooing such experiences.

Signs and Synchronicities

Then last summer, I came across (don’t ask me how, I don’t remember; but I’m certain it was a synchronicity) the medium author, Laura Lynn Jackson, and her books, The Light Between Us and Signs. I devoured both and began using Jackson’s advice for tapping my “team of light,” aka my Spirit Guides, for signs and wisdom – and it worked!

I urged Deborah, Lora, and another friend of ours to read both books, and we met for hearty discussions over dinners together. By our second gathering, I knew I was hooked and eager to learn more about “being connected.”

Deborah once again encouraged me to join MIDG, and this time, I said, “Yes, please!”

I’ve loved attending the group’s online and in-person meetings ever since.

Gratitude for MIDG

Fast forward to early February 2025 when I came across (yes, another synchronicity) a link to a YouTube video of a recent U.S. Congressional hearing where whistleblowers confirmed the existence of “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAPs) and the U.S.’s recovery of crashed UAPs and “non-human biological” entities. The hearing occurred in November 2024, but I’d not heard anything about it until that moment.

Ontological shock — that my dreams may not have been dreams — set in. Deep down I’d always known that, but watching this hearing thrust everything out of the depths of my unconscious mind where it had been safely tucked away.

Thank goodness I had somewhere to turn. I grabbed a notebook and recorded everything I could remember – and then I called Deborah. She heard the distress in my voice and urged me to meet with her and Emily. Since then, they and the whole MIDG membership have offered tremendous moral support and resources. The memories remain fragmented and disjointed, and so I am currently considering hypnosis.

Great Awakening

I’ve now spent the past year absorbing dozens of books and podcasts devoted to mysticism, spirituality, and ufology. Most mention how we are currently experiencing an awakening to a greater understanding of human consciousness.

I know I sure am, and you may be, too. If you are new to this ballgame, like me, try tuning in. It might just surprise you.

Below is a practice for connecting (harnessing your sixth sense, if you will) that my spirit guides recently gifted me during a meditation. I was literally compelled to write it down, and I understood their instruction to share it. Give it a try but also explore what works for you. We may well all have our own individual truths for accessing the collective consciousness and Divine Source.

Connecting Protocol

1. For a few minutes, sit quietly, breathe deeply, and clear your mind. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
2. When you feel emptied and devoid of the day’s thoughts, choose one of the following:
   • Call on your spirit guides and loved ones on the other side. Ask for the assistance you are seeking and be still as you await a reply.
   • Visualize the golden stream of Divine light energy that holds collective consciousness and all-knowing. Ask for the assistance you are seeking and be still as you await a reply.

When guidance comes, it will arrive as a “knowing,” visual images, auditory instructions, or all three. Write it down – let the pen (or keyboard) flow. This is your download from the Universe.