As part of our new Communion Letters, a reader named “Shawn” writes: I want to relate an experience I recently had in my own backyard. I was standing on my back porch at about 9 pm, enjoying the night air, when I saw a streak of yellowish light dart across a section of sky, about treetop level. This light moved much too fast to be an airplane or helicopter, and there was no accompanying sound. I don’t think it could have been a shooting star because it was a cloudy night and I observed it in front of the clouds and behind the trees, which were still bare. Also, it appeared to have moved from a lower to a higher elevation for the brief moment I saw it. This intrigued me, and also kind of freaked me out, but after staying out for a few minutes longer and not seeing anything more, I went back inside.

Exactly one week later I was on my back porch again, same scenario, approximately the same time of night, when I thought I saw a quick streak of light out of the corner of my eye. Immediately I sharpened my awareness and started actively scanning the sky, opening myself up to whatever would show up. Less than a minute later, another yellowish streak of light shot across a section of sky, exactly in the spot where I was looking. It moved so fast and was gone so quickly, I would have missed it had I blinked or looked away for a second.

“Okay,” I said to myself and the darkness, “Whatever I saw was real.” So I decided to speak to whatever was out there, just to see what would happen. Silently, I conveyed to it, “If you’re real, why don’t you show yourselves to me again” I didn’t really expect anything to show up again, especially at my request, but it did a few seconds later. They came not once, but twice in quick succession, arcing at upward angles away from the ground, the first streak in a Southerly direction, the second streak shooting Northward as I faced West. At this point I tasted a mixture of emotions that included fear, elation, and something akin to having the rug of reality pulled out from under my feet. Whitley and Anne, I am sure you are familiar with this feeling.

Unconsciously my hand had gone up to my face, covering my mouth, and I stood silently for a moment, unsure of what could possibly happen next. At that moment, something said to me, “When you put your hand down, we will show up again.” I said, “I’m not sure I’m ready to do that.” My hand stayed glued to my face. “It’s okay, we’re waiting, take your time,” It conveyed to me. This was not actual worded speech I heard in my head, but rather an internal conveyance of communication. Again, those who have experienced this kind of communication know what I’m talking about. So after another minute or so, I slowly lowered my hand to my side and waited, watching the sky. They seemed to take a little longer this time, and I sensed what may have been a little humor or amusement on their part at observing my trepidation and anticipation. About 20 seconds later, a final streak of light showed up, and then was gone. Somehow I knew this was the last one of the evening. I stood there for several more minutes, observing only stars now on this clear, quiet night. I wished them farewell and thanked them for the confirmation, andsilently hoped to have another encounter. “Don’t worry,” they replied, “next time we will come much closer.”

I have dragged my wife outside with me twice now, somewhat to her annoyance, to come and look with me for their return, but they have not shown up again. But I think that indeed the veil is lifting, and as these types of things become more common in more peoples lives, we as a species will no longer be able to collectively deny that we live in a far richer and more alive place than we previously could have imagined. Indeed, we will discover that not only are we not alone, but we aren’t even as isolated as we would like. But I am preaching to the choir here; you and Anne, of all people, know this.

NOTE: This Insight, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.