#208 - Beyond The Veil: Children's Journeys Through Near-Death Experiences

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In this profoundly enlightening episode of "Interviews with Innocence," we are honored to host Dr. P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D., an internationally recognized authority on near-death experiences (NDEs). With a career spanning over 38 years, Dr. Atwater has dedicated her life to researching NDEs, fueled by her personal survival of three near-death episodes. Through her journey, she has authored 18 books, with “The Forever Angels: Near Death Experiences in Childhood and Their Lifelong Impact” being among her most recent and impactful works.

Dr. Atwater's extensive research, which includes interviewing over 5000 individuals from young children who have had NDEs to older adults reflecting on their lifelong impact, brings forth a compelling argument: the near-death experience is a profound consciousness transformation or “brain shift,” rather than an anomaly. This episode delves into how children, in particular, perceive and articulate their encounters with the divine, and how these experiences shape their understanding of life and existence.

Key Insights from Dr. P.M.H. Atwater:

  • Childhood NDEs: Children's interpretations of near-death experiences diverge significantly from adults'. They often report encountering three distinct lights, a fatherly figure, and various animals and birds, illuminating a unique perspective on the afterlife.

  • Communication Post-NDE: The importance of engaging with children on their level post-NDE to foster genuine and uninhibited conversations. Dr. Atwater emphasizes the significance of eye-level interaction to avoid influencing children to speak merely to please adults.

  • Challenges of Reintegration: The struggle many children face reintegrating into "real life" post-NDE, driven by a profound sense of not being understood and a yearning to return to the light they experienced.

  • Ongoing Life Stream: Dr. Atwater's research suggests that what we often conceptualize as the afterlife is, in fact, part of an ongoing life stream, challenging traditional perceptions of life and death.

  • Phenomena of Protection: An intriguing account of children in a devastating tornado in Missouri who were reportedly saved by "butterfly people," raising questions about angelic interventions.

  • Supporting Children with NDEs: The episode emphasizes the importance of allowing children to express their experiences freely through conversation, prayer, rituals, and the creation of personal altars or centerpieces.

  • Respecting Children's Truths: Acknowledging and honoring the truth in children's descriptions of their experiences without judgment, and the importance of letting children be children.

  • Personal Growth: Dr. Atwater shares her personal takeaway from her extensive research and experiences: a profound ease and trust in navigating life, even in the most daunting situations.

 

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RESOURCES:

  • Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#207 - Journey with Horses and Therapeutic Riding with Randi Shannahan

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Episode Highlights:

  1. Journey to Hippotherapy: Randi shares her personal story of how her journey with horses and therapeutic riding began, exploring the roots of her passion.

  2. Childhood Reflections: Discover Randi's nature as a child - was she intuitive, spiritual, sensitive? How did these traits shape her career path?

  3. The Shea Center's Programs: An overview of the various programs offered at the Shea Center and how they cater to different needs.

  4. The Healing Energy of Horses: Insight into the significant role of horses' energy in therapy and the profound impact they have on clients.

  5. Life Lessons from Horses and Clients: Randi reflects on her learnings from working closely with horses and clients, and the personal transformation she has experienced.

  6. Children's Stories: Heartwarming anecdotes from children who've participated in the program, highlighting their experiences and takeaways.

  7. Transformative Impact: Stories showcasing the physical and emotional evolution of children engaged in equine therapy.

  8. Children and Animals: Discussing the potential benefits all children could gain from interactions with animals, whether through therapy or as pets.

  9. Lessons from Horses: Exploring the wisdom and learnings that horses can impart to us.

  10. Words of Wisdom: Randi shares her profound insights and advice, drawing from her rich experience in hippotherapy.

Professional Bio:
Randi Shannahan, PT, DPT, HPCS, is a distinguished therapy services manager at The Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Specializing in hippotherapy, she utilizes her expertise to treat children and adults with diverse diagnoses. With 8 years of clinical experience across various care settings, Dr. Shannahan's dedication extends to her role as an adjunct faculty member at Azusa Pacific University and as a gold standard tester and trainer for cerebral palsy-related assessments at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

Randi Shannahan
 

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RESOURCES:

  • Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#206 Dreamscapes and Celestial Threads: Navigating the Cosmos through Dreams and Psychoanalysis

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The show notes for the content include the following topics:

  1. Dream interpretation

  2. Astrology 101

  3. Overcoming childhood trauma

  4. Helping your kids grow in their own way

  5. Learning about the inner teacher and letting it guide you

  6. Is astrology a science?

  7. What is astrology telling us about 2024, 2025, and 2026

 

Website: https://michaellennox.com/

 Highly sought-after media expert, Dr. Lennox has been seen internationally on many television shows, beginning with the Sci Fi Network’s The Dream Team and has also been featured on numerous network and cable television venues including NBC’s Emmy award winning Starting Over, Soap Talk, The Wayne Brady show and many others. His radio appearances talking about the power of dreams number in the hundreds. Dr. Lennox obtained his Masters and Doctorate in Psychology from The Chicago School and his Doctoral Dissertation, Astrology and Personality, is published by Lambert Academic Publishing. Dr. Lennox is also the author of two books on dreams, Dream Sight: A Dictionary & Guide for Interpreting Any Dream and Llewellyn’s Complete Dream Dictionary. Dr. Lennox leads workshops and retreats all over the United States and conducts a worldwide private practice based in Southern California.

 

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RESOURCES:

  • Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#205 ENERGY HEALING, AND CHILDREN WITH NIC WHITHAM

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Update on Nic Whitam
As a most recent update from Nic: Banyan Retreat closed due to Covid and Steven and I now live in the north-west of England. We are semi-retired although we still host SoulQuest each Sunday and I continue to work for the Spiritual Truth Foundation promoting the teachings of Silver Birch. I will be hosting a few online lectures on the History of Mediumship and Healing a little later this year but other than that we live a very quiet life in rural England.

 

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RESOURCES:

  • Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#204 Healing Children’s Hearts in Ethiopia With Mesfin Dollar

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On today's episode I have Mesfin Dollar from Ethiopia on the show to share his beautiful story of perseverance, courage and overcoming diversity. 

 

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RESOURCES:

  • Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#203 The Mountains, Massage and Healing With Teresa Frank

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Teresa is a Journeywoman of the sacred. Her life has been filled with a deep curiosity and desire to re-member herself and others back to wholeness.  Through study, story, time with nature, ritual and practice she has braided a basket of tools that she pulls from in her work as an ordained Minister of Walking Prayer with the Center for Sacred Studies and her almost 2 decades as an integrative bodyworker. As a mother and householder, she utilizes her tools of daily and seasonal ritual to bring her back into the magic and luminosity of the ‘ordinary’. As long as she takes breath, her basket will continue to grow, as will her desire to assist in bringing people deeper into their whole heart.

In this episode, I'm excited to welcome Teresa Frank as she shares her fascinating spiritual journey. She delves into the significance of rituals and ceremonies that played a pivotal role in establishing a deep spiritual bond with the divine. Teresa's exploration of various healing modalities, coupled with transformative spiritual encounters, unveiled the healer within her. This self-discovery has inspired her to initiate her own practice, where she provides energy body work to assist clients in navigating their inner worlds.

 

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RESOURCES:

  • Teresa Frank’s Email: massagetelluride@gmail.com

  • Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#201 Nature Centered Coaching With Kris Olivas

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Kris has developed a private practice that blends psychotherapy, energy psychology, shamanism and spiritual guidance into a holistic approach that helps people move on to their Soul’s path. Kris’ practice has evolved into a mentorship for Lightworker’s and works with them to understand and activate their Mission for humanity and Earth. Kris is trained in the following modalities - Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Emotion Code Practitioner, Emotional Freedom Technique “tapping”, Advanced Integrative Therapy, Soul Journey, Inner child/Parts work, Sound Therapy and Essential Oils.

In this episode, I'm excited to have Kris Olivas join the show to delve into her distinctive perspectives, techniques, and practices guiding individuals on the journey to their soul's highest path and purpose. Kris's work beautifully illustrates that by prioritizing healing and releasing negative energy, we create space for our soul's light to shine brightly.

 

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RESOURCES:

  • Click HERE to visit Kris Olivas’ website

  • Email: kocreatebalance@gmail.com

Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#199 Teaching Children How to Nurture Their Inner World With Eva Goulette

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Eva is an international best-selling author and the founder of Dancing Jaguar Inspirations, a company that creates metaphysical programs and products for all ages. Spirit Camp is a foundational program that provides a smorgasbord of teachings so children can create a Wisdom Toolbox for life. When students learn to trust their intuition and connect to their Higher Wisdom, they are able to thrive and live with confidence and self-awareness.

In today's episode, I'm excited to introduce Eva Goulette and the profoundly meaningful work she undertakes with children through her Spirit Camps. Her work beautifully provides children with the essential tools to foster their inner landscapes and maintain a strong connection to their true selves.

 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And while you’re there, please leave me a Rating and Review

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RESOURCES:

  • Click HERE to visit the Spirit Camp Website

Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#198 The Heart Center Discernment With Niki Tune

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Niki Tune Intuitive Spiritual Practitioner

Tuned and Inspired Soul focuses on the spiritual work of tuning into the limitless potential of source and allowing inspiration to carry you to your fullest growth and potential. Niki believes we can all tune in and be inspired for our soul’s journey. It is important in today’s world to learn how to tap into our own innate power and wisdom. Niki has a passion for empowering adults, children & parents through spiritual exploration of gifts, intuition and self-confidence in order to collectively awaken humanity.

In today's episode, I engage in a deep conversation with Niki Tune, an intuitive spiritual practitioner, as we explore the techniques for uncovering an inner guiding light that guides us toward clarity in our choices that reflect our hearts deepest truths. Additionally, we discuss how we can foster the growth of this attribute in our children.

 

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We do care what you think! What would YOU like to hear on the Interviews with Innocence Podcast? Click HERE to send us your thoughts.

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RESOURCES:

Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#196 The Importance of Finding Wonder in All With Lacy Borgo

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Lacy Finn Borgo teaches and provides spiritual direction for the Renovaré Institute and the Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction at Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as other retreats and conferences. She is the author of Life with God for Children, a curriculum for spiritual formation with children. She is the coauthor of Good Dirt: A Devotional for the Spiritual Formation of Families, which is built around the Seasons of the Church.

Lacy also provides spiritual direction for children and their parents at Haven House, which is a transitional housing facility for homeless families.

Lacy holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Teaching Certificate from University of Texas, Permian Basin, a Masters of Science in Education from State University, New York, and is a graduate of the Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. She recently graduated with a Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary, formerly known as George Fox Evangelical Seminary.

Her family includes two teenaged daughters, one husband, two parents, four dogs, six cats, five goats, two horses, and numerous chickens all within a quarter mile radius. She says, “My greatest joy and honor is to walk with others as they seek to walk with God. Sometimes that looks like teaching or leading retreats, other times it looks like spiritual direction but mostly it looks like friendship.”

I'm absolutely delighted to welcome the wonderful Lacy Borgo back to the show today. Lacy shares her insights and viewpoint on the importance of embracing wonder and remaining in touch with our profound humanity, welcoming all our experiences, even the challenging and painful ones.

 
“I knew I wasn’t alone, and I had a sense that I was loved.”
— Lacy Borgo, at 5 Years Old
“A spiritual direction is really a practice of accompanying another as they become awake to the divine.”
— Lacy Borgo
“We’re really moving in a spiral, into the heart and the divine.”
— Lacy Borgo

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And while you’re there, please leave me a Rating and Review

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RESOURCES:

Lacy’s favorite fiction books:

  • Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis 

  • The Light Princess by George MacDonald (favorite copy has illustrations by Maurice Sendak)

  • Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo 

  • The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

  • The Heavenly Village by Cynthia Rylant (a beautiful book that engages existential and afterlife questions)

Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#125 Spiritual Conversations With the Young With Lacy Borgo

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Lacy teaches and provides spiritual direction for the Renovaré Institute, for the DMin. in Spiritual Direction at Fuller Theological Seminary and at Portland Seminary. She provides spiritual direction for adults through GoodDirtMinistries.org and spiritual direction for children at Haven House. She is the author of Life with God for Children: A Curriculum for the Spiritual Formation of Children and Good Dirt: A Devotional for the Spiritual Formation of Families, both can be found on her website. Her book Spiritual Conversations with Children: Listening to God Together published with IVP, is now available. Lacy lives on a small farm on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains. The rhythms of the earth have formed and shaped her. She currently worships with an Anglican community, but finds something of God in many spaces and places.

In this episode with Lacy Borgo we have a beautiful discussion on how to foster an environment for children to explore their spirituality in a deep and meaningful way.

 
“I knew I wasn’t alone, and I had a sense that I was loved.”
— Lacy Borgo, at 5 Years Old
“A spiritual direction is really a practice of accompanying another as they become awake to the divine.”
— Lacy Borgo
“We’re really moving in a spiral, into the heart and the divine.”
— Lacy Borgo

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And while you’re there, please leave me a Rating and Review

We do care what you think! What would YOU like to hear on the Interviews with Innocence Podcast? Click HERE to send us your thoughts.

Would you like to be featured as a guest on the Interviews with Innocence Podcast? Contact Us, and tell us a few words about yourself!     

RESOURCES:

Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!

#12 Using Quietness to Create a Sacred Space with Lacy Borgo

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Lacy Finn Borgo teaches and provides spiritual direction for the Renovaré Institute and is the the DMin (Doctor of Ministry) in Spiritual Direction at Fuller Theological Seminary and at Portland Seminary. Lacy provides spiritual direction for adults and children through Good Dirt Ministries and provides spiritual direction for children at Haven House, a transitional facility for the homeless. Listen to the story of Lacy’s spiritual journey, from her early years in west Texas, to the inner city schools of New York, and then to a simpler life in Colorado where she continued to expand her ministry and her work with young children. This remarkable woman recognizes the immensity of the divine gift that we share when we can sit with children and quietly listen without expectations or judgement. Tune in for another awakening episode of Interviews with Innocence!

Lacy Blog.png

TIME STAMPS

  • 0:47 Meet Lacy Finn Borgo

  • 1:47 The start of the spiritual journey

  • 4:46 Lacy’s early education and direction

  • 5:30 The story of Christopher, a young New York inner city child

  • 8:45 The gift of “listening another person to life”, and being fully present

  • 11:05 You don’t always need words to understand, one’s presence can be enough

  • 11:50 The move to Colorado, and the gift of time and space

  • 15:50 Getting in touch with one’s childhood self - an exercise to try

  • 17:00 Describing “soul pings”, or “pings of the Divine”

  • 18:45   Talking to children about prayer

  • 21:30    How the dimensions of the self become integrated during different life stages

  • 22:30    Lacy’s work at Haven House, a homeless transitional facility

  • 24:00 Getting rid of the “shoulds” when listening to children.            

  • 24:25 B.O.W - Body, Openess and Awareness - how to listen to children

  • 26:15 Introducing the new book

  • 29:55   Holy leisure - using quietness to create a sacred space

  • 30:45   More about Lacy’s book

  • 31:40   Lacy’s greatest lesson from children - being open to mystery, wonder, awe and beauty

  • 32:40 Rewiring the brain by daydreaming and looking at clouds

  • 35:14   Final thoughts about the wisdom of children

 
“I knew I wasn’t alone, and I had a sense that I was loved.”
— Lacy Borgo, at 5 Years Old
“A spiritual direction is really a practice of accompanying another as they become awake to the divine.”
— Lacy Borgo
“We’re really moving in a spiral, into the heart and the divine.”
— Lacy Borgo

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And while you’re there, please leave me a Rating and Review

We do care what you think! What would YOU like to hear on the Interviews with Innocence Podcast? Click HERE to send us your thoughts.

Would you like to be featured as a guest on the Interviews with Innocence Podcast? Contact Us, and tell us a few words about yourself!     

RESOURCES:

Connect with Marla Hughes of Interviews With Innocence:

Do you have a spiritual story or an experience that you have experienced or a young child has shared with you?  Please contact Marla and share your story.

Thank you!