Adrian Calabrese, PhD., is the author of Sacred Signs: Hear, See & Believe
Messages from the Universe (Llewellyn Publications, 2006), 10 Spiritual
Steps to a Magical Life (Llewellyn Publications, 2003), and How to Get
Everything You Ever Wanted: Complete Guide to Using Your Psychic Common
Sense (Llewellyn Publications, 2000). Dr. Calabrese is a member of the
American Association of Journalists and Authors, the National Speakers
Association, and the Author's Guild. She is currently in private practice
and is director of the Metaphysical Center and pastor of the Metaphysical
Church of the Spirit.
Website:
www.AdrianCalabrese.com
David L. Kahn [DLK]: Tell us about Sacred Signs. What do you most want the
reader to take from it?
Adrian Calabrese, PhD., [AC]: The book is the result of my own experiences
with signs as I indicate in the first chapter. My father's illness was the
motivating force, as well as signs my clients/students/church members shared
with me over the years. I want the reader to know most importantly that
signs are real and extremely significant as direct guidance from God/The
Divine.
[DLK]: What similarities or differences have you noticed between signs that
show up in waking life versus those that show up in dreams? Do signs appear
large or exaggerated while awake as they do in dreams?
[AC]: Dream signs may be partially allegorical, as opposed to waking signs,
which are direct and literal. They both are direct guidance from God. I find
waking signs to be mostly subtle and significant only to the person asking
for the sign. At times, they may be exaggerated, but not often.
[DLK]: Can you give us an example of a dream sign that had a major impact
on your life?
[AC]: I dreamed my uncle had died, and he did several days later. He was ill
and I had been concerned about him. Before I went to sleep I programmed:
"Please let me know in my dream what's going to happen." Then I went to
sleep and I saw him in a coffin. It was really astounding. I saw all of the
family there. That morning I knew it was a literal dream; it was not an
allegorical dream. I told my folks the next day, "You know, I think he's
going because I had this dream." He had been sick on and off his whole life.
He had several heart attacks. Why this time? He had survived it so many
times. This is the only time I had that dream, and then sure enough about
three days later he made the transition.
[DLK]: Do you frequently experience precognitive dreams?
[AC]: For me it's kind of rare. Usually when I have a precognitive dream it
is something that is major. It's not just sort of an everyday occurrence. It
would be something major, something life changing or challenging. So, for me
it's kind of rare. I get most of my information through light trance, but
when things are huge in my life they tend to come through in my dreams. When
I'm conflicted about something and the human part of me just can't figure it
out or if I can't open myself up enough to spirit to get the information,
then I turn to my dreams when I can be clear. Even though the information is
allegorical, and not necessarily literal, I still know what to do. My mom is
amazing about it. My mother is psychic as well and she gets all of her
information in dream time. She's closed to any kind of psychic perception
generally. She's a little afraid of it, but she trusts her dream time. She
will just think of a situation or a question and then she goes to sleep. She
wakes up the next morning with the exact answer that she needs. She doesn't
necessarily remember the dream, but she knows the answer when she wakes up.
[DLK]: What are your thoughts about the deceased showing up in dreams?
[AC]: I see a lot of people in dreams. I've often seen family members that
have come back in dream time. That's pretty regular for me. It's my belief
that when a loved one appears in a dream, it is not really the dream. The
loved one is making the communication. For whatever reason, we may not be
aware, but there is definitely communication going on and sometimes the
spirits are able to make the contact much easier when we are in that alpha
state.
[DLK]: What can you share about your early years, religious or spiritual
upbringing, and what brought you to the field of metaphysics?
[AC]: I was raised Catholic, and attended Catholic schools through my
undergraduate degree at Fordham University. I began my studies in the field
after having a deeply moving spiritual experience. I heard the voice of my
Spirit Guide, Roger.
[DLK]: What is the story of you discovering your spirit guide, and what did
he have to say to you?
[AC]: I was on a weekend vacation in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. A friend
and I had decided to go down there, and at the time I was a starving
actress. We had planned to be on the beach, but it rained and we were forced
to entertain ourselves. Instead we went to a bookstore. My friend was very
much into new age and psychic phenomena and I was not. The most I did was
read the horoscope in the daily news. But, she had talked a lot about it and
I was in the new age section, and there was one book that was not aligned in
the shelf. It was sitting on top of the other books. I'm a little neat nick
and went to put it back inline.
I picked it up and it said, "Spirit Guides." I looked at it and I said,
"Wow." I've heard about these things and it was very affordable. I only had
a few bucks, but I thought I'd treat myself. My friend had an armful of
books and this gypsy fortune telling game, and I said, "What are you buying
that for?" She said, "I don't know why." We got back to the room and it
continued to rain. We only had two days on this weekend that we thought we
were going to spend on the beach.
That evening I said, "Let's play that fortune telling game that you bought"
and she said, "Oh all right." It consisted of a scarf that you laid down on
a surface that had an outline for cards. It was almost like a tarot thing
that you kind of place the cards on each one of these outlines on the scarf
and then read in the book what it means. In the center there was a circle
and you're supposed to put in the circle an article from the person that
you're reading - a ring, a watch, something to get their energy. So she did
mine and told me all these wonderful things that are going to happen to me,
and then I said "I'll do yours" and she handed me a ring. When she put it in
my hand, I couldn't open my hand and I started to panic. I said, "I can't
open my hand." Then the ring began to move in my hand, and I said "It's
moving" and it really, really scared me to death. I couldn't release it.
All of a sudden, at that moment, I heard a voice say "Hello" as though it
were another person in the room. I said, "What?" I thought she said it. She
said, "What? I didn't say anything." I said, "I just heard some guy say
hello." She said, "Uh oh, I think I know what's happening. Close your eyes
and just see what you hear." I closed my eyes and I heard, "Hello." I said,
"I heard him again" and she said, "Ask him who he is." I said, "Who are
you?" and he said, "I'm your spirit guide."
I asked him his name and he said, "Roger." I told her, "Roger" and then I
said to him, "Roger?" I expected a spirit guide's name to be very exotic. He
said, "Roger for Christ's sake. I'm here to help you do your work" and I
said, "What work?" I'm speaking out loud because I don't realize that I can
communicate just with my thoughts.
It was astounding because my friend was witnessing this thing happen to me
and she began to ask me questions. When she asked me a question, I'd ask it
of Roger and he would answer it. He was giving us predictions. He was giving
us information that I could not possibly know about my friend's friends and
things that had occurred in her life that I didn't know about. We knew for
sure from that kind of evidence that this was the real thing. He stayed with
me all night.
I was terrified. I didn't want to go to sleep. I was up all night because
he talked to me the entire night. Finally I said, "You have to stop." The
whole weekend he was in my head. He said, "Oh, just tell me when you've had
enough." It was so simple, and he said, "Call me when you want me." From
that moment on my entire life changed. I began to be able to heal. My friend
that weekend had a problem in one of her legs. She said, "Ask Roger what to
do" and he told me to put my hand on our leg, and I did and the pain went
away.
It was as though someone flipped a switch and all of a sudden I could do all
of these things that I never even knew I could do. From that moment my life
has taken quite a turn.
[DLK]: Share some concepts from your earlier books, including where dreams
may be a part of the book or have given you ideas when writing them.
[AC]: In previous books, I have mentioned dreams as significant tools in
understanding our needs, desires, motivations, guidance from God, and that
they may be used as tools to program the subconscious mind for manifesting
our desires.
[DLK]: Do you often use your dreams for guidance, or incubate a question to
receive the answer in a dream?
[AC]: I actually do both. If I'm having an emotional dilemma, in dream time
they'll come more clearly for me. If I know that a situation is far too
emotional for me to handle, I will definitely do the programming and try to
get the information through the dream state.
[DLK]: Are any of your clients particularly adept at finding signs in their
dreams?
[AC]: In Sacred Signs I talk about the dream signs. Many times we will get
them in dreams. My client Garth is the best at it. He goes to sleep and he
gets the literal. He's the most amazing person. He wakes up and he records
it in his mind, and he goes back to sleep and he continues, getting the
answers that he is looking for.
[DLK]: The word "coincidence" doesn't seem to be a part of your vocabulary.
Do you have any thoughts about the timing of this interview, and how it may
prove to be a sign either for you or someone reading this?
[AC]: I don't believe in coincidence, only in synchronicity. Yes, this
interview is a sign for both of us, you and I, and possibly for a reader.
For me, it is a sign to continue my work. Only you and the readers will be
able to determine what significance it has for you.
[DLK]: Thank you, Adrian, for sharing your thoughts and experiences with
us. What do you see for yourself in the future? Another book? Any parting
thoughts or words of wisdom?
[AC]: You're welcome. I am working on my next book, Single and Happy! What
to Do for Your Soul While You're Waiting for Mr. Right, as well as two other
titles. I'm speaking and doing workshops around the country, and just
returned from a 5-city book tour for Sacred Signs.
In parting, it is my wish
that all of us come to know the Spirit within and learn to have a life-long,
positive, loving, joyful relationship with the Divine. Blessings to all!
David L. Kahn is a member of the International Association for the Study of
Dreams (IASD) and the World Dreams Peace Bridge. His book, A Dream Come
True: Lessons in Current and Precognitive Dream Interpretation, can be
ordered online. The Lucid Dream Exchange has chosen David as their
DreamSpeak interview for the next quarterly edition, and he will be starting
an on going quarterly column in that publication.
Book orders:
http://stores.lulu.com/lucidreverie
Email: lucid.reverie@yahoo.com
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