The Strangest Journey

   Last night I went on the strangest trip. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. I closed my eyes, and suddenly I was being hurdled very high up, very quickly. I saw the entire world, and in every person, tree, raindrop, bird, every atom of every thing, I saw the same thing: inherent loneliness. It was as if I finally saw, with my own (though closed) eyes, how we're all connected. Not just to other people, but to every plant, animal, natural phenomenon, and even inanimate objects like walls, concrete, couches. And the thing that connected us was this horrible sadness; this unknowing of why we are here. As if all of existence suddenly opened their eyes, or their consciousness, or whatever it is, and all they felt was marvel at the fact that they existed, closely followed by a need to know why they existed, but could find no answer.
    I continued up in my journey, and saw the solar system, all the planets, then further still until I'd seen all the stars in all the galaxies, the whole universe. I saw all the intelligent life forms on other planets, and saw that they too, had the same longing. All the suns, stars, moons, people, animals from our whole universe are connected by this longing. Somewhere in my travels, I saw the gods I had been worshiping up until now, and realized that they were superficial. They weren't true deities, and I felt robbed, as if the meaning I had found was false. My journey continued however, up and up, farther than I thought possible, as if all energy was moving toward one great end that if I could just reach, I would find the meaning we're all searching for. So I continued toward it.
    On my way, I saw amazing things, other planets teeming with life, star systems that would break your heart from their beauty, swirling masses of color and light, planes of music and swelling joy (though covered in the same sad longing as our world). It was easily the strangest I've ever felt. I saw blue Krishnas, Buddhas, I saw my own chakras, I saw the place where all souls return once they've passed from our world. I continued, farther and farther up, up, up, until I finally saw Her. The true Great Mother, not the superficial one I thought I knew before. She was more beautiful than any language could even begin to describe. Her hair was made up of pure light and color, energy, life. Her face was constantly changing, from white to black to asian to hispanic, and back again. Her lips were pure love, her eyes were pure peace. She was everything I've ever longed for, everything we're all longing for. And she whispered to me, "All life is just this: eternal love, whirling, spinning, seeking. Birthing, dying, recycling into another life. Do not fear death, for there is nothing at all to fear. Your death is just the door through which you pass into your next life." And once she spoke, for the first time in the entire journey, my own longing seemed tempered. I sensed the longing of all life quiet for just a moment. And I knew peace. And I knew Her. And my journey has finally begun.