OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO, I had an experience that changed my perspective on life. It did not have a dramatic effect immediately; its effects were long term, ever changing with each day, like ripples in the water expanding in every direction. A thought that became an idea, then many theories branching out into every aspect of my life, expanding my awareness to infinite possibilities, invoking episodes or moments of clarity occurring at different stages of my life, finally leading me to write this experience decades later with a greater understanding of humanity.

Logic and truth are not necessarily one and the same. Logic can be a scenario that makes sense - shaped to fit the event by making connections and assuming possible truths. It is a game of connect-the-dots, joining dots by using the most likely course in order to reach a feasible end result. On the other hand, truth is fact that - under normal conditions - cannot be changed. The Earth is round; the moon orbits the Earth; the Earth orbits the sun. The truth - backed up by a multitude of facts and figures leads to a final answer which is an absolute truth. There can be no other possible conclusion (absolute truth usually exists in the eye of the beholder). If you consider that time is a dimension, then it would be the truth only for a certain time index. For example, the Moon orbits the Earth but if the Moon is destroyed a million years from now it cannot be an absolute truth.

Although I like to deal with facts and truths, I live my life using logic, probabilities, possibilities, assumptions and educated guesses. The simple reason is that the availability of information is limited. So, we are left with theories that - though they do not have solid foundations - still remain within the lines of credibility.

I worked for a petroleum company. We sold fuel petroleum products flown out of Pickle Lake to northern communities such as the Arctic or Canada that were only accessible by airplane. I would install the equipment necessary for the plane to carry the petroleum. Fuel was pumped into large bladders inside the plane which was then transported to isolated northern communities. On occasion, we would have a contract with Hydro. We would deliver fuel to remote, unmanned generating stations. I believe these stations were used for communication purposes, as large towers were near the generators. The two reservoirs at the station each had a capacity of ten thousand gallons, meaning it would require several trips to complete the contract.

What made this trip unique was that I was asked to go on these trips, set up the equipment necessary for the fuel transfer and remain with the airplane crew until the contract was complete. In this case it would take less than 2 weeks to complete. The aircraft was a DC3 chartered from Air Creebec. Because of the distance and because we were landing on ice landing strips on a lake, the aircraft could only carry 1 thousand gallons, a crew of 3 and some equipment. The DC3 was a twin engine cargo plane equipped with wheels and skis that hydraulically stretched out when required. I remember an instance on a return trip when the landing gear would not open; I had to manually wind out the landing gear while the airplane circled the airport.

Because the aircraft was a cargo plane, insulation, seats and paneling were non existent, leaving only the aluminium alloy shell and none of the comforts of a passenger plane. The engines roared beside our ears and we could only speak to each other with earphones and microphones.

That far north, daylight in the winter is short lived. We left in the morning when it was dark and finished our shift in darkness. The temperature at night in the month of February is rarely warmer than -40 degrees (F).

One night, on the return trip of the last fuel haul of the day, we were sitting in the cockpit talking, relaxing after a long day with the engines blaring on either side of us. The captain had his legs stretched out on the controls with the craft on auto pilot; the co-pilot was telling us an interesting story that happened years before. Suddenly, both engines stopped running simultaneously.

For at least 10 seconds all we could hear was the wind whistling around the airplane. Ten seconds seemed like an eternity. We knew the chances of survival were zero in these parts. If you survived the crash, the cold would kill you. There were no nighttime rescues that would find anyone in time. The cockpit was pitch dark with no lights inside or outside the windshield. It was total darkness. Quiet and relaxation became fear and confusion. During those 10 seconds, I saw my life, all the important people in it and the importance of all human beings on this planet. I saw a detailed mental image of my progress - an overview on the status of my life.

There was something else, a disturbing glimpse of memories of another existence. It terrified me to the point that I refused to accept that image as my own. It was beyond my very being and I could not formulate any logical explanation that would be plausible. Yet, there it was. Fear opened a forbidden doorway in my mind. It was fear of that doorway that brought me back to the reality of our impending plane crash. This was the experience that set off a chain of events that would eventually guide me to the understanding I have today.

The engines started up as suddenly as they had stopped - without the intervention of either pilot. The constant roaring of the engines was back to normal but the three of us were not. We hardly spoke for the remaining 45 minutes of the return trip. I believe we all had a moment, there, in which each of us saw something different. We saw in our minds what we were meant to see at that moment. I saw that I was meant for a much greater purpose, a purpose I presume to understand now. I can only wonder, as I write this, what they saw.

Upon arrival we proceeded directly to the hanger where the mechanics and engineers were. When we told them the engines had both quit - simultaneously - they found it very hard to believe. The engines and aviation gas reservoirs were totally independent, as were the batteries and electronic components for each engine. The way they explained it, you would have more chance of winning the lottery. To have them suddenly start up again simultaneously is equally unbelievable.

We finished the fuel haul that week without further incident, and that was the last time I saw either pilot. I decided to quit my job and do some traveling across Canada. It was something I felt I had to do - a need I acquired after the incident on the DC3.

A few weeks later I was visiting in Thunder Bay (Ontario, Canada) for the weekend. I was in my motel room watching the news when I saw there had been a plane crash up north where I had worked. The same plane on which I had recently flown had crashed into the ice, killing both pilots on impact. The same pilots I had flown with. The same pilots I had a life changing experience with. It seemed like just yesterday we were saying it was not our time to go - that was why the engines restarted and we did not crash.

It was not my time, it was theirs.

It is a misconception that a spiritual awakening is a life-changing experience that automatically redirects someone towards a religion that, in turn, enlightens them further. A spiritual awakening, in my opinion, does the opposite; it is a realization that a different perspective can be seen with your own mind's eye - see things as they really are. When we are given the opportunity to see our entire lives in a flash, it not only prompts us to evaluate ourselves thoroughly, it also urges us to make the necessary adjustments to improve ourselves.

The night of the near crash changed my life forever. It made me realize that I controlled my destiny. The doorway opened for a reason; it served to open my mind to what could exist outside of my reality. We are but one form of life among countless others on Earth and in the universe. What I experienced was meant for me, a truth of my understanding. This doorway would reopen 20 years later - inspiring the writing of The Forbidden Manuscript.

The truth reveals itself when open our minds to see past the lies and deceptions... when we start believing the Earth is not flat. Earth is a training ground, and every day is a test we must face alone, deciding for ourselves what is right and what is wrong until we reach a level of awareness that enables us to see the truth.

When we die, what we bring with us is not of the physical world. It is the wealth of wisdom acquired during our life cycle on Earth that we carry with us to the next level. All of our actions are consequential, for good or bad.

With that in mind I strive to do what is right, setting my moral standards to a level I can live with. When I lay down to sleep at night I am not riddled with guilt on a bad decision I made during the day.

© Copyright 2006, Serge Gallant

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Serge Gallant's spiritual quest was inspired by extraordinary experiences that occurred during his lifetime, which Serge has made his mission to share with anyone who will listen. Born in Montreal and raised in northern Ontario, Serge now lives with his wife and three children on the Gaspé Peninsula in the province of Quebec, where he works as a forest management supervisor. For more information about Serge, please visit www.ForbiddenKnowledge.ca/ or email him at SergeGallant@ForbiddenKnowledge.ca.