On June 5, 1988, I was attending a Sunday class at Summum. The class began with a few announcements and a short meditation. This Sunday felt no different than any other day. Mentally and emotionally I was feeling very well. Even though I didn't sleep too well the night before, I only felt a little tired. Otherwise, I was pretty relaxed.

The class began with a discussion regarding how we as students of Summum present ourselves as teachers to the public. The primary focus of the discussion was aimed at our psychic reader and hypnotherapist, but the discussion really included all of the teachers which were present in the class. Amen Ra spoke to these individuals and seemed to direct the conversation as if the details only pertained to the therapist and psychic reader in question.

I did not feel stressed or uneasy about the comments being made by Amen Ra, yet I began to feel a strange tightening sensation in my throat. I had a very similar experience several years ago when I ate some shellfish which was followed by a mild allergic reaction. The shellfish had been eaten the night before, but the reaction was at least twelve hours later. The reaction was a swelling inside of my throat. I took a mild antihistamine and the tightening began to ease, allowing me some relief. As I sat there in class recalling the shellfish incident, I was trying to remember if I had eaten something that had shellfish in it without my knowing it. I was sure I had not eaten any unusual foods, but my throat continued to tighten.

The thought began to race through my head, but I was not in a state of panic at that time. I remained calm, but for the life of me could not figure out what was happening to me. The class had been going on now for at least twenty minutes, and the sensation became worse. The tightness in my throat was increasing, my palms were moist, and my heart rate had increased considerably. Now at least twenty minutes into the class, I noticed that my respiratory rate was much more rapid, and I felt as if I could not catch my breath. I felt as if I could not take in any more oxygen to adequately fill by lungs. Now I was at the point of panic, but I was still sitting and looking around to see if anyone else was acting strange or having the same sensations that I was experiencing. I felt as if I was going to jump up and run out of the pyramid, but no one seem to notice what I was going through.

About thirty minutes from the initial feeling of tightness in my throat, I thought I was going to die! Amen Ra asked me several questions regarding the class that he was conducting, and I was vaguely aware of giving some sort of answer. My panic was almost to its peak, and I was ready to run from the room.

A few more minutes had passed, and Amen Ra asked me if I had any difficulty breathing. I nodded yes to his question. Amen Ra then asked if I felt as if my breath was taken away from me. Again I answered yes. I was surprised that Amen Ra knew what was going on with me during the class. It was if he had known all along just what kind of condition I was in, and how I was having a feeling of impending death.

Shortly after Amen Ra questioned me on my breathing, a few more comments were made in the class. We then stopped for a short break. I sat on the couch for a few minutes, and began to feel more calm and as my breathing became much easier. I went outside to get some fresh air, and asked Amen Ra what had just taken place. He stated that there are certain times when demonstrations are performed in the pyramid so that we may witness unusual phenomenon. He said that the demonstrations would illustrate a point to me. Amen Ra then asked me if I ever felt as if I was unaware of what was going on during this entire episode -- was I still able to hear, see, and think. I answered yes to all of his questions. Amen Ra told me that there is a very thin line between life and death. I experienced what is it like to be so close to death, and that the true me was still alive.

This demonstration illustrates that we truly do have an essence within all of us, and that we must be able to experience it so that we may know that our spirit truly exists.

As a witness to a miracle, I am sharing this information so that we can understand that we truly do have an essence within all of us, and that there truly is a fine line between life and death.

Janet Lynn Smith Greco
1988