In September 1973, I was home sick with bronchitis, a sinus infection and I was unable to breathe clearly. At age 31, I was struggling with a number of issues in my life, feeling hopeless and confused. My contract for work I’d been doing for many years had not been renewed and I had taken a new job in which I had little experience. Intimate relationships were painful and I was not confident in myself with my new boss and work situation.

I had a series of dreams that later seemed to me to be my first experience with the Mystical Traveler Consciousness. I dreamed a healing story about a little boy and girl named ‘you’ and ‘me’ searching for ‘us’ and discovering that us is already here now within the within of you and me. (Shea, Unpublished Journals, September 3, 1973). In the second dream, I experienced lightness and freedom in dancing, confidence in myself and my expression. I discovered I could breathe under water, like a fish. I was aware of my true Self and the true nature of God and I met a man on a hilltop who gave me some materials to read to support me in my journey. (Shea, Unpublished Journals, September 5, 1973). When I awoke I felt like something big had happened. I felt infused with new energy and at peace with myself and the situations in my life in a way I’d never experienced before.

In the months that followed, I noticed that I felt more confident in the situations that were challenging.  I began exploring and participating in meditation and alternative religious groups through which I met people who later began studying with John-Roger. In 1975, I started attending a weekly MSIA Seminar in Philadelphia and in November,1976 I began receiving MSIA Discourses. I understood then that the dream I’d had in 1973 had been preparing me for study with the Mystical Traveler Consciousness inwardly and that the MSIA Discourses would support me in my spiritual journey.