What follows is excerpted from an email correspondence that MSIA Minister Marjorie Eaton sent to John-Roger & John Morton about her experiences serving a friend in an Intensive Care Unit.

I had another awesome opportunity harping for a friend this afternoon at the hospital’s ICU unit where he’s at. He’s very fragile now. When I arrived his lovely mother was there, and we embraced again. I had a short interview with his on-duty nurse. ICU is a large room with the nursing & doctors station in the center, and the beds all around the perimeter. I set up my harp at the foot of his bed and was later amazed to find I had been playing for an hour and a half. I kept playing mostly in his key note, and chording in that key.

His nurse sat nearby me and was monitoring everything. She was explaining to me about all electronic monitors around him, with all his vital signs. We probably spoke about 3 or 4 times during the whole afternoon. She told me at one point, (I was only aware of the stillness in the room) all the doctors and nurses in ICU were gathered around behind me with sweetness of smiles on all their faces. It’s not just the harp music — she explained how they were all watching carefully the electronic monitors and could see the actual results of what effects the sounds were having on him. (For me, that confirmed the effects of Spirit doing the work.)

At first he was awake and his breathing was labored and rushed. She said soon after I began playing the harp he relaxed very quickly. His breathing slowed down and the heart slowed down, and the other vital signs all stabilized. She said they have the whole thing monitored on tape (It seems this particular ICU knows about the healing effects of harps!) His nurse also explained to me at the end how deeply restful he was now, breathing much deeper and regularly and was sleeping peacefully. They were not going to disturb him, but leave him as he was because he was getting a “good” rest.

There was a point during the playing when another patient somewhere in the room was having severe distress, both choking, crying and calling out. I kept my focus with Spirit, the Traveler/Christ and playing for my friend centered in my heart. I was aware of how very quickly the outer noise disturbance faded away and the entire room seemed peaceful.

What was so beautiful while I was there, two MSIA sisters and close friends came in the last half hour and stood also at the foot of the bed with their hands palms up sending Light to him. I played the chording to Pacabel’s Canon in D, and softly sang/chanted the “HU” out loud with the ladies to him.

His nurse has my card on file at the front of his chart. She told me I am able to come and play there in the ICU, night or day at anytime. She then asked me if I was for “hire” to come to ICU, and I explained that I was a minister and I don’t charge for being a minister. I will be going back tomorrow (Sunday) to visit again with my friend, and after my phone shifts are over at night this week at 8:00 p.m. I am guessing that will get me to the hospital by 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. at nights and I can play harp for his sleep; or at least so he can transcend his body for awhile.

When I was getting ready to leave, my friend’s nurse got up, came over to me and just hugged me! The songs of the Soul, the sounds of the harp, moved everyone in ICU. She told me that either by tomorrow night, or Monday, the doctors will be able to determine whether it’s now time to unhook him from all life support systems. As I got to the door, one of the other visitors, an older man, came over from his side of the room, to thank me profusely for being there and for the harping which was so soothing and peaceful.

By the time I got to my car with the harp, I was overwhelmed inside with gratitude to God, that I have the blessing and privilege to be a Minister in MSIA and as a DSS graduate, playing the harp with the harmonics that can be so uplifting for others.

And the next day…

Here it is not quite 24 hours later — I was at the hospital again hanging out with my friend. He had his mom and friends there, and I met his dear nurse again. I played harp (like a prayer) from about 6:00 p.m.