Field Reports
I believe you. And applaud your courage. It’s a bit like coming up with a new and upsetting theory, isn’t it? Reactions are tethered to conservatism, and at times fierce.
Over a period of many years, I have had a diverse and somewhat similar set of experiences to yours, Nicky Blue.
In person, those close to me have always been at the very least tolerant, if not genuinely considerate. In some cases, they’ve shared back their own experiences. Generally speaking, however, people seem to take the non-commital but polite position of, “Well, I completely believe that you believe this has truly happened.”
In writing, my early attempts to share with others almost immediately fell flat. I was swiftly marginalized. So my accounts gathered dust in three-ring binders that no one ever read, even when invited. Consequently, I avoided writing about these things, some of which date back decades.
It’s only very recently, sheltered within the arms of the monastery I founded, has there seemed to be a framework within which I could once again attempt putting such things into writing. And perhaps by using the container of a monastery, such experiences might be viewed a bit more benevolently.
I call them Field Reports… a bit of a play on words.
