My Walk-In Experience (USA)
by Lois Bergman

Almost two decades ago, I read Ruth Montgomery's Strangers Among Us, and felt I could also become a walk-in, but this did not happen for many years. I lived my life, raised a child, all very ordinary, though I did have a strong interest in esoteric spiritual knowledge, alternative healing modalities and one day dreamed of having my own school of healing that would incorporate the best of all healing knowledge. I meditated, traveled and lived in other countries, then returned to the US to work in an Indian school for four years before returning to my native state of Minnesota.

In a reading with a channel, I was told that I had had two soul exchanges, or walk-ins, one in 1988 (while I was working at the Indian school) and again in 1996. It was a huge revelation to me that I was a walk-in. I had not been aware of anything happening. I searched my memory for a time in 1988 when the walk-in might have occurred. I still do not know and think it may have been in my sleep.

In 1996, I took a class in Soul retrieval and now know my soul exchange came during that class during a soul retrieval exercise. It happened consciously, with my knowing that something was leaving and I was working hard to breathe it out. I was very weak afterward for a few hours, but felt as if I was the some person I had always been. It wasn't until over a year later that the knowledge was conscious. This brought a feeling of isolation, of needing to know more, needing to be with other walk-ins.

A meditation friend gave me the contact name for WE International and I called Liz. Her encouraging words that night helped me hang on until I could meet other walk-ins. None of my current friends were walk-ins. It seemed no one else who I told would understand how different, how alien, I felt at that time. I read all the books I could find about walk-ins and for a few months read up on the subject to help me understand what had happened.

Some of my friends who felt that the idea of a walk-in was ridiculous, faded from my circle; I no longer had much in common with them. I attended a WE International weekend retreat and met other walk-ins. We shared thoughts, ideas, plans, dreams, sat by the campfire, and experimented with healing sound and vibration. They came from various backgrounds: business people, professionals, healers, students. It was wonderful to experience the commonality of being a walk-in.

Now in January of 1999, I have had another walk-in experience. While attending a teacher/healer training in California, I was overcome with feelings of not being strong enough to continue with my life's mission alone. My heart was opened by one of the participant's beautiful toning. It sounded so much like the toning I did as a child, but was discouraged from doing. I had found someone who spoke my language and found I longed to just go home.

We had a healing circle the third day, I went in, hardly able to walk. I was surrounded by old and new friends who were holding healing energy for all who were in the circle. Some worked with me, I cried, gave up and let go. In a few minutes, my crying and hopelessness had stopped and I was able to laugh and stand up. I was too weak to stand for long, but was able to sit in the circle and help hold the energy for others. The weakness I experienced seemed to last for hours.

When we broke for lunch, I knew I needed to go into the healing hot springs that were at our hotel. This helped immensely. A nap would also have helped the integration, but it was time to go back to class. I was glad to be able to continue work started by another to help the earth.