It was pouring! All night it had poured and it was pouring still when I made my way to the communal bathroom inside the large guest house I shared with ten other people. I was first up this Saturday morning and as I took my shower I kept pondering the sudden rainstorm. Everyone had been caught by surprise. None of the thirty people attending this mountain conference for the weekend came prepared for a storm. It had been hot and dry for weeks, including the day before we came. I had come early on Friday, anxious not to miss any activity or conversation, and an umbrella and rain gear were furthest from my mind. Now, I was stuck, as was everyone else. We were all scattered about the property in varying sizes of guest houses, which on sunny days meant long, lovely walks to the conference center and another workshop building a mile away. Nothing was close to anything else. There would be much walking -- outside! When I returned to my room and prepared for meditation and prayer, I gazed wistfully out the window. This was no ordinary rainstorm. It was a non-stop, locked-in downpour! My first urge was to bemoan my fate, but then I caught myself. Out loud I affirmed, "If I can't use what I know to be true everyday in my life, then it isn't worth knowing." With that conviction, I began to see myself dry and happy, filled with love and joy, knowing all would be well. But again I caught myself. No, that didn't feel right either. I was affirming my own comfort, but what about everyone else? Stopping the rain was not the answer any more than protecting everyone in some kind of magic bubble. My desire was that all benefit from this experience and that all cooperate with one another to bring about that benefit. "All" included the environment as well as the people, and any other type of manifestation, whether visible or invisible. This is what I finally declared: When people attending this conference need to pass to and fro, the rain will pause. Once they are safely sheltered, the rain will resume. This pattern will continue until the conference ends or the rain ceases, whichever comes first. And that is exactly what happened! When it came time to walk to the main building for breakfast, the rain paused and did not start up again until all members were safely inside. When it was again time to brave the elements, the downpour paused and all scurried on unscathed. For the longest walk, a mile away, the rain paused as usual but the terrain was so soaked I looked at the path to be trod and groaned. I had only my good clothes and good shoes. They would be ruined, but I said nothing, swallowed hard, and began walking. A man behind me whispered in my ear, "I have a car. Let me drive you." As it turned out, many drivers came forth and only those who preferred a muddy walk made the trek. The rest of us arrived dry and unruffled, ready for the next phase of our workshop. The pattern of "pause and pass" continued throughout the weekend. What could have been a disaster turned into a blessing of needed rain with everyone commenting on how it always parted at the right moment and resumed once everyone was inside. I do not know how much my imagery are affirmations contributed to what resulted. Certainly, everyone present was concerned about the weather and their own personal comfort versus any needs the environment might have. What happened was very probably the result of a combined effort of all present, a united appeal. But for me, Iiving through exactly what I had invoked, coming to terms with the so-called impossible, touched me beyond words. I was overcome! Tears would sometimes flow as I silently gave thanks, over and over again. Long I had used and activated the principles of imagery and affirmations, and many were my successes, year after year. But this time was different. Here I was faced with a startling discovery -- that personal needs are automatically fulfilled once needs of the greater whole are addressed, that to help myself I need only remember to first help another. The rainstorm was indeed a special surprise! P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D., Ph.D. (Hon.) is a leading researcher into paranormal and altered states of consciousness, particularly near-death experiences (she herself had three in 1977). She is the author of numerous books, including "Coming Back To Life: The After-Effects Of The Near-Death Experience," "Beyond The Light, What Isn’t Being Said About The Near-Death Experience," "Future Memory," and "Children Of The New Millennium," a major study of child experiencers of near-death states. She has lectured twice at the United Nations and at many other gatherings, large and small. Her writings have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and she has been on such television talk shows as Sally Jessy Raphael, Larry King Live, Entertainment Tonight, Regis & Kathy Lee, Geraldo, and The Shirley Show in Canada. For more information about her work, visit www.pmhatwater.com