Undefinable Strange Experiences and The Sleeping Self

The energy body, what some call the soul or spirit, is not the machine. It is

the animating force behind it. And when it sleeps, life becomes routine, repetitive,

predictable. An Undefinable Strange Experience, a USE, interrupts that routine.

The Purpose of a USE

A USE is not merely an event. It is a catalyst. It shakes the system. It disrupts certainty.

It forces the questions most people avoid:

Why are we here?

Is this all there is?

Are we alone?

What is consciousness?

What is our responsibility to this planet?

What does it mean to be intelligent life?

These questions do not arise from habit. They arise from awakening. Everyone I have

spoken to who has had a USE has changed in meaningful ways. They begin to see the

planet differently. They become more conscious of their footprint. They recycle. They

compost. They rethink energy. They question systems. They expand their worldview.

But more importantly, they begin asking the deeper questions. The large,

uncomfortable, transformational ones.

A USE breaks the monotony of the machine and nudges the spirit to wake up.

My Own Experience

I had a USE five years ago. I still cannot define it clearly. Before it happened, I would

say my spirit was stirring, but groggy. Curious, but not fully engaged. The experience

was like a shot of espresso to the soul. It sharpened my perception. It ignited urgency. It

pushed me to look inward, not outward.

There is a common narrative that extraterrestrials, advanced beings, or some external

force will intervene at the critical moment and save humanity. That they will deliver clean

energy, solutions, technologies, or enlightenment.

But that belief keeps us passive.

A USE often reveals only half the lesson at first. Yes, reality may be larger than we

imagined. Yes, we may not be alone. But the deeper realization is this: it is not for

something else to save us. It is for us to save us. And it has always been that way.

Awakening Does Not Require Authority

It is interesting how ideas about awakening are more readily accepted when they come

from religious texts, prophets, or figures believed to be divinely appointed. When the

same message comes from an ordinary person, it is often dismissed. But awakening

does not require ordination. Insight does not require a title.

Once you have had a USE and allowed yourself to truly question your assumptions,

something changes. You expand beyond your perceived limits. You recognize that life is

bigger than the material surface.

That expansion can feel destabilizing. It challenges identity. It challenges comfort. But

growth often does. The reward outweighs the discomfort.

The Real Shift

Real change happens when we collectively understand that no outside force is coming

to fix our world.

Not aliens.

Not divine intervention.

Not some hidden technology.

We are the stewards of this planet. We are responsible for its healing. We are

responsible for our evolution. A USE is not about spectacle. It is about responsibility.

It wakes the spirit from its slumber and reminds it that life is not something to passively

experience. It is something to consciously shape.

The Invitation

I hope you have had a USE. If you have not, you do not need one to begin awakening.

All it takes is a sincere question: What if?

Not casually. Not rhetorically. But deeply, honestly, in the core of your being.

Once you ask that question with genuine openness, something shifts. The light turns on.

And once it does, awareness has a way of finding you.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If something in this article resonates — if you’ve felt the urge to awaken more fully into

your truth — I invite you to reach out.

Let’s explore your personal Mystic Journey together. Whether through coaching,

spiritual guidance, or collaborative insight, I’m here to walk beside you as you discover

what consciousness means for you.

                                                                                                                                                Josh Rutledge, Mystic Journeys, LLC