Return to Soul

Introduction

With the constant quickening of consciousness, science, media, technology, and the digital world ahead of us, it is time to quicken our spiritual connections for a new era of evolutionary enlightenment. Just as technology has evolved, so too has spirituality. The simple spiritual truths presented here in Return to Soul are now instantly accessible, uncomplicated, clear and direct, with no specialness or frills. I will begin by saying that now you can stop the seeking at whatever stage you are at, one week in or fifty years in. It is time for a shorter, simpler path.

Deep within every human spirit there is a search unfolding for a new understanding of why we are here and the question: Who Am I? That is where my own journey began after the sudden death of my newborn baby daughter, Taylor, which plunged me into a chasm of grief, depression, and inner chaos. I never imagined that the existential crisis I then went through would precipitate a journey of awakening, where I was to traverse both ancient Eastern philosophies and Western theories of modern day positive psychology that would ultimately result in amazing mystical experiences, exquisite inner peace, profound clarity, freedom, and a spiritual awakening.

To help you understand and experience your own questioning and inquiry about the journey that we all participate in, sometimes unknowingly, I will present to you in Part One—A Soul's Journey various aspects of my healing and spiritual journey where I literally had to journey back to the original source of the soul to find the answers. An unusual twist is that I realized the yearning for a deeper understanding of Truth and the voice within me guiding me was actually the untainted, pure soul of Taylor. A deeper reason for Taylor's short physical presence in my life was ultimately unveiled—to guide me to the greatest knowledge of all pertaining to the true nature of the soul and my spiritual awakening.

There are many stories told about communication from the afterlife or people who have had near-death experiences. Most afterlife, proof-of-death messages are presented via a being who is, for example, a relative or friend of the living who had a conditioned identification. This message is different in its approach as it comes directly from Taylor's Pure Soul, a Pure Being that had not learnt to identify herself as a walking, talking, female child who had lived through the human experience. So I never once saw her standing at a door, hovering over me or talking to me, and neither has a psychic medium picked up on her presence.

All we had in common was a Presence of undefiled pure, innocent, pristine Love. She only ever came to me through my heart and an inner, silent, intuitive knowing which, at times, has made the message from spirit a bit difficult to translate. If she could have 'spoken' to me like other spirits, things would have been a lot easier. But I am forever grateful that, when the message was finally written, it remained as pure as her heart and soul.

Don't get me wrong; losing Taylor was the hardest, most painful experience I have ever been through, and I don't wish it on anyone. It took several years of grief and anguish and then earnest searching to make sense of what had happened—to find the meaning of life and to the path to the Soul. But I always had the inner voice of my soul urging me to remain one hundred and ten percent vigilant, determined, and passionate to know the Truth about life and death, why we are here, what life is all about, and who I really am.

As difficult as it may be to believe some aspects of my story to follow, do know that I always remained in constant discernment throughout the journey, analyzing myself and what was occurring. If anyone would have tried to tell me that experiences like this were possible, I probably would have said, You've lost it and you've gone weird. However, because I see myself as a level-headed, educated woman who has witnessed and experienced such healing and freedom for myself, I cannot, for one moment, doubt that there is so much more to spirituality than what we are conditioned to believe.

The stories about the visions and meetings that occurred in my past, which I share in Part One—A Soul's Journey, were highly relevant to my journey to freedom. Yet they are now part of history and are no longer a requirement for the message of hope, transformation, and enlightenment that I share today. However, I mention them in the opening chapters for those who travel the esoteric pathway. Today, the message is direct and simple and a clear announcement of Truth for all walks of life, and it no longer requires an emphasis based on any particular religious or New Age model.

Although I cannot pinpoint just one philosophy as the most effective practice, it was clear on my diverse journey into many faiths and modalities that there was an essential thread running through them all. I knew I had to discover that one thread and create a simple message that could assist me and others in refining all the wonderful theories and practices that I had endured on my path. And I did. The goal then was to present a contemporary understanding of ancient and modern spiritual truths that is practically applicable and works.

In Part Two—Soul Transformation I will share with you the practices, insights, meditations, and invitations of inquiry based on the guidance, visions, and wisdom gathered from my twenty-one year spiritual journey. These practices do not create co-dependency on another distracting method; they enable you to be totally free and awake. They are there for you to explore and discover a deep sense of inner peace, presence, and stillness.

Part Three—Soul Awakening guides you to the final stages of ego transcendence and spiritual freedom, into the liberating relationship with the essence of the soul's true nature as a foundation in conscious evolution.

For clarity, let me explain that when I use the word God it is a metaphor for the Universal Consciousness, not a person or thing. When I use the word Truth or True Nature it is a metaphor for that which is permanent and changeless awareness, and when I use the word Self it is a metaphor for Pure Soul. You will also find that the words Soul and soul are interchanged throughout the book. The Soul (large 'S') represents Spirit, the first extension and movement from the first moment of the coming of existence or the 'big bang' whereas 'soul' (small's') in this case represents the soul in individual human embodiment.

Your experience of life may be different to mine, but this journey we will now go on together will unite us in the spirit of Pure Love as we re-learn who we truly are and what our purpose is here on Earth. Please join me as I share my journey and the Truth I discovered. May this be a significant step in your own discovery and Awakening as you Return to Soul—a journey to true, inner peace and freedom.

Blessings

Robyn

PART ONE

A Soul's Journey

THE STORY OF ROBYN COLLINS

Love is your true self.

Love is the active force of emptiness

when the ego is faced with death.

Love appears as grace to guide the soul home.

When the ego is transcended, the soul is liberated.

— ROBYN COLLINS

1

Facing Death and Finding Hope

On a beautiful day in March 1992 I was admitted to a small hospital in country New South Wales, Australia. I had two beautiful daughters, Danielle aged six and Brodie two, and I had chosen to complete our family with a third child. I was admitted on Tuesday evening to prepare for the caesarean early the following morning due to a very complicated and dangerous birth with Danielle. Brodie had been a caesarean delivery that was uncomplicated and safe, so our third birth was, presumably, going to be equally stress free. My parents came down to stay with my daughters and support my husband while I was in hospital.

I went into theatre at 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning with a very excited family awaiting the birth of our third daughter. Taylor was brought to me by a nurse as soon as the anesthetic had worn off and I was conscious, to hold her tiny, precious body. She was perfect in all ways, from head to toes. I kissed her tiny face and held her close to my heart, filled with so much gratitude and joy that I had once again been given such an amazing and beautiful gift of life.

[her] tiny presence was pristine and pure, untainted by the world, seamlessly perfect and innocent.

The operation had been successful and we were both healthy and our family was very happy. Our third precious baby daughter Taylor was welcomed into the world on a beautiful, sunny day by her father, big sisters, and grandparents; we were all filled with the love and joy that a newborn soul brings into the world. Once again we were blessed by such a precious little angel whose tiny presence was pristine and pure, untainted by the world, seamlessly perfect and innocent. Her big sisters marveled at her little hands and feet, kissing and patting her soft head, adoring their beautiful, petite sister who was an unconditional bundle of love. Together we bathed her, fed her, and fussed over her as she gazed with her beautiful, deep dark blue eyes at the movement around her. Our family was now complete.

Because we had decided to complete our family with three children, I had also organized for my tubes to be cut and fused in order to not conceive again. This was carried out after Taylor's birth to save another hospital visit in the future. There were no apparent problems and everything was all normal.

In the early morning hours of the next day, Thursday, the nurses came in to tell me that they were putting Taylor into a humidicrib to assist her with breathing, but they said it was nothing to worry about. I nursed her before they put her into the humidicrib and then I went back to my room to sleep. I was later awoken to be told that the nurses had given her a small dose of penicillin because they believed that she may have an infection in her chest, due to a small amount of fluid that may not have been sucked out fully at the time of her birth. Once again there seemed to be no cause for alarm and we continued on normally. At 6 a.m. I was told that the nurses were very concerned with her progress and had called in a helicopter emergency care flight to transport Taylor to the closest city hospital where she would receive higher pediatric care. There seemed to be a lot of anxiety in the air and the nurses were acting strangely.

My husband was called in to the hospital to travel with Taylor to the city where I was supposed to join her later that day. One nurse came into me with photos of Taylor that she had taken on an instamatic camera, which at the time I thought a bit weird. If there is nothing to worry about, why take photos of my baby? The nurse reassured me that it was only so that I had photos of Taylor and could be comforted while waiting to be transferred later that afternoon. I was later told the true reason she took the photos was because she doubted Taylor was going to survive.

Before I knew it, there was again high stress in the maternity ward with nurses and doctors rushing around in a state of emergency. As the doctors transferred Taylor from the hospital humidicrib to the ambulance humidicrib and then to the helicopter that was waiting for them at the local aerodrome, her lungs collapsed and her life was in critical danger. Because I was recovering from a caesarean and was under the influence of high pain medication, I was slightly vague with what was really occurring. The nurses and my husband came to tell me that Taylor had been rushed to surgery as she needed assistance to help her breathe, due to her weak lungs.

Once again, helpless and not fully understanding the depth of crisis that was occurring, I quietly dozed off to sleep to rest my body. It had been a long, long night (and early morning) and I was awoken at 9 a.m. with my doctor standing at my bedside with a face I will remember forever. Something was wrong.

With tears rolling down his cheek he said sadly, I'm so sorry; we did everything we could to save her. He then added, Although this is no consolation, I normally cut and burn fallopian tubes when I conduct a tubal ligation but, for the first time in my life, and I don't know why, I didn't burn them. I only tied them. Therefore, we may be able to re-join them for you in the future if you choose to have another child. He was right. At that painful moment, it was no consolation.

Unable to speak anymore, he turned and walked away, comforted by the hospital's Head of Nurses, his head bowed and in tears, his body weak from his own trauma and helplessness. They left me alone with my husband and mother who had already received the shocking news and who were waiting, prepared, to hold me in my space of excruciating, heart-wrenching pain.

Only a parent who has lost a child can know the shock and horror that, when confronted with the facts, race through the body and linger like a tumultuous black cloud. Little did I know that this black cloud wasn't in a hurry to leave me and that life would never ever be the same. It was like a double blow to my head. Not only was there the loss of my baby, but also the fact was I had made the stupid choice for a tubal ligation, not thinking that something like this could happen. The pain was indescribable. All I could do was put my head in a pillow and scream my heart's own death, consciously knowing on each side of my room there were other new mothers who were about to also drown in the surreal split second of facing the moment that no parent ever wants to face.

The day that little Taylor died was the moment that she not only left me, but my entire life did also.

The day that little Taylor died was the moment that she not only left me, but my entire life did also. It was like the whole of my existence died with her, every part of me, and my reasons for living and the reason for life itself. The nursing staff quickly transferred me to the other side of the hospital into a private room where the beginning of a new life for me began. Unfortunately, it was not the new life I went in there thinking I was going to experience.

Although I was visited often by crisis and trauma counselors, grief and loss counselors, and church clergy, the emotional and mental pain was like a ten foot steel wall around me. I was unable to rationalize or make sense of anything. I was completely numb. Life was surreal. I was in an altered state knowing that I was still in the world but was not a part