By Dr. John Carp —
Although I was a pre-med student in college, I became interested in natural healing and decided to pursue alternative health as opposed to a medical degree. This led me to other pursuits including yoga and fasting. Although I was not an overtly religious person, fasting made a big difference in my consciousness and desire for more spiritual life. This included becoming a raw food vegetarian. I had many transcendent spiritual experiences during those times.
I was fortunate not to have ever used drugs, even though in college they were all around me. I did try marijuana a couple times, but it was repulsive to my sensitive system. I attribute my avoiding the drug scene as being due to my Aunt Jessica Carp, who was my Godmother. She was a devout Catholic and prayed the rosary daily. She often told how she prayed for me daily, even through college. This illustrates the importance of praying for the youth to be cut free from all the allures of the astral plane.
I was caught up in the rock music of the time in college. Although I wasn’t musical, music was important in my life. I had been exposed to some classical music but never developed an appreciation for it. But there was one pop artist that changed my musical tastes in college, and that was Dan Fogelberg.
He was a homegrown Midwesterner from Peoria, Illinois, near my hometown. His music included soaring arrangements with full orchestra, and philosophical and inspiring lyrics. His music led me to reach for higher spiritual realms in music. His Netherlands album was a best seller back in the seventies. But he did not have the commercial reputation of other pop/folk musicians back then, as his work had a more alternative niche. So I am grateful to him for inspiring me to search out higher forms of music.
In searching for higher spiritual truths, I first studied TM, or Transcendental Meditation. I was told I would be able to levitate after a short time of meditating. When that did not happen, I moved on to other spiritual movements. I was fortunate in that I did not get caught up with any of the false gurus of the time. I finally ended up with the Self-Realization fellowship of Parahamansa Yogananda. I practiced Self-Realization for a year and was about to become more involved when I came across a book of the Summit Lighthouse.
I was living in Florida on a remote beach on Estero Island near Fort Myers, enjoying a very idyllic lifestyle, practicing my meditations. One day I was walking along the commercial section of the beach and was drawn to go into a small strip mall. I went to the book store and found the publication by Kuthumi, Studies on the Human Aura. Or should I say the book found me, as it almost jumped off the shelf! I immediately began doing the decrees in the back of the book while walking along the beach. I felt the light immediately. So I ordered another book, Climb the Highest Mountain. This was the truth and path I had been looking for.
By then I was ready to start Chiropractic College. But during that time I studied the Teachings, and contacted a study group in Des Moines, Iowa, led by Carolyn Chiapetta. They held an outreach event and invited me to attend. It was about a two hour drive from my college.
At the event I met two men who were vey welcoming in my first contact with other Keepers, William House, and Michael Vernon. After the presentation I was invited by Carolyn to joining them for dinner. We were joined by Rev. Annice Booth. She seemed to be a very powerful woman. During the dinner conversation it came up that I was a chiropractic student. She said, “Well, let’s hope we are all in alignment!”
During my last year of Chiropractic College, another stump team came through our college town of Davenport, Iowa. Patrick Danahay gave a lecture on the chakras. It wasn’t long after that I became a Keeper of the Flame, and attended my first conference, which was the first conference in the Heart in 1982. In spite of it being a sort of an Outward Bound survival experience (I was not prepared for camping in the Montana mountains!) I felt the presence of the Masters and the love of Mother very strongly.
The rest is history and my life has been an amazing journey of adventures with the Masters!
Thanks for sharing your journey, John,
I loved the comment by Annice.
I vaguely remember you in Sydney Australia when I visited there in the mid 80s when I was very new in the teachings. Kind regards Anne