I recently had an experience that I can’t consciously remember. I’m told that a friend drove me to the ER of our local hospital. Earlier I supposedly seemed very confused and disoriented when she called on the phone; I didn’t even know who she was. I spent a couple of hours or more in the ER getting all sorts of tests like CAT scans to see if I’d had a stroke or what had happened. It turns out I had hyponatremia, and I had to spend a couple of days in the hospital until my electrolytes returned to normal. (I’d been drinking too much water and restricting the salt in my diet.) Anyway, I’m told I answered questions while in the ER and even flirted with the docs, but I don’t remember any of that. I gave them my social security number, age, etc., yet I don’t remember doing any of this! I don’t even remember being taken to the ER in the first place! I came to several hours later in my hospital room, hooked up to a saline solution. I’m worried that this could happen again, and have been upping the sea salt in my diet and lowering my liquid intake. How was I able to function supposedly lucidly and yet not be mentally there? Where did the real me go during this time? This has never happened to me before, and I sure hope it never will again!
Kay
Susyn:
Hyponatremia is not a well known condition, though it happens often to people who are out of balance in terms of their salt and water intake. It is a very serious condition that can result in confusion, loss of memory and hallucinations. Because it causes swelling in the cells of the body (including the brain cells), hyponatremia can cause disorientation and blackouts.
In this state, our inhibitions and sense of propriety fall to the wayside, hence your flirtation with the doctors and your revelation of private information. The real you did not go away; in fact, we might say that it came out like never before. Though we have all learned to maintain certain boundaries, medical conditions and drugs can cause us to forget all about that. As it is our intellect that monitors our thoughts and actions, your condition caused you to bypass learned behaviors to let it all hang out.
Unsettling events like this can affect us on a deep spiritual level. What you experienced has now shifted your awareness and brought you to a deeper understanding of yourself. Although revealing private information to the medical staff and acting inappropriately with the doctors may not be something you would normally do, with your reasoning mind out of the way, your innocent inner child could come out to play. Now that it has been let out, you have learned some important lessons.
First of all, it sounds like you have new awareness of what it means to take good care of your health. I feel this physical imbalance mirrors a spiritual imbalance within you. I’m sure that spending a few days in a hospital made you more aware of your tendency to go too far in trying to be responsible, and encouraged you to reach for a more balanced, moderate approach.
When we focus on one aspect of our lives this intently, it actually allows other areas of our lives to be transformed without us being aware of it. I often say that while we are focusing all of our faculties on addressing a serious problem, the Universe will start rearranging the furniture behind our backs, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you begin to notice other changes in the coming months.
Life threatening experiences tend to spark rapid spiritual awakening. For example, just as would be true if you had had a near death experience, you may experience a sudden spiritual awakening or new and unusual psychic phenomena. Life may suddenly seem more vibrant, and you may begin to make big changes in your life or get involved in activities you never considered before.
Though I’m sure you never want to go through an experience like this again, the gifts that come from having gone through it once will be immeasurable. Above all, I hope you decide to let your inner child come out and play more often!
*****
Oceania:
The real you was there all along. The reason you don’t remember everything is because your awareness was impaired, much as if you’d had too much to drink. Alcoholics have blackouts and can’t remember what they said or did the night before; you experienced much the same thing! Understanding what happened to you physically will be reassuring. Understanding the distress you still feel today will provide a lesson in trust that will last a lifetime.
Every cell in your body has a membrane that allows water to pass in or out. Sodium (salt) can’t pass through it. Water migrates in or out of cells until the concentration of sodium is equal on both sides. When you drank tons of water and cut out salt, the concentration of sodium in your bloodstream dropped. As our bodies are always seeking balance, water moved into your cells to dilute the sodium inside, which caused the cells to swell up like tiny water balloons.
Most cells swell with ease, but brain cells are confined by the skull. Swollen brain cells increase cranial pressure and lead to water intoxication
with symptoms similar to alcohol intoxication including personality changes, confusion and loss of awareness. Athletes are at risk for this condition because they lose salt through sweating and consume large quantities of liquid to quench their thirst. They can avoid what you suffered by drinking sports drinks instead of water.
At the hospital, sodium was added to your bloodstream, which prompted water to move back out of your cells. Your brain swelling lessened and normal consciousness returned. Even though you’ve corrected your diet, a year later you’re still worried this might happen again. This tells me that what you fear most is being out of control.
It is tricky to find the right balance between surrender and control. This is reflected in the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Some people surrender too much and passively accept anything and everything, while others don’t surrender enough and struggle to control everything. I’m thinking you lean towards that end of the spectrum.
Just as your body needs to balance water and salt, your spirit needs to balance surrender and control. To do this, you must learn to make conscious choices whenever you can, but when you find yourself in a situation beyond your control, choose to gracefully surrender to a HIGHER power.
You were not conscious during this event but your observant friend and the hospital staff provided you with loving care. You can use this profound experience to learn to relax and trust that if you do YOUR part in life, the rest will be taken care of!
Astrea:
Many times in life we hear, “You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT.” Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown’s book was all it took to get you there.
Even though you hadn’t read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!
While I don’t usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity – you gotta love it!
I like your description of “getting caught.” That’s exactly what it feels like, isn’t it? One minute you’re free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!
As a little kid, I loved that “feeling of return.” With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.
I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family’s interest in “psychic stuff” will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.
You’ll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she’ll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn’t nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it’s STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!
Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.
A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don’t get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you’re doing here on Earth.
You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.