The Yucatan Connection

Ken's First Spiritual Journey

(from Ken's 1985 recorded tapes following his return from the Yucatan)

Ken's uncle, Drunvalo Melchizedek, called him in late 1985 when Ken was just becoming aware of his spiritual path. Drunvalo said that his own guidance had directed him to collect a group of crystals and take them to different pyramid sites located in the Yucatan area of Mexico and Guatemala. Drunvalo wanted to know if Ken would go along with him. Probably because it was so different from anything that he was doing at the time, Ken agreed to go on the trip. In fact he felt compelled to do so. Ken asked for more details and this is what he was told.

Drunvalo had been asked to visit specific pyramids in Mexico and Guatemala and leave a series of specific crystals at those locations. Specific information about the crystals had been given, including size, kind, color, and caliber. In order to ensure that he had the perfect crystals for the trip, Drunvalo enlisted the help of his and Ken's friend, Katrina, who had matched exact crystals to each specific site. The crystals were chosen to closely match the common colors of the recognized chakra points of the human auric field.

This is what Katarina chose:
Uxmal - Black Tourmaline
Labna - Carnelean
Kabak - Gold Calcite
ChichenItza - Green Adventurine
Tulum - Blue Lace Agate
Kohunlich - Purple Flourite
Palenque - Amethyst
Tikal - Kunzite

Katarina would later receive additional information and write her own books on crystals and crystal healing.

The journey itself had also been clearly defined. Beginning at Uxmal, Mexico, the sites had to be visited in a particular order plotted along the course of a fibronachi spiral. The order of sites were Uxmal, Labna, Kabah, Chichen Itza, Tulum, Kohunlich, Palenque, and Tikal. At the time, Ken wasn't consciously aware that he was going on anything other than an exciting trip with his uncle. He did, however, feel that the trip would be important for him, too. Making definite plans to meet Drunvalo in about three weeks, Ken set about to get everything ready.

It was also during this time that Ken received his next clue about the mysterious agreement that his Taos Indian friends had entrusted to him when he was younger. He had gone into Oakland to work as usual, but had been unable to park in his regular lot as it was full. He found a spot on the street close to his office and went through the day as usual. Upon returning to his car at the end of a long and tiring day, he saw a ticket on his front windshield. Disbelieving, as there were no restricting hours posted along the street, Ken stepped up to yank the ticket off his car. Turning over the ticket, this is what he read:

Hello Ken:
Stay focused and in your own space, even if you are in unfamiliar places.
Staying focused will be your ticket into new worlds.

Ken looked over his shoulder as if the writer of the note would still be lurking around. It felt a little spooky, but maybe it was just the harmless prank of one of his spiritual ancestors. Stuffing the ticket into his pocket, Ken didn¹t really know what it meant or how to use it. Furthermore, he couldn't even begin to imagine why or how it came to be on his car. Still pondering the message, he drove towards his home in Clearlake. Because he was scheduled to leave soon on his trip with Drunvalo, he had already decided to stop at a special shop along the route .

The Obsidian Stone

So it was that he happened to wander into the tiny rock and mineral shop in Clearlake Oaks. The little store was about five miles from his house, and it had caught his attention several times in the past week. The shop was run by an older man who had owned the store for over forty years. In one of the display cases was a wonderful obsidian piece that looked like a pendulum. The stone itself had been cut and shaped like a huge tear drop and was about six or seven inches long. The stone's color was a beautiful glossy-black, and it was quite wide at the top. Something in the secrets and the shadows of the polished stone spoke to Ken. He asked the shop's owner if the stone had any particular use and why it had been shaped in that particular way. The old man replied that the stone had been hand carved into that shape over thirty-five years ago. An eccentric customer, who had lived on the other side of the lake, had ordered the piece and given explicit instructions on how he wanted the stone carved. The customer had intended to use the piece as a pendulum, but unfortunately he had passed away before he had been able to pick it up. The stone had lain in the shop's display case ever since, and no one had ever even inquired about it in all the years it had lain there.

Although Ken wasn't quite sure why he was so attracted to the stone, he had a strong feeling that the obsidian stone would prove to be useful on his upcoming trip. The shop owner was thrilled that someone was finally interested in buying the stone, and Ken was pleased to be able to purchase it for about $20. It was such a great bargain that it didn't matter to him if they would end up using it on their trip or not.

Merida

The day for Ken's trip finally arrived, and he left for Merida, Mexico. With a population rapidly approaching one million, Merida is the largest city, as well as the capital of the state of Yucatan. Merida was founded by the Spanish in the mid 1500s on the ruins of the defeated Maya town of Tiho. It still retains much of its Spanish architecture with its charming narrow streets, ornate colonial buildings, and colorful shady parks. Located in the northwest portion of the Yucatan peninsula, Merida is near beautiful beaches, ancient Mayan ruins, and lush tropical jungle. Like most of the tropics, regions along the Maya route have just two seasons: rainy and dry. Daily rains can soak inland jungle roads, creating sludge trails that are impassable to all but four wheel drive vehicles. On the day that Ken arrived, the weather was fairly mild and a light warm rain was falling.

Ken checked into a hotel to await Drunvalo's arrival the following day. About five o'clock that evening, just as the sun was about to set, Ken decided to go swimming in the hotel pool. Outside, it was still sprinkling lightly, so there was no one else around the pool. Happy and content, Ken began to swim lazily around, thinking about his upcoming adventure. As he glanced upwards at the last rays of the setting sun, he suddenly saw two rainbows appear in the sky directly above him. He had never seen rainbows like these before. The two translucent, radiant rainbows, one on top of the other, had appeared out of nowhere. The rainbows held great significance for him. Their presence served to reassure and reconfirmed his upcoming trip. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the rainbows were a visual and physical confirmation that he was in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. It felt right to Ken and reconfirmed his belief in the magical, the exceptional, and the extraordinary. Actually, it was just as it should be for Ken was doing exactly what he believed in.

The trip with Drunvalo had been difficult for him to fully explain to his family. On the surface it had appeared strange for him to go off to the wilds of the Yucatan with his Uncle. He didn't really know himself why it was so natural to take such a trip. He was, after all, taking important time away from his business to travel thousands of miles simply to leave different colored rocks in remote sites in places he had never heard of before. In fact, when asked about the trip by his family and friends, all Ken could say was that he just knew it was something he had to do.

Early the next day Drunvalo arrived, and they were ready to start their adventure.

The Adventure Begins with Uxmal

Renting a car they set out in high spirits. Ken was quick to show Drunvalo the black obsidian dowsing stone he had brought along. Drunvalo was delighted with it and, synchronistically enough, had also brought along a smaller pendulum for use on the trip. Ken and Drunvalo rigged the black obsidian stone into a sling so that the stone could move and swing freely and still not be influenced by the person holding it. The obsidian pendulum, while large and heavy, could now be easily used.

The sacred archeological site of Uxmal, about fifty miles south of Merida, is considered by many ruin buffs to be the finest and purest Mayan site on the peninsula. Unlike some of the other Mayan ruins, there is nothing at Uxmal to suggest militarism or human sacrifice, which is so common to that culture. One of the largest cities in the Yucatan, Uxmal had about 25,000 residents in its heyday.

Grouped on a broad plateau, the ruins of Uxmal cast low silhouettes above the flat jungle landscape. All around the site is a tangle of undergrowth so dense that not even the trees can pierce it to reach full height. Upon entering Uxmal, the first sight to meet their eyes was the Pyramid of the Magician. This unique oval-shaped pyramid measures 117 feet in height and is 178 feet wide at the base. The name Uxmal, from Maya words meaning "built three times," probably refers to the three levels of temples found there. Despite the local legend that the Pyramid of the Magician was built in a single night by a dwarf with magical powers, it is clear from the number of successive temples that the pyramid was constructed over a period of about 400 years. Just how these magnificent structures were constructed is not clear even today and a sense of mystery still permeates the site. There were no mines on the Yucatan peninsula, no metal tools used in construction, no work animals to speak of, and the wheel, as a means of conveyance, was unknown.

Both Ken and Drunvalo agreed that Uxmal had tranquil energy. Uxmal was among the most remote pyramids Ken had ever visited. Many of the buildings found at Uxmal include some of the most magnificent stonework known in the Maya world. The two of them saw lots of carved stones, and Ken was especially drawn to the wide variety of glyphs, or symbols, used all throughout the site. Many of the recognized symbols of Mayan power adorned the most important of the structures. Numerous buildings were decorated with intertwining stone rattlesnakes, symbolizing divinity and power. They also noticed some owl heads near some of the rooflines of the buildings, which to the Mayans, symbolized death.

One of the largest of all of the buildings on the site was the Palace of the Governor. The palace is constructed in three layers and features a latticework background made from 20,000 identical carved stones. The stone sculptures depict endless persons, gods, and animals, as well as personifications of the planet Venus. Modern astronomers have discovered that the palace was precisely aligned with the path of Venus, so that at the brightest planet's southern solstice it aligns perfectly with the central doorway of the palace, the unique jaguar throne in the courtyard of the palace, and a temple on a hilltop eight kilometers away. The precision of construction and the still indecipherable usage of many of the structures lend a lot of intrigue to Uxmal.

As far as their itinerary was concerned, to Ken and Drunvalo Uxmal represented the base or first chakra. Ken soon realized, once they were there, that if it were possible to get a bird's eye view of the location, it would be obvious that the prevailing color used was black. A lot of natural obsidian had apparently been used by the natives, not only for the mortar in the pyramids, but in all of the natural construction of the other structures as well. Ken thought it was quite remarkable that his pendulum and the main building material used at Uxmal were made of the same mineral. Of course Ken hadn't known any of this at the time he originally purchased his large pendulum in Clearlake.

Drunvalo's instructions were quite explicit. The crystal they were to leave at Uxmal was a large, black tourmaline. They were to locate, within the accuracy of a single atom if possible, the exact starting point of the fibronachi spiral that would begin to wind out from the site at Uxmal. The spiral would eventually encompass all of the Yucatan peninsula and end at Tikal. The instructions were, that once they found the exact starting point of the spiral, they were to bury the black tourmaline crystal that they had brought along.

After exploring the grounds at Uxmal for several hours, Ken and Drunvalo began to look for an exact place that felt right to both of them. Upon arriving at a general area that they had both agreed on, they began to search with more focus. Suddenly the ticket Ken had received on his car in Oakland many weeks prior took on new meaning. Finding himself near the grassy base of one of the larger pyramids, he decided to let go and to trust his instincts. Taking a deep breath, Ken started to use his obsidian pendulum, which almost immediately began to swing in a small circle. To pinpoint the exact spot, he walked back and forth in front of the pyramid once or twice. Just as Ken called Drunvalo over, the obsidian pendulum suddenly broke free of its rope sling and buried itself nose down in the grassy soil. The pendulum had buried itself with great force, as if someone had shot it out of a slingshot. Needless to say, Ken was astonished. He began to laugh in amazement at the utter clarity and directness of the pendulum itself. Even though they had used sturdy three-quarter inch ropes for the sling, the obsidian had simply slipped out of its rope cradle and was literally pointing the way for them. As they dug the pendulum point out of the ground, they found it had left a nicely cone shaped hollow, perfect to bury the designated black tourmaline crystal. It could not have been easier and step one was now complete.

Labna

The next place to be visited was Labna. The site itself corresponded with the second or sexual chakra. Just as Ken and Drunvalo were about to arrive at the location, Drunvalo's spiritual guide, Thoth, gave him instructions to skip the site altogether and drive directly to the third site of Kabah. Not one to argue, Ken sat back wondering how this trip was going to turn out. Originally they had been instructed to follow the procedures as given, right down to the last letter, without deviation of any kind. Drunvalo, not hesitant in the least, questioned Thoth about this sudden change of plans. Thoth's reply was simple: "Labna was originally what I had told you, but that was just in case someone else was listening. This is how I really want you to go."

Kabah

Thoth then gave Drunvalo updated instructions. They were supposed to go directly on to Kabah, which had been originally designated as the third site. Kabah itself turned out to be a odd experience. It was raining the entire time that they were there. Mists caused by the tiny, falling raindrops hung down, obscured the clarity and overall view of the site. Most of what Ken could remember were the low hanging clouds, the lush, dense jungle, and the many remnants of huge stone monuments. Although Kabah seemed deceptively small, archaeologists have determined that there are at least eighty unexcavated structures still there. The name Kabah, or "He with a strong hand," was derived from a monumental stone figure of a naked man with a serpent in his hand, which is found among the ruins.

The most impressive building found at Kabah is the Palace of Masks, whose facade is entirely covered with about 300 masks of the hook-nosed rain god, Chac. The decoration of masks extends from the base of the Palace all the way up to the top. Each mask is made up of thirty individually shaped blocks of carved and cut stone. So "Chacified" is the outside of this structure that to enter some of its rooms you have to step on a Chac mask's hooked nose. The rows upon rows of identical masks are set so close together that there is hardly a gap between them and, according to some interpretations, seem to represent a determined effort to bring the forces of nature under control. The temple is a massive monument to the force of rain itself as rain has always meant life or death to the Mayans. Being the third chakra point, Kabah would have represented the willpower, or the ego center, and it was as if the Mayans were willing the favor of the God of Rain to bless this area.

The limestone used in the construction of Kabah, when bathed in the jungle filtered beams of sunlight, took on a beautiful golden sheen. Once again the designated crystal, which was gold calcite, fit well with the color and the motif of the site. Ken and Drunvalo were able to easily pinpoint the exact spot to leave the crystal.

Back to Labna

Leaving Kabah fairly quickly and following their new directions from Thoth, Ken and Drunvalo traveled back to Labna where the designated stone was carnelian, which is red in color. The site at Labna was made up of red-orange sand colored structures. The carnelian was such a good match in color that if Ken were to have lain it down on the ground it would have blended right into the soil. The beautiful reddish-orange hue of the stonework at Labna is not the natural color of the limestone, nor did the Mayans paint the structures that color. Iron oxide, a mineral found in the soil around Labna, is responsible for staining the ruins as they laid buried over the centuries.

Looking around, Ken found several oddities at Labna. The most striking structure at the site, the PaUnique to Chichen Itza is a particular structure named the Temple of Warriors. Towards the back of the temple is an altar supported by 19 immense statues called Atlantean figures after the Greek titan, Atlas. The nineteen unique figures wear many different kinds of apparel and appear to have different racial characteristics. It still is not clear today whether the statues represent real persons or whether their design reveals some inexplicable Mayan awareness of man's incredible diversity. While the temple revealed an astonishing acknowledgment of other races and other cultures, the temple also was used for the most chilling of the Mayan sacrificial rituals. The Mayans had scores of such rituals that took place at regular intervals according to their calendar. lace of Labna, contains an extraordinary mask of Chac, the only one of its kind in the Yucatan. The remarkable sculpture is of stone jaws opening up like the mouth of a serpent that seem to be about to spit out a human head from its jaws. According to Mayan mythology, serpent jaws symbolized the entrance to the underworld. The Chac mask, flanked by human figures on the palace facade, is one of the largest masks of the Mayan rain god ever discovered. Also located at Labna is another Mayan arch of great beauty. Interestingly enough, in accordance with the Mayan language, the arch is correctly referred to as a portal vault.

As soon as they had arrived at the site, Drunvalo and Ken had the good fortune to run into a handsome native couple who willingly and spontaneously served as their personal guides. As befitting the site of the second, or sexual chakra, the couple themselves were young and attractive, and they all had a wonderful time. Once again, Drunvalo and Ken did not have much trouble locating the exact spot to leave the designated carnelian crystal, completing the first three sites.

Chichen Itza

The fourth location to visit was Chichen Itza, which is about 170 miles south east from Merida. Each year over three million people visit Chichen Itza, the best known of all the ancient Mayan ruins. The site of Chichen Itza itself covers over ten square kilometers, much of it still overgrown by jungle. Chichen Itza is unique among Mayan ruins, with its hundreds of beautiful columns, inviting comparison with ancient Greece and Rome architecture. Here also is the largest blood sport stadium to have ever been built in pre-Hispanic America. Elaborate carvings and sculptures depict gruesome scenes of human sacrifice, as well as honor warriors of old.

Unique to Chichen Itza is a particular structure named the Temple of Warriors. Towards the back of the temple is an altar supported by 19 immense statues called Atlantean figures after the Greek titan, Atlas. The nineteen unique figures wear many different kinds of apparel and appear to have different racial characteristics. It still is not clear today whether the statues represent real persons or whether their design reveals some inexplicable Mayan awareness of man's incredible diversity. While the temple revealed an astonishing acknowledgment of other races and other cultures, the temple also was used for the most chilling of the Mayan sacrificial rituals. The Mayans had scores of such rituals that took place at regular intervals according to their calendar.

The Mayan calendar marked great significance to its fifty-two year cycle. A fire ritual took place at the start of every cycle. To commemorate the momentous occasion, a captive was sacrificed and a new fire was kindled in the victim's recently vacated heart cavity. More common were the countless victims that died on an altar at the Temple of the Warrior or, as it is also known, the Temple of the Thousand Columns. It is thought that every major ceremony and ritual that took place at Chichen Itza was marked by sacrifices. In the sacrificial deaths, the victims died on the altar with bodies arched backwards and chests thrust forward as if they were eager for the blade. At that point the priest sliced open the chest of the victim, tearing loose the still beating heart to hold aloft. It was thought that the heart donor lived long enough to see his still throbbing heart held triumphantly by the priest and then placed in Chac Mool's sacred basin at the Temple of the Warriors. Not particularly surprising, with respects to Ken and Drunvalo's trip, the site at Chichen Itza represented the heart chakra. As Ken walked around the Temple of the Warriors, he could feel all the energy of those long ago sacrifices still lingering and heavy on the land. It became apparent to Ken that part of what he and Drunvalo were doing was to bring balance to some of that old, trapped energy as they placed the crystals at the appropriate spots.

The Sacred Well

This was the first site that something unusual happened. Ken and Drunvalo thoroughly investigated the large layout of Chichen Itza with the help of a native Mayan guide. At the end of their personal tour, their Mayan guide, who was a remarkable and knowledgeable man of advanced years, said he was going to take them to the most sacred spot in all of Chichen Itza. The guide then proceeded to take them to the sacred well, which is somewhat removed from the main layout of the ancient site. The name of Itza is often translated as "water sorcerers." It refers to the priests who divined the wishes of the gods from the waters of cenotes or limestone sinkholes.

One of these, of course, is the famous Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza, which was used for ceremonies and, some say, human sacrifices. This particular cenote is a natural sinkhole fed by an underground river, which also provides the main water supply for the city. The circular cenote is about 197 feet in diameter with a sheer vertical drop of seventy-three feet from the rim to the surface of the water. The water itself is about 60 feet deep with a layer of muck at the bottom that is too deep to measure. The cenote, or well, is about a fifteen minute walk through the jungle, away from the rest of the site. It had been the scene of many human sacrifices, and Ken could feel that it was still loaded with heavy psychic and etheric energy. According to local stories, there were rare occasions when the victims flung into the jade-green depths of the cenote survived. If the intended victims were able to return to the surface and managed to climb back up to the rim, they were greeted and honored for the rest of their lives. Their survival of the ordeal entitled them to the best their world had to offer, because they were thought to bring with them messages directly from God.

The Sacred Cenote had been thoroughly dredged in the 1950s by a team from the National Geographic Society. Several scores of bodies and many hundreds of artifacts had been recovered. Countless pieces of gold, copper, silver, and jade jewelry, metal and rubber balls, pottery, wooden and wax figurines, mirrors, copper bells, carved bone, sandals, incense, and crystal had been found at that time. On the edge of the cenote, ruins of a sweat bath had also been found and might have been used for purification rituals, perhaps before sacrificial ceremonies.

Drunvalo had already been told by Thoth that they were to place the fourth crystal, a green adventurine, directly into the sacred well. Returning to the main grounds for his next scheduled tour, their guide left them alone at the well. Ken and Drunvalo proceeded to say a silent prayer and then placed the crystal in a secret place they had found at the well. Happy to have found the place to put the fourth crystal, Ken and Drunvalo both decided to take a little time out and climb the largest pyramid at Chichen Itza, El Castillo.

El Castillo

El Castillo, or using its more formal name, the Pyramid of Kukulcan, is a magnificent stepped pyramid rising to a height of seventy-nine feet. The steep steps up the side have a large, thick iron chain to hold onto. It had been put in place to help climbers keep their balance as they climbed to the top. The main stairway, flanked by giant stone serpent heads, faces the path to the Sacred Cenote. Kukulcan in Mayan is the same as Quetzalcotal in the Toltec language. According to legend, Quetzalcotal, "the plumed serpent," was a blonde king with great powers who was supposedly cast out of his kingdom and exiled to the south east of Mexico. Legend has it that Quetzalcotal will, at some point, reappear and bring a great new era with him.

The pyramid of El Castillo is not just a pyramid. It has been said that El Castillo, or the Pyramid of Kukulcan, is an enormous time machine. Some archaeologists suggest that the Mayans were almost obsessed by time. Time for them was not progress, but a Wheel of Fate spinning endlessly. The Wheel was used to determine one's destiny by the combinations of attributes given to days in the Mayan solar and ceremonial calendars. The Mayans had such a unique concept of time that they had been able to use it to ascend to other times and places, explaining their sudden and mysterious disappearance. It has been suggested that, as we in the Western world have stretched time out in a linear way, the Mayans had stretched time out in a vertical way. Much of the ancient Mayan writing was actually done vertically. Using time vertically had allowed the Mayan's to go as deeply into the moment as we have been able to go horizontally, using linear concepts to form the past and future. Using the incomparable energy and magic that can only be found by being fully present in the moment, the Mayans had presumably found a way to transcend time.

No matter what was really true, the El Castillo pyramid did seem to have been built with the calendar in mind. There is a total of 364 stairs plus a platform that equals 365 days of the year and fifty-two panels on each side that represent the fifty-two year cycle of the Mayan calendar. There are nine terraces on each side of the two stairways of the pyramid. This results in a total of eighteen terraces that are thought to represent the eighteen twenty-day months of the Vague Year, or Mayan solar calendar. Every year at the spring equinox in March and the autumn equinox in September, in the early afternoon, a strange phenomenon can be seen along the carving of the serpent that flanks the north staircase of El Castillo. The shadow of the pyramid's northwest edge aligns precisely with the serpent to cast a moving pattern of light that joins and illuminates the serpent head at the base of the stairway. Within a thirty-four minute period, the serpent, formed by this play of light and shadow appears to descend to the earth, as the sun leaves each stair, going from the top to the bottom. This combined effect creates the visual appearance of the body of the serpent descending the pyramid, as well as the golden sun, which by entering the earth, signaled once again that it was time to plant the corn. The effect itself lasts three hours and twenty-two minutes. The serpent appears to ascend in March and to descend in September. On these two days, many thousands of spectators come to Chichen Itza to witness these events and lay their hands on the statue of the plumed serpent as a way of gaining personal power. For ages, man has been visiting sacred sites all over the world to energize his body and his spirit.

Being Present

By being fully present, while visiting all the locations that he had gone to, Ken was able to tap into different feelings or energies that seemed to have come from certain areas at each site. Anytime he was at such a place, he would merely stay focused and relaxed. In this state he was able to merge with different structures at the sites and get in touch with the energetic bands available. This can be done by anyone who chooses to visit such a place. By being present, fully in the body, and by using focus and intent, one can get in touch with the vibrations as held by both organic and inorganic items at the site. Objects are imbued with the life force vibrations that have occurred in their presence and, as such, act as record keepers or storehouses of information. The structure of El Castillo held hundreds of years of information about the people who had lived and worshipped there. As if that was not enough, the pyramid El Castillo holds even more surprises, for there is another pyramid inside of it. When archaeologists originally entered the second pyramid, they found a brilliant red jaguar throne with inlaid eyes and spots of shimmering jade. Many feel that there still remains many uncovered structures and treasures at these sites.

These two concepts — things are not always as they seem, and it's important to be in the vibration and energy of being fully present in the moment, that were to prove vital to the direction that Ken's life. Ken was able to tap into the truth and knowing of both of these two important concepts simply by being fully present while being at El Castillo. If Ken had had inner dialogs about the past or the future, he would have immediately cut himself off from the present and his ability to tap into this energetic information.

Getting back to their adventure, Ken and Drunvalo quickly arrived at the top of the pyramid breathless from the climb. Although the sky had started to cloud over, they were rewarded for their efforts with a spectacular overview of the jungle surroundings. Because of the dark storm clouds that were now building, most of the pyramid's visitors had gone off to seek shelter, and Ken and Drunvalo were left alone at the top. The top of the pyramid had three separate openings, and they choose the one that was facing the sacred cenote where they had placed their crystal earlier that day. All of a sudden it started to rain heavily. Because of the steepness of the pyramid, Ken knew they would have to stay in the top chamber for the duration of the storm, because it would be much too dangerous to attempt to climb down in the heavy downpour.

Ken didn't mind the exciting combination of thunder outbursts and lightening. The wind and rain had begun to pick up and were incredible to watch. The rain was actually falling in sheets, blowing over the top of the pyramid in one huge wave after another. As Ken watched, the storm became more and more amazing. The thunder began to boom and roll loudly through the whole area. The accompanying lightening lit up the entire sky, providing one breathtaking display after another. By this point in their adventure, Ken and Drunvalo had begun to notice a strange phenomena taking place. Every time they placed one of their special crystals at one of the ancient sites, almost immediately a storm or rain shower would start. The storms came from out of nowhere and then, just as suddenly, disappeared leaving intense blue skies, and misty sun-filled warmth. Best of all, the storms brought a whole new feeling over the area. Storms had occurred at all three of their previous sites, but this particular thunder and lightening show was the best one yet. Although this storm was more violent than any of the previous ones, Ken was getting used to these awesome displays of nature. Truthfully, he was beginning to enjoy them quite a bit.

The Guardian

Drunvalo had seated himself in one of the adjoining chambers and was deep in meditation. Drunvalo had told Ken that he was going to focus on projecting his awareness to the center of the pyramid. Ken decided to just sit quietly in one of the other chambers. He was completely content in his own simple physical reality, looking out across the jungle. Ken was enjoying himself, feeling and watching the powerful storm. Suddenly, a small white dog appeared out of nowhere. Undaunted by the torrential downpour or the steepness of the pyramid, this little animal had climbed up to join the two of them in the chambers at the top of the pyramid. And this was no small feat. The dog was smaller than a beagle and had the shortest legs Ken had ever seen on a dog. Ken peeked out of the chamber, thinking the storm must have let up a little. Not so. The storm was still raging wildly outside, the rain coming down like one huge waterfall and cascading down the sides of the pyramid. Ken had no idea how that little dog had managed to climb up all those gigantic steps without being completely and violently swept off the side. The water, as it flowed down from step to step, would have hit the dog full force in the face, eyes, and chest with every step it took. Unfazed, the little dog trotted calmly into the chamber and shook itself off. It looked at Ken and Drunvalo and then went over and sat alertly in the corner. By the dog's demeanor and presence, Ken knew there had to be a lot more there than what met the casual eye. The dog's presence was one of the first times Ken realized, that, in a real and physical way, there were definite beings watching and guarding sacred sites.

Levels of Energy

As the storm passed, Ken and Drunvalo were able to resume their journey. By ever increasing degrees, Ken became more and more aware of and sensitive to the many levels of energy that existed all around him. He also was gaining an understanding and knowing as to where the specific power places at each site were. Although he did not consciously know it, he was psychically gathering to himself a whole realm of ancient knowledge. He was able to automatically tap into the energy that was around each site. Just as the ancient ones before him had been able to do many things, Ken, by innately holding a particular state at every sacred site he visited, also began to expand his consciousness and his beingness. All he was consciously aware of at the time, was that he definitely felt in touch with the rightness of things.

One thing that both Ken and Drunvalo had begun to notice was that, as they had continued to work their way up the sites representing the chakra points, it had become slightly harder and harder to find exactly where each of the crystals should be placed. It seemed to both of them that as the vibrational energy of the sites themselves increased, the psychic vibration or pitch of the main power spot of each site became harder and harder to access. At each successive location, Ken was drawn into using abilities that he had never been aware that he had. He began to wonder and then to trust the uncanny reliability of his instincts.

Tulum

The next site on the list to be visited was Tulum, on the far east coast of Yucatan. A fabled fortress by the sea, Tulum is said to be the most beautiful natural site of all the Mayan ruins. Silvery temples and columns had been built on a rocky bluff that is constantly buffeted by powerful, opalescent blue and green waves from the Caribbean. Ramparts surround three sides of Tulum, totaling 3, 600 feet of thick, sturdy walls. The fourth side of Tulum ends at the cliffs, facing the beautiful turquoise seas. At the height of its existence, Tulum was home to only a few hundred permanent residents comprised of nobles, esteemed merchants, and warriors. However, its twenty foot thick walls, which averaged fifteen to twenty feet in height, often provided temporary refuge for locals who wished to escape warring tribes. Tulum's most lovely structure, known as El Castillo, looms atop the only rocky promontory in the entire state of Quintana Roo.

Ken thought that Tulum's beautiful designs and its unparalleled seaside setting more than made up for its small size. The buildings, though few, were crafted in a unique way. Tulum's most famous trademark is the Temple of the Descending God, adjacent to the Castillo. The Temple's guardian, with his feet in the air, head pointed down, and body encased in plumed phallic symbols, has been interpreted to depict everything from an ancient diver, the God of the Setting Sun, and to an extraterrestrial arriving from another world. The Guardian is carved right into the facade of the Temple. Mysterious as it may be, as the sun emerges from the horizon each morning, its first rays light up the feet of the figure. Then, for one fleeting moment, the entire god is lit up by the sun. The name Tulum itself means "City of the New Dawn" or "City of Renewal," perhaps named because of the fantastic sunrises that daily bathe the structures. Created in honor of Kukulcan, god of the sun, the site features sweeping platforms, sloping terraces, and ornate decorations, fashioned as plumed rattlesnakes, exotic birds, and stylized gods. The site was said to have been built to honor Heaven's communication with the Earth. It was said that in this place, communication between the worlds was easy and that man, if he wanted to and with the right information, could perceive other aspects of himself in those other worlds. The Mayans felt that the communication between heaven and earth could only be accomplished by those who were true to themselves and knew who they were. It was this state of being that allowed Ken to be able to incorporate these energetic aspect points into his being. Ken says that the only real difference between such figures as Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna was that they knew who they were. They became it, and they were safe with being it. In the truth of their communication with themselves, they were able to bridge many realities simply by their intent, their knowledge, and acknowledgment of themselves.

Not surprisingly, Tulum, being the fifth site of the journey, corresponded to the throat chakra. Ken had been told a bizarre story about Indian communications and Tulum. In 1850 Tulum was the center of the Chan Santa Cruz Indians' "Talking Cross Cult." The Spanish were already occupying the area and had taught the Indians many Catholic rituals. To the Indians, many of these rituals were reminiscent of their own myths and legends when their gods had spoken to them through their idols. Even the Catholic cross reminded the Indians of their own version of the sacred Tree of Life. A clever revolutionary, anxious for the Mexicans and Spaniards to be gone from his native lands, arranged for a "miracle" to take place at Tulum. Although there are those that swore one particular cross at the site actually did come to life and communicate with the Indians, most cynics said that Jose Maria Barrera, a revolutionary Indian, used trickery and ventriloquism. Disbelievers said Barrera had thrown his voice into the cross, urging his people to rise up against the Spanish. The voice from the cross urged the Indians to take up arms and fight for their lands. Whatever the truth, in the ensuing struggle the Indians did end up relying on the information they received from the cross. It must have been good information, for it successfully kept the Mexican government out of the Indians' territory for fifty years. Until the 1920s, the followers of the "Talking Cross Cult" had kept three crosses in a shrine at the Tulum pyramid of El Castillo. As more and more visitors and archaeologists came to Tulum, the Mayan priests moved the Tulum crosses to X-Cacal, where they supposedly remain today under the protection of local Mayan priests. The Mayans used the cross to bridge communication between the worlds, and as Ken would find out more than ten years later, the cross is still a highly effective gateway to Source.

As in keeping with the color of the fifth chakra, the stone that had been selected for Tulum was a beautiful blue-lace agate. Ken said that the ocean waters at Tulum were gorgeous, sparkling, and clear, and that they were one of the most beautiful shades of turquoise he had ever seen. The blue-lace stone that was designated to be left at Tulum matched the shades of the ocean water with amazing accuracy. In addition, the blue-lace exactly matched one particular shade of the native colors that had been used to decorate and paint some of the interiors of the dome ceilings of the sacred structures and buildings at Tulum. Painted long ago, the interior murals still retain a unique shade of blue-green. The murals depict the three realms of the Mayan universe: the dark underworld of the deceased, the middle realm of the living, and the heavenly home of the Creator and rain gods. The most beautiful of the three is the blue mural, representing Venus and the night sky, which was sacred to the Mayans. The murals are thought to represent the communications between all of the realms within the states of known time: day and night, as well as life and death.

While they were in Tulum, both Drunvalo and Ken found that they were drawn to one particular pyramid, which was built right on a cliff overlooking the ocean. As it turned out, it was the pyramid called El Castillo. As Ken and Drunvalo climbed to the top of it, they could look down right into the sea below. There, just below them, they spotted the largest, most enormous barracuda they had ever seen. The barracuda was just floating in the water watching them. To Ken it really seemed as if the barracuda was looking up and directly at them. The barracuda also gave Ken a feeling as if it was guarding the site from the sea. It was an amazing thing to feel, and it allowed Ken to consciously connect to new realms of life and awareness found in the ocean.

Looking around Tulum, Ken had another surprise. To his astonishment, just as they were visiting one of the pyramids, another little dog appeared. Ken found this dog just peacefully and quietly sitting in one of the corners of the pyramid known as the Temple of the Diving or Descending God. The dog was exactly the same type and color as the dog he had originally seen in Chichen Itza. The dog was quite unusual, acting undog-like. It would sit up and intently watch and scrutinize everyone who came into the pyramid, and then it would relax and sit back down.

Without much trouble, Ken and Drunvalo found the right spot for the blue-lace agate and, after a short ceremony, they buried it. Their task done, they were happy to proceed on their way.

Kohunlick

The sixth location to be visited, Kohunlick, was supposed to be located fairly close to Tulum. When asking around for directions, Ken found that not too many people even knew of the site. Later they would find out that Kohunlich, close to the Belize border, is so rarely visited by outsiders that even today there is no public transportation available to the ruins.

Located in a remote part of the jungle, Kohunlich is only partially excavated, with many of its 200 mounds still covered with vegetation. Visiting Kohunlich is like stepping back into time. Both Ken and Drunvalo were looking forward to getting off the beaten path and away from civilization for awhile. Little did they know that they had just embarked on a mini adventure all their own.

Although Kohunlich was plainly marked on the map, when Ken and Drunvalo drove to what they thought was the spot nothing was there. To make a long story short, they ended up traveling to three different and distant locations trying to find it. They were escorted respectfully, once by a mailman, once by a sergeant from the military guard, and finally by a taxicab driver. Trusting souls that Ken and Drunvalo were and unsure of their Spanish, they had enlisted the help of these guides — each time with the highest hopes. All three of their willing escorts had told them that they positively, absolutely knew where Kohunlich was located. Unfortunately, each location they were taken to was not the right one. It wasn't too long before both of them were hot, tired, pretty much lost, and finally on their own with little idea of where they were.

Not willing to give up, they kept driving around the general vicinity where Kohunlich had been marked on their original map. After traveling through most of the side roads in the region that criss-crossed and tunneled through the thick jungle, Ken finally told Drunvalo what he thought they should do. Ken pointed out that Kohunlich was supposed to represent the third eye, or the sixth chakra. Since the sixth site corresponded to the third eye, what better way to find the sixth chakra than psychically with their third eyes.

Ken's method was simple. They began to drive up and down roads, turning when they felt they were directed, shouting out, "Go right," "Turn left," Go straight," and "That way, that way." True to their plan, Drunvalo and Ken drove further and further into the jungle on roads that were not even marked on their map. Soon they didn't have the slightest idea of where they were.

After driving for three hours and covering about seventy miles, they drove up to a sign and to their great amazement and relief it read "Kohunlich." Feeling exhilarated and complete, they had arrived at the sixth site.

Kohunlich is beautiful, with many clear pools of water, lovely lily and lotus flowers, and lush vegetation. At this site not much excavation has been done, as many of the pyramids are still covered over by soil and vegetation. Hydraulic engineering had been used by the Mayans at Kohunlich and is still considered quite a great achievement. Nine of the site's twenty-one hectares were cut to channel rainwater into Kohunlich's once enormous reservoir. The steady supply of water has resulted in a wooded wonderland where giant lizards still saunter through the ferns and orchids and where exotic flowers hang down from trees like giant Christmas ornaments. Cohune palms, sacred to the Mayan for their healing properties, fan out across the lush landscape.

Deep in the palm forest stands the crowning glory of Kohunlich, the Pyramid of the Masks. The stairway of the pyramid is carved with giant, incredibly detailed masks of the Mayan god of the sun. The carved masks stand about six feet high and have bulging tongues, handlebar mustaches, and saucer eyes. Different from Mayan masks found elsewhere, the masks depict Kinich Ahau, the sun-eyed Lord. Across its eyes is the Mayan glyph, or symbol for kin, meaning sun, day, or time. Each of the faces has a distinctive dot, right in the center of the lower forehead, exactly corresponding to the location of the third eye. If they had any doubts at all, Drunvalo and Ken now knew that they were absolutely in the right place.

Climbing one particular pyramid that was still in the process of being excavated, Ken found a broad wall at the top of the structure. As Ken stood on top of the wall looking down over the entire complex, the wind began blowing a little harder. Ken put out his arms as if they were wings. He was curious to see how it would feel to be a bird soaring over the top of this beautiful ancient place. Just as he put out his arms, a large shadow passed over him. Looking up, he saw an enormous hawk swooping and soaring thirty feet directly above him. The hawk was making the same motions Ken had just imagined in his mind. The hawk hovered in place, playing the wind currents. It was thrilling to watch. Ken thought the sighting of the hawk was a good omen and that it bode well for their success at the site. In his sighting of the hawk, Ken had, in that instant, a knowing of what it would really feel like to be a hawk. He had once again begun to expand his ways of perceiving and utilizing new information.

When Ken and Drunvalo had first arrived at Kohunlich, they had tried to use their pendulum to discover where they were supposed to leave the sixth crystal, which was a purple florite. The florite was a unique and translucent violet, and it exactly matched the shade of the orchids that grew in wild abandon all over Kohunlich. Strangely enough, neither Ken's obsidian pendulum nor the small personal pendulum that Drunvalo had brought, would work at all. Going over to look at the main pyramid at the site, which had huge faces carved into its sides, they decided to walk around some more to see what else they could find. After several hours of looking, they both were stumped.

Again, because Kohunlich represented the chakra point for the third eye, they concluded that the right spot was going to have to be found psychically. Going back up to the wall where he had spotted the hawk, Ken went into meditation. Because of the isolation and purity of the site, Ken found the information coming to him quickly. He had a vision of a cave and a triangle with a tree on top. Coming out of his meditation, the vision didn't make any sense to Ken, but it was all they had to go on.

Ken could not remember spotting any place that corresponded to his vision from the overlook up by the wall, so after saying good-bye to his still present hawk friend, Ken went back down onto the site itself. As Ken came down from his place on the overlook, his body felt different. Although he did not know it, he had made an energetic connection to the entire physical plane, or space of being. Ken, as he tapped into different species within the physical world around him, had also connected in new way to his own physical body. He now knew what it was like to merge and blend with the physicality of the hawk, feeling what it was like to have a hawk's body and be able to fly. In addition, his senses had also expanded to include creatures of the ocean realms, thanks to his encounter with the barracuda at Tulum. He understood in that moment that he was learning an entire series of lessons about reality and creatorship and how they touch and interact with all the realms of being. Each site he had visited had subtly added to each of those lessons, but because the lessons were so gentle and ingenious, he had not understood their entire scope. Now he had a whole new appreciation of what it meant to "stay present." In the past, by getting sidetracked into worries, fears, past experiences, and future expectations, Ken had often missed the truth his present reality offered, in each and every moment.

Joining Drunvalo, the two of them began to look around in earnest for the right place to leave the crystal. As they began, Ken got a strong feeling about one place in particular. It was in a remote section of the site. Following his hunch, he and Drunvalo walked a good distance into the jungle until they came out onto a small, overgrown, grassy area. At first, the grassy area didn't look like much. There were just a few white steps onto a hill, but Ken felt that this was indeed the right place. As they climbed the beautiful white, carved, fifteen foot steps, they realized that they were on top of a fairly large plateau. On closer examination, the plateau turned out to be the top of an enormous, grand pyramid that had not yet been excavated.

Located on one of the corners of the plateau was a square opening that led into a cave. The cave itself extended downward about twenty or thirty feet, and it had a triangular top. Ken also saw one small tree, sitting right next to the cave opening. Directly by the base of the tree was a small, circular opening that looked as if it could have been formed by a mechanical drill. The opening was perfectly round, unlike anything that could have been done by hand. In Ken's original vision, there had also been a small round opening at the base of the tree and that was where they were supposed to put the sixth crystal. It did not take them too long to locate it near the tree by the cave opening. Holding the purple florite, Ken and Drunvalo said a prayer and dropped the stone down into the opening. The florite fell a long way, and it made a faint kerplunk sound when it hit bottom.

Preparing to leave Kohunlick, Ken took a final look around. He began to realize the scope of what was happening to him. His meditations and visions had a physicality about them that was uncanny and unsettling. He understood that his physical senses and his body had altered and opened up in ways that he could not define. Because he had trusted and then acted on his insights and knowing, the sixth site was now complete.

Palenque

Ken and Drunvalo next traveled to Palenque, the seventh site. It took quite a while for them to make the journey to the southern state of Chiapas. The site at Palenque marks the end of the flat and swampy land of the Tabasco region, as it meets the first mountainous hills of northern Chiapas. Lying to the west of Rio Usumacinta in the wild and mountainous jungle province of Chipas, Palenque is both an unusual and eccentric outpost of Mayan culture. Strictly speaking, it is not part of the Yucatan peninsula. However, as a masterpiece of Mayan art and architecture, it has no equal. With its great Temple of Inscriptions, built above a king's fabulous tomb, Palenque holds a unique place in Mayan lore. Only thirty-four of Palenque's nearly 500 buildings have been excavated and the King's tomb, hidden for a thousand years and discovered in 1949, took four years to excavate. The crypt, covered by a huge monolithic slab ten feet long and seven feet wide, is some eighty feet below the floor of the temple. The entire temple complex that comprises Palenque extends for at least six kilometers up and down the banks of a small river, the Rio Otolum, that flows directly through the site.

At Palenque, Ken changed the most. Although he had already gone through many changes, he could have written them off as a result of being out in the wilds and connecting with nature. Up to this point, all the events that had happened to Ken were all somewhat open to logical explanation. That was not the case at Palenque.

Ken and Drunvalo arrived in Palenque in the early afternoon and had already done a general walk about the site. At one point they had found a path that was carved out along the mountain that paralleled Rio Otolum. One of the local Indians had passed them on the path, moving quickly and decisively into the jungle. On the spur of the moment, Drunvalo decided to follow the path and the Indian. Ken and Drunvalo quickly found themselves being led into a remote part of Palenque. True to the area's average year round humidity of 78%, the afternoon was sweltering hot. Drunvalo and Ken soon realized they were unable to match the fast pace set by the Indian and were soon left far behind. Nevertheless, they continued along the path for at least eight miles as it wound farther and farther through the dense jungle.

Neither Drunvalo nor Ken had any idea where they might end up. They just kept on going. Crossing over the top of a ridge, they found themselves in a lush corn field, looking down on a beautiful, fertile valley with row after row of corn. Some of the original members of the Mayan tribe still lived in grass huts in the valley, existing the same way they had for hundreds of years. They climbed down into the valley and Ken silently absorbed the ancient vibration of those long ago Mayans. It was during this short trip to the isolated valley that Ken tapped into the timeless state of the moment known and used by the Mayans.

Since more than half of the day had gone by already, Ken and Drunvalo decided to turn back. They were no closer to finding the proper place to leave their seventh crystal, which was a translucent amethyst. Being late in the day, there was no breeze blowing anywhere, and it had become unbearably hot and humid. On one of the major grassy plazas, ringed by towering pyramids, Ken found a small, shady lemon tree to sit under and cool off for awhile.

By sitting under the lemon tree, Ken had unknowingly found one of the most sacred spots at the site. The tree faced the most powerful group of temples found in Palenque: the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Foliated Cross.

All three temples, perhaps representing a "holy trinity" of gods, had been built simultaneously and incorporated symbols found in other world religions. Relief sculptures in the Temple of the Foliated Cross are strikingly similar to those found at Angkor Wat, in Cambodia. Flower motifs in the temples resembled the lotus, which is an Asian plant sacred to Buddhists and Hindus, but was unknown in ancient Mexico. In addition, the large sculptured stone crosses found inside the temple were almost copies of medieval Christian crosses. Perhaps, the bisecting and reflecting energy patterns created by all of these sacred symbols of Source had a hand in creating what happened next.

The Lemon Tree Vortex

Since Ken carried no drinking water with him and was thirsty, he decided to reach up and pick a plump, juicy lemon. He planned to pierce the skin and squeeze out its tart juice. Just as his hand touched the lemon, his eyes began to burn more intensely than he had ever experienced before. As his eyes closed quickly in response to the sharp pain, he saw flashes of scenes within his mind's eye. Just being in that place under the lemon tree had spontaneously triggered memories of another time and place where something had happened to Ken's eyes and he had seen something that still carried a huge emotional charge.

While such memories may be interesting, the real value of the experience lay in the change of perception it afforded Ken. It was as if long ago time periods, still energetically alive with their stories and experiences, could co-exist with Ken's present day world. Could it be that all things that had happened in the past were actually happening simultaneously with the present and that with the proper focus someone could tap into that information?

This experience ended up provoking much silent reflection by Ken and would provide, in part, a basis for his future involvement in the time based experiments at Montauk, seven years later. A simple act like reaching for a lemon can open up a whole new range of experiences. There is nothing extraneous in creation. Every single event that we take part in has important information to offer even though it may take us a long time before we realize it.

Since that time, Ken has received additional information about that exact spot at Palenque from someone who had dowsed the area around the lemon tree. The dowser reported that the specific spot where Ken stood is an interdimensional gateway, as well as a multidimensional energy vortex.

Whatever happened in that moment under the tree, it took Ken about twenty minutes to regain his eyesight and comfortably open his eyes. In retrospect, that particular moment marked a new way of seeing into different periods of time. By placing himself, unknowingly, right in the middle of that gateway, portal, or vortex, he had tapped into it naturally. Once again, Ken was shown and could experience the bridging power of the cross, as a tool to tap into other worlds.

Ken next found a high tower to climb up into, hoping to get a better view of the whole site. The four story tower is part of the formation known as the Palace. The Palace is an unusual block-sized structure, harboring a maze of courtyards, corridors, underground labyrinths, and pagoda-like roofs. Evidently the tower of the Palace had been built as an astronomical observatory. The tower is situated so that on the winter solstice, the sun, when viewed from the tower, sets directly behind the Temple of Inscriptions. Ken climbed to the top of the tower and sat there for quite awhile quietly meditating. As he rested in a meditative state, his Higher Self told him just where he needed to go, to correctly place the seventh crystal.

Coming down from the bell tower, Ken soon found Drunvalo. Drunvalo was also meditating under a tree close to one of the other pyramids. He shared with Drunvalo the information that he had received during his meditation and the information closely paralleled the guidance that Drunvalo had also received. Agreeing upon the placement of the crystal, they both proceeded to the right location and after a short prayer and ceremony, they left the seventh crystal.

The Waters from Palenque

The hotel where they had chosen to stay was located less than a mile away from the sacred site of Palenque. In fact, their hotel, the Hotel Chan Kan, was built directly by Rio Otolum, the same river that flows down from the sacred ruins at Palenque. The owners of the hotel had diverted some of the clear, pure river water from its main channel and fed it into a series of three large connected swimming pools constructed at the hotel. The free form pools were amazing and varied in width and depth. Each of the pools was so large that they all contained several rock islands that swimmers could swim out to. The pools also contained a series of waterfalls and bridges to swim under. As if that didn't make the pools inviting enough, the actual water from Palenque was reported to have healing properties, as well as a rejuvenating affect on the body.

Ken had gone for a swim out under the stars and the balmy night sky as soon as he had returned from Palenque. Swimming in the pools was a wonderful, relaxing way to finish off another day of their adventure. Instinctively doing the right thing again, Ken had immersed himself in the vibration and essence of Palenque, that of the crown chakra. Although he wasn't aware of it, his crown chakra was being etherically opened up to be able to receive new information.

Ken's Ride

Ken had gone in to bed after his swim as he had to get up early the next day. He and Drunvalo had made plans to leave the next morning for the eighth and final leg of their journey. He had been asleep for about two or three hours when he suddenly awoke and sat up startled and disoriented. At first he could not figure out what was happening around him. Then he realized that he was moving. That might have been okay, except he was still in his bed. Not only that, he was moving at great speed with his feet out in front of him like he was seated on a magic carpet ride. This was no gentle, rolling ride, however.

Ken felt as if he were streaking through space at a breakneck speed. It was just as real as anything he had ever experienced. In fact, it was overwhelming. The experience became so real, so physical, so enjoyable, so terrifying, that Ken couldn't take it. He began to yell,"Stop, stop."

Grabbing the bedcovers, he put them over his head and , everything immediately began to slow down and then come to a stop. Just as Ken glanced over at Drunvalo, sleeping in the next bed, he was startled by a giant eyeball suspended in the air between them. The huge eye was about four feet in diameter, and it was a brilliant blue. That did it. Ken's reaction was instantaneous. He screamed. It was all just too much. He put his bedcovers over his head again and said over and over,"Stop, stop, stop." At that point, he had no idea what was happening to him or what it all meant. All he knew was that he had clearly, absolutely, undeniably seen something which could not possibly exist.

That particular incident, however, was the last time that Ken would ever yell stop again. His motto from that day forward changed into a cry of,"Faster, faster."

His life has not slowed down since. Those experiences challenged and expanded all of his known boundaries, his concept and perception of reality, and everything that he thought was real. From that day forward, Ken was no longer limited to experiencing only what he had known or knew was physically possible. What a way to go. One big eyeball and a magic carpet ride became the keys that instantaneously helped him to stop perceiving the world as he had previously known it to be.

Tikal

The next morning came quickly. Ken and Drunvalo set out for Tikal, the last pyramid site. This would be their eighth and final stop. Tikal, located in Guatemala, is not an easy place to visit, and it is almost impossible to reach from Mexico over land. The roads are narrow and treacherous and require almost three days of constant, white-knuckled, and alert driving. Drunvalo and Ken decided to drive to the border of Mexico and Guatemala where, because of insurance regulations, they would be required to leave their Mexican rental car. Once they got there, the border town was swarming with military personnel who were also posted along the highways searching all vehicles. Leaving their car in safe storage, Ken and Drunvalo soon arranged transportation to Guatemala City, their first stop on their way to Tikal.

After crossing by foot into the small border town on the Guatemala side, the two of them swiftly passed through customs. Without much fuss they hopped on a funky local bus heading for Guatemala City. Ken knew they had made the right choice when, as he went to sit down on the only available seat, he found part of a discarded magazine written in English. The open page had a full page travel advertisement, placed by the Guatemala Board of Tourism. It featured a man, surrounded by thick lush jungle, about to step into a huge clearing dominated by ancient ruins.

The caption of the ad stated:

Knowledge is the key.
Knowledge is power.
You can find it in the most unexpected places.
Take a step back in time, and discover who you are.

Ken felt the message was important, and he folded it up and placed it in his pocket.

The bus trip seemed to take forever. Every few miles they were stopped by military personnel who had all the passengers file off and stand in the middle of the roadway as they searched the bus. This road stops all ended about fifty miles into the interior of Guatemala when everything was judged safe by the military. The ride went on for many, many hours without further delays and finally reached Guatemala City.

Road weary, Ken and Drunvalo decided to spend the night in Guatemala City. Once safely sequestered in a local hotel, they called to arrange their flight into Flores, the city closest to Tikal. To their dismay, they were told that all of the flights into Tikal for the next few days were completely booked. While there were three flights a day, all leaving at the same time, the small planes could only hold about ten to twelve passengers each.

Not content with taking no for an answer, Ken and Drunvalo decided to arrive at the airport the next morning and take their chances. At the airport, they were told again that all of the flights to Tikal were full. The information did not faze either of them in the least. Ken and Drunvalo calmly sat down in the back of the small airport lounge and began to concentrate on making two seats available. Ken had never focused so hard on anything. They were almost done with their mission and both were ready to go home. Ken found it a challenge to keep his focus. It seemed as though some sort of force or energy was trying to keep them from reaching their final goal of Tikal.

As both Ken and Drunvalo focused and prayed, the group originally scheduled to leave on the flight to Tikal arrived at the airport. They sat there intently watching the arriving group as it swarmed around the ticket counter, checking in for the flight. After making a quick head count, an airline employee came from behind the counter and approached Ken and Drunvalo. She announced that it was their lucky day.

Just that morning two members of the group that was now checking in had become ill and decided not to take the flight into Tikal. The two ill members would be joining the group in a few days. That was all they needed to hear. Without another word, they happily purchased their tickets and hopped onto the plane for the short minute flight to Flores. Although the flight over the jungle only took about half an hour, it would have taken Ken and Drunvalo at least two days to drive due to the rugged terrain and poor road conditions. Now, because of the plane ride, they would be finished with their mission by the day's end. It was exhilarating to both of them to be so close to completion.

After the plane arrived at Flores, Ken and Drunvalo took the short ride up to Tikal. Tikal is one of the largest national parks in Guatemala and one of the largest and most extensive pyramid sites in the world. Tikal was the greatest capital of the ancient Mayan world. Founded about 600 BC, Tikal reached a peak population of about 70,000 - 90,000, one thousand years later. It was during that time that Tikal was one of the two largest cities in the Western Hemisphere.

Tikal is situated in the exact center of the Mayan world, equidistant from Copan in the south, Uxmal in the north, and Palenque in the west. Most experts believe that the knowledge and ideas that shaped the classic Mayan civilization originated in Tikal about 250 AD. The abandonment of Tikal around 900 AD coincided with the collapse of the high Mayan civilization. It had all begun and ended at Tikal.

One aspect of Tikal's magic was that it was so hard to reach. What was once the wealthy and fabulous center of the ancient Mayan world was now just a remote archeological ruin surrounded by millions of acres of dense rainforest, called Peten, which supports the richest variety of wildlife on the North American continent. Tikal has a wild, untamed feeling to it, and to Ken it seemed like a perfect place to end their adventure.

Tikal National Park was created in 1955 and occupies an area of 576 square kilometers, with the archeological site taking up about thirty-one square kilometers. A complete circuit of the main ruins involves a strenuous hike of about ten kilometers through the rain forest. Tikal's ruins are dominated by five enormous temples, which are steep sided granite pyramids rising some forty meters from the forest floor. Around them are in excess of 4,000 other structures, many still hidden beneath mounds of earth. Among the intriguing names of the structures at Tikal are the Central Acropolis, the Bat Palace, the Temple of Windows, the seven Twin pyramid complexes, the Temple of the Great Jaguar, the Plaza of Seven Temples, and the Plaza of the Great Pyramid of the Lost World. Tikal also contains a triple ball court, thought to be the only one of its kind in the Mayan world.

Because the site was so huge, immediately upon arriving at the park, Ken got out his map and dowsing pendulum. He had never been to such an extensive archeological site before. It would have taken a full week, or more, to investigate every structure and pyramid there. Both of them knew that for each structure that had been excavated, there were twice that many still uncovered, and it would have been impossible to do a complete walkabout. Both Ken and Drunvalo dowsed separate areas, but they both came up with the exact same spot to leave the eighth and final crystal, which was a beautiful light pink kunzite.

With the hard part of finding the right power spot to leave the crystal now over, Ken and Drunvalo decided to play a little. There are six major pyramids at Tikal, and they decided to climb them all. Pyramids One and Two are steep, imposing structures facing each other across the main plaza. Pyramid One is known as the Temple of the Jaguar, and Pyramid Two is known as the Temple of the Masks. These two tall steeped pyramids are unique to Tikal. Pyramid One is actually the only pyramid in all of the Mayan ruins throughout Mexico and Guatemala that the public is not allowed to climb. It has been indefinitely closed since the early 1980s when a tourist fell to his death down the steep stairs.

The tomb of Ah Cacau (translated as Lord Chocolate), was discovered buried at the foot of Pyramid One. Ah Cacau was the most important of all ancient Tikal leaders. His rich burial goods included 180 beautiful jade objects, ninety pieces of bone carved with hieroglyphics, pearls, and numerous stingray spines, which were used for bloodletting. Due to other artifacts found at both Pyramids One and Two, most archaeologists feel the two pyramids represent the masculine and the feminine. The ancient division of the sexes, which is physically represented by the location of the two pyramids on opposing sides of the square, also reflect the mirroring quality of the balance between male and female. The truth of this dominates the site. This separation, yet reflecting unity, was soon to become an integral part of Ken's knowledge and teaching.

As Ken and Drunvalo reached the top of Pyramid Two, they were greeted by a guard who was posted there. It was then that Ken realized that each of the other seven sites also had guards. The guards at the other sites, however, had been in animal form rather than human form. Some of the animal guard's actions now took on a new meaning to Ken as he realized their true purpose for being at each of the other sites.

Placing the Last Crystal

The next structure they climbed was Pyramid Three, also known as the Temple of the Great Priest. As Drunvalo and Ken approached Pyramid Three, where they had agreed to place the final crystal, they came upon a group consisting of two women and one man. The three of them were laughing, playing, and teasing each other in the bright sunshine. It was with that prevailing energy of play, the most sacred and balanced point from which anyone can create, that Ken and Drunvalo placed the last crystal of the trip. As soon as that was done, they both felt complete and proud of their achievement. They had been given a mission, and they took it into physical reality, meeting the challenges along the way and completed all that they had set out to do and more. More importantly for Ken was that he had been aware, fully conscious, and present during the mission, and that had brought him countless insights.

Feeling exhilarated and energized now that their mission was finally over, Ken and Drunvalo wanted to keep on climbing. The day had been bright and sunny, but when the eighth and last crystal had been placed, white clouds had started to gather in the sky overhead. Despite the changing weather, there was still one more pyramid that both Ken and Drunvalo wanted to climb.

Climbing the Temple of the Two Headed Snake

They had just a few hours before their bus would arrive to take them back to Flores. Checking their watches, they realized that if they hurried, they still might have time to climb Pyramid Four, which offered the highest and most incredible view of Tikal. At 225 feet, Pyramid Four, or The Temple of the Two Headed Snake, is the highest structure on the site, as well as the highest Indian building known in the Western hemisphere. Ken was told that the climb up that particular pyramid was tricky, and they had to be careful. Most of the climb would be straight up through tree branches and roots, and the climb was said to be especially treacherous if attempted while it was raining. Still feeling that they had time, Ken and Drunvalo quickly reached the base of the pyramid and looked up. There were no steps going up the sides as the pyramid had only been partially excavated at its top. Instead of the regular steep steps, there was a combination of steep short foot-paths, iron ladders, and numerous massive tree branches that had to be climbed over. What an adventure.

By this time, over a half hour had gone by. The dark storm clouds were now building quickly. Although Ken knew that a downpour could start any moment, he also knew he would not have another chance to climb up to see what was called "the best view in Tikal." So up they both started just as the thunderstorm really started to roll in. The first twenty feet or so, was a combination of hopping through vine branches and crawling over tree roots. Ken and Drunvalo held on anywhere they could, grabbing any strand, vine, or root that was available. The wind was so strong that it felt like it was trying to roll them off of their precarious perches among the branches. Just as Ken was twenty or thirty feet up, a tremendous wind sprung up out of nowhere. The sheer force of the wind was amazing, and it had to have been blowing at about sixty or seventy miles an hour. The wind almost overpowered Ken as he held on to two tree limbs, clutching one in each hand. The wind around Ken then began to spin, whirling faster and faster. Ken remembered thinking, "This must be what it is like to be in a tornado." It felt like being in a vortex of energy, spinning around at an incredible speed. Ken couldn't see anything clearly as the wind whipped even faster. The raindrops felt like small stones as they pelted Ken's legs and back.

Hands

Through it all, Ken began to feel every speck of his body changing. He could feel the heat of energy coming up from the base of his spine and spreading throughout all parts of his body, moving right up to the top of his head. Ken was invigorated and totally energized with the sheer experience of it all. He felt engulfed and then almost swept away by the mere passion of being alive. He felt as though he could ride the wind to wherever it would take him. Both amazed and enlivened, he felt an overwhelming need to express himself. Over and over Ken screamed into the wind,"I love this. I love this."

Then the winds abruptly stopped and the rain became calmer and more gentle. Everything entered, as if by simultaneous agreement, a place of exquisite peace and serenity. As if nothing unusual had happened, Ken and Drunvalo continued to climb in the light rain until they reached the top.

The climb up the pyramid had been worth the effort. Although the rain was still coming gently down, the view itself was spectacular. The scene that stretched out before them was surreal. The clouds and mists hung low over the lush, dense jungle, and the sheer scale of Tikal was overwhelming in its beauty. In that moment, Ken felt he could have been anywhere, even a different time or space. The moment had a timelessness about it that transcended all of his senses, and he moved into what could be called the space of the infinite forever. As Ken and Drunvalo waited on top of the pyramid for the storm to come to an end, Ken knew that he had awakened his passion for living and creating. He could now feel a completely different energy flowing from his body. In fact, it was just pouring out of his hands. Showing Drunvalo how hot his hands had become, Ken said excitedly,"Look what's happened to me, look what's happened to my hands."

In that moment, Ken's entire experience became a knowing. In the space of that one moment, he experienced the opportunity for uninterrupted clarity, giving full attention to the fact of his aliveness. He had found a way out of the human mold of physicality and moved into beingness. It felt as if he had joined with everything that was alive, and it was incredibly liberating. He felt a part of one gigantic mind — a part of the land, animals, air, and elements.

He experienced both a flash and a full body sense of the all encompassing oneness with all that make up the energetic, living, physical world. Up until that time in his life, he had never felt so connected to Earth, or to Source, as he felt during this experience. It seemed fitting to Ken that his deepest connection to Source and to spirit should occur at the eighth and final site, which corresponded to the crown chakra or unity consciousness.

Mission Complete

The mission itself was now complete. According to Drunvalo, the work that he and Ken had accomplished, helped to realign and balance certain important energy points along the ley lines of the Earth's energetic grid. The work that had been accomplished in the Yucatan was part of a vast universal project. It was a part of the final phase of 13,000 years of joint efforts, all directed towards the completion of the Christ, or Unity Consciousness Grid. Each crystal, prayer, tone, mantra, and ceremony had been important. According to Drunvalo, over time thousands of people had participated in the work and the final phases of the grid were completed in the years from about 1985 to 1990 or 1991.

Glad to be done with their part, Ken and Drunvalo arranged their travel plans by air and car to once again reach Merida. First they had to backtrack, picking up their rental car where they had left it at the border. The last leg of that trip was the long drive back to Merida to catch their connecting flight back to the United States. Both of them were looking forward to returning home, and they agreed they were going to drive straight through.

Time

It was during that drive back to Merida that Ken had his first direct experience in the realm of time. They were really going to have to push it if they were going to make their flight home. He decided to consciously slow down time by using his intent. He did it by first holding his focus to have time slow down while simultaneously holding the thought of the two of them traveling faster and faster inside that moment. By combining these two intentions, Ken created a manipulation of time by putting his will, desire, presence, intent, and focus into it. He had tapped into a new dynamic, eternal state of creation where there is progress without time lapse and travel without time-bound movement. That day, time transformed as Ken continued to think, intend, and project into the space around them with the thought, "Slow down time while we move faster."

Whatever Ken did, apparently it worked. Drunvalo and Ken arrived at the airport two hours before their plane was scheduled to take off. Ken had originally calculated that they would have barely enough time to catch the plane. To further complicate matters, the roads leading into Merida had been in rougher shape than had been originally thought. They had only been able to average sixty miles per hour, instead of their projected seventy or seventy-five miles per hour. By all physical laws of reality, there was absolutely no way to account for their early arrival at the airport. Obviously more had changed about Ken than he imagined. He had been able to reach the place between time and space where there is only beingness.

Creating

On their flight back to the United States, Ken read to Drunvalo a list that he had made at the start of their trip. It was a list of all the experiences that he had wanted to have while on the trip. Ken had spared nothing on his list. He had included things like: I want to know who I am; I want to meet God; I want to fly; I want to know what I am; I want to know what I am supposed to do. There were twenty or thirty such items on Ken's list. In fact, he had put everything on that list that he could imagine.

As he read the list over to Drunvalo, he suddenly realized that everything on the list had happened to him. Pleasantly surprised and pleased, he leaned over to Drunvalo and said,"Well, what do you think?"

Drunvalo gave him an answer that he has never forgotten.With a twinkle in his eye, Drunvalo looked at him and quietly said,"Ken, it might be good to also include 'and whatever else the Universe has in store for me.' This way nothing will ever be left out." Ken's mouth just dropped open, with the simplicity and vastness of Drunvalo's suggestion. What he realized was that he was no longer limited, not even by his own imagination.

Ken's Next Journey to Spirit Begins

Little did he know just how much he had been transformed on all levels of his being. Two days after his return from his Yucatan trip, Ken went to see a friend of his who was a therapist in Middletown, California. Not knowing quite what to make of it himself, Ken showed his friend how much energy was now just flowing out of his hands. In fact, his entire being seemed to be glowing. He wasn't sure how or what he was to do with his new abilities, but he was certain that he was supposed to help people.

SEE PHOTOS OF KEN AND DRUNVALO

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