I started awake. I am in some huge, apparently underground, facility that has the appearance of being hewn from rock, perhaps the interior of some mountain. There is some kind of muted lighting, maybe soft electric floor torches. My eyes strain to adjust, strain to see. As the feeble light rises toward the ceiling it is swallowed by a vast darkness. A touch of dry dust assails my nostrils, there is no smell but a hint of mustiness, the type you encounter in a storage facility. I hear a few clanks that come echoing down some long hallways. I seem to be in some type of amphitheater--there is a row of oversized seats, beside me, behind me, ahead of me. I feel a slight draft on my ankles, my eyes are adjusting, I can see a great deal more--there is some type of stage directly ahead of me…OH MY GOD!!! There are three men there! Large men seated behind small desks, waiting patiently. Waiting, I imagine, for me to adjust to my surroundings. The one in the middle is wearing a large loose-fitting red or red-orange garment with a big cowl that leaves his face in shadows. The other two appear to be similarly attired but their robes are light brown.

I must be dreaming. I have been studying dreams for six years and have striven to have a “lucid” dream. This must be one! I must be dreaming! I casually move my right hand over and press down on the top of my right leg. Geez, it seems solid, just like a regular everyday leg. But I must be dreaming, surely I am dreaming. I reach over to my left arm and pinch it. Hard. Ouch! That really hurt. This dream is incredibly real. My heart begins to pound a bit faster as I try to find a way to reject this experience. There must be some other way to check for “dreaming.” Pinching yourself seems incredibly primitive. Okay, let me think for a moment. It is true that I seem to be getting a full spectrum of sensory input, but where is this, if not a dream, and how did I get here? These fellows look like monks of some ancient order. I must…

“hrrrunh” The red robe cleared his throat.

I jumped. “Be calm,” I advised myself, “soon it will all be clear…”

“Now we will begin.” He said in a calm, firm voice. “You have had a few moments to take this all in.” and he gestured grandly with his right arm, from which the cloth folds of his robe hung and followed the sweeping motion like a small billowing sail. “You are still wondering if you are awake. And if you are awake then how did you get here? And what, exactly do we want with you?”

I was stunned. Could he read my mind? Or was it just common sense? He laughed--kind of a deep soft chuckle. He certainly had the voice to put me at ease; well, as much as possible. I was still plenty nervous.

“It is most certainly just common sense,” noted red robe. That let me know that he could indeed read my mind. But, wait a minute, maybe not. I needed to think clearly about this, but thinking was very difficult right now, adrenaline was racing through my veins. I was ready to fight or run, not to think. “Be calm.” I told myself once more. “Just be calm.”

The year was 1971. I had gone to sleep in Lone Pine, California. One of Lone Pine’s claims is that it is between Death Valley and Mount Whitney, the highest and lowest points in the continental United States. I had come there to play in a masters’ invitational chess tournament sponsored by Louis B. Statham. Earlier that day I had played a game with the Yugoslav Grandmaster Gligoric; I achieved a material advantage rather quickly and should have gotten the victory…

“We are your friends.” Red Robe interrupted my musings. “We have brought you here to give you information and guidance. This information and guidance is important to you and will continue to be important to you in the coming decades. Much of this information is not just for you. It is information that is important for the human race. That is something for you to contemplate in the coming months and years. I am going to repeat it. Much of this information is important for the human race. The human race seems bent on their own destruction. By and large, they are out of touch with the purpose of their existence. We will give you information pertaining to the physical reality humans live in; this will include information on the atomic, molecular, and cellular level. We will tell you about water, blood, outer space, surviving earthly disasters, the ancient languages, alphabets, light bodies, and many other topics.

“More importantly, from our viewpoint, we are going to take an active role in your spiritual development. We are going to direct you to various teachers and teachings as well as give you direct downloads of information. Eventually you will have to write books and give lectures. Prepare well for this as it will not be much fun. We are unlikely to give you proof of our existence so my suggestion is to simply present us as fiction. You know we are real, and we know we are real…on the other hand we are all dancing holograms! Always speak the truth.

“This information will stand on its own merit. And that is the important thing. If people make use of the advice for living healthier lives your work is worthwhile. If people make use of the advice for strengthening their energy and calming their emotional fluctuations, your work is worthwhile. If people learn to stabilize their minds, then your work has been worthwhile. If people learn to format the precious teachings of the four levels--outer, inner, secret, and esoteric--then your work is worthwhile. If people learn how to deal with future earth crises, then your work is worthwhile. So you can see that there are many ways in which you have the potential to serve humanity. Do not turn your back on this work. Receive this information, process it, and pass it on. What we freely give to you, you must freely give to all. You will be offered much without restrictions, what you do with it, and when, is up to your process, your natural process. We hope the human race can not only survive, but evolve, and you are part of out effort to assist in seeing this happen. We hope that you are up to the task. Our timeframe is incredibly large if measured by the scale of your lifetime. Our view is vast and our hopes are great. How do you feel about this? Are you up to the challenge?”

“Wow!” I managed. “It is difficult to drink this all in. On the one hand I am honored, honored past understanding, honored past humbleness…The enormousness of the project, the possibilities…On the other hand I wonder many things. Why me? How will I know, I mean really, really know that what you are giving me is legitimate, that it works? Who are you guys? And why should I believe you?” I was a bundle of nervous energy, of conflicting thoughts. I really wanted to believe that this was all legitimate, but what if it was not? And how could it be? Well how could it not be? “And how did I get here? And where am I?”

“Over time your doubts will go away. They will vanish in the face of the truth of what you are given. You will be able to check and double-check the practices that are shared with you. Some of the information will not be easy to verify now but, as the decades pass, science will eventually offer some confirmations. I am sorry to say that in terms of some of your petty questions, concerns, and fears, I will not currently be allowed to answer. After we have worked together for some years, if everything goes smoothly, I will be able to answer all your questions and, let me add, will be happy to do so.” Red Robe smiled. Well I didn’t actually see the smile but somehow had an incredibly strong image of a sweet genuine smile, the kind your favorite uncle might give you.

“Okay.” I said almost without hesitation. Going ahead seemed to clearly be the correct thing to do. “I accept your terms. I accept your project. Let us begin!”

“Very good,” he replied. “We will begin right away. Let me help you structure this interaction for the interim. We have few rules and will seldom impose our view on how you handle anything. That being said, I suggest that you do not talk to anyone about these encounters for a while. There are two reasons for this suggestion. Firstly, talking is just a way of blowing off energy. This is a profound statement, and I will return to talking about talking and talking about energy at a future time. The second reason (which grows out of the first) is that you are in a state of altered awareness right now and, when we return you to normal awareness, it will be something of a struggle to remember this conversation. You will be receiving instruction in cultivating awareness. The application of this training is what will enable you to more readily access this conversation and subsequent lessons, lectures, and practices. Strangely enough, as the years pass, these encounters will be more accessible to you, not less accessible as your logical mind might postulate. Further, I suggest that you think of me, my assistants, guest professors, guest lecturers, and these environs as existing in another dimension. This will certainly stretch your mental capacity, but serves as a great convenience.”

There was a pause and I made an effort to assimilate his suggestions. It was an effort and I did not feel calm.

“I can see that you need some time to integrate this experience. We will meet you here again tomorrow night. You will have another opportunity to say no. This project will require a lot of effort, a lot of ‘work.’ Rest well.”

Before I could protest, my awareness was fading in a way that I can only equate to a childhood memory of going “under” by ether. I was going, going, gone…