When we look at what truly matters in life, no one can tell us more clearly than a person who is facing death. My brother, Kevin Pollari, has been given a death sentence. According to doctors, he should have been dead from his ALS (Lou Gehrig’s) disease over 13 months ago. He is still on planet Earth today, experiencing life to the fullest and finding more to learn and share each day.
I will share here some excerpts of Kevin’s wisdom and his “Glimpse of Heaven” experience that has impacted his view and meaning of life.
From the words of Kevin:
“In each earthly journey, it is important to celebrate the gifts we each bring together and to each other in this spiritual journey through life.
“We are here to discover our gifts and help each other find their gifts. Our challenge is to find a gift in every child, teenager and adult.
“Be aware of the influences of this country, how we are influenced by teachers, doctors and politicians. How do we move away from fear into love and joy in everything that we do? It is the vibration of love that soothes the soul. Once we align with our soul, we can create great abundance in the universe.”
Kevin understands the gift and relevance of consciously knowing and acknowledging the process of dying. ALS is not new to our family. Our father passed from ALS in 1989, and our sister fell to the disease in 2006. ALS and other neurological ailments have struck other relatives in our family tree. We have witnessed the debilitating process as the nerves and muscles weaken and the mind becomes imprisoned in a body no longer able to function.
While our sister was battling ALS, Kevin experienced a Spiritually Transformative Experience (STE). According to the American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences, an experience is spiritually transformative when it “causes people to perceive themselves and the world profoundly differently. They can expand the individual’s identity and alter their values, priorities and appreciation for the purpose of life.”
During Kevin’s STE, he was catapulted into another dimension, where he went from a state of fear to an expansive, surreal state of love and bliss. He was led to a “Circle of Souls,” where every thought he ever had was exposed, and he felt deeply loved and accepted without any judgments. The unconditional love that he felt and experienced is difficult for him to describe in words, but one that he will never forget.
In Kevin’s state of peace and bliss, a young man came up to him and said, “Kevin, you won! You won!” Kevin was heading halfway up a staircase with a woman who was “glowing” very brightly. He was very drawn towards an immense beam of radiant light, which was the golden gates to the “entrance of Heaven.” Kevin desperately wanted to go through the gates to the light, but he was told by the “glowing woman” that his work here on Earth was not done yet.
Suddenly, he was sent back to Earth with a sudden jolt…Bam!
Once you have an experience like this, it is difficult to go back to life doing business as usual. Kevin almost felt depressed coming back into this body. He was yearning to feel that expanded state of consciousness. And what is the work he has yet to do?
Kevin wants to share that without a doubt, unconditional love is the basis of our life’s work. We are here to be of service to others and to humanity. He believes that we are here on this Earth to further our soul through life lessons and opportunities. Kevin signed up to experience life to the fullest; he even signed up to experience ALS.
Kevin views his ALS experience as one of his greatest teachers by allowing him to surrender to all that is. He had to slowly let go of his favorite activities, including hiking, skiing, swimming, golf, and his life work of carpentry and construction. He barely finished his final construction project, the building of Pine Stone Lodge, which is a rental retreat center that he envisioned as a place to retreat from our busy lives and connect with our families and others in nature.
In his STE, Kevin also was told that he had “won!” He was given the opportunity to experience a glimpse of the afterlife and eliminate his fear of death. He has outlasted his diagnosis and is still here making the most of each day and living a life that matters. The feelings of love he experienced in his “Glimpse of Heaven” showed him a new way to experience love, which he soon put to practice after meeting his soul mate and angel, Leslie. They are here to adore each other and show us the practice of unconditional love.
Kevin has spent countless hours researching the causes and cures for ALS, hoping his “Kevin’s Crusade” will assist the growing number of people being diagnosed with this disease each day. He has embraced the power of intention and the biology of belief. He has experimented with various energy healing and alternative modalities and nutritional lifestyle changes, with very minimal exposure to medical treatments. He has a network of people providing support and highest intentions.
It was not long after his “Glimpse of Heaven” that Kevin was diagnosed with ALS. It helped to alleviate fears of dying, as he experienced another beautiful dimension that millions of others have talked about. He truly believes our souls are eternal and once we leave this finite, limited physical plane, we can return to our true state of infinite, expanded consciousness. Kevin loves his home on Earth, but knows when his time is up, he will welcome his home in Heaven.
