"Journey of a Dream Master" by Lisa Rhyne book cover

 

UPDATE – September 21, 2023:
I pulled all versions of this book from publication in 2021 and have combined all three books into one. This first little book is a now limited edition collector’s item.  I’m working with a great team to publish the new book to be released on my birthday, January 17, 2024. Stay tuned for updates! Please follow over on our Instagram and Facebook. Thanks ~ Lisa


On the 5th anniversary of the publishing JDM, I want to share “the story behind the story” of “Journey of a Dream Master”. I felt compelled to do this because I didn’t want to die with my stories still in me. I ended up self-publishing because every publisher and editor I spoke with couldn’t believe all the stories and wanted me to heavily edit all the “crazy supernatural stuff” out. These are TRUE stories! So, I published it myself rather than try to make others comfortable. Their limitations are not my concern.

The horrible traumatic brain injury and stroke (and years of subsequent heavy doses of pain medications) made me severely dyslexic. I suffered whiteouts and “word salad” episodes that have now lessened. The dyslexia is still present but significantly reduced. I continuously work on my healing.

The fact that I survived, wrote, edited, and published this book all by myself is a miracle. I felt pushed to get it out on that birthday because, quite frankly, at the time, I thought I was going to die soon, and I wanted to leave some record of a few of my life experiences. I’m grateful to all those who bought, read and gave me such positive reviews and feedback.


The Story Behind “Journey of a Dream Master: The Dream Masters Book 1”

 

It has been five years since I wrote/edited/self-published my book, “Journey of a Dream Master: The Dream Masters – Book 1.” I want to share some of my thoughts and insights about this journey, as most have no idea about any of what follows because it has never been publicly revealed until now. Certain family, friends, and peers know, but I wanted to share it here with anyone else that may be interested.

As those who know me will attest, I tend never to ask for help and feel “the show must go on,” so I struggle and persevere in silence so as not to burden anyone. I went from being labeled by medical “experts” as “permanently disabled” to writing, editing, and publishing my first book in 2016. Not too shabby!

There is an excellent reason for the way my book was written – including the errors. The traumatic brain injury and stroke (resulting in crippling migraines and massive doses of heavy medications – including Dilaudid), is reflected in the official trial deposition taken in late 2013 reflects what my life had become as it was incoherent (word salad), full of unfinished sentences, blanks, and complete whiteouts where I lost my train of thought and couldn’t talk or think straight (my brain was severely scrambled & heavily drugged).

Between October 2008 and 2014, I spent most of my time in bed, hospitals, emergency rooms, and doctor’s offices, as well as a lot of time working with my traditional Shamans and “healer” friends worldwide. I couldn’t always work a regular job, drive, or even do many basic things I used to take for granted. Sometimes, I couldn’t finish basic sentences, let alone compose stories for a book. I still struggle, and my words are jumbled sometimes (so you may see typos on this website!). But I pushed on, wrote when I could, and have healed far beyond all their expectations. (As you know from my book, I genuinely love proving the White Coats wrong!)

So, today, while reflecting on all this, I thought I’d share some background as well as my top three reasons for writing this trilogy:


1.) I LOVE STORYTELLING – DON’T DIE WITHOUT TELLING SOME OF MY TRUE STORIES

Humans have always been storytellers, and I’m no exception. Stories transport, teach, entertain, and transform us in many ways on many levels. I love great stories! I am and always have been a storyteller who enjoys sharing stories with all who are interested.

 

2.) TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE

I set out to write authentically about my life, truths, and experiences and pose some random questions and ideas. The few editors and publishers I initially consulted and shared some of my content with wanted me to change vital elements and delete certain stories because of their B.S. (Belief Systems). They’re uninitiated in the supernatural/metaphysical/mystical/paranormal / whatever you want to call it. They couldn’t understand or accept certain things. I don’t judge them as they’re on their own journeys. I’m on my “Journey of a Dream Master,” and they’re on their “Journey of an Editor (or whatever)”. I was unwilling to lie, downplay my life, or sacrifice my integrity because of someone else’s limited beliefs and inexperience. I would write it my way or not at all – perfect spelling and grammar be damned! Finished is better than perfect. So that is precisely what I did.

 

3.) TO PROVE ONLY TO MYSELF THAT I COULD

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I did not believe ANYONE would ever buy or read my book. Seriously, why in the world would anyone care about me and my experiences? I wrote it only to prove I could and leave some sort of record of my little life. Then, I made it available in case anyone else wanted or needed to read what’s in it. All the wonderful reviews, fan photos, interviews, and private messages have just been…far beyond words. It has been surprising, utterly amazing, humbling, and highly gratifying. Thank you all for your love and support.


SOME RELEVANT HEALTH BACKGROUND:

Several “medical experts/specialists” mutually agreed (after a tremendously staggering amount of due diligence over a few years in a lawsuit) that I would be permanently disabled and never be able to do work as a paralegal or creative writer ever again. (Which is the same as telling me I can’t do something…which, of course, means I’m gonna do it.)
As a point of interest, I wanted to share just a few bits from one of those many doctors involved with my care after the accident. He and all the other doctors came to the same final conclusion at the end. Below is a small portion of his 79-page deposition. There is a lot more, but this is enough to give you some small idea of what I went (and still am going) through and how far I’ve come.

Q. Can you review for the jury what your exam consisted of and what your findings were.

A. Well, I noted that her blood pressure was 218 over 134 on that day, which is quite high. Her highest recorded blood pressure (on more than one occasion) was 229 over 196.

She had suffered a closed head injury followed by the development of post traumatic migraine which became severe, frequent, and disabling.

She also developed hypertensive urgency from autonomic dysfunction I felt resulting from her head trauma. And I thought this was the result of dysregulation of her bilateral orbital frontal cortex which is an area which promotes parasympathetic activity and inhibits sympathetic activity. This dysregulation causes a cortically provoked release of adrenomedullary catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

What that essentially means is that there’s an area of the brain that I felt sustained trauma, and it’s called the orbital frontal cortex. It was a sufficient enough blow to cause a malfunction of that region of the brain. And it has dual action, that orbital frontal cortex; it promotes parasympathetic activity which tends to slow the heart rate and lower the blood pressure and inhibits sympathetic activity. And sympathetic activity, if you don’t inhibit it, causes an increased release of catecholamines which are substances like epinephrine and norepinephrine released by the adrenal gland, and causing surges in blood pressure.

The American Medical Association committee person has a certain percentage impairment rating, it’s based on certain criteria that are listed in the AMA Guides For Permanent Impairment.

And the one that we use now is the AMA Guides To Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, which has been in use since January of 2008.

I felt that she had the maximum. Her headaches were so frequent, so disabling that she qualified for the maximum allowable impairment by the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, for migraine headache which would have been 5 percent.

Q. Her diagnosis that you’ve made definitively is that she has migraines; right?

A. She does have migraines, yes. Migraines that are disabling. And it’s not just me. You know, Dr. #9 [NOTE: there were 12 doctors/specialists and they were simply numbered #1-12] had seen her as well, and he prepared a report, and found that her pain disability questionnaire score was 113 which places her, based on the AMA Guides To Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, placed her in the severe impairment due to migraine.

Q. I understand that you believe she may qualify for an additional impairment as well?

A. I do.

Q. Will Ms. Rhyne require future medical treatment as a result of the injuries she received?

A. Yes, she will – for the rest of her life.

Q. Do you believe that Ms. Rhyne has limitations related to her job as a result of the migraines?

A. Yes. Whenever she experiences a disabling migraine, she’s unable to function that day. In my medical and expert opinion, she is permanently disabled as a result of the accident and will, in all likelihood, never be able to resume working in her area of expertise which, to my understanding, is as a paralegal and creative writer.


I became friends with my cardiologist. Interestingly, after the lawsuit was completed (which I won!), on my last visit with him, I thanked him for all his help, smiled, looked him square in the eye, and told him in no uncertain terms, “Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I appreciate your help and expert opinion submitted in the case…but you do not know me, and I will be just fine.” He took that in, and after seeing how congruent I was with what I’d just said, there was a long pause, then he smiled and said, “I believe you!”

I think he believed me because I was congruent with what I was saying, and, earlier during my final evaluation, he’d compared all the tests, scans, images, etc., that he had personally performed from start to finish.

As he reviewed everything, a bit astonished, he said my heart had become more than double the standard size throughout the treatments from 2008-2014 (due to the extremely high blood pressure basically building up that muscle – it went from normal to being like an Arnold Schwarzenegger of hearts).

He said that hearts “do not return to normal without some signs/scars of the trauma,” but mine had not only returned to “normal,” but there was no indication whatsoever of any trauma. He was completely baffled and said that if he hadn’t done all the tests himself and kept his records there at his office, he would swear someone had switched the results because they looked like results for two completely different people. As soon as I published my book, I made sure he knew so he could see what other “impossible” things I like to play with.

Geeze, this almost turned into a book rather than a brief birthday post! I just wanted to share the importance and significance of what my little book means in my continuing Journey of a Dream Master. Thank you so much for all the love. Thank you for buying, reading, reviewing my book, and sharing your photos and stories.
I’m looking forward to publishing and producing more of my projects and getting out more and seeing you soon!!

In Humble Service, Love & Light, Lisa

lisa rhyne

Founder of The Dream Masters

Stacks of "Journey of a Dream Master" books.

This story is one of my favorite supernatural short stories. (I also refer to it when people ask me why I’m single.) It first appeared in my book, Journey of a Dream Master, and I’ve re-edited it to share here.

I believe everyone has something deep inside that desperately wants “magic” to be “real.” Yet, when something genuinely magical happens, most reject it. At some point, they’ll deny what happened because it is simply too far outside their reality construct, making it impossible to process and accept. Or, if they’re fortunate, their boundaries expand, and they are transformed forever.

Think about it. Either magic is real, or it isn’t. Period. It is not conditional (i.e., only at midnight during a full moon if you’re wearing a black pointy hat, using potions and crystals while facing East deep in the woods, etc.).

If other people are experiencing the magic and you are not, then that is something to ponder. I strongly encourage you not to dismiss something simply because you have never personally and consciously experienced anything like it or like this story.

Personally, I wish everyone could experience the mystical and magical. But that is not in everyone’s belief system/model of the world or their to-do list. Hey, live and let live! That’s what makes life interesting.
I hope you enjoy this supernatural short story – whether you believe it or not! ~ Lisa Rhyne

BYE-BYE, BARFLY!

BY LISA RHYNE

The following story is one of my favorite living in the matrix supernatural short stories. (I also refer to it when people ask me why I’m single.)

It was a bad day for long hair and lip gloss. The wild Georgia winds pulled and whipped my long, flowing red hair, causing it to dance around me like a demented demon on fire. My bright cherry red lip gloss became an inkwell for each strand dragged across my juicy lips painting my alabaster skin with sticky sweet crimson streaks. Anyone walking by might’ve imagined a stark raving mad invisible artist frantically creating a mystical treasure map in blood on my face. What a sight!

My face, neck, chest, and arms welcomed every sweet stroke of my voluminous hair flying in all directions. Wild hair yanking plus hot wind caressing the body is quite affecting and enchanting. One minute I’m wet from the oppressive sweltering humidity; the next, I’m invigorated and shivering from the air blasting my skin.

My body was weary, and my eyes bleary from driving for ten hours straight, so I was in an altered, expanded state of awareness. That easily happens due to the hypnotic nature of driving for long periods. Both driving and being in nature are always very hypnotic and therapeutic. Every blink, breath, and movement now registered on a deeper level, enhanced my trance, and put me firmly outside of time.

I stood in that small motel parking lot, gazing towards the entire property’s tree line. Clouds dreamily drift by as the slow setting sun created a surreal swirling canvas of vibrant otherworldly colors. I understand why humans have always considered dusk and dawn magical times when the veils between worlds seem to disappear and make anything impossible. What a lovely end to a long yet mostly uneventful day thus far.

With the sun now gone, a delicious soul-level peace washed over me, for which I was genuinely grateful. It was time to go inside and get ready for my date. Looking in the mirror, I dissolved into laughter, admiring nature’s abstract artwork all over my face and upper body. Wow! A quick shower was absolutely required.

I’d come down to Macon, Georgia, to rendezvous with a potential new serious boyfriend. Unbeknownst to him, this little vacation would confirm whether he was worthy of me and capable of being in a relationship with someone metaphysical like me. Walking between worlds ain’t for sissies. Every man (secretly or not so secretly) wants a redhead until he gets one. Myths and legends have paved the way for our much-deserved wild reputation. And while we redheads are a handful in many ways, I possess additional traits and qualities that make me rather unique and unpredictable.

This fellow had no idea who and what I truly am or, more importantly, what I’m capable of. Although I already knew he wasn’t “The One,” I thought seeing what he’s made of might be fun for a little while. Neither of us could’ve ever dreamed what would transpire during this little weekend vacation getaway.

They gave us a room on the ground floor at the front of the building by the main parking lot near the motel restaurant/bar entrance. This location is essential because when the bar closed at around three o’clock in the morning, a group of very boisterous barflies exited that bar only to stop on the sidewalk right outside our room in front of our big picture window.

Exhausted from the long day’s events, I was sleeping like a dead man until I was startled awake by this swarm of barflies. Not to be confused with fireflies, barflies are the local drunks first in and last out of the bar every night. They aren’t the upscale elite who spend $600 on single-shot types. They come to drink all night, party hard and hook up. And just like an ornery housefly you can’t seem to shoo out of your house quickly, they buzz around at closing time in a desperate attempt to keep the party going.

I was sleeping near the window on my right while he was on my left, next to the bathroom. I glanced over and fixed my gaze on the window to see five silhouettes (so I believe there were only five women, even though they easily made enough noise for a baker’s dozen). Their high heels clonked like Clydesdales on the sidewalk as they stumbled into each other, laughing, singing, and chattering away as happy drunks do. These gals were in full party mode and oblivious to everything else.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for having fun. But after about 15 minutes of this relentless and thoughtless commotion, it seemed they would not leave any time soon. My redheaded temper fired up, and I felt that familiar rage growing in my belly. Extremely agitated, I glanced over at my fella, who was also wide awake, and I growled, “They’ve got about sixty seconds to shut up and move on…or else!”

The unsettling, fierce look in my eye and the ferociousness in my voice made him understandably nervous. Not yet knowing me very well, he feared I was actually going to go out there and confront these obnoxious drunk chicks (probably resulting in an all-out girls gone wild fisticuffs). Cautiously, he tried to calm me down by assuring me they’d soon move on, and he timidly asked me to please stay inside.

Getting out of bed and going outside to deal with them was certainly not what I meant — oh, not by a long shot!

After what seemed like a long time but was probably only a few minutes, they were still lollygagging right in front of our window. Lying on my back, staring at that ugly off-white popcorn ceiling while listening to these thoughtless broads, I firmly proclaimed for God and anybody else to hear, “That’s it!” I’d hit fuck it, and I’d hit it hard. (And everyone knows when I hit ‘fuck it,’ fireworks follow.) I decided to take matters firmly into my own hands (so to speak), and that’s when things got…really weird.

I threw the covers off my torso to free my arms in one dramatic sweeping motion. I raised both hands in front of my chest as I scanned the air for what I was searching for. I then held my left hand in place while gracefully gliding my right hand through the air until it stopped.

To anyone watching without understanding what’s actually happening, this looks like I’m simply staring unfocused off into space while gently waving my hands in the air as if I’m in a trance, slowly swimming underwater or cautiously feeling in the dark for something to touch like when you are searching for the light switch in a dark room.

My intention was set, and I felt the shift when I made the connection to what I was searching for. We were quantumly entangled, and with the slightest gesture (an almost imperceptible flick of my right hand), I connected the two zero points and collapsed the wave. A quantum shift in my version of reality happened far too fast to register consciously in real-time.

Mind you, physical gestures and talking aren’t necessary. In fact, talking and gesturing actually slow down and can ultimately hinder my process. Looking back, I guess it was more for his benefit. He’d heard what I said and had been closely monitoring the girls at the window while watching me. He saw my minuscule hand gesture and eventually linked it to the subsequent consequences.

“There! Bye-Bye, Barfly!” I giddily proclaimed as I knew my process was complete. Wow, that was breathtaking! Instantaneous silence. We both looked to the window straining to see or hear anything, and there were no more shadows on the window. Nothing. A whole lot of nothing.

After a few seconds of this deafening silence, he urgently asked, “What just happened?!” Quite pleased — yet a wee bit surprised — with myself, I jubilantly exclaimed, “They are gone! Bye-Bye, Barfly!”

He threw off the covers, leaped out of bed, ran to the window, and pulled back the curtains searching for those people. I again proclaimed, “They’re gone!” He then opened the door to get a better view of the entire parking lot and surrounding area. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the door frame to hold himself up. He didn’t know what to think or do next.

After several minutes he cautiously looked over his shoulder at me with a wide-eyed, shocked expression and softly shouted, “There’s no one out there! They’re gone! There are no cars driving away, nothing! It’s completely dead out there.” I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat and said, “Yep! I know! I believe I already said that. THEY. ARE. G-O-N-E!”

After several minutes of frantic, strained searching of the entire area for any signs of life, he reluctantly closed the door and slowly walked back inside. He sat on the edge of his side of the bed, shaking his head in shock and disbelief. He repeatedly asked what had just happened.

Knowing he wouldn’t stop until he better grasped the situation (because I knew he would never fully understand, but I needed to tell him something), I searched for the best way to explain it. Now wide awake because of the adrenaline rush (and still quite tickled with myself), I sat up in bed and said, “Look, I’m going to make this as simple as possible. I had a desired outcome, set my intention, and without trying to control the outcome, I became quantumly entangled with the Field as I commanded my intended outcome to manifest.

The wave collapsed when I found the right point, connected, and it was complete. My intention manifested. This brings us to what just happened, which is one of two things:

I sent them into a parallel universe where we aren’t.
Or, I sent us to a parallel universe where they aren’t.

As I observed his body language and watched his surrounding energy field, I could tell he was freaked out and struggling to comprehend and entirely accept all this. He sat in complete silence, trying to make sense of what I’d just said as well as somehow understand what had just happened not only to those people outside our window but what had also just happened to him in that bed right beside me as he’d been watching the entire scene the entire time.

I got up to go to the bathroom and some water, leaving him with his thoughts as I knew he was too shaken up to sleep. When I returned, he was still sitting there. Placing a cold bottle of water on his bedside table, I climbed back under the covers. He thanked me as he slowly sipped at the water. After a long contemplative period, he timidly asked me to explain just once more. He apologized for not understanding, and I assured him I completely understood.

My adrenaline rush was over, and basking in this dénouement, I was crashing fast because it had been a long day. I was exhausted and needed to sleep, but I knew sleep would not come if I didn’t deal with him. I formulated then posed a series of rapid-fire questions to help him rule out “common sense” possibilities or conclusions most people would automatically jump to but, in fact, did not happen.

Did you hear any footsteps as they walked away in those crazy loud, clunky shoes?

Did you hear them call anyone to pick them up?

Did you hear any car keys jingling?

Did you hear car alarms beeping, car doors open or close, engines start, or cars pull up or drive away?

Did you hear a motel room door open or close like they entered a motel room?

How does it go from a loud crowd casting shadows on the window to no shadows and complete silence quicker than a split second – in a time that’s too short for anyone to move an inch, let alone walk or drive away?

How do you explain no footsteps, car noises, doors opening or closing, no calls, no keys jingling, no engines starting, and no cars driving up or away?

Can I prove they were zapped into a parallel universe?

Can you prove they weren’t?

Can I prove we were zapped into a parallel universe?

Can you prove we weren’t?

The bottom line, it went from loud to silent in half a heartbeat, and the silhouettes on the window instantly disappeared because they are no longer here. They are gone!

His knee-jerk reaction was wondering how I could be so calm and cavalier about what had just happened. Almost in tears, he asked, “How can you be so glib about killing those people?! How are you not totally freaked out right now?!”

Firstly, I assured him that no one had been killed. They are not here. They are somewhere or somewhen else – call it a parallel dimension. They are just as alive as we are; now, we are simply in different places. Secondly, I explained that there was no way I could fully explain what just happened at four o’clock in the damn morning.

“Look, I use my “paranormal” abilities all the time, so they are simply “normal” to me in my everyday life. I don’t “believe” in magic because I know and live in a reality where things you call magic, miracles, and all things supernatural are the rule rather than the exception. I’m in a constant state of awe, reverence, joy, curiosity, love, and enthusiasm with regard to all things metaphysical. And I live my life accordingly. We can get more into all this after breakfast because I’m going to sleep now.”

After several awkward moments of pregnant silence, he finally mustered up the courage to ask me what he actually wanted to know. He timidly squeaked out, “You won’t do that to me, will you?”

Ah, now we’ve gotten to the crux of it! I did my best to contain myself and not belly laugh because I understood he was quite distressed and bewildered. Contemplating all the freaky things I could say that might mess with him, I took a beat to find the right words to make my point and, more importantly, end this line of questioning at this ridiculous hour.

I wanted to be nice. However, given this evening’s monumentally victorious real-time quantum manipulation of reality involving at least seven people, I felt even more sassy than usual. I dramatically looked him straight in the eye, grinned my wickedest grin, paused for effect, then slowly purred, “Not if you behave! {wink} Goodnight!”

Like an electrocuted jackrabbit, he hopped off the side of the bed and into a chair across the room. There was an incredibly long pause as we silently stared at each other sizing up this situation. Poor thing! He didn’t know whether to shit or go blind as he sat there trying hard to wrap his befuddled brain around all that had just transpired. He was also trying to decide if he should grab his suitcase and bolt out the door, never to look back or stay there with me. Meanwhile, I was having a blast playing in the matrix as well as having a little fun at his expense.

I wished him good night and rolled over to go back to sleep. He eventually (and cautiously) climbed back into bed, pulled the covers up under his chin, and when last I looked at him, he was staring wide-eyed at that ugly ceiling. The combination of excitement, shock, curiosity, and full-blown heebie-jeebies kept him from getting any more sleep that night.

I shook his world in more ways than one with this undeniable, quantumly entangled paradigm-shifting experience, a reality game changer. As you may have guessed, this budding romance did not last. And in case you’re curious, I did not zap him into a parallel universe; we simply went our separate ways. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

~ THE END ~

Oh, did I mention this is a true story?

©Lisa Rhyne, all rights reserved.
www.LisaRhyne.com