This is article #5 of a series of articles by our IT IS Seminar faculty on the Safety Energy Locks from a Self-help perspective. The series begins in Issue Number 36, Spring 2002, of The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter.

Janet Oliver continues the series with her article in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 40, Spring 2003:

Safety Energy Lock “4”

In August 1988, while teaching a class at the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, I experienced a strong force that pushed me into the middle of the room, while every cell of my being was filled with the words, “Call home.” When I checked my phone messages, I found, sure enough, a message from my parents’ neighbor in Modesto, California, informing me that my father had a massive stroke minutes before and that my Mother was in a deep state of shock.

I drove the ninety miles to Modesto and found my Mother at the hospital sitting alone by my Father’s bedside. He was in a coma. The doctors said he had suffered a massive stroke, and there was no hope he would recover. Their consensus was that the brain damage had been extensive, and even if he did awaken, he would never have use of his left arm or either leg.

My Mother held my Father’s right hand as we sat by his bedside and quietly talked. It finally became obvious to us that when my Mother spoke he would squeeze her hand. Though in a coma, he could both hear her voice and squeeze her hand. It was my first awareness that there are “awake” comas and “asleep” comas. Realizing that he could hear, I explained his situation to him, telling him exactly what the doctors had said. I also told him I did not necessarily believe there was no hope, and I would be happy to work with him if he awoke, on the process of getting better. I also explained that the choice was his, of course.

In Jin Shin Jyutsu Physio-Philosophy there is a flow (a series of Safety Energy Locks held in a particular order) that one does for a coma. When I began doing this coma #4 flow, my Father’s pulses were very quiet and feeble. As I slowly progressed through the Safety Energy Locks, his pulses became stronger and his “presence” seemed more in his body. I felt he was about to wake up. In reaching down to the big toe, #7 on the flow pattern, his leg, which the doctors said would never move again, came up and kicked my hand away. The third time had the same results. When I tried a fourth time, the left arm, which was never to move again, came over and pushed me away! I finally “heard” him.

I picked up his right hand, the one he used to squeeze my Mother’s hand, and spoke to him. “Dad, I am going to ask you some questions. If the answer is yes, squeeze my hand. Dad, do you want to die?” I felt a big squeeze. “Dad, do you want to live?” There was no squeeze. “You are happy where you are?” There was a huge squeeze. “You are ecstatic where you are?” …A huge squeeze. “You want to go?” …A big squeeze. “Do you want to come back?” There was no squeeze.

Here was the tremendous message spoken from this place where he was. He was in a coma, and no words passed between us, yet he was able to give us this powerful and beautiful message. Without words he was able to communicate his joy. It made me so comfortable with his passing.

The next time I saw Mary Burmeister in Arizona, I told her this story of my Father’s passing. She said that, yes, indeed, a coma is such a beautiful place, as my Father had experienced, that it is difficult to want to return. She said during class that if it is desired for a person to wake up from a coma, someone should stay with that person 24 hours a day, so that there is literally someone to come back to.

Thank you, Janet

Thank you, Mary.

Thank you, David.

Gassho, Namaste, Blessings

All issues of The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter are available at http://www.jsjinc.net.