My name is Steve Ryals. Though I’m technically the author of this material, it’s not about me, it’s about you. In fact, it’s all about you. You and a divine entity known as Arondoho. As the narrator and vehicle for this material, I’m honored to share Arondoho’s perspective with you.
Now, if you’re at all skeptical, you probably began judging this work about halfway through the previous paragraph, at the part where I used the term “divine entity.” Let me assure you there is no need for panic, or even derision. Arondoho will clearly define what is meant by this term early in the first chapter. If that definition materially differs from one you currently hold, you have a choice: either continue reading, with your mind and heart open to these ideas, or close the book and move on.
Whatever you choose, I know it will be perfect for you. By choosing the second option, you will be declaring, to yourself at least, that you already know all there is to know (or perhaps all that you’ve decided you need to know). You will be avowing that you have nothing more to learn about the topics of this book—God, humanity, reality, fear, love, the power of choice and the real possibility of finding new meaning and purpose in your life.
Should you choose the first option, please know that you’ll be embarking on a journey that may well shake some of your most deeply held beliefs about the nature of reality. This is not an attempt to make your beliefs wrong. It is an exercise in taking the perspective that God is made manifest through all creation and seeing where that may lead us. For now, just consider the possibility that God does not make mistakes – ever! And that you and your life are not just reflections of God, but actually God in form.
But before we get into these topics, there are some things I’d like to share with you about myself, in order for you to have a context for the observations of Arondoho. I was born in 1949, which means I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s. In many ways, I was an archetypal child of that time period, raised in accordance with the conventional standards of the 50’s. My parents loved me and they did the best they could raising me. The truth is, like so many parents – then and now – they had their own issues. They were living and building a family in one of the most turbulent times in American history. The conventions under which they had been raised were rapidly changing. New technologies and new ideas were springing up all around them. It was all they could do to cope. Ultimately, and quite unintentionally, they passed on many of their own unresolved issues to my brothers and me.
My experience of childhood was one of being filled with feelings of profound loneliness and unworthiness. As a consequence of this, I came to accept the belief that I was not enough, and could never measure up to what felt like my father’s seemingly impossible standards. By 1967, I had run away from home and was living in a crash pad in the Haight Asbury district of San Francisco. I did everything I could to hide from my insecurities in an existence filled with drugs, sex and rock n’ roll. It was the “Summer of Love” and even though I claimed that banner for myself, I was lost in a despair that felt like the exact opposite.
Later, after a series of terrifying events and traumatic losses, I decided something had to change. I was still a hippie at heart, but I resolved that, in the interest of self-preservation, I would try “doing it society’s way.” I got a degree, got married, got divorced, got a haircut, got a job, got married again, started some businesses, made money, lost money, got divorced again and always did my best to keep myself from feeling anything by staying submerged in alcohol, drugs, TV and “stayin’ busy.”
In retrospect, I can see that I spent most of my life desperately seeking answers to the questions I was afraid to really ask. Questions such as, “Why do I feel so separate and alone?” and “Why don’t I ever feel like I’m enough?” or “Why am I here? What’s the meaning of my life?” In the absence of answers, I got really good at avoiding the questions, because whenever I dared to consider one of the questions, all I found was pain and confusion. In my efforts to hide from the pain, to not feel it, I nearly destroyed myself.
All of that began to change when I met Arondoho.
The year was 1991. I had gone to visit Marilyn, a friend and hypnotherapist whom I thought might be able to help me understand an amazing dream I’d recently had. As she brought me into a state of hypnosis for the first time, she felt prompted to ask a question that had nothing to do with the ostensible reason for my being there. She asked whether there was anyone who wanted to speak. A voice identifying itself as Arondoho immediately replied. She and Arondoho proceeded to have the first of many conversations. Now, I was deeply hypnotized at the time, so I didn’t have any idea this was going on. Not until I came out of the trance, and Marilyn played the cassette that she’d thoughtfully recorded back to me, that it begin to sink in what had just transpired.
There were many more of these sessions over the next several months. Most were recorded. Marilyn and Bobbi (my wife at that time) took turns asking Arondoho a wide variety of questions. Many of the answers contained information I could not possibly have known. More importantly still, Arondoho’s personality was very different from mine. He had a calmness and peace about him that few who knew me then would have associated with Steve.
I began a search to find the meaning of Arondoho’s name. I spent hours in the library, searching for references in dozens of languages. I sought out experts in various native cultures, but it was all to no avail. It was as if he had deliberately chosen a name he knew I would be unable to find.
Eventually, I learned to hypnotize myself, and found it easy to bring Arondoho forth. In fact, it’s not so much “bringing him forth” as it is getting out of his way. I simply will my consciousness to move aside and invite Arondoho to be present.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, let me be clear that Arondoho does not claim to be anyone special. When asked how many incarnations he’s had, he answers, “I have been 10,000 people you’ve never heard of.” Through his answers to my questions and those of many others, I have come to understand that Arondoho does not in any way consider himself special, in the sense of being rare or unique. Actually, he says that every living human being has at their core his or her own equivalent of Arondoho. He has even introduced us to the divine presence within some of my friends and family members.
With Arondoho’s help, I have learned to see the light of divine presence shining in the eyes of every living being. I have come to realize that the moment by moment manifestation of this light is who we really are. It’s become increasingly clear that many of us, including myself, spend most of our lives living in fear, agonizing over the past and worrying about the future. Is it really any wonder, then, that we feel exhausted so much of the time?
Getting to know Arondoho, getting in touch with his simple wisdom and profound truth, has changed my life. I am now completely sober, and I’m pleased to say that I routinely experience the sense of peace and serenity I know to be his. It’s my hope that, as you get to know him through the pages of this book, you will open up to the divine presence alive in you. While you may or may not experience that presence as a distinct voice, I know that by simply moving your own thoughts to the side and inviting the omnipresent light to shine through you, new and amazing possibilities will be made manifest.
By the way, as we go through this process, you’ll also get to know yourself much better. You’ll remember at least five all-important talents that you had when you were born, and have suppressed for so many years that you have forgotten you ever knew them. They are 1) How to fully feel and openly express your feelings, then let go of them, creating clear, unfettered access to your intuition as well as your mind; 2) How to discern what your inner voice is telling you, so you can use your natural knowing in any situation; 3) How to live fully in the present moment; 4) How to safely and appropriately trust; and 5) How to truly love – to love yourself; to love all the people in your life, even people you’ve never met, and especially the ones who seem the hardest to love; to love the world around you, including nature and all the rest of God’s magnificent creation; and to love even those events that seem to bring heartache and pain into your life – essentially, to love every moment of your life as if each moment was a precious and uniquely personal gift from God.
One final word about format: Arondoho presents a clear, direct message, often using, as you’ll see, language that’s humorous, and sometimes quite blunt, he never pushes it on anyone. His preference is to address questions, thus creating a dialogue within which the material emerges. I ask only that you consider this perspective with an open mind as well as an open heart.
