Observations placeholder
Sheikh of Damascus - Summons a brother
Identifier
004162
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Dr Shafica Karagulla, born in the Lebanon of Turkish parents but whose research took her to the UK and USA, was a neuro-psychiatrist who spent eight years researching ordinary people who appeared to have extraordinary abilities.
She started off being a skeptic as most scientists are [including me] but over time the evidence seemed overwhelming and she set up a research project to find out more. What brought her into the area was a book about Edgar Cayce, what kept her going was an open mind and an insatiable curiosity. Where she is remarkable is that she had no experiences of her own to confirm her eventual conclusions, but like all the very best scientists forgot her own life and concentrated on the observations and evidence.
Her research ‘subjects were carefully chosen. She rejected all those who claimed they had these abilities but instead by a laborious process of enquiry and referral managed to find those who carried on normal professions and who never talked about their abilities but just used them.
A description of the experience
Breakthrough to Creativity – Dr Shafica Karagulla
[Whilst Dr Karagulla was in the Lebanon visiting friends and relatives she met a friend of the family]. He had been a secretary to a sheik who was the Moslem religious leader in the city of Damascus. The sheik himself was a man of great learning, devoted to the welfare of his people and to his religious office. He was reputed to have very unusual abilities, but such rumours grow up around a well loved spiritual leader. My host assured me, however, that the sheik actually did have unusual abilities. He recounted one story in particular which he felt was truly remarkable.
His father had died suddenly in Damascus. Tradition in the Middle East requires that as many members of the family as possible be present at the time of the funeral. My host explained that under these conditions he was desperate to get in contact with his brother who was in Jordan, because the funeral had been arranged for the following day. It was one of the periods of political upheaval. All communication between Jordan and Syria had been cut. No telegraph, no telephone, no transportation was possible. In despair he suddenly thought of the sheik and went to him for help and advice. The sheik listened to his urgent need to get in touch with his brother. There was a pause, then the sheik did a peculiar thing. He picked up one end of the silk cord tied about his waist and held it to his ear as he would hold a telephone. He nodded his head a few times as if listening to someone or something. Then he turned to the young man and said, "Your brother will come. Yes, he will come. I know there seems to be no means of transporation, but he will come in an unexpected way."
My host explained that he was rather skeptical. He felt that this was the oddest thing he had ever seen the sheik do. Out of respect to the wise and gracious old man, he refrained from making any remark and departed.
The following day, an hour before the funeral was to take place, his brother arrived. T'here was no time to ask his brother how it had all come about until after the funeral. When he was finally able to talk to his brother, his brother's story was equally amazing. The brother told him that on the previous day he had suddenly felt a severe and distressing pain around the heart.
With the pain came an intense impression that there was something wrong with his father, that he must get to Damascus at once. On questioning him, my host found that this was exactly the time at which he had consulted the sheik. His brother went on to say that he did not know what was wrong with his father. He simply felt a great urgency to get to Damascus as soon as possible. He had gone to his boss and told him of his sudden anxiety and his feeling that he must get home at once. He pointed out that he knew there was no means of transportation. Without further questioning, his boss immediately put his own car and his chauffeur at his disposal for the drive to Damascus, and urged him to leave at once. This was rather remarkable behavior on the part of his boss.
As my host pointed out, the sheik must have reached his brother and the boss telepathically and very effectively to get such quick results. In spite of the political difficulties, the car was not stopped at the border and his brother arrived just in time.