Greta Thunberg's Dream
 
Greta Thunberg slowly drifted off to sleep on December 31st, 2019.  
What a year this has been!
She couldn't quite believe all that happened ... or even that it was real.
Time Magazine... Person of the Year !? ...
Speaking at the United Nations, being snubbed and mocked by President Trump ... all because one day in August of 2018 she could no longer stand the platitudes of grown-ups around her, and she decided to go on strike from school outside the Swedish Parliament to protest the denial of adults about the seriousness of the climate change crisis.
 
Her eyelids flickered ... each week this past year, somewhere in the world ... over one million students followed her lead, and went on strike to protest climate change. How was this possible? And more-so, with all the international press coverage, and groundswell of popular support, especially among her own generation, how come the challenges seemed as daunting as the first day she decided to protest?
 
Greta crossed over to the dream world, the world of imaginings and happenings and possibilities unconstrained by the denial and greed of the Earth plane of existence ... and she thought ...
"Hey, I'm going to need some help here! No matter what I do, no matter how many youth strike to reduce carbon emissions, the planet is still heading for a train wreck."
Who could help her from the spirit world?
As she wondered ... the spirits of several departed souls came to mind...
Foremost among these those she summoned was the spirit of Albert Einstein.
"Professor Einstein, thank you for coming to meet with me and discuss stupid humanity's obsessive-compulsive pattern of consumption and waste. Did you not see our path to self-destruction when you were doing your scientific work?"
 
The professor replied, "Oh Greta, you have been such a treasure, your wisdom has been so profound ... Thank you for your contribution, and call to alarm.  Sadly, to answer your question ... No... I did not see the climate crisis as accelerating and facing your generation in 2020. I did see evil and greed as the cause of so much human suffering, but at the time I died (in 1955) I was so much more concerned with war and famine and the proliferation of nuclear weapons ... that any climate crisis on Earth was not even on my screen (to use the lingo of your digital generation). Millions of Jews, Catholics, and gypsies were exterminated in Nazi concentration camps. The US government dropped nuclear weapons on non-combatant innocent civilians of Hiroshima ... and then again on Nagasaki three days later, just to prove that the weapons actually were as lethal as we imagined.
 
I didn't sleep for several days afterwards ... I was so horrified by the fruits of my labor.
 
I imagined the end of our species from wars long before the consequences of climate change would have any impact. Which is why so many of us here in the realm of the afterlife applaud your activism and commitment. You are an inspiration on both sides of the Veil!"
 
Greta replied, "Professor Einstein, thank you for your candor... But I don't seem to be getting a lot of traction on the Earth plane. Sure ... great publicity ... but can we get a little help with the heavy lifting from you and your spirit colleagues? Adolescent humans (and even middle-aged or elderly supporters) just don't seem to be enough to alter the trajectory to self destruction."
 
Einstein paused and thought. He understood the rules or protocol in the spirit realm for non-interference with human affairs on the Earth plane of existence. But maybe 2020 was a time to break those rules. Just as E = (MC squared) getting converted to a weapon of mass destruction, he felt some trepidation ... not being able to imagine the outcomes possible from the meddling of spirits in "Earthly affairs."
 
"Greta, you're right. It's time to break the rules. I think I can make a strong argument here, and muster up some support for you. Let me think... first I'll reach out to Bucky Fuller. He and I haven't spoken for such a long time. Let's try to bring him into this conversation..."
 
And they no sooner imagined the futurist, Buckminster Fuller... than he arrived, summoned by his hosts - Greta in her dream state on the Earth plane and Einstein in spirit. "Bucky" did not need any "catching up" on their conversation ... there was an immediate recognition for the need for action and an awareness of the immensity and the urgency of the problem.
 
Bucky said, "No surprise about any synchronicities that pop up here, in this time and space ... in fact my folks back on Earth have already declared 2020 to 2030 as an Urgent Design Science Decade. We declared the first one back in 1965, but clearly it is time to renew Humanity's efforts to put technology in service to ecology. In 1965 we called it, "comprehensive anticipatory design science", ... but frankly I don't care what we call it, as long as we get the human species up off its complacent 'butt' and get something rolling. Who else should we enlist from the side of spirit?
 
To all three of them, the passionate visionary social justice advocate, Arno Peters, came immediately to mind. All three of these elders had lived through the horrors of World War II, something Greta could barely imagine ... and all four of them shared a passion for hitting the reset button, and hopefully altering Earth's current trajectory toward being quite inhospitable to humans and thousands of other species ... from mammals down to insects, plants and single cell organizims.
 
Now, as it turns out, Peters and Fuller had a lengthy written correspondence about 60 years previously, discussing this precise topic ... the survivability of humans on an increasingly inhospitable Earth, and a little spark of recognition passed between them as that memory resurfaced ... and they mentioned to Greta and Einstein how their prophetic fears had now come to pass. The group seemed prepared to launch into discussions of cosmic interventions and nuts & bolts actions when Greta said, "Hold on, even on the etheric plane we can't proceed without some diverse perspectives of all the people from other cultures ... what visionaries from people of color can we bring on board?"
 
No sooner was the question posed than the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Maya Angelou joined their discussion.
 
Dr. King said, "We heard rumors, and the astral plane is all abuzz with gossip about you rule-breakers brainstorming interventions into Earthly affairs. As far as I'm concerned - - if not now, when?"
 
Interestingly, Maya Angelou was not as enthusiastic as Dr. King. She said, "I'm on board with you all ... but I do have some trepidation about unforeseen consequences from what 'help' from the spirit world might cause. Since we really are all 'one' ... I just don't know... it's like that butterfly effect proposed by Edward Lorenz. You know ... something like a butterfly flapping its wings in Tokyo can cause a hurricane in Topeka. I clearly don't know the science behind it but the theory might well apply to us as we contemplate entering a new phase of divine-terrestrial communication."
 
Albert responded, "But Maya, spirits have been communicating with terrestrials for thousands of years, through shamans, via trance, in dreams, and even by the still popular Ouija board. How would our advice and contribution be so different from that?"
 
Bucky said, "Exactly! Do you think I actually came up with all my innovative inventions on my own? No way! I was simply concerned about the trajectory of humanity and let myself be receptive to any and all communications that came from heaven. I suppose I could have been more transparent, and given credit where credit was due... but no one would have believed me anyway!"
 
Arno Peters remained silent, and yet all eyes became focused on him.
With a thick German accent, he slowly began to speak, "I never believed in any of this afterlife stuff ... I was a practical man of science. Sure, I also studied histories of religious beliefs going back 5,000 years in my Synchronoptica project ... but I truly believed all religions to be superstition or wishful thinking. Obviously, now, I know better. And I can well imagine the prohibition against intervention made complete sense to God when the universe was first created. But I agree ... humans in the Earthly form have now run out of options. With the clear trajectory to self-destruction it is time for us to make a move, to break new ground ... but what is it that we can and should do?
Do we intervene from the perspective of science and technology?...
Or do we begin at the level of Consciousness and Heart?"
 
Einstein spoke next, "This is not an either-or proposition. It's a 'both' / 'and' ... Shall we meditate?"
 
Silence descended on the group of six - Thunberg, Einstein, Fuller, Peters, Reverend King, and Angelou.
 
After 20 minutes Reverend King spoke...
"Whatever we do, we cannot be attached to the fruits of our labor. Just as the cosmic Arc of History bends to Justice, the cosmic Arc of terrestrial life might well bend towards destruction, or at least to yet another cycle of death and rebirth. So let us not be so attached to any outcome, but search together for a process that can open human hearts, and let all in earthling form recognize their interconnection and Oneness. If we can come close to accomplishing that, all our efforts will be worthwhile.
Greta... what would be your wish for us to accomplish? ... You are the only one among us still in human form ... We value your input and you have already done so much in such a short time."
 
Greta felt put on the spot. Here she was in her dream world, with these five other esteemed and prestigious adults ... And they were asking her!?
She tried not to bristle...
After all this was only a dream... her dream...
but she never anticipated the "what to do?" question to be placed back into her lap.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
She felt vulnerable and helpless ...
She had called upon Spirit, ADULT spirits to help..
and they were now asking her?  
 
"I need your guidance! I can rally the youth. I can wake millions out of their slumber of denial. Maybe I can even get half the planet to become vegetarians, but there is little I can do to alter the trajectory of Earth becoming inhospitable to humans"
 
I don't want to condone a strategy of resignation, but you all know that we may have already passed the "Tipping Point"... and there may be no possibility of returning to normal. Before we proceed with a strategy based on resignation to inevitable destruction, I'd want to give Bucky Fuller a chance ... he was always the optimist believing science can save Humanity. If we had a "Talking Stick" here ... Bucky ... I would pass it over to you."
 
Again, long silence. No one moved. All surrendered and joined their Consciousness to contemplate the biggest question ever posed in this Kalpa cycle.
How many 16-million year Kalpas have there been?
The long-term view, proposed by the Buddha offered Greta little solace ... her heart was still breaking for the 200 species becoming extinct each day and for the uninhabitability of Earth long before she would reach her 40th birthday
 
Bucky said, "I am flattered and honored by your confidence, and my folks at the Fuller Institute (as well as those elsewhere) will do all they can. But / and we clearly need a two-pronged approach: both science and spirit. Reverend King and Maya, you two should clearly head up the spiritual effort and bring in the Dalai Lama, and the Pope and any others who are steeped in that tradition. We almost need to prepare for "planetary hospice work." And we all know of hospice patients with terminal conditions who have miraculously cured themselves. Let's hope for that, and yet be prepared to face the transition of human civilization into another form ... with the greatest love, compassion, and - yes -- learning that we can achieve."
 
Reverend King: "The March on Washington was a huge turning point in Consciousness, and looking back it was wildly successful. Look around the Earth now and especially in the USA ... we see all colors, races, and backgrounds working together, intermarried, friends and lovers... unimaginable when my dream came to me on that morning of August 28th, 1963.
Yes, racial inequities still permeate the criminal justice system, but we have come light-years forward in less than 60 years.
I've always said the deeper issue was one of economic class ... not simply race, and not only is that still true, the class divide has only grown wider with new technology. The issue of 'The Haves' and the 'Have Nots' may just be the ultimate spiritual challenge. If those in human form could just see how interconnected they all are, then greed might evaporate and open-heartedness and awareness of Oneness could prevail."    

Maya Angelou: "I agree. We need to encourage all those on Earth to share their stories. Thích Nhất Hạnh has always counseled that when individuals ... despite their pain (individual and collective) ... can freely open their hearts ... that will be the key to opening the door to transforming consciousness."

Greta: "Yes, willingness to share my pain has opened the doorway for millions of others. I have an idea. Perhaps too radical, perhaps too bold, but it is what is coming to me now. We don't need answers as much as we need the shift in Consciousness that Maya was speaking of. Let's declare a week of 'global climate emergency.' The entire planet would go on strike. Sure, we continue to service people in hospitals, and make sure people have access to food, and law enforcement would function to protect the vulnerable ... but 90% of the humans would stay home from work or school... and those that felt compelled to pray and meditate would do that. Those that felt drawn to action and service would clean up trash, deliver food to the needy, or just listen to the stories of others so different from themselves. Imagine ... no T.J.Maxx or Costco, no Stock Exchange, no web sales on Amazon. Not only would there be no rush hour traffic, but no traffic on highways at all ... except for what was essential for bare-bones functioning. Another prong could be education, small groups convening to discuss addictions to consumption.

There are now organized 12-step networks around the globe ... and for this climate emergency event they could dedicate themselves not to focusing on their personal addictions, but to look frankly and deeply at our societal addictions.
What a week of learning that would be!
And the reduced consumption would be a signpost pointing the way to a sustainable future.
Greed and self-centeredness might be seen for the pathology they really are ... how long do you think we need to ramp up for this intervention?"
 
As the question hung in the air, all eyes went to Einstein and there was silence for several minutes, as all contemplated the question of scheduling a global climate strike.
 
Einstein spoke, "It would be best in the spring or fall ... moderate temperatures would allow people to gather outside and be guided by Nature. April or May would allow northern hemisphere countries to see crocuses blooming and feel the exhilaration of growth and renewal, and southern hemisphere countries could feel blessed by the harvests of crops and the satisfaction from having worked the land.
 
We'll need to pick dates that are apart from any election cycles, as our effort is going to go so far beyond partisan politics. Plus those seasons could mitigate the likelihood of floods, fires, and other ... what we used to call... natural catastrophes.
 
We need to shift, for that week ... and hopefully longer, from "what do I need?" to "what can I offer?"
 
It would be a week of planetary service ...
everyone asking, "How can I serve? How can I help?... whether that be my neighbor, my neighborhood, my country, or the Earth as a living organism. Just asking the question (or even refusing to ask that question) engenders a significant change in consciousness.
 
Einstein and Greta looked at Dr. King who picked up the thread... "Yes, start with the Pope and the leaders of every other religious tradition. I'm already getting the message that the Dalai Lama is on board. And Indigenous leaders have long been connected to this train of thought. It's already happening... the synapses of global Consciousness are crackling with energy."
 
Peters said: "I've got networks among dozens of faith-based groups: Friendship Press, World Council of Churches, United Church of Canada, Lutheran Church in America, National Council of Churches, Mennonite Central Committee, Eastern Mennonite Missions, Christian Aid, and the Oxfam World Relief organization ... as well as social Justice groups like New Internationalist magazine, the United Nations UNDP, and UNICEF. All of them rallied to support my vision of global interconnectedness with a map I worked to create in 1974 and then had translated into English in 1983.
But now you've got me thinking "outside the box" ... maybe a world map based on representing land areas equally is not the way to go as we work on the climate crisis ... we need a map of human consumption of our Earth's resources. I'll bet that I can dig up a map of people, another one of consumption, and maybe even a carbon footprint map!"  

And no sooner had Peters said those words than the maps arose in reality and were widely available to the human plane of existence as well as to the gathering throng of Spirit guides now powerfully drawn to this core group of visionaries.
 
"Wow!" said Greta, "all this is happening just because I fell asleep in a despair of not knowing what to do next ... and asking for help!"
 
Dr. King said jokingly, "Yes, I can't quite remember who said it - - but it was something like 'ask and you shall receive'."
 
Maya Angelou said to Greta: "You keep on doing your work there. From the spirit side what we can do -- and by "we" I mean the billions of us in spirit form -- is that we can enter the dream state of each and every human as they fall asleep. As long as they fall asleep in a natural state ... not intoxicated, nor under the influence of drugs, or their brain chemistry altered by the overuse of electronic devices ... we can enter the human dream-state with messages of universal love. We can send messages to every dreamer... to uncouple the delusion that one's value is dependent upon what they have ... and shifted it to 'my value is contingent upon what I can give'.

In the past, it has been fairly rare for spirits to make this kind of direct intervention. Sure, there were prophets, trance mediums and shamans ... crossing the divide by special request. But now on the spirit side we will undertake this massive project ... because there are no other options. The clock is running out.
 
There are no guarantees of success. In fact, to be frank, the odds are long against us.
But Greta ... you've already proved the point in this dream. What you dream becomes possible. Without dreams like yours and Dr. King's, and all the youth around the globe dreaming of a sustainable future ... we are resigned to a lockstep march to over-consumption and trying to somehow 'spend our way to happiness'. Our survival instincts, honed by billions of years of genetic selection, no longer serve us. If we fail, extraterrestrial archaeologists in the next Kalpa, 16 million years from now, will wonder how it was that earthlings seemed like collective lemmings hurling themselves off cliffs into the ocean. But for me, I'd like the archaeological record to show that there were humans, accompanied by Spirit guides, making one last-ditch effort to turn back the tide of collapse. If we can accomplish enough to leave fossil records of our endeavors .... that will be enough for me.
 
All present  nodded in agreement ...
 
Einstein spoke the final words of their circle: "Yes Maya, I agree, we have to take the long view. There are insects like mayflies, dragonflies, butterflies, or the marine microorganism ...the Gastrotrichs, whose lifespan may only be hours, days, or weeks. And yet they are no less industrious or committed to their purpose of pollinating and propagating because their time horizon is 1/100th or 1/50,000th of the time horizon that we humans function in. I guess it is all relative. Thanks for reminding us of the long arc of progress... spiritual and otherwise."
 
Then all present quietly took their leave ... to set out on each person's formidable task... to awaken humanity to attend to Mother Earth, and to reduce the damage already done by pollution and greed. And perhaps, ... just perhaps ... to bring about a shift in consciousness where humans might understand that they are all part of one great divine plan and are thus all deeply interconnected.
 
And then Greta woke up, feeling quite inspired and supported. And from that point onward she committed herself to using her dream time as productively as she used her waking hours.
 
                             THE END (or the next beginning....)
 
               This piece is not copyrighted and may be freely circulated and reproduced.
 
 
 
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The above fictional writing came from a dream when I woke up on New Year's Day (1/1/2020). It was subsequently supplemented by writing sessions in the Santa Cruz La Laguna writer's group in Guatemala, and then URL's were added, and certain items fact-checked with original sources for accuracy. The sole purpose is to be inspirational and provocative, and it does not have the approval of Greta Thunberg or any of the other parties referred to.
 
DISCLOSURE of financial self-interest:   Several of the URL links in the above piece of writing go to ODT's web site where our company has new world maps and other mind-expanding resources for sale.