In the sacred space of today’s episode, we welcome Jeffery Olsen, a remarkable individual whose journey through an incredibly harrowing near-death experience (NDE) has provided him with profound spiritual insights and an unshakeable sense of purpose. His story is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love and forgiveness.
Jeffery begins by sharing his life before the NDE, which was marked by professional success and personal fulfillment. He was running a successful ad agency, had a degree in marketing with a minor in psychology, and enjoyed a happy family life with his wife and two sons. However, everything changed in an instant during a family vacation when a tragic car accident altered his life forever. The accident claimed the lives of his wife and youngest son, left him severely injured, and initiated his profound near-death experience.
Jeffery describes the accident and its immediate aftermath with remarkable clarity. As he lay critically injured, he felt a light surrounding him, offering comfort amidst the horror. He experienced a profound sense of peace and encountered his deceased wife, Tamra, who urged him to return to life to care for their surviving son. This interaction was infused with unconditional love and an understanding of their soul’s journey.
Jeffery’s NDE continued as he found himself moving about the hospital in a disembodied state. He vividly recounts the deep connections he felt with everyone he encountered, sensing their emotions, histories, and challenges as if they were his own. This oneness was wrapped in an all-encompassing, unconditional love. “I was aware of everything. And I was aware, specifically, of every individual I encountered. I mean, everyone I saw I knew them. I mean, that we were connected even though they were strangers,” Jeffery reflects.
SPIRITUAL TAKEAWAYS
- Interconnectedness of All Souls: Jeffery’s experience highlights the deep interconnectedness of all souls, transcending physical boundaries and individual experiences. This understanding fosters a sense of empathy and compassion for others.
- The Power of Unconditional Love: His encounter with his wife and the divine being during his NDE emphasized the profound nature of unconditional love. This love transcends judgment and is a fundamental aspect of our existence.
- Life as a Journey of Learning: Jeffery’s life review revealed that life is not a test but a series of experiences meant for learning and growth. This perspective encourages us to view challenges as opportunities for soul expansion and understanding.
Upon returning to his body, Jeffery faced a long and arduous recovery. His physical injuries were severe, including the amputation of his left leg above the knee, multiple broken bones, and internal injuries. Despite these challenges, his NDE provided him with a profound sense of peace and purpose, helping him navigate the difficult road ahead.
Jeffery’s insights also touch upon the concept of life reviews and the importance of self-forgiveness. During his NDE, he was shown his life in detail, with a focus on what he had learned from his experiences rather than judgments of right or wrong. This perspective allowed him to embrace a deeper sense of compassion for himself and others.
In his current life, Jeffery has found joy and purpose in helping others through their own struggles. He emphasizes the importance of choice and the power of love in healing and transformation. “Choose joy no matter what you’re going through, somehow choose to see joy, to see light, and to be that, and it always reflects,” he advises.
Jeffery’s story is a profound reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love and forgiveness. His journey encourages us to embrace our own challenges with grace and to seek the deeper meaning and connections that life offers.
Please enjoy my conversation with Jeffery Olsen.
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Follow Along with the Transcript – Episode 189
Jeffery Olsen 0:00
I was aware of everything. And I was aware, specifically, of every individual I encountered. I mean, every one I saw I, it's like I knew them. I mean that we were connected even though they were strangers. In this room, I knew them. I knew their love, their hate their motivations, their challenges, their choices, I knew them and it was all wrapped in this this absolute unconditional love.
Alex Ferrari 0:41
I'd like to welcome to the show, Jeffery Olsen. How you doin Jeffrey?
Jeffery Olsen 0:45
I'm doing great. Alex, it's good to be with you.
Alex Ferrari 0:47
Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on the show my friend i I appreciate you coming on and talking about your experiences sharing your experience with our audience. And hopefully it's going to help some some some people listening on their own life journey listening to yours, your journey. So my first question to you is what was your life like prior to your near death experience?
Jeffery Olsen 1:10
Gosh, prior to the near death experience, I was running an ad agency. I you know, I had, I had played division one football, I had graduated from college, I had a degree in marketing with a minor in psychology and was running an ad agency as a creative director. I was married, happily married, we had two boys, two sons. And life was good. It was kind of gosh, it was like in hindsight, wow. Everything I did worked out was successful. And it was it was it was a good life.
Alex Ferrari 1:47
So let me let me ask you, because so many of us struggle through life, and I'm sure you had your struggles prior to your near death experience as well, like we all did. But why do you think that you're trained seem to have been going on a good road? What do you think you needed to go through this experience?
Jeffery Olsen 2:06
You know, that's a great question. And, and, and I learned in the near death experience it Yeah, our soul has a journey. And, you know, yes, I'd had challenges. Gosh, we had we had struggled to get our second son here. You know, that was infertility challenges. Work was challenging and hard and stressful. But the interesting thing is, you know, those are kind of at the very end, that's just at the, at the first blush level, when the near death experience happened, and we'll get into all that the whole facade was ripped out, you know, I mean, everything that I thought was success, everything that I thought was, love, everything that I thought was goodness, suddenly was transformed him or in a miraculous way. And it was quite a journey. I mean, it took me 10 years to even talk about the near death experience, because of this transition, if you will, I mean, many people say trans formation, but the near death experience was caused by an automobile accident. It basically, will it crushed both my legs.
Alex Ferrari 3:14
Well, if you want let's let's let's talk about the near death experience, so we could just get into it. Exactly. So what exactly happened during How did that near death experience happen? Leading up to it?
Jeffery Olsen 3:24
Yeah, the near death experience was caused by an automobile accident, and the whole family was in the car. We were on a family vacation. And, you know, one of the difficult things. Telling the story is I believe I may have dozed off at the will. It was a road trip. And it's been it's been 25 years since that happened. I couldn't even speak of it for a decade. But it was on an automobile accident, single car rollover. It it crushed both of my legs. My left leg was amputated above the knee. It broke my back in a couple of places, which ironically didn't damage the spinal column. I still have full movement. My right arm was nearly torn off. my ribcage was damaged. My lungs were collapsed and the seatbelt had cut through me and ruptured all my insides. The most devastating part of the of the accident is my wife and youngest son were killed instantly in the accident. So sorry. Yeah, the whole facade being ripped out suddenly everything. Everything was different. And it was horrific. I mean, I blacked out during the rollover. But when the car came to a stop, I was completely conscious. The first thing I heard was my seven year old my oldest son crying hysterically in the backseat. And as a father, I thought, well, I got it. I've got to get to my boy. I've got to get to him. But that's when I realized I couldn't move. I was pinned either to the floorboard or the seat I couldn't tell. I was struggling to maintain consciousness I was struggling to breathe. I was in intense pain, but I was unaware of my injuries. I really I mean, the adrenaline I, I didn't realize that I just knew my son was crying and I wanted to get to my son. But that's when the brutal reality hit that no one else was crying. And I became aware at the scene of the accident that both my youngest son and my, my wife were killed instantly. And that was a very helpless feeling. I mean, there I was losing consciousness. I couldn't move half the family was gone. And Alex, I was driving the car. I mean, the guilt, the regret that oh, you know, gosh, can I get those three seconds back? What happened? What happened? And it was in that that darkness and I don't share that to be morbid or graphic but it was a hellacious you know, pasted place to be. But that's when the Near Death Experience begin to unfold. And I say that because it was quite a process. But in that darkness, I felt this light come and I say that it sounds ethereal. But it was like tangible light. It felt as if light came and surrounded me and begin to comfort me in this horrific situation. And suddenly, I could breathe. And the pain was gone. And I literally I was thinking, how can I be okay, what, what just happened here. And then the interesting part of it is in that light, which which felt like a bubble of light, it felt like I was suspended in this bubble of light, and suddenly, there was no pain I could breathe. And then my wife, Tamra, who I knew was deceased at the scene. Suddenly, she was there in the light with me. And, and we began to converse. And and she was emphatic. She kept saying, Jeff, you, you can't come you can't come, you've got to go back. You got to go back. You gotta go back. And she was. She was upset and emphatic. And we literally had a conversation and made a choice where we discussed if I stayed with her, our oldest son, who survived the accident, he was banged up a little bit, but physically, he basically walked away from it emotionally, he thought the whole family was gone. But we discussed the fact that if I stayed with her, he'd be orphaned. And we made a deal. That I'd go back, and I'd raise our boy. And Alex, I learned a lot about choice. I mean, here I was, here, I was looking at a woman I love more than life. And yet, I knew I had a little boy in the back seat of that car. And we made a decision to that I was going to come back. And that was it. You know, I mean, I didn't have to figure out how to come back. We have no idea how powerful our thoughts are, you know, I mean, the intention. Okay, going back. I said the most profound goodbye, I'll probably ever say. And then I found myself moving about a hospital if moving freely about a hospital. Now when I say that I was I was out of the body. And I have no concept of time in this bubble of light, if you will. I later found out people arrived at the scene. Spencer, my seven year old was you know, he was banged up, he had bruised his ribs and cracked his wrist. With my extensive injuries. I had to be extricated from the car and I was I was life flighted or airlifted to the, you know, the nearest level one trauma center. I knew nothing about that. I knew we'd crash the car. I knew I'd said this profound goodbye. And then here I was moving about the hospital and encountering that doctors and the nurses and the patients and the families of the patients. I seem to have a I was aware of everything. And I was aware, specifically, of every individual I encountered. I mean, every one I saw I it's like I knew them. I mean that we were connected, even though they were strangers. In this room, I knew them. I knew their love, their hate their motivations, their challenges, their choices, I knew them and it was all wrapped in this this absolute unconditional love. I was seeing everyone differently. You know, quick example, I passed by a nurse and she seems completely unaware of me, obviously. But in an instant, I knew. I knew. I knew everything like and I felt it as if it was me. I call it a oneness. There was a connection I felt in an instant, as if it was my own. Her abuse as a child hurt her physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Like I felt it in a very real way. And in that same instant, it's like wow, look at the magnificence of who she is. She's here in a hospital serving and healing. And I mean, it was, you know, I knew all this stuff, but there was no judgment, there was no comparison, there was just this absolute connected oneness that was infused with love that had no conditions and not a romantic love, but a true, true unconditional love. And then I finally came up on a body, I didn't feel anything from which I thought was odd. And that's when I stepped closer to look and realize, oh, my gosh, that's, that's me. But it wasn't me. I was having this profound, connected experience, but there was my body. And it was a mess. It was a mess.
Alex Ferrari 10:43
Now. Okay, so at this point, so you're out of body at this point, thi's all this is out of body.
Jeffery Olsen 10:50
All this is out of body. And I mean, I realized, well, there's my body. I mean, that's, I mean,
Alex Ferrari 10:56
Are you floating? Or are you standing?
Jeffery Olsen 10:58
It felt as if I was just freely moving. I couldn't feel my feet walking or the floor, but I felt as if I was just freely moving about. And then the reality of that's my body. And that that was that was a profound sadness. As I looked at that, you know, I had always taken my body for granted. And, and as I mean, and that was a realization to him, like, Wow, what a miracle our bodies are, what a miraculous machine, I don't have to remind my heart to beat or, or tell my lungs to breathe or teach my eyes how to see. I mean, I was looking at this broken mass, and realizing I've got to get back in there. I made a deal. I gotta get back in there. And the brokenness of it. There was a profound sadness and a profound realization of Well, what a miracle. Our bodies are, and yet minds busted. And I got to get in there. And again, just our thoughts or intentions, I didn't have to figure out well, how do I get back in as soon as I made that choice, I'm going back in. Well, you know, boom, I was back in the body, but back to the heaviness and the guilt and the regret and the pain and the trauma. And I mean, I was ventilated. There was a big tube, you know, down my throat, which was doing the lungs, my legs were immobile. My right arm was immobile. They eventually tied down my left arm because I kept grabbing it all the medical equipment. But there I wasn't the body back to all the pain and grief and trauma that I seemed to be separate from when I was out of the body. I mean, I was aware of what had happened, but it was a different experience than being in the flesh.
Alex Ferrari 12:50
Did you? So was that essentially the end of your spiritual near death experience as far as when she got back into body? Or did something else continue after?
Jeffery Olsen 13:00
No, no, it continued. It was interesting. I was in the hospital for almost five months. I had surgeries. Yeah, 18 surgeries trying to put me back together. And not only were the infections horrific, you know, because my insides had all been exploded, and they had to leave the wounds and my belly and hips wide open. I through pulmonary emboli or blood clots that lodged in the lungs, and so I wouldn't be an ICU I was in and out of consciousness. And there were times during that hospital stay where I felt as if, okay, I'm taking a break. I mean, it's like my spiritually had to be standing in the corner. You know, watching my body thinking, I just gotta take a break, I can't be in there anymore. And then
Alex Ferrari 13:43
So you were jumping in and out, essentially, for those five months,
Jeffery Olsen 13:47
Not for the five months, but early on. Yeah. And I was kind of in and out. Interesting, though, Alex, maybe perhaps the most profound experience I had was at the end of my hospital stay. And, you know, it's probably worth pointing out the most profound experiences were at the scene of the accident, you know, before all the narcotics and morphine and everything that had been administered. And then at the end of my hospital stay, I had gotten out of ICU, I'd gone through surgical recovery. I was I was actually in the rehabilitation mean, it was only a couple of weeks before I was to come home. And I've went to sleep. It's funny, I was finally able to roll on my slight side, they'd finally stabilized my abdominal injuries. I laid on my back so long, I'd rubbed all the hair off the back of my head. I was in my head.
Alex Ferrari 14:41
So that's what happened to me. That's what
Jeffery Olsen 14:45
My brother, my brother and my brothers were incredible. I mean, they rallied around me, I got two brothers. They rallied around me and my youngest brother, you know, took in my surviving son just like he was one of my older brother. there who was a trained EMT, and he would come in and even look after me in the hospital. I mean, there was a point where the nurses were throwing up because of the abdominal wounds, and they had to pack him every day and then strip out the gauze. And he was there. And he said, Look, I'll do it, I'll take care of my little brother, you guys go throw up and we'll, we'll do this thing, you know. But it was, it was at the end of this hospital stay. And I finally they had stabilized all that I was laying on my side thinking, wow, I don't know that I've slept. I mean, I've certainly been, you know, might slept. But I realized I was in a peaceful state, I thought I'm peacefully sleeping. And I felt that light come again, that the same light that I'd felt at the accident scene and I was not on any narcotics at this point, I was simply taking some Tylenol for pain. But that light surrounded me, I had that same lift, you know, that I had felt that the accident It felt as if I was rising above the hospital bed. But at this point, the, the light dispersed it like like a, like a fog off of a lake it it went away, and I was in, I was in the most incredible, beautiful place. Um, you know, people say heaven, or the spirit world or the other side. I mean, the only word that comes close to what I was experiencing, is I was home, I was home it was so I was so welcoming, it felt so familiar. And, and I can't emphasize it was such a physical experience. I mean, here I am out of the body, or, you know, in spirit or the soul. But it felt so physical, I could literally feel the energy of the ground underneath my feet. And I had both feet. I mean, I they had amputated and everything that had gone on in this round. But in that realm, I was whole. And I began to run and I could feel the intelligence in my calves and my thighs. It was it was such a physical experience. I don't know how to explain that. But I was running gleefully thinking I'm home, it felt so welcoming. And I had the knowing I, you know, I knew I'm not here to stay. And at that same time, there was this corridor off to the left. And I knew intuitively I'm to go that way. And I begin working my way down this corridor. And at the end of the quarter was a crib. Now, Griffin, my, my little son that we lost in the accident. He was just a toddler, he was still sleeping in a crib at the time of the accident was 14 months old. And I had been tormented what had happened to him is his car seat had broken apart. And he had been ejected from the car. And I was aware of that at the scene, and I just been tormented with the grief and all so this cribs are I raised to the crib. And I look in the crib and here's my little boy. Beautiful, perfect. And I you know sleeping. I don't know if you've ever picked up a sleeping child, but I. You know, the weight and the heat of him. It's my little boy.
Alex Ferrari 18:20
The smell
Jeffery Olsen 18:21
The smell! And you know, this is exactly what I did. Alex, you know, you get it. I mean, I picked up my child and I'm feeling him. Yeah. And the heat of him and I can feel his breath on my neck and I leaned over I leaned overnight. I smelled his hair, you know, I'm like, it's it's him. It I mean, I'm holding my little boy. And I began to weep. Just thinking how can this be? And yet it was, I mean, there I was holding him. And as I wept, holding him and kissing him, and I could feel this intense presence coming up behind me. This overwhelming powerful presence. And you know, I grew up in a conservative Christian home and my thought was, well, that's That's God. And I'm in so much trouble. I mean, the guilt, you know, I'm thinking my little boys here because I crashed the car. You know, his life was cut so short because somehow I overcorrected or lost control. And And this pressence is coming closer and closer and closer, and I felt so close and I didn't dare turn around and I'm holding my child and I, I have the thought, I hope there's some way I can be forgiven. And with that thought, and this almost felt physical too. I just felt these divine arms wrapped around and hold me and my little boy. And it's like the lid came off there was just this downpour of love and peace and the first thing communicated as I had the thought, I hope I can be forgiven. And the communication was so clear it was beyond words. I I was told there's nothing to forgive. Everything's in perfect divine order. And I'm holding my child weeping thinking, well, how can that be? And then I had what I've learned is called the life review, I begin to see my life. You know, I saw my parents divorce and the insecurities that caused in me, I saw how my brothers had showed up for me my whole life, you know, even when I thought my big brother was being mean, I realized, wow, he loved me that much, you know, and, and, and I saw things and I was, I was saying, well, that that that was a mistake. I didn't mean to do that. And this beautiful being that helped me said, there are no mistakes. What did you learn from it? What did you learn? That was? That was always repeated. Yeah, but what did you learn? What did you learn, and I even saw things and I thought, well, that was wrong. And I knew it was wrong, and I did it anyway. And the divine, God, that whatever you want to call this being that held me, said, that's your judgement of it, not ours. We love you, you're as beloved, as the child you hold. And it was this, it was a strange multiplicity, because here I was holding my son who was perfect and beloved and divine to me, and, and I was being held by the Divine and, and it was magnified, in a way where it's like, Yeah, we love you just like that child, you hold. And yeah, you thought you were messing up your life, but you were learning to walk and everything was, you know, aligned in such a way. And, and I kept thinking, because of my beliefs. I thought, Yeah, but I'm failing the test, I believed that life was a test. And this Divine Love, communicated your life's not a test. It's a gift. It's a gift. And to your question of Why did you go through this? I mean, I learned such profound forgiveness. You know, I mean, there I was in the arms of the Divine thinking, How could I possibly be forgiven? And realize the one to forgive was me, I had to forgive myself, you know, I mean, I can forgive pretty easily, but boy, I'm the hardest one to forgive when it comes to weirdness. And there was no, there was a lot of that going on. Again, choice. And I'll wrap this up, but I choices were outlined for me, I saw I saw clearly that I could be mad at God, you know, because this accident happened and was allowed and my family passed. And I was told that we'll be okay, we love you. Anyway. I also saw that I could beat myself up for the rest of my life, in guilt, because I was driving the car. But I was given a third choice, I was told and this was very interesting for me, given my belief system. God said to me, I want you to have your with Phil, and I thought my will I always learned was your will be done. And this beautiful being that held me said My will is your will, that's how much your loved my will is always that you have free will. And I was told that you can give your son to me, you can exercise will and hand him over and release him and trust. And then you won't feel like he was yanked away, you'll exercise your free will and, and hand him over and in all that love and all that beauty and all that peace. I kissed my little boy and I handed him over. And you know, then I woke up or came to myself back in the hospital bed to the amputation and the wheelchair and the colostomy bag and all that was going on. And you know, I grieved as miserably as anybody grieves, even even with all the experiences, but that one that one probably allowed me to get through it somehow. Otherwise, I might be that guy strung out on some street corner wondering what happened, you know, but that one gave me reason to continue, I suppose.
Alex Ferrari 24:08
So that is from my understanding of having so many of these conversations that near death experiences these are many times presented in the timeframe or out of body experiences are presented in the timeframes that are needed to help the soul cope with what is going on in their life at this point of their journey, or they have taken a wrong turn and need to be thrown back onto the right path. That's from my understanding. You know, your story is so in many ways, so horrific that in many ways, so beautiful. And there's so many people listening, who are struggling with a loss. The struggling with a loss of a child a loss of a loved one loss of a parent, and they are angry at God or angry at what happened to them. Is there any words that you can say to help them along their path?
Jeffery Olsen 25:08
Well, you know, for those that are hurting, I mean, when I when I was there, I won't pretend to know how anyone else feels. But I know how I felt. And like I say, perhaps this out of body or near death experience was the only thing to get me through. They're not really gone. I've had two of the most powerful guardian angels, I mean, little whispers, and it's a little things. I mean, it's not lightning, lightning and thunder on the mountain. But based on my experience, Death isn't the end. They're never lost. They're with us. They become our guardian angels. They watch out for us and look over us. Now, you know, my son, seven year old Spencer, the one that survived the accident. He didn't have a near death experience. He didn't get any of that. I mean, he really struggled. You know, it's like, boy, Mom's gone, my little brother's gone. And my dad's never going to be the same. And yet, there's always light. You know, in fact, Spencer and I have just released a children's book, he he's a grown man, now he's married, he's found a love of his own. And it's called Where are you? It's written from his seven year old perspective of what you know. And, and it's a beautiful book, he did a beautiful job on it, you know, outlining it. I mean, he says, this is for anybody who misses someone. And, and he realizes that, you know, what they live on through me. And I honor them in the way I live my life. And, and they're right there, if I'm open to those little whispers those little things. And, you know, he brings up everything from from, gosh, the stars in the sky to the smell of banana bread. You know, I mean, this is where he finds his, his, his his loved ones. And the story has my straightening that there's so there's so much into it, Alex, I mean, gosh, I healed I was fit with a prosthetic limb, I learned to walk again. I mean, I lamp and my body's still kind of a broken mess. But hey, I'm functioning, and I'm working. And I even fell in love again. Gosh, I mean, I an incredible woman came into Spencer and I's life. And her name is Tanya, and my current wife is that she's the hero of the story. We we adopted two boys and I don't even call him my adopted sons. They're just, they're just my boys. They just come to me in this miraculous way, as they all do. And things were rebuilt. It's like that, you know, I, I read a story once about these. This is in Asia, when pots break, they put them back together, you know, and then they fill the cracks with precious metal. And I feel like that's my life, it was broken and shattered into 1000 pieces. And everyone has showed up, including myself at times, I had to show up for myself sometimes, but those pots have been put back together. And my life at the pot is filled the cracks are filled with gold and silver and precious metals. And, you know, gosh, my my son's All My Sons, including the one that looks out for me, Griffin, the little guy I lost, he's my big guardian angel, but my son's here in this life. They're there, they're my joy that they're there. They're the peace that comes and I look at them and think wow was worth it. It was worth it to come back because I watched them grow into men. And Tanya, you know and her love and she you know, she puts up with me and anyway, I know it's traumatic and it's been tragedy but it's been 25 years So in hindsight I say well I'm maybe I'm the luckiest guy in the world I don't know You know, I mean I limped around but I got so much support and so many people that love me
Alex Ferrari 29:02
When you are going through the life review, did you because I've heard this from others that you felt that you feel the everybody that we you were interacting with, or was it more of a passive experience?
Jeffery Olsen 29:17
You know, mine mine I did feel some things like that. And these sound like such silly things but but I'll tell you what, that's what I that the little things are the big things. For instance, I saw it when I played little league baseball, I became a football player at one point but in Little League you know when my parents were divorced and my big brother had taught me how to throw and hit the ball and first literally baseball game and I this is life review stuff right? And I actually hit the ball he taught me how to hit the ball, but when we practiced we never had bases I mean that was just in the game right? So I ran and cash I hit the ball. Well I hit first base. I ran past second base and I didn't touch the bag So by the time I'm rounding third base coach saying go back, you got to touch the bag, and I ran back. And by that time, they threw me out at third base. And, you know, I was all of like, you know, eight years old, and there was my big brother, all of 10, you know, 10 and a half disgusted that I had missed the bag. And I, you know, I'm telling this from the perspective of yeah, this happened to me, but the the near death experience. After the game, he made me run the bases. Time and time again, touching every bag, he'd say, again, he was like, you know, he's like a coach, to every bag. And in my, in my young state of mind, I thought, why is he so mean to me, you know, why said, This is embarrassing, I get it, I gotta touch the bag. In the life review, I realized, wow, he loved me that much. You know, he never wanted his little brother to screw up again. He's like, touch every bag, you're gonna get it right. And so I saw it from a different perspective. I saw gosh, I was mean to a little kid in fifth grade that wanted to come and play ball with us, you know. And I saw that with a different perspective, too. And I thought, how can I ever make amends for that? And yet, you know, it was all like, well, just be kind to the next guy that comes around, you can't go back and do it over again. But that is what the divine was saying. But what did you learn? And what have you become? Because of it, not in spite of it, but because of it? There was no judgment. There was simply this, this learning.
Alex Ferrari 31:33
Now, as you moved since that, since that last near death experience, have you had any other spiritual experiences or moments that reinforce everything that you've said, during your path?
Jeffery Olsen 31:50
Oh, yeah, I mean, so many, so many. I'll share a couple. Like I say, I've had I've learned it's called after death communication. You know, I mean, I think, Tamra, my wife who passed she communicate, she came to me I was when I begin to have feelings for Tanya, I felt guilty about that. I think I would get complex, you know, it's like, how can I possibly love another woman and I went to the graveyard and I was angry. I was looking for a fight. You know, I'm like, How dare you? How could you leave me here I am, you know, and, and I swear, she came to me, I didn't see her with my physical eyes, but I knew she was there. And, and we were communicating non verbally. And she literally told me that she had sent Tanya my way, they'd never known each other in this life. But from her perspective, she's like, this is a good woman. And she basically told me, she said, Jeff, you're pretty good dad, but you're a lousy mother. And our little boy deserves a mom. That that was that was very, you know, that was a visitation, if you will. But other things have happened. I gotta tell you like when we when we adopted our sons. And I'll share this briefly. But you know, that was interesting. We didn't apply for adoption. This whole thing came about in a miraculous way. It was. We met with the birth mother. And Zach, my middle son was was there with her. He was just a toddler. And that was interesting because he was about the same age as Griffin was when Griffin passed. And this was difficult. For the birth mom, she knew it was the right decision. Her mind was made up she was she was pregnant with Aiden and Zach was a toddler. Those are my two adopted boys that I just say are my sons. And she wanted the brothers to stick together and gosh, I was close enough to my brothers. It's like, Yep, I get that. We kind of keep the brothers together. We sat for six hours Alex waiting for her to get the courage. You know, to hand her son over. And I kept saying, You know what we don't, it's okay. You can change your mind. We don't have to do this. I mean, she goes, No, no, no, I, my mind is made up. It's just hard. But anyway, as she passed Zach over, she handed him over and ironically, she handed him to me. Not to Tonya. I had this profound flashback of me handing over my son to the divine. Gosh, all that trust all that, you know, all that it was. I don't know how to put that into words. But there's been flashbacks or little glimpses. And, gosh, forgive me the tears
Alex Ferrari 34:42
My friend. It's okay. It's okay. I'm already I'm feeling I had a couple already pop out as well as we've been talking.
Jeffery Olsen 34:42
Yeah. But you know, these little things in life and then they're big things. They're big things. But yeah, I've had I've had these reconnections, which are More than deja vu, it's like well, okay, now I see this soul's journey. Now I see what I was being taught or what I came to learn or what I created for myself. That was the crazy thing.
Alex Ferrari 35:14
Now, how did you know? How did you learn about that? That part of presuming the concept of the blueprint, the souls, the souls agreement, all that kind of stuff prior to incarnating? Where did you get that information? Because nowhere in the story have I heard that you've worked exposed to that.
Jeffery Olsen 35:31
Now, you know, that was in the arms of God. And I didn't share that. But I will, because I was, you know, I was still kind of angry. I'm like, How could this happen? Why, why why, right. And I believed, why would you do this to me, God? Why me? Why? And, and, and I talked about this communication that the communication was No, you did it for you. You created it. And every player in the whole scenario supported your soul's journey. Even even Tamron. Griffin loved you enough to go. And Spencer, he said, Now I'll stick around and walk with your dad, even if you lamp and the, you know, my other sons that and I had no inkling I wasn't showing my other sons or anything at that point. But I was, it became very clear that I had created it. And there was so much love that the entire universe supported it. And so suddenly, there was total accountability, there was no one to blame. It's not like someone did it to me. My soul did it, and embarked on the journey, that it would learn what it came here to get. And everyone supported it in love, including the divine. And that was that that took me so long to even try to articulate. It's like, How can I sink? Because why would I do this? I mean, no, I would create a perfect life with no pain or sorrow, right? But somehow in that realm, I could see that oh, wow, how would I know? How would I know joy? Without the pain? How would I know light without this darkness? How would I know? Health without the illness? How would I get it's like, I realized I bought the ticket to the show. And I wanted the whole for the whole full feature. I wanted to go to the popcorn and end the sticky floor and the gum under the chair. It's like, you know, it's like you, you you came to experience all of it. And we loved you enough to support it. And and and that that's in a nutshell, where that came. And I've had a very hard time articulating about that I wrote about that. And, you know, I wrote a personal memoir on this called knowing, but I tried to articulate things. There are no words, Alex, I mean, I could ramble on. I don't know how to put it into words. But yeah, the, the knowing that the insight that came in the arms of the divine in a moment, in literally the twinkling of an eye, it's like, Oh, wow. Okay. But then it took me a decade to process it all, you know, all all of my beliefs had been turned upside down and inside out. And yet, I suppose my beliefs, and my faith had been literally transformed into trust, there was so much love, and I didn't realize until I experienced it. And now it's like, well, if I can manifest that in some small way, in my life, or in the life of somebody else, maybe if I smile at that stranger walking down the street, it'll change their day. And that might be the most important thing I do any day, you know,
Alex Ferrari 38:34
Right! Well, let me ask you, because there's so many people, you know, when the concept of you plan this comes along. It's a concept at this level, from this perspective, very difficult to comprehend. Why would you ask for what happened to you? Why would you ask to be abused? Why would you ask to have pain and suffering? Why would you ask to have lost? You know, lose your love? Like, why would you ask for this? Why would you plan something like this? Is there anything you can say to people listening, that can maybe articulate and give people comfort or understanding of what the souls journey is?
Jeffery Olsen 39:20
I'll do my I'll do my best. Okay, here's the thing I have learned as, as I'm old and gray now, experience is the only true teacher. Yes. Is the only true teacher and so, you know, I mean, I'll go back to my football days you could you could whiteboard it up and every play, you know, all day long, but until you get on the field and realize how fast a 4440 is and how big 230 pound fullback, you know, I mean, then it's like, okay, now I get it. And I think in many ways, yeah, we had the blueprint. We're like, oh, yeah, let's do that. That's gonna be awesome, but then we come to experience it. And experience is the only A true teacher. And yet, you know, I do some work with, with indigenous people, Native American people, and they call this the illusion. Oh, yeah, yeah, them to the illusion, you know, to experience what we're not, that we might somehow embrace what we truly are which is divine and eternal. And that that that that was very evident. In my near death experience I was eternal. This this was, this was just a couple of acts in a play that was going to expand my soul in such a way that nothing else, you know, nothing else could do it that way. It was only by experience that I would learn it. It didn't make it any less painful. But But yeah, I think I think experience is the only true teacher and it's love that allows us to experience things.
Alex Ferrari 40:52
Or like Mike Tyson said, we all have a plan to we get punched in the face.
Jeffery Olsen 40:59
Well, that's when I say the facade. You know, you you get hit. And yeah, I got hidden. We all do. Everybody gets to everybody.
Alex Ferrari 41:07
Everybody gets it. Everybody, no matter how perfect from the Instagram world or the social media world that you think everyone's life is perfect. I promise you. Every single person gets hit somehow. They could be billionaires, and they still have something going on with them. Or they could be poor as hell and they could be the happiest person on the planet. It's all relative. we all we all go through things, but that's the reason we're here. If you weren't if you weren't here to experience what this is this this dream this illusion has to offer this reality has to offer. There's no point in it. It's kind of like playing a video game and you just sit in the corner. Because you don't want to go fight the dragon. Right? You're just sitting there like Nah, I'm just gonna hang out here and you're like, Well, what are you doing that? Why are you even playing the game if you're not going to engage in what the game plan is this level that has been thrown in front of you. You have some orcs to fight you got some trolls to fight you got the princess to fight you know, save on the other end but you got to go through this dragon. But I'm scared of the dragon. Ah, there is your journey. That is what you need to follow this. That's what you need to conquer. Is and now my go even deeper. It is not the dragon you need to conquer. It's the fear you need to conquer the dragon is just there to facilitate you. Conquering that fear. Fair enough.
Jeffery Olsen 42:30
I love it. That's a beautiful analogy, Alex. I mean, maybe we're all in a big video game and yeah, the cave the cave we fear to enter holds the treasure that we seek
Alex Ferrari 42:41
Joseph Campbell. Yes.
Jeffery Olsen 42:43
Yes, there you go. And you know, I mean, here's where it shifted for me in this This may be useful because boy that I asked the why questions why me? Why now? Why both? By the leg? Why? Why? Why? When I shifted the wise to what, you know, what am I learning? What is my soul? Expanding? What can I do with this to potentially assist others. That's when it shifted, you know, when I when I when I when I changed it from all about me to the outward focus. And here's the thing I that took a while. I mean, let's not pretend that I had this accident had a near death experience. And I was okay. No, I had this accident had the near death experience and I grieved as miserably and and and navigated my way through that and made all kinds of silly mistakes and poor decisions and and yet, you know, we got through the video game, we you know, we, the level got through the level, we conquered one boss. And then there was another one that was and then there was another one and and yeah, that's that's that's why we came. That's why we came is to play the game.
Alex Ferrari 43:53
Yeah, and it's in I've used that analogy so many times on the show because I think it's such a such a perfect analogy of the video game. Because if you are the avatar in the game, if you're Mario, if your Link or Zelda in the game fighting the dragons. There's a player behind the scenes who is playing the game. And you are the avatar and that that player is, in my analogy, the soul who's decided to go down this game. And then you get into much deeper waters just like well the soul, that player could also play another game at the same time. And that's a whole other conversation.
Jeffery Olsen 44:27
That that was the expansiveness of being out of the realm, but it's beautiful. So what if I'm just the avatar here, right? And who knows? I mean, I say God, you know, I mean, I was held by this beautiful being I didn't dare turn around. My belief system gave me fear to turn around. Well, was it my higher self was it was it was, you know, I don't know. But But yeah, if we're here in the game, as an avatar of our eternal, higher, Divine Self, then yeah, that's the purpose. spective that perhaps you say, Okay, we're gonna get through this level? And somehow we'll make it if we just hold on.
Alex Ferrari 45:07
Oh, yeah. And it's interesting because you know, I know you and I are of, of similar vintage, I think you're a little bit older than I am. But we both know Zelda and Mario, let's just put it that way. I'm aware of those. Yep, yes, exactly. And later on in games, you could change your player. So you could come in as a girl dressed up with some cool, you know, guns, or you could be an orc or you could be your choosing the avatar you want to experience the game in? So in many ways, you're like, Well, do I want to experience this as a girl? Do I want to spirits as a guy? Do I want to experiences as being broke? Or do I want to have all the money in the world and have all the weapons and toys that I want to play with? And or do I want to start from scratch and it is just you know, the analogy kind of really fits what we're going through. And it's the equivalent of Zelda being upset, because Zelda goes down, the cage gets killed, starts to level over again. And now you learned, you don't go around that corner. Because there's a monster in that corner, you need to avoid that corner if you can, or learn how to defeat that monster. But that knowledge, that experience, and it's literally called experience points in some of these games, like you need to build experience points before you can even attempt to fight some of these bigger bosses. So I don't want to go down too far the rabbit hole of the video game analogy, but
Jeffery Olsen 46:28
It's a perfect analogy. I mean, that's maybe that's why the human psyche, and we're not, you know, that's why we get so into it, because that's, that's, that's, again, just another representation of what we're in reality doing. We're here experience seeing ourselves as not ourselves. And yet, we're learning at a higher level by experience that expands our soul.
Alex Ferrari 46:56
Now, you've mentioned a few times that your belief system, your religious beliefs, you know, kind of guided you through this process in the sense of like, I don't even want to turn around because is that Jesus is that God is like, I don't know, he's a big man, I can't, I can't turn around. How have your religious beliefs changed? Since your experience and since your life journey to be honest.
Jeffery Olsen 47:19
Well, they've transformed and I don't, I don't even know if I would say, I'm religious anymore. You know, I mean, I I'm spiritual, I feel very connected. And it's gone twofold. I've seen the barriers that religion put around me. But see, I look as new eyes and I say, You know what, organized religion is not a bad thing. I mean, I don't care what you believe, you know, but to have a community or to have something that brings you closer to the divine. You know, I mean, if my experience taught me anything, well, when there's something that's much bigger than we are, even it, you know, and and to connect with that, or tap into that, in some way, is a good thing. But I used to believe well, there's one way and there's one right way, and I'm going to be right, and I was so committed to being like, you know,
Alex Ferrari 48:12
While there's more there's like two or 3 billion people that believe something else. And obviously, they're all wrong.
Jeffery Olsen 48:17
Yeah. Yeah. All right. You know, or pity. Well, gosh,
Alex Ferrari 48:21
I guess I'm the chosen ones. Sorry. Yeah.
Jeffery Olsen 48:24
Yeah, yeah. No, you get it. And that that was, you know, and now it's like, wow, that just that just exploded. And I'm like, every living soul is as precious as this. Oh, boy, I hold in the eyes of God. We're all we're all that beloved. We're all that chosen. We're all that beautiful and divine and perfect. And that's what expanded it for me. It was like, wow, okay, now, I've experienced unconditional love beyond a word or a theory. And, yeah, all of that. That did transform for me, it's like, let's just love each other and be good to each other. And even if we have completely different beliefs, let's walk with each other and support each other and get over it, you know, let's be more one. Let's, let's start the Us and Them game and become we. And that's when we win the game. You know, that's when we conquer the game
Alex Ferrari 49:19
Without question in many ways, because I, you know, I came from a Catholic background, as well. And, and I always wondered, I'm like, you know, we're not born our religion. We're born pure, essentially. And these belief systems are taught to us, by society, by our community, by our parents. So when you choose to come down to incarnate you choose, arguably the religion that you are going to be taught, because that religion might have lessons for you to learn in this incarnation. It is a set of rules to play the game, that whether you follow the rules, you reject the rules, all of it's a lesson all of his teaching mechanism. But I agree with you that even A belief system in any sort of organized religion, there are so many positives in that to connect to a higher self, it's when you get into the, into the bumpers of the end where it's all boxed off and, and you start getting into the dogma and you like, to the perfect example, you're being held by this being behind you and like, I can't turn around like that. That's limiting. Whereas from your experience, there, it is endless there is no, it's infinity, there is no limits to the love, and the support, and the understanding and all this that you were surrounded in. But yet your belief systems was like, I can't turn around. And I just had to have a few turned around. What would happen is Red Raiders of the Lost Ark. Did your bait face mouth like what's?
Jeffery Olsen 50:47
Yeah, yeah. See, that's just it. It's like it's choices. Even choice. They made the choice. Well, I'd better not turn around. That's the big guy. Yeah, yeah. And yet, yeah, net now. Wow. Well, okay. And I suppose an openness? Well, gosh, what if I turned around and that was something I totally didn't expect? You know, I should have turned around Alex, I shouldn't you know, my son teases me, my oldest son Spencer, he'll say, Dad, you can't put God in a box, you know, and, and then I say, well, I should have turned around, he's wrong should all over yourself, he's like, You did and it was perfect for your experience. He's, he's become a very, you know, he didn't have any of the near death experience. And he's become a very insightful, compassionate man, you know, he's, he, we've come to the same conclusions, with two totally different paths. And that's kind of interesting. You know,
Alex Ferrari 51:41
That's, it's fascinating. And, I mean, Jeffrey, your story is so profound. And, you know, out of all the stories I've heard, most of them have been, as far as near death experiences are concerned, most have been lost within themselves. I haven't heard a story like yours, where you had so much loss not only to yourself, like physically, but emotionally with your, with your wife and your son. And that's a whole nother level of trauma that a lot of people can't comprehend. I mean, when you're talking about holding the baby and smelling the baby, I'm a father, I get it. 110% When you start telling your story, I was like, you know, I've been on the road on a family trip. I've kind of like doze the second or two it could have happened to anyone. And it's so it's such a powerful story and I hope this the story does help people listening, dealing with with loss dealing with trauma because you know, people find this show find these episodes because they are guided to them. And it's my job to facilitate these conversations. To share their stories
Jeffery Olsen 52:51
Good work, you're doing good work, my friend. Keep doing it, keep doing it.
Alex Ferrari 52:56
I appreciate you if I'm on this I'm gonna ask you a few questions. I asked all of my guests What is your definition of living a good life?
Jeffery Olsen 53:05
Wow living a good life being kind being happy you know, I mean people say well your life must have been spared for some profound you know reason and I say yeah, you know to play catch with my son and watch another sunset and yeah living a good life is living the life you choose you know choosing a life and embracing it and being that
Alex Ferrari 53:33
How do you define God?
Jeffery Olsen 53:37
You know, I was I was watching Les Miserables you know, over the holidays here on it was on one of the channels I don't know. And there's a profound thing at the end of you know, the most recent rendition, the big full feature film and it was also in the musical but to love another person is to see the face of God and if we can see the divine in each other and probably most importantly if we can see the divine when we look in the mirror that's how I define God God is in every one of us. And we are God and and and God is love and if we could love each other and love ourselves and and you know, from those Christian backgrounds even Jesus said, Love your neighbor as yourself. Well, if I don't love myself, I'm gonna have a hard time loving the neighbors and I define God as wow, I was held by a Divine Being but boy, I see the divine and everything, even the trees, the water, the sky, but especially when I saw Alex, I could look through zoom, I see your heart and what you're doing and what you're creating. It's like that's divine to me, my brother that is divine,
Alex Ferrari 54:58
I appreciate that very much my friend And last question, what is the ultimate purpose of life?
Jeffery Olsen 55:05
To remember who we are to remember we come from divinity, you talk about those babies being born. Gosh, you know, they come in perfection. They come with so much light I if you've ever been in the room when a baby's born? Well, I guess we all have because we were, we weren't in the room when we were born, but I'll remember it much. I don't remember my arm, but boy, I remember the others and we come from love and perfection. And the purpose of life is to remember that no matter what we're experiencing, we are that and to remember it to put those pieces back together embrace it. I was only asked one question in my near death experience. And the question was, to what degree have you learned to love? That was the only question there was no judgment. That was one question. To what degree have you learned to love? And I suppose that's the purpose of life is to remember that we are love and be that
Alex Ferrari 56:03
Great answer. Great, great answer. And where can people find out more about you your books and the work that you're doing, sir?
Jeffery Olsen 56:09
Oh, gosh, envoy publishing envoy envoypublishing.com The books are they're both the books both knowing and where are you are on Amazon. And I'm pretty primitive. I've recently just turned off social media and decided to, to just be in a real, you know, a real way. I think coming from your background, Mother Teresa said, if you want to change the world, love the people under your own roof. And if we can focus on that, but you can find you can find books and videos at envoypublishing.com.
Alex Ferrari 56:49
And is there any parting message you'd like to leave with the audience?
Jeffery Olsen 56:53
Choice, choose joy no matter what you're going through, somehow choose make the choice to see joy to see light. And to be that and it always reflects.
Alex Ferrari 57:07
Jeffrey it has been a pleasure and an honor talk to you. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing story with all of us and I truly hope from the bottom of my heart that it helps people out there listening so I appreciate you and your bravery of what not only what you went through but what you're doing continue to do to help others my friend so I appreciate you.
Jeffery Olsen 57:23
It's an honor Alex thank you very much.
Alex Ferrari 57:28
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