Next Level Soul Podcast Episode 231
Tyler Deal found comfort in the forest long before his near-death experience. He joins Alex to share how it changed him, why he went public, and what he sees in the people who come to him.
Key Takeaways
- Tyler says nature was his sanctuary long before his near-death experience, and that the trees felt like friends.
- He describes floating above the redwoods in a deep silence and being asked whether he wanted to go further or go back.
- He recalls fairies and a humming from the trees as he came back to his body, which he believes was customized to his love of nature.
- He kept the story private from 1997 until about a year before this conversation, because it felt sacred.
- His biggest takeaway is appreciation, and he sees even hard experiences as a gift.
Who Tyler Was Before the Experience
Alex opens by asking what Tyler’s life was like before his near-death experience. Tyler describes a happy childhood in which he felt very connected to nature, with a sensitivity he considered perfectly natural. After his family moved to another state, he says, he began to carry emotional pain he did not want to look at, and he pushed it down through his teenage years.
Back in California for college, Tyler says the suppressed sadness resurfaced. He coped the way he always had: he went into the forest and rode his mountain bike. In his words, the trees became his friends and the forest became his sanctuary. He also shares that he felt disconnected from people at the time, and he now sees that feeling as a reflection of what was going on inside him.
Alex gently asks whether the spiral of thoughts was the ego telling stories. Tyler says that is part of it, but he also points to difficult experiences from his childhood that he had not wanted to face.
The Day in the Redwood Forest
Tyler places the event in 1997, at the end of his second year of college in a small town in northern California. A few days after finishing the semester he went riding in the community forest, as he had many times. It was a misty morning, and he knew the trails well.
He says he was heading back toward town when he took a jump that had been built up since the last time he rode it. Once he was in the air, he says, he knew something was about to happen. He came down hard, and he was out. Tyler is candid that he was a young rider who did not wear a helmet and thought of himself as invincible. The next thing he remembers is the experience itself.
Floating Above the Trees
Tyler recalls floating above the redwood trees. He is careful to say it was not what some people call an astral projection. It felt more like his consciousness, his beingness, in a moment when everything went quiet.
In that silence he says his senses were heightened. He felt the wind move through him, heard birds, and heard dogs from miles away as if they were close. He could see fine detail on the redwood needles and could hear the ocean, which was several miles off. Above all, he describes an enormous peace and a sense of familiarity: he says he knew who he was in that place, even though he had not known who he was in his depressed body.
He looked down and saw his body curled on the ground and felt it was not really who he was. Then a question came, not as a heard voice, asking whether he wanted to go further or go back. Tyler says he answered that he did not want to die, and he was immediately returned to his body. He adds that he saw no beings or angels. For him it was the presence of nature.
Fairies and the Humming Trees
Tyler describes what happened as he lay on the forest floor, drifting in and out. He says he saw little fairies coming down from the trees, giggling and moving around him. He believes they were bringing lightness and love, or welcoming him back into this earthly life.
At the same time he heard what he calls a symphony, like a Tibetan singing bowl, and he knew it was coming from the trees. He says he could feel the vibration enter his body, and he believes the trees were sending healing energy. This is Tyler’s own interpretation of what he experienced.
Alex says that in about fifty near-death interviews he had not heard a nature-centered account like this. He wonders whether the experience was customized to Tyler’s love of the forest, and Tyler agrees. He adds that this makes sense to him: if someone believes in God they may meet God, and since the forest was his family, nature was what supported him.
Waking in the Hospital and Remembering
Tyler says his next memory is waking in a hospital, where a doctor told him he was very lucky and had not broken any bones. He did not know his own name or where he was. When asked for a phone number, he says one came out of him, a number belonging to a family friend in town. He stayed with that friend for about a week to rest before his mother came to bring him home to Washington State.
He had a serious concussion, and he says his memory returned in stages: first his name and his family, then the experience itself. Alex asks whether he questioned what he saw. Tyler says he did not, because he believes that anything is possible. Most of his early focus was simply on his body and getting well.
Why He Finally Shared His Story
Tyler told people he trusted over the years, but he did not speak publicly until about a year before this interview, when he wrote a blog post. He explains that the experience was sacred to him and he did not want other people’s opinions to cloud it. As more people began sharing their stories online, he felt it gave him a kind of permission.
Alex notes that coming forward opens a person to ridicule, and Tyler agrees. Someone he knew told him he thought Tyler was giving an audition, and some relatives now do not bring it up. Still, Tyler says it was not about fame. He says he has trouble expressing himself and needed to get it out, the way an artist needs to tell a story. He says he does not care whether anyone believes him.
How the Experience Changed Him
Tyler says there was no overnight awakening. Because he was dealing with so much physical discomfort afterward, he became interested in the body and how people can support their own healing. He shares that working with a network chiropractor over several months helped him feel the difference. He also says the emotions and old pain he had suppressed came up, which led him into many forms of healing work.
Today he says he offers remote sessions, which he describes as blending bodywork and quantum healing, though he prefers not to label it. He gives the credit to the people who come to him, saying they show up when they are ready to make a shift. These are his own perspectives, not medical claims. Nothing here is medical advice, and anyone with a health concern should speak with a qualified professional.
Appreciation, Hardship and a Good Life
Asked for his biggest takeaway, Tyler says it is appreciation. He says it has become his prayer: appreciation for the people in his life and the small things, not only what he wants. He believes everything that comes into our lives is a gift, even the hard parts, and that the chance to keep growing here was a gift too.
When Alex asks why we face hardship at all, Tyler says he does not know the mechanism and does not claim to be an expert. He believes we are challenged so we can see more of who we are, and so we can serve others who go through something similar. His advice is to give ourselves a break and stay curious.
For Tyler, a good life is loving acts of service without expectation, something he says living in Hawaii taught him. He says he does not know exactly what God is, but that his experience points to God as love and as everywhere. He believes the purpose of life is to be happy.
Please enjoy my conversation with Tyler Deal.
Guest Links: Connect With Tyler Deal
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tyler Deal?
Tyler Deal is a near-death experiencer who works in body work and healing. He shares his own account of an experience he had in 1997 after a mountain biking accident in a California redwood forest. In this episode he talks with Alex about that experience and what followed.
What does Tyler say happened during his near-death experience?
Tyler says he floated above the redwood trees in a deep silence and felt great peace. He was asked whether he wanted to go further or go back, and he said he did not want to die. He was then returned to his body. This is his own account.
Why does Tyler say his experience involved nature?
Tyler says he felt connected to nature as a child and later used the forest as a sanctuary. Alex suggests the experience may have been customized to him, and Tyler agrees. He believes that what people meet may reflect what they hold dear, and for him that was the trees.
What does Tyler say about the fairies?
Tyler says he saw little fairies coming down from the trees as he lay on the forest floor, and that he believes they brought love and lightness. He had glimpsed fairies once before in an inner vision. He shares this as his personal experience and interpretation.
Why did Tyler wait so long to tell his story?
He says the experience felt sacred and he did not want it clouded by other people’s opinions. He told a few trusted people over the years. About a year before this interview he wrote a blog post, encouraged by seeing others share their stories.
How did the experience change Tyler?
Tyler says the change was gradual. Physical discomfort after the accident made him curious about the body and how people support their own healing. That curiosity led him into several kinds of healing training. He also says old emotions surfaced, and working through them became part of his path.
What is Tyler’s biggest takeaway?
Tyler says his biggest takeaway is appreciation, which has become his prayer. He means gratitude for the people in his life, the small things and his own body, not only the things he wants. He also says he sees every experience as a gift.
Where can I watch this episode?
You can watch it ad-free on Next Level Soul TV using the link in the Listen section, or listen to the full episode right here on this page. The full transcript is also below if you prefer to read along.
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Follow Along with the Transcript
Tyler Deal 0:00
So I came down on my front tire, bam, handlebars had neck, and my body slapped on to the earth. And then I was completely out at that time. I mean, there might have been a moment where I felt just a little bit of pain, but it was like it wasn't going there I was out.
Alex Ferrari 0:29
I like to welcome to the show, Tyler Deal. How you doin Tyler?
Tyler Deal 0:32
I'm doing well. Thank you. How are you Alex?
Alex Ferrari 0:34
I'm doing very well, my friend, thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing your your journey with all of us. So my very first question to you, my friend is what was your life like prior to your near death experience?
Tyler Deal 0:46
Well, I was fairly depressed person, I would say I mean, as a kid, in the younger years, I was I was happy. I felt like I was very connected to nature. And I had a sensitivity that was I looked at as just natural as a kid. And then as I got older, well, our family had moved to another state. And then as I got older, I began to experience a lot of emotional pain that I didn't want to look at. And so I had suppressed that pain through my teenage years, I went back to California for college. And it seemed like all of that suppressed. Sadness was resurfaced, basically. And so at that time, I didn't want to look at it. But I had my own way of coping, which was to go into do mountain biking and to go into the forest. And the forest became the trees became my friends, and the forest became my sanctuary. So that's how I coped. However, there was still that pressure that was still that imminent pressure of not being able to look at look at myself. And I felt like there was something wrong with me. And that became kind of an internal dialogue. Basically, there's something wrong with me, and there's something wrong with me. And it got so bad that I started to have a conversation with God, but the divine saying, I don't want to be here anymore. Please take me. It's too rough. Please take me. And that led to my near death experience. I was, it was the end of my second year of college. And I was looking for a job, I felt very disconnected from people. I felt like nobody liked me. Of course, that was a reflection of, of how I was feeling inside, you know, I felt, you know, you when you're feeling this pain, you feel like you're the only one on the planet that's experiencing. Yeah, and that and, you know, little did I know, at the time that there's always somebody that's suffering more than you are going through a harder time than you wherever that may be in the world. I didn't know that then. I just felt like, this is the you know, this is my world. This is my pain.
Alex Ferrari 3:12
So before, before we continue, I wanted to ask you, because I think it's something to really kind of dig into a little bit, because so many of us do this. When you were having these internal conversations, the the kind of spiraling that you were doing was all self inflicted, on based on pain that you've dealt with, when you were younger, it was just kind of this, this conversation, that ego, the egoic mind, was just telling you these stories in your head, and you just kind of started kind of like spiral more and more because of these conversations, these kind of toxic conversations you were having with yourself.
Tyler Deal 3:48
I believe that's part of it. But I also believe it had to do with some of the traumatic experiences that I was dealing with as a child. I didn't want to look at so it was actually the trauma had experienced, I felt I didn't again, I didn't know this at the time was was and and it was reflected, I guess you could say psychologically or from the egoic mind. And so it was a combination of the two, but it still was it's still one of the same if you looked at if you look at it, of course, of course.
Alex Ferrari 4:23
So So then tell me so tell me what happened the day of your near death experience. How did you get to that place?
Tyler Deal 4:30
So it just finished semester. I was I was biking around town, a little town in northern California. And I was at that point, it was like, take me take me god, I can't do this. I don't want to be here. And so about four days later, I went the forest mountain biking like I had always done. And so you know, it's just another day of being depressed but also at the same time finding trying to find the apiece and being with with the trees. And so So I went to the forest, it was morning time, it was, you know, kind of June Gloom in California, there was that mist that was coming by it was in May. And then it was clearing, it was starting to clear and I was I was probably there for a couple hours. And then I started to head back down towards town, because there's the the community forest was very close to, to the little town and to the college where I was attending. So I was familiar with all the trails, and I took a trail that was parallel to one of the roads and started to hit the jumps. I never wore a helmet and didn't think it was a cool thing to do. Really, I mean, because I wasn't extreme mountain biker, you know, your, your 20 year old kid, you're just like, I'm I'm gonna do it. You know, I'm invincible, right? So. So I take the jumps like I always had. And then the very last jump that I took it, I noticed that it had been built up. Incredibly, I mean, I was familiar with it on past days, but somebody had built it up. But by that time, it was too late for me. I took that jump. And I knew once I was in the air that this was the moment basically that, that God given me it was like a quack knowing Oh, I'm dead. So I came down on my front tire, bam, handlebars had neck and my body slapped on to the earth. And then I was completely out at that time. I mean, there might have been a moment where I felt just a little bit of pain, but it was like it wasn't going there. I was out. So the next moment of what I had remembered as I was floating above the redwood trees, I can't say it was like a, an astral body projection. I know, some of your viewers might know what that is. But it was more. So I was just it was just like my consciousness, my beingness. And I was it was a moment where everything became quiet. There was a silence. And yet I was very, very sensitized to the elements around me. And I could feel, for example, the wind blowing through through me, I could feel I could hear birds, and I could hear dogs miles away, although it sounded like they were right there, my ears barking or chirping. I could see incredible amount of detail, I could see the detail of like the crystals on the redwood needles of the trees. I could hear the ocean, which was several miles away. And again, there was this incredible amount of peace. And that was like, Okay, well, here I am. But there was a familiarity in this space. I was like, This is who I am. I knew who I was at this place. And I didn't know who I was. I really didn't know who I was at all in that body who was so depressed. So, let's see. It's, it's when I tell the story. It's interesting, because it's like, there's all these moments in time, but it's not like time was real, was real at all. And so I looked down, and I saw my body. And I saw me all curled up on the ground there and the redwood forest. And I was like, okay, that's not really who I am. And I and I began to kind of enjoy the space of this peace, incredible amount of peace, where I was. And at that moment, or at some moment, there was a question that bubbled up inside me it was like, wasn't like hearing a voice. I never saw any beings or angels during this experience. It was more of the presence of nature more than anything. But there was this direct question that came, do you want to go further? Or do you want to go back and I said, I don't want to die. And as soon as I said, I don't want to die. I was slammed back into my body. And there was an incredible amount like there was a heavy breathing because I know I knew that I must have lost my breath at that time. I was breathing. And then I began as I was breathing, I began to feel the pain. And it was a tremendous amount. It was a horrific amount of pain. Like electrical pain it was it was like a numbing, stabbing pain coursing throughout my body. And I'm thinking I'm not even really thinking I'm just Like, Why the hell did I come back really basically, as I was experiencing this pain simultaneously, it began to open my eyes, the best that I knew how everything was a little bit blurry at that time. And that's when I began to have this experience with fairies, little fairies, like Boris fairies coming down from the trees, they were dive bombing me. They were giggling, they were moving around me. So they were like, basically like my little angels. And I believe that they were bringing lightness that they were bringing love to my situation, or they were welcoming back me back here into this earthly experience. So that was that. Simultaneously, I began to hear this amazing humming sound, it was like, it was more than a humming it was more like a symphony. I explain it as the best way I know how to explain it is like a tight bet and singing bowl where it's bringing this piece. And I knew it was from the trees. And I could feel this vibration coming into my body. And I believe that the trees at that time were healing me. They were they were sending that energy down and healing. So this simultaneously, I'm just kind of like, what's going on. And then I kind of brought my attention back with my breath. And that's when I felt the pain again. And as soon as I started to feel that tremendous amount of pain, it's like I did, something happened where I didn't want to go there. And I completely have was out again, I was my consciousness went out. So the next thing I remember, I was woken up in the hospital, by the doctor who was asking me a series of questions. First thing I heard was, you're very lucky. You're very lucky, very lucky, you didn't die. You didn't break any bones. You're very lucky. And so, and then he began to ask me questions, you know, what's your name? I didn't know my name. You know, what town? Are you? Where are you? I didn't know any of these things at all. And he finally he asked me one question, he says, Do you know any phone number and I blurted out a phone number that from a family friend in town, it just came out. And so I was released that day, actually, that evening from the hospital, I was given some pain medication, I was I went to my family friends. However, I was still experiencing a tremendous amount of pain, even though I was taking these meds. And so I stayed there for about a week, because the doctor wanted me to rest. And so I stayed there for about a week before my mom flew down and pick me up, and I went back up to Washington State.
Alex Ferrari 13:07
Alright, so before we continue, I want to kind of go back a little bit and dive into the actual experience. I've have probably interviewed by 50 or so now, near death experiences, you're the first. This is very unique to me. I haven't heard the nature aspect of things. Do you believe that your experience when you were seeing fairies are used when you're hearing this ringing of from the trees? Do you think that was you were still kind of in this near death experience? At that point, you were kind of in and out at that time. And this was kind of customized for you because of your affection for the trees and for nature? And what that meant to you emotionally?
Tyler Deal 13:52
Yeah, I believe it was customized. Absolutely. And I never really thought about that, that I was if I was still in my near death experience by being on the ground because I was kind of in and out experiencing pain, and also seeing the fairies and feeling the trees. So that seems accurate to me that I was still it wasn't the same experience. As the one I was up above floating. But it was yeah, you could say that it was still within that realm. Yeah,
Alex Ferrari 14:25
you weren't all the way back. But you weren't all the way the other side. You were kind of in this kind of kind of like you're not asleep. You're not awake. You're kind of in that in between state. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. You know that you've not you're just not exactly sleeping. You're not exactly awake. But it seems to me as you were telling the story, that that made sense because and then the customizable aspect of it because because of your if you would have told me I'm a city boy, the first time I've ever been in the forest. And this happened to you this would make no sense to me. But because of your affection for not only affection, but the resource that was nature to you it was a coping mechanism for you to survive in life essentially.
Tyler Deal 15:04
Yeah. And it always has been to some degree, it's, you know, even when I was in Washington, I would love to go in the mountains and ski or we had a county forests behind us where we had lived and I was always in the woods. So it always was a, you could call it. I mean, in a way, you could call it therapy. But but it was more than that, for me, it felt like, and it still does to this day, that nature and the trees are my family. And so I think it's reflective of that. And maybe Alex, is, you probably see this with other near death experiences. It's, you know, if you believe in Hell, they might go there. If you believe in God, he might speak to the gods. So that that makes the most sense to me that it would be nature that was there supporting me,
Alex Ferrari 15:53
Yeah, for my experience is that whatever the person's beliefs are, is kind of how they want to make you feel as comfortable as possible through the transition through the experience is from again, from my experience talking to so many engineers. And it's really customized, and there has been a couple of guests who have gone to hell. And then they even said, I created that, because that was my belief system that I believe that I had to go through that, before I was saved and these kinds of things. But yours is, again, very unique. I've never heard of the nature aspect of a near death experience before. So it's fairly fascinating to me. Did you have to ask, did you even really think about fairies or anything like that prior to this? I mean, you're a 20 year old dude, I'm imagining that you're not like, you know, a ton of fairies all over the place.
Tyler Deal 16:44
Well, I, I, there was an experience I had prior, I was seeing a woman, I was in love with this person. And my heart was very open. And I had an experience. At one point when I was in her apartment, or in her house, this was still in the same area where I had my eyes closed, and I had my I guess you could call it like your third eye vision turned on or your inner vision turned on. And I did see them in clarity, I saw that I saw those fairies floating around. They weren't making any noises, but I could see like little sparkles within my vision at that time. So that was like my only experience I had about them. I mean, I had read about them prior to that when I was a teenager, you know, but I never really I never really explored it, or I never really did any research about it.
Alex Ferrari 17:35
Right! You didn't have t shirts of fairies and didn't have your house. It wasn't a My point is it's not a thing that you were like obsessed with or anything like that. It just like, Yeah, I've heard of fairies. Most human beings have heard of fairies, or gnomes, or, you know, these kind of mythological creatures. But I'm just curious. Like that was my question is like, was this a major part of your life? Apparently, it wasn't like you just might have saw them? Or you've heard of them and knew what it were like most people do at this, you know, Tinker Bell, we all know, Tinker Bell is essentially, right? No, but in when you're when you're going through this. I have to imagine you, you went through this trauma of this accident and you go through this near death experience. And you've you're back home, and you're still in pain. Are you saying to yourself? What just happened? And did I see fairies? And where the trees singing to me? How did you process all of this? Because again, you were in this weird in between space because you weren't on the other side? Because if you were on the other side 100% Again, from my experience, you understand what's going on, but because you were kind of in this weird in between space, did you question that what you saw? What did you go through?
Tyler Deal 18:53
I didn't so much question what I saw. Because I I believe that there. And I believe that that anything was possible. True. And I think that more so the processing took a while that wasn't immediate. I mean, I was so focused on my body pain and getting well that I wasn't like what the hell happened, but I was my memory because I had I did have a really bad concussion. So my, my memory wasn't all there completely. So it took a while. As I started to get some therapies, it took a while for that memory to start showing me what was you know, not you know, first thing was my name remembering my parents and my sibling. The second thing was and then remember beginning to remember the actual experience that happened. But it wasn't so much for me. It wasn't so like, that was you know, that's so far out there. You know, I believe that Oh, yeah. Okay, something like that could happen to anybody.
Alex Ferrari 19:56
So how long did you hold on to this story before you came out of the quote unquote, near death experience closet.
Tyler Deal 20:05
Well, I, you know, I, I told people that I trusted throughout the, throughout the years, I never really felt like, just, you know, coming on a show like this and telling anybody until, actually last year, I wrote a blog about it, I felt like I needed to write about it. So this was back in 1997, when it actually happened. And, you know, back then your death experiences, as you know, yeah, right.
Alex Ferrari 20:34
So not not, especially now that thing by saying people, apparently, you know, it's not accepted at all.
Tyler Deal 20:41
And so I began to see, you know, other videos coming out and people sharing their stories, I'm like, Okay, well, this will at least give me some kind of Avenue or some kind of permission, but it's that it is okay to tell it. And so it wasn't like, oh, I need, you know, I need everybody to know that there's fairies, or I need to be famous or anything like that. I mean, that's never, you know, never been a part of me, but it was more like, it was more personal, be able to, I guess, in a way, kind of, like, just get it out there, you know, like, like talk therapy, or just being able to have somebody hear my story. So that happened about a year ago,
Alex Ferrari 21:22
I have to ask you, why did you feel the urge to have to tell this story because this does, you know, this opens you up to, to ridicule, it opens you up to a bunch of things that, you know, for people listening, and I hear this all the time, people are like, Oh, they're just want to be famous, or they have a book to sell, or they want this or that. And I'm going this is not easy, guys. I mean, I have these conversations with, with with souls who have gone through this. And this is not an easy process, publicly to talk about. And, you know, I had my own struggles just doing this show, originally, when I first launched it, I can only imagine what it was like for you guys to do what you're doing. So what drew you to it? Like, you know, what, I'm gonna put myself out there.
Tyler Deal 22:10
I think a lot of it has to do with me, having trouble expressing myself throughout the years. I mean, one of my, one of my creativity avenues has been acting in the process of doing body work and helping people. But I, it's true. I mean, I had somebody that I knew here on the islands, he, he wrote me, I think, I don't know, six months ago, or I don't know. But he basically said, Oh, I saw your near death experience. I thought you were giving an audition. And I was like, Okay, so in a way. Yeah, there's ridicule. But there's also, you know, people that you've known for years, you're like, Who is this guy? Now? You know, I've shared it with some of my family members that have been very open to it and others have, you know, they don't not talk, talk to me anymore, but they don't. They don't bring it up. Sure. So, so yeah, you are putting yourself out there. And I guess, I guess I felt like I just needed to say it. I don't know, that's not trying to be too surface level. But but sometimes when you're, when you're holding stuff in, you have to get it out. So for me, it's always been writing, like I love writing. And, and then and, you know, telling my story throughout the years to, to a few people I trusted, and then just saying okay, well, let me just see if there's any reception. You know, I don't care if anybody believes me. Even if I'm just being completely selfish and doing this for myself, I've got to tell it, you know, like an artist, and you're an artist, you just want to tell your story. Right? You you want to get it out there. So I don't know if you can relate to that or not. I can't
Alex Ferrari 23:58
No i i can't completely and it is it's admirable. you putting yourself out there the way you have because it is not easy. And I want people listening to understand that people watching to understand that. Anytime someone steps up in front of a camera to tell their truth, which is not possibly a popular truth by everybody it is takes it takes a certain level of as they say coordinates to to put themselves out there because you obviously don't have a gain out of this, you know, you're not even pushing a book. Not that there's a huge amount of gaming books by the way people think you're gonna get rich, let your last name is King or rolling. You're not gonna really make books. But I just want people to really understand that. Now after this since 97, did you do research on your death experiences? Did you kind of talk to anybody else about the data here that's just trying to figure out what happened or you were just very comfortable with what had happened? Didn't I kind of explained it to yourself,
Tyler Deal 25:02
I was very comfortable with what happened at not right away, it took some time to get comfortable with it. But then it became, it became an experience that was very sacred to me. And so I didn't want to have it polluted by other people's thoughts and polluted by what other, you know, other people's opinions. So that's, that's part of the reason why I had held on to it for so long. I didn't do research, I didn't even really know that people had near death experiences. Think until later on. And I think, can't remember what the first one I heard, it was way out there. Some guy, I can't remember somebody, somebody who had done research, he had several near death experiences, I can't remember his name off the top of my head. And then, and so I let it go. And then the first one that I had seen maybe a couple, maybe two or three years ago, and then I started to watch videos. And then there was more people that came out. And then there was more people and you know, some people, you can tell there, you can feel better on authenticity, others maybe not so much. And so I just kind of I listened to those more of those people that I felt. It just felt it resonated with me, I guess you could say that truth resonated with me,
Alex Ferrari 26:23
Let me ask you, when you came back, how did you how did you change? How did you did you beat your point of view on life change on point of view of your existence, change any of that?
Tyler Deal 26:34
It took a while it wasn't an overnight, you know, awakening, oh, everything is beautiful. Now, because I was experiencing so much pain, I became interested in the physical body. And I became interested in how we can self heal our physical body. And I had it took me about six to nine months, because I found this gentleman who was in network chiropractor who, who basically supplied the energy to be able to have my body. Remember its own self healing mechanism. So when I saw that happening, when I saw that my nervous system started to change, and the pain started to subside more and more after every treatment, I became interested in the physical body and how it could feel. At the same time, I was experiencing an incredible amount of motions, internal pain, traumas, everything that I wanted to suppress, during before prior my near death experience. So then I became interested in forms of healing. And as I've been going through that process, for many years, then I have, you know, there's been openings within me, and I've seen how important things are, you know, how important it is to treat other people to be of service to other people to treat myself? Well. So these, these aren't some grand, big changes in some eyes, but they are very important ones. You know, I believe that being able to, to love myself being able to find ways to to be kinder to other people. You know, I don't know, you know, there's there's a lot of lessons that have come along the way I don't know if there's anything specific that what you want to hear or,
Alex Ferrari 28:24
Well, let me ask you this, because I think we all everyone who's living has to deal with pain and trauma. It's kind of part of the package, in one way, shape, or form, some bigger, some smaller, but you were you were suppressing it. And after this event, it was kind of brought up into the light, not only the physical pain that you went through, but like you were saying, a lot of these things had to come up to the light for you to deal with them for you to process them. Do you think that this accident was a sort of gift to you in your life?
Tyler Deal 29:02
Yeah, I think everything that comes into our lives is a gift, no matter how hard it is, no matter how beautiful it is. And so, so finding the gifts, in any experience, it took me a while to find the gift in that experience. And I believe even just being able to express and write down and then tell my story. I have discovered more and more that it has been a gift looking back that I did have another chance to be here on this planet that did have another chance to self heal. So yeah, I think I believe it's a huge gift. I believe it. Everything at this point is is a gift no matter how hard it is for people or for for me, whoever
Alex Ferrari 29:47
And as you've been going through your studies over the years in regards to healing and the body but I'm assuming during those and please correct me if I'm wrong, when you're going through through those trainings, you've kind of come across more spiritual conversations, more spiritual ideas. I mean, if you go into healing techniques, spirituality kind of goes into it. Have you have your experience and your training over the years opened you up to new ideas in regards to spirituality? Why we're here, karma, you know, all of these kinds of things.
Tyler Deal 30:26
Yes, and no, but I mean, yes, meaning it has opened me up completely to new ideas and about, you know, why we're here, but then that will change. And I'll be challenged about a certain belief, like, for example, no, we can have the idea of oneness, right, that everything is one and we're all wondering the world connected, which is something, something that I hold near and dear to my heart. However, just having that idea that everything is one, we were going to have to see the beauty and we're also going to have to see the grotesque. So it's not just a concept, it's something, it's something that that becomes our experience. If we, if we if we have the idea that all is one that then, you know, if we don't like Republicans, or we don't like Democrats, for example, then we're gonna have to see that as one. If we don't like the war that's happening. You know, we're gonna have to see that as part of the one. But I don't know if that makes sense.
Alex Ferrari 31:29
But I think it makes perfect sense. Yeah.
Tyler Deal 31:33
So if there's, if there's that there's an opening within me if I, if I believe that, you know, for example, that we can communicate with trees, and I've had experiences where I communicate with the nature world and I do to this day, then there might be something that happens like, you know, a tree fall falls on my car, or or so. So it's like, you have to, it's like the the highest What I've discovered is your your highest ideals and your highest beliefs about how the world is, we'll always somewhat challenge you to see if you really believe in what you believe in.
Alex Ferrari 32:12
God, you so you gotta take the good with the bad. Yeah.
Tyler Deal 32:16
Yeah, but yeah, you do. But it's, it's more than that. I mean, sure. I see that there's light and dark in the world, and good and bad. But I also believe that, that we're moving into a time where, well, we're darkness will be eliminated. I mean, it's, it's about the light coming fully into the full spectrum of this world. So
Alex Ferrari 32:39
What was your biggest takeaway from this whole experience? And now apparently, the the experience that keeps on giving, because I'm imagining the second you had to come public with this. It was a whole new set of set of lessons and things and challenges you have to overcome. So what's the biggest takeaway from this for you?
Tyler Deal 32:56
The biggest takeaway is appreciation. And that's become my prayer. My prayer has become, you know, some people say gratitude or appreciation. So that's appreciation for everything, not just the things I want, not just my desires, but appreciation for my, for the people that are in my life, or just the tiny little things, no, my body and which isn't, you know, tiny, but but but, you know, just just ongoing learning to be in that state of appreciation and gratitude. That's, that's my biggest takeaway. I would say,
Alex Ferrari 33:36
I have a question that a lot of people ask me all the time. And I'd love to hear your point of view on it is why do we have hardships in our life? Why do we get challenged so much? Why do we have traumas, why do we have pain in our lives? If quote, unquote, the god or source has loves us so much? Why do we have to go through that is the question I get asked a lot. I'd love to hear your point of view.
Tyler Deal 34:00
I believe Alex, it's, it could be a number of different things. I think that we're challenged, to basically where we're being challenged to show us more of who we are. And when I say that, the hard times the pain, the trauma, being able to go through that. Being able to experience that and face it is always going to bring more light, it's always going to bring more joy. It's always going to bring more happiness at some point. So no matter what anybody is going through, no matter what I was going through. There would be a moment where I would experience an expansion and see okay, there is joy in this. What Why does that happen? I don't know. I honestly don't know. I think I really believe that that we're we're being challenged, like even today. To be to be of greater help to others into to help serve others that have gone through similar experiences. And it doesn't have to be the exact same experience. But it can be a similar experience. And, and being able to serve to learn how to serve and to learn to be authentic and to be real and to be there for people. So why does that happen? I don't know what the mechanism is. I don't have the answers. Sure. You know, I'm not I'm not an expert. And in that, in that regard, but but I don't think I have to be, because, really, I mean, we're all learning here. We're all learning what it is to be, you know, a human and these bodies on Earth. And we're all we're all we're all doing the best we can. So we have to give ourselves a break. And just be curious, you know, because life always gets better. And it's always somebody's always experiencing something worse than you are. So,
Alex Ferrari 35:59
Yes. Without question. Now, after after the accident, you said you started going into the healing arts? Can you talk a little bit about what the work you do now, and how that how your near death experience kind of affected you in the way of going into that work?
Tyler Deal 36:13
Basically, it affected me, it made me curious how the body's appeals. So then I began to take the Saj therapy courses, I took a whole program, I learned various modalities. Back in 2000, I had learned, learned quantum healing from one of the first people that actually did that. And this was just three years after my near that experience, and she taught small group of people to learn how to do that. And so it had developed over the years, I had my own practice, I have my own practice in in LA and Florida, few other places. People began to say, Oh, I feel amazing, you know, what are you doing? I'm just like, I'm just doing bodywork, you know, I'm not doing anything special. So then I began to kind of blend the two, you could say if quantum healing and body work as I was touching people, and had it has evolved to where I don't actually physically touch people, but I work with people remotely now. You could call it quantum healing, but I don't like to put a label on it. It's basically looking at where people need to work. And it's not, it's not me doing I can say I could say that. It's basically it's them, because they're, they're ready to make a change. And it's, it's that greater power that that wants to help. So I don't, I don't necessarily like to take credit for it. But people do show up. When they're ready to make a shift in their lives. Maybe you know, they're a spiritual seeker, and they still have stuff going on from their past. And so, so I can see what's going on inside the body. And I can see what's going on around the body. And I expend the energy is very respectful, I could say its source and it's kind of attuned to this person specifically. And if they're ready to have a release in that area, whatever that area of herbalist resistance is, then they will if they're not, but there's still a lesson there, then it won't happen. But often, most often, people are ready to have some kind of release, I guess you could say or, or they're ready to move to another level, spiritually. And there's a space for that to happen when people come to me.
Alex Ferrari 38:50
That's how I've been asked a few questions, ask all my guests. What is your definition of living a good life?
Tyler Deal 38:55
My definition of living a good life is very simple. It's loving acts of deeds. I think living in Hawaii has really taught me that because the people here are so incredible. Being grateful for everything, no matter what comes into my life and seeing the gift. But basically, just being able to serve without expectation. Being able to help people without without any expectation and just doing it from my heart. That's that, I believe is the good life.
Alex Ferrari 39:28
How do you define God?
Tyler Deal 39:30
Again. I don't really know for sure what God is. God could be a she
Alex Ferrari 39:39
I don't think it's I don't think it's a he or she but I understand.
Tyler Deal 39:42
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So as far as my experience and even going back to my near death experience, just this idea that that God is love. God is everywhere. And I know that's that can be kind of mental for people, but Honestly, my experience with God is just having a conversation with God and and being able to see that God isn't everything. And being also curious and not knowing that I don't know, I have all the answers and that and that maybe someday God will reveal him or her itself to everyone in some way. And I hope that happens for everybody. And what is the ultimate purpose of life? I think it's to be happy. Yeah. I mean, we're here for a short time. Very, very short time. Yeah, a very short time, and to find ways to do that.
Alex Ferrari 40:43
And where can people find out more about the work that you're doing?
Tyler Deal 40:45
They can find out. I have a YouTube channel, small little YouTube channel where I just kind of explain things that have helped me in my life. And I also have a website, people can go to read a blog. They can sign up for a session, I only take donations. And that's radical heartwork.com. So that's basically where I can be found right now.
Alex Ferrari 41:10
And Tyler, do you have any parting messages for the audience?
Tyler Deal 41:15
Find ways to enjoy your life, no matter what you're going through right now. And I don't know what that is for anybody. And I don't claim to be some, some No at all. But, you know, take care of yourself and take care of the ones you love. And you're already doing the best you can. So you might as well have fun along the way.
Alex Ferrari 41:36
Oh, that was beautiful. Thank you, again, so much for sharing your story and for the work that you're doing in the world to help people along this insane journey that we call life. So I appreciate you my friend.
Tyler Deal 41:47
I appreciate you too. Alex, thank you so much for letting me be here.
Alex Ferrari 41:52
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