Inner Realms Journey: Guided Meditation for Life, Death, and Spiritual Healing with Aaron Pyne

In this episode, I’m joined by Aaron Pyne, a meditation teacher, digital artist, and the creator of Inner Realms Journey. This imaginative and mythically inspired guided meditation experience helps people of all ages explore their inner world. Aaron blends ancient traditions, storytelling, and spiritual tools to support people in navigating life, death, and everything in between.

Aaron shares how his early fascination with mythology led him into meditation and spirituality, and how over time he integrated those passions with his skills in art and technology. The result is Inner Realms Journey, a platform offering more than 80 immersive audio meditations that guide users through magical landscapes, help them discover their unique avatars, and create deeply personal sanctuary spaces.

What began as a personal creative project evolved into something much bigger, one that’s now being used in children's hospitals to support kids facing terminal illness. These guided meditations help young people process fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, while also giving them a way to create a legacy project: a story, map, or vision of where they’ll go after death. Families can then use the same tools to continue connecting with their loved one even after they’ve passed.

Aaron also speaks about spiritual dimensions, ancestral connection, and the energetic aspects of dying that are often overlooked in modern Western culture. He shares how imagination and myth can be healing tools, offering comfort, wonder, and even excitement about what comes next.

Whether you’re a caregiver, a spiritual seeker, or simply someone curious about what lies beyond this life, Aaron’s work invites you to see the dying process through a magical and empowering lens. This conversation is filled with beauty, depth, and a refreshing approach to death that honors both mystery and imagination.

www.AaronPyne.com

www.InnerRealmsJourney.com

Transcript

Aaron: [00:00:00] This temporary human experience on this human adventure here, I like to say it's like we're on a little quest. I'm gonna see what I can learn and what I can share and what I can help with. My things aren't gonna come with me, but my lessons will, the gifts I bring to the world will continue on. So how to make the most of this.

How to enjoy this. 

Jill: Welcome back to Seeing Death. Clearly. I'm your host, Jill McClennen, a death doula and end of life coach. Here on my show, I have conversations with guests that explore the topics of death, dying, grief, and life itself. My goal is to create a space where you can challenge the ideas you might already have about these subjects.

I want to encourage you to open your mind and consider perspectives beyond what you may currently believe to be true. In this episode, I am joined by Aaron Pyne, a meditation teacher, digital artist and creator of Inner Realms Journey, a mythically inspired guided meditation experience that blends ancient traditions, storytelling, and spirituality.

What began as a personal project has grown into a [00:01:00] powerful tool used in children's hospitals to help young people and their families facing terminal illness. Process, fear, anxiety, and the unknown. These meditations also serve as legacy projects, allowing families to stay connected even after a loved one's passing.

We also discuss spiritual dimensions, ancestral connections, and the energetic aspects of dying, often missing from Western culture. Thank you for joining us for this conversation. Welcome, Erin to the podcast. Thank you for coming on today. I am still a little bit iffy with my voice, so don't mind it if it cracks or does something crazy.

But I know we tried to schedule this a couple times. I think we've been like going back and forth for like six months, so I'm excited to finally be here. Thank you for taking your time today, 

Aaron: gladly, an honor to be here and dive into this interesting and important subject. 

Jill: Can you tell me a little bit about you, where you come from, anything you wanna share?

Aaron: Yeah, totally grew up in, in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio as a teenager, so big into fantasy, gaming mythology, which [00:02:00] eventually led me to studying a lot of ancient mythology and myth traditions. And that in my late teens led me to meditation. Its spirituality. And as adults, you know, going into both tech and art and digital design, and also deep study of study and teaching of meditation around many different traditions and bringing it to life.

In my twenties, moved to the west coast and have been living on the west coast. For the last 16, 17 years now, bringing all my passions together in new ways to really help people, support people, uplift people. You know, there's a lot of heavy things going on in the world in all arenas, and so really, you know, try to bring a lot of joy and play into life through new ways of looking at things, and excited to be here and get to show up in the world as the Elvin Wizard and bring some magic into this world.

Jill: Mm. I love that. And I know when you first reached out to me it was something like Four Death Doulas kind of diving into some of the spiritual parts that not all of us do. Right? Not all death. Doulas get super spiritual. Some do, some don't. [00:03:00] It was very intriguing and so that's where I was like, I'm not sure I'm ready for this yet.

But I do wanna talk to you. So tell me a little bit about that work, like how you approach death doula work, or is that even what you call yourself? What do you consider yourself? 

Aaron: Yeah, so I don't, you know, I haven't technically I'd say go, go through death doula training. I've been, you know, I was around my grandparents when they passed away and got to be part of that process.

I've supported people with the spiritual aspects of death of life, of whether it's them facing it or somebody they know and you know, the background in different traditions connecting with. Ancestors and spirits that have passed on. And so that kinda led me, connected me with this program I've developed in a realms journey, which is this guided adventure meditation game that bridges laies subjects, mythology, spirituality, meditation in a fun way.

And as I was creating this and I've been developing over the last five years, and it's just kind of like taking the life of its own and, and has many different. Applications about a year ago. The idea started to come in like, oh, this would be very [00:04:00] useful for those facing deaths as a way to help them receive the benefits of meditation.

'cause usually people facing death, there's probably some kind of illness going on, so they're, they're facing pain and anxiety. So just bringing that meditation to help, but also the concept of, well, what, what happens after death? And where do I go? What does that look like? And, you know, not everyone resonates with some of the concepts they were brought up with, or maybe there's some confusion or put into it.

Awesome. If not, this is an alternative way for them to look at that. It really started to come to life last fall. I got to start working with the Children's Hospital and trained eight of their staff across different departments to use this program with kids. And some of those staff do work with kids directly that are not gonna make it, that they're facing end of life.

So they're supporting those kids. They're also supporting the family and the siblings, like how do they process this and how to prepare for this and go through this. And so they were very excited to have this. Tool that is supportive is fun, is maybe a little more easy for the kids, and also gives them something richer.[00:05:00] 

To support the emotional processing of the experience. So when they gave me the confirmation, you know, this was my idea that to present it to these professionals that are working with us all the time at a large scale and kind of get their thumbs up on us. Okay, we're onto something here. So from that I started to develop more activities and programs around that training.

And then I was like, okay, I'm gonna get this out to death, doulas, 'cause I've heard of that my aunt. Who was a, a wonderful healer and you know, spiritual path years ago, and I got to be around some of that transition, worked with some woman. Death tool wasn't, I think that was where I first even heard of the term some years ago out in Washington State.

So I was like, okay, that's a growing field and I'm sure they're looking for new tools to support. Both older generation but also younger generations that are, are passing away and, and to provide just another resource to them. So I've really been working on developing that as another branch of this whole program I've created.

Jill: Love that there's a variety of different tools that death doulas use. And I [00:06:00] do actually use meditation with some of my people if they want it. Not everybody does. I've definitely been in the hospital with people as a volunteer, and if they want guided meditation, if they want reiki. I offer it to them.

Aaron: Mm-hmm. 

Jill: Because it is a very interesting time in somebody's life. All the different things that they need to process and think about and experience while also potentially being in pain and hooked up to a bunch of different equipment and doctors and nurses coming in and out, right? Like there's so much that's going on.

So anything that can bring them a sense of peace and calm, but man, working with children, I'm like, whew, that is the one that I'm just not sure. I'm so grateful that there are people that do it. Mm-hmm. But I'm not sure that I could just, I have two young kids. It's just a little too triggering for me. 

Aaron: It's challenging.

Jill: Yeah. It really is. When you went into the hospital, what type of. Activities and things do you do that you find, [00:07:00] especially with children, can be really helpful because I know thinking of my kids trying to be like, let's meditate, they're gonna be like, oh God. Right? Like they're not gonna sit and meditate, right?

Aaron: Yeah, exactly. What 

Jill: works with children versus even what works with adults, well, that might feel a little bit outside of the traditional. Meditation box that we all think of. 

Aaron: Let me explain what Interim's journey is and then I can ask, there's several components to it that then lead into this particular subject.

So Interim's Journey is a website. We've got a book now that goes along with, it is a website, an app, and over 80 audio guided journeys. If you've done a guided meditation, you know, maybe like you imagine yourself at a forest or the beach and you're kind of relaxing there. Has that sort of. Concept of using the imagination and a narration guiding you.

And there's music and soundscape. However, this is a little more story ask, and the meditations continue. So you listen to one, and then you listen to the next one and they continue to build. And in the first one, you're taking a magical force and you meet me, the Elvin Wizard, [00:08:00] and I'm there to start you on your adventure like any good wizard does.

I tell you about how basically there are all these different realms across the great cosmic tree of life. Inspired by the tree of life is found in every mythology around the world. And this realm of earth is just one realm of countless. And I've come here on a quest because long ago avatars or powerful beings from other realms came to earth to help it and bring their gifts, but many forgot who they really are because of this shadow.

And so I'm here to help you restore and reconnect with who you are, your avatar form your mythical self, your higher self if you want. And then also help you reconnect with your inner sanctuary, which is your own home realm. To me, it's kind of your version of heaven or paradise. Yours might be different than mine, some people being at the beach, and I enjoy the beach, but the forest is, is more my thing, so my heavens more like aboard my sanctuary, of course.

So I hope you create these things and, and that each one of those is a different meditation experience that takes you into this fun, creative, playful thing. And then from there, you journey to different realms. There's farrier Worlds Angel, [00:09:00] worlds Underworld, ice Realm, and Fire Realm. There's about 60, 70 different realms on the website.

Not everyone gets through all those, but the core concepts of the avatar and the sanctuary, there's also some other things you develop, which are like your allies, magical allies. These are, could be creatures, could be dragon, could be a Griffin, a you know, you a unicorn, A, a squirrel, whatever. Whatever you want, or multiple.

And so you have the meditations take you on this fun thing and this guy, it's guided. There's music, there's even different voice actors we brought in. You meet different characters along the way. There's space for your imagination to develop and experience these things and even learned about yourself.

People have profound insights or healing through that. You're doing breath work, deep breaths to power up your bio suit energy systems and connect them to the earth grids, to, to sort of charge up to connect your avatar. So there's a lot of these meditation techniques in there that are transformed a bit and gamified.

Mm-hmm. Actually the children are like, yeah, like you said, it's hard to tell 'em to sit there and just take some deep breaths. But if you say. Power up your bio suit and activate your avatar all about it, right? [00:10:00] Got lucky. Went to New Zealand. For two months for a personal retreat in 2020 to start building this.

I met my friend Emma there, who was a school teacher for 20 years. I shared with her what I was doing and she loved it, and she's like, can I do this with my kids, my class? And I was like, yes, go for it. And they just loved it that she had kids that she couldn't get to do anything creative. Like, especially in boys, she couldn't give them to write a sentence about it, just write a sentence about anything, nothing.

They would do this, they write it by your avatar and they start writing pages that they wanna do more. And that just really like open up this creative passion with them. And I remember she even offered it to the kids as like, Hey, if you finish your other projects, we gotta do our, you know, academic stuff.

You can go do more inner realms journey. She had kids finishing stuff so they could go do their inner realms. She sent me a picture of this boy in class who with headphones on meditating. She's like this, you know, this kid technically is diagnosed with a DD, and you know, it's hard to get him to do anything and he loves this, and just sitting there meditating.

And I was like, all right, we're onto something that really developed the kids' Avenue, and we've got all kinds of activities out of that. That's the basic meditation you're [00:11:00] getting. The meditation experience, the imaginal experience right there. The two key elements I see being used in application for the death and dying process is the avatar and the sanctuary.

And so when we've got all kinds of activities, we can bring those to life, right? You have the imaginal experience, you create these things in your imagination, and there's art projects, writing projects, things like that where you can bring that to life so you can sort of physicalize it and develop it and share it.

The avatar in the sanctuary. Help you sort of go into these liminal spaces, which happens when you're dying. You start to move away from this world and you enter into whatever's next. So just the meditation helps with that and sort of ease that experience. 'cause it can be new for many, right? So you've never meditated before.

Uh, and then the sanctuary is this concept of where I go, right? And there's meditations in there to use for sleep. To use, to relax. Like, okay, I'm gonna go to my sanctuary. I just need to chill out. I just need to decompress from stress going on in the world. Whatever else is going on in my outside world, I've got this safe space inside of me that's always [00:12:00] there.

That's always peaceful waiting for me. And to me personally, this is where we might go after this journey. And so it creates, you know, I can. Prove that scientifically, that's what happens. At the very least, that creates a sense of safety of like, okay, I'm leaving here. Here's potentially some concept of where I'm going.

This can feel very peaceful to me. This can alleviate some of that fear of the unknown of what's gonna happen next to give you a beautiful concept of what's happening next through the meditations. And you know, I've been doing this for years now. My sanctuary sanctuary's very developed. I've got maps, I've got different rooms.

I've got this whole wizard tower. Forest with these mountains around and there's hot springs and there's all kinds of fun stuff there, right? So it's this magical, safe place for me to give kids that, and most kids love creating that space. I've got projects from kids that have done their little shoebox dioramas and drone maps.

The kids go crazy with it and how much joy that brings up. So to give them that, especially in this challenging time, something creative to do. Alleviate some stuff for that, the individual going through the transition, but then to also be able to give that to their [00:13:00] family. That's what we call the Legacy project.

The final quest is to create this project that they can leave behind, whether it's hard or writing or audio, whatever the kid, child or person wants to do, they can leave behind and say, Hey, I'm leaving, but this is where I'm gonna be. This is my home realm. I'm going to. And then if the others, you know, the family's interested, they can do the interim's journey and learn how to go there and say, okay, my loved one passed away.

They're in their magical forest castle, temple cave tree house, whatever it is. I know how to now meditate and go there and visit them and still have this sort of connection with them. And so the, the children's hospital's very excited because, you know, they have kids passing through, passing on, and they don't like, oh, okay, my brother's in heaven, or in the sky, or something very abstract.

This brings a very concrete thing that could be talked about and developed and even played with in a fun way, a very hard experience to turn into somewhat of a fun [00:14:00] experience and say, okay, my brother is gone, but I know where to go with him. I've got this project. He left me this treasure map of where he's at that I can go to and visit with him and still connect with him.

And even continue a relation and have that sort of beautiful memory project that they left behind. 

Jill: That is so beautiful. I really love that. Mm-hmm. Because it's something that, you know, I do meditation, I also do shamanic journeying, and I have my own little place that I go to where it's a stream and I got my place.

Right. Yeah. And so. When I go there, it is neat to think that maybe that's what it'll be like when I die. Right. That that's where I'm gonna be. I would love to be there all the time. Right. But I don't wanna be here with my family. I am grounded enough to know that that's my place to go when I need to calm and relax.

Exactly. Come back to life. But the idea that that could be where I go after I die and spend, yeah. Potentially, whatever that looks like, eternity. [00:15:00] I don't know. Right. That's where I would be. I would be real happy with that. Uhhuh and the idea of leaving behind a map for your loved ones, especially for children, especially for a younger sibling that, mm-hmm.

Yeah. I mean, it's hard for a sibling at any age to lose a sibling, but when you're a child, I can see how that would be a really neat way to have it. Not just be like, 'cause I'm sure there's people that if they believe in heaven, it's like, when we die, we'll go to heaven and we'll see them again. Like I understand that.

But as a child, to have a place to say, when I really miss my sibling, when I really want them, I can go to this place and I could be with them. You know, people listening. Is it real? Is it not real? I don't know. Does it really matter though? Mm-hmm. If it helps to provide comfort to a, a grieving child, right.

Matter if it's real or not. And also if you believe in heaven, is that real? I don't know. Right. If we wanna talk about real or not, who knows. Right? But if it provides comfort. I think that's super cool. That's such a neat [00:16:00] idea. Yeah. Right. And if somebody is working with children, like if they're in a children's hospital, is this something where they would do a training?

And they would do this with the children, or would they still give the children a headset to listen to the audios that you created? How does that work? 

Aaron: Yep. We said that very flexible. Ideally, we'd take a person through training like I did with the children's hospital. We did a six week program, and they're going through the meditations themself.

And then each Zoom session training, we talked about their experience, what they created. We did some activities together and then I took them through. We've got the whole curriculum of activities, so I really make sure they were getting the whole experience and really understood it at the full depth, and then helping them integrate it in whatever capacity they think they can.

Some of the facilitators, you know, they're working with kids, maybe they see a kid 30 minutes once a week and that's it. And some had more access to 'em to really help them figure out how to best use it. There's a minimal point of contact with a child. They can't just go in and say, here's this thing. If you want to try it, here you go.

And just get them started on it [00:17:00] and be a little more hands off. My ideal is that they are more hands on and do it with them, and then maybe take 30 minutes to an hour afterwards and do some activities with it. Hopefully even share it with the family. And if a child's really into it, be like, Hey, your child's really into this.

You guys can join in the adventure together and do it together and get everybody on board, which will make it that much more fun for the child going through it. Like, Hey, I'm on this adventure with my family. We're all going through this. What's your sanctuary? Right? And and there's some fun activities around sharing those things together too.

So there's more of that capacity for everybody to do. Awesome. I think they're even doing a program where they're doing a group of kids. I don't think that, I don't think they didn't gimme too much play. I don't think this is for the ones facing end of life, but they're, they do have a group of kids in there, so they're working like a six week program where they're doing once a week and they're, I think, meeting the hour, they're gonna do the meditation and then some of the art project together.

So very flexible. The curriculum, we started designing with, my friend Emma, was for school, and so we've got an 80 page curriculum. It's [00:18:00] divided up in 12 lessons. Each lesson goes along with one meditation. So you do the meditation and then there's just tons of activities that you can do whatever you want out of that.

So a lot of those are pretty much go along with this end of life concept. And then I've added some additional ones for this project and how to share it. But it's really fun, especially at the end of life if you, if a child or adult. Create their inner sanctuary to then be able to spend some time with their family, almost like guiding them on the meditation, giving them a tour.

Just like if you brought a friend into your new house, like, oh, here's the kitchen and here's this. To be able to like, okay, here's where we're gonna be, to physically scribe that sanctuary to your family and be like, oh yeah, there's this magical thing here, and there's this lake here and the stream here.

Right. To really share that with them, and then of course. Leave behind some sort of recording of that audio, video, or art project. So they've got that afterwards is really powerful. 

Jill: Because I'm thinking too, one of the challenges that I found, mm-hmm. Especially when I volunteer in the hospital, I don't know the person.[00:19:00] 

Aaron: Mm-hmm. 

Jill: And they're maybe not actively dying, but they're kind of in that coma state before death. They're not talking to me, they're not interacting with me, and I'm trying to be a presence for them. Mm-hmm. I'm sitting with them. And I wanna talk to them so they could hear my voice, and I never really know what to say.

Mm-hmm. So sometimes I've kind of tried almost like a guided meditation without it being that way, but just again, so they could hear my voice. Right. And I'm thinking how beautiful that would be if it is a family member, if it is a loved one. And you've gone through that experience of creating the realm and then giving a tour to your family member, and then your family member as you're actively dying.

Can talk you through, kind of like, remember you're gonna be in this place and this is what it looks like. Yeah. 'cause I know like in Buddhism, one of the practices that they do is as somebody's actively dying, there's like a special prayer, essentially like champ kind of thing. Mm-hmm. That you say to them to remind them.[00:20:00] 

Of it and it's like a whole specific thing. And you read it off exactly like it is. Right, right. To kind of remind them that this is what's happening. You're dying, you're gonna go to the Bardo, you're gonna look for these things. Right? Yep. And it seems like that could be used in a similar way to help the person kind of calm and relax and help them get to wherever it is that they're going, but using their own script, their own idea, their own visual.

That's cool. 

Aaron: Yeah, and that was a big part of this is like really inspiring. What's unique for that individual? What's most exciting for them, ultimately, right. To bring a level of excitement and join, like you were talking about your stream, like that's, oh, that sounds pretty good. Right? So the like, Hey, this is where we're going.

I'd love to be able to support them and be like, Hey, here's where you're going and support that. Like reaffirm. That for them and helping them get there. Yeah, it was a beautiful thing and I'll say definitely got some inspiration from watching a lot of people near death experiences as well. There's, I can't remember the woman's name, but there's a woman who even did a [00:21:00] study for her, her master thesis or something where she studied.

Hundreds or thousands of 'em and you know, found the commonalities behind them and you know, there's some inspiration of leaving this world and going through some sort of tunnel or experience of through space or something. So there's elements of that in the interim's journey. You're opening this magical portal and you're going across this Biros Rainbow Bridge, which is inspired from ancient Norse mythology on this light bridge to your sanctuary.

And then, yeah, a lot of these people, these near deaths, went to some sort of experience that they called heaven, but everyone's was a little bit different, was something I noticed. Like, oh, that's probably what they liked. It was this beautiful space that was very nourishing and peaceful for them. So to have this opportunity to create that and connect with that before you do pass on, makes that transition, I think a lot easier and supportive.

Jill: Hmm. I actually do a guided, again, like, I don't know, it's, I guess it's kind of like a death and rebirth journey is what I call it. Mm-hmm. I've done it with groups and I've done it with individuals a few times. Mm-hmm. It [00:22:00] is this process of. Taking people to a place where they then die and absorbed into the ground, whatever that looks like for you.

It could be the Forest, beach, whatever. Then you do your life review, but then you have the chance to be birthed back. You have this opportunity to take with you what you learn. You have to. In your imagination, let go of everything. You're never gonna see your family again. You're never gonna see your, your car.

These things are all gone. They're no longer for you. Right? But now you actually have the opportunity to come back and to really appreciate and experience them. And I've got some really great feedback from it that it has helped people. What made me actually think about it was when you said that about the near-death experiences.

Some of what I tried to do. Was Some people say in their near death experiences, they do a life review where they go through, like they'll go into a big hall and see everything in their life and they have to let it go, right? But then part of why people come back changed is because they [00:23:00] have this opportunity now.

Mm-hmm. To say, wow. Like I really, life's not perfect, but man, I got a lot of good stuff I should be really grateful for. Right, right. And like we'd all tend to do that. As frustrating as it is, as humans, we focus so much on the negative. And all the things that are wrong. Yeah. Getting clear on the fact that my life is gonna end one day.

Every time I do that meditation with somebody, I do it myself. I'm imagining letting go of everything. I really do appreciate life so much differently now than I used to. I'm just more present. I appreciate my family more, even when they get on my nerves. I appreciate the fact that overall I'm happy and healthy.

Right now I don't feel great. My throat's a little crazy, but I know that this is not gonna last. I'm so grateful that normally I don't feel like this, where like so many other people, and I used to be this way, it would be like complaining and, oh, I can't believe I don't feel good, and I had to, to cancel a bunch of stuff.

Instead, I was just like. Oh well, [00:24:00] part of being a human. That's perfect. I feel better tomorrow. So it's fine. Right? 

Aaron: That's it. 

Jill: It's so cool. I love that to be a human. 

Aaron: It is. Right? Well that's part of Inner Realms journey. As you get into it, it's, you know, I talked about the realms earlier. There's all these different realms and you got your sanctuaries one room on the Tree of Life.

So I those for myself and for others, it sort of reorients you like, oh, that's my true eternal home. Then I call this the outer realm of earth that we're on this human adventure in, and it kind of helps you reorient yourself like, oh, I'm just here. This temporary human experience on this human adventure here.

I like to say it's like we're on a little quest in the human. I'm, I'm coming down here, I'm gonna be do the human thing. I'm gonna see what I can learn and what I can share and what I can help with. It's temporary. My things aren't gonna come with me, but my lessons will, the gifts I bring to the world will continue on to be grateful and be like, Hey, this is a short thing I've got.

70, 80, 90, a hundred years and then that's it. So how to make the most of this, how to enjoy [00:25:00] this. I like to tell people sometimes you're here on a vacation in the human world, just like if you're gonna go on a vacation to Europe or Hawaii or you get there, you try to make the most of it. If you're just sitting around complaining about it at all time and you know, what's the point of having a vacation there?

Go there. Make the most of it. We're here temporarily. Having human experience and facing life. Our journey, a little adventure here, is about over being appreciative of our time that we had here and like, Hey, it's all right. I get to go back home. Maybe there's another adventure waiting for me later on when I'm ready.

Jill: Yeah. 'cause I'm piecing together what your beliefs are about after life. Based off everything you're talking about. Mm-hmm. But what do you think happens when we die? Do you think we go to a different realm or do you think we go to a different realm and then we get reincarnated and we do this multiple?

Like, what's your thoughts? Mm-hmm. Just 'cause I'm curious. 

Aaron: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think, well, I think that sanctuaries are sort of like eternal place. Uh, and I, I believe it continues to grow as our soul, our avatar grows. I think we bring back, maybe not the physical items, [00:26:00] but the essences or qualities or ideas from different things.

I'm on this journey here in the earth world and the human self. I'm learning and growing, so I think there's things that I'll bring back and add to my sanctuary and yeah, I think we do come back here. I think there's countless other realms. That we might travel to at different times. I kind of see it as this infinite quest adventure and depend on what our soul needs and, and I think there's break time.

I just need that, that human move a little crazy. Let me just chill out for a little bit and recharge and then maybe I'll come back as well. I definitely have had my own experiences and a lot of studies I've just seen this potential reincarnation. It feels very true to me how that would come and go and different things.

And to me the best word is adventure quest. These journeys into different realms. We go through, it's a larger framework of what we do in our human life, right? In the human life. We're going on these constant level adventures, whether it's. A child, we're going to school as each grade is own little thing.

And then we go to a jump and then lose here and there and we have these different life things and each one continues to build, right? Mm-hmm. Continues to [00:27:00] develop ourself. And so I don't think that stops. I think that's just a microcosm of the larger microcosm of our, our soul's journey. And it's great adventure through the cosmos.

You know, looking at astronomy, how much it's growing, and the vastness of space out there. I believe we'll continue on. There's a sort of infinite playground for us. And kind of reminds me of the we're children of God, that there's this vast infinite playground that we get to grow and play, explore, develop ourselves, and relate with and enjoy.

Jill: How about like ghosts and spirits that people see or even like. Poltergeist, the quote unquote bad things that people see. What do you think about those? Because again, I don't know what I believe could be real, could not be real. I don't know. I'm always curious what other people think about that idea.

Aaron: Yeah, so I think there's a few different levels of variations of it. I think there's some like energetic imprints of something left behind, or there's sort of this. Residue of a person. [00:28:00] That's, that's sort of left there. There are people that have physically passed on but never need it across that bridge to their sanctuary.

Generally out of some level of fear of like, what's gonna happen next? Or, or, or, I am such a bad person 'cause of X, Y, Z, that I can't, I'm afraid what's gonna happen to me. So there's sort of this like, you know, it's through their will and fear. Kind of being stuck here and I can kind of create those sort of ghost type things.

Or there's such an attachment to something, you know, you're talking about like we leave behind our cars, in our houses and stuff. So yeah, some people have such a deep attachment that that's who they are or what's important. Or it can be other things too, right? And so there can still be that that's sort of like holding their spirit here.

And these, you may call 'em astral worlds or just other more subtle layers of. The physical world. And then, yeah, there's, there's all sorts of spirits. I mean, pretty much every tradition around the world has this idea of all these different living spirits. There's land spirits, ancestral spirits, spirits of different areas.

Some [00:29:00] humans or other beings live in these spirit dimensions. It's kinda like radio stations. There's all these radio stations, wifi 5G, 4G around us just having the right device. That you can attune to that and pick up that frequency. There's all these spiritual dimensions around us that are human senses.

Unless train aren't tuned into, sometimes people have spontaneous experiences with it. Sometimes the forces can be a little more louder, right? And so sometimes people hit something or a lot of people hit them when they have, are having gone through an intense experience. A lot of people that have had like been in a car accident or at gunpoint or something very intense, where then they, they experienced something like that coming in.

So there's sort of that opening. They're sort of a letting go of the, the identity, the ego identity and like, oh, okay. You just, everything sort of dissolves. So those things allow these other forces to sort of come in. And of course there's meditation and all the spiritual training and ritual around the world of connecting and communing with these spirits and working with them in right relationships.

So there's a lot around [00:30:00] us and it's a. Broad subject. I think there's a lot there that, you know, us and the Western culture forgotten about or right, has been like, oh, that's wrong or bad and we shouldn't have paid attention to that. To me, it's kind of like, well, just saying like, well, oxygen's bad, or the water water's evil.

Like it's just there. It's part of this system, this ecosystem. It's better to be more aware of these things. See how you might work with them and acknowledge them in your life as part of you. There's a lot of comfort in there, like our ancestral spirits, those that have passed on are still available.

Sometimes native traditions have their animal spirits and how they work with the animal spirits, with the plant spirits around us. So there's a lot of life around us that we've, as humanity kind of put blinders on, like, oh, it's just us. That's it. Don't look at anything else. We get kind of freaked out about it.

We've actually evolved for millions of years, and there's this awareness of these things around us, and we're part of a larger. Tapestry of life the way we've gone. Kind of ego's like, oh no, it's just us and we're the best, and that's all there is, and everything else is wrong and evil. And we've kind of separated [00:31:00] ourselves, which I think is actually a source of a lot of our anxiety and fear that, oh, we're just alone.

It's like, no, there's so much life and love actually here around us. We just have to open back up to it. We've cut ourself off, which generates laws of fear, anxiety, and like, oh, actually there's so much beauty in life and magic and richness around us. That's what a lot of us are really craving and our heart's craving.

And when we open up to that, that's the magic of life and the joy of life. Look at these squirrels or those beautiful hawk or these spirits of the tree and the light reflecting off the water and there's a spirit there, and that just opens us up to the magic of life again. 

Jill: I love it. Beautiful. Mm-hmm.

Makes me happy actually, because I don't know what I believe. 

Aaron: Uhhuh. 

Jill: I hope that that's. The real case, I feel it is, right? Mm-hmm. There's part of me that when I hear things like that and when I think about things like that, it just feels true. It just feels real. But then there's still that human part of me that's like, but I don't know for sure.

Like nobody knows for sure. We can't prove it, so then my brain kind of [00:32:00] goes down that path, right? But I don't know. I think that's okay. I think it's all right to not. No, for sure. And I started anything. I started, 

Aaron: I got into reiki and energy healing when I was 17, 18 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was very conservative and it wasn't a thing, but I would do healing work on my friends and my family, and they're like, oh my gosh, my arm pain's gone, or this chronic thing.

So I'm like, okay, there's something going on here. So I there approached it with that like kind of skeptical mind, but open to it. And after. 24 years now doing this stuff. I'm pretty much like, yeah, this is what's happening. And just continuing to see it and understand it too. A big part of it, like I said, is just being in Western culture.

It's not part of our day-to-day life. I got to spend a little time in like Bali 2019 and, and that is very alive there for their culture. It's not questioned, it's just. How we're brought up and it's all around and they're making daily offerings to the spirits of the land. My first time to be, you know, like here in America's aware of those things, but it's a very like isolated.

I just do [00:33:00] that in private or at certain times. There's just like everywhere in the streets, it's the street corner. There's these statues to these deities and land spirits, and every morning. The ladies go around and they're offering prayers in every doorstep with incense and flowers and stuff. So just to be immersed in the culture, that's normal.

It's not a scary thing. It's not question, it's just that's part of life. And you know, that was most of the world. That's, if you look at the larger scope of humanity through history and culture, there's only a tiny amount of humans. That don't believe in those things. Were really the minority. If you gather all humans across time and space, it's just a small amount that are like, no, that's not real.

And have separated ourselves from that. There's also more science leading to, oh, there are maybe other dimensions and oh, you know, I don't know how far you go back. 150 years. 200 years. There's no ideas of. Electromagnetic waves and radio waves and all that stuff. You know, I was told somebody 150 years ago, oh, that's you're [00:34:00] crazy.

Now. It's like, oh yeah, we got more radio waves around us than we know to do with. I think it's just the mental faculty catching up and reorienting to it. 

Jill: I think that's the only part about dying that bothers me. Mm-hmm. I want to know what humans are gonna understand in 200 years. All right. Right. Knock.

Exactly. So maybe I'll come back. Arby's, like I don't really wanna come back though. Like I just want this to be the last one. I actually talked to somebody, trying to remember who somebody interviewed on my podcast. It might not even be out yet. I don't remember. We had talked about past lives and this idea that.

Our past life might be in the future, and our future lives might be in the past because time doesn't exist in the same way. So maybe I already know, right? Like me, this is actually a future life from something in 200 years. I don't know. It makes my brain hurt thinking. I love to think about it. I think it's all super fascinating and I love that you created this [00:35:00] program to give people the gamified taste of.

A really ancient practice throughout history. People of all cultures have done something like this in a state of meditation, gone to a different realm. 

Aaron: Yeah. 

Jill: Sometimes they think like they actually are traveling, like astral projection, traveling other places. 

Aaron: Yep. 

Jill: So it's not new, but using the technology the way that you're using it.

And using it in a way of bringing in Dungeons and Dragons is actually super cool because it makes it more accessible to people. Yeah. Where it's like, oh, but I understand, you know, Dungeons and Dragons, or I understand watching movies where people go to different places. I understand this. So it makes the experience of trying to do it myself more accessible.

So I think that's very cool. 

Aaron: Exactly. Exactly. Thank you. And yeah, you know, growing up playing DMD and Dungeon Dragons where it was inspired mostly [00:36:00] by JR Token, Lord of the Rings, and you know, a lot of his work was inspired by ancient traditions and his desire to create a new mythology for Europe. I feel like I'm kind of like reweaving that fantasy and the gaming and like, hey, all this stuff.

Comes from our ancient traditions, particularly European ones, but also you know, everywhere. And like bringing that back like said into a modern format that people can access and make it enjoyable. And you know, it's fun to get to start this thing in New Zealand where there was, Lord the Rings movie was shot and there's a this thing that's very epic.

Fantasy field. And I feel like that land kind of took me in during COVID to create this. People ask me when did I start wizarding and I like to tease them and say, well, you know, eons ago in the beginning there I was wizarding. It's still, I am. So kind of that eternal timelessness that we are and our ability to sort of like jump into different times and experiences.

Jill: Right. Yeah. And I do think that a lot of us have. [00:37:00] That thing inside of us. Mm-hmm. Because of cultural whatever. I'm sure there's a lot of people that think they identify with the idea of a wizard, but they would never say it out loud. Right. 'cause they're afraid of what people would think of, what their family would think, of what their community would think.

And unfortunately, for valid reasons, yeah. Sometimes, you know, you moved away from where you grew up, depending on where you live. You can't as easily be yourself without paying some consequences for it. And so it is unfortunate that's part of the time that we live in. Mm-hmm. But also, I don't know the idea that we chose to be here.

Right. That like my soul chose to be here to experience this, whatever we're experiencing right now. And so part of it was that, but yeah. Mm-hmm. I love that. Like I, 'cause I do, I feel like. I am a magical being in some ways. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That has existed for who knows how long. Right, right. I just happen to be in this [00:38:00] body right now.

Yes. And then also all my humanness and all my trauma and all my other stuff gets in the way. Yeah. Of fully expressing that. Mm-hmm. And even saying it out loud, part of me is like, do I need to delete this from this episode? 

Aaron: Hey, you're talking to a wizard. So I'm like, 

Jill: but that's where when I talk to people that are more free in their expression of themselves, it makes me feel more comfortable.

Right. And then I walk out my house and I go to like the softball games and I'm like, okay, I need to hide again in watching little Cubby, you know? It's okay. I love life and I will take it all. 

Aaron: Beautiful. Awesome. Definitely getting close to 

Jill: our ending though. So I wanna give you time, tell us about your website, how people can find you, how people can participate in the program if they want to share all that stuff.

Aaron: The main website is inner realms journey.com. Anyone can sign up and check out the free trial, which will take you through the first few meditations. You'll get your avatar and your good sense of it. You can subscribe and, and go further into the realms. And there's tons of meditations on there. There's daily [00:39:00] power ups, there's sleep ones.

There's a lot of other activities we didn't even touch on. And then I do have a page on there if you're interested in the end of life program. So if you are facing death or your loved one is, and. And they would be into this. You can sign up and it'll take you through that. You can do it yourself. We also have the facilitator training.

If you are a doula or somebody that's wanting to bring this from a larger scale, you can do that and sign up for the training or contact me and we can figure out what's most supportive for your situation. Your profession is on there as well. You can reach out through that. I'm also an Instagram as the Elvin Wizard, and that's more about me and all my other.

Wizardly things, but also other fun stuff I'm working on in creating as well. So if you wanna see all the other crazy ethics and see me out, Wizarding in public places has been a real hit. People been loving that. Me being fully in Wizard character like in the city is quite hysterical. Some great conversations and experiences me at the grocery store and going to the coffee shop in Wizard Character.

So check those out too. 

Jill: Oh my gosh. See, like that I wanna see because Yeah, yeah, [00:40:00] yeah. I can't, but actually I was gonna say, I can't imagine, but that's not really true. When I read tarot cards, when I go to the bar and I read tarot cards, or if I go to a party like I put on. An outfit I put on a certain style of clothing.

I put on a lot more makeup. I put on a lot more jewelry. I step more into that version of myself. I've had to go places dressed like that, like afterwards or before, just for whatever else, and it does feel different when I walk out. Like that feels like a different version of me. 'cause it is a different version of me.

It's like my witchy tarot version of myself. That part of me is like, yeah, it'd be nice to show up like that every day. But then also I do kinda like my sweatshirts and my yoga paint. Right, right. 

Aaron: You do both Except on the day. 

Jill: Exactly. I am both. And that duality is okay. Perfect. There's nothing wrong with it.

It's 

Aaron: a lot to get on the whole wizard outfit, but I enjoy when I get to do it. 

Jill: That's amazing. I am for sure gonna check that out. Yeah. And when this episode comes out, I will put links to all of that in the show notes so [00:41:00] people can find you. This was so cool. I was really looking forward to this conversation.

I had a feeling it was gonna be really interesting. Thank you for. Taking your time out today after we had to postpone and cancel and do a bunch of stuff. 

Aaron: We're here now. Exact right moment. Thank you so much for having me. It was such a pleasure to share. And the chat. Awesome. 

Jill: Thank you, Darren. 

Aaron: You're welcome.

Farewell. 

Jill: In my next episode, I talk with Lisa Cox, a death doula and shamanic practitioner. Who blends practical end of life planning with deep, emotional and spiritual care. Drawing on her background as a teacher, Lisa, helps people prepare for the final transition, whether that means completing advanced healthcare directives, organizing legal documents, or offering compassionate guidance at the bedside, we explore the unique gifts and strengths that death doulas offer, the value of engaging hospice care early, and how intentional preparation can enhance both quality and duration of life.

The conversation also highlights the importance of living fully in the present rather than postponing [00:42:00] joy until retirement. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend or family member who might find it interesting. Your support in spreading the podcast is greatly appreciated. Please consider subscribing on your.

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Every amount is valuable. I sincerely appreciate all of you for listening to the show and supporting me in any way you can. You can find a link in the show notes to subscribe to the paid monthly subscription as well as a link to my Venmo if you prefer to make a one-time contribution. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you in next week's episode of Seeing Death Clearly.