Challenges Ahead as he Strives to Complete his Work
Maiatzean, 18, 2003 Martin Gray fell 70 feet while rock climbing with a friend near Sedona, Arizona. Martin was a highly experienced climber and had climbed extensively around the world. He had an almost legendary rock scrambling ability and had never fallen even a few feet before.
The morning of the fall he had taught a class on the basics of rock scrambling. The people in the class had been studying movement with him for the past four months. Following the class he went on a routine climb with a longtime climbing partner who luckily was a doctor. During that climb, when he was not in a position of any danger, he began to mysteriously slide along a rock shelf. The sliding sped up and he plummeted over a cliff, falling – straight and with no tumbling - 70 feet down onto hard rock.
The extreme impact shattered dozens of bones in both ankles, both wrists, his right knee and thigh, and his skull. His right wrist was broken in 12 places, the left wrist in 8, and his skull had more than a dozen fractures, including a severely broken nose and jaw, and four teeth, which subsequently had to be extracted. All of the wrist, ankle, leg and skull fractures were compound and he suffered extensive blood loss.
The fall occurred in a relatively remote canyon with no roads and it was necessary to evacuate Martin by helicopter to a hospital in Flagstaff, Arizona. The evacuation required two helicopters and it was nearly five hours before the first of several major surgeries was begun. He had more than two dozen pieces of metal placed inside his ankles, wrists, right leg and hip, and has multiple scars from all of the surgeries. He was in a coma for several weeks and spent four months in the hospital. He has virtually no memories of this time due to the brain injuries. What he knows of the time he knows from what friends have told him – fully fifty of them drove from Sedona to the Flagstaff hospital one or more times a week, to bring him food and company, though he knew it not.
From the first ten days in intensive care, however, he does remember two near-death experiences of extraordinary beauty and import. After leaving the hospital he spoke of those experiences.
“I was aware of being completely detached from my body and removed from the world. Initially, there was nothing besides pure consciousness. Then I began to see a small speck of light, which slowly grew in size, and I came to understand that I was being moved towards it through no action on my part. As I approached the light I became aware that I was in some sort of vast and darkened cave. A part of me understood that I had been very badly injured, that I did not want to continue living, and that I was in fact dying right then. I remembered having once read how dying was like taking off a tight shoe. I began to feel joyously happy and peaceful and filled with unconditional love. As I was brought closer and closer to the light, I realized that it was in fact an opening, a portal into a wondrous realm of light. I was astonished to see that around the sides of the portal and inside the realm of light were dozens of beings that looked like flying angels. They were brilliantly white and the size of adult humans.
They had beautiful wings and moving gracefully seemed to be floating lofty and serene in heavenly space. I was aware that they were looking at me and I felt great happiness that I was passing from earthly life into the realm of light.
Then my forward movement stopped and I became aware of a great golden rope pulling me backward. I felt sad, wanting only to continue forward into the light. Then I heard a voice that very clearly said, “There are two reasons you are coming back; the love of your friends around the world and the work that you came here to do and have not yet completed.” After hearing these words I lost all consciousness.
A few days later, I had a similar experience. From the world of darkness I was taken to a realm of light. I remember then hoping that the golden rope would not come and that I would be allowed to pass into that realm. This time I was brought closer to the portal of the realm of light. I saw hundreds of the angelic beings around the portal and beyond. I became aware that many of the angels around the portal were looking at me and that they were aware I was aware of them. There began to be a wordless telepathic communication between us and I was overcome with a boundless sense of joy. I continued to be moved forward and was almost to the portal, when once again the golden rope appeared and gently began to pull me backward. Once more I heard a voice clearly saying, “There are two reasons you are coming back; the love of your friends around the world and the work that you came here to do and have not yet completed.” Upon hearing these words I again lost all consciousness.”
After less than two months Martin began to lose weight dramatically; from a pre-fall weight of 145 pounds he went down to 87. Various brain imaging tests were done and it was determined that a crack in his skull was allowing air to leak into the brain, with disastrous results. He was near death once again. A major surgery was done on his skull, six pieces of metal were placed in his head, and he began a slow recovery.
After four months, with bone-securing external braces on his right wrist, he was released from the hospital in a wheel chair. Unable to walk for another four months, friends cooked for and bathed him, and moved him around by wheel chair - he could not turn the wheels himself because of his broken wrists. Once he was finally able to stand on his own, he was unable to use crutches or a cane because of the pain it caused in both his broken wrists.
Six months later came another sad surprise. Because of all the skull fractures he developed a serious case of epilepsy, which required him to take twice-daily doses of different anti-seizure medications. During the next ten years he had six major seizure experiences, four of which required hospitalization.
Given the multiple fractures and the torn and severed ligaments in both his ankles and his right knee and leg, he continues to feel pain with every step, especially when climbing stairs. He has had dozens of prolotherapy and steroid injections, and is forced to wear a brace constantly on his left ankle. His right wrist is nearly non-functional and is an endless source of discomfort. Because of the side effects of the epilepsy anti-seizure medications his balance has been significantly affected and there have been numerous problems with his intestinal tract and digestion.
Yet none of this, not the fall, the broken bones, the months in the hospital, the months in a wheel chair, not even the epilepsy and the repeated seizures has held Martin back. With an intense dedication to his healing he was hiking again in four years. Since the fall he has traveled seven times around the world to continue his studies and photography of the sacred sites. He has had several photography books published, including Erlijioaren geografia by National Geographic, Lurra sakratua published by Barnes & Noble, and Bizitza sakratua.
Each of the surgeons that have treated Martin has declared his healing to have been miraculous. Yes, Martin still has more than two dozen pieces of metal in his body; he will have epilepsy for the remainder of his life; he has numerous scars on his legs and wrists and head, yet he continues with his life and work with an unstoppable vitality and a deep state of spiritual peace. Now, more than ever, he puts goodness and beauty into the world.
Europa sakratua, the first in Martin's expanded Sacred Earth series, is the most comprehensive publication of its kind...anywhere. With adequate funding, Martin hopes to accomplish his dream of publishing the four additional volumes: Sacred Asia, Sacred Africa, Sacred Americas, Sacred Middle East.
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