As it is for many, my first real experience with Monroe Institute teachings occurred when I participated in the Gateway Voyage program. I was not new to the world of metaphysical topics by any means. In fact, I grew up with the teachings of Edgar Cayce and regularly visited the Association for Research and Enlightenment. So, the topics covered in Gateway Voyage were quite familiar to me, actually. The techniques, however, were different. Though somehow, the way the Gateway Voyage program presented these topics to me in a new light became enormously beneficial for me and my overall meditation practice.

As we began our Gateway Voyage program, I was thrilled to meet a melting pot of people from all places and backgrounds. Just getting comfortable with such a diverse group with a similar mindset added to the overall experience.

...one of the most beneficial things that happened to me in Gateway Voyage was getting to re-learn these techniques in a different way and discover their counterpart to the teachings I already knew.

As we quickly began learning about our preparatory process and the early Focus levels, I found there were many topics that I knew well from my background with the A.R.E. that are covered in Robert A. Monroe’s studies, but the A.R.E. speaks of them in a different language (more or less). Where we hear about our REBAL technique at the Monroe Institute, the A.R.E. might call it just “protecting yourself.” And Edgar Cayce referred to a “council” that you can access for guidance when you meditate, whereas Bob Monroe referred to his “Total Self.” So, perhaps, one of the most beneficial things that happened to me in Gateway Voyage was getting to re-learn these techniques in a different way and discover their counterpart to the teachings I already knew.

..the audio-guided meditations provided in the Gateway Voyage program immediately gave me a tool that allowed me to go much deeper within myself. I felt myself going on vivid journeys...

However, the audio-guided meditations provided in the Gateway Voyage program immediately gave me a tool that allowed me to go much deeper within myself. I felt myself going on vivid journeys within these Focus levels, and I would even have visions from time to time throughout my week at Gateway, something I was never able to experience before. You might say that before I took Gateway Voyage, I was just knocking on the door of my path. And this program allowed me to unlock the door to discover the true potential I had been just grazing the surface of for years. The following are, perhaps, the greatest tools I took away from my experience in Gateway Voyage.

Healing/Dolphin Energy

While I’ve understood energy healing at a base level for many years now, it was never quite clear to me until I learned about my Dolphin at Gateway Voyage. Meeting my Dolphin and learning how to heal each area of myself via a map really broke down the concept into something I could understand. By no means do I consider myself someone who has a calling for healing, but even I can easily step aside now on a rough day and provide emotional and mental healing to myself when I need it most. It really does make a huge difference in my day-to-day life. And by expanding on my journey and taking Lifeline, I discovered the immense healing energies offered in the Healing and Restoration Center in Focus 27, which provide me with quicker, even more intense healing now.

Access to Guidance

I never had a relationship with my own guidance before Gateway Voyage. Taking Gateway allowed me to become familiar with my guidance team.

I’ve always been pretty keen on listening to my intuition and just “knowing” things that wind up being important. But I never had a relationship with my own guidance before Gateway Voyage. Taking Gateway allowed me to become familiar with my guidance team. I was quickly able to connect with aspects of my Total Self that allowed me to access and understand the guidance I was receiving much more easily. Learning to work with my guidance in my daily life is a task I am trying to improve upon now, but I have a much better handle on it after taking Gateway Voyage.

Learning About Different Focus Levels

A lot of Gateway Voyage is about exploring, and when you go on adventures in different focus levels, you are likely to make some incredible discoveries about yourself and what you are capable of.

Focus levels, as defined by Monroe, have become extremely important to my process, and Gateway Voyage introduced me to many of them. In my opinion, Focus levels are a great way to gain perspective on the events happening in this life and what may have happened to you in other lives. They can also be fun places to explore. A lot of Gateway Voyage is about exploring, and when you go on adventures in different focus levels, you are likely to make some incredible discoveries about yourself and what you are capable of. And, through Gateway, I quickly learned to view my problems in different Focus levels, which has become an extremely useful everyday tool. When I view a problem in Focus 12, sometimes I’m still too close to it. When I step away and view that same problem from a higher Focus level, the separation immediately allows me to see the same problem with more clarity.  

The Ability to Have an Out-of-Body Experience

And, of course, many people attend Gateway Voyage in the hopes of having an out-of-body experience! Whether or not you have your own out-of-body experience in Gateway Voyage, you are definitely presented with the right tools to have one, if not in Gateway, then hopefully down the line. While I have experienced vivid adventures and even visions while meditating, I have yet to have something that I would deem a true Out-of-Body Experience, but I am working towards this. And Gateway Voyage sent me down a path to take more Monroe Institute courses, where I am learning so much more about existence and getting closer and closer to my own Out-of-Body Experience.  

It provided me with tools to harness my intuition, work on meditating with a purpose, and provided me with several tools that I could use to gather insight and help me to improve my life. 

Long story short, taking Gateway Voyage allowed me to start with the raw talents and mostly untrained skills I had and taught me to grow them exponentially. It provided me with tools to harness my intuition, work on meditating with a purpose, and provided me with several tools that I could use to gather insight and help me to improve my life. 

Since I finished Gateway Voyage last year, I was inspired to take several other courses at the Monroe Institute. I feel that I have a much better connection to my guidance after taking the initial Gateway Voyage. Of course, taking other programs has helped tremendously, as well. I also feel I trust myself more now and can access my intuition much more easily.

All in all, if you haven’t taken the Gateway Voyage program yet, what are you waiting for? If nothing else, it will allow you to better understand yourself and provide you with tools to help you improve your life.