Ascended Masters and The Butterfly's Apprentice
By Ruben Perez, Jr.

I was born in E.L.A. to a Catholic family who taught me how to love my religion and fear God. In my teens, I rebelled. I went through the "Tough Guy" stage getting into the occasional street fight, but I always carried a bible in my backpack.

Then something unexpected happened to me in my early 20's. I was living with some friends and awoke early one morning to find myself outside of my body.

I began to frequent New Age stores. I devoted the next few years to studying Self-Realization because it dealt with the unlimited potential of humans. A friend recommended I read a set of books derived from Hindu folklore about a group of spiritually advanced people from the Himalayas with the ability to travel by thought. To my amazement, I met a man belonging to this group six months after reading the books. I did not see him appear, but his disappearing was quite unsettling. Apparently, thinking about the Masters is equivalent to sending out a signal that they eventually pick up on and (in my case) responded to.

They are known by many names. They are best known as The Ascended Masters. They just refer to themselves as “Brothers.” These men (and women) have gone through a spiritual transformation that has given them immortality and the ability to manipulate the laws of nature. I later met other members of this group that included people who were believed to be dead for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years.

I spoke of my experiences to a few who were close to me; just a handful of friends. Some joked that I had read to many Carlos Castaneda books, others expressed genuine concern. I knew if I continued to speak of my experiences with the Masters, men in white coats would come for me, so I kept a tight lip.

A few years later, I walked into a local bookstore and had a chance meeting with former U.S. Ambassador, and former Director of the Fulbright Scholarship Program, Wayne Peterson. He was speaking to a very small audience about his association with a group of people; spiritually advanced men from the Himalayas. He spoke of their contact with world leaders and their background influence in trying to make this planet into a better place through global politics.

The teachers have taught me to let go and not be so attached to the outcomes in life's situations. It's a difficult lesson and one that I'm still learning how to do. They've taught me that the universe is a loving place and is always conspiring in my best interest, even if I don't believe it. And as corny as it sounds, love is the answer to all, and it's something that needs to be practiced.

These extraordinary experiences have not made being human any easier. I still get upset when I have to wait long for my food in the drive-thru. I still feel a tinge of jealousy when I hear of an old girlfriend who has married or moved on to date another guy. I no longer brawl on the streets. I no longer fear God. From time to time, I still go to church, I'm not exactly sure why.

All of this is difficult to believe and I’ve seriously questioned my own sanity. Why do the teachers contact me? The main reason they contact me is because of my association with them in past lives.

I've lived with these secrets for a while but, they are beginning to take on a life of their own. If you are not the type of person to roll your eyes at someone who says they see ghosts or have been abducted by aliens (like I still do from time to time – ironic, huh), You may be interested in a fictional story I wrote inspired by the Master's teachings and my own personal encounters with them in hopes to call more attention to their cause of creating heaven on earth.

An apprentice is a student. A butterfly can be a metaphorical representation of the spiritual transformation a person goes through when becoming a Master (something born crawling the earth, but later flies beautifully). In May 2008, InnerCircle Publishing released “The Butterfly's Apprentice - A Power Spell" by Ruben Perez, Jr. It's available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and all other major bookstores.