Telling my "Esther" story is probably the most difficult thing I have done in my writings - here or elsewhere. In the early days of Facilitated Communication we were all so excited by our experiences that we never dreamed of what was to come. But if you are brave enough, I invite you to check out Wikipedia on the subject, or enter the term into a search engine --- but please do read this first, while your heart and mind are open. At the very end of this blog posting is a link to what I have shared already, along with some of the discussion that followed. Check that out also.
Here is the shortened version: I was brand new to using FC and eager to share the good news with anyone who might be interested. "Esther" first made an appearance when my very first FC user was asked to tell me the name of another child who was present. I didn't know the other girl's name nor did I have any idea how significant the interchange was to become. My typer came up with the name ESTHER, which was somewhat close but not the right answer. No big deal, right?
Maybe not, but in a similar situation several weeks later, a different FC user in a completely different situation typed ESTHER when asked what his dog was named. Months after that, in yet another completely different setting, "J" was asked to tell me about a cousin who had visited, and (you guessed it!) the name ESTHER popped up again.
These episodes all happened in my very early years of using FC, and became so commonplace that I haven't recorded all of them, but now that I am working in a different county, different city --- and exclusively with adults who have no connection at all with those kids from almost 30 years ago --- on occasion one or the other will surprise me by a statement like this: "I THINK I MIGHT BE ONE OF YOUR ESTHER KIDS."
I have not found another facilitator who has had a similar "Esther" connection, but I certainly have encountered many who have had experiences related to telepathy or other instances they can't explain. Check the list at the end for suggestions - if you are brave enough to "go there!"
I have considered various explanations over the years - maybe it is a reference to Esther in the Old Testament, maybe there is a connection to Esther in the book/movie "Skallagrigg, or maybe it comes from the term "ether" -- in metaphysical terms the "element that connects us to spirit, intuition, other realms and planes." In future postings, I hope to share what some of my FC users have answered when I have asked for more specific input on the subject.
So, why has it been so hard to share my story? If you have been on the FC journey with me from the early years (I started in May, 1992), you already know how things came crashing down. If you are relatively new to FC, a quick review of Wikipedia or a Google search will help you understand that we who have continued using FC have been under scrutiny, or attack, almost from the beginning. If I tell you that these non-speaking, or minimally speaking, individuals are actually quite intelligent, and very aware of all that is happening around them, that is one thing - and a very hard one for many people to accept, by the way. If I go on to tell you that many of them have special abilities such as telepathy, or connections to the spiritual world, that is almost sure to close any door that we might have managed to open in your mindset. Even among the strongest defenders of FC, stories like mine have been (almost) totally silenced over the years.
But, here is some good news: Other methods of spelling or typing to communicate have been developed and are becoming more widely used. Many of these newer spellers have amazing gifts to share also. There is hope for a future that is more open and accepting.
For those who wish to dig deeper into those earlier stories, here are a few suggestions:
Qim Tunes (Tom Smith, now deceased)
Mary Ann Harrington E-zine articles
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Connections-Facilitated-Communicating-Inclusive/dp/1886928053
https://www.amazon.com/Mommy-Ben-Made-Cake-Communication/dp/1591132142
For a more thorough discussion of my Esther story, this link should work:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Autismdoorwaytoconsciousness/permalink/2383048285092956
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