Quiz night at his venue was fun. Amanda and I came second, not bad considering the team that won were professionals, wanting the £250 top prize.
After, I chatted to the team who came third, a family on holiday from Edinburgh, Scotland. "Do you remember the Dalai Lama's visit to Edinburgh about 10 years ago?" I asked.
The lady nodded.
"Do you remember after the Dalai Lama finished, a young girl, who didn't have long to live, unexpectedly came down steps behind him, singing, to surprise him?"
"Yes," she said. "I remember."
"Were you there?"
"No, but I remember. Everyone in Edinburgh talked about it."
"I was there," I said. "I helped write the song she sung."
I didn't explain the rest, but after, related the story to Amanda.
The previous November to the Dalai Lama's visit, I taught a Psychic Development Level 2 class in London. It came to the subject of how to make different uses of 5 categories of dreams - resolution, prophetic, healing, teaching, and get rich dreams.
"Mozart," I'd explained, "dreamed his greatest music before writing a note, or sitting at the piano, and became famous. Isaac Singer was given the answer to an "insurmountable" design problem for sewing machines in a dream, and became rich."
Janet, a student from Edinburgh, piped up. "I dream music," she said. "I'm a piano teacher, and dream whole songs, from start to finish. They're beautiful, innovative new songs. But there's too much to remember. It's impossible to write down all the notes, and words."
I tried to explain. "There are countless examples of people becoming rich or famous because they followed their dreams."
Janet wouldn't listen. We argued in front of the class. I explained the technique, how she could remember every note and word, and potentially get rich or famous to help our world. In the end she said, "Allan, I don't believe you, but I trust you. I'll try it."
The following month, December, she had a music dream, and wrote down every note and word. In January, as she played it on her piano, a friend entered. "That's it," he cried. "That's the song we want for the Dalai Lama's visit in June."
I was there in June, part of the sell-out crowd. After the Dalai Lama chuckled and bowed at the end of his lecture, he thought that was the end. Then, unexpectedly for him and the audience, the 12 year old girl who was disabled, with not long to live, came slowly down stairs behind him, singing Janet's psychically dreamed song with the voice of an absolute angel.
Scotsmen are known for being tough. But it's generally accepted about one third of the audience cried, including huge, tough men. The tears flowed from the angelic music as it touched every heart.
Janet sold CDs to get rich from the psychic dream. Not get rich for her. The last time I heard she'd raised £10,000 for an orphanage.
A decade later, even people who weren't there remember. It's not part of Scottish folklore, but almost...