I felt the tension ease almost immediately, but the mosaics were beginning to fade. I wanted to sleep and began to drift again, though was still aware of Simon’s voice in the distance and I felt myself begin to emerge as if coming up through water. It felt good, there were circles of light, and I was swimming through them, so beautiful ‘… on the count of five, you will be awake. Four, coming up, coming up.’ I got the sensation of being pulled up from the depths of water, pulled by my solar plexus; propelled up. ‘Three, further, at peace with life, two, waking up now.’ I was flying, up, up. ‘Three, two, back into the room and one. Wide awake.’

I’d landed. Back in the room. I opened my eyes and smiled at Simon. ‘Wow. That was amazing.’

26

‘Sounds like you fell asleep and had a particularly vivid dream,’ said Heather the next day in the shop after I’d told her about my session with Simon.

‘That’s what I thought, but I know I wasn’t asleep. I was aware of being in the room and of Simon’s voice.’

‘Snoozing then. I’m not dissing it. I think the unconscious mind can throw up fantastic creative ideas during that in-between sleep and waking state. Loads of artists and writers say that they get inspiration from their dreams. It does sound like you went into a dreamlike state. So, the second mosaic felt different?’

‘It did. Like the first one was everything to do with this life, all the people I know or have known and places and experiences, and the second one was something to do with me – but what, I don’t know. I remember telling Simon that I felt as if I was trying too hard to remember Grace because I’d been told about her. He said if it was in there, it was in there, so I didn’t need to force it. And the mosaic pieces because I’ve been thinking about puzzles. Maybe I saw the second mosaic and the woman in it because I’d been thinking about Grace; you know, like often if you’ve been watching something on TV, it gets into your dreams somehow.’

‘Makes sense, and your subconscious came up with that amazing interpretation of it all. And you say everyone had a colour?’

‘Yes, you were shades of green or rather vibrations of green. It was weird, not in a bad way – beautiful, in fact.’

‘Well, I’m glad I am beautiful in your unconscious mind, that’s a relief. And are you going to have another session?’

‘I’m not sure.’

‘OK, I’ve just had an idea. Let’s say for a moment that there is anything in it, and that the first mosaic represented this life and the second mosaic your last life, OK?’

‘I thought you didn’t believe in past lives?’