Like many who attend programs at The Monroe Institute (TMI), Candice “Candie” Sanderson, author of The Reluctant Messenger: Tales from Beyond Belief, discovered it is personal experience that transforms us. After that, we are no longer defined by other people’s stories.
Lifeline program.Lifeline, a weeklong residential program, gives participants the skills and experience to be of service to those still in physical form, as well as others who have transitioned to the nonphysical and who desire assistance.
Candie spoke of her experience at Lifeline:
I could not believe the specific information I received during the Lifeline retrievals: first names, last names, cities and states, where they lived, where they worked. A few weeks after I returned home from Lifeline, I began to spontaneously channel information from other-worldly sources. That’s when I started to grasp the impact Lifeline had on me. I had changed during those magical six days on Roberts Mountain. My view of the world shifted, and along with it many of my beliefs became ‘Knowns.’ Lifeline opened some sort of doorway into a mystical world that kickstarted my journey into the unknown.
Candie’s journey led her to receive powerful messages from angels, deceased people, Native American legends, Ascended Masters, Christian and Buddhist deities, and star beings, just to name a few. Her Messengers told her about energy, time travel, Earth grids, event horizons, singularities, and much more. And because the messages were recorded and transcribed verbatim, reading her book feels like being right there with her.
I asked Candie about the first message she received. “One day I was driving to work when information just dropped into my lap from out of nowhere.” She laughed as she said, “This communique was so profound that my first thought was: ‘I wish I had thought of that!’ It was clear the message wasn’t from me because the words were not common to my vocabulary.”
But when Candie began to verify information that had been previously unknown to her, she realized she had not been the creator of the content.
With her background as a psychologist, Candie’s clinical training immediately kicked in. “While I was trying to analyze the situation, my mind stepped back from paying attention to the message. That was precisely what allowed the message to continue.” From then on, she learned to withhold judgment and open to the flow of information. “I’m so glad that I did that because my life has been so enriched by the messages I’ve received.”
All this was reminiscent of her Lifeline experience—receiving specific information that she had no prior knowledge of, information that was later verified. She questioned the first few messages, wondering if she was just “making this up.” But when Candie began to verify information that had been previously unknown to her, she realized she had not been the creator of the content.
After receiving the first message during her drive to work, she established a pattern of getting into her car, putting on her seatbelt, starting the engine, then turning on her phone’s voice recorder. Messages began to flow while she concentrated on driving. Often the messages were “dictated” to her, including how to spell words, when to start paragraphs, etc. Back home each night, she transcribed the recordings, later using them verbatim in the book.
Candie’s story was fascinating. Of course, I wanted to know how many TMI programs she had attended before she began channeling. Candie started counting. “Let’s see, Gateway Voyage, Guidelines, Lifeline, Exploration-27, Starlines, Timeline, Heartline …,” she stopped naming specific programs and said, “I have been to about 11 or 12 programs since 2008.”
Candie’s Messengers told her she would write a book. She said: “No, I am not!”
I then wanted to know if she believed she had any natural psychic tendencies before attending TMI. “No, I never thought of myself as psychic and no, I had never channeled.”
Candie’s Messengers told her she would write a book. She said: “No, I am not!” She laughed and explained. “They” kept working with her until she realized she needed to write it. Even the title was given to her by the Messengers. “I never would have selected it. There are two other books with the same title.”
She picked up a copy of Reluctant Messenger that was on the table between us and pointed to the subtitle: An ordinary person’s extraordinary journey into the unknown. “To me, this is the most important part of the title because I am just an ordinary person. If these experiences and connections can happen to me, they can happen to anyone. I owe it all to The Monroe Institute for providing a foundation in consciousness exploration. The more information I receive from nonphysical sources, the more I realize how profound Bob Monroe’s affirmation is: ‘I am more than my physical body …’. “
Candie’s initial interest in psychic phenomena began with her mother’s extrasensory perception (ESP). “My mother had experiences. We called it ESP then.” Candie’s sister, Jana, died in a car accident years ago. A couple of weeks after her death, Candie’s mother had a dream about her. In the dream, Jana spoke one sentence, “Mama, Mr. Gregory is with me.”
I have always been interested in psychic phenomena, and that curiosity took me to TMI.
“I found that odd. Mr. Gregory was the CEO of the business college my sister had attended, but he wasn’t a personal friend of the family. Later that day when the evening paper arrived, I was shocked when I saw his obituary. He had passed away—just like my sister had said. I have always been very practical and down to earth. My logical mind could not process this. This incident made me realize that life does not end once you drop your physical form. Just as important, I also learned that communication was possible between the world of the living and the departed. This experience was a game changer for me. I was initially very confused, but soon that was replaced with curiosity. How could this happen? It was these kinds of experiences that started my search for answers. … That’s why I reference The Monroe Institute many times throughout my book. I have always been interested in psychic phenomena, and that curiosity took me to TMI.”
I knew several psychics and mediums who didn’t have any recall of the messages that were coming from them. Candie’s experience is different. “I don’t seem to be consciously aware of the specific messages as I receive them. I’m usually driving, so my full attention is on that—that’s why I use the recorder. However, a couple of times it appeared that my recorder malfunctioned, so I had to try to remember the messages. I wrote down what I remembered, only to find out later that the machine did record. My notes from memory and from the recorder were identical.”
... the experience has changed her perception of energy, intention, and purpose. Her ideas about what happens after death have been altered.
Because I know how different my life is since I first showed up at TMI, I asked Candie: “In what other ways has attending TMI programs changed you or impacted your life?”
She explained that the experience has changed her perception of energy, intention, and purpose. Her ideas about what happens after death have been altered. She has become less reactionary to situations, events, and people. “I can now step into the observer role instead of trying to control or push. It changes how you react and that lowers stress.” She explained it also gives her great comfort because through her experiences at TMI, she realized there is a much bigger power at work and that we are surrounded by helpers. She reminded me: “We are never alone.”
At the end of our time together, I said to Candie: “Now, we need an ending.” Candie said: “Here’s a good ending: It all goes back to TMI.”
Many people define their lives as pre-TMI and post-TMI. I know Candie and I do.
The Reluctant Messenger: Tales from Beyond Belief
Candie Sanderson and Allyn Evans became friends when they worked together on a team to develop the organizational structure of TMI’s Local Chapter Network (LCN), and both served on its first Leadership Council. The LCN is a global volunteer organization charged with maintaining a network of support and connection for TMI grads and interested others in local communities worldwide.