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Articles by Cedric Johnson
Messages in a Bottle
Don’t Dismiss Your Hunches and Other Spirit Nudges — They Help You Experience the Other Side of the Veil. Press enter or click to view image in full size Where do we find the wisdom we need to navigate life’s ups and downs? And how do we plumb the depths of the other side of the veil? Through self-help writings? Wise human counselors? Your inebriated uncle at Thanksgiving dinner dishing up unwanted advice? It has nothing to do with head/rational knowing.
I Met My Wife’s Miscarried Brother -He Helped Me Heal
We curate & disseminate outstanding stories from diverse domains to create synergy. Apply: https://digitalmehmet.com & https://substackmastery.com Subscribe to content marketing strategy: https://drmehmetyildiz.substack.com/ External: https://illumination-curated.com Press enter or click to view image in full size One recent morning at 4am I was startled by an appearance of my wife’s “brother” who had crossed the veil. But the biggest surprise was his message.
So You Want to Belong - Why Settle For Fitting In? Belong to Yourself
Press enter or click to view image in full size “Love your neighbor as yourself” We all long at some level to belong somewhere. That’s as normal as wanting oxygen. But because people sometimes treat us like a rare insect specimen, we often settle for fitting in.
I Want What You Have
I cannot count the number of times I've envied my wife, Kris, mystical connections with Source and her capacity to read the emotional climate in others instantly. I'm reminded of the scene in the movie When Harry Met Sally, where the Meg Ryan character has just simulated an orgasm to prove to the Billy Crystal character that she could fake one.
Avoid Being A Shapeshifter
"Love your neighbor as yourself" We all long at some level to belong somewhere. But because people are treat us as the 'other', sometimes we settle for fitting in.
Touched by an Angel
Lately, I've been getting in touch with angels. I know some of you are skeptical about these seemingly mythical entities. Yes, they came in droves to Bible characters like Abraham and Mary, the mother of Christ. However, today, there are numerous examples of angel encounters. I've been reading Talking with Angels by Gitta Mallasz. It's the story of how angels communicated with three Jews and one Christian while the dark cloud of a Nazi occupation loomed over Hungary in 1943.
Where is God? Finding Source Everywhere
Do you experience "What you are seeking is seeking you?" -Rumi. And who/what is the Divine anyway? Sometimes I find myself in the atheist camp. I don't subscribe to a personal Being, a judging male on the throne, or something I can fully grasp with my mind. So maybe we have something in common. You don't find the Divine in the tomes of theological musings over the centuries. Thinking your way to Being leads you down a rabbit hole. Most of the time, the Divine pew in the house of worship is empty.
Katrina set the stage for New Orleans’s capture by investors
This story originally appeared in Nonsite.org on Aug. 01, 2025. It is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Beg-Knows America is a regular feature on CBS Mornings. Hosted by native Louisianan David Begnaud, the show’s title is a play on his Cajun French surname. Begnaud focuses his segment on human interest stories, profiling ordinary Americans and their sometimes-remarkable everyday experiences.
The Hospital Door That Changed How I See Dying
I sat in the waiting room of the University Hospital for my annual check-up - I'm living with a serious pulmonary disease. I was perched on a cold, hard seat, ruminating on my very first encounter with my present diagnosis. The physician, after a thorough exam, delivered her medical verdict. She spoke slowly and deliberately: "Cedric, I regret to tell you that you have a severe pulmonary condition. You probably have two years to live." That was eight years ago.
What Dr. James Dobson Taught Me:
The Fallout From Focus on the Family The world said goodbye to the Dr. Benjamin Spock of the Evangelical movement, Dr. James Dobson. He died on August 21, 2025, at the age of 89. He was the Founder of the para-church organization Focus on the Family. As the parenting guru for countless "traditional" or "biblical" families, which he defined as a married couple with children, he propelled US evangelicals into politics as an advocate of Christian nationalism.
Katrina Set the Stage for New Orleans’s Capture by Investors
Beg-Knows America is a regular feature on CBS Mornings. Hosted by native Louisianan David Begnaud, the show’s title is a play on his Cajun French surname. Begnaud focuses his segment on human interest stories, profiling ordinary Americans and their sometimes-remarkable everyday experiences. Against the “if it bleeds, it leads” logic of the legacy news cycle, Begnaud attempts to recall a different America — one too often buried in headlines of death, chaos, and political chicanery.
What Dr. James Dobson Taught Me:
Dr. James Dobson died on August 21, 2025, at the age of 89. He was the Founder of the para-church organization Focus on the Family. He cut his teeth in the heart of the conservative US Evangelical movement. He was the son, grandson and great-grandson of Church of the Nazarene ministers. His death brought back a flood of memories of how impactful he and his organization had been on my practice as a psychologist and my exit from the Evangelical Church.
Katrina Set the Stage for New Orleans’s Capture by Investors
Beg-Knows America is a regular feature on CBS Mornings. Hosted by native Louisianan David Begnaud, the show’s title is a play on his Cajun French surname. Begnaud focuses his segment on human interest stories, profiling ordinary Americans and their sometimes-remarkable everyday experiences. Against the “if it bleeds, it leads” logic of the legacy news cycle, Begnaud attempts to recall a different America — one too often buried in headlines of death, chaos, and political chicanery.
Learning to Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time
Learning to Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time Change the Way You Look at Things and the Things You Look at Change — Wayne Dyer Nearly three decades ago, my then-wife and I were on vacation in Hawaii when we received a call from a hospital in Chicago. The nurse informed us that our youngest son, Bevan, in his late teens, had been admitted to their psychiatric unit. He was attending a youth conference representing his church. Late one night, the conference organizers found him barefoot in the snow.
A Call From Spirit — How Evidence of an Encounter with a Miscarried Son Helped Me Heal
One recent morning at 4am I was startled by an appearance of my wife’s “brother” who had crossed the veil. But the biggest surprise was his message. When my wife was three years old and an only child (at the time), her mother became pregnant. She miscarried the baby but was told it was a boy. The miscarriage was largely swept under the rug by her parents. At about 4am I awoke and felt a presence. I was only half awake but I thought: “Who are you?” Almost immediately, I sensed a younger male energy.
What It Means to Be Soul-Driven
What It Means to Be Soul-Driven My wife, Kris, once worked at a Skilled Nursing facility. It was there that she had some of her most profound spiritual experiences, such as sitting with patients as they crossed over. However, one of her observations stayed with me. She reported, “I was immediately struck by the absence of ego in these facilities.” No competitive talk. No posturing about self-importance. No stories of achievements or the prominent people they knew. No B.S. Just love.
Want Contact with Spirit? Get out of the Way
Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Melinda Gimpel on Unsplash Many are longing for contact with the world of Spirit but feel blocked in their quest. The poet-philosopher Rumi senses this dilemma of spiritual seekers when he writes, Your task is not to seek love but to find all the barriers, such as fear, doubt, and negative self-talk, you have built against it within yourself. What are our internal barriers to crossing the unnecessary divide across the veil?
Feed Your Soul, Starve Your Role
Press enter or click to view image in full size Connecting with your Soul is not just a suggestion; it’s a potent tool for self-awareness and the discovery of your life’s purpose. It beckons us to delve deep into our inner selves, fostering a profound understanding of our true essence. The Tale of Two Roles Our lives are a perpetual struggle between two distinct voices — our roles (what we do) and our Soul (what we are).
How I Became Convinced There’s Life After Death - My White Crow Moment.
“If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, you mustn’t seek to show that no crows are; it is enough if you prove one single crow to be white.” William James (1842–1910) In my youthful days as a pastor, I believed in resurrection from physical death. But I also balked at literal accounts of a dead person walking through closed doors, even though I was reminded that God could do anything. At funerals, I sermonized the words of Jesus, “I’m the resurrection and the life.
How I’m Certain There’s Life After Physical Death - My White Crow Moment
“If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, you mustn’t seek to show that no crows are; it is enough if you prove one single crow to be white.” William James (1842–1910) In my youthful pastoral days, I believed in resurrection from physical death. But I also balked at literal accounts of a dead person walking through closed doors, even though I was reminded that God could do anything. At funerals, I sermonized the words of Jesus, “I’m the resurrection and the life.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears on the Church Exit Sign
Leaving the church may have been a necessary step for you, but it likely came with consequences. Still, stepping away inevitably leads to the question: Where would I find my ‘people’ or community? Maybe, like me, you grew up in a cultural bubble where you were spoon-fed certain religious doctrines. But now those stories are difficult to swallow. You gag on Bible narratives like water being turned into wine that defy the laws of physics.
Trust Your Gut - Decision Making in the So-Called Rational World
How often have you told yourself, “Trust your gut,” thinking that it was only a helpful metaphor? And then you did, and things worked out in ways beyond your wildest imagination. But did you know that “gut instinct” has for hundreds of years been an established medical fact? However, the scientific establishment has tried to suppress and push it for political reasons to the back burner.
Tame Your Trash-Talking Mind: Experience Your True Identity
There’s gold in those hills in your head. But there is also a polluted cognitive hard drive that needs to be wiped clean. Underneath our everyday thoughts and actions lies a vast potential waiting to be tapped. Yet, we often limit ourselves to self-imposed beliefs (“I’m a screw-up”, “A girl could never do that” “My beliefs are absolutely true”). But imagine the growth and self-discovery that await those who break free from the ball and chain in their minds.
Habits of a Highly Successful Leader
Students sometimes choose a university because of a particular professor. Employees stay in a job because of a boss. Recently, a highly recruited IT professional told his boss that he chose to stay at his current company because his boss cared for him as a person as well as his career path. That’s the boss we all want. Here are some other characteristics of the ideal people leader. They • Setting the performance bar high for all in the organization is a key trait of an effective leader.
Religion Seems Inauthentic and Spirituality Passes the Smell Test
Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash We “slouch our way towards Bethlehem” as we seek connection with Presence. But in so doing why do we church refugees often define ourselves as spiritual and not religious?
From a Slump to Serenity - Four Steps
Photo by Carlos de Miguel on Unsplash Things have been looking bad lately. The stars don’t seem aligned. That’s, of course, if you spend much time following your news outlet or conversing with Debbie and Danny Downer. Someone named these morale-busters as charter members of the BMW Club (Bitch, Moan, and Whine) What’s the solution?
Nine Suggestions: Written on Pain Tablets
The realization of one’s arrogance can be a powerful step towards enlightenment and self-awareness. Remember the wise words of the Buddhist master. No self. No problem. When you run into a conspiracy-toting right-wing politico, woke-waving liberal, dogma diva, or when you are inclined to take yourself too seriously, check yourself against the following. Thou shalt recognize that at the core of thy being, thou art whole and eternal. Everything else is temporary.
Silencing the Voices in Your Head
Tapping Into Your Inner Power Source. Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash We have more potential under our hoods than we can even begin to comprehend. But we sabotage ourselves all the time with thoughts that we perceive as the last word on our selves. A spiritual master once quipped No self. No problem. So what does it mean to bench the self, or as the Scriptures instruct us to, ‘die to the self’ (Luke 9:23) in order to live a fulfilled life?
Beyond the Final Goodbye: When the Departed Send Signs from the Afterlife
Image source: Canva Pro When I tell you this story, you’re probably going to think I have a screw loose but hear me out. Sometimes, I feel like the actor Whoopi Goldberg in the movie Ghost where, as a charlatan psychic/medium, she started having dead relatives of her clients crash into her consulting space. Recently, I have felt the same thing happening to me, but it’s not a movie — it’s real life.
Say Hello to Your Mystical Self
Ordinary Mysticism for Ordinary People Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash Did you know that you are a mystic, albeit an ordinary one? By ‘ordinary mystic,’ I mean that you have the innate ability to connect with the Divine in everyday life, just like the extraordinary mystics we often hear about. So what if you have never had a direct encounter with the Divine that knocked your socks off and transformed your life? And you certainly did not sit in a mountain cave and chant Ohm for years.
Beyond the Pearly Gates: What Happens After You Die
A Psychologist’s Journey Through Near-Death Experiences Image source: Canva Pro (First published in June 2024) Is heaven only a gated community for a chosen few? Do only born-again folks make it through the pearly gates after they die? Does the judge on the throne assign people to heaven and hell?
What My Mother-in-Law’s Last Words Taught Me About My True Self
Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash Some of my mother-in-law’s last words “I am not my body. This is not me” were a wake-up call about the whole point of my life. With all the emphasis we put on our temporal self (cosmetics, fashion, health) and our intellectual abilities (a mind is a terrible thing to waste) we forget that there is another eternal (survives physical death) Self that connects us with the world of Spirit (our consciousness).
Why I Left Church to Find God
“My work is to give you what I know of my own particular path while allowing you to walk your own” Ta-Nehisi Coates How often have you attended church and left feeling like you’ve had a bad meal? Or sat in the pew scratching your head in disbelief as you heard a preacher pontificate on some pet dogma like ‘sinners in the hands of the angry (or at least disappointed) God.’ And who the hell was that God anyway? Certainly not mine today? I’ve been a churchgoer all my life.
How to Stop Letting Self-Doubt Write Your Story
A Psychologist’s Hard-Earned Lessons on Fear, Love, and Rediscovering Your Worth I used to believe I was missing a piece of the love puzzle. Not love itself, but the ability to express it, especially around children. My wife, Kris, has never had kids of her own, but you’d never know it. She’s magnetic with them. They light up around her like someone finally switched the world on. She meets them with authenticity and ease. She sees them. And, somehow, they see her.
God Shows Up In Many Places. Where Do We Meet the Divine?
Thoughts on applying a 2000 year old religion to 21st Century life When I first started watching the news on TV, only three channels were available (revealing my age!). Nowadays, the choice for viewing is unlimited, which leaves my ADD mind in a blur. I’ve had a similar experience of knowing God. During my theological studies at a Seminary, which I remember as my ‘God school,’ I initially thought the only channels available were reading the Bible or listening to a sermon.
When Spirit Appears, Pay Attention
Thoughts on applying a 2000 year old religion to 21st Century life Follow publication Shifting to a Divinely Inspired Way In this world, the unseen has Power — Apache proverb Remember the “old” AOL days when the “you’ve got mail” message popped up? Does the world of Spirit have ways of snagging you with messages that are dropped into your inbox of awareness? Or is the nonphysical team a remote phenomenon available only to a few, especially spiritual folks?
Addicted to Answers: My Journey from Doctrine to Mystery
How Questioning My Beliefs Led Me Deeper into the Divine What does one do when they reject many of the ‘facts’ of Christian dogma, e.g. the virgin birth, but still seek to connect with the mystery of Divinity? And why are we so addicted to certainty? And how can we embrace the wonder of not knowing? The Unraveling of My Convictions Every Sunday I would stand in church and recite the Nicene Creed declaring that it was factual. I was hooked on facts when it came to knowing about God.
The High Cost of Hustle: A Psychologist’s Wake-Up Call.
Thoughts on applying a 2000 year old religion to 21st Century life The Breakdown That Forced Me to Ask What My Soul Really Needed It’s the first thing we ask each other: “So, what do you do?” Not who are you, not what do you love, but what pays your bills. That one question says more about our society than we’d like to admit. It’s the canary in the coal mine of a culture that has built its self-worth around productivity. And the fallout? We’re burned out, anxious, lonely, and spiritually starved.
The Protest in Pictures - Resist or Die
Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 3 min read · -- Like millions of my fellow citizens, we refused to be like an ostrich, sticking our heads in the sand or like a possum, rolling over and playing dead. Yesterday, about 2000 New Mexicans (yes, we are a State) gathered at our Capitol building in Santa Fe. We were protesting the current Administration’s violation of our constitution and human rights.
Prayer Didn’t Save Me - Or Did It?
Member-only story Wrestling with Faith, Science, and the Mystery of Healing Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow Published in Backyard Church · 8 min read · -- Image source: Canva Pro More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of — Alfred Lord Tennyson. I don’t remember slipping into the coma, but I know I wasn’t supposed to wake up. As a child, I contracted cerebral malaria while on a fishing trip with my father in the Congo.
Looking for Solutions to Life’s Dilemmas - The Answer is Right Under Your Nose
Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 6 min read · -- Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash Early in my psychologist career I realized that if I listen to folks at a deeper level and trusted their own wisdom that they would discover the solution to their own problems. If we dare to step into the silence of our hearts, we are just a whisper away from the truth, a truth that can inspire and guide us.
What Growing Older Taught Me About Love, Death, and the Beyond
Surviving, Thriving, and Preparing for the Final Homecoming Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow Published in Backyard Church · 5 min read · -- Photo by Apostolos Vamvouras on Unsplash The Grateful Dead lyric, “Every silver lining has a touch of gray,” reminds us that even the most favorable situations can hint at pathos. That’s true of aging and death.
Unlearning the Racism I Didn’t Know I Had
Member-only story From Apartheid to Awareness: My Journey Through White Privilege Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow Published in Backyard Church · 9 min read · -- Image Source: Canva Pro Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced — James Baldwin. I grew up in Apartheid South Africa, surrounded by a system designed to keep people like me at the top. I didn’t question it — I barely even noticed it.
Use Your Imagination _ It’s The Path to God
Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 4 min read · -- To some, imagination is black box stuff, pure mystery. To others, it is silliness in action. It’s a mental tool used purely to fabricate ideas. Both approaches severely limit us and keep us from realizing what we have under the hood. A Divinely implanted potential to keep us in touch with Spirit world. What does it take to imagine something? In childhood, I lived in the heart of Africa.
Mentors Matter
Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 4 min read · -- Photo by NEXT Academy on Unsplash Whether we admit it or not, we all need mentors. They come into our lives by our choice, out of the blue, but always seemingly at the time when we need them the most. The Right Mentor for You They come across our path at different stages of life and in various shapes and sizes. They don’t just equip us for new corporate roles, professional skills, or leadership challenges.
My Last Hours With a Dying Friend
Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 3 min read · -- Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash A year ago, I sat at the bedside of a dying friend. He was planning an assisted suicide (legal and fully understood) the next week. As the author of at least a dozen books, a member of dozens of boards, the founder of a thriving farm, and the parent of two devoted children, he has reviewed the meaning of his long life over the last several months. Now, his emaciated body shadows his former rugged, lanky self.
Get the Hell Out of My Head
Member-only story Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 3 min read · -- Photo by James Lee on Unsplash The devil is not some real pitched-fork-wielding figure slinking around in some dark corner of the universe. And hell is a fear-based way to scare boys and girls into religion I don’t subscribe to a literal devil. And I’ve been to hell. In my mind.
How to Stay Sane When the World Has Lost Its Mind
Spiritual Clarity in an Age of Noise Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow Published in Backyard Church · 5 min read · -- Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash Everywhere we look, the world is a bloody mess, and sometimes, that chaos bleeds into our lives. With church leaders misbehaving, billionaires jockeying for a seat at the center of political power and robbing the poor to pay the rich, and the media gasping for oxygen from sensational reports, how do we manage our feelings of hopelessness or overwhelm?
Searching For God in All the Wrong Places
Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 5 min read · -- Photo by Davide Cantelli on Unsplash It’s so hard to experience God. Especially when that God doe not exist and close encounters of a divine kind are a figment of your imagination. Despite our dead-end searches we still long for connection, and nothing satisfies our craving. Old formulas like “Just pray about it” are like a bucket with a hole in the bottom that cannot hold water.
You are Not Just Human - You are An Empowered Soul
Member-only story Cedric Johnson, PhD · Follow 5 min read · -- Everywhere we look, the whole world is a “bloody mess.” With church leaders misbehaving, billionaires jockeying for a seat at the center of political power and robbing the poor to pay the rich, and the media gasping for oxygen from sensational reports, how do we manage our feelings of hopelessness or overwhelm?
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