Spiritual Flying
Spiritual Flying…
Flight safety incidents are clearly on the rise in 2025.
I was scheduled to fly to Portland, Oregon, from Montana for work last month, and as the date approached, I found myself getting anxious over the travel plans. I checked in with myself several times to see if I should go through with the flight plan or if I needed to cancel. Flip-flopping back and forth, the anxiety of canceling a work obligation won out, and my intuition suggested all would be well.
Though I was calm, I knew I was feeling concerned when I made sure my living trust was on my desk before I left with an updated copy of my will. I haven’t done anything like that since flying in a private plane from Philadelphia to Nashville to arrive in time for a production I was privileged to be a part of.
From a spiritual perspective, I reminded myself that none of us know when our number will be called and when our time here in service on Earth is complete. Perhaps, a maudlin thought, but an honest one.
As I ticked through the list of crashes, mechanical issues, pilot errors, and lives lost, I sent love to each human lost and those affected. Reality hit on a new level, and I could feel surrender starting to trickle into my heart. That small shift led me to a practice of loving kindness I learned while on a meditation retreat with a Zen Master. It goes something like this:
May I/you be safe, peaceful, and free of suffering.
May I/you be happy.
May I/you be healthy.
May I/you be strong and confident, safe.
Along with this mantra, I showed up at the airport, and rather than holding a pinched face, I decided to relax my muscles and gently add a subtle smile with intention as I went through security and down the hall to the gate.
There were moments when energetic connections with other travelers were visceral. I even had a telepathic exchange with a woman who was helping her husband on crutches, and feeling the weight of caretaking growing thin.
I’ve never sensed more people aboard a flight pay attention to the exit rows and emergency announcements as we waited for take-off. The memory of my physicist father telling me that take-off and landing are the most dangerous points of any flight surfaced. I silently and sarcastically smiled to myself, thanking him for the knowledge, realizing I had no control over whether this would be the final moment.
I’m grateful for all of the life experiences I’ve had and for surrendering to the process of moving on. From a spiritual perspective, I’ve come to believe that I have come here to learn and evolve with soul evolution as the prize. While I embrace death as part of life, the part I am leery of is the actual exit, and honestly, I hope mine doesn’t involve suffering.
In Salt Lake, while waiting to board the delayed flight for Portland, two young pilots entered the gate area. One took the microphone and addressed us. He apologized for the delay and honestly revealed that we had been waiting for fresh pilots. He and his colleague were those fresh pilots, and they were determined to get us to Portland safely, which they did.
The day before my return flight, a Southwest plane en route to Las Vegas from Burbank - a flight path I know well - dropped in mid-air. A friend texted me with the news almost as soon as it happened.
Up came the fear again. This time, my tools were fresh. All I had practiced on the trip out was paying off for my scheduled return. I used the same tools of engaging, sending love, being present for myself and others, and surrendering wholeheartedly to the entire process with compassion.
All was smooth. There were no delays, no stutters on the take-offs or landings, and I was present enough to help a young woman sitting next to me, making her first solo flight with her 9-month-old daughter.
The experience helped my consciousness expand again, and fear waned.
My wish, that we all may soar in love, wisdom, and freedom, our hearts as vast as the sky, regardless of circumstances.
Susan Gold spent a successful career in New York and Los Angeles producing content for tv and film. She now lives in rural northwest Montana, helping others awaken from toxic systems that no longer work to live in freedom from the inside out. To learn more about Susan, go to https://www.susangold.us/ or check out her YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@susangoldismagical, for weekly inspiration for transformation.