Ingrid Honkala’s journey into spiritual writing began with a profound personal crisis. Experiencing a “dark night of the soul” and deep existential depression, she was pushed to seek answers to life’s most profound questions.
During this time, a critical moment occurred when she felt a strong inner guidance, which led her to seek help from a psychologist, marking the beginning of her transformative spiritual awakening.
In her interview with MysticMag, Ingrid shares the profound insights she gained, hoping to inspire others to find their own paths to spiritual enlightenment and inner peace.
What pivotal moment inspired you to share your spiritual journey and insights through writing?
Yes, that’s the part where I just think how deep I go, how far back in time I go. It all started with the dark night of the soul. I had suffered from existential depression for many years. That brought me to ask the deeper, deeper questions: What is all this for? Sometimes these pivotal moments in life are the ones that make us question the most. For me, these moments led to what I call a big awakening.
When I entered this very deep depression, I even had the thought of committing suicide. The very night I had this thought, an inner voice told me, “Wait one more day.” There was also a part of me that couldn’t make my mother suffer, and taking my life would mean making her suffer. These thoughts thankfully came to me at that moment. The only thing I could do with all this anguish was think and pray. My prayer was not for God to change things, but for God to help me see because I was blinded. I went into a deep prayer and finally fell asleep that night. The next day, I woke up with a clear thought: ask for help.
Up to that point, I had become a successful scientist, very busy, and thought I didn’t need anybody’s help. But that clarity led me to feel the need for a psychologist. I Googled a name and found a doctor with good feedback in the area. That very day, a friend told me about her daughter seeing a psychologist, and it was the same name. Later, I met another person who mentioned the same name. I realized this was a clear synchronicity. I went to meet that doctor, who happened to be a very spiritual person. For the first time in my life, I started to really share my experiences, my feelings of not belonging, and my desire to return to heaven.
This doctor told me to write a list of sufferings. Writing that list was cathartic and led to the start of my book. He looked at the list and said, “This is the first time in my 37-year career that I’ve met someone who has suffered this much and is mentally stable.” I cried and asked, “Why me? Why is this happening to me?” He gave me the most amazing answer: “Why not?” That changed everything. He pointed out how my experiences had a purpose and brought me to deep gratitude.
Three miracles happened at that moment. The first was the realization that nothing ever happened to me; it happened for me. I entered a deep state of gratitude. The second was the realization that my only truth was my present moment. I had the power to choose what to do with my memories. The third was discovering the true meaning of forgiveness: there was nothing to forgive because everything happened for me, not to me. I was in a state of complete connection, presence, gratitude, and appreciation.
One day, while driving, I entered a state of complete connection and felt the presence of what we call God, Source, the Divine Light, the Creator, the Father/Mother, the light of consciousness, everywhere. I had to stop the car. This sense of connection led me to the realization that I had to share my experiences with the world. Initially, writing a book felt egotistic, but I received the clarity that it was not about me but what I could do for others. When the book came out, I received messages saying it saved lives. I realized I was already a best seller because I was sharing love and appreciation. It’s all about love.
How do you incorporate your scientific background with your spiritual experiences in your teachings?
I love this question because people often wonder how I could become so spiritual while being a scientist. The truth is, I was spiritual before I became a scientist. Spirituality is at the root of who I am, starting with my first near-death experience.
People also ask how I could become a marine scientist after nearly drowning. My answer is that drowning brought me to see the light. These experiences fueled my desire to know more and deepen my understanding. Since I was very young, it was all about how I could learn more. My first near-death experience happened when I was very little, and I had many things I could not explain. This curiosity led me to become a Master Diver, driven by the idea of going deeper into knowledge, similar to how I wanted to explore the depths of the ocean. Diving allowed me to experience the absolute silence I craved since my near-death experience.
My fascination with the ocean started when I was four years old. My parents took me to see the ocean for the first time, and I was mesmerized. I told my mom that someday I would know what was under that blanket of water. At five, I declared to my dad that I would become a marine scientist. He supported me, and this career choice grounded me, balancing my mystical experiences with a tangible, scientific pursuit.
My scientific career allowed me to merge the divine with the human aspect, and the non-physical with the physical. While there were times I focused more on science, my spiritual principles and values always guided my actions. My projects aimed to create consciousness and remind people that we are part of nature. For example, I led a project on mangroves in the Caribbean, teaching sustainable use of resources rather than prohibiting their use.
I became an expert in El Niño” phenomenon and climate change, all while creating awareness. I tell people that at the end of the day, the difference between science and spirituality is in the mind. Spirituality is about being your authentic self, which requires peeling away layers we’ve created around us. This process involves action, making spirituality akin to science.
I give the analogy of a sky full of clouds. If I tell you there’s a blue sky beyond the clouds, you can choose to believe me without experience, turning it into dogma. Or, you can build
an airplane, apply the scientific method, and prove it for yourself. By observing, hypothesizing, experimenting, and drawing conclusions, you experience the blue sky firsthand. This is how spirituality works too—it’s about personal experience and taking action.
For instance, if I talk to you about meditation, it remains just an idea until you practice it yourself and experience its benefits. This is why I say spirituality is science. From a young age, I’ve always believed in taking action to discover truths for myself.
People often associate spirituality with calming the mind and stillness. While that’s part of it, spirituality is also about balancing stillness and movement. It’s about knowing the rhythm to balance both. When I had my big awakening and asked the universe what I could do or say to help people, the answer was to do or say nothing. The light of your awareness is all they need. The actions and words will naturally flow from your state of being. So, just be, and everything else will follow.
In summary, my scientific background grounds my spiritual experiences, creating a balanced approach to teaching. By integrating science and spirituality, I guide others to understand and embrace their authentic selves through both personal experience and practical action.
Can you discuss the impact of your near-death experience on your life’s path and work?
That experience changed everything. When I came back from my first near-death experience, I was about to be three years old. People might wonder how such a young child could have a before-and-after moment, but I did. I came back with a clear awareness and a state of consciousness that I didn’t have before. When I looked at my parents, I no longer saw them as just my biological parents; I saw them as equals. During my near-death experience, I felt a sense of oneness, and this feeling stayed with me.
I became very rebellious, thinking, “Why do I have to listen to these people?” I felt I was not just a child or a body. I had discovered that I was a being of light, more than this physical form. I would look in the mirror and tell my mom, “You don’t understand, I am not this.” Even my name felt unnecessary. Later, I understood that names are important in our human experience, but at that time, I felt disconnected from my human identity.
After the experience, I could read and write, solve mathematical problems, assemble complex puzzles, and paint—all at a very young age. School was easy and often boring for me. I felt like I wasn’t learning but remembering. There were no schools for children with my abilities, so teachers would put me in a corner and tell me to sit quietly. I felt detached from my parents, my persona, and couldn’t play with other children. I tried interacting with adults but found they didn’t understand either. I became very angry and refused to eat.
This experience deeply impacted my life and the lives of those around me. I couldn’t forget it because it profoundly affected me and my parents. I wanted to go back to that place of light, feeling like I didn’t belong there and that I was an alien. In school, I was ostracized and bullied. This near-death experience wasn’t a singular event for me; it was followed by out-of-body experiences and communication with beings of light. It felt like the door to that other realm never closed.
Later in life, I realized that the door never closed because there are no doors. The Kingdom of Heaven, God, Source, the light of awareness—all of it is always here for us. We are the ones who build barriers through conditioning, beliefs, fears, and experiences, covering the light that we truly are. From a young age, I knew there was no death and that I was an eternal being.
It took many years to integrate this experience. At first, there were no words to explain it, and no one around me had clarity about what had happened. My mother, who rescued me from drowning, was the first to validate my experience. She had an intuitive sense of where I was and saved me. She performed CPR and brought me back to life. My grandmother, my father’s mother, became my spiritual guide, teaching me meditation and leading me through various spiritual practices.
At 24, I had a second near-death experience in a motorcycle accident, which reinforced the understanding that pain is in the body, and we are souls. In this experience, I felt no pain or fear, and I experienced a deep connection with God. This second experience further confirmed that our essence is eternal and divine.
Two years ago, during surgery, I had another near-death experience that gave me the final clarity I needed. I realized that home is not a place; it is a state of being. I understood that I didn’t need to go anywhere because I had always been home. We are human beings—the human and the divine, the form and the formless. This understanding transformed my perspective, helping me see that our human experiences are opportunities to grow, evolve, and become the best versions of ourselves.
How do you approach one-on-one coaching, and what transformation do you aim to bring to your clients?
For me, one-on-one coaching is about guiding people to the clarity of remembering that they are souls, eternal beings who never truly die. People often ask about their purpose and mission. When I posed this question to the universe, the answer was clear: your true purpose is to remember that you are the light, the light of consciousness. The purpose of each of us is to shine that light in whatever we do, whether we are doctors, carpenters, mothers, or teachers.
When you start remembering, “I am the soul, I am the light,” you begin to unpack, reveal, and understand the values of your soul. I recall a beautiful teaching that says the source of who you truly are is love, peace, calmness, joy, understanding, and greatness. The true question becomes: what am I doing that prevents me from being that? The journey is about peeling away the layers of what you are not, to return to your core self.
In my one-on-ones, I guide people to go deep within on a journey of self-knowledge. I teach them practical and easy tools to accommodate the stressful, fast-paced modern world. For example, I offer the acronym PAUSE:
– P for Presence: Just stop for a moment and be present.
– A for Acceptance: Accept what is here and now without judgment, just appreciation.
– U for Union: Feel unified with the Whole/Source, when you are present and accepting.
– S for Silence: Embrace silence, serenity, and stillness.
– E for Experience: Turn this practice into an experiential learning process.
I teach practices of gratitude to increase vibrational frequency. From a place of higher vibration, we can work with lower resonances and start attracting things that match our vibrational frequency. I guide people to work with their emotions and thoughts to reach a state of balance.
A core teaching I share is that oneness starts within. My favorite principle is: “What is in the way is the way.” I help clients use their thoughts, emotions, experiences, and challenges to fuel their awareness and peel away the layers that obscure their true selves.
We must also learn to be gentle, compassionate, and self-caring. I often use the analogy of peeling an onion: it makes you cry because it’s difficult and we are attached to our layers. The journey of releasing these attachments requires care, compassion, and presence, taking time to integrate, transform, and transmute them.
Before I even meet people, I often receive guidance about them, which I write down. This demonstrates our deep interconnection. In each of my near-death experiences and deep meditations, I have experienced this interconnection. We are all connected.
In summary, my approach to one-on-one coaching helps people reconnect with their true selves, understand their purpose, and transform their lives by peeling away the layers of what they are not, embracing who they truly are, and shining their light in whatever they do. Most importantly, I remind them that we are never alone and guide them to remember that we are eternally embraced by the loving arms of our Divine Father/Mother in heaven.
What role do the Beings of Light play in your life and work, and how do you communicate their messages to others?
The Beings of Light have played a fundamental role in my life since I was three years old. Thanks to them, I didn’t end up in a mental institution, as they started to appear when I was very young, and I began communicating with them. They brought a sense of home to Earth for me, making me feel I wasn’t alone and providing teachings from a young age.
People often ask how I know these Beings of Light aren’t something negative like the devil. The answer is simple: any being, physical or non-physical, that tells you, “I am your teacher, you have to follow me,” you should run away from. However, a true teacher guides you to look within, to explore the depths of your being, reminding you that you are the light. Once you remember that you are the light of consciousness, you become a co-creator because you reconnect with your inner wisdom and the wisdom of the universe.
Since I was very little, the Beings of Light have told me not to simply believe what they say, but to experience it myself. Spirituality is like science—you must experience it to understand it. For example, meditation brings a sense of calm and presence, helping you become less reactive and more responsive, transforming from a victim of life to a co-creator of your reality.
Once, I asked the Beings of Light how it was possible to predict the future, and they explained that humans are predictable because they are habitual. They likened it to mathematical equations: if you follow a pattern, you can predict the outcome. But when you become the creator of your reality, you break free from these patterns, accessing the wisdom of the universe and knowing what to do and when to do it.
The Beings of Light have guided me to always go within, teaching me various ways to connect with my inner self and to remember our Divine Source. People often say they cannot connect with Beings of Light, and I tell them they must first calm their minds. Many people want immediate answers without doing the work. Repetition is key—just as repetitive music teaches children, repetition helps us learn and unlearn, reshaping our energy and creating new systems of life. This concept, known as neuroplasticity, allows us to change our chemistry, physiology, biology, emotional body, and psychic state in coherence and harmony.
To connect with Beings of Light, start by connecting with the truth of who you are. It’s like baking a cake—the inside must taste good before you focus on the icing. Work on the essential foundation first, and the rest will follow. The most important message from the Beings of Light is to go within and know yourself.
Are there any upcoming projects or books you are currently working on that you can share with us?
Yes, yes. Oh, there’s so much going on. I just came back from a 37-day tour in Europe. I visited four countries and ten cities, with almost 20 venues. Though the tour has already happened, I’m sharing this because it opened doors for more invitations. Now, I’ve been invited to speak in Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and England, and I’m going to India at the end of this year. More and more opportunities are arising because of the growing need for all of us to reconnect and uncover deeper truths. Each of us carries a piece of the puzzle that completes one another, making all of us important in the process of waking up and being the light for each other.
Currently, I continue with one-on-one coaching and teaching classes for a university foundation called the Icloby Foundation. This organization is doing incredible work with their Light Project, which aims to bring awareness about near-death experiences to the medical community. About ten hospitals have agreed to include this in their curriculum, helping doctors, nurses, and the medical community better understand and support these patients. I’m also involved in filming documentaries, participating in podcasts, and working on a project that studies brain wave patterns to bring more scientific credibility to these experiences.
I have a newsletter where I share all my mentoring classes, spiritual retreats, and other activities. People can subscribe to my newsletter on my website, and I also keep everyone informed through my media pages and YouTube channel.
Additionally, I’m currently writing four books. One is a collaboration with my youngest sister on children’s books. The other three books I’m writing simultaneously—one during meditation and the other two throughout my daily life. So, yes, I’m pretty busy!
Here’s a beautiful title to consider: “Dying Brought Me to See the Light.” Another one could be “I Needed to Die in Order to Learn to Live.”
Find out more at: www.ingridhonkala.com
