Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

father is very impressed by your sober intuitive comprehension of psychological processes. He
has asked me to invite you to München to discuss his investigations and to write a publication
on medical processes and spiritual healing with you. What would you think of that?"
Alexandra slackened her reins. On its own the horse moved ahead of Claudia’s.
Gocha’s reappearance so far away from Svaneti had scared her. The first time Gocha
appeared to her in a dream of such intensity that she forced herself to wake up.
The second time had been even more disturbing, because it happened during waking
hours. On a warm, sunny day she had been riding with Konrad, not far from where they were
now. A heavy thunderstorm growled somewhere in the distance. They stopped at the edge of a
wood. Konrad had fallen asleep the moment he had lain down, and she had been on her back
watching the sky and the distant flashes of lightening, drowsy but fully awake.
Suddenly she flew. She had simply lifted off effortlessly. She would never be able to tell
whether she had fallen asleep at that very moment, but she distinctly remembered the storm
clouds, the woods, Konrad lying asleep in the shade below her, the otherwise blue sky, and the
brilliant sun. She had flown towards the sun. Attracted by the blinding light she had soared
higher and higher. The landscape below had soon been drowned by the light surrounding her.
She lost time and space, but she wasn’t afraid. The flying and the blazing light were
familiar. Finally she had seen the Caucasus below her, Elbrus, the tooth of Ushba. A great joy
had swept her, as she slowly went down, much like in her dream at Gocha’s house. Should it
be that easy to go home?
Abruptly her vision had narrowed, as if looking through a telescope. Adishi had
appeared straight ahead. Gocha was sitting in front of her house and waved, expecting her.
The color of the light had changed to an intense blue.
Gocha was drumming on a shaman’s drum. Hers or Shalva’s? A great anxiety
overcame her connected with the monotonous sound of the drum. She was still hovering high
above ground when Gocha spoke: "Child, you have avoided me. You should visit me more
often, you are a healer wasting your precious gift. Why are you scared? Have you forgotten to
talk to your soul bird?"
The raven suddenly swooped down on her, growing so big that he blotted out the sun.
Struck by fear she began to fall rapidly towards the ground. The sickening feeling of falling
woke her. Completely wrung out, her entire body aching, she found herself next to sleeping
Konrad. The sun was gone, a thunder clap released a sudden downpour. This time Konrad
danced in the rain, she was too benumbed to follow him. She had never told Konrad about this
experience.
"Alexandra! Don’t fall off the horse!" Claudia called.
Alexandra shook herself. "How long have I been away?"
Claudia stared at her with wide eyes. "What happened?"
Alexandra touched her head. "I felt dizzy."
They had ridden a good distance. Slowly she regained her senses. "Do you really want
to hear about my encounters with Gocha?" she said very slowly. "They frighten me when they
happen. I was thinking of the last time I have been ‘flying,’ and it completely put me out. I am
lucky you caught me before I fell."
Then she remembered Claudia’s request: "I envy you the sober intellectual environment
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