Interviewed by: Lewis Howes on the School of Greatness Podcast
__Today we have as a guest on our show: Gisela Lammerts van Bueren, whew! Was that right? Wow, how was it growing up with a name like that in a Spanish speaking country?
__ It was a challenge, believe me Lewis and it was fun too. Ha, ha, ha (nervous laugh).
__I read “Crossing the Veil into Consciousness” and I felt all these emotions come up in me. Tell me a little about how the idea for the book came about.
__Well Lewis, I grew up in a household that was very European and very Latin. Two very different and unique ways of perceiving life. I guess you could say that I had the best and the worst of both worlds.
__Back in 2024, I was at a crossroads in my life. I faced a new reality. I was alone after my mom´s passing. I was her main caregiver. Although I thought I did it well, I didn´t have the tools to cope and I didn´t do the necessary self-care.
You see, mom came to live with me two months after my husband had left. Mom´s health was fragile. The doctor´s recommended she stay worry free. So, pretending to be ok when I was grieving inside was challenging. A few months later, I retired. I lost the network of established social connections. All the plans changed overnight. I kept busy: taught at a local University, travelled, volunteered and did consulting work. Most importantly, I began to enjoy a different side of my mom. As time went by, mom´s health deteriorated. She became my sole focus.
__Wow, I am so sorry. How did you cope with the loss?
__I was in a daze for months. I couldn´t sleep well, the changes were sudden, the fact that I was alone didn´t help. Then, in August 2024, I got an email to join the Master Key Experience (MKE).
Lewis, I tell you, it changed my life! During the MKE I was in a cocoon of fear and doubt. I felt a whirlwind of emotions. I would force myself to do the assignments. The less I wanted to do something, the more I would force myself to do it. Over and over, I would say to myself: Focus G… one step at a time, you can do this. Just… “do it now”!
__You say that with such energy, that it really inspires me!
__It comes from the heart Lewis. It was like a primal chant. I had to make the change and I did. You see, I went beyond the veil. That illusion created by family traditions, mores, culture, ingrained patterns of thought hiding away in my subconscious mind, were outdated and no longer served me but were ruling my life.
__Today, I am a totally different person. My husband and I enjoy the restored mountain-house and we bought our beachfront home. We share both places with family and guests. We now hold monthly workshops there also. I feel the need to share with others and help them in their journey to self-discovery. That is my calling, my legacy to them. We have met amazing people which have become friends. What makes it even more special is that the staff is like family.
__You have written other books as well.
__Yeah, it started back in June 2024 when I participated in a writing workshop. We decided to gather the written material and print a book of short stories. Then I wrote “Pzzzzt Colibrí”, which was a hit in the Girl Guiding/Scouting community back in 2025.
But I still had this urge to keep writing. It was automatic writing. I had no preplanned sketch or any idea about what was to be said, it just flowed. From it I grew and learned immensely. It was back in 2027 that “Crossing the Veil into Consciousness” made the NYT bestselling list.
__Congratulations! That is quite an achievement. I hear you travel a great deal also.
__Oh yes, we do workshops and give talks in North, South America and Europe basically. However, we have been contacted to go to Australia, Singapore and Thailand before June of 2028. So now, our horizons have expanded and it is now a World Tour.
__That is exciting. I understand that at your events you have thousands of people.
__Oh yes, it was back in November of 2025, in Mexico, that we topped the one thousand mark. That was very inspiring. There was such an amazing energy there. It was the best!
__Tell me, how did you do it?
__Well, 2024 was a turning point for everything. I mmmmm had to set my priorities straight. It all started by cleaning out my storage room.
__Really?
__Yeah! Who would believe that something so simple would become huge.
I looked at the stuff, then grabbed it and I asked myself… Do I really need this? Is this of service? Yes… then keep it. No, gift it to someone who actually needs it. Thus, began the journey of looking for the absolute necessities in life. As I got rid of the excess baggage, I also became lighter in my thinking. It really helped me focus.
__And you changed your outer self also. I understand you lost a lot of weight.
__That´s right, I questioned the excess baggage that I carried on my body. I didn´t need to hide any more… I had gone on and off “diets” before. However, once I started the MKE I felt the need to re-define who I was. So, I would go to the pool but wouldn´t watch my food intake. Big mistake. You are an athlete and you really take care of yourself. Anyway, a month later…
__A month later…
__Yeah it took me a month Lewis. I started asking myself… do I want this? Is it good for me? What do I feel that my body needs? Mind you, these seem like silly questions, but they were crucial to my change.
__Yes, definitely. It sounds like you were really in contact with your inner self and did some profound soul-searching. So, how much did you lose?
__Hahahahaha, I didn´t LOSE the weight. If I did, my subconscious would go into “panic mode”. So, even though losing weight felt good, my subconscious was not used to this new way of being and looked for ways of getting it all back. So, I GAVE it back to the Universe.
__That is an interesting point of view. Never thought of it that way. What did you do?
__I re-programmed my subconscious and re-framed my life. That was part of the training I went through in MKE. I went from a size 18 to a size 8. I changed inside out.
__That is amazing Gisela. Unfortunately, time is running out. I wish we could continue this. Maybe we should do a part 2. Would you be up for that?
__I most certainly would love that.
__Any last words?
__Listen to your inner self. Live to the fullest and dare to fulfill your dreams. After all, it is your life we are talking about.
