Journey of the Soul: Following Your Passion as the Ultimate Act of Service – An Interview with Darryl Anka

Could your passion be your soul’s most direct signal, telling you exactly what you came here to do?

After 40+ years of channeling Bashar, Darryl Anka returns to this answer again and again. Passion is the physical translation of soul messages. It tells you who you are, what your next step is meant to be, and where you can be of greatest service to others and yourself at the same time. He’s lived by it for over half a century, even before he became the channel for Bashar. The path he was already on as a filmmaker and effects artist turned out to be the path his soul had agreed to before he was born.

In this conversation, Darryl shares the early days of channeling. This simulacrum forms when channel and entity blend, his thoughts on prayer, business, and AI, and a powerful reframe on the question of whether ETs are demonic. He also walks through how Bashar describes the journey of the soul itself…what the soul chooses, what it experiences during incarnation, and what happens to it after. And he reflects on what 42 years of channeling has taught him about staying centered, humble, and unmistakably himself.

Whether you’ve followed Bashar’s work for decades or are meeting Darryl for the first time, this conversation is worth your time.

Continue reading or listen in by subscribing for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or YouTube.

Cover photo by Meredith Gradishar – Zoom Theory

What first sparked your interest in the entertainment industry and special effects work?

Darryl Anka: Ironically, I had always been fascinated by effects in films. At one point, I started knocking on doors trying to find a way into the industry — specifically the side where people were building miniatures, sets, and practical effects. I’d been a designer and an artist since I was young, so it felt like a natural direction for me.

What exactly were miniatures back then? Today, everything is digital, but how did those effects work at the time?

Darryl Anka: Back then, they would literally build miniature versions of things that couldn’t realistically be constructed full-size, and then photograph them in ways that made them appear massive on screen. In Star Wars, for example, all the spaceships were miniatures — models only about this big — but with special camera techniques, lenses, and scale ratios, they looked enormous.

They also weathered the models to make them feel real, as if they had existed naturally for years. That gave them a sense of weight and authenticity.

So I started going around looking for opportunities, and eventually I ended up at Industrial Light & Magic, which at the time was based in Van Nuys, California. They told me, “Sorry, we just finished building a whole bunch of spaceships for a film coming out called Star Wars.” And I remember thinking, What’s Star Wars? But they weren’t hiring.

Then Star Wars came out, and when I saw it, I thought, My God, I absolutely have to get into this industry. It was obvious something huge was happening. The movie was breaking box office records, and there were lines wrapped around the block.

Around that same time, I came across a newspaper article saying that one local theater needed people immediately to help manage the crowds. They said they’d hire anyone on the spot. I realized that if I worked there as an usher, I’d be able to watch the movie for free as many times as I wanted and study how they created those effects, because at the time, it was all incredibly new.

So I applied, got hired, and spent my time helping control the lines while watching the film whenever I could. During the months I worked there, there was only one moment when someone at the front door asked me to cover ticket-taking for about twenty minutes while they went on break.

And in that exact twenty-minute window, one of the technicians from Star Wars came into the theater. I recognized him immediately, and we started talking. He realized how passionate I was about the work and arranged another interview for me at Industrial Light & Magic.

They still weren’t hiring, but they told me there was a guy who had just started at a new company and didn’t have a crew yet. They suggested I interview with him. I went in, and part of the interview involved actually building a miniature out of scrap materials on the spot. I did it, got hired, and suddenly I was on the ground floor of a brand-new special effects company called Movie Miniatures.

The first project we worked on was a television series called Project UFO, which was funny because I had actually seen a UFO myself back in 1973, only about four years earlier.

The show was produced by Jack Webb, who was known for Dragnet. Project UFO was essentially Dragnet, but focused on UFO investigations. It followed two Air Force officers who investigated public reports, very much in the style of Project Blue Book. Our job was to create miniature UFO models to visually recreate what witnesses claimed to have seen.

That was really how everything began for me. From there, I moved straight into working on props for the first Star Trek movie, and things continued to grow.

You mentioned that you actually saw a UFO yourself before working on Project UFO. That’s an incredible full-circle moment.

Darryl Anka: Yeah, it really was. At one point during the show, they were working on an episode and trying to come up with a UFO design, but they were kind of stuck. I told them, “Well, I actually saw a UFO.” They let me recreate the design I had seen, and I ended up building the miniature myself for the episode. They used it in the show, which was pretty surreal. It definitely felt like life coming full circle.

You’ve worked on some huge productions — Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Pirates of the Caribbean; I, Robot; Live Free or Die Hard. Looking back, what projects stand out as especially memorable or fun for you?

Darryl Anka: On Star Trek: Nemesis, we actually got to work directly on the sets at the studio lot, and I remember getting to sit in the captain’s chair on the bridge. That was a lot of fun.

On The Day After Tomorrow, we worked much more directly with director Roland Emmerich. We collaborated closely with him on the kinds of miniature effects he wanted, and that gave me a real education in how directors think and work creatively. Experiences like that eventually inspired me to move into directing myself.

My wife and I later started our own company, Zia Films, where we made three independent films together. I got the opportunity to write, produce, and direct, which became another exciting chapter of learning and creativity for me. Honestly, the whole journey through filmmaking was an education, and I loved exploring all those different aspects of storytelling.

At the same time, though, you were channeling Bashar. You were essentially living these two parallel lives. How did you balance those very different parts of yourself?

Darryl Anka: It definitely required a lot of juggling. One side of my life was my creative passion — filmmaking, props, set design, storytelling, all of that. Even now, my wife and I own an escape room in Los Angeles, which still feels connected to that same creative world of building immersive environments and experiences.

But channeling was something different. That felt more connected to my soul path and being of service to others. I was deeply passionate about both, so I had to figure out how to make them coexist. In many ways, it worked out naturally because when one area slowed down, it created space for the other. A lot of it simply came down to scheduling and learning how to flow between the two worlds.

I’d love to hear about the early days of channeling Bashar. What was most challenging for you in the beginning?

Darryl Anka: The biggest challenge was learning how to handle the energy, because the energy coming through was so much stronger than my own. It took a couple of years to really clear the pathway enough to let it flow fully without experiencing difficult side effects.

What do you mean by “getting out of the way”?

Darryl Anka: I had to let go of all the mental noise. I worried about how I sounded, how I looked, whether the information was accurate, whether it would help anyone, whether I was making it all up, whether I was crazy, how people would receive it, why this was happening to me, and where it would lead — all of those questions.

Eventually, I realized I had to let go of all that and trust that if something is unfolding synchronistically in your life, it’s there because of an agreement you made on a soul level. Life begins guiding you toward where you need to be and how you can best serve others using whatever gifts you’ve been given.

Once I cleared that mental clutter and learned to breathe, let go, and simply allow the energy to move through me, my body began handling it much better.

In the first couple of years, right before channeling, I would get aches and pains and feel like I was coming down with the flu. But the moment I actually let the energy come through, all of it would disappear instantly. I eventually understood that it was almost like stretching my nervous system so it could adapt to a higher-frequency energy.

Then there was one moment I remember very clearly when everything shifted. It felt like standing in the ocean with the water up to your chest, then being gently lifted by a wave before settling back down. I felt the energy buoy me upward in that same way, and I knew something had changed.

From that point on, the energy stopped feeling difficult or overwhelming. Instead, it became energizing. I no longer experienced it as something negative at all. It just took time to learn how to allow it through properly.

You mentioned earlier how intense the energy felt in the beginning. Hearing you describe it is incredibly relatable. Over the last six months, I’ve experienced massive amounts of energy moving through my body — almost like electricity. But over the last month, something shifted, and it finally started to calm down.

Darryl Anka: Yeah, that’s good. I often use the analogy of trying to force the Hoover Dam through a garden hose. There’s just so much pressure behind the size and scope of the energy that you feel like this tiny little conduit through which all of it is trying to move.

So you really have to breathe, relax, and gradually stretch that conduit open so the energy can flow naturally. And you learn to trust that whatever is coming through in that moment is exactly what needs to come through to help whoever you’re meant to help.

It’s definitely a learning process. Like anything else, you improve with practice. Over time, you relax more into it, and as you do, you gain greater discernment about what’s actually happening. You also begin understanding — through the feedback people give you — how the information is helping them.

And it’s important to remember that channeling is actually a natural state. Everyone experiences it in some form when they’re doing something they truly love and become completely immersed in it. When people talk about being “in the zone,” they’re entering what’s called a gamma brainwave state — around 40 to 100 cycles per second — which is an altered state of consciousness.

When someone is deeply focused and no longer paying attention to time, they’re already channeling. The question then becomes: what do you do with it? How do you use it creatively? Do you connect to something beyond yourself? Do you allow more of your soul to come through? Whatever you’ve agreed to do with that state is available to you. But everyone has access to it. It’s a completely natural altered state.

Do you think channels attract beings aligned with their own personalities? Or are certain beings drawn to specific channels? It often seems like the channel’s personality still comes through during the process.

Darryl Anka: Well, it’s not exactly either one in the way people usually think. What’s happening is more of a blending process. You’re not getting the pure personality of the channel, and you’re not getting the pure personality of the entity either.

Bashar has referred to it as a “simulacrum,” meaning a third presentation that emerges from the blending of both personalities.

Some of the channel’s personality naturally comes through, since it is the translation device on this end. You’re the telephone through which the information is being transmitted, so aspects of your own energy and expression will inevitably influence how the information is delivered.

At the same time, some of the entity’s identity comes through because there’s an actual connection and blending. So what people are really experiencing is neither one independently, but a third expression created through the interaction of both.

That’s why every channel delivers information differently. There will always be traces of the individual person through whom the information is coming.

But it’s also important to understand that this isn’t usually something random that happens during the lifetime. These agreements are arranged before incarnation.

So Bashar didn’t choose you because he thought, “I like Darryl — we’re similar”?

Darryl Anka: What I’m saying is that the agreement happened before I was Darryl. I became the personality necessary to fulfill the agreement that had already been made.

So it wasn’t a random selection during this lifetime. The setup existed from the very beginning, before I was born. Looking back, many of the experiences I had early in life were actually preparing me to fulfill that agreement.

In that sense, it wasn’t created during the lifetime — the lifetime itself was structured around the purpose.

How has Bashar’s messaging evolved over the years? Has the focus or content changed from the early days until now?

Darryl Anka: It hasn’t changed so much as it has become more detailed. The more I allow through, and the more closely my frequency aligns with his, the more fully he’s able to express what needs to come through. That naturally makes the information clearer, deeper, and more extensive.

It’s similar to learning an instrument. In the beginning, when you first sit at a piano, you fumble around a bit. But with time and practice, you eventually become capable of playing full concertos.

The same thing happens here. You are the instrument. As you refine yourself, the transmission becomes clearer. The entity can bring more of its personality through, and you can bring more of your own through as well. The whole blended expression — the simulacrum — evolves into a clearer and more effective “telephone.”

So over time, the channeling has become smoother, faster, more detailed, and able to communicate much deeper concepts.

At the same time, it also depends on timing. In the early years, certain ideas simply weren’t appropriate for people to receive because they weren’t ready for them yet. As both I and the audience evolved, Bashar could begin introducing more advanced concepts in ways people could absorb and understand.

So a lot of it is connected not only to the clarity of the channel, but also to what humanity is collectively experiencing at that particular moment and what information people most need in order to adapt to the changes happening in our reality.

Photo by Meredith Gradishar – Zoom Theory

Has Bashar ever said something that made you personally pause or question it? Are there moments where you don’t fully agree, or do you feel completely aligned with what’s been communicated over the years?

Darryl Anka: I feel aligned with what he says, but I also recognize that sometimes certain things are presented almost as a kind of test bed — a way of seeing how people react.

There have been moments where I could sense that Bashar was intentionally testing the waters to gauge whether people were ready for certain ideas. If the reaction suggests they’re not ready, he’ll usually back away from the topic and leave it alone until the timing feels more appropriate.

Topics connected to politics, for example, tend to be especially sensitive on this planet, so he’s very cautious whenever anything carries political implications. Now and then, he’ll lightly poke at those subjects just to observe the reaction and assess where humanity is collectively at.

But that’s relatively rare. Ultimately, it ties back to his primary purpose as a “first contact specialist.” A lot of what he tests for is connected to understanding how prepared humanity is for open contact and how we might handle that experience if and when it occurs.

How much do you personally engage with spiritual or consciousness-related content outside of Bashar? Do you read books, watch videos, follow other teachers, or do you mostly stay focused on your own work?

Darryl Anka: Honestly, I don’t even spend much time listening back to my own Bashar recordings because it would take up too much time.

I do keep a moderate awareness of what’s happening within the spiritual and metaphysical community. Occasionally, I’ll come across a book or a person I feel drawn to. Usually, it feels almost synchronistic — like I’ll suddenly get a strong feeling from Bashar or from my own guides that I need to go to a bookstore because there’s something there I’m meant to read.

It helps keep me aware of what conversations people are having and what subjects are entering the collective awareness. Sometimes that even signals to Bashar that a topic has now entered the public domain and can be discussed more openly.

So I’ll often feel guided toward certain books, interviews, or teachers that somehow support the continuation of the channeling work or simply help me understand where humanity’s awareness is moving.

Is there a particular book, teacher, or resource that’s been especially meaningful for you recently?

Darryl Anka: I usually try not to call out too many specific people or resources because, like Bashar, I don’t really like endorsing things too heavily. Sometimes people place too much weight on recommendations, and I prefer that individuals discover what resonates with them personally.

Now and then, I’ll mention someone I think is interesting or credible, but it’s relatively rare.

One psychic medium I find compelling is Sterling. What I appreciate about him is that he’s very direct and immediate in his communication. There’s no hesitation or vague circling around things. He’s very straightforward — “This is what my spirit team is saying, and here’s the message.”

Now, obviously, I can’t personally verify accuracy or validity beyond situations where something was predicted in advance and later happened. But I do appreciate the clarity and confidence in the delivery.

As for books, some of the classics I still recommend are Journey of Souls and the Seth material, especially The Nature of Personal Reality. Those have become almost foundational texts in this space over the years.

But generally speaking, I still prefer that people discover what they need in their own way and at the right time for them.

I keep thinking I need to figure out how to get Bashar to write the foreword to one of my books someday.

Darryl Anka: Yeah… he doesn’t do that. Sorry.

Over the years, what has your relationship been like with other channels? Is there ever competition or comparison between people in that world?

Darryl Anka: No, not really. Most channels are ultimately communicating very similar ideas, even if the terminology or delivery style differs. Each person naturally has their own way of expressing information, and the people drawn to them are usually resonating with that specific style of delivery.

So it all works together rather than against each other.

I did have one fascinating experience where I co-channeled with another channeling friend. The entities actually took turns speaking on the same topic, almost like a coordinated dance.

I could sense, on a higher level, the coordination happening between them. It was almost as if we were taking energetic turns. You could literally feel when it was “your turn” and when it was the other entity’s turn.

The best way I can describe it is like wind filling a sail. You feel the energy move through you; then, suddenly, it recedes, and you know your part is finished for the moment. Then the other entity steps in.

It felt incredibly orchestrated — almost like a dance happening on another level entirely — while the two human beings involved were simply acting as instruments through which the information was being delivered back and forth. That was a really fascinating experience to witness firsthand.

You mentioned earlier that you once co-channeled with another channel. Is there any video of that experience?

Darryl Anka: There might be, but honestly, I have no idea where it would be at this point. It happened a long time ago. Shawn may still have it somewhere, but I really don’t know whether it still exists.

I was actually trained by Shawn, so hearing you talk about that experience really resonates. I recently had a similar experience myself at an event called Galactic Channeling Live in Orange County. I was channeling back and forth with Livia Devi, who channels the 7D Arcturian Council of Light, and it felt exactly like you described — almost like taking energetic turns.

Darryl Anka: Yeah, that’s exactly what it feels like.

I’ve heard you say before that the information coming through during channeling isn’t necessarily only from Bashar himself — that Bashar is also accessing information from other beings and sources. Can you explain how that works?

Darryl Anka: Bashar is telepathically connected to an entire network or team — including my spirit guides, your spirit guides, extraterrestrial beings, angelic beings, and many others. He functions almost like a facilitator who instantly knows where to access the specific information needed for the person he’s speaking to.

So if someone asks a question, he immediately taps into whichever consciousness or perspective has the most relevant information for that moment.

It’s very much a collaborative effort, but there still needs to be one coherent facilitator through whom the information can be organized and translated for us. That’s why it comes through Bashar’s personality and his ability to coordinate all those connections.

How do you know that’s actually happening? How do you distinguish between Bashar accessing other sources versus it simply being his own perspective?

Darryl Anka: I can feel it. During the channeling, I can distinctly sense the presence of different personalities and energies. I don’t necessarily know all the details intellectually, but symbolically, I can feel that the information is coming from multiple places and that Bashar is coordinating it all very quickly in real time.

How did you handle criticism or judgment in the early years — especially back in the 1980s? And how do you deal with it now?

Darryl Anka: Honestly, I didn’t receive a lot of criticism then, and I still don’t receive much now. Part of that is because I always make it clear that nobody has to believe any of this.

You don’t have to believe Bashar is real. I can’t prove that. The real proof is in the information itself and whether applying it actually improves your life.

Bashar presents metaphysics in a very grounded and practical way. If people apply the ideas properly, they consistently experience positive changes. That’s what matters to me. The source of the information is secondary.

It could theoretically all be coming from my own higher consciousness. I can’t scientifically prove otherwise. But I do know from personal experience — and from decades of feedback from others — that the information works when people genuinely apply it.

That’s why Bashar always emphasizes that the focus should never be on him as a personality. The service is the information itself.

Ironically, though, even while the focus is on the information, people still tend to turn extraordinary individuals into celebrities. You’ve become incredibly recognizable over the years. How do you navigate that attention?

Darryl Anka: I understand why it happens, and I deeply appreciate that people find value in the work. But I’m also naturally a very private person.

I have my own life, my family, my relationships, and those things are important to me. So while I’m accommodating and grateful toward people, I also know that if I allowed the attention or recognition to feed my ego, I’d lose my center and drift away from the life I’m meant to live.

Sometimes people recognize me on the street and call out “Bashar!” and I’ll respond to it — that’s fine. But I always try to stay grounded and remember that I’m simply being of service. That perspective keeps me centered and humble.

How have you navigated the business side of channeling — the reality that there’s still an energy exchange involved when people attend events or access the material?

Darryl Anka: I actually don’t handle most of the business side directly anymore. Bashar Communications is a separate company that manages the events, memberships, and distribution of the material. I license the content to them, and they handle the day-to-day operations.

That arrangement allows me to focus on the actual work and also on my other creative projects — like the escape room business my wife and I run in Los Angeles.

But in general, I think people often struggle with money in spiritual spaces because of outdated beliefs. Some people say spiritual information should always be free. And my answer is: the information is free. You can access your own spiritual connection the same way I do.

But if someone is asking me to dedicate my time, energy, and life to bringing them that information, then they’re paying for the service — not the information itself.

There has to be a balanced exchange because everyone on this planet still needs to sustain themselves.

I usually say that if you finish providing a service and feel under-supported, then perhaps you charged too little. But if you walk away feeling genuinely balanced — like the exchange was fair and complete — then you’ve probably found the right level.

And interestingly, people often value things more when there’s an exchange involved. When someone invests something meaningful, they tend to engage more deeply with the experience and apply the information more seriously.

How do you personally use artificial intelligence in your life?

Darryl Anka: Mostly for practical and creative support — especially connected to our escape room business.

I’ll use AI to help brainstorm ideas, organize plans, or think through different approaches to projects. Sometimes I use it to generate visual concepts or imagery that can inspire designs I’m working on.

My wife also uses it quite a bit for business and accounting tasks because it helps simplify complicated processes and gives a clear overview of what steps need to happen.

At the moment, I mostly use ChatGPT.

You also occasionally channel another being named Willa. Who is Willa, and what is her message?

Darryl Anka: Willa is a hybrid being living about 700 years in our future on Earth. She represents what humanity may eventually become as humans and extraterrestrials begin interacting openly.

Her message is deeply connected to nature, inner mastery, and what she calls a kind of shamanic path of development. She teaches about reconnecting with ourselves as expressions of nature and learning how to ground spiritual awareness into physical reality.

That’s probably her most important message — balance. The future she represents is one where humanity becomes both highly spiritual and deeply grounded at the same time.

She’s also introduced practices called the “cryptic meditations,” which are designed to help people begin that inner journey.

What word feels most accurate to you personally — God, Source, Spirit, All That Is?

Darryl Anka: I usually use “All That Is,” because that’s also the phrase Bashar uses and the one I resonate with most strongly.

I tend to avoid the word “God” simply because it carries so many religious interpretations and emotional associations for people. But “All That Is” feels expansive and inclusive to me. It’s existence itself — everything that exists and everything we’re made of.

Do you personally pray?

Darryl Anka: Only in the way Bashar defines prayer.

For him, prayer isn’t about asking for things. It’s about existing in a state of appreciation and gratitude for what already exists in your life.

So in that sense, yes — I pray constantly, because I try to remain in a state of gratitude and openness.

I don’t really approach prayer as “please give me this” or “please change that.” I trust that I’m already being guided and supported as long as I stay open and willing to move forward.

The closest thing to traditional prayer for me is sending positive energy or loving intention toward others who may need support.

How has channeling affected your physical body over the years?

Darryl Anka: Positively, overall. Once I learned how to handle the energy, it became energizing rather than overwhelming.

It’s brought me more balance emotionally, more clarity, and a deeper sense of confidence in how life unfolds. I also experience synchronicity much more strongly now — I see more clearly how things connect.

So overall, it’s created a much deeper sense of flow in my life.

You mentioned earlier how some people interpret extraterrestrials through a fear-based lens. What’s your perspective on that?

Darryl Anka: I understand why people react that way, especially if it’s rooted in religious conditioning. But personally, I see labeling extraterrestrials as “demonic” as a kind of fear-based projection.

To me, it resembles the way humans historically demonized groups they didn’t understand.

What I find interesting is that people often immediately jump to “this is evil” rather than asking whether something unfamiliar could also be positive, helpful, or even benevolent.

So I see that reaction primarily as fear and misunderstanding — not as an accurate reflection of what extraterrestrial consciousness actually is.

You’ve answered thousands of questions over the years. Are there any questions that still frustrate you?

Darryl Anka: Not really. Bashar always says that if someone is asking a question, then they need to hear the answer in the way they’re able to receive it.

The challenge usually isn’t the topic itself — it’s when questions are so vague or open-ended that there’s no practical way to answer them clearly.

Especially in large events, questions need to be direct and focused enough that they can actually be explored meaningfully within the time available. That’s why private sessions exist as well — they allow for much deeper interaction and dialogue.

At Awakened Lifestyle Expo, you’ll be teaching a workshop called Journey of the Soul. What can people expect from that experience?

Darryl Anka: One thing I’ve realized over the years is that people often don’t have enough time in a standard ninety-minute Bashar session to really absorb the deeper concepts being discussed.

So I’ve started teaching classes myself where we can spend several hours exploring these ideas in much greater depth — using examples, illustrations, discussions, and practical applications until the concepts truly click for people.

The Journey of the Soul workshop specifically explores questions like: How does a soul choose an incarnation? What experiences does it choose and why? What happens before incarnation, during life, and after physical death?

The goal is to give people a roadmap of the soul’s journey through existence so they can better understand free will, reincarnation, growth, and the continuity of consciousness.

At different events, I also teach other segments focused on things like transforming negative beliefs, navigating challenges, and reinterpreting metaphysical ideas in ways that feel more practical and relevant for modern life.

Is there anything you’d most want people to remember from this conversation?

Darryl Anka: The most important thing Bashar has always taught is the importance of following your passion.

Passion is your physical translation of the soul communicating: This is who you are. This is your next step.

I’ve followed my passions my entire life — even before I ever knew Bashar existed — and they’ve always supported me.

People often hold themselves back because of fear and because they have very limited definitions of what abundance can look like. But existence itself is completely unconditional. Whatever you decide is true for you, existence will amplify and support.

If you focus on fear and negativity, life will reinforce that. If you move toward excitement, openness, and authenticity, life will support that, too.

That’s one of the deepest things I’ve learned: creation is constantly supporting us. The question is simply which direction we choose to move in.

Get your tickets for Awakened Lifestyle Expo here!