Her Mom promptly scheduled a meeting with the guidance counselor so she could explain to Marina that she didn't need to do her job for her and she could just play and have fun with the other kids. Yet the feeling of being called to help others with intuitive guidance and loving kindness never left her. One night as she lay in bed she closed her eyes and talked to her angels; "I don't understand suffering. Why are so many people so sad? Can you teach me so that I can understand and help more people?" Marina never quite felt like she understood the human experience, or even belonged here on Earth, but she knew she was here for a reason.

As a teenager, Marina fell in love with the sciences. Being innately curious and a problem-solver, she was excited about the way the sciences could explore any questions she had about life and the universe. In high school, she realized she was fascinated by anatomy and physics. Her questions about how bodies work, how the world works, and why we are here became more and more urgent, and no answers from her parents or teachers seemed to suffice. When it came time to apply for colleges, Marina found herself considering an engineering degree because it seemed you could combine multiple scientific fields at once and learn the ultimate problem-solving methods, so no question could ever go unanswered. One afternoon Marina and her mom stopped in Northampton, MA for lunch. Looking for a bathroom, Marina stumbled into a beautiful-looking glass building. Little did she know she was in the Engineering building at Smith College, where she would spend the next 4 years of her life.

During her time at Smith College, Marina learned about engineering. However, she mostly learned about herself, mental health, and spirituality. The burdon of the rigorous academic expectations, her own unrealistic expectations of herself to be perfect, and the stress of having so much to do was unbelievably heavy. Every day it was a challenge just to get out of bed and face the day. Something didn't feel right. She didn't feel like herself anymore. The world began to look alien, flat and dull, like a terrifying movie or an eerie dream. It became hard to breathe, and panic attacks seemed to be lurking around every corner.

Her thoughts raced and the nagging questions she had as a child became a spiritual emergency. "Where am I? What am I? Why am I here? What is the point?" she asked the Universe every minute of every day. She couldn't think about anything else. In between thermodynamics problem sets she researched the meaning of life, the origin of the Universe, and religious and spiritual beliefs. She picked up each piece that resonated but there still seemed to be a huge piece of the puzzle missing. Something important was missing and Marina was desperate to find it. Her life became an unending existential crisis and the world became more alien with every passing day.

On one of those days, she had a strange feeling. It was like the calm before the storm. Something was about to happen. She stared at herself in the mirror trying to recognize herself. She stared at her hands, and suddenly, "wooooshh" all the life energy rushed back into her body. Her hands suddenly looked real and alive. She recognized herself and the world around her again. She remembered who she was and the people that she loved. She could feel her emotions and the love that surrounded her.

It was as if she had awoken from a terrible dream that had lasted for years. In shock at what she had just experienced, she soon learned she had been suffering from a condition called depersonalization/derealization disorder. After taking time off from school to process the experience and tend to her mental health, Marina went back to school and finished her degree. Most importantly, her prayers to her angels had been answered and she began to understand who she was and why she was here.

Ever since her spontaneous recovery from depersonalization, Marina experienced kundalini healing symptoms and began to see light figures watching over her. Anytime she let her body relax, she could feel currents of energy moving throughout her body. Initially, it was too intense. The kundalini healing took over most of her days and it was difficult to function. Over time, the intensity lessened and it became a normal part of her life. She got her first job out of college working as a CAD engineer in orthopedics and began to put all of these experiences behind her. Over time, though, she began to feel a pull. It started as a nagging feeling that something needed to change. The more she ignored it, the louder it got. In 2020 everything shifted. Without the distractions of a busy schedule and an office life, Marina started to hear her inner voice loud and clear. She craved the magical, miraculous side of life.

Everywhere she turned she was overwhelmed by information regarding magic, witchcraft, mysticism, and spirituality. She dove in head-first. She began performing rituals and connecting her intentions with the energy around her. She slowed down and began to practice living her life as a moving prayer. In early 2021 she started the podcast Out of the Mud in which she began talking about her experience dealing with depersonalization disorder. She began offering palm readings to friends for fun, and quickly realized she didn't need a book for Divine information. She experienced another spiritual awakening, this time a spontaneous telepathic message from otherworldly beings. As she sat on her couch at home, a magnetic white light shone down from the stars onto the crown of her head and encompassed her whole body. She felt the most immense loving kindness embrace her and angelic beings spoke to her, telling her of their existence and the vastness of the Universe.

By experiencing this elevated state, Marina learned what it felt like to connect to a psychic space. She finally understood not only the infinite nature of reality but our infinite capacity to connect and heal. She began channeling for friends, family members, and strangers. She could feel herself light up whenever she was in session with someone. She felt “in the zone” and the feedback she received after working with people was very positive. She couldn't ignore her soul's path any longer, so in 2022 she left her job and started her business, Cosmic Marina LLC.