In 1996, William Gammill experienced contact with otherworld beings. The channeling lasted for approximately fifteen days, during which time he took copious notes. He describes his experiences and what he learned from them in The Gathering, his fourth book. He says that "although [his book] begins with an encounter that can only be characterized as `alien,' the theme is not alien contact. The theme is human consciousness and transformation."

The basic message that "The Brothers" gave Gammill is that earthly humans are part of a grand experiment. Our purpose is to learn how to recognize the God within each of us. This requires change, from the level of DNA outward. This change is occurring now in each of us. Like most changes, it can create emotional and physical distress, even disease.

Gammill says that we have free will, but it's guided by our souls. "Everything a person experiences," he says, "is determined by his or her soul, which reincarnates from one body to the next...Personal responsibility, not chance, determines your fate." Between lives, the soul goes to a place of light, where it decides what you will experience in the next lifetime. All experiences have the ultimate goal of healing the human race so that individuals can increase their awareness of God. Once awareness and surrender is achieved, which will take thousands of years, individuals will "ascend" to rejoin with God as one entity.

"Compelling and beautifully written, The Gathering can help us understand our alien neighbors and ourselves in a new and positive way." It's essential reading for all those who have wondered why we are here.