Three waves of volunteers explained – An article about the work of hypnotherapist Dolores Cannon and her theories about human life on earth and our individual role in planetary healing.
- Do you frequently feel like an alien on planet earth?
- Are you fascinated by stars and space?
- Do you feel different from most humans or ‘alienated’ by normal human life on earth?
- Do you feel a strong call to ‘go home’ to another planet?
- Do you feel uncomfortable in your physical body, preferring to keep ‘your head in the clouds’?
- Do need a lot of alone time or time in nature to to stay ‘well’?
Psychology and science points to the fact that many of these feelings in adults have their root in childhood trauma or emotional neglect.
In is certainly true that those of us who have experienced adverse childhood experiences are more prone to intense feelings, depression, anxiety, stress and disconnection from fellow humans.
Yet, whether or not ACEs apply, you may find comfort in and affinity with the teachings of world renowned US healer + hypnotherapist, Dolores Cannon. Decades of listening to people under deep hypnosis led her to introduce a theory called ‘Three waves of volunteers’ in 2011.
“I call myself the reporter, the investigator and the researcher of lost knowledge.”
Dolores Cannon, 1931-2014
Three Waves of Volunteers explained
The theory of the Three Waves of Volunteers posits that human beings are connected to – and protected by – aliens from other galaxies.
Wait – WHAT?
Yes. You read this correct. Dolores actually said her Three Waves of Volunteers theory is for “people who want their mind bent like a pretzel.”

According to Dolores, rather than something to be feared, our alien family is helping us, as well as helping to save planet earth.
Apparently, this highly evolved galactic community became concerned that humanity was on a course for disaster, after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs were dropped in 1945.
The destruction of the earth – which is essentially a training ground where spiritual beings come to learn – would have huge consequences for the rest of life throughout the entire universe.
As you will know if you have ever received a channeled reading, higher beings can never interfere with human free will. It’s against universal law.
Yet, these concerned beings could still make a call for volunteers from other planets + galaxies to incarnate on Earth:
“Earth is in trouble – who wants to volunteer?”
According to Dolores Cannon, these Three Waves of Volunteers infiltrated the human race. Their mission was / is to help change the course of history.
The Three Waves of Volunteers do this by using their energy, knowledge and abilities.
But wait….

Three waves of volunteers explained – Who was Dolores Cannon?
After raising a family in the mid west of America, Dolores’s restarted her hypnotherapy career in the 1960s.
Over 45+ years, her hypnotherapy work delved into reincarnation, life + death, life after death, early civilisations, origins of humanity, UFO’s and extraterrestrials (ETs).
Eventually, Dolores Cannon wrote many books, taught internationally and had a radio show, The Metaphysical Hour. Many of her talks and radio show episodes are still available online, as well as her books.
For many years her hypnotherapy work dealt with past life regression and karma. She helped people break patterns.
However, in the years leading up to 2012 her work began to change and she was “...continually encountering a different type of client.”
On the surface, these were ordinary, everyday people. Yet, the information that poured out of them led to her writing the Three Waves of Volunteers, and The Convoluted Universe series.
As she agreed, in page 5 of Three Waves of Volunteers: “I am the first to admit that this view of planetary transformation is both mind bending and awe-inspiring.”
If you find her concepts farfetched or zany, you might be surprised that The Pentagon and even Barack Obama confirmed that UFA sightings are real in 2021.

Three waves of volunteers explained more
In her books and talks, Dolores explained how volunteers came directly from the ‘Source energy’ or “the Source”. (– This seems to be the same ‘Source’ that Vianna Stibal teaches about in Theta Healing).
Dolores describes a ‘Higher Consciousness’ or the ‘Over Soul” that can be accessed in deep trance. It contains all knowledge, and is extremely loving and forgiving. It is the part that does ‘instant healings’ facilitated by healers.
Dolores explained how most of the Three Waves of Volunteers have never lived in a physical body before. Instead, some volunteers have known extraterrestrial civilisations on other planets or in other dimensions.

All of the three waves of volunteers experience amnesia upon joining the Earth in human form.
Dolores believed the Three Waves of Volunteers do not know their assignment or their interplanetary origin.
This fact makes it extremely difficult for people from the three waves of volunteers to adjust to life. Our world seems chaotic, harsh and destructive.
Even though these volunteers have an important role to play – i.e. to create a New Earth – they struggle with existential questions like:
“Why Am I Here?”
“Why are humans so cruel?”
“Why does evil exist?”
And what Dolores Cannon called “the eternal question” because it was asked so often:
“What is my purpose?”
Often people who are from the Three Waves of Volunteers feel intense loneliness, homesickness or that other human beings are hard to understand.

Three waves of volunteers – Purpose
Dolores stated that the purpose of these volunteers is to
- Change the energy of the earth so it can avoid catastrophe
- Help raise the energy of the people so that they can ascend with the earth to the next dimension
Dolores’ concept also echos the various descriptions of starseeds – a theory first introduced by Brad Steiger in Gods of Aquarius, 1976.

First wave volunteers
The first wave started being born at the end of the 1940s and have had the most difficult time adjusting.
They don’t like violence or ugliness and want to return ‘home’ even if they have no idea where that might be.
Dolores description of First Wave volunteers is similar to that of Light Workers mentioned in my blog Spiritual Revolution. Indigos – and damaged indigos – have a warrior energy and are here to disrupt the status quo, and fight for justice.
With first wave volunteers, strong emotions like anger or hate deeply disturb them, and they cannot be around people who emit those energies. Dolores indicated a higher incidence of suicides amongst this group.
They are then pioneers and trailblazers, carving a path for others to follow. The biggest influx was from the 1970s onwards.

Second wave volunteers
The second wave of volunteers began in the 1990s. The purpose of second wave volunteers is to act like an energetic antenna, beacon, generator and channel of energy. In Dolores words: “They don’t have to do anything. They just have to be.”
They are here to anchor higher frequencies onto the planet. They are often uncomfortable around people, and may enjoy living secluded lives or being at home.
They may wonder: “What have I achieved?”, not realising their very existence is helping.
Many of the first and second waves do not want to have children. Many do not marry, unless they “find another of their own kind“.

Third wave volunteers
In some ways, the third of the three waves of volunteers has it easiest. According to Dolores, their DNA has already been altered. They are highly intelligent and need a lot of challenges.
These children can be sensitive, articulate and gifted. (– Dolores’ description is similar to the popular, yet scientifically unproven, description of Rainbow or Crystal Children, which is part of wider New Age theory.)
Unfortunately, as children, third wave volunteers still have problems fitting into antiquated education systems. Many are medicated for ADHD, some are on the autistic spectrum.

Three waves of volunteers explained – which are you?
If I were a volunteer, I would likely be First Wave.
Being highly intuitive, I’m repelled by dishonesty. This has been socially and professionally inconvenient.
I’ve felt oddball, outcast and misunderstood.
As a teenager, I was deeply disturbed to see others being bullied. I cried in a history class about the Second World War.
Like many other humans, an intolerance to cruelty drew me towards plant based living.
I always never wanted to get married or have children.
One of my quirks, is that I’m disturbed by the ugliness of modern life. Despite having lived in a lot of ugly, urban places, peculiar things still get under my skin:
The plasticity of supermarkets and shopping centres, the monotony and brutality of motorways, neglected railway stations and other unwelcoming entry-ways to new places, baron and concrete car parks, advertising hoardings, gratuitous road expansion projects, and other human creations that lack any beauty or imagination. Litter and fly tipping? I just don't get it.
As an eleven year old, I had an overwhelming fear of the planet’s destruction. I had sleepless nights and nightmares. I started environmental activism aged 13.
I’ve also been told by various healers and intuitives that I have some kind of alien connection.
However, because I’ve had past life regressions where I’ve been taken back – via hypnosis – to previous lifetimes on earth, it’s unlikely I’m a volunteer in Dolores’ definition of the word.
Which are you?
If Dolores Cannon’s theories were true, which Wave of Volunteer would you be?
What do you think about the Three Waves of Volunteers theory?
How does it contrast and compare to other psychological theories that attempt to explain why you feel the way you do?

Three waves of volunteers explained – advice
Whichever wave you believe yourself to be, Dolores believed you have two important things to let go of:
Fear
The strongest emotion there is, fear is a common feeling amongst Volunteers. You must learn to manage anxiety and fear. Dolores said: “It must be released or it will hold you to the earth.” She also encouraged skepticism, asking questions and not giving your power away to anyone.
See my free resources to help with anxiety and fear: EFT Tapping for Anxiety and Fear, and the blog Dealing with Anxiety – how to Reduce Anxiety.
Karma
Dolores called karma “…the baggage and garbage that we carry around with us.” Apparently, this junk must be released and healed “so you can ascend” to the higher dimensions of living she described.
Rather than get stuck on all the bad things that have happened to you, try to find meaning and uncover what you learnt. Dolores believed that all events we previously agreed to, in order to learn important lessons.
She also believed that many of our worst enemies are our greatest friends ‘on the other side‘.
She said in Three Waves of Volunteers:
“It no longer matters if you were mistreated or abused as a child. What did you learn? It doesn’t matter if you had a horrible marriage. Let it go!! … It’s not hurting anyone but yourself by holding onto karma, and creating more by not releasing it. …You have to let it go. You have to forgive.”
Dolores Cannon, Three Waves of Volunteers (Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2011)
Once you have done the healing work necessary to grieve what you’ve lost and the harm that was suffered, forgiveness is easier. When you forgive, you must also forgive yourself.
Article copyright Amy Garner 2021, 2022. See my Copyright Notice and Disclaimer.

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