Mar
13thHelping Stuck Souls Crossover

by Rev. Gary Duncan

When I was twelve years old, my brother – a Funeral Director – began introducing me into the business. Over the next several years, he taught me anatomy and physiology, principles of mortuary science as well as other aspects of the profession. By the time I was twenty-one, I had completed my mortuary apprenticeship, but decided to leave the profession and pursue a degree in psychology.

Working in the funeral business gave me a rich understanding of the dying process, people’s experiences at death and personal experiences preparing the body for burial. It was here that I became acquainted with a phenomenon I call “the watchers.” Both my brother and I, at times while preparing the body, would feel the soul of the departed watching us. It was as though there were three people in the preparation room rather than two. (more…)

Mar
4thThe Astral World ~ Part IV

by Swami Panchadasi

Life And Work On The Astral

What I have said regarding the nature of the astral scenery must not be taken as indicating that the Astral, itself, is merely imaginary or unreal in any sense. Nor is the substance of which the scenery is composed any less real than the substance of which the material world is composed. On the material plane, substance manifests as matter; while on the astral plane it manifests in a finer form of “stuff” or material. Again, on the material plane, the material, or matter, is shaped by the physical forces of nature, or, perhaps, by the mind of man using the original material in order to build “artificial” structures or forms. On the Astral, on the other hand the astral material is not thrown into shape by physical forces, but is shaped and formed only by the thought and imaginative power of the minds of those inhabiting that plane. But these shapes, forms and structures of the astral material are not to be thought of as existing merely in the mind of the astral dwellers. They have an independent existence of their own, being composed of astral material, though shaped, formed and built up directly by the mind-power of the astral dwellers, instead of by the physical forces of nature. The astral scenery, etc., survives the passing away of the mind which built it up, and disintegrates only after the passage of considerable time, just as do the material things on the earth plane. As for the power of the imagination of man, do not be deceived for a moment – for this is one of the most efficient powers in nature, and operates strongly even on the material plane, though on the Astral its power is more easily recognized by the senses. To the dwellers on the Astral, their scenery, buildings, etc., are as solid as are those of the material plane to the dwellers thereupon. (more…)

Feb
6thThe Astral World ~ Part III

by Swami Panchadasi

Disembodied Souls

You will notice that our vibrations are now changing, and growing more intense. We are now entering upon a very wonderful sub-plane, or rather, upon one of the subdivisions of such a plane.

This region, I ask you to remember, is one of which the entry is strictly guarded by the law of the Astral, and is watched over by certain very high spiritual influences. It is a sacred place. No one is admitted here as a visitor, unless he be of high spirituality and pure heart. Even a trained occultist, unless he possesses these qualifications, finds it impossible to enter these vibrations. This region is the resting place of the disembodied souls for some time after they have left the physical body. In it they dwell in peaceful slumber, until Nature performs certain work in them for their new plane of life. This stage has been compared to the cocoon-stage, between the stage of the caterpillar and that of the butterfly, in which stage a complete transformation is effected, and the wings of the new life are developed to take the place of the old crawling form. (more…)

Jan
9thSpirit Lands

by Charlotte E. Dresser

Introduction:

Seventeen years ago, when quite alone, after the ‘passing’ of father, mother, sister, and brothers, I formed a friendship, that grew into a companionship so fine that the world became for me a happier place and life a brighter thing. We were a trio: ‘Dee,’ ‘F. R.,’ and ‘Sis’; for so we changed our names to familiar and intimate expression.

Twelve years passed, with no break in the happy association, and then suddenly and with little warning Dee passed out of this earthly life. To me, remained the hope of renewing the companionship in a world where parting is unknown. To. F. R. a black wall, beyond which, nothing! For, long before, his mind had accepted the reasoning of materialistic philosophy, and, arguing from that standpoint, death ended all; and life, going out like a spent candle, could in nowise be relighted.

Months went by. Finally a few friends, interested in psychic phenomena, asked us to join them in an experiment. I was asked to try automatic writing; and, after a few trials, found the pencil moving quite freely and giving messages which I could not have anticipated, and which many times were quite contrary to my own thought and belief. (more…)

Dec
27thThe Topography of Heaven

By Jurgen Ziewe

Maybe now is the time to put the pieces in place and consider the conditions of these incredible states and Heaven worlds we are actually dealing with. Why do we hear so little of Heaven and only in relation to religion via the ancient stories? If it is at the heart of all religions, why are there so few testimonies? We have already learned that most people reporting from Heaven were mostly describing Heavens in relation to their material existence – the Astral Heavens. Why are these exalted states so shrouded in mysteries?

The simple answer lies in the fact that our attention is mostly tuned into our everyday external world, which we consider to be separate from us and which we are set apart from. Our whole self-concept and conditioning is built around the perception of separation. This sense of alienation is what our state of mind is rooted in. The most important thing to bear in mind is the fact that such separation between the ‘me’ and a ‘perceived outside’ world no longer exists in the Heaven state, which creates the intimate experience that we are no longer anywhere else other than home. The ‘homecoming’ aspect is frequently reported by near death experiencers and we notice the feeling of homecoming becomes stronger the more closely our awareness moves towards its inner Source. It is for this reason that I feel more comfortable in referring to this state of consciousness as Home Consciousness, because this is where we belong and where our roots are. (more…)

Sep
29thArisen From “Death” In The Afterlife

by Elsa Barker

The following was transmitted through the spiritual mediumship of Elsa Barker.  Via automatic writing, Judge David Patterson Hatch, born November 22, 1846, in Dresden, Maine, death on February 21, 1912, recounts his tales of the other side through a series of letters. Judge Hatch was a respected lawyer and judge, well versed in the philosophies of life who had written several books including Scientific Occultism.

Letter 39

Many times during the months in which I have been here have I seen men and women lying in a state of unconsciousness more profound than the deepest sleep, their faces expressionless and uninteresting. At first, before I understood the nature of their sleep, I tried as an experiment to awaken one or two of them, and was not successful. In certain cases where my curiosity was aroused, I have returned later, day after day, and found them still lying in the same lethargy. (more…)

Jun
10thLife After Death In The Astral Realms ~ Part II

by Harriette & F. Homer Curtiss

The first Realm above the Physical World, in rate of vibration, we term the Realm of Reflection. Here we find reflected every object which exists in the Physical World, or to be more accurate, the physical object – man, animal, vegetable as well as all so-called inanimate things is the reflection or materialization of its astral duplicate. Here we find the astral pattern of all living things. But everything is seen reversed as in a mirror. For instance a number such as 123 would be seen as 321, etc. This fact caused the editors of Mme. Blavatsky’s manuscript for The Secret Doctrine much labor at first when they tried to verify the quotations made by her from books presented by her Teachers to her astral vision, for she frequently forgot to reverse the number of the page. When the editors learned this, if the quotation was not found on the page indicated, it would invariably be found on the page bearing the reversed number. This feature of the astral alone accounts for many of the mistakes of untrained psychics who are not familiar with this. Day and night are also the reverse of the corresponding periods on earth. Hence it is generally easier for a sensitive to contact the astral at night, although to one who is properly trained it makes little difference.

While the scenery of this Realm is the counterpart of the scenery of earth it is much more, for here there is a luminosity and translucence difficult to describe, which makes familiar objects far more brilliant and beautiful and reveals their true nature far more than does their physical counterpart on earth. While plants, trees, animals and people are all seen here they can also be seen through, just as on earth we can see into and through a glass of water for instance. In the Astral World we can also see all sides at once and not in perspective, and with the glow and colors imparted to everything by the currents of life-force which sweep through them. For the Astral World is a world of four dimensions instead of three. For this reason all attempts to locate the various Realms of this world in space or to limit its phenomena to our three dimensional conceptions, leads to misconception. That which is to manifest on earth descends from the higher Worlds into the Astral World and is embodied on earth. (more…)