by Caroline D. Larsen

The places where the spirits journey after leaving the earth are great spheres or planes arranged in a descending order of development. Each of these planes is an independent world of enormous dimensions. I do not know how many such worlds actually exist for I have never penetrated farther than the fourth. In my travels to these spheres and in space it was necessary for me to be accompanied by a guide. As soon as I traveled from my physical body ready to go on these journeys a guide, always the same individual was by my side.

THE FIRST SPIRIT PLANE

My first visit was not to the plane where spirits arrive immediately on leaving earth, but to levels of higher life and development. What I saw there led me to ask to see the first plane, and it seems best to describe that first plane before I picture the glories of the third and fourth plane, which as I have told you, I actually saw first. The first plane is the place of those just released from our life, where they may learn the way to higher levels, and it is also the place of earthbound souls, some of whom seemed never destined to go farther. It was when I was about to leave the fourth plane, that I asked to be taken to the first plane. All that I had seen overwhelmed me—the life of the spirits, the wonderful beauty of their surroundings, the love that governs their relations, their dignity, grace and serenity. The cry of delight that rose to my lips was stifled by a sudden thought of pity for those who knew not these glories. “Where,” I asked, “are those spirits who may not enter here? Where dwell the evil spirits? And where do spirits first arrive?” My guide answered, “You shall see.” In a moment we were speeding through space, through endless voids of darkness. The phrase “A great gulf is fixed” passed through my mind. But no word was spoken. At last light appeared in the distance, and soon we set foot in a world, dark and dull compared with the sphere I had just left, but not unlike this world in which we live, with its open country, its cities with streets and buildings, and its life moving in familiar paths. This similarity, I learned, was due to the fact that many of the newly arrived spirits are still ignorant of their mortal change, and strive to continue their wonted (habitual) activities, until they are disillusioned by the failure of their hollow pursuits. Everything at first conspires there to confirm this mistake. Even the light, though brighter than on earth, is not so bright as to dispel the illusion.

I found myself in a city of gigantic size, its streets running between continuous buildings in seemingly endless lines, save where they led on to great open squares. The traffic was denser than in any earthly city. Throngs of spirits hurried past in every direction. Multitudes and more multitudes of them pushed by the spot where I had stationed myself. They were, I learned, newcomers. They seemed to me confused, disturbed, endlessly seeking. On their faces I read bewilderment, agitation, and vague desire as if they were set upon reaching an uncertain goal. Most of them, still unaware they had left this earth, were seeking to discover why they were suddenly surrounded with strangers in a city like any earthly city, yet somewhat more than strange. Puzzled surprise, wonder, distress, incredulity, and a dawning apprehension, peered from these passing faces. A few who understood or suspected their state sought only confirmation and to reach their destination, as yet unknown. All were dressed as on earth, for the aura from the astral body, shaped by the spirit mind, clothes the spirits with the familiar vesture of earth, and these newcomers were still completely governed by the ideals of their former life. So the multitudes of beings, dressed as on earth, moved by the purpose of earth, pressed through the streets lined with houses of all kinds and for all purposes as in an earthly city. The action of the surging throng seemed earthly too. The many newly arrived spirits evidence their desire to pursue their life as they had pursued it in the past. Most of the spirits come to the realization that they are no longer on the earth only by continued disappointments, which gradually destroy the values they have been accustomed to place on earthly things. Thus this plane seems as a kind of clearinghouse for the newly arrived. Those most highly developed spiritually on earth pass almost directly to higher spheres; others less developed but anxious to advance prepare for advancement by intense training under the guidance of spirits from higher levels who have voluntarily chosen the task of helpers. Finally there linger here, perhaps permanently, the earthbound souls—those whose minds are open only to desires and influences of earth, having no wish for spiritual development; those also who deserve the characterization of the Lady in Comus: “Thou art not fit to hear thyself convinced!” The different classes of spirits on this plane live in separate places, and the spirit helpers see that no class mingles with and hampers any other class.

These helping spirits are to be seen everywhere and are easily recognized, for their aura envelops them in a ball of white light which indicates their high spiritual state. They are commanding, yet sympathetic figures, whose faces reveal their spiritual qualities. All are clad in long white robes reaching to the feet. The men usually wear a form of tunic, and the women a simple but very feminine dress with a head covering which flows down the back to the bottom. The duties of these helpers are manifold. They are always ready to help, whether it be in the way of instruction, or of giving strength, encouragement or sympathy, or by performing any of the deeds that spring from the pure spiritual love which fills their minds. No cry for help or assistance goes unheeded by them, but neither is their help or work forced upon any one.

In that world as here everyone is left free to carve out his own destiny. Before assistance can be given, the seeker must possess a sincere desire for improvement in terms familiar to us on earth. Self-mastery, truth, justice and principally pure spiritual love—those are the qualities of character on which rests the life of the higher spheres. Gain in these qualities here is gain there. Mere intellect, culture, and knowledge are there of no value except to give those higher virtues force, and to advance them to a greater effectiveness which ripens into the fruit of high responsibility, service, and authority. To this end new spirits must direct their efforts and prepare themselves for the progress they desire into the sublime life of higher spirit worlds, ere they are directed and assisted on their way.

A large proportion of the spirits dwelling on the first plane are those who are struggling by hard and sincere effort to raise themselves to a higher level, to master the ideas that prevail in more advanced spiritual states, and to conform to newly-formed ideals. But there are also many who have no desire so to improve and indeed no comprehension of what improvement means. On earth these spirits had no vision of spiritual things and they were wholly absorbed in material pleasures, worldly success or base desires. Those aspects of life which were at best of only passing value had absorbed their efforts. With the eyes of the soul still blind, they now try only to live again their earthly interests and joys. And those whose desires were evil strive to attract others, both spirits and those still in our world, to their own false standards. With them life does not advance, but only futilely repeats itself. Among these earthbound souls are the suicides. These, by nature of their crime, must have been those for whom hard conditions of existence on earth swallowed up all else till black despair cut off every ray of spiritual light. They bring hither the same state of mind, and, deaf and blind to higher consolation, they struggle back to earth to undergo again the horror of self-murder at the very spot where the extremity of despair formerly overtook them. The same retribution overtakes those who have committed murder or other crimes of atrocious violence. For the earth-bound souls bring with them their world as they have made it.

Such is the permanent population of this realm. Anxious to see for myself the details of life in this sphere, I sought the dwelling places of the earthbound souls. The contrast between their existence and that of the progressive spirits was startling. In the faces of the earth-bound spirits is expressed all their evil passions and desires, all their low or earthly aims. Their aura is very dark in color, contrasting strongly with that of progressing spirits, amongst whom light colors prevail—white, cream, pink, pale blue and many others. For as the spirit becomes brighter, the aura expresses the change by its increasing brightness. But among the earth-bound spirits one sees only dark auras and dark clothing, and always of the fashion worn on earth, just as their faces carry still the plain stamp of earthly lusts and weaknesses. The dark cloud that rests on their faces seems heavily charged with the despair and malice of their evil deeds. I entered a house and found that room led on to room in a straight and seemingly endless line. Every room was the home of a spirit when not seeking the old haunts on earth. Many of the dwellers were strange and terrible. In one room sat the squat and ugly form of a woman who on earth had kept a house of ill fame. She had been the ruin of the body and soul of many an unfortunate girl. Now, though in the Spirit World, her one horrible desire was to continue her former infamous career. She could still influence young girls to go astray and lead them to a gutter life, or she could take possession of them and compel them to ruin. As I passed she appeared to be sitting before a mirror painting her face. She was wearing the style and form of dress and finery of her profession on earth, and her face was dark with vulgar malice. She gave me a vicious look, as if to say, “Who are you and what do you want here?” Then she turned insolently away to continue painting her face. I shuddered as I hurried from her presence to another room, where I found tenants of many types, pathetic, or repulsive, or horrible.

In one room a lady was pacing the floor with slow deliberation. Her stately figure, her aristocratic and refined manner caught and held my attention. She was dressed as a fashionable lady of the middle of last century, and was tall. Her face bore evidence of having been very beautiful on earth. Her personality aroused in me a sympathy so strong and immediate that I exclaimed, “Why is she here?” “You may ask her,” said my guide. Approaching her, I asked, “Why are you here?” With a graceful gesture she replied with regret, yet with apparent resignation, “How could I leave these?” I looked down at the point she designated and saw with surprise a wonderful collection of sparkling jewels on which she fixed her eyes. I understood: the jewels which she had owned on earth still possessed her soul. They held her now as then, and linked her to earth with a chain that only she could break. Hence her residence among the earth-bound souls. I looked at her sympathetically and went on my way. Such spirits can look forward only to an existence of despondency or misery. They have made their own conditions, and only a realization of the worthlessness of their ideals, and a sincere desire to free themselves from them can release them to a brighter existence. Too often among the earth-bound souls no such desire exists, for many are wholly dominated by the desire of evil.

I came across many such. One of them particularly attracted my attention because he was such an unusually horrible specimen of this type of spirits. Evil seemed to have actually deformed him. His face was ill-proportioned—far too wide for its height. There was hardly anything one could call a nose, and the mouth stretched from ear to ear. The ears, abnormally large, hung below the chin. Beneath an extremely flat forehead nearer the temples than the nose, was set a large pair of eyes that shone with a diabolical malice which froze the very spirit within me. His face expressed only evil, low lust and ruthless hatred. I clung to my guide for protection. The arms of this misshapen spirit dangled loosely from the grotesque frame. His fingers, gnarled and rough, resembled the claws of an eagle. The color of this spirit was dark brown, the most undesirable color in the Spirit World, for it indicates the lowest state of existence. His robe of the same color was caught at the wrist in such a manner that, when he lifted his arms, he resembled a huge flying bat. My guide explained to me that such a spirit spent most of his time on the earth, endeavoring to win over mortals to a life of sin and evil such as he had himself indulged in. Such are the army of evil spirits whose only work is to sway mortals to low desires or to possess their minds for purposes of malefactions. They are the army of wrong, in whom love of good has atrophied until they recoil from the high things of the spirit as from an element deadly to their nature. Change from this state is hard indeed, but not impossible, for there, as here, everyone is left to carve out his own destiny. In himself repose the seeds of change. He alone can make them grow. But the farther such a soul has departed from good, the harder it is to return. Every evil deed demands its compensation, and the balance must be struck in the soul. In this sense only is there Heaven and Hell. “What we are is what becomes of us!” Yet the slightest sigh for change is heard and guidance given.

While passing through the realm of the earth-bound I came upon scenes yet more pathetic and tragic, which I would gladly erase from my memory, were that possible. A woman spirit helper approached and silently motioned me to follow. I felt her authority, and followed her through densely populated parts alternating with empty spaces. As we passed along I studied her silently, for no word was spoken between us, she seeming engrossed in her own reflections. Her flowing dress was shining white, her head covering fell gracefully down her back; and her hands rested on her breast. In form and face she was very beautiful, and a bright white aura enveloped her with radiance. But it was of her spiritual qualities that I was chiefly conscious. Purity, love and sympathy seemed to emanate from her as the perfume from a flower. Strength of intellect and high authority clothed her in dignity. My mind was divided between admiration for my guide and speculation as to where she was taking me. Presently our journey ended before the huge gates of an enclosure of prodigious size. Before the gates stood a tall, silent, and motionless figure, evidently a guard. His expression was austere and passionless and added to the impression of desolation that pervaded the whole scene. Only the presence of my guide gave me courage to remain. On an order from him the two ponderous gates slowly swung back and as slowly closed behind us. What I beheld was strange, and no less depressing and horrible. The vast enclosure was a place of detention, a hospital, a house of correction for those spirits who arrived with minds clouded or shattered by the use of drugs or liquor, or by indulgence in their evil passions on earth. Here their minds, and often their astral bodies, remained crippled as on earth. On couches, on the floor, or huddled in corners lay or crouched these wrecks of humanity, blind of spirit and shriveled of limb, often entirely unclothed, with stupor or dull hopelessness written in their eyes. The atmosphere of death, desolation, and despair filled my soul with anguish. My woman guide suddenly stopped. Here before us on a bench lay a shape twisted and deformed. Its motionless silence seemed horrible; the face was terribly distorted; and the limbs a random heap. Yet I recognized with horror the face of one whose life once closely touched mine. I looked at the helper. Why had she shown me this man, the thought of whom brought up such painful memories? The helper’s grave eyes met mine. “Can you not help him?” she said. “You once stood close to him on earth.” For sympathy and love are necessary for even a spirit of highly developed nature to assist an earth-bound soul. “Yes,” I said, “I was once close to this spirit, but I am so no longer.” Yet, not to neglect a possible chance to be of aid, I conquered my antipathy sufficiently to touch him three times upon the head, calling him by the old familiar name. It was of no avail. He remained sunk in his stupor, and the helper said sadly, “I fear you can do nothing,” knowing well the reason for my failure. For on earth I had contracted intense dislike for this person, nor could I yet shake off this repugnance. Hence there was between us no point of contact, for sympathy and love is the first step to spiritual help.

The helper motioned me to follow and again we slowly passed on towards the gates. Here my eyes caught sight of the figure of a young man reclining against the wall in a half-sitting posture. His features betrayed the terrible sufferings he had undergone and which he was still experiencing. His eyes roved from side to side with an expression of sneering, malicious resentment which did not veil the hopeless despair in their depths. He had undoubtedly been scrutinizing those who entered for a long time in the hope of some assistance. Now his supplicating gaze was turned on me. But my recent experience told me that I could offer him no aid. As I was passing out, I turned and again reviewed the harrowing scene, and exclaimed, sadly and perhaps with a note of protest in my tone, “But why are all these here? Who has brought them into this terrible place?” “No one but themselves,” said the helper gravely. “Their deeds have placed them there.” I asked no more questions but followed the helper in silence.

I had now left behind not only the abode of highly developed spirits who wait only to be guided to higher planes; the thronging dwelling places of those earnestly striving for further spiritual growth; but also the depressing realms of earth-bound souls. And now I came to the dwellings of a multitude of quite different type. Here dwelt those who are not bound by material things of earth, but who are yet of but rudimentary spiritual development. On earth these people were respectable, trustworthy, and even kind. Evil did not tempt them. They lived the pleasant life of the pleasant portion of the world. If they thought of their spiritual life at all, it was with approval, for were they not good citizens, good neighbors? But on the whole they gave little consideration to the things of the spirit. Most certainly they did not prefer the unseen things to the seen and known. Their souls were fallow (uncultivated) fields season after season. They did not grow noxious weeds, but neither did they ripen the golden wheat of the soul. Hence, though now in a realm where infinite possibilities open ahead, their progress is slow. They live as on earth in pleasant houses with delightful gardens, surprisingly like their surroundings here, in touch with friends to whom they are courteous and neighborly, dressing as they did on earth, and distinguished by the bright and cheerful colors of their aura, in strong contrast to the earth-bound souls. But they are content with their earth-made ambitions, and with the easy virtue of pleasant, unheroic life, unmindful of the spiritual struggle that marks everywhere the upward road. Sometimes because of mutual sympathy they live together in groups of three or four or more, but more often man is attracted to woman somewhat as on this earth, though there the bond is more spiritual. Here I found living an aunt and a cousin of my own. On earth this lady had long presided over the house of my cousin, a wealthy banker, who, like her, never married. Their long and harmonious life together had produced an ease of intercourse that made its continuance natural. So in the Spirit World I found them again living contentedly, and reproducing as far as might be the details of their earthly life. Even the good-natured superiority of the aristocratic class that they represented was reproduced in their new life, its narrow human sympathies, its entire respectability, and its rectitude. No atmosphere could well be more hostile to change, and their development had been slow though my aunt’s was clearly somewhat more rapid than my cousin’s. He knew me, and evidently knew the conditions of my visit to the Spirit World, for drawing me close to him he said, “Caroline, you have done well.” “Where is Aunt Herlig?” I asked. “She is out doing some work of mercy. She often goes for that purpose,” he replied. Evidently she had progressed far enough to set her feet on the right path.

Here I also came across a girl recently arrived in the Spirit World, who on earth had been one of my friends. She recognized me and seemed interested to see me. In talking with her I felt that her mind was in a peculiar state of haziness concerning her own position. She had joined a number of friends and acquaintances from earth who had all lived in the same city and had all attended the same church. All of them were in the same confused and uncertain condition of mind. They had evidently banded together as would a number of people from the same place when stranded in a strange country surrounded by strange people and conditions. They kept together for mutual encouragement, advice, and to help each other solve their new problems. They gathered at regular intervals in the same meeting place, carrying on endless discussions in an attempt to arrive at some conclusion concerning the meaning of the whole affair, what they ought to do, and how it should be done. At their gatherings they observed some of the ceremonies and formalities which they used in their church services on earth. But these meetings always ended in a free-for-all discussion. I was present at one of these discussions and it was interesting to see how eager all were to propound their own theories. One tall man would get up and, beginning with “Well now, let me explain. This is the way I think it is,” would go on for a while, when another would interrupt him with a “No, I don’t believe it is so. Now I am certain this is the solution.” And he would for a time propound his ideas emphasizing his words with the pounding of his right fist against the palm of his left hand. He would have gone some way in his discourse when a woman would interrupt and express her doubt as to the preceding speaker’s views. And so it went on until each had had his say. When they all had said something they were no further than when they had begun. Then they would disperse in all directions only to drift back again to find out if anyone had received any new information.

One thing I noted with particular interest: Many preferences and prejudices of earth still prevail there, though not intensely enough to hamper development. Thus the lives of race and nationality commonly prevail but in a spirit of friendly mutual agreement. These seem the more closely to reproduce the ways of their former lives. I learned this when I asked why I saw no Orientals. Finding that they naturally preferred to live together, though they are under no compulsion to do so, I was impelled to visit their quarters. I found them living here much as they lived in their own lands, with houses and gardens in Oriental style, exercising the characteristic courtesy, grace and hospitality which appeared in their delightful attentions to me. They gave me delicious fruit and a delectable drink. It was exceedingly delightful to walk in their lovely Oriental gardens, filled with specimens of exotic flowers, and I was delighted beyond measure with their entire treatment of me. I thought to show my appreciation by leaving with them some slight gift. This I quietly did, and believed I had succeeded in my plan, but on reaching the confines of this quarter, I was embarrassed to find one of my Japanese friends standing before me with my little gift. This he handed me with a smile and a low bow, and disappeared before I could protest.

I did not, of course, see all of this first plane, but I saw enough to know that there every spirit is free to follow his own ideals and inclinations. His destiny is in his own hands, limited only by his past life (lives). But since spiritual barriers are the strongest of all, class cannot mingle with class. Should an earth-bound spirit stray into the region of higher souls his darker aura would betray him and a current, as of electric energy, proceeding from the first spirit he would meet, would sweep him back to his own place. There is but one path upward—that of personal effort to become fit for a higher type of existence. To this the activities of the place are directed; and for this end order and discipline prevail. For no one is permitted to interfere with the efforts of others. On the whole, life is good and pleasant among those on the upward path, but words cannot express the dark hopelessness of the completely earthbound souls. I found no “Heaven” nor “Hell”—except as it exists in the spirit.

Excerpt from My Travels In The Spirit World

Part II coming soon.