October 1, 1991

During our lives on the physical plane we are so caught up in the world of material survival that we give very little thought to what happens upon exit from this temporal level of existence. One thing is certain. Death is inevitable. For some, only on the deathbed will there be contemplation regarding what will happen after death. Does our life force snuff out and become non-existent? Or, is there an eternal life that begins when the physical one ends? If there is such a transition, what can we expect it to be like in the world of spirit when we arrive?

What follows is my belief, which you may accept or reject. I ask only that you read it with an open mind...and listen...with your heart.

I have contemplated the after life condition from all viewpoints. I read countless books. In my own Catholic Church, I listened to the ideas of contemporary religion. I studied the beliefs of the ancient religions. I even studied the beliefs of non-orthodox religions. It was all so complicated and ritualistic. I thought there must be a more simple answer than all the dogma we are taught most of which was written by man. I did accept the idea that life in this world prepares us for our fate in the next. Basically, most orthodox religions do teach this tenet though it is steeped in so much dogma, it takes a while to get to the point.

Most religions that do teach the existence of an after life teach it in a way that will fit in with their particular religious ideas. In this sense, they are partially right, though not with the "us versus them" dogma that goes with it. All religions have a basis in truth. If you believe in the Christian idea of Heaven, with angels and the sermons on the mount, that is what you will find in the world of spirit. If you believe in the Egyptian form of after life, you will find its counterpart there. Basic spirit life is formed by our earthly beliefs. I had a dream a while back in which a voice said, "Truth is in the eye of the believer."

However, while our thinking in the physical world creates our individual spirit world, there are also levels of existence according to our works. The basic idea for a spiritual life, is "do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." And it seems, from my studies that this is the only

Levels in the spirit world are levels of creative thought, positive or negative, developed and expressed by our accomplishments or failures while dealing with our fellow man while incarnate. If you lead a life of vice and corruption this is the kind of spirit world fate that will be created for you and by you when you enter spirit. But the corruption there will be done "unto you" just as you did it unto those with whom you interacted while incarnate at the physical earthly level. Earthly life is a myriad of endless relationships and tests. The rest, the material things, are merely props upon the stage of life. We cannot take any of this with us when we go. We take with us only the memories, the accomplishments; the thoughts, which we ourselves developed, the ideas, actions and reactions to others, which either progressed, or regressed our souls.

However, there is no eternal hell, though you may confine yourself to a temporary hell as a result of your personal life review. Keep in mind, in the context of eternity, "temporary" could be thousands of earth years.

It is within the reach of every soul to be in the higher realms, but only when you have earned the privilege of being there. To do so requires full understanding that the mistakes you made must be corrected. This may be where karma comes in. It is possible at the spiritual level to correct mistakes you made while incarnate if you are truly sorry for them. It is only through fervent desire, with the guided energy of love for your fellow man, creatures and all God's creations that entering a higher level will be possible.

We are our own judges. In the spirit world we cannot lie to ourselves, or rationalize our deeds. The truth is blatantly there for us to see, and to relive, over and over until we understand it with an open and spiritually aware mind. To deny this truth will simply keep you in the lower realms for as long as it takes to see the light.

Spiritual atonement is a personal quest, requiring us to review our entire lives. This is very easy to do in the spirit world, since everything we ever did or said is there for our review within an instant of time, as we know it. We are not forced to do this all alone however.

In the spirit lands there are spirit teachers whose only intent is to assist those who are in need of their guidance. Spirit teachers can only give this assistance upon personal request. Free will operates at the spirit level in the same way as on the physical. We must take responsibility for our lives and soul growth in spirit in the same way as we did when incarnate. As above, so below. The earthly world is a mirror of the spirit world, but the spirit world is as it "should" be, not as the earthly world may be. Seek and you shall find, ask and it will be answered, knock and it will be opened unto you.

It would seem then, in actuality that death is not an ending, but a beginning, a transitional state in which to contemplate our lives and further our advancement and soul growth. There is no vengeful God that will strike us down or force eternal damnation upon us.

He leaves it up to us to create our own spiritual destiny. God does not condemn us to a spiritual hell. We do that to ourselves by our own thoughts and actions. By the same token, we can move into higher realms according to our own thoughts, actions and reactions. We are what we think; we become what we do.