To the mind of the advanced occultist there are few things
more deplorable than the confusion; halftruths commingled with
untruth; false doctrine; false conclusions; some concerned with
the subject of “spirit communication” in the mind of the Western
world. And yet, this confusion, as deplorable as it may be, has
served, nevertheless, to attract the attention of thinking
people to the subject, and to lead them to further investigation
of the matter. Even the fraudulent practices which have been
such a scandal in the history of spiritualism in the Western
world, as disgusting and revolting as they have been to the mind
of thoughtful persons, have served to bring into relief the real
truth behind the general phenomena of spiritualism.
Leaving entirely out of consideration the fraudulent, and
semi-fraudulent, phenomena which masquerades as “spirit
communication,” the subject of the communication between persons
in the flesh and souls out of the flesh may be divided into two
general classes, i. e. the lower and the higher, respectively.
The lower class is composed of (1) cases in which disembodied
souls, of a low order—the so-called “earth-bound” souls—manifest
their presence to persons still in the flesh; or (2) cases of
the animation of “Astral shells.” The higher class of the
phenomena of “spirit communication,” so-called, consists of
cases in which the souls on the higher planes of the Astral
manifest their presence to persons in the flesh.
The soul on the higher Astral planes, dwells in the idealistic
condition, concerning itself not with the affairs of the world
it has left behind it. It, of course, maintains a sympathetic
connection with those near and dear to it by ties of love or
friendship who have been left behind on the material plane, but
such sympathetic connection is entirely of a psychic or
spiritual nature, and has no connections with nearness in space,
or physical proximity. The ties and bonds between the
disembodied soul and the soul still in the flesh in earth-life
may be thought of as spiritual filaments—something like a
transcendent form of telepathic rapport. When the disembodied
soul is thinking of the loved one on earth, the latter
frequently experiences a feeling akin to the physical nearness
of the disembodied soul, but this merely arises from the sensing
of the mental and spiritual rapport of which we have just
spoken. In the same way, the disembodied soul experiences a
sense of “call” or message from the person in the flesh when the
latter is thinking intently of the former.
So far as this continuance of the feelings of love and affection
between the separated souls is concerned, nothing but good can
be said, for the soul in the flesh is comforted and strengthened
by the feeling of rapport and nearness of the disembodied soul
on the Astral Plane; and the disembodied soul experiences
pleasure and joy just as it would on earth-life by the physical
nearness of the loved one. This relationship is a peculiarly
sacred one, and is enjoyed by many persons in the flesh,
although they may have but little to say regarding it to others
who would not understand. Those who have had this experience
will recognize just what is meant by these words, when they read
them. Others, who have not had these experiences, can understand
them only by reference to the greatest feeling of soul-nearness
they ever have experienced in earth-life. It is, indeed, a
communion of soul with soul, almost approaching the perfection
of soul-communion on the Astral Plane in some of its aspects,
although always leaving a something lacking from the very nature
of the case. We wish to be distinctly understood as having
nothing but good to say regarding this form of
“spirit-communication” between persons bound by ties of love and
friendship, one out of the flesh and the other still in earth
life. What we shall now proceed to condemn, is something of an
entirely different nature.
Advanced occultists are practically unanimously agreed that the
practice of recalling the attention of disembodied spirits for
mere entertainment, curiosity, or general “exhibition” purposes
is most deplorable. The best authorities condemn the practice in
the strongest terms. In the first place, the result is always
unsatisfactory, for very good and sufficient occult reasons. In
the second place, the effect of such recalling is apt to be
detrimental to the disembodied soul, by reason of withdrawing
its spiritual attention from the things of the higher planes,
and turning them back to the things of the material plane, thus
retarding its development and unfoldment, and also confusing its
mind. It is akin to directing the mind of the growing child back
to the things of its prenatal condition, if such a thing were
possible. And, to the soul which does not understand the nature
and character of its Astral Life (and none but the most advanced
souls so do understand) the mixing of the things and phenomena
of the material and Astral Planes is most perplexing, confusing,
and distracting. The soul should be left to unfold naturally on
its new plane, and not called back to earth to satisfy curiosity
or to furnish entertainment. The result arising from the latter
course is akin to that which would arise were one to persist in
pulling up a plant each day to see whether its roots were
sprouting and growing.
Another form of recalling the disembodied soul—that of calling
it back to comfort and inform loving friends and relatives—is
scarcely less undesirable. The disembodied soul, drawn back by
the pull upon its sympathetic bonds of connection, comes back
like a person walking in his sleep, for such is almost precisely
its condition. Sleep walking is not a desirable thing to induce
in persons on earth, and is no better when it is induced in a
disembodied soul. It comes from its Astral experiences in a
dazed condition, and gives but little satisfaction to those
recalling it, and really suffers a confusing and perplexing
experience itself. Those who have had experiences with the
recalling of disembodied souls (where the phenomena is genuine)
will readily remember the dazed and generally confused answers
given, and the generally unsatisfactory results obtained even
under the best conditions. The practice of recalling souls from
the Astral Plane is a clear perversion of Nature’s processes,
and the result is never satisfactory. This practice is never
justified, and the best authorities severely condemn it. The
glimpse into the nature and condition of the Astral Plane life,
which we have given you in this book, should be sufficient for
you to see clearly the reason of this opinion, and the cause of
the condemnation.
It is true that souls on the Astral Plane, sometimes, under
stress of strong memories or worries regarding those they have
left behind, have returned voluntarily to the plane of
earthlife, and have made themselves known to persons dwelling
thereon—even to the extent of actual materialization, at times.
These cases are unusual, but are sufficiently frequent to be
noted in this connection. In such cases, the strength of the
desire of the disembodied soul has caused it to take on
objective form to the senses of those to whom it appears, just
as a very strong telepathic impression will take on objective
form. But, even in such cases, the poor worried soul gradually
passes beyond the attraction of earth-life, and ceases to return
to its former scenes, but begins to live out its normal Astral
Life in accordance with Nature’s laws and plans.
We know that in uttering these truths we are bringing
disappointment, and possibly resentment, to the minds of some in
earth-life who are fond of the thought that they are in frequent
communication with the souls of their departed friends and loved
ones. But the truth is the truth, and we are assured that a
proper understanding of the subject will reveal to such persons
that the highest love for those who have gone before will
consist in doing that which is best for those loved ones, so
that they will not persist in sacrificing this best interest for
the selfish purpose of temporary satisfaction on their ownpart.
Nay, more, the “satisfaction” is never really satisfying— there
is always the consciousness that there is something missing,
something lacking.
True love consists in giving, rather than in getting. And, is
not this true in the matter of communication with those loved
ones on “the other side?” Is it not a higher and nobler thing to
send them loving thoughts and sympathy, cheering and encouraging
them in the unfoldment on the higher planes, than to endeavor to
drag them back to the lower plane of materiality for the sake of
hearing them say that they are happy and that all is all right
with them, and, perhaps, to mumble some semi-coherent platitudes
in the manner of a somnambulist? And is it not more worthy of
ourselves, who are dwelling in the bonds of the flesh, to raise
the plane of our communion with those on the other side to their
own higher plane of being, and to commune with them along the
lines of spiritual understanding and rapport— in the silence and
without spoken words—on the plane where soul may speak to soul
without the medium of words, and without the necessity of
physical presence? Think over these things, and let your soul
speak the truth to you from its inmost heart—be assured that the
answer will be one with the truths of the highest authorities.
