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Soul, Spirit and the Near-Death Experience
We think of the universe in
three-dimensional terms of time,
space, and motion. We think of
space in terms of height,
length, and width. We think of
time as past, present, and
future. We speak of ourselves as
having physical, mental, and
spiritual life. The world about
us can be seen as having
mineral, plant, and animal life.
According to NDE studies,
psychology and the mystical
traditions, there are three
dimensions of human awareness
which are: (1) the "conscious"
mind - also known as the
personality, the "id", the
self-consciousness, physical
awareness; (2) the
"subconscious" mind - also known
as the "unconscious psyche", the
"astral body", the "dreaming"
mind, the "soul", the "ego"; and
(3) the "superconscious" mind -
also known as the "spirit", the
"collective unconscious", the
"Higher Self", the "Holy
Spirit", the "super-ego".
Accordingly, we are
multi-dimensional beings
existing simultaneously in a
multi-dimensional reality.
Science and evolution reveals
how, a long time ago, our
physical bodies evolved from
primates. The mystical religious
traditions reveal how even
longer ago, our minds evolved
from the stars at the time of
creation (for example, the
"logos"). But even before the
universe was created, our
spirits have always existed as
part of the divine in even
higher dimensions according to
near-death experience testimony.
The mystical traditions inform
us that, at the conscious
(physical) level, our bodies are
like a miniature replica of the
solar system with our hearts
performing the function of the
sun - the center of the system.
We are told how other organs
within our body, the endocrine
glands, are also used by the
soul to find a means of
expression. According to
astrological principles and the
Edgar Cayce readings, the
planets in our solar system
exert subtle vibrations upon our
physical bodies which influence
our personalities and soul
patterns. At the subconscious
(soul) level, the solar system
is our larger body in which we
are connected to the planets,
the stars, and the soul realms
of the afterlife. At the
superconscious (spirit) level,
we are told that we are one with
all that exists: the "Whole" or
the Divine. The following
article explains these concepts
in detail.
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Table of Contents |
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1. Humans as Multi-Dimensional Beings
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a. Encountering Our Three Minds During
NDEs |
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The
NDE of the late
Dr. Dianne Morrissey reveals how
everyone consists of a physical body
which operates in one dimension (the
physical world), a "soul body" operating
in another dimension (the astral or soul
realms), and a "spirit body" operating
in another dimension (the spirit
realms). During Morrissey's NDE, she
observed all three of her bodies
(physical, soul and spirit bodies) at
the same time. While immediately outside
of her physical body, she spent a great
deal of time wondering about her dead
body and noticed how her soul body was
attached to her physical body by a
"silver cord". Later on during her NDE,
she encounters her spirit body laying on
a kind of "heavenly bed". When this
happens, she wondered how she could be
three places at the same time. Here is
how she describes it:
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"In this
rapturous place, I recognized
that there were two aspects of
'me.' My soul was my
consciousness, everything that
had made me who I had been and
what I had become. My spirit, on
the other hand, was the part of
me that was now transparent and
glowing, dressed in white. As I
looked around me, I initially
found everything dimly lit.
Then, I clearly saw a canopy bed
resting in the center of an
infinite vista stretched out
before me. The bed was actually
glowing within a Heavenly
radiance which enveloped me as
well. To my astonishment, I saw
a duplicate of myself lying on
the bed. 'How can there be two
of me? Or three of me?' I
wondered. But I was instantly
reassured by the loving
vibrations around me. The
feeling reminded me of being
reassured by a dear, trusted
friend saying, 'Don't worry, all
is well.' There were two things
I knew for certain: first, that
I was Dianne, and second, that
my physical body was dead. I
also knew that the duplicate of
Dianne on the bed was another
me, but I did not know what she
represented. Now, I was
beginning to feel as if I were
in three places at once! One
part of me was the transparent
Dianne on the bed. The second
was my physical body in the den,
the body that no longer had
life. The third part of me was
my spirit, now out of its body.
This part of me remained
conscious and aware of all my
experiences, both here and back
on Earth." (Dr.
Dianne Morrissey)
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This NDE
phenomenon of encountering all three
aspects of the human being also explains
how experiencers have encountered living
people during their NDE. In such cases,
experiencers come into actual contact
with the "soul body" of the living
person.
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b. NDE Examples of Encountering Living
Persons |
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In near-death
studies, experiencers frequently
encounter deceased loved ones. But in
many cases, experiencers have also
encountered loved ones in the afterlife
who are not deceased and are still
living in the physical world. Skeptics
who insist NDEs are merely brain
anomalies often cite this phenomenon of
encountering living people in NDEs as
evidence supporting their skeptical
case. Read
Keith Augustine's erroneous skeptical
argument here. But this phenomenon
of seeing living people in heaven only
reveals the multi-dimensional nature of
every human being both living and
deceased. Here are some good examples of
this phenomenon:
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(1)
Carl G. Jung, the father of
Analytical Psychology: |
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During
Jung's NDE, he found himself
suspended far above the Earth.
Then from the direction of
Europe, an image of his doctor
(Dr. H. ) floated up to him. He
was framed by a golden chain or
a golden laurel wreath. Jung
knew at once it was his doctor
appearing to him in his "primal
form" as an "avatar." A "mute
exchange of thought" took place
between them. According to Jung,
his doctor had been delegated by
the Earth to deliver a message -
a protest against his going away
and that he no right to leave
the Earth and must return. The
moment Jung heard this, his NDE
ceased. Afterward, Jung felt a
violent resistance to his doctor
because he had brought him back
to life. At the same time, Jung
was worried about him because he
appeared to Jung in his primal
form - an indication to Jung
that his doctor was going to die
soon. It happened just as Jung
foresaw.
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(2)
E.L., an Orthodox Jewish women: |
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E.
L. had a NDE where she begged to
be allowed to return to this
world as she had small children
to raise for the service of God.
She was told that if she had a
righteous person in this world
who would beseech on her behalf
it would be granted. She
mentioned the name of a
righteous Hassidic Rabbi with
whom she was associated. At that
moment, the Rabbi was surrounded
by his followers as is usual on
Friday nights; but his soul,
however, made an appearance in
the spiritual world in order to
benefit E.L. She was told that
there were 3 conditions for her
to return. One of the conditions
was that she write a letter of
thanks to the Rabbi telling him
that his merit is what saved
her. She was then allowed to
return. (E.L.)
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(3)
Lynnclaire Dennis, whose NDE led to
the discovery of the "Mereon Matrix" -
an algorithm representing the
unification of knowledge that relies on
whole systems:
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"As
the experience dissolved into
the light, I found myself again
moving higher up the mountain
... I closed my eyes and
wondered, 'Am I home? Or am I
going home?' With my eyes
closed, as if in a vision within
a vision, I saw my mother. I
could not understand why she was
there. As far as I knew, my mom
was very much alive. Wasn't this
'the other side?' I knew I was
no longer alive and felt that I
was in a space between the
worlds..." (Lynnclaire
Dennis)
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c. Dream Examples of Encountering Living
Persons |
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Many people are
not aware of the evidence that
whenever we are asleep and dreaming,
our soul body leaves our physical body
to experience the "astral" or soul
realms. Everyone has probably had a
dream(s) where we encounter living
people we know. Some people have had
dreams where deceased loved ones are
encountered. But there is a special kind
of dream where the dreamer is given
evidence of having actual contact with a
living person(s). Such dreams are called
"veridical dreams" or "prophetic
dreams". Read these articles for more
information and examples of veridical
dreams:
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d. Edgar Cayce on the Three Levels of
Human Consciousness |
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Edgar
Cayce identified three levels of
consciousness or "dimensions" of the
human mind as: (1)
consciousness, (2)
subconsciousness, and (3)
superconsciousness. He defined
"consciousness" as the dimension of mind
we are most familiar with: the level
within which our personality and
three-dimensional self develops and has
much of its activity. He defined
"subconsciousness" (soul) as being that
part of our mind which bridges the outer
self with the spiritual self. According
to Cayce, the subconscious mind is both
in the body, through the autonomic
system, and beyond the body, in the
soul realms of
telepathy, non-physical life, and
timelessness. This subconscious mind
is the "mind of the soul," says Cayce.
As the mind of our outer self is the
conscious mind and that portion
containing our personality, so the
subconscious mind contains our
developing individuality, which Cayce
identifies as our true self. He defined
the "superconsciousness" (spirit) as the
dimension of mind that is the part of us
made in the image of the Creator, as
recorded in
Genesis 1:26. It is that part of us
that is a "godling"
as even the
ancient Egyptians termed it. Cayce
explained how our superconscious mind is
something apart from anything earthly
and only makes its presence known or is
knowable when the conscious mind with
the subconsicous soul lifts itself up
into the vast, expansive level that is
the superconsciousness. This is the part
of our being Cayce referred to when he
said that, "... not only God is God, but
self is a part of that oneness." To know
the superconscious, Cayce says one must
learn to achieve deep levels of
meditation. He also said that
if a dream feels more like a vision
than a dream, then it most likely
originated from this highest level of
consciousness.
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In
relation to Biblical
terminology, Cayce identified
the "Mind
of Christ" as being the
"Son" - the light of God; the "Body
of Christ" as being the
"Father" - the life of God; and
the "Spirit
of Christ" as being the Holy
Spirit -
the love of God - or as I
like to say the "Mother".
According to Cayce, Jesus the
man became "the Christ"
(literally the "annointed one")
and had complete access to his
superconscious mind. Cayce
identified Jesus the man as
being a soul who was created
with all other souls in the
beginning; and, like all souls,
his spirit is a part of
God's Universal Spirit or
Consciousness. This is not
to say that "Christ
Consciousness" is a created
entity. Jesus the man was a
created entity or "logos" as the
mystical traditions refer to it.
In the Cayce readings, the
Christ Consciousness is the
spiritual condition of the
soul becoming one with God,
or as Cayce would refer to it as
"at-one-ment." The union of the
human Jesus with the Christ
Consciousness constituted,
according to the readings, a
unique human-divine unity.
Nevertheless, this human-divine
unity is properly understood as
a goal for all human souls, and
is spiritually possible for all
human souls, and will be
ultimately be attained by all
human souls in due time. Many
early Christian sects such as
the
Ebionites, the
Elcesaites,
Christian Gnostics and the
Arians believed in this
human-divine possibility in
people.
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Psalm 82 in the
Bible expresses the human spirit's
"godling" status this way:
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"God has
taken his place in the divine
council; in the midst of the
gods he holds judgement ... I
said, 'You are gods, sons of the
Most High, all of you.'" (Psalm
82:1;
82:6)
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The phrase "the
divine council" reflects how intimately
connected we "godlings" are to our
Creator. In
John 10:22-39, Jesus quoted
Psalm 82:6 in defense of his claim
of being the "Son" of God which even his
opponents knew was the equivalent of
claiming to be equal to God:
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"Then
came the Festival of Dedication
at Jerusalem. It was winter, and
Jesus was in the temple courts
walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.
The Jews who were there gathered
around him, saying, 'How long
will you keep us in suspense? If
you are the Messiah, tell us
plainly.' Jesus answered, 'I did
tell you, but you do not believe
... I and the Father are one.'
Again his Jewish opponents
picked up stones to stone him,
but Jesus said to them, 'I have
shown you many good works from
the Father. For which of these
do you stone me?' 'We are not
stoning you for any good work,'
they replied, 'but for
blasphemy, because you,
a mere man, claim to be God.'
Jesus answered them, 'Is it not
written in your Law, 'I have
said, 'you are gods?'
If he called them 'gods,' to
whom the word of God came - and
Scripture cannot be set aside -
what about the one whom the
Father set apart as his very own
and sent into the world? Why
then do you accuse me of
blasphemy because I said, 'I am
God’s Son?' Do not believe me
unless I do the works of my
Father. But if I do them, even
though you do not believe me,
believe the works, that you may
know and understand that the
Father is in me, and I in the
Father.' Again they tried to
seize him, but he escaped their
grasp." (John
10:22-39)
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Notice how Jesus
does not limit "godship" to himself but
retains the application of the word
"gods" in
Psalm 82:6 to refer to other "sons"
of God as well. Our spiritual nature
with our Creator is also expressed in
Genesis 1:26 with the use of the
plural form for God "Elohim".
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"Then
God ("Elohim") said, 'Let US
make mankind in OUR image, in
OUR likeness, so that they may
rule over the fish in the sea
and the birds in the sky, over
the livestock and all the wild
animals, and over all the
creatures that move along the
ground." (Genesis
1:26)
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Then in
Genesis 2:7 the author of Genesis
uses the non-plural word for God "Yahweh
Elohim" (which most English Bibles
translate as "Lord God") in referring to
an apparent second creation event:
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"Then
the Lord God ("Yahweh Elohim")
formed a man from the dust of
the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life, and
the man became a living being."
(Genesis
2:7)
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So we see from
Genesis how the plural "Elohim" created
the spirit and the spirit realm in
Genesis 1:26. In
Genesis 2:7, the singular "Yahweh
Elohim" formed the human body from the
"dust of the ground", breathed the
"breath of life" into it, and the human
body became a living soul. The two
creation accounts in Genesis, therefore,
refers to two separate creations: the
first creation event refers to our
divine spiritual origins and the second
creation event metaphorically refers to
the evolutionary processes of how our
physical bodies evolved from "dust" to
our incarnating physical bodies with
both a soul and a spirit.
It is also
important to understand how the
reference to "sons" of God in both
Psalm 82:6 and
John 10:22-39 also refers to our
spirit bodies and not our physical
bodies. Our soul and spirit bodies are
neither male or female; but are the
combined energies of both. This is why
reincarnation is said to be a process
where the soul must experience both male
and female incarnations to attain
"Wholeness". As Jesus explained:
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"The
people of this age marry and are
given in marriage. But those who
are considered worthy of taking
part in the age to come and in
the resurrection from the dead
will neither marry nor be given
in marriage, and they can no
longer die; for they are like
the angels. They are God’s
children, since they are
children of the resurrection." (Luke
20:34-36)
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So
the soul and spirit are without gender -
that is - without genitals. One
particular near-death experiencer, a
gynecologist named
Dr. Richard Eby, noticed almost
immediately how his soul body did not
have genitals. Also, according to
mystical reincarnation tradition, a
large percentage of souls choose to
incarnate many consecutive times as one
particular gender which can create a
natural "imbalance" when incarnating as
the opposite gender. For example, when a
soul has incarnated many consecutive
times as a female, and then incarnates
as male, this condition can naturally
produce a gay man. I use the words
"natural" and "imbalance" because I want
to convey the fact that
homosexuality is a perfectly natural
condition and is certainly NOT an
act against nature or God. There are
valid and natural reasons why souls
might choose to reincarnate this way.
Likewise, when a soul has incarnated
many consecutive times as a male and
then incarnates as female, this
condition can naturally produce a
lesbian woman. Again, I want to make
this perfectly clear and very frank: God
is concerned about our "hearts" and not
whether we prefer a mouth, or an anus or
a vagina for sex. The evidence from NDE
research is clear about this. For more
on this topic, visit
Dr. Liz Dale's research page.
So now we
understand how the so-called "trinity"
which many Christians refer to as the
triune nature of God consisting of the
"Father", the "Son", and the "Holy
Spirit", is actually how we can
understand God from our
three-dimensional perspective as a
three-dimensional God. That is, divinity
can be understood in three dimensions as
having a Mind, a Body, and a Spirit.
This is why the Bible refers to the "Mind
of Christ", the "Body
of Christ", and the "Spirit
of Christ" as a way of understanding
God's nature from our three-dimensional
physical perspective. However, when
perceived from other higher dimensions,
the Godhood is more complex and the
fractal nature of divinity applies.
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2. Humans as a Conscious Mind
(Personality, Self-Consciousness)
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a. Conscious Mind According to NDE
Studies and the Mystical Traditions |
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While
we are alive and awake in the physical
world: our conscious mind is our
dominant level of awareness. Our
subconscious mind (soul) plays a less
dominant level of awareness and our
superconscious mind (spirit) plays an
even lesser dominant level of awareness.
At death, our conscious mind (i.e., our
"personality" or "persona"
literally meaning "mask") dies, and our
subconscious mind (soul) becomes our
conscious mind and dominant level of
awareness. Our superconscious mind
(spirit) then becomes the level of
awareness that our subconscious mind had
while in the physical world. In other
words, our physical body is the
"vehicle" for both the soul and spirit.
At death, we shed our physical body and
become a soul body - the "vehicle" for
our spirit. At this point, we are like a
"spirit within a spirit" - or more
precisely - a spirit within a soul. Once
we attain the highest level of
consciousness, into the Wholeness of the
One (God), our soul body is "absorbed"
into the light and we become pure spirit
- our Higher Self - who we REALLY are.
Some near-death experiencers have
described this phenomenon as "becoming
God" or "becoming everything" or just
"becoming the universe". Those fortunate
enough to experience this phenomenon
tell us that words are inadequate in
describing this experience. Also, as a
pure spirit in the light of God, we do
not lose our individuality as one might
imagine. It is a paradox how we can
become "one with the Whole" yet still
maintain our individuality.
Mathematicians call this condition - a
part of the whole also containing the
whole - a "fractal".
According to the NDE research and the
mystical traditions, the human spirit is
both a part of the Whole (God) and the
Whole itself. Another way to describe
our fractal nature with God is to say we
are "wholes" within the Whole.
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b. How NDEs Reveal Our Soul's
Astronomical Interconnections |
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One of the main
principles behind
astrology is the notion that all
things are connected together,
specifically the connection of planetary
influences to the mind, body and soul.
Near-death experiencers have observed
this astrological connection in an
astounding and explicit manner. Such
NDEs reveal how everything is connected
to each other by a spiritual "matrix" or
network. Here are some NDE examples:
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"I
perceived how the Earth, the
sun, the moon, the darkness, the
light, the planets, and all
forms of life - plants, rocks,
animals, people - are
interconnected; they come from
the same source of light.
Everything is united by a
transparent net, or web, and
each thread shines with great
radiance. Everything pulses with
the same luminosity - a
magnificent light of
unparalleled brilliance." (Josiane
Antonette)
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"As
I asked the light to keep
explaining, I understood what
the Higher Self matrix is. We
have a grid around the planet
where all the Higher Selves are
connected. This is like a great
company, a next subtle level of
energy around us, the spirit
level, you might say. As I rode
the stream on and on, I could
eventually see a huge light
coming. I knew it was the First
Light; the Higher Self Light
Matrix of our solar system. Then
the entire solar system appeared
in the light, accompanied by one
of those velvet booms. I saw
that the solar system we live in
is our larger, local body. This
is our local body and we are
much bigger than we imagine. I
saw that the solar system is our
body. I am a part of this, and
the Earth is this great created
being that we are, and we are
the part of it that knows that
it is. But we are only that part
of it. We are not everything,
but we are that part of it that
knows that it is. I could see
all the energy that this solar
system generates, and it is an
incredible light show! I could
hear the Music of the Spheres.
Our solar system, as do all
celestial bodies, generates a
unique matrix of light, sound
and vibratory energies. Advanced
civilizations from other star
systems can spot life as we know
it in the universe by the
vibratory or energy matrix
imprint." (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
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"Extended from above throughout
the heaven and the Earth, a
straight light like a pillar,
most nearly resembling the
rainbow, but brighter and purer
... and they saw there at the
middle of the light the
extremities of its fastenings
stretched from heaven, for this
light was the girdle of the
heavens like the undergirders of
triremes, holding together in
like manner the entire revolving
vault." (Plato's
Er)
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"Suddenly I saw a streak of
light come and it was absorbed
into the Earth. I thought, "A
shooting star!" No, it was
impressed on me, it was not a
shooting star, but it was a
stream of power coming to the
Earth from the celestial bodies.
These streams of power were
coming down from all angles to
the Earth. There were also
streams that were going between
star and star and star like a
tremendous web. These streams of
power had a set pattern like a
web of a fishing net, which was
all continuous with the power of
lights pulsating backward and
forward." (Margaret
Tweddell)
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c. How Our Multi-Dimensional Body is
Connected to the Soul and Spirit Realms |
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Edgar
Cayce described how everyone is
connected in
body, soul and spirit to
astrological bodies such as
the moon, sun, planets, and stars
which are connected to corresponding
afterlife "dimensions" or realms. In
fact, Cayce affirmed how our the solar
system is actually our "larger body"
with our physical body acting as a
miniature solar system and our hearts
performing the function of the sun - the
center of the system. While we live in
the physical world, we are influenced in
strong ways by desires originating from
our bodies which in turn affect our soul
as well. How we deal with these
influences determine our level of soul
development. Through
meditation and
prayer, we can unlock the doors to
these many dimensions - the many "mansions"
of God's kingdom. But the door must
first be unlocked here in the physical
world. For example, Jesus taught people
how the kingdom of heaven resides within
us. By looking within ourselves we can
find God and heaven. Our physical body
acts as a "temple"
for our spirit - the Spirit of God -
both as the place where we can meet God
and as an instrument of awareness
through which we can attune to God.
According to Cayce and the Eastern
religions, there are locations within
the physical body which act as spiritual
energy centers called "chakras"
which correlate with the
endocrine glands in the body. It is
through these spiritual centers where
our soul finds a means of expression.
Cayce viewed the universe as a kind
of heavenly "University" and our solar
system as a heavenly "college" with each
planet representing a particular
"school" of education for the soul.
Cayce identified our planet Earth as
being the place for soul "testing" - the
"cause and effect" dimension - or as I
like to call it the "School of Hard
Knocks". If a soul has a
mental ideal and would like to apply
this ideal for the purpose of
self-education and/or for helping other
souls, the Earth is a perfect place to
do it. By applying our ideals and being
tested on them, the soul can discovery
if these ideals are true or not true for
themselves. We also come here also to
overcome certain weaknesses (and they
can be many) by applying oneself to see
that these weaknesses are truly
overcome. It is one thing to have an
ideal; but it's another thing to make
that ideal into a physical reality and
be tested on it. Cayce also identified
Earth to be a kind of "laboratory" for
the other afterlife realms (which are
invisible to us on Earth) associated
with our solar system. Cayce revealed
how only on Earth is
free will completely dominant and
only on Earth does intelligent,
three-dimensional life exist in our
solar system. In the other afterlife
"schools" or dimensions associated with
our solar system, some measure of
control is kept over the soul to see
that it learns its proper lessons. This
control is usually handled by the soul
itself if it has evolved sufficiently.
Once the soul has sufficiently learned
its lessons on Earth and has overcome
any obstacles to soul-progress in the
physical world, the soul can then move
on to the next phase of soul growth in
higher afterlife dimensions associated
with our solar system. Once the soul has
completed its mission and/or education
within our solar system's "heavenly
college", it can then move on to other
"colleges" within the "university" with
the ultimate goal of soul "graduation".
Soul graduation is achieved when
our soul attains at-one-ment with God;
thereby causing us to become a permanent
"graduate" in spirit with God and become
the perfect companion to God we were
designed to be.
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3. Humans as a Subconscious Mind (Soul)
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a. Dr. Michael Newton's Research on the
Journey of Souls |
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When
Dr. Michael Newton, at
www.spiritualregression.org, began
regressing his clients hypnotically back
in time for therapy and treatment, he
stumbled onto a discovery of enormous
proportions: that it is possible to
regress his clients to former past-lives
and learn what their soul was doing
between lives on Earth. His book,
Journey of Souls, presents ten years of
his research and insights in helping
people understand the purpose behind
their life choices. In the process, Dr.
Newton discovered how various souls can
be grouped into particular categories
based on certain soul characteristics.
These categories are: (a) "Beginner"
souls, (b) "Intermediate" souls, and (c)
"Advanced" souls. Here is a description
of each soul group:
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(1) The
Beginner Soul:
Dr. Newton identified two types
of beginner souls: souls who are
truly young in terms of exposure
to an existence outside of the
spirit world, and souls who have
been reincarnating on Earth for
a long period of relative time
but still remain immature. Dr.
Newton believes almost
three-quarters of all souls who
inhabit human bodies on Earth
today are still in the early
stages of development and in
this category. Souls end their
incarnations on Earth when they
reach full maturity. The
beginner soul may live a number
of lives in a state of confusion
and ineffectiveness quite
different from the supportive
harmony of the spirit world.
Less developed souls are
inclined to surrender their will
to the controlling aspects of
human society. Such
inexperienced souls tend to be
stifled by a lack of independent
thinking, lean towards being
self-centered and do not easily
accept others for who they are.
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(2) The
Intermediate Soul:
Souls evolving into this level
of development have acquired the
maturity and experience for
operating more independently.
They also begin to reduce the
number of incarnations they have
on Earth. Such souls are ready
for more serious lessons and
responsibilities. The
relationship such souls have
with their guides now changes
from teacher-student to one of
colleagues working together. It
is now their turn to develop
teaching skills which will
eventually qualify them for the
responsibilities of being a
guide to someone else. As with
many other aspects of soul life,
such souls are carefully tested.
The intermediate levels are
trial periods for potential
teachers.
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(3) The Advanced Soul:
Dr. Newton believes that people
who possess souls which are both
old and highly advanced are
scarce on Earth. A person whose
maturity is this high doesn't
seek out a regression therapist
to resolve life-plan conflicts.
In most cases, they are here as
incarnated guides. We may
recognize them when they appear
as public figures, such as
Mother Teresa; however, it is
more usual for the advanced soul
to go about their good works in
a quiet, unassuming manner.
Without displaying
self-indulgence, their
fulfillment comes from improving
the lives of other people. The
mark of an advanced spirit is
one who has exceptional insight.
They may be found in all walks
of life, but are frequently in
the helping professions or
battling social injustice in
some fashion. The advanced soul
is not motivated by
self-interest and they may
disregard their own physical
needs and live in reduced
circumstances.
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b. P.M.H. Atwater on Why Souls Take on
Human Forms |
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Once
you have seen your soul or merged with
your soul or have a sense of your soul,
there's no mixing it up with the face
you see in the mirror. Nor do you mix
your soul up with your name or how you
look - nor with your personality. These
are "extras." These are the particular
"packaging" which enables you to take on
human form and live in the physical
world. Why would we want to do this if
we are Divine Beings? Because here is
where we test out and experience the
curriculum of what we need to learn so
we can rejoin with Source - so we can be
the Co-Creators with The Creator we were
meant to be. Earth life enables us to
mature as a soul. It is an extremely
valuable experience, one to be grateful
for. Time and space does not have the
same meaning to a soul as it does to our
human self. Neither does tragedy or
success. The soul learns from everything
that occurs both good or bad. Nothing is
ever wasted. Nothing. The soul is not
limited in form or experience as our
physical bodies are. The soul's choice
in becoming human is always growth
oriented, which includes cleaning or
clearing out anything negative or
unfinished from previous incarnations
which might be holding it back from
attaining its goals. This means that
forgiveness, compassion and
reconciliation are important to the
soul. The soul's plans may seem strange
to our human way of thinking, but there
is more sense to them and more love than
you can imagine. Near-death experiencers
often describe how suddenly all the
pieces of life's puzzle fall into place
on the Other Side. They know or are
shown why things are the way they are.
Life makes sense when seen from a larger
perspective. The real purpose of a
religious or spiritual life is to rejoin
our "lesser self" with our "Higher Self"
- to heal all separation or sense of
separation - and to be who we really are
and act accordingly. (P.M.H.
Atwater)
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c. P.M.H. Atwater on the Soul's
Characteristics |
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The following
are some of P.M.H. Atwater's NDE
insights about the characteristics of
the soul:
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The
soul is huge - too big and too powerful
to inhabit any one body. When near-death
experiencers return to their body they
report having to shrink to fit back in.
But once the soul is out of the body,
they are much larger and far more
capable than being inside a body.
Faculties are sharper. The mind
functions more expansive and
multi-dimensional in its scope. The mind
becomes capable of 360-degree vision,
sound, smell, action and response. The
soul is featureless and sexless. It
consists of a type of light. Some
experiencers see the soul as having a
somewhat human form while others see it
as more of a globe or sphere, pulsating
or radiating with energy. We are
Co-Creators with the Creator and made in
the image and likeness of God. We are
enjoined by our very existence to
discover our identity and to live
according to this discovery and to be
everything we can be. We are here to
honor the gift of life and uphold our
part in 'A Greater Plan'. Soul discovery
is the overriding reason behind
spiritual development. In this lifetime,
we can be more mindful of who we really
are and can align our will with God's
Will. When this occurs, we can merge
more and more with the power of our own
soul. It is the soul which seems to be
the major 'player' in the outworking of
God's Greater Plan. To use an analogy,
we are like worker bees and the soul is
the guiding intelligence keeping us on
track. God provides us with the
environment and the power source where
we can - not only learn and grow - but
transcend the things which seems to
limit us. We do this to 'awaken' to a
higher reality and a grander view in
order to realize there really is no
separation, no distinction of three in
one, but One - All in One. You can view
this situation yet another way: One
Mind, many thinkers. No matter how you
view the soul, it is awesome. It is
simply awesome when you see your own
soul. I saw mine and I was stunned at
its beauty and its power and the love it
possessed. Most near-death experiencers
feel the same way. (P.M.H.
Atwater)
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d. The Soul as an Orb |
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Many near-death
testimonies describe encounters with
orbs. An "orb" is defined in the
dictionary as: "a sphere, a spherical
body, a globe." NDE orbs are often
viewed as spherical representations of
souls and they have been described in a
variety of ways. The following is a list
of various descriptions of orbs seen in
NDE testimonies profiled on this
website:
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Soul
orbs have been described as
being: tiny sparkling lights
like transparent bubbles;
shimmering, luminescent spheres
where the soul is enveloped,
like being inside a crystal
globe; red and yellow;
beach-ball sized of
lavender-purple light; tiny
balls of light, glowing with
light and color and bouncing
like bubbles in a glass of
carbonated water; balls of light
with different hues such as
shades of rose petals, bluish
hue, pinkish, and deeper shades
of red and orange; millions of
orbs joining with creatures on
planets like bees flitting from
flower to flower; millions of
spheres of light entering and
leaving a great being-ness at
the center; a giant sphere of
light which Jesus and angels
transformed into; a globe of
infinite dimensions whose center
is full of light, the purest of
God's creations; and a bright,
warm, loving orb of
understanding.
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e. Examples of Souls as Orbs as Seen in
NDEs |
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"We saw
that the sparkling lights were
tiny, transparent bubbles that
drifted in the air and sparkled
on the grass. We realized that
each tiny sparkle was a soul." (May
Eulitt)
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"All
attention seemed to be directed
to the celestial field around
me, and a shimmering,
luminescent sphere enveloped me,
making me feel as if I had
stepped into a crystal globe.
Although I was aware that the
crystalline sphere was suspended
on the celestial field in view
of all the spiritual beings in
attendance, I found myself in a
different celestial realm.
Somehow the spiritual beings
were still observing me inside
this crystal sphere." (Ned
Dougherty)
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"I saw
off in the distance something
that looked like the picture of
a galaxy, except that it was
larger and there were more stars
than I had seen on Earth. There
was a great center of
brilliance. In the center there
was an enormously bright
concentration. Outside the
center countless millions of
spheres of light were flying
about entering and leaving what
was a great being-ness at the
center. It was off in the
distance." (Rev.
Howard Storm)
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More examples of the soul as an orb can
be found on the
Orbs an the Near-Death Experience.
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f. Edgar Cayce on the Soul and Its
Relationship with the Cosmos |
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According
to Cayce,
all souls were created in the beginning
and none have been created since. All
souls are finding their way back to
whence they came. In the beginning, all
souls were one with the Father. The
separation or turning away of souls from
their Source is what brought evil. Each
soul is destined to become a permanent
part of the First Cause once again -
back to its Maker. Our Father has not
willed any soul to perish and is mindful
that each soul has again, and yet again,
opportunities for making its paths
straight. Each soul enters Earth with a
mission to accomplish. We are all on a
mission from God. Entering into the
Earth plane has been, and is, for the
evolution of the soul to enter a higher
state of awareness. Life is, in all its
manifestations and in every animate
force, is the Creative Force in action.
And life is about expressing love where
truth becomes the result of life's love
expressed. For these ideals are only
labels unless they are experienced and
expressed in the consciousness of each
soul. The conquering of self in these
matters is truly greater than conquering
many worlds. We are growing to heaven.
We don't go to heaven. Here are some
important truths:
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| "What is
Truth? Law. What is Law? Love.
What is Love? God. What is God?
Law and Love. This is the cycle
of Truth itself." |
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The spirit is
life. The mind is the builder. The
physical is the result. We may separate
ourselves from God - the Spirit - but
the Spirit does not separate from man.
All power and force is a manifestation
of God-Consciousness. In each atom, in
each corpuscle, is life. Life is God.
Life is what people worship as God. The
Earth is merely an atom in the universe
of worlds.
Thoughts are real things. As
currents of thought run free, they
become miracles or crimes in the
experiences of an individual's life.
Thoughts are things in the same manner
that the mind is as concrete as a post
or tree. The
Akashic Record (a person's Book of
Life) records them as such.
For the deeply
attuned Cayce, thoughts were as real as
actions. In fact, during his readings
from a person's Book of Life, he had to
strain to determine whether the person
he was reading for had actually done
something or had just thought about
doing it.
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g. Experiencing the Soul in Near-Death
Experiences |
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The following are two excellent
examples of experiencing the soul in
NDEs:
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"After
going through the whole building
process of my identity and I
understood how I became who I
was, God began taking my
personality apart one facet at a
time. My sense of right and
wrong was very strong. As was
fairness. Challenges to succeed,
self-worth, etc., every tiny to
the biggest facet of "me", was
taken away. Oh, how horrid this
emptying time was. Piece by
piece, every facet of me was
shown to me and then God put the
truth of all my actions and
thoughts for me to see until
nothing of me was left but my
soul. Bare naked soul. Excuses
and reasons mean nothing. Our
actions alone are dealt with and
God makes sure we see our
actions without any of the human
reasoning here. This is where
the accountability really began.
All God was interested in was
making sure I realized that
whatever events that occur here
are only superficial in the
scope of His truth. He's not
interested in hearing about how
bad or unfair things here are.
He already knows and has
basically labeled it irrelevant.
By realizing that my value
foundation was solid regardless
what happens here, I'm free now
to deal with facets of my soul's
values still to be established.
This is why we're here. To keep
working on getting our soul's
values learned and established.
I had basically stopped working
on my own soul's needs." (Macam)
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"As
the light revealed itself to me,
I became aware that what I was
really seeing was our Higher
Self matrix ... a mandala of
human souls ... in each of us is
a matrix. It's also a conduit to
the Source ... And it became
very clear to me that all the
Higher Selves are connected as
one being ... we are actually
the same being, different
aspects of the same being ... It
was the most beautiful thing I
have ever seen. It was like all
the love you've every wanted,
and it was the kind of love that
cures, heals, regenerates ... We
have a grid around the planet
where all the Higher Selves are
connected ... I was astonished
to find that there was no evil
in any soul ... I realized that
we have already been saved, and
we saved ourselves because we
were designed to self-correct
like the rest of God's universe
... The center of the Earth is
this great transmuter of energy,
just as you see in pictures of
our Earth's magnetic field.
That's our cycle, pulling
reincarnated souls back in and
through it again ... But just
being born a human, whether
deformed or genius, shows that
you are on the path to
developing an individual
consciousness. That is, in
itself, part of the group
consciousness called humanity. I
saw that races are personality
clusters. Nations like France,
Germany and China each have
their own personality. Cities
have personalities, their local
group souls that attract certain
people. Families have group
souls. Individual identity is
evolving like branches of a
fractal; the group soul explores
in our individuality ... This is
how Godhead is exploring God's
Self - through you ... I began
to see that each one of us
humans are soul mates. We are
part of the same soul fractaling
out in many creative directions,
but still the same. Now I look
at every human being that I ever
see, and I see a soul mate, my
soul mate, the one I have always
been looking for. Beyond that,
the greatest soul mate that you
will ever have is yourself. We
are each both male and female.
We experience this in the womb
and we experience this in
reincarnation states. If you are
looking for that ultimate soul
mate outside of yourself, you
may never find it; it is not
there ... Don't look "out there"
for God ... Look through your
Self." (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
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h. Edgar Cayce on the Soul's Mission |
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God's
plan for the soul is
a cycle of experience that is
unlimited in scope and duration. Through
this evolutionary cycle, the soul will
come to know the creation in all its
aspects at the discretion of the will.
The cycle would be completed when the
desire of the will was no longer
different from
the Thought of God. The
consciousness of the soul would then
merge with its spiritual consciousness
of its identity with God. Then the soul
will return to its source as the
companion it was intended to be. As a
companion, the soul would remain
conscious of its separate individuality
and would be aware of its own
free will as it now acted as a part
of God, but not diverting its mind
because it was in agreement with God's
influence on the mind of the soul. Until
this state of at-one-ment was reached,
the soul would not be a companion in the
true sense of the word.
The idea that
returning to God means a loss of
individuality is paradoxical, since God
is aware of everything that happens and
must therefore be aware of the
consciousness of each individual. The
return of the soul is the return of the
image to that which imagined it. The
consciousness of the individual - its
soul record - could not be destroyed
without destroying a part of God. When a
soul returns to God it becomes aware of
itself not only as a part of God, but as
a part of every other soul, and
everything. What is lost is the ego -
the desire to do other than the desire
of God. When the soul returns to God,
the ego is voluntarily relinquished.
This is the symbology behind the
crucifixion of Christ.
The plan for the
Earth cycle of souls was
a limited series of incarnations
with periods in between of dwelling in
other heavenly dimensions of
consciousness. Reincarnation would
continue until a soul's every thought
and action of the physical body was in
accord with the plan originally laid out
for the soul (i.e., a human-divine
unity,
Christ consciousness). When the body
was no longer a hindrance to the free
expression of the soul - when the
conscious mind had merged with the
subconscious, the Earth cycle was
finished and the soul liberated to move
on to new adventures. When the
individual has attained complete
human-divine unity, its cycle of
reincarnations is finished, the soul is
liberated, and the soul then merges with
its spirit and, therefore, with God. The
soul record (memory) is forever
retained. This record is, at all times,
is the sum total of what the soul
personality has been: all it has
thought, all it has experienced; all it
has eaten, drunk, and felt through the
ages.
Thus, as the soul
is subjected to reincarnation, both the
atheist and the religionist are correct.
The atheist believes the personality
does not survive after death. The
religionist believes the soul is judged
after death by its Creator. Substituting
"personality" for "soul", both are
expressing the truth.
The personality is evaluated after death
and then returns to the soul which
created it, thereby giving up its own
independent existence and becoming once
again a facet of the soul. This process
is different from the process where the
soul merges with the spirit after it
completes its cycles of reincarnation.
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i. The Concept of "Soul Merge" from
Various NDE Insights |
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(1)
Thomas Sawyer on Soul Merge:
"Once you enter into the light
and blend with God, you become
God. God is light and light is
love. You can't take a knife and
cut out a part of love and take
it away. If you theoretically
cut love in half and take it,
there's not half love here and
half love there. Each part is
wholly God. The incomprehensible
part is at that point at which
you no longer exist and you
become only light when you fully
merge with the light. This is
because the character and the
characteristics that you are,
the uniqueness that is you and
nobody else, still exists when
you cease to exist as a
personality. But every bit of
your personality is available
for reincarnation. That's the
paradox part. I just kind of
became little photons of light
and there is only the slightest
of memories of anything after
that. Even though I was in my
soul body, not my physical body,
that which I was before the
light blended in and ceased to
exist. In other words, if you
have pure light you have all of
the masses of photons in the
universe in a purified state
only white light. One of the
last things I can recall is that
I was blending into and becoming
homogeneous with that light. I
had the feeling of the light
just engulfing me. About the
only accurate word that I can
use to describe what I felt then
is the word "power." But it
wasn't an earthly type of power,
it wasn't greedy power, or an
I'm-better-than-you-power. One
of the purposes of the life
review is to make an informed
choice between remaining in
spirit and returning to flesh.
Should we choose to merge
completely with the light of
God, we will never again be able
to choose, on our own decision,
to return to physical life. The
decision to merge in the light
is the best decision. If a
person dies and merges
completely into the light,
another reincarnation is
improbable. However, it is more
usual for people to have earthly
attachments and not merge
completely with the light. Such
souls may have characteristics
of their personality, which they
do not want merged with the
light." (Thomas
Sawyer)
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(2)
Christian Andreason on Soul
Merge: "I saw that we
were indeed made in the image of
God, which is an essence taken
from the Creator's own LIGHT. It
is because of this Light that we
can never die. Every single
child of God carries this Light
within their Soul, and we call
this Light, Spirit. As we learn
how to LOVE, we build the Light
of Spirit within. A day will
come (in a time not so far away)
when all of our Light(s) will
have become so large that we
will merge and go back to the
Creator and be as ONE - just as
we were in the beginning. Once
we are ONE again, there will be
a great celebration. And after a
certain amount of time has
passed, yet again, there will be
another great explosion, only
this time it will be much bigger
and the process of Creation will
be far more advanced." (Christian
Andreason)
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(3)
Betty Bethards on Soul Merge:
"Married couples will be
reunited after death, and may
choose to stay together if they
want to, provided they are on
the same level of vibration.
This is free will. If you have
been married three or four
times, you will find that you
will want to be with the one
whom you truly love. It could
even be someone from another
incarnation. You will be with
those you love, and there is a
total merger which is a much
higher experience and a deeper
love bond than anything you can
know on the Earth plane. This
total merger is like stepping
inside one another's auras, a
total blending of energies. It's
a way of expressing love and
sharing. What you know on Earth
as a sexual relationship takes
the form of a higher merger of
souls. There is no need for
sexual organs on the other side
unless you choose to have them.
For this merger of energies is
far superior to the physical
mechanics of the sexual
experience. This merger is not
limited to husbands and wives,
but may be experienced by any
two souls who are loving and
caring." (Betty
Bethards)
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(4)
Hindu afterlife beliefs:
"Moksha" is the traditional
Sanskrit term for release or
liberation from the endless
chain of deaths and rebirths. In
the southern Asian religious
tradition, it represents the
supreme goal of human strivings.
Reflecting the diversity of
Hinduism, liberation can be
attained in a variety of ways,
from the proper performance of
certain rituals to highly
disciplined forms of yoga. In
the Upanishads, it is proper
knowledge, in the sense of
insight into the nature of
reality, that enables the
aspiring seeker to achieve
liberation from the wheel of
rebirth. What happens to the
individual after reaching
moksha? In Upanishadic Hinduism,
the individual Atman is believed
to merge into the cosmic Brahma.
A traditional image is that of a
drop of water that, when dropped
into the ocean, loses its
individuality and becomes one
with the sea. Although
widespread, this metaphor does
not quite capture the
significance of this merger.
Rather than losing one's
individuality, the Upanishadic
understanding is that the Atman
is never separate from Brahma;
hence, individuality is
illusory, and moksha is simply
waking up from the dream of
separateness. The most that the
classical texts of Hinduism say
about the state of one who has
merged with the godhead is that
the person has become one with
pure "beingness," consciousness,
and bliss. From the perspective
of world-affirming Western
society, such a static afterlife
appears distinctly undesirable.
(Hindu
afterlife beliefs)
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j. Edgar Cayce on How Death Affects our
Levels of Consciousness |
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Edgar
Cayce revealed that death is "God's
other door" through which we enter a new
way of life. Death is a brief transition
where the conscious mind becomes the
subconscious mind (the soul). The death
of the conscious body and mind is merely
the process where subconscious mind
takes over and becomes the operative,
conscious mind. The superconscious mind
(the spirit) then plays the role the
subconscious mind performed while in the
physical body. Later, upon
reincarnation, the subconscious mind
projects another part of itself into the
newly developing outer,
three-dimensional mind and body.
Intuitions, knowings and psychic
perceptions originate from this
projected subconscious mind. Cayce
explained that not all of the
subconscious mind is projected; some of
it remains in very high levels of
perception and activity. Part of the
soul in the body maintains the autonomic
systems of the body (respiration,
circulation, digestion, etc.) and the
seven spiritual centers or
chakras which correspond with the
seven endocrine glands. We may feel as
if we do not know our subconscious soul,
but we do, and we are comfortable with
it. For example, when we awaken from a
dream because our bladder is full ,
we go empty it; only to return to bed
with no recall of the dream. Here we
have just experienced our two selves:
one is the dreaming mind (the
subconscious soul) and the other (the
conscious mind) which is in charge of
the bladder and the central nervous
system. Yet, notice how comfortable we
are in the dream state. This is because
our subconscious soul is our true self
and we know it well. Yet, there is a
"veil" that drops whenever we move
outside of it. This veil is opaque. As
the Apostle Paul said:
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"For now
we see in a mirror, darkly; but
then face to face: now I know in
part; but then shall I know
fully even as also I was fully
known." (1
Corinthians 13:12)
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The outer,
physical self and consciosusness cannot
look back through this veil and clearly
recall the contents of the dream. This
is because our conscious mind never
experienced the dream. It was only
awakened when the physical body needed
to act. Now we understand how our body
can die and still live.
Sleep is often called "death's
sister" and known as "the shadow of
death". Falling asleep is like death in
miniature each night. Mind is our true
nature. We have multi-dimensional minds.
Mind is the part of us that lives
forever. So it is more accurate to say
that we are a mind inside of a body and
not a body with a mind. Cayce considered
the mind to be a kind of "savior" - a
redeemer - the part of us which can mend
and restore us.
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k. NDE Examples of Soul Expansion
Through the Stars |
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Many near-death
experiencers describe how their
consciousness expanded during their NDE
until it filled the entire universe and
beyond. Such experiences have been
described as literally "becoming the
universe" or "becoming God" by those who
experienced it. The expansion of our
conscious soul through the cosmos at
death corresponds to astrological
principles of how cosmic forces and our
otherworldly sojourns in higher or lower
dimensions affect us here and now. The
following NDEs provide great examples of
this phenomenon:
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"Suddenly I seemed to be
rocketing away from the planet
on this stream of life. I saw
the Earth fly away. The solar
system, in all its splendor,
whizzed by and disappeared. At
faster than light speed, I flew
through the center of the
galaxy, absorbing more knowledge
as I went. I learned that this
galaxy, and all of the Universe,
is bursting with many different
varieties of LIFE. I saw many
worlds. The good news is that we
are not alone in this Universe!
As I rode this stream of
consciousness through the center
of the galaxy, the stream was
expanding in awesome fractal
waves of energy. The super
clusters of galaxies with all
their ancient wisdom flew by. At
first I thought I was going
somewhere; actually traveling.
But then I realized that, as the
stream was expanding, my own
consciousness was also expanding
to take in everything in the
Universe!" (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
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"The
stars seemed to fly past me so
rapidly that they formed a
tunnel around me. I began to
sense awareness, knowledge. The
farther forward I was propelled
the more knowledge I received.
My mind felt like a sponge,
growing and expanding in size
with each addition. The
knowledge came in single words
and in whole idea blocks. I just
seemed to be able to understand
everything as it was being
soaked up or absorbed. I could
feel my mind expanding and
absorbing and each new piece of
information somehow seemed to
belong. It was as if I had known
already but forgotten or mislaid
it, as if it were waiting here
for me to pick it up on my way
by." (Virginia
Rivers)
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"And in
your life review you'll be the
universe and experience yourself
in what you call your lifetime
and how it affects the
universe." (Thomas
Sawyer)
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"I am
love; I am understanding; I am
compassion! My presence fills
the room. And now I feel my
presence in every room in the
hospital. Even the tiniest space
in the hospital is filled with
this presence that is me. I
sense myself beyond the
hospital, above the city, even
encompassing Earth. I am melting
into the universe. I am
everywhere at once." (Josiane
Antonette)
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"I was
involved in this tremendous
pouring forth of gratitude and
joy and as that was going inside
me, this white light began to
infiltrate my consciousness. It
came into me. It seemed I went
out into it. I expanded into it
as it came into my field of
consciousness." (Jayne
Smith)
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l. Dr. Michael Newton on the Soul's
Transition After Death |
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There
are souls who have been so severely
damaged they are detached from the
mainstream of souls and go back to a
spiritual home base after death.
Compared to all returning entities, the
number of these abnormal souls is not
large. There are two types of displaced
souls: those who do not accept the fact
their physical body is dead and fight
returning to the spirit world for
reasons of personal anguish, and those
souls who have been subverted by, or had
complicity with, criminal abnormalities
while in the body. The first type of
souls we call ghosts. These spirits
refuse to go home after physical death
and often have unpleasant influences on
those of us who would like to finish out
our human lives in peace. These
displaced souls are sometimes falsely
called "demonic" spirits because they
are accused of invading the minds of
people with harmful intent. Those
subverted by criminal abnormalities do
undergo separation in the spirit world
and this happens at the time of their
orientation with guides. They are not
activated along the same travel routes
as other souls and will go into
seclusion upon reentering the spirit
world. These souls don't appear to mix
with other entities in the conventional
manner for quite a while. Because
wrong-doing takes so many forms on
Earth, spiritual instruction and the
type of isolation used is varied for
each soul. The nature of these
variations apparently is evaluated
during orientation at the end of each
life. The relative time of seclusion and
reindoctrination is not consistent
either. For instance, there are
maladjusted souls who return to Earth
directly after a period of seclusion in
order to expunge themselves as soon as
possible by a good incarnation
performance.
All souls,
regardless of experience, eventually
arrive at a central port in the spirit
world which Dr. Newton calls "the
staging area". Once past the orientation
station there seems to be no further
travel detours for anyone entering this
space of the spirit world. Apparently,
large numbers of souls coming from Earth
are conveyed in a spiritual form of mass
transit. Souls are brought in,
collected, and then projected out to
their proper final destinations similar
to a central terminal of a metropolitan
airport that has the capacity to fly
people out in any direction. The most
outstanding characteristic of this world
is a continuous feeling of a powerful
mental force directing everything in
uncanny harmony. People say it is a
place of pure thought.
After souls arrive
back into their soul groups, they are
summoned to appear before a Council of
Elders. While the Council is not
prosecutorial, they do engage in direct
examination of a soul's activities
before returning them to their soul
groups. Group placement is determined by
soul level. After physical death, a
soul's journey home ends with
debarkation into the place reserved for
their own soul colony. The souls
represented in these cluster groups are
intimate old friends who have the same
awareness level. Members of the same
cluster group are closely united for all
eternity. These tightly-knit clusters
are often composed of like-minded souls
with common objectives which they
continually work out with each other.
Usually they choose to reincarnate
together as relatives and close friends
on Earth.
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m. Dr. Michael Newton on the Soul's
Transition Back to the Physical |
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There
comes a time when the soul must once
again leave the sanctuary of the
spiritual world for another incarnation
to Earth. This decision is not an easy
one. Souls must prepare to leave a world
of total wisdom where they have lived in
a blissful state of freedom for an
experience with the physical and mental
demands of living in a physical body.
Souls have misgivings about even
temporarily leaving a world of
self-understanding, comradeship, and
compassion to go to a planetary
environment of uncertainty and fear
brought about by aggressive, competing
humans. While our spiritual environment
is difficult to leave, as souls, we also
remember the physical pleasures of life
on Earth with fondness and even
nostalgia. When the wounds of a past
life are healed and we are again totally
at one with ourselves, we feel the pull
of having a physical expression for our
identity. Our karma of past deeds, our
mistakes and achievements, have all been
evaluated with a focus toward the best
course of action for future endeavors.
The soul must now assimilate all this
information and take purposeful action
based upon three primary decisions:
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(1)
Am I ready for a new physical
life?
(2)
What specific lessons do I want
to undertake to advance my
learning and development?
(3)
Where should I go and who shall
I be in my next life for the
best opportunity to work on my
goals?
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Once a soul has
decided to incarnate again, the next
stage in the return process is to be
directed to what Dr. Newton calls "the
place of life selection". Souls go to
this place to consider when and where
they want to go on Earth before making a
decision on who they will be in their
new life. The place of life selection
resembles a movie theater allowing souls
to see themselves in the future, playing
different roles in various settings. In
this place of life selection, the soul
previews the life span of more than one
human being within the same time cycle.
When souls leaves this place, most souls
are inclined toward one particular
candidate presented to us for soul
occupation. Spiritual advisors give the
soul ample opportunity to reflect upon
all that the soul has seen in the future
before making a final decision.
After souls have
completed their consultations with
guides and peers about the many physical
and psychological ramifications of a new
life and body choice, the decision to
incarnate is made. It would be logical
to assume that souls would then go
immediately to Earth. But this doesn't
happen before a significant element of
preparation occurs. The location where
souls go to for this kind of preparation
is called by Dr. Newton the "place of
recognition" or the "recognition class".
The activity here is like cramming for a
final exam. One of the last requirements
before embarkation for many souls is to
go before the Council of Elders for a
second time. The spirit world is an
environment personified by order and the
Elders want to reinforce the
significance of a soul's goals for the
next life. Some souls return to their
soul group after this meeting to say
goodbye while others say they leave
immediately for reincarnation. Souls
getting ready for embarkation to Earth
are like battle-hardened veterans
girding themselves for combat. This is
the last chance for souls to enjoy the
omniscience of knowing just who they are
before they must adapt to a new physical
body.
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4. Human as a Superconscious Mind
(Spirit)
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a. P.M.H. Atwater's Insights About the
Spirit |
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The
spirit appears to be as an invisible
emissary of the Divine, like the
stirring within and around us of a
"breath," a zephyr of fresh air and
clear thought, an essence. Many adult
experiencers of near-death states claim
that during their NDE it seemed as
though the whole universe and all of
Creation were breathing - expanding and
contracting. To these experiencers,
"breathing" represents the stirring of
God's Thought as it reverberates
throughout an ever-expanding field of
conscious awareness - what we would call
"Creation". It sustains this Creation as
it did on the "stage" where our dramas,
our roles, our endeavors and our dreams
of who we are, are arranged and played
out. One comment from a child near-death
experiencer referred to it this way,
"Spirit is everywhere, like air, and it
breathes, but not like our nose does.
That means everything breathes. I do.
You do. So does God. God's Breath is
what keeps the universe alive." In the
Bible, "spirit" literally means
"essence" or "breath". All three of
these words are used interchangeably in
the Bible as if referring to the same
thing. For instance, when we say we're
being spiritual, the inference is that
we have chosen to live in "the fullness
of breath's essence." When we speak of
spirituality, we are actually describing
"the source from whence the pureness of
breath comes." Spirit realms, if we
continue further with this line of
thinking, exist as "source places of
pure essence," while spirit beings
become "visitors or emissaries from
source places of pure essence." If you
regard spirit in light of its original
meaning, everything alters: our view of
ourselves, our beliefs and emotions, the
breath we breathe, and reality itself.
Numerous Bible scholars have come up
with: "The Breath of God Breathing."
When I discovered this it triggered all
kinds of memories and associations for
me. Mainly because, during my near-death
experiences, I had the distinct
sensation that the universe and
everything therein was alive and
breathing. This breath was what moved
the creative fire. That which exists
in-between the motion of God's Breath is
the Center-Point of Truth - ever hidden,
yet ever exposed. The link then between
spirit, breath and essence weaves
together into one fabric like a tapestry
we call existence. It is a tapestry
which we can better appreciate if we
reduce its scope to the basic function
of ... breathing in and breathing out.
Spirit is what permeates air. It is what
enables life to move. It is what we live
in, God's Breath. But more than that, it
is The Breath of God Breathing. It is an
active force and movement. It is ever
ready to respond and ever ready to
assist. Enjoy this sense of spirit, this
aliveness which caresses you, and cares
about you, and knows you. (P.M.H.
Atwater)
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b. Edgar Cayce's Insights About the
Spirit |
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According
to
Edgar Cayce, spirit is the life
force, the vital "spark" animating all
life. Cayce said, "Spirit is the spark,
or portion of the Divine that is in
every entity." But spirit is not just a
force. It is a consciousness with
individualness, though not nearly as
individual as we are in our physical
condition. Jesus told the woman at the
well that, "God is a spirit, and seeks
same to worship Him." This is a call for
us to get into our spirit if we would
really connect with God. According to
Cayce, our spirit self is, has been, and
always will be before the Throne of God.
It is perfect, unblemished, made in the
image of God. Cayce said the spirit is
something apart from anything earthly
and does not descend into the realms of
Earth unless we lift ourselves up to it
and connect with it. Even then, it
remains shielded from earthly
influences. The "spark" Cayce referred
to is the light and life of mind -
consciousness. Within the One,
Universal, Collective Mind of God are
infinite points of consciousness -
spirits like the Great Spirit. The
consciousness of our soul is the
superconscious (spirit) which is a level
of consciousness indistinguishable from
God's consciousness.
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c. Jesus Christ's Insights About the
Spirit |
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Jesus
is born of the Spirit:
"As soon as Jesus was baptized,
he went up out of the water. At
that moment heaven was opened,
and he [John the Baptist] saw
the Spirit of God descending
like a dove and alighting on
him." (Matthew
3:16)
The Spirit is willing:
"Watch and pray so that you will
not fall into temptation. The
spirit is willing, but the flesh
is weak." (Matthew
26:41)
Follow the Spirit no matter:
"Then Jesus was led by
the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tested by the devil." (Matthew
4:1)
The Spirit of the Lord:
"He [Jesus] went to Nazareth,
where he had been brought up,
and on the Sabbath day he went
into the synagogue, as was his
custom. He stood up to read, and
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah
was handed to him. Unrolling it,
he found the place where it is
written: 'The Spirit of the Lord
is on me, because he has
anointed me to proclaim good
news to the poor. He has sent me
to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight
for the blind, to set the
oppressed free, to proclaim the
year of the Lord’s favor.' Then
he rolled up the scroll, gave it
back to the attendant and sat
down. The eyes of everyone in
the synagogue were fastened on
him. He began by saying to them,
'Today this scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luke
4:16-21)
Ask for the Spirit:
"If you then, though you are
evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask him!" (Luke
11:13)
Born of the flesh and born of
the Spirit:
"Jesus answered, 'Very truly I
tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless they are
born of water and the Spirit.
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but
the Spirit gives birth to
spirit. You should not be
surprised at my saying, 'You
must be born again.' The wind
blows wherever it pleases. You
hear its sound, but you cannot
tell where it comes from or
where it is going. So it is with
everyone born of the Spirit." (John
3:5-8)
Christ Consciousness:
"For the one whom God has sent
speaks the words of God, for God
gives the Spirit without limit."
(John
3:34)
God is Spirit:
"God is spirit, and his
worshipers must worship in the
Spirit and in truth." (John
4:24)
The Spirit is life:
"The Spirit gives life; the
flesh counts for nothing. The
words I have spoken to you -
they are full of the Spirit and
life." (John
6:63)
The Spirit of living water:
"On the last and greatest day of
the festival, Jesus stood and
said in a loud voice, 'Let
anyone who is thirsty come to me
and drink. Whoever believes in
me, as Scripture has said,
rivers of living water will flow
from within them.' By this he
meant the Spirit, whom those who
believed in him were later to
receive. Up to that time the
Spirit had not been given, since
Jesus had not yet been
glorified." (John
7:37-39)
His command is love: "If
you love me, keep my commands.
And I will ask the Father, and
he will give you another
advocate to help you and be with
you forever - the Spirit of
truth. The world cannot accept
him, because it neither sees him
nor knows him. But you know him,
for he lives with you and will
be in you ... But the Advocate,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will teach
you all things and will remind
you of everything I have said to
you." (John
14:15-17;
14:26)
The Advocate Spirit of truth:
"When the Advocate comes, whom I
will send to you from the Father
- the Spirit of truth who goes
out from the Father - he will
testify about me." (John
15:26)
The Spirit of truth:
"But when he, the Spirit of
truth, comes, he will guide you
into all the truth. He will not
speak on his own; he will speak
only what he hears, and he will
tell you what is yet to come. He
will glorify me because it is
from me that he will receive
what he will make known to you.
All that belongs to the Father
is mine. That is why I said the
Spirit will receive from me what
he will make known to you." (John
16:13-15)
For those who are victorious:
"Whoever has ears, let them hear
what the Spirit says to the
churches. To the one who is
victorious, I will give the
right to eat from the tree of
life, which is in the paradise
of God ... The one who is
victorious will not be hurt at
all by the second death ... To
the one who is victorious, I
will give some of the hidden
manna. I will also give that
person a white stone with a new
name written on it, known only
to the one who receives it ...
To the one who is victorious and
does my will to the end, I will
give authority over the nations
- that one ‘will rule them with
an iron scepter and will dash
them to pieces like pottery'
just as I have received
authority from my Father. I will
also give that one the morning
star ... The one who is
victorious will, like them, be
dressed in white. I will never
blot out the name of that person
from the book of life, but will
acknowledge that name before my
Father and his angels ... The
one who is victorious I will
make a pillar in the temple of
my God. Never again will they
leave it. I will write on them
the name of my God and the name
of the city of my God, the new
Jerusalem, which is coming down
out of heaven from my God; and I
will also write on them my new
name ... To the one who is
victorious, I will give the
right to sit with me on my
throne, just as I was victorious
and sat down with my Father on
his throne. Whoever has ears,
let them hear what the Spirit
says to the churches." (Revelation
2:7;
2:11;
2:17;
2:26-29;
3:5-6;
3:12-13;
3:21-22)
The Kingdom of heaven within and
without: Jesus says,
"If those who lead you say to
you, ‘Look, the kingdom is in
the sky!’ then the birds of the
sky will precede you. If they
say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’
then the fishes will precede
you. Rather, the kingdom is
inside of you, and outside of
you. When you come to know
yourselves, then you will be
known, and you will realize that
you are the children of the
living Father. But if you do not
come to know yourselves, then
you exist in poverty, and you
are poverty." (Gospel
of Thomas, saying 3)
The resurrection has
already occurred:
His disciples said to him, "When
will the resurrection of the
dead take place, and when will
the new world come?" He said to
them, "That which you are
awaiting has already come, but
you do not recognize it." (Gospel
of Thomas, saying 51)
About your previous
images: Jesus says,
"When you see your likeness you
are full of joy. But when you
see your likenesses that came
into existence before you - they
neither die nor become manifest
- how much will you bear?" (Gospel
of Thomas, saying 84)
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d. Apostle John's Insight About the
Spirit |
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God's
commands and the Spirit:
"The one who keeps God’s
commands lives in him, and he in
them. And this is how we know
that he lives in us: We know it
by the Spirit he gave us." (1
John 3:24)
The Spirit is love:
"Dear friends, let us love one
another, for love comes from
God. Everyone who loves has been
born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not
know God, because God is love
... Dear friends, since God so
loved us, we also ought to love
one another. No one has ever
seen God; but if we love one
another, God lives in us and his
love is made complete in us ...
And so we know and rely on the
love God has for us. God is
love. Whoever lives in love
lives in God, and God in them.
This is how love is made
complete among us so that we
will have confidence on the day
of judgment: In this world we
are like Jesus. There is no fear
in love. But perfect love drives
out fear, because fear has to do
with punishment. The one who
fears is not made perfect in
love. We love because he first
loved us. Whoever claims to love
God yet hates a brother or
sister is a liar. For whoever
does not love their brother and
sister, whom they have seen,
cannot love God, whom they have
not seen. And he has given us
this command: Anyone who loves
God must also love their brother
and sister." (1
John 4:7-8;
4:11-12;
4:16-21)
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e. Apostle Paul's Insights About the
Spirit |
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Mind
of the flesh versus the mind of
the Spirit: "Those who
live according to the flesh have
their minds set on what the
flesh desires; but those who
live in accordance with the
Spirit have their minds set on
what the Spirit desires. The
mind governed by the flesh is
death, but the mind governed by
the Spirit is life and peace.
The mind governed by the flesh
is hostile to God; it does not
submit to God’s law, nor can it
do so. Those who are in the
realm of the flesh cannot please
God. You, however, are not in
the realm of the flesh but are
in the realm of the Spirit, if
indeed the Spirit of God lives
in you. And if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ, they
do not belong to Christ. But if
Christ is in you, then even
though your body is subject to
death because of sin, the Spirit
gives life because of
righteousness. And if the Spirit
of him who raised Jesus from the
dead is living in you, he who
raised Christ from the dead will
also give life to your mortal
bodies because of his Spirit who
lives in you. Therefore,
brothers and sisters, we have an
obligation - but it is not to
the flesh, to live according to
it. For if you live according to
the flesh, you will die; but if
by the Spirit you put to death
the misdeeds of the body, you
will live. For those who are led
by the Spirit of God are the
children of God. The Spirit you
received does not make you
slaves, so that you live in fear
again; rather, the Spirit you
received brought about your
adoption to sonship. And by him
we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The
Spirit himself testifies with
our spirit that we are God’s
children ... Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly as we wait eagerly for
our adoption to sonship, the
redemption of our bodies. For in
this hope we were saved. But
hope that is seen is no hope at
all. Who hopes for what they
already have? But if we hope for
what we do not yet have, we wait
for it patiently. In the same
way, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we
ought to pray for, but the
Spirit himself intercedes for us
through wordless groans. And he
who searches our hearts knows
the mind of the Spirit, because
the Spirit intercedes for God’s
people in accordance with the
will of God." (Romans
8:5-16;
8:23-27)
The Spiit of God and the Mind of
Christ: "We do,
however, speak a message of
wisdom among the mature, but not
the wisdom of this age or of the
rulers of this age, who are
coming to nothing. No, we
declare God’s wisdom, a mystery
that has been hidden and that
God destined for our glory
before time began. None of the
rulers of this age understood
it, for if they had, they would
not have crucified the Lord of
glory. However, as it is
written: 'What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard, and what
no human mind has conceived' -
the things God has prepared for
those who love him - these are
the things God has revealed to
us by his Spirit. The Spirit
searches all things, even the
deep things of God. For who
knows a person’s thoughts except
their own spirit within them? In
the same way no one knows the
thoughts of God except the
Spirit of God. What we have
received is not the spirit of
the world, but the Spirit who is
from God, so that we may
understand what God has freely
given us. This is what we speak,
not in words taught us by human
wisdom but in words taught by
the Spirit, explaining spiritual
realities with Spirit-taught
words. The person without the
Spirit does not accept the
things that come from the Spirit
of God but considers them
foolishness, and cannot
understand them because they are
discerned only through the
Spirit. The person with the
Spirit makes judgments about all
things, but such a person is not
subject to merely human
judgments, for, 'Who has known
the mind of the Lord so as to
instruct him?' But we have the
mind of Christ." (1
Corinthians 2:6-16)
The body is a temple for the
Spirit: "Do you not
know that your bodies are
temples of the Holy Spirit, who
is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not
your own; you were bought at a
price. Therefore honor God with
your bodies." (1
Corinthians 6:19-20)
Gifts of the Spirit:
"There are different kinds of
gifts, but the same Spirit
distributes them. There are
different kinds of service, but
the same Lord. There are
different kinds of working, but
in all of them and in everyone
it is the same God at work. Now
to each one the manifestation of
the Spirit is given for the
common good. To one there is
given through the Spirit a
message of wisdom, to another a
message of knowledge by means of
the same Spirit, to another
faith by the same Spirit, to
another gifts of healing by that
one Spirit, to another
miraculous powers, to another
prophecy, to another
distinguishing between spirits,
to another speaking in different
kinds of tongues, and to still
another the interpretation of
tongues. All these are the work
of one and the same Spirit, and
he distributes them to each one,
just as he determines." (1
Corinthians 12:4-11)
Love is greater than faith:
"Now eagerly desire the greater
gifts. And yet I will show you
the most excellent way. If I
speak in the tongues[ of men or
of angels, but do not have love,
I am only a resounding gong or a
clanging cymbal. If I have the
gift of prophecy and can fathom
all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can
move mountains, but do not have
love, I am nothing. If I give
all I possess to the poor and
give over my body to hardship
that I may boast, but do not
have love, I gain nothing. Love
is patient, love is kind. It
does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud. It does
not dishonor others, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of
wrongs. Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the
truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never
fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they
will be stilled; where there is
knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we
prophesy in part, but when
completeness comes, what is in
part disappears. When I was a
child, I talked like a child, I
thought like a child, I reasoned
like a child. When I became a
man, I put the ways of childhood
behind me. For now we see only a
reflection as in a mirror; then
we shall see face to face. Now I
know in part; then I shall know
fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love. But the
greatest of these is love." (1
Corinthians 12:31;
13:1-13)
The resurrection body:
"But someone will ask, 'How are
the dead raised? With what kind
of body will they come?' How
foolish! What you sow does not
come to life unless it dies.
When you sow, you do not plant
the body that will be, but just
a seed, perhaps of wheat or of
something else. But God gives it
a body as he has determined, and
to each kind of seed he gives
its own body. Not all flesh is
the same: People have one kind
of flesh, animals have another,
birds another and fish another.
There are also heavenly bodies
and there are earthly bodies;
but the splendor of the heavenly
bodies is one kind, and the
splendor of the earthly bodies
is another. The sun has one kind
of splendor, the moon another
and the stars another; and star
differs from star in splendor.
So will it be with the
resurrection of the dead. The
body that is sown is perishable,
it is raised imperishable; it is
sown in dishonor, it is raised
in glory; it is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power;
it is sown a natural body, it is
raised a spiritual body. If
there is a natural body, there
is also a spiritual body. So it
is written: 'The first man Adam
became a living being'; the last
Adam, a life-giving spirit. The
spiritual did not come first,
but the natural, and after that
the spiritual. The first man was
of the dust of the earth; the
second man is of heaven. As was
the earthly man, so are those
who are of the earth; and as is
the heavenly man, so also are
those who are of heaven. And
just as we have borne the image
of the earthly man, so shall we
bear the image of the heavenly
man. I declare to you, brothers
and sisters, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God, nor does the perishable
inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We
will not all sleep, but we will
all be changed - in a flash, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we will
be changed. For the perishable
must clothe itself with the
imperishable, and the mortal
with immortality. When the
perishable has been clothed with
the imperishable, and the mortal
with immortality, then the
saying that is written will come
true: 'Death has been swallowed
up in victory.' 'Where, O death,
is your victory? Where, O death,
is your sting?'" (1
Corinthians 15:35-55)
The veil is lifted:
"But whenever anyone turns to
the Lord, the veil is taken
away. Now the Lord is the
Spirit, and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is freedom.
And we all, who with unveiled
faces contemplate the Lord’s
glory, are being transformed
into his image with
ever-increasing glory, which
comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit." (2
Corinthians 3:16-18)
The body is a temple for the
Spirit: "And in him you
too are being built together to
become a dwelling in which God
lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians
2:22)
The Spirit is in all:
"Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the
bond of peace. There is one body
and one Spirit, just as you were
called to one hope when you were
called; one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; one God and Father of
all, who is over all and through
all and in all." (Ephesians
4:3-6)
Quenching the Spirit:
"Do not quench the Spirit." (1
Thessalonians 5:19)
The power of the Spirit:
"For the Spirit God gave us does
not make us timid, but gives us
power, love and
self-discipline." (2 Timothy
1:7)
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