[chp]

This is an extract from my book ?What to do when you are dead?. I quote it here to set this topic. Am I right? Am I a crackpot? Have I only grasped half truths? Please read the extract and then post your own ideas:


Western theology has I believe made a mistake when it talks about the Afterlife as being a place or places. It is natural for us to think in terms of objective existence even when a life separate from the material world is being considered. Many people think of heaven as a place situated somewhere in space. This idea has existed since earliest times when people thought the spirit became a star in the night sky or descended to the bowels of the earth. The heavenly worlds they saw as a place filled with beautiful buildings encrusted with jewels and sited in a landscape of endless flowing gardens.

However heaven is not a place it is a state. Most mediums describe these states as planes of existence.

This world here and now is also a plane of existence. For example, you are sat reading this book. You can feel its pages and see its shape and are able to read these words. Yet in reality what you are perceiving is a picture inside your head. You are receiving information from your five senses which is being processed at lightning speed by the brain to construct a view of reality. The image coming from your eyes is created by signals from the back of the retina. However, this image created by the eye?s lens is actually upside down. The brain turns the picture around the right way for us. Similarly, you may have been unaware of the sounds around you until I mention it to you now. The ticking of a clock, the distant sound of the neighbour?s TV are wiped from your consciousness while you concentrate. Often we are not aware of the sound of a clock until it stops.

My point is that we only perceive a small part of the world at any time. For example, I used to be an artist and trained myself to have a better awareness of colour. If I look at say a vase of flowers I may be immediately aware of the beauty of the flower itself. However if I open my awareness I may also notice the form of the leaves and stems and how they relate with one another and to the volume of space between them. I may also notice the unity of pattern made by the structure of the stems or see the intricate patterns in texture of the leaves. If I open my awareness still further I may see the auric field of the plant and sense the life force that radiates from it. If I allow my perceptions to fully unfold I may momentarily become aware of the transcendent beauty of the flower and its divine form. I may have a feeling of exaltation and great inspiration.

Is the world that I am seeing now the same as the world that everyone else sees? The truth is that we all exist in different states of consciousness and shift between higher and lower levels of perception. If I looked at the same bowl of flowers after drinking a large quantity of alcohol I would see it completely differently. If I was feeling gloomy or depressed I would probably be less aware of the beauty of the flower as my attention would be focused on my own feelings and thoughts. If I am in love then the colours of the flowers may appear to be more alive and the whole world may look bright. The truth is we all live in completely different worlds and move between different world all of the time.

Jesus of Nazareth spoke of the next life with the authority of someone who had travelled in them. He said ?In my Father?s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.? I believe he is giving us a glimpse of an unlimited range of planes of existence and levels of consciousness attainable in the higher realms of being. In the afterlife the nature of objective reality is different to what we know here. It changes according to our level of consciousness.

IS THE NEXT LIFE A STATE RATHER THAN A PLACE?

IS OBJECTIVE REALITY DIFFERENT IN THE NEXT WORLD AND, IF SO, HOW DO WE PERCEIVE THE HEAVENLY REALITY?

DO WE ALL SEE THE SAME WORLD?

WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID ?IN MY FATHER?S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS?

Please post your comments and ideas about one or some of these ideas.

[KathyDV]

Thank you so much for the thought provoking post! I have experienced a Life Between Life Regression, based on Dr. Michael Newton's groundbrealing work, and found it absolutely amazing! I won't go into all the details of how to get to the point that you discuss, suffice it to say I found myslef on the Other Side and between my last past life and this one. It was a place of pure love, compassion and meaningful intention. There were countless souls all working diligently on themselves, while supporting each other with love and honesty. Each sould was unique and each soul had experienced lives on Earth and or other planes of existance. In my perception, and theirin lies the fun, doesn't it?...in my perception, all the souls were in huge groups like libraries to work on their lives lessons. We did more from the libraries to social areas, even were able to go on "vacation" - hahahha, vacation from heaven is a funny concept! We also mixed and mingled in Soul Groups of various sizes. It was a fabulous experience and one I strongly recommend.

I agree, it is all about perception and our own individual perceptions of each unique little microscopic part of the astral planes. I am sure that if my husband were to undergo the same process he would have completely different perceptions of the astral planes even though I felt us to be connected!

Hmmm, at least in my opinion that is it...my opinion, my perception, my goodness!

KathyDV

[donna hampton]

I am a nurse and believe in hard science. Until recently ,I didn't think much of this whole topic of the AFTERLIFE. I am 51, and I have changed my mind!. I was almost athiest. I guess now you could call me agnostic. Now I think spirituality and hard science can co-exist. We know there are protons and neutrons, but can't see them. We didn't used to understand what makes a rainbow, but now we do.. I believe it is something like this. Has anyone heard of the string theory of math? It links Einsteins theory of relativitity with Quantom mechanics. It is decrribing a 6th demension. unfamiliar....it could be the bud of new science that explains AFTERLIFE. Energy cannot be destroyed. Life is energy. Depending how these STRINGS vibrate, they become what they are, a being, a smell etc...This is so far down the road at understanding spirit life, but I believe it is a scientific beginning. I have had recent experience of being communicated with by my nephew who passed 4 months ago. He knows I doubt, so he gave me some hard INFO TO VERIFY IT WAS HIM. IT SCARED ME, IT EXCITED ME. I really am trying to come to grips with it without people thinking I am crazy. My sister is grateful and happy, but sometimes I doubt myself. Any thought on all of this? DONNA

[DABhand]

Your a Crackpot! nahhh only kidding chp


Its a difficult difficult thing to prove the afterlive or heaven in fact.

Its been reported that crystal children have chosen their parents before conception. Now this is interesting, where were these crystal children before conception?

Perhaps chp was right in saying "What did Jesus mean when he said 'In my Father's house are many mansions?"

Is there one mansion that deals with soul making, lets face it as time goes on the world population has been increasing and will no doubt increase, so there wouldnt be enough "recycled" souls to combat this. Perhaps recycled wasnt a good word to use. But it does make you wonder where do these other souls come from.

Then these souls can choose who to go to, and a small percentage of them can remember this.

Is life on earth a new souls test? To see if they have the right to go further into heavens' mansion?

Perhaps the souls that return to another shell are retested but at a much harder life each time. Perhaps another test to gain further entrance to another mansion in heaven?

Its such a weird concept, but it could be possibly true, or it could be possibly untrue.


But one thing is for sure, if there is a heaven there will be a hell. So remember kids be on your BEST behaviour or its the naughty fire for you and not into the next mansion. Hmmm maybe Hell is the soul furnace for bad souls that didnt make it.

:wink: I am so glad I just read ur article 4 me it has explained so much I feel a final peice of a jigsaw has been put into place I can really say 2 myself now that things make sense I have reached plateues of understanding before of coarse but I feel that ur way of explaining the universe put it as if in a nutshell 4 me and suddenly Iknow how to continue withmy journey and how 2 love my experience of life I have become able to shed feelings of stagnation; and happiness abounds once more within me I guess u could say that release from my own confines is whats happened2 me and i,m chuffed to bits so thankyou bieng of light 4 bieng an impeccable warrior "and may the long time sun shine upon u and all love surround u and the pure light within u guide u all your way on." pan.

would just like to let you know that the post from pandora9 is sent to you chp is from wupansan6 he thought he was on his account but i thought that he should be known as the replyer.

I belive that what Jesus meant was many different realms. as I think in spirit world we go on to higher places when we learn more in spirit until eventually we become stars. sounds daft but stars are living awarenesses.

[Sibyl]

Not sure what you mean by stars but as I understand astronomy stars are suns and will go nova in time. They are part of the physical universe and not the spiritual.

I understand where you are coming from Pandora; in the spirit realms we progress as we become more spiritually evolved but I dont think we can ever become stars.

There are two schools of thought, or information, as to what eventually happens in our spiritual evolution; some records state that we return to the Godhead and are merged back into the whole while others say that while this may happen we never lose our individuality so I am opting for the second choice. I like being me!

:lol: thanks syb, you have helped me understand it a lot clearer now, as for remaining individual and keeping our identity I'll go with you I like being me as well, Love Pandora9

[Coke-a-cola]

There is no "highest plain", is there? keep learning forever and ever and ever *sigh*. I guess by other existances would mean more then 1 universe. As we are human in this body holding our soul is 1 of the many places we can go, another planet would be another place to go? be a human or whatever on that planet, with a much higher brain power, and wisdom or something. Does anyone know what are some other "plain of existances" to go? besides it being a physical plain, of course.