From the Archives: Rinse, Repeat, Rise.

[First Posed 7/23/10]

A Reader asks:

"Is it your notion that unless we are essentially focused, intent-wise, on maintaining our bodies in the afterlife, we won't have them? and they go away And we'll become absorbed into God and lose our identities or be instantly reincarnated? Sorta a spooky notion. Most ITC etc. material would argue that it's an automatic, natural and even scientific process that we transfer to our astral bodies, without having to think about it at all, and they naturally maintain themselves and us our identity and singularity. The only other source that reflects what you seem to be saying would be Whitley Strieber's "Master of the Key," a very interesting man, in his discussion with Whitley about the soul in the afterlife.

"Anyway! :) Your post about scientists and skeptics in the afterlife definitely jives with what I've read. What a funny thing! I can already see some of my silly atheist friends denying that they were ever on Earth!"

Regardless of whatever the focus is, (and focus can be a very dramatically different thing from one person to another,) most people will usually have some kind of body, although often at first may have difficulty controlling and maintaining a consistent presentation of form. There is no "transfer" à la pod people from one body to another. What we conceive and call "spirit" on earth will actually be "body" once it's free of the terrestrial physical form. This body will continue to evolve and be host to the next stage of spiritual development, and then we will transition yet again as an even more advanced mind-spirit-body. This vehicle continues to become more fluid and malleable under the guidance (or misguidance) of the mind. We may need a specialized teacher to help us learn how to build and then maintain our form. It's where we arrive that is often the clue about such determining factors about what we look like. Our minds determine the where, or the geography, as we call it; they also determine who we will be with, according to the Principle of Affinity. If you've read The Risen, you know that there is no reincarnation as commonly believed by the race consciousness; nor is there "karma."

There have been, and, increasingly, are people who cannot seem to manifest a form of much substance; often they are not even conscious or awake, but in a kind of stasis of sleep. These individuals are carefully cared for and brought to places of healing and restorative healing.

In his charming little book, In Heaven as on Earth: A Vision for the Afterlife, Scott M. Peck manages to capture some fairly accurate observations of the essential experience of transitioned arrivals who are essentially inexperienced. They can't seem to focus enough to see their own body upon awakening - does this mean they don't have one, or simply unable to imagine having one - or is that the same thing? They also can't see the forms of the Risen except as spots of light, although the Risen can adjust this. This is an indication that one can control how they appear to others, and new arrivals often have no control over this. They spend so much time on Earth trying to control their material body shell, and so little learning how to control their spiritual body, that they might as well be a balloon with a slow leak in it.

Most of the ITC communications take place with those who have Risen fully-formed with few or no challenges. These are exceptional individuals, and not the rule, and so are not an accurate representation of the far greater population in spirit geographies, who not only are unable to fully and healthily manifest, but have no concept or idea that communications with those on Earth are even possible. Because their ego-minds were dominant while on Earth, their own sense of Authentic Self is practically negligent; their ego-mind had existed as a parasite, quite literally feeding on its own host mind-body. Upon leaving the terrestrial body, such individuals have to undergo a careful restoration program of spiritual nourishment and rest. Once restored to sanity, one is Risen.

It's not uncommon, however, for some ITC technology to be able to pick up signals from individuals who are in various stages of Risen development, including those who are basically asleep and in a dream-like state. These states may be calm and quiet, or unstable and nightmarish, so the quality of the ITC transmissions will reflect those mental and emotional energies accordingly. The results may be garbled and confusing, sometimes frightening and threatening. As our book reflects, the process of accessing and correctly discerning, interpreting and presenting the higher-conscious states of the Risen is seldom easy or predictable, certainly time-consuming, and takes an immense amount of psychological and emotional energy and commitment. This commitment must take place on both sides of the veil. It appears to be no less difficult for the Risen to devote considerable energy to such a commitment than it is for someone still on Earth. Hence, there is so little of it happening.

It's wonderful that your have such a good sense of humor about the scrooges -- Risen and non-Risen -- who maintain such a staunch and limited, dour view of the Universe about them. It's this laughter that dissolves the illusions in a flash, and washes away the grime of grimness to reveal the original pristine state of Authentic Self.