My dear brother, today I come to continue with my description of the earth planes. Before the digression, when I let you know a little bit about the meaning of the word "light" in the spirit world, I told you how I passed from my hell to the region called the twilight zone. I also informed you that this is the most populated area in the spirit world, and that the great majority of spirits start their trip to their perfection at this place, to perfection in natural love or in Divine Love.
It is really a very attractive area for many spirits. There is neither cold nor excessive heat, people live in freedom, there is neither dominion nor slavery, spirits there don't need to worry about how to earn their living, because as you already know, spirits don't need to eat, their clothes don't wear out, in short, it is an environment of freedom and happiness. That is why many spirits stay there for many years, happy with their situation, which in fact in the great majority of cases is much better than the condition in which they had to live on earth.
I told you that in spite of this marvellous situation there is still a great deal of negativity in this area, which expresses itself through gossip, small differences of opinion, anger, etc. But the same things exist on earth so therefore spirits don't find these very annoying. It is the kind of world to which they are accustomed.
The level of ignorance can be awful. And I'm referring to spiritual ignorance. Of course, the believers of the various churches continue in their same beliefs that they cherished on earth, the materialists wonder what had gone wrong, because they continue living. The question that is uppermost concerns whether God really exists, and all related discussions.
Ignorance is also expressed in other ways. I have told you how dark spirits from the deep hells visit earth, in order to satisfy their addictions and perversions, or simply to cause evil. The spirits of that hell where I lived don't usually visit earth frequently, because more than evil, it is shame which constitutes their dominant motivation, and they spend most of their time worrying about their recollections and stuck in their thoughts during most of their stay. But the inhabitants of the upper areas of the earth planes, yes, they usually do visit earth frequently. They are the kind of spirits that we call "earth-bound." They are still interested in the life of their relatives, they like to communicate in séances, and they like to give their opinions and beliefs, presenting them as the absolute truth and the most advanced knowledge of the universe.
You remember that you once read how a spirit materialized in a séance, offering his hand for greeting. When one of the participants wanted to shake his hand, this suddenly deformed, as if dripping away. The participant was scared to death, and the spirit went away laughing. This is a typical case of a mischievous spirit. This kind of spirit is not evil, but very immature, naughty and badly behaved, like those similar characters on earth, very attached to material things and the small pleasures which he may enjoy.
There is another kind, those who try to indoctrinate people with their opinions. If they imagine God as some supreme being full of wrath and vengeance, they present Him that way, and in order to give authority to their messages, they assume Jesus' name or they even say that they are God Father. They don't do this for wickedness, but because they try to help people, but they are like the blind who wants to guide the blind. Yes, you are right, this is what happens in Vassula Ryden's case. Therefore I repeat, it is necessary to read all messages from the beyond with much care. If you don't feel love in them, be careful. They will surely come from poorly developed spirits.
What spirits enjoy most in the twilight zone is that they no longer need to work in jobs they don't like, but rather find the opportunity for developing their inclinations and to live happily with the task that they have chosen for themselves. There are many who don't know what they really want, but it is there where they learn how to recognize and to appreciate their natural gifts, which all mortals and spirits possess, although they may not know them.
Even when this area is extraordinary attractive, the spirits soon find out that there is something better, which they even may visit and learn to know. And through their activity and development in the twilight zone, there comes the time, sooner or later, of leaving and heading for a new destination.
This new place is called "Summerland" in the spiritualist literature. They describe it as the third sphere, but this is not true. It is part of the earth planes, the highest part, but it is still a very material region, in its environment as well as in the mentality of its inhabitants.
The biggest surprise, which one finds there, is the great number of children that live in Summerland. Let's continue using this name, because it is a very appropriate description. The presence of children is due to the fact that they arrive there when they die prematurely. They did not live long enough to acquire bad habits or deformations of their souls due to a bad style of living. They are pure souls, but not developed, and Summerland provides them with an ideal atmosphere to develop and to start their progress. We have already discussed that there are certain specially selected spirits who take care of them and give them an appropriate education. They show them the way to the perfect man, and also the Celestial path, and the children, when growing up and developing, are allowed to decide freely later. The babies' growth and development is much quicker than on earth, because they don't depend on material bodies, and the soul's capacity to grow is much superior.
This country is really a land of summer, or of eternal spring, with pretty landscapes, with beautiful cities and beautiful villages, a place for any taste or desire. And there is something very special to it.
As I have told you, the spirits of the twilight zone are already able to improve a great part of their spiritual bodies’ defects; they look like people on earth, more or less. The aspect of the spiritual body, as the reflection of the soul's condition, is due to the creative forces of the soul. In Summerland these forces increase. The spirits still cannot control them, but they can unconsciously through their desires direct the development of their bodies. That is why they look really beautiful. It is a pleasure which they enjoy for quite some time, but little by little it loses its attractiveness.
Imagine that you have a tremendously muscular body, beautiful teeth, full and dense hair, etc. and you stroll along the beach, and you attract the gaze of all people full of admiration. Isn't this beautiful! But when suddenly everybody walks with such a "perfect" body, you are only one among many, and this is not very funny anymore.
I have told you that even this area, despite its beauty, is still a fully material region. We will investigate superficially an effect of materialism.
Imagine somebody seeing that his neighbor owns a nice car. "Oh, if I had such a car, I would be the happiest person in the world!" he says. But when some time after he really gets this car, he sees another neighbor driving a brand-new BMW, suddenly his happiness is gone. Now he wants the BMW, and then a Mercedes Benz, and then perhaps a helicopter, and then... it is an endless chain. When he has achieved all he can at the material level, he still doesn't feel happy. He wants more. Perhaps he enters politics, trying to gain more power, but that will never be enough either, or he tries drugs, because he finds everything so empty. In short he doesn't find true happiness. These are only fleeting moments of contentment. You can observe this every day, and it is absurd, but in spite of it, everybody wants to copy this behavior.
Something similar happens in Summerland. There spirits still seek their pleasure and their fulfillment in material things. But the moment comes, when they realize that things don't work out this way. And it is then, when they suddenly open up their eyes to the spiritual things, or rather, when their awareness expands. Then the time has come for leaving and for seeking a substantially different world. It is then, when the gates of the second sphere open up for them. But this I shall describe on another occasion.
As for me, I didn't stay much time either in the twilight zone, or in Summerland. And that was due to my guide, Andrew, and to my strong desire of uniting with my old mates, the apostles and other disciples, and mainly, with the Master. The blessing of having known him on earth also turned out to be a blessing in progressing through the spirit world.
There is just one more thing I wish to say, that is that spirits in the highest zones of the earth planes know that their most serious sins have already been forgiven them, they have possibly suffered in hell, but they have not yet lent any true service as a work of atonement, except that they have helped one another. But they still lack a lot in order to offer appropriate help. But we will speak about this later.
Well, my brother, we have crossed the earth planes, and now you have some idea of how things are there. It is an incomplete idea, but sufficient to quench the major part of your curiosity. It is not a very spiritual subject, but as the Bible states, man shall not live by bread alone. Everybody wants to know what is awaiting them, and this is a legitimate right. Therefore it is correct to give this kind of information.
Have a nice day, and enjoy your visit. I hope tomorrow we shall meet again, but if not, don’t worry, it will be another day.
God bless you,
Your brother in Christ, who always watches over you,
THE SECOND SPHERE
I am here, Judas, your brother in Christ. After having expressed my comments on those terrible attacks in the United States and their causes and consequences, I would like to resume our series of messages on the spirit world.
I have described how spirits cross the different levels of the earth planes, and how they finally reach the conclusion that materialism doesn't lead to happiness. This understanding produces a deep change in the souls of these spirits, and they realize that the only path that they must pursue is the way to spirituality. A new world opens up for them, and they get the opportunity to enter the second sphere, a sphere that is much more spiritual but which was until then was hidden and outside the range of their perceptions.
The way, then, is spirituality. But it is not a uniform path, but it can rather manifest itself in a variety of forms. It is in that second sphere where spirits finally choose the exact path along which they wish to continue, although later on it will always be possible for them to change their opinion, and to return from a higher sphere and choose another branch of spirituality.
It has been more or less easy to give you an impression of the environment as it exists in the earth planes, but it is much more difficult to describe the second sphere, or the sphere of decision, as I like to call it. If I tell you that everything here is more ethereal, you won't understand me, and the human vocabulary, of course, only contains words to describe what exists in the surroundings of the consciousness of men on earth, or the ideas and models that philosophy develops. But even in this quite low sphere, the surroundings and ideas go far beyond what exists on earth.
Everything that is built in the earth planes is built by hand or by machine, as you do on earth. Life in the earth planes can really be considered an extension of the earth life, and this is good, because spirits usually need time to adapt to their new life. But in the sphere of decision things are already a bit different.
This sphere doesn't only lead to the fundamental decision as to the future development of each spirit, but it is like a kindergarten, preparing for authentic spiritual life. Spirits detach themselves more and more from their links to earth, which still continue, but gradually lose importance. They learn how to use their spiritual powers, all under the surveillance and the instruction of more developed spirits, who come from higher spheres to teach in the schools and institutions of the second sphere.
The inhabitants of the second sphere make their first insecure steps, mainly in the art of creation. They learn how to modify their clothes, they even learn, in a rudimentary way, to modify aspects of their spiritual body consciously. Their houses are no longer built by hand or by machines, but the spiritual forces give them form. You can imagine that all this provides a freedom until then unknown to those spirits, and it raises them to a state of enthusiasm, I would almost call it euphoria. These are unforgettable experiences, and for that reason many spirits remain there for a long, long time. That is not bad. It is not necessary to travel through all the spheres at top speed. The goal of perfection is tempting, but it is a good idea to also make the trip towards this goal into an unforgettable and fulfilling adventure. Nobody need fear arriving late at their personal destination. God will always wait for them with a smile of approval.
As to the different ways - you can already imagine what that means. In the first place, it is optional whether spirit wants to continue along the way toward Divinity by praying for the Father's Divine Love and obtaining it, or if they want to continue along the way towards the perfect natural man in the sixth sphere, an equally seductive destination for many, or even the majority, who don't understand the importance of the first option.
After they have lived some time in the second sphere, the spirits inevitably get into contact with higher spirits, who inform them about the advantages of their own development. A spirit from the fourth sphere with his moral development will praise all the achievements that may be obtained by this decision, and similarly the spirits progressing along the path towards intellectual or religious perfection, and even the spirits on the Divine path.
The inhabitants of the second sphere still continue partly with the ideas they entertained on earth, mainly religious ideas, and in the same way as they accept or reject ideas on earth, they choose according to their own approach, what they find more appropriate, truer or more beneficial. In some way many of the spirits in the second sphere pass through a spell of confusion, because after their period of adaptation they think that the time should already have come to stand in front of God, to face Jesus, if they are Christian, but nothing of that sort happens.
[H.R.: Does Jesus never visit them? Doesn’t he speak with them?]
Yes, he does, but they do not recognize him. He cannot present himself before them as he really is, they would not perceive this, and he looks like any other bright spirit. Many entertain the idea that Jesus is God, and therefore they say that this bright spirit who claims to be Jesus, doesn't tell the truth, he cannot tell the truth. It is the material mind and the earthly ideas, which finally decide the destination of each spirit. Here you can see once again, why Jesus so many times communicated to Mr. Padgett that the most appropriate moment to develop one's soul, and therefore one's perceptions, is right now, always right now, while still living on earth. The development on earth may be decisive in the spirit world.
Even the branches of the way toward the perfect man are not uniform in their nature. You can readily imagine that a spirit who chooses the religious path has the option of a variety of different religions, which continue existing in a similar way to earth, with some obvious corrections, but with their distinctive and very typical beliefs.
The spirits that finally decide to pursue the way to Divinity in general very soon lose their interest in the marvelous offerings in the second sphere for developing their spiritual powers. This is not important to them any more, because they learn that together with the development of their souls, all those things will be given to them. But for the spirits along the path towards the perfect man, the second sphere exercises an irresistible attraction. They are like babies who make their first steps, or who utter their first words, repeating what they have learned without getting tired.
In some ways the second sphere is already what you could call heaven, with immense happiness, and with facilities for study which nobody could dream of on earth. However, it is only the beginning of a fascinating voyage.
[H.R.: Are there spirits who arrive at the second sphere after their physical death without first passing through the earth planes?]
Yes, there are, and there are quite a few of them. Everything depends on their soul development. As I have said, the great majority arrives at the earth planes, mainly in the twilight zone, but many have enough development to live in the second sphere. They are the mortals who have understood that it is not materialism which leads to fulfillment, and who are devoted to spiritual development one hundred percent.
And as the song goes: “And the feast we thought endless comes like everything to an end...”
So comes the day for all inhabitants of the second sphere when these surroundings can no longer offer anything new, and when progress stagnates. As you will understand, this sphere is constituted of an enormous number of diverse planes and levels, but some day each and every spirit arrives at the top level. Then, there is nothing left for them to do or to learn. They are ready for their transition to a new world. But in order for them to do so one more time, a profound change occurs in these spirits' awareness.
They remember that they have come out of unpleasant situations many times through the help they received from more developed spirits. Even here in the second sphere there are higher spirits who offer them instruction and unselfish service. The time has come to repay this help, to show their gratefulness and for them to enter into action, lending a helping hand to their less fortunate mates. After having enjoyed a pleasant stay in an enormous playground where they learned and developed and learned in an entertaining way, they develop a deep feeling of responsibility and duty. A new era dawns in their spiritual life, and a new universe opens up.
Spirits call this duty their work of atonement. But we will not speak of this right now. This message is already very long.
I will leave you now. I wish you a happy day, and don't forget what I have told you in the previous messages. Pray more and more, the world needs this. Try to develop your soul right now on earth, and so you may start your trip as a spirit through the spirit world from a very favorable position.
May God bless you always.
Your friend, guide, and brother in Christ,
THE THIRD SPHERE
My dear brother, I come to you to resume my discourse on the life in the spheres of the spirit world. But before doing so, I would like to answer two questions you have asked me.
First I would like to tell you that your friend Victor who was murdered a few years ago, is well. He lives in the twilight zone, where your brothers also live. He was a good friend of your brother Karl, but now he no longer has contact with him, as their interests are too different. He spends a lot of time with his family on earth, and he doesn't have any desire to detach himself from these bonds. This is why he makes no effort to progress. He will surely need a lot of time to recover from the traumatic experience of his violent death, which tore him away from a life full of projects and plans. But you need not to worry about him, in his way he is happy there, although it hurts him that he cannot participate directly in his family's life. I believe that when his children will have settled down firmly in their professional life and when they will have started their own families, then the time will come when he decides to look ahead and to undertake the journey of progress, which sooner or later all have to start.
Your second question refers to the phrase I communicated yesterday: “I understand that now the topic of Islam has gained some interest because of the current events and those that are about to occur.”
The events that are about to take place will be very painful events, born out of the desire for vengeance. But as I have told you already, it won't be the end of the world. They may also contribute to improving the world, because unfortunately, men obviously need some painful experiences in order to find the way towards God again. Everything lies in the hands of men. We can advise, but we cannot force anybody.
But now let's forget about this sad situation and let us speak of the third sphere.
You will remember how spirits in the last stage of the second sphere arrive at the awareness that they have to fulfill some work, always in the helping of others. They call this work an "atonement task", because according to their understanding, it is a work that they have to carry out in part to pay for their sins, and in part to repay the help that they themselves have received, and which in fact they continue receiving.
The spirits of the third sphere are fully qualified to lend help to the spirits of the lower spheres. You remember well that Jesus explained through Mr. Padgett and Dr. Samuels that the fact that more developed spirits helped the less developed spirits constitutes a Law. In his comment on the Oahspe Bible, he dispels the superstition that war exists in the spirit world, and more specifically between the inhabitants of the different spheres, and he puts forth the principle of mutual help.
Certainly, even in hell this principle of help exists, but the low level of soul development doesn't allow this help to be effective. Something similar may be said of all the levels of the earth planes. In the second sphere, where spirits learn how to really live as spirits, they acquire the tools to offer help efficiently. They also advance in the purification of their natural love, those along the Celestial path obtain more of the Father's Love, and this learning process continues in the third sphere, in fact, it continues throughout all the spheres which follow. But the new thing that occurs here, in the third sphere, is the theoretical knowledge and the purified love that can serve a harmonious purpose, providing help following the Will of God.
You also know that the Law of Activation requires certain preparation on the part of the spirits to be able to perceive our Celestial Father's orders more or less clearly. In the lower spheres, these orders are not received with a lot of clarity, and therefore, the Law of Activation works to a rather limited effect there.
What are the tasks then, that the inhabitants of the third sphere are dedicated to?
They usually have something to do with their lives on earth, and often with their more serious sins, in the sense of guiding other spirits or mortals along better paths than they themselves had chosen. It may also be a work of "unlearning" or of "unteaching" falsehoods, in order to so rectify much of what they have done consciously or unconsciously on earth. You have already read of these examples where the preacher has to try to influence his old parishioners so that they accept the truth and forget the false teachings which the preacher had originally instructed them on earth.
In the beginning this work seems really gigantic, and the spirits many times feel frustrations. Yes, happiness in this sphere is not perfect, but as they advance, the task gives them more and more joy and realization. If we stay with the preacher's example, we can understand that he had felt a certain vocation on earth, although his teachings may not have been the correct ones, and the greater happiness provides a work where one may follow his vocation and teach what is correct. With the words correct and false, I refer to essential principles along the way towards perfection. Certainly many spirits continue teaching falsehoods, like the idea of reincarnation for example, but they are harmless falsehoods, because they don't interfere with the definitive goal in the Plans of God.
From what I have told you, you will understand that the third sphere is still far from perfection. Truth and falsehood coexist, but harmful falsehood has already been eradicated.
It is a task of love. And the spirits who have obtained a certain quantity of Divine Love are devoted to this work with even more energy, and many of them stay for a long time in this sphere, because in spite of certain disillusions that they suffer when they are rejected in their teachings by other spirits, they feel the importance of their work. To them the work is more difficult, because what they teach is new to many, and therefore they face greater resistance and rejection than their mates along the natural path.
For Divine Love spirits, the third sphere constitutes a very special experience. Although some of them may have obtained a small portion of this Love on earth or in the previous stages in the spirit world, it is here where for the first time they "live" this Love, where they put their light on high and try to be living examples of the Father's Will.
The third sphere therefore is an area where spirits progress in their awareness, where their idea of an expiatory work becomes a vocational task, and which they perform and accomplish with enthusiasm and fervor.
When they have arrived at this awareness, the moment has come for them to advance further on, and the doors of the fourth sphere open up. But of this we will speak tomorrow, if your condition allows it.
You feel somewhat depressed today. I know the reason and I understand you. But I advise you to do what your heart dictates, without looking to the right or to the left. Only look ahead, because it is there where the great objective awaits you. You have found a work which you may carry out without depending on anybody. And you know very well that you can always count on us, we will never let you down you. Everything depends only on your condition and on your disposition. So, take courage and you will be fine.
Now I will say good-bye. I leave you my blessings and will soon return.
Your brother in the spirit,
THE FOURTH SPHERE.
Tears, yes, there will be much weeping because of the happenings which are about to occur. But this is not our subject of today.
I know that you have a long list of questions, and we will deal with all of them, one by one. But we will also integrate these points in the series of messages which I intend to deliver.
Today we will speak of the fourth sphere in the spirit world.
As you already know, the spirits of the fourth sphere work hard in their work of "atonement," which in fact is no longer a work considered as a burden or obligation, as it has already become a means for self-realization.
Many of the spirits of the fourth sphere work as teachers in the educational and scientific institutions of lower spheres, they also act as spiritual guides and above all, it is in this sphere where they develop their at times astonishing healing abilities.
The fourth sphere, as you already know, is basically an intellectual sphere. You have heard that spirits who have opted for the development in Divine Love, don't remain a long time in those places, and in general this is true, but it is not a fixed rule. I can imagine that you would like to stay longer at this place in order to deepen the knowledge that interests you, for example humanity's history, especially the history of Christendom.
The spirits from the fourth sphere in their work as guides and humanity's helpers in many aspects, of course visit the earth planes and the earth itself frequently. They are very interested in the affairs of earth. But that interest disappears gradually in the course of their spiritual development, as they progress inside this sphere from level to level.
Yes, their art of healing is fabulous. It would be difficult or impossible to give you an idea. Although you have some medical education, you cannot compare what you try to do with what is achieved in the spirit world. To give you a comparison, you would be like working with heavy hammers, and they work with fine instruments used for electronic devices. Diseases which appear so material are not so in fact. The Chinese concept of disease, of the flows of energies, of balance and harmonies, mirrors reality much more than occidental medicine, which certainly has developed a lot by systematic scientific research, but in its materialism it pursues the wrong goals. But you can already notice that many doctors and scientists recognize this weakness and try to widen the reach of their treatments, applying "alternative" methods and pursuing "alternative" goals.
I have told you that spirits in the fourth sphere lose their interest, little by little, in earthly affairs. The reason for this is that their earthly bonds weaken. In other words, politics, wars, daily life, etc. no longer get their attention. Even family bonds disappear. This doesn't mean that the most developed spirits of the fourth sphere don't help humanity, on the contrary, they do this with enthusiasm and with much more efficiency than other spirits coming from lower regions due to their great soul development. But they do it for love, for vocation, it gives them fulfillment. And they offer this service to any person who needs it and who has been assigned to them, but the idea of being dedicated mainly to their relatives in the flesh no longer fits into this concept. They have come to understand that all human beings are their sisters and brothers, and that all share the same Father.
Yes, I know that you, too, have understood this, but you don't live this. In your case it is an intellectual knowledge, but as I see it, there is not a lot of conviction behind it. That is natural. To arrive at these heights, a process of development is necessary, which is very difficult to attain to on earth. However it is not impossible. There are mortals who may enter the Celestial spheres soon after their material death, but these cases are limited. As I have told you, most arrive at the earth planes, some even go to the second sphere. And those who arrive immediately at the third sphere after death, are very rare, and if we go up the scale of spheres, the cases which have enough development for living immediately after their physical death in these high places are the great exception.
Now we are returning to a very polemic but not very transcendent topic: Soulmates. We will dedicate a special message to this topic, but I want to mention here and now that only in the fourth sphere this topic begins to gain some importance. For the lower spirits, the question of soulmates may arouse interest or curiosity, but doesn't have relevance. All this we will analyze soon.
Well, my brother, from what I have explained so far, you may understand that the fourth sphere, with its vast offer of potential studies and its work full of realization, is a very attractive region for spirits, mainly for spirits along the way toward the perfect man. For this reason, they usually stay there a long time. Also many spirits along the Celestial path do this, because they enjoy the work they are carrying out on humanity's behalf or for the benefit of less developed spirits, but many only consider this sphere as an intermediate stage, because certainly there is also the possibility of carrying out this work of love in the higher spheres.
The decisive moment in the development of spirits in the fourth sphere is the loss of all their material bonds, like their interest in political matters, or their special attraction toward their relatives. This attraction becomes a deep love for all humanity, without exception and preferences. This is a huge step in the purification of natural love.
Yes it is true, there are messages from spirits who claim to live in the fourth sphere, and who are interested in political matters. You remember Napoleon Bonaparte's message, when he was observing the course of events during World War I with maximum interest. As I have said, the loss of this kind of interest is the result of a development, which culminates in the supreme plane of the fourth sphere. It is not given automatically nor instantaneously. And only when this soul condition has been achieved, together with the necessary soul cleansing, the spirit has the opportunity to enter the following sphere, which then is hidden and inaccessible. So you see, Napoleon was still far from this goal in this sense.
This is a good moment to interrupt my discourse. We could continue with the fifth sphere. But I believe that it is advisable to clarify the question of soulmates before doing so.
With my love and my blessings, I say goodbye now. Have a beautiful and prosperous day.
Your brother in Christ,
THE FIFTH SPHERE
My dear brother, today I come in order to tell you a little more about conditions prevailing in the fifth sphere of the spirit world. We have already made a long journey together through several spheres, and you already have some notion of the spheres which you got from Ann Rollins, Jesus, and John's messages, etc.
My main interest has been the description of the development in the diverse stages, and not so much the description of the environment, because that is something that is impossible to achieve. Only in the earth planes can you use comparison to convey an appropriate image, but by the second sphere, that would be much more difficult, and now, in the fifth sphere, that is absolutely impossible.
I have told you how spirits from the fourth sphere get rid of all their earthly bonds. Only then are they mature spirits, true inhabitants of the spirit world; they are only then 100% spiritual beings. Earth, for these spirits, is of no interest anymore, except in as much as there are other incarnated spirits who need their help.
Ann Rollins, in her writings, said that the spheres of the spirit world can be categorized according to the kind of development they offer. There are spheres which foster the development of the soul through purification of natural love, as the second, the fourth, and the sixth spheres. There are other spheres, which encourage the development in Divine Love, as the third, the fifth, and the seventh spheres.
Now, in the fifth sphere, we are in one of those soul spheres, as they are also called, which offer great opportunities for obtaining the Love of God, and where "natural" spirits don't spend much time. We will analyze this in a little more in detail.
Natural spirits have already achieved almost everything. The only thing that they still lack is the absolute purity of their natural souls. They have to eliminate the last traces of sin from their souls. Error continues to exist because they still cling to false convictions, to their beliefs, but, as I already mentioned once, those are harmless beliefs. The kind of truth they possess is really a kind of truth that is in harmony with the laws under which they develop, but it is not in harmony with the Laws of Divinity, with the Law of Divine Love.
This last stage of purification, in general, doesn't take much time, and very soon they may leave the fifth sphere and enter the sixth, the great goal of all their spiritual life, the entrance into paradise. Why should they stay in an inferior place, given that they have the possibility of living where their greatest desire is to live?
We know that Divine Love achieves the purification of natural love in the soul. Hence, the spirits along the Divine path of the fifth sphere, who have obtained a considerable amount of Divine Love in order to arrive there, already have a highly purified soul, too. They don't need much time either to reach their definitive purification. And many of them, in fact, hurry to progress into the sixth sphere, and almost all return very soon to the fifth. What has happened?
You remember once, when you still were living in Europe, that one of your friends informed you that she was going to get a divorce. She was college teacher, and was married to a bricklayer. At the beginning, there was no problem in this relationship, both understood each other very well, but in the course of the years, the situation worsened definitively. She summarized it in this way: "I am really fed up, the only topic of conversation with him is Mickey Mouse!" She enjoyed the opera, and he didn't have any interest in that. He enjoyed soccer games on Sundays, but this bothered her. And so things were throughout all fields of interest. The importance of sexuality had disappeared, there was nothing new in this relationship, and in theory only basic topics of common interest were left. But in fact, they did not exist. I don't want to discuss if this marriage was based on love or not, but rather I want to take advantage of this example to explain to you that spirits on the Divine path no longer find common interests with spirits of the sixth sphere.
During their development through the spirit world, the Divine spirits, if one is allowed to call them such, as they are not still truly Divine, try to convince the natural spirits of the superiority of their path toward the Celestial Heavens. Success is rare, but they try anyway. In the sixth sphere, however, where natural spirits know that they have achieved the maximum that they can achieve, and where they live in incredible happiness, there is not even the inclination to listen to them, in general. The scientific and philosophical topics which are developed there, are of little interest for Divine spirits, although they do possess enough knowledge to be able to follow these discussions, but to them they lack importance. And the topic of Divine spirits, that is to say, the development of the soul in the Love of God, is an absurdity for their mates.
Well, as I have said, after a very short time and after many disappointments, the Divine spirits prefer to return to the fifth sphere, where they try to obtain more Divine Love, in order to be able to enter directly the seventh sphere.
The "mentality", if I may call it so, between natural spirits and Divine spirits of the fifth sphere is already quite different. As you know, the obtaining of Divine Love also entails a superior role that the mind of the soul plays in comparison with the material mind, with its seat in the spirit body. This is a process that does not occur in natural spirits.
You have already read that the criterion for the entrance into the seventh sphere is the disappearance of the material mind and the absolute ascendancy of the soul's mind. I won't try to explain this now, as you would not understand it anyway, but I tell you that one needs a lot of God's Love, of His Substance, in one's soul to achieve this goal. And this is exactly what spirits on the Divine path in the fifth sphere seek to obtain. And besides that development, as you may imagine, they continue working for humanity's benefit.
I think I have written enough on the fifth sphere. It is a fascinating topic. But you have to experience it in order to understand it.
Now I will leave you. I wish you a very productive day, and as you already know, when you should need me, just call me. I will be here at once.
With all my love, I am your brother in Christ, Judas,
a spirit from the Celestial Heavens
THE SIXTH SHPERE
I am glad that this time you have decided to receive my message through dictation. It is good practice to change the mode of reception whenever this is possible, as you will gain so much more confidence and accuracy. Currently it is very easy for us to enter into contact, provided that you find time and a quiet place.
I want to continue writing about the spheres of the spirit world, and with today's message we arrive at the sixth sphere. It will be a difficult chapter to explain, because even for us, the nature of the sixth sphere still presents a series of questions which we cannot answer. I already see that you have guessed what I am referring to. But we will speak of that later. Firstly I intend to explain the condition of the inhabitants of the sixth sphere.
As you already know, when spirits of the fifth sphere are able to purify their souls completely of sin, they have the opportunity to advance and to enter the sixth sphere. The great majority does so, only some of the Divine Love spirits prefer to stay in the fifth, because they feel that this advance or progress would only be an apparent progress. Many of these spirits however venture ahead, more out of curiosity in order to learn of the paradise that their "natural" mates so much yearn for, but they return disillusioned after a short time.
The sixth sphere is a purely intellectual area, and when I say intellectual, I refer to the fact that in spite of the great spirituality of the place, the zeal of its inhabitants goes much more for increasing their knowledge, while they live a life in absolute harmony with God's laws of spirituality. It is a place where science has reached its most spectacular results compared to all the spiritual spheres, and where the intelligence of its inhabitants is supreme, and where absolute fraternity exists, such as people dream of on earth.
Religion plays an important role, but the mere fact that there are many diverse religions in this zone, demonstrates that its inhabitants are not yet in possession of absolute truth. You have already read messages where this situation is described, indicating that spirits coming from diverse cultures live in separate communities, happy with each other, but that there is very little contact with spirits outside their respective societies. Inside these communities there are subgroups, based on special interests. It is a paradise of immense happiness, where some kind of semi-truth reigns, and where the only possible progress is the accumulation of intellectual knowledge. In the universe of God there is so much we may know, so that we will never reach absolute knowledge throughout all eternity. But as for the soul, in this case a natural and totally purified soul, progress no longer exists beyond what has already been achieved.
And herein lies the great problem. We don't know what will happen with these spirits. They cannot remain without development through all eternity. You already understand this problem. This contradicts the Law of Change. And they also fully realize that.
Well, in order to continue, if I tell you about the great inventions and scientific discoveries, I don't want to suggest that life in the sixth sphere consists only of such studies, no, there are great social events, amusements, all of which provides them with great happiness, their class of happiness. Paradise, yes, the sixth sphere is the paradise which the Hebrews dreamt of and continue dreaming of, and it is the paradise that Christian churches teach of, in general, and also spiritualists.
The spirits of the sixth sphere no longer keep up much contact with mortals. Messages from them are not very common. You know that Mr. Padgett received some, but the reason was the curiosity these spirits felt when they saw Mr. Padgett surrounded of another class of spirits, namely of Celestials. Those of the sixth sphere, however, do continue helping lower spirits along their way, and many are dedicated to the work of teachers and professors in the lower spheres.
Good, I cannot tell you much more. I would love to describe to you the atmosphere that reigns there but it is impossible.
Yes, it happens, of course, that spirits of the sixth sphere decide to follow the Celestial pathway, mainly when they already possess some of Divine Love, which has lain inactive in their souls throughout all their development, and suddenly awakes and arouses longings in them for something more when they no longer feel filled with this paralyzing satisfaction. This happens at times when we talk to them and tell them of our world. But, as I told you, in most cases we only meet deaf ears. It is also the true that when they want to change their destination, they have to return to a lower sphere where they may find better conditions for the development of their souls in Divine Love. This can be the third sphere, sometimes it is even the fifth, it depends on the amount of Love they already possess.
With that I finish my discussion of the spiritual spheres. Next time we will speak of the seventh sphere, which is not yet situated in the Celestial Heavens, but which you may consider as the antechamber.
My dear brother, I like the portrait you drew of Andrew. Yes, that was his appearance. He was a rather short man, somewhat fat, well, not so much fat as stout, and by that I mean he had a very muscular body and tremendous physical strength. His hands were huge, callous and firm, weather-beaten from long years of hard work as a fisherman. He didn't speak much, and he had a rather introverted character, unlike his brother Peter. But he had a heart of gold, which he still has now, even more precious.
Andrew works a lot with mortals. And I owe him a lot, yes, in fact I owe him everything. Throughout all the time of my progress towards the Celestial Heavens, he accompanied me and helped tirelessly. We still visit each other frequently, although we don't live in the same place.
It is time to say goodbye. It is thundering, so you'd better disconnect your computer. I am happy that your gallery of portraits is taking form already. Very soon I will project another image of one of my old companions into your mind, and you will be able to try your talent as an artist once again.
May God bless you always,
Your brother in Christ,
Judas.
THE SEVENTH SHPERE
Yes, this is my last message to complete this sequence, and no, I won't talk about the Celestial Heavens. It is already quite unsatisfactory what I can communicate of life in the higher spheres of the spirit world, and it would be worse if I tried to describe the Celestial spheres. Those are totally out of reach of your perceptions, and I won't even try this. Well, let's proceed.
You know already that only those spirits whose souls' mind dominates their material mind, may enter the seventh sphere. The material mind has not necessarily disappeared completely, but in the course of development in that sphere, it decreases ever more and finally ceases to exist. So you see, when entering the spirit world, men lose their physical bodies and when entering the seventh sphere they lose their material mind and the last traces of their natural souls.
That is in fact the great objective in the seventh sphere. The inhabitants of this place are very perfect, in the sense that they have not only the perfection of the natural man, but their souls harbor a considerable amount of God's Love. The transformation of their souls has progressed to such a point where they only lack very little in order to experience their total transformation. Therefore the great experience of the New Birth happens in this sphere, with exception of the case when a person has already experienced the New Birth on earth, as in the case of Jesus, but that is a very rare and really exceptional event. However, it is possible.
The duration of the process of the last stage of transformation varies. It may be achieved in a relatively short time, but many spirits stay longer in this wonderful paradise, enjoying and experiencing, like tourists taking their time to explore the last corner of their unknown world rather than like sportsmen who make every effort to run a certain distance at full speed. You may remember that you read how the Law of Compensation operates on the recollections of evil done on earth. And when people finally reach their redemption, these recollections leave them.
Well, you have already understood that one cannot take that literally. I committed evil on earth, and not only once but many times, as practically all men do. And I still remember this, otherwise I could not tell you of my betrayal. What this sentence is intended to convey is that the recollections of evil always bear a bitter flavor, and the bitterness in the earth planes is very strong, especially in the hells, where it leads almost to desperation. But this flavor gets lost as we progress. For example, in the fifth sphere there is practically nothing left of that negativity, and in the seventh sphere, it finally disappears completely. Many spirits take advantage of the time in the seventh to meditate on their lives on earth, and primarily, on what has happened during their voyage through the spheres.
I did it, and in that time the idea ripened in my heart of dedicating myself to people who are in a similar situation as I was on earth. I mean, people of a similar character, with similar problems of understanding, etc. You are one of these people, and as I try to influence you and to offer you guidance, I also do this with many others. And if you look back at your life, you will see that we have had some success, and that your life has changed substantially, and for the better, as you will surely admit. This is my work, one of my works, and many spirits in fact in the seventh sphere make up their mind on the kind of higher work they will perform with mortals, when once they enter the Celestial spheres.
As I have already stated, the great objective in the seventh sphere is making the New Birth come true, and the incredible amount of Divine Love which spirits are able to obtain, bears a lot of faith, and perhaps it would be better to say, it bears a lot of soul knowledge, which is the same thing, but so you will understand better how the wisdom of spirits of the seventh sphere grows unimaginably.
And when their souls finally become Divine souls, and when the gates of the Celestial Heavens open up, there comes also the prize of the certain and doubtless knowledge that they are owners of true Immortality, that they are Divine beings like God Himself is Divine, and that in fact they can no longer call themselves humans. They are angels. That transformation is greater than the mortal's transformation into a spirit, because in that step they only lose their physical bodies, while in the New Birth, they lose the "humanity" of their souls and acquire "Divinity", the supreme principle of all existence.
Well, I think I have said enough on the seventh sphere. Our voyage through those spheres should not only serve to quench your curiosity, but I have conveyed this information so that anyone who reads this information may find their individual position relative to this great succession of changes, whose main features I have communicated, without taking details into consideration, which certainly do exist, but which have no major importance for our purpose. My brother, when you analyze where you are, considering your spirituality, your total delivery to your neighbors in fully recognized duty, considering your joyful delivery in service for your sisters and brothers, considering your detachment from all your earthly and material bonds, where would you locate yourself?
[H.R.: I am not sure, but thinking it over, I believe that I would fit into the second sphere, because the only criterion I do comply with completely is the deep conviction that happiness and fulfillment can only be found in spirituality. But perhaps I am too optimistic...]
Well said, H___, you would really fit into the second sphere. You still have a long way to cover. But comparing your current state to your condition of a few years ago, you have already achieved much. Where would you locate Mother Teresa? Undoubtedly you didn't know her personally, but you could make a tentative estimate.
[H.R.: I really don't know, but I can imagine that she would fit into the fifth or seventh sphere...]
Very well, a good guess. She arrived in the fifth sphere, and she lacked little to enter the seventh, where she is now.
[H.R.: As we are speaking of spheres, my wife would really like to know where her sister lives now.]
She is in the fifth sphere. And she still lacks somewhat in order to progress toward the seventh. But she is on a very good track. She is a very luminous spirit, I already told you this once. Well, with that we will consider this cycle of messages as concluded.
I have already told you that I intend to start a new series, on Jesus' life and teachings, something like a biography. But I see that you have accumulated some questions, which I shall try to respond to in the next days, more specifically we will deal with the topics of divorce and of violence, the causes of the present conflict and its possible solutions. It is understandable that this is what most people are concerned about at this time.
You have also received some questions on the spirit guides of other mortals. I won't communicate that. First, when people make an effort to know their guides, and when they really desire it and transform their desire into actions, in the sense of developing their spirituality, they will be able to know their guides. Second, many of these spirits are happy in their anonymity, and although mortals at times are not able to discover their guides' identity, they can feel them, they can communicate with them and they can know them as they really are, not only their names. Besides, what good would be saying that some guide's name is Juan Pérez and another one's is Joe Smith, and even another one's name is Franz Meier or Pierre Dupont. Don't forget that there are many millions of Celestial spirits working with mortals, as a matter of fact, their number is larger than the number of mortals who seek spiritual progress. And many of these anonymous spirits have reached greater development than I have, greater than some of the apostles have.
With these words I say goodbye. I pray that the Father may continue blessing you, and I hope to communicate with you soon again.
Your brother in Christ and you guide along the Celestial path,
