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By Alan Ross
INTRODUCTION
The decade of the sixties planted - for many - the seeds of a spiritual
quest for greater awareness and a deeper understanding of the meaning
of life. I was one of those caught up in this awakening, and in 1969,
decided to leave my Midwest roots and move to Los Angeles. There, I discovered
a new lifestyle, practicing yoga, becoming a vegetarian, reading philosophy,
attending lectures and visiting every ashram and spiritual center in the
city.
The Hindu concepts of karma and reincarnation were taught everywhere
I went. I, like many of my peers, accepted these beliefs without question;
that is, until one day an unusual series of events started me thinking.
They began seven years later, shortly after a move to Santa Cruz, a mecca
of consciousness on the Monterey Bay, south of San Francisco. One fine
afternoon in the city's central park, at a New Age fair my number was
called and I won the raffle. The prize was a three-hour psychic reading,
compliments of the Berkeley Psychic Institute (which had a chapter in
Santa Cruz at the time). I was not particularly thrilled with the prize
because I thought this was nothing more than fortune telling, and I was
definitely not interested in someone telling me my future - just in case
they were wrong. Nevertheless, I booked the reading (probably because
it was so rare that I won anything I guess I didn't want to see it go
to waste).
THE PSYCHIC READING
On arriving at the Institute, I was led to a first floor room where,
to my surprise, I was introduced to not one, but three psychics who were
to do the reading. They seated themselves in a row, and I was told "Take
the chair in front of us and try not to be nervous". The first two
hours of the reading were filled with interesting and useful information
about myself, my life and my future. The last hour was to be dedicated
to uncovering my past lives.
In that final hour, I was told that I had had many lives. The first past
life they spoke about was that of an ancient Hebrew; it was in this life
that I had made a pact with God and died in His service. I must admit
that I liked this very much; it not only made me feel important, it also
could have been a possible explanation for my burning spiritual desire.
Next, they told me that I was in the Crusades and was killed trying to
free the Holy Land. From there, I lived as a Frenchman and was robbed
and murdered on the road to Paris. Following that life, I was a World
War I soldier killed in the trenches of Europe. After that life was revealed
to me, my body began to shake. And, with each additional past life they
described, the shaking intensified. I didn't know what was happening I
could only think that it was my kundulini rising. Then, all of a sudden,
the door swung open, and the director of the school burst into the room
and exclaimed, in a huff, "What are all these spirits doing in the
room? Get them out of here!" And, she began to order the psychics
about, "You, open the window. You, move the chairs. You, do this;
you do that. This reading is over!"
I was stunned and bewildered as well as disappointed that my reading
had ended so abruptly. On the way home in the car, I kept asking myself
over and over, 'What was that all about and why was the director so upset?'
As the weeks passed, I longed for answers; then, one day, they seemed
to pop into my head. It was as if I was told that it was true, indeed,
that there were 'spirits in the room' and they were hovering around me
during the reading and it was their combined soul power that created an
energy field strong enough to shake my body. It was also true that the
psychics were skilled at their craft and were able to read the identities
of the 'spirits in the room' and in particular their last experience on
earth their death. However, I somehow realized that their mistake was
telling me that the lives they were reading were my past lives when in
reality, they were the lives of the 'spirits in the room'.
I immediately thought that if this is true, what about my pact with God?'
Not another disappointment! Then, I realized that I didn't have to be
an ancient Hebrew to make a pact with God. I could do it right now. So
I said, "God, if you are there and listening, I will devote myself
to you if you will answer this question to help me make sense of the world".
Not long afterwards my life took a spiritual turn. It appears that I
was guided to a small group of spiritualist in the town where I was living.
They seemed like sincere people and showed such a genuine interested in
my well-being, I continued to attended their meetings. After several weeks
I learned that their founder, was a Washington D.C. lawyer named James
Padgett. Shortly, after his wife's passing in 1914, Padgett developed
his mediumship on the strength of making contact with her. Although, he
chose to keep his mediumship secret and it has remained so to this very
day, in my opinion he became an extraordinary writing medium.
PURIFICATION IN THE SPIRIT WORLD
After several weeks of reading the lawyer's automatic writings and, I
might add, resonating with them, I came to a message from an ancient East
Indian spirit which took me by surprise. In it, he said that he believed
reincarnation was a process of purification that was necessary in order
for a spirit to attain a state of purification and perfection and arrive
at the blissful state of Nirvana. "But in all the years of my spirit
existence," he said, "I had not known of a spirit to reincarnate,
and in this, my disappointment has been grievous. Karma exists in the
spirit world, and many spirits of my association have become pure and
perfected spirits through renunciation; yet, they have remained spirits
and have progressed to the highest realms without taking another body."
"When comparing the most advanced mortals in mind and soul condition,
they are not equal to us in development. This makes me wonder what improvement
could be made in our condition in order for us to progress, should we
enter into another mortal body. Yet, strangely, we cling to our old belief
in reincarnation and congregate together, waiting for something that must
happen in order for reincarnation to become the destiny of our souls..."
THE SOUL IS ENCASED IN A SPIRIT BODY
In the following message from an advanced spirit, he explains that it
is impossible for a soul in the spirit world to be reincarnated back into
flesh. This is because, upon leaving the mortal body, the soul will inhabit
its spirit or etheric body thereafter. The spirit body is the envelope
and protector of the soul and is what gives the soul its individuality
as a conscious entity. The soul is encased in its spirit body which, though
physical in nature, is not of a gross material. The spirit body remains
with the soul as long as the soul exists. If a soul enters a mortal body,
it would have to shed its spirit body, which it cannot do. Only a soul
without a spirit body can enter into a mortal body.
When mortals die, their souls have already achieved the purpose of incarnation,
that is, individualization of the soul. A soul may become a purified soul
through the exercise of will and the expression of remorse in the spirit
world. It is, therefore, absolutely unnecessary for the soul to go back
to the flesh for another chance to purify itself.
The spirit continues. Children born with physical defects are not being
punished for something that occurred in a past life. These individuals
suffer due to a physical imperfection within the mother's womb, which
prevented a perfectly developed fetus. This is not a judgment by God,
but simply the result of an imperfect world, to which the flesh is subject.
MIND RACED WITH QUESTIONS
Then, the thought struck me, 'How is reincarnation actually supposed
to take place? Does a spirit who wants to take another body roam the earth
searching for a pregnant woman to invade her womb and attach to her fetus?
Is that what happens? If so, what determines if an infant gets one of
these old karma-laden souls or a shiny new one.' Obviously, there must
be new souls because of the discrepancy in population between earlier
times and today.
I wondered what good it is to have a succession of lives if they can't
be remembered? How can people be expected to shed their karma if they
don't know what it is? And, is it possible to live a life on earth without
accumulating more karma and never getting off the monotonous cycle?
I was feeling disillusioned with reincarnation; it was making less and
less sense to me, and it certainly didn't impress me as being a merciful
plan. I was perplexed at the thought of how so many people could be wrong
about past lives when millions upon millions of people believe in it and
millions upon million of dollars are spent each year in the past life
industry. Could it be that all these people are being fooled, just as
the psychics were when giving me my reading?
Then, I remembered a Padgett message which stated, "Because something
is believed for a long time and by a great number of people, that in itself
does not make it true. Truths are being revealed today and are constantly
being revealed as time goes on. They should be accepted with as much credence
and satisfaction as truths that were disclosed in ancient times. The minds
of mortals were given to them to exercise by query, investigation and
search. Never was it contemplated in human creation that the time would
come when man should accept anything as the ultimate truth and cease making
inquiries. Truths are so many, so great, and so deep, that humanity has
acquired only a smattering of them. To rest now, at this point, in the
belief that there is nothing more to be learned in the way of truth, would
violate and subvert the very object of human creation."
THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS
I began to think about how many things people believe that I have my
doubts about; could reincarnation be a mistaken notion which will eventually
be proved wrong? I wanted more evidence to be certain about this important
issue, so I decided to go and search for it.
My first destination was Lily Dale, a spiritualist community in Western
New York State, located not far from Hydesville, the birthplace of 'Modern
Spiritualism'. I had previously corresponded with the president, Rev.
Joseph H. Merrill, and the morning after my arrival, I paid him a visit.
As we chatted on the porch of his cottage, I was surprised to learn that
he was a non-reincarnationist, as were most of the other board members.
Rev. Merrill was so convinced of his position that he had written a booklet
aptly titled, 'Do I Have To Return?'
In it, he stated that the superimposing of spirits can make us believe
we have lived in a certain location before this life, or that there is
a familiarity with certain individuals. I felt like that as have so many
others. One example of particular interest was about General George S.
Patton. General Patton spoke eloquently of his experience in France in
1918 concerning his meeting a young French liaison officer who offered
to show him around Langres. Although, Patton had not been there before
he declined, saying it was not necessary as he knew the place quite well.
He then proceeded instinctively to guide his driver through the area.
Later, he admitted to his nephew that it was as if he was being directed
by an unseen spirit that was whispering in his ear.
Rev. Merrill goes on about how spirits are continually interacting with
the mortal world; child prodigies and child geniuses are said to be old
souls who have come back in re-birth. Do people not know that children
are most susceptible to spirit influence from birth to six or seven years
of age, whether that influencing spirit is a musician, mathematician,
poet or writer of prose? How easy it is to forget that spirits are around
us at all times, mingling and co-mingling.
In the days that followed, I socialized with visitors and residents alike and soon realized that not everyone
at Lily Dale shared Rev. Merrill's views. As I relayed my experiences, I was met with skepticism and even outrage.
Then, one afternoon I met a very spiritual looking man from Toronto. As we talked, I learned that he was a non-reincarnationist
and knew of considerable literature to support his position. He offered to make me a list, which I graciously
accepted. On it, there were some obscure sounding titles, such as the 'Osaphe Bible' and the 'Urantia Book'.
However, the title that intrigued me the most was 'Thirty Years Among the Dead'.
A MEDICAL OPINION
I found my way to the Marion Skidmore Library on the Lily Dale grounds.
There I located the book and discovered that it was written by a Chicago
physician, Carl A. Wickland, M.D. Dr. Wickland was a dedicated researcher
in the fields of Psychic and Abnormal Psychology, who for 30 years, together
with his wife, Anna's, mediumship, treated hundreds of patients with unusual
disturbances who could not be helped by conventional therapy.
Dr. Wickland told of a colleague, Dr. Lydston, who reported that a patient
of his, without any musical training or knowledge of French, sang the
'Marseillaise' in flawless French while under anaesthetic. Dr. Lydston
explained this phenomenon as unconscious memory. To support his theory,
he cited a similar case of an uneducated domestic who recited Latin while
in delirium, just as her former employer, a Latin professor, had done.
However, for Dr. Wickland, these cases proved the posthumous existence
of spirits and their ability to communicate through mortals. The French
singing patient later contacted Dr. Wickland and told him, "I don't
know anything about French, but I do know that I am bothered to death
by spirits."
Through Mrs. Wickland's inspirational writing, a personal friend, the
late Dr. J. M. Peebles (author, lecturer, and diplomat), stated, "When
I reached the spirit world, I found such glory and happiness and beauty
that I now realize this little earth is a grammar school, not a university
or even a high school; it is only the first lesson of life." Why
should anyone want to come back again, to be confined in a body? In the
spirit world, you are free to travel everywhere. Why go back to that prison
again? Dr. Peebles continued, "You can learn in one day here what
takes years to learn on earth. Forget reincarnation, because it is a sandbag
around your neck. You will have it so centered on your mind, that you
will think of nothing else, and you will stay just where you are. You
cannot progress because your mind will always revert to the earth again.
You cannot live on the earth more than once. Life is progression, not
retrogression."
CORRECTION FROM THE OTHER SIDE
The most powerful testimonial came from Helena Blavatsky. Madam Blavatsky
was a spiritualist medium of considerable talent and co-founder of the
Theosophical Society. She was a pioneer of the New Thought Movement, the
early forerunner of New Age. She stated, "I studied reincarnation
in India and thought there was truth and justice in the theory that we
come back to learn and grow. I taught the theory and wanted to bring it
to the world. I felt that I remembered far back into my past, but I was
mistaken. When you become sensitive and can feel the spirits around you,
they speak to you by impressions, and their past will be like a panorama.
A person feels it and will relive the past of spirits, but the mistake
is made of taking this for the memory of past incarnations. I did not
know this when I lived on earth, but when I came to the spirit side of
life I learned differently. Once you reach the spirit world, where all
is congenial, where all is life, where all is bliss, where there is no
jealousy, no envy, where all is one grand harmony, do you think for one
moment that you would want to leave that beautiful condition to come back
to earth and be a little baby, restricted in mind and knowing nothing
whatever?"
Memories of past lives are caused by spirits that bring such thoughts
and represent the lives that they lived. A spirit impresses a person with
the experiences of its life and these are implanted in the mind as one's
own, causing you to think you remember your past. I thought to myself,
'This could account for why so many people are told they were either Napoleon,
Cleopatra, or Joan of Ark. Is it possible that the spirits of these people
have visited the earth plane many times and have impressed mortals with
images of their identity, lives and death?"
I now felt I was really onto something and returned to the library for
more research. There, I discovered 'The History of Spiritualism' by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes novels. Sir Arthur wrote,
"If reincarnation were true, there must have been millions of spiritualists,
who, upon entering the other world, have sought in vain their kindred,
children and friends. Has one whisper of such a woe ever reached us from
the thousands of communicating spirits? Never !"
MEDIUMSHIP '94'
It was my good fortune to be in London the week of 'Mediumship '94'.
This was an extravaganza of mediums demonstrating various types of mediumship.
It provided me with my first glimpse of a young medium, new on the scene,
going by the name of Lincoln. I remember his demonstration as though it
were yesterday. Lincoln went into trance - his voice changed, and he gave
an fascinating address from his spirit guide, Magnus. When he finished,
there were questions and answers. The one question which stuck with me
was asked by a woman concerning reincarnation. The spirit guide, Magnus,
replied that he had seen many spirits waiting to return to earth, but
had never seen any spirits actually leave the spirit world. Furthermore,
he added that he and his companions were more advanced than mortals and,
therefore, could not imagine what would be accomplished by returning to
the earth. I quickly glanced over at the woman to see her reaction. She
was visibly taken back; obviously, this was not what she had expected
to hear. I was elated by this unexpected validation of my new belief and
left the theater in high spirits.
In Colin Fry's (Lincoln) book, 'Inspired of Spirit', his spirit guide,
Magnus, states, "Reincarnation implies repetition, and it is a hideous
distortion of life's fear of change. The insidiousness of reincarnation
has been used throughout the centuries to control people by those who
have assumed authority. Those in lowly positions have been told, 'Accept
this, for you are being punished, for you shall come back on the next
occasion as a prince, so tolerate what happens to you because you deserve
no better.'"
TALKING TO HEAVEN
The public's fascination with the afterlife has been greatly enhanced
by the gifted medium, James Van Praagh. His rise in popularity is due
to his numerous television appearances and his best-selling book, 'Talking
to Heaven'.
In it, Van Praagh validates that the death experience can be picked up
by a sensitive medium. "As a clairsentient, I feel the death condition
associated with the individual making contact. When a spirit returns to
the earth's atmosphere, its memory recalls the events associated with
its last visit on the physical plane. For most of us, the death experience
is our most vivid. For example, if a person passed over from a heart attack,
as a clairsentient, I may experience the spirit's presence through a gripping
pain across my chest. If someone died of cancer or AIDS, I may sense a
wasting away in my body. If someone took pills, I might feel a heaviness
in my stomach and a sudden drowsiness. If a person shot himself, I may
feel a sharp pain in the area where the bullet entered."
This reminded me of that fateful day at my reading when the death experience
accompanied each past life given to me by the psychics. Van Praagh continues,
"Spirits with the most traumatic deaths, say suicide or murder, are
subject to reliving that final experience. The spirit sees his or her
death over and over again, and it repeats itself like a bad movie. The
spirit is trapped, and there is no way out of the theater." Suddenly,
I realized that all the past lives given to me at my reading ended violently,
none were due to natural causes.
Van Praagh further validates, "Spirits are not limited simply to
transmitting their death experience; their personality and their preferences
may come through via telepathic links. Spirits are constantly around us;
we are all mediums in our own right. Artists, doctors, musicians, chefs
and almost every living creature is inspired by thoughts. Many times we
think these thoughts are our own, but, more often than not, they emanate
from spiritual realms."
IN CONCLUSION
I believe that people embrace the idea of reincarnation because it is
a far better alternative than "heaven or hell". I also believe
that people feel comfortable with the idea of returning to the familiarity
of the earth - the only home they have ever known. I am now convinced
that the earth is a mere "way station" on the souls eternal
journey from a formless soul to a perfected spirit, and in this process
the soul does not retrace its steps or method of existence. It will not
go from being a spirit back to being a mortal.
I realize, for many people, the idea that reincarnation will not be the
destiny of their soul may be disappointing and difficult to accept. They
may think that they cannot shed their karma, attain enlightenment and
reach Nirvana if they cannot return to the earth to accomplish it. I,
however, am convinced to the contrary, that it is far easier and more
merciful to be able to attain enlightenment without the encumbrance of
the physical body and the earth life.
I now have total conviction that a great spiritual world exists for the
eternal habitation of the human soul. A world which contains the knowledge
and wisdom of the ages and abounds with wonders to experience that, for
now, are beyond our comprehension. If people could only realize the happiness
that awaits them, they would not be attached to returning to the earth;
but, instead, would strive to progress through the spheres of consciousness
towards the very source of the Spiritual Light of God.
Alan Ross
Copyright © 2000 Alan Ross
1438 W. Lantana Rd. #401
Lantana, Fl 33462
(888) 937-0411
e-mail alanross@aol.com
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