Other Dimensions

      

     "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,

it became a butterfly."  Anonymous

     What will life be like for us in the next dimension? You can pick up five or more books that describe what it is like in other dimensions and you will get five or more very different perceptions because there are so many dimensional levels to contact and visit.  Jesus said, in John 14:2 in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, "In my Father's house are many mansions."  Paramhansa Yogananda in Autobiography of a Yogi interprets this: "These many mansions include comprehensively the Infinitude of Spirit, the Christ Consciousness sphere, and the diverse higher and lower planes of the causal and astral realms.  In general, however, the designation of heaven is relegated to the astral world, the immediate heaven relevant to beings on the physical plane."  "These many mansions are the many subtle planes in the spiritual world," explains Barborka (The Divine Plan). 

     Birth and death in the astral world are merely a change in consciousness.  "Everything existing in nature is energy in a more or less compact stage of vibration, exhibiting weight according to its mass or distinguishing gravitation." The subtle astral body or level of consciousness is the seat of the mental and emotional natures of a human being. "The powers of the astral body enliven the physical body, much as electricity illumines a bulb." Yogananda, The Second Coming of Christ.  When our powers of will and visualization are exercised, we are working mainly through our astral bodies.  The astral world is made up of subtle vibrations of light and color and is hundreds of times larger than the material cosmos, and this is the dimension in which our loved ones who have made their transition reside.

     Robert Moss, in Dreamgates, tells us, "The Persian mystic philosophers teach that there are three kingdoms of experience.  The first is our physical universe, the realm of sensory experience and space-time.  There is also a realm of pure spirit, presided over by higher intelligences.  Between the physical and spiritual realms is the third kingdom: the immense realm of soul, where cities and temples, heavens and hells, are formed by the power of active imagination, which is the faculty of soul.  This faculty is the imaginative power, the one we must avoid confusing with the imagination that modern man identifies with 'fantasy' and that, according to him, produces only the 'imaginary.'  In this order of reality, imagination is not passing fancy, the fabricator of what is merely 'made up.'  It is maker and creator.  To know the world of true imagination, you must go there, yourself."

     "A man identifies himself about sixteen hours daily with his physical vehicle; then he sleeps.  If he dreams, he remains in his astral body, effortlessly creating any object even as do the astral beings."  (Sri Yukteswar in Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi).

     So according to these teachers/authors we each hold the key to our experience in the afterlife.  We are creating our experience now.  What do we want to see?  What do we want to experience?  The parts of the astral dimension that I've personally been privileged to visit have reminded me of exquisite versions of scenes on Earth and architecture rendered of finer materials than we can imagine.  The conscious embraces of my loved ones there have convinced me that when I'm there in my subtle body that vibrates to the frequency of that dimension, everything seems as solid to me as it does in the physical dimension.  So a shift in vibratory frequency can create a shift in consciousness of the dimension we happen to be occupying at any given time.  It is our responsibility to learn to make that shift.

     Birthday Blessings to Tom West in his dimension:

November 19, 1925 - March 13, 2010



Creativity

     "When we discover or give birth to our true Selves, the Creator also comes into our lives.  When we become aware of our connection with the creative source of the universe, we also begin to become aware of our part in creation."

     "As we create our own individual Souls, we are also contributing to the creation of the world Soul.  As we create our own lives, therefore, we are co-creating the universe."

     " However, it is our Souls, not our egos that create our lives.  For instance, our Souls may choose to experience sickness or other kinds of loss or suffering as a way to be initiated into deeper wisdom so that we might grow.  Such choices are anathema to the ego, whose function is to help keep us healthy and well functioning, and consequently the ego feels victimized when such events occur (just as the Soul feels victimized when the ego makes security and status its main priorities)."
Awakening the Heroes Within, Carol S. Pearson

     "It is art (visual, music, theatre, poetry, writing, dance, etc.) which makes us the true creators of life.  Until art comes into our lives, we are the playthings of Nature's forces, of a destiny, of a Providence.  When a man senses the sublime things of art, then he stands in eternity, not time, with death merely as a vague inconceivable concept.  He is a creator himself of the great forces of life, he is life's master not its tool. The artist must therefore cease to consider his art as merely an embodiment of his own creative energy.  He has to realise that, while he is so creating, he must also release the capacity of creation in others.  When all are artists, then the work of the artist is over; but not till then."
Art As Will and Idea, C. Jinarajadasa
    

Imagination

Oil painting by George Burrows

     "Imagination is more important than knowledge.  For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there ever will be to know and understand."  Albert Einstein

     Robert Moss, dreamteacher and author, tells us in The Dreamer's Book of the Dead that "On the Other Side, thoughts are things, and imagination rules."  He quotes Henry Corbin, the great French scholar of medieval Sufi philosophy and Persian mysticism,  when speaking of what happens after the soul separates from the physical body: "All the soul's powers are assembled and concentrated in the sole faculty of active imagination." 

     And Moss reminds us, "How unfortunate that in physical life, we so often dismiss the imagination, just as we devalue dreams!  We construct our reality unconsciously by projecting our feelings and thoughts about what is real and what is possible on the environment around us.  During physical life, this colors our experience of everything.  On the Other Side, it generates everything we experience."

     Webster defines imagination as the act or power of forming mental images of what is not present.
    
     What are you imaging (imagining) for your life in the physical world? - in the afterlife world?

     Sylvia Browne, well-known psychic and author, has a spirit guide named Francine.  In Life on the Other Side, Francine tells us to "picture the most beautiful thing you've ever seen and then multiply it by 100 - then you might be close to imagining the beauty and composition of the Other Side."

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okd3hLlvvLw 
     Remembering John Lennon:  October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980

Subtle Bodies & Levels of Consciousness

Subtle Bodies

Example of subtle body colors

     Ralph Waldo Emerson once penned these words: "The soul looketh steadily forward, creating a world always before her, and leaving worlds always behind her.  She has no dates, no rites, nor persons, nor specialties, nor men.  The soul knows only the soul.  All else is idle for her wearing."

     Manly Hall states that we as physical beings are owners of many bodies "invisible however to those whose perceptions are limited solely to the earthly senses."

    As humans we live in many worlds simultaneously, although we are not always aware that different levels of our being function on their own levels of awareness according to their attunement to these levels and the vibratory frequency they emit.  We seem to do this more easily in our dream states.

     Although the physical body is the only body visible to physical eyes, our twelve levels of consciousness are represented by subtle bodies that function in descending succession according to their vibratory rate.  Each of the twelve planes where these subtle bodies or levels of consciousness are active have seven divisions or sub-planes. They begin with the Plane of Divinitiy and descend to the Earthen Planes and the lowest point of consciousness.

     The subtle bodies are linked to the physical body through chakras (wheels of energy) and corresponding physical glands that vibrate to similar frequencies, and each is represented by a color which is related to a particular principle which determines the specific character of the subtle body.

     The basic color for each level - each body, is the same.  Variations of the colors occur according to spiritual development, health of the particular body, e.g., physical, emotional, mental health, as well as many other factors.  The healthier the bodies, the clearer and more brilliant are the colors.

     In the first illustration above, the bodies appear layered, but they actually interpenetrate, seeming separate as you tune in to a particular level.  The second illustration is an example of what you might see as the quality of color of the bodies (the jars have nothing to do with this post).  The colors might be brilliant or dull according to the health and development of each.  As they develop, they become refined and more transparent and sparkling.  For example, I've had  spontaneous experiences of seeing the bodies and the auric colors around people.  They have been portrayed in many stages of refinement - the most magnificent being the unending brilliant rainbow aura of my teacher, Ann Manser.  I couldn't hold the high frequency required to see the whole aura except at momentary intervals.  A crown chakra that was visible to me on a young man looked like a large fountain rapidly pouring forth sparkling, luminous gold and light green.

     Try staring at yourself beyond a lighted candle in front of a mirror sometime.  You can develop the ability to see some of your bodies.  It's especially helpful to note whether your etheric body, the one next to the physical body, is a rich strong teal blue color or weak and in need of rest and healthy nutrition.

A Precognitive Dream

OMMI

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul

remains unawakened."    Anatole France

     Ommi was my 14-year-old Flame-point Himalayan cat.  The following dream occurred eleven days before his transition to the other side of life: 

     In this dream, I was at home and my front door was open. The screen door was closed, however.  I heard a knock at the door and went to answer it.  It was a man whose visit I was expecting - a business call of some kind.  He stood on the bottom step, about three steps from the screen door, and reached up and opened the door to come in.  I noticed Ommi sitting at the door, just waiting for an opportunity to run outside.  I quickly called out, "No, don't open the door until I get the cat!"  It was too late, and Ommi bounded out and ran away.  I ran behind him as fast as I could go.  I couldn't catch him, and I knew he was gone for good - I would never be able to find him.  While this was all taking place, I was very much aware that my other Himalayan cat Poppy, then in actuality deceased, was lying under a big shade tree in the yard contentedly grooming himself.  He had been free for a while and knew how to live in the great outdoors - both had been indoor cats.  I also knew that Poppy would look after Ommi and help him adjust to his new surroundings.  Poppy looked so serene and happy and self-confident.

     My interpretation of the dream was that because Ommi was being treated for terminal kidney failure and was in a great deal of pain, he was waiting for an opportunity to go through the "door" that would grant him his freedom from a very sick little body.  I suspected that Poppy was hovering close to him during his time of need and would be on hand to help him make his transition.

     Shortly thereafter, when it was Ommi's time to go, he positioned himself under my bed with his face toward the wall.  He was very weak and couldn't seem to maneuver himself toward me when I called him to come out.  I didn't want to force or pull him out for fear of hurting him.  I knew I needed to get Ommi to the hospital and  have help to release him from his painful little body.  Poppy and Ommi had been inseparable when Poppy was still alive.   But Poppy had died about 18 months earlier, and Ommi had almost unrelentingly grieved for him.  I suddenly heard a whisper from another dimension, "Tell him you'll take him to see Poppy."  I got down on my hands and knees again and looked at Ommi, in the same position under the bed.  Then I quietly said, "Ommi, come to me, and I'll take you to see Poppy."  Ommi's head turned so he could see me.  I repeated what I had just told him.  By then he could barely move, but he managed to drag himself out from under the bed, no longer able to stand up.  I carefully picked him up, held him close to me and told him I loved him, and then I put him on a pillow in the pet carrier.

     Ommi made his transition that evening with the assistance of the doctor at the Emergency Animal Clinic.  I sat with him there expressing my love,  saying prayers, and meditating.  I called on angels, my mother, my best friend Pat, my teacher Ann, and Poppy in other dimensions for help with Ommi's transition.  When I felt that Ommi was at peace, I said my last goodbyes.  The doctor and attendants were very compassionate, and they allowed me to stay as long as I wished.

     At home again, emotionally exhausted, totally alone and without a beloved pet for the first time in over 25 years, I fell in bed.  I was about to fall asleep when I suddenly felt Ommi's familiar jump onto the foot of my bed.  He apparently wanted me to know that his journey to the other side - to the next dimension, was successful and he was pain-free and again "full of life."  I am still occasionally aware of his nocturnal visits - Poppy's, too.

Scientific Exploration into the Afterlife

          "When Galileo showed the Pope the telescope and told him that it would prove
     Galileo's view of the universe, the Pope called the telescope 'the work of the devil' and
     refused to look through it." Victor Zammit, attorney and researcher.

     There seems to be a growing recognition that science cannot always provide us with answers to life's fundamental questions. The search for greater meaning in life may therefore become more important.

     Currently, Dr. Gary Schwartz, professor of psychology, medicine, neurology, psychiatry, and surgery at the University of Arizona, and director of its Human Energy Systems Laboratory, is out in front with his groundbreaking experiments in scientific evidence of life after death. His research into the afterlife began when he was a professor at Yale University and discovered an hypothesis about how systems store information. It forced him to wonder about the possibility that consciousness might survive after death. His book, The The Afterlife Experiments is dedicated to documented experiments that give more credibility to the existence of an afterlife and methods of contact with the "dead."

     Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a world-renowned medical doctor, psychiatrist, and thanatologist was known for her work with children and AIDS patients. She brought the hospice movement to the U.S. In her book, Wheel of Life, she tells of her intuitive guidance to visit an old friend while on her way to a lecture in Seattle. On being welcomed into the home of her friend, what she thought might be an afternoon visit over tea turned into a channeling session with her friend's husband being the channel. The message from the spirit being channeled was, "Your work with death and dying is completed. It's now time for you to begin your second assignment. It's time for you to tell the world that death does not exist." Her lectures and workshops took new paths and gained in popularity. People were more than ready to accept life after death. Many shared that they were having out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and traveling toward a bright light, and they were relieved to have their experiences confirmed.

     I was privileged to hear Dr. Kubler-Ross in person in the early 1990s, and she shared this experience that made the afterlife a reality to her - a professed skeptic. She was talking with a colleague in a hallway at the U. of Chicago when she noticed a woman standing in front of the elevator. She recognized the woman but couldn't recall how she knew her. When her colleague entered the elevator, the woman walked over to Dr. Kubler-Ross and said, "Dr. Ross, I had to come back. Do you mind if I walk you to your office?" She then recognized the woman as Mrs. Schwarz, a woman she had worked with and who had died ten months earlier. Mrs. Schwarz opened the door for Dr. Kubler-Ross and said, "Dr. Ross, I had to come back for two reasons. One, to thank you and Rev. Gaines - to thank you and him for what you did for me. But the other reason I had to come back is to tell you that you cannot stop this work on death and dying, not yet."

     Dr. Kubler-Ross had trouble making sense of it all. She knew Mrs. Schwarz had been buried for ten months, and this went beyond the comfort zone of her belief system. She then found herself touching everything that was 'real' to her - her desk, her chair, her pen - but the woman was still there. She was real, too. The scientist in her wanted proof that Mrs. Schwarz was in actuality there in front of her, and she said, "You know Rev. Gaines is in Urbana now. He would just love to have a note from you. Would you mind?" She handed Mrs. Schwarz a piece of paper and a pencil. Mrs. Schwarz took the paper and wrote a note, then she got up and on leaving, she said again, "Dr. Ross, you promise?" Dr. Kubler-Ross promised, and Mrs. Schwarz disappeared. Dr. Kubler-Ross kept the note to remind her of her personal proof of the reality of life after death.

     "I tell you we do persist. Communication is possible. I have proved that the people who    communicate are who and what they say they are. The conclusion is that survival is scientifically proved by scientific investigation." . . . . . Sir Oliver Lodge, scientist.

Is Afterlife Contact Possible?

     "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no  proof is possible." Stuart Chase.

     Our individual time lines, as far as we know, begin with our birth and end with our death. During this lifetime we experience many events, some of which are significant enough to be celebrated in some way. Let us suppose for a moment that we could extend that time line like a continuum into another dimension.  If we could do that, then what we call "death" might be just another event on the time line - one that might even call for a celebration for an Earth life lived and loved, for many years or just a few.

     In many cases, we are granted the privilege of time to say, "So long for a while" or "We'll meet again," as the curtain goes down on our part of life's drama.  There are many whose lives come to an abrupt halt because of war, accidents, or other unpredictable occurrences.  It is sometimes difficult to feel closure with those loved ones whose lives have ended so abruptly.  Those of us left behind often remain in a state of shock for a long time.  Try to imagine, then, that we can have an ongoing relationship with those we have "lost."  How would that happen?  Where are they?  What are their lives like now?  What do they do?

     What if you could have some assurance that you would be able to see those you love someday again? Many of us have grown up without any of that assurance, with the exception of perhaps a strong faith.  As children, most of us accepted the beliefs of our parents and grandparents as our own - beliefs that originated in whatever religious orientations our families espoused.

     There are numerous theories and philosophies about life after death.  Is there any proof of an afterlife?  Scientists within the past two centuries have investigated and published their results in professional journals and nonfiction books for the public to read and evaluate.  Their findings have been conclusive for a life after death in some other place or level of existence, and also for the possibility that we on Earth can have ongoing contact with our loved ones in those other levels or dimensions.  For many, this may already be a reality.  You have had strong feelings of a spirit's presence.  You have been guided to just the right book on your shelf for an answer to a question or a problem.  Perhaps you have had dream visits with your loved one - it felt real, and you just knew you were actually with that spirit for that time.

     The above is an excerpt from my soon to be published manuscript :  The Great Transition:  Bridges to the Afterlife.  Please share your thoughts and experiences here.  Ann Frazier West