The Hereafter

With Halloween behind us and being in the darkest time of the year, the subject of Ghosts naturally comes up in conversations. I am reading a book called "The Complete Book of GHOSTS, A Fascinating Exploration of the Spirit World, from Apparitions to Haunted Places". Its by Paul Roland, Arcturius Books.

Its worth reading, very comprehensive study, a believable and scientific documentation of the Ghost Realm with a historical approach.

At some point, I was glad to see that they do make a distinction between Spirits and Ghosts. In Shamanism, we see Spirits as the Wholeness of a person. Ghosts are the parts of us that are unresolved. These parts get stuck in the "In-Between", until they can find resolve. When we reincarnate, we may gather up those parts of ourselves again and try to bring resolution. We will incarnate in situations where we are forced to deal with unpleasant issues, often it has to do with our birth families, which explains why family dynamics are so challenging.

There is more to us and our world than we know, or can even imagine. At our Great Gathering in Quebec, our Shaman brought us messages from the Ghost Realm. It was sad to see how many lost souls there are out there needing to make peace with something or someone. John Edwards, the renowned American psychic, gives messages from the dead to loved ones who are still living. It seems that many won't cross over until they let their relatives know they are okay. 

The TV show "Ghost Whisperer" deals with the dead who are stuck in- between. They are called Earth bound spirits. "Medium", another popular series, is about a Dreamer who sees the dead and deaths of murder victims and works for the Pheonix Police. It is based on a true life story.

At the Gathering,  were told that the in-between is a grey, lonely place, and that it is sad that the living don't acknowledge the existence of the Ghost Realm or even the Spirit world. We have been programmed to deny it. According to the book that I am reading, at one time the Catholic Church forbade any communication with Spirits. That changed only in 1952 with Pope Pius XII, who cousin was the co-founder of the Jung Institute and President of the International Society for Catholic Parapsychologists. 

Now we see books and movies out with zombies, ghosts and all kinds of evil monsters. "Twilight" brings out the human side of Vampires, showing their struggles, passions, fears and loves.

The main purpose in general around mention of ghosts is usually to instill fear. But from what I've learned, if you see or feel Ghosts around you, they are usually asking for your help. Sometimes they even come to learn and heal from us. We have something they need to be able to continue on their way.

We had a young man who lived with us awhile back. He was on medications for depression and carried a heavy burden. I was worried that he might commit suicide, but trusted that he was sent to us for a reason. He ended up moving back home where his grandmother could look out for him. When he moved, he left behind not his Ghost, (the unresolved part of him), but his Spirit (his wholeness). This was an unexpected twist on things. It seems that his Spirit needed a safe place to hide while his body and the unresolved part of his soul worked things out. We accepted his need for a refuge with a time limit to it. There is many ways to be of service in this world and the next..... 

If more people believed in the Hereafter, Spirit and Ghosts, I think they would live their lives differently, with more consciousness of what they create, and what they leave behind, knowing that their unresolved parts will go to the in-between, or what Christians call purgatory. 

If more people believed in reincarnation, what would they do different, knowing that they will have to come back again and live the consequences of what they manifested in their past life? How would they treat the Earth differently, knowing they would have to come back and live with the mess they created?

I am going to see the Movie "Hereafter" tonight and am hoping that it gives an accurate portrayal of the Ghost realm and the after-life.

The Ghost realm of course is just a part of what is in the invisible to us. It is a matter of different levels of being, like different rooms in a house Life is circular and never-ending,  the universe is vast and infinite..... we just need to believe and the doors of perception will open wide. 

P.S. November 3, 2010
*The movie was excellent, with good acting, special effects and an accurate portrayal of the hereafter. But they only touched on it, as usual, didn't go too deep. Nonetheless, it is great to see movies like this coming out of Hollywood!