Spirit Teachings
The following text is transcribed directly from an audio recording made during a séance in which Charlie, a spirit communicator at the Bristol Spirit Lodge, came forward for a question and answer session. Charlie’s communications are characterised by intelligence and specificity. When queried his responses are prompt and well thought out. Charlie's teachings are fairly typical of spirit communications, and represent the philosophical, cosmological and spiritual bedrock to the world view of Lodge members.
The text presented here is just one of many that have been exactly transcribed in order to preserve an element of the social character of the séances. The regular Tuesday night séances are informal and relaxed; it is intended that this be represented in the transcription.
Charlie is forever keen to stress that his is just one of countless possible interpretations of the facts of nature, and of the world’s religious, spiritual and mystical doctrines. He makes it abundantly clear that his communications should not be taken as dogma or as definitive truth. What is presented here is food for thought. In Charlie’s words; “Do not throw away your own ideas, hold those too and merely take this as an alternative viewpoint”.
Transcription
Chris: That’s the end of my silly questions; would you like some sensible ones if we can think of any?
Charlie: No, silly ones are fine.
Group: Laughter.
Charlie: Sensible ones mean I might have to work.
Group: Laughter.
Chris: That doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get a sensible question if Jack’s got one.
Charlie: He is welcome to ask, I can give no guarantees of a sensible answer.
Jack: Umm, I’d like to know why you come to the Earth-Plane to talk to us?
Charlie: Hmm, ah, I wonder myself sometimes. I come because I am called, because I desire to work this form. It is an opportunity to give people insight and awareness they might not gain otherwise. To answer questions, but most importantly to give them a new platform from which to ask new questions. Many people, in this world today, have turned away from matters of spirit and faith and belief, they follow a new master, which is a very inflexible teacher. It allows only one answer to any question, and that answer must always be absolute and irrefutable. More than one answer is simply not accepted by men of today’s science. Yet, as now, these men are finding in truth there is more than one answer to many questions. In simple mathematics it is possible to prove two answers to a single question. This is learnt at even school level. And as now they explore deeper into the mysteries that confront them, they are finding that some things have no answer at all until they are observed, and then the act of observation will determine the state of the answer. So, those people who find themselves in this room are often those who are looking for alternative solutions to those [questions] presented by modern thinking. All men, all women have, inside, a yearning that cannot be met by science alone. There is an inbuilt desire to know the truth; the inner truth. Some search in their own way, some turn their backs, some meditate, some read others thoughts and answers and derive their own. Some are hit by a large brick from behind…
Group: Laughter
Charlie: … and suddenly realise they were on the wrong path. All ways are valid ways, and no path is incorrect; even that of modern science, because there too, unless you follow blindly, you will be required to think and question. To come here is simply an opportunity to look at questions in a different way and provide some room for thought that perhaps there is more to life than meets the eye or can be measured. Does this answer your question my friend?
Jack: Yes, it does. Can I ask another question?
Charlie: You may ask as much as you like, I may not always choose to answer everything though.
Jack: Umm, can you give any description of the process of getting into your channel’s body?
Charlie: Hmm, very well. The process from my side, or the process from his?
Jack: Your side.
Charlie: From my side it is simply a moving closer. In this particular state, in this place, on this night there are a number of us that work together and in working together we enable a deep state of relaxation, and in this state of relaxation it is possible to move his energy and awareness together. Normally this is only possible one at a time without many years of practice and training through meditation. But through this process we can encourage a state where his energy opens and is accepting of new energies. When this state is reached I am able to bring myself, as an energy, close and within his without being rejected. It is normal for the human energy system to be self contained, and it is rare for a human to accept an external energy in – this is a natural state and a suitable state of precaution, otherwise any energy could attach itself to any human form, and this would not be advisable or a reasonable state of affairs. In the physical form it is the purpose to remain independent and individual so that you may experience and learn through the process of life as an individual through external reactions and interactions. To have an external energy form within your own would be to share your experiences with another, and they would then not be your experiences as you would be influenced by this other energy. It can happen that this energy might not be beneficial to your growth and learning, so, through this process of opening and expanding his energy to a point where he is willing to accept my own I developed over time a level of trust, and I am able to come so close that we can share the mechanical process of the mind. So I am able to communicate through him yet also with him – we are not separate in this form but a blend of the two, so I can use his language processes and not the process of language I would have known in my former life, which is just as well as my language was somewhat unintelligible to your self….
Group: Laughter
Charlie: … but it also means I can only use the language that he has, and we use the mechanics of the same voice. It is deliberate to change the tone of his voice so that it seems less like him talking to you, also to distinguish between myself and others who may come to communicate. We could quite easily talk in his normal voice, yet it might seem less believable, and our purpose is to offer thought inspired by ourselves, not by him.
Jack: Thank you, umm, could you explain or describe what the spirit-world is like, in any detail?
Chris: That’s an old favourite… (this is one of the most popular questions that new sitters ask)
Charlie: Ah, as much detail as you require. The spirit-world is a combination of other spirit energies, but mostly your own expectations and perceptions. It is or, I should say, it will, to your eyes, on your arrival here seem very much like the world you have known; there will be remarkably little difference. You will look and feel and hear the same, you will have touch and you will perceive yourself to have a physical body. On arrival here, depending on your state of departure, you will be brought back to full health if it is required – some require more help than others. However, the world you will encounter will be very much a creation of your own perceptions and expectations. If you firmly believe that, let us suggest you were a devout Muslim you would have clear expectations as to the world you would expect to encounter. If you were a devout Christian of a particular sect you may believe strongly that only you of that particular sect were to be saved, you would find yourself in the company of only those who also believed they were to be saved in your belief, and in this it would validate your belief system. But, in time, you might start to question and, eventually, your perception would open to allow you to see beyond the confines of these beliefs. There are many who find themselves in states unfortunate that you might feel they were not satisfactory. There are many who transition to their new world with such firm beliefs, or lack of expectation, that they may not find themselves open to the wonders that await them. But this is only a temporary place. There are many, many of us who work ceaselessly to help such unfortunate people; they are there on hand to open the doors that they may perceive the truth that awaits them. There are more than one state of awareness, you are now currently in your current state of awareness, and the physical world you experience and live in seems to you to be absolute and relative, in that the floor is absolutely hard, and you exist relative to everything else in your world. Yet, in the spirit-world, things are not absolute or totally relative; relativity is a flexible term in spirit. You may question why we are so enthusiastic to share this knowledge when, in truth, every single living being will experience this for themselves in due course. By having an awareness and an openness to the truth of spirit it is far easier to move through the first levels and reengage with your true spiritual person, with your true energy, and then you are able again to move forward and grow in a new way. I have touched here on a deeper truth that is possibly closer in answer to your earlier question, but I will not expand on this further now; perhaps another time. Maybe you will be able to refine your question to something more specific you wish to understand, but as I have told those assembled here before, my purpose is not to answer questions with absolutes, but to provide a platform from which you may explore and answer your own questions.
Jack: Thank you.
Chris: That’s very helpful Charlie, thank you very, very much. Really good.
Margaret: Is it alright to ask one more question please?
Charlie: You may ask as many as you like.
Margaret: Right
Charlie: The answers may vary though
Margaret: Um, when we’re in spirit we plan our…we know the time of our death, but this last week gone there was a teenage girl who was enjoying herself, she had rather an horrific accident. I wonder if… do we choose exactly how we are going to die or is it just a generalisation and then it just happens, like this girl’s nasty accident?
Charlie: The answer to your question is yes to all, which is not what you wish to hear.
Margaret: Hmm…
Charlie: But, it is a generalisation and it is an absolute at the same time. The exact nature of your passing is determined by yourself, but at a higher level than you are normally aware of. In this respect we can quickly get into deep waters – but you exist on more than one level, yet you are aware of only one level of existence for the most part of your life. There is a higher level of awareness that is not brought into daily awareness, and it is at this level that the precise nature of your transition and timing is determined. You will enter into this world with a clear plan, and you have your own goals to reach and you will set yourself a timescale to reach those. Some of those goals may be for personal growth and learning, others may be to experience different forms and facets of love. It may be that you wish only to come to barely briefly touch the world, to experience absolute unconditional love within the mother’s womb and yet not have a requirement to experience physical life beyond that. But do not forget; you come not alone but with everyone else within your circle of friends and family; so you may well chose to depart in a particular form for the benefit and awareness of another. This method of departure may be, in physical terms, horrific or tragic, yet there is growth and learning and experience for those who are left behind, and it may be that it is for that purpose that you have chosen to leave so abruptly. There is no accidental death; all life has purpose and all events have meaning, and it is what you extract from those events that determines your own growth and development. And when your path is finished you will simply step aside and move on to the new one. Those that have been listening closely to these words may recognise a conflict between this answer and that given previously where I spoke of those who do not make a clean transition, or who may get delayed by their own belief systems – this is something for you to perhaps contemplate and see a path though.
Chris: You always leave us with something to think about.
Charlie: It would not be the same if I didn’t.
The communicator withdraws to enable another to take his place.