The
HIGHER SPIRITUAL
KNOWLEDGE

The origin of all creation is thought. Nothing can exist or be created or manifested without having its prime origination in thought form. This we can see in our everyday lives and activities, from social plans and work schedules to the design of a product or a building. Nothing can be brought into physical manifestation without first being conceptualized in thought form. First we plan; then we create.

Thought is a force, a power which precedes all action, all creation at whatever level. And the Origination of all Thought is the Being whom we call God, our prime Creator.

Thought is the precursor of action, the origination of Creation. But Thought of itself is not Creation. Our plans and designs remain as ideas until they are given form and reality. The sculptor needs clay in which to mold his vision; building materials give physical form to the architect's plans.

Thought itself, be it an artist's, an industrial designer's, a city planner's, or the Prime Creator's Thought, does not create. Until our thoughts and plans are given material form they remain as dreams.

This principle has a universal validity. Without form or materiality, the Force of Thought emanating from the Creator into the surrounding Void would be dissipated, its energy lost in the vastness of space. In order for Pure Thought to be manifested as Creation, a base of materiality must be brought into being.

Occult science teaches that there is a "barrier" surrounding the Source of Prime Thought, or the "Being" whom we call The Creator. This barrier, long known as the Ring-pass-not, was put in place by the Creator to function as a "reflector", causing the Creator's outgoing Force of Thought to return back to its Source.

The "distance" between the Thought-Center and the Ring or barrier is such that the Ring is able to contain the Creator's Thought-Energy, and reflect it back at a strength sufficient to create matter. This distance is not fixed; at first close to the Godhead, it is constantly expanding with the increasing power and substance of a growing Creation.

The outward projection of the Force of Thought against this barrier together with its returning reflection creates a cycle of outgoing and incoming thought-energy. The continuous repetition of this cycle in turn manifests as a positive-negative vibratory frequency which can give materiality to thought.

The interaction of these two opposing directions of force locks up areas of magnetic stability, which in turn allows matter to become established at fixed points. And the alternating push-pull action gives rise to the electro-magnetic phenomenon that creates magnetic attraction-repulsion between bodies; when a positive-negative magnetic force is maintained it can cause bodies to maintain fixed distances between each other.

The outgoing and incoming waves of this positive-negative force permeate the whole of creation as a rhythmic to-ing and fro-ing, a vibratory action expressing itself in all created matter and life-forms. Herein also lies the origin of the two opposing polarities that exist throughout Creation: the outgoing, or positive force, and the returning, negative force. A positive-negative polarity of force exists as a fundamental principle of the Cosmos. Everything is composed of a duality of force, the positive force always opposed by a negative force. The negative force acts as a thrusting-block enabling the positive force to manifest.

Thus a base of materiality is brought into being within the barrier, or Ring-pass-not; the imposition of Thought on this base matter can then manifest in the form we know as Creation. Thought provides the Plans, while the materiality created by the repeating vibratory cycle of outgoing and returning Thought provides the "building blocks" of Creation.

As the out- and in-flowing vibration of Thought extends farther outwards from its Source into ever-increasing accumulation and complexity of thought, its vibration rate progressively slows down. This progressive reduction in vibratory rate in turn causes Pure Thought to manifest in different forms dependent on its "range" or distance from the Thought-Center.

Three principle "ranges", levels or planes may be identified as the Light Plane, the Etheric Plane and the dense Physical Plane.

The first "range" of expansion outwards from (yet still closest to) the Godhead lowers the vibratory frequency of Prime Thought to the vibratory frequency of Pure Light. At this high spiritual level it is expressed as a golden-white luminance radiating from the Center of Thought, manifesting as a vibratory positive-negative electromagnetic light-force.

This powerful radiation of Pure Light is the creative and cohesive power which binds together the very substance of Creation. It is the positive-negative electro-magnetic energy which permeates and maintains the most basic forms of matter, without which "matter" would disintegrate. This force or energy holds together the electrons and protons oscillating around a nucleus to create an atom, the atoms which group to form larger molecules, and the aggregations of molecules which themselves make up the various forms of solid matter.

The same basic pattern is repeated on an ever-expanding scale throughout Creation. It is this magnetic Light Force which holds planets in orbit around their central nucleus, the sun, to form a solar system. Numerous solar systems are held in orbit around their own central sun to form a galaxy; thousands of galaxies orbit a yet greater central sun to form a universe, and ultimately the twelve universes orbit around the Central Sun of our Cosmos, the Light/Thought Being who is our prime Creator.

Once the base material of matter had been brought into being, the Creator birthed elements of His own Light-cells as evolving Light Beings, particles of His own Spirit. Thus "launched" into the as-yet-formless fund of matter, the Light Beings began, with the Creator's guidance, to co-create liquid and solid forms, and the simple living organisms of plants and insects.

The Light Beings were birthed in groups, or "waves". The first wave of Light Beings co-created on the high spiritual Light Plane nearest to the Godhead. Known as the Elohim, these early pioneers of creation developed descending hierarchies of Beings who would in turn delegate the creation of over twelve universes, each containing millions of galaxies and even more solar systems with inhabited planets.

The Creator also birthed a hierarchy of angels and archangels as a separate stream of creation, to manage, nurture and assist in the co-creation of all forms of created matter in the various Universes. They serve as dedicated and unswerving Servants of Creation, not having been given the latitude of free choice to explore paths outside of the Creator's Evolutionary Plan with which future souls would be endowed.

Under the angels' continuing command and direction on lower levels of creation, are the Devic and Elemental Kingdoms whose duty is to assist the growth and maintenance of the Mineral and Plant Kingdoms, as well as our own physical bodies. These are the Nature Spirits, Elementals and Fairies visible to those humans with psychic sight.

The process of co-creation through the combining of Thought with Materiality was "handed down" by the Creator to his own created Beings. Through the further expansion of their own Thought into greater self-contemplation, complexity and detail, the "elder", or first-born Beings of Light brought into existence a series of descending planes of lowered vibrational frequency and correspondingly higher density.

The next major step down from the high spiritual planes of Pure Light is the Etheric Plane.

The Etheric Plane manifests as an electro-magnetic fluid or continuum, which occult science recognizes as the ether penetrating all celestial bodies and forms of matter. This lower vibratory frequency can be understood as a form of electrical fluid with positive and negative poles, similar in pattern to electricity. The component atoms of this fluid can then be coalesced into forms of solid matter, though more tenuous and less solid than the dense physical matter which we experience here on Earth.

At this etheric level, the early co-creative Light Beings used their own powerfully directed Thought-force to organize the atoms of the etheric fluid into various etheric creations of matter: the kingdoms of mineral, plant, animal and human life which were to form the worlds of matter on the Etheric Plane.

Having experienced creation and existence at the etheric level, these Light Beings then sought to explore and to learn from worlds of matter of a greater complexity and density, expanding their own Thought-force into further detail. This produced an even lower level of vibration rate with a correspondingly denser aggregation of atoms: the dense Physical Plane, the level on which Planet Earth now exists.

When these pioneering co-creators began work on this dense physical vibratory level with its greater atomic complexity, they were able at first to create only primitive "blobs" of matter: amoebas and simple plant life. Subsequently they improved and further developed their creations by adding complexity, detail and refinement. The results of their work can be seen in the amazing variety, color and beauty of mineral, plant and animal life now surrounding us in the physical world of Earth. Though we may thoughtlessly imagine that they "just happened", each tree, flower, butterfly, animal, and human embodiment has at some time been designed and created by the Light Beings in co-creation with the Creator and His angelic bands.

In these worlds of matter now capable of sustaining more complex lifeforms, new waves of souls would continue the process of creation, but now with an added dimension encompassing awareness of self, alternatives, choices, learning, experience, and ultimately wisdom.

As the later waves of souls or spirits descended, and continue to descend into the worlds of matter, experiencing and being affected by the increasing vibrational density and complexity, they develop a growing sense of individuality separate from the Creator's own consciousness.

This sense of individual identity, of Self as distinct from the Flow of Creation, develops into a conflict between Self and Unity, between Matter and Spirit. This conflict is the central element in Evolution as experienced here on Earth. It is a result of, or an expression of, the Creator's gift of free choice (or "free will") which allows the outgoing, exploring souls to experiment and to seek their own evolutionary paths separate from the Creator's own pre-determined Will and Consciousness.

Through this process they gain wisdom by making choices and learning from the effects of those choices; the Creator's awareness is expanded as their experiences are fed back to Him; and their acts of co-creation continue to expand the Creator's Cosmos yet further into the surrounding deep Void.

Having experienced the interactions of Spirit with Matter and the sensation of Self, the evolving souls eventually gain the wisdom necessary to choose the "right path" through their own experience and motivation. They can then begin their return to Unity with the Godhead and all other forms of Creation and thus complete this particular cycle of their evolution. It is to this strand of creation/evolution that we on Earth presently belong.

Creation is thus an ongoing process of continual birth and growth of ever-increasing diversity and complexity in which we, the human inhabitants of Earth, are not simply passive recipients but active co-creators. Indeed it is here on Planet Earth that the combination of extreme vibrational density with the gift of free choice gives us an even wider scope for the creation both of "good" and "evil".

This "gift" of free choice may be seen as a curse when we view the damage we have done with it. But we must also see the positive side of its potential as we recognize and develop man's individual Earth-bound creativity in the fields of architecture, art, music, literature and ideas. And even the "evil" that we do will teach us valuable lessons, resulting in an ever-deepening wisdom. Ultimately we must come to see free choice and our creative potential as those on higher levels already see it: a cosmic gift, given to us as an experiment in Divine Creation.

As we learn to discriminate between the Path of Self-interest and the Path of the Universal Law, so we grow in the wisdom of experience. With that wisdom we will ultimately become "qualified" to co-create on higher levels with the power, the privilege and the responsibility of independent judgment. Though this state of wisdom may as yet be a long way off, we may nevertheless hold it before us as an inspiration and a shining objective.

This Earth is a very special place. You have been given the supreme gifts of the God-head: divinity, creativity, and free choice. You are, in essence, Gods in the making and this Earth is a school for Gods. You are highly privileged to incarnate on her, to be a part of the school of Earth and to advance your spiritual consciousness through the exercise of those Cosmic talents. There are many beings on other planets who are not permitted to achieve consciousness in this way. You may now see why Earth is looked upon with envy by the other planets in the Solar System for they do not all possess that potential. You have, in fact, the potential and the destiny to outstrip every other plane of consciousness within this Solar Body if only you could but harness your being and direct it with wisdom and love.

The Master ZEN TAO, channeled through the Ramala Centre, Glastonbury in The Wisdom of Ramala - The C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd., Saffron Walden, Essex - 1986

Creation is an expansion of the Creator's thought and self-awareness. Evolution is another aspect of this expansion. Through the process of Evolution, individual souls, each a part of the Creator's Consciousness, embark on a journey of exploration and growth, ultimately returning to unity with the Creator in the fullness of wisdom and experience.

The Soul's evolutionary journey begins with the development of an awareness of self as an individual entity. The ego-self gradually becomes more assertive, gaining strength and widening its field of exploration. As it descends into the worlds of density and matter, self-awareness becomes ego-centeredness, developing a desire for personal superiority and self-aggrandizement, perhaps gained through aggression and violence. When the possibilities of ego-development have been fully explored the soul begins its return journey, culminating in its eventual re-unification with the Creator as a fully evolved soul. Throughout this journey the individual soul is growing in knowledge, while the continuous feedback of evolving souls' experiences to the Godhead further expands the Creator's own knowledge and awareness.

Evolution is a process of learning and developing. On our journey we may take the short or the long route, we may take "right" paths and "wrong" paths; but ultimately every path is the right path, for all lead through experience back to Unity. Thus we are all evolving, learning, growing in wisdom and understanding whether we know it or not, whether we choose it or not, at whatever stage of the evolutionary cycle we may presently find ourselves. All experience be it "good" or "bad", even the "non-experience" of apparent stagnation, all is learning, and all learning contributes to growth and evolution.

Whilst the resultant accumulation of wisdom and understanding is ultimately rewarding, its lessons can be painful, particularly if they are not approached and accepted in the right spirit. A clear understanding of the process of evolution, together with its associated Law of Karma, or Cause and Effect, can clarify many of the human mysteries and frustrations of life on Earth, thus helping us to learn and to grow without unnecessary suffering.

The Evolutionary Cycle can be visualized in the form of an arc extending out from, then back to the Creator's Thought Center. There are thus two major phases in the total evolutionary "journey". The first is a movement away from Unity with the Creator, descending into worlds of greater density and complexity of matter, developing individuality and a sense of ego. At the bottom of the cycle the second phase begins: the return movement out of the dense worlds of matter as we begin to reject the more extreme forms of ego-centeredness and self-interest, seeking instead to join together once again in unity with all Creation and with our Creator.

As the evolving souls complete their evolutionary journey, they return to unity with the Godhead enriched with the deep wisdom gained through experiencing the alternatives of "good" and "evil", of ego-centeredness versus respect for and cooperation with others, of perceived short-term gain to self versus the universal path of Highest Wisdom. They are ready then to undertake further evolutionary service at higher levels on behalf of their Creator. As Higher Beings and Masters they may offer their advice and wisdom to individuals or worlds. Some will be entrusted with the high honor of ensouling a planetary body as a Planetary Being or the even higher office of a Sun Being. Thus Evolution becomes a continuation of Creation.

As we, the evolving souls, embark on the journey of evolution we are provided with the necessary "equipment' to facilitate the gaining of wisdom.

Prime Thought emanates from the Creator as a continuous "River of Thought" in the creation and sustenance of the Universe. Its basic nature is the magnetic quality of Love. Love is the cohesive force which the Creator projects throughout creation; it draws all creation back into the center of His Unity and reflects the essential nature of His Being. When this Love passes through individual souls it finds expression as emotion, the experience of feelings manifesting as positive and negative: love and hate, attraction and repulsion.

It is this positive-negative emotional experience which provides the impetus for the expansion of learning. Without the addition of feelings and emotion to pure thought, there would no awareness of "good" or "bad", no means of discrimination, no means of learning from life's mistakes and successes, and thus no evolutionary progression or expansion of the individual consciousness.

It is through the emotions that we experience the joys and the sorrows of our actions; it is through the emotions that we feel sympathy with others. It is through our emotions that we experience the kindness, and thoughtlessness of others. It is through the emotions, as well as the intellect, that we feel anger at perceived injustice, or approval of right conduct.

In addition to emotion, we are endowed with reason and intuition. With the power of reason we can analyze each situation and the pain or happiness which it produces for ourselves or for others, forming essential intellectual conclusions as to the appropriateness of specific courses of action. And through our intuition we are able to seek and obtain guidance from higher levels of wisdom.

Thus prepared we set out on the great Journey of Evolution. As the individual soul or spirit descends into worlds of increasing density and matter, it develops correspondingly an increasing sense of individuality.

During the descent of Spirit, often called the downward arc, there is not only a tendency towards greater materiality, the Spirit in-volving itself in Matter in order to learn to receive impressions through it, but there is also a tendency towards differentiation, the stream of Divine Life dividing and sub-dividing itself into an ever-increasing number of streamlets and units of consciousness.

The Solar System - Arthur E. Powell - Theosophical Publishing House London Ltd.

By descending into progressively denser and denser matter, the soul experiences an increasing detachment both of contact with, and knowledge of, the Higher Spheres. At the same time the soul is experiencing a sense of separation from other souls and a corresponding increase in the awareness of self which in turn develops into ego-centeredness. This increasing sensation of self is reinforced by the need to satisfy the requirements of a physical body in a world of dense matter where food and protection from the elements are essential to survival. Thus the soul+body combination is forced to focus on self-preservation which can easily become competitive and exploitive in relationships with others pursuing similar objectives. The nature of the dense physical body itself can also lead to the various temptations of sensuality, the so-called "sins of the flesh".

This potent combination of the effects of physical matter, ego-centeredness and bodily demands, first creates then enhances to an extreme degree the conflict between Ego and Unity, between Self and the Flow of Creation. This inherent conflict in turn provides the many complex opportunities for the exercise of our Creator's gift of free choice (or "free will") which allows the evolving soul to explore paths and directions of evolution alternative to the Highest Wisdom, and to experience and learn from their effects.

Indeed we are forced to confront, and to learn from the results of all our actions; this "law" is expressed in the occult wisdom and oriental philosophies as the Law of Karma, namely that we must experience, fully comprehend and assimilate the effects of all our actions both good and bad before we can continue to the next lesson or experience. Every thought, every action has its effect which we must ultimately experience and learn from. Similarly everything that happens to us has its cause, and that cause can ultimately be seen to originate from our own past action or thought. Cause and effect. Everything existing now is the result of past actions, good or bad; and the future will be the result of present actions.

By experiencing the effects of its actions the evolving soul learns to discriminate between "good" and "evil" in the sense of those actions pursuing, and those actions opposing the path of Highest Wisdom; those actions promoting self and ego versus those actions reflecting the greatest universal good; those actions which are creative, and those actions which are anti-creative, or destructive.

The soul thus gains a greater depth of wisdom than would otherwise be obtained by following the "straight and narrow path". It is only through a knowledge of "evil", both its causes and its effects, that the evolving soul can comprehend "good" in the full and genuine knowing which comes of physical and emotional experience. For learning does not come without suffering; indeed experiencing the ill-effects of inappropriate actions is the essential key to learning, and thus an important element of evolution.

The concentration by the ego on self-motivation and self-interest which is the dominant feature of the lower end of the evolutionary journey leads inevitably to competitive mutual conflict, as each ego-individual tries to profit from and "get the better of" others. This explains why political and social relationships on Earth have tended to dominate human thought and group activity. It also explains why we have thus far failed so abysmally to live at peace with one another. The simple rule of correct political behavior, namely that we do nothing which is harmful to others, is accepted on almost all worlds except Earth.

This self-centered concentration on developing an individuality at the expense of others has led to most of the problems experienced by humanity throughout Earth's history. And it has caused many souls to "fall" even further. Through negative deeds and thoughts manifested in various forms of oppression, murder, torture and perversion, these souls ultimately find themselves enmeshed in the darker, denser, worlds of what we call the "Underworld" or "Hell" when they leave the Earth plane.

Some particularly strong-willed "rebel" souls have attempted to create their own self-dominated worlds separate from the evolutionary plan of the Creator. They seek constantly to gain power and advancement through the enslavement and perversion of those weaker than themselves, and through this process they create dark, twisted worlds, cut off from the Worlds of Light. Within these fortified worlds of their own creation they remain as undisputed masters.

These dark and negative souls, collectively known in the occult world as the Forces of Darkness, are masters of a body of planets and peoples in our universe which are constantly seeking to take over and control weaker worlds. In the distant past they have been partially successful in taking over Planet Earth and have since remained as a powerful force in the background, using their dark influence as the power behind various oppressive regimes and self-willed leaders to promote wars, conflict and oppression.

In our particular universe these Dark Forces are generally held in check by the stronger and more numerous Intergalactic Forces of Light. This has not been without drama however, and there have been some major inter-stellar battles in the universe between the Forces of Light and the Forces of Darkness. Ultimately however, the Forces of Light must always triumph, for this is the destiny of Creation.

Those who have given themselves to the Worlds of Darkness are also learning from their experience; eventually they tire of the constant conflict and depravity that exists in such narrow worlds and start to look upwards once again to the Realms of Light. As they begin to seek the Light, they will always be assisted by Higher Beings. These errant souls will eventually rediscover the true flow of evolution, returning much the wiser indeed, for even these extreme expressions of "evil" contribute to the knowledge, learning and experience which forms the very essence of evolution.

As we experience the wars and conflicts, between nations and ethnic or religious groups across the world, in politics and commerce at national or community level, and in our own families or within ourselves, we eventually come to a true understanding of the nature and fruitlessness of self-motivated aggression, of actions based purely on individual self-interest exercised at the expense of others.

In the growth of this realization, be it individually or collectively, we are coming to the end of the downward arc of evolution, the phase of competitive individuality.

This is the critical turning point, the point of balance, where downward movement into separateness and away from the Creator makes a turn, becoming the upward path to unity with the Creator and with all of life. From this point we begin to see the advantages of collaboration and cooperation, of mutual respect and mutual assistance as we begin the upward evolutionary phase, as we move towards an increased cooperation and a growing sense of unity with all Creation.

This point of turn is also, not surprisingly, the point of major conflict within each soul and collectively in societies and nations. At this critical time the choices inherent in our world of duality are magnified: Self versus Unity, and Spirit versus Matter. Here too the Forces of Darkness redouble their efforts to deflect us from the path to Unity.

This is the great battle of the Universe, the tremendous conflict between Spirit and Matter. In this part of the Field is the point of balance. The Spirit, coming into innumerable relations with Matter, is at first over-powered; then comes the point of balance, when neither has the advantage over the other. Then slowly the Spirit begins to triumph over Matter, so that, at the end of this stage, Spirit is the master of Matter, and is ready for the ascent.

The Solar System - Arthur E. Powell - Theosophical Publishing House London Ltd.

It is this turning point, this "point of balance" in the evolutionary cycle that Humanity on Earth has reached at the present time.

In the return phase now confronting us we will gradually learn to abandon individual self-assertion as we move towards the increasing light of cooperation and consideration of others, so that we may eventually live and work together as a harmoniously unified brotherhood.

This requires that we make a shift of consciousness away from the perception of self as an individual self-contained unit responsible only to itself. We need to develop a perception of self as a component of a wider grouping: harmonizing within the family and community, collaborating rather than competing in the productive service of our "work", respecting all of human life and ultimately all of Creation. We must learn to transmute our self-interest into care and concern for others, working together cooperatively with our fellow humans as well as the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms, not seeking to take advantage of another for one's own benefit.

The "return to unity" does not imply that the individual becomes "a cog in a wheel", but rather a wise, experienced, compassionate, thinking, contributing component of a wider, ultimately universal grouping. Though we are joining not separating, unifying not compartmentalizing, each Soul remains an individual consciousness enriched with its own personal accumulation of experience and wisdom.

Finally the soul returns to unity with all other lifeforms and the Creator, endowed now with a fully developed consciousness and awareness of life in all its myriad aspects, having above all learnt the understanding of both "right" and "wrong" which allows us to make informed decisions in accordance with the true direction of evolution. Thus we return to unity, but now aware of unity as individuals.

During the upward arc, when differentiation has been finally accomplished by the division of the Divine Life into separate human entities, the tendency is towards unity, as well as towards greater spirituality. In this stage the Spirit, having learnt perfectly how to receive impressions through matter, and how to express itself through it, and having awakened its dormant powers, learns to use these powers rightly in the service of the Logos.

The Solar System - Arthur E. Powell - Theosophical Publishing House London Ltd.

While the development of individuality is a necessary part of the process of evolution, we may wish to remind ourselves from time to time that fundamentally we are all a part of, and at one with all of Creation. This great truth is something we can easily forget, enmeshed as we are in a world of individuality and separateness. But the recollection of our true underlying unity with all Creation can give comfort in times of stress, providing a sense of context and reality as well as guidance.

We all are interlinked with one another and with all of life and all of Creation since we are all children of the same Creator, all made of the Creator's substance. We are also interlinked through a continuous "River of Thought"; for all the creations and experiences of ourselves and our fellow evolving souls at all levels are fed back into that River of Thought, back to the expansion of the Creator's awareness.

Thus we are all inter-linked both through a shared origin, and through the continuing River of Thought: humans with humans and with every particle, rock, plant, animal and insect. And we are all intimately linked with our Creator, for we are a part of His Life-substance, and He is always in touch with our every experience. We are our Creator, experiencing and learning from the journey of evolution.

Know that you are not - and never have been separate from your Source. You truly have never been separate from each other. You have never really been separate from all of the brothers and sisters you have on countless planets throughout your galaxies. You have never been separate from any creature of your planet. Not separate from your Sun and your Moon; not separate from any leaf, or blade of grass, or flower that blossoms in your garden. You have forgotten, that is all, and in your pain and in your judgment of who you are, you have closed down. You have forgotten that who you are is God/Goddess smelling the rose of the vibrancy and excitement of this dimension of reality.

The Master P'TAAH of The Pleiades, channeled by Jani King, in The P'taah Tapes: An Act of Faith - Triad Publishers Pty Ltd, Cairns, Queensland, Australia - 1991

The illusion of separateness which appears as an integral part of present human experience arises from our earthly pre-occupation with self, and the density of the Earth environment in which we live. Both these factors tend to close us off from one another and from the higher worlds of Creation. An opening of awareness to the unseen worlds around us is an important element in New Age thinking; this requires that we draw from occult science more detailed information on the nature of vibrations and densities, so that we may understand in turn the different levels or planes of existence.

Occult science explains that matter is made up of various groupings and combinations of atoms with their orbiting electrons and protons, all of which oscillate about each other in a positive-negative vibratory movement, maintaining a magnetic spacing from each other.

All atoms, and the matter which they constitute through their cohesive groupings, are vibrating at different frequency rates dependent on their complexity and density; a low frequency allows a dense grouping of atoms, a higher frequency creates a less dense, more spaced-out and refined matter. This in turn reflects their distance from the Creative Thought-Center; the refined matter of higher frequency vibration is nearer the Center, while the denser matter of lower frequency exists at the "outer edges" of the evolutionary range farthest from the Center. Within this continuous spectrum, it is convenient to identify the three major divisions of vibratory frequency.

At the outer extremity of the range farthest from the Thought-Center is the dense Physical Realm which is our present Earth level. Moving in towards the Center we find the next major vibration level, less dense and more tenuous in the spacing of its atoms; this is the Etheric Realm (also known as the mental level), on which most of our neighboring planets in our solar system reside. Nearest to the Central Godhead of Pure Thought we find the Higher Spiritual Realms of Light, which are home to the Ascended Masters and Angelic Beings.

Within these three broad density levels of physical, etheric and spiritual, occult science identifies seven subdivisions, or intermediate levels. It is also explained that while our conscious earthly experience manifests at the densest level, all of the different densities co-exist and find expression in our bodies and the world around us.

The occultist finds that physical matter exists in seven sub-grades or orders of density: Solid; Liquid; Gaseous; Etheric; Super Etheric; Sub Atomic; Atomic. Particles of all these grades enter into the composition of the body, the physical vehicle. The physical body however, has two well-marked divisions; the Dense Body, composed of solids, liquids and gases, and the Etheric Body, or Etheric Double as it is frequently called, consisting of the four finer grades of physical matter. Every solid, liquid and gaseous particle of the physical body is surrounded with an etheric envelope: hence the Etheric Double, as its name implies, is a perfect duplicate of the dense form. In size it projects about one quarter of an inch beyond the skin.

The Etheric Double by A.E. Powell, Theosophical Publishing House, London

Between this physical and the etheric, the next major level, there is an important intermediate level: the astral realm, composed of lower-vibration etheric matter. This is the seat of our emotions, senses and memory, and the level on which our subconscious mind works, recording all our thoughts and experiences into the ether where it is stored in a celestial memory-bank (the Akashic Records) for our later retrieval and review. The subconscious on the astral level also acts as an inner voice, conscience, or agent of intuition as a guide for our earthly consciousness. The astral plane is usually the first level on which we arrive after the transition we call "death".

Since most illnesses originate in mental or emotional disorder they first manifest at the etheric level before transmitting themselves to the physical body. Many New Age healing therapies and practises such as radionics and spiritual healing are applied at the etheric level, and can thus be conducted from a distance without any physical contact between healer and patient. Healing is effected by transmission through the finer etheric matter that interpenetrates the physical and which is not subject to the same physical limitations.

What is known to New Age Thought as Higher Knowledge exists on the higher etheric and spiritual planes. It can be communicated down to Earth by Beings living on the higher vibrational levels who transmit their thoughts directly to a trained Earth mind known as a channel. This process is only possible through Earth channels who have undertaken training in opening their higher spiritual centers either in this life, or more usually over long periods in past lives. It is equally important when "opening to channel" to set aside one's earthly emotions and preconceptions which might otherwise color and distort the communication. These openings to the reception of higher-level transmissions allow us to receive channeling either in a state of trance, or in more developed cases, directly into the conscious mind as words or thoughts, or as automatic writing.

We on planet Earth exist on the dense physical level with a relatively low rate of vibration. Our vision or perception along the total vibration scale is restricted to a limited range extending from the low frequencies of sound (16 to 20,000 cycles per second), to the higher visible light frequency spectrum of the physical level ranging through red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet to the point where our vision ceases at the ultra-violet light level. We are unable to see the higher-vibration worlds which surround and interpenetrate us unless we ourselves can raise our own vibration levels to their higher level. Similarly we can only see Beings from other planets or their space craft when they choose to lower their vibration levels down to our own dense physical level.

If we now view the evolutionary path in the context of vibratory levels, we begin the evolutionary journey on the high soulic spiritual plane, traveling down through the etheric (mental), and the astral (emotional) levels. The first half of the evolutionary cycle thus takes the soul down into denser and denser matter, in which the individualization of the soul is developed. As the soul passes down through progressively denser realms it manifests in correspondingly coarser bodily form, finally arriving upon the lowest frequency level, the physical realm, which we experience here on Planet Earth.

The Spirit World has as many distinct planes of existence as an onion has skins, each forming an outer protecting skin to the previous one and providing a means of contacting the experiences which that particular plane has to offer. These planes are co-existent with our physical world, invisible to our slow reacting sense of sight, yet as real as the invisible waves which carry our radio programmes.

As a Spirit descends, plane by plane, into the depths of experience, a body, complete with the organs of sense suitable for manifestation in that particular sphere, has to be donned in order that those senses may respond to the vibration of things comprising that sphere.

Without such a garment it would not be found possible either to express oneself or to receive impressions in local surroundings, and the experiences in that particular plane would be fruitless.

Full Cycle by Ripley Webb - Marcus Books, Queensville, Ontario, Canada

Unknown to us at our earthly physical level there are whole worlds of higher vibration rates, and Beings within them, which we can neither see nor touch. Since their vibration rates are higher, making their bodies less dense than ours, they are able to interpenetrate us without our even being aware of their presence. This often puzzling idea can be readily understood if we bear in mind that all "solid" matter is in fact composed of atoms with "spaces" around them.

It is of course, well known that even in the hardest substance no two atoms ever touch one another, the space between two adjacent atoms being in fact enormously larger than the two atoms themselves. Orthodox physical science long ago has posited an Ether which interpenetrates all known substances, the densest solid as well as the most rarefied gas; and just as this Ether moves with perfect freedom between the particles of densest matter, so does Etheric matter interpenetrate it in turn, and moves with perfect freedom among its particles. Thus a Being in the etheric world might be occupying the same space as a Being living in the physical world; yet each would be entirely unconscious of the other, and would in no way impede the free movement of the other.

The Astral Body by A.E. Powell, The Theosophical Publishing House, London

Vibration rates existing either above or below our limited visible spectrum, though unseen, can often be experienced by those sensitive to their influences. People with heightened extrasensory perception can often see "ghosts", visible to them as a nebulous form which has the ability to pass right through them and other solid objects. Even those not accustomed to extrasensory perception may sometimes be aware of a person or place having good or bad "vibes"; this is because we can sense, on higher more intuitive levels, the vibrations being given out around us.

This difference in density and vibrational levels can also explain why it is that when we send Earth space probes to neighboring planets we appear to see no form of life. The Beings who inhabit these planets, together with the surrounding vegetation and other lifeforms, no longer exist on the dense vibratory level which remains at the planet's old physical surface. They live on a higher, more tenuous vibratory level which we cannot perceive, though it is perfectly solid to them. Their "world" is located on a higher plane surrounding the planet, a world through which our spacecraft unknowingly pass on their way to the planet's old physical crust.

One of many well-known channels communicating transmissions from etheric levels is Tuella, whose published channelings include messages from a group of interplanetary spaceships on station within our solar system known as the Ashtar Command. In her book Ashtar -A Tribute, Tuella clarifies the nature of the etheric vibration level by asking Space Commander Ashtar the following:

Tuella: "From your statement that you are etheric, am I to presume that you have evolved beyond the stage of a physical body?"

Ashtar: "Correct. I do not possess a physical casing of the dense type such as yours. I am definitely etheric, as are all people on other planets in this solar system. However, this does not mean that we are invisible to each other as we are to you under normal circumstances. We see each other and live much as you do, but we do not have this dense physical casing which you possess. The advantages, benefits and comforts of this living are enormous, and the irritations of the fleshly envelope are most uncomfortable. Unless we choose to convert the vibrational frequency of our bodies to one which is visible to your optics, we remain invisible to your people. Highly evolved people, with a good psychic eye as you call it, can sometimes see us in vaporous form, although we may be invisible to other Earthlings in the same location. When your clairvoyants travel to our civilizations on other planets, they see and are able to interpret our lives because they are not using their physical eyes but their astral or psychic sight, to which we are visible just as though we were physical."

Tuella: "I am puzzled by the nature of etheric matter. For example, there is one case on record where one of our jet aircraft flew right through a space ship without hitting anything solid whatever. Are your ships made of a vaporous substance, or are they a different form of Earthly matter?"

Ashtar: "We have all the elements you know on Earth, and many more. The etheric form of metals differs in its atomic and molecular structure from Earth made metals. For example, the distance between the nucleus and the orbiting electrons of the etheric iron is much greater than in iron as you know it on Earth. This permits the atoms of Earthly steel to pass right through the atoms of etheric steel in such a way that nothing happens to either form of steel. The etheric form of steel enjoys a higher vibratory rate than Earthly steel and therefore is not apparent to Earthly vision or, if you prefer, physical eyesight.

Because of our knowledge of Universal Law, our very being consists of a higher level of vibration than you people of Earth. You see, every particle of the Universe consists of molecules whose center contains an atom around which electrons and protons revolve. Each molecule of a different molecular structure vibrates at a different frequency. The inside of a molecule is identical in makeup to the Universe. Planets revolve around central suns; solar systems around galaxies; galaxies, around a central sun. Each molecule vibrates at whatever frequency seems appropriate for our existence.

As one becomes more spiritual in nature, thinking only of the welfare of others and not of power and greed, the higher the molecules of one's being will vibrate. As we know in our dimension, it is possible for these molecules to vibrate so rapidly that the frequency becomes pure light. This is why we call ourselves the Forces of Light. We depend on the light from The Source -The Creator, God, for our existence."

Ashtar: A Tribute -compiled by Tuella - Guardian Action Publications - 1985. Republished 1995 by Inner Light Publications, New Brunswick NJ, USA.

Thus the student of New Age Thought, though perhaps unable to see or to sense the presence of Beings existing on other vibratory levels, can now at least comprehend their existence. As our evolution progresses, as we move to higher levels of being, a wider range of perception will open up to us. But even now, indeed particularly now as we struggle through the denser realms of our evolutionary journey, an expanding awareness of higher realms can open our intuition to the many sources of guidance and wisdom available to us.

At the start of our evolutionary journey as evolving spirits, we are created out of and as a part of our Creator's own Being; we are particles of His own Spirit and Thought Force. We are birthed in "waves", small groups of a dozen or so souls created at the same moment in time. The individual members of these small groups remain linked throughout their evolutionary cycle as soulmates, incarnating together in the denser worlds as life-partners or friends, quite often reincarnating over and over as part of an extended family.

Prior to its downward descent into matter, each soul is split into two separate halves: a negative and a positive polarity - female and male. These two eternally joined souls are called twin souls.

Each individual twin-soul is endowed with a predominantly male or female polarity, each acting as a balancing force to the other. This inherent division into two opposite but magnetically attractive polarities provides the necessary impetus towards a later re-unification of the two souls. It also promotes a desire within individual souls to seek ultimate unity with all other souls and thus a return to the Unity of the Godhead.

As their evolution progresses, each of the twin-souls gradually develops a greater balance between the two polarities or genders. Sometimes souls will switch genders for an incarnation in order to learn the qualities of the other polarity; this explains the varying difficulties of sexual identity which many people experience on Earth during those incarnations when they are inhabiting a body of an opposite and unaccustomed gender.

As the twin souls approach the end of their evolutionary journey they will have learnt to balance the positive out-going/forceful and the negative receptive/nurturing qualities of their two polarities. In this way each becomes an androgenous (male/female) Being, though they will both continue to retain for some time a certain element of their original polarity. They are thus re-united with one another at the level of the Godhead as close halves of a single spirit, now as totally balanced beings, but each bearing the additional depth of understanding contained within the female or male characteristics.

When one twin-soul chooses to incarnate on Earth at the dense physical level to learn the harsh and difficult lessons of this planet, the other usually remains behind on a higher plane in order to provide a spiritual connection and assistance from a more elevated standpoint. Nevertheless there are occasions, such as during an important joint mission on Earth, when twin souls arrange to meet and share an Earth incarnation together. Unless they choose to be born as close relatives or twins, the time and place of their first meeting on the dense physical level is always pre-arranged in the Higher Spheres before incarnating. Such reunions of love at first sight touch a fundamental note of human longing and feature in many of Earth's great love stories.

Even when we may not be destined to meet our twin soul here on Earth, it is likely that some of our soul-mates, members of our original soul group, will be those with whom we are closely associated as family or friends during Earth incarnations.

Before the soul becomes split as twin souls, a portion of the still-unified soul known as the Higher-Self remains on the High Spiritual Realms nearest to the Godhead. The duty of this higher-self is to accumulate and record all the evolutionary experiences gained by the two evolving twin souls, and where possible, to transmit this stored knowledge back down to them as an inner voice of conscience, to assist them in taking the courses appropriate for their further development.

The two twin souls thus share a common higher-self residing on the High Spiritual Realms near to the Godhead. The great Masters stress this connection in their teachings, together with its implication that we can, with intent and suitable training, obtain access to all the highest spiritual knowledge available in the Cosmos by turning inwards in quiet contemplation and connecting with our higher-self.

The higher-self also provides each of its twin souls with a continuity of skills between incarnations. This continuity of development and attainment may explain why some people are born with exceptional natural talents, in the field of healing or science perhaps, or as musical child-prodigies.

To further guide and watch over us during our incarnations here on Earth, each of us has two guardian angels. One is masculine in vibration, working on the positive radiation of spiritual power and linking with us through the region of the pituitary gland. The other is feminine in vibration, working on the negative or receptive radiation, the radiation of spiritual wisdom, and linking or communicating with us through the region of pineal gland.

Though our two guardian angels are with us at all times, they are particularly close when we first incarnate into the physical body and up to the age of seven; young children do indeed see their guardian angels as they stand over them protecting and guiding them.

In addition to our two guardian angels, we also have another being usually known as a Guide or a Doorkeeper who protects and guides us as we walk our path in life. A guide is a soul of considerable evolution who has lived many lives on the Earth and understands the nature and the restrictions of physical life. Your guide may be assisting you as a result of a debt owed to you or an older association with you; however your guide can also learn by living your experiences and learning lessons indirectly through you.

While our guardian angels and our guides are ready to advise and assist us at all times there are two important qualifications. First, they will not normally interfere unless we ask their help, for they must respect our free will. Second, we should not assume that "whatever we ask will be given"; we must remember that higher beings have a higher, wider vision, and they will not "help" us to do something which is not for our highest good. This is not a "betrayal", but rather a reflection of the fact that their links with us were formed and exist on the higher, soul level. At this level they, and we too, know what is best for our highest good.

Apart from the personal help and advice we may receive as individuals, wisdom and guidance are also made available to the world in its wider context by Higher Beings known as Masters.

A Master may give his counsel unseen, perhaps guiding the voice or the hand of a prophet; or a Master may incarnate on Earth, giving through his life an example to mankind. A Master incarnate on Earth may even be "overshadowed" by a yet greater Master who, with his "junior's" consent, acts and speaks through him. The Master Jesus-Sananda was himself overshadowed in this way during the last years of his ministry by The Christ, the highest embodiment of the Creator. Thus "Jesus Christ" should not be thought of or referred to as one single "person", but rather as the Master Jesus-Sananda, for a time overshadowed by The Christ.

Masters are great Beings with a high degree of wisdom and consciousness. They fulfil Universal Service. They do not belong, they are not linked, to any individual soul on the Earth as are your Guardian Angels and your Guide. They serve a far greater cause, and when they come to this Earth they come not for the individual but for Humanity as a whole. They will, however, speak through inspired channels to give messages to Humanity. When they are incarnate on the Earth, they come to serve Humanity and to bring wisdom and knowledge to the Earth as a whole. They are not concerned with the individual, but with the Greater Plan. It is through the Masters that Knowledge for this Earth is revealed and given to Mankind, and that the Plan for this Earth is revealed and carried out.

RAMALA - channeled by the Ramala Centre, Glastonbury, in The Revelations of Ramala - The C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd., Saffron Walden, Essex - 1978

There is indeed a wealth of advice and assistance available to those who seek it in peace of mind and humility of spirit. New Age Thought teaches that through a process of bodily lightening, detachment from ego-centeredness and a greater awareness of the Universal Unity, we can open to worlds beyond our present limited perception of "reality" and learn to receive the higher knowledge, the wisdom of our guides and the great Masters. And it may be said without exaggeration that "we need all the advice and assistance we can get", for the incarnations we experience here on Earth are the most difficult and testing in all of our evolutionary journey.

Many people living on Earth believe it to be a place of perfection. They complain when things are difficult or go wrong, often becoming angry, cursing Creation, even threatening suicide. But Earth is not a place of perfection, it is a planet of learning. Moreover its lessons and the conditions in which its people must confront them are among the most demanding and testing in the entire scheme of evolution. Acceptance of this fact reinforced by an understanding of its divine purpose can make life much easier, and help to ensure that we gain the most evolutionary benefit from Earth's lessons.

Evolution in the first half of its cycle is movement away from the Unity. The farther we journey away from the Unity, the Creative Center, the denser the level on which we live and function. This has the multiple effect of weakening our connection with the Highest Wisdom while at the same time enhancing the sensation of self with its temptations of worldly wealth, power and influence. In the denser atmosphere, actions become slower and heavier, and the body creates its own demands for gratification through various forms of sensation-motivated excesses. It is generally accepted that Planet Earth represents one of the farthest points from the Center, and thus the level of greatest density.

The extreme density surrounding this phase of our evolution on Planet Earth also creates a "veil" surrounding and constricting our present field of vision and awareness, rather like a dense fog. We are unable to perceive life on other levels, or even to communicate telepathically with the animal and bird lifeforms who share our planet. This veil of non-vision also conceals from us both our preceding incarnations and our future, our lives before birth and beyond death. That is why we cannot consciously and normally recall past lives, review our future path, contact those "passed over" or higher Beings living on higher vibrational levels.

The "veil" is a natural manifestation of the density of life on our planet; but paradoxically it is also necessary for our "peace of mind", as Tendor, a spirit guide from the Higher Spheres of Earth, explains.

If incarnating spirits on Earth could carry with them even a faint recollection of the joys and beauties of the Spiritual Sphere it would make it impossible for them to remain in tenancy of a physical body. To drink deep from the cup of experience it is necessary to contact life in its lowest form of manifestation. In order to do this you have to slow down your vibrations to a very slow rate and come under the cumbersome laws which govern that form of matter. To one who remembered what life really is, the ache to return would be so intolerable that no spirit could hold down an Earthly body. It is a merciful provision of God that such memories are temporarily veiled.

Full Cycle by Ripley Webb - Marcus Books, Queensville, Ontario, Canada

The veil and the sensation of separation, while essential to the "Earth Experience", are illusions, not reality. We are forever linked to the Creator, to our past and future, and to those above who stand always ready to help and guide us. It is important to remember, especially during our more difficult periods of Earth incarnation, that we have never been nor can ever be separate from our Creator and from all of Creation above and below us.

Yet this "forgetfulness" of reality is a necessary part of our evolution and our learning experience. Our world of individuality, separateness and strife may well be an "illusion" as Buddhism and many occult philosophies tell us; but it is an illusion which must appear real to us if we are to learn from it.

As we watch a drama unfold on television we may well remain detached, reminding ourselves that "it's only a story"; but by maintaining such detachment we will gain no benefit from it. It is possible to learn by reading stories or observing enactments of the lives of others, but we can only do this through full emotional involvement with the story, its characters and their predicaments, their hopes and their failures. Similarly in "real life" it is the very collective act of turning illusion into reality which makes learning possible on the physical and emotional plane.

This apparent "contradiction" between illusion and reality is paralleled by another contradiction often argued here on Earth: the nature of Good and Evil.

In the sense that all is learning, all is evolution, there is no evil, for it is precisely through the experience of alternatives that we learn to choose the Highest Wisdom through our own volition, understanding and motivation. In this sense there can be no good or evil, only evolution, and the learning, experience and wisdom which it imparts.

But to us here on Earth, Evil is the path of self, of ego, of separation from the rest of Creation, a separateness leading us into exploitation and conflict in our relationships with one another, and the abuse of the planet and the animal kingdom which we consider to exist purely for our personal exploitation and gratification.

In contrast, the path of Good is found in placing the self not above, nor below others, but among them, respecting them as we would have them respect us. And this applies equally to all life-forms. The worm's life may be unimportant to you, just as your life is incomprehensible to the worm; but the worm's life is important to the worm, just as yours is to you. From this basis of equality we can then develop the concept of service to others, graduating ultimately to the radiation of unconditional love which is the mark of Higher Beings.

Good and Evil are very real to us here on Earth, and must remain so. Thus we need to maintain a difficult "balancing act".

On the one hand we must strive to comprehend and remain constantly aware of the ultimate objectives for which we must aim: namely the Universal Laws of Right Conduct and Highest Wisdom. As we do so we attempt to avoid and reject the opposites of self-centeredness and ego-motivated aggression.

On the other hand as we inevitably "fall" into wrong thought and wrong actions we can at least learn from them by making ourselves fully aware of their effects upon ourselves and other life-forms around us, and ultimately rejecting them in full understanding. In this way we are enriched by the experience of "evil" and its consequences.

Throughout the journey of evolution we are faced with choices. Indeed without free choice the very concept of evolution could not come into being. We cannot become individuals following the path of Highest Wisdom through personal conscious choice until we have experienced the alternatives and their effects. Free choice allows the individual to choose between the path of Highest Wisdom and the path of Self, then having done so, to experience to the full the consequences of each decision.

Many of the great masters, teachers, and occult traditions confirm that here on Planet Earth free choice is put to its greatest test under the most difficult conditions.

When you come to look at the Earth and, in particular, at the actions of Humanity on its surface, here you witness only disorder. Why should this be so? It is because Humanity has been given the divine gift of free choice and so can create the nature of its own world. Obviously, this must fall within the evolutionary cycle and the destiny of the God or Lord of this solar system; but within those broad restrictions Humanity can choose the nature of its evolutionary path.

RAMALA - channeled by the Ramala Centre, Glastonbury - The C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd., Saffron Walden, Essex

Through free choice we create for good or evil, and having done so we must then experience the results of our creation. This is a continuing process and exists throughout the spectrum of life. We make choices and create the results from moment to moment and from life to life, both as individuals and collectively as communities, nations, races, and religious groupings. We can escape neither choice nor the results of it. We can only observe, experience, assimilate, and learn from our choices and the effects which they have on ourselves, on other living beings and on our planetary home, then having learned and gained in wisdom, amend our future conduct accordingly.

As we experience the trials and tribulations of Earth we are often moved to ask why we are undergoing such misfortunes. In reality it is we who have chosen both our Earth incarnation and its specific circumstances. All the difficult confrontations in our lives have been pre-planned by us with the help of our Guides on the Higher Planes and with our total agreement, so that we may confront, overcome and learn from them. Rejecting, opposing or failing to fully embrace the lessons we have come to learn will only delay the process and cause unnecessary pain. By recognizing and contemplating our errors and assimilating the lessons to be learned from them, we can flow with the learning process and derive the maximum benefit from what is universally regarded on other levels as a unique learning environment.

Earth is a planet of learning, not a planet of perfection. But its imperfections are of our own making and it is therefore within our power, individually and collectively, to rectify them.

Evolution involves learning through choice, and on Earth free choice is exercised in its most extreme form under the most difficult conditions.

On higher levels of being it is possible to see in a single moment the probable outcomes of various alternative paths. Thus it is a simple matter to make the right choice. But the Earth phase of evolution is clouded by the "veil of unknowing", hence it is not possible for us to look into the future. We on Earth must learn by the more arduous process of physical experience; we must make choices, weigh up the perceived advantages to self and to others, then experience the consequences of our choices.

Central to the concept of free choice is the Law of Karma, or the Law of Cause and Effect.

The Law of Karma is also known as the Law of Balance. In the process of living, evolving, experimenting and learning, our actions affect others either harmfully or beneficially, thus incurring numerous and often complex debts. The Law of Karma requires that the effects which our actions have on others, including the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms, must always be balanced. When we harm others we incur a debt. When others harm us they incur a debt. Debts for good or evil, owed to us or by us, must be paid. Similarly, when you injure yourself, perhaps through mis-use of the physical body, you create an imbalance, a debt to yourself which must be repaid by your comprehension and rejection of such actions. All, in the end, must balance.

Through this Law of Balance, or Cause and Effect, we experience and learn from the results of our chosen actions and those of others.

From wrong actions taken in specific sets of circumstances, wrong effects follow; we must then revisit and recreate those sets of circumstances again and again until, having learnt from the ill effects of taking the wrong path, we choose the right path. This is the Law of Karma. Tests will be repeated until they are "passed" by our acknowledgment, acceptance and assimilation of the lesson to be learnt. Challenges will be repeated until they are overcome. This process can take place as a short lesson lasting one moment or one day; or it can take place over a lifetime, or several lives, several incarnations. But lessons must inevitably be learnt.

Similarly our "good" actions, actions which show respect for other lifeforms, those "random acts of kindness" which benefit others, set in motion a positive chain reaction.

The Law of Karma works "automatically". We magnetically attract to ourselves "bad" experiences when we have a need to learn from them. Likewise when we do not need to learn a particular lesson, we will not be touched by danger or evil. We resonate magnetically towards good and bad experiences, drawing them to us when we have need to learn from them.

Do not see karma only as a plus or minus column in a divine accountant's book in which is recorded what you owe to someone because of the wrong that you have done them! It does not work in that way. It is rather a teaching process in which you learn from what you have done. It is you that has created those ripples on the pond of life and they will in turn affect you. The purpose of karma is not punishment. It is rather a process of balance and education.

The Master ZEN TAO, channeled by the Ramala Centre, Glastonbury, in The Revelation of Ramala & The Wisdom of Ramala - The C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd., Saffron Walden, Essex

On higher levels the process of evolution takes place as an unbroken continuity of conscious awareness. At Earth level however, the difficulties of Earth life and the physical aging of the dense Earthly body place limitations on the length of Earth timespan during which we can tolerate life. This in turn necessitates that we "die", review our life from a higher level, then return for another cycle of birth and life. This cycle of birth and re-birth is known as reincarnation.

Reincarnation is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth undertaken on lower planes such as Earth, in which we pass from spiritual realms down through the Veil to those areas of dense physical incarnation cut off from direct contact with the Higher Realms. We do this in order to learn "in isolation" the type of lessons which can only be learned in such worlds. Each lesson must be thoroughly learnt, and the Law of Karma requires that we repeat this process of reincarnation until we have mastered the particular lessons involved at this level.

Earth is a school, and you learn even when making mistakes. If you face a test and fail, you have to take it again. So if you have lessons to learn in one life which you fail to learn, then in another life you will be presented with those lessons again; for you cannot progress -and all life is an upward progression, an upward spiral -until you have learned those lessons.

You have a test to pass, one which you have set yourself to accomplish. When you pass depends upon the effort you make. If you do not pass the test in one experience you will have other chances of doing so. You will always find fresh opportunities opening out before you. In time you will accomplish what you set out to do, however many distractions may deter you from your object. The power of the Spirit can and will win in the end. It is like a powerful magnet drawing you on. It is the effort that counts; the responsibility is yours, no other can accomplish your mission for you. The scales of Divine Justice are accurately balanced, there must be nothing owing if you are to progress.

TENDOR, a Spirit Guide, in Full Cycle by Ripley Webb - Marcus Books, Queensville, Ontario, Canada

Each new incarnation is planned in advance with the help of one's spiritual guides and masters. A review of past faults and weaknesses is made in close consultation with one's guides, and plans are made for major opportunities to occur during the forthcoming lifetime for testing and overcoming those various weaknesses. These events can appear to occur quite arbitrarily and unexpectedly during that lifetime, and some will even be quite traumatic, causing the personality to blame the "fates" for any "misfortune". And yet all these events will have been planned previously on higher levels to manifest at some time during the soul's earthly lifetime by the soul itself and are not, as might appear to us at the time, the result of an arbitrary whim of an uncaring Fate or God.

When incarnating on Earth the soul makes a contract with itself and with its spiritual guides and the Lords of Karma to undertake an Earth life of a certain duration in order to learn specific lessons.

If the incarnated soul finds the lessons too difficult and decides to terminate that life prematurely by suicide, the lessons are not thereby avoided, only postponed. The soul will have to go through the lengthy process of death and rebirth again in order to return and live out those remaining years and learn those lessons previously avoided. This explains why we have a deep-rooted instinct that suicide is fundamentally wrong; not only is it a betrayal of one's higher-self's evolutionary plan, but it is also a misuse of the facilities and opportunities given to us by our Creator and His Hierarchy.

A wider understanding of the multiple concept of free choice, karma and re-incarnation will make it easier for us to understand in turn the "drama of life" and the fundamental nature of suffering.

The drama of life has a purpose: It is to teach, to evolve our consciousness. Everything that happens on the plane of Earth happens not by chance but because we have attracted it to ourselves through our behavior in this or in past lives, and have consciously accepted the challenge it represents. It is widely understood that the concept of free will allows us to choose how we will react to given circumstances; it is important to realize however, that we also exercise free will in our choice of the challenges we agree to undertake during each incarnation. Through free will we choose our challenges and lessons; through free will we choose how we react to them.

It is difficult for those who do not accept the concept of reincarnation, of life after life after life, to see how suffering can be regarded as an evolutionary process. But when reincarnation is accepted as an integral part of one's view of evolution, it is easy to understand that we bring into being with each new physical body all that we have created in other Earth lives, and on other levels of existence beyond the physical plane of Earth. We bring with us not only our spiritual wisdom, but also the sins of the past, the lessons we have not learnt, the karma we owe both to ourselves and to others. So as we advance through the life which we now lead we will automatically attract to ourselves the lessons which we have chosen to learn, the karma we have chosen to transmute.

Thus there is no such thing as a tragedy by chance. Everything that happens on the plane of Earth has reason, has purpose. We live in a world in which many people apparently experience great tragedies. Tragedy comes to people either because they chose it for their destiny path or because it will present them with a lesson in life which they have yet to learn. Tragedy is the working-out of cause and effect; as we experience the effects, so we learn to change the cause. The experience of tragedy also teaches sympathy and compassion, the ability to accept and absorb the minor imperfections others, that they may in turn do the same for us.

If there is one point which I would like to emphasize now, it is this: that suffering is chosen by yourself. It is not given to you by your Creator as a punishment. It is chosen by you, willingly, as a lesson to learn, as a lesson which your soul needs at this particular point in its evolution.

The Master ZEN TAO in The Revelation of Ramala & The Wisdom of Ramala channeled by the Ramala Centre, Glastonbury - The C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd., Saffron Walden, Essex

Death is an integral part of evolution in our present earthly phase. It is important that we develop an understanding of its function and significance so that when the time comes the process can take place smoothly, and indeed joyfully.

Accounts of death have been given by persons still living, those who have undergone certified clinical death, then returned to life. These are known as "near-death experiences" and many have been documented in recent years. The experiences recounted show a remarkable consistency in certain fundamental respects: the sense of being in a bright tunnel, the presence of a great light at the end of it, a remarkable clarity of thought, strong feelings of warmth and love. Many report experiencing panoramic memory, a moving recollection of their entire life story. Individual cases of "near-death experiences" are recounted in Raymond Moody's book Life After Life and clearly indicate that "death" is not the "eternal blackout" which some people thoughtlessly assume.

There are indeed numerous sources of teaching which describe the process of death and the various paths which may be taken thereafter, from ancient Tibetan manuscripts to contemporary accounts given through transmission by those who have passed over.

Those who are mentally prepared and "die in peace" are likely to leave the dead physical body in full consciousness, able to observe the soul-self's departure as it rises gently above the now discarded physical casing. It is usual for a spiritual guide to be on hand to greet the arriving soul, leading him or her to the higher spheres. Alternatively, the departing soul may travel alone rapidly through a bright tunnel towards an intense light, to emerge in a world full of brilliant colors and scenes of great beauty.

The time and place of death is known well beforehand by the Spiritual Hierarchy as well as by the incarnated soul's own higher-self as part of the agreement made with the Lords of Karma and one's spiritual guides before incarnation. Relatives and former friends who have already passed over are alerted to an impending transition, and will be on hand to greet one's arrival on the new plane.

At the critical moment of death we are assisted by an Angelic Being, known as an Angel of Mercy, who has been charged with the special responsibility of cutting the life-cord, an etheric cord that connects our physical body with our higher spiritual bodies.

Ripley Webb"s book "Full Cycle" gives a description of an Angel of Mercy attending the passing of an elderly lady named Martha at her death-bed on Earth, as seen by Michael and his guide Raphael after they had descended from the higher spiritual realms to witness the event.

The centre of the room was occupied by a bed on which lay the figure of a woman of about seventy years. Round the bed were a doctor, a nurse, and a man and woman who were presumably relatives of the dying woman. The occupant of the bed would sometimes murmur a few words and the light of her eyes showed that there was little wrong with her brain. Her busy fingers were fumbling at the counterpane.

As if sensing Michael's thoughts Raphael spoke. "She is not really ill, it is just old age. Her time has come. Look, see who has entered the door." Michael glanced at the doorway and saw a Being standing there so dignified and stately that he guessed it could not be an ordinary spirit. "This is an Angel of Mercy," explained Raphael. "He comes personally to perform the cutting of the life-cord which keeps a spirit chained to its earthly body. It is a duty which God only entrusts to advanced Beings such as he. He knows God's will and how and when to perform the function." Then he added, "See, the old lady has sensed his arrival."

As if she were indeed aware of the entrance of the Angel, the old lady raised her head slightly and gazed fixedly at the door. Then her face creased and tears began to pour down her cheeks. "I don't want to die, doctor, I don't want to die. Don't let me die." The querulous voice ended in a wail of self-pity. The doctor took her hand in his and murmured the things he would be expected to say at such a time. He knew that nothing could be done and the end was approaching.

Reassured by the gesture she looked again at the door. Following her gaze Michael saw the features of the Angel change and become transfigured, as a glow of love was projected like a beam of light towards the bed. The old lady's lips began to move as she tried to tell the others of what she saw, but the life-force was ebbing fast from the frail body. The Angel held out his hand to her. As if obeying the call the woman in a sudden access of strength raised herself into a sitting position, her eyes suddenly alight. In the distance could be heard music from a spiritual source, relayed from the higher realms.

"Look behind the Angel" said Raphael. There behind the radiant figure was a little crowd of spirits, all with welcoming smiles. They were friends or relatives of the woman making the transition who had come to aid her arrival and greet her in the new world.

Something attracted Michael's attention to the bed once more. A thin wisp of vapour began to weave its way out of the top of the dying woman's head and hung there in a little cloud. Then the body dropped back suddenly and the hands dropped lifelessly upon the coverlet. Very soon after, a form, a replica of the mortal body, was elevated to a position horizontally extended above the physical body and facing downwards. This wraith-like form gradually assumed a denser condition as the etheric forces were released from the physical body and built themselves into the spirit body.

When the process was completed, the etheric body assumed an upright posture at the foot of the bed. Here the Angel advanced and placed his hands upon the eyes of the etheric form, then stepped aside. The life-cord still connected physical and etheric bodies but it was attenuated and was scarcely visible. Martha was free and in her new freedom was advancing to meet those who had come to fetch her. Exclamations of pleased surprise came from her lips. She began to respond to the greeting of these friends, the existence of some of whom she had almost forgotten. The little group began to move away.

"The Angel has not cut the life-cord yet," observed Michael. "No," replied Raphael. "He will not do that yet, it would be a shock to the spirit. He will guard the remains for a little time before he performs that last office."

The Angel now turned towards the retreating group and stretched out his arms towards them, obviously concentrating his thoughts upon them. Instantly the Earthly room vanished and after a momentary period of darkness, they all found themselves in the grounds of the hospital on the Etheric/Astral level. There ahead of them were the old lady and her friends now approaching the entrance to the main building. She gave a yawn. Meeting friends had tired her for some time past and she felt that this strange experience must also prove tiring. So she was tired. Raphael stepped forward and spoke to the visitors. They seemed to respect his authority and made their excuses. A nurse came out of the building and to her Raphael gave charge of the new arrival.

Full Cycle by Ripley Webb - Marcus Books, Queensville, Ontario, Canada

The vibratory level on which we first arrive after "death" depends on the spiritual progress and attainment made whilst on Earth. Most Earth incarnates of moderate spiritual development arrive on the astral/emotional plane, the next vibrational level above the physical. Though this largely reproduces conditions as they appeared on Earth, there are differences reflecting the higher vibratory rate. The colors of nature are more brilliant, the scents of flowers stronger, while the senses of the soul in its now higher manifestation are sharper and more alert to the surrounding beauty. The body feels lighter, for there is not the heavy gravitational pull of Earth, and with experience one will soon be able to transport oneself through the air or mold matter to any desired shape by the power of thought alone.

The newly arriving soul may be surprised to be conducted to his or her personal "dream home". By constantly imagining an ideal whilst on Earth, we are unconsciously creating a counterpart of thought material on higher mental or astral levels, where it registers as a concrete thought-form. Using this thought-form as a guide, spiritual assistants on the higher plane can shape the less dense and more malleable matter by mental power alone, to reconstruct the ideal home ready for the newly arriving soul's "homecoming".

One of many after-death experiences related through subsequent channeled transmission is given by Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson shortly after his death in 1914 through his former friend on Earth, Anthony Borgia. Monsignor Benson recounts that after his transition he was soon joined by an old colleague, a priest, who greeted him warmly.

He told me to take hold of his arm firmly, and to have no fear whatever. I could if I wished, close my eyes. I at once experienced a sensation of floating such as one has in physical dreams, though this was very real and quite unattended by any doubts of personal security.

After a short while our progress seemed to slacken somewhat, and I could feel that there was something very solid under my feet. I was told to open my eyes. I did so. What I saw was my old home that I had lived in on the Earth-plane; my old home - but with a difference. It was improved in a way that I had not been able to do to its Earthly counterpart. The house itself was rejuvenated, as it seemed to me from a first glance, rather than restored, but it was the gardens round it that attracted my attention more fully.

They appeared to be quite extensive, and they were in a state of the most perfect order and arrangement. By this I do not mean the regular orderliness that one is accustomed to see in public gardens on the Earth-plane, but that they were beautifully kept and tended. There were no wild growths or masses of tangled foliage and weeds, but the most glorious profusion of beautiful flowers so arranged as to show themselves to absolute perfection.

Of the flowers themselves, when I was able to examine them more closely, I must say that I never saw either their like or their counterpart, upon the Earth, of many that were there in full bloom. Numbers were to be found, of course, of the old familiar blossoms, but by far the greater number seemed to be something entirely new to my rather small knowledge of flowers. It was not merely the flowers themselves and their unbelievable range of superb colorings that caught my attention, but the vital atmosphere of eternal life that they threw out, as it were, in every direction. And as one approached any particular group of flowers, or even a single bloom, there seemed to pour out great streams of energising power which uplifted the soul spiritually and gave it strength, while the heavenly perfumes they exhaled were such as no soul clothed in its mantle of flesh has ever experienced. All these flowers were living and breathing, and they were, so my friend informed me, incorruptible.

Life in the World Unseen channeled by Anthony Borgia - Psychic Press Ltd, London, and M.A.P. Midway, Utah

Those who were not aware of, or did not believe in an afterlife whilst on Earth may need to be convinced that they are actually dead; after all, we do not in fact feel so very different. It can take some people a long time to accept that they are really "dead" in Earth terms, despite the different qualities of lightness and color in their new surroundings. Because such persons are slow to accept change, they usually choose upon death to move into a vibrational level close to that of Earth, where they can pursue a life in surroundings related as nearly as possible to their previous environment. Eventually, through the help of guides coming from higher spheres, they will come to recognize their new "reality", thereby freeing themselves to move up to higher levels.

Those who have considerably lowered their vibrational rates whilst living on Earth through uncaring or damaging behavior towards others, or by abuse of their own bodies such as through drug-use, will find themselves descending to the lower dark astral regions, the traditional Biblical "Hell". There they will encounter a dark and gloomy world of bleak surroundings, ranging from cold, grey foggy wastelands down to the lowest dark pits of depravity where evil deeds are constantly re-enacted. The soul may dwell in these conditions for some time until it has fully assimilated the relevant lessons through constant repetition of these evil deeds. Eventually the errant soul begins to "see the light" and feels the need to rise up again to higher vibrational levels. Once the soul has made the commitment to raise itself from darkness, spiritual guides will gently assist it to the higher planes.

The lower astral plane also contains many other less dark but nonetheless low-level areas where people of little spiritual development or aspiration live in their own subjectively re-created conditions similar to the less inspiring urban areas of Earth. Many of these souls continue to remain unaware or unwilling to believe they are dead. They relive life as on Earth in relatively grim conditions, going through the same motions as before, eating food which they no longer need for sustenance, going to "work" every day, and using "money" which is now no longer necessary. They also find that everything around them seems to decay rather rapidly and constantly needs replacement; this experience gradually teaches them to relinquish their attachment to material possessions and encourages them to seek an upward move to more spiritual spheres. Eventually they too seek help from above and are subsequently taken up to the higher mental and spiritual planes surrounding Earth.

When the fact of death has been thoroughly assimilated, the newly arrived soul is permitted access to the Akashic Records, a form of universal memory-bank which records all events that have ever taken place anywhere in the universe as well as every thought and action of every individual. Through this medium the soul can review in multi-dimensional sight and sound significant episodes of the Earth incarnation recently completed. By reviewing the mistakes, personality faults and unkindnesses to others, the various lessons still remaining unlearnt can be identified.

This process is described in Ripley Webb's book "Full Cycle", as Michael returns to the spiritual world after his incarnation on Earth and begins, through the medium of the Akashic Records, to review his recently completed lifespan. He is taken by his spiritual guide to a special building on the spiritual plane somewhat similar to a small cinema where a screen at one end becomes illuminated:

The picture assumed movement and resolved itself into a form of symbolism quite impossible to translate into words. The mind of Spirit however found it easier to attach a meaning to the symbols and Michael... grasped the inner meaning of all the major events which built up the sequence of his existence. Little events of seemingly small importance now assumed a larger character by reason of their effect on himself or others.

He became aware of a voice that provided a running commentary on the portrayal. At first he thought it must be a part of the picture, an accompanying sound track, giving in thought-language the symbology of the events. The voice was critical beyond measure; he began to wonder who this person was who took it upon himself to judge him in such forthright terms. No one had warned him of this. His heart smote him suddenly. The awesome thought came to him that this might be some manifestation of God's anger with him...