James McQuitty

WILL SPIRITUALISM EVER MOVE FORWARD AND TEACH THE WORLD?

© James McQuitty 2009

Foreword
At this time of writing, as we move forward in the 21st century, I see Spiritualism as an archaic movement, one which has largely retained its voluntarily inherited Christian tradition, and has in many ways seemingly ‘stood still’ in a time-warp of its own. At the same time so many ‘new age’ ideas, some good and some very likely not so good, have flourished.
Under the word ‘archaic’ in my thesaurus I also found the words ancient, antique, old, prehistoric, and forgotten! I am not trying to be insulting, especially not to the many, many good people, including a number of personal friends, involved in Spiritualism. Yet this fate, to be forgotten, if its profile is not dramatically raised, could by the close of the 21st century, be the fate of Spiritualism. Despite the fact that Spiritualism initially flourished with the blessing and support of so many freethinkers, including men of science and high repute, men who were nobody’s fools. Statistically it could just happen! Indeed, for the last half-century or so it has been in decline. Tragically, its peak years were only in times of war, when so many ‘lost’ loved one’s. This, despite the fact that proof of survival after death, indeed proven under laboratory conditions, was actually published as long ago as 1874! With Professor Charles Richet, a French Nobel Laureate for medical science, even championing the fact, and having said about the experiments: “There is ample proof that experimental materialisations should take definite rank as a scientific fact.” (From: ‘The Scientific Proof of Survival After Death,’ by Michael Roll).
Yet, partially because of media suppression, and the apathy of so many Spiritualists with their ‘They’ll come when they are ready’ attitude, hardly anyone in the UK, let alone the world, knows the fundamental truth that Spiritualism teaches, and of the support, the positive affirmations as factual, that these teachings received from internationally renowned figures.
Surely the ‘public relations,’ the mouthpiece of Spiritualism (as it should be), should be shouting such facts from the rooftops! But, perhaps, I’m straying too far from the main concerns of this booklet, for although I would like to see Spiritualism moving forward in co-operation with men and women of science, by such means as filming materialisation’s, I feel that the movement also needs to progress in many more basic ways.
Two aspects that concern me are their presentation, therefore public image, and their seeming disregard of reincarnation, a subject of much interest and concern to a number of people. Yet in some Spiritualist settings its mere mention is almost taboo!
As far as their public image is concerned, while they continue to ‘function’ like Christian churches with a little clairvoyance (mediumship) thrown-in, as so many of their ‘public offices’ (churches) do, they are, in my opinion, largely failing in their duty. To my understanding and belief their duty should first be to teach the truth of spirit communication and continuous life for all, regardless of any religious belief. When they attempt to do this whilst at the same time presenting themselves like an offshoot of Christianity, they are failing the majority of the public. This is because the majority of the public will never even consider entering such establishments. This is not some failing on the part of the public, for in great numbers they have had enough of ‘The Church,’ they are simply being honest to their feelings, it is a Spiritualist failing, for their presentation is not in keeping with their teaching.
On occasions, Spiritualist speakers themselves refer to the decline in orthodox church attendance’s, so how can a ‘movement’ that copies the format, the presentation, of the orthodox church, ever hope to attract the lay person, those who these days generally have no interest, in fact often a loathing, of anything even remotely church-like. The answer, in the vast majority of cases, is that they cannot! If they could, after more than 150 years of ‘modern’ Spiritualism, they would be doing so right now! As is said, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ How Spiritualism presents for eating makes it largely indigestible; indeed, just like orthodoxy, it sickens too many people!
The Spiritualist movement (if something that hardly ever makes a change can still be called this) needs to become more professional in its approach. This is especially so in regard to publicity opportunities, and to the raising of its public image. But, the ‘catch 22’ of this is that with its current approach, i.e. ‘churchy image’ it will never gain enough professional support, nor will it attract the attention of mainstream scientists.
Why? I’d guess that professionals and scientists alike prefer, even demand, a professional approach to what they represent or investigate. If Spiritualism wants ‘survival after death’ as its mainstay teaching, why does it need to present this in the format of a religious service? Predominantly in buildings called churches (a word used by Christians for the buildings in which they meet)? For survival after death has nothing to do with any religion! It is a fact. One that scientists both past and present have affirmed!
In regard to reincarnation, it seems to me that the Spiritualist approach is ‘Ostrich-like;’ one of burying their heads in the sand, hoping no one will mention it.
Gone are the days when Spiritualism itself was deemed a science. Indeed, Arthur Findlay left his mansion and fortune to form The Arthur Findlay College for scientific advancement. So at the very roots of the SNU should be a desire to investigate, scientifically where possible, not ignore. So in part two I offer some ‘food for thought’ on this subject, in the hope that it might, at least, inspire some to think more deeply.
I will say no more in this Foreword, for all will be revealed in the reading of these pages. Within which I am largely, if not entirely, considering SNU Spiritualism; although it is not to say that Christian Spiritualism couldn’t likewise improve their presentation.

[Footnote: Another way in which the SNU public image and profile could be raised is by the opening of their own chain of charity shops. I’m sure that they would get plenty of voluntary staff from their churches and centres. Literature could then be made more readily available to the public, and spiritual teaching books could also be sold in each.]

1. It Is Time for Spiritualism to ‘come out’ from the
Shadow of Christianity - Visions of the Future
If one of your visions of the future is to see Spiritualism, perhaps even your ‘own’ particular church or centre, progress by ‘coming out from the shadow of Christianity,’ you are not alone. Many people believe it is time for this to happen.
The main changes people would like to see implemented are:
1. The removal of All Christian ‘decor’ (Bible, Cross, and Pictures representative of Jesus or Christianity in general).
2. To cease the singing of Hymns etc. at Sunday services, in favour of a new format (such as outlined herein).
Also, where the name “church” is still used:
3. For this to be changed in favour of “Centre” or something equally neutral. (Such as: ‘City or Town Name-Centre of Spiritual Knowledge.’ Or, ‘City or Town Name-Spiritual Centre;’ or, ‘Spiritual Teaching and Healing Centre’).

The reasons, or at least how I see them, in brief, are as follows.

2. The Purpose of Spiritualism
The initial purpose of Spiritualism, as far as I’m concerned, is to spiritually educate the individual. First, by proving that we all survive ‘death;’ then through its philosophy by teaching that we all have responsibility, and that it is how we live life that is important. For the seeds of today, and how we sow them, effect what tomorrow we reap. While the broader purpose of Spiritualism, is to help the world.
Unfortunately, “The Coming World Religion,” as in the 1930’s Arthur Findlay called Spiritualism, has never truly ‘arrived.’ Most certainly it has never fulfilled its illustrious potential. Indeed, Spiritualism has been active for more than 150 years; yet now has fewer followers now than in the 1930’s.
In this new millennium, many people believe that if Spiritualism is ever to help ‘change the world or at least to play its part, it needs to change its image and presentation. One way of doing so would be by updating its decor and services, to attract the attention of more people; with the proposed new format seen as a modern and more ‘user friendly’ approach.

3. Long-Term Visions
It is anticipated that a change of format would attract more people; many who otherwise might never come and learn. The knock-on effects can be far reaching, for these people will spread knowledge to many more that, otherwise, might remain ignorant. The movement will then be in a position to grow, and to spread, but more importantly, to help many more people.
There is no point in just wanting change, for Spiritualists to simply say that things in this world must change, for if we (I count myself as one at present) are to help save this planet and advance spiritual awareness, it is up to each of us to first put our own house in order. If we do not, and fail to spread spirit teaching and philosophy, we will not only be letting down many who today are in ignorance, but we will also be letting down future generations, and letting down the Great Spirit. We will also be letting down the pioneers who gave us the opportunity, and I doubt that they wanted a static, unchanging movement. The point being that if we have some knowledge, we have the responsibility to teach others; for knowledge we are privileged to receive, places such responsibility upon our shoulders. It is not ours to keep hidden, or to ourselves, with cries of “they’ll come when they are ready” for this notion has proven itself false. What many others and I propose is radical change, for nothing less than ‘New Spiritualism.’ If need be this can proceed one church or centre at a time, for there are no rules concerning the format of a meeting or service. ‘Worship’ (if you’re mad enough to think that the creator of all there is needs this) can simply be silent prayer! If you feel ‘your’ church or centre needs to change, please do circulate or order more copies of this booklet.
The first change, the removal of All Christian ‘décor,’ is proposed because such things mislead and ‘put-off’ the majority of the young, the non-Christian, and those with no religious belief. Through such, we also open ourselves to criticism from the orthodox religions, for they can rightly accuse us of hypocrisy and lacking integrity. After all, the teaching of Spiritualism is contrary to that of Christianity, and it might be said that if we copy their decor (as most SNU churches and centres have), we very often start by misleading people.

4. Spiritualism & Christianity Are Different
The main differences between Spiritualism (SNU) and Christianity are that Spiritualism teaches Personal Responsibility (principle 5). Rightly they teach that our place in the spirit world is determined by our own actions; it is not subject to belief in a saviour. In other words nobody can ‘forgive us our sins,’ it is our own responsibility to live and act according to our conscience and, if we do slip (as on occasions we all do) to put things right by our own actions.
While individually we might recognise Jesus (and others such as Krishna & Buddha) as a spiritual teacher, master teacher even, we do not accept him as the single son and one-third aspect of God. We consider ourselves all equal sons and daughters of God, and although some may have progressed further than others - to have attained to a higher level of spirituality - and in this sense be ‘closer’ to God, The Great Spirit, this does not mean we should worship them, nor that they would wish this. For one day we will all reach higher levels of spiritual attainment, and when we do, I for one, will not wish to be the subject of anyone else’s worship.
While Christianity, which developed through a mixture of ancient myth and blind faith wrapped around the teachings of the man (medium) Jesus, teaches that it is only those who believe in him (as GOD), and have been baptised into their faith, who upon ‘death’ will be permitted entry to heaven (spirit world). So according to them, Spiritualists, Hindus, Buddhists, Moslems, atheists, etc. will not be admitted. While babies, children and others who were not baptised, and all animals, will also fail to gain entry. Christianity also teaches that anyone who communicates with spirits is ‘in league with the devil,’ and that any communicating spirit must be evil. So please bear this in mind when considering the ‘virtue’ of keeping Christian symbols in a Spiritualist building.
The old arguments for keeping such decor, which also alienates us to certain ethnic groups (numbers of which now total millions in the UK), i.e. ‘To keep the regulars happy;’ and, ‘to comfort Christians when they first visit,’ should be more ethically considered. For as already stated, it is akin to misleading people, and when considered with honesty, in relation to the principles and teaching of Spiritualism, it is a misrepresentation.
Most people dislike or even fear change, but because what we have to teach is vitally important to humankind, if we continue to restrict ourselves through fear of change, in time, it might well be viewed a very selfish and short-sighted act.
When considering fear, it might be a good idea to read the following Leo Buscaglia poem or ‘truism.’ If you need to, this may help you free your mind of old restrictions.

“To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk rejection.
To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure.

“But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.
Chained by his certitude’s, he is a slave.
He is forfeiting his freedom.

“Only a person who takes risks is FREE.”

In other words, I feel that Spiritualism is largely chained by its developed and borrowed traditions, and needs to break free, if it is ever going to make a major contribution to raising the awareness, the spirituality, and understanding of humanity.
The second change proposed, is that the format for Sunday services be radically changed and updated. For hymns do not attract people - they keep them away - many of us might have grown accustomed to them, but those who in their upbringing where non-Christian, or non-religious, find such ‘ritual’ off-putting, embarrassing, meaningless, and a waste of time. Some ‘suffer’ them and come on occasions, while others consider it to be just like boring Christian services (as sometimes forced upon them in childhood) and, particularly if they also see a mediocre demonstration, never bother returning.
Instead, a meeting (not service) combining a mixture of meditation and absent healing, with relaxing ‘new-age’ or similar style music, a talk (perhaps with questions and answers) and a demonstration, with heartfelt prayers and, of course, suitable introductions and announcements is proposed.
The third proposal is that where still used the title “church” be dropped in favour of one more neutral, such as centre, or any other suitable non-religious title. For the title “church” immediately alienates so many people, especially the young and the ethnic minorities, for it is by tradition a Christian title. In my dictionary, the first sentence under church reads “A building for public (Christian) worship”.
The time to escape the shadow of Christianity, for a new start, is surely Now! You need only ask yourself one question: “Do I truly and honestly want to help as many people as I can”. If your answer is yes, if implemented, it is postulated that change in line with these proposals will provide a format that will indeed attract, and therefore help and teach, more people. While it will also leave us free to concentrate upon teaching Spiritualist philosophy, free from ritual, and free from hypocrisy. Some centres, New Milton, Henfield, and a number of others, have already changed along the lines outlined in this proposal, and a letter which appeared in Psychic World, August 1998, from Henfield & District Spiritual Centre, mentions their change to a more modern approach, and contains a message from Alexandra, the spirit guide of their Chairman Phil Claridge, this is what was said.

“There are changes within the Universe and upon your own planet; changes for yourselves, the people around you, and the environment. The need for change, we all need to change our way of thinking, our habits, and the way we look after ourselves and the way we look after our planet. The Aquarian age will bring about teaching, about healing, about the spirit and about the mind and body. We need to move forward, not to stand still or live in the past. What was right 20 - 30 years ago is not necessarily the way forward today. Modern thinking, modern people coming into the movement, wanting different things, not wishing to take part in the old rituals of what was good 40 years ago, or even 10 years ago. This is not being disrespectful, to those who have followed these ways for all those years. What was good for them, has helped them to grow has been fine. Through their experience and through their development, they will now, need to move forward, into your thinking and into your visions. My people do not live in the past, move forward with the young ones, and use your age and experiences, to guide them, but have faith in their vision. It is now that this must happen, or forever stand still. Your people need to know where you are, and as to what you are about, go out, speak with them, and let them know where you are and where you can be reached. The Spirit, the mind and the body can be healed in many ways. And by bringing this teaching to the people this will benefit them greatly. Through meditation people grow, they develop, find themselves, they find their inner selves; they become confident, proud, love themselves and love those around them. Let us rid ourselves of hate, jealousy, stress and anxiety. Just send love to each other, to help each other, move forward within this New Age.”

It all comes down to you, for it is the everyday person, you and me, who finally decide how things progress. We, combined, have the power to change anything. Those who are members are entitled to a say and a vote at their particular church or centre, so if you are a member and want to move forward into a new era, at your next AGM, please do vote to implement change. If you’re someone who agrees with what has been said herein, and are not a member, you can still make your voice and opinion count; you can also circulate this booklet, and in this way seeds might be sown. Remembering, as I said in the Foreword, that survival after ‘death’ has nothing to do with any religion, nor has it anything to do with ritual or tradition seen as ‘religious’ worship. Continuous life for everyone is perfectly natural, regardless of the lifetime led, this simply determining our future state (or level) of existence, which in many ways reflects what we still need to learn or experience.
The future is in your hands. If you need encouragement, just remember that although it may seem the impossible dream, without one you, and the world, will not move forward. You and I do make a difference!

5. It Is Time to Add Reincarnation to the
Philosophy of Spiritualism
Personally, I feel that reincarnation has been ignored by the Spiritualist establishment for too long; despite the fact that a great number of Spiritualists accept reincarnation as factual. Indeed, if a poll of platform mediums, those seen by most onlookers as the most reliable source of information, were taken, I’d wager that by far the greater number would agree that we all incarnate many times.
It may not be possible to give complete ‘chapter and verse’ on the process, but this can also be said of many of the teachings of what follows the current lifetime, such as what ‘life in the spirit world’ is like. Yet from information received from spirit world guides and teachers, on trust, we teach that the ‘next world’ is far more beautiful and harmonious than this. Yet we can no more prove this than we can reincarnation!
So, I feel, it is somewhat inconsistent that certain information from guides and teachers should be accepted as factual while other information is ignored because ‘the establishment’ say that it cannot be proved. Indeed, I find this a clear contradiction.
If reincarnation was a myth, and we only had one physical incarnation in human form, there would be no long-term spiritual justice at the physical level of existence.
Let us take two extreme cases, both under such a scenario. In case number one, someone who ‘died’ in all innocence as a baby and passed to an intermediary level of the spirit world. There, they would learn that they had missed their one and only opportunity to sow good seeds upon the earthplane and thus progress immediately to a higher level of the spirit world. Would they not feel rather hard done by? Since, through no fault of their own, they had lost their solitary physical opportunity.
Under the same scenario, in case number two, someone who was a bit of a rogue and did not treat anyone with compassion and for many years lived in a thoroughly self-centred way. Upon their passing, they could quite easily find themselves on a somewhat lower level of the spirit realms, one that was far less pleasant than the intermediary level occupied by the baby that had passed. Would they not feel that their longevity had in hindsight been a curse, for this had enabled them to fall into the pitfalls of earthly life? They would realise that if they too had passed young, they would have avoided the pitfalls and thus been elevated to a higher level.
If reincarnation were a myth it would relegate life one Earth to a pot-luck last chance saloon, and a minefield for disaster. Justice (or karma) on the earthplane can only prevail and be outworked through the process of reincarnation.
Longevity is not all down to chance, good or bad luck, in a ‘one-off’ physical experience. This would make no sense, and make a mockery of an ordered universe governed by natural law. Reincarnation is a fact that has been confirmed to my satisfaction by a number of mediums, including those in trance, who have supplied me with snippets of information concerning several of my own past lives. I know that there are many ways in which it can be viewed, like a great many spirit teachings, but from our linear point of view, I certainly accept that I have lived many lifetimes.
One concept argued by some is that it may not be the exact same aspect of higher consciousness, or Soul essence that returns on each occasion. Some liken this to different facets of the diamond, with each taking a turn at incarnation; yet even if this were so, we would still be incarnating many aspects of our totality. It would still be us, the composite or complete Being from the higher dimension that was either undertaking multiple incarnations or, reincarnating many times, whichever definition one chooses to use largely amounts to the same thing. Indeed, this can be an interesting point for discussion. So why does Spiritualism not encourage spiritual growth through such discussion, rather than largely dismissing or ignoring the subject as so often they do?

6. Past Life Regression
There has been much evidence pertaining to past lives revealed through Past Life Regression Therapy, under hypnosis. The Spiritualist ‘establishment’ seem to dismiss all of this because, for example, it is subject to either the imagination of the individual or, because they might inadvertently be tuning-in to someone else’s memories.
Some years back this attitude, especially when regression was, by comparison with today, in its infancy, can be understood. But things have moved-on, and these days many, many therapists can number those they have regressed to recall past lives in their hundreds, and some in their thousands. So for those involved with Spiritualism to dismiss it altogether is akin to ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water.’ Is Spiritualism a progressive movement? Or is it one that simply contents itself with teaching the very basics of survival? And by self-limitation does it actually hold back the spiritual growth of many of its followers?
Some might question how any past life memories revealed under hypnosis can be proven genuine. In reply it can be stated that many people go through such therapy because they have some unexplained phobia or an irrational fear that makes no sense in their current life. Yet, when through regression therapy memories of some trauma or event from a previous lifetime are revealed, the patient is able to overcome their phobia or fear. Why would this be so, if the memory was not their own? And would such vast numbers of people be capable of ‘conjuring’ through their imagination events that would so precisely match and explain their current life phobias and fears?
Past life regression has even made the mainstream newspapers, and earlier this year (1999 when I originally wrote this) the Daily Mirror in their weekend supplement carried the accounts of three people who had been greatly helped by regression therapy. Two of the accounts I paraphrase here.

The first is the account of Diana Radha, who had been suffering from serious rheumatic aches and pains.

‘During the sessions, these very clear memories of a previous life in that region of France (Languedoc, southern France) began to flood back. I remembered being a young girl, growing up in a village in the Middle Ages. I even remembered my name - Quaitet.
‘Then these soldiers came to the village and took me away and tortured me. My final memory was of a group of them throwing rocks and stones at me. Then I must have died. The pains of the stones hitting me were very like the rheumatic pains I was suffering in this life.
‘After being regressed, my aches and pains began to fade away.’

This same lady later suffered with heavy nosebleeds for no apparent reason, so again tried Regression Therapy, the following was revealed.

‘He put me in a trance, the room disappeared and I suddenly found myself in the middle of a horrific scene. I was surrounded by piles of emaciated corpses in a mass grave. I knew I was in a Nazi concentration camp at the end of the Second World War. I was weak and battered and realised that I was dying myself. Whatever had led to my death had made my nose bleed profusely.
‘I felt myself die and saw my spirit leave my body in the shape of a phoenix. All the sorrow and pain went away and then I woke up back in the classroom. (She had been so impressed with Regression Therapy she was now in the classroom of her therapist learning the techniques).
‘Over the next two months my nosebleeds became less and less frequent and finally stopped altogether.
‘Past-life regression therapy has given me a whole new view of things I experienced as a child. As a little girl I had a vivid recurring dream about being a South American Aztec who was dragged into slavery by the Spanish and finally beaten to death.
‘Years later I would dream in great detail about being a traditional Indian dancer during the British Raj. On other occasions I’ve relived experiences in Ancient Greece too - I have obviously lived through a lot of interesting times.’

The other account was of Jane Satchwell, who from childhood had a nightmare that persisted into adulthood.

‘In my dream, I was a man, a soldier on the run from something or someone. I was a big, coarse, ignorant man who knew a lot about fighting but very little else.
‘Suddenly another, a man on a horse, wearing a big helmet, would ride towards me. I was terrified because I knew he was going to kill me and I couldn’t outrun him on foot. I looked into his eyes for a split second and then he would draw a lance and drive it into my chest.
‘I was born with this funny round white scar, about the size of a 10p piece, just under my left breast. It refuses to tan when I sunbathe and gradually, over the years, I realised it was in exactly the spot where the enemy soldier would stick his lance into my chest in my dream.
‘I was convinced the dream was proof that I had lived another life and when I heard about regression therapy I decided to give it a try. During the therapy, I discovered that I have had at least 30 previous lives and in most of them I have been a soldier.
‘That explained a lot of things to me. I’m a small, slightly-built woman, but I’ve always been drawn to tough, combative sports. It was as if my spirit was so used to being a fighter that it refused to accept that I didn’t really have the physique to be a warrior this time around.
‘The therapy also gave me a clue why I had been reincarnated as a woman in this life. I discovered that, after dying the last time, I was shown all the things I had learned in my past lives and the things I still needed to learn in my next one.
‘I chose to be born as a little woman who practises healing to balance against all the times I’ve been born as a big man who practised the arts of warfare and destruction.’

If these accounts are not ‘proof’ or at least food for thought, many more such accounts, and cures, are detailed in a number of books available on the subject.

7. Spirit Guides Speak on Reincarnation
Many of the more eminent spirit guides, through their entranced mediums, have for many years affirmed reincarnation as factual. The following are but short examples of some of the things they have had to say. Where possible I have endeavoured to find quotes with something ‘extra’ that I hope readers will find of interest. Some of these books are still available, and highly recommended for their multiple (not just reincarnation) teaching.

The first quote comes from ‘Red Cloud Speaks’ (page 126), a book that was first published in 1938.

“You must be born again, whether you like it or not. It is fixed by your evolution. You can be born into that greater expanse and expression of life past the astral or, automatically you will die from the astral and return to the matter-world, there to take up, according to your character, your belief, your desire and motive, all that you have left undone and have done erroneously.”

(“Must” If we are to achieve the kind of spiritual progression we, on a higher level of consciousness, surely seek).

Perhaps the most liked and loved of spirit world teachers to return and impart wisdom to us upon the earthplane was Silver Birch. This was through the mediumship of Maurice Barbanell - for many years the editor of Psychic News – and he communicated fabulous information of what life in spirit and natural laws were all about. The book I have selected to quote from, ‘Light from Silver Birch,’ in chapter 21 also mentions, in his own words, the fact that Maurice Barbanell’s own story really began in a previous incarnation, and that he was told by Red Cloud that he had made a promise in a former existence to reincarnate and devote his life to spreading Spiritualism.

From ‘Light from Silver Birch,’ pages 82-83, published by Psychic Press:

“It is true that people come back to your world. They reincarnate, but they do so not according to some fixed period of time but according to a plan that exists for them to do so.
“Some have karmic duties to fulfil; others volunteer to return because they have a service to render to your world. If they come back as a man or woman, it is unimportant. We have no sex discrimination acts in our world!”

The next quote comes from a Ramadahn book; he is the spirit teacher who communicated through the mediumship of Ursula Roberts. From ‘Wisdom of Ramadahn’ pages 13-14, published by Psychic Press. Answering the question, ‘If we return to earth for another experience, are we affected by our previous aura?’

“Truly, but not all people using a physical body today have lived in the earthly world previously. There are many planets and worlds in which the soul may learn its lessons. Here within your earth there are many souls coming from less developed planes of experience, to be taught and to blend with people who have experienced it before. But there are some who have lived not once but many times with a mortal body, and they bring with them certain radiations, a spiritual aura which contains qualities gained in a previous time of living. Thus there are some who know instinctively how to live, to teach, to create music, to unfold earth’s finer forces. Sometimes they know also in their inner consciousness what they wish to do and achieve in their present incarnation.”

A spirit guide whose teachings are most up-to-date and clear communicates through Robert Goodwin, he is ‘White Feather,’ and I have selected this insert from ‘The Golden Thread’ page 75.

“When a facet incarnates into the physical body, it must follow that, that physical body has been earned by its previous pathway. Let me give you an example, if a soul departs from this life by drowning, then there is a distinct probability that in the next incarnation there will be a fear of water, or a dislike of depths of water. But you say, ‘How can this be if it is a different facet of the individual which incarnates?’ Again, you must understand that when that facet of the individuality links with the mental level of being, it cannot exclude itself from what has gone before. This fear may be very deep seated, may be on a subconscious level, the very depths of the mind, and yet it is there. It is only by recognising it, by facing it, by bringing it to the surface, that it can be understood and its Karmic influence can be outworked.”

Another spirit guide is ‘Chan’ who communicated through Ivy Northage, and in the book ‘Spiritual Realisation,’ page 52, he says:

“The purpose of life is to increase refinement, and quite obviously if one has not made a very good job of the refinement process in a previous life the overall quality of the present life must, to a certain extent, be marked. But it is not more than that. You are not paying the price of misdemeanours, mistakes or ‘sins’ of the past incarnation. You are, however, dealing with overall weaknesses, which prevailed in that previous incarnation; your incarnations are not concerned with detail but with the essence, the spiritual energy that has been withdrawn from the experience on death and has gone to the make up of the whole of your diamond. In this sense every life is separate in itself, but it does contain the essence, the overall quality of previous incarnations.”

My next quote comes from ‘For Those Who Are Willing to Listen…read on’ by Sir Oliver Lodge and group in spirit through the mediumship of Raymond Smith, page 37.

“After the etheric, astral and mental spheres all are the same in the sense that there is no need for sexual gender. Evolved Spirit is the result of all lessons learnt during the male and female incarnations. The soul does not any longer need the lessons provided by manifestation as male or female.”

The next quote comes from ‘White Eagle,’ selected from the book ‘Spiritual Unfoldment 1,’ page 101.

“Reincarnation is a vast subject and we assure you that the ideas prevailing present but a crude and inadequate description of what really takes place. Until you clearly understand the law of reincarnation most of the deeper problems of life will remain obscure, and you will fail to find justice in life, even though you believe that God is good, all-wise and all-loving. Life is growth, the whole purpose of life on earth is spiritual growth, and there are universal problems that can only be answered by gaining understanding of the process of the soul’s evolution. Man, confined by finite mind, has no conception of the true meaning of time. He thinks of three score years and ten, or indeed of a century, as a long period, when in truth it is but a flash. He does not think of incarnation in relation to the whole of life, and because of this he fails to grasp how little can be gleaned from one short period of earthly life.”

SUMMARY: THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING
THE LAW OF REINCARNATION
The quote from White Eagle returns me to the subject of why understanding of reincarnation is so very important. I could of course go on, and on, with what would be the injustice of just one physical lifetime. But when such a belief is compared to the teaching that from lifetime to lifetime we take with us our level of attainment, ‘reflected in the aura’ as in the Ramadahn question, to any logical, just and reasoning mind the idea of only a single human lifetime becomes a ludicrous belief, for we realise that it is only through reincarnation that true ‘justice’ can be fulfilled. For as we sow we reap from one incarnation to the next, it is the law of cause and effect, or in its long-term implications, from lifetime to lifetime, the law of karma. Between incarnations we can of course do service in the spirit realms, but for reasons of fuller spiritual growth, to gain ‘hands-on’ personal experience, we need to incarnate many times. For conceptual understanding, as might be gained in the spirit realms, can never equal the deep understanding gained by physically experiencing the ‘lessons’ that incarnations can teach. As White Eagle said, “Little can be gleaned from one short period of earthly life.”

Globally, the need for the law of reincarnation to be understood is great. For this world has become too materialistic, too many are greedy, denying vast numbers the right to live an even basic life. In the safety of our reasonably comfortable British lifestyle we too often fail to see the poverty, pain and misery that exist in so many other countries. Giving a helping hand or a few pounds to charity is very laudable, but it is not going to produce permanent change. The only way people will really change, to the degree that on a global basis will produce enhanced lifestyles for all, is through spiritual education.
All people of the world need to be taught the law of reincarnation and the law of cause and effect, for they are intertwined. The ‘appealing to many’ idea of just one lifetime and then making any necessary amends in the spirit world is simply not factual.
Teaching anyone that they will survive death, as Spiritualism concentrates upon, therefore means comparatively little, if they are not also taught that they must make amends for their misdeeds and greed by returning to earth life to experience the consequences of their actions. This, of course, should not be viewed as the sword of karma hanging over them like a punishment that will befall them, but as a natural law, which they have the right to be made aware of, so that they might order their lives accordingly.
To conclude, I feel that to ignore reincarnation is to ignore a most valuable teaching, one that goes hand-in-hand with the great law of karma or cause and effect; and if we are to help raise the consciousness of those upon this planet, we need to foster awareness of this teaching so that a great many more people, and ideally, of course, all, are aware of its implications.
So I suggest that it is time to add reincarnation to Spiritualist philosophy. Personal interpretation, whether we think of the process as many lifetimes or many facets of the Soul incarnating should, of course, be recognised and accepted as a fundamental right of free thought.

Appendix
Since my original printing of this booklet, I can add Iconoclast, a group in the spirit realms, whom I believe spoke through the one time editor of the Psychic News, Lyn Guest de Swarte (now editor of The Spiritual News) as confirming reincarnation. Intriguingly, he, she or they talk of a “Debate, which will go on for much time to come, both on the earthplane and in the lower realms of the spirit dimension.” (PN. Nov. 11th 2000). From this I take it that those from the ‘lower realms’ have yet to awaken to the fact that they have incarnated more than once. Their memories not returning until they have risen to a certain level of vibration, or until you are ready to contemplate the idea, and perhaps this facilitates attuning to this level of awareness?

END

Comments or suggestions to enhance this booklet are welcomed.