Hatred, Division, Intolerance and the Afterlife

Treatment of other people has a direct impact on what happens to you in the afterlife. Let me give you a current example from today's headlines. In Maryland, legislation just passed through the House and Senate approving gay marriage. The governor has said he'll sign it this coming week, which is a great thing for all. Why? Because all people are equal and deserve the same rights.
 - So, what does this have to do with ghosts and spirits? Plenty.
- People who believe that others are "less deserving" of rights here on Earth are wrong, and they will pay for it in the afterlife. Only people who treat others as equals, love others and respect others will advance in the afterlife (remember we talked last week about three levels in the afterlife?).
 - Here's the reason I bring this up. Some of the African-American churches and the Catholic Church in Maryland have been the most vocal opponents of gay marriage/marriage equality. It strikes me as odd, for a minority who endured such terrible injustices and a painful,  horrible, uphill battle for equality, would strike out and want to deny another group of minorities the same rights that they were finally granted. Some African-American preachers, and the Catholic Church (that I used to belong to) are now citing THEIR religious beliefs to deny CIVIL rights to others. This is Wrong on many levels.
 - One: The U.S. is not of one religion, nor did our founding fathers want it that way.
 - Two: Marriage is a civil right, not a religious one. People who are non-religious, elderly, infertile, agnostic, and atheists marry all the time.
 - Three: Judging others and denying them of equal rights and protections is hateful.
 - Four: This kind of hatred and intolerance will be something they will ATONE for after their life is over. In fact, some of these preachers will be begging for forgiveness on the other side and will likely not be able to move into the light.
  I have received messages from people who have passed, that have shown similar hatred and intolerance during their time on Earth and are now on the other side, asking for forgiveness.
 - The Lesson: Don't be one of those people. Fight for your fellow man. Religions are man-made, and do not understand equality. They are good bases for faith, but should not be the law for all people. Don't criticize and harass or bully people because of their weight, size, height, nationality, religion, sexuality, beliefs. Everyone should be treated equally.

Three Levels in the Light

                                                                          Last week I discussed how our conscience and soul translate into energy when we pass and once we move into the light, become one with the energy that runs through the cosmos.  I mentioned that when we cross over, we develop an immediate awareness of what was right and wrong about how we lived on Earth.

 This week I wanted to talk about what happens "in the light." 

  I will tell you that spirits do have "jobs" on the other side. They often show mediums where they dwell, usually in fields with blue sky above. Is that actually where they live? No. But it's a place of peace that we on Earth can understand and identify with.  

  There are three levels on the other side. Which level you attain depends on how well you learned your lessons on Earth. 

  The first level is the lowest level. Its where people who did not live a good life dwell, atoning for their bad behavior, with full awareness of how they lived on Earth was not well for them or others. People who live with hatred in their hearts, people who commit crimes against others, people who hold grudges, oppress others, do not treat others equally, discriminate, hate all linger here hoping for forgiveness... before they go BACK to Earth to try again. Yes, spirits on the lowest level come back to Earth in human form and go through life again, hoping to learn lessons and get to the second level in the light.  I often joke with my partner that people who cut me off in traffic "are going to be coming back again and again."

  The second level is where many spirits dwell. A place where people who lived decent lives dwell. People who learned lessons in life and treated others well. Souls in this level have the chance to go back to Earth to learn more lessons, but because this is a comfortable place (similar to what people call "Heaven"), they sometimes don't want to leave and return to Earth.

  The third level is one of perfection. There are few souls in this realm. Souls like Jesus and Mohammad.  This is a level where the souls do not return to Earth, as there are no other lessons to learn. 

  The Afterlife Forum explains it simply this way: "Basically, all the levels are in the same place, just at a different level of spiritual vibration. The higher a person's level of spiritual vibration, the higher the level to which he/she belongs. The way that you elevate your spiritual vibration level is by coming to earth to learn lessons in love and forgiveness."

(SOURCE: http://afterlifeforums.com/entry.php/95-What-Are-The-Afterlife-Levels-Like) 

  That author cites 7 levels in the afterlife. Everyone has a different opinion - and there's no clear answer to the number of levels. It is clear, however, that people go to different levels based on the way the lived on Earth.
   The bottom line is that we must all RESPECT each other. We are ALL EQUAL. We all deserve the same rights. The same freedoms. The same joys. To deny someone of something by using your authority, pushing your religious views, or your wealth is Wrong. If you don't believe me, you will learn it when your earthly life is over.

  

Beings of Energy: Ghosts and Spirits

  NGC 6752: a globular cluster of stars, over 10 billion years old. NASA/ESA

In my book, Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium (by Rob Gutro) I talk about how our souls are basically energy and energy cannot fade, but it can change. When our physical bodies die, the energy in our soul and mind make a decision in death whether to stay on Earth as an Earth-bound ghost, or to move into the light and become a spirit.
 - Once we die we gain an awareness of what was right and wrong in the way in which we lived on Earth. Sometimes, when people die and instantly become aware they really wronged someone, they stick around as an Earth-bound ghost to  try and get forgiveness. Being a ghost is like being trapped in an isolation jail cell and being unable to see your relatives who passed and are in the light.
   - So, how do we gain all that knowledge of right and wrong? How do we become aware of all of the things happening around the world at the same time, or things affecting our friends and family?
  - The answer lies in energy. Just as the universe is composed of matter and energy (and light energy or dark matter), our individual energies merge with that of the cosmos. We instantly gain knowledge of everything in the cosmos when we die because our energy becomes part of that. It's like being plugged in to a socket of knowledge. Energy is all interconnected and that's what happens to our awareness. We instantly know what is good and what is evil. As a spirit, we can see what's happening anywhere around the world and in multiple places at one time. It goes beyond our physical limitations. Think of the magnetic field that surrounds the Earth. If part of your energy merges with that field, your conscience would be able to "see" what is happening anywhere around the globe.
  NEXT WEEK:  The three levels in the light