What goes on mounting continually?

Each soul is capable of the highest degree of development as an advanced spirit―or angel. 

Angels are souls who have passed from the lowest degree of human planetary life through all the planetary spheres until they have attained to the celestial spheres of the solar system―the Heaven of Heavens. 

The soul goes on mounting continually and journeying through that vast and limitless creation, which has no end and has had no beginning. 

How can we hope to form any clear idea of the nature and attributes of that Supreme Being―the Omnipotent Ruler of the Universe―seeing we cannot even fully and clearly grasp the magnitude of his creation? 

How do spirit-lives materialize?

If the spheres exist around the earth, why it is that all men cannot see them, and why cannot they even see those spirits who are said to be actually in the room with them?

If you see photographs of unmaterialised spirits you will notice that to your material sight they present a semi-transparent appearance. 

The material doors and windows, furniture, and so on, show through the figures of the spirits.

The material particles of an astral body―or first degree of spiritualised matter are spread so thinly that they are like a fine network united by invisible atoms of a more etherealised nature―so sublimated that spirit-lives must either materialise an earthly body―or make use of astral envelopes―or bodies from clouds of semi-material human atoms. 

Spirit-lives can mould the astral shells into their own likeness, as a sculptor moulds clay. 

 

Spirit-lives make a body from the more material atoms and clothe themselves in it. 

These replicas can be photographed, and bear a resemblance to the spirit―each spirit stamps his own identity on the plastic astral form―or prepares that form to receive his impression.

The spiritual spheres and their inhabitants are more transparent and intangible to material sight, yet they exist and are solid. 

They are only invisible to your imperfect sight, which is limited to material things of comparatively great density.  

Your spiritual sight is closed and you can only see what is material.

What is the second stage of existence?

I find that this world is the old world duplicated and enlarged, though composed of rather better material, like a new and improved edition of an old book.

An overland journey is impossible on your earth, as the connecting land-links are gone. 

The convulsions of Nature that have broken up your land into islands and separated the great continents have not apparently taken effect in this sphere. 

The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have dwindled into comparatively small lakes, and the extent of territory is much greater on our side than on yours.

The long stretch of land from the Eastern States to California is much more thickly settled in the spirit-world than on earth. 

Passing through California, and journeying to China and Japan, I found those countries in a high state of civilisation, holding very friendly relations with our own country, anxious to disseminate knowledge and grant equal rights and advantages to all. 

Civilisation proceeds in the spirit-world much as it does on earth.

I forgot to state that the city of Jerusalem, which I visited is almost a facsimile of the Jerusalem described in the New Testament. 

It is a very ancient city, and is built with all the luxuriousness of Oriental design, rather like the ancient Nineveh―some of the streets being literally paved with gold (gold being very abundant in the spirit-world, yet even there it is considered a precious metal).

It is especially noticeable that this world in its general aspects resembles the natural world, but in its minutiae, it differs widely. 

Countless industries are carried on here, and there seems no end to the multiplicity of inventions peculiar to spirit-lives, yet unknown to the inhabitants of earth.

My experience here has been very gratifying and the second stage of existence is perfectly in consonance with one's spiritual aspirations.

One peculiarity of this state is its juxtaposition to earth, and the constant intercourse, which is kept up between the two worlds induces a ceaseless travelling back and forth.

I have been greatly astonished to see the vast floating population that hang around the earth like parasites who live unseen in and among certain classes of mankind. 

Advanced spirits are continually developing new plans for the improvement and guardianship of this class, yet many elude our supervision and cause great disturbances on earth. 

From my remarks, you will perceive that spirit-lives do not live in a state of perfection, but benevolent schemes for the improvement and benefit of such uneducated spirits are constantly being planned, and statesmen devise methods to adjust differences that arise between the educated and uneducated.

The ignorant portion of the community is almost as numerous in this world as on earth.

What was Dale Carnegie's famous quote?

The most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.

We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

―Dale Carnegie

What is the most important lesson for the world today?

The habit of preaching from one short text has been overdone―

Take your Bible in bigger doses―  

Feel the swing and the power of the stories. 

The real reason for reading the Bible is to get an introduction to God―

Then you must pursue the matter and grow into the most intimate possible relation to Him by talking to Him―by consulting Him in your perplexities. 

Remember that if you go to consult an earthly friend, out of mere common politeness you pause to give him a chance to answer while you listen. 

It is this art of listening to God that is the most important lesson for the world today, and it must be done in the quiet of your own heart. 

Our Lord said―  

Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to Thy Father, which is in secret, and Thy Father, which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 

That closet is the silence of your own heart.

―The Spirit of  William James

What are the spiritual spheres?

Spheres—or cicles apply to those great belts of spiritual matter, which encircle the earth and other planets.

It is likewise applied to those still vaster, more extended thought-waves, which circle throughout the entire Universe—two classes of spheres—those which are in a measure material and encircle each their own planet—or solar system and form the dwelling places of the spiritual inhabitants of each planet.

These spheres are divided into circles indicating—like steps on the ladder of progress—the moral advancement of the spirits. 

The other class of spheres are mental—not material—in their constituents and do not belong to any planetary—or solar system, but are as limitless as the Universe, circling in ever-widening currents of thought-emanations from the central point around which all the Universe is held to be revolving and which point is said to be the immediate environment of the Supreme Being from whom these thought-waves are held to proceed.

It may perhaps make my meaning still clearer to say there is one great sphere of the intellectual faculties—or attributes belonging essentially to the soul, and then to divide this sphere into circles, such as the circles of philosophy, art, music, literature, and so on.

These intellectual circles—like great wheels—enclose all those lesser wheels—those spiral rings, which surround each their own solar system—or parent planet—wheels within wheels—revolving around the One Great Centre continually.

In the spirit-world, only those who are in sympathy ever remain together and each will return to their own circle and sphere, drawn back by the strong magnetic attraction, which holds each sphere and each circle of a sphere in unison—his development will not enable him to ascend into a higher circle of the moral spheres—or planetary spheres than his moral development entitles him to occupy. 

The central suns of each of the vast intellectual circles of the mental spheres shine as burnished magnets. They are as great prisms, glowing with the celestial fires of purity and truth, darting on all sides their glorious rays of knowledge—in these rays cluster the multitudes of spirits who are seeking to light their lamps at these glowing shrines. 

In those rays, which reach the earth pure and unbroken are found those gems of truth, even as the lightning’s flash shivers a granite rock, letting into the depths below the clear light of God’s sun, and those spirits who are most highly advanced are those who are nearest to the Central Force—to the dazzling light of these starlike centres. 

These great spheres of the intellectual and moral faculties may then be termed the Universal Spheres—those around each planet, planetary spheres, and those surrounding the sun centres, solar spheres—the first being understood to consist of thought—or soul essence—the others of various degrees of spiritualised matter.