Intelligence and the brain!

[TheAstonMartian]

Hi!

I had this one question out of curiosity, and something that did concern me throughout my life and also something others may wonder. This would pertain to science and spirituality, as it can be looked at from other perspectives as well. There are two parts to this question.

What role does the human brain have in harboring one's intelligence? Suppose a soul wants to come back to life as a prodigy with skills in a field such as engineering, or an aptitude for mechanical work. Can that soul come in a body with a brain that works differently or with critical thinking skills, or does that get honed in the earth. So nature vs. nurture? Can a human change the difficulty level on earth? As souls, we pick obstacles so we can face them and learn from them, but can we also ask for rewards or some form of gratification while we live life? I realize it's not meant to be easy, but instead of getting everything in the afterlife, can't we experience some of that abundance here?

The second question that boggles me is this. Once the body is dead, the soul does not have a physical body. It only takes the form of the last body. Therefore, sex is not a necessity for many, and rather a boring act that does not lead to endorphin's being released in the brain. Why is it then that the soul takes the personality of the last incarnation then? The brain no longer exists so shouldn't the soul be omniscience and omnipotent? Without the body, shouldn't consciousness go back to being the source? Or does the consciousness get projected into another form? In heaven or the summerland, how does a soul learn something? Do they read or do the soul think of a topic and knowledge comes flooding in? Would you remember your previous incarnations immediately or do you have to go through the memory bank? What if you saved data in a disc, computer, file, etc? Can you remember all of that if you simply reflected on it?

I realize I question a lot so please forgive me for posting another one of those "Can we?" topics on here again. My curiosity gets the best of me. Thank you very much!

[TheAstonMartian]

Also, what's the emotion that one feels in the summerland? Is it akin to being high on weed or orgasmic? Since the body is non-existent, emotions probably are generated by vibration or the environment. Once the life review is done, I think it's just love as in being in a pleasant state of being rather than frustration, anger, or any of those other emotions.

It's just that when I am drunk or high, I tend to open up to people since I am an introvert. It kills me because there are times when I want to talk to people, especially pretty women (I am corrupted that way!), and I fear rejection. I tend to shut people out even though I just want to connect with them and I worry that if I associated with anyone, I would appear needy and lose them. That is why it helps to be in a positive state of mind when you simply want to share your happiness with others. It's like ecstasy when you feel like you won a $100,000,000 and so did others with you, so you just want to share that state of joy instead of fearing rejection. I wish I had an extrovert personality for that reason.

[Roberta Grimes]

Hi!

I had this one question out of curiosity, and something that did concern me throughout my life and also something others may wonder. This would pertain to science and spirituality, as it can be looked at from other perspectives as well. There are two parts to this question.

What role does the human brain have in harboring one's intelligence? Suppose a soul wants to come back to life as a prodigy with skills in a field such as engineering, or an aptitude for mechanical work. Can that soul come in a body with a brain that works differently or with critical thinking skills, or does that get honed in the earth. So nature vs. nurture? Can a human change the difficulty level on earth? As souls, we pick obstacles so we can face them and learn from them, but can we also ask for rewards or some form of gratification while we live life? I realize it's not meant to be easy, but instead of getting everything in the afterlife, can't we experience some of that abundance here?

The second question that boggles me is this. Once the body is dead, the soul does not have a physical body. It only takes the form of the last body. Therefore, sex is not a necessity for many, and rather a boring act that does not lead to endorphin's being released in the brain. Why is it then that the soul takes the personality of the last incarnation then? The brain no longer exists so shouldn't the soul be omniscience and omnipotent? Without the body, shouldn't consciousness go back to being the source? Or does the consciousness get projected into another form? In heaven or the summerland, how does a soul learn something? Do they read or do the soul think of a topic and knowledge comes flooding in? Would you remember your previous incarnations immediately or do you have to go through the memory bank? What if you saved data in a disc, computer, file, etc? Can you remember all of that if you simply reflected on it?

I realize I question a lot so please forgive me for posting another one of those "Can we?" topics on here again. My curiosity gets the best of me. Thank you very much!

Dear AstonMartian, I love all your wonderful questions! And you have asked more than two here, as you realize. You are right, dear friend: lots of people wonder about the same things... I have wondered about them myself. Here are the best answers that I can give you, based upon my current understanding:

1) Our brains operate differently from person to person and in different lifetimes, but our minds are eternally perfect. We choose to have more or less operating intelligence in this field or that as part of our life-planning, but these adjustments and limitations are temporary. Once we are out of our bodies again, our perfect eternal intelligence is restored. I can recall reading somewhere an account of someone's life in which she (I think it was a she) suffered an unplanned brain injury either in utero or at birth. There was hurried consultation between the being and her guides about just how limited this lifetime would be and how that would affect her lifeplan, and she had the option of leaving that body then but she chose to revise her lifeplan instead because there were lessons that she could learn in this newly impaired body that she thought would be worthwhile in her eternal spiritual development. All brain injuries work that way: the brain is impaired, but the mind remains perfect.

2) We can edit our lifeplans during our nightly visits with our guides. I suspect that this happens a lot! The example given above is an obvious situation where lifeplan changes are going to be needed; but we all learn our life-lessons more or less well than planned, and we may suffer diversions from the track we had planned, so changes to our lifeplans while we are alive seem to be necessary for nearly all of us. I have read about cases where lessons were unexpectedly more challenging than expected, so the lifeplan had to be simplified; and other cases where people learned so much so early that additional lessons were planned into a lifetime. I don't think, though, that we plan extra rewards or treats during the course of our lives, dear Martian - I haven't seen much evidence of that. For us, just graduating with our lessons well learned and having attained a lot of spiritual growth is all the wonderful reward that we seek!

3) You can have any body that you want after death. It is common for the most recent earth-body to serve as a template, although what our minds create in the Summerland is that body in a more beautiful form. But I have seen cases where people chose to look like a different lifetime of theirs - one with which they more strongly identified - and no one cares. We know each other there on a spiritual level. Remember that our Summerland bodies are entirely mind-created by us!

4) Learning in the Summerland is apparently difficult. Yes, we do seem to read a lot. We take classes a lot. We travel a lot. We pick up skills - like playing the piano - that can carry over to some extent to other lifetimes. But the learning that really counts to us there is spiritual development, and that is difficult for us to achieve without the stresses inherent in earth-life.

5) We don't know much more immediately after we die than we knew when we were alive. I know how amazing that sounds, but it's true! Apparently we can have dim memories of other lives which were important to us, but to really reconnect with those other lifetimes we have to research them. (My guess based upon my reading is that we go to a library that houses these records and re-experience our other lifetimes' life reviews.)

6) I don't know whether there are computers and other electronics in the Summerland. I tend to think not, since I don't think they're necessary. But I don't know. The people who died in the first third of the 20th century - the time when my research has been concentrated - told their families rather haughtily that of course they didn't have phonograph records there because they could attend a concert whenever they wanted one! But that was the extent of their earthly consumer electronics back then, and records truly were not needed. Now, nearly a hundred earth-years later in time but light-years later in electronics development, who knows?

Great questions, dear AstonMartian! Please keep 'em coming ;-)!

[Roberta Grimes]

Also, what's the emotion that one feels in the summerland? Is it akin to being high on weed or orgasmic? Since the body is non-existent, emotions probably are generated by vibration or the environment. Once the life review is done, I think it's just love as in being in a pleasant state of being rather than frustration, anger, or any of those other emotions.

It's just that when I am drunk or high, I tend to open up to people since I am an introvert. It kills me because there are times when I want to talk to people, especially pretty women (I am corrupted that way!), and I fear rejection. I tend to shut people out even though I just want to connect with them and I worry that if I associated with anyone, I would appear needy and lose them. That is why it helps to be in a positive state of mind when you simply want to share your happiness with others. It's like ecstasy when you feel like you won a $100,000,000 and so did others with you, so you just want to share that state of joy instead of fearing rejection. I wish I had an extrovert personality for that reason.

This is actually a pretty profound question. What does it feel like to be there? As best I can determine, immediately after death any negative emotions we may have had at the end of that lifetime are still there, but kind of burned-out and muted. Only their ashes remain. Depending upon our level of spiritual development, and assuming that we are at least on level 3, our positive emotions seem to run the gamut from relief that we have survived and the Summerland is nice to flat-out, nearly unbearable joy in being with our loved ones again in such a beautiful place. We don't have physical bodies, so none of the feelings that we associate with being in physical bodies are really operative there. Think instead about Christmas morning, falling in love, playing with a kitten, and every other moment of joy you have ever felt in your life. It's more like that, dear Martian, when we first arrive. And - wonderfully - it gets better from there!

[mac]

Isn't the answer to such questions "It depends"?

There will not be one, single answer because we are all individuals. Some will experience one set of feelings, someone else may experience others.

Do we all feel the same here in the physical about what we see, feel, experience? No we don't and after our passing there will be a range of emotions, sensations, feelings that we may feel in any depth or intensity, all dependent on our personal situation, our individual level of spiritual progression thus far....

For those who subscribe to the notion of reincarnation it won't be a first time for some or many and theirs may be a different situation than/from others who are non-reincarnationists or first-timers in the physical.

There are so many potential variables that giving a definitive answer is not possible.

[Andrew]

Isn't the answer to such questions "It depends"?

There will not be one, single answer because we are all individuals. Some will experience one set of feelings, someone else may experience others.

Do we all feel the same here in the physical about what we see, feel, experience? No we don't and after our passing there will be a range of emotions, sensations, feelings that we may feel in any depth or intensity, all dependent on our personal situation, our individual level of spiritual progression thus far....

For those who subscribe to the notion of reincarnation it won't be a first time for some or many and theirs may be a different situation than/from others who are non-reincarnationists or first-timers in the physical.

There are so many potential variables that giving a definitive answer is not possible.

You are, of course, correct, Mac. The evidence tells us that death is a highly individualized process and, as such, there is never really one definite answer for how someone will feel or how a certain part of the afterlife will be for them. I think it's safe to say though that everyone in the Summerland is essentially in ecstasy. I haven't read one report of anyone being notably angry/annoyed/sad there.

[Andrew]

This is actually a pretty profound question. What does it feel like to be there? As best I can determine, immediately after death any negative emotions we may have had at the end of that lifetime are still there, but kind of burned-out and muted. Only their ashes remain. Depending upon our level of spiritual development, and assuming that we are at least on level 3, our positive emotions seem to run the gamut from relief that we have survived and the Summerland is nice to flat-out, nearly unbearable joy in being with our loved ones again in such a beautiful place. We don't have physical bodies, so none of the feelings that we associate with being in physical bodies are really operative there. Think instead about Christmas morning, falling in love, playing with a kitten, and every other moment of joy you have ever felt in your life. It's more like that, dear Martian, when we first arrive. And - wonderfully - it gets better from there!

I agree with this, dear Roberta! In the Summerland levels and above, most people seem to describe the air itself as being filled with joy, love, and light. And, the higher we go, the better it gets! :)

[TheAstonMartian]

Wow! Thank you for all the answers! I wanted to get a gist of it so the answers are really helpful. It's wonderful that the summerland gets better and better.

Sorry for asking more that two questions. It started out with two and my curiosity led me to more. One things that keeps popping up is that we come here to grow spiritually. What does "spiritually" entail? Growing to understand the oneness of all that is? Reality is an illusion and so is all our drama's including sex, eating, etc. so it boggles me that infinite beings would become limited to understand the various problems, emotions, limitations, etc. when they are already in a place of love. There are an infinite number of limitations that a human being can go through and not to mention other extraterrestrial planets with life forms with their own problems and issues, so a soul has to be incarnated way too many times to experience all of that and learn something from that.

But why learn from an illusion? What purpose does it serve to learn from made up relationships and life issues when it's all transitory and temporary. Here is an excellent article that helped me understand as to why we may choose pain or horrors in life. I still think being in the summerland is nicer since you can work from there and watch over others to help them.

https://sites.google.com/site/kookyspookyookyjournal/musings/why-choose-pain

Can you not de-exist? If a soul gets bored, can they not dissipate, or become nothingness? Or is the only option we have is to be one with the source and then life goes on while the soul becomes omnipresent?

[TheAstonMartian]

5) We don't know much more immediately after we die than we knew when we were alive. I know how amazing that sounds, but it's true! Apparently we can have dim memories of other lives which were important to us, but to really reconnect with those other lifetimes we have to research them. (My guess based upon my reading is that we go to a library that houses these records and re-experience our other lifetimes' life reviews.)

That sounds inefficient to have to go to a library and re-experience the life review's of previous lives which can be traumatic. If one can do that, can one not be able to go to the library and go through other soul's life reviews instead of incarnating to Earth to experience it? I guess these questions have no point since we will figure this out in the summerland anyways!


6) I don't know whether there are computers and other electronics in the Summerland. I tend to think not, since I don't think they're necessary. But I don't know. The people who died in the first third of the 20th century - the time when my research has been concentrated - told their families rather haughtily that of course they didn't have phonograph records there because they could attend a concert whenever they wanted one! But that was the extent of their earthly consumer electronics back then, and records truly were not needed. Now, nearly a hundred earth-years later in time but light-years later in electronics development, who knows?

Great questions, dear AstonMartian! Please keep 'em coming ;-)!

Thank you. It must be annoying to keep answering to so many questions. I will try to not ask as often.

Wow! A concert? That sounds swell! It's just that on Earth, I have a collection of songs, as well as cars that I would like to drive, so I have to retain some of that memory so I can experience them after I die. I am not a wealthy chap by any means and I doubt I will be wealthy enough in this life so I would love to experience some joys afterwards.

[Andrew]

Please, never apologize for your curiosity! It's only natural, after all. We're all here to learn and grow together!

Here is the simplest way for me to put it: it's easy to do the right thing when everything is all wonderful and peaceful, but it's a whole different matter when helping someone could cost you your own life. Our souls are already perfect by nature of course - we are, by nature, part of God/Mind. But, somehow (A Course in Miracles says it was an accident, by I don't want to open up that can of worms again :o), we came to believe that were separate from God/Mind. So, in order to return to that level of spiritual awareness, where we are not individually aware, but are aware as God, we must grow and advance spiritually.

Now, in the Summerland, everything's all fine and dandy. Of course it is really easy to be nice and loving there because you have nothing to lose. But, a person is defined by how he acts under stress, not when perfect, is he not? So, we have to essentially learn how to be loving and forgiving in situations that seem to be terrible, even though they are illusions.

Does that make sense to you? I fear I am not doing the best job explaining this. If I'm unclear, just tell me where and I'll expand or rephrase. Anyway, we have to learn that we are all One, so we have to learn to put the well-fare of others before our own. We cannot really do that in the Summerland, since it is impossible to incur anything negative there. So we come here to learn.

Now, what you have to understand is that, just because this is an illusion, doesn't mean that it's not real. The growth that happens here will shape our being and stay with us for the remainder of our spiritual journey - but the negative effects of being a physical entity wear off soon after death. What happens here does matter, and it is important, but it is not objectively real.

The next profound revelation I have to impart to you is that the afterlife is an illusion as well. It is also there for us to learn and grow spiritually. It is more real than the physical realm, which could be seen as an illusion inside an illusion, but it is ultimately not real. So what is real? Mind/God. In our truest sense, we are a united, self-aware, loving energy that is God. We are not naturally individually aware, but share God's awareness.

The reason why we don't just skip the afterlife illusion and go right back to God is because, even after we are done incarnating on earth, we have to be slowly conditioned to remember how natural is to be God and not have body/physical world. It is ultimately a better and purer state of existence, but we have to get back there gradually.

No, souls cannot de-exist. We were never created, so we can never end. You seem to portray this eternal existence as a negative thing, but I think it would be a lot more boring to cease to exist, than to be God forever!

I hope that I didn't confuse you here. I'm not the best at explaining the more profound afterlife truths. Let me know if something needs clarification.

[Andrew]

That sounds inefficient to have to go to a library and re-experience the life review's of previous lives which can be traumatic. If one can do that, can one not be able to go to the library and go through other soul's life reviews instead of incarnating to Earth to experience it? I guess these questions have no point since we will figure this out in the summerland anyways!



Thank you. It must be annoying to keep answering to so many questions. I will try to not ask as often.

Wow! A concert? That sounds swell! It's just that on Earth, I have a collection of songs, as well as cars that I would like to drive, so I have to retain some of that memory so I can experience them after I die. I am not a wealthy chap by any means and I doubt I will be wealthy enough in this life so I would love to experience some joys afterwards.

Again, please ask as many questions as you like. The answers will help, not only you, but many other readers as well!

I have never read an account mentioning computers in the Summerland either, but, as Roberta mentions above, most of what we've read is from before they had computers on earth. I would say that, just like with anything else, if you feel you need to have a computer you will be able to have one but, you don't really need one there because everything is just a thought away. It's like cars - you can travel anywhere by thought, so you don't need them, but many people use them still because they enjoy it.

[TheAstonMartian]

Again, please ask as many questions as you like. The answers will help, not only you, but many other readers as well!

I have never read an account mentioning computers in the Summerland either, but, as Roberta mentions above, most of what we've read is from before they had computers on earth. I would say that, just like with anything else, if you feel you need to have a computer you will be able to have one but, you don't really need one there because everything is just a thought away. It's like cars - you can travel anywhere by thought, so you don't need them, but many people use them still because they enjoy it.

Thanks! True, its all just a though away. The interesting thing is that Robert Monroe mentioned in one of his books that the places are like set pieces. So if one person created a beach, it stays there like a set piece. I am sure that entire cities also exist so that one can travel by car like they used to on Earth if the please.

My concern was more about retaining memories. Say you had this one piece of music that you really liked and you stored it somewhere. In youtube, you have favorites where you can store all the funny videos or music. In facebook, I created an album simply on cars that I wish to drive someday. I won't remember all of them, so maybe we can go to the memory bank, pick out specific memories, and then go from there. Ah, its pointless. I bet when you go to summerland, you get new hobbies and new things which become your favorites and part of your everlasting identity.

[Andrew]

I have read accounts that suggest that, without the material brain getting the way, one's memory works a lot better and good deal more readily in the afterlife.

Certainly though people do get new hobbies when they go to the Summerland! Many people are incredibly busy there - there's just so much to do! If you think about it, there is really nothing that we cannot do over there. People who lived in the city on earth can go mountain climbing in Asia in the Summerland, without any danger! There are really no limits!

[TheAstonMartian]

I have read accounts that suggest that, without the material brain getting the way, one's memory works a lot better and good deal more readily in the afterlife.

Certainly though people do get new hobbies when they go to the Summerland! Many people are incredibly busy there - there's just so much to do! If you think about it, there is really nothing that we cannot do over there. People who lived in the city on earth can go mountain climbing in Asia in the Summerland, without any danger! There are really no limits!

Hmm, that sounds like great news. I know I would love to be a space explorer. How about you?

The thing is that as a man, I am corrupted by lust. In life, its a bit of a struggle to desire sex and to me, its one of the few meaningful things as when one is in the act, there is a sense of timelessness and meaning to it. Without a human body, I cannot appreciate sex or food as avidly as I do here, so in a way, part of my identity will die with the physical body. But from a human perspective, its just incredible how good it feels. I am not much into sports but maybe I will enjoy in the afterlife once there are no dangers. I would love to be a car racer there.

Thanks for responding to this many queries. I have a 12 hour shift work from Monday so it really does brighten the mood knowing that I won't have to be a slave for money in the afterlife. Thanks for being such a good sport, Andrew! You really are a charmer!

[Andrew]

Hmm, that sounds like great news. I know I would love to be a space explorer. How about you?

The thing is that as a man, I am corrupted by lust. In life, its a bit of a struggle to desire sex and to me, its one of the few meaningful things as when one is in the act, there is a sense of timelessness and meaning to it. Without a human body, I cannot appreciate sex or food as avidly as I do here, so in a way, part of my identity will die with the physical body. But from a human perspective, its just incredible how good it feels. I am not much into sports but maybe I will enjoy in the afterlife once there are no dangers. I would love to be a car racer there.

Thanks for responding to this many queries. I have a 12 hour shift work from Monday so it really does brighten the mood knowing that I won't have to be a slave for money in the afterlife. Thanks for being such a good sport, Andrew! You really are a charmer!

I think you will find that, when you pass on, it will be like walking through a door. You'll realize that something is missing, but you won't quite know what. You'll feel young and healthy and happy, so you won't really care. Then, at some point in time, you'll realize that all you've lost was your body and it's needs. You, however, will still be you!

I love you curiosity, dear friend, and I truly enjoy answering your questions! So please, don't hesitate!

[TheAstonMartian]

I think you will find that, when you pass on, it will be like walking through a door. You'll realize that something is missing, but you won't quite know what. You'll feel young and healthy and happy, so you won't really care. Then, at some point in time, you'll realize that all you've lost was your body and it's needs. You, however, will still be you!

I love you curiosity, dear friend, and I truly enjoy answering your questions! So please, don't hesitate!

Hey, as long as I am not bothering you, I love coming to an active forum where I can find someone who is an expert and simply passionate about the topic.

So lets say a person dies. First thing he or she has to do is call for help if it does not arrive. They are then taken to a place where the life review begins. Once that is done, one can go to the summerlands. In between, there could be a welcome party.

Out of curiosity, will someone who was killed or died, have to feel their relatives grief in the life review since their death impacted the relatives that way? How about someone who suicides knowing full well what will happen? Do they have to experience their relative's emotions?

[Andrew]

I spend a good portion of my time trying to educate people about the afterlife, so it's always rewarding to meet someone as curious and open as you are! :)

Yes, the order of events that you've posted is current. The welcome party comes at a different time for each person. Some people like it after their life review, others before. For those of us on earth who know about it, we can most likely have ours when we want, but for most people (who weren't expecting to survive death in the first place), it's a complete surprise!

[TheAstonMartian]

I spend a good portion of my time trying to educate people about the afterlife, so it's always rewarding to meet someone as curious and open as you are! :)

Yes, the order of events that you've posted is current. The welcome party comes at a different time for each person. Some people like it after their life review, others before. For those of us on earth who know about it, we can most likely have ours when we want, but for most people (who weren't expecting to survive death in the first place), it's a complete surprise!

Hmm, if that is fun for you, then I am glad to be a part of it. For me, I am clouded with should do's and would do's in this earth that I doubt I will do much in this life. In the summerland, I would probably be a helper and work like a counselor or a psychologist here to aide others. I would also like to experience some parts of being wealthy and get that out of my system.

[Andrew]

You can be wealthy and have all the riches you want in the Summerland, you just have to earn them for yourself on earth. Whatever you do to help humanity (whether that be giving a billion dollars to start charities or just being there for your brother) you will get back one-hundred-fold in the afterlife! Jesus said this too. All your good deeds will be noted! So, even if you are not noticed in this life, you will be rewarded in the next!

[TheAstonMartian]

You can be wealthy and have all the riches you want in the Summerland, you just have to earn them for yourself on earth. Whatever you do to help humanity (whether that be giving a billion dollars to start charities or just being there for your brother) you will get back one-hundred-fold in the afterlife! Jesus said this too. All your good deeds will be noted! So, even if you are not noticed in this life, you will be rewarded in the next!

Did you mean that literally? Does what Hitler receive differ from what Mother Teresa receives? Or is it metaphoric in that we can all have all the riches, but we will know that it's all meaningless?

As Jim Carrey said, "I wish everyone could get rich and famous and everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that’s not the answer".

[Andrew]

Yes and no. If you want, you take a bath in hundred dollar bills and have a house made completely of diamonds and gold - that's up to you. But, you will also realize that it is not the answer to happiness. Still though, the actual size of the house that we have the Summerland is, according to many accounts, connected to the deeds that we did whilst on earth. But it also metaphoric in the sense that, we will more we do here, the higher level will be able to access there.

Let's talk about house sizes for a moment. Most people in the afterlife get a house. It's free, of course, and all ready for them when they die. Now, if Hitler and Mother Theresa both got houses in the afterlife, Mother Theresa would have been given a mansion, and Hitler a dilapidated shack. Mother Theresa's house would have been full of light, Hitler's shack would have been in eternal darkness. Does that show you what I mean? It is both literal and metaphoric. It symbolizes the area of the afterlife that they would have access to, but it is also literally the houses that they would have found in those areas.

[TheAstonMartian]

I thought no one judges you but yourself. Apparently not. If Hitler chose to create a replica of Mother Teresa's mansion, can he do that?

I would simply love to be an explorer and be a participant in other soul's fantasies. To see lands like Alice in Wonderland, and embark in other planets with intelligent life. To explore the deepest of secrets, and the most fascinating of creations, now that's a gift in of itself.

[Andrew]

No one else judges you. It's just like the saying "You reap what you sow." Whatever effort you put in here, you get the benefits there - both literally and metaphorically. Eventually yes, Hitler could build a mansion, but he would have to get to the Summerland first. Once he got up to the Summerland, he would probably have to enlist the help of advanced beings to create a mansion for him. What I am saying though is that the benefits of a successful earth life would not be waiting for him.

[Roberta Grimes]

I thought no one judges you but yourself. Apparently not. If Hitler chose to create a replica of Mother Teresa's mansion, can he do that?



This is yet another interesting side-question of the kind that you excel at, dear friend! It isn't ultimately that important, but as we learn more and more it kind of tickles at the mind - and the probable answer to it reveals a lot about the way that reality works. In fact, reality is spiritual, and only spiritual! Nothing solid exists, and there are no ultimate rules or goals or standards other than spiritual ones. The bodies and the homes that we have after death are entirely mind-created. Apparently we create our bodies there as an external reflection of what goes on in our minds, but our first homes in the afterlife are created for us by others. Often our loved ones will design them, but they don't have the mind-power to make them real so they call in teams of advanced beings to collaborate and make them shimmer into existence (literally). Here is where it gets interesting!

Most of my research was done in reading accounts from people who had died in the first half of the twentieth century. I don't think that matters, since the truths then almost certainly are the same truths that operate today, but it is worth noting. Judging from those accounts, people in the broad middle when it comes to spiritual development generally live in a nice replica of their favorite earth-home; it is just at the upper and lower edges of spiritual development that things get interesting. I can recall reading an account from some recently-deceased robber-baron type who had lived in a mansion on earth, and he was griping mightily that now he was living in a hovel and nobody seemed willing to help him get a better house. And an account from a spiritually-advanced pauper who had been given such a fancy mansion that he found it uncomfortable but he didn't want to hurt people's feelings so he was going to stay there for awhile. Interesting, don't you think?

In general, as Andrew says, we do reap there what we sow here. The Summerland is a strict spiritual hierarchy enforced by the fact that we cannot travel above the highest afterlife level to which we are suited by our own spiritual development; and that rule is further reinforced by the fact that all the goodies there are mind-created by people more advanced than we are, and for our own sakes they are unlikely to be willing to give us more than what we have earned. Another great question, dear Martian!

[TheAstonMartian]

Aha! Thanks for all the great answers. Now I get it. All the more fun to explore and learn.

I thought the changes were instantaneous so that thoughts create things, including changing your body. However, I did read that some souls need surgery for deeper wounds that they believe won't go away.

[Andrew]

Aha! Thanks for all the great answers. Now I get it. All the more fun to explore and learn.

I thought the changes were instantaneous so that thoughts create things, including changing your body. However, I did read that some souls need surgery for deeper wounds that they believe won't go away.

Those surgeries are really placebo effects. The soul dies and is instantly healthy again, only he doesn't believe it at first. So, they have to convince him. Really the surgeons don't do anything. They just make the person fall asleep, wake him up, and tell him he's all better. It's pretty ingenious actually.

[TheAstonMartian]

Those surgeries are really placebo effects. The soul dies and is instantly healthy again, only he doesn't believe it at first. So, they have to convince him. Really the surgeons don't do anything. They just make the person fall asleep, wake him up, and tell him he's all better. It's pretty ingenious actually.

Ah, as I suspected. It's just that I wish there was a balance. Sure, we have to come here and cope with hardships, but if only our guides could materialize easily and be visible and audible to us. Wouldn't that be a great world!

[Andrew]

I think that the reason our guides do not materialize very often is because they want us to be independent and be able to solve our own issues. If we could just have them appear and give us advice, we might get too reliant on that and not make decisions for ourselves - which would ultimately hinder our free will and, thus, our spiritual development.

There are, however, audio meditations that you could try that would you help you see your guide in your mind and receive messages from him/her. If you want to send me your email address in a private message, I'll send you one such meditation material you can try out.

[TheAstonMartian]

I think that the reason our guides do not materialize very often is because they want us to be independent and be able to solve our own issues. If we could just have them appear and give us advice, we might get too reliant on that and not make decisions for ourselves - which would ultimately hinder our free will and, thus, our spiritual development.

There are, however, audio meditations that you could try that would you help you see your guide in your mind and receive messages from him/her. If you want to send me your email address in a private message, I'll send you one such meditation material you can try out.

True! I can't argue with you on that point.

In the hereafter, I will be a guide, helper, and assist people when they recently transition. Hope that is enough. I doubt the meditation one will be convenient since my mind wanders. I also fall asleep. Or maybe find someone who can channel guides. Thanks for the offer! You helped me by answering so many questions that I genuinely wish that it could transfer some positive karma to make your life more pleasing.

[Andrew]

True! I can't argue with you on that point.

In the hereafter, I will be a guide, helper, and assist people when they recently transition. Hope that is enough. I doubt the meditation one will be convenient since my mind wanders. I also fall asleep. Or maybe find someone who can channel guides. Thanks for the offer! You helped me by answering so many questions that I genuinely wish that it could transfer some positive karma to make your life more pleasing.

You're welcome! You could also simply ask your guide to reveal himself in your dreams. If you truly have a desire to know, and it will not interfere with your life plan, then your guide would most likely allow you to keep some type of memory about him/her. Before you go to bed, ask them, out loud, and see what happens. It will probably take a little while, but you'll be amazed at the results people get this way.

[Gypsyblue]

No one else judges you. It's just like the saying "You reap what you sow." Whatever effort you put in here, you get the benefits there - both literally and metaphorically. Eventually yes, Hitler could build a mansion, but he would have to get to the Summerland first. Once he got up to the Summerland, he would probably have to enlist the help of advanced beings to create a mansion for him. What I am saying though is that the benefits of a successful earth life would not be waiting for him.

Here's a nice tune by Kathy Mattea. That's All The Lumber You Sent. http://www.myspace.com/kathymattea/music/songs/that-s-all-the-lumber-you-sent-34580962