Unbelievable Facts About Life After Death
Spiritual life is only an outgrowth of Earth life.1
Instead of your individuality merging into, and mingling with every other individuality, you stand out clear and distinct—a responsible being.2
There are times when the soul would soar Godward, but to complete perfect work, it must still review the past.
Spirits are called again to look into the old lessons of earth life.3
Spirits do not count time in the Spirit World.
The days in the Spirit World are like our days on Earth, but no night follows. Still, to every soul, there comes, at times, something like a silvery mist that is soothing, and means rest. It comes when the spirit brain is tired and life begins to assume the weary feeling of the old life. Yet, how great is the wisdom that causes these periods of rest, as they are needed, for, with the precision of the most perfect military encampment, each takes his stand, guarding those in earth life. This perfect order does not distress, and those who have been disciplined to it, never rebel.
It is a part of the great plan that the strong should care for the weak.4
When spirits see great troubles hovering over you here, though they cannot avert them, they can lighten their fall. And their greatest growth comes from the most efficient work done to those who are still in their physical form.5
Heaven has no Spring or gloomy November.6
The duties of the household, which in earth life cause such hard work and aching feet, are performed without much manual labour, in a way to satisfy every want.
Everything moves with regularity.
There is no clashing here, in a well-developed household.7
Under the great, blue canopy of spirit life, there are hospitals for sick souls—the same, as in earth life, there are hospitals for sick bodies. Warm hearts sympathise with them; friendly hands show them how to manage the new form. They are led to their old homes, taught the way to return whenever the telegraphic chord of love draws them downward, and as they grow stronger and their tastes for new light are developed, those who loved them in earth life, but have been here longer, gradually show them that they can enter into heavenly joys and be content to rise.8
Do they always wear the same clothing? No; for, as the spirit grows, as its capacity for good enlarges, its raiment grows brighter. It changes in texture and assumes beauty before unknown.9
In their tangible homes, spirits enjoy sweet communion with kindred, unalloyed by the cares of earth.10
All spirit homes are not alike, but the purer and more worthy the spirit, the more beauty is prevalent all around.11
There are hours for rest, hours for study, hours for partaking of their food and hours in which they do the duties belonging to every soul—to raise the fallen and show undeveloped spirits—those taken out of the worst conditions in earth life—how to rise, how to choose their spiritual homes and how to adorn them, for, with souls who must redeem themselves, who are low and crude, the love of the beautiful is supplied step by step, according to their growth. But, wherever they are, whatever their work, there is always a magnetic chord so strong that they can, with one vibration, place themselves where they can see the loved faces of earth life—where they can gaze into their loved faces and watch the workings of their minds.12
What is a spirit's house made of, and who made it?
To a mind surrounded by the material, this is very hard to make plain. For ages on the earth plane, there have been mansions built and houses of less pretentious appearance, but, after doing good service in the physical world, they rot and crumble away. This is because the subtle essence, which held the material together has departed, and as matter is ever-existent, the finest part, instead of settling into the earth, must rise. Therefore, that essence, as well as that which comes from buildings destroyed by fire, is fashioned by the All Creative Power into spirits' homes. And thus are homes made, which cannot fail in their variety to please the most critical taste. No spirit, in a material sense, builds his home; still, as the spirit expands and his love for the beautiful is increased, the home he lives in will assume more beauty and be capable of changes until the spirit passes to a higher sphere.13
Spirits' tastes are much the same as in earth life, but they work more with their willpower than with their hands.14
Though they have neither very hot nor very cold weather, there is a variety, which makes it pleasant for all. What would be agreeable for one might not be for another, and, therefore, climates are so well-chosen and arranged that all may be satisfied.15
On Earth, flowers bloom together with their variations of climate—warm in some places, cold in others—always producing the essence—or spirit—of the finest and hardiest flowers to go on with their eternal growth. Thus, when flowers once exist in the spirit world, they always exist; only they are subject to changes somewhat like the changes we have on Earth. Different degrees of light and heat are necessary to the ever-existent spiritual vegetation, and, as in earth life, they, when the light is most intense, seek shade. As nature is ever-repeating itself, they find the most exquisite bowers, with green foliage all around, where they can enjoy as much of the cooling breeze as though, in earth life, they had come heated and weary to one of nature's green recesses.16
By magnetic attraction and their power of locomotion, in an instant, spirits are able to reach down when love calls them.17
No laws are needed in the Spirit World, for, in true spiritual life, everyone is a law unto himself.18
References
2 Paper Second, Mr Bowles advises a woman to educate herself and become a voter, 5
3 Paper Third, Mr Bowles finds he had a wrong idea of Heaven, 10-11
4 Paper Third, Mr Bowles finds he had a wrong idea of Heaven, 11
5 Paper Third, Mr Bowles finds he had a wrong idea of Heaven, 11
6 Paper Third, Mr Bowles finds he had a wrong idea of Heaven, 13
7 Paper Third, Mr Bowles finds he had a wrong idea of Heaven, 13
8 Paper Seventh, The effects of war and sudden death by accident on people entering spirit life, 29
9 Paper Eighth, 30-31
10 Paper Eighth, 31
11 Paper Eleventh, Samuel Bowles' Spirit Home, 47, 48
12 Paper Eleventh, Samuel Bowles' Spirit Home, 48
13 Paper Twelveth, 50-51
14 Paper Twelveth, 51-52
15 Paper Twelveth, 51-52
16 Paper Twelveth, 52, 53-54
17 Paper Twelveth, 53
18 Paper Thirteenth, The Spiritual Congress; How intemperance is to be overcome, 54
