We Are Not Alone

Astronomers have long wondered whether we are alone in the universe or if there are other life forms or even intelligent civilisations somewhere out there in deep space. They have searched for signs of life over several decades but so far found nothing. No indication that we are not alone in the universe. But are they searching in the right place or the right way? Naturally they are materialists. They are scientists after all and science is wedded to materialism in a contract so binding that nothing it seems can break it. So they can only conceive of one direction in which to look, but this means they ignore other possible avenues of research. For example, what if the world extended in a vertical plane as well as the customary three dimensional horizontal one? There are ample indications that it does from many sources including, most obviously, religion, myth and folklore. These may not be taken seriously nowadays but what if we really are, as these imply, surrounded by life forms who may not be apparent to our sensory based perception yet who can, under certain conditions, make themselves known to us?

Having asked the question I'll answer it. Yes, this is exactly how things are. The physical world we are aware of is something like the outermost crust of a sphere of being which has many levels corresponding, no doubt, to the many mansions that Jesus told us were in his Father's house. There is this difference though. Whereas in, say, the case of an orange the outer skin is the largest part of the whole, the exact opposite is the case with this order of reality. Every inner section or plane is greater than the one external to it, and, not only that, but it includes further dimensions beyond the three we know as well. Language fails here or, at least mine certainly does, but the idea that the inner is greater than the outer should not be so difficult to grasp if we think of the outer as essentially projected from the inner or a more limited version of it.

Inner and outer, though, like up and down, are relative terms and another way to envisage the higher worlds is suggested by this famous image.

Here the circles of higher being surround the physical world which is the innermost, densest and most limited section of being. When, as the man in the picture is shown doing, we go beyond the physical, we enter the next worlds and there are many of these, as the spheres in the picture illustrate, ranging from those not too dissimilar to this world (though non-physical) on up to higher worlds of incomparable beauty, purity and spiritual glory. What this picture doesn't show is that from one perspective all these spheres are in the same place, interpenetrating each other rather like, to use a crude analogy, water does a sponge. The picture, being a two dimensional representation of a many dimensional reality, can only suggest this.

All these spheres of being have inhabitants whose spiritual state corresponds to the nature of their locality. Thus those nearer this physical world have a consciousness not unlike that of man as he is here while those further removed from our world think and relate and are aware in a very different manner to us. Their faculties of feeling and knowing have been considerably expanded and developed to encompass and respond to the spiritual realities of their worlds, once described to me as a sea of azure blue and gold where all is poetry, music and colour. Through spiritual discipline and sacrifice of the self they have attuned their minds to what one is bound to call higher vibrations, and their mode of consciousness has moved from a self-centred form to a God-centred one.

Theoretically the nearer these localities or planes are to this world, the easier it is for their dwellers to communicate with us. This explains why spiritualist mediums (if genuine) generally contact those who have only recently 'passed over'. It is also why people who use psychic or magical means to explore the next world are more likely to encounter demonic beings than spiritually elevated ones. Purity of intention is always a safeguard but even with the best of intentions a psychic explorer can, if not careful, leave himself open to unfriendly spirits and even possession. The best way to contact higher spirits remains prayer and meditation practised in the context of dedication and service to God, submitting oneself to his guidance, care and protection. But in these cases the contact is usually on a spiritual/intuitive level and need not be registered as such by the physical brain.

We are not alone. We do have guides and helpers on the higher planes and there are angelic spirits there too though I have no experience of these. I do, however, have some experience of spiritual guides and that is why I feel I can write about this subject from a more than theoretical position. My knowledge is slight but sufficient to confirm that there is a body of saintly beings who act as the spiritual guides to humanity and who can and sometimes do communicate with people in this world.

Direct communication is rare and probably only used when a subject either has a particular task to accomplish or else is somewhat spiritually obtuse and cannot respond to the preferred approach on an intuitive level or else needs a spiritual kick start as it were, which I rather think was my case. That said, I do believe any spiritually sincere person of pure aspiration can contact his spiritual guides on the higher planes by attempting to raise his consciousness up to that level. Visualise a saint or holy person to whom you feel attracted and concentrate on that, imagining light pouring out from them down to you. Dedicate yourself humbly to God and pray for guidance. Naturally you can pray to God directly but he does use intermediaries and sometimes these are more accessible to the human mind. Success is not guaranteed and it is also probable that any contact that is made is unlikely to be known consciously by the outer mind. It will be registered spiritually and the results conveyed through the intuition in the form of heightened understanding and clearer insight but it is unlikely to be perceived in terms of a direct encounter. But the former way can be of greater spiritual benefit because it makes the resultant understanding one's own rather than something that is second hand and not necessarily absorbed properly.

You might say this is all theory and quite unprovable. So it is but one usually starts from theory and then experiments and waits to see how things go from there. It is quite in order with orthodox tradition that higher beings can direct and guide us and are there to respond to our supplications when these are earnestly and prayerfully made. We do all have a personal connection to God but God also works through his saints and messengers and these are there to help us come closer to our divine source if we call on them with sincere aspiration. I can vouch for that. It is true that the opportunity for deception exists but that simply means that you must cleanse your heart. You will not be deceived if your motive is pure.