The Unquiet Dead: Visitations from Beyond the Veil
by Ramón Stevens channeling Alexander
The world’s mythology and literature are haunted by spectral visitors from “the other side.” Every culture, from the aboriginal to the wired, spins tales of vaporous apparitions, of a constant commerce across the permeable boundary dividing souls freed of flesh from those still encased within it. If death silences the lips, whence arises the ceaseless clamor from beyond the veil?
Death is a sequential process, of which only the first step is apparent on the earthly plane. The consciousness animating a body departs, leaving a decaying corpse behind. This is how you define death. But there are many steps beyond this initial liberation of the soul. It does not instantly shuck off the trappings and habits of physical existence, but gradually releases them as it rises through a series of increasingly rarefied etheric fields. These fields are not literally tiered in ascending levels toward some distant heaven; all fields overlap and interpenetrate. The vibrational quality of one’s consciousness determines which field one “finds oneself in” and can competently manipulate within; the other fields-though swirling all around-are “invisible,” being of higher or lower densities.
The first field beyond the physical is the astral field. There is enough of a vibrational sympathy with the grosser physical level that some of its “waves” wash through the astral field, creating an attenuated replica of the physical field. Because the astral field is a “way station” both for souls preparing to leap into physical life and those releasing it, it offers a gentle “bath” resonant of the energies of physical life.
One is bound to the astral plane until one has fully understood and accepted the fact of physical death, understands the process through which one will now proceed as mediated by spirit guides, and has released the dependence on sensory processing. A soul accepting its situation and eager for spiritual growth will move beyond the astral plane to higher realms. Those souls unable or unwilling to understand their situation, to accept it, and to embrace the spiritual path, will remain at the astral level. It is here, at the astral level, that the legions of ghostly visitors to the Earth reside.
Making a Specter of Oneself
Why would an astral-level soul wish to return to Earth? Sudden death, keen regrets, resolving unfinished business, bidding a final farewell to beloved ones, or checking up on spouse and children left behind, are motives for breaching the barrier. Especially unhappy souls, those stubbornly refusing to accept the fact of their physical demise, or those frightened by the prospect of spiritual growth and its attendant loss of egoic identity, return to the earth plane as escape from the inevitable. Some, faced with the choice, choose to duck tail and run back to the familiar. Their ability to do so, however, is severely limited by the vibrational disparity between earth and astral levels.
Astral energy cannot simply be projected into the bedrock realm whenever and wherever an astral-level soul desires to make contact. Certain barriers are set up to minimize interdimensional contact; else your lives would quickly be taken over by swarms of souls eager to remain ensconced within their familiar earthly haunts.
One of the rules governing interdimensional relations is that, while there must be allowance for some contact between physical and nonphysical realms, for the most part earthbound beings are to be left alone. In order to make contact with the earthly realm, therefore, astral-level entities must seek permission to intrude. That permission may be consciously and openly granted, as with couples at a Ouija board; or it may arise subconsciously from a troubled, unstable, chaotic personality whose many psychic fissures and eruptions form “openings” through which astral entities can link with a host body as a magnetic ground.
Astral energy must be grounded to earth before it can effectively operate within the physical realm. This grounding allows the astral entity to make itself aware of its environs, to detect the living and inanimate entities in its surroundings. In many cases this is all the astral entity desires: awareness of loved ones left behind without intervention.
In cases where direct intervention is desired, a more complex process is triggered. Here several conditions must be met before an intervention can be successful: the flow of astral energy must be sufficiently strong; a powerful magnetic ground must anchor and amplify the energy; and, most important, no harm can befall any earthbound creature.
In most cases an astral entity desires to make contact for a specific purpose which, once fulfilled, obviates the need for further contact. Making one’s presence known to a beloved spouse or child; offering a crucially important piece of information; or simply satisfying oneself that the bereaved are overcoming their grief-once these intentions are fulfilled, the entity may return to the astral level to resume its spiritual journey.
Close Encounters
Astral entities may participate in earthly events only with the permission of the fleshbound beings they contact. What is the best approach to take if one is suddenly aware of a spectral presence and wishes it to depart? Reacting with fear-which spews an intense, volatile energy-may only further feed an unwelcome visitor. The best approach is two-pronged: attempt to make calm conversation with the presence, then insist that it depart the earth plane and return to its delayed spiritual evolution. Speaking calmly and rationally informs the specter that you are aware of its presence even as your lack of fear withholds any vitalizing energy.
If attempts at communication are unsuccessful, or the being seems to have malevolent intent, cut off dialogue and announce firmly that it is time for the presence to depart, that it does not belong among the living, and that it must continue its spiritual growth by rising above the earth plane. You have nothing to fear from such contact as long as your intentions are pure, your psyche is relatively stable, and your wits are gathered about you.
Excerpted from Spirit Wisdom II: The Enlightened Warrior’s Guide to Personal and Cultural Transformation. Ramón Stevens has been channeling Alexander for over 20 years; their collaboration has produced five books. Website: www.alexandermaterial.com.
