The spirit world

Over the course of my long life, there have been so many events that have influenced me, events that have been beyond comprehension, beyond explanation, far beyond the law of probability, and even beyond Carl Jung’s “synchronicity.”

It was my dear friend, Vine Deloria, Lakota Indian, distinguished scholar and author, who introduced me to the “spirit world.” This was the subject of his last book, before he passed away and went on to “the other side” of the spirit world. He always told me he would communicate with me after he went to the “other side.” He did. I will describe that later in the column, but first, thoughts about the “spirit world.”

“Life,” so called, is only a short interlude between two great mysteries which are yet ONE. Spring begins with winter and death begins with birth and we all share the same breath together in this short interlude of “life”…the trees, flowers, birds and animals, including the human animal. We all dance to a common rhythm.

We live in the midst of, and are supported by, mysteries beyond our comprehension.

We are ONE with our sacred earth, and we are also ONE with the furthest star in the furthest galaxy. We feel, we sense, that in some way, somehow, we are all together, “dancing to a whispered voice overheard by the soul.” As you study the images of the Eagle Nebula, brought back by the Hubble Telescope from deep space where stars are born, it is easy to imagine the interplay of Cosmic forces, across space and time, of matter and spirit, dancing to the music of the spheres.

Spirit merges with matter to sanctify the Universe. The star-lit magic of the OUTERmost life of our Universe becomes the soul-light magic of the INNERmost life of our self. The energy of the stars becomes US. We become the energy of the stars. Stardust and Spirit unite and we are ONE with the Universe, Whole from ONE source, endless creative energy bursting forth as we, the earth, air, water and fire have burst forth from over fifteen billion years of Cosmic energy. It does not require any imagination to realize the very active presence of the spirit world in our everyday world of earth living.

We must come to terms with non-physical realities. It is like light… ultraviolet light… microwave light… and infrared light and many other ranges of frequencies which coexist with our visible light spectrum, and yet are invisible to us. How many other non-physical energy frequencies co-exist with us and yet are invisible?

Out of hundreds, I have chosen only two examples from my own life of contact with the spirit world.

When I was the minister of the Community Congregational Church in McCall, Idaho, a resort town in the mountains of central Idaho, my 85 year-old mother died. She loved being in this very liberal church every Sunday morning.

The next Sunday, after she passed over, I was sitting in my study. The choir (about 25 people) was practicing on the chancel. I heard a shot, much like a rifle shot. I ran out into the sanctuary to see what happened and found the chancel completely covered with a white foam-like substance, not a liquid, and fairly solid. The choir members were all in a state of shock. The custodians and choir members started looking everywhere to see where it came from; the walls were all solid… the roof… they even went up on either side of the chancel where the organ pipes were, and found NOTHING. Walls with no crack. Ceiling with no crack. Nobody EVER had a clue as to the source of that foam. With broom and vacuum it was finally cleaned up. The choir and I told the congregation that morning that “my mother paid us a visit this morning.”

One more example: Vine Deloria told me he would contact me if possible, after he went into the “spirit world.” He did. On the night of November 11, I lectured at the Santa Barbara City College, a Friday night. Two days later, November the 13th, the publisher and editors of the NewsPress paper invited me and my wife to lunch with them at one of the most popular places on the ocean. I write for that paper. That morning, Sunday, the 13th, Vine Deloria went to the “other side” in Golden, Colorado. I had been told he passed on. We were having lunch at noon that day, about 80 or more people on the patio.  After lunch, about 1:30, everyone at our table got up to leave. My wife waited for me and I followed very shortly. As I was walking out, I felt a tug on my arm and turned around. There was an Indian woman standing there with a little, maybe 2 year-old daughter in her arms. She said to me “I am so sorry to bother you, but for the last 15 minutes my little daughter has been pointing at you and saying ‘touch… touch.’ She has never done that before.” Please remember there were around 80 people on the patio so I was not that visible or prominent. The little girl kept touching my arm and laughing and smiling from ear to ear. The mother thanked me. As we walked on to the car, I said to my wife “that was Vine.” When I got back to our motel, I called his widow in Golden, Colorado. She cried.

There is no dualism. There are not two worlds or two dimensions of reality: One where we live on this earth, and Two, the spirit world of those who have gone on to the “other side.” There is only ONE reality, and “Life,” so called, is only a brief interlude between two great mysteries, which are yet… ONE.”

The American Indian has known this for thousands of years. Many in our culture, are just now getting the message and the truth of this insight, an insight that changes your life.