Sophian.org

[Akkad]

Greetings,

I was wondering how the Sophian tradition views 'Spiritualism'? I've been reading about post-mortem existence & reincarnation a lot lately, from a variety of different viewpoints (Theosophical, Spiritualist, Parapsychological etc.)

Many thanks & best wishes,

Akkad

[Tau Malachi]

Greetings and blessings in the Light of the Messiah!

Our view and teachings on death, dying and the afterlife experience are published in Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ, in the discussion of the Sefirah Yesod. If you look into them you will find that our view and teachings are very similar to those found in Vajrayana or “Tibetan Buddhism,” though we do differ on certain points in our teachings.

As for spiritualism, mediumship or psychism, or the practices and teachings derived from it, these do not appear to have a foundation in actual self-realization, or in the enlightenment experience, but rather they seem to perpetuate the same ignorance, the same unenlightened condition – it appears to be a play in the astral and world of spirits under the dominion of archonic or klippotic influences. As such, from a Gnostic Christian point of view it is fraught with deception, an admixture of truth with much falsehood, and is viewed as a distraction that leads many away from the path to enlightenment, or true gnosis.

In terms of the Order of St. Lazarus our motive for contacting and communicating with the spirits of the dead, it is to be of spiritual assistance to souls in transition – the aim to extend blessings and is the salvation of souls, the enlightenment and liberation of souls; hence, the service of the Divine Will and Divine Kingdom. Generally speaking, as I understand it, this intention is very different than what motivates most spiritualism or mediumship.

Blessings & shalom!
_________________
Tau Malachi
Sophia Fellowship
Ecclesia Pistis Sophia

[Akkad]

Greetings Tau Malachi,

Thank you for your reply. I will refer back to my copy of Gnosis Of The Cosmic Christ for details on Yesod & the afterlife. It's been a little while since I read it, so it's time to pick it up again

I'm familiar with some of the Vajrayana literature also as it was something I was very interested in back in the early 1990s. Looks like I'll be digging those books out again too.

Does the Sophian tradition maintain, as did the Theosophists, that mediumship and excess desire to contact 'the other side' affects the departed spirits and may inhibit their next incarnation?

Many thanks,

Akkad

[Tau Malachi]

Greetings and blessings in the Light of the Messiah!

Yes, indeed, conjuring the spirits of the dead in spiritualism or mediumship for vain entertainment, or so that they should serve the living, causes great harm to earth-bound spirits and hungry ghosts, strengthening and encouraging vital cords that keep them in bondage and prevent their transition into the next life – it is very unseemly and unsavory, and completely opposed to the will of God and the way of the holy and enlightened ones.

When death comes it is the will of God that souls depart this body and world, and that they continue on in their journey in the gilgulim, letting go of their previous incarnation and passing into their next incarnation, whether in this world, or other realms, worlds and universes, continuing their development and evolution. It is ordained that when we pass through that threshold we call “death” that we let go and move on, passing through the judgment or life review, integrating our experience, and passing into our next experience, our next life, whether in heaven or on earth, or in another in-between; and likewise, when souls pass through that threshold, it is ordained that we who remain among the living are to say goodbye and let go, and do whatever we can to help the spirit of the departed move on – all according to the will of El Elyon, the Supreme.

At times, however, spirits of the dead become confused, and unable to pass into the light they become earth-bound, or at times because of very strong self-cherishing and vital cords, for one reason or another spirits of the dead are unwilling to let go of their former life, and so they become earth-bound spirits or hungry ghost, wandering in the in-betweens of the astral earth. If and when these earth-bound spirits are conjured by the living, who are also unwilling to let go, then the vital cords that bind these poor spirits are strengthened, and the karmic continuum of their bondage is increased – their bondage as earth-bound spirits is lengthened.

This is quite the opposite of what all authentic wisdom traditions teach us – completely opposite to what all mystical traditions that teach the path to enlightenment instruct us to do, and as such we may rightly say it is ungodly, directly opposed to the Divine Will and Divine Kingdom.

This is why the practice of mediumship is forbidden in the Holy Torah.

The way of the holy and enlightened ones in their spiritual work with the dying and the dead is very different – their aim to bless and be of help to the spirits of the dead, to help them pass into their next life, to do whatever they can to uplift the spirits of the dead and bring about the most auspicious circumstances in their next incarnation, and ultimately, their aim is to help facilitate the enlightenment and liberation of souls. This is a very different motive for contact and communion with the spirits of the dead – it is love and compassion, the heart’s desire for the salvation of souls.

Spiritualism or mediumship does not only cause harm to the dead, but also causes harm to the living – for just as it tends to prevent the earth-bound spirits from moving on, so it tends to deceive the souls of the living and lead them astray, distracting them from authentic wisdom traditions that teach an actual path to self-realization or enlightenment. It is a play of false prophecy bound up in klippah nogah, the false light.

At times, earth-bound spirits and hungry ghosts are contacted and channeled by mediums or psychics, but the medium or psychic tends to open themselves to all manner of spiritual forces in what can only be call a psychic and spiritual whoredom for selfish ambition and profit. In effect they become a psychic cesspool, for in the impure state of ego-grasping, and egoistic desire and fear, it is not holy and divine beings that they attract and channel, but rather it is deceiving spirits of klippah nogah, klippotic forces, archonic and demonic spirits. These spirits enter and speak a little truth mixed with much falsehood, and they feed upon the energy of the medium or psychic, and all who are involved with them, and through the medium and those who participate these spiritual forces gain greater power and influence in the astral, as well as in the material world. In the midst of their egoistic desire for occult knowledge and power, these mediums become portals or channels of klippotic forces, unclean and evil spirits, centers of spiritual and psychic pestilence, false prophets leading souls of the dead and the living astray.

(This, of course, assumes that the medium can actually contact and channel spirits and it not simply a charlatan, a deceiver themselves – spiritualism is home to many charlatans.)

The fact is, even if a spirit that comes speaks some secret only known to the dead and their friend or loved one, that does not prove that it is the spirit of the “dearly departed” that has been contacted. You see, archonic and demonic spirits have psychic and magic powers, and they can glean information in any numbers of ways to put themselves off as what they are not; hence the term, “deceiving spirits.” Apart from a true awakening of our holy soul, knowledge of the Light Continuum and spiritual discernment, just as such spirits can deceive and put themselves off as luminous or angelic beings, so they can put themselves off as spirits of the dead.

The entire play of spiritualism or mediumship is in the middle and lower astral, which is, by nature, a very illusory and deceptive realm that requires a very distinct spiritual discernment to navigate; and by nature it is all a play of klippah nogah, the false light, for the entire motivation of the spiritualist or medium, and their followers, is the desire to receive for self alone – in a word, selfishness.

Perhaps, on rare occasions, the Spirit of God might use such an environment for the sake of a revelation – there is a story of such an event in 1 Samuel, chapter 28, where Saul goes to the medium of Endor to call up the soul of the prophet Samuel. However, generally speaking, there is nothing of the Spirit of God, or spirit of enlightenment, in spiritualism – rather what is in it is quite the opposite.

In the case of Saul, it is very interesting, for after giving banished mediums and sorcerers from the holy land, when he falls out of favor with Ha-Shem, going against the world of Ha-Shem, in vital demand and in hypocrisy he goes to a medium. “When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, not by dreams, not by Urim, not by prophets” (28:6), therefore he seeks out a channel of klippah nogah, a medium, a false prophet. As it turns out, Ha-Shem does sent the soul of Samuel to Saul through this medium, though with a prophecy of the end of his reign as king of Israel – a prophecy of judgment that Saul did not want to hear.

Of course, in that the fate and destiny of many souls are tied up in that of their rulers, Ha-Shem may deal somewhat differently with rulers, as in this case with King Saul.

The selfishness of spiritualism, however, is well spoken by the first thing Samuel says to Saul through this medium, “Why have you disturbed me by calling me up?” (28:15). Why, indeed?

May all spirits and souls be uplifted in Hayyah Yeshua, the Risen Messiah!

Blessings & shalom!
_________________
Tau Malachi
Sophia Fellowship
Ecclesia Pistis Sophia