Doing something worthwhile

I’ve been a member of the Yahoo Spiritualist Group for many years now. For the last several years, I haven’t done much with it at all. But someone nudged me a little bit and I got to reading some of the posts again. Someone was interested in Spiritualism but was a bit unsure about how to go forward with it. I took it as an opportunity to help, so I responded as follows:

I do not propose to have all the answers, but I do have some ideas and views that might help. As far as the question of wanting to be a Spiritualist goes, we should probably define it.  I always had problems explaining what Spiritualism was to people who had no background in it, so I came up with my personal definition, as follows:

Spiritualists have three major attributes: a belief in God, which is left undefined and is the God of your understanding, a belief in Natural Law, the most common example of which is “what goes around, comes around”, and a belief in spirit communication.

I would say that this quick definition barely covers some of the core and is not comprehensive, but it is still useful. It’s something you can say to someone in three minutes, which in some cases, is all the time you’re going to get. 🙂 I’d say it reflects the term as it is commonly used in the US and the UK (at least). In other countries (such as African ones), I’ve seen “Spiritualist” used to refer to anyone with a belief in spirit communication, and that’s probably too broad for us to work with.

My theory is that if you can call yourself a Spiritualist based on the quick definition, then you’d probably be considered a Spiritualist in many/most places described above. Perhaps the biggest point of departure in Spiritualism is around atonement and Jesus. I would say that purest Spiritualism does not believe in vicarious atonement, nor in Jesus as savior. Jesus as medium, yes. Jesus as teacher and healer yes. But not savior, and not God – at least not any more God than the rest of us. Believing in vicarious atonement and Jesus beyond what I’ve said here is likely to be a variation of purest Spiritualism. Plenty of religions have variations, and Spiritualism has them too. I would still consider these variations as Spiritualism because they’re still they’re a lot closer to purest Spiritualism than many other religions we could easily name.

As far as the declaration of principles goes, there are plenty of variations of it too, as has been discussed in this thread. My view is that I like the NSAC version in the US more than some of the others, as it seems to speak more directly to the quick definition above. I wouldn’t necessarily discount the other versions, I just happen to like the NSAC one better. My perspective is that I worry less about the words than the truth behind the words. As long as there’s harmony between my beliefs and the truth behind the words, I’m ok. Some of the non-NSAC declarations leave me a bit curious as to what the truth behind the words is, but that’s ok, because I can just ask. One thing I’ve learned from Spiritualism is that if you’re not sure, ask.

I think that part of what you’re asking is that if you’re a Spiritualist, what do you “do”, how do you “practice”? Spiritualism isn’t terribly big on ritual and structured practice, and that can make it frustrating for people who are looking for it and/or expect it. Since there’s so little of it, my idea would be to seek the company of like minded people. That could involve going to a Spiritualist church, or hanging out with a group of people that you discuss spiritual topics with, or both, or perhaps a number of other things. It depends on what you want, what you seek out, and what you encounter along the way. I’ve done it this way for many years now, and it’s worked for me.

You know, when I started writing the above post, I wondered about whether to put the time and effort into it. I have put similar efforts into the group postings in the past and didn’t get much response back, and after doing that several times, it made me wonder if it was worth it.

But I did it. And the group member said that it was enlightening and helped him understand a lot more. That made me feel great. Instantly worth it.

Experiences like this keep you going.

I was David Bowman

I grew up on science fiction books like 2001: A Space Odyssey , Childhood’s End , and Rendezvous with Rama, amongst others.  They were great stories.  Looking back, I can see how they filled my interest in other-worldly things.  They also had a significant impact on my ability to think creatively.  Sir Arthur C. Clarke, the author of these wonderful works, said that “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”  It is the third of Clarke’s Three Laws of Prediction.

Let’s think creatively.  What if you turn this idea on its head, and apply it to spirituality?  What if you said that any sufficiently advanced spirituality is indistinguishable from God?

What if you turn it on its head one more time, and say that by default, there is no God in the classic singular, all-powerful sense, but there are entities and the like that are so advanced when compared to your current level that you apply the label God?

What if you say that it doesn’t much matter whether classic singular God exists because you’re too far removed from it, but in the meantime, there is/are plenty of God(s) to go around, because there are always entities and spirituality near enough for you to label them, and aspire to?

And what if you are undaunted by the idea that God is too far removed from you, yet you aspire to be the best you can be anyway, on all levels – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual? What if you keep striving because you know that reaching the next rung up on the ladder still means you’re going up, you know that the ladder is endless but it doesn’t matter, because that’s the way it works – up is up, and you continue going up-and-up-and-up indefinitely, because existence is a process, never an endpoint?

What if you say that there is an absolute God that is not personified in any way, but is more like the totality of all there is, and yet you leave room for singular entities and the like of the level that you can still label them Gods, without contradiction?

What if you throw away the idea that God involves worship in the traditional “I am not worthy to receive you” manner? What if God is something that affects you such that you want to be in its presence, to learn from it, to experience it, completely devoid of the “I am not worthy”, “I can never be like you” and similar trappings that go along with the ego-self?

What if pure goodness and positive spirituality means everything, and titles, whether it’s  “God” or “Angel” or any other, are completely wiped away like they never existed, because they have no real meaning anyway?

What if moving up the ladder of progression involves transformation that is so complete and total that we are no longer the person that we were, yet somehow we are, without contradiction?

What if mediumship is the only means to communicate with God-by-any-definition?

These things are close to my ideas about God.  What are yours?

Medium’s Thanksgiving

From a mediumship perspective, here are some things I’m thankful for on Thanksgiving:

1. The presence of God in my life.  That presence that lets me know that life is a forward and uplifting progression towards goodness and spirituality, even when it does not feel that way in a particular moment.

2. The Very Important People (VIPs) in my life.  My wife, children, parents, family, friends.  Strictly speaking, they are largely unrelated to mediumship, but nonetheless, they are very important.  Experiences with them through time have taught me valuable lessons about life, love, and spirituality, which are important ingredients in mediumship.

3.  Assistance from my spirit folks.  They have provided guidance, assurance, and the butt-kicking (when necessary) to help me progress in life.

4. Communication with my spirit folks.  We work together to communicate better and better through mediumship.  I am thankful that they listen to what I have to say, and are willing to work with me.

5. The trust that I’ve developed with my spirit folks.  Building trust involves a lot of work, patience, and desire.  It requires a lot of investment from their side.  And it’s a choice on their part, not a given.  I am grateful that were willing, and appreciate the positive effects of it that show up in my mediumship and in my life.

6. The good works that I’ve been involved with via mediumship.  Healing.  Message work.  Readings.  Writing.  Channeling.  Spirit removal (Ghostbusting).  Guiding and teaching others.  All of these are rooted in goodness, are satisfying to be involved in, and are tightly integrated with the spirits – both my folks and others.

7. My dreamwork.  My dreams are very vivid, and the spirits often use my dream time to take me places, show me things, and teach me things.

8. That I live in a country where mediumship is no longer persecuted.  I am thankful that I do not live in fear of being burned at the stake.

9. That I am a medium.  While one can certainly get along in life without mediumship, I wouldn’t want to.  Mediumship has a mystery and beauty all its own, and I am thankful that it has a presence and a large role in my life.

10. For the people I have met and worked with along the way.  I have learned so many things from my peers in classes.  As time passes, some of them go different ways, and I probably won’t see them again while I’m still here on the Earth plane, but they will always have their special places in my heart.

11. For the future.  Despite what people say about psychics and mediums predicting the future, the future is, by and large, unwritten.  I rather like it that way.  Even without knowing what will happen next, I am sure that the future will involve goodness, spirituality, and mediumship, and for this, I am thankful.

More important than God

Spiritualist churches usually have a Declaration of Principles, which are a number of simple statements that describe basic Spiritualist beliefs.  Normally, these are short enough that they are read aloud during church service.  The principles vary a bit amongst Spiritualist organizations, but underlying ideas are largely the same.

In the US, the National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC) has “We believe in Infinite Intelligence” as principle number one in their declaration. What is Infinite Intelligence? It’s hard to define, but also easy at the same time. Let us take a moment to slow down, settle in, and meditate for a moment. “Infinite”. Never-ending. Expansive. Bigger. Larger than anything our imaginative minds can conceive of. “Intelligence”. Thoughtful. Understanding. Insightful.

Spiritualists use the term “Infinite Intelligence” to refer to God. It may sound a little strange, but it’s a good phrase because it can open the mind. And it doesn’t come with all the trappings that the term “God” has in our language/culture, which can shut the mind before it gets the chance to open.

Using a term you wouldn’t expect throws you off a bit. That’s good, because Spiritualism’s view of God isn’t what you would expect. Spiritualism does not define God. Then it takes it a step farther and says that you define God in your own way. To top it off, Spiritualism says that it’s perfectly ok for everyone to define God in their own way – there’s no contest or problem – it’s all good. As a result, “the God of your understanding” is the most commonly used Spiritualist phrase to refer to God.

Many/most religions believe that defining God is their job, and it’s heresy to hand that responsibility to you on a personal level. Spiritualism is radical by comparison. But how can you have a religion that doesn’t define God, (or worse!) lets you do it yourself? Believe it or not, you can. As for me, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Actually, I think your definition of God isn’t all that important – guy on a throne, girl on a throne, omnipotent force or other entity, etc., etc. The list goes on and on. The term you use for God isn’t all that important either – God, Infinite Intelligence, God of your understanding, or whatever you like.

Spiritualism has more to say about your thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes than it does about your definition of God. And that makes sense, because on multiple levels, these things are more important than your specific definition of God.

I think a lot of people have the God and goodness thing all mixed up and confused.  They think it’s all about God, but when it comes down to it, goodness is FAR BIGGER and more important.

For example, if you are drowning in a swimming pool and someone saves your life, what difference does it make that the person who saves you defines God as Muslim, Born Again Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Pagan, Wiccan, or anything else, including Atheist?  It doesn’t matter, not at all!

What you think, say, and do in relation to goodness REALLY counts. And on a day-to-day basis, we are largely unaware of its power and impact on ourselves and others.

The next time you observe (or participate in) an act of goodness, whether it’s saving a life or simply a smile, meditate for a moment on how goodness is bigger and more important than God.

Verification – the medium’s treat

I did a reading for Andy about a year ago. He contacted me recently and had this to say:

I don’t know if you will remember me. One thing you said was to move the computer near the window because everything would be better if I did that. I eventually got around to doing that and in the process I found that there was a short in the power supply which was burning and would eventually have set on fire.

By the way, when I switched the computer back on it started smoking, no joke. That is how close it was to setting on fire. If the power had gone off and come back on when I was away it would have set on fire. It was caused by a component next to the fan inside the power supply, so it would have blown flames out of the fan vent on the back of the computer on to the wall which is made of wood. Well done Joe and thank you for that, you probably saved my house if not me as well.

The medium’s role is one of service. Service for seekers who want or need contact with the Spirit World. Service for spirits who wish to communicate with seekers. Beneath it all, at the core, lies a sincere desire to be an agent of goodness, for seeker and spirit alike, in harmony with God-as-you-define.

From a medium’s perspective, verification from the seeker is a rare treat, and is always appreciated. Verification can affirm or reaffirm our faith in our mediumship, its positive benefits, and its ability to help others. Getting verification can be considered an expression of the Law of Cause and Effect (“what goes around comes around”) in a positive way.

Thank you Andy.