COMMENTARY: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE? This is the ultimate question and, sadly, one that we often lose sight of in the activities and plans of everyday life. One answer that particularly resonates with Spiritualists was given by the highly credible afterlife teacher, Silver Birch.
"The purpose is to enable the incarnating spirit to undergo a variety of experiences that will fit it for the next stage, the one that begins beyond physical death. Earth is the schoolhouse where the soul should learn its lessons and thus be properly educated and equipped for the next stage of its eternal life."
William Buhlman elaborates: "Imagine yourself in an ideal world where everyone is free to explore and develop their creative pursuits and experience their unlimited potential. Does this sound like heaven? Just think what an immature or undisciplined being could and would do in this ideal thought-responsive world. Picture the chaos and destruction that a single primitive mind could create.
...Now for a moment imagine what kind of educational environment would be the perfect training ground for this undisciplined mind...Welcome to the dense training ground of matter, where focused thoughts are required in order to create and prosper. Welcome to the ideal environment where the young and undisciplined mind can learn by trial and error without contaminating the pure realm of spirit. Welcome to your life."
William Buhlman, The Secret of the Soul.
HOW DR. PIM VAN LOMMEL LOST HIS FAITH IN MATERIALISM
Cardiologist Dr. Pim van Lommel is a hero of consciousness research. He became internationally known after his ground-breaking study on Near-Death Experiences was published in the respected medical journal, The Lancet, in 2001. The study was remarkable in that it was a prospective one: conditions were set and ready before patients underwent cardiac arrest. The results showed that merely physiological explanations for the NDEs were inadequate, thereby raising profound questions about the nature of consciousness and its relation to brain function.
THE CASE OF FATHER GIUSEPPE RICCARDI
In 1948 in a seance in Tuscany Italy, a spirit came through a direct voice medium who was not known to the medium or anyone present. He said he was a priest who had been shot by one of his parishioners in Canton, Ohio, USA. In 1987, Dr. Ian Stevenson from the University of Virginia followed up on the case and found that Father Joseph Riccardi had been murdered in his church in Canton, Ohio in 1929. Download the full report in PDF format. This is an excellent example of a 'drop-in communicator' that provides evidence that the information received by a medium is not coming from someone present in the room.
HOW DO ENLIGHTENED SCIENTISTS COPE WITH SKEPTICAL COLLEAGUES?
This panel of experiencers and researchers discusses materialistic skeptics and how to handle their contrary perspectives. Panelists include Dr. Eben Alexander, MD; Neal Grossman, Ph.D.; Stephan Schwartz, and Marjorie Woollacott, Ph.D. The moderator is Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D., a leading near-death and transpersonal experience researcher, president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and editor of the "Journal of Near-Death Studies".
THE SOUL CAN CHOOSE TO LEAVE THE BODY BEFORE A FATAL ACCIDENT Dr. Robert Crookall was a British university lecturer and geologist who became a well-known investigator of out-of-body experiences (OOBEs or astral projection). He writes: "Our soul-consciousness is very much ahead of our physical-consciousness. So, when instant death occurs through an accident, the soul is aware of what is about to happen a split second before the impact occurs and leaves the body. The soul having left, no pain is felt...These sudden transitions appear tragic and ghastly to the onlooker, but to the person who has just died, death is always wonderful." The Supreme Adventure: Analyses of Psychic Communications (read a summary of the book).
MAN SHOCKED AFTER TAKING HIS OWN LIFE AND BEING SHOWN HIS FUTURE
Jeff Tolley had an NDE after being so distraught following his brother's death that he took his own life. While on the other side, Jeff met up with his brother and three beings who showed him he had more to live for and the state of his energy bodies. He was also shown his future and the future of Earth.
MARK MACY ON WHAT IS NEEDED TO CREATE ADVANCED ELECTRONIC CONTACTS WITH OTHER DIMENSIONS In his work with Instrumental Transcommunication, Mark Macy has consistently emphasised the need for extreme harmony and single-mindedness in creating a successful "bridge" to the afterlife. Mark's article should be essential reading for anyone working in afterlife communication.
" ....if a few individuals are committed to sustaining resonance (and all that entails such as each member’s constant fine-tuning of self), they’ve provided fertile ground for an ITC bridge. On top of that, they’ll need one highly sensitive person. That’s someone who’s not just psychically sensitive (someone who gets clear, reliable impressions from finer spiritual beings while dreaming, meditating, and ‘day-dreaming’), but also emotionally sensitive—trusting, loving of all creatures, empathetic to those less fortunate, and so on. That is the kind of disposition that resonates with the finer realms of spirit… and an ITC bridge cannot be formed that does not resonate with the finer realms of spirit." Read more about What I Learned From ITC (Part 6): To Establish a Bridge
FROM SKEPTIC TO BELIEVER - A HOSPICE NURSE'S STORY
A young hospice nurse recounts her discovery of deathbed visions.
THE BRILLIANT PHYSICAL MEDIUMSHIP OF ALEC HARRIS Alec Harris was a superb UK materialization medium who died in 1974. During the production of materialized spirit forms, Alec's spirit guides usually took him into a deep trance, and the sitters were able to clearly see him sitting on his chair (bound hand and foot) inside the 'cabinet'. The whole room was bathed in good red light while materialized people walked around the room and spoke with their loved ones. The following witness statements are contained in the book 'Alec Harris The Full Story of his Remarkable Physical Mediumship'' by Alec's wife, Louie Harris.
Maurice Barbanell the then editor of Psychic News, wrote of Alec's mediumship that "the spirit forms not only show themselves in good red light, but they also hold sustained conversations, after having walked about ten feet from the cabinet! At a sitting I attended, I saw thirty forms materialize during two and a half hours".
Sir Alexander Cannon, "spoke to two spirit forms who were Tibetans, and these conversations were held in their native tongue, which was unknown to Alec Harris or any of the other persons present".
Prof. T J Haarhoff, a professor of classics, "conversed with a materialized spirit who spoke to him in ancient Greek".
Mr. A.G. Fletcher-Desborough, an expert magician who was an arch-skeptic attended a sitting. "As he reported later in the Liverpool Evening Express "as an illusionist and magician, I knew exactly where to look for such things as panel and floor escapes, ceiling and wall slides. I was satisfied that nothing could make an exit or entrance in any way. There was no chance of deception". What followed was nothing short of miraculous. The skeptic's dead father materialized and used a pet name known to nobody but his family. His brother materialized giving his name and walking with a limp as he did in life. Finally, his third son, Ronnie, who had been beheaded by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore, materialised."
MISQUOTING JESUS IN THE BIBLE Professor Bart D. Ehrman has written widely on issues of the New Testament and early Christianity at both an academic and popular level, much of it based on textual criticism of the New Testament. His thirty books include three college textbooks and six New York Times best sellers including Misquoting Jesus and How Jesus Became God. More than two million copies of his books have been sold, and his books have been translated into 27 languages.
SILVER BIRCH ON JESUS "I have seen the Nazarene many times. He does not sit on the right hand of the Father, and the Father is not on a golden throne. The Nazaerne is a great and evolved spirit. He is not so far away, magnified and deified beyond the reach of your world. He is close at hand, directing the truth that you call Spiritualism but which to us is merely the operation of natural laws. It is he who directs these efforts, who strives to inspire all those who minister to your world so that they shall continue to heal the afflicted, to comfort the mourner, to give light to those who are ignorant, to teach those who do not know where to turn, to provide a shelter for the many wanders, to give courage those who are tired in mind and body."
"A Voice in the Wilderness" p. 32
NOVEMBER "THE INNER VOICE"
This month's exquisitely produced magazine features one of our favourite topics - Pets and the Afterlife. Nancy Freier and several other members of our community have written about the way their hearts were opened by the love of a special pet. Nancy has put out this online magazine on the first day of every month since 2012. Read the fascinating backstory of how it came into being.
NEXT WEEK'S FREE AFTERLIFE ZOOM GROUPS - ALL WELCOME
Saturday November 9th, 2024 / Sunday November 10th, Australia
The Angel Guidance Group meets every second Saturday of the month (Sunday in Australia and New Zealand) with Angel Medium Nancy Freier, Author of "Angel Guidance: Wisdom for Navigating Life's Challenges" and publisher of The Inner Voice e-magazine. Nancy leads the group into a growing awareness of those in the higher realms of Spirit and the ways they guide us through the lessons and challenges we face.
Each meeting is unique. We explore the methods of communication with The Greater Reality, share enriching real-life stories with Spirit, and discuss enlightening Q&As about the communication process and the messages we receive. You are welcome to join this angelic-inspired conversation.
Times:
Pacific time 11 a.m. Saturday
Phoenix time 12 noon Saturday
Mountain time noon Saturday
Central time 1 p.m. Saturday
Eastern time 2 p.m. Saturday
London 7 p.m. Saturday
Rome 8 p.m. Saturday
Sydney/Melbourne 6 a.m. Sunday
New Zealand 8 a.m. Sunday Check time in your city
Co-ordinator: Steve Freier
sgfreier23+AngelZoom@gmail.com
Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85243991209?
pwd=RDZNczE4a3piVjR1UFM5VHRPeVZkZz09
Meeting ID: 852 4399 1209
Passcode: bck514
Saturday November 9th, 2024 / Sunday November 10th, Australia
Spiritist Literature: Directed Study (SLIDS) with Ana Castro.
A free Zoom group about Spiritism, Kardec, and Chico Xavier. See videos of previous meetings.
Times:
Pacific time 1 p.m. Saturday
Phoenix time 2 p.m. Saturday
Mountain time 2 p.m. Saturday
Central time 3 p.m. Saturday
Eastern time 4 p.m. Saturday
London 9 p.m. Saturday
Rome 10 p.m. Saturday
Sydney/Melbourne 8 a.m. Sunday
New Zealand 10 a.m. Sunday
Check time in your city
Co-ordinator: Ana Castro
Just click this link to join.
Sunday November 10th, 2024/ Monday November 4th, Australia
Mediumship Development with Dr. Susan Barnes CSNU Developing the skills of mental mediumship and blending with spirit.
Meetings: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday
Note: If Dr. Sue is not there at the appointed time, it is probably because she is dealing with an ongoing health issue.
She apologises in advance and will try to be back next time.
Times:
Pacific Time 10 a.m. Sunday
Phoenix time 11 a.m. Sunday
Mountain Time 11 a.m. Sunday
Central Time 12 noon Sunday
Eastern Time (New York) 1 p.m. Sunday
London 6 p.m. Sunday
Rome 7 p.m. Sunday
Sydney/Melbourne 5 a.m. Monday TIME CHANGED
New Zealand 7 a.m. Monday TIME CHANGE
Check time in your city
Co-ordinator: wendyzammit@gmail.com https://zoom.us/j/7595442928
Sunday November 10th, 2024/ Monday November 4th, Australia
Global Gathering: Our speaker this week is George E. Lockett who will talk about his experiences that resulted from 50 years of practising Transcendental Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He will talk about being in large groups of people meditating together and his realisations on transcending and having out-of-body experiences. After joining the local Spiritualist Church and training under the Surrey Healer's Association, he became known as "Healer George" when he worked at Mind Body Spirit fairs nationwide. He also found that he could talk telepathically to the animals during his ten years on his farm, knowing when a problem happened and needed attention. George's fascinating book Journey Into The Self: The Multidimensional Nature of Being Human is available in Kindle or paperback. He also has produced a free "Energy Balancing Guided Meditation."
Times:
Pacific Time 12 noon Sunday
Phoenix 1 p.m. Sunday
Mountain Time 1 p.m. Sunday
Central time 2 p.m. Sunday
Eastern time 3 p.m. Sunday
London 8 p.m. Sunday
Europe 9 p.m. Sunday
Sydney/Melbourne 7 a.m. Monday
New Zealand 9 a.m. Monday
Check time in your city
Co-ordinator: wendyzammit@gmail.com https://zoom.us/j/7595442928
Monday November 11th 2024/ Tuesday November 12th Australia
GOSH: Gatherings over Strange Happenings with Kim Parker When: Every two weeks on Mondays (UK EUROPE and USA) and Tuesdays at 7 a.m. (Sydney). A small group that meets to share and explore the meaning of strange experiences like missing time, seeing scenes from another time, interacting with a person who suddenly wasn't there, bi-location ETC. If it's something you cannot share easily with others, bring it to this group to get validation and speculate on its cause. See this short video about GOSH.
Times:
Pacific Time 12 noon Monday
Phoenix 1 p.m. Monday
Mountain Time 1 p.m. Monday
Central time 2 p.m. Monday
Eastern time 3 p.m. Monday
London 8 p.m. Monday
Vienna 9 p.m. Monday
Sydney/Melbourne 7 a.m. Tuesday
New Zealand 9 a.m. Tuesday
Check the time for your city
Email: Kim at kmrainbow57@yahoo.com https://zoom.us/j/7595442928
Tuesday November 12th 2024
Australian-based Physical Mediumship Development Circle (Dark Circle)
Every week participants interested in trying to develop physical mediumship sit in a darkened space in their own homes for 40 minutes, relax, and listen to music. This is a long-term project and participants must be prepared to sit in harmony without much seeming to happen on the surface.
Times:
Pacific time 1 a.m. Tuesday
Phoenix Time 2 a.m. Tuesday
Mountain Time 2 a.m. Tuesday
Central Time 3 a.m. Tuesday
Eastern Time (New York) 4 a.m. Tuesday
London 9 a.m. Tuesday
Rome 10 a.m. Tuesday
Perth/Singapore 5 p.m. Tuesday
Sydney Australia 8 p.m. Tuesday
Auckland 10 p.m. Tuesday Check time in your city
Email paulhinson@gmail.com for more information and the Zoom link.
Tuesday November 12th 2024/ Wednesday November 13th
Spirit Art The group meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday to create spirit art with messages. No art experience is required.
If Dr. Sue is not there at the appointed time, it is probably because she is dealing with an ongoing health issue. She apologises in advance and will try to be back next time.
Times:
Pacific time 6 p.m. Tuesday
Phoenix time 7 p.m. Tuesday
Mountain Time 7 p.m. Tuesday
Central Time 8 p.m. Tuesday
Eastern Time (New York) 9 p.m. Tuesday
London 2 a.m. Wednesday
Sydney/Melbourne 1 p.m. Wednesday
New Zealand 3 p.m. Wednesday Check time in your city
Coordinator: Dr. Susan B. Barnes, CSNU susanbbarnes@gmail.com
Online in Zoom https://zoom.us/j/873881773
Wednesday November 13th 2024/ Thursday November 14th, Australia
Platform Mediumship with Paul M. Hinson
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month USA / at 4.30 p.m. Pacific time
Paul is an English medium now based in Sydney. He does "platform readings" giving messages to most people present.
Times:
Pacific Time 3.30 p.m. Wednesday
Phoenix 4.30 p.m. Wednesday
Mountain time 4.30 p.m. Wednesday
Central time 5.30 p.m. Wednesday
Eastern Time 6.30 p.m. Wednesday
London time 11.30 a.m. Wednesday
Perth 7.30 a.m. Thursday
Singapore 7.30 a.m. Thursday
Sydney/ Melbourne 10.30 a.m. Thursday
New Zealand 12.30 p.m. Thursday Check time in your city
Coordinator: wendyzammit@gmail.com https://zoom.us/j/7595442928
Wednesday November 13th 2024/ Thursday November 14th, Australia
USA-based Physical mediumship development group Every Wednesday with Rob Blackburn and Craig Hogan. Participants sit in a darkened space in their own homes; the group has been going for some time and members are experiencing phenomena.
THIS GROUP IS CURRENTLY TAKING NEW MEMBERS
Times:
Pacific 6 p.m. Wednesday
Arizona 7 p.m. Wednesday
Mountain time 7 p.m. Wednesday
Central time 8 p.m. Wednesday
New York time 9 p.m. Wednesday
London 2 a.m. Thursday
Europe 3 a.m.
Perth 10 a.m. Thursday
Sydney/Melbourne 1 p.m. Thursday
New Zealand 3 p.m. Thursday Check time in your city
Email r.craig.hogan@afterlifeinstitute.org for meeting guidelines and link.
Friday 15th November 2024
AN EVENING WITH SPIRIT
Organised by Sydney Northern Beaches Spiritualists. Every month an excellent professional medium from the United Kingdom, Europe or Canada will be giving messages to people present in our Zoom Room, as evidence that life continues. The meeting will follow a normal Spiritualist Church service format with the guest medium. ENTRY WILL BE BY DONATION - no matter how small - see below for details.
Sandra Mitchell Aetheris is a platform medium who frequently travels across the UK and other countries offering private readings, development workshops, spiritual circles and classes.
Times:
Pacific time 12 midnight Friday
Phoenix 1 a.m. Friday
Mountain time 1 a.m. Friday
Central time 2 a.m. Friday
New York 3 a.m. Friday
London 8 a.m. Friday
Singapore 4 p.m. Friday
Perth 4 p.m. Friday
Sydney 7 p.m. Friday
Auckland 9 p.m. Friday Check time in your city
Contact Paul Hinson
paulhinson@gmail.com
Tickets giving the Zoom code will be issued by email following a non-minimum donation that "Feels Right to You" to PAYID or PAYPAL using NBSC2024@gmail.com
Or to Account Name - Northern Beaches SC
to BSB 484-799 A/c 1656 48823
Outside Australia Swift Code METWAU4B
THE LOVE TIE WITH OUR PETS IS A STRONG AND EVERLASTING ONE Newsletter no.6 of the Universal Spiritual Brother & Sisterhood (USB) looks into the spirituality of pets. “Just like humans, pets form bonds of love and can be motivated by spirit influences to protect and stay close to the ones they love”. This is the explanation provided by the USB spiritual teachers for those extraordinary stories of pets coming to their owners’ rescue in unusual and amazing ways, or of lost pets travelling great distances to rejoin their owners.
Pets are more psychic than most humans and after bodily death they continue their existence in the spirit world, retaining their individuality.
You can subscribe to the USB newsletters here. The teachings of the USB are compiled in the book "Spiritual Light".
ANIMALS SHOW EMPATHY
If anyone doubts the capacity of animals for empathy, show them this clip. Luna, a clever four-month-old pup, was transfixed by the emotional scene in which lion cub Simba reacts to the death of his father, Mufasa. Luna seemed to fully understand what was happening on screen, whimpering in response and lying down at the same time as Simba lay next to his father.
CELEBRATING THE INCREDIBLE LIFE OF QUINCY JONES On November 3, legendary music producer Quincy Jones passed away at 91 years old. Jones’ impact on the music, film, and art world can not be overstated. However, he is equally celebrated for his work as an activist and philanthropist. In the 1970s, Jones formed the Quincy Jones Workshops to provide free music education and song writing lessons to inner-city youth. In 2001, he created the Listen Up Foundation to connect kids in underserved communities to music and STEM programs and built more than 100 homes in remote regions of South Africa. As his nonprofit grew, he was particularly fascinated by the way that music therapy could benefit children who were neurodivergent. Read more.
FEEDBACK (3 only)
1) "Last Sunday’s Global Gathering was so moving and informative. I love Jeanne and Regina’s gifts and what they bring to us. I’ve seen them many times and each time I am more impressed. Thank you for bringing them to us." Peg
2)
"I am perplexed by Paramahansa Yogananda. A couple of Spiritualist medium friends, now both in spirit, tried many years ago to join the Self Realization Fellowship started by PY, and were told that they were unacceptable for that reason (Spiritualists).
Yet his message you included is entirely compatible with Spritualist philosophy."
Best,
Steve
3)
"Oneness and love and interconnectedness are part of the physics of heaven which is why separation has to be experienced and learned in this life".
Steve
HIGHLY INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC
In 1985, Quincy Jones produced and conducted the charity single “We Are the World,” with 45 top U.S. singers, a spectacle that raised over $80 million for famine relief and humanitarian causes throughout Africa — and continues raising money today. It remains the ninth best-selling physical single of all time and became the fastest-selling single in United States history. In 2010, on the 25th anniversary of the song’s release, Jones re-recorded it with a new ensemble to raise funds for earthquake relief in Haiti.
ALL WORK IS COPYRIGHT BY THE CONDITIONS SET AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE ON COPYRIGHT.
FRIDAY
AFTERLIFE REPORT
This is the ultimate question and, sadly, 
one that we often lose sight of in the activities and plans of everyday life. One answer that particularly resonates with Spiritualists was given by the highly credible afterlife teacher, Silver Birch.
"Imagine yourself in an ideal world where everyone is free to explore and develop their creative pursuits and experience their unlimited potential. Does this sound like heaven? Just think what an immature or undisciplined being could and would do in this ideal thought-responsive world. Picture the chaos and destruction that a single primitive mind could create. 
spirit came through a 
emphasised the need for extreme harmony and single-mindedness in creating a successful "bridge" to the afterlife. Mark's article should be essential reading for anyone working in afterlife communication. 
Alec Harris was a superb UK materialization medium who died in 1974. During the production of materialized spirit forms, Alec's spirit guides usually took him into a deep trance, and the sitters were able to clearly see him sitting on his chair (bound hand and foot) inside the 'cabinet'. The whole room was bathed in good red light while materialized people walked around the room and spoke with their loved ones. The following witness statements are contained in the book 
"I have seen the Nazarene many times. He does not sit on the right hand of the Father, and the Father is not on a golden throne. The Nazaerne is a great and evolved spirit. He is not so far away, magnified and deified beyond the reach of your world. He is close at hand, directing the truth that you call Spiritualism but which to us is merely the operation of natural laws. It is he who directs these efforts, who strives to inspire all those who minister to your world so that they shall continue to heal the afflicted, to comfort the mourner, to give light to those who are ignorant, to teach those who do not know where to turn, to provide a shelter for the many wanders, to give courage those who are tired in mind and body."
NOVEMBER "THE INNER VOICE" 
The Angel Guidance Group meets every second Saturday of the month (Sunday in Australia and New Zealand) with Angel Medium Nancy Freier, Author of "Angel Guidance: Wisdom for Navigating Life's Challenges" and publisher of The Inner Voice e-magazine. Nancy leads the group into a growing awareness of those in the higher realms of Spirit and the ways they guide us through the lessons and challenges we face. 
Spiritist Literature: Directed Study (SLIDS) with Ana Castro. 
Developing the skills of mental mediumship and blending with spirit.
George E. Lockett who will talk about his experiences that resulted from 50 years of practising Transcendental Meditation as taught by 
When: Every two weeks on Mondays (UK EUROPE and USA) and Tuesdays at 7 a.m. (Sydney).
Every week participants interested in trying to develop physical mediumship sit in a darkened space in their own homes for 40 minutes, relax, and listen to music. This is a long-term project and participants must be prepared to sit in harmony without much seeming to happen on the surface.
The group meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday to create spirit art with messages. No art experience is required. 
Platform Mediumship with Paul M. Hinson
Every Wednesday with Rob Blackburn and Craig Hogan. Participants sit in a darkened space in their own homes; the group has been going for some time and members are experiencing phenomena. 
“Just like humans, pets form bonds of love and can be motivated by spirit influences to protect and stay close to the ones they love”. This is the explanation provided by the USB spiritual teachers for those extraordinary stories of pets coming to their owners’ rescue in unusual and amazing ways, or of lost pets travelling great distances to rejoin their owners
On November 3, legendary music producer 
FEEDBACK (3 only) 