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BRAVE NEW WORLDS OF BODY, MIND & SPIRIT: The Soul, by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Bringing together the best of the Old and the New
The fourth—this focusing on Soul—in a series, by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke

(As I've prefaced the previous editorials in this series, I want to state that I do not consider myself an "expert." I've been a student all my 77 years of this lifetime, and I’m well read in most areas of Body, Mind & Spirit sometimes, called "the Occult." I'm also well read in Psychology, Philosophy, Religions, History, Mythology, the Healing Sciences, Science, and those alternative areas sometimes called "strange science" that include the Paranormal, UFOs, Politics, Human Behavior and Sexuality, and various observations that don't quite fit the predominant belief system. I'm not a clairvoyant, an ascended master, a channel for advanced beings, or anything else that would enable me to claim to know more than you do. But, I think a lot and I'm writing about what I've come to believe as the result of study and thinking. That's it. I'm an old man who reads, meditates, and thinks—and I'm sharing my personal beliefs. I also want you to know that I am optimist. I think we'll survive 2012, and that we will co-create a better world.)

In my last editorial, I am writing about Soul and Personality, the big "I" and the little "I."

Do you have a Soul? Or does a Soul have you? Think about it: If you believe in reincarnation at all, you don't believe it is your body that is born again. Nor do you believe it is your Mind, because if it were, you should have conscious past life memories. Is Soul then Spirit?

Before answering that, let's see what we really mean when we talk about your body and your mind. Your body is a particular coming together of physical substance guided by your DNA and other codes and filled with life energy. The most amazing part of the process is the formation of a "matrix" through and around your body directing the flow of energy. Within this matrix are the several auras, the chakras, and the various meridians and channels that make the totality that functions as your physical and energy body.

Your Mind is not your brain, although the brain is its primary physical vehicle. Like the physical body, the Mind is a coming together of mental substance guided by the "I." The "I" is not who you think you are, but is, in fact, the main manager in charge of mind and body. The little "I," as I call it, the Personality, has the prime responsibility for trying to make your life meaningful and expressive of your "life purpose."

"Life Purpose!" Where did that come from? It's the job you were given for this lifetime. It is not the job of being a mom or dad, of being a responsible person and citizen, or the one you are paid for whether you are a field worker or President of the United States. Your Life Purpose is a "plan" for the lessons you're learning. It is not written out as a series of steps like a study program but rather as a goal you will hopefully fulfill. And the goal may seem very simple, but all those goals together define the entire plan for humanity. A "plan for humanity?" We can get into that, sometimes called "the Great Plan," another time.

Where did your Life Purpose come from? According to the research of Dr. Michael Newton and others, it involves your Soul and various guides. The Soul is the "permanent being" behind the Personality, the Mind & Body combination that is yours alone. The Personality is the little "I" that you think of as your self, but it is not the Soul. In a "mythic" sense, the Soul is "up there" and the Personality is "down here." Of course, in an ultimate cosmological and spiritual sense, there really is no up there and down here, but we are not yet anywhere near that ultimate unity.

Just as the body is an assembly of physical substance, and the Mind an assembly of mental substance, I believe the Soul is an assembly of spiritual substance—what we commonly call "Spirit." At the physical level, we work with physical substance in a variety of ways and forms. At the mental level, we work with mental substance, and the Soul level we work with spirit substance. All of this leads to the realization that the ultimate, big "I" is not physical, mental, or spiritual.

(We have a big problem because of the loose way we use words. We think of "spiritual" as the opposite of "physical." It is not. We do not have a good word for "that which is above that which is below," so we say "spiritual" in an abstract sense to mean, essentially, that which we are striving toward. It is our goal for our "becoming more than we are.")

Just as the Personality is not Soul, I believe that the Soul is not the big "I," but is a vehicle just as the Personality is. And just as there is a kind of "disconnect" between Personality and Soul, so is there a "disconnect" between Soul and the big "I." By "disconnect" I mean to convey the Soul may not be paying a lot of attention to the Personality, but can be appealed to through meditation, prayer, and ritual. When a connection is made, there is a flow of Love and Intelligence called the"Knowledge & Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel."

How do you make the connection? Firstly, when the student is ready, the master will appear. You cannot command this, but you can prepare for it, and you can ask for it, you can pray for it, and you can "open the way" for it. I like to call it "bridge building"—like a bridge between worlds. The point is that we have to work to grow, and growth involves transformation so that we become more than we are and it is in becoming that we fulfill the plan.

Everything we know about the universe shows that change and growth always happen. Species evolve, the Universe expands, and the Soul grows. The "substances" that compose all things evolve through the experience of life moving through them. The Soul evolves as it accumulates abstract human experiences retained as memories. "Memories" are like computer folders containing many files. We can "drill down" and examine any of those memories through past life regression and other techniques of self-knowledge. Through self-knowledge, we learn the lessons for our life purpose.

At each level, substance is organized into entities by thought-forms and life-force. At the human level, Intelligence and Soul are added. Soul is ever incarnating to grow as an individual. Each of us results from a push and pull—Push from the past of evolution and heredity, Pull from the future by the Divine Matrix of "In this image did We create them."

Evolution is a fact, but it is given direction by the Divine Matrix, the Great Plan. I like to use that word, "Light." Humanity has been enriched by the "messengers of Light" and at the same time we must reach for the Light. "Light" is more than a metaphor. We can say that it is a spiritual reality, for as we meditate and see ourselves filled with Light we are using that experience to change and transform the Personality to call to the Soul and open the way for that union.

It's a long journey (the entire formula of the Tarot), but all journeys begin with a first step and progress with more steps. That journey is our Life Purpose. For us, it is a combination of Knowledge and Action. We study Knowledge, but unless we Act with purpose, we have yet to take the first steps on the Journey.

Selected reading:

Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives, by Michael Newton, Ph.D
Life Between Lives: Hypnotherapy for Spiritual Regression, by Michael Newton, Ph.D
The Gaia Project: 2012, The Earth's Coming Great Chances, by Hwee-Yong Jang
What Happens After Death: Scientific & Personal Evidence for Survival, by Migene González-Wippler
Beyond Reincarnation: Experience Your Past Lives & Lives Between Lives, by Joe H. Slate, Ph.D.
Magical Use of Thought Forms: A Proven System of Mental & Spiritual Empowerment, By Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki & J. H. Brennan
Meditation as Spiritual Practice: Meditation for Expanding Consciousness & Awareness, by Genevieve Paulson
You Are the Answer: Discovering and Fulfilling Your Soul’s Purpose, by Michael J. Tamura

Carl's other editorials are also available:

Brave New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit: The Body

Brave New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit: The Mind

Brave New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit: The Spirit

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2008. All rights reserved.

About three months ago, I bought a Columbia jacket on eBay. The jacket was so nice and so cheap that I was worried it was stolen merchandise, so I e-mailed the seller directly. She told me that it was her daughter's favorite jacket but she had died in a car accident while wearing it! I was in shock and wanted to cancel my purchase, but she'd already sent it so all I could do was wait. Here is where the weird stuff starts. First I noticed her daughter's name was written on the name tag, the tags on the inside, and on the inside of each sleeve. The daughter also kissed the inside of each sleeve with lip gloss! The coat is also lightly stained from normal wear. I e-mailed the mother again and she said her daughter was very protective of her jacket and she wanted to make sure everyone knew it was hers. A couple of days later, I noticed a sweet yet pungent smell coming from the jacket. I looked at it and noticed that the stains from normal wear had somehow gotten worse from just being in my closet. I suspected mold or mildew but this didn't seem to be the case. I decided to wash it. I followed the washing instructions and then put the coat in the dryer. Afterward, the stains and scent had gotten worse! To make a long story short, I decided to try keeping the jacket and wearing it. The stains seem to come and go, as does the pungent smell. I'm not the only one who notices it, either; when it kicks up, people ask me what that smell is. What usually happened was the smell or stains would get bad so I'd take the jacket off, then they'd disappear so I'd wear it again, and then they'd come back again. I got tired of this so I put the jacket away in my closet, and that's where it's been for the last month. As long as I don't touch it, there are no stains on it and almost no scent. What do you think this is? Is it possible that the girl who owned it is trying to hold onto it from the grave? Thanks!

Kelsey

Astrea:

Over the years, I've learned that something has to be done with the treasured belongings of the dead so their spirits no longer feel attached to the Earth plane.

Often loved ones have no idea what to do with those treasured possessions. Most precious things go to the people they were intended to go to, but there are some items that don't seem valuable that spirits may be strongly attached to. Garments are often connected to spirits because the family usually holds on to departed loved ones' clothing - these are often the last objects disposed of.

The girl whose jacket you're wearing (when you can wear it!) hasn't completely moved on. No matter what you do, those vibrations are going to stay in that jacket unless she accepts that she's not here on the Earth plane anymore and can't wear it. She will continue to come in and out until she moves on.

She's not strong enough to manifest as a spirit, so you're stuck with these feelings and smells. The main problem now is that she seems to be manifesting through that jacket, and therefore through YOU! Your own attachment to that jacket is becoming more like hers was. Be aware of this, and don't take any chances with your own Harmony.

There is a rare but possible danger that when she died, she was being bothered in some way by negative energies. People who use alcohol, drugs, or take extreme risks in their lives are often accompanied by negative forces.

You can't afford to adopt those energies along with that jacket. If you've already tried the old remedies such as sprinkling Holy Water on it under the full moon every month for six months, bathing it in the noon sun for an hour on the 21st of three sequential months, or smudging it with burning sage for an hour, it's time to get rid of the thing.

Because this jacket could be the very last thing holding that poor girl to the Earth plane, it needs to be destroyed. Since she can't move on by herself, it's up to you to help her. You didn't ask to, but because you have her favorite article of clothing, it's your job to do it now.

If she was cremated, the jacket should be burned as soon as possible. If she was buried, you can either bury the jacket (away from your home, please!) or place it in moving water like the ocean or a river.

The pinch you feel from releasing your own attachment to the jacket is nothing like what could happen if you hang on to the thing for a few more years, so get rid of it right away.

*****

Susyn:

I support your theory that this girl doesn't want anyone else wearing her jacket. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the mother is being haunted by this girl for selling it.

Ghost stains and odors are not that unusual. Spirits often convey their presence via smells, most commonly emitting odors that were associated with them when they were living. People who have passed over often manifest odors to their loved ones such as cigar or cigarette smoke if they smoked, a favorite perfume, or the aroma of a certain food that can be directly associated with them. These events aren't necessarily negative; the spirits simply want people to know they are still around.

After my ex-husband passed, I would often encounter the smell of Juicy Fruit gum whenever I got in my car. This was his favorite gum and he always had a pack in his pocket. The odor was stronger than usual and impossible to miss. As soon as someone else would get in the car with me, however, the smell would disappear almost instantly.

I'm curious to know if the daughter was wearing this jacket when she passed, as the stains and odor you describe don't seem to be associated with a familiar or pleasant smell. In fact, it sounds as if they are deliberately designed to ward off anyone from wearing the jacket. Consequently, these phenomena will continue if anyone else tries to wear the jacket.

Ghost stains are also known to appear and disappear at random, or they may be triggered when one encounters an accident scene or location in a home where someone has died. Some people have even seen blood stains that seem to come from nowhere and disappear just as quickly.

Chances are that the mother who sold the jacket also encountered the same stains and smells you did, but isn't willing to admit it; this could account for the inexpensive price you paid.

I doubt you'll be able to get your money back, but it would be wonderful if this jacket could somehow be returned to the daughter. If she was buried, the coat should be placed on her grave; if she was cremated, the ideal way to bring her peace might be to burn the coat in a ceremonial way to send its essence to the other side.

I sense that the girl's mother wouldn't be willing to do such a thing, and if you returned it to her, she might even re-list it on eBay. Perhaps this jacket found its way to you so that it could be properly dealt with in a way that would bring some peace to the young girl it once belonged to.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.