“Firstly, then, it is perfectly dry - I could detect no trace of moisture. I found that it ran off the hand in much the same way that dry sand will do. Its colors vary in a wide range of tones… In some places, it is of fine granular formation, while in others, it is composed of much coarser particles - that is, relatively coarser. One of the unexpected properties of this soil is the fact that, while it can be taken into the hand and allowed to run from it smoothly and freely, yet when it is undisturbed it remains fully cohesive, supporting as firmly as the earthly soil all that is growing within it.” — Life in the World Unseen
Soil in the lower realms is stonier and rougher and eventually gives way almost completely to rocks, but those rocks have none of the charm of rocks on earth. The rocks on the lower levels have a grim and foreboding appearance matching the unfriendly, unwelcoming character of the inhabitants of the region.
“As we approach the dark regions, the soil, such as I have described to you, loses its granular quality and its color. It becomes thick, heavy, and moist, until it finally gives place entirely to stones, and then rock.” — Life in the World Unseen
Soil in the higher realms becomes increasingly exotic and more crystalline or gem-like in quality and structure.
“We plunged our hands into some of the soil [of a higher level] and allowed it to trickle through our fingers in a gentle stream. As it descended, there issued from it the sweetest musical tones, as though it were falling upon some tiny musical instrument and causing the keys to produce a ripple of sound.” — Life in the World Unseen
No Place Like Home
"We go there [to our homes] for the comfort of companionship. I mean quiet companionship; for our homes are as sacred to our personality as an earthly home. No one intrudes, no crowds gather; but quiet companionship is there, and the many things we love: books, music, pictures, rest, or the entertaining of friends…” — Spirit World and Spirit Life
“Our homes resemble those you have on earth, yet far are superior because they can be made as perfect as the tenants desire. Home in this life depends upon the taste and character of the occupant.” — Secret of Death
Although, strictly speaking a house or home is not really necessary - and some prefer not to have one - most people do have their own house. Some live in family groups and some live in their own place, either on their own or with people they feel in rapport with.
As it is getting near the time for a person to come over from their Earth life, friends, relatives, or a Guardian keeping an eye on the them, will make arrangements for a house to be created on their behalf.
“It has often been said that we build our spirit homes during our earthly lives - or after. That is so only in a broad sense. What we have built is the right to [have a house] for it requires an expert to erect a house that would justify the name. My own home was built for me… by builders. My friends had looked after all the details entailed in such work. They had sought out the people to undertake the task, and the latter had carried into effect a fine piece of craftsmanship.” — Life in the World Unseen
The type of house will reflect the preference of the person coming over, and it will also reflect the type of life they have lived. If they prefer a cozy cottage, even if by rights they could have one of the ‘many mansions’; then a cozy cottage is what they will have.
The houses need no upkeep as there is no dust, dirt, storms or any cause of damage or any wear and tear.
“In reply to my query as to the invisible agency that was responsible for the good order of the house during my absence, Edwin [my guide] answered me by himself asking the question: what is there to disturb the order of the house? There can be no dust, because there is no decay of any sort whatsoever. There can be no dirt, because here in spirit, there is nothing to cause it. The household duties that are so very familiar and so very irksome on the earth plane are here non-existent… And so, what remains that might require attention? We have then but to walk out of our houses, leaving all doors and windows open - our houses have no locks upon them! And we can return when we wish.” — Life in the World Unseen
If a person has lived a very selfish and materialistic life, and dominated others to the extent of making everyone around them miserable, then they will find themselves in a hovel, or worse - till they learn of their error and mend their ways.
The average person finds themselves in a house ideally suited to their character and needs. Someone will also take care to ensure there is a lovely garden around the house too if it suits the person’s tastes. When later their tastes, or needs, change, the house can be modified, rooms added or whatever is required. Also, the garden can be modified too, and willing, able and skilled help is easily available from those who truly delight in that kind of work.
Flowers
“The flowers and all growing things respond immediately to those who love them and appreciate them. The music that they send out operates under precisely the same law.” — Life in the World Unseen
Flowers there are virtually always in bloom, but the people ‘never tire’ of enjoying them. Of course, they like a change from time to time, just as we do. But it seems to be that much of the ‘I am tired of this’ feeling, which we experience while in a physical body, even for pleasant experiences, is much rarer.
“We have the most glorious flowers here, some of them like the old familiar cherished blooms of the earth-plane, others known only to the spirit world, but all alike are superb, the perpetual joy of all of us who are surrounded with them. They are divine creations, each single flower breathing the pure air of spirit, and upheld by their Creator and by all of us here in the love that we shower upon them. Had we no wish for them - an impossible supposition! - they would be swept away. And what should we have in their stead? Where, otherwise, would the great wealth of color come from which the flowers provide?” — Life in the World Unseen
The abundance of flowers in many places does seem to be one of the most notable features. Naturally, there are also contrasts and large areas where there are other types of plants or just grass. Flowers, trees and plants are not just for appearances sake as they exude a life-enhancing and life-giving energy much to the delight of the inhabitants.
“Earthly flowers, although living, make no immediate personal response when one comes into close touch with them. But here it is vastly different. Spirit flowers are imperishable, and that should at once suggest more than mere life within them, and spirit flowers, as well as all other forms of nature, are created by the Great Father of the Universe through his agents in the realms of spirit. They are part of the immense stream of life that flows directly from Him, and that flows through every species of botanic growth. That stream never ceases, never falters, and it is, moreover, continuously fed by the admiration and love which we, in this world of spirit, gratefully shed upon such choice gifts of the Father. Is it, then, to be wondered at, when we take the tiniest blossom within our hands, that we should feel such an influx of magnetic power, such a revivifying force, such an upliftment of one's very being, when we know, in truth, that those forces for our betterment are coming directly from the Source of all good.” — Life in the World Unseen
Water and The Sea
Some New Arrivals ask their guide, “Is there a sea somewhere? As there are lakes and streams, then, perhaps there is an ocean?” Edwin, their guide, replied “Of course”, and since they were so eager, they agreed to be taken straight to one.
“We were soon walking along a beautiful stretch of open country with the grass like a green velvet carpet beneath our feet.… A short walk brought us to the edge of the grassland, and then the most glorious panorama of ocean spread out before us… The view was simply magnificent. Never had I expected to behold such sea. Its coloring was the most perfect reflection of the blue of the sky above, but in addition, it reflected a myriad rainbow tints in every little wavelet. …
From where we were, I could see islands of some considerable size in the distance - islands that looked most
attractive and must certainly be visited! Beneath us was a fine stretch of beach upon which we could see people seated at the water's edge, but there was no suggestion of over-crowding! And floating upon this superb sea, some close at hand, others standing a little way out, were the most beautiful boats - though I think I am not doing them full justice by calling them mere boats. Ships would be more apposite. I wondered who could own these fine vessels, and Edwin told us that we could own one ourselves if we so wished. Many of the owners lived upon them, having no other home but their boat. It made no difference. There they could live [as long as they liked], for here it is perpetual summer.” — Life in the World Unseen
Thoughts of the sea often make many of us think of summer. The comment that it is like ‘perpetual summer’ there might make you wonder whether it would not get a bit tedious after a while. You might remember a holiday where it was a bit too sunny for a bit too long. However, the experience of summer you will have over there, in your spiritual body, is very different to the experience of summer you have here in your physical body. Summer there is an aspect of love. Divine Love is healthy for the spiritual body and you will not grow tired of it any more than you could grow tired of feeling healthy.
The water there seems to have very different properties from the water on Earth levels. For one thing, since it is impossible to drown, people can dive, swim or float at will, whether they are skilled swimmers or not. And, if necessary, they could mentally transport themselves right out of the water and onto land in an instant. There is no need for fear of the water and it is reported as ‘friendly’ in some indefinable way. All water there acts as a carrier for vital forces and enhances and enlivens the spiritual body, so it is a great delight to be immersed in the water for swimming or even just splashing around.
“A short walk down a pleasant winding path brought us to a sandy seashore… The water was of a pleasantly warm temperature… It was, of course, perfectly buoyant, possessed no single harmful element or characteristic, but it was, on the contrary, life-sustaining. To bathe in its waters was to experience a perfect manifestation of spiritual force.” — Life in the World Unseen
A beach would not be a beach, without sand. The sand there has some very peculiar qualities to it as explained here:
“The sand upon which we were walking had none of the unpleasant features associated with the seashore of the earth plane. It was never tiring to walk on. Although it had every appearance of sand as we had always known it, yet to the tread it was firm in consistency although soft to the touch of the hand. In fact, this peculiar quality rendered it more like well-kept lawns to walk on, so closely did the grains hold together.” — Life in the World Unseen
Science and Inventions
"The joy of acquiring knowledge is one of the delights of this life. We never tire of learning, for we love knowledge too much. It is only earth weariness that may hinder you. We learn of the stars and all the elements that compose the stars. Then all the diversified lives on the millions of planets surrounding the stars; all the products and combinations of chemical action; all the history of life from its lowest forms upward; light, electricity, sound waves, musical vibrations and the harmonies resulting therefrom; all that is beautiful in the world of art or in the world of literature. Of course, not all these are studied at once nor by the same person.” — Spirit World and Spirit Life
Mental and intellectual development do not stop when we leave behind our physical body. These capacities are a natural ability of the spiritual body and even those who were ‘a bit slow’ when on the earth gradually discover that they have an excellent mind, with a perfect memory they can cultivate and develop. Those with scientific leanings find plenty of opportunity to develop their skills and explore their interests. They can study the nature of things in the spirit world or investigate new discoveries that would be useful on Earth. These discoveries are then ‘placed’ as ideas into the minds of scientists on Earth who are working on that topic and who are open to inspiration.
Any rivalry and competition between scientist and engineers drops away as there is no need or any pressure to compete. They do not have a reputation to advance or maintain, or funding to win, and so on.
“The great scientists of the earth-plane find, when they come to live in the spirit world, that they have a completely new world upon which to commence a fresh course of investigations. They begin again as it were, but with all their great earthly experience behind them. And what joy it brings them, in company with their scientific colleagues, to probe the mysteries of the spirit world, to collect their data, to compare their new knowledge with the old, to record for the benefit of others the results of their investigations and discoveries. And all through they have the unlimited resources of the spirit world upon which to draw. And joy is in their hearts.
Here, they can solve those mysteries that baffled them when they were on earth. There is no longer any such thing as personal rivalry. Reputations have no more to be made, and the many material handicaps are abandoned forever. It follows that where such a gathering of savants can exist, together with their unlimited resources, the results must be correspondingly great.” — Life in the World Unseen
Many scientists, engineers and inventors still like to investigate or ’tinker’ with things even when they have left behind an earthly body. Of course, they do not need the types of inventions specific to the Earth: such as in transportation, communication and medicine. Yet, uplifting the lives of those on Earth is a joy to them. They can still feel the desire to create a better world - even though they are already living in one themselves. There are many more discoveries and wonders to be brought into the world. Yet, this depends on humanity reaching a point in our evolution where we can use such things for wider benefit and not to consolidate the power of the few. Some things are ready and waiting to be given to us on Earth, but as yet would be too dangerous till we progress morally.
“In many cases, where two men are working upon the same problem, the one who is in spirit will be far ahead of his ‘colleague’ who is still on earth. A hint from the former is very often enough to set the latter upon the right track, and the result is a discovery for the benefit of humanity. In so many cases, humanity has so benefited, but, alas, in so many cases humanity has suffered sorrow and tribulation through the devilish perversion of those discoveries. Every one of them that is sent from the spirit world is for the advantage and spiritual progression of [humanity]. If perverted minds use those same things for the destruction of man, then man has only himself to blame.” — Life in the World Unseen
Music and Sound
“…the music is there, but we please ourselves entirely whether we wish to hear it or listen to it. We can completely isolate ourselves from all sound, or we can throw ourselves open to all sound, or just hear that which pleases us most.” — Life in the World Unseen
In the Afterlife, music and sound, like everything else there, is in great abundance. Freed from limitations of their physical body, musicians can develop their skills to a far greater extent than before. Their memory is perfect and their mastery of their Afterlife body is more complete and immediate.
No longer distracted by issues like fame, earning a living and so on, they can explore the world of music till their heart’s delight. Also, there is an inherent ‘musicality’ in the nature there in that flowers, and as mentioned before, these produce subtle sounds as well as looking beautiful and smelling wonderful.
This does not mean that it is all a cacophony. That would not be heaven! Your spiritual body is well able to ‘tune out’ any sounds you don’t want to hear and to focus on those you do. And, of course, there are places of peace, quiet and solitude - to a profundity that we never experience on Earth.
Music and sound are fundamental to the expression of the soul. They are ways in which humanity expresses and creates. They are also ways in which the Divine Mind expresses and creates. The Divine Mind uses music and sound to gently reach out to humanity, and humanity can al
so use these to reach out to the Divine Mind.
Many musicians, and ‘frustrated’ musicians, find great delight in exploring the world of music when they enter the next world. There are places for them to study, plenty of instruments to play (some not yet seen or heard on Earth), experts to learn from, fellow musicians to play with, orchestras and bands to join and plenty of audiences to entertain.
“We were extremely interested in the many instruments that have no counterpart upon the earth-plane. They are, for the most part, specially adapted to the forms of music that are exclusive to the spirit world, and they are for that reason very much more elaborate. Such instruments are only played with others of their kind for their distinctive music.” — Life in the World Unseen
Music there is not only heard; it can also be seen. It creates musical forms in shapes and colors around the performance area. Sometimes, when a songwriter or composer goes over to the spirit world, they are enthralled when they see the form that their music takes. Sometimes they might decide to modify the work they have created in response to that form - as they can see it was not in line with what they really wanted. Other times, they are horrified with the shape the music takes and wish they had never created such a work.
The act of creation is a sacred thing. Whether it is a book, a work of art, an invention, or a piece of music. Such things often outlive the one who created them on Earth. This means that the effect of the work may continue even when they have come over to the spirit world. This can be a cause of great delight, or deep regret, depending on the nature of the work.
However, all is not lost. All things fade in time, and even a work of low spiritual value may be a way of raising up those even lower still. The more useful, beautiful and nobler works live on and become part of the life and work of the artist who has started their new life over there.
Some creative people, though their work is not particularly refined, have a way of reaching the hearts and minds of the people of their times, or of their generation. Though their creations may not have great artistic merit, they are able to help inspire appreciation, gratitude and love in many people. They bring light and color into people’s lives. Artists and performers can help raise humanity to a higher level by reaching people where they are - if those artists and performers use their gifts wisely and do not just court fame at any price. This is no small thing, whether in this life or in the next.
Afterlife Adventures Page 9