It is a land of freedom. A land of happiness and smiles. A land of happiness brought about through the real love of man for man. A land to work for—a land in which your place is made according to the knowledge you have had whilst upon earth and the way you have used that knowledge.
It is impossible to over-emphasize the degree of freedom in this new world, or the joy each and all has in it.
In saying that your happiness is gauged by the knowledge acquired on earth and the application of that knowledge, I am saying what is accurate to the smallest detail, but I would like to explain precisely.
On being established here, in the Real World, each one is interviewed by one of the Advanced Spirit Instructors and the whole record of earth is discussed and analyzed. Reason, motive and result. The full and detailed record contains everything, there is nothing overlooked, and this is the time for paying the bill. Each is interviewed alone, and there is a minute analysis of all events, acts and thoughts. Then there is the making good to be gone through, the sum total to be paid.. .for all our thoughtlessness and our unkind acts and words—all that have had direct results must be paid for.
We have then to spend time in close touch with earth, in order, by influence, to make good for our past misdoings; make good as far as possible. Also we have the knowledge and full sight of the results of these earlier acts, and they do not bring happiness; but after that state is passed and we can bring all these things into proper perspective and form a table of work, which will gradually and continually be working out results and troubles we have caused, then we can each one settle down to live here in freedom.
The form of life differs here enormously according to temperament, personality, and the influence of earth life. People vary in strange contrast to one another. Many of us carry on with our same work as on earth. Here we have no need to work in order to obtain daily livelihood, we work here solely for spiritual refinement and progress; at the same time we keep in touch
with our earth interests as a form of recreation.
We are not always, without any break, in one house or another studying this, that and the other; we have a certain program to go through but it has many breaks, and in this "off duty" time we come back to our dear people on earth, and either out of interest and love, or from the desire to be useful, we try our utmost to help them in their material and mental difficulties.
We have every form of recreation here, as I have already told you when dealing with the Blue Island. Any habit or hobby formed on earth can be indulged in here, always providing it is progressive.
From this you can understand that life after death is a very normal and natural affair. We have still our affections, and those which last are still strongly binding links. Between families and friends we have the same affections— and yet not the same, because sometimes on earth there are differences which cause a silence between members of a family, and perhaps over here that family will once more be very united—the earth differences being based solely upon material things—once remove the material and physical and underneath the love often remains.
One great change which death brings is a much broader point of view and a much larger mind. A deeper understanding, a keener intuition, clears away immediately many former difficulties and misunderstandings. Once on this Real World, and once past the first initiation and payment of debts, we are free to do as we wish, but we have to progress or we ourselves curtail our liberties. It is not an enforced progress, we can take our own time about everything, but we must not allow any of earth's instincts to increase in their power over us. We have to learn the new conditions and live for them entirely.
Once free, we can travel at will over our own world and over yours. So great is our speed and method of travel that we can be in two places almost simultaneously.
Everywhere we go we are conscious of the general love for one another. It is much more evident than on earth, and that great affection is the direct cause of the general brightness and radiance of this world. I do mean that it gives off rays of light, but rather that the general atmosphere is light in quality and very invigorating and strength-giving.
Life here is a grander thing—a bolder thing, and a happier thing for all those who have led reasonable lives on earth, but for the unreasonable there are many troubles and difficulties and sorrows to be encountered. There is a great truth in the saying that "as ye sow, so shall ye reap."
CHAPTER XIII GENERAL RESULTS
I have been away from my earth life now a number of years, and although I have been in constant and unbroken touch with my old conditions and affections, I have never, since leaving the Blue Island, had any desire to return to the earth for habitation.
There have been many occasions when I have very badly wanted a tongue for a few hours. With my extra sight I have known the right treatment when seeing certain situations being mishandled. At such times I have very badly wanted to return to earth for an hour, in order to be the means of bringing about great improvements—beyond these passing desires I have had no wish ever to take up residence on earth; my travels and my works and studies on this side of the grave have been of such vital interest. Since being here I have acquired greater knowledge, and have been able to pass to earth people some of that knowledge, at different times.
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Ever since my leaving the world, your world, I have been keenly interested in its development, and very live to all its internal and external difficulties. Patriotism still holds with me, as with most of us, and will continue to hold so long as I have personal ties upon earth. When there are no longer any of these personal ties remaining my interests will gradually and naturally turn more exclusively to this side among my own people, and my place will be filled by another—and so the race goes on—always moving forward, progressing and evolving.
Looking back on it all since I first came to the Blue Isle I have great satisfaction in seeing the advance I have made. Coming here was quite a shock to me. I had no idea that my death was so near when that particular year began, and I certainly had no desire that it should be soon. I had an overwhelming number of important things on my hands. Some of these have been able to finish since, and I have followed the progress of many others. Soon after arrival, I had grown acclimatized to the new conditions, the new appearance of everything, the new power of locomotion and communication. We do not talk to each other very much here, we have a more expressive and intimate way than that. Here, thoughts are communicated from one mind to another without the need of vocal expression, although we can talk in earth manner at will.
There are, of course, many and vast differences between my world and yours, but I always find one of the most blessed and merciful differences between the two to be the manner in which the mental is unhindered by the physical. You on earth have mental desires and ambitions of various kinds, for money, success in business, pleasure, power, knowledge, etc.; but always these desires are limited, cramped, often made impossible owing to your physical condition—here, when the mental desire is good, the field is unlimited. Any mental desire for truth, knowledge, be it what it may, can be gratified in a most astonishing manner in this world. Be it good or bad, it will bring its results, and if the desire is bad it will grow in power and must be paid for; if good, it will grow in power also, and will bring strength and happiness with it.