Cora L. V. Richmond

“ Each and all unfolding, working in whatever line of knowledge and work was theirs to attain and achieve! And to find all the treasured jewels of friendship more bright in the added lustre of the larger life; the flowers in the Garden of true Affection growing more and more transcendently fair! ”

“ It is not always to visit scenes of sorrow and want that the spirit children are led to the earth: Houses, schools, playgrounds, “Lyceums,” where the little ones of earth are taught, places of entertainment and amusement where they play, and sing, and grow; there also are the playmates of the spirit-home mingling with them and endeavoring to impress them with thoughts and deeds of loving kindness with things of beauty.
Returning to the Realm of Spirit Children one finds such respite from care, such constant sources of happiness, such fashioning of forms of beauty. ”

“ As they passed through the encompassing clouds circles of rainbows o’er-spanned them and paths of rainbows guided them to their spirit-home. When the other children saw them approaching they sang, “O, the rainbows! O, the rainbows! When you dry the tears of sorrow and help those in need you make rainbows.”
All spirit children are taught to visit the scenes of Earth life. The home and its loved ones, where they are missed, ever attracts them and they are taught to minister, to aid, to guard. If they had no home on Earth they try to aid those who still remain in the “orphan” realm of human life. ”

“ It is to them alone that the message for them can be given.
The transcendent brightness and spiritual beauty of that assemblage of spirits—from guardian spirits of relatives and friends to the wisest and most advanced that one could see, are beyond my power of language to express. ”

“ Many times, almost numberless, I had experienced the wonderful consciousness of being absent from my human form, of mingling with arisen friends in their higher state of existence, but, until this time I had always known that it was only for a brief season and that there was a tie—a vital and psychic tie—binding me to return to my earth form. ”

“ All this and a thousand times more of inward awakening came to me as I grew in the perception of the Knowledge of the Spirit.
“Those Who Love Their Fellow-Beings”
I saw a countless multitude growing brighter, more resplendent, as I was led nearer. Among them were those more radiant than the others—greater, it seemed, in the scope and power of their spirits.
I recognized—not always from personal knowledge on Earth—some of the individuals who were there, centers of groups of radiant ones, those who, when in Earth life “loved their fellow men” ”

“ Spiritual knowledge, the unfoldment of the highest from within, this alone can change the ‘shadowed states’ of Earth into brightness. Every life must be reached; every mind touched and awakened by the spirit ”

“ From the storm-scenes of contending forces, from the darkness of Spiritual night, from the uncertain states, like dim twilight, one ever turns in spirit to the Beloved, to the groups of loved and loving ones that constitute the “Home of the Spirit.” “Spiritual rest is change,” respite from witnessing the unhappy [37] conditions, the shadows of spiritual states that one cannot at once remedy. “Rest” is not idleness: communion, companionship, working together for those who can be aided—this is rest. ”

“ Such minds know that Truths belong to minds—and that somewhere are greater minds than one’s own—who can impart knowledge. Truth is the common heritage of souls; of Intelligence; and happy is the mind, spirit or Angel that can perceive or receive it from any source. Intelligence alone perceives and imparts Intelligence.
The process of imparting knowledge from spirit to spirit (whether those imparting and receiving are in spirit states or still in Earth-forms) , grows ever more and more interesting as one passes into greater awakening and perception of the realities, the verities of spirit. ”

“ The Soldier knows that he is to confront possible and even probable physical death—and being thus prepared often is less surprised and shocked when he finds himself “out of his body.” Yet, wherever the need may be, the “strong helpers” are there: above every scene of human sacrifice, whether Cataclysmic, “natural causes” or the result of human ignorance and neglect, or the self-seeking aggression of war, there are they—the dear ones, the strong ones, the saving ones! ”

“ Those who had “Talent,” hoping to achieve the works of “Genius”—sometime, somewhere, are still intent on fashioning reproductions or imitations of natural objects and scenes, or impressing art students of Earth to produce such effects. But these are not the creators—“every ‘creation’ is from within and must live,” said my Teacher.
One wishes for a magic pen, or for a perfect Gift of Expression, to convey in language the subtle consciousness of the Beauty and Harmony that meet one as one is led to the “Atmospheres” of some of the
“Creators of Beauty.” ”

“ There are no Orphans in the Spirit Realm:
Mothers whose babes are in the Earth life help to care for those “little waifs” thrust out of human existence—and for spirit children that pine for Mother love.
Children whose parents are in Earth life are taught to aid and comfort those in the home as well as those who have no home. Especially cared for are the little “waifs” who were not welcome in the Earth-forms—even those who have not seen the light of earthly day—not always from among the poor of earth were they driven, especially those abandoned by the unfortunate or misguided mothers. ”

“ Even if one could give in human language the form of teaching (or methods) of the spirit states, the law of adaptation prevailing in the higher realms might not always be available in human life.
How beautiful to know that growth—and the best opportunity for the highest unfoldment with most loving teachers and Guardians surround the darlings who have passed from the households of Earth. ”

“ One would like to say so much while comparing the “Educational” process of spirit states with the methods of Earth (excellent as some of the latter have become) ; but one must hasten to record added experiences while they are near to the outward consciousness from within. For when one enters again into the daily life of Earth, even although it is ever pervaded by those surpassing scenes, the vividness of the higher state becomes dimmed by the necessary veiling that human conditions bring. ”

“ Long are these “Inventions” and “discoveries” known in Spirit states before the one is “born” into human life that can give them outward Expression. How luminous seemed the Atmospheres of Spirit thus surrounding those in Earth life when the Heavenly presences were near! And such lives are always luminous in their own brightness or the Higher ones could not “draw near” and inspire them.
The people know the names of some of those now on Earth whose “discoveries,” “inventions,” and works have transformed the world! ”

“ Knowledge is imparted by adaptation.
All such imparting of knowledge must be by adaptation. The Spirit is attracted—would be from the very nature of the Spirit—to the one best prepared to receive from that Spirit. Thus the subtle law of imparting knowledge by adaptation governs the realm of spirit and constitutes the basis of deciding concerning “Guides,” “Guardian Spirits,” and all “ministering ones.” Affection determines the intimate personal guardians. ”

“ From those whom I met in their homes of peace and love and work were many messages to be delivered in person by me to the dear ones on Earth—messages that might be of interest here to show that true affection and personal watchfulness are more manifested from the spirit side of life than people know; even those accustomed to spirit communion and ministration do not realize all that they might of this nearness. ”

“ One perceives in such states as were there revealed that the true “artist” has not always been known among his fellow human beings, moving upon the world of thought, influencing other lives by the beauty and harmony of their own natures, these seem, when viewed from the spirit, to constitute the real artists. ”

“ Spirits, the wise ones, do not make the mistake, as many do in human life, of trying to force upon the minds of those whom they teach the truths or knowledge for which those minds are not prepared: “Arithmetic first, after that geometry and higher mathematics,” is the rule in Earth schools. So in the instruction by spirit Teachers there is adaptation to the pupil not only of the Teacher but of that which is to be taught. ”

“ Long and earnestly they spoke of the things to be when the children of Earth shall be set free from the shadows caused by ignorance. I more and more perceived some of the personalities of those illuminated ones, and more than once was I surprised that those who had been of such widely different conditions, environment, education, habits of mind, and, one would think, opposite spiritual states could be together! ”

“ More wonderful than all else was the knowledge that many who had never painted, carved, builded, or traced the “score” of musical composition were surrounded and pervaded by such ineffable loveliness that one could weep for very joy on perceiving it.
[53] “Art is Great, but the perception of the Soul of Beauty is Life! ”

“ Perhaps I have elsewhere written that music in spirit states does not always accompany the one who was a “musician” on Earth; and harmony of color, beautiful surroundings may ensphere one who [51] never thought of being an “artist.” Their lives have been interwoven with sweet and loving thoughts and deeds. ”

“ All exalted lives (spiritually) moving and living in similar planes of thought—born of their spiritual states—are attracted to each other in spirit life for the interchange of perceptions of Truth and bearing forward the work of illuminating such minds on Earth as are ready to receive along the lines of human progress and unfoldment, imparting “the things they are ready to know.” ”

“ Human minds are better prepared to comprehend the methods of spirit communicating with spirit since “wireless telegraphy” and other recent scientific wonders have been achieved, not that the process is similar in any degree, but being prepared for the new revealments in science also prepares impartial minds to know of the more subtle powers of the spirit. “Volition” in its highest analysis is the one attribute of the spirit by which other spirits know—through perception, what is being imparted, but there must ever be accord, sympathy, adaptation. ”

“ In some instances the temporary separation was caused by accident, illness, states of coma induced by anesthetics, trance, either of spirit control or hypnosis, and sometimes a voluntary absence or activity not suspending the vital functions of the body. It is also undoubtedly true that during sleep—especially that restful, dreamless sleep that betokens a normal state of mind and body, the spirit avails itself of the opportunity of restoration by spiritual methods and activities not possible while urging the body to do its bidding. ”

“ Of the many eminent men of Science in both Europe and America who have come to a knowledge of the truths of Spirit existence, continuance of life after transition,—and the writer has known them all personally, except the one she is about to mention,—probably Sir Oliver Lodge has approached the subject of “psychic Research” (Spiritualism) with a mind the best prepared to receive (perceive) Spiritual Truth. ”

“ All human sensations, as sight and hearing, are readily perceived by one awakening to spiritual states to be but manifestations of consciousness through the physical limitations to which the spirit in its mental states of earth becomes accustomed. ”

“ Bodily imperfections, infirmities and disease, unless retained psychologically by having constantly encroached upon the mind, or deformities that are dwelt upon mentally, are dropped with the body; but such infirmities of mind as are born of an undue “egotism,” undue self love, (the capital “I” around which the universe revolves) , must be removed before the spirit can enter upon real work. ”

“ All cannot be aided to at once perceive the new-found condition: everything must depend on the degree of spiritual preparedness, which is often greater among the humble and lowly—who have a line of simple life, simple love, simple duty to follow than among the more complex mental and moral states of the “leaders.” ”

“ Where there seems to be delay, and often doubt in the minds of those on Earth as to the presence and ministration of the loved one who has been summoned, it is because of Earthly barriers, because those in the human state cannot perceive—and many, alas, are not willing to receive the spirit friend. ”

“ As the Spirit unfolds the thought-forms change and then disappear as perception takes the place of limitation by the senses.”
[19] With the almost axiomatic proposition that “our world of life is what we make it” our spirit-surroundings and conditions the result of our states of unfoldment, it became less difficult even when returning to the limitations of human organism to understand the conditions of existence in the “next stage” of personal experience beyond the “transition” misnamed “death.” ”

“ When human hands and hearts, even though the latter is wrung by pain, seek to help others who are in sorrow or need, then the way is opened and the helpers are helped by the ministering ones.
To mourn the friend as utterly “gone” who has only dropped the outer garments of the dust is to close, for the time, the avenue of communication or ministration. Long must the spirit helpers work and wait for people to be ready to receive their response [17] to the call for aid. ”