The Unquiet Dead: Visitations from Beyond the Veil

The world's mythology and literature are haunted by spectral visitors from "the other side," ectoplasmic intruders aiding, warning, guiding, and terrorizing humankind. Every culture, from the aboriginal to the wired, spins tales of vaporous apparitions, of a constant commerce across the permeable boundary dividing souls freed of flesh from those still encased within it. If death silences the lips, whence arises the ceaseless clamor from beyond the veil?

Swimming in gelatin

Your senses deceive you. They convince you that you live in a world of rock, water, and air; and that living creatures draw upon these three basic elements to form their bodies. As modern physics confirms, the various densities of matter you perceive are in truth swirling fields of vibration governed by principles of attraction and resistance.

Rather than moving through an "empty" atmosphere of air, it is more accurate to say you are swimming in gelatin. That is, air plays host to highly energized particles swirling in unstable, dynamically shifting fields of vibration knowing much more resistance than attraction. This has several effects. One is that it allows life to flourish. Because bedrock, soil, and any durable substance, including the foods you ingest, are heavily skewed toward "attraction," they provide the stability and consistency physical beings require to survive. Yet without the stimulative influence of air—that madly swirling dance of resistance—your body and those of all other beings would soon slow to the deadly static pulse of bedrock.

We offer a new word for this gelatinous field of vibration you call air: gelair. By coining a word we avoid having to use familiar words in unfamiliar meanings. Gelair is the seemingly empty and invisible field floating above bedrock, host to a crackling swirl of resistance essential for living creatures to balance the static pull of bedrock.

Going astral

Death is a sequential process, of which only the first step is apparent on the earthly plane. The consciousness animating a body departs, leaving a decaying corpse behind. This is how you define death. But there are many steps beyond this initial liberation of the soul. It does not instantly shuck off the trappings and habits of physical existence, but gradually releases them as it rises through a series of increasingly rarefied etheric fields. These fields are not literally tiered in ascending levels toward some distant heaven; all fields overlap and interpenetrate. The vibrational quality of one's consciousness determines which field one "finds oneself in" and can competently manipulate within; the other fields—though swirling all around—are "invisible," being of higher or lower densities.

The first field beyond the physical is the astral field. The astral field is one vibrational step away from gelair. Because it does not play host to bedrock-based creatures, it is relatively free of the dance of attraction and resistance which suffuses the grosser physical level. There is, however, enough of a vibrational sympathy that some of the "waves" of resistance and attraction wash through the astral field, creating an attenuated replica of the physical field. This provides a degree of comfort and familiarity to souls departing the physical level; they find their reflexive ways of operating still hold to a limited extent. Because the astral field is a "way station" both for souls preparing to leap into physical life and those releasing it, its faint ambiance of attraction and resistance offers a gentle "bath" resonant of the energies of physical life.

A soul's attachment to earthly life and willingness to release it determine how long it persists in operating through earthbound sensory processing. A sudden death, particularly where the body is severely mangled, can propel a soul to the astral level with such force that some time passes before the soul even realizes it is no longer in a physical body; it simply thinks it is dreaming. Dying in old age with a lifetime of regrets, of bitter grudges zealously nurtured, of thoughtless insults and abuse hurled at loved ones, may leave a soul reluctant to release the earth plane for it wishes to set right its many wrongs, to avoid the inescapable karmic imperative. Souls having lived good, decent, honest lives and consciously participating in the dying process are much more likely to accept their condition and to shed the artificial crutches of the senses once arrived at the astral plane.

One is bound to the astral plane until one has fully understood and accepted the fact of physical death, understands the process through which one will now proceed as mediated by spirit guides, and has released the dependence on sensory processing. A soul accepting its situation and eager for spiritual growth will move beyond the astral plane to higher realms. Those souls unable or unwilling to understand their situation, to accept it, and to embrace the spiritual path, will remain at the astral level. It is here, at the astral level, that the legions of ghostly visitors to the Earth reside.

Seeping through the cracks

Just as the Earth's bedrock crust is a solid, dense series of layers, here and there riddled with faults and fissures, so are there "cracks" in gelair's otherwise homogenous consistency. Like lightning rods, these fissures are capable of channeling energy of a much higher frequency than gelair itself. Such fissures, like the veins and arteries of your body, range from wide "pipelines" to tiny threads.

The fissures between the planes allow a restricted flow of energy between them. The flow goes both ways: in the dream state or in heightened inspiration your consciousness may ascend a fissure into the astral level, there to swim in realms of experience unavailable to the earthbound. The downward flow allows those souls on the astral level, under certain circumstances, to descend to their familiar earthly haunts.

Making a specter of oneself

Why would an astral-level soul wish to return to Earth? We have already mentioned a few possibilities: sudden death, keen regrets. Resolving unfinished business, bidding a final farewell to beloved ones, or checking up on spouse and children left behind, are several other motives for breaching the barrier. Especially unhappy souls, those stubbornly refusing to accept the fact of their physical demise, or those frightened by the prospect of spiritual growth and its attendant loss of egoic identity, return to the earth plane as escape from the inevitable. There is no timetable for the soul to complete its astral-level work and move on; complete freedom is granted every soul to progress at its desired pace. Some, faced with the choice, choose to duck tail and run back to the familiar. Their ability to do so, however, is severely limited by the vibrational disparity between earth and astral levels, and the constricted vibrational flow through gelair fissures.

The success or failure of an attempt to return to the earth plane depends on several factors. One is the nature of one's intent: is it simply to check up on those left behind, or is it a more direct intervention—making oneself visible to those in flesh, manipulating physical objects? Obviously, the former, merely returning to the earth plane for a scan of current events, is more easily conducted because it does not require manipulation of matter. Tom Sawyer is not the only one to attend his own funeral! Loved ones may feel a "presence," a subtle, featherlike brush of a familiar hand, as consolation from the departed to the grieving. It is fairly common for a departed soul to remain earthbound for a few days following death, keeping a foot in both realms as a way of easing its transition and sending consoling thoughts to its loved ones.

Direct physical manipulation is more difficult for a discarnate soul to achieve. Several conditions must be present: gelair fissures of sufficient breadth that they can transmit a strong flow of energy from the astral level; presence of magnetic "grounds," either inanimate objects or living beings, which anchor and amplify the astral energy; and a psychological openness on the part of those fleshbound souls participating in the experience.

Astral energy cannot simply be projected into the bedrock realm whenever and wherever an astral-level soul desires to make contact. Certain barriers are set up to minimize interdimensional contact; else your lives would be quickly taken over by swarms of souls eager to remain ensconced within their familiar earthly haunts. The presence of gelair fissures allows a limited opportunity for such contact, but the fissures constrict and attenuate the astral energy so that it does not overwhelm the denser physical realm, nor can its intrusion be widespread. Think of a dam holding back acres of water, with a few small cracks allowing a trickle of water to escape. This is the effect gelair fissures have on constraining the flow of astral energy to the earth plane.

One of the rules governing interdimensional relations is that, while there must be allowance for some contact between physical and nonphysical realms, for the most part earthbound beings are to be left alone. In order to make contact with the earthly realm, therefore, astral-level entities must seek permission to intrude. That permission may be consciously and openly granted, as with couples at a Ouija board; or it may arise subconsciously from a troubled, unstable, chaotic personality whose many psychic fissures and eruptions form "openings" through which astral entities can link with a host body as a magnetic ground.

Astral energy must be grounded to earth before it can effectively operate within the physical realm. This grounding allows the astral entity to make itself aware of its environs, to detect the living and inanimate entities in its surroundings. In many cases this is all the astral entity desires: awareness of loved ones left behind without intervention.

In cases where direct intervention is desired, a more complex process is triggered. Here several conditions must be met before an intervention can be successful: the flow of astral energy must be sufficiently strong; multiple gelair fissures of adequate size must allow the flow of such energy; a powerful magnetic ground must anchor and amplify the energy; and, most important, no harm can befall any earthbound creature.

This last is particularly important. Karma can be incurred only by entities at the physical level, and must be resolved at the physical level. For an astral entity to cause deliberate physical harm to an earthbound being would violate this inviolable law. Any such intentions are "choked off" as energy flows through gelair fissures; energies imbued with the "intention to cause harm" are blocked. At best (or worst, depending on one's perspective), an astral entity may cause some psychological distress to an earthbound being, simply by manifesting itself or rattling doors. This is not direct physical harm, as a knife in the back would be, because the recipient of such harmless intervention can respond in any way he chooses, and can always shield himself from further disturbance by commanding the intrusive spirit to depart.

As you can see, a number of propitious circumstances must be present for an astral entity to make its presence known on the earth plane. The presence of gelair fissures and a magnetic ground are the bare minimum required, and a psychologically open or unstable host enhances the astral entity's ability to make contact.

In most cases an astral entity desires to make contact for a specific purpose which, once fulfilled, obviates the need for further contact. Making one's presence known to a beloved spouse or child; offering a crucially important piece of information; or simply satisfying oneself that the bereaved are overcoming their grief—once these intentions are fulfilled, the entity may return to the astral level to resume its spiritual journey.

A long-term presence is rarer for it is sustained by an entity seemingly incapable of coming to its astral senses, realizing where it is, recognizing that it no longer operates within the physical realm, and moving on with grace. Because freedom is the rule, astral entities may take as long as they wish—years, decades, centuries—to pursue their oblique intercourse with the physical realm. They may remain lodged in familiar houses or gardens, "protecting" them through the ages, not trusting any other earthbound being to properly care for them. They may even attempt to frighten current residents into abandoning their homes so the rightful owner—as the astral entity sees it—is restored as the master of the manor.

Close encounters

What is the best approach to take if one is suddenly aware of a spectral presence and wishes it to depart? Remember that astral entities may participate in earthly events only with the permission of the fleshbound beings they contact. Reacting with fear—which spews an intense, volatile energy—may only further feed an unwelcome visitor. The best approach is two-pronged: attempt to make calm conversation with the presence, then insist that it depart the earth plane and return to its delayed spiritual evolution.

It may be that a spectral presence has a specific piece of information it wishes to impart, or it seeks information about a specific person. Rather than shooing the ghost away on sight, attempt to engage it in "conversation." Speaking calmly and rationally informs the specter that you are aware of its presence even as your lack of fear withholds any vitalizing energy. Tell it that it is the soul of a deceased person and that it does not belong on Earth; what, then, brings it here? Is there something specific it wishes to impart? Finding a way for it to answer a series of yes-or-no questions may elicit the information.

If attempts at communication are unsuccessful, or the being seems to have malevolent intent, cut off dialogue and announce firmly that it is time for the presence to depart, that it does not belong among the living, and that it must continue its spiritual growth by rising above the earth plane. You might repeat a phrase like, "You are no longer a living person, you must leave the earth plane behind, I offer my blessings as you move toward the light." Repeat the phrase until the presence has dissipated.

Our hope is that this essay has illuminated the process through which souls of the departed may make contact with the earth realm; and to reassure that you have nothing to fear from such contact as long as your intentions are pure, your psyche is relatively stable, and your wits are gathered about you. The next time you feel an inexplicable presence, sense a departed loved one close by, or hear the dining room furniture rearranging itself in the dark of night, recognize that all such are manifestations of the interdimensional commerce flowing across the leaky barrier between earthly and spiritual realms. Boo!

Excerpted from Spirit Wisdom II: The Enlightened Warrior's Guide to Personal and Cultural Transformation. Ramón Stevens has been publishing the material of Spirit Teacher Alexander for over 20 years; their collaboration has produced five books.
Website: www.alexandermaterial.com.