The Shadow & The Reality

The following is a brief extract from an introduction by the Rev. George Daisley to a book called "More Alive Than Ever," the story of her daughter Karen who passed to spirit from cancer in her twenties by Jeanne Walker. George Daisley was invited to write the introduction because it was through his mediumship that Karen first communicated. It is an excellent exposition of the Spiritualist truth that earth is the shadow and the spirit world is the substance. For those living in the USA, you may be lucky enough to get the opportunity to watch the TV Documentary "Always Karen" which is repeated from time to time and is based on the first book about Karen's conversations from the world of the spirit.

"Prevalent ideas picture death as an end in itself and the severance forever from those we love. This is a very poor conception indeed of Creation and, so far as Christian thought and teaching are concerned, it shows an utter failure to evaluate Christ's answer to the penitent thief, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Rebirth into a world of spirit is clearly shown as the birthright of every living soul and it is in no way conditional upon religious beliefs or personalities.

Both saint and sinner went to the same place in spirit from the "cross." What Christ referred to as paradise, is better known to students of metaphysics as "The Astral" and it is important that I write something about it. It is that area of life eternal in which, sooner or later, we shall all find ourselves. It interpenetrates the earth with all the atomic vibrations that go in to making up our physical planet; it is a duplicate of the earth - but without the environmental desecration. What I am saying is that all the continents of the earth, its rivers, mountains, places and every form of nature we know is reflected in the astral. While this may seem incredible, it is only further proof that truth is stranger than fiction and is a much more logical interpretation of creation and death than is currently thought.

The basic difference between earth and the spirit world is vibrational. We cannot see into the afterlife with physical vision because its rate of vibrations is too high but the world of spirit can discern all that goes on here; so those interested in a particular area of earth - home and loved ones for instance - can keep themselves informed. They are aided further because we of earth exist in "duplicate," a fact of which most are ignorant despite the fact that St. Paul said to the Corinthians that we have not only our physical frame but also a spirit body that carries its own illumination, known as the aura. "There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:44)

Because our thoughts are, to the world of the spirit as objective as is speech to us on earth, Karen (the subject of the book) was also able to listen in to what her parents were thinking. The careful reader will observe time and again that the author found her daughter giving the answer that complemented questing thoughts. It is most essential that I make clear at once the fact that although Karen knew what her parents were thinking, her thoughts were on a closed circuit, so to speak. Thus privacy was maintained.

Karen says that all on the other side of life are young. This is true; age is restricted to the physical body, which is burned or otherwise obliterated when it ceases to house the living spirit. This withdraws in its spirit body to the world of spirit where it manifests as a mature being if it has had a long enough earth life. If it was a young life, it grows over the years to maturity and schooling forms part of the growing process."