Marosz Jonathan - Reaching to heaven : a spiritual journey

VanPraagh, James - Reaching To Heaven

In the Beginning

But O the ship, the immortal ship!

O ship aboard the ship!

Ship of the body, ship of the soul, voyaging, voyaging, voyaging.

- Walt Whitman,

Aboard at a Ships Helm

Where do I come from? How many times have you thought about your existence? Have you found a satisfactory explanation to your inquiry? Throughout the ages, philosophers, scientists, scholars, and religious teachers have tried to give satisfactory answers to the question of existence. For centuries pilgrims have traveled thousands of miles over treacherous snow-covered mountains for an audience with a sacred lama in hopes of learning the secrets of life. Others have searched for meaning in the galaxies or in the laboratory. Today, many of us seek such answers in churches, synagogues, and mosques, relying on our priests, ministers, and rabbis to supply such revelations.

And yet, I believe that within each of us lie the answers, in that invisible, undefined part called the soul. The soul is our spiritual core, the divine spark within us that was, is, and always will be. It has traveled the width and breadth of the universe, through all the eons of time, recording within it the lessons of a never-ending existence. It is the quintessence of who we are.

Unfortunately, all too few of us know how to tap into that light that burns so brightly inside us. Could it be that weve forgotten something so profound? Or have we been distracted, wandering in a labyrinth, validating our existence and measuring our self-worth by unhealthy family conditioning and distorted societal values? To reconnect to our true selves, we must escape this maze of external expectations. We must turn inward to listen to the voice of God - a voice that, once realized, gives meaning to life. We must recover our sense of soul.

With that in mind, I have written this book as a sort of portrait of the soul as it journeys through life, death, and rebirth. In the first part of the book, I explain what it means to be spiritual, to be a soul living a physical existence, and how the mind creates its experiences. We will look at the various layers of the soul and how these parts contain a record of all its existences throughout time. The journey continues through the process of death. I will explain what happens when you die, where your soul goes, and the levels of existence that you may encounter in the spirit world, which vary with each individual. My purpose is to show that death is painless and natural and that there is nothing to be afraid of.

When we pass over, we are greeted by loved ones and spiritual guides who have been with us on many journeys. In the spirit world each soul chooses what it wants to experience. When we have achieved the fullness of our dreams and desires, and are motivated with joy and inspiration from the higher realms, we will make the decision to return to earth to live life once again. At birth we do not enter the physical world empty-handed; we bring along the wisdom of eternity contained within our souls memory. Nor do we return alone; heavenly spirits are always nearby.

The messages from spirit in the second section of the book are designed to encourage you to examine the parts of yourself that keep you stuck in earthly illusions and unaware of your connection to the divinity within. As you will see, emotional blocks stunt spiritual growth and make our journey through life difficult. By reading about the trials and tribulations of others, you may discover the internal conflicts that hold you back from fully embracing life. Perhaps, the advice from those on the other side will help to alleviate your fears and urge you to heal your emotional scars.

In the last part of the book, I propose ways to help you take charge of your journey through life. There are meditations to achieve clarity of mind, and recommendations for fostering spiritual values in children so that they are well equipped to handle lifes ups and downs. Finally, I offer the keys to unlocking the door to your spiritual self in order for you to remember who you are.

As we reconnect to our souls, our priorities about life may change. We will learn, as I have, that all the answers are within us just waiting to be revealed. As we open the door to the infinite, we will discover that we are all interconnected in this tapestry called life. Through the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, we learn who we are and why we are here.

Opening the Door

Whenever I teach a class in psychic development or mediumship, I explain that its much like taking a journey to a foreign city, such as Rome. In order to get the best out of the journey, we must prepare. To get to Rome, we buy a ticket, pack, go to the airport, find a seat on the plane, and get comfortable. If we dont know the language, we might want to bring along an Italian phrase book to help us communicate. We may also want to get a guidebook or join a guided tour so that we will be sure to see all the famous and historic sights.

In the same way, you must prepare for the journey to your soul. The first step is to close off the outside world of judgment and rationalization so that you can begin to tune in to the inner world of consciousness. This is not a new idea. For centuries, monasteries and nunneries have isolated individuals for this very reason. If individuals were kept away from society, they could not be contaminated by outside influences. Thus they could remain pure and receptive to a higher consciousness.

But how can we do the same when we are constantly being bombarded by outside stimuli? Every day we cant help but hear the latest news stories of violence, destruction, and illness, or gossip about movie stars and political leaders. We worry about the economy, how to save for our retirement. Our consciousness revolves solely around the happenings of a restless physical existence. We are so busy doing daily battle with the challenges that life presents us that we dont have the time to quiet our minds and acknowledge the fact that we are all spirits on personal paths to enlightenment.

To begin your journey, you must attune to an inner world. The visualization that follows will help you do that. After you have read the next few paragraphs, put down the book and visualize the contents. The best way to do this is by closing your eyes, to close off outer distractions and to focus inwardly.

Meditation

As you close your eyes, I want you to become aware of your senses. Be cognizant of everything going on around you. You may hear the noise of traffic, or neighbors talking, or the sound of someones television that is too loud. Try not to let such distractions bother you. You dont have to judge them. Just let them be what they are. Now, I want you to focus your mind by concentrating and bringing your awareness into your body. Feel your back against the chair, and become aware of your arms, legs, and torso as well. Concentrate on each part of your body. Notice how your feet feel on the floor or in your shoes. Be aware of how your clothes feel on your body. Is something too tight? Just observe it; dont try to fix it. Just let it be.

Now take a deep breath and slowly let it out. I want you to become aware of the breath. As you breathe in, realize that you are taking in oxygen. Oxygen is required for our physical bodies to sustain life on this planet. Oxygen molecules surround us all the time wherever we are. As you take them into your lungs, imagine the oxygen molecules invigorating every part of your body. As you exhale, see the old, stagnant air leaving your body. Its work is done and is no longer needed. The next time you take in oxygen, see it as energy. You may imagine this energy as stardust or snowflakes or any image that assists you in bringing the idea of this energy alive. As you see your image of energy, begin to focus on it. Eventually, experience this energy running inside and out of your body.