Daily Life in the Spirit World?

One thing that greatly interests me is revelations about life in the Spirit world. I've read 3 of the Hugh Benson / Anthony Borgia books and what they said were very interesting and appealing to me.

Has anyone else here read this series?

Do the descriptions of life from this series mesh with other spirit revelations?


Jim

Haven't read the books but am interested in what you found appealing about them - when you have a moment, would you share some of the content / things you found interesting with us? (thanks in advance ) .

What are those books called Jim?
Will have a look via Amazon if not too expensive.
Cheers.

KatyKing wrote:What are those books called Jim?
Will have a look via Amazon if not too expensive.
Cheers.

Then resell them on to me

The ones I read (there may be others) are Life in the World Unseen, More About Life in the World Unseen, and Here and Hereafter. "Life" was really my introduction to the wonderful world of Spiritualism.

Anyway. . . the books are supposedly based on spirit revelations from Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson to his earthly friend, medium Anthony Borgia. I have never been able to find much information about Borgia. Benson, I learned to my surprise, was a prominent Catholic author in the early 20th century, as well known in his day as Hilaire Belloc or G.K. Chesterton. But unlike those two, he has faded into obscurity.

His father was the Archbishop of Canterbury, and he became an Anglican priest, but later converted to Roman Catholicism and was re-ordained into the Catholic priesthood.

The story goes that Benson was friends with Borgia, despite the fact that the latter was a medium and the former an opponent of Spiritualism and the author of an anti-Spiritualist work, The Necromancers.

After his passage, Benson communicated to Borgia and told him that he wanted to set the record straight: that he'd learned since passing to the world of spirit that the reality of life there was much akin to what the Spiritualists taught, and that Spiritualism was a good thing.

He went on to recount what life was like since his transition: leaving the body, meeting an old friend whom he'd known as a fellow priest on earth. . . things that meshed (keep in mind that the first book, at least, was published in the 1950's) with today's accounts of near-death experiencers.

But Benson went on a lot farther, since he'd been in spirit a lot longer. He discussed their astral bodies, told how clothing and dwelling abodes and indeed all "material" things in the land of spirit were made from directed thought, and described the beautiful spirit world, how they moved about in it, and how they occupied their time.

He also stated that there existed an unpleasant realm, the occupants of which had sent themselves there by the lives they'd lived on earth. But he affirmed that progress out of such regions was available to any soul who wished to reform.

Benson also alluded to higher realms, and the spiritual beings who occupied same.

All in all, great reading!

Jim

You can find the Borgia books and a lot more here http://ghostcircle.com/_ebooks.html

My problem with the books about life in the Spirit world is that amongst the many written there are too many inconsistencies. I wonder whether it is truly possible for a Spirit to convey what life is really like to one in the physical.

Jim

Ah Benson. Had read abit somewhere about him. Pay day soon so will see what I can find on Amazon.
Jim [LB] If you'd like to let me have a snail mail via PM I'll post you these review copies when I've read 'em.

Admin wrote:You can find the Borgia books and a lot more here http://ghostcircle.com/_ebooks.html

My problem with the books about life in the Spirit world is that amongst the many written there are too many inconsistencies. I wonder whether it is truly possible for a Spirit to convey what life is really like to one in the physical.

Jim

Thanks for the reference, Jim!

The inability to convey is probably part of it. If you read the accounts of near-death experiencers, this thought (and the word "ineffable") keeps coming up again and again.

I believe that another problem may simply be the vastness of the spirit realm. If an interplanetary visitor landed on earth, what would he see? A frozen wildernesss? Never-ending salt seas? An artificial world of vast towers? Lush jungles? Arid deserts?

Yes. . . all depending on where he arrived.

Jim

KatyKing wrote:Ah Benson. Had read abit somewhere about him. Pay day soon so will see what I can find on Amazon.
Jim [LB] If you'd like to let me have a snail mail via PM I'll post you these review copies when I've read 'em.

PM en route, Peter.

Jim

Life in the world unseen arrived today Interesting re print pattern.....
First published 1954 then 19....
78...81...84...87...97...2002...2006...2009...2011.
87 through 97 were boom years economically. Maybe a correlation between hard times and interest in spirituality related books?

""Maybe a correlation between hard times and interest in spirituality related books""KK

Or, as Silver Birch constantly reminded: 'The Spirit does not come into its own when the sun shines and all in the garden is rosy, but when the storms of Life rage and the winds blow.........'

You get time to think whilst digging so today was a reflective time. Got to wondering if Silver Birch was maybe the rabbi that Barbie never had. Must ask Roy Stemman who worked for Barbie at PN. I am maybe presuming that Barbie was a secular Jew with orthodox antecedents. More later and if anyone on here knows do post please.

KatyKing wrote:Life in the world unseen arrived today Interesting re print pattern.....
First published 1954 then 19....
78...81...84...87...97...2002...2006...2009...2011.
87 through 97 were boom years economically. Maybe a correlation between hard times and interest in spirituality related books?

Interesting. . . I hadn't noted the print pattern. But yes, I think that is true. When times are good, people tend to be absorbed in enjoying. When the going gets hard - personally or societally - people tend to be looking for spiritual solace.

Same thing with aging. At 20, 30, 40, or 50, I was caught up in living this life. At 60, I realize that most of life is behind me: qualitatively even more so than quantitavely. I wonder now, what comes next?

Jim

KatyKing wrote:You get time to think whilst digging so today was a reflective time. Got to wondering if Silver Birch was maybe the rabbi that Barbie never had. Must ask Roy Stemman who worked for Barbie at PN. I am maybe presuming that Barbie was a secular Jew with orthodox antecedents. More later and if anyone on here knows do post please.

Maurice Barbanell was born in London, May 3, 1902, the son of a barber.

Barbanell heard many arguments between his parents about religion. His mother was devoutly religious, but his father was an atheist. His father’s arguments won, and Maurice adopted the same outlook as his father but later changed to agnosticism.

As a young man Barbanell was anti-fascist. He was so against fascism that he went out to Spain and spent some time with comrades in the International Brigade who were fighting against Franco’s anti-democratic government.

He became unpaid secretary of a social and literary club in London's East End.

One evening, there was a talk by a young man on the subject of Spiritualism.

Although antagonistic to the subject, Barbanell said that this was a subject on which only those with personal experience could venture any worthwhile opinions.

When challenged as to whether he was prepared to back this position by undertaking a six-month period of personal investigation of Spiritualism, he said yes.

He joined a home circle with the medium Mrs. Blaustein, who was controlled by various entities who spoke through her while she was in a state of trance.

Barbanell was not very impressed by this phenomenon and at one sitting he "fell asleep." When he awoke he learned to his surprise that he had been in a mediumistic trance himself and that an Indian spirit guide had spoken through him.

Barbanell subsequently joined Swaffer's Home Circle at which the Indian guide, "Silver Birch," gave regular teachings through Barbanell's mediumship and "White Shadow", the guide of the other medium was responsible for the phenomena part of the circle.

These included Independent Direct Voice and materialiation which had been encouraged by Frank Decker who had visited the circle.

Unfortunately the circle broke up and Barbanell formed his own circle.

Later, the famous journalist, Socialist and Spiritualist, Hannen Swaffer, became a member of this home circle and an enthusiastic proponent of the teachings of "Silver Birch."

In 1932 Barbanell married, for the second time, Sylvia Abrahams, who had attended the home circle sittings with Mrs. Blaustein.

The newspaper Psychic News was also founded in May,1932, as a result of a message from "Red Cloud," the spirit guide of the medium Estelle Roberts.

Barbanell edited the newspaper for 14 years, resigning in 1946 when unable to agree with J. Arthur Findlay on terms for purchase of Psychic News.

However, 16 years later, in June 1962, Barbanell was able to resume editorship of the newspaper, which by then was in some difficulty.

His tireless and enthusiastic work restored the position of Psychic News as the pre-eminent British Spiritualist publication.

Meanwhile, Barbanell's own role in the "Silver Birch" messages continued to be anonymous.

Hannen Swaffer thought the teachings should reach a larger audience, but Barbanell believed that he would be open to criticism if he publicized his own mediumship in Psychic News.

Eventually it was agreed that the "Silver Birch" teachings should be published, provided that Barbanell's identity continued to be withheld.

However, these communications attracted so much attention that after some time Barbanell was obliged to make it known that he was the medium.

During his active life as editor, lecturer, and author in the cause of Spiritualism, Barbanell was a friend of every major British medium.

In addition to Barbanell's vast output for his two periodicals, he wrote books on psychical research and Spiritualism.

The world owes a great debt to Maurice Barbanell - to his mighty pen, to his courage and intelligence, and also to the gift of his superb mediumship, which brought us the trance-teachings of an old soul who took on the guise of a humble American Indian known as "Silver Birch".

Maurice Barbanell passed on the 17th July 1981 at the age of 79.

Much obliged z.

welcome back, z....

mac wrote:welcome back, z....

To paraphrase Mark Twain........'reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'

I'd thought you might have been away on holiday.....

mac wrote: I'd thought you might have been away on holiday.....

That's still to come, Mac, and looking forward to it.

Thanks for your enquiry and good wishes.

Hi Jim,

I went out for a walk early this morning and came across this. It was a glimpse of the future, almost an invitation. There is so much beauty in this world. If the next is anything like this, we will be happy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moongold2009/6870385702

Marvellous picture.

Yes, very beautiful. Where was this? The trees seem alive: I mean, alive in a conscious and welcoming sense.

Jim

Jim, this was taken just after dawn in a local park - a place that is magic to me. Before white settlement in Victoria, Australia, the area was an aboriginal gathering place. It is very near the Yarra River. I often go there just to rest and take in the peace. Would you believe, it's a haven in a very busy inner urban area of Melbourne.

The picture is a metaphor for me actually. I've had some difficult issues to face lately and asked for help on Sunday evening before I went to sleep. I think I was guided to the park early yesterday morning so that I could see that light can always be found and that I can be the actor in my own life

Once I had a very significant 'dream' experience where the light was just like this but at a seemingly higher vibrational level. Whatever. it is a beautiful picture and I have it to remind me that light and guidance are ever present.

I recently purchased a new smaller camera (a Canon G12) so that I can use it on a daily basis to seek out and capture the loveliness of my immediate world, and the light that is always present.

Thanks for the link to ghostcircle Jim - I am going to be reading for a while

Bringing this back on topic from holidays etc.. * cough

Just completed reading this 'Life in the world unseen' - Anthony Borgia, thanks to KatyKing (Peter) who very kindly forwarded to me

I thought it was a pleasant, easy to follow read that drew considerably parallels to 'Astral City - a spiritual journey' by Chico Xavier as discussed in another thread.

Passing on to my Father next - thanks again Peter for you kindness in sharing this.