Quest For The Afterlife - part 13

After my Guardian Angel, Joshua, had made himself known to me, the pace really picked up. Every day seemed to bring new answers to questions I had only briefly mused about. I was in the process of reading a book written by Dr. Michael Newton. It was another book “chosen” for me titled “The Journey of Souls.”

I had already made up my mind that the physical life we experience is just one of many to be lived during our soul's evolution into the realms of higher consciousness. I had been wondering what happened to us between lives. I wondered if we pass from one physical life into the afterlife, only to make a hasty decision about our next physical stop on Earth, and just constantly go through the cycles. I imagined that even as souls unencumbered with the limitations placed on a human body, we would at least become mentally exhausted. Did we have time to rest? Did we have the option to take a break? And if so, did we have the option to decide the length of that break?

I had only started reading the book when I received a telephone call from my daughter. “Mom,” she said, “you need to come and talk to Ryder. You're not going to believe the stuff she's been telling me.”

I asked her what kind of stuff, but she would only say I had to hear it for myself. So, the next afternoon I drove the 30 minutes to her house to hear whatever my four year old granddaughter had to tell me.

After getting settled with a cup of coffee, I called Ryder to the kitchen table and invited her for a chat. I explained that her mommy had told me there was something pretty neat that Ryder wanted to tell me. My granddaughter smiled wide and nodded her head up and down. At my invitation, she launched into her story.

For several weeks prior, Ryder had been talking about her friends John and Michael. Her mother, Lindsay, and I would humor her because we didn't know anyone named either John or Michael that could be an acquaintance to Ryder. At one point we had wondered if she were talking about the Michael who had made himself known by speaking into my voice recorder, but though we felt it could be a possibility, we doubted it. For one thing, we could never find any evidence of his continued presence after that one evening of recorded conversation.

Often Ryder would halt her play to come and tell us that John and Michael were playing house with her. Sometimes Michael was her husband and sometimes it was John's turn. She would relay how they let her pretend her dolls were their babies, etc. Lindsay and I got quite a kick out of her imaginary friends, but always kept in mind that Ryder had an ability to see her “buddies”. We sort of just figured she was playing with spirit children.

I was not prepared for what I was to hear that afternoon as I listened and questioned her about her information. Ryder quickly corrected my assumption that John and Michael were spirit children. No, they were her angels. She informed me that they were always with her, though sometimes there were two others who visited and played with her. According to Ryder, everybody has special angels who are always with them. Contrary to what most people believe, everyone has at least two, though some people might have more. It all depends on what the person needs. Angels are boys sometimes and sometimes they're girls.

When I asked her what she meant by sometimes boys, sometimes girls, she said they change. I had asked her what her angels were wearing, still thinking she might be a little mixed up about what she was seeing. I'll never forget the expression on her face. She looked at me as though I wasn't very bright, and said very matter of factually, “Whatever I want.” Apparently, if she wanted them to play dress up with her, they did. She described how much she liked when they were “all sparkly and shiny”. It reminded her of her Barbie dolls.

No, they didn't have wings simply because she didn't want them to have them. When asked how she knew they were angels, she said very simply, “because they told me.” When asked if they “fly” she shot me another incredulous look like I was losing my marbles. No, they don't fly around. They're just there. Period. She apparently knew they were always around, even if she couldn't see them, but if she wanted to play, then they were just there. Hmmmmm....

I turned this all over in my mind, wondering if somehow she had overheard any of the rather short conversations her mother and I had engaged in. I couldn't think of a single conversation that she may have been present for. I also wasn't sure where she had even heard the term angel. Religious discussions just simply were not a part of the family life.

I thought the conversation was over when Lindsay encouraged her daughter to relate what Ryder had told her the day before. This is where the story became very important to my personal quest.

The day before, Ryder had informed her mother of a trip she took with John and Michael the previous night. Apparently, they had some things they wanted to show her. So they took her to the place “we” go when we die. This revelation startled me and had me sitting straighter in my chair. Since Ryder had always been able to see her “buddies” we had, on occasion, had to explain as best we could why the buddies weren't quite the same as us. However, being only 2 or 3 years old at the time we attempted to explain this to her, we weren't sure she could understand the concept of dying.

Upon arrival at their destination, Ryder was shown two books. One was called “The Book of Life” and the other was called “The Book of Love.” When we die, we are able to look through the Book of Life and see all the things we did during life. According to Ryder, it's like a picture book, except each page is movies where one can see a re-enactment and hear what's being spoken. Like watching a movie of your life. Also, according to Ryder, this book is viewed in the presence of other people. As you go through each page, you have a discussion with the other people to talk about the things you did, both good deeds and not so good.

When asked about the purpose of looking through the Book of Life with other people, she answered that it was “like school.” The purpose? So we learn about the things we did, and if there were “bad” things....so we didn't do them again.

I brought her attention to the other book. I wanted to know what was inside that one. Her eyes grew large and she shook her head. “Oh, no. We're not allowed to see that one,” she solemnly informed me. Her reason for not being permitted to see inside The Book of Love was simply that it must wait until we die. Only then will we be permitted to view it. By her immature explanation, I was made to understand that viewing it before death wouldn't do us any good because we wouldn't be able to understand it. Why couldn't we understand it? “Because it's in a diff'rent 'anguage.” Oh.....so we wouldn't be able to read it if we don't know the language? A very serious nod of her head, “Yes.”

Although she was given a quick look at her personal Book of Life, she wasn't able to stay there for long. I asked if she had wanted to and she nodded her head, following up with the information that she wasn't allowed to stay because John told her she's not done with her life. She won't be allowed to go there again until she dies.

I don't exactly why my granddaughter was taken on her special trip. I assume it was for a purpose meant for only her; something on which she will draw upon some time down the road of her life. However, at the risk of making myself sound overly important, I know the timing related perfectly well with my position on my life's path. The information she relayed was of such a profound nature it is difficult to accept that it came from a mere four year old.

The book I had just purchased by Dr. Newton had been lying on my front car seat for better than a week. I had only taken a peek through the first few pages and then set it aside for when I could devote a chunk of time to actually absorb the information printed on the pages inside. After my conversation with Ryder, I decided the time was right for putting all else aside. I read the book straight through in less than two days, stopping only to sleep and go to work. As I zipped through the pages, I was astounded how many times reference was made to information my granddaughter had only just relayed to me. It seemed she truly had experienced something profound, without the hypnosis that Dr. Newton employed with his subjects. I found myself earmarking the pages I wished to return to later for closer scrutiny.

The main topic that gained my attention was the mention of The Book of Life. It wasn't the first time I'd heard the term, though I couldn't say when the first actually took place. When I was a little girl, and subjected to going to the family church, I remember being told by my mother that everything I did was being recorded and I would have to answer for my actions one day. I don't think she actually said the recordings were in a book, but in my little girl mind, if it was being written down, it must be a notebook or something.

People who read the account of my conversation with Ryder will be tempted to conclude that she was simply mimicking what she heard from other people's conversations, and that her childish imagination had drummed up her imaginary friends. I have to insist, there could be no conversations for her to overhear, especially about any books of life or love. I hadn't given any thought in years to the idea that my deeds were being recorded anywhere. And Lindsay simply had never, ever bought into the religious dogma polluting the atmosphere.

Because of my own experiences as a little girl and a young adult, I refrained from subjecting my own children from the indoctrination into a certain set of beliefs. While they'd had the opportunity to occasionally go to Sunday School if they'd wished, it wasn't something that was a natural part of our weekend. We didn't discuss Jesus or God or Angels, partly because while they were little, I really didn't know what I believed.

When Lindsay had her own children, she had determined to keep their minds free of restricting doctrines, preferring to instill a sense of just and right behavior for the sake of just always doing the right thing. She wanted her children to make their own decisions about what kind of religion, if any, they were going to pursue. I remember being concerned that if she didn't at least introduce them to the many possible options available, that they wouldn't ever bother to even look into any kind of belief system. She was firm in her resolve that her children would never have occasion to be made to feel guilty because of angering some fearful God. She wanted her children to do what was right because it was the right way to live, not out of fear of the unknown.

While reading “Journey of Souls” I came across references to The Book of Life, which as it turns out is another term for the Akashic Records. The author discovered that his subjects could be taken back to the time periods between incarnations while under hypnosis. While “visiting” these time periods, they often described the activities which take place between living their lives. According to accounts within the book, prior to being incarnated, souls go to a “library” and view the pages associated with the life they are considering. As the soul prepares for a life, they have a certain life lesson or repayment of a karmic debt to which they must direct their chosen life. The soul will then choose a family and body which will help them to learn the chosen lessons.

Though Ryder's explanation of The Book of Life differs from Dr. Newton's in that hers refers to the life just lived while his refers to the next one being chosen, I'm still amazed at the obvious similarities. Both refer to the book as The Book of Life. Ryder's description of being able to see the actions of past lives in right in line with an explanation of the Akashic Records which are mentioned in Dr. Newton's book.

As I neared the end of “Journey of Souls”, I knew I would be spending a great amount of time split between two areas which somehow were connected. Ryder had brought them together by describing her journey and relaying the messages brought back. I knew Angels were going to be playing a prominent role in my life, as well as the issue of reincarnation and past lives. I didn't understand it at the time, but somehow these two areas were going to lead me to the next stop on my quest.

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