Throughout history, people have claimed that they've received information from "the other side." In Biblical times, prophets talked with God and passed the messages to the rest of us. Bibles and holy books sprouted from those seeds. Entities from the higher realms still communicate with us today, but they use different means like *inspiration*, *channeling*, *walk-ins*, and others. Inspiration is the most common. People who are inspired, especially writers and those in the arts and sciences, will often admit that their ideas came from outside themselves. They are amazed by their insights. In mythology, nine goddesses known as the Muses provide these insights.

Channeling is a less common but more obvious form of this communication. *Unconscious channeling* happens when a person (the host) slips into a trance and a non-corporal being projects its consciousness into him or her. The entity then speaks through the host. More recently, *conscious channeling* has become popular in the New Age movement. Here, the host remains conscious during the exchange. The unconscious method might be superior because it subdues the ego more, but a conscious channel has the advantage of hearing what the entity is saying.

The walk-in phenomenon is an extension of the conscious method. It happens when an entity lives in the host for an extended time, possibly for years. Besides being channeled entities themselves, walk-ins can channel other entities while living in the host. There's also a grab bag of equally esoteric, other-plane unions, like *soul braiding* and *soul switching*.

*Open channeling* can happen to anyone, even if they don't believe in metaphysics. Like everything, the results can turn out either positive or negative. With this style of communication, the host is often unaware that he or she is channeling.

On the down side, a negative entity can slip through unnoticed during a fit of anger. It expresses itself through that emotion and often adds an astral "poison" to it. This is where "bad vibes" come from, and the negative energy that it projects can linger in the victim's aura for days. The host usually thinks that he or she is behaving righteously and is "telling the truth" or "setting things straight." But the truth is, he is simply not himself. He is involved in a *mini-possession*. For some, channeling like this becomes a habit. The sense of power addicts them, so they stay open to it and may even welcome it. Eventually, though, the poison affects them as well and they turn bitter.

Conversely, others develop the habit of allowing positive entities to use them. When a person hosts a divine entity, grace enters the soul like incense filling a room. These are "good vibes." Spiritual practices and the will to serve others can promote this. Gurus and saints -- holy people -- are examples and represent the highest form of channeling. Usually, they change seamlessly from one state to the other. They are multidimensional pathways on which Heaven cascades to Earth.

Miscellaneous Means

Many other avenues of higher-plane communication exist. We have personal appearances of other-plane entities, *astral travel*, *visions*, *divine embodiments*, and *divination*. Angels and deities don't materialize too often these days, although some news outlets occasionally report that Mary has appeared somewhere. When you astral travel, you can meet all kinds of fantastic characters. A Near Death Experience is similar to astral travel, but is obviously more intense. *Visions* are symbolic pictures and may include certain kinds of dreams. They usually reveal the future. John's *Revelations* in the New Testament is probably the West's most famous (and troubling) vision. More on this later.

There's also the Pope who many believe is infallible because he receives messages directly from God. In ancient Greece, Phidias received instructions from Zeus on how to design the god's statue. His work became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Earlier, Moses spoke with Yahweh on Mt. Sinai and that conversation produced the Ten Commandments. Then there's the Dalai Lama who many believe is a god incarnate (although he denies it). Talk with him, and you talk with a god. There's also Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, and Krishna. Every day, billions talk and pray to them. These beings are not exclusive -- you don't need to be, say, a Hindu to talk with Krishna.

Lastly, divination -- the use of magic-like tools to predict the future or answer questions -- is an indirect way to receive messages from beyond. These include tarot cards, Ojai boards, runes, the I-Ching, and others.

All of this is controversial. At one end of the belief spectrum, a few buy everything; at the other end, some buy none of it. Everyone else lines up somewhere in the middle. They choose what's true for them from this exotic buffet of extra-dimensional possibilities.

Regulation

While most Western mainstream religions adamantly condemn many of these practices, they do believe that God can talk to their followers. Materialists see all of this as people being either deluded or deceiving others. Using the microscope of psychoanalysis, they interpret these experiences as signs of mental illness. As psychology considers itself a science, it *must* rule out all metaphysical explanations and neatly pack these phenomena into a secular matrix. That's how "making sense of things" works. This, in itself, can be unsettling to believers ("Am I crazy?"). The irony is that science knows little about the nature of consciousness; yet, it has managed to seat itself high on the reality totem pole.

Don't bother to debate the issue unless you're doing it for sport: people either believe or they don't. Save your passion for what you love. Those who have their career or worldview built on materialistic principles will reject all of this despite what anyone says. This is understandable. While the body of psychological study is useful and can provide valuable insights into the working of the mind, many practitioners are dogmatic and don't admit its limits. There's little difference between science meddling in metaphysics and religion meddling in science.

The exception is if someone has proof -- not just a theory -- about something. If the facts negate a part of some dogma, then they should make it conform to existential reality. For example, the earth is not flat. A religion that makes that claim should update its dogma.

Personal Experience

I'm a believer. The delightful Muses have whispered, inaudibly, to me often, and I've channeled other-plane beings. I've been a walk-in and have spoken with non-corporal beings. Each of these experiences has its value and level of risk. When I first heard of these magic-like goings-on, I was as skeptical as a cat being invited to play by a pit bull. Now, I believe much of it is real. The question is, "Who's doing the talking?"

During the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, I attended my share of channeling sessions. Most were entertaining, many where enlightening, and a few were dark. I'd judge the quality of a session by the information and energy it generated. Some were as flat as overnight soda; others treated the audience to the sting of the Cosmic Scorpion: everyone in the room would trance out, like we were in suspended animation. When the entity would settle in, its other-dimensional energy would charge the atmosphere. Not everyone felt the shift, although I don't know why. Sometimes the atmosphere turned as thick as water.

Dimensional Edge

Higher-plane beings, whether their intentions are good or otherwise, are wiser than most humans. They are masters of logic and at influencing emotion. They have a dimensional edge and can read our mind and emotions. With this knowledge, they can inspire or manipulate both the audience and host.

For instance, when I began channeling, I allowed entities that were curious about the Earth plane to use me. These interactions were innocent and interesting. At least, that's how I feel about it. I brought through a kaleidoscope of them. They ranged from a Native-American Indian Chief and a group soul (who called themselves "the Group") to crystal entities, solar beings, and many others. After a while though, I became ambitious. I wanted to channel guru types and soon they appeared, perhaps a little too readily.

Once we established a relationship, they would arrive whenever I called them. This was good because at channeling sessions I had this fear: the audience was there . . . What if the entities didn't show up and say wise things? They never failed though. Eventually, I discovered that they were playing on my ego and using me for whatever their ends were. I'm sure of that. They may have been wise, but they were not right. When I realized this, I quit channeling. Looking back, it was an embarrassing and humbling period. I behaved like a schmuck. This potential for deception is why many religions advise against this practice. And, to a degree, it's good advice. My negative experiences turned out OK though, because I learned from them, and I don't believe I harmed anyone.

After I abstained for six months, an entity walked into me. I didn't expect it, and I didn't consciously ask for it. It just happened. During the next eight years, it happened seven more times. As far as I can tell, these experiences were positive. I became more confident, and they brought through many useful technologies.

But Is This A Good Thing?

A friend of mine named John, though, was a revolving door for walk-ins too. He was doing well, producing books, tapes, and technologies. When he became a "walk-out" (the last walk-in left), he claimed that those entities belonged to the dark forces and had used him. As a result, he collected the books and tapes and threw them in the dump. Burning was too good for them. "It was all about ego," he said. To him, he had experienced evil and felt guilty for what he had done.

Christians take a similar grim view: all channeling is the work of the devil, unless you're a Christian communing with Christ. It's common knowledge that some prominent government officials claim to talk with Jesus. This can be sublime and provide insights, guidance, and uplifting energy. People, though, have wondered if Jesus would instigate the deaths of thousands of innocent people.

Conversely, millions of Americans believe this is God's work. And a large portion of them -- 30% by some accounts -- subscribes to John's *Revelations* vision. Because they believe that the end is near, some say that protecting the environment is unimportant.

To be exact: "James Watt [first secretary of the Interior for President Reagan] told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, 'after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back'."(1) We only need to extend this logic slightly to justify the destruction of the entire planet.(2) But there's a problem: believers have been predicting the Second Coming for the last two millennia. And they've always been wrong. Wouldn't it be prudent *not* to destroy the ecosphere, just in case Christ decides to arrive later?

The point here is not political but practical: information presented as coming from a spiritual source can have real-life consequences. It's like secular information, but can hold even more sway. It doesn't matter whether the information comes from a true spiritual source, from the dark forces, from one's imagination, or is just a lie. The *listener* must decide if it's true by *consciously* scrutinizing the message with both head *and* heart. This kind of discernment transcends religious, political, social, and philosophical prejudices. This isn't blind faith. The listener should especially scrutinize the actions that the message encourages. Words themselves are impotent unless someone acts on them. They're like kings shouting out orders, "Kill the enemy!" or "Love one another"; but if no one obeys, then they're just words. Action fills them with life. "And in the beginning was Word.

If the message is benign, like "love one another," then blind faith can't do much harm. Blind faith, though, is definitely a poor substitute for reason when the information promotes destructive, irresponsible, or morally degenerative behavior. You can recognize the difference: If the message is true, it will sound and feel right. If it's corrupt, you can sense the darkness.

Mechanisms

Imagination is different from other-plane messages. The former is a creative process of the brain. The latter is the brain receiving information from beyond itself. According to some esoteric schools, the most difficult spiritual task is to discern the two: Am I hearing me or someone else? Part of the problem is that the brain's voice (our thoughts) is neutral -- the tonal quality is uniform regardless of who's talking. I believe this happens because the brain, as a receiver, converts the incoming, higher-plane frequencies into the brain's "thought format." So, even if "the voice" sounds different at the source, which it probably does, once the brain translates it into something a human can understand -- thoughts -- it ends up sounding like every other thought.

This doesn't include the "voices in your head" phenomenon, which I assume would sound like someone else's voice. I've never experienced this, but another mental mechanism could be at play, one that uses a brain technology that's different from the one used in channeling and inspiration.

Conclusion

I don't listen to or read much channeled material lately, although I stay open. This is partly because of the authenticity problem and party because of style. Many messages are positive, but I'm cautious even with them. A channeled entity (channeled by a friend in the neighborhood) once told me that I should believe everything it said. Hmmm. Again, it's wise to treat metaphysical information with the same discernment as secular.

I don't do walk-ins any more either, although I still value my experiences. Instead, I enjoy the easy way, staying open to gentle inspiration in my life and work. Praying -- sincerely chatting with God (even if it's often a one-way conversation) -- is fulfilling too.

Anyone can serve evolution and the cosmic forces. They only need to have faith in the existence of God, help others, and do the right thing. Actually, believing in God is optional, although I think the advantages of believing far outweigh the disadvantages.

By going within and seeking the truth, you'll always find what you need. If what you find is always what you expect, then you may be talking to yourself. If you are amazed or deeply satisfied by what you hear, then you may have close friends in high places. And for those who are not amazed by what they hear, they probably have friends there too.

Michael Lamas
www.starbuilders.org

(1) Read Bill Moyer's comments at: http://www.alternet.org/story/20666
(2) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/23/politics/23forest.html?ex=1104811167&ei=1&en=514e5dcc5485920b