James wrote through Susy Smith: “The thing that seems to be most surprising to most people is to learn that there is no abrupt change of personality or place immediately after death. The area in which one finds himself after he has left the physical body – to which we will refer herein as either the Etheric or the Astral plane because those are the terms commonly used when you people (who are still living physical lives) write about them – is, in its lower reaches, identical with the earth plane of existence. One leaves this (lower astral environment to higher levels) only as he becomes enlightened as to his true state and learns how to progress to more exalted spheres.” James continues, “Until you become aware of your need to advance, you may remain in your old haunts for a long, long time.” What is Creator’s perspective?

Here, William James makes clear that the human perspective and level of understanding, which is acquired through life experience and being prepared for an eventual ending of the physical life, have everything to do with what happens next. The need to advance and return to a higher vibrational realm is paramount. Once you leave your physical body, you will be cut off from life as you know it. Your ability to do things, to interact with others, and even be noticed will be minimal. Yet, you will be physically within the earth plane and its low vibration relative to the heavenly realms. So this will automatically be a diminishment, a restriction of options as well as potential rewards. What is needed is to transcend all that happens during the physical lifetime to become freer and wanting a higher-level existence that is only possible through partnership with the divine. The human dilemma is one of being in a state of disconnection to begin with. This is what makes the need for faith so important, because it is the only bridge for connecting to the divine available to you. Without a belief in the divine and in your worthiness to partner with us, you will be on your own and it is a lonely and often unrewarding existence in terms of what is possible when you live a life of awareness in your birthright and origins, as an extension of our very consciousness, and choose to use your energy and time among the living human family to advance the cause of the divine in some way and make a contribution. This is why acts of giving are liberating—they raise a person up even as they give something away. That is a most remarkable outcome but it speaks to the nature of divinity, that when you connect to the divinity within yourself, that is when you will truly shine, when you will grow beyond who you are at the moment and achieve a higher vibration, meaning a greater degree of divine alignment by coming closer to us. Whatever brings you closer will be rewarding because it will give you greater reach and a greater effectiveness in all you do. So it is no wonder that people who are nonbelievers in the divine and pessimistic about death and its consequences, so they have no expectation of continuing on in any form once they pass away, cannot mount an effective divine connection in the afterlife without some kind of outside help. As we described, an offering will be made, but you are made offerings during your life as a physical human and most times that offer is unseen or rejected because it is subtle, and you must be aware and ready to accept the invitation and engage actively in some way for that seed to sprout and form a human-divine partnership. So, in a very real and practical sense, death is a further diminishment in capability for most human beings. While it can end physical suffering, because you are no longer dependent on the body, you also lose physical capabilities and have only your mind to work with, and it will not be able to think and reason in the same way as before, because you will lack the brain and the repository of ready access to memories and habits that allow you to go about your affairs with ease because of the familiarity. At a minimum, the moment of death upends things because you need to reorient yourself to a new environment and way of experiencing. This is why the ideal way to prepare for the moment of death is to be forward-looking and have a plan in mind, and a keen desire to advance, to grow in your divinity and connection to the divine. That will create an inner intention and a kind of momentum within your consciousness that can persist and be a launching pad. When you are set free of your physical constraints, you can truly soar if you know it is possible and a reason to do so. If you are looking for a divine outreach, that will build the bridge to see the light callers and your transition will be seamless and rewarding.