Blog Chapter 7

I was struck, in reading Dr. Michael Newton’s two books, “Journey of Souls” and “Destiny of Souls”, how many activities in the spirit world are reported to be engaged in by groups of souls: the small so-called “pods” that individual souls join by the handful, the well-attended instructional classes, the musical associations and even sports or exercise activities. Individual study and research are engaged in also, of course, but I have the impression that the main emphasis is on group activity. Also, there is structure in the spirit world, with definite hierarchies, but voluntary associations appear to predominate. With the exception of the segregation of hardened criminals for the protection of other souls, however, as I touched on earlier, compulsion in relationships appears to be totally absent.
Practices that appear to be prevalent in the spirit world could be a model for relationships in our world that are best represented by the term “Communitarianism”. Wikipedia describes the definition as follows, “(It) is a philosophy that emphasizes the connection between the individual and the community. Its overriding philosophy is based on the belief that a person’s social identity and personality are largely molded by community relationships with a smaller degree of development being placed on individualism. Although the community might be a family, communitarianism usually is understood, in the wider philosophical sense, as a collection of interactions among a community of people in a given place (geographical location) or among a community who share an interest or share a history.”
It’s interesting that this definition suggests a family might constitute a community. Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his mid-18th century book, “The Social Contract”, made a similar comment. Dr. Newton also remarked in his books that family members often reincarnate together in succeeding generations, even changing roles and sexes. A husband and wife in one incarnation may be a father and son in the next, all depending on what state and relationship will best serve their evolutionary goals for that life.
The culture of the United States in the 21st century greatly values individual strengths and individual attainments. We believe it was that pioneering spirit, represented by the courageous western expansion in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that best encapsulates what it means to be an American. The difficulty with this image, however, is that in large part, that bold thrusting out into unknown lands was a group enterprise, first in wagon trains and then by the recently built railroads.
Not much has changed today. Consider how many skills, represented by people who have developed those skills, either by apprenticeship or through formal education, and taught by another skilled person, are needed to construct something as mundane as an office building or factory. It begins with clearing the land, but even that follows the legal skills of deed preparation and surveying requirements. Then we have the architectural skills and finally the contracting skills implemented by countless skilled workers.
I hope I have been successful in underscoring the obvious: that any enterprise in commerce requires a whole host of participants to succeed in achieving a durable and meaningful result. And what about non business activities? Isn’t a community of people with similar interests and concerns a more wholesome aggregation than are individuals focused only on their private lives? I mentioned above about families being a basic form of community. Family members, in their daily interactions, learn the fundamental skills of a harmonious relationship at an early age, assuming their interactions are mutually supportive, which is the case in most families, I believe. Those skill are then translated into healthy supportive interactions with neighbors and other members of the community in due course and we now have a prime example of communitarianism at its best. It is a mode of existence in which the interests and concerns of the individual member coincide with those of all the other members of the group.
Communitarianism is not linked to Communism or Socialism. Communitarianism honors the status of the individual as a free and unique human being, God given qualities that encourage the individual always to be helpful when need is perceived. Ownership of property and the means of production are in private hands, with the exception of those activities set aside as the responsibility of government, designated as such by laws passed by representatives elected publicly. Communism (in practice) is a system in which the state owns all property and means of production and the individual is valued principally for his or her ability to produce for the state. Socialism is similar in its ownership of property and the means of production, but the rights of the individual are protected by laws enacted by a representative form of government.
In describing communitarianism, I have mentioned it in its ideal form. In practice the activities and results are quite different. The recent (and present) pandemic has revealed significant deficiencies in the way we view our relationship to the other members of our wider community. Many of us view our individual rights as superseding those of our fellow citizens. A good example of this attitude has to do with our attitudes towards protecting others, whose rights are equal to ours under our Constitution, from infection by the Corona virus that has killed 750,000 Americans by the latest count. We refuse, as a matter of right to subscribe to practices such as wearing masks, social distancing, and obtaining vaccinations, all of which have been proven effective in countless official highly publicized trials. Not only do we risk our own health by our decisions, but we also uncaringly risk the health of all those we encounter in our daily activities.
In describing the discoveries reported by Dr. Newton in “Destiny of Souls”, I have tried to highlight the importance given to collective activities of all sorts in the spirit world, those “work” related and in recreational activities also. It has occurred to me that these writings are showing us the ways in which evolved souls demonstrate in their friendly relationships with other souls, how we might be able to enhance the living of our lives in the present moment. Paraphrasing what the bible teaches, we should care for others as we care for ourselves. Concentrating on our rights to the exclusion of the rights of those we encounter in our daily lives, doesn’t seem to increase our happiness, judging by the suicide statistics and the opioid deaths reported in the media. In equal measure, measuring our achievements materially as a measure of our success in life, which I’m afraid most of us do to some extent, has not resulted in noticeable fulfillment.
So, what is the answer? Eben Alexander, M. D., author of “Proof of Heaven”, one of the popular books on my reading list, also wrote a sequel with the title “Living in a Mindful Universe”. I found it to be deeply engaging and it answered many of my questions about the “whys” of living. Here is his response to the question of how to find fulfillment: “We are spiritual beings living in a spiritual universe. Fundamentally, this spirituality means we are all interconnected through the Collective Mind, and that the emotional power behind our hopes and dreams has a basis of reality that guides the unfolding events in our lives. The very fuel of that spirituality is love, and the more we can express unconditional love for self and others, the more healing or “becoming whole” we will see.”