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1. Introduction to spirit guides
Peg Abernathy is a near-death experiencer who knows a lot about spirit guides. Her near-death experience and subsequent transformation is documented in her book The Self-Full Life: A True Story That Will Help Your Soul Remember where she deals extensively with spirit guides. According to Abernathy, long before we fell asleep and began the dream-play we now call our life, there was a meeting that took place between our Spiritual Essence and our chosen team of Angels and Guides. We came together within the All There Is, in order to fulfill our karmic destiny at the time deemed most appropriate. And it was decided that this life would transpire and that we would incarnate, act out our life-play and apply the lessons that we brought forth from previous lives. And as a young school child that bursts forth through the front door with the latest picture or lesson, we, at the completion of our incarnated existence, run through the Light with our newly acquired experiences and into the welcoming arms of these comrades of feelings and Love. We have awakened into the All There Is and we have completed our destiny of this life-lived.
2. Peg Abernathy on whether we all have spirit guides
Peg Abernathy: “Yes, absolutely. And they are always with us, talking to us through our intuition, through our hearts, minds and feelings. And some people, blessed with the ability to quiet the mind and receive messages and wisdom within that silence, are able to communicate with these wondrous Beings who wait patiently for us to call out. We are always here. Never do we leave and the moment your thoughts turn to the Light, ours will be directed in that path as well. That is why we are here: to Guide you towards this Light, The Knowing of the Light. Our gentle Guidance of your Soul is just that, Guidance. It is you who make the ultimate choice. And that is the Power of Will. You must understand that we are no better than you, that we seek the same Light as you. If a person wishes to directly contact their Spirit Guides while in the physical body, it can be done. But it takes great determination and the ability to completely quiet the mind. We are always mentally chattering away, thinking and asking yet never taking the time to actually listen, to be utterly still in order to hear the answers. That is where the miracle lives, within the silent mind. That is where we will hear and sometimes see our team, our most ardent admirers of this dream we call our life. But if we can believe and ultimately remember all that we brought with us, and that these beautiful Spirits are just a breath away and within reach of our touch, then we Know, we Become, once again, a merging of Lighted energies and Love. We are home.” (Peg Abernathy)
3. A message from Peg Abernathy’s spirit guides
The following information was given to Peg Abernathy by a spirit guide during her NDE: “We see a future of hope, of reason and of acceptance for all people. A time when expression of ideas, beliefs and experiences are encouraged freely and welcomed with unabandoned joy. We yearn for that Universal power of all things and we seek others of like-minds. We look for those struggling to understand and we reach out to them with an unconditional hand. Our Purpose, our reason for Being in this life experience is limited only by our minds and the boundaries within. The choices we make and the dreams we share, define our existence upon the earth and vulnerability is the realization that we all matter. Every one of our lives is simply a confirmation of our own intuition. Delicate, sweet moments in time. And tenderly, we sing and rejoice in The All There Is.” (Peg Abernathy)
4. NDE examples of spirit guide contact
a. Christian Andreason’s NDE insights on spirit guides
Christian Andreason: “What was your experience with a spirit guide like? I saw an uncountable amount of wonderful places that were not of this world and many spiritual truths were Lovingly and generously revealed to me with mind-bending answers. Almost the whole time I was guided mostly by a being that appeared in the form of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Following us were three other guides who all appeared as men. All were robed with a beautiful glistening white, diamond-like material. I could also distinguish that they had Light coming from underneath their garments. I knew that this Light was their true bodies. The moment they came into my awareness, I recognized these beings as having been some of my closest friends that have been with me for all time. They were very kind to me and very caring about my feelings. There are no secrets in Heaven, so information that might have been considered embarrassing was treated with tremendous sensitivity. And even in moments where I might have cried knowing that someone knew my deepest darkest secrets, wonderful warm laughter was often exchanged between us instead. No matter any unpleasantness they may have known about me, I knew that I was eternally and unconditionally Loved! For many years, after my experience, I have continued to stay in contact with these dear ones through dreams and meditations. During my experience it was revealed to me that they had made many appearances to me during my life, particularly during difficult times in my childhood and adolescence, only I was not consciously aware of them or their presence at the time … At first, I did not see God immediately. However, I did FEEL the presence of God everywhere! When I found myself in the Realm, initially I spoke with my very Loving guides, absorbed amazing information and took in the bigness of everything that was shown to me in God’s Heaven…
“What goes on in the ‘Divine Realm?’ Lots of things! Individuals are laughing, relaxing and enjoying one another’s company. Some are off working together in pairs (or larger), so that they might bring a new concept or idea, or accomplish a Divinely intended goal for the planet. Some are off to themselves reflecting in far away, peaceful places and learning how to work with and trust the power they hold within them. Others form close-knit groups and enjoy learning together as they are taught by various Loving, advanced teachers and guides of Spirit…
“How many Angels do each of us have? As many as we need. Some need one, but I understand that most have two or even three. These Angels mostly come in the form of guides. However, winged guardian Angels are never far away and always have a watchful eye on us to make sure nothing prevents us from accomplishing our Divine purpose.
“Who are our guides and what are their roles in our lives? Our guides are what I call our wingless Angels. They are our most cherished friends and supporters in Heaven. They never leave our side … Never for a single second. In fact, what many do not know is that somewhere right here on earth, in our families or somewhere in a line of dear personal friends, there is always one who acts as a Heavenly go between for us and the Realm. Hence the verse, “Angels walk among you unaware!” (Christian Andreason)
b. Diego Valencia’s NDE insights on spirit guides
“The guides told me I was in the threshold of death. I wondered if the persons who were dying and leaving their bodies in that moment, knew where they were. The guides that accompanied me were kind, tactful and VERY COMPLIANT, but impenetrable when certain questions were asked, and when they did, they answered with only a smile. The communication was by telepathy and they knew instantly what I was thinking, but their answers were essential, concise and certain. My guides were very calmed, unadorned and with a tender sense of humor. It was then that the judgment began – only I was the one who judged myself. Although they considered everything was evident, they allowed me to understand all the contradictions, actions, guilt and non-guilt which I was feeling from the events of my life. They comforted me with precise words and calmed me. When I felt within myself a violent dialogue, justifying or blaming myself, they made me understand that it was all within the game of evolution and that in the depth, the events of my life were intranscendental. Then I had the sensation that I was still in a foggy place near earth. They told me I could take the decision to continue, but it was with a maximum risk for my physical body or life. Then, identifying myself with my Diego ego in the earthly realm, I accepted to continue since the guides were willing to accompany me. I worried because of the risk. Nevertheless I accepted discretely and humbly, although with the haughtiness of my earth identity that wanted to have the experience. At the same time my cosmic conscience allowed me to take the decision without panic. We then began to ascend at great speed without friction or effort, as when one is falling but instead ascending. I was in a state of reverberation – hearing a zooming sound and feeling a little dizzy as though in a car at great speed … I had then a slight, but vital sensation of unrest and anguish, because I again understood I had traversed the threshold, so I asked my guides for an answer. They told me that the decision did not depend on them anymore because we found ourselves in realms that were not of their reach. The answer made me feel dazzled. I asked them if they could keep on accompanying me because I wanted to have a dialogue with someone, and they kindly accepted. I felt a nostalgic abandonment. I later had the sensation that they took my hand.” (Diego Valencia)
c. Karen Schaeffer’s NDE insights on spirit guides
“I was feeling lighter all the time. But wait … my son. I couldn’t leave my son! Babies need their mommies. I needed to be his mommy. I couldn’t let go. So much patience was shown to me – so much love. My guides explained that the feelings I was having were still a connection to my human side. Once my human-ness wore off, I would feel light as air, utter happiness, and extreme love … At a time when I felt the closest to accepting my death, I experienced a resurge of sorrow and pain, longing for my son, for my life. I couldn’t let go of my human life. My guides tried their hardest. They never gave up. They never became discouraged. It is unbelievable the amount of patience and love they exuded. Finally, my hysteria was calmed by a higher spirit who seemed to envelop me in love. My guides were instructed to allow me to return. Despite their pleas to allow them more time, they were told that at this point, my spirit would not rest. It was best to let me return, to settle my spirit, learn further lessons.” (Karen Schaeffer)
d. David Oakford’s NDE insights on spirit guides
“I could see many spirits leave Gaia (earth) with guides and could see spirits returning to Gaia without guides. The being told me that some of the spirits passing were the ones that were doing the work with humans on Gaia. I could make out the type of spirits that were doing the work and the spirits that were coming to the great city to become replenished to eventually go back to Gaia to experience and further evolve.” (David Oakford)
e. May Eulitt’s NDE insights on spirit guides
“The guides taught us that doctrine and creed and race meant nothing. No matter what we believed we were all children joined under one God, and that the only rule was God’s true law – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We should treat all people as if they were a part of our soul because they were. All living things in the universe were connected to one another. They said that soon humanity would mature enough to assume a higher place in the universal scheme of things, but until then we must learn acceptance and tolerance and love for each other. They said there would come a new age when people would not be able to endure seeing others homeless and hungry. We would realize that only by helping each other could we truly help ourselves.” (May Eulitt)
f. Mister M’s NDE insights on spirit guides
“The return journey was smooth, I felt secure in the presence of my Angelic Guides and at ease with the newfound knowledge afforded me. Gradually, I felt a slowing as I began picking up the dimensional drag associated with the coarser vibrations of the MEST continuum in which our bodies reside. Reincorporation into our 3D realm was nearly at hand and a vestige of doubt fell upon me. I fretted, “Will it be enough to turn the tide? Will They be in time? What if They get here to late and it all goes to hell in a hand basket??” In response, one of my Angelic Escorts telepathed that the only reason I wondered about this sorta thing in the first place was because I was reentering the worlds where doubt exists. He continued, ‘Where We come from doubt is recognized as a lower state of consciousness and doesn’t even exist. Where We come from the only thing that exists is Knowing.’ (Mister M)
g. Betty Eadie’s lesson from her spirit guides
The following is an excerpt from Betty Eadie‘s book, Embraced by the Light about an important lesson she learned from her spirit guides during her NDE:
“My friends (spirit guides) in the garden were full of love as they stood around me, and they realized that I didn’t want to go back yet, that I wanted to see more. In their desire to please me, they showed me much more.
“Coming to earth is much like selecting a college and choosing a course of study. We are all at various levels of spiritual development, and we have come here in the stations that best suit our spiritual needs. The minute we judge others for their faults or shortcomings, we are displaying a similar shortcoming in ourselves. We don’t have the knowledge to judge people accurately here.
“As if to illustrate this principle for me, the heavens scrolled back, and I saw the earth again.
“This time my vision focused on a street corner in a large city. There, I saw a man lying in a drunken stupor on the sidewalk near a building. One of my guides said, ‘What do you see?’
“‘Why, a drunken bum lying in his wallow,’ I said, not understanding why I had to see this.
“My guides became excited. They said, ‘Now we will show you who he really is.’
“His spirit was revealed to me, and I saw a magnificent man, full of light. Love emanated from his being, and I understood that he was greatly admired in the heavens. This great being came to earth as a teacher to help a friend that he had spiritually bonded with.
“His friend was a prominent attorney who had an office a few blocks away from this corner. Although the drunk now had no recollection of this agreement with his friend, his purpose was to be a reminder to him of the needs of others. I understood that the attorney was naturally compassionate, but seeing the drunk would spark him to do more for those who needed his means. I knew that they would see each other, and the attorney would recognize the spirit within the drunk – the man within the man – and be moved to do much good. They would never know their covenanted roles here, but their missions would be fulfilled nonetheless. The drunk had sacrificed his time on earth for the benefit of another. His development would continue and other things he might need for progression would be given him later.
“I recollected that I, too, had met people who had seemed familiar to me. The first time I met them I felt an instant closeness, a recognition, but hadn’t known why. Now I knew that they had been sent to my path for a reason. They had always been special to me.
“My escorts spoke again, bringing me out of my thoughts, and said that because I lacked pure knowledge I should never judge another. Those who passed by the drunk on the corner could not see the noble spirit within, and so judged by outward appearances. I had been guilty of this kind of judgment, silently judging others based on their wealth or outward abilities. I saw now that I had been unjust, that I had no idea of what their lives were like, or, more importantly, what their spirits were like.
“The thought also came to me, ‘For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good.’
“But even as this scripture came to me it bothered me. Why do we have the poor with us? Why couldn’t the Lord provide everything? Why couldn’t he just prompt the attorney to share his money with others? The guides broke into my thoughts again and said, ‘There are angels that walk among you, that you are unaware of.’
“I was puzzled. The guides then helped me to understand. We all have needs, not just the poor. And all of us have made commitments in the spirit world to help each other. But we are slow to keep our covenants made so long ago. So the Lord sends angels to prompt us, to help us be true to these obligations. He won’t force us, but he can prompt us. We don’t know who these beings are – they appear like anybody else – but they are with us more often that we know.
“I didn’t feel rebuked, but I knew I had clearly misunderstood – and underestimated – the Lord’s help for us here. He will give us all the help he can without interfering in our personal agency and free will. We must be willing to help each other. We must be willing to see that the poor are as worthy of our esteem as the rich. We must be willing to accept all others, even those different from us. All are worthy of our love and kindness. We have no right to be intolerant or angry or ‘fed up’. We have no right to look down at others or condemn them in our hearts. The only thing we can take with us from this life is the good that we have done to others. I saw that all of our goods deeds and kind words will come back to bless us a hundred fold after this life. Our strength will be found in our charity.
“My escorts and I were silent a moment. The drunk was gone from my sight. My soul was filled with understanding and love. Oh, that I could help others as that drunk will help his friend. Oh, that I could be a blessing to others in my life. My soul reverberated with the final fact: Our strength will be found in our charity.
“I was humbled by the knowledge pouring into me about humanity, about the heavenly worth of each soul. I hungered for more light and knowledge.” (Betty Eadie)
5. Various NDE insights on spirit guides
“The world is changing. Soon, everybody will be in direct communication with his or her angels and guides.” (Donna Gatti)
“Spirit guides who talk through mediums are often in this dimension as well, bringing their enhanced knowledge to earth.” (Spiritualism)
“Once we have fully evaluated our lives, we are debriefed in an orientation process. This is when we discuss the lifetime previously lived and reviewed in the scanning machine. We meet with guides who are trained orientators who discuss ways of amending for previous mistakes. We receive help if we were unprepared for our crossing over into the spirit realm.” (Sylvia Browne)
“A dream may be of a physical, mental, or spiritual nature and may deal with all manner of psychic manifestations. These include telepathy, clairvoyance, prophetic visions, out-of-body traveling, remembrance of past lives, communication with beings in other realms including deceased friends and relatives, spirit guides, angels, Christ, and even the voice of God.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The Native American chief White Thunder, during his visit to the world of spirits, was shown by his spirit guides ‘various areas of the spirit world – some containing happy spirits and others peopled by unhappy evildoers.'” (Dr. Craig Lundahl)
“As in other realms we are not resident but transient in the Fourth Region, and we also take leave of this region occasionally to visit others. We never travel alone but are guided and helped by spirit guides in our journeys. When visiting another realm we take on the form of that realm, or we could not exist fully within it.” (Edgar Cayce)
6. Researcher’s insights on spirit guides
a. Nora Spurgin’s NDE research
“Can spiritual growth take place on the other side? Yes, it appears to be a law of the universe that growth is always possible. According to many accounts, the spiritual world has teachers and guides (those who have died, sometimes centuries before, who have the mission to guide newcomers who want to learn and grow in the spirit world). For children, teachers are provided to give them basic knowledge, and people in the position of parents provide them with essential love. Those who are lacking in emotional growth, or who have lived unloving, resentful, vengeful, or selfish lives will be given the opportunity to serve and help others in order that they may advance to higher realms. They may even come back to earth as spiritual helpers, like guardian angels, to influence people to avoid misdeeds and harmful lifestyles, and to overcome unloving attitudes. Those who have passed on often come back to their descendants to help and protect them. In so doing, spiritual growth takes place for both. Desire for such spiritual growth arises from a desire to be close to God. The spiritual world is a world where an ever-increasing unity with the love of God is the goal of one’s growth …
“Do our prayers for the deceased help? Praying for someone who has passed on will be a boost on the other side to enlist the help of spiritual guides for the new arrival. Indeed, living in the spirit world, spirit persons may be even more sensitive to the beneficial effects of prayer than they were on earth … It is extremely important on passing into the spiritual world to look toward the light and accept orientation from spiritual guides. If a person dies ignorant of the spiritual world, an earthbound state or spirit possession may result, severely hindering the growth of all involved. A prayer or call for help may be enough to move us through the tunnel and into the light described in NDEs. Most psychics who espouse reincarnation do not believe that one must immediately inhabit another body upon physical death. Long periods (centuries in physical time) are used for continued growth by entities who earn merit by temporarily visiting earth as spiritual guides and teachers …
“Are there demonic spirits and angels? There is, therefore, evil and darkness in the spirit world. The darkness may be a result of ignorance and lack of understanding. Spiritual guides will enlighten willing souls and offer growth opportunities to lead the spirit into the light and warmth of higher realms. Some accounts inform us that ignorance of the need to seek growth may keep someone in a state of darkness for a long period of time. (Nora Spurgin)
b. Dr. Michael Newton’s past-life regression research
“Those subverted by criminal abnormalities do undergo separation in the spirit world, and this happens at the time of their orientation with guides. They are not activated along the same travel routes as other souls and will go into seclusion upon reentering the spirit world. These souls don’t appear to mix with other entities in the conventional manner for quite a while … Once our souls advance into the intermediate ranges of development, group cluster activity is considerably reduced. This does not mean we return to the kind of isolation that occurs with novice souls. Souls evolving into the middle development level have less association with primary groups because they have acquired the maturity and experience for operating more independently. These souls are also reducing the number of their incarnations. These souls are at last ready for more serious responsibilities. The relationship we have with our guides now changes from teacher-student to one of colleagues working together. Since our old guides have acquired new student groups, it is now our turn to develop teaching skills which will eventually qualify us for the responsibilities of being a guide to someone else. This is a significant stage for souls in their development because now they are given increased responsibilities for younger souls. The status of a guide is not given to us all at once, however. As with many other aspects of soul life, we are carefully tested. The intermediate levels are trial periods for potential teachers. Our mentors assign us a soul to look after, and then evaluate our leadership performance both in and out of physical incarnations. Only if this preliminary training is successful are we allowed to function even at the level of a junior guide. Not everyone is suited for teaching, but this does not keep us from becoming an advanced soul. Guides, like everyone else, have different abilities and talents, as well as shortcomings. By the time we reach the advanced level, our soul aptitudes are well known in the spirit world. We are given occupational duties commensurate with our abilities. Different avenues of approach to learning eventually bring all of us to the same end in acquiring spiritual wholeness. I believe that people on earth who possess souls which are both old and highly advanced are scarce. A person whose maturity is this high doesn’t seek out a regression therapist to resolve life-plan conflicts. In most cases, they are here as incarnated guides. Having mastered the fundamental issues most of us wrestle with daily, the advanced soul is more interested in making small refinements toward specific tasks.” (Dr. Michael Newton)
