One of my favorite topics of reflection and discussion is the question of what happens to us after our physical bodies let out their last gasps and become fodder for worms and other crawly things. Opinions about life after death range from “a black void” to “harps on clouds” and everything else in between, with no proof of any of it. Scientific minds may pooh-pooh the whole idea of an afterlife, but the closer we get to our final breath, the more we’re interested in the so-called “spirit world”.

Sources of information about the spirit world include testimonies of near death experiences (NDEs), out of body experiences (OBEs), and testimonies by spirit persons received through automatic writing. There is a large selection of books in these three genres that offer fascinating clues to what the spirit world may hold for all of us. Two of the most colorful and detailed of the testimonial variety are A Wanderer in the Spirit Lands, by “Franchezzo”, and Life in the World Unseen (with two sequels) by Anthony Borgia, recounting the after life experiences of Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson, an English cleric.

Franchezzo was a dissolute gentleman from nineteenth century Italy who found himself in a hellish land after his death, but worked his way upward to a much better place, through the intercessory prayer of his living fiancee and his own willingness to serve. Msgr. Benson found himself in a very pleasant level of the spirit world that was enjoyable, but still not on the highest level.

Another way to arrive at conclusions about the spirit world is our own logical reflection, based on values, ethics, religious texts and a large dose of common sense. For example, if we posit that God exists and is the Creator of unselfish love, as well as all the other beauty in the physical world, it makes sense that God would want His relationship of love with us to continue beyond the range of our physical life. We would want the same thing for our children. This line of logic is based on the “artist and painting” concept that the character and desire of God can be elucidated by examining His creation, which includes internal things like love as well as the physical world around us.

When I combine religious logic or “the logic of heart” with the testimonies about the spirit world, I feel amazed at the immense love that God has for all of us. Examples of His love include the ability to fly in the spirit world, the ability to travel at the speed of thought, the reversal of age (so that one looks like one is in the prime of life (and physically fit to boot)), the ability to create with the power of thought and the fact that one can meet everyone that ever lived, including one’s ancestors and loved ones.

I feel God’s love from all of these prospects because all of them satisfy deep longings that we hold in our heart. They also enable our love to flourish and grow. Being able to travel at the speed of thought is one of the most precious and amazing gifts that God has given us in the spirit world. Why? Because with that ability comes the opportunity to be with our friends and loved ones no matter how far away they are. We’ll be able to meet our parents for breakfast, our dearest friends for lunch, our other relatives for afternoon tea, and still be home for dinner with our spouse and children. Did I mention that the price of gas on earth will be irrelevant? Travel in the spirit world is a deep expression of God’s love for us, when one considers that it was indeed arranged by Him, just for us.

The fact that money is not necessary lifts a tremendous weight off the people in the higher realms of the spirit world (where all of us will one day be). Instead of being slaves to the daily grind of bills and survival, we’ll have time to think, to love, to create beauty, and to actually live as we were meant to live.

Religious logic, as well as testimonies from the spirit world, point out that the one key ingredient that makes such joyful living possible is the quality of the heart of love within each person. Spirit world testimonies reveal that everyone, without exception, is destined to grow and mature in their ability to love others -- and as they do so, their environment in the spirit world will improve. People in the spirit world are not at all doomed to eternal hell, or even to a “nice” middle level of placid existence. We are lead to the conclusion that God wants every person to resonate with His quality of beautiful and transcendent love -- and live in an environment that reflects that love. These are indeed beautiful gifts.