Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
New Visions
Poltergeists, Pranksters and Passersby – or Spirit Guides and Angels: It’s Your Choice!

Poltergeists, Pranksters and Passersby – or Spirit Guides and Angels: It’s Your Choice!

Last updated on: April 16, 2016 at 10:00 am by Nancy Raines

Poltergeists, Pranksters and Passersby – or Spirit Guides and Angels: It’s Your Choice! 2016-04-14T15:39:37-04:00 Nancy Raines

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Photo by author

Startled by a loud crash, we swung our heads in time to see an enormous plank of wood falling past the window of the third floor apartment. Running over and gazing down, my friend and I saw nothing on the pavement, no sign of the fallen debris. As we stared at each other in disbelief another terrifying realization set in: we had heard the crash before seeing the plank fall. How was that possible? It wasn’t. Not in this reality anyway. Rushing out of the apartment, we vowed never to meditate there again, convinced that we had stumbled across an intersection with some strange off-kilter world.

From that event in my twenties I learned that the spirit realm was not all angels and harp music, and that I needed to point my arrow clearly at a definite target to attract the type of uplifting and inspiring experiences I desired.

The world of Spirit contains in it the same range of personalities, predilections, and lost souls that our earthly world does. Just as we are presented each morning with a banquet of choices – How will I respond to this argument today? Can I smile kindly into the eyes of a stranger? Shall I be authentic today or hide once again? – so the world of spiritual experience presents us with an infinite field of possibilities.

Bursting out into the day without first allowing time for meditation or centering means that we may come up against any number of circumstances with no keel stretching into the water to stabilize us. Similarly, when we enter into meditation, if we have not determined what types of experiences and entities we want to associate with we may find ourselves encountering any number of odd companions, from curious passersby to otherworldly scientists doing research, to disembodied and lost souls wandering around in the quest for a home.

That’s fine. Some people like that kind of interaction. It’s a whole crazy marvelous world out there just as it is here. But I’m not in this for the novelty or the drama. Neither am I interested in chatting with your Aunt Jane who died three months ago. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not my thing. Devotional by nature, my goal has always been communion with the Divine. I perpetually seek a re-creation of those moments of spiritual rapture that have unexpectedly blessed me, changed my vision, and kindled my heart.

What it comes down to is this: since it is in your power to choose what you attract, why not decide consciously so as to direct and inform your experiences?

Dipping deeply into your heart, ask yourself: What do I seek? What is my heart’s desire? Once you feel a concise and clear answer, set your intention. For instance, let’s say your heart’s desire is to find and live out your soul’s purpose. Not a bad desire, right? So then your intention for spiritual practice might be: “I enter into meditation to experience and interact with only those energies that encourage and illuminate my soul’s purpose.”

Or let’s say you want to focus more on opening your heart to benefit your personal relationships. Your prayer of intention might be: “God, please illuminate and open my heart that I might understand better how to fully love my friends and family.”

The spirit world is filled with loving guides and helpers whose greatest desire is to be of service to us. Those are the ones I call out to every morning before I start my day. I might pray: “Spirit guides and angels, please surround me and help me feel your love and comfort. Guide me today that I might move more and more into communion with Divine Love.”

When we start our spiritual practice with a stated intention we attract our expressed desire. We get what we ask for. It’s as simple as that.

Set your sights. Choose your level. Call out from your heart and feel yourself fill with grace as the Universe responds.

Previous Post

April 14, 2016

On the Steps of the Vatican Embassy

Next Post

April 18, 2016 A Moment Of Truth In The Eighth Street Bookshop

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month January 2022 December 2021 October 2021 September 2018 October 2017 August 2017 April 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 April 2013 September 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the strongest man in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

John David Adam Samson