OM ODIC STRØMMER OG SKAPELSE
Joseph, 2 February 1980 (excerpt)

Odic Currents in the Levels of Ascent and in the High Heavens

Odic forces are everywhere, but the refinement they possess in the highest heavens is not to be found everywhere. In the highest heavens, the purity, clarity, radiance, light, and fire of od is perfect and pristine. In the spiritual planes of ascent, which were created for the ascent of the beings who at one time became disloyal and fell, spiritual od is coarser. At every level, the growth and unfolding of nature corresponds to the spiritual current that flows through it and pervades all things. So, from one level to another, there are great differences in the composition of spiritual od. In the lower spiritual levels of ascent, the odic forces are less condensed than in the physical world, and their nature is not subject to decay and transience as on earth, but there is nevertheless a great difference between them and the ethereality found in the high heavenly world.

Joseph: […] Human beings living here must try to familiarize themselves with the thought that the spiritual world is a world of diversity and form. In the lower spiritual levels of ascent, there is also a natural world; there must be growth and flourishing, and the beings who live there will be familiarized with this world and have their tasks to carry out. Spiritual nature gives them the substances that they need for their life. They, too, require spiritual nourishment; this spiritual nourishment grows forth from the spiritual soil, it flourishes. And this is how these beings live.

I would now like to explain this by means of an example, because it is not possible for me to present these things in every detail. There is, for example, a beautiful blossoming tree. This blossoming tree also has its task to fulfill for the life of the inhabitants. It gives forth blossoms; they blossom for a certain time, and then they collapse into themselves. From these blossoms come fruits. Buds grow along the branches, leaves unfold, and the branches also develop. And when this tree comes into its fullest ripeness, when it is able to give fruits, these fruits will also fall, or they will be picked and serve as nourishment. The time will then come for this tree to contract into itself; it has given the fruits, and now a transformation or a period of rest comes over it. But it is not the case, as it is with you human beings or in your natural world, that leaves fall and there is debris, that branches become bare; instead, there is a contracting-into-oneself. It remains contracted for a certain period of time, until a particular moment, and then the time comes again when there is an expansion, a growth, and a flourishing in the same manner, and this tree brings forth the same fruits once more. And it is those beings who inhabit this plane who need these fruits for their nourishment.

Now you have many questions: “How is that possible and why?” The spirit body of the beings in these planes has the same composition of odic force as the prevailing odic force found in the respective plane, which provides the energy for flourishing; it is the same composition of odic substances that these beings possess in their spirit body. The spirit body they possess is of an ethereal nature, adapted to that plane, adapted to the prevailing current of that plane. A reciprocal strengthening takes place. When there is this “turning-inward” [this contracting-into-oneself] of plants – of this tree or of a flower for example – it is simply a contraction of these odic forces, which then expand and unfold again at the designated point in time.

To substantiate this, I would like to point out something that I have long since explained to you: the preparations in the spiritual world for a new human existence. The spiritual beings who are marked for a new earthly life are, as a general rule, grown-up beings with a correspondingly large stature. These beings are now called to make their way to a particular place, and those who refuse can be forced to go. There, the beings in question are put into a sleep. In this sleep, and with the help of God’s spirit world, the transformation of their spirit body takes place. This spirit body now contracts into itself in the manner described, until it reaches the size corresponding to the form of an infant. The entire force, the entire od that was in this grown-up spirit body is not dissolved; rather, it is simply contracted, and it is this that enables the spirit body to grow again during a human existence alongside the growth of the infant. For every human being has, in addition to their earthly body, an odic body as well. This odic body now expands with the growing child and assumes its former size once more. Essentially, the same principle prevails in spiritual nature: just as the transformation of the spirit body takes place in the spiritual world, so does the transformation, this contracting-into-oneself, this revitalization take place in these lower spiritual spheres of ascent.

So, as I mentioned, certain objects are required for work. The substances needed for these objects also grow. This is spiritual matter that can be processed and fashioned into objects – I must put it like this: for utilization by these beings. With this matter, which grows and flourishes in this spiritual world and which is given to these beings, they construct the houses in which they live. This is also something that is perhaps difficult to understand, but it really is so; you will one day experience it for yourselves.

I would now like to return to something that is also very important to explain. These spiritual beings fashion objects, they use them, these objects serve them. But it can also happen that certain objects are no longer of service or no longer wanted. These objects, which you must imagine as spiritual matter of an ethereal nature, are then carried to a particular place or they must be brought to a particular place. There, these objects are dissolved by angels of God with hot steam – that is, with hot od, with odic currents – and that which is dissolved mixes itself into the prevailing odic current again. In that sense, there is no destruction. There is a transformation, a spiritual reshaping, a flowing into spiritual currents once more, into spiritual od. Perhaps you are able to understand that this is possible in this manner.

Now, I said explicitly: I am speaking about the lower levels of ascent. There, spiritual od is of a coarser nature, it is not ethereal as in the highest levels of heaven. In the highest heavens – just to make this distinction – od exists in its purity, in its clarity, in its radiance, in its light, in its fire; it is perfect, pure od. The finest odic currents stream through these planes, these heavens, where the exalted beings reside. The higher someone gets in their spiritual ascent, or the higher they reach, the finer these odic currents become, the finer their own spirit body becomes. They notice that they are of a more ethereal nature, that their hands are no longer so coarse, their hair is finer, their face has changed, and everything feels different. They see that those with whom they live have a finer appearance, and they recognize the light that illuminates their entire being from within. This can be seen in those who are spiritually on an elevated level; there, one perceives the divine spark. When this divine spark has been so purified, when the spirit body is of such an ethereal nature, then everything is so transparent and clear – this is how one experiences such a spirit being or how one can experience them in their radiance and in their glory.

In these heights, of which I will now speak, spiritual matter is also available, because in just the same way there is also growth and flourishing; the spiritual beings there also ingest their nourishment. Now, the difference between here and the lower levels of ascent is that the nourishment and the drinks in the high heavens are more delicate, much finer; because what flourishes here, flourishes out of ethereality. It is much more palatable, much finer than the fruits that flourish in those lower levels with their condensed od. In the high heavens, the flourishing of the fruits is brought about by these finest currents. Here, that which is perfect exists, one experiences that which is perfect, fine, good, beautiful, noble. And the substances that are also required here for work are different as well. The difference is significant. In the highest planes, these substances can only really be identified as gold; the finest marble is available, the finest elements, the finest materials are present, and they are processed. They are able to flourish by means of this fine current, which contains all the power of unfolding required for flourishing. Thus, in every level there is an unfolding and a growth that corresponds to the spiritual current that flows through and pervades all things in that particular level. So, from one level to another, there are great differences in spiritual od. And when you are spoken to about the heavenly world and its beauty, then it is usually about its radiance and fire, its light. This is the finest, clearest od that exists. And human beings must now bring to mind the kind of condensed state in which they themselves live – that what surrounds them, this matter, is subject to transience and decay. This is the coarsest matter that exists, this is the world in which human beings have to live; they must work their way out of this world and into the other, spiritual world. This is not easy. […]

Excerpt from a lecture by spirit-teacher Joseph, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner at the Academy of Music in Zurich, 2 February 1980
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Joseph, 10 March 1979 (excerpt), and Lene, 24 September 1969 (excerpt)

The Earthly, Material World Is a Condensation of Spirit

Earthly matter is a condensation of spirit. When science, or humanity in general, has come far enough in its thinking and research that it has to acknowledge that everything in this world is a condensation of an invisible substance, it will then find the path to higher things.

Joseph: Dear brothers and sisters, with God a thousand years are like a day. It follows from this statement that God planned and constructed his creation over the course of vast periods of time. I try, as best I can, to give explanations. They help believers arrive at a better understanding; they give seekers an answer, an answer to one problem or several problems. Now, when God’s creation is spoken of, human beings first think of visible creation. This visible creation also came into existence over the course of vast periods of time. But before one speaks of this earthly creation and attempts to dissect elements of it, one must first try to acknowledge spiritual creation.

Believers must acknowledge this spiritual creation, because everything that exists in this world was first created in spirit. It is difficult to believe particularly for those people who see no meaning in life, who have no faith in God. They want to accept that which is visible. But they are not aware that there is a world that human beings cannot see and that it is precisely human beings who are themselves a vessel of this invisible, divine world. Within themselves they have that which is divine, which gives them life; they are a vessel of that which is divine. I tried last time [in the lecture from 3.3.1979] to speak about transience – what is transient about human beings and what is imperishable. After death, that which is imperishable in human beings returns to its birthplace; it returns to where it was born, to its true home.

What, then, is this earthly world, and what are human beings? They are a condensation of spirit. When science, or humanity in general, has come far enough in its thinking and research that it has to acknowledge that everything in this world is a condensation of an invisible substance, it will then find the path to higher things. When will that be? […]

It is so important for human beings to recognize the meaning of life. But the meaning of life cannot so easily be explained to people of today. After all, such an understanding presupposes belief in the spiritual world; one must be able to believe, then this belief will enable higher insight. Seekers can find the path; their understanding will be awakened insofar as they are given explanations and are themselves able to draw comparisons. That is why I always come back to one and the same point: life in this world must have a cause, and one must first look for this cause. Why does this life exist? One cannot speak of coincidences and secrets and the like; one must instead look for this cause. Christ entered this world in order to make this cause comprehensible for humanity for the future, in order to give human beings an answer and to pave the way back to their true home. He took on human existence; he became human, fully human in every way. To be able to understand this, however, really does presuppose belief in spiritual creation and in God. And, indeed, Christ died for this belief. Time and again, he declared that the Father in heaven had sent him and given him this mission. And he said, “I am from above, but you are from below” (John 8:23). Yes, one must also understand what he meant by this. For he truly was from above. And during the time that Christ lived and spoke these words, he really could say this to the people, because all of them came from below – with the exception of the prophets or those who had a special mission to fulfill in God’s plan of salvation. But the people to whom he spoke these words came from below. So, one can also reflect on this: what is meant by the words “You are from below; I am from above”?

Precisely here lies the answer that something once happened in this kingdom of God or “up there”, in the heavenly realm. And, to many people, this simply seems to be incomprehensible. Should they come to the realization, however, that earthly matter is a condensation of spirit, then this will be more comprehensible to them, and the path to insight will be shorter. But there is still resistance to this.

It may one day even be possible, through the hard work of human beings and their scientific endeavor, to illuminate a person’s past hours and to display them as though in an X-ray image. In the event of a crime, for example, human beings will have the possibility to illuminate the person in question with these rays and with these forces so that their past hours or deeds become discernible. This will one day be possible. But when? Well, this depends entirely on human beings, on the way in which they direct their research. Even if they are only able to bring forth several hours from a person’s earlier life and to depict it in visual form, perhaps this will then give them an answer – they will then have to ask themselves, “Is it not possible to discover more?” Perhaps this will give human beings an answer. […]

Excerpt from a lecture by spirit-teacher Joseph, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner at the Academy of Music in Zurich, 10 March 1979

Lene: […] I would now like to give explanations from the time of the fall. It dates back millions and millions and millions [billions] of years. This should not shock you; it simply is so. During this time, the paths were prepared, they were devised for an ascent. The earth was to be created in such a way that it would be possible for life to live upon it in the form that it has today. This required a great deal of preparation, and you know that life owes its existence to Christ. He was active in earthly creation; life here on earth is thanks to him – God had placed it into his hands. He was to create life, all life – all life on this earth – regardless of the level on which it finds itself. It has been brought into life out of him; the word of God made it alive.

You can imagine, therefore, that he who was born of God possessed this creative power in the highest degree, so that it was possible for him to form life on earth. He did not do all this work alone, because divine beings were available to him who also had creative talents, who could also work creatively. But this first had to be set down in a plan, and this plan was made by the Creator of all things, the heavenly Father, the Father of all life. God showed the plan to Christ, his Son, and he consigned it to him for further development.

The Son of God set to work, and he designed the most diverse stages of development that would be necessary for life on earth, specifying how they were to unfold. He began to design the stages, from the lowest to the highest, and he included everything in this plan. He gave these plans to his princely brothers and sisters. They, in turn, were to participate in the completion of this plan of creation using their creative gifts and talents. Every single detail of this plan of creation was to be devised in its great diversity. Many angels of God took part in this work.

If I may draw your attention to just one aspect of it: the animal kingdom, for example – this animal kingdom has been designed with such diversity! There are harmonious, beautiful animals, which are lovely to your eyes, and there are some animals that you cannot imagine evoking any particular delight. You know, however, that there are so many stages in the animal kingdom and that it was Christ who included even the lowest stage in the plan: let us say, an insect that is a nuisance to human beings – but it, too, must fulfill a task in God’s plan. It must also pass through this stage so that, in time, it reaches a higher lifeform. There are so many of these lower creatures in their various forms … The angels of God competed among themselves in this area; they created these many species and classified them into stages, just as they had been commanded. Everything then had to be given to the Son of God for examination. He had to say whether it was right, whether it would serve the plan of creation and the plan of salvation. Here and there, changes were made on instruction from the King.

So, over the course of millions of years, these stages were first mapped out in the plan: from the lowest creature to the most beautiful and sublime animal – it having attained a certain height in its spiritual development. The spirits of God truly had enough time; according to your measurement of time, these plans were completed over millions of years. First there was planning, and then, when the paths had been prepared for an awakening, when it had been made possible for life to enter, these divine sparks were clothed: after millions and millions of years, they were clothed in these various bodies.

You marvel at the magnificence of flowers: how there are simple little flowers and how there are prized flowers, to express it according to your terms, according to your standards. The kernel of vitality also had to penetrate into these flowers in order for life to manifest. To be able to live, these flowers – from the simplest to the most exquisite – had to be designed and formed in such a way for it to be possible, at the designated point in time, to clothe these sparks with their eternal worth, thereby giving them the opportunity of developing further, of ascending higher.

How much there is in nature, how much lies around you human beings – hidden, ignored, partly scorned – and it carries eternal life within itself! It is still banished and awaits its further ascent.

All this first had to be planned so that it could then be put into operation when the time came. But it is the case, and this you understand, that this great diversity in creation did not come into being from one hour to the next. A small unit of all that had been planned was to take up its position. It was to wait for spiritual awakening in a new body. Small units here and there, from the lower stages of development to the higher. Everything was created in such a way that the opportunity existed for it to develop further, to slowly expand further.

Later on, and with the help of human beings, there was to be a greater unfolding, greater splendor, greater significance. Much has been handed over to human beings for them to refine. But the kernel has been provided and constructed by the divine world. It was led to its place and clothed and condensed in such a way that it received the form it had been assigned to bear.

This was a great feat that had to be accomplished. Now, you know exactly how much life your earth accommodates and all that is necessary for this life so that it can receive its form and so that it is possible for it to unfold and expand. Forces should be built up, forces should be able to unfold and be transformed. The kernel [kernels] for this was [were] given into the air, into the atmosphere of this earth, in order to bring about this unfolding that is required for life. To accomplish this, angels of God were at work. […]

Excerpt from a lecture by spirit-teacher Lene, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner during the meditation week in Waldhaus Flims, Switzerland, 24 September 1969


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lene, 19 September 1982 (excerpt)

The Beginning of Spiritual Creation

Christ is the only direct creation of God. He is the image of God.
Everything that exists came into being through Christ.

Lene: […] As far as the person of God is concerned, I am unable to give you any orientation, because you human beings lack the concepts to understand it. Even spirit beings in the world beyond have difficulties in comprehending and understanding the person of God. For the believer it should suffice to know that when God, the Lord, is spoken of, he has power over all things.

And when the only begotten Son is spoken of, one should also be able to come to the thought that there was once a time when this only begotten Son – that is, Christ – was not in existence. He himself said, “I am the beginning and the end.” By “the beginning”, he meant that he is the beginning in creation. Apart from him, no one can be called “only begotten Son”, because he is the only one, and he will fulfill his mission, his great task, to the very last detail.

I will now try to explain this to you in more depth. Everything that you hear subsequently is essentially always a continuation. But what many people lack is this beginning. One builds upon a particular starting point and, from there, attempts to expand further. This may well be justified, because what I will tell you in this hour I could not have explained to you earlier, and I would be unable to reveal this to all human beings. For they would understand it just as little as the first Christians understood Christ – they did not understand him, despite the fact that he truly came very close to them.

I say to you now: God once lived alone in his glory, in his splendor, in his world that is so wonderful, so wonderful. The desire arose in the Father in heaven, in his glory, to initiate a further unfolding, a further creation. In him was the desire to have a likeness of himself, an image, just as it came to be: Christ, image of God.

Before Christ came into existence, God lived in these wonderful heavens, in all this radiance, in all this glory as befitted his heaven. God had the power within himself, he had every power. And to make this more understandable for you, perhaps I must say: within him existed every substance to bring about a further unfolding, to create further. For at that time – which I am trying to sketch as best I can – when God lived alone in his glory in his dwelling place, there already existed a spiritual, ethereal natural world. The wonderful house in which God lived was framed by nature: there were lakes, mountains, rivers; there was an animal kingdom, albeit a limited one; and there was a mineral kingdom. Indeed, there had to be a natural world to rejoice in, to unfold with this nature, to develop. It also served God, if I can put it that way. So, to a limited extent, it was present.

There was a mineral kingdom, an animal kingdom. Indeed, everything was present within God, so that it was possible for him to create this environment. He had created this ethereal, spiritual world out of himself and lived in it. I am unable to indicate any sense of time; I cannot go into specifics, because what I am trying to explain to you is already a gamble.

This wonderful world that surrounded God fostered in him the desire for an image of himself. And God had the possibility to create this image out of himself. As is said time and again: Christ is born of God. Christ is the only direct creation of God.

God has a form. Not all human beings are clear on this. After all, when it is said “God created human beings in his own image” (Genesis 1:27), then this already gives the answer as to what form – spiritual form – God possesses. God is spirit, and one should worship him in spirit and in truth. And that which came into being out of him has the same form, the same figure, and is so similar to him.

During the time that Christ lived on earth, when he spoke with his disciples or with the Pharisees and they asked about God, he informed them, “Look at me, then you will see the Father.” Those people could not understand this. And yet that is an answer: “Look at me, then you will see the Father” – image of God, created out of God.

It has already been explained to you that the Father lived together with the Son in happiness and peace for a long time. I would now like to speak in more detail about the following: if God has form, then this form must also be clothed. His clothing is pure light and radiance; it is ethereal material, the highest spiritual material that can possibly exist. It can only shine, it can only be a brilliance – a brilliance in the most varied colors. His garments can, however, be specially adorned with the most precious gems of the heavenly kingdom, consisting of the finest od that exists in the kingdom of heaven. That which surrounds God is fine, radiant, pure od, which possesses a radiance such that an ordinary human being could never look upon it without going blind. The conditions are simply different. The heights, the highest level, the highest sphere is so alive in this ethereality, so full of life.

Christ came into being out of God; he is his likeness. He has become the image of him in his glory. And the Father took from the garments he possessed and clothed his Son. The Son wore these ethereal garments, the ethereality of the Father. He was truly at one with him, came into being out of him. His form, the form of Christ, has the same ethereal substance as the Father’s. The Father gave of his ethereality, and it was his wish, his will, to call only one Son his own.

So, the Father has only one Son – his beloved Son. And the Son’s love became so united with the Father; the Father meant everything to him. Well, the Father and the Son, that was not yet all of God’s creation; a further creation was the wish or the will of the Father. He revealed to his Son, “You shall have siblings, such noble siblings. And these siblings shall come forth from you. Just as you have come into being out of me, so shall these brothers and sisters come forth from you.”

This, of course, was not simply explained in a couple of words. You must try to imagine an infinitely long period of time when Father and Son lived together. They spoke together about the further unfolding of creation, how it was to be expanded. The Father gave his ideas and said to the Son, “I will give you might – you will be able to do everything. I will give you might and power. Everything that will come into being, will and shall come into being through you. You shall do this in my place.” That is why it is also said: everything that has come into being, be that in heaven or on earth, came into being through him, through Christ (cf. John 1:3).

All this did not just suddenly “come into being” without them speaking and acting together. This required words – they exchanged ideas, spoke with one another. But it was the Father who gave the Son the possibility, for the Son possessed a share of this precious knowledge. Some of this precious creative power was passed on to the Son. The Father made it possible for him.

It was determined that these other princely brothers and sisters could come into existence. This took place over the course of vast intervals of time. The first to come into being out of Christ carried the name Light-bearer, because he inherited from the radiance and from the glory, from the creative power, from everything of Christ’s ethereal substance. This Light-bearer thus came into being.

I know what you are thinking, because I am familiar with the thoughts of one person or another. I said: there was a natural world, for one rejoiced in its glory. It was not an empty world. There was a plant kingdom and an animal kingdom, even if just to a limited extent. Everything was present to a limited extent, and every creature that was permitted to come into being out of the high spiritual power carried within itself something of this ethereal substance and power. It had life within itself, it was alive. But before life was given, it had to be designed and formed. And everything concerning spiritual nature was formed and designed. All these lifeforms were given life. They were designed and formed by Christ, but they were given life by the Father. God reserved this for himself.

And so it was with this Light-bearer. His form was created out of the form of Christ – a likeness of him, out of Christ. But it did not yet contain life. God gave life the moment his form had condensed and was complete. It received life – life, radiance, light. God had to make this possible.

The three of them lived together for a long time. This Light-bearer lived in peace with Christ and the Father over the course of vast periods of time. And where did they live? They still lived with the Father; his house was large. From the moment the Son of God came into existence, God had further designed the splendor of his house and condensed it. The house of God became larger, and his Son had his own quarters in the Father’s house. And so it was when the Light-bearer came into existence. A home had already been planned and prepared for him as well, just as it is with your families: the children come later, and they remain in the parental home until the time of their independence and their decision to leave.

Thus, everything was arranged for these brothers and sisters as well. They all came into being over a long period of time, separated by vast intervals. There are also marriages in heaven; and, since a great and mighty creation had been planned, a female part had to be created for each male part. To make this possible, the word of God was needed – a bringing together and merging [of odic forces] by God.

I spoke earlier of spiritual nature. This spiritual nature, with its power, with its emanation, with its vitality, played a part in all this. All created things in nature have, each in their own way, their emanation, their force, their special od. And, already at that time, this special od had its spiritual potency in this spiritual order in the heavenly realm. Everything unfolded according to this spiritual order. And every single thing – I would simply like to use this word for now – that was created was done so with a particular force. And, for its part, it now had the task of giving of its own unique od for a particular process or a particular creation that one desired to bring about. This required not just the designing of a form, it also required the involvement of various odic forces.

It is the same with human beings: they also require the most diverse substances in order to bring about what they envision, what they hope to see accomplished. They have tried out things in experiments for a long time. In the spiritual world, however, these experiments are not necessary; it requires only the guidance of the Creator to indicate where and what has to give of its spiritual od in order to complete an object or a creature. Thus, it also requires the collaboration of the most diverse substances.

As I explained to you, all this had previously been made available by the ethereal natural world, by spiritual creation. Already then, God’s wisdom stated that for the future there had to be many different forms within which life is contained, into which life is absorbed, and from which a share must be given for new life, from which forces must be given. It is a cooperative undertaking.

Now, I do not want to explain these things at greater length, but I do wish to draw your attention to the fact that couples were created, so that two beings belong together, and that further creation then unfolded from these couples. And this spiritual nature, which had first been built up on a small scale, had also unfolded and expanded. So, this is what happened, and further angels were created.

At a much, much later point in time, these couples that came into being out of Christ were sent into the most diverse heavens. You must not imagine time in the spiritual world in terms of today and tomorrow or this year to the next. With God a thousand years are like a day.

If I may draw your attention to something else: imagine the great joy Christ had at his first experience. The Father had told him, “You came into being out of me. And you shall have siblings; they shall come into being out of you.” And Christ experienced it for himself, he experienced this Light-bearer. Can you imagine how great was the love and the joy to be able to experience this? After further intervals of time, these other brothers and sisters could also be called into existence in order to give creation, in accordance with the will of God, the possibility of an endless unfolding and so that everything be given shape – the heavens, the stars – everything exactly in accordance with the law and the order of God. There was to be life – life, life, nothing but life. […]

Excerpt from a lecture by spirit-teacher Lene, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner during the meditation week in Waldhaus Flims, Switzerland, 19 September 1982

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Lene, 21 September 1976 (excerpt)

Let Everything That Has Odem

Praise the Lord 1

Everything in nature, all life, everything that finds itself in this world is enveloped by an odic force. It is not only human beings that have their own odic force, but every plant as well – every flower, every leaf, every blade of grass – every stone, every mineral.

Of the many kinds of rose, each one has its own odic force. Even though all these flowers are identified as roses because they are of the same variety, species, or genus, each rose has its own unique odic cloak. God’s laws are so wonderful, and the wisdom of God cannot be grasped by human beings.

Everything is constructed in such a wondrous way. Spirits of God do indeed watch over everything, but by virtue of these divine laws, there is an independent progression in ascent. Through the wisdom of God, everything has been so wonderfully formed and shaped.

Lene: […] Everything in nature, all life, everything that finds itself in this world is enveloped by an odic force. Each individual thing – I will just put it like that – whether high or low, has its own odic cloak. Every human being also has their own unique odic emanation. No two human beings have the same odic emanation.

Human beings have three kinds of odic force or odic current, which are given to them by God and which they require for life. These are: the special odic force of the spirit; the life force or the odic force of life; and the condensed, coarse odic force of the earthly body.

For human beings, the greatest secret lies in this odic force. It is not only human beings that have their own unique odic force, but every plant as well, every flower, every leaf, every blade of grass, every stone, every mineral – everything, everything in this world has, in its unique way, its own odic force or its own odic cloak. Yes, I would like to say that the flowers here [in the hall], which always delight you in such a beautiful way – and us, too – I can tell you that among them there are no two flowers with the same odic force. Of the many roses that are here, each one has its own odic force. Even though all these flowers are identified as roses because they are of the same variety, species, or genus, each rose has its own unique odic cloak.

I emphasize once more: in this odic force, which covers the whole earth and everything on it, lies the greatest secret. I try to reveal something of the secrets of this odic force to you; I try to make it comprehensible for you in my own way, so that you begin to have a better understanding.

I would not like the following to go unmentioned: when, for example, flowers of the same kind are together, it can happen that there are some among them or it might only be one flower, one rose in the midst of others, that does not tolerate the others. This is the case when the odic force of those other flowers is greater or when it is surrounded by stronger odic force. This individual flower then has too little resilience in and of itself, and it wilts, it dies back. The odic force of the other flowers dissolves a part of its life force, but it is only the condensed mass that is destroyed, because everything that you experience in nature is nothing other than condensed spiritual matter. This holds true for everything, every single thing.

For certain people, this is hard to comprehend. It is already a great step forward when, in spiritual teaching, this idea that ascent proceeds from lower to higher lifeforms is grasped. Until now, it is only the intervention of the world of God that has been spoken of – its intervention to enable a transformation into a higher stage or into a higher lifeform was, so to speak, the answer until now.

God’s laws are so wonderful, and the wisdom of God cannot be grasped by human beings. Everything is constructed in such a wondrous way. Spirits of God do indeed watch over everything, but by virtue of these divine laws, there is an independent progression in ascent. Through the wisdom of God, everything has been so wonderfully formed and shaped.

Many books could be written about odic force. It is the case, however, that human beings are unable to see this odic force, and they are also unable to measure it. Certainly, they experience growth, but they cannot see the odic force that plays a role in it. Thus, for human beings, so much remains a secret.

Christ also wanted to reveal so much about these secrets to his disciples. But if even you, who have had a higher education, have difficulties in understanding it, then how could those people possibly have grasped it – people who had in part only been given a basic education or none at all? So, the time was not yet ripe. Today, people seek to be creatively active. Not all aspects of their activity, however, are God willed. Human beings have the opportunity to discover and develop so many things. They would have the opportunity to penetrate into these secrets and to develop this purely for the salvation and blessing of humankind. But what do they do with the specialist knowledge they have acquired? It is in part, and will continue to be, to the detriment of humankind.

From a spiritual standpoint, in a spiritual sense, these odic forces can be dissected, and with these individual parts, which can be analyzed, a structure can be developed. So many wonderful things are contained in this odic force that are for the flourishing of humankind, things that can grow, that can flourish. The greatest secrets that exist lie in this odic force, which is drawn over all things like a breath.

As an example, these odic forces, which also envelop human beings, bring about the following: when you leave your seat this evening, recorded upon this chair there will be – if I may express it in your language – a photograph of everyone who has ever sat on it. In spirit, one can ascertain who has sat on this chair or touched this object. By touching an object, everyone leaves behind an imprint of themselves. Wherever a human being goes, they leave behind an imprint. It is like a shadow that remains behind, and this can be followed.

This is how the spirit world of God finds the people it wants, because it has this connection with the human beings living here on earth. The spirit world recognizes the way, for it is visible, and it sees all the paths the person in question has ever taken. It can also see the paths someone walked in the world of God during the time of highest bliss, when they were together with their family. The odic bonds remain tied. The paths they once walked are marked and remain so. If necessary, the words that someone spoke can also be heard again.

It is important for you to recognize the following from my explanations: everyone has traversed the most varied paths in God’s plan or in God’s creation. These paths can be followed. In this way, each individual can be found if one wishes to know more details about them – where they come from and what their guilt [incurred during the fall] consisted of primarily. For this odic force, this odic cloak, is in their spirit. Everything is indelibly contained in od. So, we are able to follow a human being and trace their development – where they have come from and where they have been.

Before I give further explanations, I would like to make special reference to the odic force of human beings, because it is important for people to know something about this. I explained to you that no two human beings have the same odic force – everyone’s is unique. The nature of the odic force differs from one person to the next. For it is out of the soul, out of the divine spark – I must return to this, to that which is imperishable – it is out of this divine spark that this odic force flows. If someone thinks about the fact that they are a creature of God, that they possess within themselves something that comes from the very highest being that exists, it must surely become clear to a thinking person that there is also something valuable within themselves, something that is everlasting, because they come from God, because they came into being out of God’s will. I do not want to be misunderstood: human beings are creatures of God; they became what they are through the wish and will of God.

You have been taught about the fall, about the ascent of the spirits, about the mission that Christ fulfilled. You have a certain knowledge of these things. This knowledge is sufficient for one person or another in life. Another person wants more; they want to know more in order to be better able to believe. If it really is the case that a human being endeavors to know more in order to be better able to believe, then this may well be justified. But if someone only wants to know more out of curiosity, then this is not beneficial, and this does not support their ascent and progress. Human beings are allowed to strive for higher knowledge if it leads them to God. But those who simply want to acquire knowledge without having the desire to come closer to God – upon them rests no unfolding power and no special blessing. Human beings can and should know that they possess their own special force. There are, for example, talented people who have special artistic abilities that delight others, and there are also people who wish to direct their artistic abilities toward higher goals, that is, they do not chiefly want to serve themselves. I need not list the fine arts for you; human beings possess various talents. Where are the origins of these qualities, these talents, to be found?

It is the case that a human being can inherit such talents from their parents. You may be able to understand that a human being also has a spiritual connection with their parents. First and foremost, however, they have an odic connection with them; they are related to them via an odic connection. In this odic force, there are certain particles, as I shall call them, that define the hereditary traits and that are then passed on. What is to be understood from this is that in most cases – not in all, but in most cases – children possess similar traits to their parents, whether that be children born of an artistic marriage or to parents who work in an intellectual capacity.

Where do these traits come from? How can they be explained? Yes, I already know how human beings would try to explain it to me. I will try to explain it spiritually. The explanation lies in the fact that parents and children are connected with one another via an odic current. I said that the od of each individual is different; accordingly, there are so many defining features in this od, so many elements – I do not know how I should express this in your language – that can come into effect. It contains such a great diversity for the unfolding. This is how it is possible for traits from the parents to be passed on to the children.

I do not want to go too deeply into this topic now. I would instead like to emphasize something else that should serve the salvation and advancement of human beings. There are people who, by means of their particular type of odic force, also have healing powers; their odic force, which streams out, can have a healing effect on their fellow human beings. People with such a special odic force are able to touch sick people and thereby transfer something of their own odic force to them. This does not mean, however, that such a person has the same odic force or odic current as the sick person or that their entire odic current changes – such a person has a healing, warming effect on the other. Their healing power can be so strong that certain illnesses can be alleviated or perhaps disappear entirely. This happens in accordance with the power of the person emanating such force. It depends on the purity of their odic force.

Human beings have the opportunity to refine their own odic force or to condense it even more, to darken it. A dark emanation of odic force is unpleasant, and it never has a healing effect on human beings. The pure odic force that a person emanates actively works on their fellow human beings, on their health, but also on other things. Someone can, for example, influence their fellow human beings and attempt to convince them to increasingly activate their own odic force, to stimulate it further, to bring it into vibration. Human beings can, in a certain sense, linger in inactivity. The odic force of people who are despondent has no real current, no real power that permeates the body. The odic forces I spoke of earlier – the force of the spirit, the life force, the force of the body – are connected with one another. Thus, through an effort of will, willpower increases, and the life force of a human being is enhanced.

Dear brothers and sisters, there would be so much to explain about this – all that is possible to achieve when one tries to activate these indwelling forces. Now, I can certainly talk about such things – some understand me, others do not. This all belongs to spiritual teaching. For it is in this odic force, which a human being has within themselves, which a spirit being has within themselves, that these secrets are to be found. Therein lie the secrets you seek in order to decipher them. Hence this caution on our part, or on my part, to reveal it outright. I could use far fewer words to present all that I have said or to describe the essentials that I would still like to explain; I could explain it using human examples. I will, however, take care not to do so, because I have been warned by my spirit brothers and sisters not to elucidate it in this way. I will not do so. […]

If God truly desired that human beings come to these findings, then it would present absolutely no difficulty for him to let such things be revealed to humankind. In his wisdom, however, he determined that there must be an ascent. This ascent must be attained through various transformations of a spirit’s outer form. Human beings had to pass through these various transformations that shaped their external form. Whoever is fortunate enough to stand on a level of ascent as a human being already has this behind them. Everyone has walked the path marked out in their odic field or in their odic force. The path was marked out through the law of God, so that a special intervention by God’s spirit world is no longer needed.

The law has been devised in such a wonderful way that there is a progression for each individual, because their progress is within them, within their soul. The possibility of their own progress is marked out and will be fulfilled according to these binding and firmly-anchored laws of God, which are not to be overturned and which are not to be changed. […]

Excerpt from a lecture by spirit-teacher Lene, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner during the meditation week in Waldhaus Flims, Switzerland, 21 September 1976

1 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). The word odem, used in several German translations of the Bible, conveys the meaning “breath of life” – the divine breath that animates all life

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Joseph, Questions and Answers from 1950 to 1982

Creation and Teachings on Od – Supplementary Explanations

Dear spirit-teacher Joseph, how can we better understand that God is without a beginning?

Joseph: Dear friends, that is a question to which I have no words for you, since you cannot understand this. (1950)

You have spoken so often about the house of God. Should we imagine it as a very great sphere?

Joseph: Dear friends, it is difficult to find the right words for this with the concepts that you have. Yes, you may imagine it as something great, mighty, and wondrous. (1952)

Why do we speak of Christ as the only begotten Son of God when there is also mention of other “Sons of God”?

Joseph: My dear ones, I have already spoken about this as well: the spiritual spark of all beings is from God – every spiritual spark was created by him. Your spiritual body, however, is from Christ, because the spiritual spark from God must have a body. Only Christ is from God himself, his first creation – both his spiritual spark as well as his spiritual body. In contrast, every other being is from Christ as regards their spiritual body; only their spiritual spark is from God. (2.3.1955)

On 22.1.1982 spirit-teacher Joseph gave further explanations on Christ and answered questions that arose on this topic:

Joseph: I may well take this opportunity to say that people of today have difficulties in understanding the meaning of “only begotten Son of God”. They have no idea – they feel and see in a way that is far too human. Everything is human to them. They cannot comprehend that Christ is born of God. I cannot specify the time in which this took place, just as I cannot explain to you God in his might and in his being. This I cannot do. But there are truly many things that I can explain to you.

It is the case that Christ is the bearer of the spiritual body from God. God is a person and has a spiritual body. You have already been told this. God can be seen, and one can only see something that has a form and a shape. God, therefore, has form and shape. It is not the case, as some human beings claim, that he is simply a force – those human beings who do not want to acknowledge God as a person, as it were, and who have no idea about the world beyond. When Christ says, “The Father is in me; I am in him,” this means that Christ is bearer of the spiritual body from God. For Christ was formed and created by God out of his own od. In his person, he is a piece of the body of God. That is why Christ always emphasized, “The Father and I are one.” Christ is a piece of God, of God’s personality; he was formed by God personally, out of his own od. That is why it is also said: Christ is both the beginning and the end, because he is the only direct creation and will remain so. And with this – that he is both the beginning in God’s creation and the end – it is not only meant “in the fulfillment of the whole”, but rather that no one will come after him who can enter existence as a creature out of God’s od. Christ is the firstborn and remains the firstborn; he is the bearer of God’s od, of the body from God, of the form that God has in himself. So, Christ was formed and shaped out of God’s od, and he is to be recognized as such: as the Only Begotten, the One born of God. He is bearer of the spiritual body from God, formed out of God’s od. Everything that came into being in creation after him came into being out of Christ. This was possible because Christ is the bearer of this power and also of a certain might. It is also said that the Father gave Christ of himself, that he gave him everything (cf. John 13:3) – indeed, Christ came into being out of his od.

It is sometimes difficult to explain something about this to human beings. I can say it to you now, because you can understand it. But I cannot give every Christian this explanation; they are not even able to grasp simpler things, so how could they grasp something like this? Time and again, Christ speaks about love – that his love is like the Father’s love. He also says, “I heard this from the Father; the Father told me this.” Indeed, between the Father and his Son there is such an intimacy and such a bond! And it was, and is, to the great fortune of humankind.

There was not pure joy in the spirit world when Christ entered human existence. There was rejoicing insofar as it was hoped and expected that God’s Anointed One, the highest spirit of God, would succeed and fulfill his task. On the other hand, there was also a certain anxiety, because one knew the power of this Lucifer – power that God had not taken away from him. Lucifer had a great power, a truly great power. And now these two brothers stood facing each other.

Lucifer primarily owed his existence to Christ. He is the one who came into being after Christ, out of Christ. Lucifer also had a great power; hence he is the ruler of this world, and he remains the ruler of this world. That is why this plan of redemption or this battle is so endlessly long.

There are so many things that are difficult for me, as well as for other spirit beings, to explain to you. We have different concepts, different notions. And to bring this into the present age, into your manner of thinking, is not always so easy for us – not for me either. Sometimes I struggle to find a word to express the right concept in accordance with your present age so that you understand it. That is why it is left to you to perhaps formulate a sentence in a more comprehensible way – but the meaning must not be changed!

Dear Joseph, you once told us that you would explain what would have happened had Christ not fulfilled his task.

Joseph: Yes, it does not bear thinking about! A terrible night would have fallen; this has already been explained to you. Another spirit would then have had to try to complete this work – another spirit of God would have entered human existence. It might have taken hundreds of years for God to give his word, and so this terrible night would have fallen. If Christ had not fulfilled his task, the earth would truly have trembled! Just imagine how this Satan would have triumphed, how he would then have felt as tyrant, and how he would have rampaged and ruled! A dark night would truly have come over humankind – it does not bear thinking about!

It would have been unthinkable in that case, because one has to ask oneself: if the Only Begotten had not succeeded, then who could have succeeded?

Joseph: Yes. Every spirit being in the spiritual world has their own particular character, powers of assertion, and energy. Another being would have had to come, and they could also have failed. I say: would have! It would have been necessary for one to keep coming until the liberation, until a redemption had been achieved. Today, now that it has been fulfilled, it is unthinkable that this could not have found its fulfillment [through Jesus Christ]!