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Joseph, 7 November 1973

Spiritual Consequences
of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

When a human being with an addiction dies, their addiction is not overcome after death. The soul still has the same craving for those substances as it had while clothed in a human body. In this lecture, spirit-teacher Joseph explains how the divine world cares for such sick homecomers and weans them off their addiction.

Joseph: God bless you. Dear brothers and sisters, today I want to speak about those beings who suffered from addictions during their human life, and I would also like to speak about drug addicts or about a particular drug-addicted young man who died in his drugged state. The death of such a person can be a liberation for you human beings. You believe that they are now free of these addictions and that, as you say, they were fortunate to die. Human beings no longer have to trouble about such a sick person. But that is not the case; you should not imagine that the malady is overcome with death.

I will now tell you about a young person who fell into these addictions and died as a result. Awakening in the spiritual world, he was not aware that he had died; he was in a so-called delirium. Beings then came to him, and they drew his attention to the fact that he had died and that this vice was now at an end. But he was unable to absorb any of this. I must explain this, particularly to friends who lack sufficient knowledge of spiritual laws: it is the soul that feels, and even after death it has the same cravings as it had while clothed in a human body. The memories are within the soul; the cravings, the desires are within the soul. This is all property of the soul; the soul feels, and it is for this reason that these addictions are not overcome. Thus, such a homecomer still has the same degree of craving for this “substance”, as you call it. They are unhappy, very unhappy.

Spiritual beings bring them into a sphere where they are given the opportunity, or the opportunity is available, to sleep off this intoxicated state. The spiritual beings are willing to give them medicines to place them into a normal spiritual sleep. Such homecomers, however, refuse to take anything other than what they craved while still human. They notice the difference immediately; they know straight away that they are no longer being given those drugs and that one would like to wean them off their addiction, so to speak. They recognize this immediately, even though they are not aware that they really have died. So, they become agitated and have the desire to be among others like themselves. The spiritual world is not powerless in the face of this, but it does not specially intervene at first. Each individual is given the chance to decide for themselves whether they are willing to overcome this unpleasant state of affairs, or whether they really are weak, so that the spirit world recognizes that the individual is not achieving anything and all good advice is in vain. So, they are allowed – just like many other spirit beings – to leave the place to which they had been led in the spiritual world. Since their feelings and thoughts are still so human, like a magnet they are drawn back to the earth and to human beings.

Only now, when such a sick being joins others like themselves on earth, do they realize that they no longer have an earthly body. They begin talking to the others, asking them to give them such drugs. And they must now realize that no one is taking any notice. It is then clear to them that they really have died. But they are not content with their new condition; they desire to enter a new state of intoxication. That is their desire, because their soul, their feelings have – one might say – been poisoned; they are filled with this lower, impure od. As a result, they are incapable of thinking anything better or higher than just indulging this vice. So, such a being seeks out and draws close to those human beings who are in a drugged state. And I want to explain to you what deceased addicts do or what this particular being did, for I was allowed to observe such things.

This being, who did not want to accept his new life, laid himself alongside a human being who was in an extremely drugged condition, and he thereby took pleasure from it. This happens as follows: when such a burdened or sick being draws close to a human who has the same addiction and who is in this intoxicated state, they are able to breathe in the impure od that streams out of the human; for this soul is able to inhale the odor. This being draws very close to the human, lies very close to them, in order to suck in their breath, the scent of their clothes. This human being, lying there in a drugged state, is full of impure od, enveloped by a dark cloud of impure od. For this [intoxicant] is something sick, something low, that is, something that brings forth dark and impure od. As such, this spirit being can now capitalize on it, and not only from the human’s breath and hands – from their skin, so to speak – which secrete this substance; their clothes are also saturated with it. You yourselves know that when you are in a room where many people are smoking and drinking, this obnoxious smell will also stick to your clothes. The same applies to a human who has taken these substances: they are filled and saturated with this impure od. So, the spirit being who is still addicted takes advantage of this and experiences a sense of satisfaction; and they go from one person to another.

Such a being knows they must work hard to acquire such substances or drugs. As a spiritual being, they now have a greater overview of the actions of human beings; they can, therefore, see the paths that are open, where such drugs are peddled or where such substances are traded. So, they carry out a reprehensible activity by persuading human beings, guiding them, inspiring them, accompanying them to such people, trying to clear all obstacles out of the way – for their sole interest is that such human beings remain in this drugged state. They also have to help smooth the paths so that the human being comes to this substance. So, this is also an activity, and such a human being thus becomes a tool of one of these addicted, impure spiritual beings. It is said that like attracts like, and in this case that holds true. Such an addicted spiritual being is only interested in, and only pursues, those humans who feed this addiction. And so, the human beings living here are helped, in a manner of speaking, by these spirit beings.

The divine beings see everything that is done, and they let no one out of their sight, including this spirit being. They leave them to their free will, as is generally the case. Such beings are left to their own devices for a certain time, then there is an intervention, because the world of God is interested in spiritual ascent, and it cannot simply stand by as such a sick being burdens themselves even more. They are left for a certain period of time, then there is an intervention. And I want to explain to you that this is much more painful than the experience of going through a withdrawal as a human being. When the spirit world of God intervenes, it intervenes in such a way that it can expect a success. It knows that it will also have to be very patient. While it is painful and unpleasant for a human being to wean themselves off this or that vice, it is much more painful for a spiritual being. The spirits of God now desire an improvement, and they guide this sick spirit into purification. Various earthly locations are now required: the spirit beings in question often have to be led to where human beings live and work, to where they have their possessions and to that which belongs to their world, because their thinking is still entirely oriented toward human affairs.

So, I now want to tell you what the angelic world did with such a being. It took this particular spirit and fled with him to the middle of an ocean. It placed him upon the waves, and this spirit believed the waves would swallow him up. Indeed, he still felt more human than spirit; he was still so bound to earthly concerns. These divine beings did not say much to him. It all happened so quickly, and they told him, “You will have to stay here until we see that your soul is recovering.” Such a being now cries out for help and begs not to be abandoned. They see the tempestuous ocean and are tossed back and forth by the waves, certain that they will be engulfed. They try to straighten up, to stand, and they even manage to do so. They can even move back and forth on the water; they can walk on the waves. Although they are able to do this, they are in the greatest of fear; for this ocean is so violent, and the waves often seem to come toward them with such size and force – and yet, they do not drown. They have the feeling, however, that they are torn back and forth. They live in a condition of great fear and constantly cry for help. No help comes. Their fear is now so strong that it fully takes them over, so that they forget that they actually have such a vice. They no longer think about this vice. They only want to live and constantly call for help. They live in great fear. And this fear, in which they must live, is a healing force for their soul.

I wish to give an explanation on this. You generally know that spiritual beings are able to penetrate physical matter – every wall, for example. They are also able to walk back and forth on the water. I remind you of Christ. He also walked back and forth on the water (John 6:19). And how was that possible? He transformed his human od, which was also upon him in a condensed manner, into spiritual od, into ethereal od. His earthly od was thus overcome for a short while. The power of his spiritual od was so strong that it enabled him to temporarily set aside or dissolve this bound, earthly od. Christ spiritualized the earthly, human od that surrounded him. That is how it was possible for him to walk on water as a human being.

The spirit being of whom I am speaking was freed from the earthly body and was also able to penetrate physical matter; there are no obstacles, even water represents no obstacle, but this spiritual being had so many human thoughts and feelings that generated fear within him. His memory, his human thinking, caused this fear within him. There was still so much bound matter upon this spirit; but he no longer had an earthly body, and it was thus possible for him to lie down upon the waves. He could also walk, but he was not conscious of spiritual laws. The feelings of fear were within him, for he still had such lower odic forces within himself. The spirit world of God utilizes this. It knows: if it brings this being into such fear, he will forget the other thing; he will only want to fight for his life. And so, no contribution is made by the divine world to dissolve the human, bound od that clings to him. He is left, because it shall be for his healing. This is his sphere or plane of purification, however you wish to call it.

So, this being was left in this state of fear and abandonment until it was believed he had overcome the worst. In such cases, a spirit of God then goes to such a being and asks them whether they are now ready to integrate into God’s order, whether they are now ready to follow the commands of the higher spirit world and to consider their vice, which had poisoned their entire soul, as truly overcome, whether they are willing to abandon all thought of it. In great distress, they are all willing to make the most of this opportunity and naturally say, “Yes, I am ready.” But I said explicitly: spirits of God recognize when it is time to liberate such a being. And so, this particular being was approached. He declared himself willing to do everything that would be asked of him, saying that he was grateful to have been led upon this path of recovery. Such a spiritual being is then taken and led into the spiritual world. The soul has been freed from these burdensome cravings. But there is still so much impurity lingering within the soul. The world of God, however, is primarily concerned that the worst is overcome. It is then also possible to speak with such a being and explain the necessity of entering God’s order, that one must allow oneself to be educated further, and that there will now be a period of hard work. The divine beings are ready to support such a spirit, to strengthen them, to educate them, and they are happy and satisfied with them for having overcome the malady.

How long such a period of distress lasts varies. This is decided by the spirit world of God on a case-by-case basis. It depends on the depth of a human being’s craving or on the strength or weakness of their will; the spirit world of God judges according to this. This period of distress can last a very long time. I do not want to specify a duration. If all these human beings knew what awaits them one day, the struggle that lies before them, how much suffering they will have to endure as a spiritual being – if they knew, if one could make this clear to them – many of them would muster the courage to overcome this malady. And keep in mind: it is not the case, as people think, that the malady is overcome with death and that the person concerned is free of their addictions. That is not so. The addictions, this craving, continue to exist.

So, that was one example of a case of drug addiction. This evening I would only like to focus on these unfortunately unpleasant vices – I lack another word to name it properly. There is also another vice: alcoholism. From our point of view, there are of course different degrees of alcoholism. There are human beings who are so addicted to drinking that they have completely lost the ground beneath their feet and no longer find their way in this world. These people have really stumbled: people without a home, who try by any means possible to indulge this vice, even if they have to steal to acquire this substance. To have succumbed to alcoholism to such an extent is very bad, because [after death] this is also not overcome in the soul. I will also explain to you how the spiritual world tries to help someone like this. But before I do, I would like to speak about those who occasionally drink too much but who cannot be classed with those who have entirely succumbed to this vice. The spirit world judges like so: if a person has a vice, be that alcoholism or it could be something else, and if other human beings are harmed as a result of this vice, then the person in question will be punished in accordance with the severity of the harm they caused. If the harm is perhaps minor, then this homecomer will be treated with leniency, and the punishment will not be so severe. But if other human beings had to suffer under the vice of the other, then the punishment can be very severe. This is how judgment is made in the world of God.

I will now tell you about someone who was completely addicted to drinking and who also died in his intoxicated state. His awakening was also bitter. He had not slept off his drunkenness, not even through death; for his soul had the same feelings, the same discontentment, exactly as he had while in a human body. Such an individual now encounters the spirit world of God, and they are reproached by it. They are asked, “Why did you not recognize the meaning of your life? Why did you not seek the high meaning of life?” They usually have no answer. They speak about having been disappointed; they talk about their own suffering and about injustices inflicted upon them. They try to excuse themselves in all manner of ways.

The spirit world is well aware of how difficult it also is to wean someone like this off their addiction in the world beyond. Just as in the case of drug addicts, there is not a forcible intervention with each individual. It may be the case that someone who is not overly burdened is immediately shown the way and led into purification, which will be very unpleasant for a certain period of time, whereas another is left to their own devices. Such a being will also have the same desire to go to human beings, to where human beings are drinking; and they do so in exactly the same manner as those of whom I just spoke. They sit beside these alcoholic human beings, they even sit on their laps – indeed, they have all kinds of possibilities to get close to human beings, to penetrate them – and they thus enjoy the alcohol with them. Spiritual beings experience odor very strongly; indeed, you have often been told this. So, they drink along and feel intoxicated, and they are contented in this drunken state. They then go from one person to another, because one of them may well sleep off their drunkenness and have to go to work – unless they seek out a human being who constantly lives in a drunken state. The world of God can, however, deny access to such human beings.

The fact that there is not an immediate intervention and that these beings are permitted the freedom to take this path and seek out human beings with the same vice – this is also provided for in the law of God. These beings are left with the freedom to decide – in most cases. There are cases where the spirit world of God does not allow a being to express their own will, to decide for themselves; it intervenes, and it also has rights within the law to do so. But it is generally the case that such spirits are left to their free will for a fixed or an indefinite period of time. What is certain is that the spirit world of God does not wait forever for such a being to arrive at better insight through their own free choice: it intervenes earlier and collects the being in question, telling them, “Now is enough. You must now recognize that you have separated from the world. Indeed, you yourself realized that you died. It has not escaped your notice that there is a power of God, nor has it escaped your notice that there are helpful, good spiritual beings. You also know” – and this is said to those who claim to have lived as faithful Christians – “and you even emphasized that you are a Christian, and you really should have believed.”

This is how these homecomers are spoken to and reproached. They are told that they were left to their free will for a certain time – and this for the sake of the lower spirit world, which is very, very watchful when such burdened spirits return to human beings and use them as tools. Those from the realm of the dead take great satisfaction when such beings have the same cravings as in human life. They cannot then accuse the high spirit world of simply influencing these spiritual beings by force or of applying force to make them overcome their lower thoughts and desires.

This, therefore, is a spiritual law. The lower spirit world is shown that the spirits in question are given the opportunity to decide, even though it is well known that in these difficult cases their strength is insufficient to choose the better path of their own accord – though this may happen in very isolated cases. The lower spirit world thus experiences that God is just and that the stipulations that were once brought into force are adhered to in every respect. So, the human being shall decide for themselves, and even spiritual beings from lower levels of development shall determine their own path by themselves. This just in passing.

Now, an alcoholic human being who dies in their intoxicated state will certainly have the desire to return to human beings, as I explained, and they will then be collected, and it will be made clear to them that enough is enough. I have shown you how they are spoken to. The high spirit world now wishes to begin a course of so-called “work therapy” with them. The being in question should be able to overcome this craving through work, whereas the drug addict [discussed above] could not be made to perform this conscientious work; he had to be distressed in the manner described and led into this condition of fear in order to overcome his vice. In the case of alcoholics, one tries with work, just as you do – ultimately, you human beings have adopted this from us. This, too, just in passing. With us it is an arduous work therapy, whereas with you it is done in a milder form.

Such spiritual beings are led into caves in the invisible world. These also exist. There is a lot of water on the spiritual ground of these caves; it flows out of the spiritual ground. These beings are instructed to create channels in the cave for the water to flow out. And they do it, even if it is initially done carelessly, reluctantly. For they begin to fear being drowned, and they see that it is possible to drain the water. What I am saying is difficult to understand for friends who do not know spiritual laws and spiritual language. I know this, but I cannot explain the fundamentals of this every time. So, I must ask friends to talk with other friends about the fact that there is also this substance in spirit, exactly like human beings have in their world – albeit of an ethereal nature – and that there are also rivers, streams, and lakes in spirit. And there are caves where water ingresses. This is ordained by God. After all, these deceased human beings who have been led there also want to live: they suddenly realize that things could become unpleasant for them; they then begin to work with all their might. And they, too, call for help, especially when the water has risen so high that they think they are about to be drowned. They want to live; because also within them, within their soul and feelings, there is still so much that is human. And this is ordained by God – in this way they fight for their lives. Even if they are partially aware that they have indeed died, they are nevertheless worried that their life could perhaps come to an end in this manner. The spiritual world makes use of this fear. It sometimes happens that higher, divine beings even help with the work in order to prove to the beings in question that the higher world is concerned that they – so they think – live.

This work also goes on for quite some time, and now they forget their vice as well. They reflect that they do not want to do such work for all eternity. When spirits of God come close to them, they make it clear, “This is not heaven; this is purgatory for you. You must work your way out of this plight, and you will be freed from this work as soon as you change your thinking and strengthen your will for the good and for the higher. When you have overcome this human craving, you will also be shown a more beautiful, better world.”

So, also in this way, the world of God succeeds in freeing such a being from their vice, freeing them in such a way that they become capable of fulfilling a task in God’s plan of salvation, in God’s order. They let themselves be taught, and they no longer have the desire to come close to human beings who live with these vices. Through this divine intervention, they are freed from these vices. But this does not simply happen from one day to the next. One must work, one must do one’s part. And here, too, it is worth saying: if such human beings knew what awaits them, many would be able to abstain, because what awaits them can be very unpleasant.

This is how the spirit world of God helps. There are certain religious people who believe that God will meet homecomers through his spirit world with nothing but great lenience. They say, “God is love and justice, and God never wants anyone to suffer.” There is a time of purification, and the time of purification is hard. And this belongs to the healing of the soul, to the salvation of the soul. In this way, such vices and addictions are overcome.

I would now like to speak about something else – I hope there is still enough time – namely, about human beings who are in the process of spiritual ascent, they may still be at a lower level or they may have reached a certain height, but who live with very particular vices. You would perhaps say “weaknesses”. And now I come to these vices: one person is, let us say, domineering, another is argumentative, another is jealous, yet another has a need for admiration. Yes, dear brothers and sisters, the world of God is not indifferent to all these weaknesses of the homecomers. Wherever possible, it has the greatest interest in seeing these weaknesses overcome as quickly as possible. And it is exactly the same situation as with the first two cases I mentioned: these vices are also property of the soul. There is something within the soul. The jealousy is within the soul, and so is the imperiousness, the argumentativeness. All these vices are defects that have not yet been overcome.

You are constantly told about community life. In community life, the world of God finds the best opportunity for these homecomers to overcome their vices. In living together with others, one person does not like this, another person does not like that. And how nice it is when one is alone, not having to be considerate of anyone else – but the soul can never prove itself, it can never mature. A soul must also be tested, to see whether it is able in spirit to overcome the flaws it had in human life. And that is why the spirit world goes as far as directly challenging the homecomers’ vices, and particularly so in the case of those – I must also say this – whose vices hindered their development. In contrast to this there are, as we say, the daily stumbles: perhaps a person momentarily expressed feelings that do not, however, correspond to their entire being; they were just taken over by them. The spirit world will also take this into consideration. But when it comes to real vices, through which a person increasingly burdened themselves and inflicted harm upon their fellow human beings, then this is punished by the world of God; it punishes when other human beings were harmed as a result, be that in a spiritual or in a worldly sense.

Such equally-developed spirit beings are now brought together and have to live with each other in a family. They will work together in spiritual workshops, but they can also carry out their activity outdoors in the spiritual world. Indeed, in the spiritual world, too, there are such infinitely many things that must and can be done – just like with you. When I say they are “equally-developed”, I do not mean that they all have the same vices; I mean that they are all burdened to the same degree. In fact, the world of God sees to it that they actually have different vices.

When a spiritual family receives a visit from the high spirit world – and this does happen; you should not imagine that one only has to work or that one constantly sings, prays, or shouts hallelujahs. There is work, and there are also times when these spiritual beings can enjoy themselves. They even have the chance to choose games to play or something else that gives them joy; they, too, are given the opportunity to experience this. Now, when a higher spirit being comes to a brother or sister in this spiritual family – and this is done intentionally – and asks him or her to walk with them, and this angel of God perhaps guides this being into a garden, perhaps into another house somewhere, and converses with them – this can even be done in a recreational way, it can be a game, but it can also be a serious matter – and if there is someone in this family who is jealous, then they will be completely filled with indignation. And this will especially be the case if such an angel calls for the same being several times. Those who do not have this jealousy will not become indignant; they delight in this visit and have no objections, they think it is completely fine. But those who cannot have the same experience and who show their jealousy, they must live in this community and must witness and experience this until it no longer means anything to them, until they no longer pay attention to this visit. If they reach this stage, then they will also have overcome their jealousy. But this can sometimes take a very, very long time.

Then there are spiritual beings who are domineering, thinking they have to preside over everything in the family into which they have been placed. They must now experience that these spirit beings actually have their instructions from the high spirit world, and these beings tell the domineering ones that they have already received their instructions and that these conversations or this interest in others is completely unnecessary.

One must learn to overcome such things, be that jealousy, be that imperiousness, envy, stinginess, greed. The divine world has ways for everything and for everyone, in order to challenge the respective beings. And so, they must and will show whether or not they still have the same stinginess, the same hate, the same envy; and they must experience this again and again until at last they no longer bother with it, until they no longer see it and are thus able to overcome it. When things have reached this stage with such a being, when the high spirit world sees that such and such vices are now overcome, then the being in question can also be taken out of this family and assigned another activity; they may be integrated into a higher level, they may also be given a higher task. So, the high spirit world tries this with each being, concerns and engages itself with each individual.

And now the following explanation: even though the spirit world tries to work for the individual’s salvation in this way, there may still be such cravings within the soul, which may resurface again in a later earthly life, perhaps if the evil that lies really deep within the soul has not been entirely overcome. There are also instances where the spirit world recognizes that despite the support and despite the trials, the beings in question are not able to overcome these vices. It must then prepare other paths for them. For the spirit world of God – and human beings must be conscious of this – desires that homecomers make spiritual gains, that they improve the condition of their soul, that the burdens disappear from their soul, and that they dissolve the dark and murky od within their soul, transforming it into radiant, bright od. So, for its part, the spirit world must also be concerned with supporting and helping every homecomer. It does so with every individual by assessing what is possible to achieve in each case. It tries to do so with the best of intentions, often testing the individual beings for a fixed or an indefinite period of time. But it also sees hopeless cases, and here there must be another, more severe intervention – but, again, only when the time has come for it. This may be in an upcoming earthly life; it may be that if such a being reveals these vices to an even greater extent in a new earthly life, they will then be dealt with very severely upon returning to the spiritual world.

With all that I have said this evening, I simply wanted to demonstrate that the high spirit world really is concerned with bringing each individual to a higher level, with giving them a spiritual education that helps them to make faster and better progress. Their return should not just be a return to the Father’s kingdom; rather, their return should also help them become ever more perfect in the spiritual world as well. Indeed, this is already required during their earthly life. And what will they bring with them? You yourselves know this best.

Now, dear brothers and sisters, I have given you enough explanations; and if there are friends in attendance who do not understand, then I invite them to ask the others and to let themselves be taught by them.

I will now withdraw again, and I leave you all with the blessing of God. He shall guard and protect you. He shall give you the strength to think, to reflect, so that it becomes possible to attract this invisible world, to feel it, to sense it, and to really experience it in spirit as well. God bless you.

Lecture by spirit-teacher Joseph, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner at the Academy of Music in Zurich, 7 November 1973

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Treatment in Spiritual Sanatoria
and with Ethereal Medicines

By consuming drugs, an addicted person harms not only their earthly body but also their spiritual body. When death occurs – with the separation of body and spirit – the addictive substance’s impure od, which had harmed the earthly body, is absorbed by the spiritual body. It now depends on whether the spiritual world is prepared to offer such a sick homecomer its services. If it is permitted, it can help an afflicted spirit remove this murky od from their spirit body.

Lene: […] Dear brothers and sisters, today I would like to speak about something that will give you an answer to a certain question. You have been given similar explanations on this topic before. But I always have new friends in attendance, and they lack any knowledge on this, and that is why it is necessary to speak about this so that they can gain an understanding; because this is important. You have asked yourselves and wondered: “What happens to those human beings who lived with certain addictions in this world?” Today, you have your problems, your troubles with drug addicts, with alcoholics, with people who ruin their lives by smoking. I will now speak on this, and would like to explain to you what happens when a human being dies from an overdose of these drugs – a young person or a person in the prime of their life, because it is primarily young people who are today addicted to these drugs. What happens to them in the world beyond? What is their attitude? And likewise with an alcoholic: what happens to them when they enter the beyond and no longer have this alcohol? And what does a smoker experience, one who smoked constantly from morning to night, who harmed their health, and who in the end, after becoming sick and being told by doctors that smoking was the cause, still claimed, “No, that’s not the case, that’s not true”? They know better, but they will realize it one day.

Now to the drug addict who enters or awakens in the world beyond: they still have the same craving as they had while human. They can behave in exactly the same way: they can rage if they must – it depends on their condition. As a spiritual being, they behave exactly as though they were a human being or in human form. They have given their earthly body back to the earth, and now they stand there as a spirit, in their spiritual form. The odic substances of their earthly body are drawn in by the spiritual body, they are taken back. And these drugs or this substance, which they consumed as a human being and which damaged their health and cost them their life, is a completely dirty, impure odic material. This odic material was in their earthly body; but this od was connected with the spiritual body, with the spiritual form, and with the soul, for they are all – earthly body, spiritual body, and soul – connected with one another.

When a human being dies, they die because their vital organs are no longer capable of functioning. I can make the following comparison: the vital organs of a human being are like, to put it in rather human terms, an engine. There are various engines in the body, and each one is an important engine. Should one of these engines fail, another tries to take over what it can. But with each engine failure, power disappears, od disappears. The od draws back to the spiritual body, it retracts into this spiritual body. At death, when the separation between earthly body and spirit is completed, the spiritual body draws all odic currents into itself.

The od that streams through the earthly body contains the memory, the willpower, the will to work, courage, joy. The od that pervades the earthly body is also the carrier of all feelings. At death, this is now all drawn back by the spiritual body, and that is why the person concerned, as a spirit, still has memories of the life they have left behind. They remember what they did. They remember where they lived, what their name was, what their occupation was. All this – the entire memory, the entire will, and all energy – is contained in this od that the spiritual body has drawn to itself. And so, also these weaknesses that the person in question had as a human being are exactly the same in the spirit being. For they are permeated by this od, which in this case is impure, burdened. Thus, this spirit being feels and behaves as they did while human, because they have drawn this od to themselves from their earthly body.

Beings who lived with such addictions and who departed life in this manner and returned to us have a hard time, just as hard as if they were still in their earthly body and attempted to break this addiction. Because even in the spiritual world, they will not be free of these thoughts and this craving, this addiction, from one day to the next. They still want these drugs, and they feel abandoned, miserable. And there now stands the spirit world: there are angels of mercy, there are missionary spirits, there are spirit beings who specifically try to support homecomers in such cases. But, as I emphasized, this is not so easy.

I will try to describe to you what is done with these beings. You will understand that things do not proceed without reproaches. But it is not much use to blame them in this condition, because at present they are sick beings for us, too. They have come over to us from a condition of sickness that penetrated their body and soul; they harmed not only their earthly body but also their spiritual body and soul.

One now tries to bring these beings to a very particular place, that is, to a spiritual sanatorium. This is something that many find hard to understand – perhaps even some of you listeners. That is why we must always explain that the heavenly world also has its distinctive features and its diversity; it can be a happy world that one experiences. This world is of an ethereal nature, and we also have spiritual hospitals and spiritual sanatoria in our world. We also have museums and, in our fashion, one can also engage in the sciences; one can be educated in this field. But Christian human beings do not speak about this other world at all. Perhaps they have no notion of it, they have no idea. But if they believe that life goes on, and seriously try to imagine a world where they will one day live, then they must also imagine that this world is a world of forms, that there are buildings in this world, that there are mountains, rivers, lakes – everything in its ethereality.

I would like to return to what happens with such a being who is so sick and who only has one desire: to get hold of these drugs again and thereby find contentment once more – they are not, however, given these drugs. They now want to return to earthly existence. They desire to go to friends who are in the same circumstances, believing they will help them procure the drugs. It is very often the case that when such a being has this intention, they are drawn back by the earth and are able to return to their former haunts. In this earthly realm, there are very, very many such beings, whom we call the unintegrated spirit brothers and sisters. They seek the company of those human beings who possess and emanate the same or a similar odic current. They entwine themselves in this odic current in order to be able to derive pleasure: they savor the human beings who live with the same addictions as they had. When a deceased person has the possibility of accessing this earthly realm and human beings, they will seek out those with an odic current similar to themselves. They will not seek out someone who is especially devout or who has special virtues – they simply cannot. Rather, they will look for someone with a similar nature to themselves, and they will try to merge with the odic emanation of this addicted human being – they entwine themselves, so to speak, in the od of this human being and once again indulge this addiction.

There is, however, an intervention by the world of God. Should human beings try to treat this malady, the spiritual world will also try to play its part, because the spiritual world only wishes to help. And so, it makes it impossible for such a spirit being to access human beings – it is like a kind of banishment. In the spiritual world, too, it can happen that a burdened being is banished, and the spirits of God can thus banish such an addicted spirit. They will not be banished in the usual sense of the word, because such a being requires healing in the spiritual world, they need help. And the spirit world wishes to give them help. But it takes just as long to heal as if the being in question were still in a human body and willing to change their life. In the spiritual world, however, there are advantages, because there are spiritual beings who possess a certain power over this suffering homecomer, and they also try to give them a medicine. But the medicine they give does not consist of chemical products. It is pure, fine spiritual od; these medicines or remedies that are given to the sufferer are ethereal, spiritual products. These ethereal products or remedies can be given to them in finely-tuned doses – the spirit world of God decides on this. This ethereal od that is infused into them has the task of diminishing their impure od. And so, from time to time, they receive this spiritual medicine. And this impurity, this coarse material, slowly disappears or dissolves, or you would say: it neutralizes itself. But this takes time; and a recovery, a true recovery, can only come about with the help of spirits of God, who give such a homecomer this support.

But where, then, does this sick homecomer live? They are taken to a spiritual hospital or spiritual sanatorium, where they will also be temporarily put into a spiritual sleep – this is more than the sleep of adjustment. This spiritual sleep serves their healing; because during this time, one also tries to remove, to draw out the impure od within this spiritual body. In order to accomplish this, this sleep is required – I could almost say or compare this to an anesthetic. For if one were to draw out this impure od while the being in question was fully conscious, it would cause them great turmoil and pain. For this reason, they can be put to sleep, into a healing sleep. And this is only possible by constantly caring for this spirit brother or sister – when a missionary spirit or a helping spirit continuously takes care of the being in question and looks after them in this way. By removing the impure od from the spiritual body and soul, they can finally be returned to health. In some cases, this can take months, in others – you will be astonished – this can take years. From this explanation, however, you should also be able to recognize the mercy that God is willing to show his creatures. As humans in their human existence, these spirit beings had been weak, had become weak; they were weak-willed and had become victims of the lower spirit world. Now the good spirit world has provided its services for the spiritual body’s recovery.

Only then, when this recovery has been achieved, does one enter into conversation with the being in question. They will then be called to account. Because from this moment on, when it can be expected that this being has regained their willpower, their energy, they can also be called to account, and they will not evade punishment. They will be punished for their recklessness, but only when their spiritual body is once again healthy and when their thinking is once again clear and when one can place expectations upon this being, that is, when one can expect them to now comply with the order, to accept their punishment, to be ready to serve in God’s plan of salvation, and to make amends for the mistakes they made. In part, this can happen in the spiritual world, but it can also happen that such a being, who has gone through this kind of procedure, is sent back into the earthly realm. There, as a helping spirit, they will have to try to positively influence those human beings who are sick in the same way as they themselves once were, or to keep them away from their addiction by stepping before them as a protecting spirit and trying everything to prevent them from getting into these addictions. Such a spirit is given the task of influencing a person’s entire surroundings. This being – insofar as they have regained the insight to see what they did wrong and, on the other hand, are grateful for the help they have received – will approach human beings with all their strength and energy, trying to protect them and steer them away from such evil. Thus, the spiritual world tries to win over those whom it has helped, so that they in turn are also willing to support others.

This is also the case with other addicts – with alcoholics, for example. It is the same with them: they, too, contaminate their spiritual od, and this od must also be purified in their spiritual body in the world beyond. In such cases, it also depends on whether the spirit world of God is prepared to offer the homecomer its services and allow ethereal od to infuse into them in the manner described, so that the other, impure od is eliminated and the being in question becomes a spiritually-healthy being – or does one let this being go, as I explained, so that they return to human beings and seek out those with the same addictions?

It is like this with everyone; it is also like this with those who smoke from morning to night. What do you imagine? There are no cigarettes in the beyond. And what does the being in question want? They only desire the smell; they are content to walk behind a human being who exudes this od – they wish to find satisfaction by doing so. And here there are no fixed rules: I cannot say that everyone who comes to us will receive this support from the spirits of God. One will be given this support, another will not – such a being is allowed to go and live among human beings in the same way as when they themselves were human. They seek out those human beings and feel comfortable with them. And this delays their spiritual ascent.

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, normally it is like so: a spirit being in the world beyond cannot be ill; one cannot become ill in the spiritual world. The sickness in the cases described consists of addictions – this is impure od. This is different from when a human being has a particular ailment. Certain ailments also contaminate od, but this does not mean that when the deceased appears in the world beyond as a spiritual being that their spiritual body has drawn to itself all these condensed substances from their earthly body. The earthly body can retain certain substances; it is not possible to draw them to the spiritual body – they are not drawn in. There are condensed odic substances that remain in the body, and the body will be destroyed. And here I wish to be careful with the explanation; people who now hear this explanation about addictions should not go and say of a sick human being: “Yes, they simply have dirty od; it’s their own fault.” No, dear brothers and sisters, do not say such a thing. You should never generalize the things I say. Do not do this. You are still a long way from knowing the spiritual laws.

But I no longer wish to speak about this; I explained that every addiction, every real addiction, remains in existence after death. And that is bad. One is unable to ascend to the spiritual heights with it. One must first get rid of these addictions, and it would be better to get rid of them in this world.

Let us now speak about a spiritually-advanced human being, a human being who believes in the world beyond, who feels connected with Christ, with God, and with his holy spirit world, and who tries to do the best they can in life. Well, where does such a spirit go? One must also think about this. Relatives also come to their reception in the world beyond, either spiritual relatives or relatives from their previous human life, and guardian spirits come – there are always spiritual beings in attendance with whom the homecomer was connected before birth. They come to welcome the returnee, they wish to express their joy. There are invitations. One is invited to participate in celebrations. Yes, a deceased human being who lived a good life will experience pleasant surprises from time to time. They are showered with offers that delight them. The spiritual world is happy that they have returned, and they are also spoken to about the plan of salvation, because they have forgotten so much that they had actually known previously in spiritual life. And they are suddenly interested in their own spiritual family, from which they come.

They will then be informed about how things stand with their own spiritual family – but all this will only be explained to those who enter the spiritual world with the necessary understanding. Such information cannot be revealed to someone who knows nothing about the spiritual world, who has no knowledge of the spiritual order and spiritual laws. They must first become familiar with their environment, with this world. But if they do have some knowledge, if they enter the world beyond with this knowledge, then the environment into which they enter will not seem strange – it will be familiar to them from the very start. And if someone has a certain amount of knowledge, it is also possible to speak with them about such things. In this respect, however, the spirits of God are very restrained if need be. For they will not simply reveal precious knowledge to someone who just does not follow, who just does not grasp what they are being told, and who understands nothing at all. So, it is of great advantage to have a certain amount of knowledge. And the spirit beings who come to such a reception are primarily interested in the homecomer’s abilities. In saying this, I am taking a big step forward – I am not now speaking of the purification. For everyone will certainly have to go through the purification – some for a shorter, others for a longer period of time. But I will now skip this purification, or what one did wrong and so forth, and I will now consider the homecomer on an elevated level after a certain period of time in the spiritual world.

One now looks for the abilities they possess, because they also have to work; they must place their talents in service to God’s plan of salvation. From the very beginning, every creature of God received a task that they were to fulfill in the heavenly world – I do not necessarily have to say for the fulfillment of the plan of salvation, but perhaps they were given their task in God’s plan of order. When a search is made for these talents and abilities, the whole being is carefully considered: where can they be employed for our benefit, that is, for the benefit of the spirit world? After all, the spirit world would also like to benefit from those who have returned home. For they will be integrated into the order, into the plan of salvation and redemption, and they must help to promote this plan of salvation and to preserve the order. Here await tasks that must be fulfilled by each individual who stands on a higher level.

In the heavenly world, where one speaks of glory, of beauty, there is always a bustle of activity. And since every being is a creature of God, they carry a tiny piece of God’s light within themselves, and this tiny spark has such a capacity for development. A being can develop themselves in an artistic field, but on the other hand they can possess great abilities in the field of virtues. A being can, for example, have a special ability to show kindness; they understand how to educate others in kindness or to show them understanding or mercy or forgiveness. Or a being has the ability to give the power of hope, the power of love. There are, therefore, virtues upon virtues. In the case of homecomers, it is not always a matter of looking for artistic abilities in order to make heaven even more beautiful. This is of course wanted, and if a being has the ability to be artistically creative, they will be placed accordingly, and there they will have to make full use of their skills. But, as I emphasized, there are beings who do equally valuable service in God’s plan of salvation by supporting others, by fulfilling their duties for the salvation of others. These, then, are abilities that the Creator has given his beings in infinitely diverse ways. Serving beings are also required in God’s creation; advisory beings are also needed. There is so much that must be done in order for everything to function. When you consider your life: there, too, the abilities and occupations of human beings are so diverse, and these will also be required somewhere. And if a human being is skilled and able to employ their ability where it is needed, then this benefits both them and their surroundings – and so it is in the spiritual world.

So, in the case of homecomers, one looks for the lost talents in the innermost of their soul. And only when these returned spirit beings are able to carry out this work or this task that truly gives them joy and that constitutes an integral part of their soul do they become really happy beings. But the heavenly world also considers itself fortunate to have regained these beings; for they were once lost to it. Even during the happiest time in heaven, there were beings who had to advise others. And this is something entirely natural when one has free will, the freedom to make decisions. It does not have to be advice in the sense of whether someone should do good or perhaps not do evil. No, it can be about things that are important in the spiritual family, about something being handled properly. Indeed, in your world you also have so-called counselors or lawyers, who have studied the law carefully – and we also have them in our world. They are those who know the laws of God in precise detail, and they can also be consulted.

Occasionally, a spirit is needed to intercede for someone. For it can also be the case that spiritual beings who have already been in the world beyond for a long time do something that does not belong within the divine order – they have their free will, after all – not a sin, no, perish the thought, but perhaps they simply did not do the right thing; they advocated for something and it turned out wrong. For this, too, one can be called to account if another being could have been harmed by what one did. Such things also happen, and then the other being also stands up for themselves. This does not mean, however, that there are arguments; rather, there is the law in such cases, and someone comes who administers justice. And when a being realizes that they are at fault, they then seek out a being who is merciful and full of goodness to stand helpfully by their side like an adviser, so to speak. There are also such beings, who are full of goodness and full of love, who try to defend these fellow brothers and sisters in their own way and act as intercessors for them. This, too, is needed.

What I am telling you here I can essentially only explain to brothers and sisters who already know something of spiritual law, and who are so far in their spiritual insights and affirm heaven in such a way that they say, “Yes, life must be like that.” They understand it, and one can thus speak about it; but one cannot speak about it in all places and to all people. One cannot speak about such things with people who do not believe in life after death, who do not believe in spiritual beings, who think that everything is simply over after death. One cannot speak about this with such people.

But if you try to form a clear picture of the spiritual future, of the divine world into which you will enter, into a time that one can no longer measure, where one will only live in peace – yes, here there truly is a vibrant activity, here is life. And life can only exist where beings talk with one another, where one expresses oneself, where one can marvel at something, where one redesigns something, where one can express one’s agreement, one’s pleasure, where one comes into conversation with others. This is life, higher life. And this higher life in the heavenly realm also has something to offer those beings: these are the services that one celebrates; one is invited to celebrations by higher princes; in the world of God there is also – how should I put this to be correctly understood? – a certain “entertainment” for the beings. For the spiritual life is not such a constrained, serious life, where one can look neither right nor left and where there are only solemn faces. No, one can be cheerful. And something is also offered to these spiritual beings to promote this cheerfulness. They can be presented with beautiful music, dance, and so forth. Among these beings, there are also some who have such a sunny disposition – just as there are among you human beings – and who can amuse others and make them glad and happy. This exists among us as well. Indeed, I have also referred to such things before: that there are spiritual beings who especially concern themselves with protégés, that is, they carefully observe these protégés or beings with whom they have a task to fulfill. And then there can be a time when one invites a larger family, and there is conversation, and poems are made about one of those present, and things are shared that the being concerned does not especially like hearing – but the others are amused by it. There is also this. One can also be admonished in a very gentle way – this also happens.

Heaven has so much to offer its inhabitants; it has so much to offer. And in telling you all of this, I wish to say to you: you do not need to be afraid of dying. Whoever fulfilled their tasks in this world, as well as they could, can only rejoice. Life in heaven is indeed quite different, but it is not so arduous; one does not become as tired as on earth, one does not get so sleepy. Once the od has been purified, one is full of vigor and full of joy. To reassure you, I would like to tell you: yes, truly, when one has reached a certain level of development, life with us is much easier. That is why you have perhaps heard about people who [during a so-called near-death experience following an accident, for example] briefly came over to us, or who were allowed to experience heaven for a short time, and then said, “Alas, to have been brought back again! I would rather have stayed there. The things I saw there! I don’t like this world anymore.” And such experiences should really prompt people to not be so materialistically minded. What does this world offer you anyway? Nothing but sorrow and worries. And you sell yourselves for this world; this world means everything to you. You should much rather concern yourselves with spiritual matters and with the future, the spiritual future. For this liberates human beings and makes them glad and happy, and they can hope. To have hope is something wonderful. To have hope for a better time, for something more beautiful: that is something precious.

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, I was made aware quite a while ago: “You have spoken too long again; you have again talked too much.” Well, I am not Joseph …

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, heaven is my happiness, heaven is my joy, heaven is my bliss, and I can thus give you just a hint of it. And this I have done, perhaps with too many words. Sometimes I cannot express it so well; I speak yet another language.

Now, dear brothers and sisters, I would like to dismiss you with the blessing of God. And I will send a spirit of God to accompany everyone who is here present. They will come, they are already here, and they will escort you. Try to keep hold of them – do not let them leave you at the next street corner. Keep hold of them. I have opened heaven for you; I have given you a hint of it. And you will have to be content with that.

So, I leave you to the guidance of God’s spirits, and the will of God shall be fulfilled with you. But your striving, your thinking, your intentions are to be a striving and thinking that flow upward. God bless you.

Excerpt from a lecture by spirit-teacher Lene, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner in the hall on Münchhaldenstrasse in Zurich, 21 January 1981

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Joseph, 4 April 1959

Wounds of the Soul – Healing and Purification

The spirit world of God seeks the most suitable path for each ascending being to promote their ascent. Spirits of God have insight into the nature of each individual and know what is healing for them. While they must deal with some more severely, they can be more loving and understanding with others.

Joseph: God bless you. My dear friends, I explained years ago that human beings are only guests on earth. God and Christ are the hosts. Human beings, however, have such little awareness that they really are just guests of this earthly realm. But when they then enter the other world, they realize that none of their earthly belongings accompanied them into the beyond. They are also told who the host was and which power had ruled over them. Again and again, we spirits of God then hear the same lament from these souls in the spheres of ascent: “Oh, if only I had suspected and known that life goes on and that there is a world similar to the earthly realm; that in this other world, one finds recompense for all the good that was done, but that one is also punished for all the wrong one did on earth.”

Dear friends, in this hour I would like to make it very clear to you that the purification in the beyond is so beneficial for these souls. For, here and there, the thought has often arisen: “Is it really necessary to leave these souls in the spheres of purification for so long? Could they not be given a quicker path of spiritual ascent? Could they not be reincarnated more quickly, thus accelerating the process of ascent?” I wish to give explanations on this, because in this regard everything that was constructed in God’s plan of salvation was done so with such foresight and wisdom.

If human beings still think it would have been better to arrange the ascent in this or that way, it is certainly not so – for this has all arisen out of God’s wisdom. This opportunity has been given so that it can be brought to fulfillment. Each individual is judged so differently, and the divine laws have been designed so wonderfully. Everyone receives justice. This should fill every human being with contentment, and they should be happy knowing that everything is wonderfully anchored in law and that everything finds its reward or its punishment.

I would now like to talk about a human being and how he burdened himself. But before I do, I would like to begin by saying that human beings who somehow burden themselves inflict wounds upon their soul through these burdens. These are wounds of the soul, the healing of which is achieved in the purifications. This will often be painful – not for everyone, but certainly in those cases where the spirit world recognizes it is of great advantage. I would just like to briefly compare this to how things are with you human beings: if you have a wound on your earthly body and this wound needs to be tended, it will most certainly cause you pain. Wounds in the soul also cause these beings pain and, here and there, the treatment of these wounds is painful.

Now, this soul had burdened himself so heavily in the earthly world with two particular vices that he inflicted real wounds upon his soul. Alongside these two wounds, this human being also exhibited an enormous egotism. This is a disease that is unfortunately found far too often among human beings. Firstly, this man had the vice of alcoholism. But he also had another vice: he smoked from morning to night. As a result of these two vices, he neglected his duties. After all, he had a family, and he was not very wealthy, but his income would have been sufficient to fulfill his obligations had he not transgressed in this way. These vices often gave rise to arguments, because the money was spent on these non-essentials, on these cravings. Consequently, it lacked where it was needed, and strife and disharmony were inflamed in the family as a result. Instead of giving his family things of benefit, he had spread misery through his vices.

So, these vices came to constitute a burden for him. He had placed deep wounds in his soul. First and foremost, it had been about pleasure-seeking: “Above all, I just want to enjoy my life all to myself.” He was thus marked. When he was then able to take his leave of this earthly world and entered the beyond, he was led into the world that corresponded to him. Now in spirit, his whole nature, just as it had been while human, remained unchanged in his innermost. So, the need for admiration and the egotism were still present to the same degree. This being also had absolutely no intention of setting aside these vices; rather, he felt comfortable and even content with this plain, dreary world. He had absolutely no desire for something better or more comfortable. After all, he had also lacked comfort in his human life and it had not been a particularly pleasant life either. So he simply accepted things as they were, and found it quite all right to live in such a world.

The world of God, however, gives everyone what they need. It will lead each individual into the purification that is good for their soul. The angelic world was fully aware of the wounds in this soul. First of all, these wounds need to be tended, and in such a case, this is done in a very particular way. Within this spirit’s nature there was an indifference, an acceptance of the environment in which he had to live; he demonstrated absolutely no striving, no ambition, nothing of the sort. He would, therefore, simply have been content for a long, long time. Without the intervention of the spirit world, there would have been no prospect of any kind of ascent for him.

With these teachings, it should become clear to you how infinitely benevolent God is, and how wonderfully everything is thought out to give each individual the help they really need. Of course, the angelic world has the possibility of reviewing a being and of examining their entire disposition, to see what kind of potential they have to offer and where a so-called spiritual strength is present in some form. Such a soul is not simply left to their fate, as you call it; rather, efforts are made to promote their ascent. The purification is to be healing for such a being. But this does not mean that this particular soul was sent into the realm of darkness on account of his vices or otherwise led into spiritual darkness and banished – this would not have been healing for this kind of being either – rather, one had to find a way to heal these wounds. But it was not to be a process entirely free of pain.

Now, listen carefully: this spirit had been wholly content in this plain, dreary sphere, but the angelic world had other intentions. Through pain, he was to feel the wounds he had inflicted upon himself as a human. And the process of healing he was to experience in this purification was meant to cause him these pains. First and foremost, one wanted to liberate him from these feelings or from this dullness. He was to be induced to arrive at a better, higher way of thinking. But this being did not want this, so there was no other option: in contrast to many other purifications, this spirit now had to be taken into the vicinity of human beings. He was to spend time in the vicinity of human beings who had succumbed to alcoholism, albeit under the observation and strict guidance of the angelic world. But to be clear: only in the vicinity; he did not have the possibility of working his way into a human being.

As soon as he detected the smell of alcohol, he had only one desire: to have some of it, to taste it. Spirits do have this possibility: they work their way into human beings and drink with them, and in doing so they derive pleasure. They encourage the human being to remain in this drunken state, and then prompt them to drink even more alcohol, because a spirit will not experience it to the extent or in the way that a human being does. The alcohol will not affect them as it does human beings. Consequently, a spirit requires a significantly greater quantity before they are satisfied. And even then, the effects will not be the same as they are with human beings. A human being will be drunk and no longer know what they are saying; they will no longer be able to walk upright. But this is not the case with a spirit – they know exactly what they are doing and where they are going. As they are only able to absorb the product’s spiritual component, they do not get the full enjoyment of the alcohol; still, to have tasted it gives them a sense of gratification.

Now, time and again, he was to enter the vicinity of human beings. And so he felt the overwhelming urge to take possession of such people. At this point, the angelic world intervened and said, “No! You will stand behind them and learn to abstain.” This abstinence was painful for him, because he felt a constant craving. It required a great effort on his part to refrain, for he was well aware that he was surrounded by such a power that made it impossible for him to enter human beings. He had recognized the might of God, but it had meant nothing to him. He now had to experience upon his own spiritual body that this might of God is also a power that holds him back from doing what gives him gratification.

At times, he was led back to his world and educated on other things. Indeed, he still had another vice: in human life, he had loved to smoke from morning to night. By doing so, he had harmed his family. This vice had inflicted the second great wound upon his soul, and this, too, was to be healed. So, he was also taken into the vicinity of such human beings. Here, too, the smell alone had a certain influence on him, but he experienced no sense of satisfaction from it; instead, he wanted to enter the people and share the enjoyment. But, once again, he was to be denied from doing so. He had to stand behind these human beings; he was to experience not being allowed to partake of it. He had to learn to do without. This was painful for him.

So, time and again, this spirit was taken from one place to another. You can imagine how endlessly long it took before he had to some degree been freed from these feelings – before it no longer meant anything to him to stand behind a human being in their drunken state, and he no longer demonstrated any desire to penetrate them and incite them to continue drinking. This example illustrates the fact that there are spirits who urge human beings to remain in this vice. In our case, however, the angelic world stood there and said, “You will be purified. We will take care of you; we will heal your wounds.” The spirit world wished to make him indifferent toward this vice. It should no longer mean anything to him. The spirit world had the task of guiding him upon a path that would awaken other feelings, so that he could ascend spiritually and have the desire to come closer to God. You can perhaps sense how terribly difficult this was and how much extraordinary patience it required.

So, this being was taken to human beings with these vices again and again, because he had to learn to abstain. He had to be spurred on to be ambitious, because he was totally apathetic about remaining in this sphere; he liked his surroundings just as they were. It did not occur to him to aspire to a more beautiful, better world and to strive for a better, higher way of thinking – nothing of the sort. So, the angelic world had to try to support this spirit in developing motivation. He was not to be allowed to simply linger in inactivity; rather, one wanted to facilitate this by making him work, and he was to work hard.

He had no objection to this, for he had been used to working in human life. But he only did so when he was spurred on, encouraged. It was explained to him that he would not have to work just for the sake of it; rather, he would receive a reward if he conscientiously went about his work. You must not, dear friends, imagine this reward in some kind of material form – absolutely nothing was to please him in this way – instead, the reward should primarily be that he improves his own appearance; the reward should be that he tangibly notices a sense of relief through work. Unlike human beings, he would not become tired through hard work; rather, in the spirit realm, he would find relief through hard work.

As a result of his burdens and transgressions, his hands and feet were crooked. This all caused him so-called spiritual pain. But he was not very sensitive, just as he had not been sensitive while human. He did not complain about it. Hence, the spirit world had to impress upon him, “Just look at your misshapen hands and feet. You have pain because they are so misshapen. You are also unable to walk straight. This, too, causes you pain.” The spirit world made it clear to him, “If you labor now and perform this hard work, you will first and foremost find relief.” He was not really able to believe this at first. But, as time went by, he realized it: he was compelled by the angelic world to perform certain tasks, and he was forced to recognize that he was not at all tired after this hard work, but refreshed and relieved instead. This then gave him the courage and incentive to carry out his work.

This is how the angelic world did it. On the one hand, he had to perform such work, and on the other, he was again taken to these human beings. His steadfastness and his craving were tested again and again. It took a very long time before it no longer meant anything to him to stand alongside human beings with such vices. In time, he had absolutely no craving anymore. From that moment on, the world of God let it be; it no longer took him to such human beings. The angelic world had achieved what it wanted to achieve; it had endeavored to test him thoroughly and to guide him to where there was the possibility of giving him liberation and insight.

He had to perform this hard work for a long time. One wanted to foster his ambition. He did the work, because he really saw that his hands had straightened, and his feet, too, had slowly regained a nice appearance. He no longer felt this pain. However, he did it primarily out of egotistical reasons; he did it for himself. The world of God did not yet tell him why he should strive in such a way – that he should not just do it for himself, but that he should rather strive for higher, further goals. First of all, he had to be won over and given courage, the ability to take joy in work. So, this is what happened. He worked, and the angelic world was pleased with him.

It eventually reached the stage where his hands and feet were once again normal, and he was again able to walk upright. He also had the feeling that he had grown; he no longer had a small, hunched figure, but a good, fair appearance. He examined his clothes: at first, when he had entered this sphere, they had been scruffy, dirty. He had not cared at all about this, for in human life he had not looked any different either. Now he slowly recognized that his figure had become more beautiful – his hands were also nicer – and he began to take joy in this. He looked at his appearance and could see that the clothes he wore had suddenly become finer. Thus, he also worked in order to observe all that would change, and he began to take pleasure in it.

Once he had acquired a better appearance, the world of God stood before him again and explained, “See, you now have an appearance that one can be reasonably happy with. You no longer need to be ashamed of how you look. With such an appearance, it should now be possible to accomplish quite different tasks. You must now take on another role.” So the spirit world placed him on a higher level. It knew exactly how to proceed with this weak soul and how he had to be instructed. Once this ascending spirit had a better appearance, he was also given different tasks. He himself no longer had to work so hard – he now had to supervise the work of others. This aspiration had to be developed further within him, and he was promised, “If you are able to exert your influence on those who have been assigned to you, so that they work and thereby improve their appearance, then you will be rewarded in turn.” Thus, this work became a joy for him. He did not yet know what the reward would be, but he knew what he had already acquired through his perseverance, by having been obedient to the spirits of God who stood above him.

He now began to slowly take an interest in the higher laws. Of his own accord, he began to ask about God. The spirit world thus had the opportunity to answer his questions. He was educated on God’s plan of salvation and order, and he was encouraged to keep striving. This striving, however, was not to be directed primarily toward his own benefit and credit; rather, it was important that he now place himself in God’s plan of salvation and order, without pursuing or desiring reward. He would certainly be rewarded, but he was not meant to fulfill his tasks for the sake of being rewarded; rather, he was to work purely out of love and with the sole desire to help the brothers and sisters on a lower level, so that they would feel stronger. He was to sense within himself the obligation to show the way to the weak and to lead them upward.

This is how the angelic world educated him and awoke the power of aspiration within him. Further desires slowly arose within him. He began to take an interest in many other things. He also had to go into the temple with those spirits who had assigned him this task. He was to give glory to God, give thanks for God’s love and for his might, for the opportunities he had been given to ascend. He could thus be educated further.

The angelic world now explained to him, “See, we have achieved all this with you – but only through our great attentiveness, through our perseverance and love for you.” He had to listen to these words from the angels – that they, too, live primarily in order to help the weak, the ascending, to offer them a hand; that it actually lies within God’s will to do everything to guide the weaker ones upward, to show them the way to the spiritual heights.

He was then told, “See, when you enter your next earthly life, your feelings will have been oriented and refined in such a way that the malady you had in your last life will not resurface.” But all this does not rule out the possibility that such a being will fall short again in an entirely different area. The world of God will then stand before them again and seek a way to heal the wounds that they have brought with them from their earthly life into the beyond.

Now, my dear friends, do not suppose that everyone who enters the spiritual world having had some kind of vice will be tended to in such a caring way. I would just like to point out that for this spirit, too, the period of purification was bound up with pain for a long time. I emphasized that the world of God has precise insight into the nature of those spirits who stand before it. It has the abilities to utilize what is possible for the healing of the spirit in question. It also sees their feelings and precisely discerns the path: it knows what can and cannot be achieved with a particular individual.

It may be the case that, despite all the diligent spiritual care, an individual cannot be especially trusted. The world of God will once again carefully test them in their next earthly life. For such beings, the opportunities for this are offered in so many areas. It will then be seen whether an individual really was healed in spirit during their time of purification or whether this was insufficient; one will consider whether one had not been strict enough with them. Accordingly, based on the results of all lives and from all periods of purification, the world of God always knows: “With this spirit, we must take this path – we have to be hard on them. With another, we can be more accommodating – we can be more loving and understanding with them.” In this way, everyone will be given the right thing, and everyone will experience the purification that is healing for them.

Dear friends, in this hour I have once again given you insight into the divine laws. This should be something wonderful to you and represent an enrichment for your thinking, for your life as a whole. For in this way, you are better able to understand so much that happens in your life. You will find the way in your world much more easily.

Always bear in mind: the angels of heaven are ready to offer their hand to seeking human beings everywhere. But the angelic world only does what makes sense. Human beings are often unable to tell the difference: they pursue senseless things, believing them to be important. Whenever people are so uncertain, we wish to tell them which path is the right one. They should ask God: “Give me the answer through your holy spirits.” Perhaps it will happen in a dream, perhaps it will happen in the course of a day during work. This personal experience is the most important thing, the most valuable of all. So, dear friends, do it in this way, so that it is healing and meaningful.

God’s blessing be upon you all, and may it accompany you upon all your paths. God bless you.

Lecture by spirit-teacher Joseph, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner at the Academy of Music in Zurich, 4 April 1959