UPWARD TREND

During this week on alert, I met with some other aircrew members to continue our experiment with the Ouija board; specifically, we intended to test what we learned about good and bad spirits while we were on alert in February. It turned out to be a week of conversations between five human beings (me, Bob, Mike, Bill and Len) and three disembodied spirits (Liri, Nort and Joel).

Mac was not on alert this week, and since none of us had a Ouija board, I made one out of a piece of plywood. For the planchette, we used a small plastic tray that a set of cuff-links came in.

7 March: Bob and I called for a good spirit named Liri, but an evil spirit started writing first. We recognized it immediately, because Liri did not sign in with his typical signature flourishes as he always did, and because the evil spirit used the same name it did in February. We forcefully rejected it and tried to drive it away.

Then I tried to generate an upward flow within myself, by silently chanting, over and over, "My personal purpose is not get, give." The good spirits we talked with in February called such an elevation of spirit and purpose "Reano."

Liri signed in with his usual flourishes and then wrote: Yes, did test Reano. Bob, Bob. Yes. Give. Fed. Yes, C. Yes, C Ben, do. Be a deity [deva]. C Ben. C Ben, Yes.

Bob asked, "Are you speaking to me?"

Yes.

I explained what I was doing inwardly. Bob tried to generate Reano by focusing on the thought, "My personal purpose is not get, give!"

My, a boon! A boon! Did C!

Mike and Bob called for a good spirit named Nort. After a little conversation, Mike said, "I am thirsting for knowledge."

Nort wrote: Read, and ye shall know the way of the Father.

"The title?"

Bible.

It seemed rather odd to have a ghost tell us to read the Bible, but both Liri and Nort had done that sort of thing before. They previously told us to seek God, and to keep the law of Jesus.

Mike asked, "What must Ben do next?"

Listen. All the lessons are for all. Me, too.

"Liri mentioned a boon for Bob. What?"

Bob, Nort. Faith is your guide. Know it. C it. Recognize it.

Bob was just observing. He said, "Faith in my convictions, what I know is right?"

Yes. Give it more work, and it will grow stronger.

"The other night, I worked with my wife. Not very good results. I'm afraid she'll lose interest if the results don't improve. Will you help me to help her believe?"

Yes. You must remember faith must be shared. The moth will fly to the candle.

"Is Terhune's book (Across the Line) reasonably accurate?"

Yes. Just use it as Newton uses the apple. There is so much more.

After relishing the beauty of that illustration, Bob asked about a friend of his who died in a crash. Another friend was accused of allowing a mid-air collision, but said there was none, that his plane broke up without hitting the other. This friend was convicted of it, anyway.

Fault is not his, but reason is not ours to know. God does not need us to know why we are or why we are not.

"If you are in contact with Stew, pass him my greetings. We were good friends while he was here."

Yes. He hears.

"Could you recommend someone to work with me and my wife?"

Yes. It needs only for the thought. Joel, in reverence I pass to you. He needs no glory. He has the strength.

"I am to call for Joel?"

Yes. Look not for the letter, but the word.

I tried to explain that statement: "It's like reading. Look for the words, not just the letters, while receiving these messages, as a means of screening out the garbage." Then I asked if that was correct.

Bob must be open, even to the garbage. He must help, too.

Bob called for Joel, but some kind of static cut Joel out. Mike replaced me at the board. Bob asked, "Do you have any instructions for me to work with my wife?"

Yes. Prepare your questions with your wife.

"Do you want her to ask the questions?"

Yes. I cannot teach her the faith, but you can. I will give the guides.

I called for Nort, and asked, "Can you recommend someone to help me and Wyn?

Ben, try me.

"Why do I attract the bad ones?" This was a test question. I had already learned the answer to that, in February, but I wanted to see what Nort would say.

Want miracles.

"When Bob and I were the operators, was Joel cut out because of me?"

No. You must work harder and help each other. Neither will believe he can be the receiver, all want to be power.

Receiving is a passive activity, but Bob and I are normally assertive, so neither of us was receiving: that was what cut Joel out. I reaffirmed my commitment not to seek miracles, and we all went to bed.

8 March: Bob and I practiced generating Reano while working the board.

Nort. Touch did feel good. When we are taught to understand, you must review. Out of this comes Way. Must map no edicts, only truths.

"Please amplify the last sentence."

Give the spirits credence.

"Believe your presence here?"

Yes. Open, each of you.

"Is Stew here, watching our fumbling?"

No.

I asked, "Is credence the idea of our knowing you as people?"

Yes. Children know their fathers by their love; why not friends? Joel would speak with you.

Joel. Go to the beginning. Reconstruct. All needs work.

We reviewed our beliefs and concepts, and everything we did while we were on alert in February. I saw what I did that attracted evil spirits and was ashamed of myself. I felt I should have known better. Although I didn't realize it at the time, that feeling of shame interfered with my ability to receive. After several attempts in which the writing was almost unintelligible, Joel wrote, Make Ben be quiet.

I left the board. Bob and Mike asked, "Joel, what is Ben doing wrong?"

Make him whole. Give. Fill light. Rest. Go Liri.

Liri wrote, Go Nort.

Bob said, "Nort, please. Ben is worried about something."

I know. To hold his hand, if I can take him in his dream.

Mike asked, "Do you want Ben to be quiet because he is misleading us?

No. Ben is nearly a teacher like us. His students are not always the quickest, but the teacher must learn from the student first. Ben, go to your lamb, but know that she has much to teach you.

I did not understand: "My lamb?"

Woman you call wife.

Mike asked, "What is she to teach him?"

Reano. You want to try to understand that it comes out of all of our love. Yours may be from service. We do, or cannot know.

I said, "Do you mean my concept of pouring out love to her always?"

Well, well ... hello!

After a little more dialogue, we took a break. Bob told me of his gratitude for my help during the past two years. That helped me greatly. Because of the evil spirits we had encountered, I thought I was leading them all astray.

Bill came into the room. There was considerable conversation among the men, mostly Mike filling him in. This seems to be the pattern: Bill learning, and Mike growing stronger by teaching. After awhile, Bob and Mike sat down at the board, and Mike asked, "Nort, do you know Bill?"

Yes. Believe, though it may not be as strong at dawn. You can. And fill, generate faith.

Bill: "What is the reason the Catholic Church discourages use of the board?"

Those who do not have the understanding will tend to seek the board as a means for power, or faith that allows for evil and well as reason.

We all commented on the Church's wisdom in this, illustrated by the mess we got ourselves into in February with Nan and the other evil spirits.

"Is there a single guiding Intelligence, other than the sum of all such as you?"

For your thought, yes, Bill. However, we are all children, and as such, have much to learn. To know is to be.

"Do you know my mother?"

Yes. She says hello. She, too, is learning.

"I send her my love. Do you know my sister-in-law? She died six months ago."

Bill, you cannot imagine what awaits us all.

I challenged the source: "Who is speaking?"

Nort. She can reach you yet.

Bob asked, "For Bill's belief, can you spell his sister's name?"

Joel. Will try. Elajen ... We are soon. Too soon. Too soon.

"Would you spell his mother's name?"

Faith. Keep with the lessons. Try, Bill.

One of the men said, "Belief based on that kind of proof is weak."

I said, "It is the difference between knowing a truth and living it." --but I wasn't sure that thought was my own, because I had not thought it before.

Bob continued: "When I work with my wife, will she be able to reach you like this? What can I do to help best?"

Generate. Try the word `faith' as a focus.

I closed the session: "Time for bed. All here are tired. Any final words tonight?"

Replenish.

9 March: Bob and I called for Nort, but his writing was almost unintelligible. Bob asked him to try again.

Nort. Trust same. C tonnage afornts only U ...

I thought the word was "affronts" and closed up. We got more unintelligible stuff.

Bob said, "Let's go back to the thought, `Trust Nort'."

Your trust is on us. Trust uses tray. Soon try write more. Trust to receivers, Nort. More trust. U son soon. You to you. U son us. You U. O you ours. (garbaged out)

I quit. Obviously, the interference was associated with me. Mike asked, "Nort, what help can you offer for Ben and Bob on the board?

See the river. Hold the light. Take the beauty of the sea and the stirring of the wind. These are God, or us. Nothing can be known without something to measure. You are learning to make these comparisons.

I was jealous, because these guys were receiving good, clear text, and I was not. That feeling didn't help my receptivity, either. I tried to explain my concept of the river of truth that flows from God.

You cannot see the truth. It is all things. Excuse us, we feel the perfect order you cannot.

I objected to the idea that we are not able to feel the perfect order.

Do not choke on your own food. You will be truth if you find life a purpose.

"I grant that we cannot see the perfection of all things, but from the little we can see now, cannot we truly feel that the order is perfect even beyond what we know?"

Yes. We lack the ability to do more than feel perfection.

After discussion, we decided these spirit-friends see a greater order of perfection than we are capable of seeing now, but we are not incapable of feeling the plan is perfect. I thought, "I should have known that without arguing."

I asked for advice as to how to help my step-brother, who was emotionally ill.

Go gently with those you want to teach. He will not reach for the light. As always, love. Your faith shows strength.

10 March: Mike and I asked, "Nort, yesterday you said that we will be truth if we find life a purpose. Could you amplify?"

Yes. Nort. When the piety of virtue turns to who ever was a wit, look deeply: there is both fear and a troubled soul.

"Meaning us?"

No. You may see one soon.

"This troubled wit?"

Yes. Purpose comes to some later than others.

"Is this purpose what we have known as `the call of God'?"

Yes--No. Some may never reach it in the body, but theirs will come.

"In each of our searching for such purpose, could you give us a hint of the better direction?"

Ben, you have much to do where you are.
Mike, do not be easily discouraged; the past does not mean finality.
Bob, your sweet.
Bill, search thoroughly, do not let your ideas come too easily.
There is much work to all ends. Reano is too great to be just a reward or the end.

Bob was puzzled: "Sweet? Please clarify."

Cats will die. You have much to work with now.

Bob told us about a pet cat that was killed through people's harshness: "Is that it?"

Yes--No. The lesson is there, but curiosity was the thought.

"Oh, `Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back'."

Ah, Bob ... your satisfaction is not what you think. Love and Reano will give it new meaning.

Bill changed the subject: "Did my wife's grandfather approve of our approaching marriage before he left? Does he now approve?

Did Judas know his Master after the resurrection?

We were all surprised at that response and said something like, "What?"

Yes.

After discussing this astonishing answer, we decided it is possible that Judas did know Jesus after the resurrection, despite all teachings to the contrary. There is a tradition that Jesus descended into hell before he ascended to heaven, and it would be consistent with his own teachings for him to go search for and rescue his lost disciple, Judas.

By extending this unexpected answer to the question we asked, we concluded that his wife's grandfather did not approve of Bill's marriage before he died, but had since seen it in a better light. We asked, "Is this interpretation correct?"

Yes. Rest.

We took a break. During the break, I noticed we were happier than usual, and thought, "Perhaps it's due to that last conversation: if Jesus would go to hell and back to rescue Judas, there ought to be some hope for us lesser sinners, too."

When we returned I said, "Nort, I interrupted your lesson last night with a stupid objection from my mistaken reading of a line. Would you like to continue now?"

Let me show you a little beauty, the sound of the offering. Hear the reeds and the willows from the clear, cool depth of the water of springs, the faith and the music.

"He may be referring to OM, the reverent vibration of all things, the holy, music-like humming felt in a cathedral, and in the joy of loving and giving." We all tried to picture Nort's illustration, and to feel it or sense it.

Near to the baptism.

We found and read from the Bible, the passages concerning the ministry of John the Baptist, and the baptism of Jesus. Then we discussed spiritual baptism as immersion in the flowing stream that Jesus called the living water.

We hike. Reano is the way to faith. Fill with love. Generate Reano.

We each tried to fill ourselves with love for someone. After a while I asked Nort if he had anything more for us before we retired for the night.

Be full. Amen.

11 March: Mike and Len asked Nort, "What about the wit mentioned earlier?"

You will know him by his hair.

"Is it Bill?"

No.

"Is he in the room now?"

No. Bother.

"Is it..."

It is for course. Let the spirit learn its own way. The choice is always free.

"Are we ready to tackle the ghost at Kyle's old house?"

No.

"Is the sound one hears going under ether OM?"

Hold. What has happened to your light? You forget your lessons. Can it be that you have forgotten? Mac proved well his faith; you have failed in your work. Do not sit in idle thought! Go generate as you have been instructed!

We all tried to generate Reano, but were interrupted by the Klaxon. (The Klaxon was a loud horn that meant: "All alert crews get to your aircraft immediately if not sooner!" It could--and did--blow at any time of the day or night.)

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So ... a good teacher is a good teacher, whether in a physical body or not. We might have found the good ones first, if we had known how to tune ourselves, but even a checklist won't keep some people from being foolish, and we were foolish. At least we recognized both good and evil, and chose the good: that established us on an upward trend. And Nort scolded us properly when we needed it.

Throughout this week of sessions, I became more and more cautious, skeptical of what we received, quick to challenge the source, and quick to close off reception. That was because I was beginning to take this kind of communication seriously and would much rather close off a good one than remain open to a bad one.

As it turns out, this is one of the ways to test the spirits: good ones are not offended because I am cautious, and in fact encourage me to be that way; gabby ghosts are often offended if I cut them off, and usually try to prolong their transmissions and the session as a whole; bad ones also do that, plus they usually try to make me less cautious--they employ clever strategies to that end. There is nothing new about any of this: various sorts of people also act or react in those same three ways.