In The Next World; Actual Narratives of Personal Experiences by Some Who Have Passed On

First published by the Theosophical Publishing House in 1918, A.P. Sinnett, editor.

This is a rare book published by the Theosophical Publishing House in 1918 and so all of the narratives are of course colored by TheosophicalSociety’s then current understanding of the Afterlife, w hich I feel at the time may have proffered a less than perfect view of the experiences narrated. Nonetheless I found the book to provide an interesting and somewhat detailed account of a few of the author’s friends and acquaintances who he was able to make contact with.

Perhaps part of the issue might be attributed to the manner in which the information was obtained. Author and editor A.P. Sinnett admits using what he termed “high level” mediumship, however he does not indicate who this may have been. To further muddy the waters on this issue, some further research I have conducted indicates that the Theosophists believe that when an individual has evolved to a high enough level he passes to the higher planes, that at some point their soul moves to a plane they call the Devachanic level, which translated from the Tibetan means “place of the gods.” This is where the soul will experience a state of bliss for some period of time (years, decades, centuries and milleniums). It all depends upon the duration of Karma, until the ‘good deed reward clock’ runs out and then they are prepared for yet another Earthly incarnation as I understand it. The issue, according to the modern day Theosophists is that once an individual soul reaches that level, then they say that it is no longer possible to establish a dialog with that soul. The criticism then is exactly Who or What is the Medium communicating with then? Some Theosophists state that the communication is actually with what they term, a ‘shell’ of the former individual. So, to say the least, this can become quite complicated!

AP Sinnett

I feel that this is a valuable contribution to the understanding of what happens in the afterlife. In our day and age we seem to be overwhelmed with stories of people who died on the operating table and had an NDE of some sort. The problem with most NDE accounts is that they generally do not go far enough into the actual depths of what living in the afterlife is actually like to be able to tell us much about it. However in working with mediums that can contact the deceased spirit there is much more of a dialogue available with someone living the experience. And I think that makes a lot more sense if you truly want to understand what goes on after the death of the body.

Most people look forward to some kind of life in the hereafter but are rarely able to frame any detailed conception of what that might life might look like in any sort of detail. Most people get their ideas from their religious teachings. And as the book points out in story after story those that are not educated as to what to expect when they die will have a more difficult time making the adjustment once there. Of course there are guides and helpers available but if you were an atheist or an agnostic and you never really cared to know what the afterlife was like then you would have an even more difficult time making the adjustment.

Here I would love to provide a brief excerpt from the book, however, due to space limitations, I will not be able to do this. Even though the book is fairly short at about 100 pages, the author is extremely ‘long winded’ and comprehensive in his descriptions and this is further complicated by the use of arcane Victorian period English phraseology. My summary is that he relates quite a few stories of what his friends, male and female, must go through in terms of a purgatorial experience in order to expiate themselves of negative lower chakra lustful habits indulged in while on Earth, and which now must be purged before they can move upward to the fourth or fifth levels leading to eventual Devachanic Plane Bliss.

The author describes the Afterlife worlds as concentric spheres surrounding the earth with the lower levels actually situated below the surface of the Earth but the majority of the levels up to level six are increasingly finer vibrations and higher above the Earth. I have found many differences in how the various systems describe these levels. Most people, when they pass will find themselves on the Fourth level or some sub-level of the Fourth or Fifth. If you are wondering id there is a Hell Region, well there is, however, it is nothing like what has been described by the various Christian religions, but rather a place where lowly souls find themselves due to their similarly low vibrations mostly caused by greed and the desire to inflict cruelty and pain upon other humans and life forms. Karma allows no escape! Find the book on Amazon HERE:

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NOTE: According to the modern-day philosophical website, when a medium contacts the so-called deceased person, it's more likely they are actually talking with what is known in Theosophy as the shell personality of the former person who has more than likely gone on to reside in a more heavenly state called Devanchanic Plane. Here I must give the definition of Devanchanic. C.W. Leadbeater explains this plane in great detail in his book, The Devachanic Plane of the Heaven World. "After spending time on the Astral Plane, the soul moves on to Devachan to live in bliss while it awaits reincarnation. This volume details the scenery and inhabitants of this mysterious realm."