Body and Soul

Physical Body, Spirit Body, Spirit, Soul, Mind.

It can be confusing to consider that the we are composed of many different elements and yet it is common sense that because we are transient in nature, we will have several aspects to our very being. Upon shedding our physical bodies as we transition to the spirit world, it is important to understand how it is that we can be eternal. I believe this is because of the different elements we all are and each element has its purpose.

In order to understand this, I will approach the subject from the perspective of life before physical life and then take it from there.

In Spiritualism, we believe that we are all a part of the ‘Divine’ ‘Creator’ or God. It matters not what terms we use, rather the understanding that the creator of all life is within us all. This aspect of our being is the Soul. It existed before our physical birth and it is eternal. The Soul cannot be destroyed, it can only progress and change, as it journeys towards divine existence.

According to Silver Birch ( a spirit guide who spoke through the Medium Maurice Barbanell ). The Soul incarnates into the physical body of a developing baby. There are various theories as to at what point this occurs, but each newborn child arrives with a soul which will only leave its physical body upon transition to the after-life.

Within the universe is a ‘divine energising power’ which supports all life. The energy of Spirit is everywhere and permeates through all time and space. It is also this energy which gives life to all material things, including the human body. With this energy the soul incarnates into the human body and the Spirit maintains it. Without it the physical body would die. Therefore, before human life is born, we must have both Spirit and Soul.

The physical body is the human form. It is the molecular structure which responds to its environment and the energies of the universe. It is sensitive to electro-magnetic influences and radiations.  The physical body will grow and over time lose its capacity to re-generate its molecular form. This may lead to disease, aging and eventually physical death. In the event of accident, the molecular structure is capable of being so damaged it cannot recover and again, physical death may ensue.

However, during an earthly lifetime it is not only the environment, the Soul and the Divine Spirit energy, which influences the human being. Each person assimilates the Spirit energy to form their own Spirit body. The human body cannot function without the influence of the universal Spirit Energy upon its personal Spirit Body. The welfare of our Spirit Body is dependent upon many things. Experiences, emotions and physical health all impact upon the state of the Spirit Body, as does the intellect, personality, conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind.

The Spirit Body has to capacity for growth and refinement as our Souls progress. Positive experiences enhance the Spirit Body, whilst negativity hampers it. By living a life of service to others, our Souls progress and so the Spirit Body grows in response.

The human mind in theology relates directly to the soul of a person. Some definitions regard it as a ‘God given essence.’ However, modern day psychologists may refer to the mind as an expression of consciousness. There are mainly two schools of thought regarding the mind within psychology. One suggests that consciousness is a manifestation of brain activity. The other is termed as ‘dualism’ and suggests that the mind and the brain are two separate entities.

However, it is certain that sleep or injury of the human brain affect the human ability to perceive, react or understand the material world, yet this theory doesn’t withstand the evidence of Spirit Communication.

In Mental Mediumship, the subconscious mind is influenced by the discarnate spirit and it is from this influence that impressions are transmitted to the Medium. Thus, how is it that the mind of the discarnate spirit is still active when it is clear that their earthly brain has died? How is it that a Medium with no prior knowledge of their recipient, can describe the personality of the discarnate spirit, if the brain is physically dead? This does suggest that a dualist theory is more rational and that the mind has a separateness from the human brain. We do know that injury to the brain can manifest itself by alterations of personality, the question is can the injured personality be a manifestation of the human mind, or is it merely a physical manifestation in response to a physical problem and the actual mind remains intact?

The influence of the mind is crucial to the health of the Spirit Body. Negative thought affects the health of the Spirit body which in turn affects the physical body.

Upon Physical death the Spirit Body of the person separates from the Physical Body and enters the after-life. It takes with it the soul and the manifestations of the human mind such as, personality, emotion and the memories it has acquired. These manifestations live on in the soul and they have become part of its growth. The Spirit Body was the vehicle for the soul. In time, the Spirit Body will be discarded as the soul becomes more refined and becomes housed in a finer body, with the higher frequencies and vibrations of purer though forms. 

As we can see, there are several elements that need to work together to create a dynamic and eternal life which progresses. At the heart of all life whether spiritual or earthly, resides the soul which is our Divine expression.