SPIRITUALIST CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 22686, 28 June 1937, Page 1

SPIRITUALIST CHURCH

Mr W. J. Hutton took for the subject of his address at the Spiritualist Church last evening ‘ The Bridges Over the Valley.’ Touching first upon the tideless River Acheron andl the mythical boatman, Charon, the speaker went on to say that there were many other crossings over the mighty chasm which divided the world of physical manifestation from the worlds of higher vibrations. Among these were the three main bridges over which the soul can cross to the farther side. The first bridge is formed by those who have one or more of the five senses developed to respond to the vibrations of the astral world, the realm of emotion and desire. Over this psychic bridge those who are thus specially developed can cross and contact those who are living on the lower and intermediate astral planes. Such persons, variously called sensitives, psychics, and mediums, are able to report what they see, hear, or feel. By submitting their gifts to the scientific investigations these people are enabled to have the truth made plain_ to all those who wish to learn it. The kind of contact made depends, of course, on the spiritual development of the psychic, not upon his psychic development alone, and also upon the development of the contacts. Thus mediums with little' spiritual or intellectual development contact only persons in the lower realms of unseen worlds; while those ps}'chics- who are educated, and especially those who are spiritually developed even if uneducated, can reach up into the higher realms and contact those of like vibrations and even higher. The key which unlocks the psychic bridge is understanding,

and the passport to the higher levels is right use. ~ ~ , _ The second bridge, said the speaker, crosses the great void between the human mind andl the mind or the higher self at a far higher level than the psychic level. The chasm is here crossed by .the long and delicate mental bridge, the ability to cross which is attained by high thinking and right living. For there is a greater difference between the mind of the higher self and the mind of the human Personality than there is between the mind of highly intellectual parents and that of the prattling babe. To train the higher consciousness we must tram our minds not to respond_ to words, suggestions, or ideas which have to do with low and destructive forces, but to focus upon that which is constructive, pure, and ennobling. The key that unlocks this mental bridge is aspiration, and the password is love. But only those whose consciousness has been unfolded sufficiently to get a glimpse 1 of the divine, or Christ, can be said to be well on the way over this bridge. The third bridge, the- last of the three great bridges to be crossed by the disciple ere he reaches his heavenly home, is, said Mr Hutton, the bridge of transmutation and ascension; and passage over this conquers the last enemy, death. The other two bridges may be crossed by the novice and the neophyte, but this last and greatest bridge can be crossed only by the illumined disciple who has used his other powers to bring into his aura forces so spiritualising and so uplifting, together with ideas and understanding of the divine so illuminating, that they enable him to 'grow in grace and spiritual unfoldment, and, finally, to gain the help of those who have already made the ascension. Through these higher contacts he gradually absorbs so much of the spiritual • forces of his higher self that some of his spiritual atoms are actually incarnated in the flesh of the human personality. As this process continues it_ gradually brings about a transmutation of the flesh and finally culminates in the transfiguration. This enables the

disciple to continue on across the bridge until all his bodies are so spiritualised that he can raise them up from earth to heaven, there to meet the masters who have long ago crossed this bridge of life which separates the mortal from the immortal. This last great bridge, must be crossed by all mankind some day. This is not as impossible a task as it, might appear, said Mr Hutton in conclusion; .every human failing wo conquer, every negative emotion we trafasmute by expressing the opposite, the more is our consciousness purified and our bodies made more sensitive. Mr L. G. Newton piesided, and at the conclusion of the service Sister Edith demonstrated her powers of clairvoyance.