A parallel world

It is interesting to see Louis Baragona’s portrait of a modern witch. Although he was sceptical at first, Louis tells how Emily Grote, an elegant “psychic” from Brooklyn, New York, changed his life.

Louis wanted to contact his grandmother, who had died before he was born and about whom he had heard many good things. Emily asked him for a photo of his grandmother and then went into a kind of trance. To make a long story short, Emily began to tell him things about his grandmother that he knew to be true, such as a detail about her favourite hat. In addition, praises flowed from the lips of Emily’s many appreciative clients.

Emily Grote is a pastor’s daughter. She says she has some spiritual elements from her family background, but it was later in life that she developed metapsychic abilities. She studied art and became a marketing designer for well-known publications. But as she began to study her own intuitions, which she initially feared were bordering on paranoia, she became interested in the field of psychotronics. Experiences with a number of powerful intuitions that turned out to be true predictions, as well as a series of bizarre coincidences, reinforced her belief that she had a special gift. As a specialisation, she also learned some “secrets” from a godmother. In 2013, Emily decided to work full-time as a psychic, leaving behind her previous jobs, which were full of “negative energy”.

Contrary to what some may expect, Emily seems like a normal woman. She doesn’t live alone in a cave, she has a husband and children, she behaves like any other woman in her society. Being an artist by training, she decided that it wouldn’t hurt to make a few handicrafts: talismans, amulets, enchanted seals, and so on. In the meantime, she has progressed from intuition to channelling and then to magic—white magic, of course. Many praise her for correctly “reading” their future. Still, it’s a strange thing that Emily can’t read to her family or friends. She has tried, but to no avail. Emily is active in “social justice” causes, particularly the fight for equal rights for transgender people.

Strange memories

Although outdated in its old form, Spiritualism is present in various forms throughout the world. While living in Piatra Neamţ I became friends with an elderly lawyer, Ion Mătasă. He had been a prominent figure in the town during the interwar period. He talked to me about the relationship between Celts and Indians, about theosophy, about spirits. On the subject of spirits, I made it clear that I didn’t believe in the existence of a human spirit after death. I assured him that I was not a communist; I was a Christian, but I didn’t find in the Bible that you could talk to the dead. The dead know nothing; the only hope of immortality is in Christ, in the resurrection. The spirits of the dead are in fact evil, unclean and seductive spirits, that is, rebellious angels—demons.

To the old lawyer my unsubtle rejoinder sounded a little harsh. He believed in spirits and did not expect an alternative explanation. After thinking for a while, without saying anything, he told me about his first spiritualistic experience, which he could not explain.

Mr Ion Mătasă had gone to high school in Piatra Neamţ, although he came from another town, and had stayed at a Polish lady’s boarding house. One day his classmate suggested that they should go together to consult a spirit to find out what subject would be suitable for their exam. The classmate had an uncle who had the gift of communicating with spirits and who lived near a cemetery. They went to him and asked for his help, wanting to make contact with a deceased grandfather to get his advice.

The man took them to another room where he had a special table with the letters of the alphabet written on it and a glass. I don’t remember how he summoned the spirit and asked him. That was the medium’s job. The two boys watched as the cup lifted itself up and rested on one letter or another. All they had to do was write down the letters in order. They formed two strange sentences in foreign languages:

Erkennt sich selbst.

Ionie, zostaw zmarłych w spokoju i zajmij się swoimi sprawami!

Ion Mătasă understood the first sentence because he studied German at school. It was the ancient occult aphorism found in the pronaos of the temple of Apollo in Delphi, where the will of the gods was consulted: Gnothi seauton (“Know thyself!”). The second line, however, remained undeciphered at first. He took the paper and went home. He put the crumpled paper on the table, frustrated that he hadn’t gotten the information he needed. As Ion sat at the table, the landlady, who was passing by, looked at the paper and burst out laughing. The woman asked, “Who wrote this to you?” But Ion was more interested in what the message meant. The woman replied that it was written in Polish: “Ion, leave the dead alone and mind your own business!” Mr Mătasă, now very old, was puzzled by the meaning of this experience and the contradictory answer. The effect on him was, as in the world of lovers, one that further inflamed his desire.

Also in Piatra Neamţ, I had a friend, not a close one, who told me about the strange encounters of his circle. Young people of student age would meet at night in a flat, light candles and play with spirits. Sometimes they witnessed strange phenomena such as objects moving by themselves. I was walking with him in the evening while he was telling me about this, and I noticed that he was nervous and afraid. Suddenly he stopped and looked at me: “Do you feel him? He’s following us, I can feel him coming!” I didn’t feel anything, but I also didn’t like the subject. But I was more afraid for him, that he would lose his mind with such concerns. I tried to give him all the Christian truth I could.

At that time I often went to different libraries in Bucharest to look for historical and linguistic information about which I was passionate. One evening, in the National Library, I noticed a book on the table in the reading room whose pompous and unusual French title caught my attention: Le Clergé Catholique et Le Spiritisme & la Paix universelle par l’évolution morale des Peuples (“The Catholic Clergy, Spiritualism and Universal Peace through the Moral Development of the People”), written by a certain I.L.P. Bonsens in 1910.[2]

The book’s title struck me for several reasons. Firstly, I had not expected to find a spiritualist book in the library of a communist state. I quickly realised that it was not about spiritualism, but written by a spiritualist. The last part contained poems dictated by spirits, and the author spoke of spiritualism as an essential principle of all religions, in the name of which all religions could unite. Secondly, the title and content were shocking—they were like commentaries on the Book of Revelation! I left the poems unread, despite my love of poetry. I didn’t have time to read the whole book—it was already evening and I had to leave the next day. I decided to take some notes: chapter headings and quotations, which gave me the opportunity to make some observations on the subject, for example Chapter IV, “The Catholic Catechism in the Face of Spiritualist Doctrine.”

It is well known that the Catholic Church, like all Christian Churches, officially rejects Spiritualism,[3] although it has a cult of the dead and of the saints and is concerned with otherworldly revelations (especially of the Virgin). But spiritualism has long pursued the churches, and not without success. The majority of Christians, even if they reject Spiritualism (the actual doctrine and practice of communicating with the spirits of the dead), are nevertheless spiritualists: they believe in the natural immortality of the human soul (spirit). This makes popular Christianity vulnerable, open to paranormal experiences with the spirits of the dead.

My notes continue with extracts from Chapter V: “Spiritism is the complement of Christianity. It is recommended that the Sacred College [of Cardinals – ed.] reflect on the biblical saying: ‘the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life’.” “All nations will accept Christianity through Spiritualism.” “The common faith of the nations will put an end to the scourge of war.” “The end of the scourge of war through Spiritualism.”[4]

What catches the attention in Spiritualism, as in other ideologies or false religions, is the belief that a unified religion would ensure peace and prosperity in our world. In Chapter VI, the Spiritualist author becomes more specific, first asking, “What are the powers and institutions that can best influence the evolution that will lead the world to universal peace?” The author replies: “1. The role of the Holy Father. The first wish… the union of all Christians. The great idea of a genius Pope will be to put forward a doctrine that will necessarily be acceptable to all Christians. Is this impossible? No, because on the one hand, proven religious truths are universally imposed; on the other hand, Jesus is accepted and worshipped by all. This common doctrine would include: 1. The Gospel of Jesus, with the necessary sacraments flowing from it, and 2. The Ten Commandments. These would form a catechism which a missionary could rhetorically call ‘the beacon of Rome, which shines a light on humanity to lead it, century after century, to happiness through truth, for only truth can lead to happiness’.”[5]

In spiritualist jargon, “truth” is the name given to that universal lie which is the cornerstone of all pagan religions, and unfortunately of Christian ones too: spiritualism, the belief in the natural immortality of the human spirit, with all that follows from it. Forgive me for simply stating this for the moment; I will confirm it later with Scripture.

The world has gone mad

We live in a world where beliefs in contact with aliens, angels, vibrations, time travel, seeking the secrets of destiny in the stars, in the palm of your hand, in tea leaves, in tarot cards, and in many other ways, make us addicted to all sorts of para-sciences that exist on the extreme borderline between reality, illusion, and parallel reality. We chase aliens, shadows, and Pokemons. We want to make sure we start on the right foot first thing in the morning, and we ask the stars for advice, just as our ancestors did three thousand years ago. As religion fades into obsolescence and science is often viewed with suspicion, superstition, painted in all the colours of the rainbow, is stirring in the public square and gaining credence.

Melanie Beckler teaches us how to get in touch with angels. She speaks clearly about angels, not demons or the dead. But it is no coincidence that she uses New Age language. Communication is channelling (i.e. mediumship). Melanie believes that every right intuition, every good piece of advice, every push in one direction or another is an unconscious channelling of the work of angels. She speaks of frequencies, vibrations, and love and healing energies. Melanie’s experience began with “automatic writing.” How do we know that we are in contact with angels, and not with spirits of the dead, or perhaps fallen angels who are good at all kinds of communication? And what if it is all just a hoax?

Stefan Zweig[6] tells the story that on the eve of the French Revolution, when Mesmer caused a stir in Paris by “magnetising” trees and people chained in the streets, superstition had overtaken many consciences. Some noble ladies who wanted to have sex with the devil, hearing that it would be a great experience, may have been tricked by charlatans, invited to a secluded meeting where they had to wait naked. But the charlatans only stole their clothes and made them wait… Only they know how they got back to town.

But in the world of the paranormal, the boundaries between hoaxes, tricks, illusionism, dreams, hallucinations, on the one hand, and ghosts or other elements of a parallel world, on the other, are invisible. Those who study these phenomena scientifically tend to believe that in most, if not all, cases they are fabrications. Other researchers, however, continue their studies without having reached the end of their studies or having become convinced that these experiences are real.

A little history

Contrary to the evolutionary theory of the history of religion, according to which everything began with animism, then progressed to polytheism and finally to monotheism, Wilhelm Schmidt’s[7] conclusion, after serious research into the mythology of many tribes, is that all people began as monotheists, and from there the world descended into animism and all forms of polytheism.

Yes, we have gone from believing in the Creator God, “the only one having immortality,” to the conceit that we are all immortal gods—some more than others, of course. Elements of nature, ancestors, heroes, and kings have been deified and we have indulged in superstition for millennia. Judaism and Christianity, which were meant to return the world to the living God, gradually slipped into the pagan inertia of the natural immortality of the soul and all the heresies and superstitions that flowed from it. Christianity gradually became a religion of the past, of monuments, of the dead. The Christian hope has been distorted, and the living Christ, the one who really died and rose again, has less appeal than a host of supposed intercessors from the world of the dead.

It would be useful to ask ourselves what God’s view is of our religion, this mixture of Christianity and paganism to which, since the 19th century, has been added, on the one hand, more and more scepticism and, on the other hand, a host of spiritualisms that try to coexist with both science and the Christian religion. And these spiritualisms, grouped together under the generic and controversial name of New Age, go to the very heart of paganism.

There have always been paranormal phenomena in our world: either genuine miracles from God, or mystifications and spiritual disturbances of all kinds, in which evil spirits have played whatever role they wanted, as it suited them best to deceive. In tribal societies, sorcerers and shamans maintained and still maintain contact with the parallel world. In addition, priests of various local or imported deities appeared. Most civilisations outside biblical (Judeo-Christian) culture have known spiritualism, polytheism, and human sacrifice. Paganism brutalised the human conscience by sanctifying a society built on the principle of oppressing fellow human beings and offering vain (and discriminatory) hopes for the afterlife.

To the extent that the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) have absorbed pagan elements, they have more or less favoured oppressive societies. It is not surprising, therefore, that Christianity was gradually driven out of political life with the American and French Revolutions (1783, 1789). Apart from the fact that the separation of church and state clarified a principle beneficial to both, it is increasingly clear that from the 19th century onwards, alternative religious forms developed within and beyond Christianity.

Before the emergence of modern Spiritualism in 1848, there were some precursors of more modest impact, such as the doctrine of Swedenborg (†1772)[8]—a true modern shaman—or the “animal magnetism” of Mesmer (†1815)[9]—called hypnotism after 1841. But the spiritualist current that emerged in 1848 exceeded all expectations in terms of the speed with which it spread to the Christian world.

With the “spirit-rapping” humbug that began in Hydesville, New York,[10] the Fox sisters became famous overnight for publicly demonstrating their communication with spirits. The first followers of the new movement were among the Quakers (a religious group that placed personal experience above the letter of the Bible) and social reformers fighting for various rights in America. The American Civil War, which claimed many lives, gave spiritualism wings. First through coded rappings, then through automatic writing and finally through Ouija boards, communication with spirits spread rapidly throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and all corners of the world, with most of its followers in Latin American countries. In Brazil, a statue was erected to the medium Chico Xavier, a great philanthropist and “psychographer” who is said to have written more than 490 books and about 10,000 letters. Several erudite converts to Spiritualism[11] contributed to the development of the movement’s philosophy, or at least to its fame.

Spiritualism still has some Christian elements, but it presents itself as the “science of religion”. The theology of the movement is not uniform, but in many respects coincides with so-called liberal theology. Spiritualists are universalists (they believe that all spirits can be saved) and do not believe in the existence of the devil. Therefore, although their spirituality is at odds with the Bible, it is in harmony with popular religious views and aspirations. Despite some doubts, sometimes caused by the false identity of the spirits consulted or the cleverness of the critics, Spiritualists’ belief in the survival of the spirit of the deceased and in communication with spirits is sincere.

Spiritualists have often been criticised by scientific researchers. Although some researchers have become convinced spiritualists themselves, accusations of fraud and deception have occasionally been substantiated. Spirits do not always respond immediately, so the medium must be prepared to “help” through illusionistic tricks. The use of trickery for the sake of a spiritualist demonstration can hardly be considered scandalous if we take into account that the spirits who intervene in the spells are, in fact, charlatan spirits masquerading as the souls of the deceased.

In 1875, Helena P. Blavatsky, a Russian occultist, founded the Theosophical Society in America with two other occultists. Unlike classical Spiritualism, Theosophy is rather mixed with Hinduism, similar to those branches of Spiritualism that accept reincarnation. This made Theosophy easier to understand on all meridians, including Asia, which increased its popularity and at the same time further paganised Western spiritualist thought. In Europe, the Austrian Rudolf Steiner, an admirer of Theosophy, founded another Theosophical movement called Anthroposophy, which was not very different in essence. This gave rise to an interest in Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophic medicine, and so on. Steiner had a great influence on many personalities. The British socialist Annie Besant (†1933) also contributed to the spread of Theosophy. Finally, Alice Bailey (†1949), another British writer, developed Theosophy in America, adding various other esoteric concerns and using for the first time the concept of the Age of Aquarius as an age of universal brotherhood.[12]

Today, under the umbrella of New Age, we recognise an amalgamation of all sorts of spiritualistic currents, divergent from Christianity, which in one way or another emphasise the parallel world experience and preach the ideal of world improvement and brotherhood, a green, Edenic, post-modern world, free from absolute truth and seeking to deify the individual and make him aware of his relationship with the whole universe. In all this spiritualist heaven, the Creator God is replaced by a pantheistic divinity, and Christ is at best identified with an ancient spiritualist avatar. Yoga, meditations, techniques, all sorts of spiritual development exercises, tons of books extolling the occult for all ages, the inescapable astrology, various methods of divination and, finally, pure neo-paganism: a return to the religion of the Celts, Africans, Egyptians, or Dacians. And to complete the picture, Christianity itself is being manipulated by some as if it were a method of spiritual healing and psychic knowledge on demand. A parallel world indeed!

Close encounters

The Bible suggests that rebellious angels, forming a conspiracy to deceive humanity, pose as spirits of the dead,[13] as angels loyal to God,[14] or as the spirits of wonder-working prophets.[15] A real experience of spiritualism is described in the biblical book of 1 Samuel,[16] where King Saul, through the intercession of a witch of Endor, summons the spirit of the prophet Samuel. This “Samuel” emerges from the earth, identified by the witch as a “divine being.” Taking advantage of the king’s credulity or superstition about the survival of the spirit, as well as his trust in Samuel, the false prophet, whom Saul did not even see, manipulates him psychologically in a fatal way.

This passage is worthy of careful study. The Bible affirms that the encounter at Endor was for Saul the sin that consumed him and led him to destruction.[17] The author uses phenomenological language, saying: “Samuel said…” but it is clear from his description that he is referring to the person who claimed to be Samuel. Similarly, in Genesis 3, the writer says that the “serpent” spoke, describing what the woman saw. Some believe that Saul’s experience may have been genuine, that he was visited by the spirit of Samuel himself. But this would have been impossible for a number of reasons:

1. God no longer spoke to Saul through prophets,[18] so He would not have allowed the prophet Samuel to deliver a message.
2. If God forbade consulting spirits under the death penalty,[19] how could the true Samuel have led Saul into a capital sin?
3. How could Samuel have been forced to answer the witch’s call? Can there be a more powerful medium than an honest prophet under the guard of God?
4. How could Samuel have dared to violate God’s commandment against spiritism and appear at this unlawful meeting, thus making himself more guilty than the king or the woman?
5. How could contact with the spirit of a dead person be possible when the Bible teaches that there is no conscious spirit in death?[20]

In conclusion, are we to expect visitations from the saints who are now at rest? Or visits from the Virgin Mary in Fatima, Medjugorje or elsewhere? Or should we pray to the saints and to the Virgin Mary who, according to Scripture, are dead, instead of turning directly to God, with faith and hope, because He has invited us? Would we not be inviting the sin of spiritualism? And if we are preoccupied with the mystical use of their material remains, are we not falling into the sin of magic and doing “what is shameful or deceitful”?[21]

Some say that Jesus Himself called the dead saints and communicated with them on Mount Tabor of the Transfiguration.[22] But according to the Bible and Jewish tradition, the heavenly guests at that meeting were alive because they had been raised to heaven in immortal bodies: Moses through resurrection[23] and Elijah without seeing death.[24] Jesus had just spoken of His Second Coming, and by visiting Moses and Elijah during His Transfiguration, He was illustrating what it would be like at His Second Coming, when He would take up to heaven two categories of saints: those who would then be resurrected and those who would be found alive, transformed with the others and given immortal bodies.[25]

The last trick: the devil’s Christophany

Believers often imagine that the devil has an underground residence where he tortures the souls of the dead. This belief is inspired by him. Scripture says that the devil is present with all his angels in the heavenly places and in our world.[26] Jesus called him “the prince of this world,”[27] the Apostle Paul called him “the god of this age”[28] and described his angels as a veritable spiritual hierarchy of “rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness.” Satan is thus seen as the invisible “administrator” of our world.

God has limited the devil’s actions. He has not allowed him to exercise his unlimited power to deceive. But when we read those parts of the Bible that refer to the final battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil, we are drawn to the unusual development of occultism and false miracles. A great power is described in Revelation, like the false prophet Samuel of Endor: “coming out of the earth”[29] and performing wonders and miracles in imitation of the prophet Elijah, which God had not allowed the pagan priests to do in ancient times.[30] This means that in the end God will allow the devil to do what He has not allowed him to do before.

Throughout history, the devil has presented himself to people in the most cynical way, manipulating their foolish belief in the spirits of the dead. He is not ashamed to present himself as a good angel, a saint, and is even content to play the amusing roles of cosmic vibration, energy, extraterrestrial visitor, and any other identity with which he can deceive. But there are indications that God will allow the devil one last trick, one that would surpass all others in scope and power. Revelation suggests that after a succession of historical world powers, represented as the heads of a beast, the one who will rule the world in the end will be the “beast himself,” the devil. How could the world allow itself to be ruled by the devil?

A very valuable suggestion is found in an ancient Christian writing of the second century (Didaché XVI, 4-8), which warns us that before the true coming of Christ there will be a false coming of Christ: Then the deceiver of the world [ὁ κοσμοπλανὴς, cf. Rev 12:9] shall appear, claiming to be the Son of God, and shall perform signs and wonders; and the earth shall be given into his hands. He will do wicked things, such as have not been done since the beginning of the world. Then the works of people will be put to the test, and many will stumble and perish; but those who stand firm in the faith will be saved from the curse. Then the signs of the truth will appear: first the sign of an opening in heaven, then the sign of the sound of a trumpet. Thirdly, there will be the resurrection of the dead, not of all, but as it is written: “The Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.” Then the world will see the Lord coming on the clouds of heaven.

Referring to the same event, Ellen White says: “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ… In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation [cf. Rev. 1:13-15]… But on one point there will be a marked distinction—Satan will turn the people from the law of God. Notwithstanding this, so well will he counterfeit righteousness that, if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect.”

When Jesus Christ drew the portrait of the devil, He did not describe him as ugly, disgusting, untrustworthy or stupid, but He described him with two essential characteristics: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”[31] As a liar, the devil is not very interested in whether the way he deceives you is a human trick, a superstition, or superhuman, experiential occult powers. To him, it is important to get your attention and then your belief, so that in due course he can use this channel to ruin your soul and destroy you. 

Whenever you feel danger, but also when you do not “feel” it, keep in mind that we have in God Christ the Redeemer, who has the right of ownership over us. We can turn to Him at any time, for the necessities of this life and even more so for eternal life.