Journey of Souls by Michael Newton

[Michelle11]

Originally Posted by Wandering_Star

I also read Schwartz's book, but was disappointed by it.

While Newton based his work on reports from hypnotized subjects, Schwartz relies on psychics for all of his data--which wrecks it for me because frankly, I've yet to encounter a single psychic I can take seriously. Some have been outright frauds; but even the ones who were well-intentioned and took it seriously resorted to cold-reading and still completely failed to pick up on the major issues I was dealing with. More often than not, what they told me was laughably wrong, and what little they did get right was trivial stuff that most people with decent "people skills" would have picked up on.

And these were "the best" psychics, who all came highly recommended--but they still failed to tell me anything of substance that was specific to my situation. So, coming from that background, I found Schwartz's book frustrating. While the overarching idea presented in it makes sense to me, and has been a useful tool to help me work through all that stuff I hoped those useless psychics could help me with, using psychics as his "authorities" made it very hard for me to take Your Soul's Plan seriously when it came to the specifics.

Oh, and his writing style didn't help at all--it felt very dumbed-down and condescending. Michael Newton's writing style can be a bit dry, but at least he wrote with an intelligent adult audience in mind!

So I like Newton very much, and have found his works invaluable--they've helped me make sense of things. But Schwartz and his psychics? Meh. Not for me, thanks.

As for other authors, I seem to recall that Brian Weiss, MD gets into some of the same stuff in his books--Same Soul, Many Bodies is the one I can see on my bookshelf right now, and it's as good as any if you're interested. He's put out quite a few books, but he recycles his own material so if you've read one or two, you've read them all...

I definitely agree with everything you said about Schwartz's books but what I liked, even if it was all conjecture, was the more objective angle on the difficulties we face as humans. But I guess it could be said that it is just rationalizing something that can't be rationalized. Well the book found it's way to me at a time when I was trying to find meaning of my life and for some reason reading it helped the story of my life kind of ripple together. It was really odd but it was like my life made sense finally so I guess something in it resonated or at least helped me.

But I did actually hire one of his 'psychic' and was very disappointed as you say. It was totally a cold read and way off. I have been to a few but none as bad as this one was. Years and years ago, when I was still in High School I went to a famous psychic and I thought she was pretty off until a few of the odd things she said came true about 5 years later. Wish I remembered her name, she was pretty famous in the late 80s. But the one from the book was making broad generalizations based on common sense assumptions that did not hold true for me but might for most cases. Well anyways, it did make me more skeptical of them but I have had some that were really insightful with the things they have said even if it was all just great advice.

I read Brian Weiss's books as well I went to one of his seminars but was a bit disappointed. I really wanted to hear Newton talk but he doesn't do them, not sure he ever did, but Dr. Weiss does though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but others seemed to really get a lot out of it.

[Michelle11]

Originally Posted by AnotherBob

If we knew the whole plot ahead of time, it would kind of spoil the visceral impact of the adventure. Indeed, we came here to experience not knowing for a change, to face the "unknown", to experience the surprises of life. In the Spirit World we have access to Universal Knowledge, but so many want to adventure in realms like these, just like those who want to challenge themselves, like mountain climbing, where they don't already know how it is going to turn out. Imagine how dull it would get, knowing what's going to happen, knowing all the answers in advance. We certainly would not have the growth opportunity that not knowing provides, nor would we get to see how we would react in situations of uncertainty. What kind of a test would it be for ourselves if we knew the answers in advance?

Yeah, though as I have gone through some troubling times I have questioned the wisdom of my decision to come. It can be hard to be OK with it sometimes but in my communications with my higher and guides in dreams they have a sort of casual response to my pain. It is hard to explain fully. It isn't a disregard or them making fun of me but a matter of their perspective being outside the drama of the human story. But they definitely get how difficult it can be to wrestle with the human psyche and because of it we are all really just innocently misunderstanding things. But without the confusion we would not likely change. Discomfort is a strong motivator for change. Well anyways, I was told time and again that my life plan was something I agreed to regardless if I have at times rued my life circumstances. So I have no choice but to see how the story plays out. You can't leave until the show is over is what I was told one time. LOL.

[AnotherBob]

Originally Posted by Michelle11

Discomfort is a strong motivator for change.

Indeed!


In terms of the guides, consider how parents recognize that the problems the child might feel are so serious and disturbing at the time are not really that big a deal in the scheme of things, and perhaps may even serve as a good lesson (like not always getting what they want, even if they throw a tantrum).

[Michelle11]

Originally Posted by AnotherBob

Indeed!


In terms of the guides, consider how parents recognize that the problems the child might feel are so serious and disturbing at the time are not really that big a deal in the scheme of things, and perhaps may even serve as a good lesson (like not always getting what they want, even if they throw a tantrum).

Yes, that is a good way to put it. Our perspective is skewed but theirs isn't. It can feel like the end of the world to our human side but our soul and guides know it isn't.

[vespa68]

Originally Posted by vespa68

@Tobi. The same thing happened to me and I had to put the book down. Since the time of reading those books I had a huge spiritual awakening and worked very closely with the other side as a medium and energy worker. I questioned many things and I understood from doing loads of the inner work that a lot of things that are said of the other side does not resonate. I speak a lot to my guide as well who I hear just like anyone else. The other side just means you know who you are at the deepest level of your being. You are in your true essence so you see things that are true to you. Its not so different from this side. The people being hypnotised could not possibly know who they are on the other side even in that hypnotic state unless of course they did the inner work and were enlightened let's say. The things that were said seemed like illusions.

The afterlife would not be empty. You find your true self after leaving your physical body and you see whatever is in your heart. It'd the same as this side except you have a higher truth. Of course this depends on your level of consciousness.

[Tobi]

Originally Posted by H:O:R:A:C:E

i for one am ready to know.
the "not supposed to" idea was something implemented by us it appears.
(nothing can oblige us to be ignorant)
a diminished impact sounds like good thing to my ear.
"too much" of anything is undesirable.
it seems that truth is an indivisible thing;
to know it only partially would be to not know it at all [i posit].
ALL of truth is knowable.
i am on the side that wishes for full disclosure.

Yes!
Our Spirits already know. We have come here to be immersed to one degree or another in this corporeal existence. That seems to be a temporary mission. But that doesn't have to prevent us transcending that whenever we can, and seeing the 'sun behind the clouds'!

[Tobi]

Originally Posted by metal68

Its a very interesting book but many doubt the veracity of these regressions

Its interesting that many like Jurgen Ziewe & Bob Monroe and so many of the mediums report that we have a physical body akin to our Earth lives and yet the Newton books suggest that we are more or less disembodied balls of brilliant energy. That's a very big area of conflict, is it not??

Yes it is! And I see the point you make.
But of course, we are both. To see only one or the other has to be a limited viewpoint.
I have encountered deceased (from the Earth) living ones who have bodies just as we appear to have them here! But maybe that is a structure which they may be able to morph at will, under certain circumstances, or if desired to.
But the "balls of brilliant energy" thing is also worth considering. Because their energy is so vibrant and freed.

[H:O:R:A:C:E]

Originally Posted by Michelle11

...I suspect if we were really meant to know we would know so the veil is for a purpose or it wouldn't be there....

as Tobi said in post 26: "Our Spirits already know." [we know]

as for purpose...
imagine that i were to awaken one morning and discover a splinter
in my finger. i might determine that "it must serve some purpose",
and so do nothing about it; OR, i may choose to no longer tolerate
the intrusion, and remove the object.
i believe that a better "matrix" is desirable, and possible.
the enjoyable pretenses can be maintained, and the horrors can be
flushed away.

love

[Michelle11]

Originally Posted by H:O:R:A:C:E

as Tobi said in post 26: "Our Spirits already know." [we know]

as for purpose...
imagine that i were to awaken one morning and discover a splinter
in my finger. i might determine that "it must serve some purpose",
and so do nothing about it; OR, i may choose to no longer tolerate
the intrusion, and remove the object.
i believe that a better "matrix" is desirable, and possible.
the enjoyable pretenses can be maintained, and the horrors can be
flushed away.

love

Hey H:O:R:A:C:E,

I get what you are saying. I have a room full of self help books and spiritual theory trying to understand but I see it more akin to a car or computer. I don't have to know how those things operate, how they are put together and the dynamics that make them run for me to use them. I can search for information to make my life better on the internet but have no clue how in the end it really all boils down to 1s and 0s. That doesn't make sense to me yet it allows me to have an experience that I didn't have before computers were invented.

But we do need to be aware of our problems if we hope to heal them. We can't heal them unless we feel them so that is the purpose of pain. Pain as a motivator to push us into change. But many many people go around trying to pretend the splinter wasn't there. I did until it got too painful. But I still don't know why I am having a splinter. Or how the splinter came to be. Yes, there is a part of us that knows all and I can appreciate that I agreed to live an experience feeling pain so I would change my thinking around but there is still an aspect of the experience that is a mystery because if I didn't see things from a life or death perspective I may not care about my experience and it loses its impact. My body is hard wired to want to survive at all costs. If I lose that then I will likely walk into trouble and lose my opportunity to live.

I am not sure if a true analogy can really be made but I do think there is a purpose for us not knowing everything. I don't think that should stop us from trying to understand. And it is very possible we are on a quest to knowing all while in human form but in all of the history of man any theory that has been laid forth is in the end only conjecture and not provable. So we never really will know if our human conclusions are accurate until we move on and there may be very good reason for that.

[yellow]

I love both Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls. Reading those two books were a real turning point for me.

I was actually recommended to read Journey of Souls by a medium on this forum. I had told her of some weird dream that I had and she had said....Oh oh, you have got to read this book. The answers are there. And they were.

It also helped that Michael Newton was such a great writer. It made the book more interesting with his sense of humour.

I've read one of Rob Schwartz's books. Reminded me that I was halfway through the other book but didn't finish it. Those books don't appeal so much but are interesting nevertheless.