‘We will link up with their attunement again, as there is still more I must show you.’

Once more, André felt how he became connected with the Land of Hatred.

Alcar made him take this in slowly to let him get acquainted with all the intermediary conditions in the spirit.

He felt himself becoming denser, and his body began to change.

He had already been allowed to experience all this on earth, and now he knew the powers behind it.

Here life was in a similar condition as on earth, but in the sphere of the earth he had encountered higher attunements.

Only higher beings were able to withdraw into another, even higher attunement.

Those who lived here first had to conquer this darkness.

Which could merely be brought about by dedicating oneself for others, by helping them in different ways.

There was only one law known in life, namely God’s will, but every child has to acquire this power.

And that is love, nothing but love.

They were now in a town centre, and saw the Land of Hatred in all its horror.

It seemed endless here - Alcar had indicated this on his previous journey - yet one day this town of hatred would dissolve, and evil people would no longer exist.

All around, he saw people who had died on earth.

They dwelt here, but their circumstances were terrible.

How impoverished they were, compared to the poorest on earth who had nothing left to eat.

What did it mean to be poor on earth, compared to spiritual poverty?

These were the ones who were spiritually lost. The poorest people could rank amongst the richest if they hadn’t disgraced themselves.

He saw people wherever he looked, and all these humans were dangerous characters.

He heard a tremendous noise closing in on them.

He saw how hundreds, divided into groups, moved along through the streets.

‘What are those beings doing, Alcar?’

‘They’re celebrating, just as they do on earth, and so will we, André.’

He looked at his leader as if to say: surely not?

‘Oh yes, we will.’ Alcar smiled. ‘I spoke the truth, we will also celebrate, but merely by watching them; we won’t be taking part.

I want to make it clear to you how the things people indulce in on earth also take place in the dark spheres.

You will soon see what their festivities are like.

Come on, we’ll follow them.’

They passed through various streets and soon merged with the crowd.

André shuddered when he was suddenly grabbed and dragged along.

He read passion and violence in their faces.

What kind of festivity would these beings be celebrating?

Men and women, all gathered together, moved on, leaping and jumping about.

A terrible being got hold of him and pulled him along.

He wanted to free himself, because he wanted nothing to do with their fun and their get-together, but it was useless.

The being held on to him as if it sensed that he didn’t want to join in.

‘On you go’, it shouted at him while it gave him a savage look.

André saw himself doomed; how could he ever free himself?

The people pulled the clothes they were wearing from their body; it seemed to be the custom here.

‘Shout,’ the being called out again, ‘or do you perhaps not want to?’ and it wanted to hit him.

This is terrible, André thought, why on earth does Alcar enter this place.

He tore himself free and ran away.

He saw his leader standing on a street corner.

‘Rather rough and ready, aren’t they, André?’

‘What kind of people are they?’

‘The word ‘people’ no longer applies to them.

This is another thing you must learn in order to free yourself from them.

It wouldn’t have taken much concentration to get rid of that company.

It all depends on yourself; it’s something you must feel.’

André found them disgusting, and he could guess what their festivity would be like.

‘Do we have to go there, Alcar?’

‘Why shouldn’t we take a look too; you wouldn’t know what makes them feel happy and have fun if we didn’t.

This is necessary to get a clear picture of their dark and dubious life.’

‘It gave me a dreadful feeling when that being grabbed hold of me; it nearly made me choke.’

‘And yet they are open, and they show themselves just as they are.

There are certain powers in this darkness; these are the masters of evil, the former scholars of the earth, whom you will become familiar with.

They’re not savage and wild, they’re all vicious and scheming in a way you have never yet experienced.

Those who are busy celebrating here are innocent compared to the ones whom we will soon visit too.

You must experience this if you want to get to know their life in detail.

We will descend into their midst and change over into their life.

Come on, André, bear up, we won’t be back in the dark spheres for a long while.

‘I’m prepared, Alcar, I know what’s in store for me.’

They were still on the move, behaving like savages; the procession seemed endless.

André didn’t feel in the least inclined to join them, but before he knew what was happening he was grabbed and pulled along.

Where were these beings taking him to?

He was closed in on both sides.

Nowhere could he see an opening to escape.

But he didn’t intend to take part and they appeared to sense this.

A few of the beings leapt at him and held him captive.

He was getting angry, but then he felt that this enabled them to get an even stronger grip on him than before.

He was nervous and regretted the moment he had landed in their midst.

This was getting out of hand, as they were grabbing him from the right and left and dragging him along.

He wanted to free himself but he could’t manage to.

The being walking beside him uttered a terrible scream, so that the others attacked him and wanted to beat him up.

He didn’t see Alcar and he didn’t know where his leader had got to; yet he did feel his impact.

Others urged their mates not to let go of him.

Amidst their shouting and screaming he felt himself sinking, which was a clear sign to them that he wasn’t one of their sort and a good reason for them to try to tear him apart like savages.

Nonetheless, he remained conscious of their goings-on and he understood that some other power was helping him; he would have been lost otherwise.

He felt himself sinking even deeper and when he opened his eyes he was looking into those of his leader.

‘Feeling a little better, André?’

‘Who are these terrible people that live in this darkness?’

‘You’re still not able to use your powers to the full.’

‘Why did they attack me, Alcar; after all, I did them no harm, did I?’

‘That’s exactly why you were attacked.’

André didn’t understand, and he asked with surprise: ‘What do you mean, they attack someone just because he doesn’t want to harm them?’

‘Precisely, in other words, when you don’t want to take part in their festivities and they feel this, they gather that you want nothing to do with them and they see you as a weakling.

The weaker ones, as I already made it clear to you, must suffer here, they’re attacked by all of them; however, they will soon pass on to a different sphere, because they’re disgusted with their way of life.’

Now he understood why so many others had bothered him.

Who would now be bothered by that, if people did not know their life.

Exactly the opposite happened on earth, there people could still lead a peaceful life as long as they didn’t trouble others.

No being on earth could ever force him to take part in such an animal-like life if he didn’t want to.

But here everything merged.

One single violence, one single passion, they all had one and the same attunement.

These experiences were strange and new to him, just as their life was.

‘Did they recognize me, Alcar?’

‘No, that’s impossible, but they sensed your hesitation.’

‘Then do all those who live here participate in these festivities?’

‘Yes, until they’ve had enough.

That’s why higher spirits descend to help these beings.

They no longer want to live that kind of life; they sense the horrors of this existence and try to break loose.

They ramble and roam around for a long time before they are found by high spirits who take them to other places, which I already told you about.

Man will emerge from the darkness and return to the light.

They have to undergo all the intermediary conditions, because in the life of the spirit nothing can be left out.

They pass from one attunement into the next, they continue their way from sphere to sphere; it’s the way that leads upwards, which they must all follow.

And only by helping others, by wanting to mean something to every other life, will they manage to take themselves in hand; we know no other way or possibility.

It is God’s way, which we must tread with love.’

‘Did all these people once live on earth, Alcar?’

‘All of them, André.

They were children once, grew up, became mother and brought themselves into this attunement through lechery and violence, passion and brutalization.

This is how they arrived, and they won’t change their lives until they become disgusted of themselves.

Then they turn over a new leaf.

Those are the ones who break away from the others.

Now we’ll go back and visit them again, because I want you to get to know their life, but we’ll make use of our own power to get in.

Look, André, that’s where they will enter.’

André saw a large building, where thousands of people could flock in at the same time.

He heard them approaching in the distance, from which he gathered that Alcar had taken a different route.

He was standing in a large square, and he could tell from beings who surrounded him that they were in their own attunement.

Men and women were swinging flaming torches around.

Where in heaven’s name did they get all these earthly things from?

He looked at his leader as if he expected to get an answer from him, which he immediately did.

‘They possess everything here, my boy; you will see miracles, although all of it has no value in the spirit.

They own houses and temples, wear precious stones as on earth, but adorn themselves through their concentration and strong will power.

They have everything here, but all that is part of their own animal-like way of life.

You will soon see the things they possess; here you see the very likeness of the earth.’

André saw people who had freed themselves out of their clutches, but were still unable to break away, so that they kept on roaming about in their environment.

Some were attacked and dragged along, just as he himself had been.

He saw others who were familiar with these festivities and fled, wanting nothing more to do with the rest.

Meanwhile the whole building was filling up to the brim, and they went in too.

He was still in his own sphere, but Alcar was about to link up with them.

Hundreds of beings were gathered here, he saw benches everywhere, and there were bottles on the tables that contained some sort of liquid they were all indulging in.

Was that supposed to be wine?

Was it really wine they were drinking?

In the life after death, wine?

It was incredible.

It seemed to him as if he was living on earth.

Yes indeed, he clearly saw some kind of wine being poured.

Those who drank made horrible faces; it must be an awful liquor.

‘Is that wine, Alcar?’

‘It is wine, André, but I advise you not to drink any of it, because it would set your soul on fire.

It’s a home-made liquid, which they prepare from substances they’re familiar with and have at their disposal.

They possess drinks, but I wouldn’t even offer it to an animal.

Their dark souls are consumed by that liquid.

They can do anything they please, André, but they’re unable to enter a higher sphere.’

Many of them drank the liquid as if they would soon faint with thirst.

And now he saw something he could hardly believe: they paid in cash.

‘Am I seeing straight, Alcar?’

‘Very well observed!

They would be unable to act in any other way.

They possess gold and silver to decorate their women with; so why shouldn’t they possess money?

But all these things are make-believe, just as their own lives are.

Here, they have everything, because to them life is no different from that on earth.

Those who want this kind of life will arrive here in a corresponding condition and try to attain that kind of life in the spirit.

Why should their life be different here from the one on earth?

It’s just not possible.

Their passions are no different from what they felt and bore within during that life.

I just told you: what you perceive here is a copy of the earth, but here evil is gathered together.

This is the kind of life they all want, and they will get what they want.

However, there is no greenery to be seen here, no other forms of life such as nature on earth has to offer.

No animals, no sun and no moon; continuous deep darkness.

In this life they try to amuse themselves.

You see, there is life, men and women are together, but they have all become bestialized.

What one person does not know, another one invents, even if it will burn their souls.

It encompasses their entire personality.

You will see many more things when the climax is reached.

Every being that lives here is on the lookout for means to satisfy itself, and it will find it too.’

It was a hellish shouting all at the same time.

Empty bottles were thrown away, and they wanted still more drinks.

Women were wearing jewels and shawls in various colours, but all he saw was a jumble of piercing red and glaring green.

He hadn’t seen any other colours here yet; these seemed unknown to them.

Where was that immaculate white that people were familiar with and wore on earth?

Where were the sun, the moon and the stars, that soft green and all the other colours they had on earth?

None of these existed here; no animals, no children, no young people; they all looked old and shrivelled, they were terrible beings.

He saw that the men wore daggers, knives and revolvers.

Here he saw all nationalities together.

He saw yellow and brown, white and black, gathered together.

The strongest were treated with respect by men and women.

They danced and leapt around and thrust each other to the ground.

Alcar drew him aside into a corner of the hall and told him: ‘This is where we descend into their attunement, but we will remain where we are.

It will all get through to you with even greater intensity.’

André felt himself being drawn into their sphere and wisps of foul air filled his nostrils.

But he held his ground, he would stand up to this too, and this would make him get to know all about their life.

Left and right they started to fight.

He was standing next to Alcar and wondered how this would all end.

Wherever he looked, everywhere they were fighting.

Everyone was taking part, and the onlookers were attacked, or urged to follow their example.

Very soon there were victims.

Everywhere these beings had come to grips with each other, and others were egging them on, or else they were struck down too.

It was an atrocious scene; dozens were down and out.

André saw how the wounded were dragged away like rags and dumped on a heap in a corner of the hall.

A human life was worthless here.

The animal-like beings were finishing each other off.

They couldn’t act in any other manner; this was their normal behaviour.

These were people with a Divine attunement!

It was incredible.

Suddenly he got a tremendous shock.

He saw blood; blood, here in the spheres?

Blood in the life after death?

How could this be?

But there was no time to deliberate, too many things were taking up his attention.

Besides, the commotion prevented him from asking his leader about this.

Many of the women were shouting like wild animals and in their passionate rage they attacked the men.

Revolvers rang out and after every bang he saw some of the beings collapse.

He was witnessing a war, a small-scale massacre.

The floor had changed into a slithery mass.

Blood was flowing everywhere and seeped through the joints.

The entire place was covered in glass and bottles and then, after some peace and quiet had returned and feelings had calmed down a bit, they started to dance.

A few couples in a strange attire appeared on the dance floor, which was soaked in other people’s blood.

They performed artful dances; he sensed this in everything.

None of the beings had noticed them until then.

They had been able to follow this process, this festivity, in silence.

Yet André was calm, as his leader was standing next to him and would watch over him.

The dancing couples were whirling wildly across the wooden floor.

He had never witnessed anything like it; this wasn’t fantasy, he was looking at candid reality.

A fragment of life was being expressed in this dancing, which was unknown on earth.

These beings dwelt here and experienced an atrocious game which he sensed down to the core.

The clothes of the female dancers were ripped to shreds, but it went unnoticed; they were dancing the dance of life.

Their eyes glowed with a blazing fire; the only colours he saw were flaming red and green, as they felt within.

This was the radiance of their love.

Their lives were malicious; they attacked each other and then exchanged their women.

It would not be long now before they were not wearing any more clothes.

One women dashed into the arms of another and was flung several yards into the air.

Were did they get the strength from?

Was he looking at a dance of death?

Because they didn’t get up again.

What had got into these people?

Women screamed and uttered cries of fear.

How long would this go on?

It was terrible to watch.

No-one had remained on his original spot; everyone was doing something, either dancing or shouting.

They all felt what was being set up here, everyone was taking part.

Again two dancers flung their partners high up above their heads and hurled them yards away so that they lay there, apparently dead.

These had been quenched, someone else would take their place.

All the others danced on as if nothing had happened.

Fresh dancers appeared on the dance floor, and all of them experienced one and the same life.

Now the climax had been reached.

How would be the end of this horrific happening?

Alcar was standing beside him, lost in deep thoughts.

What was his leader thinking of?

It must be terrible for him to experience all this.

He, the great artist, who knew nothing but pure love, had descended with him into animal-like life and now witnessed a festivity in the dark spheres.

What a strain this must be on his leader!

But André knew that it wouldn’t defile his soul.

How terrible were these dances, in which something was experienced.

He didn’t want to think about it, it was simply diabolical.

An inner condition was transformed into a dance and then displayed.

These were no longer dances, it was lechery, senselessness and sensation.

They twisted around each other’s bodies and in this way experienced an animal-like life.

It was a dance of love, expressing their love and their feelings.

Nowhere in the world were these dances known, their thoughts were acutely focussed on themselves.

This was only conceivable in their present life, as they had shed their physical bodies.

None of this could ever be learnt; it was part of them, it was their possession, no being on earth would dare to let itself go in this way.

They possessed intelligence, but not even an animal would sink as low.

Every movement they made depicted their loathsome longings.

They sensed attunement to some pre-animal-like beast, and to think that these were God’s children. It was beyond understanding.

Again some of the beings were hurled away like rags.

The whole lot of them went wild and an uproar broke loose.

They all wanted to share in this; they fell down by the dozens.

André’s heart was in his mouth.

All ranks of society were present here.

This was unbearable.

To what height would their passions soar?

How deep had they sunk?

This depth was unfathomable; it was loathsome, he was lost for words.

Nothing had been left standing, the place was a shambles.

They had stood there watching without anyone disturbing them.

All at once André felt fear welling up inside.

Where had that feeling come from so suddenly?

What was he in for now?

Alcar made him understand that he should prepare himself.

It became quiet, as quiet as a mouse.

The noise of just a moment ago had died down completely.

You could have heard a pin drop.

He saw how all eyes focussed on them.

In a flash all the beings had sensed that the two had not taken part in their festivity.

André understood what this silence meant.

They had been recognized as beings with a higher attunement.

Fortunately they were standing in a corner of the hall, all on their own.

Immediately a few of them came up to them and Alcar was handed a glass of burning liquid for him to drink.

Drinking meant participating in their animal-like life, but that wouldn’t be the end of it.

He was also given a glass of animal-like liquid.

Alcar took it in his hands and he had to accept the glass too.

Would his leader drink it nonetheless?

But that very moment he heard the words: ‘Don’t drink, and stand by, André, we are leaving.’

Hundreds of thoughts were aimed at them; all these beings sensed and understood that they didn’t belong here.

‘Blacks’, André heard them muttering, and he knew what this meant.

The beings who had handed them the glasses were standing a few yards away from them, while all the others, there were hundreds of them, approached step by step.

These were wild animals who would pounce on them at any moment.

They encircled them, intending to close in on them.

His leader was still holding the glass in his hands.

André sensed that Alcar kept them in check with his concentration and his strong will power; otherwise they would have charged at them and slain them.

His leader didn’t say a word, but André sensed what Alcar wanted.

‘Now’s the time’, he caught, ‘throw your glass at their feet.’

André did what his leader said and the glasses were shattered to pieces.

Spiritually, he felt himself being drawn upward; he had been allowed to witness a spiritual festivity in an animal-like attunement.

The ones who had seen them disappear were stunned.

The last thing he saw was the crowd charging at them like wild animals; however, they had vanished.