Fifth sphere of light -- Sources

Source texts from the books by Jozef Rulof for the article ‘Fifth sphere of light’.
By Ludo Vrebos, based on the books by Jozef Rulof.
These sources presume the prior reading of the article ‘Fifth sphere of light’.

Timeline

It takes hundreds of years to be able to enter the fifth sphere from the fourth sphere.
And much longer to reach the seventh sphere:
Above this there are also three heavens, they are the fifth, sixth and seventh spheres.
You can only reach them from our life.
Hundreds of years have to pass according to earthly calculations, before you can pass from the fourth to the fifth sphere.
It takes even longer before you feel the sixth sphere within you and can enter there.
And you will certainly need a thousand years in order to reach the seventh sphere from there.
Only then as a human being will you have reached the highest of all for this universe.
Spiritual Gifts, 1943

Alcar’s dwelling

The spiritual leader of Jozef Rulof, master Alcar, is attuned to the fifth sphere of light.
Up to his own sphere of light, he has the possibility to show André (Jozef) everything in a disembodied state.
However, then his powers stop and higher masters must lend their powers:
And now he was going to his own sphere, there where he lived.
How great his leader was.
He called him his brother.
He was love, nothing but love.
He noticed how far they had already travelled.
And still Alcar had said nothing to him.
Was something the matter?
Had he done something wrong?
How strange.
He reflected, but he wasn’t aware of any error.
Was something bothering Alcar?
He just couldn’t imagine this sudden change.
André looked at his leader and then immediately averted his gaze.
Alcar was gazing upward as if he was already in his own sphere, trying to link up with invisible powers.
The stillness increased.
He sensed deep peace in these surroundings.
Suddenly, he got an enormous shock, the heavens tore apart and a mighty golden light broke through the veil and shone upon them.
André didn’t dare go on.
The light stopped him.
What was this feeling that stopped him?
It was impossible for him to go on.
He felt as if his soul were on fire.
He knelt down, bowed his head deeply, and fervently prayed to God for the power to be able to stand up to that golden light.
He wasn’t aware how long he had been praying, but he felt how a hand was laid on his head, causing a powerful flow within him, and strengthening him.
He clearly heard his leader say: ‘Come, André, we are allowed to go on.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
It is my own attunement.
This is where my powers cease, my son, I can no longer support you.
You must beseech a higher power to be allowed to enter here.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
When André is allowed into the fifth sphere of light, master Alcar explains to him that no one can act above his own attunement:
There was nothing I could change about this.
You had to want this with all the love which is in you.
I cannot link up here because my powers are at an end.
No creature can ascend higher than the powers it possesses within.
It will be even clearer to you that on this side one cannot act beyond one’s own attunement.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
Our earthly language is not adequate enough to be able to describe life in the fifth sphere of light:
And now on to my spiritual dwelling.
You will get to know me, know who I am, what I was on earth, why we are together.’
And in a flash they were in the fifth sphere.
This exceeded everything he had seen until then.
What he beheld was indescribable.
No material language could ever give words to it.
This had to be sensed and taken in, you had to pray that God would grant you the powers, otherwise you couldn’t understand it, that’s how beautiful everything was, how holy this sphere was.
Everything was bathed in a golden haze.
Where was he?
Within Alcar’s attunement, his condition.
Everything he saw was heavenly.
How far had his leader progressed on the spiritual path?
So much happiness, so much love.
Gold, the spiritual life and purity emanated from all around.
They wandered through a beautiful landscape surrounded by a sea of flowers.
He heard the song of life itself.
Something vibrated deep within his soul, something like great, holy happiness; it was the voice of life.
Truly, everything was alive here.
Life rejoiced, it was a glad song that could be heard from afar.
He saw ineffable hues.
Flowers such as he had never yet seen on earth.
They were of a strange kind and they all radiated light.
He heard soft, pure singing, life was breathing, these were sounds of the soul, which he heard.
God’s life, how remote was this to earthly man?
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
Here, André feels his gift of leaving the body even more strongly:
Only now did it dawn on him how great his gift was, how sacred it was to be allowed to receive this as a human being on earth.
The spiritual gold he possessed within, this gift of disembodiment, it was mighty to have acquired this on earth.
He was rich, only here did he understand it all.
How could he thank God for this great mercy.
He could perceive things at great distance.
He saw beautiful temples and buildings all around which had been erected in a special, unfamiliar style.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
As a result, he can view Alcar’s dwelling:
Look up there on that mountain, my spiritual dwelling.’
Up on a high mountain André saw Alcar’s property.
It wasn’t a house, it was a strange building.
It was a condition of its own which reflected the life of the person who dwelt there.
A strange kind of architecture which he couldn’t describe.
It was spherical and he clearly saw that the whole thing was supported by heavy foundations.
It was surrounded by a sea of flowers.
It was made of a bluish material and the whole building seemed to radiate light.
He saw a bluish light that kept on changing colour and then returned to the previous hue.
He thought that was very strange too.
How could a building possibly radiate?
Everything was remarkable.
There was nothing he could compare to things on earth.
Everything was different and yet it was natural.
He went a bit nearer and observed that Alcar’s house was made of bluish marble.
It was a radiant globe of light.
It was like a small planet, he couldn’t describe it more clearly.
This description was nearest to the truth.
All around the entire surroundings of Alcar’s property he saw nothing but light and life.
It was marvellous.
Oh, if he could only find words to describe it clearly.
Now he was standing in front of Alcar’s dwelling.
‘Come in, my son.’
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
André feels that he must attune himself purely to Alcar in order to be able to enter his spiritual dwelling:
Again he sensed that he could go no further.
What was this?
Suddenly he felt something come over him which made him understand why he was once again being held back.
He knelt down for the second time and prayed to God for the power to link him up with his leader.
It lasted quite a time.
Everything was clear to him.
He felt the truth of everything surging up in him.
Before the gates of the fifth sphere had opened up before him, he had had to attune to Alcar, but now he was entering Alcar’s entire being.
It was hardly possible.
He was to descend into him.
A dwelling was a human being. He was descending into his leader, he, an earthly human being.
A spirit was opening itself up to him.
Was he really allowed to enter?
Oh God, he prayed, give me these powers, only God could draw him into Alcar’s life.
His soul was his house, and his house, that was Alcar.
He felt dazed.
He, an earthly human being, couldn’t simply barge into a spiritual dwelling.
Again he prayed, this needed attunement.
Oh, how willingly would he enter Alcar’s inner being.
How great love was.
Everything depended on himself.
Alcar wanted this, he had to ask God for these powers in order to be accepted.
He prayed fervently.
Wasn’t this selfishness on his side?
He understood that his leader was completely opening up to him.
Wasn’t this self-love on his side?
Or curiosity?
Did he have the right to do this as an earthly human being?
This was all so remote.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
Love is the key here:
He felt a sacred feeling flowing through him; for the second time his prayer had been heard.
When he raised his eyes he met his leader’s radiant gaze.
It burnt into his soul as never yet before.
‘I am so happy, André, that you understood all this.
Nevertheless, I wasn’t anxious and I had no doubts.
You were to bridge this gap too.
You were allowed to perceive everything within this sphere, but the door to my condition remained closed, in spite of my willingness to let you in.
It wouldn’t have been possible if you hadn’t understood this.
Help came because your prayer was pure and you approached me humbly.
Since you want to support humanity on earth, this too has been overcome.
On earth one can ask no matter whom, but here that isn’t possible.
Here one must possess love to be allowed to enter someone else’s dwelling.’
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
What does the floor of a spiritual dwelling consist of?
André stepped across the threshold and entered Alcar’s spiritual dwelling.
Step by step he continued.
Here he stood on blessed ground.
Everything was sacred.
He was walking on the property of a higher being and that higher being was his Alcar, his brother, his leader.
The floor trembled under his feet.
He felt as if he were floating, even though he was on the ground floor.
The floor he was walking on consisted of bluish marble.
And everything radiated light, everything was alive.
It was marvellous.
But how could the floor he was walking on radiate light?
He trembled with every step he took.
His blood gushed to his head.
And yet the floor was solid.
In order to examine this, and also to check the course of his thoughts, he stamped on the floor with all the power he possessed.
Indeed, the floor was solid.
But what was that?
He was overwhelmed by an enormous fear.
He felt dizzy, he didn’t know what to do with himself.
The sound which he had caused with his stamping and which resounded through the spheres was like a piercing pain.
It reflected in all of life, so that it could be heard in the entire surroundings.
His fear increased.
It hurt him down to the depths of his soul.
At last it stopped and he too regained peace again.
Oh, what a shock that had been.
He understood the disaster he had brought about.
A feeling of deep sorrow came over him.
Oh, how stupid he had been.
He felt ashamed of his violence.
How crude he was.
He had disturbed the peace of the spirit.
How could he ever make amends?
Oh, Alcar, he thought, forgive me for this grave mistake.
I’m standing here, stamping on his soul to find out whether his soul was solid; oh, my God, forgive me for my mistakes, I am defiling the spiritual life that opened up to me full of love!
Alcar must have felt this.
Without wanting to he had caused pain and sorrow to his leader.
It wasn’t a physical kind of pain, but he had hurt him deep within his soul.
Only man could do that, and so could he, an earthly being.
He felt his heart bleeding; he beseeched God for forgiveness.
How stupid that his curiosity could have made him forget himself.
Alcar had explained everything to him beforehand.
His house was his soul, his soul was he himself.
That’s what he had been stamping on.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
On earth, one human being also hurts the other:
He looked behind him to see what his leader would have to say to him, but he didn’t dare look him in the eye.
Yet he must.
But when he turned around to his leader he got a terrible shock, Alcar wasn’t with him.
Nowhere was his leader to be seen.
What was the meaning of this?
He wanted to beseech him for forgiveness, but it wasn’t possible.
No, it wasn’t necessary.
Had he hurt Alcar?
Yes, of course.
Oh, what should he do?
Go back again?
Go outside?
And just as he had decided to go back he heard a voice which wasn’t Alcar’s, telling him: ‘Stay, André.
On earth a human being will torment another to the deepest depths of his soul, yet without wanting to: that too will teach them something if they understand what happened.’
Yes, he understood and he had learnt.
Who was this, talking to him in this way?
Alcar always spoke to him like this, and yet this wasn’t his leader because he could distinguish Alcar’s voice from thousands.
At that moment the voice spoke to him again and said: ‘We will reward your love for our work.
Listen, André.’
The invisible one seemed to know him?
‘Look around you’, he heard him say, ‘I will make a few situations clear to you, and then I will go away.
I have known you for quite some time now, let that be sufficient.
Your leader will return soon.
Go on, André.’
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
The human being is his own creator:
And André went on.
Step by step.
His amazement increased constantly.
Everything was decorated with beautiful flowers, which he saw wherever he looked.
He was now standing in a large hall.
It was majestic.
Here too he hardly dared to look at it the floor was of the same material as where he had just been.
The interior was lit up but he couldn’t see where the light was coming from.
Everything radiated towards him, there was life in everything.
Never before had he been allowed to perceive anything of such beauty.
The walls were decorated and even these walls, if you could call them that, radiated light.
He could just about look through them.
Above his head he saw the ceiling which looked like the universe.
He couldn’t find the right words, this was heaven, here he felt himself one with the cosmos and yet he was inside Alcar’s house.
How was that possible?
There too he could look without distinguishing anything.
How strange everything is, he thought.
Here he was within the life of the spirit.
On earth man could not imagine such things.
And neither would he, if they hadn’t allowed him to experience this.
How could a house be alive?
What miracles lay hidden here?
He pondered, and felt what all this meant.
He didn’t want to disturb Alcar’s peace a second time, let alone hurt him.
Marble pillars supported the entire building.
He saw benches to rest on, all surrounded by beautiful flowers.
They were flowerbeds.
Oh, what a luxury, how holy everything was in Alcar’s house, how great his love was.
In the middle of the hall was a fountain, a beautiful symbolic work of art such as he had seen in the third sphere when he had disembodied for the first time.
Did Alcar own this?
Yes, he supposed he did.
The fountain in the third sphere represented wisdom, strength and love.
Alcar was wisdom, strength, and nothing but love.
The fountain radiated, just like everything he saw.
What was this all made of?
Oh, if only that could be explained to him!
Because how could all these things be alive, and where did that life come from?
It was his leader, but he had to admit that everything was too profound for him and that he didn’t understand it.
He clearly heard the voice addressing him: ‘This house is a spiritual dwelling and it’s made of matter, but of a spiritual essence which we extract from the cosmos.
So it’s spiritual matter, a compact wholeness which is sustained by the power of the love of the being that lives inside.
It feeds and it invigorates, purely by love.
It is built according to the wishes of this being, and it will radiate in keeping with the power which the being possesses.
That is why everything radiates, why everything is life, because this being lives and possesses this love.
The more beautiful our love is, the more beautiful our house, our possession, in short, everything will radiate, according to the power of love which we possess.
This is how man builds himself his own home, and as he ascends, everything will change along with him.
Therefore man is his own creator, which is brought about by his will and the power of his feeling.
Everything is alive, everything contains his own life.’
It was even clearer now to André why everything radiated light.
A spiritual dwelling was a dwelling filled with the power of love.
Everything had been erected artfully and in style, just as the being felt.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
The spiritual dwelling of Alcar has been raised around his spiritual core, his spiritual room of love:
Again the voice spoke: ‘Every being has its own feeling towards art, but in this sphere we possess one love and we are one in everything, only later will you understand the deep significance of this.’
Then he heard his invisible guide say: ‘Over there you see your leader’s property, his inner power.’
André stood in front of the fountain he had noticed before.
‘You know its meaning, don’t you?
It also tells you where you are.
This is the room of love.
When I want to make a spiritual dwelling clear to you, I must address you in your language, it would be impossible for me in any other way.
Everything is different, yet the meaning boils down to the following: As I told you we are standing in the room of love, and the being starts to build his dwelling from here.
Around this room of love there are many other spaces, but it’s not up to me to show them to you.
I am only allowed to explain to you how a spiritual dwelling is erected, how it all is partitioned, and ends, in other words, until the powers which the being possesses cease to exist.
Follow me, André.’
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
The spiritual possession of the soul goes higher and higher:
He saw the being in front of him become partly visible.
It was a beautiful apparition.
He and everything around them was lit up by the light it radiated.
He kept on going.
First left, then right, he wandered through Alcar’s house.
He thought it would never end.
He couldn’t discern anything, and yet he felt that he was still in Alcar’s dwelling, in his own life.
The mass closed in on itself like a single wholeness, but bands of light made it clear to him that it was nevertheless partitioned.
These were separate parts but he couldn’t perceive anything else.
He also saw it in various colours and everything kept on changing.
It was just as he had seen it from afar.
Everything was globular.
The apparition kept going and he followed it on its heels.
Now he was able to distinguish more.
It got lighter and lighter, which seemed very strange to him.
Suddenly a golden light shone upon him: The spiritual light from the fifth sphere.
He was in nature, outside of Alcar’s house, and he understood what a spiritual dwelling meant.
He had been allowed to experience this.
It couldn’t be any clearer.
Alcar’s house dissolved.
Here he found himself in a condition which was even less dense than in the room of love.
Over there everything had been visible to him, but here he found himself in some unknown part of his leader’s house, which could only be made clear to him in this way.
He understood what this spiritual substance was and how it was maintained.
It was living matter.
‘Look down below, André’, he heard the voice say.
And immediately he saw a very glaring light that pierced the mass and made the room of love visible to him.
Did he see correctly?
Was it his leader he perceived?
The image down in the depths became increasingly clearer to him.
He shouted with joy: yes, it was his Alcar.
Oh, how marvellous, he thought, so Alcar hadn’t left because of the terrible thing that happened.
How far removed he was from his leader.
‘You see, André, that a spiritual dwelling dissolves.
This possession keeps on developing until it will, one day, have reached the sixth sphere.
That’s how man goes about working on himself, to embellish his possession.
On and on, until he has reached the Divine attunement, and his condition, his dwelling, his life, his love will pass on to the Divine.
My task is now finished; I will lead you back to your leader.’
André wanted to thank the invisible angel, but his gratitude was not accepted.
‘Don’t thank me’, he heard, ‘it’s all because my brother wanted it.
Thank God for this wisdom, my son, and make good use of it.’
He was sent back in a flash.
The mass got ever denser, it took on shape, until he recognized the hall where the fountain was.
He was back again in the room of love.
There was Alcar.
André rushed towards his leader and knelt down in front of him.
Deeply moved by all this love he wept, because Alcar found no guilt in him either.
‘Come, my dear André.
After all, you didn’t know.
Look at me, André.’
André looked at his leader with tears in his eyes and was startled.
Not with dismay this time, but with wonder.
Alcar, Alcar, how beautiful you are.
His leader was wearing a beautiful luminous garment.
He was rejuvenated and appeared in radiant beauty.
Never before had he seen his leader like this.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
New parts will become increasingly visible:
‘Now you will know what a spiritual dwelling is.
Your fear was my fear.
Your sorrow was my sorrow, we were one and will remain one.
I called my leader to my side and he showed you my dwelling, I couldn’t do this myself, in spite of my willingness.
This needed an even higher power.
I’m not yet able to link up with those ethereal parts.
That won’t be possible until my inner condition has also changed, which is the development of my love.
By that time everything which is still invisible to me now, will be clear to me too.
So I will go on, and again there will be parts which are invisible and which will remain so until I, my house, in other words my soul, until my entire being has dissolved in the All.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
Here too, the spiritual fountain is present:
‘Now I will explain all the other situations to you.
Ubronus guided you.
He is a spirit of love too and dwells in the sixth sphere.
He also works on earth and he is here temporarily.
This provisional period can last for ten years in terms of earthly reckoning.
But to us time is unknown.
Thousands with him, all of us, are under the able guidance of Cesarino, our master.
But I will tell you more about that later.
Now look at the fountain and sit down, André.
Let spiritual peace descend upon you; you will need a lot of strength on earth to make clear to humanity what you experienced through disembodiment.’
Now he saw how beautiful the fountain was.
It stood on a beautiful pedestal within a basin where fish of various colours were swimming around.
Here, in the life after death, everything could be found that was known in nature on earth.
Man was one with the realm of plants and animals.
One in all.
Beautiful flowers flourished around the fountain.
How mighty this symbol of love was.
He kept on crying out with amazement.
Again Alcar showed him a spiritual marvel.
‘Look at this, my boy, take some of these fruits, they will strengthen you.’
André saw that everything within Alcar’s house was united.
Here he stood in the midst of nature.
Fruit grew and flowers bloomed in ineffable colours all around.
‘Go ahead, André, take some, they’re there to strengthen man.’
André picked a fruit.
It was unbelievable, its soft juice flowed into his mouth.
It resembled an earthly peach, but this fruit was nothing but juice.
He felt invigorated, he couldn’t find words to describe this.
‘On this side we have everything.
So why shouldn’t we have fruits too?
I will show you even more miracles.
A spiritual dwelling is a paradise in itself.
Man possesses this attunement and is one with the life that lives in his condition.
Here everything lives and grows and rejoices in an enhanced condition.
Look over there, André.’
At that moment various birds flew inside.
Only now did he see that Alcar’s house was open.
He was surprised that he hadn’t noticed this before.
His view was unhampered in all directions.
Immediately he heard: ‘Because you weren’t linked up.’
Alcar spoke to him in the spiritual language because the birds flew inside.
It moved him deeply to see how the animals took place on Alcar’s arms, his head and his legs.
‘My little pets, André.
They know that I’m back and they’ve come to greet me.’
Love, nothing but love was what André saw.
He felt a heavenly peace settling within.
This was a tremendous moment to him.
The animals made room for one another so each one could greet its master.
They all sang their song, which moved him to the bottom of his soul.
It was heavenly.
Pure, perfect love was given and received here.
Nothing but that holy power did he feel and experience, which filled him with happiness.
He saw how a beautiful white bird flew inside, another miracle for him to experience.
The bird settled itself on the rim of the fountain and dropped some food from its beak into the basin, from which André gathered that it was feeding the fish.
Love, love again was shown to him.
One life fed the other.
No power greater than love.
No love purer than God’s life.
The bird rose up from the fountain, flew around it a few times and then it landed on his master’s shoulder with an elegant sweep.
It pressed its little head against Alcar as if it wanted him to sense its love.
The others made room for it and sang in unison as if they concurred with everything.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
The rooms are like characteristics:
‘Now I want to make my spiritual dwelling clear to you.
Try to understand me, André, it’s very difficult.
I will try to picture it in an earthly way, which will make it easier for you to understand.
You already know where we are now: this is the room of love.
And all around there are various other rooms, they all represent character traits.
They are the rooms of faith, trust, simplicity and hope, humility, prayer, rest, and art, and many others.
Now here’s a room where I can perceive the life I lived on earth.
Everything is included, not a thought, nothing whatsoever has been lost.
Everything has been retained, that’s why we call it our earthly room.
It’s the room of truth.
You will be able to wander about for hours without discerning anything, as you have already experienced.
So they’re character traits, all my own.
Many other character traits are incorporated here, all of them rooms which I’m not even familiar with myself, because these are still invisible to me.
It will be clear to you that I don’t yet possess this awareness.
I still have a lot to experience, and as I ascend all these situations will gradually become visible to me, because my inner feeling will attune to them.
I spent a lot of time in the room of truth in order to proceed to the room of prayer.
And then on to the room of concentration and strong will power, to bring me in agreement, yes to attune me to the room of love, enabling me to link up.
And so I continue to refine my house, which I can only do by giving love, by being something for other people.
In that way I will find attunement to higher conditions, and one day I will pass on to even higher conditions, and then my house will have more beauty too, and I myself will possess more happiness and wisdom, yes, everything will exist in an even higher attunement.
Until my film of life will have changed into gold.
But this will take thousands of years, yet I know that one day I will be allowed to enter this happiness, that enhanced condition, if I keep on following my path in this way.
As long as we feel that we can keep on ascending, we will make every possible effort to capture that happiness, which is God’s holy will.
The foundations support the whole, which are the power of love of every creature that lives here in the fifth sphere.
The room of love is cultivated with various other traits.
Either by art or by other attunements which man possesses and has developed in an enhanced stage.
That’s why every dwelling is different, yet the rooms of love are one.
Is that clear to you?
So no two creatures are identical, but they all possess one love and that’s what connects them.
This will also become clear to you when I tell you that one being may be more apt in art than another, who in his turn has developed far beyond the first in certain other conditions.
In that way one is proficient in music, another in sculpture, yet another in painting and subsequent aspects of art which they have mastered.
You will get to know these conditions too on a subsequent journey.
So we merge with everything here, including our heavenly dwelling.
On earth people live outside of everything, whereas we are one with everything and linked up.
It will be clear to you, as you have already experienced all this, that a spiritual being is one with his dwelling and that his possession will radiate according to the love he possesses.
As I said, I can only show you the room of love and even here, where we are right now, you cannot perceive everything because you’re unable to fathom my deepest inner powers.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
A spiritual dwelling is spherical just like a sphere, which has attunement to the universe:
Ubronus drew you up into my higher attunement, so that you received a clear image; it would otherwise have been impossible for me to make this all clear to you.
It enabled you to see and feel that a spiritual dwelling has a globular shape.
The spheres have the same shape as my house.
So a sphere is a globular condition, which has attunement to the universe; in other words, our house reflects the universe.
A spiritual dwelling is the image of the universe.
The power of love links up all the rooms and maintains them.
You have perceived their partitioning.
Likewise, thousands of conditions of feeling exist within man, which are the traits that shape him.
Concentration and strong will power enable the traits to be fed by the power of love which is present, which the being possesses.
And as a trait develops, it will become enlightened and that room will be visible to the being that lives in that condition.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936

Higher art

There is also higher art in the fifth sphere of light:
A lot of spirits were busy on an enormous task.
A younger being was in charge of all of them, he sensed this clearly.
The object represented various sculptural groups, it was a magnificent expression of creative power.
André heard his leader say that the sculpture represented life.
Below, on the footing, he saw the mother giving birth to a young life.
This was surrounded by various other depictions, and all this had to do with her life on earth.
It was a condition of life of man on earth, all this had once been experienced.
The mother – expressed in art – was about to leave the earth, which he clearly sensed, and she would return to eternal life.
It was hewn in stone; the spirit was withdrawing from the physical body, just as he had been allowed to perceive with his aunt and many others.
How was it possible to create all this?
This was art, felt with such depth, that only those who sensed themselves that they were alive, were capable of this.
Life was expressed here through art; man saw himself reflected in it; it was his life.
He saw battle, grief and sorrow in various representations spread around an ensemble, and all this denoted life.
He was filled with deep awe.
The beauty of this art was moving.
Other groupings represented all man’s character traits, from animal-like up to spiritual life.
The master who led them all would have to possess deep and sacred feeling.
The creative power in man!
A master from the sixth sphere was in charge here; there were even some amongst them who dwelt in the seventh sphere.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
André wonders with what material this sculpture is produced:
Then he saw that where clay was used on earth, here a material was applied, which just as the other distributed light.
How strange, he thought, everything is alive here.
He would have liked to take some of it in his hands to see more clearly what kind of substance this was and how it could give off light.
He looked at his leader who made him understand that he could safely touch it.
André thought it would be heavy but to his amazement it didn’t weigh anything.
Again he was faced with a problem.
And yet it served to depict beautiful themes which were later on hewn in stone.
On earth the wind would scatter this material in all directions; nothing would be left of it all.
The sculpture would dissolve and wouldn’t have a chance to exist.
‘How is this possible, Alcar, it doesn’t weigh anything, and yet such beautiful sculptures are made out of it.’
‘This can be explained in a few words.
Spiritual substance, my son, because life possesses the gravity that matches its feeling and with which it has the same attunement.
The spheres get more rarefied and man changes.
Likewise, art and all other substances of life will radiate light, just as everything lives and feels.’
André understood; the spheres became more rarefied and everything changed into a higher attunement.
‘In the first sphere’, he heard in addition, ‘matter will have the same gravity as on earth, but in a spiritual attunement.
I already explained all this to you in the dark areas; there too I let you feel matter; but now you will have an even better understanding of everything.’
André was holding matter from the fifth sphere in his hands; in the sixth, everything would be even more beautiful and weigh even less.
He played with the substance in his hands and suddenly got a terrible shock.
What was he in for now, what was this?
Petrified, he looked at the substance; it had lost its colour and its radiance.
How could this occur so suddenly?
What was happening to him?
Who had changed this substance?
Its glowing colours had vanished; it was now enveloped in a soft blue haze.
The other substance he had taken it from, spread its light, but this had lost its power.
What kind of truth lay hidden behind here?
All these questions flashed through his mind.
He had put himself in a spot and didn’t know what to do.
Intuitive he felt that he had passed into an unfamiliar condition.
But which one?
He looked around and wanted to ask his leader about this, but Alcar was no longer with him.
Everything he experienced now was puzzling.
Oh, if only he could ask someone about this; he was still standing there with the substance in his hands.
He was overcome by an anxious feeling.
How stupid of him; it was his thirst for knowledge that had brought him into this predicament.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
Alcar’s [[twin souls|twin soul] explains to André what has happened:
‘The substance in your hands distributes light inasmuch as you yourself feel and possess light.’
He was startled; he understood that he had received a lesson in life.
The substance had accepted his own attunement; he had linked up with the life within this sphere; life radiated his own power, the love he possessed.
Every word lashed through his soul.
He felt and understood every thought.
This was what he had wanted; now he had to accept it.
The substance had taken on his power of feeling, which made him understand that many years still lay ahead before he would be allowed to enter this sphere.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
And painting is also at the level of the fifth sphere of light:
‘We’ll stay here for a little while, my son.
Look, there in front of you, a rare image of the spheres, there, in-between those columns.’
André sat down beside his leader.
There, ahead of him, he saw an extraordinary beautiful landscape.
Tranquillity, deep tranquillity.
It was a panorama of such beauty and sanctity that it seemed to him as if he were dreaming.
He saw birds and many other beings, and everything was covered with a golden glow.
He saw a nature such as he had never seen before.
How quiet it was there, it seemed to him like a holy spot; nowhere had he sensed such tranquillity.
The angels he perceived were sunk in deep prayer.
He didn’t want to disturb them and thought of something else, but the image held him captive; he couldn’t tear himself away from it.
Who lived there must feel overjoyed.
Was it a higher sphere he perceived?
Was it a place where man would be more capable of reaching his God?
He wouldn’t be allowed to enter there, he sensed that in everything.
But how great the peace would be that descended unto him.
How long had they already been praying to their Father amidst all the life that surrounded them.
The birds alighted next to man, and they too prayed to life.
He felt himself becoming enchanted by this fabulously beautiful and sacred land.
Was his leader showing him a vision?
No, because there it lay, full of peace and happiness.
Alcar looked at him and asked: ‘Would you like to dwell there, André?’
André didn’t dare say anything, neither a yes nor a no passed his lips.
Alcar smiled.
‘You can safely say so, it is possible.’
‘Wouldn’t I be creating a disturbance, Alcar?’
‘If you want to approach our life with love, in simplicity and humility, then everything will be given to you.
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’, as our Master Jesus Christ once said.
With that image in mind, God will grant you the power which will allow you to experience everything in the life of the spirit.’
‘I gladly would, Alcar; I want to and will do everything to avoid any disturbance.’
‘Come on then, we will descend; you will also experience this.’
André was full of joy to be allowed to dwell in that place too.
‘You go on ahead, I will follow you.
There, down those stairs.’
André hurried down the steps; his leader followed him.
Suddenly he was unable to go on.
It was a painted canvas, a work of art by one of the masters!
He was deeply touched by this miracle of human capability.
This was natural, here he saw perfection.
‘Created by a master from the sixth sphere, my son.
Nothing can be improved nor can anything be added to this.
Now this is art as I sensed it on earth yet wasn’t able to achieve, and all the others along with me felt the same kind of shortcoming, we lacked this spiritual feeling.
We sensed perfection on behalf of the earth, but were unable to accomplish it.
This piece of art is thousands of years old; the master dwells in the mental regions and won’t return here.
This is man-made, but from a man, who dedicated his gift to the Divine.
What is left to explain to you?
This is the most sacred we possess.’
Again André sat down and he looked at this miracle for a long time.
Temples and other buildings, flowers and plants, man and animal were one.
The scene was Divine.
A View into the Hereafter, 1936
And then it is time to return to the earth and to describe this fifth sphere of light in ‘A View into the Hereafter’:
He felt the marvellous radiance, the love of the fifth sphere, and this made him feel happy.
How many times had he not seen the spheres changing?
Each time he had seen light of greater beauty, and people becoming younger in years.
Everything changed, as he ascended.
Man kept on pursuing his course and became transformed.
If the people on earth were allowed to cast a glimpse into all this sanctity, thousands would instantly begin to live a different life!
‘They will cast a view into the hereafter, André; you will tell them about it on earth.’
A View into the Hereafter, 1936