The spirit life

Messages and teachings examined

As I have already said, in the second half of the last century in Italy various informational and didactic communications were obtained – by some mediumistic circles – about the life in the spirit dimension and the relationship between that plane of existence and human life. In practice, a distinction was made between the disembodied spirit and the incarnate spirit, without satisfactorily clarifying the distinction and the relationship between the conscious Ego of a human being and the consciousness of his embodied spirit. A sufficiently ample documentation relating to these communications is available for at least three mediumistic circles: Cerchio Firenze 77 (medium Roberto Setti, born in 1930 and died in 1984), whose corpus of communications by the entities (called Masters) goes from the '50s until the death of the medium; Essene Circle in Rome (anonymous medium) whose first period of activity, from 1981 to 1994, is taken into account; Italian Center of Parapsychology (CIP) in Naples (medium Corrado Piancastelli, born in 1930 and died in 2014), whose communications by the entity Andrea (Entity A), from the '60s to the first decade of this century, are examined.

At Cerchio Firenze 77 apports phenomena, accompanied by luminosity, and various and intense perfumes, were produced practically in every séance. The levitations of the medium were also frequent. Also in the Essene Circle the apports – some of particular interest – were a lot. The physical phenomena produced by medium Piancastelli in his youth – some of which were particularly intense – gradually reduced, until they ceased altogether, in the years in which communication activity by entity A, through incorporation, was performed and organized. Were it not for the physical phenomena, incomprehensible and not reproducible in the light of our knowledge and human abilities, the published messages would fall within that boundless psychic literature that also includes channeling and the related communications of unconscious origin, as well as the works of religious (and partly also philosophical) content, and those of fantasy mediated by the human intellect. In short, everything that cannot be experimentally proven, but which exerts on the conscious Ego the charm determined by the attempt to give answers to the enigmatic aspects of human life.

Actually Dali himself, one of the spiritual guides of the Cerchio Firenze 77, so stated: «The so-called spiritistic séances or have the purpose of awakening men's attention, to make them understand that there is much more than what falls under the physical senses and which belongs to the physical plane, or have the purpose of teaching... If there had been no phenomena which for themselves constituted evidence of the intervention of something unknown, if from the beginning only spiritual teaching had been spoken of, spiritism would most likely not make more sense than a religious sect does». To tell the truth, it must be said that in none of the cases considered have the entities tried to impose their teachings as something to be accepted uncritically and fideistically, even if – especially in the Cerchio Firenze 77 – sometimes we can find not adequately motivated exhortations towards certain forms of behavior. Once again we must stress that the interest in this kind of teaching stems from the uncertainty relating to the human condition, whose psychic origin seems evident to me. Therefore these teachings must be evaluated on the basis of their effectiveness in resolving the psychic conflicts inherent in the human condition, contributing to the liberation of the conscious Ego.

The Essene Circle communications

We start from the communications received through the medium of the Essene Circle because they are the simplest, but also the least satisfying with regard to the topic that interests us most, namely the identification of the spirit and the relationship between the conscious Ego and the spirit in the course of human life. The main core of these teachings, which occupy about 250 pages in the two books published by the Essene Circle, can be attributed to the three entities called Ray, Mediator and Thinker, without there being a clear distinction between the communications of one or the other of these entities, which have followed one another over time. The existence of the spirit is practically taken for granted, and a distinction is made between incarnate spirit and disembodied spirit. We humans are spirits incarnated on planet Earth, the communicating entities are disembodied spirits living in their dimension. The spirit, emanation of the divinity, lives in eternity, and is subjected to cycles of incarnations, in this or other worlds, because the experience in the matter dimension is necessary for its evolution. All this is affirmed in a very general way, without there being – at least according to what is written in the books – a real debate with pertinent and stringent questions on the part of the sitters.

The entity communications concentrate essentially on the main intellectual, philosophical and moral issues pertaining to the human condition, considered from the point of view of the evolutionary needs of the spirit, which are not, however, explained in detail. Not infrequently one has the impression that the various problems of human life, and the different aspects of the reality of this world as we humans know it, since they cannot be evaded or denied because they are a fact for us (and for the conscious Ego they represent the core of the matter), are forcibly inserted into an already prepared scheme, through forms of reasoning that have only the appearance of logic (and sometimes not even that), but which lend themselves to many criticisms leaving many unresolved issues, and therefore cannot be considered convincing on the basis of an intrinsic logical coherence. This problem is also present with respect to the teachings of the Cerchio Firenze 77, while the communications of Entity A seem to me more consistent and exhaustive. However, I will also highlight the conflicting aspects between one and the other corpus of communications.

Every so often reference is made, even if superficially, to dimensions of existence drawn from Theosophy, such as the astral plane, the akasic plane, etc., but the spirit's evolutionary process is presented as a fact, generated by the yearning of the spirit to return to the source from which it was emanated. Nothing is explained about the ways in which the spirits are emanated, their acquisition of consciousness, the reasons why they orient themselves in one direction or the other in their evolutionary path. The divine plan is considered perfect, so even the (undeniable) imperfections that are found in the human dimension must be, in one way or another, justified according to the spirit's evolution. The condition of the incarnated spirit is often identified, in a generic way, with that of the conscious Ego, and the term consciousness is always used in an ambiguous and all-encompassing way, not only confusing consciousness with psychic experience, but also attributing to it indifferently the meaning of awareness and moral instance. If on the one hand it seems that the psychic experiences to which the conscious Ego is subject also involve the spirit – so much so as to affirm that even human pain, of both physical and mental origin, is a positive experience for its evolution – on the other it is stated that only a part of the experiences of which the Ego is conscious reach the spirit. In short, a nice mess!

It should be kept in mind that the inaccuracy of certain messages may be due to communication difficulties similar to those that can be found during the translation of human languages, when, for example, a lecturer speaking in Japanese is translated into English in an approximate way. Strange as it may seem, the communicating entities must draw on the psychic resources of the medium, who often do not offer an adequate range of linguistic nuances to express the constructions of abstract thought used in the spirit dimension. In my opinion the greater conceptual and expository precision of Entity A's communications may have depended on the intellectual and linguistic skills of the medium Corrado Piancastelli, whose professional, literary and cultural activities deserve attention and respect. Obviously, this assumption of mine would require a feedback from the entities themselves, which in any case do not fail to honestly reiterate the limits and inconsistencies of the knowledge and information that they try to transmit to us.

Communications by the entity Ray

From 1981 to 1983 this entity provided a series of general indications regarding the evolutionary process of the spirit and various aspects of the human condition, admitting however that: «The disincarnate entity has that knowledge acquired as a definitive patrimony and limited to the degree of evolution achieved. Therefore it may occur that of a single concept, expressed in different locations, may be offered a partial analysis, limited to particular aspects... This may give rise to apparent differences that inevitably emerge...». This sounds like an admission of relativism, even if immediately afterwards it is said that the divergences concern accessory and non-substantial aspects. We'll see if this is true. Ray also says: «Remember, we are not among you to enunciate some truths: truth is inside each of you».

The main subject to which Ray refers is the disembodied entity, that is the spirit: «The disembodied entity, fully aware of all the experiences it went through up to then in all past incarnations, but absolutely not aware about future experiences and their development and outcome, freely and voluntarily decides on the moment to face and undergo certain experiences». It therefore seems that being born in the human dimension is a free decision of the spirit: «It is the unstoppable evolutionary boost that leads it to a determined decision... and to endure that particular trial». But it's not always like this! «Sometimes... it may happen that... (the spirit) absolutely cannot decide or choose... then Superior Entities intervene to help it, advising and sometimes forcing it». That is, the spirit would be at ease by itself in the dimension that is congenial to it, but the superior authorities arrive and, with a kick, send it to our world. This is because «the Almighty, even in a coercive form, can help his weaker creatures». Evidently the unstoppable inner evolutionary boost not always works.

Once incarnated, the spirit enters a state of dullness, in which it no longer remembers anything. Neither Ray, nor the other communicating entities of the Essene Circle make a distinction between the consciousness of the Ego and that of the incarnate spirit, which instead according to Entity A – to give an example – remain quite distinct. And this seems to me an essential difference. In a communication, another entity distinct from Ray said it was going to incarnate in Honduras, to compensate (probably with a life of hardship in a poor region of the world) for the importance it had given to his human personality and social success during its last incarnation: «I will therefore have to even the score, facing an existence exactly the opposite of the last and which will also be very long... I hope in the help of God, so that I can face it peacefully, also because, once incarnated, I will certainly not remember having chosen and accepted it myself... Then, deprived of this memory and in contact with the harsh and raw reality – which in fact already worries me – I will receive the help that inevitably will reach me from these planes...». In human experience, pain is considered (pessimistically) as inevitable, and... healthy! «Reincarnation (entails constraints) increasingly limiting the freedom of the disembodied entity and causing intense suffering. And remember, the pain that man suffers in the physical body, be it the most intense and wearing, is only a pale and approximate idea of that, much deeper and of a very different nature, that the disembodied entity may have to suffer... in a dimension transcendent the human one». Here even the pains of hell are echoing!

As to why the evolutionary process of the spirit involves incarnation, some obvious indications are given, such as the following: «It is precisely in the incarnation that huge multitudes of entities, of the most varied evolutionary levels, find themselves joined in contemporary experiences, with the highly positive effect of the influence of higher evolutionary levels on the lower ones». It is not clear why this positive effect cannot be achieved even in the spiritual dimension. And when it comes to the core of the matter, here's how Ray gets away: «And to conclude, a question: why and for whom all this? The answer is extremely simple and at the same time exciting. Precisely because all matter, impregnated by the cosmic principle for having been emanated by Him, vivified by the spiritual essence that is potentially and substantially a divine spark... is joined by the painful purification of the spiritual essence, so that that divine spark may emerge in its whole radiant brightness and return to Him, to be absorbed by Him. Painful purification because where there is no pain, suffering, labor, ache, there is not and there cannot be purification». So, here everything is clear! Even if then Ray says: «And remember, it will never be matter that conditions the Spirit, but it will always be exactly the opposite, for the inexhaustible power of the strength that animates it».

On the valorization of pain and suffering, Ray gives the best of himself: «What sense would have the experience in the matter, if it were exempt from the inevitable traumatizing events of a physical and moral order, which are salient stages of it? Physical suffering and moral discomfort concur together to allow the exact perception of the limits in which the embodied entity finds itself and the illusory values that the material condition nourishes, as opposed to the real and eternal values of the spirit... The effects (of pain and misfortune) are multiple and of various nature, depending essentially on the subject forced to endure, as well as on the conscious acceptance or the irrational rebellion. In any case, and ultimately, the outcome is inescapable and unique: the awareness of the modest limits and the scarce resources available to the embodied entity in the matter dimension». And so on.

As almost always happens in mediumistic communications centered on the reincarnations of the spirit, recourse is made to karma, as if this concept added something explanatory and convincing – from a cognitive point of view – to our understanding of human vicissitudes: «...the individuality of every incarnate being is arbiter and creator of its own evolutionary path, being unconditionally free to act according to the choices that are most congenial to it. Therefore, at that determined evolutionary level, the incarnated entity, under the boost of the volitional impulses which in that determined condition of spiritual maturation it perceives, will act in consequence, in deference or disregarding the divine laws. In both cases, a cause will be moved, to which a compensatory event (karmic effect) will inevitably have to follow. Behaviors and acts projected towards the good will inevitably find confirmation in gratifying karmic effects; on the contrary the effect will be a painful karma... The most vivid memory, which in the transcendent dimension will be a predominant prerogative, together with the objective analysis of the events of the incarnation just ended, will allow the entity to become aware of the deficiencies and errors of which it has been protagonist, as this memory consists in reviewing ourselves, from a position of detached spectators and impartial critics».

I would like to underline the inconsistencies of this karmic interpretation, which perhaps should serve to satisfy – even without succeeding – our human sense of justice. First it is said that the embodied entity is unconditionally free to operate according to the choices that are most congenial to it. This is not true, because the freedom of choice of the human being is always relative, as indeed it is explicitly affirmed by the communicating entities of the Cerchio Firenze 77. Then it is declared that, according to its evolutionary level, the incarnated entity will operate consequently, in agreement or in contrast with the divine laws. By what one can intelligently understand, an evolved entity operates in accordance with the divine laws, while an entity that is less evolved acts by disregarding them. But a divine law cannot be infringed: at most it could be ignored, in the sense of not known. Otherwise it should be admitted that there exists a law, of a higher order, which allows the incarnate spirit to infringe the divine laws. In short, it would be as if on the physical plane the law of gravity could be infringed.

Moreover, in this whole karma affair, it is never explained on what the different evolutionary level of the spirits depends: perhaps from their emanation over time, in the sense that there are younger, and therefore less evolved, spirits, and older and more evolved ones? Or is it something congenital, since some spirits are emanated with a greater inclination towards the good, while others are temperamentally more naughty? In short, in all these statements there is a superficiality, a lack of depth and intelligence that baffle us. And it is assumed that they come from evolved entities! The reason I invested my time in reading and evaluating all this material of mediumistic origin is that it is actually associated with quite extraordinary physical and psychical phenomena.

Anyway, once returned to its disembodied state, «the entity acquires the awareness of what experiences it has failed or has not yet completed, and consequently decides and accepts in its immediate program those trials of which it feels the most urgent necessity». The meaning of the karmic effect consists above all in the «purifying vocation that projects the entity into the ineluctable evolutionary process, which is an unstoppable desire to return to the Cause that has emanated it». In this sort of productive process (emanation of raw spirits, purification process – mainly through conscious suffering – and return of the spirit to the original factory), «the foresight of the Almighty, which makes Love the propulsive center of the evolutionary process, certainly could not abandon its creatures to the dangers that they would have to face with uncertain forces and faltering perspectives... the Father... does not ask for more and better: a single moment, a moment of abandonment to Him, to his infinite mercy, of unconditional offering of suffering, of humble resignation to the divine laws, without rebellion».

As for those natural events that cause many victims in an indiscriminate way (such as earthquakes, floods, epidemics, famines), according to Ray «those creatures, involved in such dire suffering, are not victims of these events, but freely chose to face trials of this kind, in the conscious choice of that incarnation and in the certainty that that event would inevitably occur... And of this certain awareness... the entity loses memory, as soon as it passes into matter». This also applies to wars, which «unfortunately should be considered as an almost inevitable event over the centuries and in the history of humanity». In short, everything that causes pain and suffering to the poor conscious Ego is to be considered as an elixir for the evolution of the spirit: «...they are all emergencies of pain: pain which is purification, because path of evolution, because recall and awakening of the individuality to the Values of the Spirit. Once again evil, meant in the sense of Pain, is seen as a complement and a relative aspect of the Good: and in this sense the Divinity, which comprehends everything, must be meant as pain».

Obviously Earth is one of the worlds of low evolutionary level, and «...the social, political, economic tensions that apparently are the causes, represent only an effect and a marginal aspect of that deep evil that today afflicts humanity, victim of the most ruthless perversion and violence». That today's humanity is not doing very well, it is certain, but an honest evaluation of the various historical periods shows us that in every age and in every geographical area human life has always been complex and difficult. Ray then states that the harmony of natural laws, which also have a divine origin, cannot be questioned, and therefore the various diseases of the body intervene «to curb the arrogance and pride of man, as soon as he has the presumption to bend the reason and means of its existence to its own selfish aims. Here is the cause of human pain, which is man himself to stimulate!» Of course, we are still dealing with positive events, achieved through «the grip of suffering, inevitably liberating». I do not deny that humanity, also due to its wide numerical increase over the last century, is exploiting natural resources in an excessive and insane way, but it is also true that when mankind did not exist yet, animals were subject to every sort of diseases.

The entity Ray does not exempt itself from offering its advice also regarding particular mental states. As for dementia «...its origin is purely spiritual. It is the entity itself that has chosen that incarnation, precisely in order to succumb to that lacerating evolutionary experience... A condition of this kind induces in the entity an enormous suffering, since that spirit, perfectly conscious, sees every possibility suffocated to externalize itself, to act and react in the environment that surrounds it and of which it perceives the stimuli, sometimes exalted and aberrant. Pride, arrogance, vainglory and every behavior to such illusory pseudo values, strongly cultivated in previous experiences, are the determining causes that have moved a karmic effect of such intensity and enormous purifying value». Even more strange are the considerations regarding the coma: «In this state the link with matter of that embodied entity is full and very valid... What apparently is an inert body, which particular values of scientific parameters denounce in state of precarious perception or even an irreversible coma, is nevertheless a vital matrix of a perfectly conscious spirit, even if the brain tissue does not respond to certain stimuli... in that physical body it still acts, in sync with matter, a perfectly conscious entity...». So far we had the impression that Ray identified the consciousness of the Ego with that of the incarnate spirit, but since in the coma the consciousness of the Ego is absent, the reference to a perfectly conscious entity can only be addressed to the spirit, which then should be considered as distinct from the Ego and endowed with its own and autonomous consciousness (as results – on the other hand – from other more coherent communications, such as those of Entity A).

When it wants to criticize the doctrines of human organizations of a religious nature, Ray states that «...every person unconsciously can also fall under a shrewd negative influence and not find the strength to escape it. The evil lies in accepting at all costs the truths that do not stand up to the slightest verification and the most superficial analysis; the evil is in the inevitable travail that such false truths induce in the long run, with the consequent inevitable loss of the right view of things». Here, for the same reasons, I believe that even the communications of mediumistic entities must be subjected to careful scrutiny and criticism, despite the powers that these entities have shown to have and despite the love they claim to have towards us humans. In particular, the criticisms concern two points: the first is represented by the undeniable and substantial differences that are found comparing the information received through different mediums; the second is referred to the discrepancies between certain statements by the entities and our scientific knowledge, confirmed by actual findings. It should not be forgotten that also the human scientific discoveries originate from intelligence and spirit, through the elaboration work made by the conscious Ego of people endowed with particular talent. Therefore they cannot be neglected in favor of statements that are often generic and confused, and almost always of obvious psychic origin.

Communications of Mediator and Thinker

The messages of these two entities, quite similar to each other, have an imprint that we could define philosophical-salvific, derived – as I explained in my previous blog – from the thought of the philosopher Roberto Giordano, as shown in the books he published in the 40s and 50s of the last century. Even if the human condition is considered as an opportunity to conquer true existence through a conscious effort, a tension of intellect and action, the dialectic of the psyche – as perceived by our consciousness – must be overcome through an apodictic process which implies the affirmation of the positive pole in the background of the negative one, that is, a conscious and wanted prevalence of good over evil. Moreover, Giordano's dialectic-apodictic process presents many affinities with the Christian conception of the soul salvation, and the Mediator (title of one of his books) is nothing but the psychological character of Christ, as a link between the human and divine dimension.

Beyond the interest that Giordano's thought can have for those who deal with these topics, let's see if the messages of the two entities offer some other interesting information about the spirit life, both in its own dimension and as an embodied entity, and how the spirit's consciousness links to the conscious Ego. Unfortunately we do not find greater clarity with respect to Ray's communications. In these messages the spirit is often identified with the psyche, in all its various aspects. For example, with regard to sentiment, Mediator states: «...feeling does not always show itself in a pure state, it often appears clouded through the various diaphragms of a more or less diaphanous materiality and corporeality, depending on the evolution level; in it however it is always the spirit that manifests itself. It is in the immediate sense of the spirit that you feel the pleasure and pain, the joy and discouragement of your earthly existence. Feeling is the true vital element of consciousness. The source of the feelings, therefore, has its roots in the immediate life, in the substance of the spirit itself, since it is precisely the spirit itself in its very immediacy that produces the different feelings and gives the color and tone to all your states which, through sensation and intellection, reveal themselves in the consciousness».

Identify the psychic tunings – characterized by conflicting elements of various origins, whose primary purpose seems to be to enslave the conscious Ego – with the spirit, whose action should be aimed at freeing the conscious Ego from its subjection to psychic commands, seems to me a mistake. The fact is that this insistence on the evolutionary needs of the spirit weakens the perception of it on the part of the conscious Ego, which should rely on the spirit. If anything, it is the Ego that feels the need to evolve, and for this it needs the collaboration and the help of the spirit, which in turn will then have its needs and aims. «In short, the feeling corresponds to the purpose and the evolutionary level of the spirit... And so the pain acquires the right value, that is, it becomes a necessary and indispensable means for reaching the goal». Again, in these words, that appreciation of the experience of human pain returns, which should instead be completely alien to the spirit: «...only by succumbing to the stimulus of pain can you ponder and understand your mistakes, especially those of a moral nature». This is absolutely not true: it is often the pain that makes the Ego incapable of evading the psychic grip that blocks it in the negative aspects of existence.

The experience of pain is referred to the spirit: «...in function of the painful experiences that the spirit must undergo... You may wonder: what is the real need for the spirit of so heavy feelings?... we tell you that you must accept the pain with reasoned serenity, when the events of your life force you to succumb to it, but at the same time we tell you to react with your will, keeping in mind that in the admirable economy of creation you are offered the appropriate means to largely neutralize the negative effects of pain, both physical and moral». Thank goodness we are allowed to react! But it is evident, once again, the confusion between the Ego, that is the subject who consciously experiences human life, and the spirit, whose consciousness – quite distinct from that of the Ego – is not involved in the dynamics of the human psyche.

The Thinker entity also seeks to clarify its own point of view regarding the Ego: «Dealing with the Ego is a difficult undertaking... because every incarnate being expresses an Ego which is subjective in the highest degree, so much so that it cannot totally merge with the Ego of others». And so far we fully agree. But then he continues: «...this mutable Ego, tied to human vicissitudes, is an inauthentic Ego, deriving from the needs of the individual who has to work in materiality. The true, authentic Ego is the metaphysical one, which belongs to the spiritual sphere of the individual and which remains almost identical even with the changing of experiences. It is therefore clear that I will not treat the Ego as an expression of the psyche...». In this way the fundamental problem of consciousness, and in particular of self-consciousness, is completely removed. In fact, my conscious Ego is important, regardless of the psychic experiences that involve it, precisely because it is endowed with self-consciousness, and the spirit – endowed with what is called the authentic metaphysical Ego – becomes important only when and if it enters into relationship with the conscious Ego, whether this happens in the course of human life, or in the afterlife. Without a fusion between my consciousness and that of my spirit, for me the spirit remains an alien, unconscious, unknown or even non-existent entity. The real problem for both parties (the Ego and the spirit) is how to achieve this fusion. From this point of view, every negation of the value and importance of the conscious Ego – even with all the limits to which it is subject due to the human condition – seems a misstep to me.

The Thinker adds a series of exhortations (of an ethical and psychological nature) addressed to the Ego of his interlocutors, with which we can also agree, but which do not offer further clarifications from a cognitive point of view. It then goes on to consider the phenomenon of physical death: «Taking the survival of the Ego of the body's destruction for granted... I certainly don't have to show you the possibility or not of living beyond death; the events you are experiencing should be sufficient to convince you, otherwise my words will not change your beliefs». All right, but which Ego is it referring to? To the human conscious Ego or the spirit's one? And with what instrument does the conscious Ego survive the brain's destruction? Some affirmations, then, are decidedly exaggerated: «...the hypothesis of the total cancellation, of the no longer existence of the Ego can make you fall into the abyss of psychic terror... only in the affective situation of the anguish and in the inner travail aroused by psychic terror, the mystery of death is revealed in an original and acute manner. It does not matter if on a conscious level you do not possess the theoretical knowledge of this; enough that this concept hosted inside yourself». 

Where the Thinker tries to go a few steps forward with respect to, for example, Ray, it is in considerations about evil and pain: «...it is undeniable that on your planet pain and evil reign supreme; anguished souls constantly raise cries of despair to the sky; innocent children, together with weaker and good beings, suffer harassment of all kinds; diseases, mourning, war, hunger do not spare anyone. To fill up the measure then nature sometimes runs wild and causes earthquakes, floods, cataclysms of all kinds; a framework certainly discouraging, but undoubtedly concrete. Evil therefore exists, but why does it exist?». At first the Thinker refrains from stating that pain is necessarry for the spirit's evolution: «On the spiritual level, evil and pain have no value in themselves... they acquire value only if they are opposed to good and love...», but in the end yields to temptation: «To conclude, children, I say to you that evil has its reason for existing, since it represents the necessary element for the spirit's evolution, and pain and suffering are the stimuli and trials without which the spiritual process towards the Light would not occur». Perfect! The conscious Ego suffers, as it is submitted to the human psychic tunings of pain and suffering, and the spirit evolves without having to get its hands dirty.

But let's see how the entity faces the problem of human death. After having observed, rather naively, that «Many human beings... live their own lives anguished by doubts about the validity of existence itself and about the future of their own being after the event of physical death», the Thinker gives the best of itself, saying that it is not enough to give a theoretical answer, but «...you also need a practical solution, which would then be to personally experience death...», to conclude that finding a solution to this problem is almost impossible! «Who is speaking to you, children, being now in his disincarnate state, knows the truth; but he also knows that he cannot pass it on to you, since it is right – believe me – that in your situation of embodied you ignore the truth...». What contribution can such statements give in terms of knowledge?

The evolution of the relationship between the spirit – endowed with its own consciousness, which normally remains unconscious to the Ego – and the conscious Ego associated with it, which experiences human life in its temporality, constitutes the most important aspect about the meaning of life in a wider project, which goes beyond the limited duration of the same, and should be adequately investigated. Instead, the Thinker limits itself to naively relativizing the human experience, denying the conscious Ego, which must anyway face – for better or worse – such experience, the dignity to which it would have the right, and making confusion between the incarnate spirit and the Ego, as if they shared the same consciousness. «Does the reality in which you live exist in a concrete way?... The reality of all physical things... in fact does not exist for the incarnate spirit when it is not perceived... the human being is a being whose existence is subject to birth and death... thus the reality of the physical world for the spirit is absolutely transitory... one can say that matter existed, exists and will exist independently of the perceptions and sensations that the spirit has had in its brief earthly periods... material reality is, at the same time, concrete and illusory. Let me explain. All sensible things have a natural existence, independently of the fact that they are perceived or not by the spirit... the matter is, that is, it exists in substance even when it is not part of the spirit's experience. So it's concrete reality. Conversely, reality is illusory precisely when it becomes part of consciousness and becomes a psychic experience through perception...». Beyond the philosophical problem of immaterialism (Berkeley: esse est percipi), that is of the existence bound or not to the perception by a form of consciousness, here we do not see in what the spirit differs from the conscious Ego: the latter asks the same questions presented by the entity, and can discover more satisfactory and articulated philosophical answers.

In examining the psychic aspects of human experience, the Thinker focuses on the relationship between thought and reality, concluding that: «...being unable to have the absolute certainty of the veracity of the faculties of thought, expressed through reasoning, you can not be sure of the validity of the indicated foundation. Well, children, I tell you that it must be so for you; your present condition does not allow you to resolve this doubt, nor is all human philosophy sufficient to solve this problem, which in a certain sense contains the essence of existence». We had no doubts about this, but it also applies to all communications received through these entities, which do not illuminate us nor about the interactions between the spirit and the conscious Ego, nor about the reasons why the spirit would find it convenient to incarnate. In this regard, the entity states: «...the ultimate but not the sole purpose of the existence, or better of life in the matter, is to allow the spirit to acquire the consciousness of its own becoming, before having the awareness of its being»". But then it is reiterated that, in the spirit dimension, becoming is an illusion.

I end here this brief exposition of a part of the communications obtained through some entities of the Essene Circle, inviting those interested in the subject to read the published books and to make a personal opinion about their value. My analysis, as I have already said, is limited to the cognitive aspects that arouse my interest regarding the following topics: 1) demonstration of the existence of the individual spirit; 2) reasons that induce the spirit to incarnate; 3) relationship between the conscious Ego and the embodied spirit; 4) fusion of the conscious Ego with the spirit and continuation of the individual experience in the spirit dimension, after death. In relation to these issues, the communications of the entities of the Essene Circle did not satisfy me.

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