Now Allen has produced Astral Intimacy: Fifty Spirits Speak About Life, Love, and Sex After Death. He has chosen a provocatively eye-catching but misleading title, because the book covers much more than that. It is a compilation of quotations arranged thematically, taken from books published between 1852 and 2001 in which spirits have allegedly communicated to the living the details of their environment as they understand them.
Reading through the fifty sources, totalling fifty-eight books, from which the communications are drawn, Allen has scored them to assess their perceived value as sources. He has then extracted representative quotations which describe conditions in the afterlife and the relationship of its inhabitants to those still alive, interspersed with his comments. As might be expected from his back-catalogue, Allen starts from the position that survival is a fact, and that mediumistic communications, used with care, are valuable sources that allow insights into that other life.
Before getting into the quotes, Allen takes a detour into Biblical exegesis, tackling the generally negative view which that volume has concerning spirit communication, possibly to reassure those who feel that their faith prohibits taking an interest in such matters that they need not fear that they are going counter to their beliefs. Those in that category who read on may occasionally find it an uncomfortable experience because organised religion takes something of a beating, as Allen’s view of it is that it is a means for the exercise of power.
Beginning with what is said about the process of transition at the end of this life, the quotations deal with the reactions of those who have just passed over, then the various stages through which souls pass: the lowest astral plane, the Shadow Lands, Summerland, how reincarnation works, and on to the higher realms, which spirits themselves cannot adequately describe nor the living adequately comprehend.
Most space is given over to Summerland, its society, the development of children, the status of animals, how travel is accomplished, the work its inhabitants do, leisure activities (television isn’t mentioned, which will be a relief to some, but there are books aplenty) and learning, the fruits of which are often transmitted to scientists on earth. Initially conditions are similar to those on earth, but diverge as spirits progress and leave self-imposed constraints behind. In all this God is real, but is considered a remote beneficent presence accessible only to those who have progressed the most.
The final chapters sum up the main points uniting the quotations, showing that from the first, by Adin Ballou in 1852, there has been a remarkable amount of consistency in the communications, which Allen sees as strong evidence that they contain a large degree of truth. Towards the end he comes back to examine some of the plot holes in the Book of Genesis, and the way that issues of sexual shame can be used for social control, that feel more like an anti-established religion hobbyhorse than an integral part of the book.
It’s a quick read which extracts the essence from what can be ponderous and windy musings by those who have departed this life and are sending back reports. Communicators range from well-known Spiritualist classics to the obscure. Cumulatively they form a reasonably coherent image of the afterlife, and Allen summarises them into a number of points which draw out the major conclusions. Before reaching the quotations a number of representative cases are presented to show that, if accurately reported, there is good evidence for the survival of bodily death.
Overall this is a heartening vision, one in which we continue to learn and evolve, and be together with loved ones, where earthly religious piety counts for less than one’s moral outlook (so even atheists who have led an ethical life should not be disadvantaged, unlike those who commit atrocities in the name of their faith). It is a humane vision, not a sterile one of gathering to praise a supreme being, but one in which the spirit works towards self-actualisation. The lowest levels may be pretty grim, but if they are it’s because it is a grimness of its inhabitants’ own making, and one from which they can progress eventually, once they have achieved the necessary self-awareness, while those who are more ‘advanced’ skip them altogether.
And what about sex? It definitely happens, at least initially, before the emphasis shifts to more ethereal planes. It is sex without guilt and with no risk of unwanted pregnancy or disease, conducted as part of a loving relationship. It reflects the earthly realm not as a separate sphere, but as a continuation of what comes afterwards. as suggested by the epilogue taken from G. Vale Owen, which talks about the importance of living in such a way that once the transition is made, progress can be smooth and uninterrupted. Allen has used the idea of ‘sex after death’ as a hook for the curious reader, but it is an important point which the literature stresses, that there are continuities between this existence and the next, that life after death is not so very different to life before it; except that in a strange way, to be ‘dead’ is to be more alive than the still-living.
Throughout, Allen’s tone is respectful but light, indicating where there are contradictions or claims that seem puzzling. These can always be overcome by arguing that spirits do not become omniscient suddenly simply because they are dead, and those at differing levels have views that appear contradictory but may reflect their limited perspectives. There is also the issue of communication difficulties and the problem of casting experiences that are beyond human understanding into terms that can be understood. Alternatively it may all be wishful thinking, but even if it is, there are worse things to believe. The book will make a good introduction for anybody interested in learning something about survival before tackling longer, more demanding texts.