The Soul - God's Companion, by Herbert Bruce Puryear
 

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and Jose bis own soul? Mark 8:36
 

Who are we?
The understanding of our true selves which may be gained from the Edgar Cayce readings is exceptionally beautiful, profound and challenging. As children of God, we are heirs both to al! the dimensions of the universe and to the continuity of life. The purpose of our existence is to be companions with God. We may ask, "Why would a perfect God need companionship?" But if God is love, how could He express other than through relationship? Further, we would expect of the God of the universe that such relationships would be infinitely manifold rather than limited to a certain number.

The soul, being of the Divine, participates in the most essential qualities of the Divine which are the continuity of life and awareness. Thus the soul is a citizen of eternity not only with its destiny extending into the endless future but also with its origin deriving from the endless past. Some, upon first hearing about reincarnation, express concern regarding the loss of individuality-of having been "someone else" other than themselves. Yet it is only the soul which is the true bearer of our individuality. In the essence of our being as souls we are more truly ourselves than even in our present material manifestations.

As co-creators with God, we are destined to participate in ever-growing, more meaningful, fulfilling and exciting creative expressions. Throughout the past, we have participated far more than we may imagine in the creation of ourselves, our awarenesses, challenges and the influences that we experience about us. To what extent do we create our own environs? The readings suggest that even the positions and configurations of the planets and stars about us are witnesses to what we have done as co-creators rather than influences which determine our actions.

The soul may be defined specifically as the spiritual body. The spiritual body, as such, carries the record of ail of the thoughts and activities of its individual experience. It may be conceptualized as an energy pattern. For example, the television waves carried from the transmitter to the receiver are formless yet filled with patterned information. They are initiated in three-dimensional expression in a television studio, transmitted as an energy pattern and reconstituted into a manifest presentation by an appropriate instrument, the television receiver. If we could imagine an energy pattern which carries information and which also exists and endures in continuity in and of its own, we would have an illustration of what it means to say that "the soul is the spiritual body."

As co-creators with Him, the soul may be said to consist of spirit, mind and will. The spirit is of the one force, the life force. In our access to this force we may give manifestation to it in creative expression. The mind is the attribute of the soul which is the builder and thus in a special way is the gift which makes us co-creators with the Father. The gift of the will is also a special attribute of the spirit which makes us free and thus more truly heirs of the Divine nature and capable of co-creating. As co-creators with free wills, we bear a far, far greater responsibility than we ever imagine for the experiences and consciousnesses of ourselves, of our creations and of the experiences of so many other souls who bear the impact of our expressions.

Let us consider our proper work as souls in terms of the attributes of the soul. We have defined the soul as the spiritual body with the qualities of spirit, mind and will. Let us examine these in tum.

Spirit
The spirit as the life force of the universe is not a neutral force but one with a quality which may best be summarized by the word "Love" in the purest form. As children of God, we have access to this life force and we may give natural expression to it through acts of harmonious creativity and relationships, or we may choose to deflect and color its expression by our lower, self-oriented desires and choices. The one great step in dealing with this problem of choice which is given in the readings and which we have so often reiterated is to set the spiritual ideal. (See Covenant, Lesson Four.)

As we attune ourselves to the One Spirit and as we give expression to this force in our lives, the consideration of utmost importance is the quality of the purpose or intent which gives impetus to such expressions. Ultimate on the agenda of ail souls is pure love of God and fellow man. This orientation toward the universal whole opposes the self­-centered spirit of rebellion. The spirit of love is affirmed most clearly in the adoption of an ideal of the spirit of obedience to the higher law and the greater good.

Mind
The mind is the attribute of the soul which builds from impulse into manifestation. As co-creators with God, we have been given that creative quality of the Divine which makes what we think happen. Thoughts are things, and that upon which we dwell we build not only into our bodies but also into our souls.

Furthermore, our thoughts impact on the lives of others, not only in prayer but also in mental telepathy. With every thought we think, we are either helping or hurting, aiding or hindering that one to whom or about whom the thought is directed. With the cumulative effect of our repeated thought patterns, we build thought forms which actually stand between ourselves and our attunement with others. Our impact on others is more powerful than we may ever suspect. Therefore, we must not only try to understand the power of the mind, but we must also assume responsibility for its effect; and we must with great diligence utilize this ability to pattern and direct energy only for constructive purposes. Remember for "... every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)

Since what we think is built into our bodies and our souls, a major step in soul development comes when we take charge of our thoughts and give positive direction to them. Remember, "The key should be making, compelling, inducing, having the mind one with that which is the ideal." (262-84)

Will
The most significant aspect of our opportunity for soul development in the earth plane is in the utilization of that faculty of the soul called will. The readings indicate that in the earth plane, will is the educative factor. The use of will in accord with the Law of Love teaches us attunement and provides joy, happiness and peace. The abuse of will out of harmony with right choices provides us with more difficult and challenging lessons.

In spite of the great interest in the concept of free will and innumerable conversations about it, most people seem still to have little awareness of the magnitude of this gift. Our greatest persona! asset is the proper use of this power so that our choices may change the circumstances, directions and outcomes of the events in our lives for the better. The readings say that no influence, whether hereditary, karmic or otherwise, can stand in the way of the will provided that it is made one with the resident pattern of the Divine. That is to say, when we tap into the flow of this living and creative energy, we can actually change things from the course set by any predetermining influences.

A major problem for us as souls is that the mind and the will are in direct contention. With the mind, we build desire patterns, thought forms, habits, obsessions and addictions. The will remains free from these as determinants. However, they stand in a circle about the will as it is confronted with a choice, and they constitute such conveniently prepared patterns of expressions that we may give way to them as impulses, rather than use the capability of the will to be truly free.

The way to deal with this problem is to set the spiritual ideal and to give such prominence and pre-eminence to this ideal that it becomes the dominant factor in our motivations and the criterion for decisions at every choice point. When we make our choices on the basis of the motivating spirit of the ideal, we become free indeed.

Why are we here?
Before our entry into the earth plane, there were already problems. The readings articulate clearly a condition which is referred to several times in the Bible in which man (each of us), though perfect from the beginning, found within himself a spirit of rebellion. The fall, the separation, was in "heaven" or the spirit plane. It was not intended by God. It was a free will choice.

It would be presumptuous of us to think that because of our rebellion, we will somehow come out better off for it than those who remained in atonement. In spite of the pain and suffering we see about us and experience in our own lives, we still refuse to admit that something went wrong and that we as spiritual beings are individually responsible for our own separation from God. To this very moment, we continue this relative separation by our daily choices.

We have no idea how many billions of souls may have participated in this rebellion or what percentage of souls remained in harmony with God. In considering this question, we may borrow a perspective from Jesus' parable of the good shepherd. There were 99 sheep in the fold and one lost. Perhaps only 1% of God's children rebelled and they are ail making their way back.

The readings say that there is soul entrapment throughout the universe. Therefore, those who have fallen are not limited just to the souls who are presently working in our solar system. At the level of the spirit plane, or mental plane, some souls who have separated themselves from the Whole are not even aware of their separation.

If there is soul entrapment throughout the universe, we in this system may be in an exceptionally fortunate position. Being able to incarnate in the earth plane is a special opportunity to gain a growing awareness of the consequences of our thoughts, choices, and actions. It provides unique opportunities to remember who we are and to grow in attunement with God.

More importantly, an event has taken place in this system in the past 2,000 years in the birth, life, death, resurrection and continuing work of the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth which gives ail souls in this system a new pattern of approach, a new access to energy and a new awareness of the love of God. Thus He has given us hopefulness of inestimable value. As in the parable of the good shepherd who set out to find the lost sheep, so God, as our Father, has sent the Christ to help us find our way back to oneness with Him.

The readings say that nothing more true has ever been expressed than that God is not willing that any soul should perish. Can the will of man resist the love of God forever? For every temptation, God has promised us a way of escape. (I Cor. 10:13) No matter how we fall, He continues to provide a way by which each of us may move in consciousness from whatever state in which we may find ourselves through a growing awareness until we are again fully one with Him. The readings ask if God's arms are shortened so that He cannot supply that required for each soul to enable it to have the growth experience it needs.

Being in the earth plane not only is an opportunity to view the consequences of our actions and thoughts but it is also like the play area of a school. There are toys with which we may play, but we also have the opportunity to outgrow these earthly experiences, emotions and possessions in an ever-increasing awareness that these toys and experiences do not fulfill our soul's real longings and desires. We yearn to return to our true home and to participate in its proper cosmic realm of activity.

Thus we are here, as indicated in the parable of the prodigal, not only because we have gone astray of our own choice but, more importantly, because we need to have the opportunity to remember who we are, to come to ourselves and to say, "I will arise and return to my Father."

It is said that God created "man" in His image; more specifically it is the soul that is created in the image of God. Thus, the soul possesses ail the attributes and aspects of the nature of the Divine. To say that we are made in His image indicates that no matter how far astray we may go, there still remains within us the pattern of, the link to perfection through which we may regain full attunement with the Whole.

How does it work?
The soul, as a spiritual body, is not only a co-creator with God, but it is also the bearer of the records of ail of our thoughts and activities. Thus there are emanations from our thoughts and activities which are recorded on the soul in God's Book of Remembrance, sometimes referred to as the Akashic records. (These impressions, recorded on the skein of time and space, may be read on occasion by one such as Edgar Cayce who could put his lower self aside so completely as to make attunement with the Infinite, seeking that which would be helpful and hopeful for the individual whom he would serve. Each of us in patience may attain to that state in which the Spirit will bring ail to our remembrance and we, too, will have a persona! awareness of these records.)

The soul incarnates into the physical body at or about the time of birth.

Sometimes the first breath of the infant body is accompanied by the entrance of the soul. Much preparation will have preceded this event. Many choices are made at the soul level of the entities involved. The soul pattern or purposes and lessons to be learned throughout successive incarnations become predisposing factors for the projected circumstances of the incoming entity. The ideals and purposes of the parents which are uppermost in their minds at the time of conception become especially important influences which attract a soul to a specific body.

Remember, the soul is not only the bearer of the records of the individual but it is also an energy pattern. The emanations from the records of the soul quickly permeate every cell of the physical body and it thus becomes truly and uniquely an appropriate expression of that soul with respect to the purposes, relationships and experiences to be dealt with in that incarnation.

No matter what others may say, we should not get the idea that we are only "half' of a soul and not complete until we find our soul mate. Nor should we entertain ideas that the soul is manifesting in several other bodies at the same time and thus not giving full attention to the task at hand. It is also useless to think that part of the soul is working on several other incarnations in time periods other than present. Remember, one soul for every body, and one body for every soul incarnate in the earth.

One life to live
The perspective of our present consciousness in which we feel we have only one life to live, may seem - especially when we are in pain and suffering- interminable and of all-surpassing importance. True, life is earnest and the stakes are high. But souls have been in the earth plane for millions of years. So, 70 or 80 years of great suffering, if used to lean a great lesson or to meets severe challenge, to fulfill a great responsibility, or to maintain a self-sacrificing integrity to make possible a life of service, does not seem so overwhelming or burdensome to the soul. Our limited and finite consciousnesses only are overwhelmed and tried.

We are unique
In the creation of souls, God did not stamp out an infinite number of us in assembly-line fashion. On the contrary, each was created with special and unique individual qualities, none Jess valuable in the eyes of God than another. Thus each of us has a special job to perform-even in our present relatively finite and limited relationships and understandings-that can be done by no other soul. If we can adequately estimate the enormity of this truth, then we can understand when the readings say to each of us that God not only created us to be companions with Him but that He is lonely without us.

Other life forms
Of ail the forms of life in the earth plane, only man is a manifestation of this special gift of the Divine, the soul. Many of us who are lovers of animals or of special pets, may feel that these beings are unique individuals who not only come to us from previous life experiences but also are deserving of an opportunity to continue to evolve in the future. It is true, there have been many experiences which suggest the continuity of the personality of animals. Some of these experiences relate to previous lives and others to the continuity of existence beyond physical death of the animal. However, we should understand this continuity as expressions of the mental body or the astral body of the animal and not of any Divine soul quality.

A fuller understanding of ourselves as co-creators capable of projecting thought forms which may demonstrate a considerable measure of autonomy will be very helpful to a better understanding of our relationship to special animals. Even though we may experience an animal as having a continuing identity over time, such experiences may be more our awareness of relationships to aspects of ourselves than to the individuality of the animal (in the same way that we project aspects of ourselves onto other people).

For example, a man may have a dog which he experiences as having a personality of its own; however, it may also be observed that there is a marked relationship or similarity between the dog's personality and that of its owner. As we observe this, we may come to see how some of the personality of the animal may well be the thought-form projection of the owner. A pet may even take on the neuroses of its owner! Now we may understand how such thought forms could even seem to "reincarnate" from one animal to another.

Thus it is ail the more important, if we are truly concerned about our beloved animal friends, that we dedicate our efforts to the healing of the wayward souls of ourselves and of our fellow man. For only as mankind is made whole, may the animal kingdoms manifest their own aspects of the Spirit, unhindered by our projections.

Summary
We are souls, spiritual beings who have created for ourselves mental bodies and are projecting into physical bodies. There is a portion of us, the spirit entity, which is perfect and has never left the throne of God. Thus there is the potential - called the superconscious - for the soul to be in attunement with the Whole. There is a portion of us born of a spirit of rebellion which has gone its own willful way. Thus we find ourselves in the present finite physical consciousness. The readings describe this as a condition in which the soul slumbers and "dreams" and participates in a finite and limited consciousness. However, the soul is judged by choices which it makes in these "dreams" (which are the periods of seeming wakefulness in this dimension).

In terms of our considerations of the nature of the soul, we may delineate the steps of soul development very succinctly. We must set a spiritual ideal (and ultimately there is only one - love of God and fellow souls), require our minds to dwell upon that ideal and make and act upon choices which are motivated and measured by that ideal. Then the mind and the will can be brought into harmony with the spirit; and we become free to express-each in our own unique way - our love of God and man

Herbert Bruce Puryear

Soul Birth - Readings

[8-1, Male 33, Salesman, 4/22/24]

EC: Yes, we have this here, you see, with the record as has been made, with reference to the will, and that as is of the astrological conditions irrespective of will exercised in the physical or earth plane. This, we find, was completed on the evening of the eleventh day of August, eighteen ninety, as counted in this earth's plane. In the early mom was the soul and spirit forces completed with this present plane's existence....

[262-57, Search for God Series, 1/7/34]

When one considers the birth of a soul into the earth, the more often is the body and the body-mind considered than the soul - that is full-grown in a breath. For, did the Father (or Infinity) bring the earth, the worlds into existence, how much greater is a day in the house of the Lord - or a moment in His presence - than a thousand years in carnal forces?

Hence a soul even for a flash, or for a breath, has perhaps experienced even as much as Saul in the way.

[450-1, Male Child, 11/20/33]

Now, there are many things and many conditions that might be approached or given concerning this body in its bodily- physical development, and much respecting those things or conditions that surrounded the body during those periods of conception and development. The whole condition as a period has had to do with some tendencies that exist in this developing body at the present time, the manner and care of the body during presentation and during those first hours that there was the determining of the physical and soul or spiritual births; for these varied in this body.

[488-6, Male 20, Student, 1/20/32]

(Q) Give exact minute of physical birth, Feb. 11, 1911, to enable entity to ask for explanation of astrological laws governing entity.

(A) This, as we find, as the record has been made of same, is near right - to the second; and while at the entrance of the entity into the earth's plane and the spiritual and physical birth varied little, there was the PHYSICAL under one sign and the SPIRITUAL under another! Hence the doubts that often arise, from an astrological view.

[281-53, Prayer Group Reading, 4/2/41]

(Q) The entity preparing to be born into the earth has an influence upon the mother in building its own body.

(A) No. That would be the same as saying that an atom had an influence upon that to which it could be attracted! See the variation?

As in the realms outside of the material body, we have influences that are sympathetic one to another and we have influences that have an antipathy one for another, - as in tire and water, yet they are much alike. There are other forces that are active in the same manner, or that are of the same nature.

But in the physical world there is builded a body, by the process of a physical law, see? Now: There is builded also a mental body, see?

God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a LIVING soul.

Then, with the first breath of the infant there comes into being in the flesh a soul,

- that has been attracted, that has been called for, by ail the influences and activities that have gone to make up the process through the period of gestation, see?

Many souls are seeking to enter, but not ail are attracted. Some may be repelled. Some are attracted and then suddenly repelled, so that the life in the earth is only a few days. 0ft the passing of such a soul is accredited to, and IS because of disease, neglect or the like, but STILL there was the attraction, was there not?

Hence to say that the body is in any way builded by an entity from the other side is incorrect. BUT those mental and physical forces that ARE builded ARE those influences needed FOR that soul that does enter!

[566-1, Female 2, 8/3/32]

(Q) How long a period between the physical and spiritual birth?

(A) Some four and a half hours.

[790-1, Male 36, Contractor, 1/15/35]

In entering the present experience we find there is a difference between the physical and the soul birth of the entity. Those experiences and conditions surrounding this are a bit unusual.

We find this entity coming under certain astrological aspects and influences; but, to be sure, these are irrespective of will and what the entity does about the urges. For it is the application that makes for the development in relation to these individual conditions or experiences, and not merely the birth on certain date destines to this or that. The destiny is only that certain urges arise, and what the entity does about them makes for the changes.

[538-30, Female 51, Homemaker, 9/3/31]

(Q) In former reading [538-5] for this entity, what is meant by "Soul and spirit took possession of this entity late in the evening," as the body was born at eight o'clock in the morning? [7:58 A.M., CST., as per 538-36, Par. 9-A.]

(A) As the entity FOUND in that body in life, so the spirit and soul entered in the evening [afternoon] - three, four, in evening. [GD's note: It is customary in our portion of the south to refer to the afternoon as "evening," and to the evening as "night."] Life is a portion of the whole COSMIC world, and OF the CREATIVE Energy. Entities, or spirits, or soul - with its spirit, with its portion of the cosmic influence - takes POSSESSION as it SEEMETH that influence IT would have. That environ it would have; for all that a soul MAY experience is VISIONED as it enters that environ for its experience.* Its faith, its hope in individuals as personalities, oft is shattered! [See opposite situation under 288-1 in which the soul entrance of [288] apparently preceded her physical birth by several hours.]

* [Member of [538]'s family commented on how typical it was for her to weigh and consider every angle before obligating herself to take on this body, with all of the problems she would have to face in this incarnation. See 538-36, Par. 9-A on 6/4/34 saying her actual physical birth was 7:58 A.M. CST.]

[541-1, Female 47, Widow, 4/28/34]

Hence there is often a real purpose in the soul, as in this soul, seeking a period of expression of self; and finding it in that about the bodies when there is the period of presentation. For, while the physical begins at conception, the spiritual and mental is as the first breath taken into the physical - that becomes then a living soul, with a physical organism for manifestation during the sojourn in that particular experience.

[816-6, Male 52, Lawyer, 8/28/35]

(Q) At what hour of the day was I born, March 9, 1883, near Pattonsburg, Mo.?

(A) Early hours of the morning, between three and four o'clock.

(Q) Can the specific time be given?

(A) Between three and four o'clock. You see, in many instances the physical birth and the soul birth are somewhat different. With this entity we find very little variation in time of the soul birth or spiritual entering and the physical birth. And the physical birth, as we find, was three thirty-one (3:31).

[1391-1, Female 62, Widow, 6/22/37]

As to the experience of the entity from the astrological and from the earthly sojourn, the entity's entrance into the material plane as for the physical birth was in the evening, while the spiritual birth was close to what is called the witching hour.

[826-8, Male 35, Lawyer, 8/11/35]

(Q) what was the exact hour and minute of my SOUL birth on a farm near Pattonsburg, Mo., on March 2, 1901?

(A) Eleven p.m. Central Time as would be termed, on March 2, 1901; for this experience was two hours, lacking a few minutes, after the physical birth.

(Q) What was the exact hour and minute of my physical birth?

(A) Nine-twelve when the entity began its intake of elemental forces in breath....

(Q) Should an astrological horoscope be based on the time of physical birth or the time of soul birth?

(A) On time of physical birth; for these are merely INCLINATIONS, and because of inclinations are not the influence of will. WILL is that factor of the spiritual forces or the gift, as it were, TO man, hu-man, as he came into material form, with which choice is made, see? Hence if astrological aspects are to be assumed, then physical. But these make for oft confusing experiences to those casting such charts and reading from that which has been the version of same.

[987-4, Female 49, Homemaker, 11/2/37]

(Q) What was the exact time of my physical birth?

(A) Eight-twenty in the morning.

(Q) What was the exact time of my soul birth?

(A) Only a few breaths after the physical birth. For as has been indicated to the soul, in the experiences in the earth - how beautiful have been thy joys, yea even thy sorrows, that they have kept alive that longing for a closer communion, a closer walk with Him!

And as the soul came then with a purposefulness, that "I - even I - may be able to show forth His love among those I meet day by day," there was no tarrying. For ye are learning, ye have gained, ye may apply, "AS YE SOW, SO SHALL YE REAP."

[1336-1, Female 35, Secretary, 2/9/37]

(Q) What was the time of my physical birth?

(A) In the afternoon, three to four.

(Q) What was the exact time of my soul birth?

(A) Almost at the same period. For the union of the activities in the bodily forces was purposeful. We would give as an hour's difference, if we would measure time by such, between the physical and the soul or spiritual birth.

[1397-1, Female 58, Chiropractor/Naturopath, 7/4/37)

(Q) Please give the hour of birth.

(A) As we find, there is a variation in the experience of most entities or individuals between the material birth and the spiritual birth. These as we find show for oft that variation in determining from the application of the series of influences from purely astrological variations.

As in this entity's experience, in entering the present experience we find coming in the early afternoon, or just after the forenoon; while the spiritual entrance was in the late evening.

Hence the entity may test this within self. When there are the activities with material things, the mornings are the periods when greater changes may be wrought. But in dealing with those in the mental, and when reason may be brought to bear, the shades of evening are the periods when the entity may reason and may work the better with those influences that abide in each soul in its relationships to purely mental and spiritual forces.

[1861-16, Male 37, 6/16/43]

(Q) Please give the hour of my physical birth.

(A) The physical birth and spiritual birth here were different. As we find, 8:05 was the physical birth. [Mr. [1861) told us later that he was born at 8:05 P.M. His mother had a fall in the afternoon and he was born prematurely that evening.)

(Q) The soul birth?

(A) Six hours different. Not to the moment, but in general. Six hours later.

[2520-1, Female 38, Teacher, 6/23/41)

(Q) Please give the exact hour of my physical and soul birth into this earth plane.

(A) There was a deviation in the physical and soul birth here of some thirty-four minutes. For, purposefulness was in the offing, as well as desire of expression upon the part of the entity.

Let that purpose guide thee as prompted thee so oft in the experience just before this. For, indeed ye are upon that upward swing for greater enlightenment. Hinder it not....

[2294-1, Male 1 Month, 6/30/40)

(Q) What was the exact local time of his birth, and what does it indicate?

(A) As we find, this was in the early hours - that is, the physical birth, and the spiritual birth very soon thereafter; 6:07 in the morning.

[2072-8, Female 32, 6/23/42]

(Q) Please give exact local time of my present physical and soul birth.

(A) These, as we find, were almost identical or concordant with the physical and the spiritual birth. For this, as is a natural law, would be a portion of the natural consequence of early return to physical consciousness; though coming in quite a varied or different environ. Yet the entity was destined - and what is destiny? Something that will not be altered or changed?

Every form of expression might fail to give the true interpretation of what is meant. For, this may illustrate same: "For this purpose came I into the world." So He came on other occasions, but failed to keep the whole law.

So with this entity, destined - because of seeking, because of the awareness - in the cosmic consciousness - of activities in the physical consciousness of that being often sought within self from the varied experiences.

Thus, with the first opportunity wherein co-genital activities were of such a nature that allowed the entrance, this soul-entity sought consciousness. Thus the soul and the physical birth of the entity came at the same period; as ye call time, eleven-eleven (11:11).

[2390-2, Female 30, Bookkeeper, 12/5/40]

(Q) Does a soul ever enter a body before it is born?

(A) It enters either at the first breath physically drawn, or during the first twenty­ four hours of cycle activity in a material plane. Not always at the first breath; sometimes there are hours, and there are changes even of personalities as to the seeking to enter.

(Q) What keeps the physical body living until the soul enters?

(A) Spirit! For, the spirit of matter - its source is life, or God, see?

[2553-8, Female 27, Homemaker, 4/16/24]

As to the time of birth, we have the completion of the present entity in the evening. This is not with reference to birth in the physical sense, for the taking of breath into the physical bodies ail entities are not completed. With the mental, physical, spiritual and soul forces entities become complete....

[3062-2, Male 40, University English Teacher, 6/30/43]

(Q) Give the exact minute of my birth.

(A) The physical or the spiritual! For here we find there is a variation, and the actual physical birth we find near the noon hour - the spiritual birth in the evening.

[2779-1, Male 11, 7/7/42]

The circumstances of the entity's entrance into the earth at this particular period are most unusual. For, it might be said, from the purely spiritual angle, there was not the intention of entering - or there were not the complete channels for the purposes of the entity, in the channels through which the entity came.

To be sure, this is not - nor is it to be interpreted as - an indictment against any of those circumstances which arose or surrounded the activities at the entrance. For, as may be seen from the complete record, the entity entered not at the period of the completion of the physical conception of the body that the soul-entity occupies in the present....

The circumstances of the entity's entrance, we find, do not make for a supplanting, or did not make for a supplanting; rather there becomes a greater responsibility to those physically in the position of directing the abilities - as will be seen

- that are indicated as a part of the entity's experience.

[4835-1, Male 24, 12/6/23]

We find the spirit and soul took possession of this entity in the early evening. Hence, we will find the better developing of the forces in this body will come near the middle portion of the life.

[457-10, Female 34, 5/21/42]

(Q) Does soul enter child at conception or birth or in between?

(A) It may at the first moment of breath; it may some hours before birth; it may many hours after birth. This depends upon that condition, that environ surrounding the circumstance.