Spirit guide
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"Spirit guide" is a term used by the Western tradition of Spiritualist Churches, mediums and psychics to describe an entity that remains a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a spiritual counsellor or protector to a living incarnated human being.
Traditionally, within the spiritualist churches, spirit guides were often stereotyped ethnically, with Native Americans, Chinese or Egyptians being popular for their perceived ancient wisdom, saints or enlightened individuals. The term can, however, also refer to animals or totems, controls, angels or nature spirits.
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[edit] What Is A Spirit Guide?
Many modern psychics claim that spirit guides are charged to each light entity on this Earth and on many other planets throughout the universe. Many psychics believe that spirit guides are chosen on "the other side" by us and God before we incarnate, and that they guide us to follow our life's plan because we want them to.
Some people claim it is possible to meet one's spirit guide in dreams or on the astral plane (see Astral Projection). Their guidance is said, by some, not to require mediumship.
[edit] Who Is A Spirit Guide?
The Gnostic religious view of a spirit guide is that on the other side you and your guide planned your life on earth before you incarnated. You would live the life and your spirit guide would help you along the way. Thus, if this is the case, everyone has a spirit guide because everyone planned their life prior to being born. Therefore, the spirit guide couldn't be a living relative, or an animal. Furthermore, a guide is said to have lived at least one earthly life before becoming a spirit guide so that they can understand the struggles of human life.
[edit] Looks and Appearances
Many well known psychics have publicly described their guides. Helena Blavatsky talked about being advised by "Mahatmas", discarnate personages from India and especially Tibet, who dressed and behaved according to the dictates of their respective cultures. American Spiritualists often described their guides as resembling Native Americans. As most American Spiritualists were middle-class Anglo women, who had never seen an Indian of any nation,[citation needed] it would be more correct to say that their guides followed a general type of what they perceived or believed Indians to be. Others described their guides in terms of what sounds like a mythologized Ancient Chinese appearance, and Irish guides were also common.
Today, Sylvia Browne still follows the standard of having a guide with a Hindi-like appearance, with her hair in a long braid and loose-fitting clothing. Browne's second spirit guide is described as wearing a turban.
[edit] Contacting Methods
Several people offer techniques from experiences they claim say allowed them to meet their spirit guides. There are many published materials by various authors with their own insight into the phenomenon. Scientific experiments have been conducted, and none of the methods has been demonstrated to work.
The techniques that exist range from astral projection techniques to simple mind visualization exercises. It is said that the spirit guide is not on the Earthly plane, but communicating from "The Other Side". "The Other Side" is much less dense atmosphere than Earth, and so therefore it is believed that we must be tuned in to our guides by freeing the mind or doing one of many meditations.
[edit] References
- http://www.novus.org
- http://www.jonasridgeway.com
- Sylvia Browne's Contacting Your Spirit Guide (Book)
- http://www.daynaspirit.com
