Spirit Guides
"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 counselor 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. Nevertheless, the term can also refer to animals or totems, controls, angels, or nature spirits.
What is a Spirit guide?
According to theosophical doctrine, spirit guides are persons who have lived many former lifetimes, paid their karmic debts, and advanced beyond a need to reincarnate. Many devotees believe that spirit guides are chosen on "the other side" by human beings who are about to incarnate and wish assistance.
Reports attributed to lucid dreaming cite the possibility of meeting one's spirit guide or "dream guide" in dreams or on the astral plane . Their guidance is said not to require mediumship.
Some early modern Spiritualists did not favor the idea of spirit guides. Spiritualist author and medium E.W. Wallis, writing in A Guide to Mediumship and Psychic Unfoldment, expressed an opinion that the notion of spirit guides is disempowering and disrespectful to both spirits and living people. He does not deny that seeking people may be helped by spirits here and there, but decries the idea that said spirits are appointed or assigned to do nothing but help the living. He advises would-be mediums to steer clear of the notion that they are being "guided" unless they have demonstrable proof that such is the case. [1]
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 live the life and your spirit guide helps 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, but could present itself as such. 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.
The Christian religious view of a spirit guide is that The Holy Spirit should be the only Spirit any attention should be given. All other spirit guides are presenting themselves as angels of light but in fact are demons. "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:31
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. Alice Bailey also described having contact with a spirit teacher whom she called "The Tibetan".
American Spiritualists of the 19th and 20th centuries often described their guides as resembling Native Americans. One popular spirit guide of this type, encountered by many Anglo-American Spiritualists, was named White Hawk. Among African-American Spiritualists, especially those in churches that were founded by or influenced by Mother Leafy Anderson, the Native American guide was named Black Hawk, and was presumed to be the spirit of the Fox tribe warrior of the same name.[2] Others described their guides in terms of what sounds like a mythologized Ancient Chinese appearance, and Irish guides were also common.
Contacting methods
Techniques range from astral projection techniques to simple mind visualization exercises. It is said that the spirit guide is not on the Earthly plane, but rather is communicating from "The Other Side". "The Other Side" has a much less dense atmosphere than Earth, and therefore it is believed that we must be tuned in to our guides by freeing the mind or doing one of many meditations. Lucid dreams can also help with contacting a spirit guide.
Some people who claim to have these abilities and see spirit guides say that their or other peoples spirit guide look like normal people that have died before, and have decided to help the people who are still alive and be almost like "guardian angels" to those people. They contact them by concentrating on the planes of the guides and the humans and then the spirits appear.
See also
References
- Wallis, E.W. and M.H., A Guide to Mediumship and Psychic Unfoldment. Originally published 1901. Reprint edition by Health Research 1996, p. 162-3, 193.
- "The Spirit of Blackhawk: A Mystery of Africans and Indians" by Jason Berry
