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Theory
ATransC
Survival Hypothesis
by Tom Butler
Updated 1-20-2012
Editor's note: As you read this hypothesis, please keep in mind
that it is a theoretical model designed to describe observed phenomena
and results of considerable study by many researchers. Still, even
though metaphysics has been around for centuries, this current view is
based at least in part on research enabled by the introduction of
instrumental forms of communication across the veil. That study began in
1959 with the discovery of unexpected voices in recording equipment by
Frederick Jürgenson.
A hypothesis is designed to be tested and refined, so what you read here
should not be considered factual, true or official policy in any way. It
would not be on this website if it was not thought to be substantially
correct and it is being used as the working hypothesis for understanding
things paranormal, but it remains for future researchers to decide just
how correct.
Abstract
A person’s personality is in a symbiotic relationship with the physical
body. This relationship enables the personality which has a primarily etheric point of view to
experience the physical aspect of reality from the physical body's
perspective. It is thought that the purpose of this is to enable
the personality to have experiences in the physical venue with the
expectation of gaining understanding about the operation of reality
given the constraints of the physical venue.
The personality is separate from the physical body, and when the
physical body is no longer able to sustain life, the personality is no
longer able to inhabit the physical. The personality returns its focus of
attention to the etheric in a process referred to as “death,” “dying,”
or more correctly, “transition.”
The transition is to an aspect of reality that is reported to
be a place for assessment and gathering of understanding before entering
into a new venue for further experiences and learning. At least while in
this intermediate stage, the personality is able to communicate with
personalities which continue to maintain a physical perspective.
The Survival Hypothesis is concerned with the relationship of
personalities to physical bodies, transition, the nature of the greater reality
and the mechanisms of trans-etheric influence.
Introduction
The Survival
Hypothesis is one of three commonly proposed explanations to explain the
ability of some people to access evidential information via mediumship.
A mental medium might say, “I sense your (now deceased) father and he is
telling me that you left your keys in the pants you gave to charity
yesterday.” If this message is true and the medium had no physical way
to know the information, then how did the medium know?
Of course, one
explanation is that the medium is a fraud, a lucky guesser or both
medium and witnesses are delusional. This explanation is attractive
because it requires no supernormal capability.
The second is
the Super-Psi Hypothesis. In this, information is thought to never cease
to exist and remains in some imagined field of subtle energy that
overlies physical reality. This includes everything that has ever been
said, thought and done. In this explanation, the medium is somehow able
to access the information by way of psychic means. This is a popular
explanation because, while requiring some supernormal ability and the
existence of as yet undefined subtle energy, it does not require
survival of personality. Quantum theory is often called on to support
this explanation.
The third
explanation is least popular amongst parapsychologists and scorned by
mainstream academia. It is the Survival Hypothesis, which predicts that
the information is coming from the sitters father who is alive and well
in some other aspect of reality.
The Survival
Hypothesis is really a cosmology describing the makeup of reality. It is
pretty complex, so take your time studying it. It is also evolving, so
keep an eye on this article. We refer to this model of reality as the
ATransC Survival Hypothesis to distinguish it from the model usually
intended by the academic community.
Important
terms
All terms are
used in the usual sense. Exceptions include:
Cosmology:
Not as used in astronomy. A cosmology describes the relationship of the
various parts of reality–both physical and etheric. It also addresses
the relationship amongst the parts.
Energetic
agreement: Little is known about the nature of etheric energy. Much
less is known about the difference in its characteristics, if any, from
one aspect of reality to another. In this hypothesis, energetic
agreement means that whatever the nature of the local energy, a
personality must match that nature to inhabit or influence that aspect
of reality.
Etheric:
That aspect of the greater reality that is not physical; nonphysical.
Etheric
energy: Just as there is a spectrum of electromagnetic energy, there
is probably also a spectrum of etheric energy. Future scientists will
probably think of both as being on the same spectrum, but for now, we
use “etheric energy” to describe all that is not physical, including
subtle energy influenced by psi functioning. Etheric energy is seen as a
precursor to physical energy.
Personality:
In this hypothesis, the physical body and the personality of the
individual are seen as two different components–the body is evolved on
Earth and the personality is evolved in the greater reality. The body
hosts the personality in the physical. Who you really are is your
personality. This relationship is described as entanglement in the sense
that, while associated with the body, the personality and body function
as one.
Transition:
The physical body dies in the usual sense, but the personality–who the
person really is–continues into a different aspect of the greater
reality. This change in circumstance is referred to as transition.
The
hypothesis
Continued
existence of personality after "death" of the physical body is described
by the Survival Hypothesis, which is intended to order the evidence into
a cosmology and resulting predictions which can be experimentally
tested. By examining the accumulating evidence, it is becoming clear
that the hypothesis is largely testable, and that it is substantially
proven by the existing evidence. What remains is the need for more
research to better evaluate the available evidence and to explore the
implications of the hypothesis.
When considered with data from other forms of trans-etheric influences,
Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC) can provide a great deal of
information about the nature of reality. ITC is considered a set of
energy-dependent phenomena that includes manipulation of
audio energy (Electronic Voice Phenomena or EVP), manipulation of
optical energy to produce faces and other recognizable features and
production of text messages. Energy repeatedly appears as a limiting
factor, and so, the hypothesis is defined from that perspective.
Property: There is a greater reality of which the
physical universe is an aspect.
-
Etheric energy appears to
be governed by rules that are responsive to the influence of intention.
A fundamental notion of metaphysics is that people (personalities) create reality. The
process for that creation consists of turning attention to an imagined result
with the intention that it will be so. Thus, the ability to create
is a function of the person’s ability to imagine, hold attention and
express intention. According to this hypothesis, energy is more
responsive to intention in the etheric than it is in the physical. -
Physical energy is a
differentiated form of etheric energy. Virtually all of the
evidence indicates that the personality of a person is native to etheric reality, and is only in the
physical as a visitor. Also, there is a difference in character
between the energy forming the personality and energy forming the
physical body. This hypothesis postulates that physical energy is
derived from etheric energy. -
There is an interface between the physical and etheric that
requires a change in energy to cross. The relationship of an
ocean to the atmosphere is a good illustration for this point. There
is a substantial change in the characteristic of the environment as
one moves from the air (etheric) into water (physical). Also, for a
person (personality) to inhabit the water for an extended time, it
is necessary to be in a dive suit (the physical body). See the
Unfinished Hypothesis for a
discussion of the nature of the “dive suit.” -
Spatial relationships in
the etheric may be more akin to fractal geometry than to Cartesian
space. The notions of "up or down" and "finer or coarser," are useful for
conversation but not accurate for describing spatial relationships
in etheric reality. The better view might be movement by changing
perspective or attitude.1 Consequently, linear measuring
devices may be useless for mapping etheric space. Instead, worldview
and ability to manage energy to determine location may need to be
considered. -
The character of the energy
forming reality appears to change over a continuum as:
Physical
-
Physical energy:
Electromagnetic energy; electricity.
-
Subtle energy:
Vitality; auric; biofield; contact field. The intent is to describe
the subtle energy required for physical manifestations of
etheric influences. This hypothesis holds that the influence must
be supported by energy that is compatible with the physical.
Experimental evidence supports the existence of this energy,2 but
it is unclear as to how it relates to the assumed
physical-to-etheric interface.
Etheric
-
Near-locale:
ITC contact apparently originates from this region which is
apparently energetically "close" to the physical. The
near-locale includes:
-
Near-physical:
Residual energy hauntings; apparitions; out-of-body
experiencers.
-
Transitional venue: A place to become oriented before
moving on to a new venue for learning. The "hospital" in which
people become accustomed to not being physically and mentally
impaired exists here.
-
Local heavens: Regions of existence based on worldview
which appear to be the personality’s attempt to cling to the
familiar for a time. For instance, a person might report having
Christmas dinner with discarnate family at grandma's house.
-
A range of
"heavens" or venues for experience: A person
eventually leaves this locale for what is apparently a new
lifetime in a different venue for learning. Considering the
evidence for reincarnation, this new venue may be the physical,
but it may also be a different aspect of reality entirely. The
objective evidence is inconclusive. All that is clear is that
contacts say they must "go on" and stop communicating. One
contact described "going on" as dying into a new lifetime.3
Property: The person is the channel through which trans-etheric influences are enabled.
-
Worldview tends to
filter experiences: ITC contacts tend to be consistent with the
expectations of the experiencer. A characteristic of EVP is that
they are in a language the experimenter or an interested observer
understands.4 page 204
For instance, a concern for the safety of "spirit
contact" can sometimes produce fearful results, confirming the
reason for that concern.4, page
95
-
The deeper the trance, the less influence from the medium: A
mental medium depends on a mind-to-mind exchange of information in
the etheric and then the medium must translate the etheric information into
physical terms via his or her library of words and images. A
deep-trance medium is believed to allow personality to
"step aside" so that the personality of the communicating entity may
assume temporary control of the physical body. The result is that a
mental medium (little or no trance) tends to color the message based
on personal experience while the deep-trance medium will tend to deliver
messages more as they were intended. Mental mediums are not expected
to speak a language they do not know but a trance medium may because
the message is thought to be coming directly from the discarnate speaker.
-
Influences are
energy-limited and the ability of the person to "gather" the energy
is a factor for what is experienced and by whom: The ability to
manage subtle energy can be developed but some people naturally
excel at it. In Spiritualism, a
physical medium is thought to "gather" ectoplasmic energy from
sitters to form a voice box for direct-voice phenomena.5
This is an ability that many people have attempted but few have
succeeded in developing, yet it is considered a latent ability in
all people.
-
Etheric energy appears to accumulate in a place and
remain over time. Thus, experiences may be influenced by environment:
A physical medium sometimes sits in a cabinet to contain the energy.
The indication is that haunted locations are haunted because the
energy required for the haunting activity is available due to
long-time human occupancy and/or the expression of extreme
emotions. EVP has been recorded in supposedly haunted places that
were clearly initiated by the practitioner’s usual etheric contacts
and which are clearly not from a "local" ghost.6 Also,
psychometry is thought to depend on residual, subtle energy.
-
Physical time and
distance do not influence results: In the 4Cell EVP
Demonstration7 the
communicating entity is required to receive a
request from the Sender in one part of the world, and deliver the
message to the Receiver in another part of the world. This is done
without apparent time or distance constraints.
Property: Etheric-to-physical influences are initiated by intelligence
other than the experiencer.
-
The personality has an
etheric aspect, which is its "true" nature: This is
one of the foundation concepts of the hypothesis. A personality is born into
entanglement with a physical body and
returns to the etheric when the physical body dies. In this
hypothesis, the "arrow of creation" points from the etheric to the
physical.8 The
communicating personality in EVP and in mediumship energetically
inhabits the etheric (is not physical) and therefore depends on
entanglement with a physical body (a physical person) to provide a
conduit to enable etheric-to-physical influences.
-
The personality's point of
view shifts from that of the physical body to its etheric aspect when the
physical body dies or during sleep: A change in point of view
is probably the best way to describe death.1
There have been successful experiments in which EVP have clearly
been initiated by a sleeping person, which offers further evidence
that the personality is independent of the physical body, except for the
purpose of experiencing the physical.9
-
The "survived"
personality is able to remain energetically close to the physical for a
time, but eventually moves to an aspect of reality energetically
"out of range" for contact: This should probably be
treated as a corollary of the
concept above concerning the different characteristics of energy.
-
Axiom: An entity
must be energetically in agreement with the aspect of reality it
will inhabit: It is not clear how "agreement" is achieved, but
it apparently depends on the personality's ability to influence energy, and that
seems to be a function of how well the personality understands the natural
processes controlling that energy. The understanding of the
principles governing the operation of reality and ability to live in
accordance with those principles is often described as spirituality
and the measure of how well a person understands this is described
as spiritual maturity.
Property: Formation is a product of intended order
-
The creative process appears to be focused attention with the
intention to realize an imagined result: This is one of the
foundation concepts of the hypothesis. It implies that personalities
are the creator of the reality energetically bounding the aspect of
reality they inhabit. Put another way, the embodiment of imagined
object of reality (buildings, places ideas) in the physical is
accomplished via people living in the physical.
-
The venue for learning represented by the physical aspect of
reality is an object of reality which is energetically bounded by the aspect
of reality inhabited by its creator personality or personalities.
In this way, reality is thought to be hierarchical.
-
Order naturally emerges in chaotic systems: At least in some
systems, this emergent order is the effect of stochastic
amplification of naturally occurring small signal irregularities in the system. The emergent order, itself is probably
chaotic but might be described as fractals. (Loci for creation?)
-
An aspect of reality exists as the product of intended order:
This is one of the foundation concepts of the hypothesis. A common
factor in ITC is the transformation of broad-spectrum, chaotic
energy into intelligently intended features such as the voice in EVP
and faces in visual ITC. Current research is showing that output of
random event generators increase in order when in the presence of
strongly expressed intention. There is evidence in precipitation
phenomena, such as spirit art, that the precipitation material
undergoes an orderly to chaotic to orderly transformation. All of
these suggest that the basic process in the creative process is the
emergence of intended order.
Lessons Learned
-
Groups of entities
work together to influence the physical: The Big Circle is a
group of friends and family members now on the other side who help
people with EVP, grief and presumably daily living.10, page 107
Channeled entities often describe themselves as a group entity. Some
ATransC members have learned to behave as if a group of unseen
friends are helping them. The EVP, "Big Circle," recorded by Martha Copeland
illustrates one reason for this. In it, her daughter Cathy is
clearly heard saying "Big Circle" just as
Martha asks for help with her father’s operation.11
-
No evidence of anything demonic, but plenty of people behaving
badly:
Personalities with an evil state of mind are sometimes
encountered, but there is no evidence of anything like a demon.
Rather than concluding there is demonic activity, look at whether or
not an experiencer has the expectation of evil and is capable of a
psychosomatic response. It appears that some people “allow” energy, with characteristics
that fulfill their expectations, to come to them via trans-etheric
influences.
-
It is apparently
possible to be "stuck" in the near locale for such reasons as fear
of judgment, religious training or expectations: What we do and
think matters, and can determine how we fare on the other side. For
instance, the belief that suicide is a sin appears to be a local
custom, but fear of judgment because the person committed suicide is
sometimes the reason for a personality to avoid judgment by staying
"close" to the physical. It is important to teach people what to
realistically expect upon transition.
-
There is a life review from the perspective of those we
influence: The EVP, "Review our lives,"11 was in
answer to the 4Cell EVP Demonstration7 question, "What happens to
us when we die?" Near-Death experiencers also report a life review.
The evidence seems to suggest that the life review is our judgment
and that we are the judges.
References
-
Butler,
Tom, Cosmology of Imaginary Space,
atransc.org/theory/concepts_imaginary_numbers.htm,
Reviewed January 2010.
-
Radin,
Dean,
Entangled Minds, 2006, Pocket Books, New York,
ISBN-13:978-1-4165-1677-4.
-
Monroe
Institute, The Explorer Series Audio Tapes, Tape 6,
Miranon: Levels and Planes of Existence, Monroe Institute.
-
Butler,
Tom and Lisa,
There is No Death
and There are No Dead, 2004,
ATransC Publishing, ISBN-0-9727493-0-6.
-
Flint,
Leslie, www.freewebs.com/afterlife/flint/ 19 April 2007
-
Butler,
Tom and Lisa, EVP example:
"Paolo Presi, Alexander MacRae,"
2004, atransc.org/examples/evpexamples_butler2.htm,
Reviewed January 2010.
-
Butler,
Tom and Lisa, 4Cell EVP Demonstration,
2006, Association TransCommunication,
atransc.org/journal/4cell_experiment.htm, Reviewed January 2010.
-
Butler,
Tom,
Seeing Both Sides: The Arrow of
Creation is at the Center of the Dispute Concerning the Validity of
EVP, ATransC,
atransc.org/theory/seeing_both_sides.htm
Reviewed January 2010
-
Butler.
Tom and Lisa, Recording The Thoughts of The Living?,
ATransC NewsJournal, Spring 2001, Experiment – Recording the
Living, ATransC NewsJournal, Summer 2001,
atransc.org/articles/recording_thoughts_of_living.htm. January
2010
-
Copeland,
Martha,
I’m Still Here, AA-EVP Publishing, Reno, NV, 2005,
ISBN: 0-9727493-1-4, evpcommunications.com, 22 April 2007.
-
Copeland,
Martha, EVP example: Big Circle, AA-EVP,
atransc.org/examples/forever_family_evp_examples.html,
20 April 2007.
-
Morrison, Shell, EVP example:
Review our lives,
AA-EVP,
atransc.org/examples/forever_family_evp_examples.html,
20 April 2007.
Overview of the
Survival Hypothesis
This working
hypothesis may be summarized as:
-
There is an aspect of reality that is not yet defined by
physical science. This aspect is referred to by the
ATransC as "the etheric aspect of reality," or simply,
"the etheric."
-
Entities
(personalities) exist in
the etheric. Evidence
indicates that there are at least the following types of
entities:
-
Personalities who have survived physical death: When
a person
transitions out of the body at the time of death,
the person as an etheric personality, apparently continue to
exist in the greater reality.
These discarnate personalities appear to reside
in
many venues of existence. These venues may
represent different degrees of spiritual
maturity.
-
Personalities who have not experienced
physical existence. Perhaps these are people
who evolved in other venues for learning.
-
Personalities who are focused on the
operation of reality rather than experiencers of
reality. Popular terms for these entities are devic
entities, angels and nature spirits.
-
Entities who may actually be
personalities existing in other
parts of physical reality, but who have learned to
transition in and out of nonphysical reality at
will. (Could these be extraterrestrials?)
-
There is an energetic difference between
physical and the etheric aspect of reality. Bridging this
difference is not a trivial task.
-
Objects in the etheric, including things, emotions
and ideas, must somehow energetically agree with the
aspect of reality that they are to occupy.
-
The
ITC practitioner provides the necessary
circumstances with technology for transcommunication and by "gathering"
energy used by the entity to communicate. By
"gathering energy," it is meant that there is a form
of subtle or etheric energy that is a product of life processes,
probably best described as "auric or biofield energy," that naturally accumulates
and is retained by
physical objects. As such, any place that has had
long-time human occupancy and/or the expression of
extreme emotion is apt to have ample energy of the
kind necessary for etheric to physical influences to
occur.
-
The ITC practitioner is an etheric personality
in a symbiotic relationship with its physical
body. The personality-physical body
entanglement that occurs at the time of birth
allows the personality to be energetically in
agreement with the physical aspect of reality.
It is this “embodiment” that allows the ITC
practitioner to bring the etheric object of
reality–probably as an image or gestalt “thought
ball”–into the physical.
-
The
ITC practitioner must supply the vocabulary and library
of image/concepts used by the communicating entity,
thus explaining why the EVP is in a language
understood by the practitioner or an interested
witness.
To paraphrase this hypothesis, ITC practitioner know
they are communicating with some form of intelligence.
Different practitioners report contact with different
types of entities. They use technology, yet there is
also considerable evidence that they are an important
part of the “circuit.” In other words, if long-dead
Uncle John is to communicate, he must find a way to
bring his thoughts/words into physical substance. That
channel of communication is provided by the practitioner
and the electronic equipment. Exactly how this is
accomplished is not clear; however, mediumship and the
ability to record ITC have been shown to be learned
abilities. The attitude and desire of the individual is
central to this experience. See
EVP Formation and
Physical
Processes Involved in Trans-etheric Influences
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ITC practitioner know they are communicating
with some form of intelligence. Different practitioners report
contact with different types of entities. They use technology,
yet there is also considerable evidence that they are an
important part of the "circuit." In other words, if long-dead
Uncle John is to communicate, he must find a way to bring his
thoughts/words into physical substance. That channel of
communication is provided by the practitioner and the electronic
equipment. Exactly how this is accomplished is not clear;
however, mediumship and the ability to record EVP have been
shown to be learned abilities. The attitude and desire of the
individual is central to this experience.
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