Hello Peace,

Yes, we grow as quickly as we wish. On the Earth plane, as it is today, it’s difficult for us to envision actually wanting to grow spiritually. We’re thoroughly materialistic. In other words, we’re onboard a cruise ship staying in our little room focused on the four walls and ceiling, when outside there’s a wonderful universe where we can have sunshine, lovely adventures, bliss, and love with a wonderful group of people. Materialism is what keeps us in the tiny room we call our bodies. It’s nothing in the universe that does it.

And so, when we begin to realize that we can be linked to the universe, and that great psychic power and understanding are available to us, we will seek to grow spiritually. But we grow only as we wish. Some people are so delighted with the afterlife they enter that they stay on a plane very near the Earth plane for a long time.

There is no “program” for development, but the direction is clear. We grow in understanding of the universe, God, and others. We grow in love, compassion, and feeling of brotherhood with all of humankind and all sentient beings.

We will progress gradually. The terms “spheres” or “planes” are convenient, but they’re not like going up steps. They’re more like walking up an incline, with changes happening imperceptibly as we rise. We find ourselves on a plane or sphere with others like us, but we don’t “graduate” into it.

As a result, we do progress gradually upward. We can’t skip understanding, so we do ascend smoothly, without skips and jumps. We don’t “skip spheres,” but only because to learn so we develop into one sphere, we must have learned the previous sphere’s knowledge. It’s like learning how to speak. You wouldn’t say that a child went from level to level in knowledge of speech, day by day. There are no jumps in the learning. However, when you compare a toddler first learning to speak with a 5 year old or 20 year old, you’ll see great differences. There were changes, but they were gradual.

Yes, there are many ways to learn, both on the Earth plane and the next plane of life. On the Earth plane, we normally learn first from our family and environment. If they are spiritually progressed, we will start off at that level; if they are spiritually immature materialists or even violent, we will start off at a low level. Then we learn as we hear people speak, encounter difficulties and overcome them, and seek more spiritual knowledge. That is the gradual growth, like learning to speak a language. But some people are “shocked” into learning, such as those who have a near-death experience. That life-changing event can cause them to have a “surge” of learning.

In the next plane of life, we learn from the guides and others there. They explain and help us understand. We might go into an experience where we review incidents from our Earth life to learn about them. We can even feel the feelings of others in the situations. Those on the other side of life also explain that sometimes people attend plays in which the main character was them, through which they gain a perspective. The people there may also return to the Earth plane or go into another plane of existence to learn lessons. There are “schools” as well, but they’re primarily there because people want to understand things about life, history of the Earth plane, and other subjects. Even there, however, the underlying focus is on growing to spiritual maturity.

Love and peace, Craig