by Jurgen Ziewe

‘Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known’ ~Carl Sagan

In my previous book, I submitted several detailed reports concerning the highest levels of the Astral or higher dimensional regions, which, by most people who find themselves here for the first time, is seen as Heaven itself. There are crucial characteristics missing though, which distinguishes it from the much higher levels of Consciousness that can only be reached after the identification with our ego has been surrendered and all attachments that bind us to any remaining desires have been severed. These are regarded as the true Vistas of Heaven, as we shall see later.

Nevertheless, these realms are extraordinarily sublime, symmetrical and beautiful, characterized by interplaying harmonies that are not quite as apparent on the less energized levels, which still can be extremely beautiful though. Over the years I have taken notes and created many images inspired by this region. Short of repeating one or two reports from my previous book, none of my notes I have taken since then will make a consistent narrative to provide a comprehensive image via one report alone of what these higher realms have to offer. Often I have simply locked these impressions in my soul and later reproduced them as digital paintings, though on their way down into that format they rarely looked like their original, but I feel I have still managed to put across the key impressions.

It is highly unlikely, in any case, that any two people visiting these regions will come across the same scene, in the same way, just as it is unlikely that people travelling to America travel to the same exact spot. Though at this point, it has to be said that we do create consensus environments too. For example, if a large number of people watch a film like The Hobbit we are likely to find an environment just like it, or if enough people look at any one of my images and imagine themselves to be there, it is possible that scenery just like it will have been created somewhere on one of the higher dimensions. Imagination is a powerful force of creation, especially if emotions and feelings are employed. I have visited enough imagined creativity to know that this is true. So instead of just handing snippets of journals, let me take out my word brush and paint a picture in the form of a collage of my most significant impressions.

First of all, let me state that there are infinite numbers of worlds, not just related to Earth life, but also a limitless number of other planets that are accessible to us from here. On top of this there are so many nuances of each reality that can be experienced that we simply have to accept these are infinite. We will also have to get used to the fact that every individual experiences this reality from their unique point of view, being drawn into environments in tune with their state of mind, their character and often with an additional layer of idiosyncratic projections superimposed.

The other striking awareness that becomes more apparent when entering these higher states is an acute feeling that we are closer to Home, no matter how alien the planet is we may have visited. This is due to the fact that we are more aware of the proximity of the core aspect of ourselves, our inner home, the soul’s natural resting place, of which all the outer worlds including our Earth are simply manifestations or forecourts. To us these may be treated as our cherished home ground, but still not provide the true feeling, the safety and security associated with the authentic place we spring from. So we can experience worlds far removed from Earth with wild and alien vegetation, with multiple suns, orbiting moons and planets, with unearthly atmospheres and ambient light which is unlike anything we may have experienced before, and yet we will still feel very much a sense of being at home. We are closer, but not yet in the actual Home of Conciousness which is represented by the true Heaven states.

It is also far easier to space travel on these much higher dimensional levels than it is on the lower ones. I clearly remember journeying through a multitude of different star systems all during one event, yet despite covering millions of light years I still experienced a feeling of proximity of home.

All space and the multidimensional counterpart of space is a manifestation from the much higher dimension that I previously referred to as the Super Dimension. Now though, I simply like to call them the Heaven, the Vistas of Heaven or the Home of Consciousness, which I will explore in more detail. I am still finding it hard to subdivide the dimensions into vertical layers, which is often done by some esoteric models as a way of distinguishing between them, and if I talk of higher or lower I simply refer to it in these terms as more positive or negative, within a more or less expanded Consciousness, appreciated as more or less beautiful and symmetric and more or less bright, etc.

This kind of vertical discrimination is also quite challenging with regard to any other planes of reality and the only way it makes sense is by showing that Consciousness expands the closer we move to our Source, where we experience incredible harmonies unfolding as we approach. There is also a remarkable increase in the brightness of the prevailing light or the atmosphere, which of course is quickly adapted to.

Sometimes it is possible to approach these elevated regions from the air during OBEs and they show themselves up first as a bright light in the distance, like dawn breaking in the morning. As we get closer, we find increasing discomfort when facing these brighter territories until we get acclimatized. This is another reason why I found it hard to accept that dimensional levels are in some way stacked vertically on top of each other. Although we can enter higher dimensions via a shift in Consciousness, we can also literally travel towards them. As seen in my previous report, people simply crossed a bridge to move into the next dimension. In my previous book, Multidimensional Man, I initially used buildings, and by using the stairs in order to reach the top floor I sometimes found myself in a higher dimension. On other occasions, I would try to break through a ceiling to advance. My conclusion was that by using such powerful ‘feeling visualisation’ we trick Consciousness into relocating us on a higher level. Unless it is experienced it is hard to understand or visualise, but the brightness of the higher regions makes it impossible for people of a somewhat lower state of Consciousness to enter; they are prevented from entering these regions on the grounds of experienced discomfort. We need to get attuned to it first.

These are the great mysteries of Consciousness, which won’t allow us to view it in the logical manner we are used to on our physical level at all. We are better served by using analogies of our dreams, where symbols can be deployed as focus points to shift awareness from one state to the next. Sceptics should not be too hasty to dismiss this fact as proof that we are dealing with pure fantasy or imagination. Consciousness has its own laws, which simply are not based on our physical ones.

In the many reports on near death experiences I have read, little mention has been made of the many prominent features of the higher Consciousness discussed in the next chapter. I concluded that it is here on these sublime Astral regions that most of the people having had a near death experience will have found themselves when they reported that they had been to Heaven. There is little on Earth that comes close to it in the serenity of its beauty, which is mainly the sensation of being in such close proximity to our true origin that we simply call it Home.

The people living here permanently are, without exception, very attractive and beautiful. Here we will realise to the full extent of what a beautiful species we really are and I feel what a great privilege it is to have been chosen to live life as a human being. On the lower levels mankind’s core beauty very often gets overlooked and overshadowed by the negative aspects of mankind, which are given more exposure in the media, but having visited these higher regions I no longer feel this way. When seeing beyond the shadows, which are mostly brought about by ignorance, struggle and extreme hardship, we will see that we are imbued with radiant inner beauty that will shine through. Once we have shaken the last traces of the shadow we become radiant beings, which fills me with joy and makes me feel privileged to be part of.

Many whose natural home is on a much higher level of Consciousness have chosen to settle here so they can more readily be of service to the many people needing their help on the lower Astral regions or even the physical one. This is a kind of sacrifice they make in order to serve, because their true spiritual home makes the Heavens of the Astral plane appear like darkness by comparison. Frequently people who have had trauma experiences and escaped certain death only need to come as far as the higher Astral planes. Unless they were very unusually spiritually unfolded, they are simply unable to penetrate the true Vistas of Heaven, the Consciousness that is very close to the Source of its origin or Singularity. NDE victims of accidents and medical trauma only need to come as far as this to receive healing, comfort and counselling, and when they return they will give testimony of the beauty of Heaven, of the grace they have received and all the wisdom that has been imparted to them by enlightened beings. These beings can show and transport them, by their sheer intent, into the much higher regions where they perceive their ‘download’, their wisdom of the revelations which they will then report back to the people left behind on Earth. Here they will give testimony that they have been to paradise and back. Very few of them would readily accept that they had barely scratched the surface of Heaven.

The people who help these injured souls return to their physical bodies are mostly enlightened humans, often very old souls, whose charisma and radiance can easily be mistaken for that of an angel or even God himself. People on the receiving end of their benevolence and love may easily project the image of their religious avatar onto them, a saint or holy man or woman; for the time of their stay, their benefactor may take on all the external appearances without ever deviating a moment from the authentic love they feel for their charge. These healing angels and spiritual benefactors are self-realised human beings from the planes of the super-dimensional realities beyond.

There are reports, however, bearing the hallmarks of near death experiencers having reached past the Astral Heaven and into the pure light of Consciousness. This is no different from people having spontaneous enlightenment experiences, which have been reported more frequently in recent years. But it is only when we enter the true Heavens that the differences between the Astral and true Heavens become much more obvious. The most decisive ones are the dramatic expansion in Consciousness, the enhancements of all our means of perception, the increase of light and an all-present bliss awareness that is directly sent to us by the very Singularity which embraces and includes all. For victims to go straight from their physical Consciousness into the highest state would only cause additional trauma because of their old sense of identity being stripped away and the opening of a completely new sense of who they are. This could be a hindrance to their healing process. Some quite ordinary people on Earth have had spontaneous spiritual experiences of such nature and found themselves seeking medical help or counselling because of the impact it had on their lives. In spiritual literature or on specialised forums this is often referred to as a ‘Spiritual Emergency’. I myself have received letters from concerned partners asking for advice on how to deal with such powerful spontaneous transformations. Due to our ignorance, these people are often medicated or admitted to an institution where they are categorised as psychotic or schizophrenic. In reality they would benefit more from counselling by somebody familiar with their experience and being slowly grounded by focusing attention more on practical worldly tasks.

However when compared to Earth, these Astral Heavens are still unforgettable experiences that will frequently transform a person’s life when they return to Earth, but fortunately (or unfortunately) they are not exposed to the full impact of the much higher states. When reading reports by near death experiencers they almost all agree that they were reluctant to return to their bodies because of the pleasure they experienced. So the Heavens we find on the highest Astral regions could be referred to as our earthly Heavens and, unless you have a powerful impulse to penetrate into the very heart of creation, most people would be content to spend the rest of their eternity here instead of the ‘real thing’.

Let us linger here for a while longer to experience what it feels like in these lofty regions where we are so much closer to our true home and its readily available creative power. The first thing we will probably become aware of is that we are never in any alien kind of environment, no matter how remote it is from our familiar ground. This is because we are in an intimate communication with our surrounding world. We are no longer alienated in any way from what is considered outside of us. The environment responds much more readily to our feeling in a positive way. I have described this happening in the lower regions as well, but here it carries an intimacy and personal link that feels very wholesome. For example, everything that sways or moves emits a sound that will always harmonise with other sounds and our own presence. Walking along a riverbank, the gargling sound of the water will be more like a tune playing especially aimed at us because we are so synchronised with the world. Simultaneously we may feel it in the song of a bird nearby, singing its melody as part of a universal concert. Everything that happens around us is synchronised with us.

If you imagine a bright summer’s day with its warming sun rays, the way you remember it from childhood when you may have played happily, free of any concerns, in the garden among flowers which appeared to be the same size as you, you will get a close enough match of what you might find here. On top of that, the environment responds to you intimately because all your feelings are living energies that interact with all other energies sustaining this world and its creations and being constantly at play. If you were to look with delight and affection at a flower it would come alive and display its most vibrant aspects to you by opening up and giving off its magical scent or even increasing in size and splendour. At this level we no longer simply look at our surroundings and the beauty of nature, we communicate and interrelate with it and become increasingly aware that there is no such thing as dead matter, because everything contains the essence of intelligence. It is easy to be carried away simply by surrendering to the harmonies of sight and sound and the presence of love radiating from the Source of everything within all objects that make up our environment. Even though it may still not be quite as apparent as on the more expanded levels, we only have to open ourselves up to these energies and we will be enchanted as if by a magical spell.

Devoted pet owners already know that their beloved animals have a soul, character and personality. When we arrive here we will directly understand how intelligent our companions really are, and we can freely talk and communicate with them as if they were people, even to birds.

Everything we see or interact with on these levels opens up an additional component of enhanced experience. We may be reading a book that springs vibrantly to life in our inner experience or be looking at a painting where we get lost in it and, depending on the type of work, we may actually enter it and experience exactly what the artist experienced as they painted it, as I have described in an earlier report. If we listen to music we will notice that the sounds have colour and a concert can manifest a powerful display of magical light shows.

Interestingly, in most of our earthly pop concerts this idea has already filtered through years ago and is employed to great effect by the concert organisers. Computer technicians have also seen the link between sound and graphic representation, and we can download software which turns music into art. As an artist I personally started using it in my work with virtual reality. All these ‘special effects’ have already been available for thousands of years on the Astral levels and are simply a natural process.

For every scenery and for every landscape here there is an enhanced version on the higher planes, enhanced meaning imbuing you with the unavoidable presence of joy and splendour; the inner presence of its creator as well as the physical grandeur of its more highly unfolded manifestation with sharper or softer contours, more vibrant or far greater ranges and nuances of colours and a comfortable atmosphere of hugging warmth. Where there is water it will be like liquid crystal without the sensation of wetness. It feels almost like having a layer of frosted glass removed from our sight because everything is so crisp and clear.

When walking through open landscapes there is often an additional component of feeling that previously we could never register or be aware of with our physical nervous system. When returning back to our body we realise how coarse everything is by comparison. Here these feelings are represented in the different qualities of lights with subtle ambient shades of colour, which casts a totally new and unique atmosphere into our awareness. We can have new and many different kinds of awareness as we enter the region and often experience completely new varieties of feelings for the first time.

It is not just the much greater spectrum of emotions that we can discriminate here which our crude physical nervous system can never deliver or differentiate. Every sensory facility is greatly enhanced, but we will find that emotions have a much greater range, often with many more nuances of joy or other positive feelings, which makes the experience here so distinguished from everything we have ever known. A much broader range of colours with hues we never knew existed can be perceived and the same applies to sound as well as other perceptions, including smell and taste. We will simply have greater direct access to the intrinsic energy that is manifested in the objects of the world surrounding us, so when we look at a stone we will connect to the energy of the stone with its unique aura and consequently the whole world surrounding us comes to life, is lit up from within and may respond to us as we pass. We can even detect its inner intelligence, which manifested it in the first place, which gives everything a sense of presence.

Frequently, when choosing to go for a stroll in these pre-Heaven realms and looking at the ground, a number of curious phenomena may be observed, such as the ground organising itself in a geometric and symmetric pattern, so it may appear as if one is walking on some kind of Persian rug, but these patterns will keep changing in accordance with one’s feelings. This especially holds true when walking on a path showing a random texture of pebbles or covered with autumn leaves, which arrange themselves into a symmetric pattern.

Here on these higher dimensions I have experienced it as almost a given because of being much closer to the symmetries of the higher worlds. Sometimes it may even appear as if the ground is made of glass or semi-transparent stone. When walking into mountainous regions the rock of the mountain may appear to be made of semi-precious or precious stone like an abundant variety of translucent marbles. Everything nature has manifested on our Earth is here in the high Astral regions, and it seems of a much higher quality. Instead of stones there may be semi-precious or precious stones; instead of base metals, precious metals. Buildings constructed of marble are of a quality and pattern that simply cannot be found on Earth, with seams of gold or silver running through or clear crystal. There may be gravity-defying buildings and very complex and elaborate water parks with vegetation unknown on earth, flower forests with individual plants meters high, swaying gently in a warm summer breeze. I have communicated with animals and birds as if they were humans, which to me is proof that all creatures have much more intelligence than they are given credit for.

Little streams cascading down the mountain carry water that is crystal clear and emit musical scores rather than the white noise normally associated with rushing water. Were we to bend down and pick up the sand on the river bank and let it run through our fingers, we would hear musical notes emitted by the fine grains. I also frequently noticed that the underlying geometry shows signs of fractal growth, most apparent in the plants, bushes and trees as well as in the bark, which can show up in a very beautiful and symmetric arrangement of the leaves and branches making the most intriguing pattern.

Considering our fellow human brothers and sisters on this level in their more unfolded state could require a whole book of sociological study. We are no longer so precious about safeguarding our status and image on higher levels, because we are on our way to letting go of self-importance in order to enter the much higher levels of Consciousness; this requires the total surrender of our ego attachments. Therefore we will find it a joy communicating with other people in whom we recognise an almost intimate relationship, as if they were our very own family members. I have already mentioned the attractiveness of the people here, all of whom will have resolved their ego-related fixations and problems and put aside their need for judgement or defending an opinion.

We are actually experiencing utopian society where everyone lives in peace and is free of conflict. Our disguises and roles we display in physical society have been dropped, our authentic nature and individuality shines though and radiates out into the world. We are inevitably at ease with our fellow humans. However, here, as well as in the lower regions, like still attracts like and if we haven’t done so on Earth, for whatever reason, here we are much more likely to find our soul mates.

In my previous book, I reported the celebration of such a union under the chapter, ‘Marriages Are Made in Heaven’; indeed they are here. Intimacy as well reaches much higher states of fulfilment, which can include the sex we know but goes far beyond in its levels of ecstasy and intimacy we might have experienced via our physical bodies.

Excerpt from Vistas of Infinity: How To Enjoy Life When You Are Dead