Customer Reviews

Exploring the Levels of Creation

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"Only entities with courage and perseverance choose to incarnate on Earth because it is, as I like to call it, the insane asylum of the universe. It's the ultimate post-graduate school, where you get your `Ph.D. in soul evolvement'. To show you how tough it is, a large part of creation won't even come near this place, let alone incarnate on it." - From the book

In the book Exploring the Levels of Creation, popular psychic and Gnostic teacher Sylvia Browne delves into the myriad levels of the Underworld, life on Earth, and the Other Side. She also revisits the 12 Levels of the Soul (explained in her book God, Creation and Tools for Life), and explains Dark Entities "once and for all".

Let me just say that I've only read a handful of Sylvia's books, and up until now, I've taken her insights on creation and the Other Side with a HUGE grain of salt. I don't know if this is because I caught a snippet of a Montel segment and noted her world-weary demeanor, or just felt that popularity (over-exposure?) equated to "fluff".

After reading Exploring the Levels of Creation, I have much more respect for Sylvia and her wisdom.

Sylvia herself says often "don't swallow what *anyone* says whole hog...not even me", encouraging others to employ reason, test whether a theory resonates, and research further. She never sets herself up as the "end all/be all" guru, nor does she encourage discipleship.

This 189-page hardcover book is divided into four parts which offers information and theories gleaned from Sylvia's experience, her spirit guide Francine, and perennial wisdom. Part One addresses the Underworld, a place governed by Lilith and filled with levels inhabited by fairies, sprites, devas, elves, giants, dragons, unicorns, centaurs, and so on. The sixth and seventh levels of the Underworld are "mind dump" areas which is where tulpas (thought forms that are made real), "the bogeyman", and other humanly-created "monsters" reside. This area of chaos is what some mistakenly believe is hell when they have near-death experiences. Sylvia reasons that if man can imagine it, then it must exist *somewhere*--especially since thoughts are basically energy.

Part Two describes the seven levels of life on Earth and the purposes they serve, including the Formative Years, Puberty, and Old Age.

Part Three--arguably the most fascinating portion of the book--explains the seven levels on the Other Side, including the Third Level of Animal Husbandry and the Sixth Level of Teachers and Lecturers. (Note: Sylvia mentions that levels are not hierarchical. They are merely different states of being.) She describes The Hall of Records, The Council, choosing our contracts and "themes", and more. Home is a place of bliss, where creatures can bi-locate and choose to pursue research, the arts, and learning. In fact, she says that others on the Other Side may participate in creating recipes or discovering medical cures, which they then attempt to transmit to humans here on Earth that are open to inspiration.

Part Four revisits the 12 levels of the soul and Sylvia puts a new spin on this theory by correlating the levels with verses in Genesis. She also answers questions that have been posed to her about dark entities and gray entities.

Sylvia blasts the idea of a wrathful, vengeful God (it's about time *somebody* did!), as well as a literal hell. She notes that humans tend to make God in *their* image, including petty jealousies and angry revenge. She rightly slams modern day Pharisees with a decidedly prophetic tone. I rejoiced when she said:

"We who are spiritual are running from you all, for you give us no solace and continue the very evil and negativity that you say you fight against! Stop the killing...stop covering up your internal scandals, and change your internal structure if necessary to do so...stop the violation of human rights...stop preaching bigotry and hatred...stop preaching to fear God and instead instruct to love Him...stop using your money to build ornate and overdone cathedrals, churches, mosques, temples and the like and use the money saved for helping the poor and needy...stop getting into the political arenas to push your special interests forward...stop preaching that anyone goes to hell...stop being hypocrites!"

Now, I admit to having some resistance to what Sylvia teaches. You see, I used to be an ordained Pentecostal pastor and when I awakened from black/white dogmatism and the idea of hell, I gravitated toward the New Age idea of "all is love and light--there is no negativity, only mistaken perception". As such, I bristled at Gnosticism and other spiritual traditions that acknowledge evil or a "dark side". Since "all is One", how can there be evil? Sylvia tackles this problem with clarity and sensibility.

Especially with her description of "gray entities", I marveled at how it fit my experience. These ones are "fence sitters" who may offer up some type of spiritual wisdom and project some goodness, yet, at other times, are negative and outright cruel. How to explain such a one? Gray entities, according to Sylvia, and it all makes so much sense!

I was also impressed at how closely Sylvia's theories align with that of Dr. Michael Newton, who wrote Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls. I tend to use Newton's works as the touchstone for the Other Side, primarily because he didn't start out as a past life regressionist--and because his case histories are painstakingly recorded...and consistent. For example, both he and Sylvia describe "cocooning", a process damaged souls (or souls that have been through trauma) experiencing in order to smooth out/heal their energy. Newton offers that individuals often opt for 50 years in this state, while Sylvia says that it's only days.

I enjoyed reading Sylvia's lucid ideas on the various levels of creation, as well as the reason why things happen in life as they do. Of course, I don't agree with *everything* that she offers (for example, she said Christ hated hypocrites, and I can't imagine him hating *anything*!), but much of it resonates. If anything, Sylvia provides a fascinating schematic for both contemplation and further independent study.

Encouraging and pragmatic, Exploring the Levels of Creation provides a plausible framework for this world and the Other Side. In addition, Sylvia paints a lovely portrait of Home and Father/Mother God. She asserts that helpers surround us, we are far too hard on ourselves, and everything that happens to us falls within a contract that we helped design for our soul's growth. If you're a seeker curious about why and how things manifest, as well as what awaits us on the Other Side, you'll likely be inspired and intrigued by this book.

I was particularly fascinated by the information regarding the "Lower Levels" of creation. Actually, it made me want to go there. Not for a long time or anything, just long enough to look around and get the hell out. The 7 stages of human life along with the 7 levels of life on the other side was really informative as well. I (for the first time in 37 years) realized what I was doing here on earth and what my purpose was from this one book. I guess that is really important huh? It is also a great inspirational book and reminded me of what it means to live here on the earth and that all is well and that I'll be returning home one day so not to worry. That's pretty good to get all that from the pages of a book. I love Sylvia Browne. :o)

It is only in the last year that I've dug deep into my spiritual journey in this life.

Sylvia's discussion of the levels of the underworld will challenge those who have repeatedly been taught that this isn't true. I'd love to have a personal discussion with her on the levels of life on earth. But what really got me going was the final part of her book where she looked again at some favorite topics.

Her explanation of dark entities, as well as religion and dogma jumped off the pages as if I may have written some of it myself after 40+ years of quietly searching for the truth and trying to come to my own conclusions.

As Sylvia says over and over in the book, believe what you want, take what you want and leave the rest. There is some in this book that I prefer to leave with Sylvia. But the price of the book was well worth what I have chosen to take with me.

Although I am a student and believer in the spiritual realm, I don't easily jump on what every author has to say. Frankly, some authors simply give a boring reguritation of what has been said, and said, and resaid again. Sylvia takes things a step further. She writes for the students in the advanced class as well as the beginning. I really enjoyed this work. It was enlightening and uplifting without being a bunch of banal platitudes.

I have never read a Sylvia Browne book that I have not loved and felt great truth within the pages, and this book is just the same. It is a bit like her creation trio of books but this one has ALOT of new information in it. Really you cannot compare the two, (this book and her 3 book creation series) because they each have their own wisdom and truths in them. I loved this book and as Sylvia says, if what some of what she says does not feel right to you, then leave it. She is not attempting to make us all believe that everything she says and believes is the only way. I, however, usually agree with her truths. WONDERFUL BOOK BY A WONDERFUL BLESSING OF A WOMAN.!

Most of us probably won't be able to verify if Sylvia Browne's cosmology is correct until we leave our bodies permanently. The research of near-death experiences by physicians Raymond Moody, Melvin Morse (of children) and Elisabeth Kubler Ross provide evidence of survival of the consciousness after clinical death of the body. (The alternate hypothesis that the oxygen-deprived brain provides stimulation does not explain how medically untrained adults and even children can describe in detail resuscitation procedure, even to the point of repeating what specific individuals at the scene said.) However, one could say that the people who come back to their bodies and the Earth with these fascinating stories of what they saw and learned are merely tourists.

The descriptions of life after life from Browne and psychic mediums George Anderson, James Van Praagh, Allison DuBois, John Edwards, and others focus on what we can call permanent residents. And the recent book by Depak Chopra, Life After Death: Burden of Proof, provides another physician's view of the non-temporal and the eternal with an Eastern perspective that is complex, but intriguing.

There is a growing body of evidence that indicates that all these writings should be studied carefully. I highly recommend all of Browne's books for being accessible. They make a good introduction to the more arcane Chopra.

I love this lady dearly and have seen her in person three times at lectures/book signings. However, nothing in this book is fresh - rather it rehashes material that she's had in print for a long while. Sylvia has been teaching us for so long, I have to wonder if there's anything left that she has not addressed. Anymore I just get her books from the library - then if there's something of interest that I want to keep for future reference, I'll purchase it. If this is Sylvia's way to keep her face and her ideas in the public domain, then more power to her. I'd rather hear her lovely renditions of Home than the fire and brimstone others choose to hawk.

I have read almost all of Sylvia Browne's book and out of curiousity decided to flip through the pages of this one. After reading a little bit of what she has written, I felt like I was reading one of her earlier books. Yes, she does get a very repetitive, but some of the topics recently have really made me question her validity. Either she has run out of interesting and new information to share with the public and is forced to make things up, or her ego has gotten the best of her and she actually believes that she knows EVERYTHING!

I seriously do not believe, no matter how gifted of a psychic she is that she has obtained every single truth of world mysteries, Jesus Christ, other dimensions, aliens, the creation of the universe or God (Mother or Father) from her guide Francine. This recent novel seems more fiction than actual truth.

But I do recommend some of her earlier works like Adventures of a Psychic, Life on the Other Side, Past Lives, Future Healing and The Other Side and Back. They are interesting read, and after reading those, there is no need to read any more of her books because you pretty much know what she has to say, so please stop spending your money on something that you already know. Read other people's work that would give you more insight into spirituality, God and life. One of my favorite authors is Brian L. Weiss whom through hypnosis and past life regression has obtain a wealth of information about past lives, as well as uplifting and important messages of love and forgiveness from the other side. Other authors that I also found to be a good read is Michael Newton, John Edward, and any books on Edgar Cayce, especially the book "Many Mansions, the Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation" by Gina Cerminara.

I always like Sylvia's books or CD's. This one is a nice one too. Lots of information in a nice chronological and organized way!!! Loved it!!!

I really enjoy Sylvia Browne's books. I find them fascinating and easy to read. I often feel, with her books, that she is holding something back and that there is a lot more to be said but she doesn't want to give it all away in one book when she can write another one and have it out within a few months. So, that being said I still had to give the book five stars for the subject and content that no one else, earthbound anyway, could give us. It's worth a read.