The soul residing on a higher astral plane dwells in an idealistic condition and has very little to do, and does not concern itself at all with the affairs of the world it has just left behind it. It, however, maintains a sympathetic connection with its close ones who have been left behind on the physical plane.
It must be kept in mind that such a sympathetic connection is entirely of a spiritual nature and has no connections with nearness in space, or physical proximity. The ties and bonds between the disembodied soul and the soul still in the flesh in earth-life may be thought of as a spiritual filament, something like a transcendent form of telepathic rapport.
When the disembodied soul is thinking of the loved one on earth, the latter frequently experiences a feeling akin to the physical nearness of the disembodied soul, but this merely arises from the sensing of the mental and spiritual rapport as already discussed.
In the same way, the disembodied soul experiences a sense of ‘call’ or message from the person in the flesh, when the latter is thinking intently of the former. Every one experiences at one time or another in life, a feeling of kinship or closeness to a near or dear one who has passed away and exists in another state of existence.
So far as the continuance of the feelings of love and affection between the separated souls is concerned, nothing but good can be said about the relationship. The soul in the flesh is comforted and strengthened by the feeling of rapport and nearness of the disembodied soul on the astral plane; and the disembodied soul experiences pleasure and joy just it would on earth-life by the physical nearness of the loved one.
This relationship is a peculiarly sacred one and is enjoyed by many persons in the flesh, although they may have but little to say regarding it to others who would not understand. Those who have had this experience will fully recognise and appreciate just what is meant by these lines, others, who have not had these experiences, can understand them only by reference to the greatest feeling of soul nearness that they have ever experienced in earth-life. It is indeed a communion of soul with soul, almost approaching the perfection of soul-communion on the astral plane in many of its aspects.
Advanced spiritualist unanimously agree, that the practice of recalling the attention of disembodied spirits for mere entertainment and curiosity purposes is highly deplorable. The best of spiritual authorities condemn this practice.
Firstly, the result is always unsatisfactory from a spiritual point of view and secondly, the effect of such recalling is apt to be detrimental to the disembodied soul. This is because it has to withdraw its spiritual attention from the things of the higher plane and turn them back to the things of the material plane, thus retarding its development and also confusing its mind.
It is akin to directing the mind of the growing child back to the things of its prenatal condition, if such a thing were possible. Also, to the soul, which does not understand the nature and character of its astral life (and none but only the most advanced souls do understand), the mixing of the things and phenomena of the material and astral planes is most confusing and distracting.
The soul should be left to unfold naturally on its new plane and not be called back to earth to satisfy curiosity. This brings to an end the brief overview undertaken in this chapter of the astral plane.
The article is taken from the book Life Beyond Death by Anil Sharma