Foreword
By Barbara Smith Stoff
Although he had been fascinated with the concept of reincarnation—having begun, while still in his teens, with studies from the New York Psychic Society—Sheldon Stoff, who is now retired from university teaching in education and philosophy, had never thought to ask a question regarding the career and whereabouts of the soul between incarnations. In this book, he keeps company with such as C. S. Lewis (A Grief Observed), in that he finds himself in continuing contact with his deceased wife, Lorraine. During these surprising communications, Lorraine Marshak Stoff, who was married to Sheldon for over fifty years, describes her experience of passing over, and then proceeds to go into details about the soul's ongoing experience and progress between lives.
Asking a new kind of question can precipitate a profound change in our world view, and in our understanding of the entire cosmos. When we change our question, we begin to move forward in comprehension and toward greater spiritual evolution.
Today it seems that the whole world must come to terms with a multi-national hydra-headed existential face-off. Thus it becomes, at this point in history, imperative that we work hard to educate ourselves, in order to gain some insight and understanding of our idea of ourselves as human beings in a very large universe, and how that idea is interpreted and played out on the increasingly communal world stage.
In our efforts to widen and deepen our concepts and understanding of life and meaning, it may be helpful if we place our inquiries within the larger questions posed by general systems theory. It may indeed be helpful to direct an inquiring look at general systems theory and the nature of systems and how and why they organize themselves, and how they may change toward a more benevolent evolution.
Ervin Laszlo, often known as the father of systems science, says that as we now face a choice between "collapsing into chaos and evolving into a sustainable, ethical global community" the voices of the few, even the individual, can have a powerful effect for change. He says, in The Chaos Point: The World at the Crossroads:
Scientists would say we are living in a 'decision window'—a transitory period in the evolution of a system during which any input or influence, however small, can 'blow up' to transform existing trends and bring new patterns and processes into existence. This is similar to the often-discussed 'butterfly effect' discovered by U.S. meteorologist Edward Lorenz in the 1960s….In periods of relative stability, the consciousness of individuals does not play a decisive role in the behavior of society. But when a society reaches the limits of its stability and turns chaotic, it becomes super-sensitive—responsive to even small fluctuations such as changes in some people's values, beliefs, world views and aspirations. Many signs point to the fact that we are entering a new period of ecological and social instability, a time rife with chaos but also a window of exceptional freedom to decide our destiny.
Reading history upon tragic history, and trying to comprehend truly and fairly, we think that now is the time to offer thoughts about strategies for a deeper healing at the heart of humankind. With Martin Buber and Vaclav Havel, we plead for benevolent evolution in our consciousness, in our understanding of who we are, and where we are going. Are we evolving toward understanding and partnership?
Gregg Braden writes of "the existence of a field of energy—The Divine Matrix—that provides the container, as well as a bridge and mirror, for everything that happens between the world within us and the one outside of our bodies." Drawing upon theorists such as David Bohm and others within the discipline of quantum physics, he describes "deeper or higher planes of creation that hold the template for what happens in our world. It's from these subtler levels of reality that our physical world originates." He says:
"The implication of both quantum theory and the ancient texts is that in the unseen realms we create the blueprint for the relationships, careers, successes, and failures of the visible world. From this perspective, the Divine Matrix works like a great cosmic screen that allows us to see the nonphysical energy of our emotions and beliefs (our anger, hate, and rage; as well as our love, compassion, and understanding) projected in the physical medium of life."
If we look to ancient wisdom traditions and metaphysical writings, we find abundant theory on soul development. Having read deeply in the fields of esoterica for some forty years, I am excited to find validation in the fact that contemporary physicians, psychotherapists, and educators are now providing scientific support to ancient wisdom teachings regarding what we might call journeys of the soul. In particular, through the enduring and painstaking work of researchers such as David Chamberlain, Brian Weiss, and Michael Newton, there is now an expanding body of thought in the exploration of controversial issues involving our understanding of consciousness.
You can imagine my excitement and feeling of good fortune when I found myself in face-to-face dialogue with an individual who had the personal experience of an extended conversation with beings on the "other side."
Sheldon's between-the-worlds dialogue with Lorraine can offer a response to essential questions and, as well, encourage us to keep on asking for more enlightenment regarding our situation and way of progress.
In his introduction, Gregg Braden goes on to say, "The Divine Matrix is written for those of you whose lives bridge the reality of our past with the hope of our future. It is you who are being asked to forgive and find compassion in a world reeling from the scars of hurt, judgment, and fear. The key to surviving our time in history is to create a new way of thinking while we're still living in the conditions that threaten our existence."
To act in accord, to make a bridge to new ways of thinking, and in the belief that the reported experiences of individual journeys in consciousness can be of great significance now—at this point in time with the world in a general state of confrontation and conflict—we offer this story. It is within this frame of reflection that Sheldon's book, The Western Book of Crossing Over: Conversations With The Other Side, can be considered as making a vital statement for our progress toward a sustainable future here on Earth.
Barbara Smith Stoff
Tucson, Arizona
April, 2007
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