David Spangler is a former leader of the well-known Findhorn community in Scotland. He currently heads the Lorian Foundation, a relatively small spiritual group in the United States. Spangler is also the putative founder of the New Age movement. After reading his books "Subtle Worlds" and "Reflections on the Christ", I feel sorry that Spangler isn't the *real* founder of said movement! While Spangler's Incarnational Spirituality isn't really my cup of tea, I readily admit that the New Age would have been more sympathetic if the Lorian Foundation had been on its leading edge. In many ways, Spangler's ideas sound like Anthroposophy with a human face (or Steiner without Steiner).
"Subtle Worlds" is a book about the spirit-world. Spangler claims to be clairvoyant, and has a spirit-guide named "John". The book speaks for itself, and large parts of it will be familiar territory for avid readers of Theosophical or Anthroposophical material. Thus, Spangler's descriptions of the astral world and the higher worlds above it remind me of C.W. Leadbeater's "manuals" on these subjects. The impersonal conception of God ("The Sacred") is also familiar, as are the nature-spirits, elementals and thought forms.
What strikes me as very different in "Subtle Worlds" is the author's low-key approach to the spirit-worlds. He doesn't claim to have access to infallible revelations. Indeed, "John" is his spirit-companion and equal, rather than some kind of ascended master or supernatural guru. Spangler often emphasizes that revelations from the spirit-world will always be interpreted by the subjectivity of the human medium. He is sceptical of channelling, and believes that many people who claim to have contact with advanced spirit-beings are either deluding themselves, or being deluded by less evolved spirits. And no, he is not saying this in a fanatical manner ("only my spirit-guide is true"). The whole book is very humble, charitable and laid back.
One of Spangler's points is that humans and spirits are really on the same level, since we are both manifestations of The Sacred. In order to save Earth from destruction, humans and spirits should co-operate with each other, and the human experience of incarnation in perishable matter is seen as fundamentally positive. Humans are a kind of spiritual explorers whose destiny is to learn how to live a spiritual life in a material universe. Hence "Incarnational Spirituality".
Spangler is also more optimistic and positive than other writers on similar subjects. Robert Monroe's books on astral travel ooze negativity and demons, demons, demons... Spangler claims that the astral world is fundamentally a harmless place, and that the evil creatures from its lower levels can be easily avoided. Frankly, he seems to be underestimating the evil of humanity, and then project this "happy small town vision" onto the supernatural worlds! Still, even this part of the book could perhaps be profitable reading for those drawn to the more sensationalist sides of the New Age. Thus, Spangler writes that evil beings are drawn to human vanity and lust for power - i.e. they are drawn to *our* evil. Like the vampires of the legends, they need our explicit invitation to get inside. Few people get "possessed" without their own tacit cooperation.
At one point, Spangler mentions a young man who had been contacted by a spirit who claimed that the man was an avatar who would usher in the New Age (!). Spangler told the young man that the spirit-being was a parasitical entity, a kind of psychic vampire who feeds on the energy of "avatars" and their cultic followers. He convinced him to (presumably) get a real life. To a sceptic, this story might sound patently absurd, but please note the subtle (pun intended) message: if Spangler is right, most modern New Age prophets are possessed by evil spirits, rather than being genuinely spiritual... Spangler also believes that many people who have an "inner guide" are really in touch with a lower level entity who isn't evil, but simply deluded and loves to be looked up to as a "master". Another obvious criticism of the New Age! A sceptic could see this as metaphors for the all too human frauds that litter the spiritual landscape. The author also advises against drugs and alcohol, claiming that they might put you in touch with the closest equivalent of Hell in Spangler's worldview, a habitat for the unrepentant spirits of evil humans.
"Subtle World" contains few, if any, tips on how to get in touch with the supernatural. Instead, we are told to exercise our bodies, read good books, get a meaningful life here on Earth, etc. Loving kindness and forgiveness is (of course) extremely important. The weakest chapter in the book is "Subtle Activism", in which the author finally expounds on why we should be in touch with spirits at all. It turns out that we can somehow cleanse the psychic atmosphere from negativity by joint effort with the spirits. One example given by the author is to clean up the negative energy after an earthquake, something he explicitly compares to a Christian prayer group. A frankly more bizarre example is the claim that the deceased souls of American soldiers and Iraqi insurgents created a dome of light over Baghdad shortly after the U.S. invasion in order to create peace and harmony. Well, it doesn't seem to have been very successful... (Here we see the underestimation of human evil again. Perhaps Al-Qaeda are possessed by some of Robert Monroe's demons?)
Still, I award David Spangler's field notes and subtle criticisms of the movement he supposedly founded...five stars. Thanks for a good read, John. ;-)
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