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Spirit Realm

Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Depends a bit on what's meant by the term.

As an animist, in some sense I perceive reality as full of spirits, only some of which have physical aspects to their natures. Most English speaking humans in the present era are not animists and mean something very different by "spirit realm" though - they use the term almost exclusively refer to something I instead call the otherworlds (or part of the otherworlds, anyway).

The otherworlds defy easy categorization but it is a catch-all for any aspects of reality that are not in this-time and this-space. Except it interpenetrates this-time and this-space, so it gets all a bit wibbly wobbly and complicated, especially if you're a walker between/amongst the worlds. I've been doing that since before I knew what Paganism was, and part of what got me interested in Paganism was that it takes the otherworlds seriously. As such my view on the otherworlds are... more involved than anybody probably actually cares to know. Which more or less suits me fine given only a handful of minority subcultures do take the otherworlds seriously - it is better to be silent on the topic, usually.
 
Jimmy

Jimmy

King Phenomenon
Trailblazer said:
I believe that is where we all go when we die. Some people call it heaven and hell. I call it the spiritual world...
But I know very little about it. The earthly realm is the only realm I know.
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So basically you believe in a parallel universe. An existence on a higher or different plane
 
Jimmy

Jimmy

King Phenomenon
Quintessence said:
Depends a bit on what's meant by the term.

As an animist, in some sense I perceive reality as full of spirits, only some of which have physical aspects to their natures. Most English speaking humans in the present era are not animists and mean something very different by "spirit realm" though - they use the term almost exclusively refer to something I instead call the otherworlds (or part of the otherworlds, anyway).

The otherworlds defy easy categorization but it is a catch-all for any aspects of reality that are not in this-time and this-space. Except it interpenetrates this-time and this-space, so it gets all a bit wibbly wobbly and complicated, especially if you're a walker between/amongst the worlds. I've been doing that since before I knew what Paganism was, and part of what got me interested in Paganism was that it takes the otherworlds seriously. As such my view on the otherworlds are... more involved than anybody probably actually cares to know. Which more or less suits me fine given only a handful of minority subcultures do take the otherworlds seriously - it is better to be silent on the topic, usually.
Click to expand...
So you believe in invisible spirits existing in parallel realms alongside this one
 
osgart

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
I associate the spirit realm with qualitative existence. The existence of qualities that can be experienced. The dimension of life is very much mysterious. Not a lot can be known of it outside of experience. Yet we exist somehow.
 
Jimmy

Jimmy

King Phenomenon
osgart said:
I associate the spirit realm with qualitative existence. The existence of qualities that can be experienced. The dimension of life is very much mysterious. Not a lot can be known of it outside of experience. Yet we exist somehow.
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I don’t think the dimension of life is that mysterious. It’s pretty simple actually. We live in a 3-D world with an infinite universe imo.
 
Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Jimmy said:
So you believe in invisible spirits existing in parallel realms alongside this one
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That's not how I would put it, personally. Maybe I've played too many fantasy RPGs but for me "invisible" implies something has a corporeal form but simply cannot be seen with the limitations of human eyesight. That may or may not be the case for the various otherworlds and their denizens; most of it extends beyond human experience and knowledge. "Parallel" can also be a complicated word to use since the otherworlds more or less defy simple spatial referents. One could as well use words like "within" and "interpenetrating" and "betwixt" and "behind" and "below" yet all those words too would be lacking in some way. Like I said, defies easy categorization. :sweat:
 
Jimmy

Jimmy

King Phenomenon
Quintessence said:
That's not how I would put it, personally. Maybe I've played too many fantasy RPGs but for me "invisible" implies something has a corporeal form but simply cannot be seen with the limitations of human eyesight. That may or may not be the case for the various otherworlds and their denizens; most of it extends beyond human experience and knowledge. "Parallel" can also be a complicated word to use since the otherworlds more or less defy simple spatial referents. One could as well use words like "within" and "interpenetrating" and "betwixt" and "behind" and "below" yet all those words too would be lacking in some way. Like I said, defies easy categorization. :sweat:
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I’ll go with invisible
 
Sgt. Pepper

Sgt. Pepper

All you need is love.
Trailblazer said:
I don't know. I don't think they can see us unless they come back to this realm through a portal but I don't think they stay long.
My friend @Sgt. Pepper would know more about that than I do.
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Based on my understanding, spirits (both human and non-human) can travel between the spirit realm and the physical world via a spirit portal (such as mirrors, windows, and doorways) or a spiritual vortex (which is explained here). Both serve as a gateway for spirits to travel between the spirit realm and the physical world. I believe that the spirit realm is an eternal existence that is not constrained by space or time, nor is it confined to heaven or hell. In fact, I don't believe in heaven or hell, so I don't believe that human spirits are or will be trapped for eternity in either one. I don't believe in either one because I strongly disagree with the Bible's erratic depictions of the afterlife and what it claims happens to people after death. I think it's inaccurate and misleading.
 
Jimmy

Jimmy

King Phenomenon
Sgt. Pepper said:
Based on my understanding, spirits (both human and non-human) can travel between the spirit realm and the physical world via a spirit portal (such as mirrors, windows, and doorways) or a spiritual vortex (which is explained here). Both serve as a gateway for spirits to travel between the spirit realm and the physical world. I believe that the spirit realm is an eternal existence that is not constrained by space or time, nor is it confined to heaven or hell. In fact, I don't believe in heaven or hell, so I don't believe that human spirits are or will be trapped for eternity in either one. I don't believe in either one because I strongly disagree with the Bible's erratic depictions of the afterlife and what it claims happens to people after death. I think it's inaccurate and misleading.
Click to expand...
No space or time huh? Must be a wild place. Kind of like a black hole.
 
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