© 1992 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
The Sunshine Coast Study Group
“The only means of communion with the spiritual world is embraced in the spirit endowment of mankind, the indwelling spirit of the Father, together with the outpoured spirit of the Son and the omnipresent influence of the Infinite Spirit.” (UB 150:3.7)
The word ‘only’ in this statement is quite unambiguous and must be kept continually in mind. At first sight there look to be three independent spirit sources. However the book states that, “Regardless of plurality of origin, all spirit influences are one in function.” (UB 34:6.2) Only the Thought Adjuster directly contacts the human mind (UB 34:5.3).
We need to know what is meant by ‘communion.’ A dictionary definition is “to converse together intimately”. To do that via a third party is usually inhibitory to intimate bilateral fellowship. So can there be any really direct contact with angels and other similar celestial beings? The book says:
“Angels do not invade the sanctity of the human mind; they do not manipulate the will of morals; neither do they directly contact with the indwelling Adjusters.” (UB 113:5.1)
That appears to rule out conversing with our angels. But it does not mean that angels cannot sometimes influence our lives. For example, The URANTIA Book confirms (UB 77:8.12), that when the apostles were thrown into prison “an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them forth.” (Acts 5:9)
“The intelligence of angels is not directly available to your; they do not seek to influence you; you must chart your own course.” (UB 113:5.4).
So what kind of help can they give us?
“Seraphim are able to function as material ministers to human beings under certain circumstances, but their action in this capacity is very rare. They are able, with the assistance of the midway creatures and the physical controllers, to function in a wide range of activities in behalf of human beings, even to make actual contact with mankind but such occurrences are very unusual.” (UB 113:5.5).
In considering the kind of communication humans may have with spiritual forces and celestial beings from beyond our planet, the Book has a very revealing statement:
“When a world is isolated by rebellion, when a planet is cut off from all outside encircuited communication, as was Urantia after the Caligastia upheaval, aside from personal messengers there remains but one possibility of direct interplanetary or universe communication, and that is through the liaison of the Adjusters of the spheres.” (UB 108:4.4)
A very widespread activity called channeling in which individuals claim to receive messages from extra-terrestrial sources, has been going on for many, many centuries on our planet — a planet in quarantine! Hence the logical conclusion is that this phenomenon is an aberration of the human mind. Or alternatively, the channel’s source is really Caligastia. But for this to occur, the person acting as a channel must really desire to have Caligastia enter into their lives (UB 53:8.6).
The book is quite adamant that the only channel to the spiritual world is via our Thought Adjusters. This implies that any spirit beings who reach into our minds by channels other than our Thought Adjusters are not of the spiritual world. However even the Thought Adjuster pathway itself is fraught with the danger of contamination. The book states:
“During mortal life the material body and mind separate you from your Adjuster and prevent free communication (UB 110:7.8);…it is hazardous to attempt the differentiation of the Adjuster’s concept registry from …the dictations of mortal conscience (UB 110:5.5); Adjusters find it next to impossible to communicate directly with the human mind (UB 110:4.5); more often, in beings of your order, that which you accept as the Adjuster’s voice is in reality the emanations of your own intellect (UB 110:5.6).”
Unless studied carefully, references in The URANTIA Book to the role of contact personalities of the reserve corps of destiny may generate much confusion. The book states:
“No matter what happens on a world or in a universe, the Adjusters are never directly concerned. The isolation of a planet in no way affects the Adjusters and their ability to communicate with any part of the local universe, superuniverse, or the central universe. And this is the reason why contacts with the supreme and the self-acting Adjusters of the reserve corps of destiny are so frequently made on quarantined worlds. Recourse is had to such a technique as a means of circunventing the handicaps of planetary isolation.” (UB 108:4.4)
Please note that contact is with the Adjuster, the statement does not include the reservist. What comes into our quarantined planet from the outside requires a special and somewhat fortuitous triad combination of a contact human of the reserve corps, an unusual secondary midwayer with special skills (UB 114:7.9), and a supreme and self-acting adjuster. Given this combination, the superhuman planetary administration of our isolated planet is enabled to receive a dribble of information and perhaps some instructions from extra-planetary sources.
The Book is quite adamant that the only channel to the spiritual world is via our Thought Adjusters.
The reserve corps of destiny is an emergency group who, for the most part, are unconscious of their preparation for any task in which they become involved. Contact personalities may have some awareness of their training (UB 114:7.2). Details about their role in information transfer is largely limited to a few clues from the book and a few particulars about the individual through whom the URANTIA Papers were received. The latter was said to have been a passive participant in the transfer process. Of the other members of the triad, the secondary midwayer appears to play an important role while the Adjuster has the ability to travel and communicate virtually anywhere and everywhere.
The concept that reservists may be on first name terms with beings from the spiritual world appears to be incorrect. During his incarnation in the flesh, and excluding his eleven planetary custodians, not even Machiventa Melchizedek could communicate with celestial personalities. He had no more contact with superhuman intelligences than a normal human being (UB 93:2.8).
Careful thought reveals just how dangerous and impractical it would be for our planetary supervisors to attempt to intervene in the material affairs of men by issuing orders through human contact personalities. Such interference appears to be contrary to universe policy.
In November 1980, a former Foundation Trustee, Thomas A. Kendall, reported that he was read a ‘message’ said to have been received by and acted upon by the Trustees regarding negotiations with the Weiss family on the French translation of The URANTIA Book. Such a ‘message’ would appear to be a contravention of Jesus’ stated policy of non-interference in the material affairs of men (UB 143:3.1). Furthermore this supposed ‘message’ belies a statement by a former Trustee that no more messages were received from the Revelatory Commission subsequent to January 1955 when conditional permission was granted to publish the Urantia Papers. This statement has been corroborated by Dr Sadler. So was the message about the French translation genuine or could it have been an aberration of the human mind? Since The URANTIA Book tells us that the only pathway for communication with the spirit world is via our Thought Adjuster, we must evaluate the validity of all supposed ‘messages’ in the light of this statement:
“But a human being would do better to err in rejecting an Adjuster’s expression through believing it to be a purely human experience than to blunder into exalting a reaction of the mortal mind to the sphere of divine dignity.” (UB 110:5.5)
It makes sense that The Urantia Papers themselves would have contained all the necessary information for the dissemination of its message. Anything else would be liable to corruption by humans, no matter how well intentioned. The book makes it clear that it is universe policy that neither our superhuman planetary supervisors nor celestial beings are normally permitted to tell evolutionary mortal ascenders what they must do. We are expected to make spiritual progress through our own decisions.
“Adjusters are interested in, and concerned with, your daily doings and the manifold details of your life just to the extent that these are influential in the determination of your significant temporal choices and vital spiritual decisions and, hence, are factors in the solution of your problem of soul survival and eternal progress. The Adjuster, while passive regarding purely temporal welfare, is divinely active concerning all the affairs of your eternal future.” (UB 110:1.4)
Even the validity of the conditional message referred to which authorized publication of the Urantia Papers must now be treated with scepticism. It is said to have come from one identifying himself as Norson and is reported to have stated: “I am a Melchizedek. I am the Planetary Prince of Urantia. While I am not positive that now is the time to publish these Papers, you may publish them if you receive no further communications from me before the first of October of this year.” This message has a false and familiar ring about it which is remindful of other highly doubtful channeled messages claiming to originate from a Melchizedek.
It has become apparent that right from very early days, many URANTIA Book readers at all levels, have flirted with channeling and similar psychic phenomena. Based directly on the teachings of the book, it is our opinion that most messages, supposedly emanating from superior beings, are simply the mind products of the human participants. However it is well to remember that Caligastia is “still free on Urantia to prosecute his nefarious designs” (UB 53:8.6), and that channeling and similar psychic practices may be the only effective means by which he can implement his plans. Those who think that they hear voices or are channels to the spirit world should be aware that the book specifically warns that it would be better to reject supposed ‘messages’ than to blunder into mistakingly exalting them to divine status. There is really no way of knowing the difference other than by the effect such messages may ultimately have on the bearing of spiritual fruits. Remember too that the apostle Peter believed that, at Jesus’ behest, he walked on water. The book tells us he did not.