COCO, the Movie! – Great Message – At the Perfect Time – Beautiful Film

STOP!  If you haven’t seen this movie, I HIGHLY recommend you watch it and then, of course, come back for this post to see if you agree with my thoughts! Even so, I will try not to reveal too much detail for those who'd rather keep reading anyway. ;)

 

So. Who's seen the movie “Coco” ?  I absolutely loved it! For starters, the animation is spectacular. The scenery is authentic, and with some of the characters I even sometimes forgot I was watching animation! Those visuals, combined with great writing and the music that also plays a central role in the movie, make for an authentic, captivating presentation for this touching story.

For me personally, I've also had a special place in my heart for the Spanish language and subsequently the Latin culture ever since I started foreign language classes in High School. I also learned then about the Mexican beliefs and traditions surrounding the "Day of the Dead". As soon as I caught a preview for this Disney/Pixar movie, I couldn't wait to see it, but I loved it even more than I'd expected.

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Aside from the above, this film had something else that spoke to the passion of my spirit. That is the big-screen representation of life-after-death and the ever-important messages revealed through the adventures and discoveries of little Miguel, the main character. 

  

As the developing story takes viewers from the material to the spiritual realms, at times depicting both side-by-side, we learn through the eyes of Miguel's family (on both planes) what the "Day of the Dead" is really about. Unlike what those unaware may believe, this tradition is not another name for a "day like Halloween". It is about the belief in a sacred opportunity for loved ones in two different realms of life to be together and celebrate their bonds that last long beyond the grave. Miguelito learns, however, that each year when that special and highly anticipated day rolls around, only those with an incarnate loved one who remembers them and puts their picture out on the "ofrenda" (an altar to honor and welcome the deceased loved ones, as well as to offer food and gifts) are allowed to make a visit to the "world of the living". The sorrowful cases of certain discarnates that Miguel finds in the spirit world bring attention to the plight believed to be endured by those who are instead forgotten. 

  

While the Spiritist understanding of spirit life differs in some details from that of the beliefs behind the "Day of the Dead" in Mexico, one very important, underlying idea is the same - that of the continued relationships nourished by mutual remembrance! Those we love in the spirit realm do rejoice in seeing our accomplishments (especially spiritual ones) and our times of happiness, they support us in our sorrows and trials, and they may become one of the friendly spirits who offer us guidance as we manage our way through the material life. At the same time, those who find themselves in a position of suffering of some kind feel strengthened by our prayers and love. In any case, when we do want to connect with the spirits in thought, what matters most is not the time or place but instead the concentration of our attention and the sincerity of our sentiments. According to Spiritist teachings, the visits between incarnate and discarnate loved ones is not reserved for a single day of the year; barring any individual limitations at the time, our loved ones in spirit can be with and around us at any given moment. Likewise, as we sleep and our bodies rest, our spirits have opportunities to spend time with them in the spirit realm. 

Indeed, the endearing connections we establish with one another remain, even when we are temporarily separated by the incarnate state of one and the discarnate state of another. I really couldn't help but think that while perhaps even those who brought this movie to life may have simply thought it was great story to take to film, perhaps something even greater was behind it, influencing its eventual materialization. As more people begin to see the afterlife as something beyond simply an abstract existence, I believe the timing was right for the appearance of a movie of this kind. 

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As we also see in this movie, there was another great lesson learned by little Miguelito. He came to realize that family is of utmost importance, more than any fame or fortune. His "abuela" (grandmother) and other family members tried to tell him so, but with his child's spirit of adventure and his secret but uncontainable love for music, he needed to follow his dreams and have the experiences he did to learn this important lesson. In the end, his adventures took him full circle, back to his "familia" to whom his albeit stubborn rebellion ultimately brought healing for some long-held misunderstandings about their past.

Through this heartwarming story, "Coco" offers the world a wonderful reminder about the treasure of family and a valuable message about the importance of remembering our loved ones in the spirit realm. Those who await us "on the other side" indeed think of us and take pleasure in receiving our warm thoughts and prayers, knowing that we remember them with the same affection or that we are praying for them if they are suffering. We are so fortunate to have the body of knowledge and study that is Spiritism to bring us evidence (if not proof) of these very principles as a source of comfort and inspiration.

So take this message as inspiration. Let those beloved souls in the spirit realm know they are on your mind and in your heart.

Thank you for reading.

Blessings to all, today and always

Heather

Spirits: Why Not?! Seeing is Not Believing!

It puzzles me that so many people consider spirits to be nothing but a myth, something you’d have to be fooled to believe in. I’m guessing this has a lot to do with pop culture’s portrayal of “ghosts”. How often do we find movies & videos, books and articles, TV shows, and other media focusing on the miserable plight of suffering spirits and their haunting presence among the lives of the living? They encourage people to see these beings from beyond the grave as either too scary to contemplate or nothing but entertainment for whatever it’s worth to the audience.

We can’t blame all the resistance on popular media though. There are other reasons for the indifference or claims that that spirits simply do not exist. In response to some of those reasons listed here, I might make some suggestions such as these:

With respect to all but the last of the positions above, I would propose flipping things around for a moment of contemplation. What if you start with the details behind the notions and claims that people, in at least some in locations all over the world and throughout all times have seen spirits, heard spirits, or otherwise experienced or documented phenomena that offer strong evidence for the continued existence of individuals once living here in the flesh? Can there not be something to all that?

Yes, it would take some time and willingness to gather and study those details. Yes, you’d have to weed through information garbage to filter out the gems. Yes, you may have to question beliefs that, for you, have been a source of your skepticism concerning spirits. However, if you found the evidence in favor of the existence of spirits to be convincing or even thought-provoking, might it then give you cause to reconsider your perspective?

Of course, sometimes people don’t hold a deliberate disbelief in spirits, or in spirits being among us.  They simply haven’t given it much thought or haven’t had much exposure to information from sources other than contrary teachings or the pop culture I mentioned above. I was one of them, myself! That is, until Spiritism came into my life.
  

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One of the arguments that surprises me most goes along the lines of, “[Spirits don’t exist because] I can’t see them.”

Really? Of course, we all know the old expression that “Seeing is believing”. Ironically though, that comes nowhere near the way we actually think of the world in this day and age.


Our lives are filled with things we believe to exist or take for granted without seeing them for ourselves. We began learning this at an early age, when our teachers had us look through the microscope. As adults, we could list numerous examples. from the simple to the complex. Furthermore, even when we do “see” something, we know that what we perceive doesn’t necessarily reflect reality! Who doesn’t love a good magic trick? Who hasn’t enjoyed a 3-D movie? Today we’ve gone beyond that to create virtual reality and, even better, the in-development mixed-reality technologies. 

I think we can all agree that seeing is not necessarily believing, just as not seeing is not a direct and just cause for not believing. So when it comes to spirits, I say we scrap those thoughts and instead turn to the one that says, “There’s more than that which meets the eye.”

I’d like to share with you a personal experience that struck me as quite analogous to this concept of seeing or not seeing spirits. Where I work, we recently adopted a new software, which offers many options for customizing the display of project information. Each customized configuration is called a “view”, and it so happens that I create the views for my team.

At first I got frantic calls from panicked users claiming that their data (from the old system) was “gone!!!!!” I would then remind them that it was there but simply hidden through filters. To see it, they needed only to switch to a different “view”.

It occurred to me that the information filters in that software are a bit like the limitations on our senses as incarnate spirits. The inability to perceive spirits is nothing more than a temporary filter. Those who are ostensive mediums have a “view” that allows them to see, hear, or otherwise register the presence of spirits. The fact that others cannot perceive the same does not mean the spirits are not there.

That analogy coincides nicely with Spiritist author Richard Simonetti’s explanations in his book “Mediumship, All You Need to Know””. I would like to provide you this excerpt from that text:


“What is mediumship?
In its simplest definition, mediumship is being sensitive to the influences of the spirit realm. It’s the sixth sense,” which places us into contact with the world of spirits, in much the same way as our senses of touch, taste, smell, seeing, and hearing place us in contact with the world of humans

Does this mean that we are all humans?
All humans have the sensitivities that make the perception of spiritual influences possible.  Not all humans, however, are sufficiently sensitive to produce mediumistic phenomena

What determines this difference?
Let’s imagine someone wearing a suit of armor that impairs their ability to hear and see what is happening around them. This is what happens with us when we reincarnate. We put on a dense flesh garment that inhibits our spiritual perceptions. A medium is someone who has an opening in this armor.”

Is it a physical type of opening? Is it in the body?
Mediumship is a spiritual faculty inherent to all spirits. When we reincarnate it becomes dependent on the conditions of the body. In this regard, we can say that it’s organic because it’s subordinate to a physical structure which doesn’t inhibit all contact with the spirit world.” 

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For Spiritists, rather than questioning the existence of spirits (as we have already been convinced by the evidence and logic), we are hopefully now using this knowledge about spirits, including our own existence as spirits, to take advantage of this incarnation. If, as students of Spiritism, we are convinced by the logical theory but have not yet delved into the practical evidence and explanations, it is important that we study that piece of Spiritism - from Kardec and others as well. After all, this basic notion is fundamental to the entirety of Spiritist principles, perspectives, and approach to life!

To begin with, I’d highly recommend:

     Allan Kardec’s “The Mediums’ Book”: Part One:
         Ch   I - Are There Spirits?
         Ch  II - The Extraordinary and the Supernatural
         Ch III - Methodology
          Ch IV - Theories

     Allan Kardec’s “What is Spiritism”
          Chapter: The Critic / Section: “False Explanations of the Phenomena”

Just a word of caution. In our enthusiasm for Spiritism, we may be eager for others to study and gain from the same “enlightenment”. Let’s remember, however, that not everyone will see Spiritist thought, principles, and information in the same way or find in it the same degree of benefit. Nor does everyone have to! If we share the awareness of Spiritism, it is only to let each individual decide if the body of Spiritist knowledge and information is a good fit for him or her at this time.

Meanwhile, let’s continuously remind ourselves that any information, if not consciously employed for our own betterment, is simply that, information. What we do with it is up to us!

Thank you for reading!
 
Blessings to all, today and always
Heather