Episode:Thought Adjusters—Selfhood, Death, and Survival (Part 8)
When death occurs, the Adjuster bids farewell to the mortal host. The seraphic records and the Adjuster’s version of the deceased human’s survival character and spiritual qualities are used to adjudicate that individual. Also, this information is used to confirm any mandate to resurrect the person prior to the termination of the dispensation.
Keywords: Urantia, Indwelling Spirit, Personality, Survival, Ancients of Days
Summary by Kermit
Commentary on Previous Broadcast
We spent considerable time discussing [112:3.7], wherein the author attempts to authoritatively put to rest notions of long standing among humans concerning the whereabouts and activities of deceased mortals and their associated indwelling Thought Adjusters (TAs) immediately following mortal death. Origin of many of these notions can be found in the ghost fear and associated concepts of our primitive ancestors. Many of these persist in our consciousness to the current day. The term ghost has come to stand for a mortal who through death becomes separated from the flesh, yet continues to persist in the world in non-corporeal form. We recall that while alive and in the flesh a mortal actually consists of three selves: the adjutant mindal self, the TA, and the morontia self—the soul. This actuality might seem to support the ghost rationale to explain reported peri-death experiences, but alas no. The adjutant self dies, the TA departs, and the morontia soul is no longer animate. The personality, having no functional self with which to identify is unable to manifest. The myriad of experiences recorded throughout human history that might suggest such things are swept aside here in the revelation. Consideration of some of these experiences, which might arise from the mind activity and energy phenomena at the time of these transactions have nothing to do with personality survival.
In response to a caller our discussion moved to issues of evolutionary religion. We emphasized that the common concern of most religionists today is personal salvation. Our challenge here is to obey the Master and his command to “Fear not!” Can we take our salvation for granted and see our indwelling TA as the nucleus of our personal living philosophy and not simply an antidote for fear?
112:4. Adjusters After Death
The author begins this section by giving us a precise and literal description of some technical details of what the Thought Adjuster is up to upon the death of his mortal host. The exactitude of our universe personnel in the execution of their duties is driven home by the description of the Universal Censors’ ability to gain possession of an epitome of the human life in the form of the TA’s duplicate transcription of the spiritual values and morontia meanings, which together with the seraphic records are available for adjudication of the individual, as well as confirmation of superuniverse mandates enabling ascenders to begin their mansion world careers ahead of the termination of a planetary dispensation. In this context we recalled some of the types of resurrection possible, including dispensational, millennial, and special. We also briefly recalled conditions for an ascender to resurrect, in his own right on the third period, namely have a personal seraphic pair. Further, in order to receive personal guardians of destiny, one must have realized one or more of three achievements: have made a supreme decision to become Godlike, have entered the third psychic circle, or have been mustered into one of the reserve corps of destiny.
Unless the mortal fuses with the TA while yet in the flesh, upon death, the released TA goes immediately to Divinington. There, depending on the surviving mortal’s timetable for resurrection, the TA may, according to choice enter upon one of several temporary assignments, which are listed in our text.
Recognizing that TAs do not yet have personality, we asked how they could make a choice. We conjectured that because of the transcendent nature of the Father fragments, they effectively are able to make what we might consider choice, in the same sense that they are innately minded and can plan, work and love. These temporary assignments should inform us that despite their transcendent origin and nature, they are still incomplete in many aspects and are enhanced through experience, which in turn becomes accessible to the ascender in the fullness of time.
An additional point concerning the timeframe for pilgrims resurrecting in their own individual right, such a resurrection occurs on the so-called third period, not necessarily third day. The logistics of seraphic transport of the morontia soul demand a suitable time interval for a transport seraphim to span the distance from the natal sphere to the first mansion world, at triple light speed. This could amount to a number of years.
The final two paragraphs contain technical details of the TA’s activities of a formal nature from registering at Divinington, proceeding to the Paradise presence of the Universal Father and to various Personalized TAs of official standing, then passing into something called the “realization of identity transition” from which he is summoned to reunite with the surviving soul on the mansion world. Again, all of this detail and description of these formalities prior to resurrection should have the effect of underscoring the literal and precise nature of universe administration. Also, remembering what we’ve previously learned of the nature and attributes of TAs, consider that the “realization of identity transition” signals a profound change for the TA in the transition from an eternal identity, to live with and minister to a pilgrim of time and space.
112:5. Survival of the Human Self
Selfhood is a cosmic reality regardless of its level of function. Selfhoods are rendered personal through the bestowal of the Universal Father. Being personal is to recognize relative individuation within the cosmic organism, while being subject to the destiny of the whole. But those that are personal have the actual choice to accept or reject this destiny.
Both personality and the TA are from the Father and like the Father, eternal. However, personality with regard to identity is a conditioned eternal reality, dependent upon man’s choice to be present at the attainment of Deity destiny. In the absence of this choice of acceptance of destiny, this personality attains experiential Deity directly, becoming a part of the Supreme Being.
Mortal identity is a transient condition in the universe, becoming real only as the personality elects to become a continuing universe phenomenon. The Adjuster is truly the path to Paradise, but man himself must pursue that path by his own deciding, his freewill choosing. Man, in possession of a mind circuit which has been placed in subordination to the acts and choosing of the will of the human personality, is said to possess identity. This identity is transient and temporal. But the personality by its own choosing has the power to transfer its seat of identity from the material-intellect system to the morontia-soul system which, in association with the TA, is created as a new form for personality manifestation.
This power of choice, the universe insignia of freewill creaturehood is what constitutes man’s greatest opportunity and supreme cosmic responsibility. The specifics of our cosmic responsibilities are enumerated by the list of “upons” which follow, and which we were unable to discuss fully because we ran out of time. So here we will begin tonight’s study.
