These sets of Study Group Readings are available as MP3 files or e-transcript.
Scroll down for the list of questions or click on "edit," "find," in your browser to find a specific word on the page.


Click on this link to return to the list of years:

Picture
link to years

Subscribe to the Study Group Readings by CD, transcript, e-transcript or MP3 files.

To order past Study Group Readings, please contact us.

1996

Please note that these early recordings (1987 through 2001) were made on cassette tape and later transferred to digital format. The sound quality is not always as good as the later years.
STUDY GROUP READING #109
January 1996
OPENING TEACHING
1. Would you please give us an overview, from the spiritual point of view, of what humanity accomplished in 1995?

Several of our Study Group members lost beloved parents this year. They have sent in a couple of questions pertaining to their parents’ death:

2. One of the Study Group members whose father recently died asks, is grieving deeply for a long time after the loss of a loved one a way of feeling connected to the deceased loved one. If someone isn’t able to heal their fear, or doesn’t have a way to feel strongly the eternal connection with their deceased loved one, is holding on to their grief their way of maintaining the feeling of being close? Can you comment on this as it relates to the process of grieving for a deeply loved one, and tell us how we might transfer the sense of connectedness through the feelings of loss to a more joyful connection with their soul?

3. Kay’s mother made her transition in April of 1995. In November, her mother appeared before Kay’s father, young and happy. She smiled and floated by. He was sitting in the living room, fully awake. Kay understands that her mother appeared to comfort and reassure her father that she is not "dead." The question is, "what" appeared? Her Soul? Her personality?

4. Some people compare themselves to spiritual teachers, and, seeing the powers of the teachers, believe that those teachers are more evolved than they are. And yet, many of us have been spiritual teachers in earlier lives, and probably manifested equally inspiring abilities. Are we evolving linearly, with each lifetime being greater than the last, or are we perfecting holistically with some lifetimes seemingly more evolved than others, but with no single lifetime giving us a measure of how spiritually evolved we are?

5. A lot of people today are interested in healing through both spiritual and psychological means. Many people are very interested in the mind-body connection, and mainstream science is beginning to recognize how stress can affect our immune system functioning. One healing phenomena that science has never been able to really explain is the placebo effect, where people will take sugar pills and become healed. Some studies have shown that even when people know that they are taking sugar pills, many of them are still healed, even of serious diseases. Please tell us how the placebo effect works to heal the human body and how it relates to spiritual and emotional healing.

6. In the past life research literature, it is reported that a lot of people who died in the 30’s and 40’s in the Holocaust reincarnated quite rapidly. There is a wonderful quote from the Kabala that says, "Sometimes the souls of pious Jews pass by metempsychosis (rebirth) into Gentiles, in order that they may plead on behalf of Israel and treat them kindly." Does this happen between races, religions and so forth in order that people might gain a greater empathy for one another?

7. So there’s not a need by the soul then to experience different cultural groups or races to have an understanding of all of them?

8. Please close with an attunement for us to use this first month of 1996.

STUDY GROUP READING #110
February 1996

1. We have three follow up questions from the December reading. Here is the first one: In the December reading (question 4) you said that the understanding of "the will of God" is a very confused area for humans at this time. You also said that the will of God is simply for all human beings to love as deeply as possible, and to create in love. You said that beyond that, all choices are human. What then is guidance from our souls, from guides, from spiritual teachings, from our dreams? What are the desires of our own souls for our human selves in this lifetime? Aren’t these guiding impulses some form of the will of God? If not, then what are these guiding impulses from spiritual beings, and how can we understand them within the context of the will of God, and the context of making our own human choices? How do these guiding impulses fit together with our human choices?

2. In the December reading (also question 4) you stated that when we as humans truly understood the abundance of God, we would see there is no need for sacrifice when we give to others, that there is only a need for sharing, but not for sacrifice. Would you speak more about this abundance of God, because it seems that most of the time when we give to others, we take from ourselves, either our time, energy, money, pleasure, something.

3. This question is also about December’s reading. In that reading, you described God as being one unified life force, with different groupings of souls taking on different aspects. One grouping, you explained, created the earth. Are the spirit guides who speak through Ron Scolastico, and the spirits who guide us personally, only from the group that created the earth?

4. A number of spiritual disciplines, particularly those with a master or guru, use initiation as a ladder to spiritual growth or enlightenment. What is initiation? If we don’t have a human initiator, does spiritual initiation take place?

5. You said that initiation is introducing our personality into a clearer, stronger experience of spiritual realities. For those of us who like a little structure, if you were to invent an initiation for those of us who would wish to follow some steps, what would you give us?

6. Some people believe that there is great power in working with the breath, or "prana" as it is referred to in Eastern traditions - and that this type of work can lead to physical, emotional and mental healing, as well as spiritual awakening. Will you comment on the efficacy of this kind of work and the current Western practitioners that offer it? If there are benefits, will you give us suggestions for how to access this resource on our own?

7. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #111
March 1996

1. You have given us a technique that essentially answers our first question, but I’m going to ask it in case there’s anything that you can add: There are many things we have done in our lives that we could consider positive accomplishments, from family, to education, to travel, to artistic achievement, to service to others. When we look back on our lives after death, what kinds of things would be most valued by our soul, and what criteria will we use to assess the value of our life?

2. Is there any significance to a deceased person as to how their body is handled after the death? For instance, does it matter to them if they are embalmed or not, cremated or buried, and how soon those procedures are done after the death? Or, are these choices all about the comfort and beliefs of those left alive?

3. There are some traditions that say the body shouldn’t be buried or burned for 3 days because it takes the soul that long to disengage from that body. In light of what you just said, is that a wise tradition?

4. Recently there has been a lot of coverage in the news and on TV about "Emotional Intelligence," EQ instead of IQ. Emotional intelligence seems to be understood now by psychologists to mean the ability to be aware of our emotions and to intelligently choose those emotions which will help bring success and happiness into our lives, rather than letting our emotions make our choices for us and rule our lives. Would you please give us your perspective on this idea of Emotional Intelligence from a spiritual point of view? How does the idea of Emotional Intelligence fit with spiritual growth? Is there a kind of "Spiritual Emotional Intelligence," or Spiritual EQ?

5. Some Study Group members are trying to decide how to talk to their very young children about spiritual concepts such as God, who human beings really are, why bad things happen to us, and what death is. It is especially difficult to know how to begin to introduce these ideas to children. Would you help guide us in this area?

6. If a child is brought up with absolutely no religious or spiritual inclination, or even as an atheist, which the parent might be, will that influence the child strongly, or might a past-life interest come up in later times? Will the child be likely to find its own spiritual attunement at some point, even if they are brought up with none?

7. What determines how quickly one reincarnates after death?

8. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #112
April 1996

1. Would it be possible for a recovering alcoholic to be able to take a drink in this lifetime? I am referring to one who has worked through many of the challenges of this lifetime and continues to do so on a daily basis; a person who has an awareness of herself as a loving eternal being, and continuously extends acceptance and love to others.

2. Here is another addiction question. For the person who eats compulsively, do sugar and flour become addictive substances once they are taken into the body?

3. George Burns, the actor, drank martinis and smoked cigars daily, and he lived, seemingly healthy, to be 100 years old. What did he know that we can learn from? Or, is it genetics?

4. What might the experience of a very famous person be in the afterlife? Is there a difference if they’ve been famous on earth? Do they become a "famous" soul?

5. Do some people go to another planet to live after their death?

6. Recent predictions of catastrophes that are supposed to happen on earth are ascribed to the blessed Mother Mary, and to other saints and spiritual people. Are we, the people alive now, to expect a major catastrophe that will kill thousands? Is there truth in these predictions?

7. It is said by some that there are certain souls who have completed their personal need and desire to incarnate into human life, but yet they still come back solely to teach and guide others. Followers of some eastern teachers or gurus believe this. Is this true of such teachers, or even ordinary folk? Is this what Jesus or Buddha was doing? Or is every human being always here to complete threads of their own personal development?

8. Would you speak about the impact of our words, first upon our consciousness, and secondly on how we create our own reality? For example, if we continually say out loud, "I am so broke, I am so broke," does that contribute to creating further poverty in our lives or not?

9. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #113
May 1996

1. In the June 1995 reading you stated, "This is a very powerful period, as you can observe. And during this period, human choices and actions will have a much more dramatic impact than in the past." What will the next period of human expansion and expression be like, and when should we start to see this period?

2. In these readings you have also talked about how we can "mirror" the forces of God as we live on earth. Would you elaborate on this, and talk about how we might become more aware of such mirroring so that we can use it more consciously?

3. What is the place of fun and merriment while pursuing a spiritual path?

4. For people who attend meetings on addictions, does the fact that they call themselves "compulsive" reinforce their compulsiveness, or does it help in addressing the denial process that seems to go along with addictions?

5. One of our study group members has been using a Buddhist technique in which you breathe in someone’s pain and suffering and then transform it through the energy of God that flows in you. Then you breathe the positive energies back out to the individuals. Would you comment on the value of this technique and how we can use it to heal someone else’s pain, or our own?

6. In attempting to understand the nature of time, some have said that in reality the future has already occurred and the past can be changed. If this were true, it would challenge the notion of free will to choose our actions. Can you help us understand the truth about time?

7. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #114
June 1996

1. Through these readings, you have talked about "magnetism," meaning the attraction of individuals to one another, and to specific situations and lessons. How might we be more conscious of, and in control of, this phenomenon? How might we consciously attract people from our past lifetimes that we desire to meet once again in this lifetime?

2. Some people who are dying of a painful disease are heavily medicated with pain-killing drugs, such as morphine. How do those drugs affect the person’s death experience?

3. The mother of one of the Study Group members has just turned 91. She has been in a nursing home for years, and is unable to leave her wheelchair or take care of herself. On some days, she is able to recognize people, but on other days she does not know anyone. How does her soul benefit from this situation, in which for a long period she is able to experience little more than being taken care of each day?

4. We continually hear about the devastating negative impact that humans appear to be having on the earth. In particular, we have heard of the mass extinction of animal species, as many as 17 species per hour, and extensive air, land, and water pollution, including radioactive contamination. It is easy for us to despair when we hear such things. What portion of this damage can be remedied, and, is it likely that we will do so?

5. You have often said that there is only good in the universe. Yet, in Christian scripture, and in the lives of Christian saints, there are so many references to "visitation by devils," "casting out of devils," and "burning in eternal hellfire," that some people wonder if these references aren’t more than human fantasy. Are these references to devils and hell actually metaphors for some kind of negative energy or force? Or, are they nothing more than human fantasy and imagination?

6. There appear to be cycles in all of nature, from the orbiting of the planets, to the cycles of the seasons on earth, and the cycles of plants going from seed to flowering. Are their cycles in our mental and emotional lives that impose upon the way that we think and feel, no matter what we are doing in our inner life of thought and emotion?

7. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.
STUDY GROUP READING #115
July 1996
OPENING TEACHING
1. Is there a value in studying ancient texts to gain current spiritual knowledge? Or, is the information pertinent mainly to the times they were written?

2. As technology advances more and more, many scientists have been concentrating on creating artificial intelligence in computers, that is, computers that can think for themselves, that appear to be aware of themselves as they think, and appear to have personalities and self awareness. Is it possible for a machine to every truly be aware of itself, to ever truly have a consciousness? Or, does it require the presence of a soul in a being before any kind of being can truly be self aware, can truly be said to have a sense of being itself, and have a consciousness of itself?

3. Is there a method by which we can find deeper meaning in the things that happen to our bodies? For example, how can we personally figure out what it means in relation to lessons we may be learning if we break our arm, or get the flu, or some other illness?

4. Would you talk about sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS? Understanding that there are individual reasons for this taking place, what spiritual insights can you give us as to why a seemingly healthy baby would die suddenly? If there are lessons to be learned, they seem very cruel indeed.

5. It can be frustrating to hear and read about our true unlimited capabilities that we have forgotten as we enter the physical plane. How can we make practical use of our true unlimited capabilities? What purpose is served in knowing of the existence of these capabilities of the human mind, soul, and spirit when so few people, if any, can actually make use of them?

6. It was said that Abraham Lincoln had a prophetic dream that he would be assassinated. This dream took place three days before he was assassinated. What is the purpose of such a dream when it obviously did not prevent his assassination?

7. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month?


STUDY GROUP READING #116
August 1996

1. In the closing of last month’s reading, you said that not only the soul and spirit, but also the personality structure cannot be damaged by any life experience. The claim that the personality cannot be damaged is contrary to common experience and observation. Unfortunately the reality of life is that people can be "wrenched" by terrible experiences of tragedy and pain, resulting in chronic anxiety, depression, bitterness, loss of faith and rejection of God, and so forth. The complex of problems identified as post traumatic stress syndrome in survivors such as Vietnam veterans is an example. Brain damage, stroke, tumors, drugs and other damage to the physical brain and body often cause changes and distortions in the personality.

2. Please explain further your statement that nothing can damage the personality in light of these observations.

3. Many of us take vitamins and other food supplements because we want to live healthier lives. Specifically, would you talk about the general efficacy of vitamins? Does the average person living in the U.S., and eating a reasonable diet, really need additional vitamin supplements?

4. If some people feel content to go through this lifetime without getting married, are they deluding themselves when they feel that is a good choice?

5. You have said in previous readings that one of the most important spiritual focuses in life that humans should have is the focus on kindness, gentleness, caring for each other, and love. You have also said that more people are more loving now than ever before. However, in the U.S. recent polls have clearly shown that many people feel that the U.S. is becoming a more harsh, uncaring country. Many companies are downsizing their work forces even while they are making large profits. Employee benefits are being reduced. And in general, many people report a feeling of an atmosphere of increasing harshness, greed, self centeredness, and violence in many areas of American life.

6. At the same time, however, the same polls indicate that more people are interested in spiritual growth and exploration, and that charitable giving has increased by 10%. Please help us to understand the spiritual evolution of the U.S. at this time, in terms of the willingness and ability of people to love and care for each other with gentleness and kindness. Are we going forward or backward now in our kindness and loving of one another?

7. Regarding the recent TWA Flight 800 crash: How do we interpret such an event relative to eternal truths? Does it mean that 250 some souls simultaneously decided that it was time to end their physical lives? If it was a bombing, does it mean that one soul still in a body was selected to plant the bomb? Does it mean that all of the souls of friends and family decided to cooperate with the souls who decided to die in this way, in that they wanted to experience the lessons of grief, loss, and heartache? Please help us understand this event?

8. Are there truths underlying all of existence that are the same for all of us, or is "truth" relative?

9. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #117
September 1996

1. There seems to be a lot of confusion over the fulfillment of one’s purpose in life. Do most people fulfill their "purpose" in a lifetime? Is fulfilling one’s purpose merely a subjective attitude, or are there specific purposes for most people to accomplish? What transpires if one dies without having fulfilled their purpose?

2. Many spiritual teachers say that it is our birthright to experience the easy free-flowing abundant life. And there are many spiritually oriented people who work diligently to change their beliefs about abundance and lack, with seemingly no results. There are others who are wealthy and lack nothing material, and have gained this wealth through abuse of others and ruthless, even illegal business practices. Are they wealthy because of their inner beliefs, or because of their outer behavior? What are the factors involved here?

3. Is there genetic coding within the body for our time of death, or is it totally up to the soul? Or, does the soul, when it is ready, activate a kind of "death gene?"

4. We recently heard in a friend’s reading that some natural substances such as castor oil, spearmint, and others have a molecular structure that is more perfectly attuned to the cells of the human body, and that such substances invite healing when combined with inner work. Will you speak more about these types of substances, and how they work. Would you list those that would be helpful for us to know about?

5. During the last month there was an announcement from NASA that they have evidence of life on the planet Mars. Several questions arise from this. Is NASA misinterpreting or misunderstanding this discovery? Was there ever, or is there now, any life on Mars?

6. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #118
October 1996

1. Some people believe that each person comes into this world with a set amount of life energy, and once that energy has been used up, the person’s life will end. Is life energy dissipated and lost, or can it be replaced through specific means?

2. Some Eastern spiritual philosophies speak of various levels of existence beyond the earth plane. They teach that a guru or spiritual master is needed to help souls transcend from lower false levels that only appear to be true oneness with God, to the higher levels of true unity with God. Can a soul achieve true unity with God without being a follower of a proclaimed "spiritual master" on earth?

3. If we have lived many lifetimes in which we have learned a great deal, why did we have to begin our present life as a child with a narrow perspective and a childish self-centeredness?

4. Would you please give us a spiritual perspective on doctor-assisted suicide?

5. What is the spiritual significance of the extreme weather that has occurred in the Eastern United States, beginning with the unusually heavy snowfall last winter, and most recently the hurricanes and severe flooding?

6. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #119
November 1996

1. Some spiritual theorists believe that reincarnation is unnecessary for human soul growth, and that many of us on earth decide to reincarnate for selfish reasons. Does the soul consider returning to earth again and again a sacrifice, a privilege or an indulgence?

2. What are the practical reasons for living with and loving people on earth as opposed to living with and loving people in other realms? Specifically, what is gained from earth life that cannot be achieved by simply remaining in the spiritual realm?

3. What is the purpose of the shadow, a Jungian psychology term used to refer to the negative aspects of our human selves? Is it important for people to recognize and own the negative parts of themselves?

4. It has been stated that the greater the Light an individual carries, then the bigger the dark or shadow. Is this true? Was this true of great Spiritual Masters such as Jesus or Buddha? Please explain.

5. Many psychologists believe that once we have created mental and emotional patterns, they are with us forever. They may not be active but they are always there. Can negative patterns be healed completely?

6. In a recent Study Group reading you stated that apparent damage or distortion of the personality caused by terrible life experience is only temporary to physical life and is not real in a larger spiritual sense. This raises some important questions. Chronic anxiety, depression, withdrawal and other neurotic distortions of personality are often a form of negative learning from traumatic experiences. However, the personality changes, learns, grows and matures just in living a normal life. If negative or distorted "learning" from life is temporary and is shed soon after physical death, what prevents all learned changes including the positive, spiritual growth-related changes from also being lost? If there is no essential change to the core of personality, what is the point of physical life other than to furnish entertainment or raw data to the soul?

7. In last month’s reading you spoke about the "wearing down force" in the human body that reduces energy with aging. You said "this wearing down force will lead to a loss of physical energy with age, unless there are strong inner actions taken in the thoughts and feelings, and unless the bodies are treated with a great deal of intelligence in the care and feeding of them." Would you speak about what strong inner actions might be taken in thoughts and feelings, and what kind of care and feeding is required to sustain energy as we age?

8. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.

STUDY GROUP READING #120
December 1996

1. During the Holidays, many of us feel great joy, yet many of us also feel a great stress. How can we help those around us and ourselves to get the most out of this season?

2. This is a season of new birth and new beginnings. Please speak to us regarding the diversity of the human search for connecting with God and new ways we can develop our tolerance of and appreciation for them.

3. A facet of Christ’s life and death was a lot about surrendering which cleared the pathway for his resurrection symbolically speaking. How can we apply and understand that process for ourselves in our daily lives?

4. In what ways are the life of Jesus, his previous incarnations, his merging of the Christ force important role models for us, and in what ways are they not?

5. It is easy to feel insignificant as a human being when looking at Christ’s life and his accomplishments as a human being. How can we invite and allow the Christ force to come into us in awareness?

6. Please close with an attunement for us to use this month.