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Mike Shreve was a teacher of yoga at four universities. (The portrait above was drawn by one of his students in 1970.) Then a spiritual rebirth brought him into a real relationship with God and drastically changed his heart, his life and his belief system.  Read his story here.

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TheTrueLight.Net
Site Completed–10/15/01
Major Revision—5/28/03
Last Updated–03/19/09

The True Light Project
P.O. Box 4260
Cleveland, TN 37320
Phone: (423) 478-2843
Fax: (423) 479-2980

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TheTrueLight.Net
©2002 copyright
Mike Shreve.
All Rights Reserved.


The Spiritual Journey and
Ultimate Destiny of Man

The Spiritual Journey of Man-concerning this aspect, some religions teach one life in this world; others teach numerous incarnations. Some reincarnationists teach that karma must have its ultimate effect. Retributions for negative karma and rewards for positive karma are both inescapable. Others teach various means by which negative karma can be cancelled or avoided.

There are two main views among reincarnationists:

  • The "Progressive Evolutionary View"-the belief that the soul or essence of being only progresses through successive stages (mineral, vegetable, animal, then human); it never digresses from the human stage back to animal, plant or mineral form.

  • The "Progressive/Digressive Evolutionary View"-the belief that the soul is progressing toward perfection and final liberation, but sometimes this involves shuttling between a human state and an animal, vegetable, or inanimate form.

The Ultimate Destiny of Man-concerning this aspect, some religions teach that various heavens, hells and purgatories are only temporary abodes for the soul on its journey to Absolute Consciousness; while others teach that these spiritual sites are ultimate and permanent. Some religions teach that these are only "states of mind." Others teach these are actual "locations" (either spiritual or physical, or both).

A universalistic view (all souls eventually achieving union with God) is embraced in some worldviews; while others assign to the righteous an inheritance in some kind of paradise, but to the wicked, a state of eternal separation from God. Varied beliefs can usually be categorized under one of six headings:

(1) Absolute Divinity-Ultimately all human beings become God, altogether losing their own individual identity.

(2) Qualified Divinity-Ultimately, all souls will merge with God, becoming omnipresent, omniscient and divine, yet retain their own individual identities.

(3) Sub-Divinity: Independent Eternal Existence-Though enjoying ultimate, infinite communion and oneness with God, the souls of those who are "saved" or "liberated" are, in a sense, "sub-divine" (submitted to God, and as such, partakers of his divine nature). However, such persons never actually "become" God. They possess a unique, independent and personal existence eternally.

(4) No Association With Divinity-In some worldviews, at death, the wicked are cut off from the Creator eternally. Their potential of oneness with the divine nature is forever lost. Some believe in an eternal existence is this state of separation; others believe in the annihilation of the souls of the wicked.

(5) Cessation of Personal Existence-a few religions teach there is no continuation of personal existence after death or after the cycle of reincarnation is over.

(6) No Speculation-A few religious groups de-emphasize, while others avoid altogether, any speculation concerning the afterlife of human beings.


Select the desired religion from the drop-down box below to view what its adherents believe regarding the spiritual journey and ultimate destiny of man.


"In Search of the True Light" ©2002 copyright by Mike Shreve.
All articles unless otherwise noted are copyright by Mike Shreve.
Personal Stories are the work of the individuals.
All Rights Reserved.

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