When a cage breaks, the bird is not destroyed; it is freed. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá uses that image for the body and the spirit, but He does not leave it as an image, because He asks that in divine questions we reason, analyse and examine rather than lean on inherited belief. So the arguments follow: whatever is composed of elements must one day decompose, yet the soul is no compound; the body grows lean, sick or maimed while the self that says I remains unchanged; the dreamer travels east and west while the body lies as if dead; and the sovereignty of Christ still shapes lives twenty centuries on, though nothing can flow from what does not exist. Plato made a kindred case in the Phaedo, where the soul is akin to what is unseen and unchanging rather than to what scatters [1]. Bahá’u’lláh adds that dreams can mislead as well as reveal, and that the world of souls cannot be pictured from within a world of bodies. The journey continues into the nature of the soul, the craft of rational argument, and what awaits the spirit after death.
To consider that after the death of the body the spirit perishes, is like imagining that a bird in a cage will be destroyed if the cage is broken--though the bird has nothing to fear from the destruction of the cage. Our body is like the cage, and the spirit is like the bird.
In the same proportion that the body of man is developing, the spirit of man must be strengthened; and just as his outer perceptions have been quickened, his inner intellectual powers must be sensitized so that he need not rely wholly upon tradition and human precedent. In divine questions we must not depend entirely upon the heritage of tradition and former human experience; nay, rather, we must exercise reason, analyze and logically examine the facts presented so that confidence will be inspired and faith attained. Then and then only the reality of things will be revealed to us.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Hall home on 1912-Sep-20 -- ABU0150)
03
A rational proof for the immortality of the spirit is this, that no effect can be produced by a non-existent thing; that is, it is impossible that any effect should appear from absolute nothingness. For the effect of a thing is secondary to its existence, and that which is secondary is conditioned upon the existence of that which is primary. So from a non-existent sun no rays can shine; from a non-existent sea no waves can surge; from a non-existent cloud no rain can fall; from a non-existent tree no fruit can appear; from a non-existent man nothing can be manifested or produced. Therefore, so long as the effects of existence are visible, they prove that the author of that effect exists.
… This is a rational proof that we are providing, that rational minds may weigh it in the balance of reason and fair-mindedness.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 60, The Immortality of the Spirit (1), 1904-Oct ca. -- AB00268)
04
Consider how the human intellect develops and weakens, and may at times come to naught, whereas the soul changeth not.
… Should any one suppose that man is but a part of the world of nature, and he being endowed with these perfections, these being but manifestations of the world of nature, and thus nature is the originator of these perfections and is not deprived therefrom, to him we make reply and say: the part dependeth upon the whole; the part cannot possess perfections whereof the whole is deprived.
… Numerous and conclusive proofs exist that go to show that this infinite world cannot end with this human life.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Lawh-i-Dr Forel (Tablet to Dr Forel), 1921-Sep-21, to Auguste Forel -- AB00020)
05
In speaking, man says, "I saw," "I spoke," "I went." Who is this I? It is obvious that this I is different from this body. It is clear that when man is thinking, it is as though he were consulting with some other person.
… Furthermore, man sees in the world of dreams. He travels in the East; he travels in the West; although his body is stationary, his body is here. It is that reality in him which makes the journey while the body sleeps. There is no doubt that a reality exists other than the outward, physical reality.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Theosophical Society on 1912-Dec-04 -- ABU0033)
06
Where then can one find in man this mind that resides in him and whose existence is beyond doubt? Were you to examine the human body with the eye, the ear or the other senses, you would fail to find it, even though it clearly exists. The mind therefore has no place, although it is connected with the brain. So it is with the Kingdom. Likewise, love has no place, but it is connected with the heart. And in the same way, the Kingdom has no place, but it is connected with the human reality.
… It follows clearly from these explanations that man is immortal and everlasting.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 67, Eternal Life and Entrance into the Kingdom of God, 1904-Oct ca. -- AB00336)
07
Thus it becomes clear that the human reality's permanence and influence are not conditional on the physical frame. Rather, this physical frame is an instrument upon which the human spirit casts its rays, like the sun shining upon a mirror making it bright, and when the sun's connection to the mirror is cut off, the mirror becomes dark. Likewise, when the spirit's outpouring is cut off from the body, that instrument becomes idle.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1908-Aug-07, to Ella G Cooper -- AB00075)
08
This perfect body can be compared to a mirror and the human spirit to the sun: If the glass is shattered or the mirror destroyed, no harm befalls the outpouring grace of the sun, which continues unabated.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 36, The Five Kinds of Spirit, 1904 ca. -- AB00266)
09
Know thou that the spirit in its own station remains firm and enduring. The weakness observed in the sick is due to intervening causes, not to any weakness in the spirit itself.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Abdu'r-Razzaq, to Abd-i-Razz -- BH00060)
10
While asleep, this physical body is as dead: It neither sees, nor hears, nor feels, and it has neither consciousness nor perception---its powers are suspended. Yet the spirit is not only alive and enduring but also exerts a greater influence, soars to loftier heights, and possesses a deeper understanding.
… It is therefore evident that the spirit is different from the body, that the bird is different from the cage, and that the power and influence of the spirit is more pronounced without the intermediary of the body. Now, if the instrument becomes idle, its wielder continues to exist. For example, if the pen is abandoned or broken, the writer remains alive and well; if a house is destroyed, its owner lives on. This is one of the rational arguments proving the immortality of the soul.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 61, The Immortality of the Spirit (2), 1904-Oct ca. -- AB00228)
11
An evidence of the immortality of the human spirit is the fact that it is not affected by changes in the body. … If the body should become lean the spirit would not become lean. If the body should become corpulent the spirit would not become corpulent. If the body should be dismembered the spirit would not be affected. In brief, the spirit is independent of the body, and the disintegrations that take place in the body do not affect the soul, for the human reality or spirit is ever the same.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Address at Theosophical Society on 1912-Oct-11 -- ABU0045)
12
This is one of the proofs of the immortality of the soul, for death consists of the change and dispersion of the members and elements of the body. As a bodily change does not bring about change in the soul, it is evident that the soul is unchanging and imperishable.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to a man who had lost both legs, spoken at Parsons home on 1912-Nov-09 -- ABU2979)
13
We see that cold, heat, suffering, etc, only concern the body, they do not touch the spirit.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1911-Nov-03 in Paris -- ABU0626)
14
For example, the wick in a lamp may burn out or become low, but the oil is still there and the light in that sense is not discontinued; or the chimney may become blackened with smoke, but the light shines within as brightly, though it be not as plainly discernible.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Mr and Mrs Hannen, spoken on 1909-Feb-23 -- ABU3189)
15
An observant traveller passing along a way will certainly recall his discoveries to mind, unless some accident befall him and efface the memory.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1904-Feb-08, to Edwin C Anderson -- AB02947)
16
That state of matter which is the cause of the equilibrium and perfection of the body is that perfect and balanced nature obtainable through the composition and mixture of the elements. It is physical and not spiritual. But the intellect, which discovereth the realities of things, is a spiritual nature and is not physical. Therefore, the animal is deprived of it, for it is specialized to man. The animal is able to perceive sensible realities, but man is able to perceive intelligible realities. It is evident then that the intellect is a spiritual faculty and not a physical one.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1905 ca., to Aseyeh Wellesca Dyar -- AB00567)
17
Modern philosophers say: "Nowhere do we see a spirit in man, and, although we have investigated the inmost recesses of the human body, nowhere do we perceive a spiritual power. How then are we to imagine a power which is not sensible?" The divine philosophers reply: "The spirit of the animal is not sensible either and cannot be perceived through our material powers: How do you infer its existence? There is no doubt that it is from its effects that you infer in the animal the existence of a power which is lacking in the plant, and that is the power of the senses--sight, hearing and the other powers. It is from these that you infer that there is an animal spirit. Infer likewise from the aforementioned signs and arguments the existence of a human spirit.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 48, The Difference between Man and Animal, 1904-Oct ca. -- AB00057)
18
Even the ether, the forces of which are said in natural philosophy to be heat, light, electricity, and magnetism, is an intelligible and not a sensible reality. Likewise, nature itself is an intelligible and not a sensible reality; the human spirit is an intelligible and not a sensible reality.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 16, Intelligible Realities and their Expression through Sensible Forms, 1904 ca. -- AB00259)
19
Some say that human existence is among those things that have appeared in the world of being and that are due to the exigencies of nature. Were this true, man would be the branch and nature the root. But is it possible that there could exist a will, a consciousness, and certain perfections in the branch which are absent in the root?
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 1, Nature is Governed by a Universal Law, 1904-Jun ca. -- AB01029)
20
It may be claimed that these powers are from nature itself and that man is a part of nature. In answer to this statement we will say that if nature is the whole and man is a part of that whole, how could it be possible for a part to possess qualities and virtues which are absent in the whole?
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Columbia University on 1912-Apr-19 -- ABU0145)
21
If we accept the supposition that man is but a part of nature, we are confronted by an illogical statement, for this is equivalent to claiming that a part may be endowed with qualities which are absent in the whole. … The proof is complete that in man there is a power beyond the limitations of nature, and that power is the bestowal of God.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at the Mills home on 1912-Apr-13 -- ABU0405)
22
But the question which presents food for reflection is this: How is it that man, who is a part of the universal plan, is possessed of certain qualities whereof nature is devoid? Is it conceivable that a drop should be imbued with qualities of which the ocean is completely deprived?
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Plaza Hotel on 1912-May-02 -- ABU0122)
23
O thou who hast drawn nigh unto the spirit of Christ in the Kingdom of God! Verily the body is composed of physical elements, and every composite must needs be decomposed. The spirit, however, is a single essence, fine and delicate, incorporeal, everlasting, and of God.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1904 or <, to George T Winterburn -- AB01866)
24
The soul is not a combination of elements, it is not composed of many atoms, it is of one indivisible substance and therefore eternal.
… The soul, being of that one indivisible substance, can suffer neither disintegration nor destruction, therefore there is no reason for its coming to an end.
… The very existence of man's intelligence proves his immortality; moreover, darkness proves the presence of light, for without light there would be no shadow.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at Dreyfus home in Paris, 1911-Nov-10 -- ABU0054)
25
As for the many planets and the vast distances between them which [certain] European astronomers of our day explain as worlds wherein the soul dwells, this is a pure supposition and has no basis in fact, for all of the planets are physical worlds. The world in which the soul resides is perpetual and unchanging. It is a spiritual world; it is the world of the Kingdom, which is eternal and everlasting. All the luminous bodies existing in this infinite universe are composed of elements, and since every composition in the end must become decomposed, they are therefore deprived of immortality. The world of the Kingdom, however, is free and sanctified from composition, and is therefore eternal and everlasting.
In regard to the phenomenon of death, know that the soul of man is sanctified and independent from material existence. It has no need to enter or exit, ascend or descend, penetrate or commingle, for these are the properties of bodies, not of souls. Therefore, the soul of man does not enter into this corporeal frame, but rather it has a connection to it. Death consists of the severing of that connection. That connection resembles the relationship between a mirror and the sun. The sun does not enter into or depart from the mirror, and does not incarnate itself therein, but has a connection to the mirror and is reflected within it. When that connection becomes severed, the mirror is deprived of its brilliance, loveliness, and charm. For this reason, the expression "the soul has departed from the body" is metaphorical and not factual. Furthermore, the connection between the soul and the body may be severed gradually or it may be severed all at once.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1908-Apr-04, to Georgine D'ange D'astre -- AB00457)
26
Know that, although human souls have existed upon the earth for a myriad ages and cycles, the human soul is nonetheless originated. And since it is a sign of God, once it has come into being it is everlasting.
… For the world of things is a world of imperfection in relation to that of man, and the world of man is a world of perfection in relation to that of things. When imperfect things reach the stage of perfection, they become everlasting. This is meant as an example: Seek to grasp the true intent.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 38, The Three Stations of the Divine Manifestations, 1904 ca. -- AB00345)
27
A rational proof for this is that man has two realities: a bodily reality and a spiritual reality. The bodily reality is fleeting, but the spiritual reality is immortal. This is because extinction consists of transition from one form to another.
In the world of corporeal forms, no being can possess two forms at the same time. … The soul of man, however, possesses all forms at the same time. … Therefore, the soul is eternal, not subject to transition, and always possesses all forms.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Address at Theosophical Society of Edinburgh, 1913-Jan-09 -- ABU0078)
28
The purely material man cannot comprehend the spiritual idea of life. And so he thinks that his lack of knowledge is proof of non-existence. Matter cannot present various sides at the same time. Two geometric forms cannot be in the same object. A spherical object cannot be in a plane; a triangle cannot be a square.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken ca. 1912-Apr-22 in Washington -- ABU1868)
29
Observe and understand how this human body changes; nevertheless, the spirit of man remains ever in the same condition. … This is proof that the spirit of man is distinct from his body. Defects in the body or its members do not imply defects in the spirit. This leads to the accurate conclusion that if the whole body should be subjected to a radical change, the spirit will survive that change; that even if the body of man is destroyed and becomes nonexistent, the spirit of man remains unaffected. For the spirit of man is everlasting.
… If an elementary substance is possessed of immortality, how can the human spirit or reality, which is wholly above combination and composition, be destroyed? Nay, rather, that spirit, which is all in all, is a unit and not a compound. Its destruction, therefore, is not possible.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given on 1912-Aug-16 -- ABU0004)
30
But if an existent is not composed of physical elements, it is not subject to disintegration and death. Nay, rather it shall eternally live and endure. Since the soul is by no means composed of elements, it is therefore not subject to disintegration. Every composed being shall become decomposed, but since the soul is not composed, it can never perish.
… The sixth proof: When you contemplate or consider any matter, you often consult with yourself about it. But who is it that gives opinions to you like a person sitting in front of you holding a conversation? When you are deliberating, with whom are you conversing? It is certain that it is the soul.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Theosophical Society on 1912-May-26 -- ABU0205)
31
When you wish to reflect upon or consider a matter, you consult something within you. You say, shall I do it, or shall I not do it? Is it better to make this journey or abandon it? Whom do you consult? Who is within you deciding this question? Surely there is a distinct power, an intelligent ego. Were it not distinct from your ego, you would not be consulting it. It is greater than the faculty of thought. It is your spirit which teaches you, which advises and decides upon matters.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Theosophical Society on 1912-Jul-24 -- ABU0096)
32
Life is the expression of composition; and death, the expression of decomposition. … As the spirit of man is not composed of material elements, it is not subject to decomposition and, therefore, has no death. It is self-evident that the human spirit is simple, single and not composed in order that it may come to immortality, and it is a philosophical axiom that the individual or indivisible atom is indestructible. … Likewise, the human spirit, inasmuch as it is not composed of individual elements or atoms -- as it is sanctified above these elements -- is eternal. This is a self-evident proof of its immortality.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Maxwell home on 1912-Sep-02 -- ABU0241)
33
Know, therefore, that death does not pertain to existence. At most, there is transition from one state to another, for the soul of man is not composed; it is not a formation of elements subject to dissolution. If it was composed, we would have to consider it mortal. But since it is not composed, it is therefore incapable of being annihilated.
… In fine, a person who possesses insight, who is spiritual and compassionate, will discover that the soul of man has ever been and will be imperishable, he will perceive all things in its presence and beneath its shadow, and he will behold himself immortal, everlasting, perpetual, and eternally immersed in the lights of God, the Most Glorious, for he is endowed with spiritual perception and receives heavenly impressions; he is not restricted by the rules of logic or the limitations of human understanding.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Address to the Baha'is and others at Parsons home in Dublin, 1912-Aug-07 -- ABU0184)
34
Furthermore, this immortal human soul is endowed with two means of perception: One is effected through instrumentality; the other, independently. … It often happens that a man in a state of wakefulness has not been able to accomplish the solution of a problem, and when he goes to sleep, he will reach that solution in a dream. How often it has happened that he has dreamed, even as the prophets have dreamed, of the future; and events which have thus been foreshadowed have come to pass literally.
Therefore, we learn that the immortality of the soul, or spirit, is not contingent or dependent upon the so-called immortality of the body, because the body in the quiescent state, in the time of sleep, may be as dead, unconscious, senseless; but the soul, or spirit, is possessed of perceptions, sensations, motion and discovery.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Parsons home on 1912-Nov-09 -- ABU0138)
35
So to speak, when the atom entered into the composition of the tree, it died to the mineral kingdom, and when consumed by the animal, it died to the vegetable kingdom, and so on until its transference or transmutation into the kingdom of man; but throughout its traversing it was subject to transformation and not annihilation. Death, therefore, is applicable to a change or transference from one degree or condition to another. In the mineral realm there was a spirit of existence; in the world of plant life and organisms it reappeared as the vegetative spirit; thence it attained the animal spirit and finally aspired to the human spirit. These are degrees and changes but not obliteration, and this is a rational proof that man is everlasting, ever-living.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at the Theosophical Society on 1912-May-04 -- ABU0070)
36
You observe that one appeared two thousand years ago, and His effects still persist; another was three thousand years ago, and His influences are still evident. Though physically absent, they exist in the realm of the Kingdom; hence their effects are manifest and their lights radiant. For that which is non-existent has no effect--it is certain that effects result from existence. What influence can come from non-existence? These manifest effects that remain from perfect beings prove their existence.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1911-Nov-02 in Paris -- ABU0179)
37
If thou wouldst reflect upon the deeds of the Prophets, thou wouldst bear witness with absolute certitude that there are worlds besides this world. … Now if such souls had considered divine worlds to be limited to this earthly life, they would never have surrendered themselves to their enemies nor endured unprecedented trials and tribulations.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Abdu'l-Vahhab, 1304-10-14 [1887-Jul-6], to Mulla Abdul-Vahhab Quchani -- BH00433)
38
What peace, what ease and comfort did the Holy Ones of God ever discover during Their sojourn in this nether world, that They should continually seek to come back and live this life again? Doth not a single turn at this anguish, these afflictions, these calamities, these body blows, these dire straits, suffice, that They should wish for repeated visits to the life of this world? This cup was not so sweet that one would care to drink of it a second time.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1896 ca., to Baha'is of Baku (Badkubih) -- AB00282)
39
Those who do not believe in immortality have some proofs. For example, one is this. They divide existence into two kinds; imaginary existence and that of the senses. They say that since the immortal kingdom is not of the senses there can be no such kingdom. This is their proof! By this proof they deny!
But Jesus and Baha'u'llah answer the people who do not believe thus: Every rational man can see that the world has come out of non-existence into existence. Life progresses from the mineral kingdom to the vegetable kingdom, from the vegetable to the animal, and from thence to the human kingdom. Were there no spiritual kingdom, life would be useless.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken in late Aug./early Sept. 1911 in Vevey -- ABU0495)
40
But then, my daughter, you should not fall silent in embarrasment, but you should tell him: "O atheist, there is no America, I have not seen America, I have not even glanced at America, I cannot believe the travellers and books, I want, here from London, in London itself, to see, touch, count, measure, weigh America, other proofs I will not accept as valid!" How will the atheist reply to you? He will say: "Come with me to America; here in London I cannot show you America concretely, visibly, but there, on the spot, you will have to let yourself be convinced and you will be convinced of the land of America" - and you will reply: "Good, O atheist, but what is fair to one is fair to the other - my thinking self is my soul, and the home of my soul is there with the Origin and Source of all souls - with God. … Now we live in belief, in surmise, in feeling, in delicate, fragile proof by analogy (comparison), in the reflection and refulgence of the Eternal, the Immeasurable, the Incorporeal. -O atheist, I cannot reach down for you, for example, the moon from the firmament, to touch and see close to, but approach the water and at least look at its reflection, the image of the heavenly body. Much can now only be 'seen from afar', imagined from afar, but the day of seeing it close - of touching and possessing, will come, and then we shall speak further."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken to Miss St. in Aug 1910 -- ABU0610)
41
One of the created phenomena is the dream. Behold how many secrets have been deposited therein, how many wisdoms treasured up, how many worlds concealed. Observe how thou art asleep in a dwelling, and its doors are shut; on a sudden thou findest thyself in a far-off city, which thou enterest without moving thy feet or wearying thy body. Without taxing thine eyes, thou seest; without troubling thine ears, thou hearest; without a tongue, thou speakest. And perchance when ten years have passed, thou wilt witness in this temporal world the very things thou hast dreamt tonight.
… 68 God, the Most High, hath placed these signs in men so that veiled minds might not deny the mysteries of the life beyond, nor belittle that which hath been promised them.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Haft Vadi (The Seven Valleys), to Shaykh Muhiyid-Din Judge of Khaniqayn et al -- BH00047)
42
The spirit has two modes of operation: one through instruments and means, that is, seeing through the eye, hearing through the ear, speaking through the tongue. … The other operation is without instruments, as in the world of dreams where one sees without eyes, hears without ears, speaks without tongue, and travels without moving the feet. All spiritual powers manifest without bodily means in the world of dreams.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken in Paris, 1911-Nov-09 -- ABU0114)
43
It would be true if thou wert to contend that this same world is, as decreed by the All-Glorious and Almighty God, within thy proper self and is wrapped up within thee. It would equally be true to maintain that thy spirit, having transcended the limitations of sleep and having stripped itself of all earthly attachment, hath, by the act of God, been made to traverse a realm which lieth hidden in the innermost reality of this world. Verily I say, the creation of God embraceth worlds besides this world, and creatures apart from these creatures.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Suriy-i-Vafa (=Lawh-i-Vafa), to Shaykh Mulla Muhammad Husayn Vafa -- BH00354)
44
The soul is a sign that is sanctified from entry and exit; it is both still and in motion, seated yet soaring. It beareth witness to a world that hath beginning and end, and likewise to a world that is sanctified from beginning and end. In this night thou observest a matter, and after twenty years, more or less, thou shalt behold that very same thing. Now consider what manner of world this is.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1299-07-12 [1882-May-30], to Mulla Muhammad Ali -- BH00328)
45
As for what thou asked regarding the state of the spirit and its conditions, know of a certainty that the dream world is equivalent to the spirit and like unto the sun in its station; nothing hath departed from the body. Nay rather, by its light whatever is in the heavens and the earth may be witnessed.
Verily, God hath created the dream in His servants that they may be assured of the existence of the worlds hereafter and the life everlasting.
(The Báb, Letter to Haji 'Abd al-Wahhab, 1262-03-22 or 23 [1846-Mar-20] -- BB00072)
46
It is a special world among the divine worlds and is indicative of infinite matters. Among other things, it is evidence of a realm wherein no beginning or end, no first or last, can be witnessed. Thus, something is observed in sleep, and after a number of years that very same thing is witnessed. … It likewise beareth witness to the resurrection and revival after death, even as Luqman said to his son: "If thou art able not to sleep, thou art able not to die. And if thou art able not to awaken after sleep, thou art able not to be raised after death." Even as death is a reality, so is sleep a reality, and even as there is awakening after sleep, so is there resurrection after death. Sleep sometimes varies according to the differences in souls, thoughts, food and drink. In the dreams of holy souls there hath been and is no variation, for they are pure wakefulness.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Commentary on a verse from the Qayyumu'l-Asma, ca. 1289-1290?, to Asad -- BH00135)
47
The most truthful of speakers, in His book, mentions Joseph's vision (upon him and the Lord of our age be peace) and his interpretation of the dreams of two other individuals. Now consider. What kind of world is that wherein his father and mother are seen as the sun and the moon, and his brothers appear in the form of stars? And what is this world wherein the reverse is seen: the sun and the moon in the form of his father and mother, and the stars in the form of his brothers? He says (exalted be his sovereignty), "I saw eleven stars, and the sun and the moon; I saw them bowing down before me." The interpretation of this vision became clear once Joseph was established upon the throne of glory, and Jacob and Joseph's eleven brothers prostrated themselves at his feet.
Now, since this question has become established and ascertained, it is evident that the rendering of each due takes place in every world in a manner befitting that world.
The mind and thought of man at times discovers certain truths, and this thought and discovery produce definite results and benefits. Such thoughts have a solid foundation. But many things come to mind that are like the waves of the sea of delusion; they bear no fruit and produce no result. In the world of sleep, too, one may have a dream which exactly comes true, while on another occasion one will have a dream which has absolutely no result.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 71, Spiritual Discoveries, 1904-Oct ca. -- AB00482)
49
It often occurs that man, while in the world of vision, receives a revelation, which later, comes to pass in the contingent world. The "perceiving soul" of man is the power which discovers. Wheresoever it is directed it discovers the hidden mysteries therein, and brings to light that which was veiled. Therefore it is possible for man to arrive at the station wherein future events are revealed to him.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1904-Aug-04, to Clara Leonill Osborne -- AB05049)
50
When this is purified human hearts are attuned and reflect one another, and thus spiritual emotions are generated. This is like the world of dreams when man is detached from things which are tangible and experienceth those of the spirit. What amazing laws operate, and what remarkable discoveries are made! And it may even be that detailed communications are registered...
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1919-Jul-24, to Albert B Vail -- AB00862)
The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.
51
In order to seize the actions of the rational soul, we need the mediation of the body; but the soul can act directly without this intermediary. Thus, when we sleep the soul sees without the help of the eyes. … It is clear, therefore, that the soul evolves with and without the intervention of the material body.
… The body is the horse, the soul is the rider and sometimes the rider moves without a mount.
I loved him very much, for he was delightful to converse with, and as a companion second to none. One night, not long ago, I saw him in the world of dreams. Although his frame had always been massive, in the dream world he appeared larger and more corpulent than ever. It seemed as if he had returned from a journey. I said to him, "Jinab, you have grown good and stout."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tadhkiratu'l-Vafa (Memorials of the Faithful), 1916-Mar-25 -- AB00002)
53
I beseech Thee, by the potency of Thy will and the compelling power of Thy purpose, to make what Thou didst show me in my dream the most firm foundation for the edifice of Thy love in the hearts of Thy loved ones, and the best instrument for the revelation of Thy grace and loving-kindness.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1303-06? [1886-Mar], to Mirza Ali Muhammad Yazdi (Varqa) et al -- BH00009)
54
But in this world all those called into being are new souls. It is not that a former soul becometh incarnated in another person, or that another individual becometh the soul of a former individual.
… Understanding the world of souls is impossible in this world of bodies. That world is unlike anything you can conceive in your imagination. In these perishable bodies one cannot perceive the immortal worlds, save through that which ye sometimes behold in a dream.
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55
How can I have an identity that persists through time if my soul is a body and all body is in perpetual flux? And when I perceive something, I perceive as one perceiver, and not as a multitude of different perceiving parts. The power to perceive acts both as a unity and as present throughout the different parts of the body. But a body cannot be in different places and not lose its unity. Therefore soul as the faculty of perception cannot be a body.
(Based on Plotinus, Enn.IV.7.6-7; in O'meara p.16)
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56
see also
Plotinus, Enn.IV.7.12
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57
The body is composed ... of corporeal elements ... but the spirit is an essence, simple, pure, spiritual, eternal, perpetual and divine.
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58
As the soul (ruh) of man is not the result of composition and does not come into being through the affinity of molecular elements, it is not subject to disintegration.
The human spirit is detached [from the world] and is not composed [of elements]. Thus it experienceth neither dissolution, nor change nor transformation, but remaineth in a single state. (Baha'u'llah, provisional translation)
Regarding your questions concerning the condition of the soul during an illness. The passages in 'Gleanings' make it quite clear that physical ailments, no matter how severe, cannot bring any change in the inherent condition of the soul, as Baha'u'llah says: 'The spirit is permanent and steadfast in its station'.
LG#385 (8 Mar. 1936 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
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61
...while it is impossible for an object to possess diverse forms at one and the same time, the spirit of man possesses all forms and has manifold shapes simultaneously. It has no need to change from one form to another. As it is beyond change and forms, it is non-material and eternal.
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62
If it be claimed that the intellectual reality of man belongs to the world of nature - that it is a part of the whole - we ask is it possible for the part to contain virtues which the whole does not possess? For instance, is it possible for the drop to contain virtues of which the aggregate body of the sea is deprived?
One questioned Him about spirit and matter. The Master replied: "This question may be answered in two ways, philosophically as well as spiritually. Philosophically, the answer is easy because in philosophy the spirit is energy and all matter is endowed with energy; and this power is inseparable from matter, as in electricity. In other words, matter is a vehicle for spirit but the transformation of matter does not involve the extinction of that power because transformation and transference are in the properties of matter. Immaterial beings or realities, however, are protected and preserved and their essential power remains unaltered. The manifestation or appearance of the spirit varies due to changes in matter and bodies. This, however, does not mean that spirit itself is subject to extinction." (Mahmud's Diary, 17 Oct. 1912, p.335) [alternative translation:] One of those present asked about the relationship between spirit and matter. `Abdu'l-Baha replied: 'This question has two answers: one is philosophical and the other is divine. The philosophical answer is easy because in philosophy 'spirit' is defined as a force belonging to every material thing which cannot be dissociated from it. For example, the power of electricity, or to use another expression, the 'spirit of instruments', is material, but through the transformation of matter the destruction of that force is not required, since transformation and transferal are among the concomitants of material things. As for immaterial realities and spirits, they are inviolable and impregnable, for these fundamental powers are eternal, and it is through the transformation of bodies and corporeal forms that the manifestation of spirit is diversified. It is not possible for spirit itself to become annihilated.'
In every glorious and divine Dispensation, His inspiration sheddeth its radiance upon all. For some this occurreth in dreams, and for others while awake.
MA8.025 (From a Tablet of Baha'u'llah, in a compilation on dreams, Oct. 1978) TA00049
That truth is often imparted through dreams no one who is familiar with history, especially religious history, can doubt. At the same time dreams and visions are always coloured and influenced more or less by the mind of the dreamer and we must beware of attaching too much importance to them....
(16 May 1925 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in a compilation on spiritualism, reincarnation, and related subjects)
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66
It is God that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: Those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed.
Qur'an 39:42
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67
Sometimes, however, the 'world of Images' ['alam-i-mithal] appears as it really is, without deformation, in the consciousness even of an ordinary man. The most conspicuous case of this is seen in the veridical dream. The 'world of Images' is eternally existent and it is at every moment acting upon human consciousness. But man, on his part, is not usually aware of it while he is awake, because his mind in that state is impeded and distracted by the material forces of the external world. Only when he is asleep, the physical faculties of his mind being in abeyance, can the faculty of imagination operate in the proper way. And veridical dreams are produced.
(Izutzu on Ibn 'Arabi, in Sufism and Taoism, p. 13)
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68
...when we accept the Manifestation of God for our time, we must accept what He says though at the moment we may not comprehend the meaning of some of His statements. Some things, such as Baha'u'llah's Teachings regarding life after death, we have to accept on faith.
M63-86 448.6b (14 Apr. 1975 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice)
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69
The present life of man, O king, seems to me, in comparison of that time which is unknown to us, like to the swift flight of a sparrow through the room wherein you sit at supper in winter, with your commanders and ministers, and a good fire in the midst, whilst the storms of rain and snow prevail abroad; the sparrow, I say, flying in at one door, and immediately out at another, whilst he is within, is safe from the wintry storm; but after a short space of fair weather, he immediately vanishes out of your sight, into the dark winter from which he had emerged. So this life of man appears for a short space, but of what went before, or what is to follow, we are utterly ignorant. If, therefore, this new doctrine contains something more certain, it seems justly to deserve to be followed.
(the Venerable Bede)
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