Conversely, millions of Americans believe this is God's work. And a large portion of them — 30% by some accounts — subscribes to John's Revelations vision. Because they believe that the end is near, some say that protecting the environment is unimportant.

To be exact:

“James Watt [first secretary of the Interior for President Reagan] told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, ‘after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back’.”¹

We only need to extend this logic slightly to justify the destruction of the entire planet.² But there's a problem: believers have been predicting the Second Coming for the last two millennia. And they've always been wrong. Wouldn't it be prudent not to destroy the ecosphere, just in case Christ decides to arrive later?

The point here is not political but practical: information presented as coming from a spiritual source can have real-life consequences. It's like secular information, but can hold even more sway. It doesn't matter whether the information comes from a true spiritual source, from the dark forces, from one's imagination, or is just a lie. The listener must decide if it's true by consciously scrutinizing the message with both head and heart. This kind of discernment transcends religious, political, social, and philosophical prejudices. This isn't blind faith. The listener should especially scrutinize the actions that the message encourages. Words themselves are impotent unless someone acts on them. They're like kings shouting out orders, "Kill the enemy!" or "Love one another"; but if no one obeys, then they're just words. Action fills them with life. "And in the beginning was the Word."

If the message is benign, like "love one another," then blind faith can't do much harm. Blind faith, though, is definitely a poor substitute for reason when the information promotes destructive, irresponsible, or morally degenerative behavior. You can recognize the difference: If the message is true, it will sound and feel right. If it's corrupt, you can sense the darkness.

Mechanisms
Imagination is different from other-plane messages. The former is a creative process of the brain. The latter is the brain receiving information from beyond itself. According to some esoteric schools, the most difficult spiritual task is to discern the two: Am I hearing me or someone else? Part of the problem is that the brain's voice (our thoughts) is neutral — the tonal quality is uniform regardless of who's talking. I believe this happens because the brain, as a receiver, converts the incoming, higher-plane frequencies into the brain's "thought format." So, even if "the voice" sounds different at the source, which it probably does, once the brain translates it into something a human can understand — thoughts — it ends up sounding like every other thought.

This doesn't include the "voices in your head" phenomenon, which I assume would sound like someone else's voice. I've never experienced this, but another mental mechanism could be at play, one that uses a brain technology that's different from the one used in channeling and inspiration.

Conclusion
I don't listen to or read much channeled material lately, although I stay open. This is partly because of the authenticity problem and party because of style. Many messages are positive, but I'm cautious even with them. A channeled entity (channeled by a friend in the neighborhood) once told me that I should believe everything it said. Hmmm. Again, it's wise to treat metaphysical information with the same discernment as secular information.

I don't do walk-ins any more either, although I still value my experiences. Instead, I enjoy the easy way, staying open to gentle inspiration in my life and work. Praying — sincerely chatting with God (even if it's often a one-way conversation) — is fulfilling too.

Anyone can serve evolution and the cosmic forces. They only need to have faith in the existence of God, help others, and do the right thing. Actually, believing in God is optional, although I think the advantages of believing far outweigh the disadvantages.

By going within and seeking the truth, you'll always find what you need. If what you find is always what you expect, then you may be talking to yourself. If you are amazed or deeply satisfied by what you hear, then you may have close friends in high places. And for those who are not amazed by what they hear, they probably have friends there too. Talking is only one of many ways to stay in touch.

(1) Read Bill Moyer's comments

(2) New York Times Article    Note: you have to "sign in" to read that article.