Betty Shine - A Free Spirit

It is only during the last twenty years of my life that I have given this book, and its significance, any thought. This is because of the amazing affinity there has always been between me and my Jewish friends. I have also had the privilege of healing Jews who were incarcerated in concentration camps, and through their stories I know that the world lost not only the innocents, but also great and good men and women of wisdom whose words were lost for ever – wise and gifted people the world could not afford to lose. The impact of this loss is still with us today, while an ever-increasing circle of violence still threatens to destroy the planet on which we live.

My mother’s family were active members of the Church of England, and had very little to do with my Spiritualist paternal grandmother. Silent religious wars raged at the very core of our family life. This was very good training for a medium, because people are constantly trying to goad me into arguments of a religious nature. Many seem frustrated that I recommend that we all ‘live and let live’ rather than taking sides. If people are happy with the religion of their choice, that is all that matters. If for any reason their religion threatens to spoil their lives, they should leave it and seek a different path – one that gives them peace.

The local church played a major role in my mother’s life. Although I hated it, it was a place where I was allowed to sing, and I looked upon that as some kind of compensation. Although I didn’t know it at the time, it was to prepare me for my singing career later.

I know so little about my family because we lost contact with each other during the Second World War. I am obviously not a thoroughbred of noble stock, and I am truly grateful for this, because the road I was destined to walk has been long and hard. It also opened the doors of compassion and understanding and has enabled me to teach through the written word.

My ability to bypass the physical and link into the mind has also opened many other doors. My spiritual teachers taught me not to judge by appearance, because this life is only a coat that we wear for a short space of time, but to pay attention to the mind, which will continue to exist long after our physical presence is dead.

People who have communicated with me in order to give survival evidence have told me about their ‘life after death’ experiences and their surprise when they were asked by a ‘Being of Light’ what they had learned. Without exception, they have told me that this was the last question they’d expected to be asked, because they had thought that the afterlife was about the consequences of good and evil. As a result, they had all been afraid of the aftermath of things they had done that had had an undesirable effect upon those who were close to them. However, the question they were posed is proof indeed that life is about seeking knowledge if we wish to progress.

I hope that this account will have given you some insight into why I care so much for every living thing on this planet, and why we all have a part to play in resurrecting a healthy environment. This book will take you further along the road of understanding, and I hope that that it will be a valuable addition to your library of knowledge.

I live not in myself, but I becomePortion of that around me; and to meHigh mountains are a feeling, but the humOf human cities torture.

Childe Harold

Lord Byron 1788–1824

I visited the circus for the first time when I was four years old – and I hated it. When the animals performed, I felt physically sick, and my heart filled with sadness at the sight of elephants, bears, lions and tigers performing tricks to entertain the public. I remember crying all the way home.

It was the same when I visited London Zoo. The sight of such majestic creatures pacing up and down on a concrete base, surrounded by iron bars, again tore at my heart. Their humiliation and pain became mine.

My family were mystified by my apparent distress. Although I was too young to understand or explain, I clearly remember that feeling of isolation and of being different. And so it has been all my life.

I spent many years wondering why I felt such intense pain on these occasions. And it was only from my study of the mind that I realised I had the ability to tune into the wavelength of every living thing.

To this day, humiliation and cruelty towards animals (and all other life forms) continues. Time and money are now being spent on trying to eliminate cruelty and extinction, and on improving living conditions in wildlife parks and modern zoos. However, in premises outside these establishments, there is still terrible suffering. In so-called civilised countries such as our own, cruelty towards animals who cannot defend themselves takes place on a minute-to-minute basis. Animal rescue centres are full of pathetic cases, and although television documentaries and series like Animal Hospital and Pet Rescue try to educate the public, there is still a long way to go.

Every single human being guilty of cruel behaviour demeans us all. I believe that the perpetrators of these horrors are mentally maladjusted people, social misfits whose numbers are unfortunately growing. It is tempting to presume that the abusers are all alcoholics and drug users, but I believe that the majority are people who want to take out their anguish on someone or something for a life that has gone wrong, and animals are an easy target. This will not stop until the laws are changed – it is still far too easy to maim and kill animals without having to face the consequences. Although these people may be banned from having an animal of their own for many years, it cannot compensate for the terrible death of even one such creature.

This could change tomorrow if everyone was vigilant and had the courage to speak out if at all worried about a possible case of cruelty or ignorance in the way a pet is being treated. I have heard about animals who have been left out during the winter, without any cover and with only soaking rags to lie on. Although Animal Rescue is notified, stupid laws often prevent them from helping, and the wretched animals continued to suffer.

Similarly, thousands of dogs are tied up in gardens. They howl all day, which is the only way they can ask for help – and they usually get a beating for it.

Mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs are bought to entertain children who quickly become bored with the effort of looking after them. As a result, these little creatures can be left imprisoned in small cages day after day. Unable to move freely, they show their deep psychological distress by going round and round in circles. These pets usually belong to families who show love for each other but who do not give a single thought to the torment that is going on within the mind and soul of the animal in their care. People should know better.

I have seen snakes who have never been out of the confines of their glass prisons, for that is all these containers are. They are often bought as a novelty – but novelties eventually lose their charm, and that is when the fate of the snakes is sealed. Never to be fed, cleaned or handled in a proper manner, or to experience any positive vibrations, they surely must embrace death as a loving friend.

I wanted to be a vet but it was not to be. However, through the medium of healing I have been able to use my gifts in a more subtle way. Human beings are not superior, they are simply different. It is essential that we show some humility by meeting other species half-way. Only then will we be able to share their lives.