Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Newton structures his book as a series of case studies framed by his own analysis and conclusions. How did this quasi-scientific format affect your reading experience and the book’s credibility? 

2. Newton followed this book with Destiny of Souls, which expands on these ideas. If you have read both texts, what were your impressions of the evolution of his model? If you have not, how does the systematic afterlife in Journey of Souls compare to other spiritual or religious frameworks that you have studied?

3. In your view, what was the most challenging concept presented in the book? Explain your answer.

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The book suggests that souls choose challenging lives in order to undergo new growth. How does this idea change your view of adversity in your own life or in the lives of others?

2. In Case 28, a soul is given “memory triggers” in order to recognize important people. Have you ever experienced an inexplicable feeling of recognition or connection with a person or place? How does the book’s framework make you think about those moments?

3. “Guides” are presented as patient mentors who never give up on their students. What qualities would make for an ideal guide or mentor in your own life? How do Newton’s descriptions of spirit guides align with or differ from your concept of mentorship?

4. The text’s idea of a “soul group” or “cluster group” suggests that all people have an eternal spiritual family. Do you feel that you have a “soul group” in your current life? What does that community look like for you?

5. Amnesia is described as a necessary “blank slate” for learning. If you had the choice, would you want to remember your past lives and the plans you made before this one? What might be the benefits or drawbacks of having that knowledge?

6. What practices or rituals in your own life help you to process difficult experiences and find a sense of peace or renewal, similar to the “shower of healing” described in the book?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What are the societal implications of adopting a rehabilitative view of justice, as modeled by the soul’s karmic journey, versus a more punitive one?

2. Journey of Souls draws on both Eastern traditions, like reincarnation, and Western metaphysical thought, like soulmates. Why do you think this synthesis of different belief systems has proven so appealing to modern audiences? What might this reveal about contemporary spiritual seeking?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Newton positions himself as a skeptic-turned-researcher. How does this narrative persona shape your reading of the text and your interpretation of the case study transcripts?

2. How does the recurring motif of light and color function throughout the book to visually represent the soul’s development, the presence of guides, and the nature of the “source”?

3. The symbol of terrestrial structures, like schools and libraries, recurs throughout Journey of Souls. What is the effect of using these familiar, Earth-like settings to describe a non-material realm? How does this choice support the book’s central theme of The Soul’s Journey as a Structured Educational Process?

4. Newton presents the relationship between the soul and its temporary human host as symbiotic yet conflicted. How do the case studies of souls like Hester/Ross Feldon and Sumus/Steve illustrate the challenges of this union? How do they depict the relationship between a soul’s purpose and a human’s lived experience?

5. The journey through the tunnel is a common feature in near-death accounts, some of which are famously documented in works like Raymond Moody’s Life After Life (1975). How does Newton’s depiction of the tunnel as a two-way portal for both death and rebirth expand upon or differ from its more common portrayal as a one-way passage?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you are a prompter in a recognition class and have been tasked with assigning memory triggers for two souls who are destined to be lifelong friends. What sensory signs would you implant so that they would recognize each other on Earth?

2. The book describes the Ring of Destiny as a theater in which souls preview potential lives. If you were to design a different kind of life-selection space, what would it look like? How would its design reflect the process of choosing a new incarnation?

3. Imagine that you have been invited to design a new course for intermediate souls on “Earth II,” the creative practice environment. What would your course be called, and what skill would it teach? Describe an exercise or project that the souls would undertake.