Evaluating Spiritual Channels: A Guide to Discerning True Teachings from the Ascended Master Realm

The Reliability of a Channeled Message… Which Teacher to Follow?

When a person is committed to making the effort needed to gain spiritual understanding, the first decision involves choosing the right teacher. Since channeling is widely misunderstood by most students, and this misunderstanding is a major obstacle for the Great White Brotherhood in ushering in the New Golden Age for this planet, we’ll address it briefly here. (For a more detailed discussion, including criteria given by the Masters for recognizing a true messenger, refer to “Man, His Origin, History, and Destiny.”)

Distinguishing between different presentations of Ascended Master Teachings is challenging and often underestimated by students, whether beginners or those more experienced. Numerous so-called channels, star-commanders, authors, messengers, and spirit guides vie for students’ attention, each offering “the very latest” and urging, “DO YOU WISH TO BE LEFT BEHIND?” It is estimated that globally, thousands claim to be channels of Ascended Masters.

Not only must one discern truth among these sources, but also from the voices of our four lower bodies (physical, mental, emotional, and etheric), each of which holds intelligence. Master Kuthumi acknowledged the difficulty of selecting the right teacher, saying, “I realize it is very difficult to discriminate. But that is one of the reasons you came to embody on Earth—to learn discrimination.”

El Morya added, “Test, test, test every activity in which you place your faith and that to which you give the power of your attention, before you are led into the unhappy experiences that can result from blindly accepting as truth what is presented to you, both from the seen and unseen.” This includes examining the characteristics of a true channel, as described by the Ascended Masters, and comparing them with other channels.

The Dalai Lama shared in an interview, “People are very hungry for spiritual teaching, but there are many unqualified individuals, charlatans motivated by financial and power ambitions, who are not very spiritual. I always tell seekers of religion not to be too hasty. Examine the teacher carefully. You can receive the teachings without adopting the teacher as a guru. Learn as much as possible and ensure the teacher is authentic and reliable. There have been instances where individuals, unknown in Nepal or India, came to the West and suddenly became prominent teachers.”

Channeling Partial Truth

Jesus and Saint Germain both warned of false prophets. Students should not only be wary of those who knowingly spread false information to satisfy their own ego but also be cautious of sincere mediums who unknowingly channel from a level lower than the Ascended Master Realm. In “Truth Colored by Human Concepts” from The First Ray, beloved El Morya discusses the challenge unascended beings face if they wish to channel from the highest realms. He explains that between the physical realm, where students reside, and the realms of Ascended Beings, there are many intermediary realms.

Starting from the physical realm, one encounters brain consciousness, subject to the senses (seeing, hearing, etc.), followed by the astral or psychic plane, then the lower mental realm, and the etheric realm. Beyond these is the plane where the Christ Self abides, known as the higher mental realm. Only after passing through these realms does one reach the level of the I AM Presence.

Returning with one’s vision intact is also challenging. The aspirant must retrace their journey downward through these realms of consciousness, often forgetting part or all of the vision along the way.

From this explanation, we understand that only those assisted by an Ascended Master can channel ABSOLUTE TRUTH from the Ascended Master Realm. ALL OTHERS, DESPITE CLAIMS, CAN ONLY CHANNEL PARTIAL TRUTH. El Morya referred to these messages as “wishful thinking” and “idealized imagery.”

At AMTF* headquarters, we are reminded of the words of beloved “Brother Bill” (William Cassiere), a messenger appointed by Saint Germain and an AMTF member. He often said, “On the other side, countless individuals insist they are Kuthumi or Saint Germain, and they are not! These entities attempt to speak to anyone willing to listen.”

Serapis Bey cautioned, “Many well-meaning people are unknowingly caught in the astral realm. In Atlantis, individuals could captivate thousands, thus using their God-given energies to sustain the very forces that ultimately led to the continent’s destruction.”

Can You Really Trust Your Heart?

We often hear, “I know there are many false prophets, but I trust the feeling and voice in my heart to determine if a channel is true.” This brings up the question: “Can you really trust your heart?” Let us explore this in detail.

The problem is that the “Fall of Man” severed the visible presence and voice of our teachers (Ascended Masters and Archangels). The Light shaft from our I AM Presence decreased from a diameter of several feet to just 1/16 of an inch. Through misqualifying our energy over many embodiments, we have distanced ourselves from our God-Estate, contributing to karmic burdens. From this, the personal ego, with all its arrogance, emerged. The voices of our four lower bodies and senses combine to form what we call “our consciousness.” Thus, humanity lost much of its original, pure connection to the I AM Presence.

Re-establishing a pure connection to one’s Presence is not an overnight achievement. It requires persistent, daily effort and years of study to build momentum, akin to progressing through elementary school, high school, and then college.

Therefore, the question, “Can you really trust the feeling in your heart?” should be answered as follows: “Do not rely solely on the voice of your heart. Primarily use your most developed faculties—logic, reason, and common sense. Be prepared to invest significant time, energy, and resources in researching which messenger to follow.” If a student does this and sincerely seeks truth in humility, they will be guided by an Ascended Master.

True Messengers

The Masters compare reaching out to unascended humanity with their energy to tunneling through granite. They are responsible if this energy is not returned to them by students through decreeing, which is why dispensations require substantial energy. In the 19th century, a dispensation was granted to H. P. Blavatsky, and in the 20th century, dispensations were granted through Mr. Ballard and Geraldine Innocente, who conveyed much additional truth.

True messengers give credit where it’s due. For example, Geraldine Innocente credited Ascended Masters David Lloyd and Mr. Ballard for sponsoring the Transmission Flame Service of the Bridge to Freedom. Articles in the Bridge to Freedom Journal always included the author’s name; there was no deception.

After Innocente’s ascension, some of her dictations were copied word-for-word by several organizations without crediting the source, making it seem they had received the original message. One such group refers to these as “previous teachings,” without acknowledging the origin.

All true dictations focus on two key goals: guiding students toward ascension in this lifetime and helping the Earth progress in the cosmic initiation, bringing it closer to the sun. This serves as a helpful criterion when comparing the dictations of various channels.

Dictations from the Ascended Master Realm are clear, concise, and full of substance, detail, and concrete facts. Those from other realms often speak in generalities, lack specifics, and emphasize love without mentioning the other six God-virtues. Students are seldom told that self-mastery over the four lower bodies is the only true mastery.

Jesus said, “By their fruits shall ye know them.” After the Karmic Board grants a dispensation, the floodgates open, allowing for so-called miracles, healings, and other accomplishments. A prime example of this is the “Bridge to Freedom” and its achievements. (For details, see The Law of Precipitation and Man, His Origin, History, and Destiny.)

Through the “Bridge to Freedom” dispensation, knowledge of Ascended Master Retreats’ locations and activities was first revealed. These retreats, located throughout the world and in the etheric realm above Earth, serve to radiate specific God-virtues to humanity. For nine years, Geraldine Innocente’s students were given monthly updates on each retreat’s location, dates open to humanity, and associated God-virtues. This information, published in the Bridge to Freedom Journals, helped students respond to the Masters’ requests for the needs of the hour. For example, Mother Mary’s request for help with incoming souls led to many babies receiving perfect bodies, despite previous karmic burdens. Archangel Michael called the accomplishments of the Bridge to Freedom the greatest in the last 500,000 years of human history.

The Masters caution that we cannot flit from one teaching to another or mix the teachings of the “Bridge to Freedom” with those of contemporary channels, as they convey a different message.

An Example of Differing Channels

The Masters emphasize the importance of the Transmission Flame Service, which utilizes knowledge of the opening dates of Ascended Master Retreats. According to the Masters, this service, primarily conducted by the “Bridge to Freedom” students, enabled Sanat Kumara to return to Venus after 2.5 million years of voluntary exile.

Upon reviewing all “Bridge” publications, we found that the Teton and Shamballa Retreats opened annually on specific dates. Comparisons with other groups presenting Ascended Host teachings revealed:

1. Most groups did not perform the Transmission Flame Service.
2. Four groups, claiming “channels,” assigned different opening dates for these retreats than the Masters had provided through Geraldine Innocente.
3. These dates also varied among the four groups.

Perfect communication between unascended and ascended beings is exceedingly rare and highly specialized.

The AMTF does not employ present-day channels. As of October 2010, no fewer than 77 individuals have approached the AMTF to serve as channels. Most were met personally, including three who claimed a new dispensation. All were declined, as none met the Ascended Host’s criteria for an authorized messenger. Based on our 33 years of researching channels, along with the 50-year experience of William Cassiere (a messenger appointed by Saint Germain who worked with Mr. Ballard) and the 55-year experience of Alice Schutz (Publisher of A.D.K. Luk Publications and later a Bridge to Freedom staff member), we recognize Geraldine Innocente as the last authorized messenger of the Great White Brotherhood, validated by a PROVEN dispensation from the Karmic Board. This dispensation is evidenced by tangible works, not words alone.

Many groups and individuals offer partial truths, benefiting many students. The energy created by decreeing, directed toward the Ascended Masters, enhances their assistance to Earth. However, it’s crucial to recognize that different channels have varied levels of spiritual development, and not all can penetrate to the Ascended Masters’ realm. Much more could be accomplished if today’s students UNITED IN A COMMON EFFORT. Together, we could adjust the Earth’s axis in a short time.