by Mark Pitstick MA, DC

If you’ve not already, please read . . .

  1. ‘The Great News‘ (article #19 at SoulProof.com/Articles)
  2. ‘Eight Developments for Widespread Conscious Living Now’ (#125)
  3. Greater Reality LIVING Program: Integrating ‘The 8 Developments’ Into Your Daily Life (#72)
  4. Greater Reality HEALING Program: Journeying FROM Deeply Grieving TO Brightly Shining (#82)

The evidence-based information and holistic resources outlined in these articles will help you to:

  • realize your true nature as an eternal being of consciousness / life-force / energy 
  • receive guidance and assistance from highly evolved energies and Source / The Light
  • heal old wounds, release lower energies, and update erroneous teachings
  • create the greatest life YOU have envisioned (YOU = your higher self / soul)
  • help others by sharing your greatest gifts
  • make our world a better place

As enough people do this, widespread personal and planetary change will naturally unfold. 

Contrast Souls

Has there been a person in your life who was abusive or cruel to you?   Who never or seldom expressed love and caring but, instead was mean and critical?  A person who may even seemed to be evil? 

That word seemed is a key one.  Actually, that person might actually have been a blessing. 

What?! 

Let’s start by defining the term ‘contrast soul’.  There are no widely accepted definitions nor does an internet search reveal anything for this term except a video game genre and a brand of loudspeakers.  Perhaps I created that term years ago while considering this topic.

Contrast soul is defined as a person who appears to be mean and imbalanced (“the abuser”) but actually is a teacher and maybe even a soulmate.  In this perspective, the person being mistreated (“the abusee”) may have asked – before coming to earth – for a volunteer to hurt them. 

Why? 

To develop spiritual muscles, to potentially realize and demonstrate how strong they are.  Any good adventure needs an antagonist to challenge the budding hero.  So the abuser agreed, out of love, to play ‘the bad guy’ role even though he/she may actually be quite evolved.

To be clear, there is no scientific controlled laboratory research about this topic.  There is clinical evidence from studies conducted by university professors, physicians, and/or psychologists.  Categories of these reports include near-death experiencers, lives between lives clients, and recipients of after-death communications.  In addition, there is empirical or experiential evidence – supportive evidence based on firsthand experiences.  

Keep in mind the assumptions behind this scenario that make it more sensible, that you and everyone else: 

  1. are timeless beings of energy, consciousness, spirit.

  2. are integral parts of Source / Life Itself now and always.

  3. choose to come to earth for a very brief visit compared to eternity.

  4. want to attend earth-school to learn specific lessons and face challenges.

  5. have twenty-five or so primary soulmates and a greater number of less close ones

  6. are connected in special and sacred ways with all people and life.

  7. live in a universe with inherent meaning that humans often can’t comprehend.

  8. facing adversity can result in growth and service

With this backdrop – that has significant supportive clinical and experiential evidence – transient suffering is well worth these benefits.

If you are considering this topic for the first time, it might seem farfetched or unfair. 

However, I encourage you to follow the evidence and logic behind this possibility.  It explains a number of earthly conundrums, for example, why a caring and loving Creator would allow such suffering. 

Here’s a real life example of how this can work.   

A counseling client I’ll call Alice shared her amazing story with me years ago.  She was mentally, physically, and sexually abused by her mother and step-father.  Both of them had suffered abuse and trauma in their early lives.  Born in the early 1930’s, they didn’t know about resources for counseling and healing.  In their twisted mental states, they may have believed they were appropriately punishing Alice and her siblings.  The abuse occurred in the 1960s when few people – even professionals – were aware of the problem of childhood abuse.  Today, their abuse would hopefully have been detected and prison sentences levied.   

But Alice didn’t respond as a hopeless, helpless, and bitter victim.  She became a wife, mother of two, and health care provider.  She created the loving family that wasn’t there for her as a child.  Alice used counseling, emotional release techniques, and other natural healing approaches so the abuse didn’t define who she was.  As a result, she was able to largely heal the past and optimize her future. 

Alice’s mom never said I love you and was usually very critical and negative.  However, when her mom was dying, she was confused due to pain medication and other drugs.  She thought Alice was a nurse and said to her, ‘Do you have any children?  You know, I really loved my children, even if I never told them.’  That helped Alice realize that her mom really did care but was just too imbalanced and uninformed to say and show it. 

Shortly after her mom died, Alice was in the kitchen early in the morning.  She felt a presence and looked up to see her mother’s full size and semi-solid form smiling at her.  There was a bright light behind and around her.  Her mom said, “I am very proud of you and I love you.”  Then she disappeared.  Alice was at first shocked by this tremendously clear and loving after-death communication.  Then she felt gratitude.  She wondered if her mom might really have been a teacher who helped Alice grow and evolve in ways she might not have if her mom was loving. 

This story and others might cause you to pause before making definitive statements about the cruelty of life and God.  Could it be that Creator is so wise and caring that even immature and/or imbalanced persons can play positive roles for those who seek silver linings?  Might it be that life is so wonderfully designed that even such a tragedy as childhood abuse can result in higher growth and service to others? 

Based on the clinical evidence, professional experiences with cases like this, and my personal experience and beliefs, I believe it is.  

Side note: I’ve been honored to help some bereaved parents resolve to find blessings amidst the tragedy of their child’s passing, and share those with others.  It’s an awesome example of how resilient and powerful human beings can be with the right focus.  The goal of these parents is to become shining light parents who know their child is alive, well, and lovingly embraced by the Light.  (So is everyone, whether living on earth or beyond.) 

These parents are determined to honor their children and serve others in their name.  They make moment-to-moment choices to focus on love, joy, peace, gratitude, fulfillment, and awakening.  They do this especially when feeling lower energy emotions such as anger, guilt, resentment, hopelessness, and sadness.  They still feel the latter list of emotions some, but not as intensely, often, or frequently.  That makes a huge difference in how they feel and function. 

Those who have faced abuse and mistreatment can decide to respond similarly.   

When facing adversity, you can choose to respond positively based on three possibilities:

  1. Abusive persons are actually contrast souls who are soulmates and teachers. Their apparently cruel and dysfunctional ways can show you how you don’t want to be.  They can motivate you to grow in ways that you wouldn’t have otherwise. 

  2. Abusers are imbalanced for reasons that you may or may not ever know and understand. Regardless, you decide to find the silver linings among those dark clouds. 

  3. Life is set up so wonderfully that there may be other possibilities that you can’t see or comprehend. As with #1 and 2, you are presented with a gift to expand your love, wisdom, patience, compassion, and understanding.

Whether or not one or more of these possibilities is true, you have magnificent opportunities to grow, learn, and serve others when faced with adversity. 

Here’s another example from Fire in the Soul, a book by Joan Borysenko, PhD, distinguished pioneer in integrative medicine at Harvard.  She granted permission for me to share her story in my book Soul Proof:

Dr. Borysenko related a beautiful event that occurred at the moment of her mother’s passing.  Her mother had long been cynical about and critical of Joan’s work.  Joan and her son Justin were present as her mom passed over.  At that moment, the room was filled with light and both realized what Justin verbalized: “I feel like Grandma is holding the door to eternity open to give us a glimpse. Can you feel it? You must be so grateful to your mother.  You know, she was a very great soul. And she embodied to take a role that was much smaller than the wisdom in her soul and she did it as a gift for you so that you’d have something to resist against.”

Eight ways to explore whether an abusive person in your life might be a contrast soul . . .

    1. Use the Pre-Birth Planning technique to consider whether you set up the possibility of interacting with this difficult person and, if so, why.  You can use those insights to improve your life here and now.  To learn more, see article #25 at SoulProof.com: Pre-Birth Planning: Did My Soul REALLY Choose That?

  1. Remain aware and hopeful even when around the hateful person.Like Alice, you might hear or see unexpected clues that suggest he or she is indeed a blessing in disguise.

  2. Use the Past Life Regression technique to explore if you knew this person in another time and place. Set an intention before starting to clarify who this person was to you and why they are in your life now. To learn more, see article #34 Reincarnation: Evidence of Cyclical Life Experiences. 

    4. Make a decision to trust Life / Universe / God.  After a long earthly experience as a mathematician, inventor, author, philosopher, and more, Buckminster Fuller said the most important lesson he learned was: ‘The universe is friendly.’  

    5. Use the Holistic Breathing Technique with the intention to release old wounds and the accompanying lower energies. You can become more clear about how to interact with such persons now – if they are still living on earth – or how to forgive them if they passed on.

    6. Consult an evidential psychic and/or medium. This may provide insights about your relationship with abusive persons whether they are alive (a task for a psychic) or ‘deceased’ (a task for a medium) To learn more, see article #6: Evidential Mediums.   

    7. Use the L.A.F. Technique     to Love, Accept, and Forgive the other person and yourself. This will help you drop accompanying negative baggage and be more aware of the big picture. To learn more, see article # 40.

    8. Know there is perfect retribution    . You need not worry about abusive persons getting their just dues. Life is set up so they will experience firsthand what they did to others unless they deeply repent and make amends.  However, their life review / karma retribution is designed for growth, not eternal punishment.  Even so, it will proportionately feel hellish to them depending on how much they hurt others.  An exception would be if they are contrast souls who acted in horrible ways out of love and because you, as a soul, requested their assistance.  To learn more, see articles #42, 46, and 65. 

Here’s a final example that shows the healing and transformational power of deep relaxation and visual imagery techniques.  I led a group of 200 bereaved parents in the Facilitated After Death Contact session.  The goal was to quiet the brain, sense more of reality, and enjoy a visit with ‘departed’ loved ones.  There are three different sessions in which to visit with those living in the next phase of life.  Many parents sensed their children holding their hands, stroking their hair, sitting on their lap, reassuring them, etc. 

After the presentation, Ruth, a woman who had been sitting in the front row, came up to me.  She was expecting a visit from her daughter whose body was killed by a hit-and-run driver two years before.  To Ruth’s surprise, she sensed the man who had been driving and said, “I looked into his eyes and saw only sadness and love.  In that moment, I realized he was part of our soul group who volunteered to play the bad guy.  Why?  To set up this scenario that is playing out.” 

Ruth continued, “My daughter was an advanced soul who didn’t need to go through a long earthly experience.  Her bodily death spurred me to do what I, as a eternal soul, came here to accomplish.  I am now growing and helping others in ways I wouldn’t have if my comfortable life had continued.  She is alive and well in another phase of life.  We are soulmates and will see each other again and can do so now.  In fact, she visited me on the second and third sessions.” 

And that, my friends, is a great example of the uplifting power of looking beyond appearances.  Might it be that one or more horrible people in your life really are, or were, teachers and soulmates?  Knowing this is a possibility may cause you to pause before reacting with anger, hopelessness, blame, and bitterness.  I know some people – and I am working on this as well – whose set point is to assume that the universe is perfect. 

That doesn’t mean we condone abuse, violence, or any other mistreatment of anyone.  It does mean that we realize life may be set up much more wonderfully, safely, and lawfully than we can imagine.  And, at the same time, we do all we can to lessen the suffering of others and make the world a better place.  Simply put, the path is to live with love, hope, peace, and courage – no matter what is going on within or around us. 

I hope this article helps you make more sense of what sometimes seems to be a senseless and unfair world.  May you more deeply know and show that this earthly experience is a completely safe, meaningful, and magnificent adventure amidst eternity. 

                                           *       *       *       *     *       *      *

Thank you for telling others about this article!  Your life, and that of others around you, will be more enriched when you:  

  1. read the article again so you really know it.
     
  2. discuss with close family and friends to more deeply internalize it.
     
  3. take action steps that seem right for you.
     
  4. share it with others via social media, discussion groups, and other ways.

Hugs, love, blessings, and let it shine!
Mark

Mark Pitstick, MA, DC
author, lecturer, counselor, and holistic chiropractic physician; spokesperson, research assistant, and strategic planner for the SoulPhone Project; founder of Greater Reality Living, Healing, Helping, and Sharing Programs

SoulProof.com    SoulPhone.org   GreaterRealityPrograms.com

Mark Pitstick, MA, DC is a master’s clinical psychologist, holistic chiropractic physician, and clinical nutritionist.  He has also helped others in pastoral counseling and suicide prevention / education settings.  His goal is to help you know and show that this earthly experience is a totally safe, meaningful, and magnificent adventure amidst eternity. 

To learn more about the Greater Reality LIVING, HEALING, HELPING, and SHARING Programs, visit ‘Greater Reality Programs’ top tab at SoulProof.com and SoulPhone.org.  Also see  articles #19, 72, 82, 119, 122, and 125 at SoulProof.com/Articles.

SoulProof.com provides many FREE resources:

  • 8 e-books Radiant Wellness, Soul Proof, The Eleven Questions, Greater Reality Living, The Big Picture of Life, The Afterlife Evidence, Ask the Soul Doctor, and Shining Light Parents Speak
  • 10 audio programs Holistic Breathing; Afterlife Contact; Ask Your Soul, Angels, and The Light; Pre-Birth Planning; Identify and Fulfill Your Purposes AND Enjoy Your Greatest Life; Your Life Review; Appreciate, Realize, and Transform; Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness; Past Life Regression; Heal and Transform Your Suffering
  • 4 audio books (Greater Reality Living, Soul Proof, Radiant Wellness, and Shining Light Parents Speak; we don’t have control over the others)
  • 125 Articles (as of 3/1/25) answering the most commonly asked questions and providing holistic solutions for your toughest challenges
  • 25 Radio Shows: interviews with experts on consciousness, afterlife, and creating an optimal earthly experience. These include Wayne Dyer, Brian Weiss, Anita Moorjani, Raymond Moody, Michael Newton, Caroline Myss, and others. 
  • 27 Videos on different pages
  • Monthly newsletters (subscriber sign-up at bottom of each website page)

Instead of payment, he asks that you: (1) fully use and appreciate the products, (2) share them with others, and (3) help others in ways you feel called, that is, pay it forward.

The following are also available for a fee:

  • 8 printed books Radiant Wellness, Soul Proof, The Eleven Questions, Greater Reality Living, The Big Picture of Life, The Afterlife Evidence, Ask the Soul Doctor, and Shining Light Parents Speak
  • Coaching / Counseling Sessions with Dr. Pitstick by Zoom to gain answers to your biggest questions and holistic solutions to your toughest challenges.

Note: This article is intended as a reference source, not to replace professional treatment for physical, emotional, or mental problems.  The author disclaims any liability arising directly or indirectly from the voluntary use of action steps discussed in article. 

I created this article while ‘wearing the hat’ of a clinician, counselor, and educator.  My statements are based upon some scientific research; much clinical and experiential evidence; my personal experiences; and my best current understandings.  This program does not reflect my roles with the SoulPhone Project since those require solid scientific data for all statements.