Son and Mother Poems

The Metaphysical View of Death and Life After Death Part 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

When a Sadguru, or spiritual master first receives a novice or a candidate seeking Truth, one of the first steps that the master would assure himself is the sincerity and the purity of motive of the candidate requesting initiation into the mysteries. In order to augment or instill this sincerity and pure motive when absent, the master would speak to the candidate regarding death. The master would advise the candidate to contemplate upon the meaning of death and the opportunity that life provides. The master would refer to the fact that death often comes, stealth-like, at an unannounced moment; that to be engrossed with trivialities is to waste one’s life; that there are no guarantees in life except for death. The chela is made to ask, “what is the purpose of life if death cuts us down at our prime, leaving us with ambitions, aspirations and unfulfilled dreams? What is the purpose of life–and death, if we are not able to take along with us through the portals of death our prized possessions, our titles, our fame, our temporal power?”

The spiritual master would be quick to point out that the true purpose of life has very little to do with the earthly, evanescent riches or power that we acquire, it has more to do with the immaterial wealth that we take along with us–our knowledge; our memories; our improved karma, habits and character; and our spiritual and psychic development. Earthly acquisitions fail to offer any help to the one undergoing transition. We each face death alone; and in death, stripped of all mundane superficialities, we come to realize our own true worth. And so, the chela, with perhaps impure motives at the outset, comes to understand after some spiritual guidance, and a prolonged contemplation and analysis of death–as related to life–that the aim, purpose, importance and goal of personal existence in this physical sphere with its many opportunities are for gaining freedom, perfection, salvation, enlightenment, and the ascension.

We should all be aware that death may come to us at any moment, this will motivate us to direct our minds into proper perspectives, and to get our priorities straight. To eat, drink, and be merry as advertisements tell us, as the philosophies of the fallen angels would have us learn, is to be sidetracked from occupying ourselves with our “Father’s business.”

Like the disciple referred to above, in this paper it is our intention to delve into the nature of death and its process so that we will come to know a greater life, and appreciate its intrinsic value. We will also consider the nature of certain aspects of life after transition, for this expands our spiritual horizon, and it offers us a glimpse into man’s glorious future. Our main themes in this paper will be related to the following:

1) The survival of personal consciousness.

2) The process of transition.

3) The nature of life after so-called death.

The Survival of Personal Consciousness

The average person often wonders if consciousness survives death. We have commented and alluded previously on the indestructible nature of energy. There can, therefore, be no dissolution of the essence of Soul, or rather Spirit–not even through the process of transition. The forms, the structured energy-fields that the Spirit and Soul indwell and embody may change, but the essence, the spiritual aspect of the microcosm, the Monad, the SELF, is immortal. Religion, mysticism, and psychicism, refers to this verity. If a person is to know this particular truth of the survival of consciousness, he or she must learn to expand the consciousness and to spiritualize his or her mind in order to be aware and function consciously in the higher planes. Failure to realize spiritual verities label us as “dead”–a term referred to by the Piscean Master in the gospel narratives to people who are closed to the higher worlds and spiritual truths. People suffering from spiritual myopia live in physical tombs and not temples; such persons do not care much about the higher worlds and their relation to them; these individuals limit their awareness and deaden their consciousness in a three-dimensional slumber. Individuals with limited minds do not see the whole picture of life’s purpose.

The writer of this paper firmly believes, or is convinced in the ability of consciousness to exist apart from the physical body. We had, personally, experienced many spontaneous astral projections, and many lucid dreams. Although experiences of astral projections may not objectively prove the survival of consciousness after death, it does give us some inkling of what it may be like to exist independently of the physical form; it also provides us with some reason for accepting the possibility and the high probability of the survival of consciousness. The reality and proof of the survival of personal consciousness itself may be acquired through one’s personal interaction and relationship with the so-called dead. This normally occurs unconsciously in one’s sleep and dreams, however, it may occur with full astral awareness or in the awaking consciousness. Lucid dreams are typical of the former type, whereas visitations or psychic materializations are of the latter. If we are able to contact the so-called dead who once were people living in the physical world and resume relationships with them, is this not proof that personal consciousness survives transition? Although this rhetorical-question is simplistic in form and incapable of offering positive proof regarding the survival of consciousness, being subjective in nature, and which does not carry any weight under scientific scrutiny, it does imply that some materialistically-oriented individuals are unwilling to attend to the reality experienced by others because of prejudice, pride, fear and cultural conditioning. How does the average man view death, what does he actually believe about it? Society has various beliefs concerning death, and what it entails, below are just some of these beliefs:

1) The cessation of consciousness and the annihilation of Self.

2) The termination of human relationships, and the loss of loved ones.

3) The termination of physical activities, of goals, ambitions and aspirations.

4) The passage into an unknown world or state of consciousness.

5) The facing of the Judgment and the accountability of one’s sins–the fear of eternal punishment in an everlasting hell, or in contrast, pleasure, rest and idleness in Paradise.

6) Physical, emotional, and mental agony in the death process.

As we will see in later chapters, all of these beliefs are unfounded. The nature of life after transition is only unknown to those who do not seek to know. There is also no true severance of human relationships; and an eternal hell is non-existent, although a certain degree of pain and scorching may be experienced when impure substances present in the astral and mental bodies are removed by a purifying fire. Death is not the end of anything; it is a continuation of what has gone on before. Rumi, the Sufi poet, speaks of this truth in the following oft-quoted verse:

“I died a mineral and became a plant;

“I died a plant and rose an animal.

“I died an animal and I was a man.

“Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?

“Yet once more I shall die as man, so to soar

“With blessed angels; even from angelhood

“I must pass on . . .

“When I have sacrificed my angel soul,

“I shall become that which no mind conceived.”

The Process of Transition

Transition is not simply the cessation of the intake of the breath or the circulation of the life-force. It is a process that involves the evacuation of the occult components within man’s physical anatomy. These occult components for simplicity sake, may be called the soul, however, for the metaphysical student, a deeper understanding of the constitution of the soul must be acquired. The relationship and interaction between the immaterial aspect of man and the physical body must be known. How the spiritual components dissociate themselves from the physical body through the process of transition should be understood. It is the very presence of man’s invisible forms and forces within the physical being that maintains the integrity and coherence of the particles forming the physical body. The absence of the magnetism, the electrical-force, and the energy-fields of the subtle bodies causes the dissolution of the physical form.

Psychologically, during the separation of the material and immaterial bodies, certain visions arise in the psyche. The nature of these visions are dependent upon the degree of man’s inner purity. According to Tibetan Buddhists, how man responds or reacts to these visions determines the place of his abode in the higher realms. Man’s moral character is the deciding factor of his place in the universal scheme. The fear of death and dying hampers the smooth transition into the higher worlds. Attachment to the world and earthly possessions causes an unnecessary prolonged struggle in the death process, and this delays soul release. Suffering and pain are expressions of this struggle. Man should learn to be detached from all mundane affairs and relationships during transition and think about spiritual matters–not because of the unimportance of the former, but because occupying the mind at the time of transition with spiritual aspirations and hope assists the soul-consciousness to release itself from some of the harsh phenomena experienced in the bardo. Passing over into a new realm is like being born into the physical world. The process is somewhat similar, and this is in accord with the law of correspondence and the Hermetic axiom, “as above, so below.” When one is born into this physical world one goes through the birth canal; during transition one experiences a “tunnel-like” effect, a wormhole. During birth we are greeted by smiling relatives, likewise, the birth into a higher world surrounds us with people whom we love and who loves us.

Passing over is no panacea for the suffering soul who resorts to suicide to end its earth life. Suicide does not solve our emotional and mental problems, for wherever we may be, we take along with us our inner world, our thoughts and feelings. Our outer world reflects our inner mental and emotional state. Problems unfaced, will have to be confronted once again in another incarnation, this is to teach the soul certain lessons that it requires for its evolution, its spiritual growth. One’s attitudes, reactions and responses to problems are the main thing and not the problems themselves.

The Spirit of man will not be cheated of its forces. Lessons to be learnt by the soul will repeat themselves until their essence has been assimilated, understood and wisdom gained. Suicide, therefore, should not be resorted to as an escape, for it causes spiritual stagnation. Suicides are treated as mental cases in the subtle worlds. According to psychic Donald Barrie, insane persons were suicides in past lives. Suicidal persons in the death process, like those who lived depraved, iniquitous and wicked lives, often encounter some of the most alarming visions in the bardo which includes the Judgment scene, where the conscience sits as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner.

Death is a personal experience. Through it we come to know our true evolutionary status as a soul, and all of our glamours and delusions concerning personal glory would fail to aid us at the time of our transition. Our poverty or wealth of our spirit is seen and known to us and others on the Other Side.

The Nature of Life After So-Called Death

Humanity’s concept of heaven is wrought with distortions of the true nature of the subtle worlds. There are many ideas concerning heaven that are disproved through the personal experiences of advanced psychics and mystics. It is, therefore, appropriate that people be informed and prepared for life in the other worlds, that they may know what to expect, that they may know how to function harmoniously therein, and the sort of activities that they may engage in. The higher worlds are worlds of activity. There is no rest there, unless we desire rest. Real rest is dependent upon the giving of another vehicle of the microcosm an opportunity for expressing itself. Overthere, we shall have the opportunity to be occupied with soul-improving activities. Laziness and idleness Overthere are treated as illnesses. Individuals expressing those states are directed to special classes to learn the purposes of life, that they be motivated to engage in some worthy endeavour.

There is not just one heaven or dimension in the higher worlds, there are many, and these are the “mansions” of Jesus’ statement “in my Father’s house there are many mansions.” (John 14:2). St. Paul in his epistles mentions a third heaven; the Islamic tradition presents the Prophet Muhammad as visiting the seventh on a mythical creature–no doubt a symbolic description of the subtle body. Several “alams” or worlds are discussed in Islamic literature. Theosophy speaks of seven planes with seven sub-planes each, all of which constituting a cosmic plane. Hinduism also refers to the “lokas,” to the many heavens as described in their scriptures. Swedenborg substantiates this truth in his spiritual works.

People will be disappointed if they think that the afterdeath state will provide them what they lack here and now. This is not to say that their dreams will not occur to some degree, or that their happiness may not be derived from some longed-for pleasures that Almighty God might manifest for them; what we are putting forth here is that the contents and quality of one’s heart and mind determines strongly one’s experiences in the heavenly world that one will live in. Purity in body, mind and soul begets a joyful experience in the higher heavens. Conversely, immorality and wickedness result in a life of misery in the lower astral realms. We carry our inner life to wherever we may find ourselves. There is no spiritual being to reward or punish us, we do this to ourselves by violating or living harmoniously with cosmic laws. To know where one would go, or to which heaven or plane one would reside, it is only necessary to look into one’s mind and emotions, into one’s character and personality, and there look for signs.

In the chapters ahead we will be discussing in more detail of the nature of life in the higher worlds. We feel that this subject is of some importance to metaphysicians, as they are often asked by individuals seeking information on the spiritual dimensions.

The Four Perspectives

Although there are various perspectives that death and the process of transition may be discussed such as the clinical, the cultural, etc. We will be dealing with the aforementioned themes from the following perspectives:

1) Religion/Mythology

2) Occult teachings in general

3) Lamaism, or Tibetan Buddhism

4) Parapsychology and modern research

Religion, generally speaking, offers us some information concerning the after death state with, regrettably, very little of the death process. However, it is important when dealing with religious concepts regarding death and the afterlife to be discerning and discriminative–to sift through fanciful ideas–of the many erroneous theological dogmas and concepts that had crept into the original teachings. Many statements in scriptures are not meant to be taken in a literal manner. Embodied within them are spiritual ideas that have to be intuited with the higher mind. Followers or devotees of religions often fail to understand this principle. They believe in the letter of the law without considering the underlying spiritual principle. The immortality of the soul has long been an essential tenet in almost all religious belief-structures. The ancient Egyptians, for instance, believed in it; they accepted that the heart-soul, the ka, the ba, and other components of the microcosm outlived the physical form for a longer duration, if not indefinitely. Thus mummification was instituted to preserve the body for the return of the incorporeal aspects of man.

Myths are allegories or parables containing spiritual wisdom. They often deal with the fall of the soul into matter, its resurrection, the manner of its redemption, and the nature of the higher planes. In the ancient Mystery Schools of Greece, such as the Eluesinian, Cosmic laws and principles were personified and enacted in dramas. The mystae, or the candidate to the mysteries who witnessed these dramas was urged by the accompanying guide to discern the Cosmic laws and truths embodied within them. Often in such initiatory schools, candidates were put into trance-like conditions where they acquired personal experiences of the externalization of their awareness-principle. Thus, those candidates to the Mysteries came to know the reality of their soul and its independence of the physical body through empirical knowledge.

Our treatment of mythology in this paper will be supportive in nature, emphasizing or stressing certain main points of our themes where needed. Regrettably, it is beyond the scope of this work to treat the subject exhaustively and completely in a satisfactory manner.

Occultism as a whole, offers us a great wealth of knowledge concerning the death process and the nature of the post-mortem states. There have been many eminent clairvoyants in the past such as Swedenborg and Andrew Jackson Davis who wrote about their experiences concerning transition and the astral planes as seen through their inner senses–not to mention their communications and interactions with the inhabitants therein. In the opening pages of his work, Heaven and Hell, Swedenborg declares:

“. . . it has been granted to me to associate with angels and to talk with them as man, also to see the things in the heaven as well as in the hells . . . ” (1958:3)

We are, however, indebted to Earlyne Chaney and her Mystery school, Astara, for most of our occult information concerning the mysteries of death. Information derived from her writings would greatly enhance the structure and support of our main themes.

Of all religions, Tibetan Buddhism seems to be the richest source of information concerning the death process. It possesses a unique conception regarding transition. It is for this reason that we will consider it separately, apart from the general view of religion, giving it a category of its own. From the religious viewpoint, we have, therefore, chosen to treat the subject of the process of death in a detailed manner from the Lamaistic perspective. The esoteric science of death, it should be known, is one of the secret traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Our main source of information on Tibetan thanatology and eschatology, is derived from the “Bardo Thodol,” or “The Tibetan Book of the Dead”–as translated and edited by Evans-Wentz and his Tibetan colleague. We will also be appropriating the teachings and commentaries of various Lamas to supplement and give form to our main themes. Tibetans consider dying to be an art, just as the spiritual teachers of the Middle Ages did, calling it “ars moriendi.” To the Tibetan Buddhists, the training of dying commences in the meditative life. This is the preparation of the awareness-principle for the bardos that it will undergo or the possible attainment of the “Clear Light” resulting in enlightenment. Aside from considering the role that the bardos play in the death process, we will, therefore, also comment in passing of this mystical art, of the preparation required for liberation in the bardo.

Although there have been many modern, scientific researchers delving into the mysteries of death such as Raymond Moody and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, our principal sources of information will be derived from the works of Michael Newton, Ian Currie, and Filipo Liverziani as representative of the modern scientific approach. Investigations into psychic phenomena began way back in the last century when mediumistic activities began to flourish. Although many mediums and their displays of phenomena were found to be deceptions, a small percentage of occurrences were enough to convince psychic investigators of the survival of the personal-consciousness and in the reality of man’s inherent psychic powers. Notwithstanding the findings of past investigators, however, we will, concentrate more fully on the research discoveries of the writers mentioned above, as they offer the appropriate support for our main themes.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

Related Death Dying Articles

The Metaphysical View of Death and Life After Death Part 11

To conclude this section may we just add that Newton’s subjects emphasize strongly that God is never once seen in the higher realms, although a strong feeling of a Supreme Power is felt ruling the ongoings of devachan, or “heaven,” and the kinetic motion of magnetic streams of energy flowing in the atmosphere and environment. This truth denounces certain religious beliefs that in heaven one would finally see God face to face–for while on earth one may not see God’s face and live, one would surely behold God’s countenance in heaven. This principle has been vmisunderstood and misinterpreted for the past two thousand years; it should actually be understood in a mystical rather than in a literal manner. It reminds us of Gautama Buddha’s silence when questioned about God–the implication of his subtle answer revealing a profound truth to the initiated.

Summarizing the scientific viewpoint on death and the afterlife–based on years of careful psychical, parapsychological research–the following conclusions have been reached:

1) That humans are essentially immaterial in nature and that the human essence, or self-awareness, survives physical death.

2) That human soul-units exist at differentiated levels of awareness in dimensions beyond the physical light-spectrum, beyond the reach of physical sensory perception.

3) That contact with departed souls is a possible feat under certain conditions and circumstances.

4) That all human soul-units periodically re-embody or reincarnate to continue their evolution.

5) That all re-embody according to the law of causation, or karma; or soul desire.

DISCUSSIONS

As we have seen in the previous chapter, death according to the various traditions, metaphysical experiences and modern scientific discoveries, does not annihilate the human soul; and relationships formed on the physical plane do not cease at the termination of one’s incarnation, as is normally believed; also, one’s aspirations, goals and ambitions, though simply and seemingly cut-short prematurely at a stroke of the scythe by the grim reaper called death, is actually brought over to the Otherside for a further strategic development that would bloom in a later incarnation. We have also seen that the nature of death and the afterlife can be known to those who are willing to develop the necessary sensory faculties of the astral form and its ability of soul-flight. Additionally, we have dealt somewhat of the nature of heaven and hell, including the Judgment, from the various metaphysical, religious and scientific perspectives. We have described and hinted of some of the ways and means of avoiding those undesired experiences, states and conditions to be found in the bardo, and even in the lower astral. Non-attachment to the physical form and earthly life is helpful in the process of a peaceful and easy transition, and in a smooth journey through the bardo–this ought to be kept in mind. And lastly, with the descriptions by subjects of NDEs and communications from the beyond concerning the death process, we can be assured that dying does not have to entail any mental, emotional or physical agony; on the contrary, it may result in one of the most joyful states that average souls may experience at its present evolutionary level. It provides a certain pre-taste of what the nirvanic state is like when once the soul is liberated and fully aware of its divine unity with All That Is.

Humans may fear death, but “being dead” is actually the present state of awareness of most people. To be unaware of one’s higher microcosmic principles is simply a consciousness of death. What separates the seen from the unseen is the level of one’s waking consciousness, and the psychological impurities within one’s subconscious mind. There are several components in the microcosm making up what we call the divine, human being. The more components we are aware and conscious of, the more alive we become in the spiritual sense. Non-experience of the higher principles and realities do not mean that they do not exist, it is just that the faculty for higher perception has not yet been developed. Fear is what closes the veil to spiritual knowing. When we fear, we circumscribe our consciousness. Fear of the unknown, is the ignorance of the source of our fear. Identification with mortal principles simply perpetuates (or perpetrates?) one’s mortal existence as a normal human being–and it also maintains one’s fears. We are meant to be perfect–as advised by the Piscean Master–perfect in consciousness, in knowledge, and in awareness. Attaining immortality, or awareness of such, requires the shedding of mortal concepts, beliefs, attitudes and feelings. With such spiritual labour we gradually build the link between the lower and higher principles and ensure the continuity of consciousness, and the awareness of the illusory nature of death. With each extermination of a false concept we become more alive in a spiritual sense. Death, “the last enemy,” as declared in scriptures, though inevitable, will be swallowed up in victory when once its maya-nature is understood and the continuity of consciousness acquired. Death will then lose its sting. Death ends when once the multidimensionality of one’s being is realized, and when once one’s liberation from the wheel of reincarnation is attained. What we call death is an illusion. This is echoed in the words of the Taoist poet, Chuang Tzu:

“Birth is not a beginning, death is not an end.”

Fear simply robs individuals of their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energies–energies which could be used for more constructive and creative purposes. When enlightened of the nature of death, like Socrates, we will not fear it; and this knowledge, understanding, and enlightenment would greatly help humanity to live an abundant life, as promised by Master Jesus. Like a chain effect, the awareness of the non-existence of death and the truth of man’s purpose for being would improve the quality, nature, and service of every governmental department and institution, affecting society’s consciousness, development and welfare. But to return to the emotion of fear ingrained in Man, there are several principles that assist one to “die” without fear:

1) Non-attachment to physical form, earthly possessions, and relationships.

2) Understanding that death is natural and that it does not end one’s aspirations.

3) Understanding and being aware of one’s true nature as divine and immortal.

3) Preparation through spiritual practices such as meditation, purification, and the acquisition of merit through service.

4) The unfoldment of love and compassion.

From a higher perspective, death is no enemy. It is a merciful friend that grants us rest at a time when we need it. It provides a moment’s respite until we re-engage ourselves in the battle of life through another incarnation with new–or old, unlearned experiences. What is important is the assimilation of experience, for if it does not take place, it will have to be undergone again and again until the lesson inherent in each one is learnt by the soul; this can sometimes prove to be wearisome. Life on earth should not be seen as a chance happening, as a biological occurrence in time and space, or as a chemical formation spawned by chaotic forces. Life is Real, is the only Reality and has a definite purpose. Knowing that life was formed on the earth plane for a purpose encourages the soul to discover that purpose. Soul-objective is known to the awareness-principle at deeper levels of consciousness and at the conscious level prior to incarnation. The purpose or intent of the Spirit, however, is normally forgotten once the “waters of Lethe” is drunk during the process of birthing.

Our main task set by evolution is to be aware or more conscious of the “unconscious” levels of the mind; thus transcending the state of mediocrity or mortality. Mortal beings are not courageous enough to think, contemplate or face the conditions of death, they thus miss the true opportunities that life affords. When one fears death, one has not yet begun to live. “Death” to average individuals, is always thought of in connection with other people and never their own. This refusal to be spiritually-aware bind souls to an unproductie life in the cosmic scheme. This is the complaint of all mystics concerning the sons of men. In the Old Testament we read,

“Man lies down and never rises. They rouse not from their sleep.” (Job 14:12)

From what we have said so far, it may be surmised that there are various forms of death, and this is true. St. Paul hints of this when he declared, “I die daily” (I Cor 15:31). We tabulate the forms of death in the following:

1) Death to higher realities and verities

2) Death to a higher awareness of divinity

3) Death of one’s slumber in matter

4) Death of the false ego and its carnal, self-centered desires

5) Death of sleep

6) Death of the physical and etheric bodies

7) Death of the astral body

Death of the mental form

We will briefly describe each one: death to higher realities and verities, and the death to higher awareness of divinity are related. This is in fact the involutionary path of the soul as it descends for the first time in a new cycle of manifestation, or “manvantara.” In involution the soul loses a certain awareness only to regain it with an enhancement during the Path of Return. Most souls prolong this period of ignorance and awareness of higher multidimensional truths by their own free-will.

Death of one’s slumber in matter is the awakening of the soul’s aspiration to spiritual possibilities–paradoxically, it could also mean being spiritually unconscious; this is followed by the death, or transcendence of the false ego and its expressions in the movement within the evolutionary spiral. The death of sleep occurs every night as the soul takes flight to subtle worlds. Death of the physical and etheric bodies occur when one leaves the present incarnation for the astral world. This is followed by the deaths of the astral and mental forms as the soul rises higher and higher to rest for a period in the causal body before preparing to reincarnate.

Knowledge of the nature of death and the other worlds are important subjects for every metaphysician. As said earlier in this paper, in the course of one’s metaphysical ministry, one would often encounter individuals in bereavement requiring comfort and solace. Equipped with a higher understanding of the nature of death and the purpose of life, metaphysicians are in a better position to enlighten humanity, and to fulfill one of their functions as ministers. To Catholics, administering the “Extreme Unction,” or the last sacrament to the dying may be considered vital. But to the metaphysician, much more is required to guide the soul through the dying process. With the appropriate knowledge and occult ability, the metaphysician may assist souls in making a more meaningful transition. Deathbed-rites of an occult formula and design, taking the bardo into consideration, are needed by those engaged in the metaphysical field.

The importance and purpose of life should be appended and stressed in those rites as a lesson not only for the departed, but for those who are left behind. An experience of a loss of a beloved one through the portals of death on the part of grieving and confused individuals should be looked upon by metaphysicians as opportunities for the sowing of the seeds of truth into their receptive consciousness. Metaphysicians as farmers in the vineyard of truth should play their part perfectly. By offering various truths concerning the nature of death-truths that are rational, logical, helpful and spiritually stimulating–we improve the whole image of the metaphysical ministry in the minds of the public. The more metaphysicians have to offer to the public as to occult and esoteric knowledge and as to the expressions of their high psychism, the more will the public’s awareness be stirred and lifted to a higher plane of consciousness. Metaphysics as a synthesis of religious, spiritual, philosophical, and scientific truths has the capacity to offer what traditional forms of religion, science and modern philosophies are incapable of offering–that is, real help.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

In the Introduction of this paper we presented the purpose and the need of why this subject had to be written and discussed–of the importance of its place in the metaphysical ministry as well as its influence upon the individual and society as a whole. This purpose was again stressed in the previous chapter. In order to organize our thoughts regarding the subject, we formulated several themes that would be the basis for the structure of our paper. Our fundamental themes consisted of the following:

1) The survival of personal consciousness

2) The process of transition

3) The nature of life after so-called death

The structure of our findings and of this paper, was based upon four perspectives:

1) Religion/mythology

2) The occult tradition

3) Tibetan Buddhism

4) Parapsychology

From each perspective, we initially dealt with the basic themes from a certain point of view, but ended up with the same findings, the same conclusions, and the same cosmic truths; nevertheless, among the above perspectives, there is still much to be said about religion as a whole that has somewhat misrepresented the spiritual truths as taught by their founders. We are certain, though, that every metaphysician would research into this subject sooner or later as it is mentally and spiritually rewarding. In years to come “death” will be a time of celebration and not a time of mourning as it is now.

Finally, in the fifth chapter, we discussed on humanity’s basic psychological problem–that of senseless fear. We have seen how this fear robs man of his or her true life as a divine son or daughter of God living an abundant life in the here and now. We have also briefly discussed how the elimination of the fear of death would transform the individual and society as a whole.

To sublimate and transcend this fear condition that overwhelms society we suggest that additional research be conducted into along the lines of soul-investigation, and into the many other principles of the bardo process not discussed or discovered by Tibetan Lamas. Ways of researching into this should be conducted in a scientific and intuitive manner, though this may not always be through conventional methods. Researchers should not fear probing into the invisible, into the immaterial, or into the abstract. Through research within a single avenue, other possibilities will present themselves. An answer to a single question begets many more questions, ad infinity; thus humanity progresses.

Bibliography

Agrippa, Henry Cornelius 1995 Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN.

Bailey, Alice 1972 A Treatise on White Magic. Lucis Publishing Company, London.

Barrie, Donald C. 1991 You Need Not Age Nor Die! Finbarr International, Folkestone, England.

Budge, E.A. Wallis (Trans) 1953 Book of the Dead, The. Routledge & Kegan Paul, Ltd. London.

Chaney, Earlyne 1989 Mystery of Death and Dying, The. Samuel Weiser, York Beach, Maine.

Currie, Ian 1995 You Cannot Die. Element Books Ltd, Dorset, England.

Drolma, Delog Dawa 1995 Delog: Journey to Realms Beyond Death. Padma Publishing, Junction City, CA.

Evans-Wentz, W.Y. (ed) 1975 Tibetan Book of the Dead, The. Oxford University Press, England.

Lauf, Detlief Ingo 1989Secret Doctrines of the Tibetan Books of the Dead. Shambhala Publications, Inc., Dorset, England.

Liverziani, Filipo 1991 Life, Death & Consciousness. Prism Press, Dorset, England.

Lodo, Lama 1987Bardo Teachings: The Way of Death and Rebirth, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York.

Ma`sumian, Farnaz 1995 Life After Death. Oneworld Publications, Oxford, England.

Newton, Michael 1995 Journey of Souls. Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota.

Poe. Lori M. 1995 Journeys to Worlds Beyond. The Place of Light Publisher, Cincinatti, Ohio.

Ramacharaka, Yogi (Year not given) Life Beyond Death, The. Yogi Publication Society, Chicago, ILL.

Rinpoche, Bokar 1993 Death and the Art of Dying, Clearpoint Press, San Francisco, CA.

Rinpoche, Chokyi Nyima 1991 Bardo Guidebook, The. Ranjung Yeshe Publications, Hong Kong.

Saraydarian, Torkom 1993 Science of Meditation, The. Aquarian Educational Group, Sedona, Arizona.

– 1983 Cosmos in Man. Aquarian Educational Group, Sedona, Arizona

Swedenborg, Emanuel 1958 Heaven and its Wonders and Hell. The Swedenborg Society, London.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

More Death Dying Articles

The metaphysical point of view of Death and Life After Death Part 1

mankind over the centuries have seen death as something loathsome and cruel, preferable something terrible, something to avoid at all cost – that is, if a choice were given – but without any other option, are forced to succumb for lack of power over their occurrence. In anticipation of the termination of life on an unexpected moment and the possible prospect of annihilation of identity, humanity views death as a state of fear. This fear is sustained when all around, die, most seen, apparently in distress and suffering in agony in the death process. The fear of death is actually human fear of the unknown, and it shows people bondage, his ignorance, which ultimately grows in superstitious terms. comfort due to the underlying fear that they tried hard to postpone death by drugs and other means, medical science has not yet found a way to prolong life indefinitely – or to relieve his fears, or to answer profound questions offer on this ancient mystery. The knowledge of the true nature of death releases man from his captivity to his fears and the detention of its many superstitions relate. Such knowledge on personal experience can be obtained – convictions to the contrary provided places for an illusory border, on the unfolding soul. Alice Bailey, writing for the Tibetan in “A Treatise on White Magic”, refers to people fears about death:

“The spirit of man is so underdeveloped that the fear of unknown, fear of the unknown, and attachment to form brought a situation where one of the most blessed events in the life cycle of an incarnation of the Son of God is seen as something to avoid and be delayed for as long as possible. “(1972:494)

We can from their evidence, are fighting that one of the factors that caused people to death, the attachment is formed. The identification of the self with the physical form one is mistaken in thinking that the resolution of the physical body results in the destruction of the self. Sri Sankaracharya, the distinguished representative of Advaita Vedanta taught that the deluded mind with its beliefs in the reality of the form of servitude Maya, illusion or cosmic causes. Philosophically speaking, this is the condition of duality, and if man is responsible, the one reality underlying dualistic worlds, and when his true nature, he lives in fear and in a state of slavery. What is not destroyed real, what is unreal does not exist apart from our false perceptions and understanding. This is avidya or ignorance. To capture the true state of things is to really free from death. A consciousness is expanded and a divine right, when reality is known and the death for what it is really seen. What Bailey is not mentioned, occur that the soul-process of “death” in the meditative state can. Mystics call the “dying alive”, and advanced mystics a state where they claim and may cause the time and process are executed by their physical and mystical death – with this divine permission to have achieved. Mystical death offers an opportunity to acquire beautiful frightening vision of Islamic Marifatullah called Gnostics. We will not dwell on this mystical aspect in this paper, but more on the physical side of death and dying.

Before proceeding further, let us get a definition of the discipline dealing with death. The study is named correctly, “Thanatology” (from Greek thanatos, “death”). The Encyclopedia Britannica explains:

“… The description and investigation of death and dying and the psychological mechanisms of dealing with them. Thanatology is concerned with the concept of death popularly perceived and especially with the reactions of the dying, by whom it is feeling much can be learned about dealing with the death of the approach … In general, psychologists have agreed that there are two general approaches to death, which help in understanding the simultaneous processes of life and death. “versus my death your death” concept emphasizes the irrational belief that while “your death is a certainty, an exemption in” my case can be made. “The second concept,” partial deaths versus total extinction “stresses the belief put that through the experience of grief after the death of friends and relatives, a person so close to realizing as possible” partial death. “This experience color individual attitudes towards greater personal losses, culminating with the ultimate loss of life itself

“Thanatology also examines attitudes towards death, the meaning and behavior of grief and pain, and the moral to support and ethical issues of euthanasia, organ transplantation, and the life. “

Thanatology is concerned with the death from different perspectives, from the cultural and anthropological standpoint, the clinical, biological, religious, metaphysical, etc. The death itself is in the dictionaries as “extinction of life, defined” the stops “to be.”

Normally, the average person to avoid talking or thinking about death. When a topic chosen for discussion, for example, the subject is often and quickly banished to the background of life many “bad” needs and often talked in a hushed voice. Death has always been a taboo in social circles have been unexplained. One current negative attitude and understanding of the nature of death can be self-inflicted suffering, anguish and pain. It’s lack of understanding of the truth of death is primarily the result of a defect in the knowledge of spiritual truths, and, in the absence of spiritual awareness. Religious teachings and materialistic oriented education inadvertently encouraged man negative attitude towards death ‘. terrible conditions of the state to paint after death, from eternal punishment in fashion and the offer over the cruelties and atrocities of the Inquisition, torture, the materialistic philosophy of nihilism and destruction. religion and scientific institutions no real comfort or solace to those whose relatives have given the big change. the only way for individuals, a better understanding of death is by acquiring metaphysical knowledge of their nature and by developing a greater awareness of the multidimensional life, for Life is simple, it can not cease to be. Life is real and eternal because it is not exacerbated. Forms are assembled, so they are fleeting. detention and to what time is appropriate, and from the perspective of the Absolute threatened as “illusory”, often makes the feeling life of the variety of circumstances.

order of suffering in the form of sadness and anxiety are relieved humanity as a whole would have to be re-educated to the true nature of death, the value of that process and about the state of life after the great transition. One of the reference to the personal existence strengthened include: multi-dimensional worlds, an immortal aspect, not described in physical matter. Parallel to this process of purification of the spirit of his false beliefs and ideas about death – both the result of social conditioning and brainwashing – it should be a search, an investigation into the true purpose of life. After passing through the transition, not to know the purpose of personal existence is in vain to have lived. It is said that to die well, we must first learn to live well, and this is true, for our negative karma and our wrong attitude and approach of death causally leads us to pain and suffering in the Bardo, the death process – of which we shall deal in later chapters. For this reason, it is to start on all of us to the study of Thanatology – the science of death, as understood by metaphysics, it is worth a life to live, the meaning of suffering ease, and our concerns about the death and blur the established after-death state. Death is only a transformation, a process analogous to a caterpillar-turned-butterfly by metamorphosis.

Our “fate” and experience in the afterlife and death process are both largely determined by our karma, beliefs, knowledge (or lack of it), purity, justice and understanding of the role and purpose of our stay in the physical level. Life in this physical dimension should be an opportunity be seen to mature and to be free of all restrictions mortal although functioning organic by a ship. Some people experience the vicissitudes of life and needs often complain that it is not their desire to be born, which means that it is not to live their wish or to be here in this physical world, and yet, in that they contradict themselves by expressing a fear of death, say they want to not die – which means that they want to live. Such inconsistencies reflect the state of non-awareness of spiritual realities and truths. The death should be perceived as an initiation into the higher mysteries of nature. It is thus one of the most important events in the spiritual journey. A command of the life of their own lower self, and service at the higher intelligences, the prudent preparation for initiation is great to experience.

In ancient cultures the existence of the afterlife was taken for granted. In previous eras it was concepts or beliefs in the afterlife as the “Happy Hunting Grounds “Olympus” and the “Elysian Fields”. The spiritual instincts of early modern humans and have always rebelled against the idea of death, and rightly so, for death is not in fact exist, but the average person is usually unaware and ignorant of this truth, or he chooses to ignore it for reasons unknown. Death should not be considered as a final chapter or the conclusion of his own life, for death is simply a change, a transfer, a shift to a different level of consciousness, a different spatial activity. Orthodox or conservative scholars in accordance with Einstein’s equation E = MC2, “tell us that nothing can be destroyed in the universe, that there are only a transformation, a change or conversion of energy production fields, this is the business of life, recognized as a law of the cosmos, and yet, although created by that doctrine and scientific understanding, are the same skeptical scientists call the survival of personal consciousness or ‘awareness’ principle, as the Tibetan Buddhists. Mainstream of science, if purchased with a lot of positive data on the survival of consciousness by the researchers in the paranormal and related fields, stood still express disbelief to its reality. Why is it that the life force, soul and consciousness can not be seen by these scientists as energy fields, as well as all objects except for the tiny components that electrons, protons and neutrons, which are known to be? In a nutshell, why scientists do not know to do the soul? Is it perhaps because the unconscious resistance and hostility toward religion, science has long pursued in the centuries past? From the occult point of view generated group heads form organisms or currents of energy with certain qualities in accordance with the thoughts and feelings of the authors or individuals from the same group-mind. This is called a egregore. Such an indefinite life egregore can live for centuries, and will affect all that comes in his intellectual and emotional force fields. It is through this egregore that an individual, a scientist, for example, residing in the distant past can affect a scientist living in the present. Affect feelings about the religion and its teachings, such as his explanation of the living soul, the dissolution of the physical body to survive and can therefore be carried from the past into the present. As can be seen from the above, the antagonism of scientists have not really directed to the concept of the afterlife, or soul-survival, but against religion as a whole, and this dichotomy is an unconscious feeling – the result of centuries of ill-treatment in hands of the religion – in the name of the Almighty executed.

investigators and exponents of mainstream science, but not in their laboratories, the cessation of life, and the non-survival of consciousness after death proved. On the contrary, they are to discover and prove very to close its reality and validity. It seems that the veil of Isis is thinner, but the question of the survival of consciousness, we feel, can only be satisfactory and sufficient answer to us from personal experience – by phenomena such as NDEs (Near Death Experience) and the projection of the consciousness and the subtle body. Without personal experience, there would be an element of doubt, the truth would escape our comprehension, and the false illusions of our minds. Knowledge regarding the truth of death removes fear, pain and suffering. If one understands the nature and the mechanism of life and death, one begins to a philosophical and mystical life, open to spiritual truths lead and impressions. One begins in harmony with the forces and laws of living nature, in accordance with the purposes of the divine plan. Scientists would need to be philosophers and mystics, to break any bias limiting their heads from the truth of life after death.

It is a fallacy to believe that the nature of death and the afterlife state is not known, while embodied and functioning in the three-dimensional sphere. Religious fundamentalism in general would have us believe so. Man dies temporarily every night during sleep state, and he calls his work during such a state as “dreams”. One death every time he practices occurs in the delta-theta state. Poor memory of a night activities results in an inadequate understanding of the nature and the relationship between sleep and death. Spiritual development improves the memory of astral activities and raise awareness of the “no-dream” state. Refinement of the soul dissolves the essential fabric on the crown chakra and forms a connection between the brain and mind for greater freedom of movement of the personal-consciousness to higher dimensions without any break in consciousness. Basically the only difference between death and sleep-state that death is the permanent evacuation of the awareness-principle from the physical body while in sleep it is only a temporary state. In the death sutratma or silver cord, hooks, and the personal consciousness leaves the physical body to fall apart and return to the ground, where it came from. At rest, this cord that connects the physical body is maintained with the subtle body. In essence, death is an illusion. Death is actually an interval between two states or levels of consciousness. It eventuates in the return of each component of the micro-cosmos to its rightful place. This truth is embodied in the poetic verses of Ovid:

“Four things the people there are: spirit, soul, spirit, flesh,

” These four, four places to hold and do not have,

“The earth covers meat, the specter hovering over the grave,

” longing Orcus has the soul to do the spirit Stars. “

One has the divine ability to be aware of his being as existing independently from the physical vehicle. This is achieved by what is now considered lucid dreaming and astral projection or “OBE” (out-of-the -body experience) as a modern term for the phenomenon. Like St. Paul, it is possible to say for all of us that we “knew a man who went into the third heaven,” and hear things that do not is not for the Introduction. Death is a change of focus of our consciousness from one level to another. This will be done by the above means. Astral Projection is a skill that all metaphysicians should try to buy – because it is educational and it opens up ways -up of services that can be done. Most, if not all mystical traditions teach this occult ability. The practitioners of Taoist Yoga, for example, learns in the course of his studies on how to separate the soul and spirit from the physical body. Advance mystics and occultists are all working in a position in full awareness of the physical, astral and mental worlds. Such people are not with the arguments of the materialists concerned – arguments indicating the non-survival of themselves, because everyone knows the mystical truth of the thing from personal experience.

dying, to initiate, is a science and an art. The technology of death, the inter-dimensional consciousness, Travelers is known. The Psychonaut is familiar with the many stages of the Bardo that one takes the “six areas,” or liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. It is the reality of reincarnation, which proves that we are no stranger to death. We embody and drive through the change of death is repeated until we to emancipate ourselves from the wheel of birth and rebirth. We have all the angels of death met countless times, and passes this ghost again meet in the future. All religions refer to this life-death cycle, although some metaphorical.

Every metaphysician should be familiar with the topic of death, as understood in the esoteric sense, and his occult process. In the course of his metaphysical ministry, we would often meet individuals suffering from fear and sadness. The metaphysician of the situation should be, the kind of comfort that goes beyond the service of the funeral ceremony and offer the proclamation of the word “ashes to ashes, dust to dust …” To the dying, and the newly passed on, the advanced metaphysician should to act as a guide for the inner levels of being. He should be the role of Anubis, guiding the departed soul to its rightful place. This should an integral part to any last rites or sacraments are given. There is much superstition, Fear and ignorance about the nature of death among the masses. It is fitting, therefore, the metaphysical consultant, his or her role in society play instructive, and this office would come to mankind as a whole. We believe that this paper should be written to metaphysicians of the importance of teaching the truths that the masses about the continuity of life, remember the personal identity, and consciousness. A professional image is enhanced if well equipped with the necessary knowledge. Although much has focused on the topic death has been written, given with much valuable information, we take this opportunity to some of our own knowledge and experience to enrich Add to learn the existing literature and the storehouse of humanity.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore