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

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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.

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Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

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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

resolution of the physical form leads to a release of the awareness-principle from the body and expands consciousness to embrace a higher state. The absorption of the four elements are spiritually on the activities of its subtle counterpart personified as goddesses:

context, 1) Buddhalocana – Earth

2) Mamaki – Water

3) Pandaravasini – Fire

4) Samayatara – Air

After absorption of the elements that begins as the “three paths. The above known as “coarse resolution”, the three ways in which the “subtle resolution is known.” The three paths to be raised by internal processes of Lamas, the phases of the “appearance”, “” and “achievement associated named.” Are you with the three “Tiglath-pileser related ‘or’ bindu.” The Tiglath-pileser than the essences of their parents, and have certain colors associated with the male and female seeds described. Tiglath-pileser The male is white in color and is located on the top of the head. It provides “skillful means”. It is also the Nirmanakaya context – one of the three bodies often referred to in Mahayana Buddhism. Tiglath-pileser The female is in the color red and is domiciled at the base of the spine. It provides “wisdom” and is available with the Sambhogakaya in context. Tiglath-pileser, the third is a neutral nature, it is a combination of both man-woman Tiglath-pileser, when they meet in the heart, it leads Tiglath-pileser in the black. Tiglath-pileser This is in connection Dharmakaya. The movements of the three Tiglath-pileser in the physical body lead to the stadiums of their own creation of the “emptiness” or the clear light of emptiness, failed the average person. During the process, the white death of Tiglath-pileser followed rises in the heart center with the rise of the red Tiglath-pileser in the same locality. These are the levels of “appearance” and “increase.” The stage of “realization” or the “Black Path” occurs when male and female together hindus in the heart center to the black Tiglath-pileser form and give rise to the actual moment of death. The appearance of the Clear Light follows in this moment. In the black stage, the average person usually falls in a swoon to take the Buddhist teachings such as Mahamudra or Dzogchen, but is able to maintain awareness and recognize the clear light, as it seems. Regarding the nature and movements of Tiglath-pileser, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche in the Bardo Guidebook comments:

“White or the appearance of the origin of the white element, from a father at the moment of conception. At this time there is a white shimmering light like moonlight. The external sign is like the moon rising or descending. The inner sign is that consciousness feels vague in itself as a mirage. This should be the experience of whites are recognized.

“The experience of the redness with the ascent of the red item from a mother won at conception like sunshine in a place filled with dust, so that the sun appears very red. The external sign is a red sun either rising or setting. The inner sign is sparkling sparks that appear and disappear like fireflies. The experience of darkness as the darkness of the night sky. At this point, the changes his mind between clear and unclear. “(1991:92-93)

The appearances of the three Tiglath-pileser should be symbolic. They represent psychological processes that cleans as much as possible, the mind of emotional and mental stains. Our original nature , the Clear Light of the Void, Christian said, representing one of the “father” in heaven or Illahi Just as the Muslims would call it .. This bright divine within the negative emotional and mental qualities clouded Funke, my Muslim mystics recognized as ” hijab “or veil. One of the negative toxins of the psyche, his true nature, free to be apperceived easy. The” movements “of Tiglath-pileser facilitate this process. The Bardo Guidebook, the author refers to the psychological adjustment of thought in connection with sensual pleasure , anger and delusion, and in connection with the three stages of Tiglath-pileser:

“While the white experience of the thirty-three states stop thinking caused by anger. While the experience of thinking red forty states caused by passions cease. When the two essences, take the seven states that ends of thoughts stupidity caused. “(1991:12)

And once freed from the above negative, deluded thoughts of anger, passion and stupidity, which remains is the clear light of Dharmakaya – a divine nature.

When the dying process is the last stop in the near future, llamas make it a method to the pilgrims dying body turn right onto the page. This they call the “horizontal attitude of the lion.” The carotid arteries of the left and right sides of the neck are pressed simultaneously. hope by that practice, that the “awareness-principle would” will emerge from the crown chakra. By Pressing the arteries, the remaining force in the body no longer re circulates within the physical system – it is forced through the top portal. The pressure on the arteries prevents the soul or consciousness principle, falls from fainting, or death, impotence. It also solves the experience of the clear light of the first phase of the Bardo, and the hoped for recognition of it. By the way, it is also believed that the arterial pressure or the Kundalini serpent-force are at the lower end of the spine stimulates, like the death of hormone-Chaney is believed. This occult writer also believes that Kundalini is an active cause of the phenomena of Bardos. Kundalini, as it rises to the dying brain about sushumna, or the subtle spinal nerve, is probably one of lamas important factor in the onset Clear Light of the Void are. The pressure on the carotid artery is maintained for about six minutes after the last breath – the time it takes to dawn the Clear Light. We will also Bardo discouraged teachings, a corpse for at least an hour after death, for it is said that the awareness-principle will be attracted to the area affected to touch. This would only cause the mind of the soul to be distracted and wander away from the important experiences Bardo.

Although soul-emergence from the crown chakra is the wish of every well-informed Tibetans who embodied soul may be even after Lamas, by any of the other eight holes of the body, the route of which, as it is determined the whereabouts of our own consciousness-principle in later life. Below we give the nine gates of departure and the related areas:

anus – hell realm

genital – Animal Kingdom

Mouth – Hungry Ghost realm

nose – Human Reich

Navel – Desire-gods kingdom

Ears – Asura / Titan Empire

Eyes – the form of Gods kingdom

top of the head – Formless realm of the gods

Crown of head – Devachan

We now consider the three Bardos, or the three stages of the Bardo – the Chikai, Chonyid and Sidpa. Below we give the Bardo phases and stages, and the approximate number of days that the soul may dwell in them:

1) Chikai Bardo, first stage – First to third day

2) Chikai Bardo, second step – third for the fourth day

3) Chonyid Bardo , first stage – fourth to eleventh

4) Chonyid Bardo, second step – Eleventh to nineteenth

5) Sidpa Bardo, first stage – Nineteenth-to-day forty

6) Sidpa Bardo, second step – Forty days and forty ninth

It should be noted that not all these Bardos of a break can be experienced. liberation and enlightenment in the first or second phase of production of the subsequent stages through unnecessary; it occur depends on the purity, the spirituality and karma of the dying pilgrim makes. Each new stage, it seems unlikely that the exemption be obtained, but with the right belief, humility, knowledge , attitude, behavior and consciousness, the grace of the cosmos can on the one experiencing the Bardo and offer pour achieve the long sought-destined for salvation. Our understanding, awareness and reactions in the Bardo, whether we are to attain enlightenment or to extend our existence in samsara.

Chikai Bardo, first stage

In this first stage of the Bardo of Clear Light of the Void dawning consciousness or awareness-principle. in this Vajrayana teachings Clear Light is none other than the Dharmakaya, the highest principle in the microcosm of man’s being. In theosophy, this is the Monad, or the “I AM Presence” as some esoteric schools of thought would call it, or “Yechidah” in the Qaballa , the oral tradition of Judaism.

Clear Light is like a mirror that reflects our divine self, our true Buddha-nature. Clear Light will shine and sparkling, with a brightness that a thousand suns be exceeded. knowledge to know and merging with one’s true nature gives you a new spiritual status. The experience expanded consciousness, not unlike the “Cosmic Consciousness” by Richard M. Bucke. Essentially, the clear light is experienced when it in its true original nature remains at rest, without thought or emotion through motion. This usually occurs in a deep state of meditation. Enjoy the Clear Light, free and in full awareness from Samsara, Maya, and the dualistic state of mind and conception. The clear light and liberation implies a non-dual state, a non-thought-formation, and a stay in one of the divine nature.

After the Vajrayana teachings Chikai stage given the first opportunity to be freed us from the world of birth and rebirth, the cycle of reincarnation, with its accompanying suffering and pain. Our main problem is the maintenance of consciousness, while in the Soul-release and recognition of the clear light, if it appears is. Most people go through this stage unconsciously in a state of slumber. Several factors caused the awareness-principle fall into a stupor and does not recognize its true nature as shown by the clear light. impurity of thoughts and feelings, guilt, unforgivingness, attachment to the world of form and possessions, the ignorance of the Bardo-States and its liberating potential karmic stains, and the influence of drugs are just some of the causes that prevent the soul from achieving salvation in the clear light. Earlyne Chaney In her book, “The Mysteries of Death & Dying” comments, why the lights are not seen:

“When it gets dark in the sense that it reflects on the mirror of your soul and the mirror can then not reflect the splendor of the clear light itself. At a moment when the clear light comes up, the mind is like a mirror, and only if it is the karmic obstacles cleared the mind can reflect the light of ultimate reality. That is why it is so difficult for most of us imagine that we merge with the clear light, because the mind must be cleared completely of all karmic darkness. “(1989:70)

To prepare for the Clear Light experience, we recommend the lamas to meditate daily and to certain purifying, detoxifying processes go through – mentally, emotionally, physically and mentally – that deletes the skandhas, the aggregates of the lower state of the microcosm, depending from all the psycho-physical slag, which is like a veil on the prevention of Clearlight its shimmering luster from the emerging markets and make contact with the soul-in-transition. more karmic stains in skandhas, the less we see the clear light. Heruka Vajrasattva Sadhana Purifying practices such as, for example, are often turned to the mental and emotional continuum of karmic stains clear. The need for purity in his nature, to the clear light see is also found in Christian doctrine, which said that only see the pure, “God.” Surat An-Nur of the Quran alludes poetically the clear light, only to Illahi and how it is perceived.

In principle, one of the five skhandas (essence of form, sensation, volition, consciousness will be resolved and deluded perception) to recognize the clear light and its transformative qualities. It takes a completely detached mind and to melt a pure consciousness, free from karmic stains with the high energies of the Divine flame of the Clear Light of the Void. Only then one is free from all mortal states and is born in an empire beyond the laws of change, of becoming. immortality is achieved in such a way. Bokar Rinpoche, told in the Book of Death & the Art of Dying us the importance of completing the merger own with the clear light:

“In recognition of this fundamental Clearlight “always means” Buddha in the absolute body at the moment of death! It is said that it also means “as a Buddha in the first liberated Bardo. On awakening is achieved, the next Bardo no more. “(1993:19-20)

Chikai Bardo, Second Stage

During the first phase of the Chikai occurs in the impotence of state approaching death, this second phase occurs after the clinical death – usually a half hour after the event out. From the occult point of view, it occurs after the heart seed atom leaves the physical body and the severance of sutratma. The duration of this phase is a little longer than the previous one. At this stage , the Clear Light intensity apparently reduced to a certain extent. This is indeed the case, because the veil of its own ignorance and karma. Although the Clear Light may not be detected in the initial period, there is still a chance for the awareness-principle when she awakens from her stupor or dream-like state to observe the take in the clear light of this secondary phase of Chikai. This is usually with the help of the presiding officer, the recitation of the “Handbook of death” or the Bardo Thödol done. The Bardo ritual and the deceased helps to the fact that they had passed through the gate of death, and it should now pay attention to the following psychological phenomena known to wake. In the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the awareness-principle in the Chikai stage is advised to see their own Ur Self:

“O nobly born, when the mind and body separated, you have a look at the plain truth, subtle, sparkling, bright, dazzling, magnificent, have seen bright and awesome in appearance like a mirage moving across a landscape in spring-time in a continuous stream of vibrations. Do not become discouraged or frightened, or intimidated. This is the broadcasting of your own true nature. This License. “(1975:104)

As in the first stage, the exemption also here as a gift of divine intelligence, but it is a partial exemption, not as completely or as far as the liberation of the first level offered. To the attainment of liberation, as I said, it is necessary, meditation practice, can where every day an insight into the clear light can be seen and experienced in an altered state of consciousness to our aid, to its full capacity in about can be seen Chikai. experience the clear light in the meditative state help us to make it into the state Chikai experience. Spiritual exercises such as visualization of your own physical body and aura with white light helps to surround ourselves very clear on the light when it from the depths of our being recognized. creates the memory of training relating to the Bardo also increases significantly the chances that the soul would recognize the clear light and know the way the right approach for the following Bardos. marifat The Gnostic or techniques the Muslim and Hindu mystics, the therapist can indicate the presence of clear light cause, as well as the techniques of Dzogchen.

The intensity of the clear light that appears consciousness is dependent on the quality of light within of our own consciousness. An impure consciousness impairment of Clear Light of the Void would. Normally, the average person does not experience or recognize the clear light of Chikai stage, and those who go violent deaths of experience through the first stages of the Bardos very quickly, spot even without the clear light.

While the experienced Chikai stage, it is possible for the awareness-principle from the clear light by loud noises or the physical complaints of the relatives and friends to be diverted. It is for this reason that the room of the dying person should be free from any conditions that may interfere with their mental concentration.

If you successfully detect the clear light, one should merge into it or absorb their aura . This will lead one of the Buddhi or higher worlds. Otherwise, if unsuccessful would the recognition and merging with the clear light, you just fall asleep, and give the following Bardos. It should be noted that in light of this secondary Chikai that the deceased can often look a pending relatives and friends on the Otherside, or see their presiding deity or guru, or even hear heavenly music. This phenomenon is based in near-death experiences as recorded by doctors and researchers of the paranormal.

Chonyid Bardo,

As the awareness-principle sink deeper into the depths of the Bardo – because of lack of spiritual attainments – the Clear Light of the Void reduced its shining brilliance, or to be more precise, heavy veil wrap them. Chikai In the previous stage, was the clear light a manifestation of the Dharmakaya. Chonyid In this stage of the Bardo Dharmata, the light falls through the sambhogakaya which are designed to break the causal body can mean. In the field of psychology, this may correspond to the superconscious sambhogakaya, while the former corresponds to cosmic consciousness. An awareness that time, the clear light of broken sambhogakaya sees as colored rays, which varies by type of the spiritual side of our mental contents formed . What you see in the Chonyid are basically hallucinations.

In this phase, and phase one and subconscious mental content of a spiritual nature from the outside of the lights sambhogakaya projected as mental images. These images can take the form of gods, devas, angels or masters – everything that reflects our spiritual conscious state. doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism refers to this stage as the appearance of the “42 peaceful deities” or the appearance of karmic illusions of a spiritual nature . It is said that this peaceful deities go out from the heart center. The spiritual forms of these deities appear usually in the form of the being that we pray often and seek spiritual refuge. It can be seen, however, important that all forms which appear in the Chonyid Sidpa and intellectual creations are, and are therefore unreal. says about the nature of these deities, Tsele Rangorol in the mirror of awareness that,

“… The gods are an expression of his own present alertness spontaneously, they are automatically there own inherent nature. “(1993:10)

Visions in this and the following Bardos are reflections of our usual patterns of thinking. The spiritual is inclined to see spiritual images in this stage, while the mind would deal with habitual carnal thoughts Bardo probably this stage as it would have done so with the previous Chikai stage, and proceed to the next to see visions of their basic ideas. The primary goal in this and the following stages will see the “emptiness” of these pictures, and understand their true nature as to transform the clear light. In this way our awareness through the realization of the true reason of this vision and integrate it into our own nature . Failure to do so simply results in a rebirth in one of the bottom six areas. It is not the recognition of mental images as your own thought-forms in the Bardo and the next results in a continued existence in samsara.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

FINDINGS

In this chapter we will consider the four perspectives are closer. We will look into the dying process and the nature of life in the higher levels, as seen through the eyes of Western and Eastern occult. The analysis of religious ideas anent death, dying and death for our country will have a clearer picture of what is generally believed by the average person. We will not deal with religious concepts from the perspective of a particular religion, but from an overall strategy, general view. The findings of modern researchers of the paranormal will greatly improve our understanding of the laws of nature, while the Tibetan teachings on death us a better understanding of the purpose of life and the liberating nature of the death process. We will discuss these different perspectives with a metaphysical understanding.

The metaphysician is a seeker of the empirical and pragmatic truths – truths and laws that are applicable and relevant to their own lives. The metaphysician, as a healer of the human soul, is a seeker, not only for theoretical but practical, factual and experiential knowledge. Such knowledge, like a collection of relevant data, provides the material needed to gain wisdom, insight and understanding of God’s plan, and the privilege of participating in the creative work of the universe. Knowledge about the death process and the purposes of life offers us in a certain power that determine our destiny in the higher worlds and in the later incarnations with the exercise of our God-given gift of free choice and divine will of our Higher Self.

Religious beliefs

followers of religions have seen death, or the transition to a new dimension in contradictory terms. On the one hand there is a lively expectation and hope of a glorious future state in a heavenly paradise, and torture on the other, a pronounced fear of eternal damnation and burning in an eternal hell. The concepts of heaven and hell are in most religions, and from the occult point of view there is a basis for these ideas, however, are heaven and hell, as understood by the masses and unenlightened cleric of distorting the reality underlying these countries.

Hell, according to religious ideas, is a place in the hereafter for the punishment of the wicked, immoral and sinful men and women. It describes a place of eternal torment, a place with fire and brimstone, a place of horror and terror, a place where one suffers pain and misery will be occupied indefinitely. Judaism refers to these as hell Sheol and Gehenna, while the ancient Greeks called it Hades and Tartarus. In Buddhism, the hell-state as Avitchi is known. Hell in the literature as the Inferno, the Abyss, the pit, the darkness, etc. Limbo was described in Paradise Lost, Milton called the capital of Hell, Pandemonium, which refers in a figurative sense, to a state of chaos, lawlessness and anarchy. used in the Gospel stories of the fish-master after a pit outside the walls of Jerusalem – a pit as a waste incinerator. This burning pit was used as an illustration, in a metaphorical and symbolic way, the type of Gehenna. Not understanding the symbolism, have accepted Christ’s followers of the Master’s statement in a literal sense. It should also pointed out that these ancient mystic earth plane to be one of the regions of hell.

In the scriptures we are told that God is a consuming fire. The fire is synonymous with the fire and flames of hell, the soul, are always higher vibrations fiery nature. What to consume the flames of God? They use the temporary manifestation of the false ego with his expressions of pride, hatred and cruelty. It purifies the subtle body of the mental dross. In the alchemical tradition of fire has been a symbol for the processes of transformation and purification. In the same esoteric meaning, causes the fiery appeal of the hell of cleansing and transformation of the soul which results in soul-awakening. Once the mortal soul realizes its mistakes and regrets, it rises from the fires of hell and enters the plains of “purgatory” for the next phase of the cleaning process. From another perspective, it may symbolize the flames of hell a soul the desire for the physical world – its use unsatisfied longing, and anger or resentment against anything that is against its selfish. The freedom from such a hell is a simple matter of lapse of the lower desires and the acquisition of humility. We experience suffering in hell, apart from the above conditions could also be the result of the repentant feelings for his past deeds are negative, is a “sin” of omission and the Commission, or the result of their own anger and resentment at not possess the ability to resume the life-style had been known before. These often cause a so-called “earthbound spirit.”

The concept of purgatory was first used by Pope Gregory I, who lived in the sixth century AD formulated. Although shot in a dogma in some Christian sects, this teaching on the reality as it is the experience of the mystic and clairvoyant is validated. Purgatory is an intermediate plane between heaven and hell, but in reality, all aircraft are in the purgatorial nature. Purgatory, in a specific sense, is a level of consciousness, a dimension where the souls stay temporarily cast off material and carnal habits, attitudes and feelings. It is a realm of purification of thoughts, feelings and desires. Purgatory is where one begins and the assimilation of the experiences of one’s life embodies. After this cleaning has taken place, the soul is appropriate at one of the heavenly regions expressed. This is done automatically, without authoritarian decree or monitoring. To believe

that a loving, kind and merciful God would banish and exile wayward souls to eternal damnation and punishment is a sacrilegious attitude and emotion, and an injustice to our Creator. The loving spirit of the cosmos Omniversal would have never thought such an idea. God does not punish. Hell many regions were not created by God, but disobeyed by the people the bad conscience of evil people, moods and preferences, by the people and violation of the law of cosmic harmony. This is not to say that there are not hell and its torments. They exist, but as an illusion of Maya. They are tangible but are phantasmagoria. Hell is an inner state of the eclipse projected into the consciousness and objectified on astral substances. Hell is a state of mind and consciousness externalized and reflected in the astral and even physical environment. to build unconsciously Sojourners hell, share, and the experience of a collective thought form.

religion in the collective sense, hell in terrible shape and color images. In reality, most of the devils and demons are tormenting souls in hell mere fantasies of the psyche. The wrathful deities, creatures and demons found in Hell, as Satan, Beelzebub, Astaroth, Mara, the Raksasas, the Furies, the Harpies, the Furies, chimeras, and Cerburus Hydras are all negative thoughts and feelings in the mind externalized in an illusory, hallucinatory sense to torture for his past misqualification the soul-energy. Apart from the hell are these cruel and grotesque images also seen and experienced in a particular phase of the Bardo. This terrible demons are mere symbols of negative human behavior. The bad conscience of men and women bad breaks inclined to manifest from the unconscious, so terrible illusions. Simply put, a bad conscience and temperament creates the experience of hell. Cornelius Agrippa, the famous occultist of the 16th Century, referring to the illusory nature of hell through the hell experienced strangers, says that the souls,

Are “… the most cruelly tortured in the irascible faculty with the hatred of an imaginary evil in which the disturbances, as well as false accusations and horrible fantasies fall then, and they are sad, they represent images, sometimes the sky falling on their head, sometimes of being swallowed up in the earth … and sometimes the being taken, and tormented by devils. “(1995:596)

In the Gathas, one of the sacred writings of Zoroastrianism is the hell as a place of the worst ideas described, and like the house of lies. The people of Ahura Mazda believed and still believe, that in hell one is plagued by Daena, or conscience, but they did not understand the intention of this and to consider as a permanent condition – a concept of theologians of many different faiths presented. Eternal punishment is illogical, meaningless and without purpose, and goes against all the spiritual principles and values. It would be unrealistic to ban a merciful God ended soul-identity and awareness rather than to picture the Almighty and gloating over the suffering and misery to see the wayward souls. Therefore, the purpose of hell is not to punish but to awaken the soul to its spiritual poverty, the need to turn to the divine light. Here we emphasize the notion of hell from the perspective of Zorastrianism for it has much the Semitic religions, which somehow distorts the transmission of esoteric knowledge influenced.

Hell should not be seen as an eternal state. It exists for the soul only as long as the soul does not want to admit and face the light of God, truth, and shall give their resentment, hatred and other negative emotions. Not all souls reside in hell or purgatory. Lofty, bypass the pure souls of the lower worlds, especially for a place in the celestial regions head. Every soul is in the plane best suited for nature. This process or procedure is not arbitrary from a being, there is no one to force and compel us to be judged in each area. That’s all running according to the law of the match. One spiritual realization or lack of it down, where he would go. It is a matter of frequencies. A personal frequency to join in the corresponding dimension vibrating at the corresponding wavelength. Imagine if you will, a wicked sinners receive forgiveness in the last hour and goes to the heavenly worlds. The mere presence of the sinner would turn heaven into hell, for his innate wickedness, its negative character, would pollute the environment. Death does not transform our character. We carry our same personality, character, spirit and emotions, where we go. If we are in constant discord with our environment, with our many relationships here on this earth plane, we would not express it in the subtle worlds. The presence of negativity causes of the soul, the astro-mental body, to a certain density in their power structures and fields, a certain atomic weight, assuming that it binds to the lower regions of hell or purgatory. The sky is so protected by troublemakers. Whether in Hell or Purgatory, the soul suffers all his misqualified and wasted energy alone. The length of time that people stay in hell or purgatory is dependent on itself, to your own inner desire to improve his character, at his own request, to be free, the desire, forgive ourselves and others – for forgiveness request those wrong, and the desire to serve others.

visualized in terms of the heaven, the Christians have long it will be paved in gold to a magnificent city with streets and decorated with precious stones. The book of Revelation has done much to Christian beliefs on this matter, mold. What is not known to the average Christian, that the apocalypse in Revelation is symbolic and that it initiated a work of great initiates of lesser degree is written, the mysteries of God, and that it has to be interpreted literally, to deceive and mislead themselves. It takes a great familiarity with the occult, the Qaballah, and initiation to interpret teachings of the ancients really the true meaning of its spiritual content.

Heaven, the general expectation is that a place of reward, the eternal tranquility. Ancient Greeks called Elysian Fields to heaven or Olympus. The followers of Zoroaster describe it as the house of the sun, and the whereabouts of the best ideas – a place where the sun never ceases to shine – no doubt an allusion to the nature of the illuminating surface. To Hindus, the sky is the ratio of that and it is in the higher lokas. Theosophists call the sky “Devachan.” The ancient Egyptians called it Sechet hetepet. To Scandinavians, it is Asgard, and call it Summerland spiritualists. Heaven is as an abode of peace, happiness and wealth one fundamental religious belief in every culture, ancient and modern. How the hell thinks a place of punishment, it was believed heaven is a realm of rewards by the virtuous, the “poor in spirit” and those who are to serve God faithfully.

How the hell are followers of the religion also misunderstood the nature of heaven and wrong. In their theology, most religions lay too much stress on externals without regard to the mystical nature of their teachings, this is especially true for the majority of concepts such as heaven and hell. The Baha’i religion, as an exception, believe heaven and hell to mental conditions rather than mere places. In its theological teaching, the sky is the proximity of consciousness on the throne of God is defined, and hell as one of the remoteness of the heavenly deity. This is in line with the words of the Nazarene, that the kingdom of God within. Although the notion of paradise among Christians has a different meaning proclaimed as the Kingdom of God as the Master – the former believe that it will be a place – it could be considered in fact as such, as a place or places reflects the internal state of the soul, just like hell – although we seem to contradict our earlier statement about Christian emphasis on externals. As mentioned above, heaven and hell as places were to be justified by the discoveries and experiences of the mystic and clairvoyant. However, we note that the diverse external reality, but is a reflection of the internal condition or state of mind. We have done this before, but when it is necessary to reaffirm its importance.

Although the sky is so beautiful and glorious, as described by religions, it is not a place of eternal rest. A paradise of peace and idleness is a static condition. Inertia does not exist in the universe. Everything is in motion and in a continuous change. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that “everything.” All Sparks, or God’s creatures are forever on. Everything is in a dynamic state of the transition to a higher expression and manifestation. Heaven as experienced and understood by mystics, is a state of intense activity. The sky is not a place where people sing hymns and play the harp all day long (unless that is what we enjoy), it is a place of education for the evolving soul, where the mysteries of the universe and studied cosmic laws. In the higher worlds, one learns to exercise his creativity in myriad ways. One also spends his time in the sky all creation are active in various functions in accordance with an innate abilities and talents. In the heavenly regions, there are no angels with wings and halos adorn, as the painters represented in its art. In heaven, angelic beings, with their purity, love and other positive virtues adorned. What wings are simply magnetic radiation are streaming from their people.

One of the salient features of religious belief, that during the transition before it passes on to heaven or hell, you have to submit to a verdict. The ancient Egyptians, Tibetans, Christians, Muslims and many others have had their sentence and scenes in their theological concepts. This is deeply rooted in the eschatology of religion and, as a fact on the basis of truth, which we will see later, when we consider the Bardos. It is sufficient here to describe certain aspects of the Judgement scene.

The Judgement scene almost every religion has one judge, one of the balance scale, a clerk, and of course, to judge the soul. For the ancient Egyptians, Osiris was the judge of the soul, Anubis the balance of the scales, while Thoth, the scribe was. The human soul is often portrayed as Hawk-tip. In Zoroastrianism, Mithras, Zoroaster, or sometimes sitting on the bench, with Rashnu as Wiegers and Sraosha as recorder. Tibetans called her a magistrate and clerk Dharmaraja Shinjé – the ape line. Christians believe that Jesus is the one to judge the “quick and the dead”, to be with angelic as his staff secretary.

In the Judgement scene, like the ancient Egyptians, who is understood from, or the heart of the soul against Maat, or Truth, symbolized by a spring weighed. The deceased is a long confession, affirming his impressive work. The negative work of soul goes unspoken and unproclaimed – the soul of hope that his past sinful deeds are overlooked and not disclosed. But then comes the weighing of the scales, where the testimony of the soul can be measured by its truth. If found not to measure up to his honesty, the soul is led into the hell of Typhon, who are tortured as one of the presiding demons, otherwise it is shown the way to paradise. The Judgement scene of all religions, more or less follows along similar lines.

According to some religious and cultural beliefs that before the verdict or the entry into the underworld, the soul had to cross a river or rivers, before passing on to its destination. The soul is usually conducted over the river in a boat or through the use of certain bridges. Ancient people used these symbols to mean the processes of transition. Muslims call the bridge “Sirat”, while followers of Zoroaster call it “Chivat. Ancient Greeks called the underworld river Styx, Acheron, Cocytus and Phlegethon. These names rivers, the four streams of the Garden of Eden match: Pison, Gihon, Euphrates and Hiddekel. Occult, they probably relate to the four essential levels. Scandinavians believe in a river to cross the souls in the world had Cthonians. You call that “Wimur.” Ancient Babylonians believed that cross the river had soul to the Huber prior to reaching the “mountain of justice”, or convicted scene.

Psychologically, rivers, oceans cover, pools, lakes and all the subconscious element in man. lurk in the depths of the Freudian “id” various monsters – phobias, psychoses, neuroses and repressions. In an occult sense, these monsters of the psyche are together known as the guardians of the threshold. Crossing rivers in its symbolism, brings encounter with these monsters, the suppressed images in the death process, and that in the Tibetan Thanatology, this is exactly what happens in the Bardo. All religious doctrines teach the danger that the soul can face in the intermediate state.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

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