Looking into the Afterlife…

On more than a few occasions during the almost two years these postings have been coming your way, the concepts of Spiritual life as well as that of possible communication between, in one way or another, different planes of existence have been alluded to.

There is one fact of life which we cannot escape, no matter how much we try to: The moment we are born, the eventual end of this stay will come by way of dying. There is no other solution. Often, there have been discussions amongst some friends, including a minister, about this subject. Those of us, who are practicing believers in one or another religion, will describe this step as “going into the arms of Our Father”, passing on to a spiritual life and/or world, becoming one with the Father; etc… There is really no basic difference, no matter which religion is followed.  And if there is no religion then it becomes simply, the end. 

Over the years, many experienced people have come forth to talk about this step and its close relative, the near death experience; we have heard of the experiences some have lived through, where the predominant feature seems to be some sort of a tunnel where there is a shining light at the end… some cynics may say that this may be a freight train coming the other way but, I choose not to think so… It would be highly unfortunate to be run over by a ghostly train after having left our bodies behind… perhaps an ultimate black humor issue to consider…

The Always Present Light...

 So, what is near death and what may be actually happening as our spirit leaves this old shell behind? Again, everyone’s religious beliefs will have a say in any possible answer to this question, since religions will teach us that there is a heaven or a hell and a possible “limbo”, this last predominantly in the catholic religion. Religion is not an issue here, therefore and perhaps this may better be read lightly and solely as the opinion of one fool, aided by the findings of a professional who dedicated herself to study these phenomena for more than two decades. Her name was Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swiss born and trained Psychologist. Her books, the results of her studies, are recognized as a very important treatise on these concepts.

What she says throughout, will take us to task in trying to mold our conventional prejudices in order to consider accepting it. A lot of it goes not against, but definitely as a deviational tangent from what we have learned over the years. Life is temporary; yes, we do know and accept this. That our spirit is a separate entity from our body, we can say is fairly common acceptance as well.  But according to her, “Death is simply a shedding of the physical body, much like the butterfly shedding its cocoon. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness where you continue to perceive, to understand, to laugh, and to be able to grow” Here is where perhaps traditional views may begin to look a little bit askance to the concepts presented by her.

Some Near deaths cold be hard to take

Based on this idea, we shed our bodies like a snake sheds its skin. Once we leave our earthly suit, we then become a part of a much larger consciousness, where all departed are. Like a butterfly, our physical bodies are nothing but cocoons which serve each one of us during our stay here; when there is a near death experience the cocoon is not totally shed, but it retains a connection which allows that spirit to come back into the body, and continue on. Why some of us are allowed to go on and why some are not, was not totally clear to me. Perhaps, as we have heard at times, there is a sentient spirit whose job is to determine who has more time left and who does not, sending these last back to their worldly digs. But she was clear in the fact that, once the connection was broken between the leaving spirit and its cocoon, or earthly shell, there was no coming back.  On reflecting about these issues, she also adds “whereas birth is cause for celebration, death has become a dreaded and unspeakable issue to be avoided…” continuing “…dying is nothing to fear. It can be the most wonderful experience of your life. It all depends on how you have lived”.

So, why are we here to begin with? Are we here only to impress upon others how well we live and how much we have accomplished? Is there a goal that has been set for our stay in this world?  “It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we're alive; to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are” What we are taught since we are children is, then, contrary to this. In our societies, façade is important; what others may see and believe us to be, often becomes a central force behind our actions and search for personal achievements. This is especially true in the everyday business world.

If the connection is cut, there
is no coming back

Who are we? How do we determine who is “good” and who is “not so good” ... Doesn’t each person have a role in the whole? What about those who have suffered much and those who have undergone drastic reverses and emotional and/or physical pain? To this end, she tells us that “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” How true this is; we have all known individuals who have fought through these types of problems and, somehow, have managed to build upon a reserve of plain guts which allows them to move forward and continue on with a beautiful life.

According to Dr. Kubler-Ross, we are here for a very specific reason and, this is to learn about unconditional love, to cherish life as a passing gift, to enjoy it fully, to be able to look at others and assist them whenever we can, not just to sit and let the world go by. “You will not grow if you sit in a beautiful flower garden, but you will grow if you are sick, if you are in pain, if you experience losses and if you do not put your head in the sand, but take the pain as a gift to you with a very, very specific purpose”…   …”Instead, the goal of life becomes not to elude death but, because one's fears do not center so much on it, rather to live in concert with it”.

Is the "end" just a beginning to a better life?

It certainly gives food for thought; we always have asked, as self centered beings we are, “What is our role here?”… “Why are we here?” Dr. Kubler-Ross seems to have some possible answers which, when taken in the context they were acquired, make some defined sense. Our mind’s power is well beyond what even we think it may be. Someone who uses 20%-30% will be considered a genius. What is the purpose of the other 70-80% ? Perhaps that purpose is to allow us to join that ephemeral universe where there are no physical restraints… At the end, the real difficult step will be that moment when we look and see every second of our lives, only then understanding the true and full reach of each and every one of our decisions...  even though she says it is not a judgement, but only as a measure of our own understanding of our lives as part of that process of passing... This particular step, I think could be somewhat frightening...

Be Well… Be Back!!