Friday, May 30, 2008
... holds all the information necessary for your life review.
This is the tenth entry in my series on dying and life after death.
To summarize the NDE to this point … there is a separation of consciousness from the body which is accompanied by a sense of great peace and freedom from pain. The person, at that point, realizes that they are “dead.” This is followed by a period during which the person is able to remain in real-time, very close to the physical dimension, see his body and travel to other places (like the hospital waiting room or even more further distant locations) and witness what other people are doing and talking about as the medical team works on revival efforts. At some point thereafter, the person enters a dark “tunnel” with a brilliant light at the end of it. Their journey through the tunnel is most often done at phenomenal speeds but is not in any way uncomfortable or distressing. Often the person is accompanied on this trip by their attending angel … and sometimes by relatives or friends who have died before them. When they reach the end of the tunnel they find themselves in the presence of a “being of Light” that emits a brilliant white or golden glow. The being is most often described as God and is depicted as being unfathomably loving and empathetic. At this point, the “being” guides the person through a life review.
The life review is a holographic-like, panoramic experience wherein the person sees, hears and experiences everything that ever happened in their life. This information is drawn from the Akashic Records ... a vast library that contains every thought, every uttered word, every action and motive of every person and everything that has ever happened in any corner of the universe.
In a sense, during a life review, a person re-lives their life. But they relive it not only from their own first-person perspective, but in a way that requires them to feel the impact that they had on others lives … good or bad. If they helped someone, they feel that person’s gratitude. But if they harmed someone, they feel that person’s pain.
The life review is not meant to be a punitive experience, but people often feel extreme regret for many of their actions. In actuality, the life review is designed to educate us about ourselves; about the way we are; about what our motives were behind our actions; how those actions impacted others; how we could have been better people; and what we can do to correct aspects of ourselves that are incompatible with life in the higher spirit realms. It is sometimes described as a fact-finding process rather than a fault-finding process.
During the review, it is impossible to lie to yourself, to other beings who are present (usually your attending angel and your guides) or to the Light. There is no judgment associated with the review except the judgment we level at ourselves … and this is not encouraged. The beings present (including the Light) actually discourage self-criticism and often interrupt the review to encourage and reassure the person if it becomes too stressful for them.
These beings often display love that is beyond description; help eliminate any negativity you may feel about yourself during your life review; ask questions about your life and how you felt about it; celebrate when you displayed love in your life; congratulate you for your acts of selflessness and compassion; mourn for you about something you did; consider the circumstances of your life such as, your upbringing, what you were taught, pain that may have been inflicted upon you, and the opportunities you missed or that were not presented to you.
In higher dimensions, time and space do not exist in the same sense as they do on earth. So the life review doesn’t feel like it takes 70 or 80 years. Actually, it feels as though it passes very quickly, even though the person experiences everything that ever happened to them during their life on earth.
It should be noted here that the cord that connects spirit with body has still not been severed at that point, as people who have NDEs almost always have life reviews but still are able to return to their bodies.
A person may also have an “in the cord” experience that offers them the chance to “re-live” their lives and make different choices based on the perspective of the soul rather than the ego. Many lives are “redeemed” through the “in the cord” experience.
God’s nature is to want you to experience the highest possible existence of which you are capable. When you leave your physical body, you go to a spirit realm that most closely matches your level of consciousness at the time of your exit. The “in the cord” experience allows a “second chance” to see the consequences of your decisions and actions and make new decisions with a clearer view than when you were on earth where genetic or environmental contaminants and circumstances may have affected you in a negative way. This is a consciousness raising experience and facilitates entrance to the higher heaven realms.
To summarize the NDE to this point … there is a separation of consciousness from the body which is accompanied by a sense of great peace and freedom from pain. The person, at that point, realizes that they are “dead.” This is followed by a period during which the person is able to remain in real-time, very close to the physical dimension, see his body and travel to other places (like the hospital waiting room or even more further distant locations) and witness what other people are doing and talking about as the medical team works on revival efforts. At some point thereafter, the person enters a dark “tunnel” with a brilliant light at the end of it. Their journey through the tunnel is most often done at phenomenal speeds but is not in any way uncomfortable or distressing. Often the person is accompanied on this trip by their attending angel … and sometimes by relatives or friends who have died before them. When they reach the end of the tunnel they find themselves in the presence of a “being of Light” that emits a brilliant white or golden glow. The being is most often described as God and is depicted as being unfathomably loving and empathetic. At this point, the “being” guides the person through a life review.
The life review is a holographic-like, panoramic experience wherein the person sees, hears and experiences everything that ever happened in their life. This information is drawn from the Akashic Records ... a vast library that contains every thought, every uttered word, every action and motive of every person and everything that has ever happened in any corner of the universe.
In a sense, during a life review, a person re-lives their life. But they relive it not only from their own first-person perspective, but in a way that requires them to feel the impact that they had on others lives … good or bad. If they helped someone, they feel that person’s gratitude. But if they harmed someone, they feel that person’s pain.
The life review is not meant to be a punitive experience, but people often feel extreme regret for many of their actions. In actuality, the life review is designed to educate us about ourselves; about the way we are; about what our motives were behind our actions; how those actions impacted others; how we could have been better people; and what we can do to correct aspects of ourselves that are incompatible with life in the higher spirit realms. It is sometimes described as a fact-finding process rather than a fault-finding process.
During the review, it is impossible to lie to yourself, to other beings who are present (usually your attending angel and your guides) or to the Light. There is no judgment associated with the review except the judgment we level at ourselves … and this is not encouraged. The beings present (including the Light) actually discourage self-criticism and often interrupt the review to encourage and reassure the person if it becomes too stressful for them.
These beings often display love that is beyond description; help eliminate any negativity you may feel about yourself during your life review; ask questions about your life and how you felt about it; celebrate when you displayed love in your life; congratulate you for your acts of selflessness and compassion; mourn for you about something you did; consider the circumstances of your life such as, your upbringing, what you were taught, pain that may have been inflicted upon you, and the opportunities you missed or that were not presented to you.
In higher dimensions, time and space do not exist in the same sense as they do on earth. So the life review doesn’t feel like it takes 70 or 80 years. Actually, it feels as though it passes very quickly, even though the person experiences everything that ever happened to them during their life on earth.
It should be noted here that the cord that connects spirit with body has still not been severed at that point, as people who have NDEs almost always have life reviews but still are able to return to their bodies.
A person may also have an “in the cord” experience that offers them the chance to “re-live” their lives and make different choices based on the perspective of the soul rather than the ego. Many lives are “redeemed” through the “in the cord” experience.
God’s nature is to want you to experience the highest possible existence of which you are capable. When you leave your physical body, you go to a spirit realm that most closely matches your level of consciousness at the time of your exit. The “in the cord” experience allows a “second chance” to see the consequences of your decisions and actions and make new decisions with a clearer view than when you were on earth where genetic or environmental contaminants and circumstances may have affected you in a negative way. This is a consciousness raising experience and facilitates entrance to the higher heaven realms.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
... really from God?
This is the ninth entry in my series on dying and life after death.
The concept of judgment at the moment of death is one of the primary tenets of traditional Christianity and most other religious belief systems. It goes hand-in-hand with the concept of an eternal punishment that has been prepared for “the wicked.” Scriptures are replete with references of both. Here are only a few (from the Christian bible).
“ … whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
“ …if your right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.”
“You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?”
Yet people who experience NDEs report that the Light embraced them with such a complete, pervasive, all encompassing love that it never even hinted of judgment or punishment. Rather than being judged in a negative way by the Light during their life reviews, these people actually judged themselves. And this wasn’t a “cheating” kind of judgment where you could hide certain actions or excuse some behaviors … because the life review includes every word ever uttered, every thought that ever crossed your mind and every action that you ever initiated. (One man even saw himself shooting a mother bird with an arrow when he was just a small boy and feeling his pride in hitting his target but then feeling the suffering that her babies went through as they starved to death). Rather, it is a self-critical review that is undertaken with the compassion and support of the Light and often your attending angel and your guides.
The following is one of the best descriptions of the self-judgment process that I have found. “I remember talking to a self-described ‘bad person’ who had a life review. He saw the best – and so often, simple – moments of his life, such as the joy his little sister felt when he pushed her swing.
But the bad times – not measured by actions, but rather the motivations behind the actions – were so awful he found them agonizing.
The mean-spiritedness of his life… the judgments of others… the hatred… the jealousy… the pursuit of false values…the self-centeredness… the self-deception. He experienced the essence of what’d he’d been and the effect on others. The universe knew it, and he knew it as well. There were no excuses to be offered, no ‘plausible’ deniability left.” (http://www.nde-paradigm.com/5.html)
People often express great remorse and anguish at having had to experience their life review … not because the Light was inflicting any type of punishment on them for their actions, but because they were able to feel the pain that they inflicted on others due to their thoughtlessness, cruelty and mean-spirited behaviors. Nothing is missed … “for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.” (Matthew 10:26)
But, at least as far as the NDE goes, there appears to be very little evidence that the being of Light, which surrounds them with unconditional love and acceptance during the life review, is simply hiding His/Her intent to toss them into a lake of hellfire a few moments hence.
And there seems to be some scriptural support for that position. Jesus himself said, “You judge after the flesh; I judge no man.” (John 8:15). And Paul said, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (I Cor. 11:31). These combined statements suggest that, perhaps, Source does not do the judging … that when we are able to see things are they really are … we will judge ourselves. And anyone who has ever crucified themselves for something they’ve done knows that the pain we can inflict on ourselves can equal anything that someone else can do to us.
Everyone must ultimately decide for themselves whether or not they believe in a punitive God … how they wish to reconcile the conflicting scriptures on the subject … and how they wish to think about the Hitler’s of the world. But I would suggest that “eye-witness” testimonies of those who have had NDEs should be given some consideration.
I do want to take a moment here to address the “Hitler’s” of the world because it’s a subject that I’m sometimes asked about and with which I’ve wrestled over the years. Let me start by saying that I don’t personally know of any recorded NDEs that involve personalities who have engaged in such deep levels of darkness and destruction as have people like Hitler, Stalin or Pol Pot. Most recorded NDE accounts are from people on the order of you and I. They have wrestled with the same issues and made many of the same mistakes as we have … to a somewhat greater or lesser degree. They may have engaged in lying, greed, anger, pride, selfishness or manipulation. They may even have committed crimes or small acts of cruelty. But I know of no NDE accounts of personalities that have engaged in such pervasive acts of mass torture, blatant cruelty and outright murder like the people mentioned above.
Frankly, I do not know what happens to these people after death. I once had a theory that, since God creates everything from the pool of insistence and nothing is ever truly “lost” to God, their spirits and consciousness may simply be returned to the pool where they cease to exist as an independent personality. Perhaps their consciousness as it was is extinguished rather than punished for an eternity. It’s possible that they so deliberately severed any chance of relationship with Source … consistently and intentionally choosing darkness over light over such an extended period of time … that they eventually smothered any glimmer of light in their souls. But, frankly, your guess is as good as mine.
But, in general, what I can say from my research and personal experience is that Source does not appear to be the punishing, vengeful, callous, sin tallying God that many think Him/Her to be.
The concept of judgment at the moment of death is one of the primary tenets of traditional Christianity and most other religious belief systems. It goes hand-in-hand with the concept of an eternal punishment that has been prepared for “the wicked.” Scriptures are replete with references of both. Here are only a few (from the Christian bible).
“ … whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
“ …if your right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.”
“You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?”
Yet people who experience NDEs report that the Light embraced them with such a complete, pervasive, all encompassing love that it never even hinted of judgment or punishment. Rather than being judged in a negative way by the Light during their life reviews, these people actually judged themselves. And this wasn’t a “cheating” kind of judgment where you could hide certain actions or excuse some behaviors … because the life review includes every word ever uttered, every thought that ever crossed your mind and every action that you ever initiated. (One man even saw himself shooting a mother bird with an arrow when he was just a small boy and feeling his pride in hitting his target but then feeling the suffering that her babies went through as they starved to death). Rather, it is a self-critical review that is undertaken with the compassion and support of the Light and often your attending angel and your guides.
The following is one of the best descriptions of the self-judgment process that I have found. “I remember talking to a self-described ‘bad person’ who had a life review. He saw the best – and so often, simple – moments of his life, such as the joy his little sister felt when he pushed her swing.
But the bad times – not measured by actions, but rather the motivations behind the actions – were so awful he found them agonizing.
The mean-spiritedness of his life… the judgments of others… the hatred… the jealousy… the pursuit of false values…the self-centeredness… the self-deception. He experienced the essence of what’d he’d been and the effect on others. The universe knew it, and he knew it as well. There were no excuses to be offered, no ‘plausible’ deniability left.” (http://www.nde-paradigm.com/5.html)
People often express great remorse and anguish at having had to experience their life review … not because the Light was inflicting any type of punishment on them for their actions, but because they were able to feel the pain that they inflicted on others due to their thoughtlessness, cruelty and mean-spirited behaviors. Nothing is missed … “for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.” (Matthew 10:26)
But, at least as far as the NDE goes, there appears to be very little evidence that the being of Light, which surrounds them with unconditional love and acceptance during the life review, is simply hiding His/Her intent to toss them into a lake of hellfire a few moments hence.
And there seems to be some scriptural support for that position. Jesus himself said, “You judge after the flesh; I judge no man.” (John 8:15). And Paul said, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (I Cor. 11:31). These combined statements suggest that, perhaps, Source does not do the judging … that when we are able to see things are they really are … we will judge ourselves. And anyone who has ever crucified themselves for something they’ve done knows that the pain we can inflict on ourselves can equal anything that someone else can do to us.
Everyone must ultimately decide for themselves whether or not they believe in a punitive God … how they wish to reconcile the conflicting scriptures on the subject … and how they wish to think about the Hitler’s of the world. But I would suggest that “eye-witness” testimonies of those who have had NDEs should be given some consideration.
I do want to take a moment here to address the “Hitler’s” of the world because it’s a subject that I’m sometimes asked about and with which I’ve wrestled over the years. Let me start by saying that I don’t personally know of any recorded NDEs that involve personalities who have engaged in such deep levels of darkness and destruction as have people like Hitler, Stalin or Pol Pot. Most recorded NDE accounts are from people on the order of you and I. They have wrestled with the same issues and made many of the same mistakes as we have … to a somewhat greater or lesser degree. They may have engaged in lying, greed, anger, pride, selfishness or manipulation. They may even have committed crimes or small acts of cruelty. But I know of no NDE accounts of personalities that have engaged in such pervasive acts of mass torture, blatant cruelty and outright murder like the people mentioned above.
Frankly, I do not know what happens to these people after death. I once had a theory that, since God creates everything from the pool of insistence and nothing is ever truly “lost” to God, their spirits and consciousness may simply be returned to the pool where they cease to exist as an independent personality. Perhaps their consciousness as it was is extinguished rather than punished for an eternity. It’s possible that they so deliberately severed any chance of relationship with Source … consistently and intentionally choosing darkness over light over such an extended period of time … that they eventually smothered any glimmer of light in their souls. But, frankly, your guess is as good as mine.
But, in general, what I can say from my research and personal experience is that Source does not appear to be the punishing, vengeful, callous, sin tallying God that many think Him/Her to be.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
... at your fingertips.
This is the eighth entry in my series on dying and life after death.
I have often commented that one of the first things I want to do when I die is to take a tour of the universe. I want to see what’s out there … understand the physics involved … see the interplay between spirit and matter … travel at the speed of thought to distant galaxies far beyond the scope of the Hubble. I want to visit with other lifeforms … watch the act of creation in progress … understand the purpose of life.
So one of the things that has intrigued me as I’ve wound my way through my studies of NDEs is the experience of unlimited understanding and expansive knowledge that accompanies the event. This most often takes place in the presence of the “being of Light” and in response to a request made by the person to understand “the purpose of things.”
One lady, for example, states that she remembers having answers to her most vexing questions about life and the universe … to the issues that niggle at us from time to time and that we all wonder about in our solitary moments. It was an “a-ha” experience for her when everything fell into place … everything made sense. She felt a great peace flood over her as she was finally able to put all the pieces of her unanswered questions together. When she returned to her body, however, the actual answers were filtered out of her consciousness … she could only remember that she had had the answers. This is similar to another man’s experience where he said “ … (he) acquired knowledge from the archives, but couldn’t return with it.”
In another experience, a young man said he felt “he had been handed the keys to the universe.” After he returned to his body, recovered from his illness and went back to school, he changed from an “average” student into one that was “arrogant and even heretical” and he began using theories he learned during his NDE to explain the works of Albert Einstein.
He later said that he believed his NDE provided him with enormous insights into the very nature of the universe and refers to his almost fatal experience as his “cosmic gift.” He now holds about one hundred chemical patents … innovations that made him one of the preeminent engineers in the field of research and development.
Another person described their experience like this … “In the place of learning, I knew everything. Questions were answered instantaneously.” This comment seems to show a relationship with another’s experience where the person said that “The message from the light, was one that encourages knowledge.”
In perhaps the most direct statement I’ve ever read, another person related that “(he) felt that (he possessed) all knowledge.”
It’s of some comfort to me to know that all the questions I have about pain, justice, disease, war, conflict, suffering, creation and other similar topics will one day be answered for me … that I will be able to tie up all the loose ends of my questions.
But I think this sharing of universal knowledge by the Light is important in another respect also … it aligns with other attributes that have been described by those who have had NDEs. There is a complete acceptance of the person … a feeling of support and unabashed love … a willingness to help and to heal … and an apparent unwillingness to stand in judgment of the person – which is something that we’ll explore next …
I have often commented that one of the first things I want to do when I die is to take a tour of the universe. I want to see what’s out there … understand the physics involved … see the interplay between spirit and matter … travel at the speed of thought to distant galaxies far beyond the scope of the Hubble. I want to visit with other lifeforms … watch the act of creation in progress … understand the purpose of life.
So one of the things that has intrigued me as I’ve wound my way through my studies of NDEs is the experience of unlimited understanding and expansive knowledge that accompanies the event. This most often takes place in the presence of the “being of Light” and in response to a request made by the person to understand “the purpose of things.”
One lady, for example, states that she remembers having answers to her most vexing questions about life and the universe … to the issues that niggle at us from time to time and that we all wonder about in our solitary moments. It was an “a-ha” experience for her when everything fell into place … everything made sense. She felt a great peace flood over her as she was finally able to put all the pieces of her unanswered questions together. When she returned to her body, however, the actual answers were filtered out of her consciousness … she could only remember that she had had the answers. This is similar to another man’s experience where he said “ … (he) acquired knowledge from the archives, but couldn’t return with it.”
In another experience, a young man said he felt “he had been handed the keys to the universe.” After he returned to his body, recovered from his illness and went back to school, he changed from an “average” student into one that was “arrogant and even heretical” and he began using theories he learned during his NDE to explain the works of Albert Einstein.
He later said that he believed his NDE provided him with enormous insights into the very nature of the universe and refers to his almost fatal experience as his “cosmic gift.” He now holds about one hundred chemical patents … innovations that made him one of the preeminent engineers in the field of research and development.
Another person described their experience like this … “In the place of learning, I knew everything. Questions were answered instantaneously.” This comment seems to show a relationship with another’s experience where the person said that “The message from the light, was one that encourages knowledge.”
In perhaps the most direct statement I’ve ever read, another person related that “(he) felt that (he possessed) all knowledge.”
It’s of some comfort to me to know that all the questions I have about pain, justice, disease, war, conflict, suffering, creation and other similar topics will one day be answered for me … that I will be able to tie up all the loose ends of my questions.
But I think this sharing of universal knowledge by the Light is important in another respect also … it aligns with other attributes that have been described by those who have had NDEs. There is a complete acceptance of the person … a feeling of support and unabashed love … a willingness to help and to heal … and an apparent unwillingness to stand in judgment of the person – which is something that we’ll explore next …
Sunday, May 25, 2008
... at the end of the tunnel
This is the seventh entry in my series on dying and life after death.
People who have NDE’s may describe the light at the end of the tunnel in different ways. But, whether they refer to it as God, Source, a Supreme Being, Jesus or by other names, it is clear that they recognize the complete omnipotence, all encompassing knowledge, absolute forgiveness and incredible love that it emanates.
Their descriptions align well with the metaphors offered by almost all spiritual traditions. There are many references to God as “the Light” in these various books of scripture. The following are some from the Christian tradition.
“And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.” (Paul’s conversion experience in Acts)
“God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:7)
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it.” (Revelation 21:23)
“That was the true Light which lights every man that comes into the world.” (John 1:9)
Interestingly, some of the aspects of God that are taught in organized religion appear curiously absent from the God encountered by those who have NDE’s. For example, the judgmental, vindictive, punishing, critical, finger-pointing God often depicted in the Old Testament and frequently advertised by modern-day Christians is nowhere to be found.
People overwhelmingly describe God as an incredibly bright white and/or golden light that is extraordinarily accepting, immeasurably loving and who stresses that the purpose of their life was to learn certain lessons … primary among them, how to serve others.
One person described her experience with the Light this way. “It was the most unconditional love I have ever felt. All my life I had feared him, and I now saw - I knew - that he was my choicest friend. Until then, I had felt no purpose in life; I had simply ambled along looking for love and goodness but never really knowing if my actions were right. Now, within his words, I felt a mission, a purpose; I didn't know what it was, but I knew that my life on earth had not been meaningless.”
This is, perhaps, one of the most challenging aspects relating to NDEs for many people who have been raised in traditional, organized religious structures. More often than not, these people have been indoctrinated into a belief system that portrays God as a cranky, rigid, analytical, ruthless, unbending old man who has no qualms about tossing a soul into eternal punishment if their “good and bad” rating tips a bit over to the dark side.
Everyone, of course, must decide for themselves what they believe about the nature of God. Of all the lessons of NDEs, this one is perhaps the most important. For upon your belief in the nature of God, hangs all other important beliefs in your life.
I had to reconcile that issue many years ago when I walked away from many beliefs about God, religion and spirituality that I had held very closely. I could no longer square a God that would order the destruction of an entire city, innocents included, with Christ’s description of God … as a loving father. For me, the dichotomy was too great and my conclusion was both that historical records had been tampered with and that people were simply painting the picture of God that they wanted to see ... rather than how S/he really was. I chose Jesus’ description … which more closely coincides with the NDE.
Do I still have questions about my decision? Sure … but someday those will all be answered too …
People who have NDE’s may describe the light at the end of the tunnel in different ways. But, whether they refer to it as God, Source, a Supreme Being, Jesus or by other names, it is clear that they recognize the complete omnipotence, all encompassing knowledge, absolute forgiveness and incredible love that it emanates.
Their descriptions align well with the metaphors offered by almost all spiritual traditions. There are many references to God as “the Light” in these various books of scripture. The following are some from the Christian tradition.
“And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.” (Paul’s conversion experience in Acts)
“God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:7)
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it.” (Revelation 21:23)
“That was the true Light which lights every man that comes into the world.” (John 1:9)
Interestingly, some of the aspects of God that are taught in organized religion appear curiously absent from the God encountered by those who have NDE’s. For example, the judgmental, vindictive, punishing, critical, finger-pointing God often depicted in the Old Testament and frequently advertised by modern-day Christians is nowhere to be found.
People overwhelmingly describe God as an incredibly bright white and/or golden light that is extraordinarily accepting, immeasurably loving and who stresses that the purpose of their life was to learn certain lessons … primary among them, how to serve others.
One person described her experience with the Light this way. “It was the most unconditional love I have ever felt. All my life I had feared him, and I now saw - I knew - that he was my choicest friend. Until then, I had felt no purpose in life; I had simply ambled along looking for love and goodness but never really knowing if my actions were right. Now, within his words, I felt a mission, a purpose; I didn't know what it was, but I knew that my life on earth had not been meaningless.”
This is, perhaps, one of the most challenging aspects relating to NDEs for many people who have been raised in traditional, organized religious structures. More often than not, these people have been indoctrinated into a belief system that portrays God as a cranky, rigid, analytical, ruthless, unbending old man who has no qualms about tossing a soul into eternal punishment if their “good and bad” rating tips a bit over to the dark side.
Everyone, of course, must decide for themselves what they believe about the nature of God. Of all the lessons of NDEs, this one is perhaps the most important. For upon your belief in the nature of God, hangs all other important beliefs in your life.
I had to reconcile that issue many years ago when I walked away from many beliefs about God, religion and spirituality that I had held very closely. I could no longer square a God that would order the destruction of an entire city, innocents included, with Christ’s description of God … as a loving father. For me, the dichotomy was too great and my conclusion was both that historical records had been tampered with and that people were simply painting the picture of God that they wanted to see ... rather than how S/he really was. I chose Jesus’ description … which more closely coincides with the NDE.
Do I still have questions about my decision? Sure … but someday those will all be answered too …
Saturday, May 24, 2008
... know God is at the other end.
This is the sixth entry in my series on dying and life after death.
At a certain point after consciousness has left the body, the person begins an ascent through what is most often described as a tunnel. Some may be presented with the choice to enter the tunnel or return to the body. Some who have already gone through the tunnel and had a rather extensive experience with the Light are allowed to return to their bodies. Again, the experience is fluid and cannot be translated into concrete steps that apply to everyone.
Although the tunnel is generally dark, there can be streaks of light on the “walls” and there is always a bright light at the end. The experience is not frightening. The sense of peace that accompanied the person during the separation of consciousness from the body continues to permeate the event.
Some descriptions of the tunnel experience are as follows: (These are taken from a number of publications that I will not reference. There are a number of good books on NDEs and I encourage you to review several of them. I will provide a list at the end of the series)
“As I looked up, there was a tunnel - a light - an opening. It was glowing. Around that opening were many people milling around.”
“I was spinning sideways somehow through this tunnel. At first it was very dark, then it seemed like there was these streaks. I was falling but I wasn't. I was traveling. That's maybe more the word. There was this big white light at the end of it. I kind of came out into this.”
“For a while, I watched on as the nurses and doctors worked quickly to revive me. Then, I lost interest and my attention turned towards a long dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel was a very bright light and I floated to the opening. Once inside, I moved with what seemed to be an extraordinary and effortless speed, and finally reached the light.”
“I saw a pinpoint of light in the distance. The black mass around me began to take on more of the shape of a tunnel, and I felt myself traveling through it at an even greater speed, rushing toward the light. I was instinctively attracted to it, although again, I felt that others might not. As I approached it, I noticed the figure of a man standing in it, with the light radiating all around him.”
The tunnel is the cord that connects you to God. Obviously, the light at the end of the tunnel that so many describe, is God. The cord is similar in nature to the cord that connects your spirit to your physical body. At death, it is the conduit through which you return.
It is at this point that you may become aware of your attending angels and your teachers or guides. Your angel may actually accompany you through the tunnel and remain present with you through the rest of your experience … to offer support, reassurance and instruction.
The journey through the tunnel is not taxing or arduous. All things eventually return to Source. Traveling through the tunnel is simply a combination of the function of a natural return to Source … S/he draws you back to Her/Himself … and the fact that once out of the body, you travel by “aiming” your consciousness where you want to go. It is like what was described in one of the above quotes … “Once inside, I moved with what seemed to be an extraordinary and effortless speed.”
Many begin to feel the “warmth” of the Light as they approach it through the darkness of the tunnel. The warmth that is described is not necessarily a heat … as physical forces do not affect spirit … but more of a love and feeling of kindness that emanates from Source … something that becomes more and more apparent as the experience continues …
At a certain point after consciousness has left the body, the person begins an ascent through what is most often described as a tunnel. Some may be presented with the choice to enter the tunnel or return to the body. Some who have already gone through the tunnel and had a rather extensive experience with the Light are allowed to return to their bodies. Again, the experience is fluid and cannot be translated into concrete steps that apply to everyone.
Although the tunnel is generally dark, there can be streaks of light on the “walls” and there is always a bright light at the end. The experience is not frightening. The sense of peace that accompanied the person during the separation of consciousness from the body continues to permeate the event.
Some descriptions of the tunnel experience are as follows: (These are taken from a number of publications that I will not reference. There are a number of good books on NDEs and I encourage you to review several of them. I will provide a list at the end of the series)
“As I looked up, there was a tunnel - a light - an opening. It was glowing. Around that opening were many people milling around.”
“I was spinning sideways somehow through this tunnel. At first it was very dark, then it seemed like there was these streaks. I was falling but I wasn't. I was traveling. That's maybe more the word. There was this big white light at the end of it. I kind of came out into this.”
“For a while, I watched on as the nurses and doctors worked quickly to revive me. Then, I lost interest and my attention turned towards a long dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel was a very bright light and I floated to the opening. Once inside, I moved with what seemed to be an extraordinary and effortless speed, and finally reached the light.”
“I saw a pinpoint of light in the distance. The black mass around me began to take on more of the shape of a tunnel, and I felt myself traveling through it at an even greater speed, rushing toward the light. I was instinctively attracted to it, although again, I felt that others might not. As I approached it, I noticed the figure of a man standing in it, with the light radiating all around him.”
The tunnel is the cord that connects you to God. Obviously, the light at the end of the tunnel that so many describe, is God. The cord is similar in nature to the cord that connects your spirit to your physical body. At death, it is the conduit through which you return.
It is at this point that you may become aware of your attending angels and your teachers or guides. Your angel may actually accompany you through the tunnel and remain present with you through the rest of your experience … to offer support, reassurance and instruction.
The journey through the tunnel is not taxing or arduous. All things eventually return to Source. Traveling through the tunnel is simply a combination of the function of a natural return to Source … S/he draws you back to Her/Himself … and the fact that once out of the body, you travel by “aiming” your consciousness where you want to go. It is like what was described in one of the above quotes … “Once inside, I moved with what seemed to be an extraordinary and effortless speed.”
Many begin to feel the “warmth” of the Light as they approach it through the darkness of the tunnel. The warmth that is described is not necessarily a heat … as physical forces do not affect spirit … but more of a love and feeling of kindness that emanates from Source … something that becomes more and more apparent as the experience continues …
Friday, May 23, 2008
... and separation from the body
This is the fifth entry in my series on dying and life after death.
The silver cord is spoken of in the Christian tradition in Ecclesiastes 12:6 … “Remember him before the silver cord is broken.” The silver cord connects the body and spirit or consciousness. When the cord is broken, the consciousness cannot return to the body. During an NDE, the cord remains intact, making a re-entry possible.
The cord is named for its appearance … a silvery, sparkling, pulsing filament about an inch to two inches in diameter. It is extremely resilient in nature. During OBE’s, the elasticity of the cord becomes apparent as the etheric double can remain in real-time and travel virtually anywhere on the planet or into space or anywhere intradimensionally without fear of it breaking. I am not aware of any evidence, based on any recorded OBE account or any personal experience, that would cause me to believe that it is possible to damage or sever the silver cord during an OBE. Everything that I am aware of would suggest that it is essentially invulnerable.
The outer covering of the cord has a sparkling-silver tone. But a closer look shows that the interior appears to be an energy conduit containing continuously moving, speckled and multi-colored bits of energy.
At this point in the discussion, it’s helpful to understand that higher dimension events don’t translate well in third dimension language. We do the best we can to explain and hope it makes some sense.
Physical death is the ultimate projection out of the human body. It is a far more powerful experience than any OBE ... partially due to the uniqueness of the event and sometimes due to the trauma that got you there in the first place. That’s why memories of an NDE are much cleaner, clearer and more detailed than those of an OBE. The memory of an NDE, in fact, can be as clear as any memory you currently have of any occurrence in your life … recent or long past. On the other hand, it is relatively difficult ... at least in initial attempts ... to remember events that occur while out-of-body. That does, however, improve over time. Until you become more experienced, you recall only bits and pieces or flashes of events. Sometimes they are very symbolic and you have to translate the symbolism before you can make sense of the experience.
At death, a very stable version of consciousness exits the body and safely takes with it a complete copy of memory and personality. Any etheric matter that constitutes that memory and personality is rapidly transferred from the body into the newly structured etheric body. Nothing that happens to the body at the point of death or thereafter … even such a traumatic and instantaneous event such as vaporization in an atomic explosion ... affects the transfer and separation of memory and personality. Because etheric matter can’t be destroyed by physical methods and because you are already exist in the third, fourth and higher dimensions, you simply shift to the fourth dimension instantaneously.
It appears possible for the consciousness of a person to linger very close to the physical dimension for some time after death. The time seems variable based on factors such as the physical and spiritual condition of the person and his level of spiritual development, psychological makeup and emotional issues. These are not “stranded” spirits in the sense that they are unable to remove themselves from their condition. They simply may have something that binds them to the physical dimension. Over “time” this is usually worked out … sometimes with assistance from other helpful beings … and the person moves on.
In most NDE’s … for whatever reason … the person moves fairly rapidly from being separated from the body to the tunnel experience …
The silver cord is spoken of in the Christian tradition in Ecclesiastes 12:6 … “Remember him before the silver cord is broken.” The silver cord connects the body and spirit or consciousness. When the cord is broken, the consciousness cannot return to the body. During an NDE, the cord remains intact, making a re-entry possible.
The cord is named for its appearance … a silvery, sparkling, pulsing filament about an inch to two inches in diameter. It is extremely resilient in nature. During OBE’s, the elasticity of the cord becomes apparent as the etheric double can remain in real-time and travel virtually anywhere on the planet or into space or anywhere intradimensionally without fear of it breaking. I am not aware of any evidence, based on any recorded OBE account or any personal experience, that would cause me to believe that it is possible to damage or sever the silver cord during an OBE. Everything that I am aware of would suggest that it is essentially invulnerable.
The outer covering of the cord has a sparkling-silver tone. But a closer look shows that the interior appears to be an energy conduit containing continuously moving, speckled and multi-colored bits of energy.
At this point in the discussion, it’s helpful to understand that higher dimension events don’t translate well in third dimension language. We do the best we can to explain and hope it makes some sense.
Physical death is the ultimate projection out of the human body. It is a far more powerful experience than any OBE ... partially due to the uniqueness of the event and sometimes due to the trauma that got you there in the first place. That’s why memories of an NDE are much cleaner, clearer and more detailed than those of an OBE. The memory of an NDE, in fact, can be as clear as any memory you currently have of any occurrence in your life … recent or long past. On the other hand, it is relatively difficult ... at least in initial attempts ... to remember events that occur while out-of-body. That does, however, improve over time. Until you become more experienced, you recall only bits and pieces or flashes of events. Sometimes they are very symbolic and you have to translate the symbolism before you can make sense of the experience.
At death, a very stable version of consciousness exits the body and safely takes with it a complete copy of memory and personality. Any etheric matter that constitutes that memory and personality is rapidly transferred from the body into the newly structured etheric body. Nothing that happens to the body at the point of death or thereafter … even such a traumatic and instantaneous event such as vaporization in an atomic explosion ... affects the transfer and separation of memory and personality. Because etheric matter can’t be destroyed by physical methods and because you are already exist in the third, fourth and higher dimensions, you simply shift to the fourth dimension instantaneously.
It appears possible for the consciousness of a person to linger very close to the physical dimension for some time after death. The time seems variable based on factors such as the physical and spiritual condition of the person and his level of spiritual development, psychological makeup and emotional issues. These are not “stranded” spirits in the sense that they are unable to remove themselves from their condition. They simply may have something that binds them to the physical dimension. Over “time” this is usually worked out … sometimes with assistance from other helpful beings … and the person moves on.
In most NDE’s … for whatever reason … the person moves fairly rapidly from being separated from the body to the tunnel experience …
Thursday, May 22, 2008
... your angel is simply watching.
This is the fourth entry in my series on dying and life after death.
At a certain point in the physiological process of dying, the physical body shuts down sufficiently to cause the spirit or consciousness of the person to separate. In beginning stages, this may result in a “person” floating above their body and looking down on both it and the activities in the room.
It is much like an out-of-body experience (OBE) that is not linked to dying. In an OBE, what is commonly referred to as the etheric double, will separate from the body and find itself able to travel through any physical barrier and go anywhere on the planet that it desires. In a different iteration of the OBE, the double can travel to other dimensions.
There are many, many well-documented cases of NDE related separations from the body occurring … particularly in hospital rooms and surgical suites. It often occurs during cardiac and respiratory arrests or emergency / serious surgical interventions. It is certainly, however, not restricted to these situations. There are many instances where the experience is initiated as a result of a serious auto accident, gunshot wound or other similar traumatic events.
This is initially a bit disorienting simply because of the nature of the experience and the fact that it is the first time that the person has ever seen themselves three-dimensionally. It takes only a moment, however, to “recover” at which time the person generally develops the sense that they are “dead.”
Interestingly enough, the realization that they are dead (or in a physical state that is approaching death) is not accompanied by a sense of panic or distress. Almost without fail, people who have experienced this phenomenon report it as being a very peaceful, freeing, serene sensation … one completely absent of pain or stress of any kind. If you are a religious or spiritually oriented person, you may be reminded of the scripture, “O death, where is thy sting.” (I Corinthians 15:55).
Many times, the person understands intuitively that they are able to pass through walls, windows and closed doors and that they can go wherever they wish with the simple power of thought. There are many accounts of people traveling into hospital waiting rooms, seeing their distraught relatives and being able to describe later exactly what they were wearing, talking about and doing … down to very minute details. Some accounts even describe travels to the person’s home or to homes of friends or relatives.
They are also able to describe with astonishing accuracy what the medical team was wearing, what their conversations were and what instruments and procedures they used. Even people who are born blind are able to describe these things. All of this, of course, would not have been possible unless the person actually was outside of their body, watching the events unfold like a spectator at a football game.
I want to make a particular note here that this effectively debunks the many theories proposed by certain physicians, scientists and psychologists that the NDE experience is simply a psychological defense mechanism initiated by the brain to shield the person from the dread of dying. Their theory depends on the experiences being completely localized within the brain. That, of course, precludes the possibility of the person describing what they are clearly unable to see with their eyes closed … or them being able to depict what is happening in other remote locations such as a different room or different building.
This stage is generally absent of any other type of phenomenon such as the tunnel experience, angelic presences, the life review or contact with a supreme being. There are a few accounts, however, of people having conversations with deceased relatives at this time … although that generally occurs later in the NDE experience.
My personal opinion is that this transition phase - between being inside the body and the tunnel experience - is an expression of God's graciousness. It allows the person to understand that his body is shutting down and that he is dying ... gives him a bit of time to acclimate to that fact and to the new sense of being disengaged from the body ... while still allowing him to be somewhat engaged in the physical realm, i.e., able to see people and hear them talk even though those people are not able to reciprocate.
At a certain point in the physiological process of dying, the physical body shuts down sufficiently to cause the spirit or consciousness of the person to separate. In beginning stages, this may result in a “person” floating above their body and looking down on both it and the activities in the room.
It is much like an out-of-body experience (OBE) that is not linked to dying. In an OBE, what is commonly referred to as the etheric double, will separate from the body and find itself able to travel through any physical barrier and go anywhere on the planet that it desires. In a different iteration of the OBE, the double can travel to other dimensions.
There are many, many well-documented cases of NDE related separations from the body occurring … particularly in hospital rooms and surgical suites. It often occurs during cardiac and respiratory arrests or emergency / serious surgical interventions. It is certainly, however, not restricted to these situations. There are many instances where the experience is initiated as a result of a serious auto accident, gunshot wound or other similar traumatic events.
This is initially a bit disorienting simply because of the nature of the experience and the fact that it is the first time that the person has ever seen themselves three-dimensionally. It takes only a moment, however, to “recover” at which time the person generally develops the sense that they are “dead.”
Interestingly enough, the realization that they are dead (or in a physical state that is approaching death) is not accompanied by a sense of panic or distress. Almost without fail, people who have experienced this phenomenon report it as being a very peaceful, freeing, serene sensation … one completely absent of pain or stress of any kind. If you are a religious or spiritually oriented person, you may be reminded of the scripture, “O death, where is thy sting.” (I Corinthians 15:55).
Many times, the person understands intuitively that they are able to pass through walls, windows and closed doors and that they can go wherever they wish with the simple power of thought. There are many accounts of people traveling into hospital waiting rooms, seeing their distraught relatives and being able to describe later exactly what they were wearing, talking about and doing … down to very minute details. Some accounts even describe travels to the person’s home or to homes of friends or relatives.
They are also able to describe with astonishing accuracy what the medical team was wearing, what their conversations were and what instruments and procedures they used. Even people who are born blind are able to describe these things. All of this, of course, would not have been possible unless the person actually was outside of their body, watching the events unfold like a spectator at a football game.
I want to make a particular note here that this effectively debunks the many theories proposed by certain physicians, scientists and psychologists that the NDE experience is simply a psychological defense mechanism initiated by the brain to shield the person from the dread of dying. Their theory depends on the experiences being completely localized within the brain. That, of course, precludes the possibility of the person describing what they are clearly unable to see with their eyes closed … or them being able to depict what is happening in other remote locations such as a different room or different building.
This stage is generally absent of any other type of phenomenon such as the tunnel experience, angelic presences, the life review or contact with a supreme being. There are a few accounts, however, of people having conversations with deceased relatives at this time … although that generally occurs later in the NDE experience.
My personal opinion is that this transition phase - between being inside the body and the tunnel experience - is an expression of God's graciousness. It allows the person to understand that his body is shutting down and that he is dying ... gives him a bit of time to acclimate to that fact and to the new sense of being disengaged from the body ... while still allowing him to be somewhat engaged in the physical realm, i.e., able to see people and hear them talk even though those people are not able to reciprocate.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
... and said she visited the most beautiful place she had ever seen.
This is the third entry in my series on dying and life after death.
When I was in my early 20’s, my maternal grandmother was rushed to Emergency with heart failure. By the time she’d arrived, her heart had stopped beating and remained stopped for some time until physicians were finally able to restart it. Several hours later, she woke up in a critical care unit with my mother sitting next to her bed in a chair. When Grandma woke up, she asked my mother why she had “done that.” When my mother asked her what she meant, my Grandma said, “Why did you bring me back? I was in the most beautiful and peaceful place I’d ever been.” With some irritation rising in her German voice, she continued, “If something like this ever happens to me again, I don’t want you to bring me back … do you understand?”
Near-death-experiences (NDEs) can, I suppose, be thought of as God’s confirmation that there is a life after death. My grandmother – a very nice but not particularly religious or spiritual woman – became absolutely convinced that there was a life after death. People who have journeyed to other dimensions in out-of-body experiences (OBE’s) have no further doubt that life outside the physical body is not only possible, but is simply a natural extension of life.
There are several stages and distinguishing qualities of NDE’s but, before I explore each of them, I want to provide some general background.
The NDE is a worldwide phenomenon that has been documented for centuries. Cave paintings in France and Spain appear to depict the NDE. Prominent historical figures including Carl Jung, Thomas Edison and Ernest Hemingway have reported their own NDEs.
George Gallup and William Proctor released a research study about NDEs in 1982 in which they stated that 15 percent of all Americans who had been in near-death situations had reported NDEs. Only one percent reported negative NDEs.
NDEs appear to have no relationship to a person’s age, sex, marital status, race, social class, educational level, income, frequency of church attendance, size of home community, or area of residence. (Talbot, 1991).
Reports on NDEs have been recorded in such diverse societies as Native American, Tibet, Japan, Melanesia, Micronesia, Egypt, Africa, China, India, Australia, Europe and the US.
The NDE experience between individuals is remarkably similar. Although a person may not experience all of the generally identified traits of an NDE or s/he may experience them in a slightly different order, there is remarkable consistency between accounts.
NDEs don’t occur in just the more religious or spiritual among us. They occur with equal frequency in agnostics and atheists – a finding that may surprise people who have relatively inflexible religious beliefs. Recorded agnostic and atheist NDE experiences are consistent with the reports of people who profess a spiritual belief prior to their NDE … a fact that should give the more religiously judgmental and rigid among us pause for thought. According to Rawlings (1978) and Ring (1985), most agnostics and atheists see their NDEs as a glimpse of life after death and eventually move toward a more spiritually based life with a new belief in life after death. Rawlings reported that he was unaware of any agnostic or atheist who after having an NDE still held the belief that there was no God, no life after death or anything beyond material existence.
Another interesting aspect of NDEs is that very young children report having experiences similar to adults even though they haven’t been indoctrinated into the same socio-religious belief structures. They often “return” describing their visits with deceased relatives who the child did not know or could not have known about prior to his/her NDE. This goes a long way toward debunking the theory that the NDE experience is simply a psychological defense mechanism of the mind, protecting the individual from any fear of dying.
According to Ring (1985), NDEs promote a spiritual awakening for the experiencer. And what may be more significant is the kind of spiritual growth it promotes. He describes it as a “universalistically spiritual orientation” that consists of the following:
1) A tendency to characterize oneself as spiritual rather than religious, per se.
2) A feeling of being inwardly close to God.
3) A deemphasis of the formal aspects of religious life and worship.
4) A conviction that there is life after death, regardless of religious belief.
5) A general sympathy towards eastern religions.
6) A belief in the essential underlying unity of all religions.
7) A desire for a universal religion embracing all humanity.
The general characteristics of the NDE include:
1) A sense of being dead.
2) A sense of peace and painlessness.
3) A sense of separation from the physical body.
4) The sense of passing through a tunnel.
5) Encounters with recognizable beings such as family, friends, angels or other beings who are wrapped in light.
6) A sense of rising quickly into “heaven.”
7) An encounter with a supreme being of Light, often described as God.
8) A panoramic life review and sense of self-judgment and being unconditionally loved by God.
9) Experiencing the absence of time and no restrictions of space.
I’ll share more information on each of these characteristics in my following entries.
When I was in my early 20’s, my maternal grandmother was rushed to Emergency with heart failure. By the time she’d arrived, her heart had stopped beating and remained stopped for some time until physicians were finally able to restart it. Several hours later, she woke up in a critical care unit with my mother sitting next to her bed in a chair. When Grandma woke up, she asked my mother why she had “done that.” When my mother asked her what she meant, my Grandma said, “Why did you bring me back? I was in the most beautiful and peaceful place I’d ever been.” With some irritation rising in her German voice, she continued, “If something like this ever happens to me again, I don’t want you to bring me back … do you understand?”
Near-death-experiences (NDEs) can, I suppose, be thought of as God’s confirmation that there is a life after death. My grandmother – a very nice but not particularly religious or spiritual woman – became absolutely convinced that there was a life after death. People who have journeyed to other dimensions in out-of-body experiences (OBE’s) have no further doubt that life outside the physical body is not only possible, but is simply a natural extension of life.
There are several stages and distinguishing qualities of NDE’s but, before I explore each of them, I want to provide some general background.
The NDE is a worldwide phenomenon that has been documented for centuries. Cave paintings in France and Spain appear to depict the NDE. Prominent historical figures including Carl Jung, Thomas Edison and Ernest Hemingway have reported their own NDEs.
George Gallup and William Proctor released a research study about NDEs in 1982 in which they stated that 15 percent of all Americans who had been in near-death situations had reported NDEs. Only one percent reported negative NDEs.
NDEs appear to have no relationship to a person’s age, sex, marital status, race, social class, educational level, income, frequency of church attendance, size of home community, or area of residence. (Talbot, 1991).
Reports on NDEs have been recorded in such diverse societies as Native American, Tibet, Japan, Melanesia, Micronesia, Egypt, Africa, China, India, Australia, Europe and the US.
The NDE experience between individuals is remarkably similar. Although a person may not experience all of the generally identified traits of an NDE or s/he may experience them in a slightly different order, there is remarkable consistency between accounts.
NDEs don’t occur in just the more religious or spiritual among us. They occur with equal frequency in agnostics and atheists – a finding that may surprise people who have relatively inflexible religious beliefs. Recorded agnostic and atheist NDE experiences are consistent with the reports of people who profess a spiritual belief prior to their NDE … a fact that should give the more religiously judgmental and rigid among us pause for thought. According to Rawlings (1978) and Ring (1985), most agnostics and atheists see their NDEs as a glimpse of life after death and eventually move toward a more spiritually based life with a new belief in life after death. Rawlings reported that he was unaware of any agnostic or atheist who after having an NDE still held the belief that there was no God, no life after death or anything beyond material existence.
Another interesting aspect of NDEs is that very young children report having experiences similar to adults even though they haven’t been indoctrinated into the same socio-religious belief structures. They often “return” describing their visits with deceased relatives who the child did not know or could not have known about prior to his/her NDE. This goes a long way toward debunking the theory that the NDE experience is simply a psychological defense mechanism of the mind, protecting the individual from any fear of dying.
According to Ring (1985), NDEs promote a spiritual awakening for the experiencer. And what may be more significant is the kind of spiritual growth it promotes. He describes it as a “universalistically spiritual orientation” that consists of the following:
1) A tendency to characterize oneself as spiritual rather than religious, per se.
2) A feeling of being inwardly close to God.
3) A deemphasis of the formal aspects of religious life and worship.
4) A conviction that there is life after death, regardless of religious belief.
5) A general sympathy towards eastern religions.
6) A belief in the essential underlying unity of all religions.
7) A desire for a universal religion embracing all humanity.
The general characteristics of the NDE include:
1) A sense of being dead.
2) A sense of peace and painlessness.
3) A sense of separation from the physical body.
4) The sense of passing through a tunnel.
5) Encounters with recognizable beings such as family, friends, angels or other beings who are wrapped in light.
6) A sense of rising quickly into “heaven.”
7) An encounter with a supreme being of Light, often described as God.
8) A panoramic life review and sense of self-judgment and being unconditionally loved by God.
9) Experiencing the absence of time and no restrictions of space.
I’ll share more information on each of these characteristics in my following entries.
Monday, May 19, 2008
... help make it a good exit.
I’d like to tell you a short story about my father’s death and the lessons I learned through it to begin my short series on the deathing process and life after death.
In 1992, when my father’s illness was in its last stage, he was admitted to the hospital for a lung infection. Although the physicians were almost heroic in their efforts to get on top of his situation and prolong dad’s life, it quickly became clear that nothing they could do would stop the inevitable.
One evening, when the rest of the family had left his hospital room and only I remained, he looked up at me with those piercing blue eyes set in his gaunt face and said, “Jim, I can die as easily at home as I can here in the hospital.” I replied simply, “I’ll have you back in your own home tomorrow.” And I did.
The physician, however, initially resisted. He was always wanting to try “one more thing.” But, in the end, I asked him if he really thought there was anything he could reasonably do that would improve my dad’s quality of life. He finally admitted that he didn’t think so. I then asked him, “If it was your father, what would you do if he asked to go home?” He signed the discharge.
We set up a hospital bed in the living room, contacted hospice and made certain that he was as comfortable as he could be during his last days.
He lasted another two weeks but the last four days were the toughest. It was obvious that he was experiencing a great deal of pain although he remained only semi-conscious. He tossed and turned, moaned and groaned. Medications didn’t help so I worked on his energy field, running a deep purple energy frequency through him to help address the pain, then running a deep, silky, black energy (which symbolizes the peace of God) through his crown chakra. After only a few minutes, all physical signs of distress abated and he fell into a deep sleep and rested comfortably.
About two days later his agitation returned. But this time it was different. It didn’t seem like he was in pain so much as he was distressed. Although semi-comatose, he was physically restless and repeatedly said in tormented mumblings that he didn’t know what would happen with his family and that he was scared of dying.
While the rest of the family went into the kitchen that evening I sat down by the bed and whispered into my dad’s ear that he didn’t have to worry about us … that we’d all be OK … that I’d take care of things … that he’d been a great husband, father and grandfather and a wonderful friend … that he didn’t have to “hold on” for us … that he could relax and go confidently back to God. Then I explained what he’d encounter as he left his body. I talked about a brief trip through a tunnel … his escort by his angel … the warmth and all encompassing love of the Light … his life review … his reunion with those who preceded him … the overwhelming peace he would experience. Then I told him that time was non-existent where he was going and that it would only seem like a moment until we joined him.
As I talked with him, he began to calm down. That little talk lasted only about five minutes. But, by the time I was done, he was completely serene and had fallen asleep. He remained so until he passed away the following afternoon while I stood at his bedside.
Here’s what I learned through that experience:
1) Be careful what you say when you’re around people who are in the dying process … even though they appear comatose. People in that condition can still hear and are often aware of what’s going on around them. Refrain from saying things that would be worrisome, troubling or offensive. Do say things that are supportive, helpful, encouraging and reassuring.
2) Dying is a sacred experience. The hospice movement has done a great deal to improve that experience for the dying and their families. But there is much yet to be done. We have birthing rooms staffed by trained personnel. We should also have deathing rooms staffed by trained personnel. Attending staff should have a comprehensive knowledge about the dying process … what happens physiologically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually … what the person experiences … how to facilitate an easier crossing … how to mentor the person through … how to frame what the person will experience as they leave their body through their own particular religious or spiritual leanings (then is not the time to try to restructure their religious or spiritual thinking).
3) There are many things other than western medical approaches that can make a dying person more comfortable. That will vary by person, but will often include soft music, aromatherapy, familiar surroundings, energy work, spiritual mentoring – even if the person appears comatose, the presence of important people in their lives, the presence of sunlight, rituals that were important to them, storytelling, objects that were important to them. Whenever time allows, you should give some thought to the experience and structure it in such a way that it provides maximum comfort and reassurance to the person.
4) Finally, respect the wishes of the person. People are individuals and that will be reflected in their preferences. Some will not mind going through the experience in a hospital. Others will feel comfortable at an in-patient hospice unit. Some want to be in their homes. One will want lots of activity around them while another will want quiet. Be alert to cues, even if the person doesn’t verbalize. And remember … this is their experience … not yours. Don’t impose your desires on them to make yourself feel better.
In 1992, when my father’s illness was in its last stage, he was admitted to the hospital for a lung infection. Although the physicians were almost heroic in their efforts to get on top of his situation and prolong dad’s life, it quickly became clear that nothing they could do would stop the inevitable.
One evening, when the rest of the family had left his hospital room and only I remained, he looked up at me with those piercing blue eyes set in his gaunt face and said, “Jim, I can die as easily at home as I can here in the hospital.” I replied simply, “I’ll have you back in your own home tomorrow.” And I did.
The physician, however, initially resisted. He was always wanting to try “one more thing.” But, in the end, I asked him if he really thought there was anything he could reasonably do that would improve my dad’s quality of life. He finally admitted that he didn’t think so. I then asked him, “If it was your father, what would you do if he asked to go home?” He signed the discharge.
We set up a hospital bed in the living room, contacted hospice and made certain that he was as comfortable as he could be during his last days.
He lasted another two weeks but the last four days were the toughest. It was obvious that he was experiencing a great deal of pain although he remained only semi-conscious. He tossed and turned, moaned and groaned. Medications didn’t help so I worked on his energy field, running a deep purple energy frequency through him to help address the pain, then running a deep, silky, black energy (which symbolizes the peace of God) through his crown chakra. After only a few minutes, all physical signs of distress abated and he fell into a deep sleep and rested comfortably.
About two days later his agitation returned. But this time it was different. It didn’t seem like he was in pain so much as he was distressed. Although semi-comatose, he was physically restless and repeatedly said in tormented mumblings that he didn’t know what would happen with his family and that he was scared of dying.
While the rest of the family went into the kitchen that evening I sat down by the bed and whispered into my dad’s ear that he didn’t have to worry about us … that we’d all be OK … that I’d take care of things … that he’d been a great husband, father and grandfather and a wonderful friend … that he didn’t have to “hold on” for us … that he could relax and go confidently back to God. Then I explained what he’d encounter as he left his body. I talked about a brief trip through a tunnel … his escort by his angel … the warmth and all encompassing love of the Light … his life review … his reunion with those who preceded him … the overwhelming peace he would experience. Then I told him that time was non-existent where he was going and that it would only seem like a moment until we joined him.
As I talked with him, he began to calm down. That little talk lasted only about five minutes. But, by the time I was done, he was completely serene and had fallen asleep. He remained so until he passed away the following afternoon while I stood at his bedside.
Here’s what I learned through that experience:
1) Be careful what you say when you’re around people who are in the dying process … even though they appear comatose. People in that condition can still hear and are often aware of what’s going on around them. Refrain from saying things that would be worrisome, troubling or offensive. Do say things that are supportive, helpful, encouraging and reassuring.
2) Dying is a sacred experience. The hospice movement has done a great deal to improve that experience for the dying and their families. But there is much yet to be done. We have birthing rooms staffed by trained personnel. We should also have deathing rooms staffed by trained personnel. Attending staff should have a comprehensive knowledge about the dying process … what happens physiologically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually … what the person experiences … how to facilitate an easier crossing … how to mentor the person through … how to frame what the person will experience as they leave their body through their own particular religious or spiritual leanings (then is not the time to try to restructure their religious or spiritual thinking).
3) There are many things other than western medical approaches that can make a dying person more comfortable. That will vary by person, but will often include soft music, aromatherapy, familiar surroundings, energy work, spiritual mentoring – even if the person appears comatose, the presence of important people in their lives, the presence of sunlight, rituals that were important to them, storytelling, objects that were important to them. Whenever time allows, you should give some thought to the experience and structure it in such a way that it provides maximum comfort and reassurance to the person.
4) Finally, respect the wishes of the person. People are individuals and that will be reflected in their preferences. Some will not mind going through the experience in a hospital. Others will feel comfortable at an in-patient hospice unit. Some want to be in their homes. One will want lots of activity around them while another will want quiet. Be alert to cues, even if the person doesn’t verbalize. And remember … this is their experience … not yours. Don’t impose your desires on them to make yourself feel better.
Friday, May 16, 2008
... we all live on.
This morning I was informed that the father of a girl I once dated had suffered a massive stroke over the weekend. He’s now in a local hospice unit where, according to his wishes, no extraordinary measures will be taken to extend his life. Her sister still lives in town and while telling me in an email what was going on with her job (her employer is in the midst of a merger), she let me know what had happened. The pain of watching a parent suffer was evident in her writing. When I asked if there was anything I could do for her, she replied simply through her tears, "Pray he doesn't suffer."
Although it’s been over 30 years, I can still see him in my minds eye. I always thought of him as a big, quiet man. And, although his daughter and I dated exclusively for the better part of a year, he and I never had many long conversations. But for whatever reason, I have a particular memory of helping him work on the yard at their lakefront cottage one spring day. The work itself wasn’t much fun – hot and tedious – but he and I talked and laughed and I remember having a good time with him. For some reason that interaction with him always stuck in my mind.
I tried to offer what comfort I could when I called her to say how sorry I was to hear of her dad’s condition. I explained that I had gone through similar circumstances with my own mother, father and son, all of whom have since passed away.
And, as I hung up the phone from our conversation, I said a prayer for her and her family as I reflected on how difficult it was for me to hold my parent’s hands as they took their last breaths and for us to have to make the decision to take our son off life support. And to know that, in this life, I would no longer be able to pick up the phone to talk with them or stop by the house to see them. I wouldn't be able to wrestle with my son on the family room floor or teach him to play the guitar or take him fishing. There would be no more family dinners. No Christmas’ together. No Thanksgivings. There would be no chairs for any of them at the family reunion. Those were some of the most difficult realizations I’ve ever had to come to terms with.
Time, however, has given me some perspective. It’s not that I don’t miss them anymore. I do. I think of them every day … if only for a moment sometimes. But I’ve put their passing into context.
What helped me to heal from the loss was the very concrete understanding that we don’t exist only in the third dimension. We live simultaneously in many dimensions. Most of us simply aren’t aware of what we’re doing in the higher dimensions because all of our focus is on what’s happening with us here on Earth (third dimension).
How do you get in touch with the other “parts” of you? Understand that you occupy all points in space and time … an established tenet of quantum physics. Therefore, you can “be at” wherever you focus your consciousness. It takes practice but this is the technique used by many healers who perform remote healings. They do not need to be physically present with their “patients.” They simply shift their point of consciousness to be with them wherever they are … whether that’s across the street or halfway across the globe. The same is true for people who remote-view.
In much the same way, you can become aware that your life isn’t limited to the physical shell you inhabit on earth.
That’s why people who have near-death-experiences (NDE’s) are no longer afraid to die. They understand that leaving their bodies doesn’t mean the end of consciousness. This was the Apostle Paul’s experience when he was “caught away” to the “third heaven” and heard “unspeakable” things. (II Corinthians). Probably partly as a result of that experience, Paul admonished his readers not to “grieve as those who have no hope.” (II Thessalonians) He had been convinced of the continuity of life after the physical death of the body. It was no longer spiritual theory to him … it was real. It wasn’t hope … it was fact.
In similar fashion those who have NDE's or consciously or externally induced out-of-body experiences (OBE’s) have moved from “hoping” to “knowing” that life extends beyond the life of the physical shells we now inhabit. And that’s a quantum leap. It’s like the difference between looking at a picture of a campfire in a magazine (believing it exists) and warming your hands over it in front of your tent (experiencing its existence).
The basic difference in experience between an NDE or OBE journey to higher dimensions and death is that the silver cord (Ecclesiastes 12) connecting the spirit and body is broken during physical death, preventing the spirit from being able to return to the body. In an OBE or NDE, the etheric double is able to return to the body. So, in essence, the destination is the same ... you're just getting there differently.
You don't have to take my word for it. And why would you want to? Wouldn't you rather visit yourself and see their wonder firsthand rather than take the word of someone like Paul or me or the people whose NDE experiences are outlined in the many books on the subject ... all people who say they've been there? You can ... with practice and perserverance.
This family will certainly miss their husband, father and grand-dad when it’s his time to cross over. But my sincere prayer for all of them is that they will know he lives on … and not just hope that’s true.
Note: Out of respect for them all and because of the high level of interest in this topic, I'll be doing a brief series on life after death with my next few entries covering different aspects of the subject. I hope you all find it helpful ... and comforting.
Although it’s been over 30 years, I can still see him in my minds eye. I always thought of him as a big, quiet man. And, although his daughter and I dated exclusively for the better part of a year, he and I never had many long conversations. But for whatever reason, I have a particular memory of helping him work on the yard at their lakefront cottage one spring day. The work itself wasn’t much fun – hot and tedious – but he and I talked and laughed and I remember having a good time with him. For some reason that interaction with him always stuck in my mind.
I tried to offer what comfort I could when I called her to say how sorry I was to hear of her dad’s condition. I explained that I had gone through similar circumstances with my own mother, father and son, all of whom have since passed away.
And, as I hung up the phone from our conversation, I said a prayer for her and her family as I reflected on how difficult it was for me to hold my parent’s hands as they took their last breaths and for us to have to make the decision to take our son off life support. And to know that, in this life, I would no longer be able to pick up the phone to talk with them or stop by the house to see them. I wouldn't be able to wrestle with my son on the family room floor or teach him to play the guitar or take him fishing. There would be no more family dinners. No Christmas’ together. No Thanksgivings. There would be no chairs for any of them at the family reunion. Those were some of the most difficult realizations I’ve ever had to come to terms with.
Time, however, has given me some perspective. It’s not that I don’t miss them anymore. I do. I think of them every day … if only for a moment sometimes. But I’ve put their passing into context.
What helped me to heal from the loss was the very concrete understanding that we don’t exist only in the third dimension. We live simultaneously in many dimensions. Most of us simply aren’t aware of what we’re doing in the higher dimensions because all of our focus is on what’s happening with us here on Earth (third dimension).
How do you get in touch with the other “parts” of you? Understand that you occupy all points in space and time … an established tenet of quantum physics. Therefore, you can “be at” wherever you focus your consciousness. It takes practice but this is the technique used by many healers who perform remote healings. They do not need to be physically present with their “patients.” They simply shift their point of consciousness to be with them wherever they are … whether that’s across the street or halfway across the globe. The same is true for people who remote-view.
In much the same way, you can become aware that your life isn’t limited to the physical shell you inhabit on earth.
That’s why people who have near-death-experiences (NDE’s) are no longer afraid to die. They understand that leaving their bodies doesn’t mean the end of consciousness. This was the Apostle Paul’s experience when he was “caught away” to the “third heaven” and heard “unspeakable” things. (II Corinthians). Probably partly as a result of that experience, Paul admonished his readers not to “grieve as those who have no hope.” (II Thessalonians) He had been convinced of the continuity of life after the physical death of the body. It was no longer spiritual theory to him … it was real. It wasn’t hope … it was fact.
In similar fashion those who have NDE's or consciously or externally induced out-of-body experiences (OBE’s) have moved from “hoping” to “knowing” that life extends beyond the life of the physical shells we now inhabit. And that’s a quantum leap. It’s like the difference between looking at a picture of a campfire in a magazine (believing it exists) and warming your hands over it in front of your tent (experiencing its existence).
The basic difference in experience between an NDE or OBE journey to higher dimensions and death is that the silver cord (Ecclesiastes 12) connecting the spirit and body is broken during physical death, preventing the spirit from being able to return to the body. In an OBE or NDE, the etheric double is able to return to the body. So, in essence, the destination is the same ... you're just getting there differently.
You don't have to take my word for it. And why would you want to? Wouldn't you rather visit yourself and see their wonder firsthand rather than take the word of someone like Paul or me or the people whose NDE experiences are outlined in the many books on the subject ... all people who say they've been there? You can ... with practice and perserverance.
This family will certainly miss their husband, father and grand-dad when it’s his time to cross over. But my sincere prayer for all of them is that they will know he lives on … and not just hope that’s true.
Note: Out of respect for them all and because of the high level of interest in this topic, I'll be doing a brief series on life after death with my next few entries covering different aspects of the subject. I hope you all find it helpful ... and comforting.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Slowing Down
I have an email alert system on my computer. Probably fifteen or twenty times per day I receive short emails from various news services that tell me what’s going on in the world. “CPI gives Wall Street pause.” “In a tailspin over crude prices.” “Massive risk looms in market.” “Inflation expected to rise next year.” “Death toll from China earthquake greater than expected.”
I’m about to cancel the service.
Although I like to keep my finger on the pulse of planetary trends, there is such a thing as overexposure. And the media tends to focus on the negatives. That is, after all, what sells. You seldom see headlines like, “New water purification technology gives hope to millions” or “Private philanthropist funds college educations for 100 students” or “New medical technology improves quality of life for thousands.”
Consider the pace of life fifty years ago with the lives we live now. There was no computer technology so you didn’t have instant access to online news stories from around the globe. There was no email so you couldn’t receive these staccato-like news briefs twenty times a day. There were no cell phones so you didn’t feel a need to be in “constant” contact with people. There was no 24 hour CNN news channel. You got your news from the local newspaper and from Chet Huntley and David Brinkley at 6pm every night on a black and white television set.
As a result, there was little opportunity for you to drown in the frenetic activity of the planet. Although you were somewhat insulated from everything that was going on because communications technology was less sophisticated and prevalent, it’s also true that the pace of things was slower back then.
Don’t get me wrong. Computer technology, cell phones, satellite communications, 24 hour television and email aren’t bad in themselves. They are simply like all technology – good if used properly, bad if not. Nuclear energy can power a city … or destroy it.
My point is that this attention to immediacy can result in a very short-term focus and can make you feel overwhelmed. The market goes up today, you want to buy in. The market goes down tomorrow, you want to sell out. China jails Tibetan monks today and the situation with Tibet seems hopeless. China agrees to meet with a contingent from the Dalai Lama tomorrow and the outlook feels more positive. It’s easy to get whipsawed.
Here’s a few suggestions to prevent that from happening:
1) Remember – the media focuses primarily on the negative. There’s a lot of good happening in the larger world that you will never hear about if you rely on the major media outlets. Find other sources of news that accentuate the positive. Do an internet search on “positive news” and see what you find.
2) Take some private time to get away from the cacophony of “world noise.” Separate yourself from the rush. Take time to center and ground. All spiritually centered people get away – to read, meditate, create, pray and think.
3) Be deliberate. Commit to living your life the way you want to and not in knee-jerk response to what’s happening around you … or what the media wants you to think is happening around you.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Beginning the journey
Spiritual journeys always begin in the present. This may seem like an understatement, but we would be surprised at the number of people who yearn to begin their journey then delay it to another time. “I can’t start the journey now because I need to quit smoking, become more patient and purify my life in other ways before I can feel comfortable with starting.”
It’s very easy to postpone the beginning of our journey if we are unsure about its nature. A spiritual journey is not a race to a final destination. It’s a process of unfoldment and evolution. We compete against nobody but ourselves. If we view it as a race for which one must prequalify according to certain criteria then it may be impossible for us to ever begin.
The universe doesn’t screen applicants for the process. There is no interview. There is no testing. There is nobody who is unqualified. Everyone is invited and everyone is automatically eligible. The process begins with where you are. You don’t have to change in order to begin. Willingness to participate automatically initiates the flow of change.
To begin simply recognize your current condition. You may find yourself doubting, hostile, perplexed, vacillating. But this is where you are and this is where you will start.
Many hesitate to begin because they feel they must know something about the path before they are able to start the journey. What am I to believe about this path? What are the practices? How do I know what is true about it? Is this the best path for me? And yet this caution that the student sees as a way to ensure that he is on the right path and that he gets a good start may be the very thing that slows his progress.
There is much to be said for an open mind that is free from prepossession. Curiosity and elasticity of thought held throughout the journey will carry a person much farther than defensiveness. To a beginner, the possibilities are endless. The expert sees but few.
To recognize that there is much you don’t know isn’t a weakness. It is an essential part of carrying us to a state of being that exists prior to that in which we must “think”. In this state, we are able to connect to our archetype … that which speaks of our potential … and catch glimpses or our purpose and place in the universe. This is difficult when we are in thinking modes. There is too much garbage generated by our brains for us to see cleanly and crisply. We see only what we ourselves generate and fail to see the greater truth that lies behind the screens we project.
Mentors encourage their students to think as children. Children are constantly learning. They live in the present, accept themselves for who they are (as long as they are not contaminated by adult thinking) and willingly embrace the process of the journey.
If you are having difficulty taking the first step in your journey, you are being too much of an adult!
It’s very easy to postpone the beginning of our journey if we are unsure about its nature. A spiritual journey is not a race to a final destination. It’s a process of unfoldment and evolution. We compete against nobody but ourselves. If we view it as a race for which one must prequalify according to certain criteria then it may be impossible for us to ever begin.
The universe doesn’t screen applicants for the process. There is no interview. There is no testing. There is nobody who is unqualified. Everyone is invited and everyone is automatically eligible. The process begins with where you are. You don’t have to change in order to begin. Willingness to participate automatically initiates the flow of change.
To begin simply recognize your current condition. You may find yourself doubting, hostile, perplexed, vacillating. But this is where you are and this is where you will start.
Many hesitate to begin because they feel they must know something about the path before they are able to start the journey. What am I to believe about this path? What are the practices? How do I know what is true about it? Is this the best path for me? And yet this caution that the student sees as a way to ensure that he is on the right path and that he gets a good start may be the very thing that slows his progress.
There is much to be said for an open mind that is free from prepossession. Curiosity and elasticity of thought held throughout the journey will carry a person much farther than defensiveness. To a beginner, the possibilities are endless. The expert sees but few.
To recognize that there is much you don’t know isn’t a weakness. It is an essential part of carrying us to a state of being that exists prior to that in which we must “think”. In this state, we are able to connect to our archetype … that which speaks of our potential … and catch glimpses or our purpose and place in the universe. This is difficult when we are in thinking modes. There is too much garbage generated by our brains for us to see cleanly and crisply. We see only what we ourselves generate and fail to see the greater truth that lies behind the screens we project.
Mentors encourage their students to think as children. Children are constantly learning. They live in the present, accept themselves for who they are (as long as they are not contaminated by adult thinking) and willingly embrace the process of the journey.
If you are having difficulty taking the first step in your journey, you are being too much of an adult!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Marking Milestones
You cannot move into the future with one foot in the past. But it’s also true that you may be required to repeat history if you do not learn from it.
As you engage in the learning process, it’s helpful to establish milestones that you can look back on and say, “Here I learned this” or “This day was clearly a turning point in my life because of this occurrence.” These milestones should be celebrated in ritual from time to time to help us remember their lessons. These often are lessons that will provide the foundation for decisions that will carry us into the future and strengthen us for challenges.
In the Judeo/Christian tradition, for example, records indicate that Joshua gave very specific instructions to Israel when they were about to cross the Jordan river. One man from each tribe was to select one stone each from the middle of the river where the priests were standing. They were then to carry them over to the other side and put them together on the site where the people would camp for the night. Some of the people asked about the significance and meaning of this act. Joshua replied that, in the future, when their children would ask them about the stones they should reply that the flow of the Jordan river was cut off before the ark of the covenant and that the stones were to be a memorial to the people of Israel in testimony to the power of God.
Spiritual chronicles are replete with examples of people recognizing the significance of events in their lives, anchoring them in their memories and creating physical remembrances that can later be used to stir up those memories and invoke energies that help strengthen and provide direction for decision making.
Samuel interceded for the Israelites and engaged the Philistines in battle defeating them so soundly that they never again invaded Israelite territory. After the battle, Samuel took a large stone and set it up midway between Mizpah and Shen, naming it Ebenezer … “Thus far the Lord helped us.”
Gideon, after experiencing a powerful angelic encounter built an altar at the site where it occurred and named it “The Lord is Peace.”
Jesus created the ritual of the last supper in order to help his followers rekindle the remembrance of his mission.
Any one of these people … whether someone who had witnessed the river Jordan split open before the ark of the covenant, a warrior who had fought beside Samuel in the feverish battle against the Philistines, Gideon who had been miraculously touched by an angel or a follower of Christ who was facing a painful situation in their lives that may involve a difficult decision or circumstance could go to the place that symbol had been built or participate in that ritual to commemorate those events and draw strength.
They could sit on the site and absorb the positive energies. They could remember the power that had brought them to that point. They could invoke those powers and energies to recharge themselves and help them through their current difficulties.
We do this almost unconsciously with many of our celebrations. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Memorial day remembers sacrifices and deliverance. Many religious holidays and feasts were designed for this purpose. We reflect on those events and the changes that have occurred since then.
A person who was without those symbols, whether it was because they failed to recognize the important events in their lives or had not taken the time to anchor them in their memories and construct the symbols through which they could celebrate them from time to time, would not be able now to draw strength from them.
The mentor encourages his protégés to take inventory of their lives. Look back and chart the important milestones in your life. You will see those times when circumstances conspired to bring you where you are today. You are where you need to be right now to learn the lessons that are necessary for you. Take time to take inventory. Identify the spiritual milestones in your life and construct a symbol or a ritual that will help you to celebrate those meaningful events from time to time. In the future you can draw on their power.
As you engage in the learning process, it’s helpful to establish milestones that you can look back on and say, “Here I learned this” or “This day was clearly a turning point in my life because of this occurrence.” These milestones should be celebrated in ritual from time to time to help us remember their lessons. These often are lessons that will provide the foundation for decisions that will carry us into the future and strengthen us for challenges.
In the Judeo/Christian tradition, for example, records indicate that Joshua gave very specific instructions to Israel when they were about to cross the Jordan river. One man from each tribe was to select one stone each from the middle of the river where the priests were standing. They were then to carry them over to the other side and put them together on the site where the people would camp for the night. Some of the people asked about the significance and meaning of this act. Joshua replied that, in the future, when their children would ask them about the stones they should reply that the flow of the Jordan river was cut off before the ark of the covenant and that the stones were to be a memorial to the people of Israel in testimony to the power of God.
Spiritual chronicles are replete with examples of people recognizing the significance of events in their lives, anchoring them in their memories and creating physical remembrances that can later be used to stir up those memories and invoke energies that help strengthen and provide direction for decision making.
Samuel interceded for the Israelites and engaged the Philistines in battle defeating them so soundly that they never again invaded Israelite territory. After the battle, Samuel took a large stone and set it up midway between Mizpah and Shen, naming it Ebenezer … “Thus far the Lord helped us.”
Gideon, after experiencing a powerful angelic encounter built an altar at the site where it occurred and named it “The Lord is Peace.”
Jesus created the ritual of the last supper in order to help his followers rekindle the remembrance of his mission.
Any one of these people … whether someone who had witnessed the river Jordan split open before the ark of the covenant, a warrior who had fought beside Samuel in the feverish battle against the Philistines, Gideon who had been miraculously touched by an angel or a follower of Christ who was facing a painful situation in their lives that may involve a difficult decision or circumstance could go to the place that symbol had been built or participate in that ritual to commemorate those events and draw strength.
They could sit on the site and absorb the positive energies. They could remember the power that had brought them to that point. They could invoke those powers and energies to recharge themselves and help them through their current difficulties.
We do this almost unconsciously with many of our celebrations. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Memorial day remembers sacrifices and deliverance. Many religious holidays and feasts were designed for this purpose. We reflect on those events and the changes that have occurred since then.
A person who was without those symbols, whether it was because they failed to recognize the important events in their lives or had not taken the time to anchor them in their memories and construct the symbols through which they could celebrate them from time to time, would not be able now to draw strength from them.
The mentor encourages his protégés to take inventory of their lives. Look back and chart the important milestones in your life. You will see those times when circumstances conspired to bring you where you are today. You are where you need to be right now to learn the lessons that are necessary for you. Take time to take inventory. Identify the spiritual milestones in your life and construct a symbol or a ritual that will help you to celebrate those meaningful events from time to time. In the future you can draw on their power.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The vessel and the Light
Many of us are on a journey to connect ourselves more fully with the Light. We participate in many different programs in pursuit of that connection. Some choose the Buddhist path. Others the path of the Christian mystic. Some follow the teachings of the Sufi masters. There are many paths and some of us run those paths very aggressively so that we can experience a fuller degree of spiritual awakening.
In our minds, this learning process is a race of sorts. The Light represents the destination. It is a goal “out there.” We can see it in the distance. We have to run the path to reach the goal. If only we could learn this, or do that, or perform this ceremony, it would bring us closer to that goal. Some day, we think, if we are faithful in our run we will reach the point where we grasp the light.
Unfortunately, although our desire to run after the Light is well-intentioned, it can be one of our greatest stumbling blocks. The Light is omnipresent. It isn’t as though we must carry our vessels to a specific destination so we can fill them up with Light. The universe isn’t a gas station. Light is everywhere and every vessel holds the maximum amount of Light that it can at any given time.
Think of it this way. Picture the ocean as a sea of light. You walk to the shore with two vessels in the form of large metal cups. One is well maintained. It is made of shiny silver with thick walls and a deep reservoir. The other has been neglected. It is made of tin and its walls are thin. Rust is in advanced stages. There are many small holes in it. You wade into the sea of light and dip your cups into it. Under the “water” both cups are immediately surrounded by light. When you take them out, the silver cup is filled with light and easily holds the full amount. The tin cup, however, holds a much smaller amount and leaks what it holds so that, eventually, much of the light escapes it.
We do not pursue Light. Light pursues us. Since it surrounds us, it has already taken the initiative. It makes Itself available at all times. It’s impossible to run from it. In fact, there is no place you could travel to that would provide a hiding place. Therefore, it’s simply a matter of determining how much Light we currently hold … and how to make our vessels larger and stronger in order to hold more.
Don’t blame your path (Christian, Sufi, etc.) if you aren’t where you want to be in relation to the Light. Ultimately, one path is as good as another in a subjective sense. It is only our makeup and preferences that make path A better than path B for any given person. If you aren’t where you want to be, take a look at your vessel. Maybe you need to make it larger. You might need to patch the holes. Perhaps it needs to be strengthened so it can consistently hold higher intensities of Light for longer periods of time.
The role of the mentor is to help his protégé choose his path wisely and remind him to place his priorities on the vessel and not the path. Certain people may be predisposed to certain paths. It is there they will find their greatest potential. Helping a person match his being to the best path for him is a high calling indeed. Helping him realize that the state of the vessel is a higher priority than the path is an even more important task.
In our minds, this learning process is a race of sorts. The Light represents the destination. It is a goal “out there.” We can see it in the distance. We have to run the path to reach the goal. If only we could learn this, or do that, or perform this ceremony, it would bring us closer to that goal. Some day, we think, if we are faithful in our run we will reach the point where we grasp the light.
Unfortunately, although our desire to run after the Light is well-intentioned, it can be one of our greatest stumbling blocks. The Light is omnipresent. It isn’t as though we must carry our vessels to a specific destination so we can fill them up with Light. The universe isn’t a gas station. Light is everywhere and every vessel holds the maximum amount of Light that it can at any given time.
Think of it this way. Picture the ocean as a sea of light. You walk to the shore with two vessels in the form of large metal cups. One is well maintained. It is made of shiny silver with thick walls and a deep reservoir. The other has been neglected. It is made of tin and its walls are thin. Rust is in advanced stages. There are many small holes in it. You wade into the sea of light and dip your cups into it. Under the “water” both cups are immediately surrounded by light. When you take them out, the silver cup is filled with light and easily holds the full amount. The tin cup, however, holds a much smaller amount and leaks what it holds so that, eventually, much of the light escapes it.
We do not pursue Light. Light pursues us. Since it surrounds us, it has already taken the initiative. It makes Itself available at all times. It’s impossible to run from it. In fact, there is no place you could travel to that would provide a hiding place. Therefore, it’s simply a matter of determining how much Light we currently hold … and how to make our vessels larger and stronger in order to hold more.
Don’t blame your path (Christian, Sufi, etc.) if you aren’t where you want to be in relation to the Light. Ultimately, one path is as good as another in a subjective sense. It is only our makeup and preferences that make path A better than path B for any given person. If you aren’t where you want to be, take a look at your vessel. Maybe you need to make it larger. You might need to patch the holes. Perhaps it needs to be strengthened so it can consistently hold higher intensities of Light for longer periods of time.
The role of the mentor is to help his protégé choose his path wisely and remind him to place his priorities on the vessel and not the path. Certain people may be predisposed to certain paths. It is there they will find their greatest potential. Helping a person match his being to the best path for him is a high calling indeed. Helping him realize that the state of the vessel is a higher priority than the path is an even more important task.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Different Perspectives
When I was in my mid 20’s I drew political cartoons as a hobby for a major newspaper chain. Although I addressed a very broad range of topics including school financing, foreign affairs, pollution and the cold war I tended to hammer on domestic issues and the differences between the two major political parties. Because I had strong opinions about the way each of those parties handled the various issues, I tended to make my views very clear in my cartoons. Some people liked them very much. One of our state governors even requested a large, signed, velox copy for his personal collection. But some people didn’t like them at all! I expressed truth the way I perceived it. But that certainly wasn’t the way everyone perceived it.
Many years ago we returned home from an evening meeting one winter night to find that 9,000 homes in our area – including ours – had lost electricity because teenagers had shot out several transformers in a nearby rural area. My elementary school aged daughter thought that having the power out was the best thing since sliced bread. She got out the flashlights, we lit candles and she generally played around in an intriguing environment. My wife and I, however, didn’t share her level of enthusiasm. We couldn’t set alarm clocks for the next morning. We wondered how many of our frozen goods would thaw out in the freezer. And the thought crossed our minds that our pipes might freeze if we didn’t get the heat back on within a few hours. My daughter’s truth was that the power outage was entertaining. My wife and I shared a slightly different view!
People see things in different ways. Our outlook is determined by our ring of consciousness. What we may see as untrue from within our ring can be true outside the ring. Once we have expanded our ring we may find that the concept we once thought was fallacious is now true.
This occurs because we have a larger understanding and can see the concept from a different or higher perspective. Many of our conflicts arise because of prejudices, self-interests, and ego based motivations. But these problems tend to fall away one by one as we expand our ring size.
Fred sees a thing differently than Emily because Fred’s ring isn’t large enough to embrace the concept that falls easily within Emily’s span of understanding. The larger your ring size, the easier it is for you to understand another’s point of view. That doesn’t mean you have to accept that point of view as your own.
The higher the aggregate ring size of a society, the less dissonance it manifests. There is little occasion for conflict because there is little desire for it. There is recognition that there are many different ways to look at any given thing.
An effective way to expand your ring is to consciously select a topic for which you have strong feelings … one that you have discussed with someone who held opposite views. Get into a quiet state and review your discussion with them in your mind. Move your point of consciousness from your head into their body. Feel what they feel. Try to understand their point of view. Sense intuitively why they feel the way they do. After a few tries you will feel more flexible, less threatened, more understanding and perhaps more expansive in your outlook.
Any time you can move your perception outside of yourself you create the opportunity to see things in a completely new way. The higher your vantage point, the more inclusive your vision. The more inclusive your vision, the more understanding you possess. The more understanding you possess, the more truth you embrace. The more truth you embrace, the higher your vantage point.
So it goes as you ride the spiral of Light.
Many years ago we returned home from an evening meeting one winter night to find that 9,000 homes in our area – including ours – had lost electricity because teenagers had shot out several transformers in a nearby rural area. My elementary school aged daughter thought that having the power out was the best thing since sliced bread. She got out the flashlights, we lit candles and she generally played around in an intriguing environment. My wife and I, however, didn’t share her level of enthusiasm. We couldn’t set alarm clocks for the next morning. We wondered how many of our frozen goods would thaw out in the freezer. And the thought crossed our minds that our pipes might freeze if we didn’t get the heat back on within a few hours. My daughter’s truth was that the power outage was entertaining. My wife and I shared a slightly different view!
People see things in different ways. Our outlook is determined by our ring of consciousness. What we may see as untrue from within our ring can be true outside the ring. Once we have expanded our ring we may find that the concept we once thought was fallacious is now true.
This occurs because we have a larger understanding and can see the concept from a different or higher perspective. Many of our conflicts arise because of prejudices, self-interests, and ego based motivations. But these problems tend to fall away one by one as we expand our ring size.
Fred sees a thing differently than Emily because Fred’s ring isn’t large enough to embrace the concept that falls easily within Emily’s span of understanding. The larger your ring size, the easier it is for you to understand another’s point of view. That doesn’t mean you have to accept that point of view as your own.
The higher the aggregate ring size of a society, the less dissonance it manifests. There is little occasion for conflict because there is little desire for it. There is recognition that there are many different ways to look at any given thing.
An effective way to expand your ring is to consciously select a topic for which you have strong feelings … one that you have discussed with someone who held opposite views. Get into a quiet state and review your discussion with them in your mind. Move your point of consciousness from your head into their body. Feel what they feel. Try to understand their point of view. Sense intuitively why they feel the way they do. After a few tries you will feel more flexible, less threatened, more understanding and perhaps more expansive in your outlook.
Any time you can move your perception outside of yourself you create the opportunity to see things in a completely new way. The higher your vantage point, the more inclusive your vision. The more inclusive your vision, the more understanding you possess. The more understanding you possess, the more truth you embrace. The more truth you embrace, the higher your vantage point.
So it goes as you ride the spiral of Light.
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