One of the curious things about some spiritual communities is that while they speak in great detail about higher states of consciousness, they barely touch on death. While they consider exalted states of being highly knowable, they may argue that death is unknowable.
Now this is to some extent understandable. Death is after all one of our deepest fears, perhaps second only to our fear arising from being separated from source.
But if you consider that we’ve all been through a number of incarnations before, we’ve obviously experienced death quite a few times. While we may not remember, that’s not the same thing as being unknowable. Just forgotten.
In fact it’s easier to remember our deep past than it is to awaken. But some people may not want to. Going into your past is often not an easy journey. But the road is still there. It can bring a great deal of clarity to the curious nature of our present life. But it can also be a waste of time and undue focus on the past.
Now of course, our future death is not entirely knowable. Even if we’re able to experience the future, we’re experiencing the future from where we are now, not how we’ll be then. This is much like the past only more so because our consciousness will have changed. We’ll never be 8 years old the same way again. So we could say our coming death is not fully knowable but that does not mean death itself is an unknown. Remember it enough and it’s really no big deal. A turn of the page of life. Another chapter in a good yarn.
As I’ve observed before, death is like awakening in some ways. Crossing the veil and surrendering the me, for example. But death is temporary. A transition point. A train station.
Another odd comment I ran into was that the idea of an afterlife and the idea of reincarnation are mutually exclusive. Not at all. We all step into an afterlife when we die. Incarnation doesn’t happen until later. Sometimes quickly, but often awhile later. Some of us need a break! (laughs)
I’ll further remark on the idea that if you don’t believe in something when you die that you’re in trouble. Adyashanti comments on the reverse saying Somebody that has a belief, (in heaven, etc.) at the end of their life, they’re going to be very afraid. This is because it’s not going to be what they expect. This can cause someone some major discomfort until they see what fun it can be. Even if we’ve read lots of near death experiences. Even if someone’s told you your future. The experience is never the same as a concept of it.
Adyashanti also said Where am I going to go? Exactly where you think yourself. …until you think a different one. In other words, after death is a kind of dream state where we can create whatever we choose. The film What Dreams May Come exemplified this idea.
OK. I’ll get off this subject now. Won a ticket and saw Deepak Chopra this evening. That’s started a few articles…
Davidya
Last Updated on April 10, 2014 by
Thanks for posting on this topic. Funny how death can be a ‘taboo’ 🙂
Hi Maja
Yes, as Adyashanti noted in a prior post, death forces us to be real. To drop our masks. We either respond with fear or we surrender and enjoy.
Just listening to Denise Hagan singing “This is the life I’ve been dying to live.” 😉
Davidya,
I’m curious as to how you can be so certain when you state that we’ve all had past lives.
I’m assuming this is just your particular opinion about what follows death?
To me, death appears to be an iron clad mystery which no one (awake or not) can claim any kind of certainty about…..I mean, how can you really know for sure. Even if you experience what appear to be past life memories, they still don’t guarantee an afterlife.
I suppose I’m taking issue with a lack of distinction between a personal belief and a fact.
You often refer to the afterlife as a fact and not a potential, which suggests that you know for certain what follows death. I am skeptical that anyone can be privy to that kind of knowledge.
Hi Kris
Well, anyone reading a blog like this is likely an “old soul”. This is the nature of the journey of self discovery. For me and others I know, this is not an opinion or belief any more than your childhood is a belief for you. It’s been part of my reality for over 30 years. Past lives, transitions, those in other stages, and if you browse here, you’ll see I also talk about all lives concurrently, the entire folding of space-time, and other ways of seeing the soul journey. Life, by it’s very nature, is continuous. All of our experiences are the flow of that.
Now certainly, I see it through these specific eyes and will thus have my own unique take on it. But I can cite a number of others who see it similarly and have written or made films about it. For centuries. The Great Death and Deathlessness are 2 recent posts here on others takes.
These sorts of experiences may never come to some people. For others, they come through “near death” or similar life crisis. Others, incidentally through a spiritual practice. Or sometimes even from development in a prior life. 😉
I can cite awake people who have never crossed that veil and have no interest in it or consider it illusion. And yes, it is illusion but the same sort of illusion as the world is. And there are teachers who discourage it as another trap, another way to get caught in the past. I’ve seen that in some myself. But for me, its more useful to talk openly about whats there. Otherwise, if it does show up, it can be very difficult to get ones bearings. The world is full of people with very strong beliefs around death.
This is my primary motivation here. Not to give you more concepts or asking you to believe something. Mostly just to support those who are experiencing this stuff. And secondarily to suggest we all just keep an open mind. We never know what route our journey will take. For some, it is very simple. For others, we will get the scenic route.
For me, the ‘afterlife’ is a fact. And its not really “after” or somewhere else, it’s right here and now. I can tell you what in general happens but how any given individual experiences this process is their own truth. The same as for every part of our journey. Something I talk about regularly, including in this post. Do I know exactly? No. But if someone departing wants the help, I can usually tell what they’re next general steps will be. Each soul has a chosen course.
Am I skilled at this? Not at all. More like a bull in a china shop. But as one crashes around, you begin to get an idea of which aisle you’re in.
I know some people who are far better at this stuff than I. But most of them are very silent about it. People can get very angry about stuff like this if it threatens their fears around death.
Once you experience your soul, you will find that your essential nature is ongoing. There is no real death, except of the body and it’s supporting energy. The soul and its basic expression continues. You can call what happens after the body falls whatever you like – an afterlife, the eternal Self, or whatever.
By afterlife, I don’t mean what many beliefs suggest. Just life continued. How that is for someone is their choice. If you understand that consciousness is not an effect of brain functioning but preexists, you can begin to get a idea of how this is possible. There is far more amazing things to discover than just what happens after you kick the bucket.
Davidya,
Thanks for taking the time to write such a lengthy reply.
One of the reasons I continue to read your website, having long since abandoned others, is for your posts on these matters. While I can’t claim to possess anywhere near the certainty that you have about the death process, I would consider myself a reluctant skeptic.
Your posts on these matters seem to speak to a deeper part of my being, or is it just hope? I don’t think so.
Thanks again.
Hi Kris
You’re welcome. I’m sure your comments are felt by many. And I had a similar outlook at one time. And was a reluctant “convert”.
In his recent talk here, Chopra commented that he thought he was an atheist until he realized he was God. (laughs)
Actually that’s the entire point of the posts, that they speak to who you are, underneath any concepts and opinions. How well I do that varies, but practice…
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