| Humanity throughout the ages have seen
| |
| | beliefs in the afterlife such as the
|
| death as something loathsome and
| |
| | "Happy Hunting Grounds" "Olympus" and the
|
| gruesome; something dreadful, something
| |
| | "Elysian Fields." The spiritual instincts
|
| preferable to avoid at all cost--that is,
| |
| | of early and modern man have always
|
| if a choice were given--but without any
| |
| | rebelled against the idea of death, and
|
| other option, are forced to succumb for
| |
| | rightly so, for death in reality is
|
| lack of any power over its occurrence.
| |
| | non-existent, but the average person is
|
| Anticipating the termination of life at
| |
| | normally unaware and ignorant of this
|
| an unexpected moment and the possible
| |
| | truth, or he chooses to ignore it for
|
| prospect of annihilation of
| |
| | some unknown reason. Death should not be
|
| self-identity, humanity views death as a
| |
| | looked upon as an ultimate chapter or
|
| state or condition to be feared. This
| |
| | conclusion of one's life, for death is
|
| fear is sustained when all around, most
| |
| | simply a change, a passing, a transition
|
| of the dying are seen to seemingly suffer
| |
| | to a different plane of consciousness, a
|
| in anguish and in agony in the death
| |
| | different dimensional activity. Orthodox,
|
| process. The fear of death is actually
| |
| | or conservative scientists in conformity
|
| man's fear of the unknown, and it
| |
| | with Einstein's equation, "E=mc2," tell
|
| indicates man's bondage to his ignorance
| |
| | us that nothing in the universe can be
|
| which ultimately grows into superstitious
| |
| | destroyed, that there can only be a
|
| expressions. Because of the underlying
| |
| | transformation, a change or conversion of
|
| fear, man attempts laboriously to
| |
| | the patterns of energy-fields; this is
|
| postpone death through medicine and other
| |
| | the economy of life which is acknowledged
|
| means; medical science has, however, not
| |
| | as a law of the Cosmos; and yet, although
|
| yet found a way to prolong life
| |
| | furnished with this scientific theorem
|
| indefinitely--or to ease one's fears, to
| |
| | and understanding, these same scientists
|
| offer solace, or to answer profound
| |
| | are skeptical concerning the survival of
|
| questions regarding this ancient mystery.
| |
| | the personal consciousness or
|
| Knowing the true nature of death releases
| |
| | "awareness-principle," as Tibetan
|
| man from his bondage to his fears and to
| |
| | Buddhists designate it. Mainstream
|
| the clinging of his varied superstitions
| |
| | science, although faced with many
|
| pertaining to it. Such knowledge based
| |
| | positive data concerning the survival of
|
| upon personal experience may be
| |
| | the consciousness acquired by researchers
|
| acquired--beliefs to the contrary places
| |
| | in the paranormal and related fields,
|
| an illusory boundary upon the unfolding
| |
| | still express incredulity as to its
|
| soul. Alice Bailey, writing for the
| |
| | reality. Why is it that the life-force,
|
| Tibetan in "A Treatise on White Magic,"
| |
| | soul, and consciousness are not seen by
|
| refers to man's fears regarding
| |
| | these scientists as energy-fields, just
|
| death:"The mind of man is so little
| |
| | as all objects down to their minuscule
|
| developed that fear of the unknown,
| |
| | component, the electrons, protons and
|
| terrors of the unfamiliar, and
| |
| | neutrons are known to be such? More
|
| attachment to form have brought a
| |
| | succinctly, why do scientists not
|
| situation where one of the most
| |
| | recognize the soul? Is it, perhaps,
|
| beneficent occurrences in the life cycle
| |
| | because of the unconscious opposition and
|
| of an incarnating Son of God is looked
| |
| | antagonism towards Religion that has long
|
| upon as something to be avoided and
| |
| | persecuted Science in the centuries past?
|
| postponed for as long a time as
| |
| | From the occult point of view, group
|
| possible." (1972:494)We can see from her
| |
| | minds form living entities or currents of
|
| statement that one of the factors that
| |
| | energy with certain qualities in accord
|
| causes man to struggle against death, is
| |
| | with the thoughts and feelings generated
|
| the attachment to form. The
| |
| | by the originators or individuals of the
|
| identification of the Self with the
| |
| | same group-mind. This is called an
|
| physical form misleads one into thinking
| |
| | egregore. Such egregores may have an
|
| that the dissolution of the physical body
| |
| | indefinite life span, living for
|
| results in the annihilation of the Self.
| |
| | centuries, and influencing all that comes
|
| Sri Sankaracharya, the eminent exponent
| |
| | within its mental and emotional force
|
| of Advaita Vedanta, taught that the
| |
| | fields. It is through these egregores
|
| deluded mind with its beliefs in the
| |
| | that an individual, a scientist, for
|
| reality of form causes bondage to Maya,
| |
| | instance, living in the distant past may
|
| or Cosmic Illusion. Philosophically
| |
| | influence a scientist living in the
|
| speaking, this is the state of duality,
| |
| | present. Prejudicial feelings toward
|
| and unless man perceives the One Reality
| |
| | Religion and its tenets, such as its
|
| underlying the dualistic worlds, and as
| |
| | declaration of the living soul that
|
| his true nature, he lives in fear and in
| |
| | survives the dissolution of the physical
|
| a state of slavery. What is Real cannot
| |
| | body, may therefore, be carried from the
|
| be destroyed, what is unreal does not
| |
| | past to the present. As can be understood
|
| exist apart from our false perception and
| |
| | from the above, the antagonism of
|
| understanding. This is avidya, or
| |
| | scientists may not be truly directed to
|
| ignorance. To apprehend the true state of
| |
| | the concept of the afterlife, or
|
| things is to be truly liberated from
| |
| | soul-survival, but towards religion as a
|
| death. One's consciousness is expanded
| |
| | whole, and this discord is an unconscious
|
| and raised to a divine estate when
| |
| | feeling--the result of centuries of
|
| Reality is known and death seen for what
| |
| | maltreatment in the hands of
|
| it really is. What Bailey does not
| |
| | Religion--executed in the name of the
|
| mention is that the soul-process of
| |
| | Almighty.Investigators and exponents of
|
| "death" may be experienced in the
| |
| | mainstream science, however, have not
|
| meditative state. Mystics call this
| |
| | proved in their laboratories the
|
| "dying while living," and advanced
| |
| | cessation of life, and the non-survival
|
| mystics have reached a state where they
| |
| | of consciousness after death. On the
|
| may predetermine and trigger the time and
| |
| | contrary, they are very close to
|
| process of their physical and mystical
| |
| | discovering and proving its reality and
|
| deaths--these are executed with divine
| |
| | validity. It would seem that the Veil of
|
| permission. Mystical deaths offers one
| |
| | Isis is thinning; nevertheless, the
|
| the opportunity to acquire the beautific
| |
| | question of the survival of
|
| vision called Marifatullah by Islamic
| |
| | consciousness, we feel, can only be
|
| gnostics. We will not dwell on this
| |
| | satisfactorily and adequately answered to
|
| mystical aspect in this paper but focus
| |
| | us by personal experience--through
|
| more on the physical side of death and
| |
| | phenomena such as NDEs (Near Death
|
| dying.Before continuing further, let us
| |
| | Experience) and the projection of one's
|
| first provide a definition of the branch
| |
| | consciousness and subtle bodies. Without
|
| of study dealing with death. The study is
| |
| | personal experience there would be an
|
| properly termed, "Thanatology" (from
| |
| | element of doubt, the truth would elude
|
| Greek thanatos, "death"). The
| |
| | our comprehension, and the false delude
|
| Encyclopedia Britannica explains it
| |
| | our understanding. Knowledge pertaining
|
| thus:". . . the description or study of
| |
| | to the the truth of death eliminates
|
| death and dying and the psychological
| |
| | fear, pain and sorrow. When one
|
| mechanisms of dealing with them.
| |
| | understands the nature and mechanism of
|
| Thanatology is concerned with the notion
| |
| | life and death, one begins to lead a
|
| of death as popularly perceived and
| |
| | philosophical and mystical life, open to
|
| especially with the reactions of the
| |
| | spiritual verities and impressions. One
|
| dying, from whom it is felt much can be
| |
| | commences to live in harmony with the
|
| learned about dealing with death's
| |
| | forces and laws of Nature, in accord with
|
| approach . . . Generally, psychologists
| |
| | the purposes of the Divine Plan.
|
| have agreed that there are two overall
| |
| | Scientists would have to become
|
| concepts concerning death that help in
| |
| | philosophers and mystics in order to
|
| understanding the simultaneous processes
| |
| | break through any bias constraining their
|
| of living and dying. The "my death versus
| |
| | minds from the truth of life after
|
| your death" concept emphasizes the
| |
| | death.It is a fallacy to think that the
|
| irrational belief that while "your death"
| |
| | nature of death and the afterlife state
|
| is a certainty, an exemption may be made
| |
| | cannot be known while one is embodied and
|
| in "my case." The second concept,
| |
| | functioning in the three-dimensional
|
| "partial deaths versus total
| |
| | sphere. Religious fundamentalism, in
|
| extinction" stresses the belief that by
| |
| | general, would have us believe this. Man
|
| experiencing the bereavement following
| |
| | dies temporarily every night during the
|
| the deaths of friends and relatives, a
| |
| | sleep-state, and he calls his activities
|
| person is brought as close as possible to
| |
| | during such a state as "dreams." Man
|
| realizing "partial death." These
| |
| | practices death every time he enters the
|
| experiences colour the individual's
| |
| | delta-theta state. Poor recollection of
|
| attitude toward greater personal losses,
| |
| | one's nocturnal activities results in an
|
| culminating with the ultimate loss, life
| |
| | inadequate comprehension of the nature
|
| itself."Thanatology also examines
| |
| | and relationship between sleep and death.
|
| attitudes toward death, the meaning and
| |
| | Spiritual development improves the
|
| behaviours of bereavement and grief, and
| |
| | recollection of astral activities and the
|
| the moral and ethical questions of
| |
| | awareness of the "no-dream" state.
|
| euthanasia, organ transplants, and life
| |
| | Refinement of the soul disperses the
|
| support."Thanatology deals with death
| |
| | etheric web at the crown chakra and forms
|
| from various perspectives, from the
| |
| | a link between the brain and higher mind
|
| cultural and anthropological standpoint,
| |
| | allowing for free movement of the
|
| the clinical, biological, religious,
| |
| | personal-consciousness to higher
|
| metaphysical, etc. Death itself is
| |
| | dimensions without a break in awareness.
|
| defined in dictionaries as "an extinction
| |
| | Fundamentally, the only difference
|
| of life," the "ceasing to be."Ordinarily,
| |
| | between death and the sleep-state is that
|
| the average person would avoid talking or
| |
| | death is the permanent evacuation of the
|
| thinking about death. When chosen as a
| |
| | awareness-principle from the physical
|
| topic for discussion, for instance, the
| |
| | body, whereas in sleep it is merely a
|
| subject is frequently and promptly
| |
| | temporary condition. In death the
|
| relegated to the background of life's
| |
| | sutratma, or silver cord, snaps, and the
|
| many "evil" necessities and often spoken
| |
| | personal-consciousness leaves the
|
| in hushed tones. Death has always been a
| |
| | physical body to disintegrate and return
|
| taboo subject in unenlightened social
| |
| | to the ground from whence it came. In the
|
| circles. Man's present negative attitude
| |
| | sleep state, this cord which connects the
|
| and understanding of the nature of death
| |
| | physical body to the subtle bodies is
|
| may cause self-inflicted suffering,
| |
| | maintained. Essentially, death is an
|
| torment, and pain. Man's lack of
| |
| | illusion. Death is actually an interval
|
| understanding of the truth of death is
| |
| | between two states or planes of
|
| mainly the result of a deficiency in the
| |
| | consciousness. It eventuates in the
|
| knowledge of spiritual verities, and in
| |
| | return of every component of the
|
| an absence of spiritual awareness.
| |
| | microcosm to its proper place. This truth
|
| Religious doctrines and
| |
| | is embodied in the poetic verse of
|
| materialistically-oriented educational
| |
| | Ovid:"Four things of man there are:
|
| systems have inadvertently encouraged
| |
| | spirit, soul, ghost, flesh;"These four,
|
| man's negative attitude towards death.
| |
| | four places keep and do possess,"The
|
| They paint horrible conditions of the
| |
| | earth covers flesh, the ghost hovers o'er
|
| after-death state, ranging from eternal
| |
| | the grave,"Orcus has the soul, stars do
|
| punishment and torture in fashions
| |
| | the spirit crave."Man has the divine
|
| exceeding the cruelties and atrocities of
| |
| | ability to be aware of his being as
|
| the Inquisition, to the materialistic
| |
| | existing independently of the physical
|
| view of nihilism and annihilation.
| |
| | vehicle. This is accomplished in what has
|
| Religion and the academic institutions
| |
| | come to be called lucid dreaming and
|
| offer no real comfort or solace to those
| |
| | astral projection, or "OBE"
|
| whose loved ones have faced the great
| |
| | (out-of-the-body experience) as a modern
|
| change. The only recourse for individuals
| |
| | designation for the phenomenon. Like St.
|
| seeking a greater understanding of death
| |
| | Paul, it is possible for all of us to say
|
| is by acquiring metaphysical knowledge
| |
| | that we "knew a man who went to the third
|
| concerning its nature and by developing a
| |
| | heaven," and hear of things not suitable
|
| greater awareness of multi-dimensional
| |
| | for the non-initiate. Death is a change
|
| life; for life simply is, it cannot cease
| |
| | of focus of our consciousness, from one
|
| to be. Life is Real and eternal for it is
| |
| | plane to another. This is also
|
| not compounded. Forms are compounded,
| |
| | accomplished through the above means.
|
| therefore, they are evanescent. Clinging
| |
| | Astral projection is an ability that all
|
| and being attached to what is temporal,
| |
| | metaphysicians should seek to
|
| and from the point of view of the
| |
| | acquire--for it is educational and it
|
| Absolute as "illusory," makes one often
| |
| | opens-up avenues of services that one may
|
| feel threatened to life's varied
| |
| | render. Most, if not all mystical
|
| circumstances.In order to be relieved
| |
| | traditions teach of this occult ability.
|
| from suffering in the form of bereavement
| |
| | The practitioner of Taoist Yoga, for
|
| and anguish, humanity as a whole would
| |
| | instance, learns in the course of his
|
| have to be re-educated as to the true
| |
| | studies how to separate the soul and
|
| nature of death, its value, its process,
| |
| | spirit from the physical body. Advance
|
| and regarding the state of life after the
| |
| | mystics and occultists are all able to
|
| great transition. One's frame of
| |
| | function in full awareness in the
|
| reference for personal existence has to
| |
| | physical, astral and mental worlds. Such
|
| be expanded to include multi-dimensional
| |
| | individuals are not concerned with the
|
| worlds, to one's immortal aspect, and not
| |
| | arguments of materialists--arguments
|
| circumscribed to physical matter.
| |
| | stating the non-survival of self, for
|
| Concomitant to this cleansing process of
| |
| | every mystic knows the truth of the
|
| the mind of its false beliefs and notions
| |
| | matter through personal experience.Dying,
|
| concerning death--both the result of
| |
| | to the initiate, is a science and an art.
|
| social conditioning and
| |
| | The technique of death is known to the
|
| brainwashing--there should also be a
| |
| | inter-dimensional
|
| search, an investigation into the true
| |
| | consciousness-traveller. The psychonaut
|
| purpose of life. For to pass through
| |
| | is familiar with the many phases of the
|
| transition not knowing the purpose of
| |
| | bardo that leads to one of the "six
|
| one's personal existence is to have lived
| |
| | realms," or to liberation from the cycle
|
| in vain. It is said that to die well we
| |
| | of reincarnation. It is the reality of
|
| must first learn to live well, and this
| |
| | reincarnation that proves to us that we
|
| is true, for our negative karma and our
| |
| | are no stranger to death. We incarnate
|
| wrong attitudes and apprehension of death
| |
| | and pass through the change of death
|
| causally leads us to pain and suffering
| |
| | repeatedly until we emancipate ourselves
|
| in the bardo, the death process--of which
| |
| | from the wheel of birth and rebirth. We
|
| we will deal in later chapters. For this
| |
| | have all met the angel of death countless
|
| reason it is incumbent upon us all to
| |
| | times and shall meet that specter once
|
| embark upon the study of thanatology--the
| |
| | again in the future. All religions refer
|
| science of death, as understood by
| |
| | to this life-death cycle, though some
|
| metaphysics, to live a worthwhile life,
| |
| | metaphorically.Every metaphysician should
|
| to relieve the sense of suffering, and to
| |
| | be familiar with the subject of death, as
|
| efface our misgivings regarding death and
| |
| | understood in the esoteric sense, and as
|
| the after-death state. Death is simply a
| |
| | to its occult process. In the course of
|
| transformation, a process analogous to a
| |
| | one's metaphysical ministry, one would
|
| caterpillar-turned-butterfly through
| |
| | often meet individuals suffering from
|
| metamorphosis.Our "fate" and experiences
| |
| | anguish and bereavement. The
|
| in the afterlife and in the death process
| |
| | metaphysician should be able to offer the
|
| are both determined largely by our karma,
| |
| | kind of solace that goes beyond the
|
| beliefs, knowledge (or lack of it),
| |
| | service of the burial ceremony and the
|
| purity, righteousness, and understanding
| |
| | pronouncement of the words, "ashes to
|
| of the mission and purpose of our sojourn
| |
| | ashes, dust to dust . . ." To the dying,
|
| in the physical plane. Life in this
| |
| | and those newly passed-on, the advanced
|
| physical dimension should be seen as an
| |
| | metaphysician should act as a guide to
|
| opportunity to mature and to liberate
| |
| | the inner levels of being. He should play
|
| oneself from all mortal restrictions even
| |
| | the role of Anubis, guiding the departed
|
| though functioning through an organic
| |
| | soul to its proper place. This should be
|
| vessel. Some people experiencing the
| |
| | an integral part to any last rites or
|
| vicissitudes and hardships of life often
| |
| | sacraments given. There is much
|
| complain that it was not their wish to be
| |
| | superstition, fear and ignorance
|
| born, implying that it was not their wish
| |
| | regarding the nature of death among the
|
| to live or to be here in this physical
| |
| | masses. It, therefore, behooves the
|
| world, and yet, in this they contradict
| |
| | metaphysical counselor to play his or her
|
| themselves by expressing a fear of death,
| |
| | part in enlightening society; and this
|
| saying that they do not wish to
| |
| | ministration would benefit humanity as a
|
| die--implying that they wish to live.
| |
| | whole. We feel that this paper should be
|
| Such inconsistencies reflect the state of
| |
| | written to remind metaphysicians of the
|
| non-awareness of spiritual realities and
| |
| | importance of conveying the truths to the
|
| verities. Death should be perceived as an
| |
| | masses regarding the continuity of life,
|
| initiation into the higher mysteries of
| |
| | personal identity, and consciousness.
|
| Nature. It is thus one of the most
| |
| | One's professional image is enhanced when
|
| important events in one's spiritual
| |
| | well-equipped with the requisite
|
| journey. Mastery of one's life, of one's
| |
| | knowledge. Even though much has been
|
| lower self, and service to the Higher
| |
| | written on the subject of death, with
|
| Intelligences, is the wise preparation
| |
| | much invaluable information given, we
|
| for this great initiatory experience.In
| |
| | take this opportunity to add some of our
|
| ancient cultures, the existence of the
| |
| | own insights and experiences to enrich
|
| afterlife was taken for granted. In
| |
| | the existing literature and the
|
| former eras there have been concepts or
| |
| | storehouse of humanity's learning.
|
