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Excerpt
from Death: The Opening of the Way
Thus spoke The Tibetan, through the mediumship of Alice A. Bailey. He also referred to death as The Great Adventure. And, indeed, it is. The words above are so true, and they speak to us all. How we actually experience death depends, to quite a large degree, upon how we perceive this great adventure while living upon the Earth plane. What is death? How do we experience death? Does it hurt? How quickly does it happen? What about life after death; do we survive? If so, in what capacity? Do we meet loved ones who passed before, or do we lose all sense of personal identity and recognition? What is the after-life like? These are just a few of the questions surrounding death which people have asked and pondered over since the beginning of earthly time. In following the journey of the soul, death truly becomes a great adventure in which the way is opened for the soul to pass from one realm of life into another. It marks a point of transition. How we each get to that ubiquitous state of transition varies with circumstances. What we experience after we cross that elusive threshold, known as death, also varies with the individual. But the actual experience; the actual crossing over the threshold, between one realm of life and another, is amazingly quite similar for most people. Life, in many ways, is a series of deaths. We are always moving from one experience to another. The point is: we are always moving! Thus it is with death. The point is: we are always living! Death, then, becomes a very natural part of life. We move from one room into another. Depending upon which side of the doorway we happen to be in comparison to the one crossing the threshold, we label that transition either death or birth. Please note this last statement. Death and birth are basically the same process. Both involve passing through the same doorway. The only difference is the direction of movement. What is death on the Earth plane is birth in the Spirit world. And birth onto the Earth plane can be considered death in the Spirit world. In these next few lessons, we shall discuss the first of several death processes that the soul experiences between one incarnation and another. Yes, physical death is but one of many deaths which we encounter as we move from one earthly life to another. We could settle, once and for all, the question of death by saying that death does not exist; that there is only life; that death is but one of countless experiences found in life. But that would be quite a lot to ask you to accept, without some further instruction. Therefore, let us look at this wonderfully great adventure, known as death. Before we examine the process of physical death, we need to look at the question of survival. Nobody can deny the existence of death. The vital question surrounding death is: do we survive the experience; if so, how? Once we understand that we do survive death, we can then look at the process of death itself and what follows.
In looking at the dilemma of proving that we do survive death, we are confronted with the following question: what constitutes proof? Proof of survival is a very personal matter. What is unquestionable proof for one person may hold no validity for another. Therefore, we must begin by saying: we are not attempting to prove survival here. Proof must come from within; but proof often approaches upon the wings of knowledge. And knowledge is something that we can provide. There are several phenomena which psychic researchers have, over the years, investigated that indicate the validity of life after death. They are:
Regardless of how one approaches death, the process itself is quite similar for most people. If death comes suddenly and the person does not believe in any form of after-life, then the conscious mind is most likely not prepared for the experience, and there could be a period of confusion after death. Thus, the importance of understanding death, before we meet it face-to-face. If, on the other hand, death comes upon the individual gradually, let us say after a lengthy period of illness, then the personality is given an opportunity to prepare for the experience. This can be very helpful for a person who has never thought about death, or who does not believe in any form of after-life. This period of preparation can last for a few days, up to several years, depending upon:
Finally, with modern-day technology, there is the issue of life support systems. Who makes the decision for whom concerning death? Is the spirit ready to leave, while family members insist on keeping the body alive? How does this affect the spirit? What is the definition of death, and who decides that all criteria for that definition have been met? These are complex questions which run right to the roots of what we are attempting to teach in these lessons. Regardless of influences that may cause one to cling to the body, physical deterioration and other factors will eventually bring about permanent separation from the earthly form, and death will ensue. Back to Journey of the Soul Information Page. Home | About the
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