| REVIEW OF LITERATUREWhen a Sadguru, or | | | | confronted once again in another incarnation, this is |
| spiritual master first receives a novice or a candidate | | | | to teach the soul certain lessons that it requires for |
| seeking Truth, one of the first steps that the master | | | | its evolution, its spiritual growth. One's attitudes, |
| would assure himself is the sincerity and the purity of | | | | reactions and responses to problems are the main |
| motive of the candidate requesting initiation into the | | | | thing and not the problems themselves.The Spirit of |
| mysteries. In order to augment or instill this sincerity | | | | man will not be cheated of its forces. Lessons to be |
| and pure motive when absent, the master would | | | | learnt by the soul will repeat themselves until their |
| speak to the candidate regarding death. The master | | | | essence has been assimilated, understood and |
| would advise the candidate to contemplate upon the | | | | wisdom gained. Suicide, therefore, should not be |
| meaning of death and the opportunity that life | | | | resorted to as an escape, for it causes spiritual |
| provides. The master would refer to the fact that | | | | stagnation. Suicides are treated as mental cases in |
| death often comes, stealth-like, at an unannounced | | | | the subtle worlds. According to psychic Donald Barrie, |
| moment; that to be engrossed with trivialities is to | | | | insane persons were suicides in past lives. Suicidal |
| waste one's life; that there are no guarantees in life | | | | persons in the death process, like those who lived |
| except for death. The chela is made to ask, "what is | | | | depraved, iniquitous and wicked lives, often |
| the purpose of life if death cuts us down at our | | | | encounter some of the most alarming visions in the |
| prime, leaving us with ambitions, aspirations and | | | | bardo which includes the Judgment scene, where the |
| unfulfilled dreams? What is the purpose of life--and | | | | conscience sits as prosecutor, judge, jury and |
| death, if we are not able to take along with us | | | | executioner.Death is a personal experience. Through it |
| through the portals of death our prized possessions, | | | | we come to know our true evolutionary status as a |
| our titles, our fame, our temporal power?"The | | | | soul, and all of our glamours and delusions concerning |
| spiritual master would be quick to point out that the | | | | personal glory would fail to aid us at the time of our |
| true purpose of life has very little to do with the | | | | transition. Our poverty or wealth of our spirit is seen |
| earthly, evanescent riches or power that we acquire, | | | | and known to us and others on the Other Side.The |
| it has more to do with the immaterial wealth that we | | | | Nature of Life After So-Called DeathHumanity's |
| take along with us--our knowledge; our memories; | | | | concept of heaven is wrought with distortions of the |
| our improved karma, habits and character; and our | | | | true nature of the subtle worlds. There are many |
| spiritual and psychic development. Earthly acquisitions | | | | ideas concerning heaven that are disproved through |
| fail to offer any help to the one undergoing transition. | | | | the personal experiences of advanced psychics and |
| We each face death alone; and in death, stripped of | | | | mystics. It is, therefore, appropriate that people be |
| all mundane superficialities, we come to realize our | | | | informed and prepared for life in the other worlds, |
| own true worth. And so, the chela, with perhaps | | | | that they may know what to expect, that they may |
| impure motives at the outset, comes to understand | | | | know how to function harmoniously therein, and the |
| after some spiritual guidance, and a prolonged | | | | sort of activities that they may engage in. The higher |
| contemplation and analysis of death--as related to | | | | worlds are worlds of activity. There is no rest there, |
| life--that the aim, purpose, importance and goal of | | | | unless we desire rest. Real rest is dependent upon |
| personal existence in this physical sphere with its | | | | the giving of another vehicle of the microcosm an |
| many opportunities are for gaining freedom, | | | | opportunity for expressing itself. Overthere, we shall |
| perfection, salvation, enlightenment, and the | | | | have the opportunity to be occupied with |
| ascension.We should all be aware that death may | | | | soul-improving activities. Laziness and idleness |
| come to us at any moment, this will motivate us to | | | | Overthere are treated as illnesses. Individuals |
| direct our minds into proper perspectives, and to get | | | | expressing those states are directed to special |
| our priorities straight. To eat, drink, and be merry as | | | | classes to learn the purposes of life, that they be |
| advertisements tell us, as the philosophies of the | | | | motivated to engage in some worthy |
| fallen angels would have us learn, is to be sidetracked | | | | endeavour.There is not just one heaven or dimension |
| from occupying ourselves with our "Father's | | | | in the higher worlds, there are many, and these are |
| business."Like the disciple referred to above, in this | | | | the "mansions" of Jesus' statement "in my Father's |
| paper it is our intention to delve into the nature of | | | | house there are many mansions." (John 14:2). St. Paul |
| death and its process so that we will come to know | | | | in his epistles mentions a third heaven; the Islamic |
| a greater life, and appreciate its intrinsic value. We will | | | | tradition presents the Prophet Muhammad as visiting |
| also consider the nature of certain aspects of life | | | | the seventh on a mythical creature--no doubt a |
| after transition, for this expands our spiritual horizon, | | | | symbolic description of the subtle body. Several |
| and it offers us a glimpse into man's glorious future. | | | | "alams" or worlds are discussed in Islamic literature. |
| Our main themes in this paper will be related to the | | | | Theosophy speaks of seven planes with seven |
| following:1) The survival of personal consciousness.2) | | | | sub-planes each, all of which constituting a cosmic |
| The process of transition.3) The nature of life after | | | | plane. Hinduism also refers to the "lokas," to the |
| so-called death.The Survival of Personal | | | | many heavens as described in their scriptures. |
| ConsciousnessThe average person often wonders if | | | | Swedenborg substantiates this truth in his spiritual |
| consciousness survives death. We have commented | | | | works.People will be disappointed if they think that |
| and alluded previously on the indestructible nature of | | | | the afterdeath state will provide them what they |
| energy. There can, therefore, be no dissolution of | | | | lack here and now. This is not to say that their |
| the essence of Soul, or rather Spirit--not even | | | | dreams will not occur to some degree, or that their |
| through the process of transition. The forms, the | | | | happiness may not be derived from some longed-for |
| structured energy-fields that the Spirit and Soul | | | | pleasures that Almighty God might manifest for |
| indwell and embody may change, but the essence, | | | | them; what we are putting forth here is that the |
| the spiritual aspect of the microcosm, the Monad, the | | | | contents and quality of one's heart and mind |
| SELF, is immortal. Religion, mysticism, and psychicism, | | | | determines strongly one's experiences in the |
| refers to this verity. If a person is to know this | | | | heavenly world that one will live in. Purity in body, |
| particular truth of the survival of consciousness, he or | | | | mind and soul begets a joyful experience in the |
| she must learn to expand the consciousness and to | | | | higher heavens. Conversely, immorality and |
| spiritualize his or her mind in order to be aware and | | | | wickedness result in a life of misery in the lower |
| function consciously in the higher planes. Failure to | | | | astral realms. We carry our inner life to wherever we |
| realize spiritual verities label us as "dead"--a term | | | | may find ourselves. There is no spiritual being to |
| referred to by the Piscean Master in the gospel | | | | reward or punish us, we do this to ourselves by |
| narratives to people who are closed to the higher | | | | violating or living harmoniously with cosmic laws. To |
| worlds and spiritual truths. People suffering from | | | | know where one would go, or to which heaven or |
| spiritual myopia live in physical tombs and not | | | | plane one would reside, it is only necessary to look |
| temples; such persons do not care much about the | | | | into one's mind and emotions, into one's character |
| higher worlds and their relation to them; these | | | | and personality, and there look for signs.In the |
| individuals limit their awareness and deaden their | | | | chapters ahead we will be discussing in more detail of |
| consciousness in a three-dimensional slumber. | | | | the nature of life in the higher worlds. We feel that |
| Individuals with limited minds do not see the whole | | | | this subject is of some importance to metaphysicians, |
| picture of life's purpose.The writer of this paper | | | | as they are often asked by individuals seeking |
| firmly believes, or is convinced in the ability of | | | | information on the spiritual dimensions.The Four |
| consciousness to exist apart from the physical body. | | | | PerspectivesAlthough there are various perspectives |
| We had, personally, experienced many spontaneous | | | | that death and the process of transition may be |
| astral projections, and many lucid dreams. Although | | | | discussed such as the clinical, the cultural, etc. We will |
| experiences of astral projections may not objectively | | | | be dealing with the aforementioned themes from the |
| prove the survival of consciousness after death, it | | | | following perspectives:1) Religion/Mythology2) Occult |
| does give us some inkling of what it may be like to | | | | teachings in general3) Lamaism, or Tibetan |
| exist independently of the physical form; it also | | | | Buddhism4) Parapsychology and modern |
| provides us with some reason for accepting the | | | | researchReligion, generally speaking, offers us some |
| possibility and the high probability of the survival of | | | | information concerning the after death state with, |
| consciousness. The reality and proof of the survival | | | | regrettably, very little of the death process. |
| of personal consciousness itself may be acquired | | | | However, it is important when dealing with religious |
| through one's personal interaction and relationship | | | | concepts regarding death and the afterlife to be |
| with the so-called dead. This normally occurs | | | | discerning and discriminative--to sift through fanciful |
| unconsciously in one's sleep and dreams, however, it | | | | ideas--of the many erroneous theological dogmas and |
| may occur with full astral awareness or in the | | | | concepts that had crept into the original teachings. |
| awaking consciousness. Lucid dreams are typical of | | | | Many statements in scriptures are not meant to be |
| the former type, whereas visitations or psychic | | | | taken in a literal manner. Embodied within them are |
| materializations are of the latter. If we are able to | | | | spiritual ideas that have to be intuited with the higher |
| contact the so-called dead who once were people | | | | mind. Followers or devotees of religions often fail to |
| living in the physical world and resume relationships | | | | understand this principle. They believe in the letter of |
| with them, is this not proof that personal | | | | the law without considering the underlying spiritual |
| consciousness survives transition? Although this | | | | principle. The immortality of the soul has long been an |
| rhetorical-question is simplistic in form and incapable of | | | | essential tenet in almost all religious belief-structures. |
| offering positive proof regarding the survival of | | | | The ancient Egyptians, for instance, believed in it; |
| consciousness, being subjective in nature, and which | | | | they accepted that the heart-soul, the ka, the ba, |
| does not carry any weight under scientific scrutiny, it | | | | and other components of the microcosm outlived the |
| does imply that some materialistically-oriented | | | | physical form for a longer duration, if not indefinitely. |
| individuals are unwilling to attend to the reality | | | | Thus mummification was instituted to preserve the |
| experienced by others because of prejudice, pride, | | | | body for the return of the incorporeal aspects of |
| fear and cultural conditioning. How does the average | | | | man.Myths are allegories or parables containing |
| man view death, what does he actually believe about | | | | spiritual wisdom. They often deal with the fall of the |
| it? Society has various beliefs concerning death, and | | | | soul into matter, its resurrection, the manner of its |
| what it entails, below are just some of these | | | | redemption, and the nature of the higher planes. In |
| beliefs:1) The cessation of consciousness and the | | | | the ancient Mystery Schools of Greece, such as the |
| annihilation of Self.2) The termination of human | | | | Eluesinian, Cosmic laws and principles were personified |
| relationships, and the loss of loved ones.3) The | | | | and enacted in dramas. The mystae, or the candidate |
| termination of physical activities, of goals, ambitions | | | | to the mysteries who witnessed these dramas was |
| and aspirations.4) The passage into an unknown | | | | urged by the accompanying guide to discern the |
| world or state of consciousness.5) The facing of the | | | | Cosmic laws and truths embodied within them. Often |
| Judgment and the accountability of one's sins--the | | | | in such initiatory schools, candidates were put into |
| fear of eternal punishment in an everlasting hell, or in | | | | trance-like conditions where they acquired personal |
| contrast, pleasure, rest and idleness in Paradise.6) | | | | experiences of the externalization of their |
| Physical, emotional, and mental agony in the death | | | | awareness-principle. Thus, those candidates to the |
| process.As we will see in later chapters, all of these | | | | Mysteries came to know the reality of their soul and |
| beliefs are unfounded. The nature of life after | | | | its independence of the physical body through |
| transition is only unknown to those who do not seek | | | | empirical knowledge.Our treatment of mythology in |
| to know. There is also no true severance of human | | | | this paper will be supportive in nature, emphasizing or |
| relationships; and an eternal hell is non-existent, | | | | stressing certain main points of our themes where |
| although a certain degree of pain and scorching may | | | | needed. Regrettably, it is beyond the scope of this |
| be experienced when impure substances present in | | | | work to treat the subject exhaustively and |
| the astral and mental bodies are removed by a | | | | completely in a satisfactory manner.Occultism as a |
| purifying fire. Death is not the end of anything; it is a | | | | whole, offers us a great wealth of knowledge |
| continuation of what has gone on before. Rumi, the | | | | concerning the death process and the nature of the |
| Sufi poet, speaks of this truth in the following | | | | post-mortem states. There have been many eminent |
| oft-quoted verse:"I died a mineral and became a | | | | clairvoyants in the past such as Swedenborg and |
| plant;"I died a plant and rose an animal."I died an | | | | Andrew Jackson Davis who wrote about their |
| animal and I was a man."Why should I fear? When | | | | experiences concerning transition and the astral |
| was I less by dying?"Yet once more I shall die as | | | | planes as seen through their inner senses--not to |
| man, so to soar"With blessed angels; even from | | | | mention their communications and interactions with |
| angelhood"I must pass on . . ."When I have sacrificed | | | | the inhabitants therein. In the opening pages of his |
| my angel soul,"I shall become that which no mind | | | | work, Heaven and Hell, Swedenborg declares:". . . it |
| conceived."The Process of TransitionTransition is not | | | | has been granted to me to associate with angels and |
| simply the cessation of the intake of the breath or | | | | to talk with them as man, also to see the things in |
| the circulation of the life-force. It is a process that | | | | the heaven as well as in the hells . . . " (1958:3)We |
| involves the evacuation of the occult components | | | | are, however, indebted to Earlyne Chaney and her |
| within man's physical anatomy. These occult | | | | Mystery school, Astara, for most of our occult |
| components for simplicity sake, may be called the | | | | information concerning the mysteries of death. |
| soul, however, for the metaphysical student, a | | | | Information derived from her writings would greatly |
| deeper understanding of the constitution of the soul | | | | enhance the structure and support of our main |
| must be acquired. The relationship and interaction | | | | themes.Of all religions, Tibetan Buddhism seems to be |
| between the immaterial aspect of man and the | | | | the richest source of information concerning the |
| physical body must be known. How the spiritual | | | | death process. It possesses a unique conception |
| components dissociate themselves from the physical | | | | regarding transition. It is for this reason that we will |
| body through the process of transition should be | | | | consider it separately, apart from the general view of |
| understood. It is the very presence of man's invisible | | | | religion, giving it a category of its own. From the |
| forms and forces within the physical being that | | | | religious viewpoint, we have, therefore, chosen to |
| maintains the integrity and coherence of the particles | | | | treat the subject of the process of death in a |
| forming the physical body. The absence of the | | | | detailed manner from the Lamaistic perspective. The |
| magnetism, the electrical-force, and the energy-fields | | | | esoteric science of death, it should be known, is one |
| of the subtle bodies causes the dissolution of the | | | | of the secret traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Our |
| physical form.Psychologically, during the separation of | | | | main source of information on Tibetan thanatology |
| the material and immaterial bodies, certain visions | | | | and eschatology, is derived from the "Bardo Thodol," |
| arise in the psyche. The nature of these visions are | | | | or "The Tibetan Book of the Dead"--as translated |
| dependent upon the degree of man's inner purity. | | | | and edited by Evans-Wentz and his Tibetan colleague. |
| According to Tibetan Buddhists, how man responds | | | | We will also be appropriating the teachings and |
| or reacts to these visions determines the place of his | | | | commentaries of various Lamas to supplement and |
| abode in the higher realms. Man's moral character is | | | | give form to our main themes. Tibetans consider |
| the deciding factor of his place in the universal | | | | dying to be an art, just as the spiritual teachers of |
| scheme. The fear of death and dying hampers the | | | | the Middle Ages did, calling it "ars moriendi." To the |
| smooth transition into the higher worlds. Attachment | | | | Tibetan Buddhists, the training of dying commences in |
| to the world and earthly possessions causes an | | | | the meditative life. This is the preparation of the |
| unnecessary prolonged struggle in the death process, | | | | awareness-principle for the bardos that it will undergo |
| and this delays soul release. Suffering and pain are | | | | or the possible attainment of the "Clear Light" |
| expressions of this struggle. Man should learn to be | | | | resulting in enlightenment. Aside from considering the |
| detached from all mundane affairs and relationships | | | | role that the bardos play in the death process, we |
| during transition and think about spiritual matters--not | | | | will, therefore, also comment in passing of this |
| because of the unimportance of the former, but | | | | mystical art, of the preparation required for liberation |
| because occupying the mind at the time of transition | | | | in the bardo.Although there have been many modern, |
| with spiritual aspirations and hope assists the | | | | scientific researchers delving into the mysteries of |
| soul-consciousness to release itself from some of the | | | | death such as Raymond Moody and Elizabeth |
| harsh phenomena experienced in the bardo. Passing | | | | Kubler-Ross, our principal sources of information will |
| over into a new realm is like being born into the | | | | be derived from the works of Michael Newton, Ian |
| physical world. The process is somewhat similar, and | | | | Currie, and Filipo Liverziani as representative of the |
| this is in accord with the law of correspondence and | | | | modern scientific approach. Investigations into psychic |
| the Hermetic axiom, "as above, so below." When one | | | | phenomena began way back in the last century |
| is born into this physical world one goes through the | | | | when mediumistic activities began to flourish. Although |
| birth canal; during transition one experiences a | | | | many mediums and their displays of phenomena |
| "tunnel-like" effect, a wormhole. During birth we are | | | | were found to be deceptions, a small percentage of |
| greeted by smiling relatives, likewise, the birth into a | | | | occurrences were enough to convince psychic |
| higher world surrounds us with people whom we love | | | | investigators of the survival of the |
| and who loves us.Passing over is no panacea for the | | | | personal-consciousness and in the reality of man's |
| suffering soul who resorts to suicide to end its earth | | | | inherent psychic powers. Notwithstanding the findings |
| life. Suicide does not solve our emotional and mental | | | | of past investigators, however, we will, concentrate |
| problems, for wherever we may be, we take along | | | | more fully on the research discoveries of the writers |
| with us our inner world, our thoughts and feelings. | | | | mentioned above, as they offer the appropriate |
| Our outer world reflects our inner mental and | | | | support for our main themes. |
| emotional state. Problems unfaced, will have to be | | | | |