Experiencing the Soul before birth, during life, after death 156170461X, 9781561704613
Explores the many ways one can experience the soul with writings by such spiritual leaders, teachers, and scientific res
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Foreword by Ellen Burstyn
Before Birth, During
Life,
After Death Personal Accounts and Wisdom from: The Dalai Lama Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross Ci
Hay • Jean Houston Ram Dass • Stephen Levine Joan Borysenko • Raymond Moody Sri Daya Mata • Sant Rajinder Singh Louise
L.
Gerald Jampolsky...and
many
others
Edited by Eliot Jay Rosen
Digitized by the Internet Archive in
2017 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/experiencingsoulOOelio
Foundation
Choose
Reed
We
World Brian
A Credit:
For
1998
Photo
© This photo of a ten-day-old infant with his 84-year-old
grandfather symbolizes the polarity of birth and death. At the time of birth, the soul enters the physical world. At the tune of death, the soul leaves the physical world.
Experiencing
the Soul Before Birth, During
Life,
After Death
EDITED BY
ELIOT JAY
ROSEN
HAY HOUSE Hay House, Carlsbad,
Inc.
CA
Copyright
©
1998 by
FOR A WORLD WE CHOOSE FOUNDATION
Published and distributed
Hay House, Editorial:
Inc., P.O.
Jill
and Eliot Jay Rosen
United States by:
in the
Box 5100, Carlsbad,
CA 920 18-5 100
•
(800) 654-5126
•
(800) 650-51 15 (fax)
Design: Jenny Richards
Kramer
No
All rights reserved.
part of this
book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic,
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—
it
be stored
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other than for “fair use" as system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews without prior written permission of the publisher.
The contributors to this book do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the contributors is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, neither the publisher, editor, nor contributors assumes responsibility for your actions. Grateful acknowledgment
is
made
for permission to reprint
from the following copyrighted material:
Inner and Outer Peace Through Meditation by Rajinder Singh. Copyright
© SK
Publications 1996.
Used by permission of Element Books, Inc. Dancing in the Flames, by Marion Woodman and Elinor Dickson. Copyright © 1996. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston; and Random House of Canada Limited. Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey, by Alex Grey with Ken Wilber and Carlo McCormick, published by Inner Traditions International, Rochester,
Summer California, USA.
Self-Realization magazine,
1997. Copyright
©
VT 05767.
Copyright
©
1990 Alex Grey.
1997 Self-Realization Fellowship,
Los Angeles, Facing Death and Finding Hope, by Christine Longaker. Copyright © 1997 by Christine Longaker and Rigpa Fellowship. Used by permission of Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.; in the British Commonwealth (excluding Canada), Random House UK Limited, London, England. Excerpt from the poem, “The Cry of the Soul,” from Fove At Every Step My Concept of Poetry, by Darshan Singh. Copyright © 1989 by SK Publications, Bowling Green, Virginia. Excerpts from the Noetic Sciences Review (Winter, 1994), published by the Institute of Noetic
—
Sciences, Sausalito, California. “Life in Hell “ cartoon, 6/13/97,
Acme
© ©
1997 by Matt Groening. Sacred Individuality a forthcoming book by Joseph Sharp. Copyright by Joseph Sharp 1997. KITV-4, Hawaii Argyle Television Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii, for excerpts from a public broadcast of Features Syndicate. Copyright
,
Betty
J.
Eadie.
Photo Credits: Melinda H. White
for
Hospice Organization for permission
Leeuwen;
NASA for the photo
“We Are
the Angels:
to reprint the
the Mortal People”; the National
photo entitled “Disco Harry’s Last Dance,” by Philip C.
of astronaut Edgar Mitchell; Nancy Jo Gilchrist for the photo of Eliot Jay
Rosen; Brian Lambert for the photo of the Dalai
Max
We Are
and Martin; George Saavedra and
IMAGIC
Lama
with Eliot Jay Rosen;
for their donation of
Anne Kramer
for the photo of
photo-enhancement services.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Experiencing the soul p.
before birth, during
:
life,
after death
/
edited by Eliot Jay Rosen,
cm. Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1.
1-561 70-46 1-X
Spiritual
BL624.E96
life.
2.
(pbk.)
Soul.
I.
Rosen, Eliot Jay.
1998
129— dc21
97-51709
CIP
ISBN 1-56170-461-X 01
00 99 98
First
4 3 2 1 Printing, April 1998
Printed in the United States of
America
,
Other Hay House
Titles of Related Interest
As Someone Dies by Elizabeth A. Johnson Between Heaven
&
Earth, by Laura A. Huxley
The Earth Adventure, by Ron Scolastico, Ph.D. The Experience of God, by Jonathan Robinson “I
Come As
a Brother,” by Bartholomew
Infinite Self,
Life! Reflections
by Stuart Wilde
on Your Journey, by Louise L. Hay
Practical Spirituality, by John Randolph Price
Wake-Up
Calls,
by Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., and Diane V. Cirincione
The Ways of the Mystic, by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.
All of the above
titles
can be ordered by calling
Hay House
at:
(800) 654-5126
Please visit the
Hay House Website
at:
www.hayhouse.com
To the beauty embodied
in the existence
Of spiritually perfected human beings, both Past and present, who dwell among us as scientists
Of the
soul,
whose grace consummates our souls
Final homecoming, and whose mystery
Beyond
this
lies
beholder’s eye to fathom.
far
,
,
CONTENTS Foreword by Ellen Burstyn, Academy Aw ard®-w inning
actress.
Preface
xv
Acknowledgments General Introduction: The Nature of the Soul
From
PART
1:
xiii
Believing to
xxi
—
Knowing
xxiii
LIVING WITH SOUL
Introduction
Chapter
1
1
Experiences of My Soul in Life and Death by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross,
M.D., pioneering thanatologist, books on death, and
life after
psychiatrist,
and author of dozens of
death
3
Chapter 2 Cultivating Your SouFs Unique Path
Incorrect” by Joseph Sharp, survivor,
—Daring
writer, lecturer,
to
Be
“Spiritually
long-term
AIDS
and author of Living Our Dying and Sacred Individuality.
17
Chapter 3 Attitudinal Healing
— The Essence of Our Being Is Love
by
Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., and Diane Cirincione, Ph.D., founding directors of the Center for Attitudinal Healing, transformational
speakers, and co-authors of
Change Your Mind, Change Your
Life
27
and several other books
Chapter 4
From Psyche to Soul— The Healing Power of Archetypes, by Marion Woodman, Jungian analyst, transformational speaker, and author of The Pregnant several other books.
Virgin,
Dancing
in the
Flames, and 35
,
PART
1
THE SOUL BEFORE BIRTH
II:
4
Introduction
Chapter 5 Meeting the Souls of Our Children Before Birth by Sarah Hinze and Brent Hinze, Ph.D., researchers in ,
prebirth experiences, and the parents of nine children and nine
adopted children. Sarah
is
the author of
Coming from
the Light
43
Chapter 6 The Emerging Field of Prebirth Experiences by Harold Widdison, Ph.D., professor of sociology, prebirth and near-death researcher,
and co-author of The Eternal Journey
PART
III:
5
THE SOUL AFTER DEATH 59
Introduction
Chapter 7 of After-Death Communications by Bill Guggenheim, after-death communications researcher, lecturer, and co-author of
The
Varieties
,
Hello from Heaven
61
Chapter 8 Visitations
of Our 15-Year-Old Son After His Suicide by y
Anne Puryear, Stephen Lives
Gestalt therapist, minister, and author of
—My Son, Stephen, His
Life, Suicide,
and Afterlife
73
Chapter 9
We Are
Citizens of a Multidimensional Universe , by
Jean Houston,
Ph.D., philosopher, psychologist, and the author of several books, including
A Passion for
the Possible
77
PART
IV:
THE SOUL IN THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE
Introduction
85
Chapter 10 Graduating
to
Another Reality by Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D., ,
thanatologist, psychiatrist,
and author of many books, including 87
Life After Life
Chapter
11
What
Like on the Other Side by Betty
It’s
,
returnee, transformational speaker,
Embraced by
J.
Eadie, near-death
and author of the bestseller 95
the Light
Chapter 12
We Are All Great Awesome, ,
Dannion Brinkley,
Powerful, Spiritual Beings by ,
near-death returnee, transformational speaker,
and author of the bestseller Saved by the Light
101
PART V: EXPERIENCING THE SOUL 109
Introduction
Chapter 13 Artist
As
— The Visionary Art of Alex Grey
Spiritual Explorer
Alex Grey, visionary
artist, spiritual
seeker,
,
by
and author of
Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey.
113
Chapter 14 Levels of Consciousness^— From
by H. H. the Dalai
Lama
Deep Sleep
to
Enlightenment
,
of Tibet, spiritual and temporal leader
of Tibet and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
123
Chapter 15 The Soul’s Need for God by Sri Daya Mata, foremost living disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, president of Self-Realization ,
Fellowship, and author of Finding the Joy Within You
127
Chapter 16 Experiencing the Soul in Meditation by Sant Rajinder Singh, ,
and author of Inner and Outer
spiritual leader, meditation master,
137
Peace Through Meditation \
PART VI: PREPARING THE SOUL FOR A HEALING PASSAGE 149
Introduction
Chapter 17 The Final Frontier: From Outer Space
to
Inner Space by Edgar D. ,
man on the moon, The Way of the Explorer
Mitchell, Ph.D., astronaut, sixth researcher, and author of
consciousness 153
Chapter 18 “Being”
in the
lecturer (also
Moment
known
,
Ram
by
Dass, internationally
as Dr. Richard Alpert), former
known
Harvard
psychologist, and author of several books, including the classic
Be Here
Now
1
57
1
69
Chapter 19 The Life of the Open Heart by Stephen Levine, ,
leader,
poet,
workshop
and author of many books on conscious living and dying,
including
A
Year to Live:
How
to
Live This Year
As
If It
Were Your Last
Chapter 20 Dying Before Dying, by Stanislav Grof, M.D., transpersonal psychiatrist/researcher and author of
Beyond
many
books, including
the Brain
PART VII: THE SOUL AT THE Introduction
183
MOMENT OF DEATH 189
,,
Chapter 21 Glimpses of Eternity
—My Mother’s Last
Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of
many
Gift
Upon Her Passing by ,
psychologist, medical researcher, and
bestselling books, including
A Woman's Book
of Life
193
Chapter 22
What Counts
at the
Moment of Death by
Christine Longaker,
spiritual care educator, student of the venerable
Sogyal Rinpoche,
and author of Facing Death and Finding Hope
199
Chapter 23 “Deathing” and the Failsafe Technique by Anya Foos-Graber,
An
writer, lecturer,
Intelligent Alternative for the Final
—At Death and Beyond
,
and author of Deathing:
Moments of Life
205
Chapter 24 The Tunnel of Love-—A “Goodbye for Now” Poem for a Dying Friend by Louise L. Hay, internationally acclaimed lecturer, and the
many bestselling and Empowering Women author of
,
books, including You Can Heal Your Life
213
PART VIII: SCIENCE AND THE SOUL— THE EVIDENCE 221
Introduction
Chapter 25
How
Consciousness Creates the Material Universe by ,
Amit Goswami, Ph.D.,
professor of physics at the University of
Oregon and author of The Self-Aware Universe
—How Consciousness 223
Creates the Material Universe
Chapter 26 Religion
and
the Frontiers of Science by Charles Tart, Ph.D.,
professor of psychology, pioneer researcher, and author of
books, including Altered States of Consciousness.
many 229
Chapter 27 Evidence Supporting the Spiritual Reality Behind Near-Death Experiences , by Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., psychologist, pioneering near-death researcher, and author of
many books,
including
237
Lessons from the Light
Chapter 28 The Soul and Quantum Physics by Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D., ,
quantum
physicist, speaker,
The Spiritual Universe:
and author of many books, including
How Quantum
Physics Proves the Existence
245
of the Soul
Chapter 29 Is
There Life After Death?
by Willis W. late president
Harman,
—Science and the Survival Hypothesis
,
Ph.D., Stanford Professor Emeritus, the
of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and author of
The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science
253
Chapter 30 Theta Consciousness: Survival Research with the Living by ,
Michael Grosso, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and humanities, lecturer,
and author of many books, including The Final Choice
Epilogue
265
Appendix A
Appendix
—Resource Listings — Taking the Next Step
B —About For A World We Choose Foundation
Endnotes
About
261
Eliot
271
279 283
Jay Rosen
285
FOREWORD
by Academy Award®-winning
actress
Ellen Burstyn
M
y interest in the area of the nonmaterial dimension of reality began while I was still a child, when my grandfather died. My mother and
my brother’s room to see if he was home. My brother was currently staying in the room my grandfather had lived in for several months after the death of my grandI
had been out shopping. Upon our
mother.
As we
aroma of
entered the room,
flowers.
I
I
my
turned to
return,
was
we went
startled to smell the
mother answered
my
grandmother’s funeral just a few years before,
in
overpowering
mother and asked, “Do you smell that?”
My
quietly, “Yes,
funeral parlor.” Just then the
to
it
smells like flowers.”
phone rang.
My
I
Remembering
said, “It smells like a
mother walked
to the
phone
an unnaturally measured pace and picked up the receiver in what seemed
slow motion.
like
I
watched her face crumble as she received the news of
her father’s sudden and unexpected death. I
I it
could not understand
carried
it
with
and digest
me
its
like
this experience.
candy
I
grew
more events of a mysterious kind answers. In
fact,
my
that at the core of ori
hoped some day
my pocket waiting
in
strange sweetness.
event never come, but as
I
Not only did
older,
my
is
might.
for the right time to eat
me
filled
with more candy,
but brought no concrete
questions deepened. Over the years,
our reality
I
a full explanation of that
pocket
that intrigued
that
I
came
to realize
what Buckminster Fuller called the “a
pri-
mystery.” This mystery has led me, haunted me, fascinated throughout
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
my
life. It
has defined
pursuits, stimulated
my
my
interests, influenced
curiosity,
and informed
In 1978, while developing the story that
the screenplay for Resurrection,
I
my studies, prompted my my every day.
Lewis Carlino
later
wrote as
had been reading Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross’s
work On Death and Dying, and also Raymond Moody’s Life After Life. From Raymond Moody’s reports of the near-death experience, we created the scene of
my
who found
character, Edna,
herself going through a non-
physical tunnel of light after a traumatic car accident. life
with a deeper understanding of
including the
power
nel
dimensions and
is
repeated later in the film
on a patient’s symptoms. Edna sees her
and awakens
follows with
to the
knowledge
Edna and her
Edna, the
father
on
tant, I
light,” as
his
tun-
The scene
that
when
two pioneers
was happy we could seed them
dies
deathbed was inspired by Kiibler-
he makes the transition
ideas in the works of these
felt the
possibilities,
when she almost own father in the
that her father is dying.
Ross’s work with the dying, and again Moody’s, light,
returns to
to heal the sick.
The tunnel image after taking
life’s
Edna then
her father says, “The
to the immaterial realm.
in the field
I
were so impor-
into the consciousness through the
medium of film. Now, 20 years after Resurrection, comes
popular
articles is
from almost
all
even a description
this
wonderful anthology with
the leaders in thanatology and related fields. There
in Bill
Guggenheim’s chapter on “The
Varieties of
After-Death Communications” where he describes smelling the fragrance of flowers immediately after a loved one dies, just as
my
I
experienced
when
grandfather died. This collection charts the ways in which researchers,
scientists, psychologists, visionaries,
and
spiritual leaders
have observed
the manifestation of soul throughout the universe. I
pray that this book touches your heart and mind and inspires your soul
on the
spiritual journey.
T
his is
book (and
the
companion video
a direct result of a life-transforming, five-hour-long meditation that
experienced in July of 1994. At the time,
worker
Honolulu with people
in
morning,
I
of Light.
A
with
same name)
series that shares the
my
gently lifted out of
I
was working
in the process of dying.
my body
in meditation
as a hospice social
One
quiet Saturday
and entered a realm
“Being of Light” began a two-way, telepathic communication
spirit-soul with these exact words: “Society
is
now ready
to
me
that a
worldwide
humanity would soon come tion to another
dimension
spiritual
awakening was upon death
to accept the reality that
—and not
the
end of
life. I
is
was
to
accept
was con-
” It
that consciousness survives the death of the physical body.
veyed
I
us,
and
that
only a transi-
told that in the
near future, more of us living on Earth will consciously experience ourselves as souls during Earth-life, and not have to wait until
bodies after physical death to remember
Light proceeded to give
and video
series that
me
who we
really are.
how
detailed instructions on
would help prepare us
for the
we
leave our
The Being of book
to create a
dawning of
this
new
awareness.
As words,
I
had no previous training or experience
my
spirit-soul telepathically expressed
in its
making
films, without
doubts that
wherewithal to accomplish what was being asked of me.
A
I
had the
part of
me
thought that perhaps some erring celestial administrator had “pulled the
wrong
file”
and
lifted the
wrong “Rosen” out of
Light’s compassionate replies to
exact words: “Don’t worry,
be arranged.
”
we
all
my
his body.
The Being of
unspoken concerns were
will help you,
”
or simply,
“Know
in these
that
it
will
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
To give one point Light,
I
a flavor of
candidly
much
very
in character to
—again without words —conveyed
to
weeks, someone
is
the
going
Upon my return much as I could
as
— and
in those extraordinary five hours, at
money? Who’s going
“What about
of Light
what transpired
to
to offer
my
you $5,000
—asked
pay for
my
all this?’’
Being of
The Being
“In exactly two
spirit,
to get started. ”
normal everyday consciousness,
recall of the
the
guidance and directions
I I
down
wrote
was given.
I
who
I
immediately began contacting those individuals and organizations
my
hoped would not only believe ly
otherworldly account, but help financial-
support the project. After two weeks of following up leads and referrals,
mention
experience.
itual
my
ing I
had
story,
to
an offhand
to a friend in
way
that I’d recently
I
just
happened
had a profound
to
spir-
shared the briefest of highlights with him, and after hear-
I
my friend could barely control his excitement. He told me that
speak to his friend Carol Lassen.
Carol was the executor of the Lassen Foundation, the charitable organization founded by world-renowned environmental artist Chris Lassen.
When I
I
could
eventually got a phone call through to Carol and told her tell
that she
me
Carol told
and
that she
I
many
When
completely understood what had happened
fill
was tuning
own
guided
in to a
to offer
you $5,000
Only
that “in at
at that
moment
did
on
my
desk
“On
herself.
I
I
then heard
behalf of our foundation,
I
to get started.”
I
my
remember
two weeks” someone would
the calendar
account, she paused, and a pal-
deep place within
Goose bumps spontaneously arose on eyes.
“in
on the other end of the phone.
the silence
Carol slowly speak the following words: feel
me
had undergone a life-transforming near-death
she had finished relating her
that she
to
years before.
pable presence began to
knew
story,
were definitely “on the same page of music.”
the light” because she herself
experience
my
arms. Tears welled up in
the
Being of Light’s prediction
offer “$5,000 to get started.”
—exactly
my
I
glanced
two weeks had elapsed. Deeply
moved, with a quivering, trembling voice,
I
was barely able
to utter
“thank
you.” Since then, other amazing events that the Being of Light predicted
have also come
to pass.
Preface
A
“Soul's
Eye ” Overview of This Book
For the
last three
and a half years, I’ve been traveling around the United
and interviewing people who have had profound
States, filming
spiritual
experiences, including a broad spectrum of experts from various scientific
and
spiritual fields.
more appear To
in the
Only 32 individuals were selected
for this
book
—many
companion video.
create a greater feeling of intimacy,
I
decided to dispense with the
original question-response, interviewer-interviewee format
and
edit the tran-
scribed manuscripts so that the contributors speak directly to the reader.
As
you’ll soon discover, these contributors have different conceptions
of the soul that
at
times
may seem
to conflict
with each other.
however, that they are describing different aspects or stages journey
—not unlike
the proverbial story of the blind
different parts of an elephant
phantness.”
As
men
the story goes, one blind
man
men were
in the soul’s
grabbing hold of
takes hold of the
phant resembles a tree-trunk, and so on. So there
be found in
believe,
and arguing about the essential nature of
that the elephant is like a snake, another touches the leg
truth to
I
is
tail
and says
“ele-
and says
that an ele-
an underlying basis of
all the entries in this anthology, just as
each of the blind
“right” within the scope of their experience.
Meeting the contributors
to
this
book has been an
enriching experience: Without exception, they tual acuity, spiritual perceptiveness,
all
extraordinarily
possessed great intellec-
and deep compassion.
And despite their
differences in viewpoint, each emanated a clearly felt underlying “pres-
ence” on the level of soul that was more prominent than any external
dif-
ference in perspective.
The book Part ple er,
I:
is
divided into eight sections:
Living with Soul demonstrates
grew
spiritually as they
how
“extraordinary ordinary” peo-
were transformed from agnostic
conformist to sacred individualist, by various
Part
II:
The Soul Before Birth explores
the souls of yet-to-be-born children
announcement dreams,
“life or
to direct
know-
death” challenges.
“prebirth experiences,” in which
from “the Other Side” contact people
visions, materializations,
and
in various other
in
ways.
xvii
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL Part III: The Soul After Death introduces the emerging field of “afterdeath communications,” where people report meeting the souls of deceased
loved ones. Yoifll read some amazing accounts, some of which demononly does the soul continue
strate that not
sense of
humor apparently follows
its
existence after death, but our
us as well!
Part IV: The Soul in the Near-Death Experience shares the personal of the world’s two most recognized near-death returnees, Betty
ries
J.
sto-
Eadie
and Dannion Brinkley. This section also includes an interview with Dr.
Raymond Moody,
the pioneering researcher
who
coined the term the
“near-death experience.”
Part V: Experiencing the Soul contains the wisdom-teachings of three of the
most revered
Lama
Dalai
spiritual
of Tibet; Sri
personages on Earth today: His Holiness the
Daya Mata,
the foremost living disciple of
Paramahansa Yogananda; and Sant Rajinder Singh, a master of meditation in the
highly regarded spiritual tradition of Sant Mat.
Part VI: Preparing the Soul for a Healing Passage points to a being in the world that helps us to
and simultaneously
to live
Part VII: The Soul at the
what happens
at
the
more
first
of
accept, and then prepare, for death,
fully in the
Moment of Death
moment
way
moment. enlarges our understanding of
of death, and gives an overview of the
wisdom-traditions and techniques that help us prepare physically, emotionally,
cognitively, and spiritually for the transition
— The
Part VIII: Science and the Soul
we
call death.
Evidence presents
scientific
research on consciousness and paranormal experiences and offers various theoretical
frameworks drawn from the
fields of
quantum physics,
transper-
sonal psychology, the philosophy of science, and other disciplines.
Appendix
A
—Resource
Listings
— Taking the Next Each them —phone numbers, Step.
author offers various ways to contact sites,
that
and so on.
In addition,
addresses, web-
some authors have
might help you take the “next step”
contributing
in
listed those organizations
your journey of soul-
discovery. Others have listed the charitable organization closest to their hearts.
Preface
B— About
Appendix
A World We
For
Choose Foundation. This
brief
section provides an overview of the activities and projects of the nonprofit
organization that created this charity anthology book and companion video series.
any order you wish
— with two possible
exceptions. If you consider yourself a scientifically
minded “doubting
I
invite
Thomas,”
it
you
suggest you
If
start this
in the
in
book
at the
is
me
that has
this
shown me
prayer for myself is that
very
moment
I
am
soul,
and
that the
is
that this
the courage to take the next
LISW,
inspires
you
“we
I
soul
have
in
are not the doers.” this, for
and
My
such knowl-
My heartfelt prayer for
to
deepen your experience of
me to
write these words give you
step— whatever
ACSW
my
write these words,
to the Divine.
that enables
In love and service, Eliot Jay Rosen,
I
never allowed to forget
book
same Power
as
— when
and powerful presence
that, in truth,
edge keeps one humble and receptive you, dear reader,
grieving the loss of a loved one,
the time of this book’s inception
Light— to
—
beginning.
intermittently experienced a benevolent
around
“Science and the Soul
to first read Part VIII,
you are someone who
To conclude, from
was seeded
book
might be better
The Evidence.” I
to read the
that
may be
for you.
A
ll
of the profits from this book are being donated to two nonprofit
charities:
A
For
World
We Choose
Foundation and the Hay
Foundation, the charitable organization created by Louise L. Hay. Thank you, Louise, for selecting this book as the
Year for 1998,” as well as everybody
and loving
call” high standards of excellence I
also wish to thank each
anthology
who donated
the process of dying
inspiration and hope;
Sciences (in
memory
the
attention.
and every distinguished contributor and wisdom
their time
who,
at
Hay House “Charity Book of the Hay House for their “beyond the
to this
in this
book; the people
as their last gifts to us, shared their
in
messages of
generous support of the Institute of Noetic
of Dr. Willis Harman); Elda Hartley of the Hartley
Film Foundation; the Lassen Foundation, the Swedenborg Foundation, the Science of Spirituality, the Self-Realization Fellowship, Transformational Research, Inc.; the Board of Directors of For
Foundation er of the
(in
fond
human
memory
potential
A
World
We
Choose
of Shelby Parker, the unofficial “grandmoth-
movement”); and the Bodhi Tree bookstore
in
Los Angeles.
On a personal note, I wish to cially my mother, Roselle Rosen;
thank
my
entire
extended family, espe-
Andrew Vidich; Laurie K. Schwartz; Dr. Jack Trop; Glenda Lockard; Dr. Mark and Princy Perrault; Margaret and Brian Lambert; Alan Myers; the memory of Sant Darshan Singh, from tion
and
whom
spiritual guidance;
Catherine and Michael Rakoff;
I
received invaluable meditation instruc-
and Sant Rajinder Singh, who continues
freely share the experience of the soul with sincere seekers of truth.
to
The Nature of the Soul—
From Believing
to
Knowing
The Nature of the Soul n an English translation of a book published in India in
I renowned mystic years
in
saint,
seclusion
in
Soami Shiv Dayal Singh
1894, the
— who spent
a full 17
almost continuous meditation— describes the
“Original Region” from which the soul emanates as being “formless,”
“nameless,” “unending,” “fathomless,” “without beginning,” “spaceless,” “quality-less” and “indescribable.”
He
further remarks, “There
bol here from which an idea could be given as to what In the
same way
that the “Original
Region
—
the
is
no sym-
like.”
it is
Home
of the Soul”
is
impossible to describe but can only be experienced, describing the soul itself is also
an impossible task. At best,
we can
only hint
at the attributes
of the soul using inferences, concepts, and metaphors, although that
we humans have
others. This
book
trate the diverse
and
is
seems
an insatiable need to describe our soul experiences to filled
with such testimonies, and only begins to
ways people experience
illus-
their souls before birth, during life,
after death.
But
is it
possible to define the soul?
existence of the soul agree that the soul soul
it
is
is
Most people who
believe in the
not a physical “something.”
The
usually conceptualized as a nonphysical, spiritual essence that mys-
xxiii
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
and paradoxically exists
teriously
beyond
in physical creation, yet is itself
Views on
the time/space constraints of physical creation.
the nature of the
soul can be reduced to three major schools of thought.
—
One view is that the soul is a formless essence consciousness itself which is much the same as God’s essence. To use an analogy, the soul is like merge back
a drop of seawater that will ultimately
into
its
— God,
Source
the ocean of All-Consciousness.
A second
even though
that,
the
view
same as God.
that the soul has a
is
“created in God’s image,”
it
In this view, the soul,
a separate, dual relationship, as
homecoming,
The
third
the soul
it
not in
is
its
returns to
God, experiences
to his or her master.
permitted to be in the presence of
is
primal essence
God
On
homecoming
layers of material
Creator, the soul
its
causal layers of form
has no form, in
—
its
progress on
covered by physical,
is
its
for eternity.
view combines aspects of both views: Although the soul
journey back to
soul’s
when
would a servant
pristine, essential nature ultimately itual
permanent and indestructible form
is
in its
its
spir-
and
astral,
Formless. The
until its final dissolution into the
consists of the progressive peeling off of these subtler
form
that
have attached
formless essence.
itself to its
Resorting again to analogy, this would be like the soul wearing several protective layers of clothing, and while wearing this apparel, identifying itself
as the clothes
it
is
wearing. Over time, however, the soul begins to
shed each layer, one by one, as warmer weather approaches. In the wintertime, at the beginning of the soul’s evolution, the soul
wears a heavy “physical-matter” overcoat so that physical plane of existence. In the
matter” vest so that spring,
it
can function on the
the causal plane of existence. this last thin shirt
of
God
Home
worn
And
in the causal
in the
the Beginningless Beginning
in
Creation.
clothing
astral
The
it
soul
now knows
has been wearing
According
that
all this
it
is
shirt so that
it
can function on
summer, the soul removes even
first
warm
time since
—before
rays of the light
it
left its
Original
the Creator created the
not the physical, astral, and causal
time.
to this third view, this last stage in the soul’s
unlike the scene in the
in the
plane of existence. In the
plane so that the
shine directly on the soul for the
can function
the soul only needs an “astral-
fall,
wears only a thin “causal-matter”
it
it
movie The
Invisible
Man when
unwraps the white surgical bandages
that give his
form. With the bandages removed, he
is
,
body
the
journey
is
not
“Mr. Invisible”
appearance of
formless and invisible, yet
still
pre-
General Introduction
sent. That’s as far as It is
said
analogy can take us in describing the nature of the soul.
by many
experience their souls is
but a fleeting
spiritual traditions that all
once
at least
moment
at the
human
in their earthly lives
beings consciously
—even
if this
time of biological death. However, throughout
recorded history, there have been people
who
claim to have the continuous,
conscious experience of the transcendent nature of their soul every
even while engaging
of
life,
of
homemade
soul
is
soup.
everyday
in
activities
To what degree we pursue
moment
such as sipping a hot cup
this ultimate
experience of
something that each of us chooses, consciously or unconsciously
our thoughts, words, and deeds
From
one time
Belief to
Perhaps a
lives.
Knowing
common
starting point in our inquiry is to agree that the
direct experience of the soul
Bacon (1214-1292), of the Order of
—every moment of our
—by
St.
is
the only
way
to truly
know
the soul.
the great English scientist, philosopher, and
Francis, clarified the distinction
rience of the soul and analytical reasoning
between the
when he
Roger
member
direct expe-
said:
There are two modes of knowing: through argument, and experience.
Argument brings conclusions and compels us
cede them, but does not cause certainty nor remove doubts that the
mind may remain
at rest in truth, unless this
experience. The very basis of non-belief in soul
experience of soul.
is
con-
to in
order
provided by
comes down
to
non-
1
In the winter of his
life,
the great “scientist of the psyche,” Dr. Carl
Jung, suffered a heart attack in which he experienced what today has been
coined a “near-death experience.” In the few minutes that he was clinically dead, before his physician administered the potent heart stimulant that
brought him back to his body, Jung found himself:
...high
up
in space.
Far below
I
saw
the globe of earth bathed
Ahead of me I saw a shining temple and was drawn towards it. As I approached, a strange thing happened. / had the certainty 1 was about to enter an illuminated room and in
a glorious blue
light.
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
meet
all those
people
would understand
whom
to
l
meaning of my
at last the
The experience of transcending enduring effect on the
life
was beloved
his physical
and work qf
There
in reality.
I
2
life
.
body had
a
profound and
this trail-blazing scientist/psychia-
Again, from his autobiography, Dr. Jung wrote:
trist.
What happens
after death
is
so unspeakably glorious that our
imaginations and our feelings do not suffice to form even an
approximate conception of it
The
3 .
aftereffects of this transforming event forever
broadened Jung’s
view of human nature and the universe. For him, the sheer force of this metaphysical experience expanded the frontier of human possibilities to include “the soul” as well as the psyche.
At
Jung himself, the
least for Dr.
reality of life after death
was no longer
dependent on mere beliel or traditional religious conviction. His understanding was
now
firmly grounded in direct experience.
based on diiect revelation,
ing,
is
This inner know-
sometimes called ’‘contemplative know-
Afterwards, in his etlorts to share this experience with others, Jung clearly recognized the age-old philosophical dilemma— ing.
impact and
that the
truth-value of one person’s inner experience cannot fully be imparted to others. For in the very process of sharing inner experience, the firsthand immediacy of the experience is lost. The inherent difficulty lies in the fact that the direct expenencer’s inner knowing
becomes someone
belief
which
else’s
mere
too often devolves into unfortunate misunderstandings and meaningless debate. all
Though contemplative knowing cannot be proven 1C
S6n e
3t least at this
f spirit
any
less real,
time
in
in the strict scientif-
history— this doesn’t make “the
life
of the
meaningful, or effective as a
way of being in the world Nobel Peace Prize recipient Mother Teresa was once asked why she didn’t use her worldwide recognition to actively support political causes she
l
teve
in.
She
replied,
I
find the
power of prayer much more powerful.” power of prayer informed her way
er firsthand spiritual experience of the
J
Of being in the world.
The question then
arises, in
that the accounts shared
XXVI
>£
reading this book,
how do you
really
know
by the contributors are authentic? The answer to
General Introduction
this
question represents
—
form
—a basic challenge we face
life:
Speaking for myself, faith
in miniature
By what criteria do we choose and how do we know what we know?
throughout tion
—
—
faith in
God,
I
realized that
So, too, with this
order to decide for yourself
approach
this
all
our sources of informa-
came down
to
faith in the findings of science, faith in a
tual tradition, faith in the inherent life itself.
it
book with
this
book its
some type of chosen
goodness of human nature, and
— some measure of
meaning and
experimental
each of the contributors,
ulties at his disposal
—
spiri-
faith in
faith is necessary in
truth-value. In asking
faith, all I
that in interviewing
all
can
this writer
you
to
say, dear reader, is
used
all
of the fac-
the discriminative faculties of head, the felt-sense of
the heart, the intuitions of the soul
—and then took “a leap of
on the unmistakable, palpable genuineness and
hope
in
each of these individuals.
I
in
them, and throughout
book.
this
that
you
integrity that
faith” I
based
recognized
also recognize these qualities
Eliot Jay
Rosen
xxvii
PART Living
with Soul
I
INTRODUCTION
S
ome people live with such courage, verve, and endearing panache that we say they live “with soul.” These individuals may have never had a
conscious experience of their soul in the transcendental, spiritual sense, yet
imbued with an intangible but unmistakable
their lives are It is
—
uncommon
that these soul-filled individuals die in an unusual
—
as the saying
“like candles in the wind.” It’s almost as if they arrive
on the stage
way, or goes
not
soul quality.
at a
young
of the play of
even waiting
age. Their earthly lives are extinguished
make
life,
their
cameo appearance, and
to read the reviews in the
exit stage right
morning paper. Yet
their
—not
words and
deeds are indelibly etched in our memories and inspire us onward when the sandstorms of
The
life
threaten to
blow us
off our feet.
contributors to Part I: Living with Soul
Gautama Buddha when he Let
me
embody
said:
not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them.
Let
Let
me
not beg for the stilling of pain,
but for the heart to conquer
it.
me
battlefield,
not look to allies in
but to
Let
me
my own
life
’s
strength.
not crave in anxious fear to be saved,
but hope for patience to win
my freedom.
the spirit of
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
Disco Harry’s Last Dance. Harry, pictured with his granddaughter, loved to dance-wheelchair in tow— to the very last moment of his life. up
CHAPTER ONE
Experiences of
My Soul in
and Death
Life
ELISABETH KUBLER-ROSS, M.D. Dr. Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross
world-renowned expert
a medical doctor, psychiatrist, and a
is
in thanatology (the scientific discipline specifically
studying death and dying). Her pioneering research in thanatology can be
found in dozens of books and
Dying and On
articles, including the classics
Life after Death.
The world owes
On Death and
a great debt to Dr. Kiibler-
Ross for her pioneering and courageous work. More than any other vidual in the pice
modern
era, she has laid the foundation for the flourishing hos-
movement— the newest
social institution that
the closet” and back into the heart of
This chapter
is
Death
is
taking death “out of
is
life.
based on an excerpt from a film interview that took
place in Kubler-Ross’s beautiful
u
indi-
home
in the
Arizona desert.
simply a shedding of the physical body
butterfly shedding
its
cocoon.
It is
a transition
of consciousness where you continue to laugh,
—
and
to
to
to perceive
,
be able to grow.”
Dr. Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross
like the
a higher state to
understand,
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
T
he best teacher
I
ever had,
in all
my
68 years of living, was an unedu-
cated black cleaning lady in the Chicago hospital where
1
was working.
She taught me, Dr. Elisabeth K.-Ross, the world-renowned death and dying specialist,
She didn’t
more about death and dying than anyone else talk from theories stages of dying and all that
—
from knowing, from her
at first.
After she would clean one of
that afterwards the patient
what she
was often
[the cleaning lady]
So one day
out.
I
my
entire
life.
— she talked
stuff
soul.
There was something special about out
in
this
woman,
I
couldn’t figure
my dying patient’s
rooms,
of great peace.
in a place
was doing
but
in there, but
I
I
it
noticed
had no idea
I
was anxious
to find
cornered her and said, “What in the world are you doing
my
with
dying patients?” She became very defensive and said, “I’m not doing anything, I only clean their rooms.” I tried to convey to her that my question was not meant to be critical;
when
she
was
in the
walked away from
I
just
it
me
—too
afraid to
was even more intimidating
black cleaning
my
to find out
what she did
room with them. Well, she denied everything and tell
might lose her job. You must remember,
when
wanted
woman by
asking her,
me
this
anything for fear that she
occurred over 30 years ago,
for a white psychiatrist to confront a
“What
in the
world are you doing with
dying patients?” After sort of
each other out
—
snooping around this incredible
white lab coat and lead tion.
Out
in the
me
ing children;
how
each other for a few weeks
woman
had the courage
into a private area in the
of the blue sky, she
slums of Chicago;
’
began
to tell
me how
to
—checkins
back of the nursing hard
it
my
grab hold of
sta-
was growing up
how
she became the mother of several sick, starvthey had so little money at times that they lived
on
maggot-infested grits and oatmeal just to survive. She told time her three-year-old child got weaker and
me
about the
sicker in the middle of a terri-
bly cold winter of Chicago. This poor, desperate woman took this sick child in her arms and brought him to be treated at a local hospital. She was refused treatment because she still owed the hospital five dollars from a
previous tieat
her
visit.
Knowing
that the
county hospital could not legally refuse
to
boy, she carried her child in her arms and walked all the way from 69th Street to the Cook County Hospital— a long, long walk, especially in the bitter cold. After arriving, she waited another three hours in the emergency room, but her little boy did not receive treatment. The child died in her arms before her name was called. little
Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross, M.D.
In listening to
myself any longer son.
said,
I
“Why
came a point where I couldn’t contain you might have guessed— I’m not a very patient per-
all this,
—
are
as
you
there
telling
me
all
these gruesome horror stories?”
with a great peace in her voice, she said, “Dr. Ross, death acquaintance of mine. I’m not afraid of death anymore.
when
clean a patient’s
I
looks afraid or lonely,
room who
And
is
an old, old
And
sometimes,
very close to dying, and that person
is
cannot help myself from walking over to them,
I
touching them, being with them, and talking to them about
how
death
is
not
so terrible.”
This
woman had met death hundreds
friend and to teach
was
me and
totally unafraid.
my
be
ic
colleagues,
Life After
I
I
coming
know
washy was
I
need
She had a way of being with people
that I
to the
who
for
them when they make what
it’s
is life after
form of psychological
who
—
thought belief in
who
talk about the
If
and
we can do Love
terrible is
be a wishy-
life after
death
wonders of heaven, but
When
these people have
go right out the window!
“Help, I’m having a coronary!” Hopefully,
— and then they’ll be really able
-
what they preach.
is
this,
we
will be able to spread love through the
always stronger than hate. The positive
than the negative. For me,
ing
say,
,
world.
it.
in their chest, their spiritual beliefs
petrified
to
denial.
one day know and not just believe
to practice
myself used
I
deep down they don’t really believe a word of
They become
death, they have a sur-
their transition at the time of death.
like not to believe
There are millions of people
they’ll
my academmy assistant.
dismay and resistance of
don’t believe there
Protestant, a scientific skeptic
some pain
woman
hired this wonderful black cleaning lady to be
firsthand
just a
as an old
Death and the Meaning of Life
For people prise
Much
knew death
said to myself, “That’s the
I
assistant.”
had no idea even existed!
of times. She
shape with
all
it’s
nice to
know
that
is
whole
always stronger
even though the world
is
in
the fighting, politics, and negativity going on, noth-
stronger than love.
In our
work with dying people over
the last 30 years,
we
interviewed
over 20,000 near-death experiencers. These people came from almost every
walk of life,
race, religion,
and
culture.
Upon
their return to Earth,
we found
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
now
almost everyone
that
love
felt that
the
most important thing
— both giving and receiving — and serving As
far as love goes,
Nowadays, people learning
As
how
do
to
it
forget about the in
my
life
far as service goes,
it
can take the form of a million things. To do
be a doctor working in the slums for free, or
you don’t have
to
become
a social worker.
Your position
much
Fear
at the
Many
how you do what you
as
in life
do.
people are afraid of the
moment
where people choke
of death. They see
to death or
not surprising that they are petrified of the are dying benefit
not afraid of death and ple
who
and what you do doesn’t mat-
Moment of Death
vision programs
who
others.
— love myself.
service,
ter as
was
“Love thy neighbor and thy self. ” “ thy self" part. That’s what I m still
said,
is
in life
from having another
who does
all
those tele-
people suffocate, so
moment of death. Most people human being with them who is
not take off quick as a bunny.
I
say to peo-
care for dying people, “If you really love that person and
help them, be with them don't even have to talk.
when
their
end comes
You don’t have
to
it is
close. Sit with
want
them
to
—you
do anything but really be there
with them.”
And when
the time of death
comes, don’t expect a
terrible gurgling
sound or a gasping for breath or a horrible scream. Most of the people I’ve been with and I've been there many, many times there’s just a very quiet
—
cessation of sit
If
—
life.
Very rarely do you have to calm someone down. You just
with them, hold or stroke their hand a
little bit,
and
totally
be with them.
you're there, and they whisper that they need something or want to share
some
last
words with you, then you’ll be able
to help
them.
Sometimes family members and friends are very amazed at the peace, serenity, and calm in the room when somebody makes their transition at the time of death.
can be a very beautiful experience. Sometimes they talk to an invisible person, saying the name ot a deceased father or grandfather
who ly
has
come
members.
It
lor them. This
can be a very consoling experience for fami-
Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross, M.D.
The Spiritual Side of Life Depending on how we have lived here on Earth,
When
different vibrational levels of reality.
people
after death
make
we go
to
their transition at
the time of death or in a near-death experience, people travel to the Other
meadow
Side through what they describe as a tunnel or a gate, a bridge, a
what they report seems experiences
—being
to
my own
be culturally determined. In
a Swiss hillbilly
—
near-death
went through what looked
I
gorgeous Swiss mountain pass with beautiful wildflowers
all
like a
around.
After making this crossing, a Light appears in the distance like a bright
You head toward that Light. Lor me, moment one of the highlights of my whole Light and went smack into the center of it. I star.
—
falling into a water-bath of love. Suddenly,
Home,
that
we
I
was
this life.
I
a very
hastened toward that
melted into
literally
became aware
are part of that Light, that this
is
exciting
it,
like
that this
was
where we come from.
didn’t have any other desire than to stay in the love of that Light, but
wasn’t
my
Lrom all
time to
make my
transition so
I
had
this experience, I realized that all
to
come
it
back.
beings are connected.
children of one parent, our Creator. In that Presence,
I
We
are
we have knowledge
we made before coming into physical life. This includes why a child had to die at such a young age, why we picked
of the agreements
understanding
our mate or our parents
—everything. We
the people that are closest to us ty or love. It is
may
learn that the reasons we’re with
not always be because of compatibili-
sometimes because the personality characteristics of the peo-
we are with specifically help us learn the lessons we need to learn. In life, we may have had to associate with a “schnook,” but we needed that
ple
schnook
So
to learn patience
in the Light, the puzzles of life
into the Light,
by
and tolerance and unconditional love.
arsonists.
lections
I
will find out
Everything
were destroyed
I
become
more about why
owned disappeared
my
my
After
I
die and
go back
house was burned down
overnight.
My
lifelong col-
— a library of over 4,000 books, and a collection of
thousands of rare sewing thimbles from give
clear.
all
over the world that
I
wanted
to
daughter on her return from her honeymoon the same day of the
my
now gone, but I’m living perfectly well without them. So I think God knew what He was doing when he allowed the arson fire to happen. The fire has given me a new beginning in that I am now totally unencumbered by material possessions. I never felt fire.
All
prized material possessions are
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
such freedom
in
my
almost 70 years on
this earth.
So good can come from
our growth. tough experiences. The windstorms ot life are blessings for So if we learn all of life’s lessons, then we don’t have to return to Earth. But
haven’t learned very important lessons such as unconditional
we
if
and patience, then we cannot return to
love, tolerance,
hands.”
You cannot be
allowed
to return to
As
a Hitler and
God and
far as Hitler goes, in
kill
fantasy
with “dirty
millions of people and expect to be
not have to
my
God
I
come
back.
imagine the soul
that
was
order to redeem himself, has to return to Planet Earth as a physician
Hitler, in
who
dis-
covers a cure for AIDS. In this way, he would help millions of people on
way to many mil-
every continent and give them a chance to survive. That would be a
redeem himself for the part he played lions of people. will give
However, with
even the soul
that
in killing
Hitler did,
all that
was
and torturing so
God
is
love-personified and
Hitler other opportunities to learn his lessons.
The Early Years I’ve always
wondered why throughout
my
life
I've thought so often
dawned on me that the seeds of my lifework really started in Poland when I was doing relief work in a concentration camp soon after World War II ended. At the time, I was just a wide-eyed teenager who had come from Switzerland to serve in whatever way I could. My mouth dropped when I saw, firsthand, the horrors of what man can do to his fellow man. I saw trainloads of baby shoes from about Hitler and what he represents. Then
280,000 murdered children. I
my own
nose. This
is
smelled the gas chambers.
saw these things with
corpses.
there
I
is
it
my own
saw mountains of
eyes and smelled these things with
very different from reading about
a big difference
I
it
in a
book, just as
between reading about near-death and out-of-body
experiences and actually having them.
When Jewish
girl
I
was working
was watching me when
women could heard me say this
and
doing
She
this, too.”
said, “Just
being there
at that
is
I
have done
watch your
I
uttered to myself,
this to
and looked
said to her,
concentration camp, one day a young
u
“What kind of men
innocent children?” This young
girl
me and said, “ You would be capable of Me? You must be kidding, I’m not a Hitler!”
life,
at
and you’ll understand that
both the potential to be
a Hitler
in
every
human
and be a Mother Teresa.” At
Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross, M.D.
name Mother Teresa, person who was well known in Europe at
the time, she didn’t actually say the
but another com-
parably saintly
the time.
Soon
afterwards,
As
Switzerland.
I
I
Poland with plans
left
hitchhiked through Germany, for several days
times didn’t have even a piece of bread to
dawned on me
that if a child
mean
of
my
life
my
eventually
forest
made
it
back
I
come
this
would
I
That
—
that
at the time,
experience
is
it
holding
steal this
what
this
under cer-
This was one of the
out.
it
some-
—
but the goal
to help produce, in
Hitlers.
to Switzerland, but not before collapsing in a
returned to Switzerland, against to the
knew
more Mother Teresas and fewer
from typhoid fever and having
moved
I
I
me
walk by
to
native
extreme hunger,
Hitler in all of us”
didn’t fully realize
was profoundly molded by
the next generation, I
was “a
part of us can
life. I
that
my
A light went on in my head.
said there
tain circumstances, a
greatest lessons of
was so hungry
I
piece of bread from this child.
meant when she
eat. In
would have happened
a piece of bread in her hands,
girl
my
return to
to
my
to recuperate in a hospital.
father’s wishes,
I
When
I
studied medicine,
New
York.
needed
assis-
United States, and married a guy from Brooklyn,
spent the next 30 years working with dying patients.
The Search for
Whenever
Life-After-Death Evidence
there have been times in
tance in solving a particular question, spirit
guides
although
I
—
I
my
research
my
asked
for guidance. Within five days,
when
spooks
I
—what
get an answer in
I
I
call
my
some form,
don’t have any psychic gifts such as being clairvoyant or hear-
ing messages directly.
Everyone has and dozens. that help
When
at least
I’m
in
some
life after
have
I
asked
my
spirit
death. Shortly afterwards,
incredible experience.
He was
at least
to
44 guardian angels
by various names
in
in her 30s lying
me gather eviman who told me an
guides to help I
met a
driving on the highway
when he saw
a
on the side of the road. She had been injured by a
hit-and-run driver and had been
One
I
people have dozens
and cultures, but the terminology doesn’t matter.
There came a point when
woman
trouble,
and protect me. These beings are referred
different religions
dence on
Some
one guardian angel.
car after another drove by.
left
lying on the roadside curb for hours.
Nobody stopped
to help her
except this one
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
guy,
whom
to the I
I
Good
call “the
Samaritan,"
woman. Supporting her
in his
can do for you?” She looked
do for
else can
anybody
Good Samaritan
me
who
arms, he asked her,
him and
at
stopped his car and went over
woman
stayed with this
“No, there
said,
now." She then
Is
lost
nothing else
is
consciousness, but this
and did not leave
about ten minutes, she opened her eyes and said,
theie anything
“Maybe
her.
there
Then
is
after
one thing
someday you can do for me. When you can, please go to the Indian reservation where my mother lives and give her a message. Tell my moththat
er that
am
I
am
am not only okay, I am very happy right now because my Dad." The young woman gave him her mother’s name
okay.
already with
I
I
and told him what Indian reservation she lived on and then died
arms
in the
of this total stranger.
Good Samaritan was
This
time that he immediately drove 700 miles out of his
at the right
When
Indian reservation!
ribly distraught in hearing
er apologized to
She
ter’s death.
that she
so excited that he had been at the right place
him
about the death of her daughter. In
more upset about
“You understand,
message
the
band died an hour before the car accident of I
heard
this story,
derful true account that that
I
shows
thanked
my
me know Earth.
news of her daugh-
that
my
daughter gave that
my
hus-
daughter, 700 miles apart."
guides for the
that there is a reality to the
of this won-
gift
realm of existence
I
some of my own mystical experiences
that
rather than only believe in the existence of realms
want
to
make
it
very clear that in
my
or comprehension of higher consciousness.
I
earlier years,
I
have helped
beyond
this
had no belief
never really meditated in
my
when I am with dying patients, I am so in a way this can be considered a form of
except that I’ve been told that
totally
focused and tuned
meditation.
It
in, that
that’s the case, then I’ve
meditated thousands of hours
in
life.
One where
10
moth-
Experience of Cosmic Consciousness
I’d like to share
my
my
ter-
people go to after death.
My Own
life
the
fact, the
was already with her Dad, she could not have known
When
to the
he told her mother the news, she did not seem
for not being
said,
way
#
I
of
my
first
mystical experiences occurred during a research project
had out-of-body experiences
at the
Monroe
Institute,
an experien-
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D.
tially
based laboratory for consciousness research located
accompanied and observed by
Menninger Foundation. I
was
told to “slow
my
too fast in
It
down” by
initial
my
out-of-body attempts that
He felt that I was going On my second attempt to
my
attempt to leave I
body.
was determined
to
circumvent the
ference of this man. Using a self-hypnosis technique,
my body
human being had
was
the laboratory chief.
have an out-of-body experience,
would leave
I
from the prestigious
six skeptical scientists
was during one of
in Virginia.
faster than the
speed of
light,
I
inter-
myself
told
that
I
and go further than any
moment
ever gone in an out-of-body experience. The
I
my body with incredible speed. I don’t remember a thing that happened when I was out of my body. The only memory I had when I returned to my physical body were the words shanti gave myself this self-induction,
nilaya Only months later did
two words, which
After
I
returned to
you about a
I’ll tell
my
left
body, as
I
said,
the out-of-body experience whatsoever. All rience,
little later. I
had no conscious memory of
I
knew was
that after the expe-
was healed of an almost complete bowel obstruction
I
made
very painful slipped disc that had formerly
even pick up a book from the however,
I
was
also told
My
When
The
to
me
me
impossible for
at the
scientists
Monroe
Institute that
I
—20
tried all their
what had
for information as to
in this experience, but they couldn’t elicit anything
remember
dis-
was
I
looked radiant
from the Menninger Foundation
me
to
returned from the experience,
I
100-pound sugar bag without any
fancy psychological techniques to press
happened
it
as well as a
bowel obstruction was also completely healed.
by many people
years younger.
floor.
literally able to lift a
comfort or pain.
me.
meaning and significance of
find out the
I
.
these
I
from
I
couldn’t
I
spent that night alone in a remote forest cabin in the Blue Ridge
a thing.
Mountains. Soon, an ominous, eerie feeling came over me, an awareness that
I
had “gone too far”
to accept the
in
my
consequences.
I
out-of-body experience, and that
had a vague, inner foreboding
very impactful was going to happen in that cabin. Then
most painful experience of like to die a
my
life. I literally
had
My
breathe.
body doubled up
As
was out of
this
I
to experience
was happening,
I
had
total
the reach of the help of any
I
had attended
in excruciating physical pain.
now had
something
happened
thousand times over: Over the next few hours,
the deaths of each of the over 1,000 patients time.
“it”
that
I
I
what
it
the
felt
experienced to
up
to that
could hardly
knowledge and awareness
human
—
that
I
being. During those agoniz-
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL had only three momentary reprieves to catch my breath. During the first reprieve, I begged for a shoulder to lean on. I literally expected a man's left shoulder to miraculously appear so I could put my in g hours,
head on
I
bear the agony. In the same instant
me
to help
it
asked for the
I
shoulder to lean on, a firm but compassionate voice of a spirit guide simply
be given.” The pain resumed unabated until what
stated, “It shall not like
a
an endless amount of time
later.
In the next brief reprieve,
begged for a hand
hand
to
it
to
I
somehow show up on
to hold.
my
the right side of
again expected
I
bed so
felt
could grab on
I
and better endure the agony. The same voice spoke again and
said, “It
shall not be given.”
The
third
and the
last
time
was able
I
much
ed asking for but a fingertip. But very thought, “No,
through
this,
“no” was endure
At
if
this
can’t get even a single
I
acceptance that
agony
—we
this point,
are never given
something
me
in
in character,
hand
my humble
mind, symbolizing
contemplat-
I
immediately
I
me
hold on to support
to
Imbedded
more than we can
surrendered.
Then
a place of positive surrender.
my
breath,
in this
had both the strength and the courage
I
stop being such a warrior, such a rebel
into
my
don't want to settle for just a fingertip!”
I
my
to catch
—
I
fighting
the simple
bear.
needed
to
—and move
to
realized that
all
the time
I
word yes emerged
submission. At the
to
moment
in
that yes
my
came
awareness, the incredible agony stopped, and a miraculous rebirth
experience began.
very fast vibratory pulsation of
First, a
my
abdominal
my entire body. Then this pulsating spread to each that my eyes beheld. In front of me appeared an incred-
wall spread throughout
and every molecule
ibly beautiful lotus flower
amidst a nonphysical Light.
Light through the open lotus flower
However, the moment
incredible rate.
ol this Light, all vibration stopped.
into a
A
whole world
the
I
merged
When
walk down the
I
awoke,
and
hill,
I
somehow
sun would rise over the horizon. the
hill.
As
I
walked,
I
I
vibrating at an
deep silence came over
just
would occur
“it’’
still
into the unconditional love
deep trancelike sleep tor about an hour and a
betore dawn.
down
—
entered into the
I
put on
—
knew
at the
my
half.
that
exact
I
I
me
as
I
woke up
fell
just
was supposed
moment when
to
the
robe and sandals and walked
experienced such ecstasy.
I
was
in total love
and awe with every
leal,
every cloud, every blade of grass, every living
creature. Everything
was
alive.
path.
12
My
teet literally
I
telt
the pulsation of the pebbles on the
hovered above the pebbles without touching them,
Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross, M.D.
conveying
to them, “I
the bottom of the the path as
experienced in It
me
took
ical existence
became aware
hill, I
walked.
I
cannot step on you,
me
It
and
cannot hurt you.” As
I
that
had not touched the ground of
I
was absolutely beyond words in everything
reached
I
to describe the love
I
around me.
come back down to normal, physdo my daily work of cooking meals for my
several days to completely
—
to
be able to
family, doing laundry and washing dishes.
The at a I
time
first
shared this mystical experience with other people was
I
conference on transpersonal psychology a few months
was
was
by
told
my
fellow speakers and participants that what
called “cosmic consciousness.”
book with
the
same
I
of peace.”
us will return
I
be able
It
when we have seems
that the
learned
that
I
my
had
to
life in
Afterwards,
I
I
began
this
with one of her if it
That night death.
One
in front of
moments
my
I
could learn on an
firsthand.
I
was
also told
Home where
all
of
ways
that are very difficult to put
was
death,
Looking
about.
experience was well worth
media
—
—
I
had
to
it.
to bear the harsh
me
that tried to shred
to pieces
to teach publicly about the reality of life after death.
Spirit
A short while later,
miracle
I
our earthly lessons.
went through another type of agony
Meeting One of My
informed that
that
words shanti nilaya meant “the
life after
this
criticism of society, particularly the
when
and found a
go through “dying a thousand deaths”
undergoing the agony of
back,
all
understand what death, and
to
to the library
believe that this will be the Final
This experience touched into words.
went
experienced
had experienced
by an orange-robed Buddhist monk
home
later
I
Afterwards
I
Cosmic Consciousness, so
title,
intellectual level about the state
final
later.
Guides
was
I
would be
own
spirit
invited to a spiritual group and
was inwardly
the day that Dr. Elisabeth K.-Ross
guides in person.
I
would meet
would not have believed
this
own eyes. moment of
wasn’t also witnessed by 75 other people with their
saw what most of you
of
my
will only experience at the
spirit guides, a large figure
about
me, identified himself as “Salem,” and
later,
he not only touched
my
hand. Salem told us that night that
comprehension, and that
we
will feel
T
10"
tall,
started to talk to
sandals but stroked
humans
how
appeared right
are loved
blessed
we
my
me.
hair
A few
and held
by God beyond our are
when we
learn
EXPERIENCING THESOUI pity, and realize that compassion instead of judgment, empathy instead of small part ot out total existence. Planet this life in the physical body is a very
Earth
return
passed
all
these tests,
Commitment Before
Last
/
and
trials, tests,
we are ajlowed buck Home where we all came tiom.
we have
My
where we go through
the place
is
“to graduate"
remaining time
my main job
have here,
I
is
are the last lessons
known
I’ve
ing this
The
life.
have
I
first
was
work
the
I
the
was
first told this, I said,
me
to tell
They
said,
work
a
said, “Fine,
me!" And received
I
all
I
drop dead.
commitments upon
is?
—
enter-
—
my
guides that
spirit
I
have
to
When exist? Do
that there is life after death!
the 'death and dying lady.'
Now
you
people that death does not exist? Give the job to a minister!'’
“No, we can’t give
it
to a minister."
message
list
why
of
it
had
to
does not
have
me
to say, they
the help
I
did help
needed. So
people, thousands of times.
Now
I
not?" They
world has
to the
someone who
be me! So
will teach people that death
“Why
said,
I
professional credentials, and
whole long I
until
“You must be kidding. Death does not
my nickname
woman, someone with
—
three
by
told
said that the person chosen to give this
scientist
have good
to relax;
death and dying. Then, out of the blue
world that death does not exist
you know what want
made
I
in
was
I
longer. In the
to learn.
for a long time that
sky, about 20-plus years ago, tell
much
how
to learn
thoughts; take care of myself; and not work, work,
Those
and eventually
Die
don’t believe I’m only going to be here on Earth
I
When
tribulations.
exist,
because
I
finally
be a
to
also a
is
gave
in. I
but you better help
almost no time
in
I
shared this message with thousands of
I'm finished with that commitment, and
others are continuing this aspect of the work.
My to love
third
commitment
unconditionally
and just
be.
lessons in
I
the only thing
— how
think this
my new
—
is
to
I
have not learned yet
accept and love myself,
the right
environment for
location in the Arizona desert.
I
me
my
am
—
in fact, /
how
to live in
joy
to learn these final
my
house.
can V wait! The moment
I
die,
I
know
guides will be there for me, and I’m going... whoosh... straight into the
Light!
14
not afraid ot death
is
love to feed the coyotes
and birds and other wild animals that come right up to I
how
—
I
will be
welcomed with open arms.
I
have
lots
of helpers on the
Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross, M.D.
Other Side, and we’ll have a
ball! I’ve told
release balloons in the sky to celebrate that
my I
children that
when
I
die, to
graduated. For me, death
is
a
graduation.
was promised
I
that this will
be
my
last life
on Earth.
I
will not volun-
come back to Earth. I’ve had enough this time around. If they try to send me down to volunteer again, I’ll say, “No, thanks.” I know that Buddha came back to Earth out of compassion, but I’m not going to be a Bodhisattva Buddha and come back. Look at my belly, it's not big enough to be a Buddha belly! No, out of compassion, I came back this time to tell
teer or
choose
to
people about death and dying and
and
can continue to do a
I
the
commitments, stuck
one
— A
this
and
to learn
how
lot
death. I’ve
evil.
“ Inside
time. ”
is
share here, I
made last
myself more.
of me there are two dogs.
The other dog
my
of good work on the Other Side, too.
Native American Elder once described his
manner:
done
them, and fulfilled the work, except for the
to
to love
life after
good. The
When asked which dog replied,
own inner struggles in One of the dogs is mean
mean dogfights
the
wins, he reflected for a
“The one
I feed the most. ”
good dog
all the
moment and
CHAPTER TWO
Cultivating Your Soul's
Unique Path-
Daring to Be "Spiritually Incorrect" JOSEPH SHARP Joseph Sharp
is
a writer, lecturer, and longtime
AIDS
the author of the internationally acclaimed book, Living
survivor.
He
is
Our Dying. The
following essay was adapted for this anthology from Joseph’s forthcoming
work, Sacred Individuality.
“I’ve
when
me
it
come
comes
to respect the voice
to spiritual matters.
of the dissenter and maverick
The avenues of seeking that
interest
today are not about trying to locate or discern a spiritual cooperative
or single tradition that
know how
to
I
more fully
can best fit within. To the contrary, cultivate
my
soul’s individuality.
How
soul trying to express itself through the unique particulars
humanity
—a humanity that
is
want
I
my of my is
sometimes ecstatic and joyful,
but just as often touched by sadness, anger, or despair ?
— Joseph Sharp
to
’’
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
me
Let
“/
begin with a story.
want
to
speak
mask away from gripping
his
as
rattle,
Jim wouldn
.
.
chaplain alone.
to the
"
mouth as he whispered
if trying to
pull
Jim
lifted the
the words.
life itself out
opaque oxygen
Each breath was a
of thinning
We
air.
all
knew
through the weekend; his mother had arrived earlier the day, and friends were beginning to gather. This man in his mid-40s
that in
would be
the
’t
live
second person
Jim looked
to his
mom.
on
to die
“ Alone ” ,
my
unit within
two weeks.
he repeated. Then he looked to
me and
winked. I
was
the
chaplain for the Infectious Disease
Memorial Hospital
in Dallas, Texas.
A
Unit at Parkland
teaching hospital for the university's
medical school, Parkland also serves as Dallas County's welfare hospital. Since the hospital
had no
official religious affiliation, its intern
chaplaincy
program was considered “interfaith"— meaning everything and no thing. Out patients ran the gamut—from Fundamentalist Christian to Buddhist, from Voodoo to New Age, to no religion whatsoever. "Well, Rev, "
Jim said after the others had left the room. He called me sometimes as a joke. He knew I wasn’t ordained. He knew that, as
Re\
far as
my internship at the hospital was concerned,
iation with
any particular
had no agenda or affillast few days, we’d discussed I
During the religious affiliation thoroughly. Jim had been a full-time choir director at a large suburban church before he became ill with AIDS. Jim looked me directly in the eyes. "I just want you to know if I could do it all over again, I'd be more outrageous. You know, give 'em more hell. Be more myself and less what everybody said I'm supposed to be. That’s all. " Just wanted you to know that. lift
religion.
Jim brushed a bony finger toward the oxygen mask, and the plastic cup hack, snug and fit to his face. I could
I
helped him
see the smile from beneath the mask. His eyes twinkled now, so vibrant and alive within his dying body.
“More myself
It in
dent
”
he repeated
said that as the
monks
to
Buddha
softly.
lay
"More
upon
myself.
”
his deathbed,
he directed his stu-
abandon each of the precepts and doctrinal rules he’d taught
Joseph Sharp
them over
the years.
What was most
vital,
he whispered, was
unto yourself.’' According to legend, these were the Buddha’s a light unto yourself.
the
It is
kingdom of God I
is
Sacred “Lo here! or Lo there!
where
self’ is not only advising us of
perennial
wisdom
is
innate, particular,
Jim was teaching
or being a “light unto your-
to seek, but also of
how
more myself and
—what we might
and “within” each of
me when
he
less
sacred individuality
call a
what
us. It is
want you
said, “I just
I
to
believe
know
what everybody said I’m supposed
Regardless of religious
wisdom
is
who
with those
affiliation, race, gender, or
one of the most are terminally
common
ill.
if I
could do hell.
it
all
working
wry smile of Sometimes
end, seems to be the same: “If
I
it
mescould
over again, I’d not be as concerned about what other people
thought. Instead, I’d do
more
at life’s
Be
sexual orientation,
said with a
it is
that
my patient
refrains I’ve heard while
Sometimes
—
said with deep regret and bitterness. Either way, the teaching, the
sage from the bigger picture
do
This
to be.”
larger understanding, almost as if privy to a vast cosmic joke. is
to seek.
over again, I’d be more outrageous. You know, give ’em more
it all
this
behold,
for,
directing us to acknowledge, honor, and even cultivate
an authentic uniqueness is
words. Be
within you.”
wisdom of seeking “within”
believe this
last
a light
same wisdom Jesus taught when admonishing
his students not to look for the
the
“Be
to
risks,
more of
the things that
really enjoyed. I’d take
I
be more unique. More myself.”
A profound yet simple wisdom, this practice is about cultivating a depth of individuality that
is
authentic to your
being true to yourself, and
how
invite into our daily lives
and our
own
that trueness
own
unique expression.
a spiritual practice
is
We
try to
be a light unto our idealism of
spiritually correct posture of peacefulness
particular
about
we can
religious traditions. Often, in our
attempt to maintain a sense of “spiritual correctness,” teaching.
It is
we can
forget this
spiritual perfection, a
and equanimity, devoid of one’s
and unique outrageousness.
The Within Teaching “It is
God’s nature
to
be without a nature.”
Dominican monk, Meister Eckhart. By
the
1
So
end of
charged him with heresy. Today, Meister Eckhart
said the 13th-century
his life, the Vatican
is
had
considered by scholars
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
and seekers alike
be one of the greatest mystics within the whole of
to
own
Christian tradition, yet during his
church and religion
The
tradition:
he continually kept his
life,
because of his often blunt, spiritually incorrect
astir
We
pronouncements.
time and
see this time and time again, regardless of religious
individualistic
imagination of the brilliant soul usually
annoys the rather dull hallowed halls of The Established Way. From Jesus, who was branded a heretic and troublemaker for his teachings that went against official Jewish law, to this century’s
who
Krishnamurti,
J.
irritated
thousands of Theosophical followers by dissolving and renouncing the spiritual
hierarchy that had organized around him, the history of our world’s
religions
is
with saints, adepts, and seekers
filled
As long
spiritually heretical for their time.
rule was:
It
your personality doesn’t
cultural tradition,
For years
your path
to figure out the
way, the
an enlightened person
Way
the
kingdom, itual
Sacred seemed to
to the
sages
who knew
the big secret.
personality.
of someone else
his or her
lie
spiritual or
socially as well as spiritually,
who knew— say,
elsewhere, outside of
The
was
way. For me, like most of
and experience. Of course
light, self,
model of your
Change your
style, the pattern
and follow
ridiculed as
can remember, the unspoken
I
the basic
game of life,
thought the
I
is clear.
fit
as
who were
it
my own
us,
inner
wasn’t only the great spir-
great artists knew, the great writ-
and even some great statesmen such as Gandhi or Martin Futher King. my mind, they were all privy to a special knowledge
ers,
In
that
almost infallible gods.
If
my
enlightened ones said, well, the journey of hie
I
experience differed from what any of these must be wrong. Again, this was what I thought
was about: finding someone
else
who knew and
ing his oi her rules, seeing life through his or her eyes. But as the story of my dying patient
with
sage irom that biggei peispective at teachers have said all along: Seek
life’s
within.
itual
exploration
expei lence ot
And
still
is
that
life itself
which
—
seeking one’s
own
spiritual tradition?
are asking us to
infinite,
where
>Y,
The
I
to look, but
believe this
to
follow-
us, the
mes-
be what the great
territory for appropriate spir-
found “within” our moment-to-moment spacious, and unrestrictive.
is so.
I
it
be that these teachings are
how to look, way within a
of
individually authentic
of
how
to
begin
larger culture of
believe the great spiritual teachers
acknowledge and honor an authentic sense of our own one-
of-a-kind individuality that
20
is
AIDS reminds
end seems
another radical possibility: Could
not advice of merely
made them
is
likewise “within” each of us. In other words.
— Joseph Sharp
there
is
no
spiritually correct
be as honest, as true
costume
only an injunction to try to
to wear,
to yourself, as possible.
This
not about outer appear-
is
ance, but inner awareness.
From
this
understanding, the “Within Teaching” advises us to listen to
and learn from who
we
truly are within ourselves.
It
directs
you
pay
to
attention to your innermost desires, feelings, thoughts, impulses, passions,
and so
peculiarities, idiosyncrasies, yearnings,
forth. It asks
and cultivate those qualities and characteristics
you
to
honor
that
make you unique unto
own
particular enthusiasms
yourself.
The Within Teaching
What
asks:
are your
What are the kinds of things that make you enthusiastic? Where does your own deep passion reside? Or, to put it in the terms of popular in life?
spirituality,
what’s your bliss?
Certainly,
most
commonly encourage
institutionalized religions don’t
seekers to “follow their bliss.” Usually, we’re encouraged to follow the
and doctrinal confor-
spiritually correct, well-traveled-by road of propriety
mity. For example, in
my own
childhood,
Sunday School teachers mentioning
I
don’t recall a single one of
the concept of Biblical
myths
mythology was something the Greek pagans worshiped; and they horribly painful deaths because of
it.
As
far as
Sunday School teachers ever mentioned anything alist line,
all
died
remember, none of
I
my
my
that did not toe the liter-
and none made room for sincere questioning, for mystery, or for
authentic enthusiasm to arise. (I’ve since heard of differing experiences,
from a few of
particularly
my
Catholic friends,
wild nun or outrageous Jesuit. teachers, not the rule.) ers
As
far as
many
truly fascinates, excites, this is not easy.
we can
mary
and enthuses
us.
could do
more of the things
poem by an
elderly
I
it
enjoy.”
all
to think in that direction,
—enthusiasm and
considered “adult” behavior.
I
a missed oppor-
We can decide to follow our bliss.
We’ve been conditioned not
refrains I’ve heard while
thing like: “If
What
recognize our innate calling to what
not to question, not to get “too excited” nified, are not
child.
of us.
Thankfully, as noisy adults
But
of that occasional
middle-class Protestant spiritual teach-
were concerned, a good child was a quiet
tunity for so
tell
these were always the exceptional
Still,
my
who
As
I
bliss aren’t dig-
said earlier, one of the pri-
working with terminally
ill
patients
is
some-
over again, I’d be more outrageous, and do
A few
years ago, there
woman who summarized
her
was
life’s
a widely circulated
lesson by saying that
M21
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
she could do
if
it
over, she
all
would
more chocolate, take more chances,
eat
and wear purple more often. Unfortunately, illness or
it
one
often takes a life-threatening
event for us to begin reconsidering our cultural bias against
authentic enthusiasm and bliss in the
ed
it
our society and
its
institutions
first
Wouldn’t we
place.
encouraged us
to
feel support-
seek out our bliss?
If
and desires were respected and even nurtured as integral elements with the soul’s greater maturation? Imagine how art-filled, richly diverse, and spiritually potent our experience would become. s
innei passions
As
a culture, we’ve a long
way
But as the Taoists are fond of saying, The journey of a thousands miles begins with a single footstep. Following your own enthusiasm, passion, and bliss is one of the best ways I’ve found to go.
to
begin exploring the individualized path of your soul’s particular calling.
T ollowing Your Enthusiasm
The
novelist and poet Natalie
teacher, Katagiri Roshi,
who
Goldberg
a story about her Buddhist
tells
encouraged her
first
to see her particular call-
ing-creative writing— as a spiritual practice itself. Katagiri said, “Make writing your practice. If you commit to it, writing will take you as deep as en. There is a plethora of books available now on how different kinds of creative acts and artistry can be consciously used in our spiritual deepening That which gives us enthusiasm in life, from gardening or decorating a house, to writing poetry or journaling, to raising children or playing a sport like basketball or golf, or exploring the woods in search of a certain species eet e 01 utterfly all ot these, as long as they bring you personal 0311
everyday
t, i
V
cvede her
nte8rated
‘
'
nt ° 2
'
arger
way of Peking
the Sacred in
life
riter
d 0f mine Marcia Tyson Kolb ex Pl a ins how her “work has deepened her own spirituality and become a potent form
ri
J he earth
IZ
^
p“"
r W
-
’
’
•* ,he
«*. 4« cT °f lntlmate de P endence of her garden p Sh ‘
T
se
m° mo,r 6 keen| y
r various teachers"
in
and land
to life’s
^ch as a hurricane) have made aware of the interconnectedness of all things and of her “ th3t larg6r Wh ° le Havi lg S P ent -os. of my childevents
-
2“,,T%7 "u L
aid,
I
'
StUdying Buddhism Wlth d usually experienced ‘spirituality’ as
— Joseph Sharp
something you do with a teacher, you know,
Whether ality
I
knew
it
like a priest or a Roshi.
or not, subliminally I'd gotten this message that spiritu-
was something you did with and even through
a teacher, through
another person outside of you. But the garden undermines “In the garden, plants
come
communion.
get a sense of direct
I
and go
to flower, mature,
everywhere, and then
all
all that.
see hundreds of
I
dropping their seed-children
to seed,
these precious mother-plants die; but by next
Spring, the children-seeds are shooting up sprouts out of the ground. I
watch
this
whole process, and
myself as part of
feel
throughout the year, caring for the whole thing ing. Yes, the best
ing qualities of
way
life,
to describe
or life’s eternal nature, but
ongoing
like a ‘direct
communion’ of the ongo-
not a teaching in words or con-
out in the garden
In the garden,
might never have experienced that I’d let
It’s
always heard teachers talk about reincarnation
wonder and watch God happening much. So much
garden
in the
get this immediate teach-
when I’m
life.
—I’m
I
death, and rebirth.
cepts. It’s there. It’s real. I’d
continuity, this
it is
—
it
When
it
I
I
really feel
that directness, if
become my
this
just stand out there in wordless
the time. Just direct
all
it,
I
communion.
I
hadn’t loved gardening so
spiritual teacher, too.”
know that for myself, writing has become one of the primary practices within my own larger spiritual odyssey. Often, I write what I need to learn. And it seems I catch many of the sublime lies I tell myself about life and God much quicker when I try to write about them. This was the case with my first book, Living Our Dying. I would write something about conscious dying about what I thought I believed, about how a particular event taught me some spiritual lesson and then I’d read it again a few days later. By rereading it and rewriting it again and again, I came to realize just how dishonest I
—
or shallow
my original
ly believe
what
I
was
interpretations were; or, at the least, that
saying.
revered spiritual teacher said
it
I
may have wanted
was
so,
For me, the deep joy and enthusiasm
enough so
that
it
can cut through
I
but
feel
my own
I
to believe
seeker uses her
own
we have
to
because a it
myself.
to excite
me
spiritual self-deceptions.
—need —do to
it
from writing serves
path that includes this intensity of joy or enthusiasm
because
didn’t real-
didn’t really believe
One’s enthusiasm can be used as a powerful sword of
to deceive
I
this;
is it
spiritual truth.
much is
A
harder for us
our passion.
If a
soul-level enthusiasms to consciously and intentionally
travel deeper along her particular path, she will find the determination to not settle for the
mere appearance of spiritual
propriety.
She
will
demand
authen-
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
growth and muster the
tic spiritual
own
failings.
That
mill
— because
tual
mind
it
why
is
courage to be honest about her our true enthusiasm is great grist for the spiritual
the kind of grist that
is
Our enthusiasm
to trick.
spiritual
is
ultimately too big for the concep-
penetrates to the bone, cutting deep.
The Within Teaching reminds us
doesn't really exist “out there” in one perfect
and appearance. Instead
way
that the authentic
model of
to the
Sacred
spiritual propriety
be found “in here,” within our own very imperfect and passionate experience of everyday life. As Jon Kabat-Zinn
“You
says, is
A
your
are
life.”
is
it
to
on a path whether you
like
it
or not
—namely,
the path that
3
Favorite Outrageous
Example
Thomas Jefferson is said to, more than any embody the "spirit" of America. Just to scratch
other historical figure,
the surface of his paradox-
and complicated
ical
een
life,
we
see the bright light of a Renaissance man:
intellect,
philosopher, architect, designer, statesman, husband and amateur horticulturist and archaeologist,
lather,
writer,
Epicurean, and wine connoisseur.
was
Most of
us
would assume
musician.
that Jefferson
a Christian,
and no doubt he considered himself one. But his powerful inner calling toward individualism reflected greatly
upon
his particular
practice of Christian spirituality.
Jelterson struggled as they appeared in the to his
mg
own
all his life to
New
make
sense of the teachings of Jesus Testament. His ultimate solution was very true
spirit ot
profound individualism. Audaciously cutting, rearrangpasting selections from the four gospels into one,
an
edited Ins
own
Thomas
version of them into his
8
?
°r n °!’
me
editinl
scn21 P
^TNeW 5
Is
.
and
m
(in
a manner, •,
r 1
a,
text
of the official church.
’
JefferS °n S indiv idualized spiritual path included
TeStamem
rr**
souks
way
int °
3
mUCh
Sh0rter confusing d P ers onahzed scripture that spoke intimately to his
on? wn
arate his
of scriptures. In his
raCted What he called the “diamonds” of authentic
Chnsi'" an ;teachings from the corrupted ,
own book
Jefferson
hm
-
»* *«**
Ultimately Jefferson cou| d not sep’
mg
a " d enthusiasm toward intellect, individualism least textually) architecture from his religious
C
,
life.
’
— Joseph Sharp
Dare
If
be
Be
to
were
I
all
one message, one thought
restricted to only
Let’s give ourselves a
this:
rience
Spiritually Incorrect
of this
human
life,
to ponder,
wide range, a grand permission
it
would
to fully expe-
the grit as well as the grace. Let’s try not to get
caught in the illusion of spiritual correctness or incorrectness. Let’s be wary of the censoring mind that says, “Don’t feel Instead, let’s
where
go deeper
takes us.
it
We
into those feelings
this, it’s spiritually incorrect.”
and see where
it
takes us. Feel
each have a unique soul within us that
calls out for
human lives. Let’s try softening individuality so we can hear its call, feel its
creative expression through our individual
ourselves to this innate sacred
back toward a larger experience of life, compassion, and grace.
pull
Meister Eckhart said
we must
then
is
true
—
that
God’s nature
also consider that the road to
nature as well. That’s a wide road
we see now, far beyond any we could possibly imagine.
think
ness
it is
—
God
to
is
if
what
be without nature
without a generalized
a road extending far
beyond what we
preconceived ideas of spiritual correct-
Again, the history of our world’s religious traditions saints, mystics,
If
and visionaries who were ridiculed as
is
replete with
spiritually incorrect,
own time. So be forewarned, to cultivate a your own “sacred individuality” may, at times, put
not outright heretical for their
depth of intimacy with
you
at
odds with the idealism of popularized
The good news torically,
“ Direct
is,
you are not alone
spiritual correctness.
in this great endeavor.
And,
his-
you’re in some pretty good company.
your eye right inward, and you ’ll find a thousand regions
mind yet undiscovered. Travel them and be expert
— Thoreau, from Walden
in
in
your
home-cosmography.
”
—
CHAPTER THREE
Attitudinal Healing
The Essence of Our Being
Is
Love
QERALD ('JERRY") JAMPOLSKY, M.D., AND DIANE CIRINCIONE, Ph.D. Husband-and-wife team Gerald Jampolsky and Diane Cirincione are transformational
Change Your
and the co-authors of Change Your Mind,
speakers,
Life.
Jerry
is
founding director of the
first
Center for
Attitudinal Healing (there are over 100 affiliated centers worldwide) and
author of the bestseller Love Is Letting chologist. This chapter
is
Go
of Fear. Diane
is
a clinical psy-
excerpted from a film interview that took place in
Kailua, Hawaii.
“ Health
and healing
ultimately has nothing to
with the body. Real health
— u
Dr.
Love
—
is
is
inner peace.”
Diane Cirincione
letting
Dr. Gerald
go offear.” Jampolsky
do
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
When
Jerry:
Hospital,
was
I
a consulting physician at the University of California
happened
I
her doctor, “What’s
it
like to
and just changed the subject.
began
to
when a little eight-year-old child asked die?” The doctor didn’t answer her question This event made a deep impression on me. I
be present
to
wonder how kids with
questions answered.
The next
life-threatening illnesses get these types of
day, inner guidance
came through
to create a
would help young children who were facing
free-of-charge center that
death. Since the opening of our first center in 1975, over 100 Centers for
Attitudinal Healing have been created worldwide.
Diane: Throughout the years, we’ve been inspired by
and old
— who, despite
the disease
and pain
many people
in their bodies, are filled
love, a sense of joy, a resiliency, a simplicity, that has nothing to
body. the
We’d
like to share
some
—young
stories of these real
whom
people
with
do with the
we've had
honor of meeting.
Jerry:
One
of the principles
teach us about
life.
A
we honor
is
anyone, regardless of age, can
that
3-year-old can teach as
Children are wise souls that happen to live in to teach us
who
another
way
of looking
little
at life, death,
much
as a 93-year-old.
bodies.
They come
and the
spirit.
The
to us first
named Greg Harrison. He was so close to death that his medications were discontinued. One of the little kids in our support group said, “Hey, Greg, what’s it like to know that
child
died
at
our Center was an
11 -year-old
you're probably gonna be dead in two weeks?” Greg responded very calmly,
“Well,
really
you
I
think
when you
in the first place,
die,
and then you are
sometimes you come back and tion that in
my
you discard your body, which was never in
heaven with other souls, and
act as a guardian angel." There’s
no ques-
meditations, Greg continues to be a guardian angel.
remember Carney, a ten-year-old child with sickle-cell anemia. I asked him one day, “What’s it like to be your age and to come so close to death so many times?” He said, “I think God has a library. In this library I
there are these books, but the short
books are really children.
Some have
very
due dates and some have longer due dates.
out to parents.
God's heart
all
I
am
not afraid of dying,
the time.
I
never really
And God lends these books because I know that I’m always in
left.”
arney concluded this remarkable reply by saying that even though he knew he was sick, he inwardly felt he still had more work to do down here. C
— Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., and Diane Cirincione, Ph.D.
Carney wanted a
premed
become
to
The
a pediatrician.
whose
lives are threatened
by
small children, teenagers, adults, or our elders ible gift of looking at life
we
who were people. also
heard, Carney
now
is
and death
illness
—whether they
—provide us with
differently.
When we
first
are
the incred-
opened the
only offered individual and group support to young children
very
We
had a
ill.
But we soon
felt
the need to
found that the healthy brothers and
lot
work with a wider range of sisters
of their sick siblings
of problems dealing with illness and death. Later,
who had
life-threatening illnesses.
to include parents.
And when AIDS came on
ed adolescents
work
we
student.
So, people
Center,
last
work with AIDS
patients.
catastrophic illnesses
We
also
who wanted
began
we
includ-
Then we expanded our the scene,
we began
to offer to serve people with
to incorporate the principles
the
non-
of attitudi-
nal healing in their lives.
Diane: In working with
found
and healing ultimately has nothing
that health
Real health
is
these different groups of individuals, we’ve
all
inner peace. Real healing
of giving and receiving are the same.
Many
to help ourselves. in
the letting
is
As we
to
do with the body.
go of fear. The essence
we begin book A Course
learn to help others,
of these principles are found in the
Miracles d
We found that the goal is longer.
An
not to “fix people up” or get people to just live
individual can be in the last hours and days of their
body can be completely racked and
helpless,
and
yet,
life,
their
he or she can be in a
place of complete inner peace. If we’ve been able to embrace ourselves, and those around us, through forgiveness,
we
see that as being completely
healed and whole.
Jerry: Most of
body
my
—when you
me. But then
I
life I
was an
died, that
came
to
was
the
When we really know
is
in
I
end of
understand the
that the essence of our being spirit.
atheist.
love.
first
thought our only identity was a life.
So death was very scary
principle of attitudinal healing
What we
really are
is
an everlasting
our hearts we’re really not these bodies, that
they’re just temporary vehicles, then the finality of death begins to
You
really see that death
is
for
just a transition to a formless state.
shift.
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
Diane:
remember when
I
hand and rubbing
Somebody
trick.
my
three fingers together.
stuffed
me
inside this skin."
body. Throughout the years, this
no death. These bodies
truly is
down
three years old, looking
was about
I
I
I
said to myself, “This
knew
my
at
is
was more than
I
a
this
memory has given me great solace. There come and go. Life is a transformation of
comfortable form, energy, and consciousness. So death has always been a place for
Jerry: that a
me
be with.
to
When someone
person
leaves this earth through death’s door,
we’ve
“lost" or
is
“lost them.’’
I’ll
we
often feel
never forget a mother
who
shared a story with us about her daughter. She said, “People always say to
me that they’re so sorry that my daughter is lost, but my daughter is not lost. When something is lost, you don’t know where it is, but my daughter continuously lives within
my
my
my
existence.
I
feel her
presence in
she’s physically gone, she’s not lost; she’s not in
So even though
life.
heart, within
some abyss somewhere." Diane and are
no longer
other
I
still
still
presence of
feel the
here in physical form.
— you don’t need bodies
to
do
many people who we knew who
Minds can communicate with each
this. It
can be a very joyful and learn-
any separation. The sep-
ing experience to experience that there isn't really aration that spirit
we
feel is that
What
is
God's love
we’re
all
time.
the physical form.
and love are interconnected and never go away.
an eternal love.
I
we miss
that
really true,
It’s
what never changes,
reality is that
a timeless love, is
the essence of
part of.
remember our dear
We became
The
friend, Ted,
who
AIDS
battled
for a very long
my to me
very close as part of a support group. Ted was one of
great teachers, especially close to the
end of
his life.
He once
related
was having an ongoing argument with someone. It seemed that whenever they were together they always clashed. One day Ted said to me, "You know, one of these days I’m going to really give him a piece of my
that he
mind.
1
moment and
hen he stopped lor a
after all these years ol battling with
"peace of mind. conflict
was costing him
was then able
On He
30
And from
to release
told us,
“We come
him,
moment
I
all I
and just
let
“Oh my God,
I
just realized
have already given him
on, he realized that this
the greatest price of
it
another occasion,
that
said,
all
—
his
my
ongoing
peace of mind.
He
go.
asked Ted what he
felt
was
the purpose of
life.
here to share the experience of learning about letting
— Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., and Diane Cirincione, Ph.D.
go of our judgments of each powerful teacher for
Another time, purpose of
I
He
life.
me and
Our job
said, “Well, as
A
tell
you the
Our job
truth.
remember Don,
I
this story
week and
have AIDS. But
AIDS
without I
said to us,
—
told us
She
I
God
says that doctors need
who had AIDS. He
had never
the choice,
I
would not have chosen
to
have
woman named
am
I
AIDS
to
knew
she
if
“Other people around
left to live
be
who
I
am
today.”
Jennifer, with nonfunctioning kid-
me
she only had seven more days to
live.
say that they would spend these last
would be easy
it
love for those last days. But
I
me
for
to
had only
if I
had an unhealed relationship with. And anyone who had a griev-
my own
I
mind. Before
would do
we
our unhealed relationships. This to find a
way
my
just lie here in
to heal
own minds and
another person. you, finally see
each other.”
It
It it
this either
leave this is
why
among each
bed and accomplish
This beautiful young
our
—with AIDS
my life, I would spend my time thinking of every per-
giveness to them in return.
—
was years ago
I
today
ance against me, I’d ask that person for forgiveness, and
other
one
spent most of her teenage years on dialysis. Before she died, she
seven days
just in
shared
really confronted death,
the choice of being the person
enjoy being with the people
I
is
and they’re
killed in an automobile crash
seven days with family and friends. Of course,
son that
the
of us, thought he was going to live forever.
would choose
what she would do
said,
who had been
had
was
can be that simple.
many
There was a young
who
in the hospital
or being the transformed person
have no doubt that
neys,
come
give them love.
“You know, given
if I
felt
long as you’re breathing, your purpose
told us that this friend
that this friend, like
Then Don to
Don
a very
is still
who was dying what he
a volunteer at our Center
about his friend
before.
It
Ted
love. Lots of times the doctors are scared to
is to
love and forgiveness, too.”
after his death,
others.
of people
lot
them
to give
is
many
so
asked a 14-year-old
to give love to people.
scared.
Even
other.”
would
letter or
our purpose
is
offer for-
phone
call or
to heal all of
the universal spirit gives us each
other and within ourselves.
all
woman knew
life,
by
I
I
could
of this.”
that healing
can take place within
hearts and doesn’t necessitate the physical presence of
doesn’t take having your father or your mother
your way and
doesn’t take that at
all.
ing others in the hospitals she lived er told us that her final
words
“Oh
say,
yes,
it’s
okay,
now we can
Jennifer had spent her whole
in.
She died
in her 20th year.
in this life were, “I
come
would
to
forgive
life
help-
Her moth-
rather have lived
31
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
my
as a sick person helping others than
life
having lived
it
as a healthy per-
son living only for myself.”
A
of times
lot
how much
it
hold on to guilt in our lives without ever realizing
we
affects us.
I
remember
visiting an 82-year-old
woman who was
having uncontrolled angina attacks. Her angina medication wasn’t working. selffelt intuitively guided to ask her if she was holding on to any I
me
condemnation. She shared with an y 0ne
was old
— he s
still felt
six years old.
was
the greatest sin in the world, this 82-year-
76 years! As she continued the process of self-forgiveness, her med-
ications finally
When
began working.
comes
it
we
to forgiving ourselves,
are so often the
“King or
the Procrastinator’s Club.” So, self-condemnation causes us so
Queen of
much
candy bar from a store when she
guilty for stealing a if this
never before told
been holding on to unforgiving, guilty thoughts toward her-
woman had
self for
As
that she’d
something
difficulty.
Holding on
Forgiving others
to grievances
really a
is
way
of forgiving ourselves.
through unforgiveness reinforces the illusion that
we’re separate from each other.
own spiritual path, we’re recognizing more and more that when we really know we’re connected with God and each other, there really isn’t any more separation between us. One is truly at peace when one knows that. In our
A lot of our work here on Earth involves letting go of our identification with the body.
Even
in
We
our
and more tender toward ourselves.
learn to be kinder to others
last
days here on Earth,
it’s
not too late to deepen our love and
forgiveness for others and ourselves.
My own
98-year-old mother
She was probably the most
my
years, life,
mother lived
she was very
a
good example of
Jewish
“it’s
never too
late.”
person I’ve ever known. In her
fear-filled
at the
much
is
Home
last
for the
Aged. Throughout her
who
projected her guilt on
a guilt-ridden person
others.
She was usually very upset with us and everyone else “about some-
thing."
As but one example, she used
blame
to
long enough. Eventually, no one wanted to
So she was because in
her
ol
mind
in a terrible state.
we wanted
last years.
We
visit
of us for not visiting her
her anymore.
And we were
also in a terrible state,
her to be pleasant and happy and a nice finally realized that
tor ourselves, our job
certain way, but to love her
was not
it
to
we
really
wanted
—
if that is
little
to
old lady
have peace
change her and want her
and accept her as she was, even
her decision to be miserable
32
all
what she wanted.
if this
to
be a
included
— Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., and Diane Cirincione, Ph.D.
we
After
tremendous
did
we
this,
shift in
felt
never thought she’d talk about
She began
her.
—even
to talk
about things that
reincarnation! This
coming from someone who hadn’t before believed
age,
her
was
in
She began having visions and dreams of seeing
life!
went on, a
as time
her personality took place. She became very gentle and
very loving to everyone around
all
more peace, and
a lot
at
I
98 years of
any of
this stuff
my father on the
other side of a fence, reaching out for her. I
was very blessed
to
be able to be there when she died peacefully
her sleep at four in the morning.
although
my
all
I
thought
was a very
was complete with
I
good-byes,
It
I
my
And
beautiful time for me.
—thought
mother
remember about two days
later,
I
in
that I’d said
was
calling
my
answering service and no one answered. After the phone rang about ten times,
all
of a sudden
I’d called
my
I
realized that
mother’s phone
into tears simply because
good-bye,
I
I
I
hadn’t called
my
answering service
—which hadn’t been disconnected
missed
her.
was reminded once again
So although
I
thought
yet. I
I
burst
had said
that attitudinal healing is an ongoing,
continuous process that offers us an opportunity for profound spiritual transformation to take place in our lives and the lives of others.
“My cancer has incurable I
am
sick the
metastasized to the bones. The doctors have said its
—which says
is
that I
paradox
know
—
And
death to me. The weird thing about knowing ’
‘
in the
in the
heart of me there
midst of my
illness, I
is
wellness.
am
that’s
getting well.
that even death cannot take away.
— Rev. Colin Campbell, Episcopal
And
”
priest,
from the video Experiencing the Soul
M33
\
—
CHAPTER FOUR
From Psyche
to Soul
The Healing Power of Archetypes MARION WOODMAN Marion Woodman
is
an internationally acclaimed Jungian analyst
who
has pioneered the exploration of the unconscious using the power of
dreams, metaphor, and the balancing of feminine and masculine archetypes to bridge inner
and outer worlds. She
House, Addiction
Dancing
“Soul
in the
is
to Perfection,
The Pregnant
Flames, from which
eternal;
its
and
language
the author of Leaving
is
is
this
Virgin,
excerpt
is
Father's
and the co-author of
drawn.
metaphor, which belongs
in the timeless, spaceless
My
moment.
in this
moment
”
— Marion Woodman have never doubted the existence of
I of me that soared into music, delight.
Nor have
I
doubted
rising in a pink pool out of
my
art,
I
and
I
have never doubted
literature,
and responded
shimmering response
to
beauty
that part in bodily
—
the sun
Georgian Bay, chickadees chatting as they lunch
on peanuts, the majesty of thunder
Most of all,
soul.
have come
to
in
know
mountains.
soul through dreams.
As
a Jungian ana-
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
lyst,
have
I
sat for
many hours
whom
the material world, but within
speak confidently,
watch
I
something will not be
dream
their
unfolding.
life
best to
its
listen or not. If
I
they
see the des-
I
see a reality living
communicate with
honor
its
own
their conscious ego,
they do take time each day to listen to their
and outer partner each
soul story, they gradually find wholeness. Inner other. If they fail to
As
still.
hear their souls crying, "See me. Hear me. Love me.”
I
truth within them, trying
whether they
are well positioned in
see the twitching of their feet or hands.
1
peration in their eyes,
And
who
opposite people
soul,
it
eventually roars out in physical or psy-
chic symptoms.
Dreams speak
the language of the soul. Soul
metaphor, which belongs in this
moment and
eternal;
is
its
language
is
in the timeless, spaceless
moment. The imagery of our dreams comes out of our own bones and muscles;
therefore, gives us a picture of our present body-soul condition.
it,
That imagery carries an emotional charge that can activate the whole
Being If the
or
—
thinking, feeling, intuition, sensation
image
words
—
that brings
worlds.
it
honored
is
comes
the totality of
— meditated upon, danced, it
is
are.
—
power
that
is,
power
between the temporal and eternal
the bridge
carries a charge that
who we
painted, put into music
into conscious life with healing
wholeness,
The image
—
can ignite our whole Being into
life
more abundant.
The power of metaphor was brought home
own
life.
In 1968,
face badly
I
was
A
damaged.
in a car
accident that
to
me
left
in a situation
one side of
brilliant plastic surgeon, to
whom
I
my am
from
my
head and eternally
my scalp, and with his delicate instruments went under my skin and pulled my broken bones back into place. Two weeks later, the swelling subsided, and knew still had an eye. Two years later, I had regained the feeling in my face, but one major symptom remained. Night and day there was a loud ringing in my ear and the sensation of a mosqui-
grateful, cut through
I
I
to continually flying inside cialists in I
was
a disorder
Canada and England, and they
would have I
—
to learn to live
with
all
told
as tinnitus.
me
I
went
to spe-
they could do nothing.
it.
with Dr. Bennet
in analysis
known
London
in
at the time.
The more
intense the analysis became, the louder the bells rang and the faster the
mosquito tlew,
someone and
I
until
thought
I
was going
were working on a machine
gy into another kind
36
I
(a
crazy.
I
had a dream
that transforms
metaphor machine).
I
in
which
one kind of ener-
became confused because
I
— Marion Woodman
didn’t
know how
work
to
ence did. Then someone
the very complicated switches. But the other pres-
everything you have fought
The ringing was now
knew
I
I
I
on the eve of becoming
feel
against?”
life
so loud that
me
that ringing or let
your
all
floor of the kitchen before
away
“How do you
said,
rushed out of bed and landed on the
was awake.
prayed
I
God
to
to take
Immediately, a vision of a mock-orange
die.
bloom appeared, with its delicate ivory-colored blossoms that perfume the month of June. I was so enthralled by the beauty of the bush that I was not at first aware of the perfume in my feet. But slowly, slowly, bush
the
in full
perfume rose
body
my
I
and
legs,
perfume and
until the
unknowingly,
in
had come
were one.
I
had gone
my
my
life.
woman was no
trol
became
The
more.
fed:
It
has never returned.
body was ensouled. This, of
and chaos
in
my
mind could be
rational
always-in-con-
my empowerment was
concentration on an image, a gift from the unconscious. fear
stilled
I
Dark Goddess permeating
scious and unconscious into order.
Then,
I
by the order of
I
only
I
I
knew
my body
—could bring con-
harmony with each other and with
did not care
the natural
that
I
much about what had happened
psychologi-
by divine
had experi-
had been
visited
knew before, a love within had known it. Reason was silenced.
enced a love world as
blossom bush
my
could be whole.
At the time, cally.
the orange
through
realized that the
unconscious. The archetypal image rising out of the depths of the
my
my arms raised. When
efficient, clock-and-calendar,
realized that
I
My
into every cell of
the metaphor. Gradually,
ear had ceased.
and was
to the kitchen
course, changed
I
moved
to a standing position, with
the vision faded, the ringing in I
sweetness
its
I
never
light, that
I
matter that shattered the I
could only say, “Yes,
thank you.” Later,
when
I
read Jung,
I
began
to
understand what had happened psy-
chologically. Tension, fatigue, and pain
had taken
me
into a regression,
metaphorically into the dark side of the mother, where death seemed the
only
way
out.
The emotion was
that crossroads
so intense that the ego had to surrender. At
where conscious and unconscious meet, the dynamism of
me die” (the infrared end of the spectrum) transcended the conflict and took me right out of the pain. The image, the orange blossom bush (the ultraviolet end), pouring perfume into every cell of my body, the instinct, “Let
brought about a harmony, physically and psychically, that transcended any feeling
I
had ever experienced. Someone who knew how
to
work
the
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL switches created the metaphor of the blossoming bush and transformed the
energy of the distraught consciousness into the harmonic energy embodied was transin the unconscious. The archetype of the dark mother, Death,
formed
into the archetype of the loving mother, Sophia, she
whose
light
permeates matter.
Knowing that Someone is moving you, whether you understand it or not, is an awesome experience. That nonrational knowing, which is being known, ing
lies.
is
what brings the heights and depths together. That
Without ego interference,
my
That was the dawn of becoming what sweetness of
my body
I
is
where heal-
soul perceived the light in matter.
had fought against
all
my
surrendered to her love. In being known,
life. I
The
knew
myself as part of the one.
“
Everyone
,
I suspect,
has a relationship to afield or a family or an arche-
One feels oneself partnered by the archetype; it becomes a kind of inner beloved of the soul. And in ones meditation of life, one knows onean outward expression of an self to be the 'exotype' in time and space " archetypal being who lives beyond time and space. type.
—
—
Dr. Jean
Houston
y$y
y$y
\
.
INTRODUCTION
B
eliefs
about
“life before life” are as divergent as the
“life after death.”
These
before-life experiences that
beliefs are supported
come about
Other Side; from the spontaneous
many views on
by various forms of life-
as a result of “soul flights” to the
recall of prebirth
memories
in
hypnotic
regression; as a by-product of near-death experiences; or by spiritual training, as in meditation
There before-life
who
is,
is
and the shamanic
arts.
however, an other way that evidence for the existence of
life-
revealed to us: by the visitation of “soon-to-be-born souls”
seek us out in a variety of ways. This
last
category of life-before-life
encounters are called prebirth experiences (PBEs). The importance and
meaning of prebirth experiences The Soul Before
Birth.
will be our focus in the following section,
Meeting the Souls of Our Children Before Birth
SARAH HINZE AND BRENT Sarah and Brent Hinze
HINZE, Ph.D.
are the parents of nine biological children and
nine foster children. Pioneers in the emerging field of prebirth experiences,
Sarah
is
the author of
Coming from
the Light;
and Brent
chologist, educator, and researcher. This chapter
view
that took place in
“ Listen to the
Los Angeles,
in the
a clinical psy-
based on a film
inter-
California.
whisperings of your inner
you were a royal child
is
is
spirit-self.
Before
kingdom of heaven. There
is
within each soul, sometimes astray or misguided by earth
birth,
a royal child trials,
but the
royal self is here for a purpose: to overcome, to fill a mission, to return
Home
"
in glory.
— Sarah Hinze
S five
arah:
We
are the biological parents of nine children. In five of these
was blessed with the gift of meeting the unborn souls of of our children before they were born into our family. These life-
nine births,
I
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
before-life” encounters are called prebirth experiences.
happen
mothers,
to
fathers,
When
involved in the birth.
and I'm sure
these unborn souls are met, they bring with
one of
In
carriage.
I
felt
my
some of my personal experiences, some of his own insights.
had a very sorrowful and traumatic mis-
I
bonded
particularly
in the pre-
share
live. I’ll
pregnancies,
and purity that exists
love,
Brent will also offer
that
often
and sometimes even midwives
relatives,
them some of the incredible radiance, mortal realm where they
They most
female soul, because even before
to this
I
my dreams on several occasions. young woman with beautiful brown hair
conceived, her loving presence had entered
When
she appeared,
and brown eyes. Earth, and this
I
saw her
received the impression that she was fearful of coming to
I
why
probably
is
as a
lost her.
I
Afterwards,
I
prayed with
all
my
heart for another chance to bring this soul to Earth as her mother.
Shortly after offering up this prayer,
came
dream. In
in a
this vision,
placed a newborn baby in
my
my
arms, a voice said, “This
was so vivid
vision
that
what the baby looked I
girl in
awoke from
I
was
I
had a very moving vision
I
arms. At the is
room where
in a hospital
moment
the
that
a nurse
baby was placed
your daughter, Sarah Rebekah.” The
remembered
room and
the intimate details of the
like.
this
dream-vision with the realization that
had been
I
granted another opportunity to bring Sarah Rebekah into the world. I conceived shortly thereafter, but within three months, pain and hemorrhaging threatened another miscarriage.
again that
fell to
I
my bedroom
soul to be born thiough me. ate sui roundings
I
was so troubled
that
and was transported
lost
I
awareness of
to another
leaving an indescribably beautiful Celestial
might lose
God would
floor in prayer that
During prayer,
I
dimension.
Home
this child
allow this
my
I
immedi-
saw myself
and traveling through
starry space
toward Earth, which looked uninviting, cold, and very far away. Then a “Being of Light” escort appeared by my side and said, “The Earth
is
The ings
I
indeed a great distance, but vision faded, and
was
still
face
and
the floor.
bedroom.
presence was Jesus Christ.
of this child. Jesus said, “I
come
forth
am
spoke to
me
I
I
well, for
I
then
stood up.
I
begged him
felt
my
physical surround-
a very powerful and lov-
don't
know how,
to heal
my body
but
I
I
will heal
your body, and
have so decreed
it.”
I
knew
for the sake
through mental telepathy— mind to
the Great Physician.
whole and
important that you go there.”
is
again became aware of
down on
ing presence enter the this
I
it
mind—
this child will
Sarah Hinze and Brent Hinze, Ph.D.
As
I
moved
to the
bed
to rest,
His healing power descend upon
felt
I
me. Within a few hours, the hemorrhaging been healed and
A few
months
Brent and
later,
hospital to deliver our child. girl
would be
that everything
I
my
with brown hair and brown eyes that
She was saying her good-byes ration for her arrival I
had
I
to the
eyes and saw the same beautiful I
had seen
my
in
previous vision.
heavenly realm in prepa-
to other beings in a
on Earth.
was most
that
knew
all right.
checked into the hospital and was wheeled
od of the labor
I
were driving through heavy rain
closed
I
totally stopped.
me,
difficult for
sonage, dressed in white, appeared in
by
spirit
I
to
my room.
During a
silently prayed.
my bed and said,
A
sonally escorted your daughter to mortality.”
peri-
A male per“I
few minutes
have perlater,
our
full,
and
daughter was born. After the birth, a nurse told
me
that the maternity floor
was
move me into a different room in another part of the hospital. When I entered my new room, it was the same one in every detail that I had seen in the vision months before. And when the nurse brought our prethey needed to
my
cious daughter, Sarah Rebekah, and placed her in exactly as
I
had seen her
Sarah Rebekah
would make
the
—we
in
my
previous vision.
call her
Becky now
own
had several foster children living with
Becky must be
realize that this
One
—was
most delightful cooing sounds,
ing from her naps. In addition to our
selves that
was indeed
afternoon,
I
particularly
went
I
us.
We used to comment among
I
to see if she
I felt
in the direction of the presence
was okay. As
into her
this
room ever
crib. I
being by the
above her
crib.
could
way
heard with
my
this
we
was
I
sig-
placed
my
the spirit of
spiritual ears, “Tell
my
mother
I
so slowly and tell
that
Her face was
unborn son need
Becky
feet. I
radiant,
received
—Becky’s
to
I
she was looking
and she was making babbling sounds and excitedly kicking her
I
our-
an unusual sensation, a feeling that
walked
communicating with
an inner knowledge that
we
biological children, at the time
sensed a holy male presence hovering above her
brother.
upon awaken-
heard Becky’s joyful cooing sounds as usual. This
was entering “sacred ground.”
upward
happy baby. She
true.
hand on the doorknob of her room,
telepathically
a very
entertaining angels in her room. Little did
naled that she was awake, and
was
arms, this was also
come
future
soon.”
A few months later, I was again visited by this same spirit-soul who told me,
“My name
is
Matthew. The time has arrived for
my
conception.”
I
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
my
shared this message with
husband, Brent, and
I
became pregnant very
soon afterwards. Later on in the pregnancy,
we were
visited again
by Matthew during our
family prayer time. Laura, our ten-year-old daughter, told me, with wonder-
ment on her lace and
white standing behind
told
me
while
had opened her eyes and had seen a
prayer, she in
tears in her eyes, that
this
Daddy with
tall,
we were
all
blond-haired
kneeling in
man
dressed
hands placed on his shoulders. She would be her brother, Matthew, and that she loved him very
man
his
much, even more than she loved her own life. We were all very moved. During the last part of the pregnancy, after a long, tiring day, I
was
deeply reflecting on the wonderful experiences we’d already had with our child-to-be, Matthew. While absorbed in these thoughts, Matthew appeared before me, not in his baby form but as a handsome,
broad shoulders, and olive skin. thanked
me
He looked
come
the powerful
Matthew
my
in
now
is
Laura, and
to
I
bond
tells
for
arms as our
beheld him
the truth!
child.
15 years old
27 years?
I
was very moved by
I
ot our relationship.
hair,
Telepathically, he
and
and
was now even more eager to few short weeks, he was born.
I
Within a
is
this visitation
developing
in
appearance as his
sister,
our visions.
in
Brent: Can you imagine
woman
radiant.
with blond
gone through during pregnancy to allow Earth and be housed in a mortal body. After he deliv-
ered this message, he disappeared.
have him
man
tor the sacrifices I’d
his spirit to
telt
tall
how wonderful
can
tell
it’s
been being married
to this
you with 100 percent assurance— this lady
She has indeed seen or
felt
the unmistakable presence of five
of our children before they were born.
As
a clinical psychologist,
sions in
my
career.
I
have given over 30,000 counseling seshave been impressed by the power of prebirth and I
othei spiritual experiences to transform people’s lives. In
my professional counseling work, profound emotional healings have taken place as a direct result ot people getting more in touch with their spirit-selves.
In
the West, this climate
of
spiritual
openness hasn’t always been around. When I was a graduate student over 20 years ago, I would have been tossed out of school if I’d insisted on doing a doctoral dissertation sup-
poiting the reality of spiritual
phenomena. Back
psychological theories on the nature of component. Today, scientific research is
46
man
then,
mainstream Western
did not include this spiritual
gathering more and
more evidence
Sarah Hinze and Brent Hinze, Ph.D.
that increasingly points to our divine origins
biological beings, that
we come from
—
that
we
are
more than
just
a premortal existence, and that our
souls continue after physical death.
The
scientific
mainstream ically,
method
scientific circles.
It still
me
in
graduate school
still
rules in
holds that to prove something scientif-
only certain methods of conducting research are acceptable. There
nothing wrong with
may
real
drilled into
except
this,
that, unfortunately,
what may be true and
not be readily testable by present-day scientific methods of mea-
surement. Spiritual experiences cannot be reproduced upon laboratory, and reproducibility
Please understand that useful tool
A case
if
I
am
is
one of the tenets of
not anti-science. Science
command
scientific
is
in a
method.
a wonderful and
used wisely. Gallup poll that found that over 20 million
in point is a recent
people in the United States reported having had a near-death experience least ified
once
This type of data
in their lifetime.
by controlled experiments
form of evidence
strongest
—
is
—testimonial accounts not
And
if
not recognized
generally
in scientific circles.
are a lot of folks to discount!
condemn
a person to death.
So
I
find
it
you think about
the
it,
in
courtrooms is
enough
to
openness that should be part of
itself is antithetical
scientific inquiry.
Sarah: Thankfully, there are certain testimonial accounts explain away. There’s a wonderful account of a
almost drowned in a swimming pool
and was
ver-
ironic that science has a tendency to
prematurely dismiss some forms of evidence, which in to the true spirit of
as
at
However, 20 million people
around the world, the testimony of only one credible witness
who
is
—he was
When he came back met my brother on the
later revived.
little
that are harder to
three-year-old boy
actually clinically dead
to consciousness, he told his
Other Side, and he was very “Mommy, I sad.” And his mother said, “Your brother? Honey, you know you don’t have a brother.” And the little boy said, “Yes, I do, Mommy. He was pulled from your tummy before he was born.” mother,
The mother had
The Side.
male child before
this
boy was born.
by anyone about the abortion of his little He only found out by meeting the soul of his brother on the Other
little
brother.
in fact aborted a
boy was never
So when I’m asked
told
my
views on abortion,
that help us appreciate the sanctity of life
parenthood.
I
share stories like these
and the sacred responsibilities of
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
When
look into the eyes of children,
I
are not our possessions.
We
with love. their
unique
As
I
feel that
only as all
my
help launch their missions on Earth.
we
each
comes from God’s court on high and the
purpose by helping them bring forth
their divine
their parents,
Brent: Both Sarah and
more on
see their divine origin. Children
We have only been granted a stewardship to raise them
must honor
talents.
I
human being
is
will return thereto.
dimension of marriage. Sarah, when
look
I
at
a royal child
who
would add
a bit
I
you,
I
see you not
wife and the mother of our children, but as a daughter of God. If
of us could see each other as royal children of God, there would be peace
on Earth.
what God wants of
truly believe this is
I
After a presentation a few years ago, a that
was shared
goes, a
woman
us.
told us a beautiful account
seminar given by Dr. Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross.
at a
the story
young couple had a four-year-old daughter who kept asking them
The
she could be alone with her newborn baby brother.
want anything
to
if
parents were hesitant
because they knew about sibling rivalry and
to grant their little girl’s request
didn't
As
happen
to the
newborn. But the
little girl
persisted
over the next few days, so her parents decided to give her a chance to be alone with her baby brother for a few minutes. Her parents escorted her into the baby’s
room and
left
her alone with him.
As
a safety precaution, however,
they listened in on the meeting with an intercom connected to the baby’s
room. For a few moments, to her
baby brother, “Tell “
come from It
is
That
my
that
me
was
is
friends
quiet.
Then they heard
in the seminar, Dr.
on
—
the spiritual origin of
man and where we
the next great area of exploration.”
our hope and prayer that prebirth and other spiritual experiences
this planet,
The child
is
and
God's
to
all
of humanity, to
all
our divine Creator, God.
gift to the family.
Each
child
image and likeness of God for greater things
— Mother Teresa,
48
daughter say
Ktibler-Ross told the par-
bring us closer to our families, to our neighbors, to life
their
about God. I’m forgetting.”
was shared
After this story ticipants,
all
the late
—
is
created in the special
to love
and
to
be loved.
Nobel Peace Prize recipient
”
Sarah Hinze and Brent Hinze, Ph.D.
The Hinze Family
—Sarah
very large family. In
and Brent Hinze and some members of their the front row, on the left, is Becky, who saw the vision
of the unborn soul of her brother, Matthew
on the
right.
— who
is
pictured
in the front
row
\
CHAPTER SIX
The Emerging Field of Prebirth Experiences HAROLD WIDDISON, Ph.D. Harold Widdison, Ph.D.,
a professor of medical sociology at
is
Northern Arizona University. For the
last
the fields of thanatology, bereavement,
recently
and he
About
—
is
prebirth experiences.
He
is
25 years, he has been a pioneer in near-death studies, and
the co-author of
the author of Listen to the Children:
Life
and Death. This chapter
is
—more
The Eternal Journey,
What Children Can Teach Us
based on an edited phone interview
with the author.
“Researching prebirth experiences has had a profound personal effect on
my
wife
and me
in that
appreciate that our adopted daughter,
who
we more fully
suffers from fetal
—
and our mentally handicapped daughter are both very special children of the Divine. We now know alcohol
effect,
that their spirit-souls are
Both these
girls
untouched by these
have unique missions
disabilities.
to fulfill
special lessons to teach us on Earth.
—
Dr. Harold
Widdison
”
and
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL of people who report that they were y now, I’ve interviewed hundreds contacted by unborn souls who later come to Earth as children. Before
B I
share
some of
like to give a brief
and contrast
ways these
the fascinating
overview of
to near-death
how
prebirth experiences occur, I’d
prebirth experiences
experiences (NDEs).
I
would
on some of the tremendously exciting implications of
come from a premortal existence. The scientific study of PBEs about 20 years ago. Because of
its
newness
PBEs
are a universal
human
which,
this research,
presently where
is
number of PBE cases we’ve collected say that
also like to touch
our divine origins as souls
to all indications, points to
(PBEs) compare
—
that
NDE
we
indeed
research was
as a scientific field of study, the
are not large
enough
experience. However,
to conclusively
PBE researchers
Sarah and Dr. Brent Hinze, myself, and others in the field share the working hypothesis that tual ry.
PBEs
are in fact universal
experience has been occurring in
all
—and
that this type of spiri-
cultures throughout
human
histo-
In addition to our research findings, resource quotations supporting this
hypothesis can be found in both
numerous
religious texts
modern and ancient
drawn from diverse
literature, as
cultures.
These
well as
and
literary
scriptural references contain descriptions similar to the accounts that
we
are
collecting and analyzing today. Let’s begin our
comparison of
existence of a post - Earth soul crosses over In contrast,
life
NDEs
where we go
from the Earth realm
PBEs
souls reside before they
and PBEs.
NDEs
suggest the
to after physical life ends.
to a nonmaterial realm.
suggest the existence of a pre mortal realm where
come down
to Earth. In
PBEs, the not-yet-born soul
crosses over into this Earth realm from the realm of pre-Earth
makes some form
of contact with people living
do not believe
The
life
and
on Earth.
PBEs have been chronicled as yet due to its newness as a field of study. Some of the ways in which people are contacted by the souls of the unborn may include any one or all of I
the following: 1)
ception
is
that all of the varieties of
The unborn
soul gives a
message
that the time for con-
nearing; 2) the unborn soul shares that he or she has a special mis-
sion to accomplish
on Earth;
unborn soul; 4) gratitude
is
3) a radiation of love
emanates from the
expressed by the unborn soul for bringing him
or her to Earth; 5) the unborn soul predicts a significant future event that affects the mission of the will be
unborn soul and/or the family
that the
unborn soul
born into; 6) the unborn soul expresses excitement or reluctance
Harold Widdison, Ph.D.
about entering Earth
7) a
life;
message of warning or protection
the unborn soul regarding an impending danger, especially
may
is
if this
templating an abortion or a mother
Who lected
experiences
PBE
by
PBEs occur
A little
before conception.
all
— whether they
Mothers are about
the
riencing
PBEs]
is
over one-half of
PBEs occur
after
by the parents of
likely to
PBEs
in this
have PBEs than
sample were experi-
souls, their grandparents-to-be, close to the birth.
Many PBEs come
in the
form of
with the physical eyes open. PBErs [those expe-
report that these unborn souls appear either as infants, chil-
grown young
adults.
that years later,
when
dren, or as fully
these visions
more
midwives connected
state,
little
are experienced
five times
There are several types of PBEs.
waking
con-
is
are the biological parents or the adoptive
enced by siblings of the yet-to-be born
visions in a
a couple
analysis of the case studies col-
less than half of
PBEs
The remaining one-fourth of
friends of the family, or
if
thinking about having a hysterectomy.
researchers Sarah and Brent Hinze, a
the preborn souls
fathers.
is
PBEs? Based on an
conception. Three-quarters of
parents.
unborn soul are
to the
danger
common
jeopardize the unborn soul’s arrival on Earth. The most
examples of impending danger
given by
What the
is
especially intriguing about
unborn souls are on Earth,
their
physical appearances do in fact match what they looked like in the previous
PBE
many
vision
a father sees a
young man
facial features in the
PBE vision,
years before. For instance,
with large blue eyes, dark
way
that’s exactly the
hair,
and unique
if
the person looks like after
coming
to Earth
and
Some
cul-
maturing.
Dreams tures
way
that
unborn souls come
to
PBErs.
these “announcement dreams.” Often the unborn soul will
call
announce
are another
to a
to Earth as
PBEr,
my
“My name
will
be Michael. Thank you for bringing
me
mother.” PBErs say that these visitations do not resemble
ordinary dreams.
Announcement dreams
are extremely vivid, not unlike a
wide awake. Ordinary dreams are often hazy, unclear, and do not leave the lasting transformational impact of these PBE vision
when one
is
announcement dreams. Another way
in
which these unborn souls come
to us is
through audi-
tory messages. Their voices are heard either with the physical ears or telepathically.
Sometimes the
PBE
contact
is
made by
a Being of Light
from the pre-
mortal realm, and not directly from the souls-to-be-born themselves. The
53
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
Being of Light seems
to function as a protective escort
and speaks on behalf
of the unborn soul.
Another fascinating type of
PBE
when people
is
on Earth have
living
flashback memories of their previous existence in a Celestial Realm.
discovered that prebirth memories in some children are very
when
much
intact,
they are under three years of age. These memories fade
when
especially
have
I
they get older, perhaps
when
programming
parental and societal
begins to crowd out these prebirth memories from conscious awareness.
At
this point,
think
I
how PBE who have had PBEs, we col-
important to say a few words about
is
it
accounts are gathered. In interviewing people
using a method called “grounded research.”
lect data
We
let
the data create
and form the experimental hypothesis, instead of the other way around
making
the data
fit
one’s preexisting hypothesis. In this way,
we do
not
unconsciously “lead the witness” by having a vested interest in proving a preexisting hypothesis.
Some our data
duced
critics
is
say that even
based on testimonial reports
in a laboratory
— means
anything. Their challenge ple are telling the truth?”
"Can you prove course
once
I
I
our research
if
me
to
can prove that
risked
my
The way
that
life to
I
— accounts
I
“How
love
my
wife,
I
do
be repro-
enough
is
to
prove
by way of analogy.
you love your wife?” Someone might
I
reply,
say,
“Of
bring her flowers every week, and
save her from falling off a bridge.” However, these
ducted. These actions in themselves life,
that cannot
can you prove that these peo-
reply to this
statements won’t fly by the rules in which
someone’s
“grounded,” the fact that
that they are not scientific
basically,
is
is
strict scientific
research
is
con-
—bringing someone flowers and saving
not, in themselves,
demonstrate proof of someone’s love.
The person could have performed these actions for some ulterior motive, or by some unconsciously driven motive beyond their conscious awareness. I conclude by saying that although "love”
methodology, does because
it
this
mean
isn’t particularly
Further, the
PBErs
that love
is
does not exist
Many
ot
in the
provable on scientific terms?
that are interviewed are sane,
I
world simply
think not.
normal people who
—
ha\ e nothing to gain by piestige.
not amenable to scientific
making these stories up not fame, not wealth, not them are even reluctant to share their PBEs because
they re afraid people will think they’re crazy.
Another very significant point one
who
shares their
PBE
is
that in these interviews,
accounts
at
almost every-
one point gets teary-eyed and
Harold Widdison, Ph.D.
becomes very moved by
evokes powerful memories that flood over them. fabrications, these people
would
pull off this kind of show.
So
the field for over 25 years, as
humans,
have
experiences were
If these
be great actors and actresses to
to
as a Ph.D. medical sociologist
experiences of
spiritual
am
I
in
my
fellow
absolutely convinced that
are authentic descriptions of actual events.
The information gleaned from PBEs not only gives us inner workings of premortal existence, but also answers
perplexing questions, such
purpose of
who’s been
someone who has spent thousands of hours
say with deep conviction that
I
PBEs
these
all
and researching the
interviewing
PBEs
their emotions. Just the retelling of their
life
on Earth?
as:
Why
From
a picture of the
some of life’s more
the perspective of the soul,
what
is
the
do these souls often choose, or why are they
given, difficult conditions and situations in their sojourn on Earth?
Well, based on the accounts we’ve gathered so
far,
the unborn soul
agrees to the major events in their Earth lives before they that they
why some
why some
children are born in abusive families, and
children die at an early age or are born with severe handicaps.
share one account that gives a sense of
mortal realm influences our Earth
PBE drawn ically
so
can learn specific lessons from these preordained Earth experi-
ences. This explains
I’ll
come down
from
my
case
files.
lives.
PBE, Mary saw
she would undergo in this
profoundly the pre-
The following account
A woman — let’s
and sexually abused both as a child and
a flashback
how call
later
her
Mary
is
an actual
—was phys-
by her spouses. During
herself selecting the pain-filled experiences that In this
life.
same flashback
vision, an angelic
being says to her, “Are you really sure you want this? These experiences will be very hard for you.”
ences. it
I
difficult,
but
it.”
replies, “Yes,
more from adversity than
will learn
and choose
Mary
The
know
elect to
I
have an easier
life. I
want
angelic being then said, “These experiences will be
that
Another example:
if
have these experi-
I
we
It is
will
always be by your side.”
common
to see
young children communicating
with what are called “invisible friends.” In one account, a baby-sitter of a
young child named friend.
who
Billy observes
She walks over
are
to him, kneels
finally says,
name
is
down
you playing with?” He looks up
look on his face, then looks back
and
him playing with and
Sarah.”
“My baby
sister.
talking to one such
beside him, and asks, “Billy,
at the baby-sitter
at his invisible
with a puzzled
playmate, then back
She hasn’t come
yet, but
at her,
she will, and her
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
Now sitter told
as
it
me
happens, not long after
was
told this account, the baby-
mother had a baby
that Billy’s
pregnancy was a complete surprise
The
I
—
the
that she
named
The
Sarah.
mother was well over 40 years
old.
new baby was born and you come up with the name Sarah?” The mothwasn’t a family name. It wasn’t even a name I
baby-sitter paid a visit to the family after the
asked the mother,
“How
did
er replied, “I don’t
know.
particularly liked.
just felt very strongly that should be her
I
It
name.”
It
was
only then that the baby-sitter shared the experience she had with Billy. The
mother was both overjoyed and overwhelmed
The implications of PBEs
PBEs
sages behind that
we
are
all
become more
As
my
I
you
I
will be
PBEs and
to contact
me
if
we
know
will
will raise our children with
more
children are the future, the whole world will
like the Celestial
prayer that
you’d
As our
look forward to
researching
embraced by the world, then we
are really
mes-
are staggering. If the divinely inspired
children of God, and
love and respect.
to hear this.
my
Realms from which we came.
professorial retirement at the university,
allowed to devote the rest of
my
helping to get out “the good news.”
you have had prebirth or other
Earthlife to invite
I
any of
spiritual experiences
like to share.
"Your favorite doctrine, Socrates recollection in
—
if true,
— that knowledge
is
simply
also necessarily implies a previous time
which we have learned that which we now
would be impossible unless our soul has been
existing in the form of man; here then
proof of the soul
—
recollect.
in
s immortality.
Plato, in
Phaedo
But
this
some place before
is
”
it is
another
PART The
Soul
After
Death
INTRODUCTION
C
ommunications with the souls of the deceased have been reported
thousands of years. The British Society for Psychical Research, formed
in the late atic
1800 s, was the
first scientific
organization to begin the system-
study of these and other paranormal phenomena. The researchers of the
British Society
whom self
for
were comprised of the greatest minds of the day, some of
were Nobel Prize
became
a
member
laureates. Late in his life, Dr.
Sigmund Freud him-
of the British Society, and was so impressed with the
impeccable research methods and the extraordinary cases being investigated that he once it
stated, “If
I
had
my
life to live
over again,
I
would devote
to psychical research instead of psychoanalysis.”
When some
people think about communicating “with the dead,” they
often conjure up spooky images of seances held in darkened rooms.
of
human mediums
to contact the
dead has received quite a
bit
The use
of criticism,
not only due to deceptive practices performed by a minority of unscrupulous psychic mediums, but because, as a
deceased individuals,
it is
method of communication with
difficult to separate the true
carnate entities with the ever-present possibility that the ingly or
channeling of dis-
medium
is
know-
unknowingly psychically reading the minds of the participants, and
then feeding this information back to them.
This objection
is
being side-stepped by the emergence of two other
forms of communication with deceased individuals. The
first is
the field of
communication (ADC), which is ably summarized in the following section by ADC pioneer Bill Guggenheim. He defines an ADC as contact with a deceased relative without the aid of a medium, where comafter-death
munications are
made
directly
and spontaneously by the deceased individ-
M59
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
ual
and not by the earthbound human.
A
second form of after-death communication
is still in its
stages of scientific validation and involves the receiving
even the recording
— of
the voices
preliminary
— and sometimes
and images of deceased individuals on
electronic devices such as television
and computer screens, telephones and
telephone answering machines, radios, and other electronic instruments.
This
new
field
of
ADC
is
called
electronic
voice recording,
trans-
instrumental communication, and various other names.
The following
section,
the field of after-death intriguing,
60
The Soul After Death, provides an overview of
communications, including some very beautiful,
and unforgettable accounts.
Communications BILL QVQQENHEIM
The
Varieties of After-Death
Bill
Guggenheim
is
a pioneering researcher in the emerging field of
after-death communication, internationally er,
known
transformational speak-
and the co-author of Hello from Heaven. This chapter
is
based on a film
interview that took place in Tucson, Arizona.
“Whether the after-death communication happens only once, or the person has ongoing contact with the deceased for the
of their
lives,
the person
who
is
rest
physically alive receives assurance
through after-death communications that their deceased loved
one
is
alive
and well and cares about them.
—
Bill
”
Guggenheim
“Who am I?” “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” Author Dr. Wayne Dyer expressed it beautifully when he said, “We
T
hroughout
history,
humanity’s deepest questions have been,
human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Our human bodies are Earth-suit vehicles we use to express physical life while we are here on this Earth plane. Alter are not
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL Death
Earthlife, our existence continues. suits
ceasing to function. However,
even now
death
before
—
is
it
nothing more than our Earth
is
we have found through our research
that
possible to receive communications from
deceased loved ones. These experiences are called after-death communications
(ADCs).
reported in
ADCs
aren’t
new
—
they’re as old as mankind, and have been
cultures around the world.
all
ADCs
An ADC
when a person or persons have been contacted directly and spontaneously by someone they knew when they were alive, such as a deceased family member or friend. By “directly,” I mean that the contact was made without the involvement of a psychic or medium or any other third party. By “spontaneously,” I mean that the deceased person chooses the where, when, and how of the 1
have given
a precise definition:
is
contact. In describing
rather than the
ADC
experiences,
word dead
has a feeling of finality to
to refer to it
sands of
ADC
It’s
who occupied
reports, I’ve
found
In 1988, Judy,
my
one had really studied
that
well with the reality that
fit
that
body
is
in the
life.
We
is
dead, but
deceased loved ones invariably give
alive
now
than they were on Earth! I
realized that no
United States or Canada in any formal
way. In the seven years of research that followed,
from almost every walk of
body
life
not dead. In reviewing thou-
close friend and former wife, and
ADCs
word deceased
died because dead
true that the physical
more
us the impression that they are
who have
people
that doesn’t
continues after physical death. the spiritual being
prefer to use the
I
we
interviewed people
collected over 3,300 firsthand accounts
were drawn from over 2,000 people, from all 50 states in the United States, and from 10 Canadian provinces. Since then, we’ve easily come
that
across another 5,000
ADC
experiencers in the course of meeting the
many
people that attend our workshops. We’ve been deeply touched and personally
transformed by the accounts that we’ve heard.
According
to the
most recent Gallup
poll,
over 22 million Americans have
had near-death experiences (NDEs). Based on our estimates,
more common than NDEs. But just ratory, neither
can
ADCs. And
in scientific settings,
moie
while
tor oneself to
ADCs. At
#
we
even
cannot be replicated in a labo-
can’t produce these experiences
have had
this point,
this
though one might not be able to prove
62
NDEs
are
perhaps one day scientists will develop instruments to
scientifically study
enough
so,
as
ADCs
however,
it
may
be “proof
type of a spiritual experience, even it
to others.
So while these accounts
Guggenheim
Bill
ADC
are admittedly subjective,
contactees are sometimes given specific
information by the deceased person that they could not otherwise have
known
The
about.
specific information
Skeptics and doubters are
es.
at a loss to
by credible witness-
verified
is later
explain
how
this is possible.
ADCs as being authentic is strengthened by We do not view them as merely grief-induced
The
credibility of
these types of
occurrences.
hallucinations,
the delusions of people
who
are mentally
As we progressed
imaginations.
different categories of
in
or the by-product of overactive
ill,
our research, Judy and
I
found several
ADC phenomena, all of which have their own distinct
characteristics.
Before al
accounts,
any
ADC
and share some actu-
briefly describe each of these categories
I
I
should say a few more general things about
ADCs.
First, in
more than one phenomenon can be experienced, such
event,
as
feeling the presence of a deceased loved one, hearing that deceased person’s voice,
and
feeling the touch of the deceased loved one.
some people ple
more receptive
are
may have
ADCs
to receiving
ADC but assume
experienced an
it
It
also
than others.
was just
seems
that
Some
peo-
their imagination
death
And there who receive
my
case in 1977
or wishful thinking, and dismiss the experience as being unreal. are those people
ADCs
—
when
I
pool.”
who
quite to their
don’t even believe in
own
heard the voice of
When
I
got there,
This experience changed
Many
people
surprise. This
my
I
—bereaved
happened
deceased father
found
my
life after
my
who
in
told
me
“go
to
to the
18-month-old boy, almost drowned.
whole worldview. parents, especially
—desperately want
to
have
ADC. They tell us, “Why haven’t we heard from our daughter? Why haven’t we heard from our son?” We believe that the deceased child may be trying to communicate with them, but for whatever reason, they “can’t get through.” In these cases, we especially recommend that peosome
sort of
ple learn to meditate to help improve their receptivity to as simple as learning
how
to relax
deeply enough so that the “spiritual sens-
es” open up and increase the likelihood of having an
meditation
make
that they’ve
When
had
an
us
more
ADCs
ADC
ADCs. This can be
spiritually receptive to
ADC. Not
ADCs,
only does
but people
tell
us
while meditating.
occurs,
we sometimes
suggest that people assume a
comfortable position that helps them relax, take a few deep breaths, and then, with their mind’s awareness, attune to the deceased family friend. In this receptive state,
some people mentally ask
member
or
the deceased per-
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL son questions such as “Is there anything that you want us to do for you?” or
“Do you want
In addition to helping us itation
can
message
us to pass on a
—with
to
anyone else?”
become more
practice and over time
receptive to having
—bring us more inner peace. True
demands of the
meditation gives us rest from the
ADCs, med-
external world and brings
us closer to our spiritual nature and the spiritual worlds of reality within us.
Deep meditation
make
between worlds
creates a bridge
contact with us
more
easily.
By
learning
that helps
our loved ones
some form of meditation, we
can also become more loving and sensitive.
What
follows are brief descriptions of the various types of
people have reported
in
our research thus
ADCs
that
far.
“Evidential” ADCs
An ADC
is
“evidential”
when
a person living on Earth
thing by the deceased loved one that they had no
way
is
told
some-
of knowing about
beforehand by any normal information-gathering methods. For instance, the information given by the deceased loved one
may be
the location of
some-
thing of sentimental or monetary value, such as a family heirloom, jewelry, or a hidden will that
son
who
is
nobody but
knew about. The pereven know about the very exis-
the deceased person
physically alive often doesn’t
tence ot these items, not to mention where they are located.
The deceased
may give directions to a specific location and instruct the person do when the object is found. Often these items are hidden in the
loved one
what
to
most unlikely of places, such as cookie jars
in the attic or
valuable items inside that are buried in the backyard. often
tell
garbage bags with
ADC
experiencers
us that just knowing that their loved ones continue to exist
is
more
important than the benefits they receive from the information conveyed and the valuables discovered.
remember an unusual story in which a young boy’s deceased grandfather was communicating with him over a period of time, telling him the I
details of his
former
life
as a
major league baseball player. The deceased
grandfather was telling this young boy the
names of
his
former baseball
teammates, including their batting averages and other obscure statistics. This battled the boy s parents until the information was later completely verified.
64
Bill
Guggenheim
—
young boy’s deceased uncle who was a master plumber in his Earth life was telling him all about plumbing. The boy inexplicably began to talk to his parents about the names of the various In a similar case, a
—
kinds of antiquated plumbing tools that were in vogue decades ago. In researching this case,
we
ply stores to ask them
if
ourselves phoned up hardware and plumbing sup-
they recognized the names of these plumbing tools,
but even they hadn’t heard of them!
“oldtimers”
—
retired
plumbers long ago,
It
master plumbers
that
was only when we began
who remembered using
calling the
these tools as
we discovered the tools named and described by
boy were indeed used back
the
in his uncle’s time.
— Sentient ADCs
“Sensing a Presence ”
The most commonly reported ADC category describe as “feeling a presence.” This
is
when
is
what people commonly
a person senses and feels the
presence of a particular deceased loved one. People typically report that they
know immediately when
or she leaves.
Even
the deceased loved one arrives, and
after death, the
when he
deceased retain their uniquely recog-
nizable feeling and energy pattern.
“Hearing a Voice”
—Auditory ADCs
The majority of people who loved ones experience
report they hear the voices of deceased
this telepathically
—
inside their heads. Other people
report that they hear these voices externally through their physical ears. In
auditory
ADCs, two-way communication
is
frequently reported.
People unfortunately dismiss these voices as imaginary, they do not
know
that
it
is
or,
because
possible to communicate with deceased loved
ones, they think or feel that they’re “going crazy.”
delivered by the deceased loved
is
The
sometimes an urgent one
actual
message
—
my own
as in
ADC when the voice of my deceased father told me to check our swimming pool. This not only saved
my
son’s
life,
but as a nonbelieving agnostic
the time, eventually led to our research in the field of
ADCs.
at
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
—
“Feeling a Touch ”
may
This touch
Tactile
ADCs
be a pat, a tap, a caress, or a kiss.
Some
say they feel
an arm around their shoulder or waist, or even receive a hug. Touch usually occur between people
who had
ADCs
a very close, intimate relationship,
such as between a husband and wife or a parent and child.
— Olfactory ADCs
“Smelling a Fragrance ”
People report that they smell fragrances that are specifically associated with the one lotion, a
who
perfume
has died. Whether
two or more people
smell
I
were ten people
deceased loved one
“Partial
—
ADC,
fragrance
ADCs
same time and
occur, very
place. Often,
and then the other person or persons
first,
too.” In our files,
we have
a case in
which there
reported smelling a fragrance associated with the
at the
same time and
and Full Appearance^
place.
— Visual ADCs
moving and exciting experience for people to actually be able with open eyes the complete or partial form of the deceased loved
—
one. In complete visual real, as
When
a very
It is
to see
it,
who
wore, the scent of their favorite
are together at the
one person will notice the smell will say, “Yes,
the deceased person’s aftershave
their favorite food, the particular smell is usually
associated with that deceased person. often
is
that the individual often
aroma of
flower, or the
it
ADCs,
the deceased loved
would any other person who
the visual
form may appear
is
one appears as solid and
physically alive. In a partially visual
less than solid,
and one might see only the
head and shoulders of the deceased, or see the person only from the waist up. One very wonderful aspect of visual ADCs is that deceased loved ones appear healed and whole. Even
if
the deceased individuals
had been blind,
disfigured, paralyzed, or visual
ADCs
had some other disability when physically alive, in the normal faculties they might not have possessed during
Earthlife are restored.
manner
ot death
people to have
They appear
was traumatic.
this
experience
if
radiantly healthy and
It is
if
the
very comforting and encouraging for
the deceased ones
death or were severely disabled during Earthlife.
66
whole even
had suffered a
difficult
— Bill
Guggenheim
“Sleep-State ” ADCs
This
we
a type of
is
ADC in which a deceased loved one comes to us when
are sleeping. Sleep-state
ADCs
are not like ordinary dreams,
which are
usually fragmented, jumbled, symbolic, and often hazy in meaning. Sleep-
ADCs
state
are qualitatively different in that they are usually crystal clear,
not unlike a profound spiritual vision, and they have a distinct beginning,
middle, and end. in sleep,
It is
commonly
believed in
many
spiritual traditions that
our spirit-souls leave our physical bodies and enter other dimen-
sions of reality.
When people report that they’ve
had
this
type of ADC, they
don’t say, “I think this happened” or “I wish this happened” or “I hope this
happened.” They
ADCs, people
say, “I
this
happened.” In addition,
in sleep-state
not only say they’ve received a kiss, hug, or a specific mes-
sage, they say they to their
know
were also able
to give
back a hug or kiss or a message
deceased loved one!
“Out-of-Body” ADCs
An Earth
—
out-of-body experience
is
voluntarily or involuntarily separate
travel to near reality. In
and
far places
out-of-body
and
filled
filled
souls
ADCs, people
—when
fully alive
into higher dimensions of
report meeting deceased loved ones
ADCs
tend to be very dramatic, spectac-
with love, for these inner dimensions are described as being
with the most incredible colors, music, and scenery
—
truly
Upon the return to their bodies, people say that the dimensions are much more alive and real than this physical plane. this
world!
“Phvsical
This
is
on
from the physical body and
on Earth, as well as
on “the Other Side.” Out-of-body ular,
when our
beyond spiritual
Phenomena” ADCs when people have unusual
physical
phenomena
occur, such as
the inexplicable turning on and off of electric lights, microwaves, radios,
and TVs, and so on. These are not due in
one room
is
to
power
failures. Typically, a light
turned on, then another and another
—one
after the other
throughout the entire house. In the accounts we’ve gathered, we’ve
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL noticed that deceased loved ones their teens tend to use physical still
who
world when they were
left this
phenomena
as a
way
to let us
know
in
they’re
around.
News Arrives” ADCs
“Before the
In this very
common form
someone who has
of
ADC,
just died, before the
a person
is
knowledge of
visited “in spirit”
the death
is
by
conveyed
by conventional physical means, such as word of mouth, telephone, and so on.
The physical body of
miles
away when
spirit-soul has
the
news
these
this
come
happens.
to say
that the recently
ADCs
who has just died may be thousands of What seems to be occurring is that the
the person
so convincing
good-bye. Only afterwards does the person get
deceased has just is
that
left their
What makes
body.
sometimes people write down the exact
time that the visitation occurs, and only later do they discover that this was the exact time that the person died. This type of experience
when death
is
imminent and expected
—
happens both
as in a terminal illness
—or
in cases
of traumatic events, such as car crashes, where the person was healthy up until the fatal incident
(i
occurred and death was not expected.
Protection ” ADCs
In these
ADCs,
the deceased loved
one serves as a
sort of
“guardian
angel” in that their messages serve to warn or protect the living from
imminent danger or
loss of life.
As examples, people
ving accidents by being told to slow ving,
down
shown passageways out of raging
attacker
ADCs
can occur
alter the death of the
are contacted specific
time in
from
dri-
or stop the vehicle they’re dri-
fires,
informed that a physical
approaching, or warned that they are about to be swindled.
is
Protection
are saved
many
message life.
that
at a
much
later
time
—even 40 or 50 years
loved one. Generally speaking, though, years afterwards, there is
given
at that
is
usually
when people
some important,
time to help them through a difficult
Bill
Guggenheim
“Deathbed” ADCs
It is
commonly observed phenomenon
a
that very near the time of phys-
people in the process of dying are observed communicating with
ical death,
an unseen presence in the room.
When
they are strong enough to respond
— they say
who
has
come
they address
to “escort
them
the dying are asked about this that they are talking to the
to the Light” after they die.
The
—
if
one
spirit-soul
almost always a deceased relative or someone they loved
is
and were close
to during life.
What we have
also found
that family
is
members, hospice workers,
nurses, social workers, and chaplains are also sometimes able to see and
communicate with the
may
they
not
know
spirits
of these deceased loved ones, even though
the identity of these beings at the time.
relative at the bedside of the person
deceased presence
is until
who
is
dying
may
they are identified later on,
Even
a living
know who the typically by way of not
an old photograph. These types of experiences particularly indicate that no
one really ever dies alone.
“Multiple- Witness ” ADCs
This
an
is
when two
or
more people
—
at the
same time and place
ADC experience with the same deceased loved one. Sometimes
when aroma
ADC
is
ADCs,
experiences. In multiple-witness
only
smelling an
most commonly reported. As an example, several people
simultaneously smell the scent of roses although there nal source of roses
one person
ADCs
tasies
it is
these people “compare notes” that they find out that they indeed
shared similar
that
— share
at a
anywhere
time shares
in the environment.
ADC
is
The
will
no traceable exter-
fact that
more than
experiences gives credibility to the view
are not just subjective hallucinations, wishful thinking, or fan-
made up
in the
mind of one
individual.
“Suicide Intervention” ADCs
This category involves people lives,
who,
in
many
cases, already
who were
planning to take their
own
had well laid-out plans for carrying out
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
their suicides
—they
had already written farewell
made
letters,
funeral
arrangements, had given away their belonging and pets, and so on. In all the cases we recorded, a deceased loved one intervened and dissuaded them
from taking
way
the
their
own
lives.
They were
told that
committing suicide was not
of out of their problems. Because of the sheer transformative
of a suicide intervention
ADC,
power
these people were given another chance on
Earth to work out the great emotional pain, fear, and confusion that led to their near-suicides.
An
important message for those in the counseling profession
with suicidal people ical,
is
therapist, this
ADCs as psychopathologif these ADCs are invalidated as unreal
not to prematurely dismiss
as fabrications of the mind.
by the
who work
might cause
For
clients to carry out their
planned suicides.
Another extremely interesting aspect of suicide intervention
ADCs
is
who are suicidal are often contacted by deceased loved ones who took their own lives by suicide. It seems that deceased loved ones who have taken their own lives by suicide have a special mission to dissuade that
people
others from taking their lives.
“Seeing and Communicating with the
Soul at the
Moment of Death” ADCs
People report that they see the just died
full outline
of the figure of the one
has
emerge upwards from the physical body. Others do not see a recog-
nizable form, but see something that resembles a wisp of
of death. This cation
who
is
smoke
moment
sometimes accompanied by one-way or two-way communi-
where good-byes are shared with the person who has
“Escorting
at the
Someone
to the
just died.
Light” ADCs
One ol the most extraordinary forms of ADCs is when a living person known to someone who has just died has learned to enter into a transcendental state ot consciousness, leave his or her body, and
dying person to the Other Side. The living person ly told
70
who
accompany
does
the
this is typical-
by a “Being of Light” on the Other Side, “You can’t go any
farther;
Bill
you must go back now.” form of service
—
It is
rare person
who
Grief and the Fear of Death Reduced by In our
modern
culture,
it is
is
due
to
we
fear
life,
unfortunate that
and, as such,
we
to the Light.
ADCs
such a considerable degree. Psychologists fear death,
able to perform this lovely
is
someone who has just died
to escort
Guggenheim
know
many people
fear death to
that to the extent that
live less fully. In
what people are taught about what happens
many
we
cases, this
after death, including
the hell-and-brimstone notion of an eternal hell.
Others consider themselves agnostics concerning the existence of death,
after
but death
is
a predominant fear for them,
nevertheless.
However, for people who have experienced ADCs, the existence of after death
becomes very
and comforting.
real
ADC
life
life
experiences time and
again reduce or even eliminate people’s fear of death.
We
have also found that the intensity and duration of bereavement
ADC
reduced dramatically by ADCs. Whether the
is
happens only once, or
the individuals have ongoing contact with the deceased for the rest of their lives, those
their
who
are physically alive receive assurance through
ADCs
deceased loved ones are alive and well and care about them. Over and
over again, the
gist
of the messages received from deceased loved ones
us that they are
still
alive
If
and okay and
you haven’t yet had an
available to you. Experiencing ful
that
we
should get on with our
tell
lives.
ADC experience, the possibility is always an ADC can be one of life’s most meaning-
and touching experiences. For me, the most joyous part of spending so
many
years researching
realize that life is
that
everlasting,
u
Death
is
ADCs
is
that
continuous. Earth
we have
helped so
life is just
many more people
one phase of existence. Life
and we are eternal beings.
is
no more than a passing from one room
to another.
But there ’s a difference for me, you know.
Because
in that
other room,
I’ll
be able to
— Helen Keller
see. ”
Visitations of
Our
1
5-Year-Old
Son After His Suicide
ANNE PURYEAR Anne Puryear Lives
—My Son,
is
a Gestalt therapist, minister, and author of Stephen
Stephen, His Life, Suicide,
and
Afterlife.
She
co-directs,
with her husband, psychologist Dr. Herbert Puryear, the Logos Center in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Logos Center
is
an interfaith church, holistic heal-
ing center, spiritual community, and metaphysical school. This chapter
based on a film interview that took place
in
is
Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I truly believe that there will be a time
when
we’ll be
some phonelike instrument and perhaps a number such as 1 -800-HEAVEN and reach
able to pick up dial
loved ones
who have
died. ”
— Anne Puryear
W ficult,
hen
my
son Stephen was 15, he hanged himself from a tree across
the street
from where we
traumatic time in
lived. Stephen’s suicide
was
my entire life. remember during his 1
most
dif-
memorial
ser-
the
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
vice,
was expecting
I
when pain
found out
I
that
heard his voice or
I
—being
and unable
to trust that
it
—
her
Finally,
Stephen
to
Another time,
alive.
when
I
first
was
I
One
little
my
“Stephen
began
to
what
and
that
you
head. Although these types of things
room
I still
say,
couldn’t establish a
were
I
The next and
said,
day,
my
No
too, felt his
head,
I
are. In
“We
feel
went
one had wound
to a
daughter
it
will
is
to give
not
be delivered
that this is real.”
medical program, and a couple came up to
had some doubts about.
phone
My
down what he told me. He said I to me. He then said, “Mom, I know
you money
to
buy
When
a piano.”
me
The piano
Stephen told us!
just as
There have been times when Stephen had given I
up.
wrote
know
was delivered before Christmas, that
it
began playing
order to prove that this communication
you’ll
we need
tree
unmistakable presence. As Stephen
he would dictate
Then I
communica-
sitting together in the living
your imagination, someone will give you a piano, and before Christmas.
heard Stephen’s
I
my
and over again.
speak inside
a skeptic
couldn’t see him,
thoughts
daughter and
is here.’’ I,
would write books
my
slept peacefully that night.
music box underneath the Christmas
“Silent Night” over said,
I
for
totally trusted.
I
evening,
A
room.
to
“Mom." There were other being moved to the side, and then I
happened on a number of occasions, that
I
my bedroom,
alone in
sitting
my own
found
him
Stephen came to say good-bye
time since he had died,
heard Stephen’s voice speak inside
tion with
dressed in the karate uni-
I
voice out loud from the corner of the times
skeptical
— Stephen’s nine-year-old
immediately looked up and around me.
him. For the
felt
I
still
was meditating and inwardly praying with me, he placed his hand, one finger at a time, on
be there I
me was
always wished would happen to me.
one night when
right shoulder.
but
I
much emotional
in so
part of
in the kitchen,
wear when he was
— something
was
really happening.
— saw him with her open eyes to
some
that
I
he died, our daughter
after
a simple thing to hear
would be
it
presence,
felt his
s i ster
form he used
that
wasn’t so easy! Although there were times
it
was
be able to communicate with him
still
and
of grief
in the throes
few weeks
Just a
would
I
after death
from the Other Side
him speak.
that
this
me
certain information
would happen,
I’d often get a
from a friend who was also receiving ongoing communication Irom Stephen. She would repeat the same message that I had doubts
about
call
—
that
Stephen had told her
to tell
me, as added confirmation.
Anne Puryear
days I’d been really busy and not receptive to Stephen’s
If for several
attempts to communicate with me, this same friend would call say, “It’s
you.”
been four days since you’ve talked
And
she’ll
He needs
to Stephen.
we conducted
research with paranormal electronic voice recordings.
to talk to
experimental
We were able to actuwe do
Stephen’s voice on an ordinary tape recorder. For reasons
we have
not yet understand, at this point in time
whether paranormal voices show up on tape
on the tape and sometimes there are
way
exploration, one possible
nomena would be
not.
very
little
— sometimes
From
control over
there are voices
the perspective of scientific
to increase scientific validation of these phe-
to record people’s voices before they pass
one could then
after they die,
and
be exactly “right on” every time.
For about four years after Stephen died,
ally record
me up
scientifically analyze the
away
so that
paranormal voice
recording with the predeath voiceprint.
New
methods of electronic voice phenomena are now being developed
using television
sets.
An
a nonreceiving station.
ordinary
At
TV is
turned on, and the channel
this point, to the
naked eye and
screen displays only the hissing of visual and auditory era
is set to
ear, the television
static.
A video cam-
then set up in front of the nonreceiving television and put in record
is
mode
for several hours.
When
the videotape
reviewed, sometimes the
is
images of deceased family members inexplicably appear on the videotape.
With the popularity of home computers, there
number of
home
computer. At a time
pletely off the keyboard, a
one
who
We
an ever-increasing
reports around the world of paranormal messages appearing
computer screens. For instance, a person their
is
when
message
will be doing
on
word processing on
the person has his or her hands
com-
on the screen from some-
will appear
has died!
also experimented with another exciting
was created by
Dr.
Raymond Moody,
new
area of research that
the psychiatrist-researcher
coined the term near-death experience. Dr.
Moody modernized
who
an old
method of invoking visionary experiences of departed loved
ones.
What he
a specially designed, darkened
room
that has
calls a
“psychomantium”
reflective
mirrors
set
Scottsdale, Arizona,
While
inside,
ed person and
up
into the mirror.
at
certain
we succeeded
one holds on at the
is
angles.
At our Logos Center
in creating a
in
working pychomantium.
to a personal object associated with the depart-
same time
thinks of the deceased person while gazing
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
Since
I
really
wanted
to see
Stephen again,
psychomantium myself. One night Light appeared
in the
as
I
looked
I
experimented with the
in the mirror, a
darkened room and came outside of the mirror about
12 inches in diameter. Stephen appeared in three-quarters view, as he did
when he was
thing happened.
ment
that
we
We
alive.
I
tried
it
moving just
a second time, and the exact
same
then created a pilot psychomantium research experi-
called The Threshold Project.
psychomantium experiences of 25 people
In this study,
died. Perhaps in the future, people will set in order to contact
loved ones
we
tracked the
for ten weeks. Seventy-three per-
cent of these 25 people either saw, heard, or experienced
homes
sphere of
someone who had
up psychomantiums
who have
in their
passed away.
Research using computers, TVs, videos, tape recorders, and psy-
chomantiums hold great promise the continuity of life after death
to bring us closer to scientifically
—
that the soul
proving
does continue. Of course,
through deep meditation, people from time immemorial have been receiving messages from departed loved ones without the aid of instrumental
technology.
The most common message from departed loved ones
is,
“We’re not dead; we’re more alive than you are.”
when we’ll be able to pick up some phonelike instrument and perhaps dial a number such as 1 -800HEAVEN and reach loved ones who have died. We will then know that our So
I
truly believe that there will
be a time
loved ones simply have changed form and that for the soul, there really
is
no death. This will be extremely comforting, healing, and wonderful, especially for those
“ Edison
who
and
I
are grieving.
are convinced that in the fields of psychic research
wdl yet be discovered facts
that will prove of greater significance to
human race than all the inventions we have ever made in the field of electricity. ”
the thinking of the
—
Dr. Miller Hutchinson,
Thomas
Edison’s assistant. At the time,
they had been collaborating on an attempt to invent a device that
could communicate with deceased persons.
CHAPTER NINE
•
y*:;
Multidimensional Universe JEAN HOUSTON, Jean Houston, Ph.D.,
is
and seminar leader who has ing the latent
human
include The Possible
and
A
Ph.D.
known philosopher, author, developed revolutionary new ways of unlockan internationally
capacities that exist in
Human, The Search for
Passion for the Possible. This essay
is
all
individuals.
the Beloved,
A
Her books
Mythic
Life,
based on a film interview that
took place in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“By
‘essence,
the
god
’
I
mean
that part of our nature
in hiding, the
links us to
and
—
A
someone who has
when
it’s
source quality or soul quality that
space,
life
Dr. Jean
lived with
and
death. ”
Houston
many
traditional cultures
around the
have found that every one of these cultures supports the belief continuous that there is part of the self that simply does not die
world,
that life is
as
our highest becoming, that transcends
time
s
we recognize
I
—
the physical body’s time to go.
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL worked with over 3,000 research subjects and over a million and a “depth probings half seminar participants, exploring what might be called the of the human psyche.” I’ve found that we’ve barely begun to tap I’ve
immense depths of who and what we more
levels to us, than
we can even
We
are.
have many more
parts,
imagine.
Modern science and consciousness research
is
coming together
a portrait of the universe that exceeds our wildest expectations.
indeed citizens of an enormous universe
dreamed. The the it
New
Physics speaks about
—more
how
in
dimensions
many more. This means
sions “hyperspace.” life that
It
The
appears that
We
are
time of the Big Bang,
in three or four
dimensions,
that there are not only
many more
many more dimensions
in the universe, but there are
that are possible to experience.
to paint
complex than we ever
at the
newly created universe did not only “bang”
banged
many
New we
within us
Physics calls these other dimen-
live in a huge, universal school of
has no real ending. There seems to be a constant, continuous grad-
uation and initiation into higher and deeper levels of reality and beingness.
There
is
a
Prisoners. This
poem by
very great
poem
contains within
Christopher Fry called Sleep of
it
immense seeds of discovery
only for us now, living in present time and space al
passage to a
much
[Jean recites from
larger life
—but
also for our eventu-
beyond time and space. The poem reads
memory]:
The human heart can go
Dark and cold we may
be,
to the lengths
but this
is
of God.
not winter now.
The frozen misery of centuries, cracks, breaks, begins The thunder
is
the thunder of the float
Of the flow of the upstart Spring. Thank God our time is now When wrong comes up Never
to
to leave us
meet us everywhere. til
’
we
take
The longest stride of soul folk ever Affairs are
The enterprise
is
now
took.
soul- sized.
exploration into God.
What are you waiting for? It
takes
But
78
many thousands of years will
—not
to
wake.
you wake, for pity's sake?
to
move.
— Jean Houston, Ph.D.
So the enterprise
is
share a few of
I’ll
When I was On
my
my
extraordinary experiences.
own.
19 years old,
one occasion,
many
deeper reality share
this exploration into a
who have begun
exploration into God, and those
I
used
jump
to
out of planes as a parachutist.
parachute didn’t open right away, and
I fell
and
fell. I
my backup chute, and that didn’t open either. Suddenly, the adrenaline leapt to my brain, and soon after I was transported into another state of consciousness where I experienced a life review as I continued my freefall to the earth. Every major event in my life passed before me, from the time I
tried
was a
to pass, ities.
this full
up
tiny child
which
to the present.
I
in itself says a lot about reality
Well, one of
my
—independent of whether years
later, I
I
reality.
Some
part of
and the universe of possibil-
life
was
came down with typhoid
my
found myself
I
came
my
available, glorious,
and
lived or died.
degrees Fahrenheit, the light of
mind’s eye,
of
all
Crete where there were no doctors.
my
that later
parachutes did finally open, but the overall sense of
powerful experience was that
A few
even saw future events
When my
fever in a tiny village in
temperature reached 107
bedside hotel lamp faded away, and in
at the
threshold of another dimension of
body-mind system crossed
into an
enormously
pleasant and delightful realm. There was art on the walls, lovely furniture,
extraordinary music
—
derful place; this
the best place I’ve traveled so far.
I
was about
is
I
met marvelous beings.
to travel
deeper into
I
thought, My, what a won-
otherworldly domain but said to
this
myself, “Wait a minute, I’m very young, I’m not ready to leave the world.
No,
I
don’t think so, not yet.”
A being of the realm replied,
you some other time.” Then, with a tremendous
effort
“Okay, we’ll see
of psychological
will,
my consciousness back into my body and again found myself in the light of my hotel room. My fever broke upon my return. Another fond memory was my grandmother’s passing. For the last six years of her life, she had arteriosclerosis of the brain and nervous system. We I
pushed
took care of all her basic bodily functions to
—she was
our amazement, an hour before she passed,
from the stupor left-hand
that she
had been
comer of the room, she began
deceased husband, Prospero,
Now, my
this old
long years. Looking
double chin was so big!
woke up
at the
upper
to address the invisible presence of her
who had been dead
We used to
However,
lady suddenly
for
many
years.
grandfather, Prospero, had been a very fat man.
pizza by the stack! his
in for six
like a vegetable.
say that he
knew of his
He used
feet only
to eat
by rumor
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
My
grandmother kept on speaking
room. In beautiful, bella,
how
—whose death we
coma
the
ten,
who had died 40 years before; who had died only three months
address her daughter,
to
before
would
“Hey, Prospero, que
you look. Eh, you gotta your figure back.”
and she also spoke to her son, Paulo,
passing.
upper left-hand corner of the
lyrical Italian, she said things like,
beautiful
She then began
to the
knew about because
didn’t think she
she was in a
whole time, and nobody could have possibly told her about
So she continued
to talk to these invisible presences, then she
then laugh and laugh, then talk again, and then
listen for a while,
his
lis-
on and on.
My Aunt
Gracie excitedly said to
my
grandmother
in Sicilian,
“Mama,
Mama, do you recognize me?” And grandmother replied strongly, “Hold it, Gracie! Can’t you they’ve come for me?” Aunt Gracie said, “Hey, Mama, there’s nobody there.” Grandmother
replied, “Hey, Gracie,
see
you can’t see them because they
come for you, they’ve come for me” Then Aunt Gracie said, “Mama, for
haven’t
been ...cumma legume “Ah, Gracie, I've
to
.
..like
you
I
the
six
last
years
you’ve
a vegetable.”
may have seemed
like a vegetable, but the
places
been!”
So
my
grandmother had been on her inner
travels,
by
golly. That’s
why
always say that when people are taking care of folks who have Alzheimer’s disease, are in a coma, or are senile do not think that because I
—
their surface is
not intact
mind doesn’t focus
—
in
“normal ways” that
traveling, experiencing,
and preparing
mind”
their “depth
to enter a
much
larger
universe beyond physical reality.
Heie are a tew stories about my father, who was a great comedian. He wrote many ot the very famous comedy shows of early radio and television.
My
dad was a complete atheist throughout his you’re dead, your dead, and that’s it.”
Ten days
after his death
seveial hundred ol
my
from leukemia,
students.
I
into another, into another.
the meditation myself.
I
At one point,
closed
my
He used
was guiding
asked them
going though successive doors of the mind er,
I
life.
to
to say,
a meditation with
imagine
that they
— one door opening
I
decided that
“When
I
were
into anoth-
might as well do
eyes and found a particular door. This
door was paisley colored on the bottom and made of glass on top. Suddenly,
Jean Houston, Ph.D.
my
father appeared behind that door in
at visual lete.
much
was my father, grinning said, “Call
Later that day, ence.” “Call
I
me
I
me
my eyes closed.
with
happy
his typical
him, “Dad, what should
He
Now, I’m not good
meditation.
imagery. I’m an auditory thinker, a muscular thinker
don’t tend to see
I
my
I call
an ath-
this time, there
And for some reason,
He laughed and immediately and
his wife
said, “I’ve
meeting Dad
told her about
like
I
asked
you?”
Popsicle!”
phoned
grin.
However,
—
disappeared.
had the darnedest experiand
in meditation
he had
that
said,
Popsicle.”
Well, she began to laugh hysterically and said, “I just heard from the Forest
Lawn
me
Mortuary. They told
My
they were keeping him on ice” [Jean laughs]. “Call
me
Popsicle.
I
About with
my
awake
in
was so much
Popsicle,”
admit six
it’s
father. It
my
later, I
was a
sleep.
like
good behavior, so
Manchester.
act.”
I’ll tell
I
comedy
had seen
ostrich”
this
words Pop and
again].
was asleep but consciously
I
lucid dream,
“Hiya, kid” said,
I
—
just like
“Dad, what are
be dead?”
term
—
Nobody can
besides,
go
Now kid, to
see
I’ve
I
got
some time
me
—
it’s
great.
to
go
off all
can get in
I
been checking out
Manchester and check out
name of the comedy
the
comedy
to
the
father’s line,
you what I’ve been doing. I’m able
clubs.
want you
Then he’d given
He
to
replied, “Eh, death’s a relative
for free into these
which
my
Still in
over the world, instantaneously.
in
in
My dad again appeared and said,
you doing here? You’re supposed
for
—playing on
that
had another after-death visionary experience
dream
lucid
he always used to say to me.
He
him
comedian
macabre story [laughs
a rather
months
were so backed up
the cremations
this club
this
chicken
club in Manchester where he
act.
continued, “Hey, kid, there’s this other wild act with two ladies and an
—and he again gave
the
name of
the club
where
this act
He went on to describe about a dozen or so of these comedy and then said, “Now look,. I know that you’re asleep, and you
ing.
really here, but I really
am. Please
try to
remember
This way, you can go to these places and can get together, create
your
own
act,
Upon awakening, I was he had described to me.
I
them about these comedy don’t exactly
know what
and can quit
able to
this
the
was appear-
acts
and clubs
think I’m not
names of these
all this
scam you’re
comedy
clubs.
material
into” [laughter].
remember three of the names of the clubs
looked up the phone numbers, called and asked acts, and,
to
make
by
golly, they
were really there!
of this experience, but
it
really
I still
happened!
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
A
few weeks
down
in
later,
was again guiding
I
Venezuela. This time
a meditation with
was taking them back
I
ancient Druids. In the guided meditation,
I
to the
my
students
time ot the
said things like, “Imagine that
you are an ancient Druid at Stonehenge. You are wearing white robes. You possess the chalice of abundance. You have been given the sword of discrimination. There are many ravens flying overhead.’ I went on and on with this
type of descriptive imagery.
After the meditation, a lady ing.
She told
me
She
said, “Well,
someone who
that
in her meditation
came over
me who
to
tall
I
asked her to describe him.
and bald and had a big grin on
She continued. “Your father told me, ‘Next time, to
send in so I
nation, I
of
all this out,
She again began
one of the I
last things
think
I’ll
tell
to
so afterwards,
I
this:
same
time,
ship.
We
it
my
daughter not
called his wife and told her
laugh hysterically. She told
me
he had said just before he died was “In
that as a joke,
my
next incar-
be an ancient Druid.”
had no way of knowing! So what do you make of
it is
his face.’’
stinking birds’ ” [laughter].
many
couldn’t figure
the story.
my father appeared
identified himself as
dressed as one of the Druids.
he was
couldn’t stop laugh-
The universe seems
to
is
have
it?
What you make
extraordinarily vast and complex, and at the
this
web of interconnectivity and kinmuch larger life. Whether you believe
seamless
are indeed participants in a
am
that life is an
ongo-
ing teaching-learning experience that continues after physical death.
Those
in reincarnation or not,
who
feel that life
Death
is
one thing
comes
to
I
an end
the closing of one door
at
convinced of
death
—
life
is
does not come
to
an end.
and the opening of another.
The ancient Aramaic word for death, maw’ta, when
literally translated,
The Persian word for death,
means “not intakaal,
“to change, to
here, present elsewhere.
when
move from.
translated, ”
means
”
PART
IV
The Soul in the
Near-Death Experience
INTRODUCTION
A tion,
ccording to the
latest
Gallup
poll,
over 22 million Americans have had
a near-death experience. If you’re one of these people, then this sec-
The Soul
in the
Near-Death Experience,
will
undoubtedly bring back
memories of your own near-death journey. For those who have not had a near-death experience, this section will hopefully shed light on what like to
have one
—without having
to
it’s
go through the pain and the trouble of
almost dying.
Nowadays,
the subject of debate
on the near-death experience
is
no
longer whether people have near-death experiences, but what do they represent? Are they but fabrications of the are experiencing
mind
—
real only for those
who
them? Or are near-death experiences actual journeys
to
other dimensions of reality, as the overwhelming majority of near-death
experiencers claim after they return?
As someone who has had a near-death experience, and has also studied much of the near-death scientific literature, I believe that the weight of evidence points
to the latter.
I
leave
it
for
you
to decide for yourself
based on
both the contents of Part IV and on Dr. Kenneth Ring’s chapter, “Evidence
Supporting the Spiritual Reality Behind Near-Death Experiences,’’ which
can be found in Part VIII, Science and the Soul
—The Evidence.
85
CHAPTER TEN
Qraduating to Another Reality
RAYMOND MOODY, Dr.
appeared
first
Dr.
Raymond Moody
Moody holds
chapter
is
his
in
M.D., Ph.D.
coined the term near-death experience, which
groundbreaking book, Life After
a doctorate in philosophy, and he
is
Life,
Personally I can ,
I
tell
you
in all
and my personal experiences, death
my is,
near-death in
my judgment,
simply a transition into another kind of reality.
—
W
hen
I
was
six years old,
was gazing out
spective.
So,
I
I
was
Dr.
totally
I
had already I
hallucinations.”
is
As
my own
telescope and
started life with a very scientific perin life after death.
people of a skeptical bent of mind could
ten to accounts of near-death experiences after-death thing
built
and completely a “nonbeliever”
how
”
Raymond Moody
into space.
can well understand
Illinois.
openness and honesty,
have absolutely no fear of death. From
research
1976.
also a psychiatrist. This
based on a film interview that took place in Chicago,
“
in
just a dying person’s
a psychiatrist
who
(NDEs) and
say,
“Oh,
lis-
this life-
wish fulfillment, or they’re simply
has talked with over 10,000 people
M87
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
who have had NDEs, I can tell you that this experience does not conform delusions, or wishin any way to what we know of as hallucinations, experience. fulfilling fantasies. It’s a totally different kind of human issue of whether there
The
one of us has
I’m perfectly
to
survival after death
is
make up our own minds
my own
about. In
that
each
personal
life,
something
is
satisfied that there’s nothing to fear in death.
At the same time,
we always have to be respectful toward others who may still may afraid of death, or who do not believe in life after death. People who have had NDEs frequently tell us that when they leave their
however, be
bodies, their spirits are able to travel to another part of the hospital to places
report tal
thousands of miles away.
—of knowing what
rooms where
And
relatives said
their bodies lay
it
turns out that the scenes they
and did
unconscious
—
far
away from
patients
—who
were
their hospi-
are later verified as having
transpired at that very time, exactly as they described
many
it!
I’ve personally had
the time believed to be dead
at
—even
—describe
among their relaAfterwards, we went to these
detailed conversations that they witnessed taking place tives in an entirely different part of the world.
relatives to verify these this
NDE
accounts, and they would say, ‘‘Absolutely,
was exactly what was going on In
was wheeled table.
woman
one case, a
to
emergency room, and was put on the operating
medical records,
minutes. Shortly after she
was
she'd had an
NDE.
happened
mention a curious
to
upwards above the
this patient
was
clinically
dead for a few
resuscitated, she told her social
hospital, she
detail:
As
her
spirit left
are just a
NDE,
saw an old shoe dangling from a cable on
few accounts
and
she
the
worker immediately went up on
that indicate that
phenomena
it
would
be!
quite outside
the ordinary range of conventional expectations occur during these
Common
that
her body and floated
and retrieved the shoe exactly where the patient had said
So these
worker
In addition to describing the classic stages of an
hospital roof. After hearing this, the social the roof
time.”
arrived at the hospital in an enclosed ambulance,
directly into the
According
at that
NDEs.
Features of the Near-Death Experience
the Process of Death
Over
the past
few decades, we've
and the process ot dying.
really learned quite a bit about
And what we've
learned
is
that death
NDEs
does not
a
Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D.
have
matter of that
it
who go
be a frightening experience for the people
to
fact,
some people who
from close
return
calls
was one of the most wonderful experiences of their
that they felt a great
with death lives.
As
it.
They
tell
a
us
report
peace during the experience, and that the presence of
deceased loved ones were there
From
through
millions of
NDE
to help
accounts,
them through
we now know
to the
Other Side.
that there is a definite
progression of events that are reported time after time. Based on what these
people
tell
us
when
they return, there
a state of consciousness one enters
is
into at a certain point in the process that
people
who
are going through
actually very comfortable for the
Physicians, psychologists, and psychia-
over the world continue to study the patterns that unfold
trists all
point of death.
They
they’ve looked
at.
The
it.
is
who
patients
moment
are finding remarkable similarities in
return
from these experiences
their physician believes that they are dead,
tell
all
at the
the cultures
us that at the
from
same
their perspective,
they report that they leave their physical bodies, drift upwards, and look
back down and see
their
own
physical bodies lying there on the bed, sur-
rounded by medical personnel who are trying Typically, at this point, they fuss
is
I’m the
tell
NDE
From
tell
their perspective, they’re
experience progresses, they
that they often describe as a tunnel.
completely vibrant and
may become aware
They go through
that as they enter into this Light,
the
all
the physicians, “Don’t worry,
out on the other side into an incredibly brilliant,
They say
them.
us that they’re wondering what
about. They’re actually trying to
fine.”
to resuscitate
alive.
As
of a passageway
this tunnel
and come
warm, and loving
Light.
completely permeates them
it
with feelings of love, acceptance, and peace.
They may be greeted already died tion.
who
point by relatives or friends
who have
meet them and help them through
this transi-
at this
are there to
Also, they often describe an incredibly loving personal presence
Being of Light. This being helps them review
their lives
and
to see
—
what
they have learned in the process of living while on Earth. In this life-review process,
how
to love is the
and again is
most people say on
most important thing
in the life
review part of the
measured from the point of view of
The more than 10,000 near-death
come from every walk
of
life,
in life
—
their return that learning
that’s
NDE. Our
what comes up time
spiritual progress in life
love.
returnees
whom
I’ve talked to have
every educational level, and from
many
cul-
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL
tures
around the world. Out of
of these people, I’ve yet to see one single
not met by understanding and love in this
who was
case of a person
all
life-
review process. This doesn’t mean that we all haven’t done things that we wish we hadn’t, or that we didn’t feel remorse if we were mean to someone.
The Beings of Light
that are involved in this life-review process fully real-
human means
ize that being
Another interesting point: with death
alternate space
last
words
calls
us that as soon as they were out of their bodies and in this
tell
terrible pain
—
we make mistakes we all do. NDErs who recover from their close
that
—
up
realm
this light
—they
to the point of death.
refer to
how completely
felt
no pain
And sometimes
peaceful they
at all,
even
if
they had
as they pass over, their
feel.
At the Moment of Death
NDErs
are people
who were
clinically
call with death to tell their accounts.
dead but returned from
However, I've also been
this close
at the
bedside
many people who did go on to die. And one can sometimes observe that people on their deathbeds who do slip on over and die begin to describe similar experiences that NDErs tell us about. As they are dying, people very close to death will typically look up and say, “Oh, there’s Grandpa!” or whomever. They consistently report being of
met by
spirits
of relatives and friends
who have
already passed on.
Near the moment of death, people sometimes open up kind of
reality,
say their “good-byes” to us, and
move on
to
some other
in great peace.
As
they are dying, people will look up and say, “Oh, a Light, a beautiful
my
Light!” This happened to ago, and then to
my
very comforting for this firsthand
—
mother as well
me
to
when he died about a year and when she died about a month ago.
father
be there with
my
mother as she died and
a half It
to see
quite remarkable!
There was another thing that was particularly wonderful about mother’s death. Throughout her
She was always trying do what they wanted
my amazement and
90
life,
she
was never
my
a very assertive person.
make everybody else feel good and help them to do. She was a wonderful hostess and always very
to
to
sweet and kindly to others
personality
was
—but she had
great joy,
was transformed
I
a hard time saying no.
noticed in her
into
last
However,
few days on Earth
someone who now wasn’t
to
that her
afraid to speak
Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D.
her opinion to the hospital
wanted
the treatments that the doctors
very strong
perform on to the
way some
of
This transforma-
her.
Other Side
in a close
with death. Something very profound must have happened to her on the
Other Side It is
to
account for
change
this
in her personality
also said that in the dying process,
friends to say good-bye
—and
it is
to say
is,
“Good-bye for now,
of the people
”
it is
—but we
so final and terrible. Well, based on
if it’s
all
to
in a
had slipped over
tion occurred only after she call
even refusing
staff,
and behavior.
important for relatives and
word good-bye
often say the
my
who have been
through these
come
experience, what I’ve
because I’m highly confident
NDEs
—
that
—
we
as are
will
as
most
meet up
again with our deceased relatives and friends on the Other Side. So in this light, I
“good-bye”
only temporary.
is
often think that
to give
it
would be
great
if
we
could develop some sort of way
people a near-death experience while they are
alive
still
—without,
of course, subjecting them to any sort of danger, discomfort, or anything like that
—
so that
we can
people have from their close
“Experiencing the Soul
Death As Graduation Personally,
can
I
with death. [Editor’s note: chapter 16,
Another Reality you
tell
ly
no fear of death. From
is,
in
my judgment,
calls
the positive aftereffects that
Meditation, ” addresses this issue.]
in
to
some of
recapture
my
openness and honesty,
in all
research and
my
I
have absolute-
personal experiences, death
simply a transition into another kind of
reality.
There’s a wonderful metaphor that an old friend of mine used in order to describe death.
This
woman was
one of the
first
people
I
met who had an
NDE who passed on many years ago. After her NDE, she spoke about death as “a graduation.” that they this
When
her friends and relatives would die, she would say
had “graduated.”
And from what
I’ve experienced,
metaphor completely. The physical realm
one level of reality. But there are a transition into
some of
lots
of other levels of
me
about
reality.
my own death: “Do
or with other people around?” For me, to
we’re in now,
this is
And
only
death
is
these other very intriguing spaces.
People sometimes ask
I’m drawn
that
can accept
I
when
I
I
want
contemplate
to die alone
my own
death,
going through the process alone rather than having a big flock
of people around me. This
is
probably because I’ve always been a very
EXPERIENCING THE SOUL Everybody
introspective type of person. I
hope
ture
—
I
mean
really
the trip of a lifetime.
I’m looking forward
it.
I
have gone on
to die
woman
to
it
me
when you
death,
—
that death
this
in these terms:
it’s
a heartfelt
adven-
from the many
who have had NDEs, and
the “ultimate adventure."
is
—
to death as a great
have a very strong sense of
thousands of people I’ve talked with
put
different, though.
doesn’t sound flippant or bizarre or anything
this
thing with me;
is
I
people
who
remember one
“At a certain point when you are close
to
leave your body, you are not the spouse of your spouse,
you’re not the child of your parents, you are not the parent of your children.
You
and completely yourself.
are totally
It’s
—
On
the Lighter Side
Dr.
Moody’s Stand-up Comedy Routine
[Dr.
Moody Some
some
is
to sell
you
that, say,
smiling
NDE, when you
Sometimes, you have
real estate.
“Don’t buy"
Also, don’t in the
and laughing throughout
say that in an
pitfalls:
let
really the trip of a lifetime!’’
But
—
all
Tunnel, because
Tunnel and asks for a
it’s
toll,
get through “the Tunnel,” there are
to sit at a real estate dinner,
of the people
that there are
anybody
trick
his delivery]
much
I
and they
try
know who have been through
better bargains past the Tunnel.
you by saying
that
you have
to
pay a
toll
somebody comes up to you in the them that you want to see the manager,
not true. If
you
tell
because these guys are like squeegee people wanting to wash your car win-
dows and
get a
tip.
I
understand that they get kind of stuck on the edge of
the Tunnel there, and they’re just trying to
don’t
u
let
Under
them fool you. There’s no need
the
sod and under the
trees,
to
here
The Peas are not here, there the
make pay a
is
as quoted
few
dollars off you.
body of Solomon Peas,
only the to
But
laugh]!
toll [big
lies the
peas shelled out and went
— found on
a
God.
a tombstone,
by Dr. Joan Borysenko
—
pod ”
•
Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D.
)