Here And There - Part 3 of 3: The Near Death Experience

science.howstuffworks.com

Death and the beyond has always been thought of as the greatest of mysteries, because despite all available mainstream literature, no one really knows for sure what awaits people on the other side. Or do they? While there are those who even deny that there is such a thing as an afterlife, as seen in the first two parts of this series death and dying don't seem to be as much of a mystery for those with access to a very specific set of esoteric skills and knowledge.

In Part 1, I briefly discussed the body of knowledge about death and dying that are encoded in the different esoteric sciences. In Part 2, I discussed how mediums serve as go-betweens that allow non-clairvoyant people to communicate with disembodied spirits. However, validating the information gained from these previously mentioned sources has always been a problem, because unless you've been there yourself how can you really say what it's like? To this, there is a special group of people who find themselves in the unique position of having crossed over to the other side and come back to share their experiences. I'm referring to those who have undergone the near death experience (NDE).

You may ask why bother with those who have gone through NDE instead of simply looking at the lives and experiences of the various yogis and saints who have consistently visited the inner realms. The thing is, I also wanted to explore how an ordinary person, who hadn't undergone any training or exposure in an esoteric school, would see the supernal realms if they had a chance to visit them. And this is exactly the case for those who have undergone near death experiences.

For the most part, people who have undergone an NDE have similar experiences and descriptions. Usually they briefly see their physical bodies from the outside, there is a light and they are usually met by another being, either an angel or deceased loved one. Of course, there are also differences. But again, as in the case of people visiting different regions of the same country, differences in experience should probably be expected. There may also be another reason for the differences.

Helena Blavatsky, the founder of Theosophy, wrote an article about a conversation she and Colonel Olcott (one of the co-founders of Theosphy) had with a great Eastern teacher and another Indian. In summary, it states in the article that whatever conception (or non-conception) that one has about the afterlife will determine what one actually experiences after death. This actually ties in with what T. Lobsang Rampa had to say about the subject.

For example, if one were a Catholic, one would see heaven and angels, as well as hell and devils. If one were an atheist, one would experience a big nullity and blackness. Hindus would experience something in conformity with what their religion taught them. However, all these being the constructs and delusions of the mind, are temporary conditions and eventually the spirit emerges from these mental constructs in order to experience the true inner life.

Therefore, it seems there are two general stages of the afterlife. Most NDEs seem to fall under the category of the first stage, which is why their experiences may be colored by their religious beliefs and may differ from the accounts of the mystics. There are, however, special cases of NDEs who seem to have gone on to the second stage and it is these accounts that resemble most closely what the mystics and esoteric texts say about the inner realms.

I already wrote about the case of Anita Moorjani and if you look at her NDE, her experience does have the markings of the second stage. At this point, I'd like to take a look at another special NDE that has the hallmarks of the second stage of spiritual life, perhaps even more so than Moorjani's experience. I refer to the experiences of Dr. Eben Alexander, M.D. who wrote about his NDE in the book Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife.

Dr. Alexander went into a deep coma for one week, and during this period he experienced a reality that, according to him, was more real than the reality we live in right now. What is remarkable about Dr. Alexander's experience, aside from the fact that he was a neurosurgeon, is that he was an atheist before his NDE. Already an indifferent Catholic, Dr. Alexander's daily exposure to the field of medical science as well as some disappointing life experiences increasingly led him to doubt the existence of God.

Medically speaking, Dr. Alexander had a case of bacterial meningitis, apparently a very rare occurence among adults. How he contracted it was a mystery, because he wasn't exposed to any of the risk factors or incidents that could cause such an infection. However, what he went through before he went into coma takes on a very special meaning when seen through the perspective of esoteric science.

For starters, Dr. Alexander suddenly woke up early in the morning with intense pain at the base of his spine. He tried to take a soothing soak in the tub, but instead of helping, the pain started to creep up his spine. Then his head exploded in pain after his son briefly massaged it and that's when he started to slowly slip away. I don't know about you, but from those symptoms they pretty much look like signs of spontaneous kundalini awakening.

Many yogic sources state the importance of awakening the kundalini and bringing it to the crown chakra (at the top of the head) in order to fully experience the supernal realms. In the case of Dr. Alexander, what sets his experience apart from other NDEs is that in the midst of his NDE he wasn't even aware of who he was on this earth. Other people who have NDEs retain a sense of their earthly identity and personality.

Dr. Alexander believes that his forgetting about his earthly identity was probably the reason why he had an even deeper experience compared to other NDEs. This gives a hint of why it is important for those about to pass on to completely let go of material and corporeal matters.

Dr. Alexander also described his experience as more real than his physical life. This statement is probably incomprehensible except to someone else who had undergone a similar mystical experience. He also stated that he did not have a body as such and communicated with his guide there through thought alone. He describes a big core of blackness that was not frightening, yet emitted a sound that he could only describe as OM. And OM is the name he could think of to describe God.

In that realm, Dr. Alexander describes learning and understanding so much, and there was no such feeling of time or space. Even now, he is still slowly processing the things that he learned there, because his brain can hardly keep up with what was "taught" to him. This is strikingly similar to Master Choa Kok Sui's writings about intuition, about how one can learn the equivalent of several books in a few seconds yet take months or years to distill that knowledge into something understandable to most people.

Dr. Alexander also said that what you saw there was also what you felt, and vice versa, and the one constant experience there was that of unconditional love.

I highly encourage you to read Dr. Alexander's book. If you have any esoteric background at all you will immediately recognize Dr. Alexander's experiences. You'd think you were reading about the mystical experiences of a yogi.

In any case, the point of all this is that we need not undergo an NDE ourselves in order to experience the inner realms. There are many esoteric systems out there that teach different meditations and spiritual practices that will help us achieve these altered states of consciousness. Some gifted people are actually born with the ability to astral travel at will.

So there you have it, you now have an idea that there is something more to death and the afterlife, and that there are many ways that others have used to learn more about it. Death is not the end, and you can take comfort in the thought that your departed loved ones are well looked after in their continuing journey.

You may ask where evocation (spirit summoning) fits into all this. I would say it's somewhere in between mediumship and actually experiencing the inner realms. You're not using a go-between in order to speak with a spirit, but you're not actually visiting the spirit realms either. It's a way to get some information about the spirit world, but nothing really beats going there and seeing and experiencing it for yourself.

At the end of it all, what these stories do tell us is that such inner realms do exist, and there are ways and means that allow our consciousness to reach those realms even while physically alive. It's up to us if we want to start exploring them right now or to wait until we've crossed the inevitable line before paying attention to our destination.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Here And There - Part 2 of 3: Mediumistic Communication

audistico.es

Dealing with death and its aftermath is something as old as the human race itself, for death is an inevitable part of physical existence. Even the most "primitive" of tribes have some sort of funerary rite in order to commemorate the passing of a tribe member. Just as the earliest humans had to come to terms with death, the concept of the invisible worlds and the afterlife were also appreciated, perhaps even more so than in the modern world.

The medicine men and shamans of these tribes not only held the roles of doctor and counselor, they were also responsible for the spiritual well-being of the tribe. This responsibility extended both to the physical tribe members and the deceased. These wise men typically protected the tribe from malefic spirits and influences and were also the connecting link to the tribe's ancestors, who were often seen as the tribe's invisible guardians. Implied in these customs is the belief that the afterlife and the invisible worlds play as important a role in the conduct of life as physical existence itself.

There are many reasons why people would want to converse with spirits and learn more about the spirit world. Some people do it to find out the fate of their departed loved ones. Others simply want to reassure themselves of the reality of the invisible worlds. Yet others seek an advantage in terms of knowledge or guidance on what to do.

For people who do not have enough psychic talent or skill to communicate with spirits, they will have to employ the services of a medium. A medium is exactly what the term implies, a go-between that allows you to communicate with an incorporeal entity. Mediums can be found in almost any corner of the world. It could be the shaman of the tribe or even your next door neighbor.

Powerful people have always been fascinated with the paranormal, since it holds the promise of gaining an advantage over adversaries. As such, even mediums of humble birth have rubbed elbows with nobility. For example, with the kingdom of Israel in crisis, King Saul consulted the shade of the prophet Samuel through the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28). John Dee, an astrologer and occultist in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, used the services of the medium Edward Kelley in seeking contact with angels. Their collaboration resulted in the introduction of angel evocation and the Enochian language (supposedly the language of angels).

The Victorian Era saw an upsurge in mainstream interest in the esoteric and the occult. It was during this period that esoteric organizations such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Theosophical Society were born. In the United States, this era also saw the development of the New Thought movement, which carried on into the early 20th century with authors such as Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Charles Haanel (The Master Key System) and Wallace D. Wattles (The Science of Getting Rich) publishing books that reflected the principles of New Thought.

It was into this tableau that a Frenchman named Allan Kardec took an interest in spirit tapping, an activity that was already popular in his time. His subsequent investigations led to the publication of The Spirits' Book as well as four other titles that formed the basis of organized Spiritism. Allan Kardec's work had important consequences because it transformed spiritism into a systematized undertaking. This helped spiritism achieve a measure of credibility in a field of practice littered with charlatans and half-skilled practitioners.

According to a lecture given by one of the spiritist groups still active in the Philippines, systematized mediumship reached the shores of the Philippines when the Union Espiritista Christiana, Inc. was established in 1901. Most of the early mediums were from the province of Bulacan, although the practice slowly spread throughout the country as several lunduyans (spiritist centers) were set up in various locations. The training for mediumship is quite rigorous, requiring no small amount of discipline and courage. Suffice to say, it's not for the faint of heart. There is a reason why various occultists warned against the dangers of mediumship.

Still, one can really learn a lot through these mediums. According to one such medium I talked to, they were able to learn a lot about the spirit world through their sessions. They were also given certain oracions (incantations) for various uses such as protection, healing, etc. But in most cases they would facilitate communication between living people and their deceased loved ones. Another important service they performed were space clearing sessions for areas haunted by various spirits. Again, it's really quite interesting as long as you can stand the idea of coming face to face (sometimes literally) with the paranormal.

If you'd like to know more about mediumship in the Philippines, I highly recommend the book Mediumship by Claudette Rosal, although I'm not sure if you can still find it in bookstores. It was a book that stemmed out of her thesis and in the course of her investigations she briefly became a medium herself. We had the fortune of meeting her one time and she has many amazing stories to tell, some of them not found in the book.

At this point I'd like to devote some attention to some of the information that one may get from mediums. Even if we remove charlatans from the equation, mediums sometimes give widely varying accounts of the spirit world, its workings and its environs. This has led some people to doubt the veracity of the methods employed by mediums. But really, this variety of information really shouldn't be surprising. Supposing an alien who has never been to Earth nor seen it were to interview several humans about the places they lived in, it would also get many replies. An Arab would say he lived in a hot desert environment, an Eskimo would say his land is full of snow and ice, while a Vietnamese would say his place is full of jungles and mountains. Same thing with the spiritual realms, spirits experience varying conditions depending on their vibration and level of spiritual evolution.

The development of the medium should also be taken into account. The more highly developed the medium, the more highly developed the spirit beings he/she can come into contact with. Lower vibration entities have a limited range of knowledge and are more prone to give deceptive information.

Still, mediums perform an important function for those people who are desperate to contact their departed loved ones just one more time, or for those people who would like to know more about what lies beyond the veil but are unable to investigate for themselves. But just like any information you encounter for the first time, you first need to take it with a grain of salt. Verification is of course a big challenge when you yourself don't have the tools to do it, but there are still some things that one can do:

1. Investigate the background of the medium. Is he/she well-trained and recommended by people you trust?

2. Higher vibration beings do not incite one to negative deeds or feelings. And be careful if a spirit requires one to perform a certain ritual first before giving any information. That's one way to unwittingly enter into a pact with a negative entity.

3. Do not immediately act on whatever information that is given. If possible, go through several mediums or if the information is about the status of objects or people in the physical realm, try to verify through your own mundane sources.

Going by the above guidelines, it seems like it's so much trouble to interact with mediums. But again, there is a reason that the role of medium has endured throughout history even unto today's materialistic-minded environment. When bereaved family members feel a sense of peace that their deceased loved ones are doing well, or when one is able to assist earthbound spirits to "find the light" and ascend to higher realms of existence, then the medium's place in society is more easily understood.

The point is, we're all headed to the spirit world, and the only question is when. Hopefully you don't need to find yourself on the other end of the communication line between a medium and the loved ones you left behind. But if ever you do, perhaps you'll be thankful that such sincere people do exist.

One other tip if ever you decide to avail the services of a medium. If you decide to contact your deceased loved one, once should be enough. Spirits also have their own roles in the spirit world and they still undergo spiritual development. Constant contact also disturbs them. T. Lobsang Rampa compares this situation with receiving several phone calls from home while trying to work in the office. You'd hardly get any work done if your phone rings every few minutes.

In any case, as I mentioned in a previous article, truth has to be experienced. The accounts of spirits already on the other side can serve as a guide, but there's nothing like experiencing and validating it for yourself before you're dead. For ordinary people who have had near death experiences that's exactly what they did, though one need not barely escape death in order to do so. I will discuss these things on the third part of this series.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Here And There - Part 1 of 3: The Science Of Death

Credit: Alex Grey, alexgrey.com

Benjamin Franklin once wrote the following in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy in 1789:

"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

While many may evade the latter, no one escapes the former. Death is a subject that most people would rather not think about, and why not? Death is so final. If a loved one decided to relocate to the most remote place on Earth, without modern communications, there is still comfort in the chance (no matter how small) that you would see or hear from each other again. But if one of you dies, that's it. Anything left unsaid, any unfinished business will have to wait until both of you have crossed the Great Divide (or, until your next incarnation).

While death may be a morbid topic, its inevitability means it deserves something more than just a casual glance on our part. Death comes to anyone, young or old, healthy or sick, strong or weak, rich or poor. It is a painful parting for some, a welcome release for others. It can come unexpectedly, as quick as the snap of a finger, or as a long expected and drawn out curtain call. Despite the seemingly capricious nature of death, I think what people fear more is not the fact of death itself, but what to expect after it happens.

To start off, let's begin with the analogy of migrating to another country. Before you migrate, you want to gather as much information as you can about your destination. You start with the available literature, authoritative guides made by people considered experts on the subject. And then you also try to consult with people who have been there. And, if you have enough money you'd probably visit that country yourself as a tourist and try to get a feel for the place. Suitably equipped with such knowledge, you can expect a smooth transition once you actually migrate. Contrast this with the person who, with barely any preparation, finds himself forced to live in a foreign country without any idea about its language, its culture or its people. He would definitely find his transition very disturbing. Understanding death and the beyond follows the same general principles described above. It pays to know what to expect in advance.

There are three main sources of information about death and what happens afterward. The first is in the mystical literature encoded in many ancient texts and enshrined in the teachings of esoteric spiritual systems. The second are the various mediums who channel communications from the unseen realms. The third are the testimonies of ordinary people who have suffered the near death experience. They have the advantage of briefly experiencing the afterlife and coming back to tell others about it. Throughout the course of this series I will discuss each of the three sources of information. Even so, I will only be scratching the surface of this vast subject.

Hard as it may be to believe, there is a science to death and dying. The first aspect of this science can be found in astrology. Everyone is destined to pass from this world one day. It would oversimplify the matter to say that we have an expiry date, just like the food we find in store shelves, but that's essentially how it is. Therefore, no death is really "random." A very skilled astrologer can calculate the most likely times that one could die, as well as the absolute death date. There are certain exceptions of course, but this only seems to apply to spiritually advanced disciples who have specific spiritual missions to accomplish in this world.

Perhaps the clearest example of this aspect of astrology is my own experience a few years ago. The mother of one of my friends is an astrologer. One night he, I and another friend were starting on our way home together after a late dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. A few minutes away from the restaurant we almost got into a potentially serious accident. While making a turn at an intersection, a speeding 10-wheeler truck almost rammed the side of the car we were on. I was driving at the time and it was only by quickly jamming my foot on the accelerator that we were able to barely escape being hit.

Further down the road, my friend decided to check his cellphone and he noticed that his mom had texted him while we were still in the restaurant. The gist of the text stated: "Avoid being on the road between 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. tonight." The time of our almost accident? 12:30 a.m., well within the "danger period" his mom warned him about.

If anything, this example shows that astrologers can identify certain dangerous or auspicious periods BUT the result is not predetermined. Could this have been coincidence? Certainly. But based on the track record of my friend's mom, I doubt it.

If you want to read more about how much a skilled astrologer can extrapolate even based on sparse information, I suggest you read the book Zodiac & Swastika by Wilhelm Wulff (read it at Scribd). Wulff was an artist who took up an interest in astrology after studying Leonardo da Vinci's works and collections in a museum in Milan in 1912.

Over the years, he honed his craft to the point that he was able to help investigators solve or clear up a few difficult cases. One instance was the case of a girl's disappearance that he accurately determined was a double suicide. Another case was the theft of jewelry from a rich estate. By casting the appropriate horoscope, he accurately determined that the jewels were still within the estate, the approximate location where the jewels were buried, and the likely perpetrator. Acting on this information, the police raid resulted in the jewels being found and one of the maids being arrested for the theft. Perhaps Wulff's most famous contribution was determining where Mussolini was being held after his ouster and arrest in 1943. This information eventually helped the Germans launch that infamous raid led by Otto Skorzeny that resulted in Mussolini's rescue.

It is worth noting that Wulff was just one example of the contradictory conditions that esoteric practitioners faced in Nazi Germany. Initially persecuted and sent to a concentration camp early in the war because of his astrological skills, Wulff was eventually released and pressed into the service of the SS High Command (under constant threat of death) as the war started to turn out badly for Germany.

Going back to topic, supposing that one has already reached the moment of death. Certain esoteric traditions have detailed guidelines on what to do at the moment of death. For example, the Bardo Thodol (Tibetan Book of the Dead) is a funerary text that is supposed to assist the soul in managing death and the conditions immediately afterwards. It's essentially a guide for the soul of the dying person so that he/she may successfully navigate the bardo (the plane the soul immediately finds itself in after death) and hopefully avoid being drawn back to the web of samsara (the wheel of birth and rebirth). The book describes what bodily position the dying person is supposed to be in and what the lama (priest) should be reading aloud before, during and after the moment of death.

Tibetan Buddhists consider the Bardo Thodol as a terma (treasure) teaching, because it gives the soul a chance to achieve spiritual liberation. Terma were supposedly left by Guru Rinpoche (Buddha Padmasambhava), founder of Tibetan Buddhism, all across Tibet to be discovered when the time of their teaching becomes ripe. Terma can either be in the form of physical artifacts (like the Bardo Thodol) or bits of teaching embedded in the consciousness of advanced disciples, to be taught once the disciple discovers it.

Another example of a funerary text is the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Forget what you watched in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. The Egyptian Book of the Dead has a similar purpose as that of the Bardo Thodol.

However, one need not study the Bardo Thodol or the Egyptian Book of the Dead to be able to assist people who are about to pass on. There are just two very simple guidelines that both the dying person and the person's loved ones need to keep in mind:

1. For the person about to pass on, let go of any earthly attachments. Don't think about things such as who will inherit your money, or that one of your pesky relatives might make a try for some of your possessions after you're gone. Instead, simply make peace and forgive, because earthly attachments and concerns are mental and emotional chains that will make it difficult for the soul to ascend to higher realms. At its worst, it will keep the soul earthbound. It's very difficult to give up a lifetime of mental and emotional entanglements in a very short time (as anyone who has tried to kick a long-standing bad habit would understand). This is why in Buddhism there is so much emphasis on practicing detachment as an integral part of one's life.

2. For the loved ones of the dying person, DO NOT wail, cry or otherwise argue about the inheritance or similar matters around the deathbed. Maintain a solemn silence because even immediately after death the soul can still hear sounds. That's why in the Bardo Thodol, the lama still reads instructions meant for the dead person. Loud and disturbing sounds such as crying or arguments only distract the soul from concentrating on the transition from this life into the next.

In his book Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul, Master Choa Kok Sui describes an intense white light that will envelop the person at the moment of death. If the soul is able to focus and merge with this white light, the soul immediately achieves liberation. It is a priceless opportunity offered to everyone who dies. The important thing is for the soul to be aware that it will happen and to be undisturbed when it does.

If there are only two things that you can pick up from this article, let it be the two guidelines I outlined above. They are very simple, yet quite priceless for the soul.

In Part 2, I will describe how mediums work and how they contribute to the knowledge of the after realms.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Beyond The Brain

uofmhealthblogs.org

Do we determine how we act, or is our behavior just a result of our brain telling us what to do? After all, the human brain is an amazing biological computer. For instance, scientists believe that the brain can store at least 1,000 terabytes of information. Considering that the 900-year old National Archives of Britain has accumulated "only" an estimated 70 terabytes worth of information throughout its history, the brain's storage power is indeed impressive. Not only can the brain sort out all the different memories and knowledge we've accumulated, it also simultaneously manages the different bodily processes that keep us alive. Heart beat, respiration, blood distribution, waste removal, all of these things happen while we engage in other conscious tasks such as eating, talking or watching TV. Talk about parallel computing and multi-tasking!

However, the brain, and consequently the body, is also influenced by the many chemical secretions and hormones produced by the endocrine glands. For example, Human Growth Hormone (HGH), produced by the pituitary gland, is also called the fountain of youth. It is also responsible for giving the mind an increased sense of well being and contributes to an increased sexual drive. Melatonin, produced by the pineal gland, influences our circadian rhythms and allows us to adjust for seasonal changes.

By extension, one may say that simply by changing the mix of these different chemicals, one can influence the actions, memories and experiences of people. For instance, DMT is also said to be produced by the pineal gland at one's birth, at one's death, or during deeply spiritual states. DMT can also be synthetically reproduced or extracted from plants. Some South American cultures use the DMT extracted from certain plants and mushrooms in order to induce altered states of consciousness. Of course, looking at our actions and experiences as simply by-products of complex chemical reactions relegates the idea of human consciousness to the confines of a purely biological construct.

But are we really just a reflection of the chemical soup being cooked up inside us? Pure materialists would say yes, but I would say that it's both yes and no. Yes, probably most people are susceptible to hormone-induced behavior. Just ask anyone who has been on the receiving end of a woman with PMS, or anyone who instinctively grabs for food at the first sign of hunger.

However, many also forget such a thing called willpower. Willpower is an attribute that not enough people have a balance of. For example, one may religiously go to the gym but have no control over what one eats, or be quite industrious at work but be unable to summon the discipline to exercise regularly. But willpower is the one thing that allows us to overcome our hormones.

We do not need to look far to find examples of this. Whenever I watch documentaries about special forces around the world, I notice that the one thing that the selection process is trying to test is the mental toughness of the trainees. This is why it's not always the fittest, the strongest or the most intelligent that make the cut. The previous attributes are all important, but it's mental toughness that truly identifies one as special forces material. As one training sergeant said, just when you think your body can't give any more, you can actually force it to perform when circumstances demand it.

The above examples are not limited to soldiers. People who survive disasters despite all odds, or athletes who perform superbly at crunch time, all of them display this same sort of toughness, the will to survive and the will to win. It's this "digging deep" despite the pain and exhaustion that can allow one to overcome extreme adversity.

Everyone has a certain amount of willpower, it's just that people use it in different ways and with varying degrees of strength. The key to applying willpower constructively is to be aware. Instead of mindlessly grabbing that Twinkie bar when you feel hungry, stop first and think if you just didn't drink enough water. Or perhaps choose some other healthy food instead. Instead of lashing out in anger when you see someone you don't like, stop and think about how to de-escalate the situation instead.

If you look at it more closely, the constructive use of willpower is basically the same as character building. Now imagine that. So next time you're tempted to just give in to your negative impulses, try to exert some mental effort to act differently. It's never easy, and there will be many times that you may mess up, but every time you succeed is one better act you've done today than yesterday.