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