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