| To conclude this section may we just add that | | | | the cosmic scheme. This is the complaint of all mystics |
| Newton's subjects emphasize strongly that God is | | | | concerning the sons of men. In the Old Testament we |
| never once seen in the higher realms, although a | | | | read,"Man lies down and never rises. They rouse not |
| strong feeling of a Supreme Power is felt ruling the | | | | from their sleep." (Job 14:12)From what we have said |
| ongoings of devachan, or "heaven," and the kinetic | | | | so far, it may be surmised that there are various |
| motion of magnetic streams of energy flowing in the | | | | forms of death, and this is true. St. Paul hints of this |
| atmosphere and environment. This truth denounces | | | | when he declared, "I die daily" (I Cor 15:31). We tabulate |
| certain religious beliefs that in heaven one would finally | | | | the forms of death in the following:1) Death to higher |
| see God face to face--for while on earth one may not | | | | realities and verities2) Death to a higher awareness of |
| see God's face and live, one would surely behold | | | | divinity3) Death of one's slumber in matter4) Death of |
| God's countenance in heaven. This principle has been | | | | the false ego and its carnal, self-centered desires5) |
| vmisunderstood and misinterpreted for the past two | | | | Death of sleep6) Death of the physical and etheric |
| thousand years; it should actually be understood in a | | | | bodies7) Death of the astral body8) Death of the |
| mystical rather than in a literal manner. It reminds us of | | | | mental formWe will briefly describe each one: death to |
| Gautama Buddha's silence when questioned about | | | | higher realities and verities, and the death to higher |
| God--the implication of his subtle answer revealing a | | | | awareness of divinity are related. This is in fact the |
| profound truth to the initiated.Summarizing the scientific | | | | involutionary path of the soul as it descends for the |
| viewpoint on death and the afterlife--based on years | | | | first time in a new cycle of manifestation, or |
| of careful psychical, parapsychological research--the | | | | "manvantara." In involution the soul loses a certain |
| following conclusions have been reached:1) That | | | | awareness only to regain it with an enhancement |
| humans are essentially immaterial in nature and that | | | | during the Path of Return. Most souls prolong this |
| the human essence, or self-awareness, survives | | | | period of ignorance and awareness of higher |
| physical death.2) That human soul-units exist at | | | | multidimensional truths by their own free-will.Death of |
| differentiated levels of awareness in dimensions | | | | one's slumber in matter is the awakening of the soul's |
| beyond the physical light-spectrum, beyond the reach | | | | aspiration to spiritual possibilities--paradoxically, it could |
| of physical sensory perception.3) That contact with | | | | also mean being spiritually unconscious; this is followed |
| departed souls is a possible feat under certain | | | | by the death, or transcendence of the false ego and |
| conditions and circumstances.4) That all human | | | | its expressions in the movement within the evolutionary |
| soul-units periodically re-embody or reincarnate to | | | | spiral. The death of sleep occurs every night as the |
| continue their evolution.5) That all re-embody according | | | | soul takes flight to subtle worlds. Death of the physical |
| to the law of causation, or karma; or soul | | | | and etheric bodies occur when one leaves the present |
| desire.DISCUSSIONSAs we have seen in the previous | | | | incarnation for the astral world. This is followed by the |
| chapter, death according to the various traditions, | | | | deaths of the astral and mental forms as the soul rises |
| metaphysical experiences and modern scientific | | | | higher and higher to rest for a period in the causal |
| discoveries, does not annihilate the human soul; and | | | | body before preparing to reincarnate.Knowledge of |
| relationships formed on the physical plane do not | | | | the nature of death and the other worlds are important |
| cease at the termination of one's incarnation, as is | | | | subjects for every metaphysician. As said earlier in this |
| normally believed; also, one's aspirations, goals and | | | | paper, in the course of one's metaphysical ministry, one |
| ambitions, though simply and seemingly cut-short | | | | would often encounter individuals in bereavement |
| prematurely at a stroke of the scythe by the grim | | | | requiring comfort and solace. Equipped with a higher |
| reaper called death, is actually brought over to the | | | | understanding of the nature of death and the purpose |
| Otherside for a further strategic development that | | | | of life, metaphysicians are in a better position to |
| would bloom in a later incarnation. We have also seen | | | | enlighten humanity, and to fulfill one of their functions as |
| that the nature of death and the afterlife can be | | | | ministers. To Catholics, administering the "Extreme |
| known to those who are willing to develop the | | | | Unction," or the last sacrament to the dying may be |
| necessary sensory faculties of the astral form and its | | | | considered vital. But to the metaphysician, much more |
| ability of soul-flight. Additionally, we have dealt | | | | is required to guide the soul through the dying process. |
| somewhat of the nature of heaven and hell, including | | | | With the appropriate knowledge and occult ability, the |
| the Judgment, from the various metaphysical, religious | | | | metaphysician may assist souls in making a more |
| and scientific perspectives. We have described and | | | | meaningful transition. Deathbed-rites of an occult |
| hinted of some of the ways and means of avoiding | | | | formula and design, taking the bardo into consideration, |
| those undesired experiences, states and conditions to | | | | are needed by those engaged in the metaphysical |
| be found in the bardo, and even in the lower astral. | | | | field.The importance and purpose of life should be |
| Non-attachment to the physical form and earthly life is | | | | appended and stressed in those rites as a lesson not |
| helpful in the process of a peaceful and easy transition, | | | | only for the departed, but for those who are left |
| and in a smooth journey through the bardo--this ought | | | | behind. An experience of a loss of a beloved one |
| to be kept in mind. And lastly, with the descriptions by | | | | through the portals of death on the part of grieving and |
| subjects of NDEs and communications from the | | | | confused individuals should be looked upon by |
| beyond concerning the death process, we can be | | | | metaphysicians as opportunities for the sowing of the |
| assured that dying does not have to entail any mental, | | | | seeds of truth into their receptive consciousness. |
| emotional or physical agony; on the contrary, it may | | | | Metaphysicians as farmers in the vineyard of truth |
| result in one of the most joyful states that average | | | | should play their part perfectly. By offering various |
| souls may experience at its present evolutionary level. | | | | truths concerning the nature of death-truths that are |
| It provides a certain pre-taste of what the nirvanic | | | | rational, logical, helpful and spiritually stimulating--we |
| state is like when once the soul is liberated and fully | | | | improve the whole image of the metaphysical ministry |
| aware of its divine unity with All That Is.Humans may | | | | in the minds of the public. The more metaphysicians |
| fear death, but "being dead" is actually the present | | | | have to offer to the public as to occult and esoteric |
| state of awareness of most people. To be unaware | | | | knowledge and as to the expressions of their high |
| of one's higher microcosmic principles is simply a | | | | psychism, the more will the public's awareness be |
| consciousness of death. What separates the seen | | | | stirred and lifted to a higher plane of consciousness. |
| from the unseen is the level of one's waking | | | | Metaphysics as a synthesis of religious, spiritual, |
| consciousness, and the psychological impurities within | | | | philosophical, and scientific truths has the capacity to |
| one's subconscious mind. There are several | | | | offer what traditional forms of religion, science and |
| components in the microcosm making up what we call | | | | modern philosophies are incapable of offering--that is, |
| the divine, human being. The more components we are | | | | real help.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONSIn the |
| aware and conscious of, the more alive we become in | | | | Introduction of this paper we presented the purpose |
| the spiritual sense. Non-experience of the higher | | | | and the need of why this subject had to be written |
| principles and realities do not mean that they do not | | | | and discussed--of the importance of its place in the |
| exist, it is just that the faculty for higher perception has | | | | metaphysical ministry as well as its influence upon the |
| not yet been developed. Fear is what closes the veil | | | | individual and society as a whole. This purpose was |
| to spiritual knowing. When we fear, we circumscribe | | | | again stressed in the previous chapter. In order to |
| our consciousness. Fear of the unknown, is the | | | | organize our thoughts regarding the subject, we |
| ignorance of the source of our fear. Identification with | | | | formulated several themes that would be the basis for |
| mortal principles simply perpetuates (or perpetrates?) | | | | the structure of our paper. Our fundamental themes |
| one's mortal existence as a normal human being--and | | | | consisted of the following:1) The survival of personal |
| it also maintains one's fears. We are meant to be | | | | consciousness2) The process of transition3) The |
| perfect--as advised by the Piscean Master--perfect in | | | | nature of life after so-called deathThe structure of our |
| consciousness, in knowledge, and in awareness. | | | | findings and of this paper, was based upon four |
| Attaining immortality, or awareness of such, requires | | | | perspectives:1) Religion/mythology2) The occult |
| the shedding of mortal concepts, beliefs, attitudes and | | | | tradition3) Tibetan Buddhism4) ParapsychologyFrom |
| feelings. With such spiritual labour we gradually build the | | | | each perspective, we initially dealt with the basic |
| link between the lower and higher principles and ensure | | | | themes from a certain point of view, but ended up with |
| the continuity of consciousness, and the awareness of | | | | the same findings, the same conclusions, and the same |
| the illusory nature of death. With each extermination of | | | | cosmic truths; nevertheless, among the above |
| a false concept we become more alive in a spiritual | | | | perspectives, there is still much to be said about religion |
| sense. Death, "the last enemy," as declared in | | | | as a whole that has somewhat misrepresented the |
| scriptures, though inevitable, will be swallowed up in | | | | spiritual truths as taught by their founders. We are |
| victory when once its maya-nature is understood and | | | | certain, though, that every metaphysician would |
| the continuity of consciousness acquired. Death will | | | | research into this subject sooner or later as it is |
| then lose its sting. Death ends when once the | | | | mentally and spiritually rewarding. In years to come |
| multidimensionality of one's being is realized, and when | | | | "death" will be a time of celebration and not a time of |
| once one's liberation from the wheel of reincarnation is | | | | mourning as it is now.Finally, in the fifth chapter, we |
| attained. What we call death is an illusion. This is | | | | discussed on humanity's basic psychological |
| echoed in the words of the Taoist poet, Chuang | | | | problem--that of senseless fear. We have seen how |
| Tzu:"Birth is not a beginning, death is not an end."Fear | | | | this fear robs man of his or her true life as a divine son |
| simply robs individuals of their physical, emotional, | | | | or daughter of God living an abundant life in the here |
| mental and spiritual energies--energies which could be | | | | and now. We have also briefly discussed how the |
| used for more constructive and creative purposes. | | | | elimination of the fear of death would transform the |
| When enlightened of the nature of death, like Socrates, | | | | individual and society as a whole.To sublimate and |
| we will not fear it; and this knowledge, understanding, | | | | transcend this fear condition that overwhelms society |
| and enlightenment would greatly help humanity to live | | | | we suggest that additional research be conducted into |
| an abundant life, as promised by Master Jesus. Like a | | | | along the lines of soul-investigation, and into the many |
| chain effect, the awareness of the non-existence of | | | | other principles of the bardo process not discussed or |
| death and the truth of man's purpose for being would | | | | discovered by Tibetan Lamas. Ways of researching |
| improve the quality, nature, and service of every | | | | into this should be conducted in a scientific and intuitive |
| governmental department and institution, affecting | | | | manner, though this may not always be through |
| society's consciousness, development and welfare. But | | | | conventional methods. Researchers should not fear |
| to return to the emotion of fear ingrained in Man, there | | | | probing into the invisible, into the immaterial, or into the |
| are several principles that assist one to "die" without | | | | abstract. Through research within a single avenue, |
| fear:1) Non-attachment to physical form, earthly | | | | other possibilities will present themselves. An answer |
| possessions, and relationships.2) Understanding that | | | | to a single question begets many more questions, ad |
| death is natural and that it does not end one's | | | | infinity; thus humanity progresses.BibliographyAgrippa, |
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