If a person dies, then where does the soul go? What happens to the soul after death: theories and hypotheses about where the human soul ends up
Answers to questions from Sergei Milovanov
(Beginning in letter No. 587)
Hello Sergey! In my previous letter I answered your first question, which you called political. In this letter I will try to answer the second question, the so-called spiritual-philosophical one. I will quote him below:
“After a person dies, where does his soul go?
Does she transmigrate to another body? If yes, then the physical shell should be human or what? After the death of a person on Earth, his soul moves into an earthly person, or can his soul go to other planets?”
In fact, you asked me not one, but several questions at once, and, moreover, all of them are very complex; humanity has been looking for answers to them throughout its entire history, but this has not yet given the desired results. Different religious and philosophical teachings answer these questions in different ways.
I will also express my point of view. I’ll start with the question: “Where does his soul go after a person’s death?”
I have already touched on this topic before, in this letter I will cover it in more detail, based on specific cases, examples and facts. And at the same time, I will repeat some of what was said earlier. See my answer below.
The subtle world consists of various planes, layers and levels.
And if in the dense world a person can hide his true essence and occupy a place inappropriate for his development, then in the subtle world this cannot be done.
For there everyone finds himself in the atmosphere that he has achieved through his development.
Planes, layers and levels of the subtle world differ from each other in density. The lower ones have a coarser energy basis, the higher ones have a more subtle one. These differences are the reason that beings at low levels of spiritual development cannot rise to higher levels and layers until they achieve the appropriate development of spiritual consciousness. Inhabitants of high spiritual spheres can visit lower layers and levels freely.
Inhabitants of high spiritual levels are sources of light and illuminate the space around them.
The luminosity of each individual personality depends on the degree of development of its spiritual consciousness. Hence the division into light and dark. The light one is the one who emits light, and the dark one does not emit light.
At the end of the twentieth century, scientists from different countries became very seriously interested in the subtle world, and the existence of the human soul after the death of the physical body. Specialists from various fields joined the research: neurosurgeons, psychologists, philosophers, etc. International research organizations were created, scientific conferences were held, and serious works were written.
The topic of the subtle world was touched upon in his works by A.P. Dubrov.
“The Reality of Subtle Worlds” (1994), Pushkin V.N.
“Parapsychology and modern natural science” (1989), Shipov G.I. “Theory of physical vacuum” (1993), Akimov A.E. “Consciousness and the physical world” (1995), Volchenko V.N.
“Inevitability, reality and comprehensibility of the Subtle World” (1996), Baurov Yu.A. “On the structure of physical space and new interaction in nature” (1994), Leskov L.V. (Bulletin of Moscow State University, p. 7, Philosophy, No. 4, 1994) and others.
Very valuable and ideologically interesting research was conducted by the American psychologist Raymond Moody, who studied and compared the testimonies of hundreds of people who experienced the so-called clinical death. Thanks to the development of resuscitation technology, Dr. Moody collected a large amount of quite interesting materials, the processing of which led to amazing results.
Thus, according to his research, more than thirty percent of those resuscitated remember their condition after death, one third of them could talk in detail about their feelings and visions. Some, after leaving their physical body, remained next to it in the subtle body or traveled to familiar places in the physical world. Others found themselves in other worlds.
Despite the wide variety of circumstances, religious views and types of people who experienced clinical death, all their stories do not contradict, but, on the contrary, complement each other. The general picture of the transition to another world, as well as being there and returning to the physical world, looks something like this:
A man leaves his body and hears a doctor pronounce him dead. He hears a noise, ringing or buzzing, and feels that he is moving at high speed through a black tunnel. Sometimes he lingers near his body, which he sees from the outside, like an outside spectator, and watches how they are trying to bring him back to life. He sees and hears everything that happens in the physical world, but people do not see or hear him.
At first, he experiences a kind of emotional shock, but after some time he gets used to his new position and notices that he has a different body, more subtle than on Earth. Then he sees next to him the souls of other people, usually relatives or friends who died earlier, who came to him to calm him down and help him get used to the new state.
Following this, a luminous creature appears, from which emanates love, kindness and warmth. This luminous being (perceived by many as God or a guardian angel) asks the deceased without words questions and scrolls before his mind's eye pictures of the most important life events, which allow him to better evaluate his activities on Earth.
At some point, the deceased person realizes that he has approached a certain border, representing the division between earthly life and unearthly life. Then he discovers that he must return to Earth, since the hour of his physical death has not yet come. Sometimes he resists, not wanting to return to the physical world, because he feels good in the new place, but, nevertheless, he unites with his body and returns to earthly life.
Many people describe extremely pleasant sensations and feelings experienced in the next world. A person who experienced clinical death due to severe trauma, after returning to the physical world, said the following:
“At the moment of injury, I felt a sudden pain, but then the pain disappeared. I felt as if I was floating in the air, in a dark space. The day was very cold, but when I was in this darkness, I felt warm and pleasant. I remember thinking, “I must be dead.”
A woman who was brought back to life after a heart attack notes:
“I began to experience completely unusual sensations. I felt nothing but peace, relief and calm.
Then I discovered that all my worries had disappeared and thought to myself: “How calm and good, and there is no pain...”.
As a rule, people who have experienced clinical death, in their attempts to talk about what they saw and felt in the other world, encounter great difficulties, because they do not have enough words for this. One woman who returned from the other world said something like this:
"It's a real problem for me to try to explain this to you, because all the words that I know are three-dimensional. At the same time, while I was experiencing this, I kept thinking, 'Well, when I took geometry, I was taught that there are only three dimensions, and I have always believed this. But this is not true. Yes, of course, our world, the one in which we live, is three-dimensional, but the other world is most definitely not three-dimensional. And that is why it is so difficult. talk about it."
“My breathing stopped and my heart stopped beating.
“I had a heart rupture and clinically died... But I remember everything, absolutely everything. Suddenly I felt numb. The sounds began to sound as if in the distance... All this time I was perfectly aware of everything that was happening. I heard the cardiac oscilloscope turn off, saw the nurse enter the room and make a phone call, noticed the doctors, nurses, and nurses coming in after her. At this time everything seemed to dim, a sound was heard that I cannot describe; it sounded like the beat of a bass drum;
“I felt some vibration around my body, and in it. I found myself as if separated, and then I saw my body... For some time I watched as the doctor and nurses were busy with my body, and waited for what would happen next... I was at the head of the bed, looking at them and on your body. I noticed how one of the nurses went to the wall along the bed to get an oxygen mask, and in doing so it passed through me. Then I floated upward, moving through a dark tunnel, and came out to a shining light... A little later I met my grandparents, father and brothers who had died there... A beautiful sparkling light surrounded me everywhere. In this wonderful place there were colors, bright colors, but not like those on earth, but completely indescribable. There were people there, happy people... whole groups of people. Some of them were studying something. In the distance I saw a city with buildings in it. They sparkled brightly. Happy people, sparkling water, fountains... it seems to me that it was a city of light in which beautiful music sounded. But I think that if I entered this city, I would never return... I was told that if I went there, I would not be able to return back... and that the decision was mine.”
The emotional reaction of people immediately upon leaving the physical body was different. Some noted that they wanted to return back to their body, but did not know how to do it. Others said they experienced intense panic. Still others described a positive reaction to the state in which they found themselves, as in the following story:
“I became seriously ill and the doctor sent me to the hospital. That morning, a thick gray fog surrounded me and I left my body. I felt as if I was floating in the air. When I felt that I had already left my body, I looked back and saw myself on the bed below, there was no fear. There was peace - very peaceful and serene. I wasn't shocked or scared at all.
It was just a feeling of calm, it was something I wasn't afraid of. I realized that I was dying, and I felt that if I did not return back to my body, I would die completely.”
“At some point, I saw my body lying on the bed, and the doctor who was treating me from the side. I couldn’t understand it, but I looked at my body lying on the bed, and it was hard for me to look at it and see how terribly mutilated it was.”
Another person talked about how, after his death, he was next to the bed and looked at his own corpse, which had already taken on the ash-gray hue characteristic of dead bodies. In a state of confusion and despair, he thought hard about what to do next, and finally decided to leave this place, since it was unpleasant for him to look at his dead body. “I didn’t want to be near that dead body, even if it was me.”
Sometimes people have no feelings at all for their dead body. One young woman whose out-of-body experience occurred after an accident in which she was seriously injured says:
“I could see my body in the car, all mangled among the people gathered around, but you know, I felt absolutely nothing towards him. As if it was a completely different person, or even an object. I knew it was my body, but I didn’t feel anything about it.”
Another woman who experienced clinical death as a result of a heart attack said:
“I didn’t look back at my body. I knew it was there and I could look at it. But I didn’t want this, because I knew that I had done everything I could at that moment, and now all my attention was turned to another world. I felt that looking back at my body would be like looking into the past, and I was determined not to do that."
Despite the supernatural nature of the disembodied state, a person found himself in such a situation so suddenly that it took him some time to realize what had happened. Finding himself outside his physical body, he tried to figure out what had happened to him, and finally realized that he was dying, or had already died. This caused an emotional outburst and, often, startling thoughts. So one woman remembers thinking: "ABOUT! I died! How wonderful!”
Another young woman described her experience this way:
“I thought that I had died, and I didn’t regret it, but I couldn’t imagine where I should go. My consciousness and thoughts were the same as during life, but I didn’t understand what to do and constantly thought: “ Where to go? What to do? My God, I died! You never think that you will die. It seems that this happens to other people, and although everyone knows in their hearts that death is inevitable, Almost no one really believes in this... So I decided to wait until my body was taken away and then decide what to do next.”
Some people who experienced clinical death said that after they left their physical body, they did not notice a different shell. They saw everything that surrounded them, including their physical body lying on the bed, but at the same time they perceived themselves as a clot of consciousness. However, the majority of people who returned from the other world claimed that after leaving the physical body they noticed themselves in a different, more subtle body, which they described in different ways. And yet, all their stories boiled down to one thing: they were talking about the “spiritual body.”
Many, having discovered that they were outside the physical body, tried to inform others about their condition, but no one saw or heard them. Below is an excerpt from the story of a woman whose heart stopped, after which they tried to resuscitate her:
“I saw doctors trying to bring me back to life. It was very strange. I was not very high, it was as if I was on a pedestal, but at a low height, so that I could look over them. I tried to talk to them, but no one heard me."
Among other things, the deceased noticed that the body they were in had no density, and they could easily pass through any physical obstacles (walls, objects, people, etc.). Below are a few memories:
“The doctors and nurses massaged my body, trying to revive me, and I kept trying to tell them: “Leave me alone and stop pounding me.” But they didn't hear me. I tried to stop their hands hitting my body, but I couldn’t... My hands went through their hands when I tried to move them away.”
Here's another example:
“People came from all sides to the scene of the accident. I was in the middle of a very narrow passage. However, as they walked, they did not seem to notice me and continued walking, looking straight ahead. When people approached me, I wanted to step aside to make way for them, but they just walked right through me.”
Among other things, everyone who visited the other world noted that the spiritual body has no weight. They first noticed this when they found themselves floating freely in the air. Many described a feeling of lightness, flight and weightlessness.
Moreover, those in the subtle body can see and hear living people, but they cannot. Moreover, as I just pointed out, they can easily pass through any objects (walls, bars, people, etc.). Traveling in this state becomes extremely easy. Physical objects are not obstacles, and movement from one place to another is instantaneous.
And finally, almost everyone noted that when they were outside the physical body, time, from the point of view of physical concepts, ceased to exist for them. Below are excerpts from the stories of people who described unusual visions, sensations and properties of the spiritual body while they were in another reality:
“I had an accident and from that time on I lost the sense of time and the sense of physical reality in relation to my body... My essence, or my Self, seemed to come out of my body... it resembled a kind of charge, but it felt like something real. It was small in volume and was perceived as a ball with unclear boundaries. One could compare it to a cloud. It looked as if it had a shell... and felt very light... The most amazing of all the experiences I had was the moment when my essence stopped over my physical body, as if deciding whether to leave it or return back.
It seemed as if the passage of time had changed. At the beginning of the accident and after it, everything happened unusually quickly, but at the moment of the accident itself, when my essence seemed to be above my body and the car was flying over the embankment, it seemed that all this happened for quite a long time before the car fell to the ground. I watched everything that was happening as if from the outside, not tying myself to the physical body... and existed only in my consciousness.”
truly left my body and entered something else. I don't think it was just nothing. It was another body... but not a real human one, but somewhat different. It wasn't exactly human, but it wasn't a shapeless mass either. It was shaped like a body, but was colorless. And I also know that I had what can be called hands. I can't describe it. I was most absorbed in what surrounded me: the sight of my physical body and everything around me, so I didn’t think much about what new body I was in. And all this seemed to happen very quickly. Time has lost its usual reality, but at the same time it has not disappeared completely. Events seem to start happening much faster after you leave your body.”
“I remember how they brought me into the operating room and over the next few hours, my condition was critical. During this time, I left my body and returned to it several times. I saw my body directly from above, and at the same time I was in a body, but not a physical one, but another, which could perhaps be described as a certain type of energy. If I had to describe it in words, I would say that it is transparent and spiritual, as opposed to material things. At the same time, he definitely had separate parts."
“I was outside my body and looking at it from a distance of about ten yards, but I was aware of myself in the same way as in ordinary life. The volume in which my consciousness was located was the same as my physical body. But I was not in the body, as such. I could sense the location of my consciousness as some kind of capsule or something similar to a capsule with a distinct shape. I couldn’t see it clearly; it seemed to be transparent and insubstantial. The feeling was that I was in this very capsule, and it, in turn, was like a clot of energy.”
Among other things, many who experienced clinical death said that in a disembodied state they began to think more clearly and faster than during their physical existence. In particular, one man spoke about his visions and sensations in the other world like this:
“Things that were impossible in the physical world became possible. And it was nice. My consciousness could perceive all phenomena at once, and immediately resolve questions that arose, without returning again and again to the same thing.”
Some people who returned from the other world testified that their vision there became sharper, knowing no boundaries. One woman who experienced clinical death recalled after her return: “It seemed to me that spiritual vision there knew no boundaries, since I could see anything, anywhere.”
Here’s how another woman, who had an out-of-body experience due to an accident, spoke about her perceptions in another dimension:
“There was an unusual commotion, people were running around the ambulance. When I peered at those around me to understand what was happening, the object immediately approached me, as in an optical device that allows you to “dissolve” when shooting, and I seemed to be in this device. But at the same time, it seemed to me that part of me, or my consciousness, remained in place, next to my body. When I wanted to see someone at some distance, it seemed to me that part of me, something like some kind of cord, was reaching out to what I wanted to see. It seemed to me that if I wanted, I could instantly be transported to any point on earth and see whatever I wanted there.”
Other miracles also happened in the subtle world compared to what we are used to seeing in the physical world. In particular, some people talked about how they perceived the thoughts of the people around them there before they wanted to say something to them. One lady described it this way:
“I could see the people around me and understand everything they were saying. I didn't hear them the way I hear you. It sounded more like what they were thinking, but it was only perceived by my consciousness, and not through what they said. I already understood them a second before they opened their mouth to say something.”
Physical injuries in the subtle world have no meaning. In particular, a man who lost most of his leg as a result of an accident, followed by clinical death, saw his crippled body from a distance, but at the same time did not notice any flaws in his spiritual body: “I felt whole and felt that I was all there, that is, in the spiritual body.”
Some people have reported that as they were dying they became aware of the nearby presence of other spiritual beings. These beings were obviously there to help and facilitate the transition to a new state for the dying. Here's how one woman described it:
“I had this experience during childbirth when I lost a lot of blood. The doctor told my family that I had died. But I watched everything carefully, and even when he said this, I felt conscious. At the same time, I felt the presence of other people - there were quite a lot of them - hovering near the ceiling of the room. I knew them all in physical life, but by that time they had died. I recognized my grandmother and the girl I went to school with, as well as many other relatives and friends. I saw mainly their faces and felt their presence. They all seemed very friendly and it made me feel good to have them around. I felt that they came to see or see me off. It was almost as if I came home and they met and greeted me. All this time I was not left with a feeling of light and joy. Those were wonderful moments."
In other cases, the souls of people meet with persons whom they did not know in earthly life. And finally, spiritual beings can also have an indefinite form.
Here's how one person who returned from the other world talked about it:
“When I was dead and in this void, I spoke with people who had an indefinite body... I didn’t see them, but I felt that they were nearby and from time to time I spoke with any of them... When I wanted to find out, whatever was happening, I received a mental answer that everything was fine, I was dying, but everything would be fine, and this calmed me down. I invariably received answers to all my questions. They didn’t leave me alone in this emptiness.” In some cases, people who returned from the other world believed that the creatures they met were guardian spirits. They informed the dying that the time for their departure from the physical world had not come, so they must return to the physical body. Such a spirit said to one person:
“I have to help you through this stage of your existence, but now I’m going to take you back to the others.”
And here’s how another person talks about meeting such a guardian spirit:
Often, people who experienced clinical death talked about their meeting in the next world with a bright light, which, however, did not blind. At the same time, none of them doubted that it was a thinking being, and a highly spiritual one at that. It was a person from whom love, warmth and kindness emanated. The dying person felt relief and peace in the presence of this light and immediately forgot about all his burdens and worries.
People who returned from the other world spoke about the luminous creature in different ways, depending on their religious beliefs and personal faith. Many Christians believed that this was Christ, some called him a “guardian angel.” But no one pointed out that the luminous creature had wings or human forms. There was only light, which many perceived as a messenger of God, a guide.
When it appeared, the luminous creature came into contact with the person mentally. People did not hear voices and did not make sounds themselves, however, communication took place in a clear and understandable form, where lies and misunderstanding were excluded.
Moreover, when communicating with the light, no specific languages familiar to man were used, but he understood and perceived everything instantly.
Often, people who returned from the other world said that the luminous being asked them questions during communication, the essence of which was expressed approximately like this: “Are you ready to die?” and “what have you done useful in this life?” Here, in particular, is how one person who experienced clinical death spoke about it:
“A voice asked me a question: “Is my life worth my time?” That is, do I believe that the life I have lived up to this point has truly been lived well, in terms of what I have now learned?”
“I heard the doctors say that I had died and at the same time I felt that I began to fall or swim through some kind of blackness, some kind of closed space. Words cannot describe it. Everything was very black, and only light could be seen in the distance. At first the light seemed small, but as it got closer it became larger and brighter, and finally became dazzling. I strove for this light because I felt that it was Christ. I wasn't scared, but rather pleased. As a Christian, I immediately associated this light with Christ, who said: “I am the light of the world.” I said to myself, “if this is so, if I am destined to die, then I know who is waiting for me there, at the end, in this light.”
“The light was bright, it covered everything and, however, did not prevent me from seeing the operating room, doctors, nurses and everything that surrounded me. At first, when the light appeared, I didn't quite understand what was happening. But then he seemed to turn to me with a question: “Are you ready to die?” I felt like I was talking to someone I couldn't see. But the voice belonged precisely to the light. I think he understood that I was not ready to die. But it was so good with him...”
“When the light appeared, he immediately asked me a question: “Have you been useful in this life?” And suddenly pictures flashed. "What is this?" – I thought, because everything happened unexpectedly. I found myself in my childhood. Then it went year after year through my entire life from early childhood to the present... The scenes that appeared before me were so vivid! It’s as if you’re looking at them from the outside and seeing them in three-dimensional space and color. In addition, the paintings were moving... When I “looked through” the paintings, there was practically no light visible. He disappeared as soon as he asked what I had done in life. And yet I felt his presence, he guided me in this “viewing”, sometimes noting certain events. He tried to emphasize something in each of these scenes... Especially the importance of love... In moments when this was most clearly visible, such as with my sister, he showed me several scenes where I was selfish towards her, and then several times when I actually showed love. He seemed to push me into thinking that I should be better, although he did not accuse me of anything. He seemed to take an interest in matters related to knowledge. Each time, noting events related to the teaching, he “said” that I should continue to study and that when he came for me again (by this time I had already realized that I would return back to life), I should still have a desire for knowledge .
He spoke of knowledge as a constant process, and I had the impression that this process would continue after death.”
In some cases, people who returned from the other world told how they approached something that could be called a border or limit. Different accounts describe this in different ways (a body of water, a gray fog, a door, a feature, a hedge, etc.). Let me introduce you to several such testimonies:
“I died of cardiac arrest. As soon as this happened, I found myself in the middle of some beautiful, bright green field, a color I had never seen on earth. A delightful light flowed around me. In front of me I saw a hedge that stretched across the entire field. I headed towards this fence and saw a man on the other side who was moving towards me. I wanted to approach him, but I felt myself being pulled back. That man also turned and began to move away from me and from this fence.”
“I lost consciousness, after which I heard a buzzing and ringing. Then she found herself on a small boat sailing to the other side of the river and on the other side she saw everyone she loved in her life: mother, father, sisters and other people.
“When I was unconscious, I felt myself being lifted up, as if my body had no weight. A bright white light appeared in front of me, which was blinding. But at the same time, in the presence of this light it was so warm, good and calm that I had never felt anything like it in my life. A mental question reached my consciousness: “Do you want to die?” I answered: “I don’t know, because I don’t know anything about death.” Then this white light said: “Cross this line and you will know everything.” I felt some kind of line in front of me, although I didn’t actually see it. When I crossed this line, an even more amazing feeling of peace and tranquility washed over me.”
“I had a heart attack. I suddenly discovered that I was in a black vacuum and realized that I had left my physical body. I knew I was dying and thought: “God!
“I was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. My family surrounded my bed. At that moment, when the doctor decided that I had died, my family began to move away from me... Then I saw myself in a narrow, dark tunnel... I began to enter this tunnel head first, it was very dark there. I moved down through this darkness, then looked up and saw a beautiful polished door without any handles, a bright light was coming from under the door, its rays came out in such a way that it was clear that everyone behind the door was very happy. These rays moved and rotated all the time, it seemed that everyone outside the door was terribly busy. I looked at all this and said: “Lord, here I am. If you want, take me." But God brought me back, and so quickly that it took my breath away.”
Many people who returned from the other world said that in the first moments after their death they were bitter, but after some time they no longer wanted to return to the physical world, and even resisted this. This was especially true in those cases when there was a meeting with a luminous creature. As one man stated: “I would never want to leave this creature!”
There were exceptions, but most people who returned from the other world remember that they did not want to return to the physical world. Often, even women who had children testified after their return that they also wanted to remain in the spiritual world, but understood that they had to return to raise children.
In some cases, although people felt comfortable in the spiritual world, they still wanted to return to physical existence, because they realized that they still had things to do on Earth that needed to be completed. For example, one student, who was in his last year at college, recalled his state in the other world:
“I thought: “I don’t want to die now,” but I felt that if all this lasted a few more minutes, and I stayed near this light a little longer, I would completely stop thinking about my education, since, apparently, I would begin to learn about other things "
Different people described the process of returning to the physical body in different ways, and they also explained in different ways why this happened. Many simply said that they did not know how or why they returned and could only guess. Some thought that the deciding factor was their own decision to return to earthly life.
“I was outside of my physical body and felt I had to make a decision. I understood that I couldn’t stay close to my body for a long time - it’s hard to explain to others... I had to decide on something - either move away from here, or come back. Now this may seem strange to many, but partly I wanted to stay. Then the realization arose that he must do good on Earth. So, I thought and decided: “I need to return to life,” and after that I woke up in my physical body.”
Others believed that they received "permission" to return to Earth from God or a luminous being, given to them either in response to their own desire to return to physical life (because this desire was devoid of self-interest), or because God or a luminous being inspired them with the need to carry out some mission. Below I will quote a few memories:
“I was above the operating table and saw everything that people were doing around me. I knew I was dying and this is exactly what was happening to me. I was very worried about my children, and thought about who would take care of them now. I was not ready to leave this world, so the Lord allowed me to return.”
“I would say that God was very good to me because I was dying and he allowed the doctors to bring me back to life so that I could help my wife, who suffered from binge drinking, I knew that without me she would be lost. Now everything is much better with her, I think that, in large part, this happened because I happened to experience it.”
“The Lord sent me back, but I don’t know why. I certainly felt His presence there... He knew who I was. And yet he did not allow me to go to heaven... Since then, I have thought a lot about my return and decided that it happened either because I have two small children, or because I was not ready to leave this world "
In some cases, people had the idea that the prayers and love of loved ones could bring the dead back to life, regardless of their own wishes. Below are two interesting examples:
“I was nearby, my aunt was dying, and I helped take care of her. Throughout her illness, someone prayed for her recovery. Several times she stopped breathing, but we seemed to bring her back. One day she looked at me and said, “Joan, I have to go there, it’s so beautiful. I want to stay there, but I can't while you're praying for me to stay with you.
“The doctor said that I had died, but despite this I was alive. What I experienced was so joyful, I did not experience any unpleasant feelings at all. When I returned and opened my eyes, my sisters and husband were nearby.
I saw that they were crying with joy that I did not die. I felt that I returned because I was drawn to the love of my sisters and husband for me. Since then, I believe that other people can return from the other world.”
The return of the soul to the physical body was described differently by different people. I will outline some of my memories below.
“I don’t remember how I returned to my physical body. It was as if I had been carried away somewhere, I fell asleep and then woke up already lying on the bed. The people who were in the room looked the same as when I saw them, being outside my body."
“I was under the ceiling, watching as the doctors worked on my body. After they applied an electric shock to the chest area and my body jerked sharply, I fell into it like a dead weight and came to my senses.”
“I decided that I had to go back, and after that I felt like a sharp push that sent me back into my body, and I came back to life.”
“I was a few yards from my body, and suddenly all events took a reverse course. Before I even had time to figure out what was happening, I was literally poured into my body.”
Often, people who returned from the other world retained amazing, vivid and unforgettable memories, some of which I will indicate below:
“When I returned back, I still had some amazing feelings about everything around me.
They continued for several days. Even now I feel something similar.”
“These feelings were completely indescribable. In a sense, they remain in me even now. I never forget and think about it often.”
Raymond Moody was not the first to raise this topic. Before him, the consequences of clinical death were studied by medical scientists Elisabeth Kublet-Ross, Carl Gustav Jung, J. Meyers, Georg Ritchie, Professor Voino-Yasenetsky and others. But Moody's merit lies in the fact that he approached this problem more objectively, collected a lot of unique materials, systematized them and attracted the attention of serious scientific circles to them.
Dr. Moody's research scientifically substantiated what previously existed only in the form of dubious and unsubstantiated stories of people who returned from the other world. A boost was given to the fields of medicine and psychiatry, and many scientists took the issue seriously. Such experiences are called “deathbed visions.”
Cardiologists, psychologists, resuscitators, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, philosophers, etc. have joined the study of post-mortem experience. In particular, Michael Sabom, Betty Maltz, Karlis Osis, Erlendur Haraldsson, Kenneth Ring, Patrick Duavrin, Lyell Watson, Maurice Rovsling, Ian Stevenson, Tim Le Hay, Stanislav and Christina Grof, Dick and Richard Price, Joan Halifax, Michael Murphy, Rick Tarnas, Fred Schoonmaker, Williams Barrett, Margot Gray, Piotr Kalinovsky, K. G. Korotkov, Peter Fenwick, Sam Parnia, Pim Van Lommel , Alan Landsberg, Charles Faye, Janie Randles, Peter Hogue and others.
As a result of increased attention to the phenomenon of life after death, since the second half of the seventies, Western readers have been overwhelmed by a wave of literature dedicated to what was previously an unspoken taboo. And first of all, medical scientists who studied this phenomenon directly began to write about this.
French psychologist Patrick Duavrin, who after reading Raymond Moody's book interviewed 33 patients in his hospital who had experienced cardiac arrest, major trauma or respiratory paralysis, immediately identified three patients who had experienced the phenomenon of post-mortem vision. They had never told anyone about this before. One of them was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. After carefully interviewing these people, Dr. Duavrin concluded:
“The phenomenon undoubtedly exists. The people I interviewed are more normal than others. They show much less psychopathological phenomena, they use less drugs and alcohol. Their principle: no drugs. It is obvious that the psychological balance of these people is above average.”
Dr. Georg Ritchie, who himself experienced clinical death at the age of 20 in 1943, in the introduction to his book “Return from Tomorrow,” published in 1978, where he describes the event that happened to him, wrote about this:
“I looked, one might say, only from the hallway, but I saw enough to fully understand two truths: our consciousness does not end with physical death, and the time spent on earth and the relationships that we have developed with other people are much more important, than we can think."
Chicago psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who observed dying patients for twenty years, believes that the stories of people who returned from the other world are not hallucinations. When she began working with the dying, she did not believe in life after death, but as a result of various studies she came to the conclusion:
“If these studies develop and materials related to them are published, we will not only believe, but will be convinced of the existence of the fact that our physical body is nothing more than the outer shell of the human essence, its cocoon. Our inner self is immortal and infinite, and is released at the moment called death.”
Theologian Tetsuo Yamaori, professor at the International Center for Cultural Studies in Japan, based on his own mystical experience, said on this matter:
“My attitude towards death has changed. Previously, based on the ideas of modern Western culture, I believed that the world of death and the world of life are two different things... However, now it seems to me that death is a kind of movement into some other world, which is subjected to something that does not belong to this world... What concerns the question of whether our consciousness persists after death or not, then I believe that it must have some kind of continuation.”
Dr. Karlis Osis, director of the American Society for Psychical Research in New York City, sent a questionnaire to doctors and nurses at various clinics. According to the responses received, out of 3,800 patients who experienced clinical death, more than one third confirmed the unusual sensations and visions that they encountered in the next world.
Fred Schoonmaker, head of the cardiovascular department of a hospital in Denver, Colorado, USA, collected data on 2,300 patients who were on the verge of death or had clinical death. 1,400 of them had experiences of near-death visions and sensations (leaving the body, meeting other souls, a dark tunnel, a luminous being, mentally reviewing one’s life, etc.).
All researchers of post-mortem experience noted that the feelings of dying people largely coincided. Both small children and old people, both believers and non-believers continued to live a conscious life in the other world, and saw a lot in common there (dead relatives, a dark tunnel, a luminous being, etc.), and also felt peace and bliss. The longer they were outside the physical body, the brighter and stronger their experiences were.
To better study the consequences of clinical death, an International Association was created, where scientists exchanged their discoveries and ideas. American psychologist Kenneth Ring played an active role in the creation of this association. Moreover, he legalized the study of post-mortem experiences in the eyes of the public and clearly showed that religious beliefs, age and nationality do not matter here.
Kenneth Ring began seriously studying the post-mortem experience in 1977, and in 1980 he published the results of his work in the book “Life during Death: A Scientific Study of Near Death.” His system of questions has been adopted as the standard for interviewing people who have had out-of-body experiences.
According to Kenneth Ring, who personally studied 102 cases of “return from the other world,” 60% of them experienced an indescribable feeling of peace in the other world, 37% hovered above their own body, 26% remembered all kinds of panoramic visions, 23% passed through a tunnel or other dark place. space, 16% were fascinated by the amazing light, 8% met with deceased relatives.
In Britain, a branch of the International Association for the Study of Clinical Death was opened by Margot Gray, a practitioner of clinical psychotherapy. Margot herself experienced clinical death in 1976, and in 1985 she outlined her research in the book “Back from the Dead.” There she particularly addressed the questions: can consciousness exist outside the material brain? Do the dead realize what is happening in the other world? and could otherworldly visions affect world religions?
Margot Gray's research confirmed in fact what Dr. Moody and other scientists had previously stated. I will quote her statement below:
“Many people who have been near death by accident, during surgery, or under other circumstances have subsequently reported amazing visions while they were unconscious. During this state, a profound change in views and perception of the surrounding reality occurs. Many elements of the description are the same among the thousands of people who report their experiences. The most frequently mentioned meeting is with a being from the light, with deceased friends, an inexpressible feeling of beauty, tranquility and superiority over the world arises, the fear of death disappears, the meaning of life is realized, and the person becomes more open and friendly.”
In 1982, George Gallup Jr. conducted a questionnaire survey of the population in the United States with the help of the famous international organization Gallup and found that 67% of Americans believe in the existence of life after death, and about 8 million people themselves have experienced clinical death.
The survey took 18 months and was conducted in all US states. It showed that the phenomenon is more widespread than previously thought and, in principle, confirmed the conclusions of studies with small groups of people.
According to Gallup, of the Americans surveyed who experienced clinical death, 32% felt themselves in another world and experienced a feeling of calm and bliss, the same percentage watched their life as in a movie, 26% felt leaving the physical body, 23% experienced clear visual perception , 17% heard sounds and voices, 23% met other beings, 14% communicated with light, 9% passed through a tunnel, 6% received information about the future.
In 1990, a sensational message spread around the world - the soul is material, and it can be weighed. In one of the US laboratories they discovered that the soul is a bioplasmic double, ovoid in shape. It leaves the human body at the moment of his death. Weighing the dying on special scales, where all the necessary factors were taken into account, research scientist Lyell Watson discovered an amazing fact - they became 2.5-6.5 grams lighter!
After familiarizing themselves with a huge amount of scientific data, the researchers came to an unequivocal conclusion - the human soul continues to exist after physical death. Moreover, she is capable of thinking, feeling and analyzing, independent of the brain and physical body.
12 09 2004 To be continued
Sometimes we want to believe that loved ones who have left us are watching over us from heaven. In this article, we will look at theories about the afterlife and find out whether there is a grain of truth in the statement that the dead see us after death.
In the article:
Do the dead see us after death - theories
In order to accurately answer this question, we need to consider the main theories about. Considering the version of each religion will be quite difficult and time-consuming. So there is an unofficial division into two main subgroups. The first says that after death we will experience eternal bliss in "elsewhere".
The second is about complete life, about new life and new opportunities. And in both options, there is the possibility that the dead see us after death. The hardest thing to understand is if you think the second theory is correct. But it’s worth thinking about and answering the question - how often do you have dreams about people you’ve never seen in your life?
Strange personalities and images that communicate with you as if they have known you for a long time. Or they don’t pay attention to you at all, allowing you to calmly watch from the sidelines. Some believe that these are just people whom we see every day, and who are simply inexplicably deposited in our subconscious. But where then do those aspects of personality that you cannot know about come from? They talk to you in a certain way that is unfamiliar to you, using words you have never heard. Where does this come from?
It's easy to appeal to the subconscious part of our brain, because no one can say with certainty what exactly is happening there. But this is a logical crutch, nothing more and nothing less. There is also the possibility that this is a memory of people you knew in a past life. But often the situation in such dreams is strikingly reminiscent of our modern times. How could your past life look the same as your current life?
The most reliable version, according to many opinions, says that these are your dead relatives visiting you in your dreams. They have already moved on to another life, but sometimes they also see you, and you see them. Where are they talking from? From a parallel world, or from another version of reality, or from another body - there is no definite answer to this question. But one thing is for sure - this is the way of communication between souls that are separated by an abyss. After all, our dreams are amazing worlds where the subconscious walks freely, so why shouldn’t it look into the light? Moreover, there are dozens of practices that allow you to calmly travel in dreams. Many people have experienced similar feelings. This is one version.
The second concerns the worldview, which says that the souls of the dead go to another world. To Heaven, to Nirvana, the ephemeral world, reunite with the general mind - there are a great many such views. They have one thing in common - a person who has moved to another world receives a huge number of opportunities. And since he is connected by bonds of emotions, common experiences and goals with those who remain in the world of the living, naturally he can communicate with us. See us and try to help somehow. More than once or twice you can hear stories about how dead relatives or friends warned people about great dangers, or advised what to do in a difficult situation. How to explain this?
There is a theory that this is our intuition, appearing at the moment when the subconscious is most accessible. It takes a form close to us and they try to help, warn. But why does it take the form of dead relatives? Not the living, not those with whom we have live communication right now, but the emotional connection is stronger than ever. No, not them, but those who died, long ago or recently. There are cases when people are warned by relatives whom they have almost forgotten - a great-grandmother seen only a few times, or a long-dead cousin. There can be only one answer - this is a direct connection with the souls of the dead, who in our consciousness acquire the physical form that they had during life.
And there is a third version, which is not heard as often as the first two. She says that the first two are true. Unites them. It turns out she's doing quite well. After death, a person finds himself in another world, where he prospers as long as he has someone to help him. As long as he is remembered, as long as he can penetrate someone’s subconscious. But human memory is not eternal, and the moment comes when the last relative who remembered him at least occasionally dies. At such a moment, a person is reborn to begin a new cycle, to acquire a new family and acquaintances. Repeat this whole circle of mutual assistance between the living and the dead.
What does a person see after death?
Having understood the first question, you need to constructively approach the next one - what does a person see after death? As in the first case, no one can say with complete confidence what exactly appears before our eyes at this mournful moment. There are many stories from people who experienced clinical death. Stories about a tunnel, gentle light and voices. It is from them, according to the most authoritative sources, that our posthumous experience is formed. In order to shed more light on this picture, it is necessary to generalize all the stories about clinical death and find intersecting information. And derive the truth as a certain common factor. What does a person see after death?
Right before his death, a certain crescendo, the highest note, comes in his life. The limit of physical suffering is when the thought begins to fade little by little and eventually goes out completely. Often the last thing he hears is the doctor announcing cardiac arrest. Vision fades completely, gradually turning into a tunnel of light, and then becoming covered in final darkness.
The second stage - the person seems to appear above his body. Most often he hangs several meters above him, able to examine physical reality down to the last detail. How the doctors are trying to save his life, what they do and say. All this time he is in a state of severe emotional shock. But when the storm of emotions calms down, he understands what happened to him. It is at this moment that changes occur to him that cannot be reversed. Namely, a person humbles himself. He comes to terms with his situation and understands that even in this state there is still a way forward. More precisely - up.
What does the soul see after death?
When dealing with the most important moment of the whole story, namely, what the soul sees after death, you need to understand an important point. It is at that second when a person resigns himself to his fate and accepts it that he ceases to be a person and becomes soul. Until this moment, his spiritual body looked exactly the same as his physical body looks in reality. But, realizing that the shackles of the physical no longer hold his spiritual body, it begins to lose its original outlines. After which the souls of his dead relatives begin to appear around him. Even here they try to help him, so that the person moves on to the next plane of his existence.
And, when the soul moves on, a strange creature comes to it, which cannot be described in words. All that can be understood with absolute certainty is that all-consuming love and a desire to help emanate from him. Some who have been abroad say that this is our common, first ancestor - the one from whom all people on earth descended.
He is in a hurry to help the dead man who still does not understand anything. The creature asks questions, but not with a voice, but with images. It plays out a person’s entire life, but in reverse order.
It is at this moment that he realizes that he has approached some kind of barrier. It is not visible, but it can be felt. Like some kind of membrane, or thin partition. Reasoning logically, we can come to the conclusion that this is exactly what separates the world of the living from. But what happens behind it? Alas, such facts are not available to anyone. This is because the person who experienced clinical death never crossed this line. Somewhere near her, doctors brought him back to life.
The answer to the questions of how the soul leaves the body after death and where it goes next is asked by all people at different periods of their lives. More often they worry those who have crossed the threshold of old age: the elderly understand that earthly existence is coming to an end, a transition to another state lies ahead, but how this will happen and what happens next is a mystery that no one has yet been able to solve.
What happens after death
From a biological point of view, death is the cessation of vital processes in the human body, which entails the cessation of the work of all internal organs and the death of tissue.
Most people are sure that death is the beginning of a new existence. It is noteworthy that the ranks of the latter include not only church ministers and believers, but also representatives of science and medicine. This is due to the fact that some phenomena in the real world have no explanation. The existence of the soul has not been officially proven, but there are also no refutations.
Most people believe that there is something beyond death, and everyone has their own vision, depending on religion or their own beliefs: some believe in God, some imagine energy fields and clots, a matrix, other dimensions, and so on. But there are also those who are sure that with the cessation of body functions, human existence is completed, since the opposite has not been proven and belief in the continuation of life is the result of the fear of death and non-existence.
Believers believe that a person’s mental body, the soul, goes to Heaven or Hell, or is reborn in a new shell, re-entering the world. Each religion has its own opinions and postulates, which have not been confirmed or refuted.
The only scientifically proven fact is the weight loss of the deceased, which is 21 grams, which suggests the idea of a soul leaving the body.
Testimonies from survivors of clinical death are considered specific evidence of the existence of the other world. Such people usually describe moving through a tunnel, in front of which an unearthly light shines, unclear sounds similar to the whisper of God or the singing of angels.
Others define the moment of separation from the body as falling into an abyss and the appearance of a sickening smell, screams, and groans. Comparing these stories, it is assumed that the Gardens of Eden and fiery Gehenna exist, and after separation from the material body the soul goes there.
Regardless of the religion of the eyewitnesses, they are convinced of one thing - consciousness continues to exist after separation from the material shell.
Where does the soul go and where is it located?
In comparing the postulates of different religions, similarities can be traced in what will happen to the soul of the deceased immediately after death and in the next 40 days.
First day
In the first minutes, when the soul leaves the body, it remains next to it, trying to realize and understand what happened. For her, what happened is a serious shock: relatives are crying and fussing around, she is not reflected in the mirror (hence the custom of covering them with towels so as not to frighten the deceased), she cannot touch material objects, and her loved ones cannot hear her.
The only desire she feels is to return everything to its place, because she does not understand what to do next.
This opinion gave rise to the custom of putting the dead on fire on the first day after death - this way the soul rushes faster into eternal life, and does not remain tied to the body. Burning, according to Hinduism, is the best method of burial - if you put the deceased in a coffin and bury it in the ground, the astral body will see how its material shell decomposes
3 days
In Christianity, there is a custom of burying the deceased on the third day after biological death occurs. It is believed that by this time the soul is completely separated from the body and, accompanied by an angel, goes to prepare for eternal life.
This period is considered a turning point. Having finally realized its condition, the soul leaves home and begins to visit places dear to it during life. However, she will definitely return, so her relatives living at home should not throw hysterics, cry loudly, or lament - this causes her pain and agony. The best help for a deceased person is reading the Bible, prayers, and a calm conversation with the deceased, from which he can understand what to do next.
There is an opinion that like any organism, albeit immaterial, the soul experiences hunger. She needs to be fed. And not a slice of black bread with a glass of vodka. It is better if in the first 40 days, when the family sits down at the table, they put a plate of food for the deceased.
9 days
At this time, the soul goes to ordeal - passing obstacles on the way to God's throne. There are 20 of them in total and two angels help you through them. The ordeals are controlled by evil spirits who present violations of the deceased in a certain commandment. Angels protect the deceased by telling about good deeds. If the list of bad deeds is more impressive than the list of defenders, they have the right to take the soul to Hell, if equally or more, the tests continue.
On this day, the deceased is commemorated for the first time: this helps him during a difficult journey in that the number of good deeds increases: the more people wish for the Kingdom of Heaven, the greater the likelihood that the Lord will intercede for the deceased when good and evil deeds are equal.
40 days and after
Day 40 is the day of judgment. Angels escort the soul, having already realized its sins, to God to “pass judgment.” A big role in the decision is played by how relatives, friends, and acquaintances who remember him these days speak about the deceased.
Prayers and services held in church for the repose help to help the Lord make a positive decision and give eternal life in heaven. It is better to order the latter 2-3 days before the forties, since help is needed before the Court, and not after.
For the entire forty-day period, loved ones can feel the presence of the soul in the house: dishes clink, doors open, footsteps and sighs are heard, animal reactions are observed. Don't be afraid of such phenomena - these are good signs.
It is advisable to talk with your soul, remember pleasant moments, look at photographs. On the fortieth day, it is customary to go to the cemetery, remember the deceased, seeing him off on his eternal journey - after this period the soul flies away forever.
If people do not know what to do after a relative has died, it is advisable to talk with a priest, talk about fears, doubts, and ask for advice on how to act correctly during these days.
How does a person feel when he dies?
We can learn about what the dying process looks like from the testimonies of people who were revived after clinical death. Almost 80% of those who have been beyond life say that they felt the moment of separation of the soul from the body, and saw from the outside the events occurring with the material shell.
These processes rather caused psychological emotions - positive or negative. When people were able to be resurrected, they returned to the real world in a joyful or anxious, frightened mood, respectively.
However, another question is also interesting - what is felt on the physical level, does death cause pain. To answer this, it is useful to consider what happens to the body after death from a biological point of view.
Regardless of how a person died: he was killed, he died from an illness, or old age set in - the key factor in the end of life is considered to be the cessation of oxygen supply to the brain.
From the moment its supply stops until loss of consciousness, “turning off” all senses, 2-7 seconds pass, during which the dying person may feel pain and discomfort:
- heat, a feeling of bursting in the lungs from the movement of water through the respiratory organs;
- pain from burns, the body feels like it’s on fire;
- lack of oxygen;
- pain at the site of tissue rupture, and so on.
It is noteworthy that if death does not come in a sudden violent way, endorphin is released in the body - the hormone of joy, and the transition to another world does not cause pronounced negative, painful sensations.
Decomposition processes are characterized by: it cools down, becomes stiff, and after a few hours becomes soft again. By decision of the relatives, the date of burial is chosen (on what day this is done depends on the causes and circumstances of death or death), and the funeral ceremony is performed.
What one sees and feels after death
It becomes possible to find out what happens to the soul immediately after death thanks to the stories of people who returned to reality after clinical death.
View from the outside
In the first moments, a person is surprised that consciousness still lives in him, that is, he continues to think, feel emotions, but from the outside, without a physical component. He sees what people around his body are doing, but he cannot touch them or communicate anything.
Some were able, in a short period of time, while doctors were bringing their brain back to life, to travel: to visit their home or places dear to their hearts, relatives, even if they were hundreds of kilometers from the building where the cardiac arrest occurred. People also noted that they saw a beautiful creature - an angel, the Lord, who they called with them.
Some met with deceased relatives, and the latter told the dying person that his time to leave the world had not yet come, and he appeared earlier than expected.
Most people were reluctant to return to their body from non-existence, as they felt bliss and peace.
Tunnel
Almost all people see bright radiation ahead of a long dark tunnel. Eastern religions interpret that the soul leaves the body through holes:
- eyes;
- nostrils;
- navel;
- genitals;
- anus.
The moment of passing through the body to this exit, in front of which the outside world is visible, is perceived as moving along a narrow corridor with an incredible glow ahead.
An interesting fact is that even those for whom death occurred at night felt the radiance.
Divine light gives peace of mind, calming the soul disturbed by a new reality.
Sounds
The reality around is filled not only with new visions, but also with sounds, so those who were in the next world could not call it emptiness.
Their stories about the sounds differ, but the common fact remains that they are present:
- inarticulate conversations, which are called the communication of angels;
- buzz;
- heavy, alarming hum;
- the rustle of the wind;
- the sound of breaking branches and others.
Do Heaven and Hell Exist?
Everyone chooses the answer to this question for themselves, but for believers it is clear - they exist.
According to Holy Scripture, Paradise is the Kingdom of Heaven, located in another, parallel reality, and therefore invisible to living people. The Heavenly Father himself sits there on the throne, and on his right hand sits his son - Jesus Christ, who will return to earth again on the day of the Last Judgment.
On this day, according to the Bible, the dead will rise from their graves to welcome him and find life in the new Kingdom. At the same time, the earth and heaven that exist today will disappear, and the eternal city will appear - the New Jerusalem.
There is no information in the biblical teaching about where new souls come to earth from, but some people who remember their birth and previous life before birth tell interesting stories.
So, before a child is conceived, his consciousness lives in another reality and tries to find a mother and father, and when the choice is made, it comes to them. The legend is similar to the truth, since many babies are very similar in appearance, character and behavior to already deceased relatives. They say about such children that in them loved ones are born again and return to the family.
Whether the soul of the deceased is able to move into a newborn or not is unknown, but the birth of a child is the only proven way to live forever, albeit in genetic continuation.
An important question is whether the souls of deceased relatives meet after death. It doesn't have a clear answer. Most likely, only those who live in Paradise or who have not yet gone to earth for rebirth can count on this. According to the stories of loved ones who came to their relatives in a dream, most met relatives.
How the soul says goodbye to its loved ones
The love of deceased people for their loved ones does not disappear; it remains a constant. And although the dead cannot get in touch directly, they try to support the living and help them. Often, meetings of relatives occur in a dream, since this is the only possible way to contact those who remain on earth.
Souls in dreams come to those who cannot come to terms with their death and ask to let them go or report that they forgive relatives who feel strong guilt towards them. This is specific evidence that the deceased remain close to loved ones for many years and continue to hear them. Therefore, it is important to constantly hold commemorations on the anniversary of death, parental Saturdays, and on any days when the desire arises to do so.
Sometimes those who have left ask for something to be given to them. This is done through the deceased: on the day he is buried, come to say goodbye and put the object in the coffin with a request to give it to the servant of God (name). You can simply bring the item to the grave.
How to talk to the dead
There is no point in disturbing the dead for no reason out of idle curiosity - the soul lives in heaven in calm and peace, and if you try to call it through a spiritualistic session through photos, personal belongings, this will lead it into panic. The deceased feel when their relatives need them, and they themselves come to them in a dream or give signs.
If the desire to talk is acute, it is better to go to church, light a candle for the repose and mentally talk to the deceased, consult with him, ask for help. But what you can’t do, according to people’s rumors, is often go to the cemetery and talk for hours with the deceased.
It is recognized that it will not be possible to find peace of mind this way, but it is quite possible to “grab from the graveyard” an evil spirit, a demon. How true this is is unknown - perhaps this is a way to help a person let go of the situation, stopping the torment caused by frequent trips to the grave. In any case, how easier it is to bear the loss is up to everyone to decide for themselves.
How to help you find peace
In order for the soul of a loved one to rest in peace, they perform a funeral service before burial and perform other religious rites. Be sure to remember on 9, 40 days, anniversaries. On these dates, it is important to distribute “commemoration” to as many people as possible, even strangers, and ask them to remember the newly deceased servant of God and pray for his repose. It is better if these are children whose requests the Lord hears best and who, up to the age of 7, are considered sinless angels.
In the future, take care of the grave of a loved one, go to church, order memorial services, light candles, read prayers. A visit to the temple is also recommended in cases where the presence of the deceased is felt 40 days later or appears months or years after his death. This is a sign that something is bothering the soul, a way to help it find peace - a funeral dinner, prayer and a wax candle lit for the repose, the flame of which symbolizes eternal memory and peace.
One should not be overly concerned about the deceased, as this will make him feel uneasy and tormented.
Having grieved, it is important to be able to let go of your soul, it is better to remember a dear person more often with a kind word, tell your children and grandchildren about him, draw up a family tree, thereby guaranteed to grant him eternal life.
Video on the topic
More often, people of mediocre knowledge who study the “other side” ask the question: “What does the soul experience immediately after separation from the body?”
It’s downright sad to hear the answers that so-called authorities sometimes give on this topic. It is true that “insufficient knowledge is dangerous.”
As a rule, a person imagines that the soul simply emerges from the body and immediately enters a new world of activity - a land of wonders, mysterious and mysterious phenomena. Many live in the hope of meeting, on the other side, with all their previously departed loved ones. Although there is something corresponding to this, the soul has to go through a very different experience immediately after leaving their body. For greater clarity, we will discuss the experiences of the soul just before separation from the body and immediately after it.
A person, when approaching what is usually called “death,” but which is only a transitional state between two great planes of life, feels a gradual fatigue of the physical senses. Vision, hearing, and touch become weaker, and human “life” resembles a candle flame gradually going out. Often this constitutes the only phenomenon of approaching death. But in many other cases, when the physical senses become dull, the mental senses become surprisingly sharpened. It happens quite often that the dying person becomes aware of what is happening in another room or in another place. Clairvoyance, and sometimes clairaudience, is often associated with the approach of death; the dying person sees and hears what is happening in distant places.
There are often cases, noted by the Society for Psychical Research and even more often reported in the family circle, where the dying person appears so out of his personality that friends and relatives at a distance actually see him and sometimes even enter into conversation with him. With an exact comparison of time, it turns out that such phenomena almost always occur before a person’s death, rather than after death. There are, of course, cases where the strong desire of a dying person facilitates the transfer of his astral body into the presence of a person close to him immediately after death, but such cases are much rarer than the previous ones. In most cases this phenomenon arises from such a powerful process of thought transmission that the presence of the dying friend or relative is imprinted on the visited person, even while the latter's soul is still in the body.
In many cases, the dying person is psychically aware of the closeness of loved ones who died earlier. This does not have to mean that those people are actually present. It must be remembered that the boundaries of space have been erased and that one can enter into intimate relations with the soul of another, despite space. To put it another way, and without the contiguity of space, two souls are able to enjoy the mutual intimacy of mind and spirit. This is very difficult for one who is still bound by the flesh to understand. On the material plane, of course, the laws of space govern. explains to us the phenomenon of “the other side”. Two persons located in the physical world can enter into the closest relationship through the communication of their spiritual principles, while being in different parts of the world. Also, two souls are able to enjoy the closest communication, regardless of the issue of space.
The dying person often enters into spiritual communication with those already on the other side, and this greatly encourages him. The beautiful incident that accompanies what we call “death” is the fact that in reality there are unions with loved ones that good people so hope for. But not quite the way these good people usually imagine it.
The dying person is gradually freed from the physical. The “astral body” is an exact copy of the physical body, and during life, in most cases, both are combined. But, the astral body leaves the physical body at the death of the latter and forms the shell of the soul for some time. In essence, it is also material, but from such a subtle substance that it is inaccessible to measurements that detect ordinary matter.
In the end, the “astral body” simply slips away from the physical body and remains connected to it only with the help of a thin thread or rope of the astral composition. Finally, this connection is interrupted, and the “astral body” is carried away, inhabited by the soul that has left the physical body. Both the physical and “astral” bodies serve only as a temporary shell for the soul itself.
The soul that has left the physical body (in the "astral body") is immersed in deep sleep or (birth), reminiscent of the state of an unborn child several months before birth. The soul is preparing for rebirth on the astral plane, and it needs time to adapt to new conditions and gain the strength and energy required for a new phase of existence. Nature is full of such analogies - birth on the physical and on the astral plane has much in common, and in both cases a state of coma precedes it. During this sleep-like state, the soul resides in the “astral body”, which serves as its shell and protection, in the same way that the womb serves as protection for the baby before its physical birth.
Before proceeding, let us pause to consider some features of the life of the soul at this stage. As a rule, the soul sleeps peacefully, undisturbed by outside influences and protected from them. But sometimes there are exceptions, namely, during the so-called “dreams” of a sleeping soul. Such dreams occur for two reasons:
1) excessive aspirations that fill the spirit of the dying person, such as love, hatred or unfulfilled duties;
2) excessive aspirations or thoughts of those remaining on Earth, provided that these people are in fairly close relations with the deceased soul, in the sense of love or other deep attachments.
Each of these causes, or two together, causes disturbance in the sleeping soul and tends to draw the soul back to earth, either in the form of dream-like, telepathic communication, or, in other rare cases, something resembling the state of a sleepwalker in physical life. Both are worthy of regret, since the soul is disturbed by this, and this retards its evolution and development in its new phase of existence. We will discuss this in more detail.
A person who calmly passes from the material plane to the astral plane is rarely bothered by “dreams” during astral sleep. He naturally passes through a period of coma and passes into a new phase of existence as easily as a bud passes into a flower. It happens differently with people filled with earthly lusts or strong remorse, hatred, great love or concern for those left behind. In the latter case the poor soul is often tormented by these earthly bonds, and his astral sleep becomes feverish and restless.
In these cases, an involuntary attempt is often noticed to enter into communication with the earthly plane or to manifest itself to people remaining on Earth. In rare cases, as has already been said, even a state similar to the earthly state of a sleepwalker or sleepwalking follows, and the poor sleeping soul sometimes even visits its former lands. In such cases, when this appearance is visible to people, one can always note its half-awakened appearance: something is missing that was present during earthly life. confirm this, and this is the only way to explain it to yourself.
Over time, however, these poor earthly souls become tired and eventually fall into the blessed sleep that is their just destiny. In the same way, the strong aspirations of those who are left behind often contribute to the establishment of relations between them and the departed soul, thereby leading it to restlessness and anxiety. Many people, with the best of intentions, delayed the natural development of a loved one on the astral plane and deprived the tired soul of well-deserved peace.
The Bible says that “the dust will return to the earth from where it came, and the spirit will return to the Creator, Who gave it”... Forgive the pun, but today only the dead do not try to find out or find out what happens to the soul when the person dies. So I was puzzled by this question.
Human death - what is it?
From a biological and physical point of view, the death of a person is a complete stop of all processes of his life. This is an irreversible phenomenon that none of us can ignore. At the moment of a person’s death, processes occur that are inversely proportional to his creation. The brain is irreversibly destroyed, losing its functionality. The emotional world is erased.
Where is it - the edge of existence?
The Bible says that "the dust will return to the ground from where it came, and the spirit will return to the Creator, Who gave it." In accordance with this, today some scientists have derived the formula In writing, it will have the following two options:
- dust of the earth + breath of life = living human soul;
- lifeless body + breath of the Creator = living personality.
From the formula it is clear that each of us is endowed with a body and a thinking mind. And as long as we breathe (we have the breath of God in us), we are living beings. Our soul is alive. Death is any cessation of life, it is non-existence. The human body becomes dust, the breath (spirit of life) returns back to the Creator - to God. When we leave, our soul slowly dies away, subsequently being reborn. A decaying corpse remains in the ground. More on this later.
What happens to the soul when a person dies?
Our soul is freed from the body over the course of several days, going through several stages of purification:
So, what happens to the soul when a person dies? From all of the above, we can conclude that she returns back to the Creator, and does not go to heaven or hell. However, please! But what about the Bible, which says that ours goes to either heaven or hell? More on this later.
Where do the souls of dead people go?
Today, scientists are trying to prove the existence of heaven and hell by collecting testimonies of people who returned “from the other world.” For those who don’t understand, I’m talking about survivors. Their testimonies coincide down to the smallest details! Non-believers say that they saw hell with their own eyes: they were surrounded by snakes, demons and a terrible stench. Those who have “visited” heaven talk about light, fragrance and lightness.
Where are the souls of dead people?
The clergy and doctors who communicated with such people noticed an interesting feature: those who “visited” heaven returned to their physical body enlightened and calm, and those who “saw” hell tried for a very long time to recover from the nightmare. Experts summarized all the evidence and memories of “dead” people, after which they concluded that heaven and hell really exist, with the first being at the top and the second at the bottom. Everything is exactly the same as in the description of the afterlife according to the Bible and the Koran. As we see, there is no consensus. And this is absolutely fair. Moreover, the Bible says that “the day of judgment will come, and the dead will rise from their graves.” Friends, we can only hope that the zombie apocalypse will not happen in our century!
It is important!So, friends, we have looked at some aspects of a person. I tried to present as accurately as possible some of the opinions of modern scientists regarding this problem. Now let's get serious. Do you know what happens to the soul when a person dies? So I don’t know! To be honest, no one knows the answer to this question: neither I, nor you, friends, nor scientists... We can only speculate, based on certain unproven facts of clinical death of people. There is no direct evidence of life after death or death after death, so we can only operate with unproven arguments that science provides us. As they say, all the dead take a secret with them to the grave...
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