Understanding Death

There is no denying that death is a difficult and painful subject; yet it is also true that a proper grounding in spirituality will place death into a broader context that provides us with solace, guidance and ultimate meaning behind the experience of dying. Death in the absolute sense is an illusion – the truth is that no one ever dies. On the spiritual planes of existence, we are immortal – pure energy, pure light, without end or limitation. Physical birth and physical death each represent a transformation of energy from one form to another. Death is a movement from life with a physical body to life as a purely energetic “body.” It is much easier, in many ways, to deal with our own death than the death of a loved one because after we realize we’re “dead,” we also realize we’re alive, just without a physical body. One might compare the experience to taking off a suit of clothes at the end of the day – without the suit, you remain as you were. To my understanding, every soul goes through a life review following physical death, re-experiencing all aspects of its life, but from a higher perspective, in order that the learning from that lifetime can become fully integrated within the soul’s energy and karmic path. The experience of death can be quite liberating because the spiritual reality underlying all existence becomes plain to see, no longer hidden behind the veil of the physical world. On the “other side”, there is no “heaven” or “hell” as many of us have been taught – rather, we experience of the state of mind that we create with our individual level of consciousness. Some people gain an understanding of the continuity of life from having undergone what has come to be known as a “near-death experience.” Others have the privilege of being able to communicate on some level with friends and family who have passed on – that is, they are aware that even though their loved ones are deceased, they are still with them, just in a different form. Yet another way that some understand death is by connecting more fully with their own soul, which allows a person to view the seeming opposites of life and death from a higher perspective from which he or she can witness consciousness existing in both the spiritual and physical planes of existence. Regardless of the path you choose, the important part is that you realize on a feeling or experiential level (and not simply intellectually) that death is merely a shedding of the connection to the physical plane. Paradoxically, this knowledge frees you to live your life on Earth with greater purpose, courage and resilience.