My personal perspective toward death has been formulated over the course of many years both through personal study and experience. While I was raised in the Protestant Christian tradition, its approach never truly resonated with me and I spent many years exploring other religious and spiritual beliefs, including Pagan, Eastern, and New Age philosophies. However, my journey has led me to Spiritualism where its entire philosophy resonates most profoundly. I have long since given up the notion of death being an annihilation of being, nor of an eternal, senseless bliss or damnation. I came to the understanding that it was a change, but I did not know exactly what that change would be. Would I become a ghost haunting the living? Would I ascend to some realm of light and pure creative expression? A study of Emanuel Swedenborg’s experiences and writing was, perhaps, a first step toward a better understanding of death. But, as already stated, it has been through Spiritualism that my greatest understanding and peace of mind have come.
In the nonsectarian world, death holds much fear over many people’s lives because they view clinical death as the absolute end of life. Following are the steps to ensure clinical death has taken place:
- Tap patient on shoulder and inquire, “Are you alright?”
- Tilt head back and lift chin up to open airway and check for respiration.
- Notice failure of chest to rise and fall (i.e. no breathing for prolonged period of time).
- Listen to the chest for a sense of a pulse or heartbeat.
- Pupils will be dilated/enlarged and the eyes fixed, slightly open.
- Dependent lividity will be present, which is hardening of the of the muscles in the jaw, shoulders, elbows, and knees.
If one truly believed that those things that make up each of us, such as hopes, dreams, aspirations, personality, etc. suddenly end with the death of the physical body, then life would loses a great deal of meaning and value.
So what is the meaning of death? Some thoughts that are closely aligned with the meaning of death include: Is there rebirth of the biologically deceased? Is there some order of existence in another dimension of life referred to as the hereafter? And, if a hereafter exists, what is the relationship between our physical and spiritual lives?
Many have come to regard death as a question of growth. The growth gained through a true understanding and appreciation of death is one of the higher levels of enlightenment anyone can achieve.
Ancient humans were the first to produce concepts about death. Many ancient cultures viewed death as a mysteriously, supernatural event. For instance, the Maoris believed that one died because they had not been properly baptized, and the ancient Greeks believed that death and disease were originally locked in a box that was opened against the wishes of Zeus and released upon mankind.
The United States, in regard to death, is frequently called a death-denying society because the subject of death is both difficult for many people to even think or talk about, and the process of aging is denied as well. People spend great amounts of money in order to retain a youthful appearance and seek to avoid death altogether if possible. In a death-denying society, the change called death is viewed as an enemy to life. It’s further seen as an annihilation of the human organism and all that a person is. Death-denying creates unnecessary fear in individuals and creates an underlying disregard for life itself. The attitude of “what does it matter if we’re all going to die anyway” becomes pervasive.
Early Native Americans held an essentially fatalistic view in regards to dying. When aging or sickness became apparent, the matter of potential death was turned over to the gods, or spirit, to make the ultimate decision on whether the person would die or continue living. An individual that was either aging, sick or dying would have been left alone in a dwelling or sent adrift in a canoe with both food and water. The belief was if the gods wanted the person to live, the sick individual would survive. If not, it was the will of the gods. Death was considered a natural part of life and by no means a final end.
Both in Hinduism and Buddhism, the ultimate goal of death is two-fold: To meet death both as an end product of life, and as an actual and necessary ingredient in the life process itself. More so, it’s viewed as an instructive experience– a direction to live physical life fully with meaning.
Death with meaning and dignity are the keynotes of the Jewish approach to death. The worldly commitments of life are taken care of to the satisfaction of the dying individual, as well as time to make peace with their God. The natural end of life is accepted as the fate of physical existence, decreed by God. While wishing for continued life is considered insensitive and unrealistic.
Dr. Kubler-Ross’s describes five stages of death acceptance shown below. These stages represent vital information for anyone interacting with a person facing end of physical life situations because her research brings a greater awareness of the dying person’s state of mind throughout the process and offers a guide or roadmap for those who may be of service to dying persons.
- Denial: Once one learns that death is closely approaching, they are often in a state of unacceptance. This period is necessary as it allows one to gather their thoughts and get used to the idea of their own death.
- Anger or Rage: “Why is this happening to me?” Is the inevitable question. The situation seems unfair in relation to those not facing death all around them. Any person or object may become the target of a dying person’s anger. It is considered the most difficult reaction to be faced. Supportive people around the dying must keep this in mind and act accordingly.
- Bargaining followed by Depression: The dying make make pleas to God or the universe to save their lives if they perform some virtuous action like a devotion to God, helping the needy, never being judgmental, etc. in order to postpone fate. However, once the awareness that fate cannot be postponed sets in, then depression replaces the bargaining. One may feel a great sense of loss; however, it too serves a purpose in preparation for the acceptance of imminent physical separation and emotional healing.
- Acceptance: The final stage is acceptance of impending death through a deep, personal understanding from the stages previously experienced. It’s important to note that some people do not go through all the stages before acceptance, and others return to previous stages even at this point. We are all unique in our approach to death.
Spiritualism teaches that the physical body houses the soul in the physical realm. It’s required in order to fully experience the nature of the physical world in the same way a person would wear a dive suit to fully experience the underwater world. Death refers to a demise of the physical body only, or a removal of the physical sheath that houses the soul. The soul is eternal and cannot die.
Death is also viewed as a doorway to an expanded perspective or awareness of the true nature of life and what it actually means to be “living”. Death is simply a stage in the eternal process of existence. Death is transformative. It’s a release from a confining existence into an expanded and expanding one, like the caterpillar who enters a cocoon and emerges a butterfly.
Also, our awareness or consciousness is not destroyed in the death process. Our true nature, those things that make up an individual, does not change at death. Death neither takes away from the true self, nor does it glorify it. Death does not erase our memories or feelings for loved ones who remain in the physical world. Think of it more as a move, like moving to another state or job. The people one knew at their previous residence or position are not forgotten, even though new experiences and people are yet to be known. Once it is understood that life goes well beyond the physical grave, the fear of death loses its grip.
Spiritualism’s approach to death is refreshing in that it combines realism with profound enlightenment, and an awareness with provable facts. While death gives an appearance of finality, it is nothing more than an illusion. Science has taught us in the physical world that energy is never completely destroyed, just changed in form.
The official NSAC philosophical Principle that establishes the basic understanding of death and dying is Declaration of Principles #4:
We affirm that the existence and personal identity of the individual continues after the change called death.
Psychic accounts of the death process offer insights beyond the physical aspects and reveal a completely different experience of the dying individual as they become acutely aware of the spiritual world. It is like an enlarging and defining of the pattern of one’s own life. Using the psychic connection, those in the physical world can get a glimpse of this expanded experience yet to come.
The psychic Betty, wife of Stewart Edward White, gave many psychic accounts of death. One of them firmly stated that you take with you to the Spirit World what you are. This was called the real continuity. This means that we must do away with the superstition that one’s handicaps here will be instantly eliminated there.
Andrew Jackson Davis said that the change called death is really a change in situation. This means that a person changes from a physical to a spiritual environment.
Davis felt that death was a continual process, not just something that finally happens to end one’s life. He explains that the body does not complete the death process over a few hours or days, but for many years. During this period, the faculties and powers of the inner being gradually release their proprietorship over the form and the soul continues its aspirations toward the higher spheres. Everyone must understand that as soon as the human organism is perfected in its form, size, and general developments, and as soon as the spirit exercises full control over the body, the process of transformation or death begins.
The relationship between life and death is simply change. Additionally, the relationship is continuity as well. When one accepts that death is merely a change in form, then the words “life and death” can be restated as “life and change”, which changes everything.
A conscious perceptual experience that takes place during some clinical death situations is called near-death experience or NDE. A near-death encounter may be defined as any conscious perceptual experience that takes place during a near-death encounter. Such experiences are characterized as one who has been so near actual death that one is pronounced clinically dead; but, in spite of this, they survive.
Those who have had and remember their near-death encounters often return with an attitude to cultivate a sincere love for one’s fellow beings. Also, many people stress that acquiring knowledge is an essential part of life that continues after the change called death. Lastly, none of the individuals felt that the death process was morally purifying as some world religions believe. In other words, death is not the great equalizer that immediately makes one both morally and spiritually whole ready to start anew. Personal growth is eternal, so work on it now. People who have had near-death experiences have an almost overwhelming compulsion to make an effort to try to do better.
Through this broadened view of death, we can learn to lead much more productive lives here and now. To accept the reality of death is to accept the challenge of living. This is the true essence both of growth and life.
Reference: Morris Pratt Institute, Course on Modern Spiritualism, Lesson 5: Spiritualism as a Philosophy,
Part II
