Our bodies exist, of course, in the
physical world, which provides an environment for our activity and
growth on earth and offers us nourishment, stimulation and joy.
Likewise, there is a spiritual dimension of the universe the
invisible spirit world- which serves as the environment for our
spirits. Our spirit is the internal counterpart to our physical
body, and the spirit world is the invisible counterpart to the
physical world. This world is located not up in heaven, but in a
different dimension, inter-penetrating the physical world and the
universe. While on earth we exist in both worlds at once, in effect
connecting the two. For this reason, people on occasion can have
visions and communicate with the dead.
While most people are prepared to admit belief in
some kind of life after death, fewer accept the proposition that
during our physical lifetimes we are existing in two realms at once
a material one and a spiritual one. There is an invisible spiritual
world surrounding this physical one, inhabited by those who have
passed on. Because the two realms inter-penetrate each other, the
spirit of a person near death can float out of the body.
To begin to understand how we could simultaneously
live in two realms and, for the most part, be unaware of it, we must
remember that there are many things in the natural world that exist
beyond the range of our five physical senses. For example, we cannot
see infra-red light or x-rays, or hear sounds above or below certain
frequencies. Nevertheless, x-rays and high and low frequency sound
vibrations do exist. In the same way, even though we cannot perceive
a spiritual world through our physical senses, it exists all around
us.
The discoveries of modern science lend credence to
this prospect. Whereas in prior times scientists thought of the
material world as constructed of solid, though minute, blocks of
matter, they now believe this is not the case. Rather, what we think
of as the material world seems to consist of invisible patterns of
energy. The implications of this theory with regard to the existence
of a spiritual dimension are clear. Indeed, it is probably such a
discovery as this that gave rise to Albert Einstein's celebrated
remark that his work was spiritual, involving the discovery of where
matter ends and spirit begins.
Just as we perceive the physical world with our
physical senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell), so the
spirit world can be perceived by a set of spiritual senses; which
are not limited by the physical laws of nature. Because most of us
are not attuned to our spiritual senses, we become aware of the
spirit world only when we pass into it at the end of our physical
lives.
Due to modern technology, the number of people who
have been revived from clinical death and brought back to physical
life has increased tremendously in recent years. Many such
individuals have shared amazingly similar accounts of their
experience. Whereas in the past people may have been reluctant to
discuss their experiences, perhaps due to fear of ridicule,
thousands are now reporting near-death experiences (NDEs).
Documented observation on the subject of the next life reported by
individuals who have had near-death experiences has taken this area
of research beyond theory.
Near-death experiences gained widespread publicity
when Dr. Raymond Moody's book, Life After Life, became a best
seller. Dr. Moody writes convincingly of his vast research on people
who were clinically dead for a short time and were revived. Elements
which appear most frequently in such accounts are the following:
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The identity of the individual
who has died remains intact. The conscious self leaves the body
and observes it in its lifeless state but feels no break in the
continuity of consciousness.
-
The sensations associated with leaving the body
are described as being very positive lightness, brightness,
love, joy, peace and cessation of pain.
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The consciousness, or spirit, enters a dark
tunnel with an extremely bright light at the end.
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Relatives and friends (already deceased) are
often seen. Usually they communicate a welcome, and the person
who has just died may be given the choice to return to physical
life on earth.
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Often the spirit is greeted by beings of great
light and love perceived to be God, the Creator, or a religious
figure such as Jesus.
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There may be a life-review, which is a rapid
panoramic view of the earthly life in chronological order.
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The consciousness, or spirit, can hear and
observe everything that is happening in the physical world, but
cannot communicate with people on earth through speaking or
touching.
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There is instinctive knowledge that in going
into the light there is a point of no return to physical earth
life. Since these accounts come only from people who have
returned to physical life, there was a point past which they did
not venture.
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When they return to physical life, most people
who have had an NDE feel an enhanced quality in life; there is a
lack of fear of dying, and a new purposefulness in living.
Going to the spiritual world is automatic. It is not
a matter of choice or qualification. Every person is created as a
being whose spirit is eternal. Life in the spirit world is simply
the next step after life on earth, much as life on earth is the
natural step after life in the womb.
Physical birth takes place when a baby, having spent
nine months in a small, dark, warm place, suddenly pushes through
the birth canal into a bright, expansive new world. There is a
similar sequence of events in our birth into the next life. Those
who have had NDEs describe a dark tunnel leading toward a bright
light where loved ones await their arrival.
It should be noted, however, that if one is educated
to believe that there is no life after death, they may fail to
recognize the natural process which automatically takes place. There
are those who describe this lack of knowing as an incredible
injustice, for the passage to the next world is confused and the
spirit may wander indefinitely without the body, stuck between two
worlds, feeling part of neither. This condition may persist until a
spiritual guide is sent to rescue and re-educate the lost soul.
Sensitive people who have had glimpses into the
world beyond say it is a world much like our own, but having no time
nor space as we think of these dimensions; it exists in a higher
dimension of energy and, in its higher realms, is a world of
inexpressible beauty. It is a world where it is possible to be fully
alive, where, for example, the whole body perceives. It is a world
of endless possibilities for creativity and full realization of
self; and it is a world where the love of God is like the air we
breathe. As air is the atmosphere on earth, God's love is the
atmosphere in the spirit world.
One's spiritual body can travel with thought waves.
Therefore, if one thinks of a person and place, he can immediately
be transported there. Communication is also by thought. In addition,
one is free from the restrictions of the physical body; eating, for
example, is possible, but not necessary to maintain the physical
body. In the spiritual world, one realizes that life on earth has,
like life in the womb, been preparation for a fuller, freer and
richer eternal existence.
The fundamentals of the eternal
spiritual world operates on a simple principle. When people cross
over into that world, those who lived for the sake of others
according to God’s heavenly laws and principles will enter Heaven,
while those who lived selfishly and only for themselves cannot avoid
going to hell. What is heaven? Heaven is a kingdom of peace.
It is where the original ideal of creation that God purposed from
the beginning is completed. It is the true homeland all human beings
must seek and find.
We are descendants of Adam and Eve,
who were expelled from the original homeland as a result of the
Fall. Therefore, it is our destiny to return to and re-enter that
original homeland. However, we cannot enter there by human effort
alone. It is possible to enter only because God has worked through
history to enable fallen human beings to go there. God established
various religions, suited to each peoples’ diverse cultures and
traditions, to guide humanity. Religion, however, only trains people
to acquire the qualifications. To actually bring us to this higher
dimension, God is now leading humanity above and beyond the cultural
backgrounds of the various world religions, towards a single unified
religious world.
Excerpts from:
Insights Into the
Afterlife
30 Questions and Answers on What to Expect
by Nora M. Spurgin
