What happens when we die

[Running Bear]

I have read Sylvia Brown, and her answer to this question most resonates with me. I'll paraphrase: She said, we are energy. When it is our time our soul energy leaves. You are greeted by your loved ones, you have an opportunity to watch your life. You are met with your spirit guide, hash over learning experiences. You are cleansed, you play, you learn, you sit with Jesus. Your biggest learning experience is coming to Earth, the greatest school, hard knocks, lucky breaks and heart breaks, but it is all learning. You also have a chance to return to Earth, either to continue a life you knew or completely new experience. You and your Spirit Guide decide what will happen and your life is played out.

Originally Posted by Khalli

All these posts and not one mention about the possiblity of ascension.

noted.
And you just mentioned it.

Originally Posted by Claude

To Ghost_Rider_1970:

I think I forgot adding or the maximum characters limit didn't allow me to add this extra piece of information.

I had no idea there was a maximum character limit.

Originally Posted by Staceyboo

Hi, what do you believe happens when you die I have been thinking a lot about this recently I work in a job were I see a lot of death and it always confuses me when I person dies there physically there but there not if that makes any sense I look at them and there not there I still talk to them as if they was there but there not I can't seem to get my head round it. Last year a close family member died of cancer and they promised me they would visit when they went but they haven't is this because they can't or is it because there just gone you live then die or our we just not ment to know what happens when we die until we die what are everyone's thoughts on this am not a religious person so don't really believe in heaven and hell but find it hard to believe we just die

Grab a few beers, some tissues (lots of tissues) and a copy of Robin Williams' "Whatever Dreams May Come." Until someone can find an answer to "What colour is consciousness?" that's one of the best.

[Busby]

There are many things about being alive which cannot, as yet anyway, be comprehended by ourselves. This thing we call life is, if we look at it from a distance, just cannot be. There is something we are not seeing. What is quite clear is that there isn't or aren't any 'experts' who can answer our requests for knowledge although there have been many instances, reports, accounts and experiences of all kinds of esoteric, mysterious and incomprehensible happenings: apparitions, ghosts, Ufos, abductions, miracles, healings - and all the rest. No need for a list, all of us here due to our interest in this thing we call 'spiritual', know just to what extent this list stretches.
Personally I have been involved in quite a number of 'odd' or 'strange' experiences all of them spread over various times, directions and instances. Some of them changed my attitude to my mental and physical existence and allowed a 'peep' through a slightly opened door - so to say. I think that the mental world (the one in ours heads, where each of us is the centre of the universe) and this world we call 'spiritual' are in fact the same. I have reasons for this, reasons which for me personally are quite persuasive.

I'd like to suggest that we know exactly how 'life after death' will be but don't accord the regular cycles of dying and awakening the value they deserve. I'm talking about going to sleep each night and awakening each morning. The simplicity of it is too obvious.
Each time we go to sleep our consciousness moves away leaving our physical body in a state of animated suspension. Each time we awaken our consciousnesses move back. In the dream state we live other existences. However puerile or demanding these dream experiences may be they are of the same relation to life as to that moment of death where the consciousness does not return.

Our consciousness (of which we are aware!) is permanent but cycles between being present in the physical and then in the mental on various planes just like notes and octaves in music. After death we dream the dream we deserve or want to dream. This choice depends upon the path we have chosen.

The universe, the one that we know, exists only in our personal and collective imagination.

[Ghost_Rider_1970]

Originally Posted by Running Bear

I have read Sylvia Brown, and her answer to this question most resonates with me. I'll paraphrase: She said, we are energy. When it is our time our soul energy leaves. You are greeted by your loved ones, you have an opportunity to watch your life. You are met with your spirit guide, hash over learning experiences. You are cleansed, you play, you learn, you sit with Jesus. Your biggest learning experience is coming to Earth, the greatest school, hard knocks, lucky breaks and heart breaks, but it is all learning. You also have a chance to return to Earth, either to continue a life you knew or completely new experience. You and your Spirit Guide decide what will happen and your life is played out.

Wow! Sylvia Browne is a name I’ve not heard in a long time!

I first heard about Sylvia Browne at the start of my spiritual journey of self discover (along with Betty Eddie, who wrote Embraced by the Light). Indeed this was a time I adopted many New Age beliefs. While I loved - and even lived - the idea of a soul family, life review, an afterlife, spirit guides, and many other similar beliefs that resonated so much more than Christianity or religion ever did - at the very centre it still didn’t quite ring true with me. Mainly because I felt it wasn’t tangible enough for me to reach out and touch.

It’s only after I went through two life changing events (one that resulted in ‘my search for the truth’ and another that called into question everything I had come to believe in spiritually) that resulted in a choice of me either falling back into the comfort of my previous ways, or use these to follow through so I could find what I believe to be ‘my truth’.

This meant being prepared for all answers and all eventualities. So I could accept the conclusion in my heart - even if it went against what I wanted to believe.

Where I’ve always believed that ‘the truth’ is never hidden from us, so if we want to discover who we are using our life experiences then becomes an inner knowing and understanding.

Yes, it often takes listening and the reasoning of others to help us see clearly - and for us to not just understand but have real faith in what we come to believe. Without any restrictions or confinements of something that may or may not be the definitive way.

Admittedly this can be quite difficult with so much information and misinformation available. So to find out the real truth we have to know how to look within ourselves.

In simple terms, we each have complete freedom of thought and what we feel is right for us. Where I’ll always respect the views of others, and will never say one belief is more relevant over another. As we should go with what we feel is right for us.

For me, I wanted to take it to the edge and beyond - to understand the full nature of who I am. To realise that everyone and everything is this universe and this universe is us. Is cosmic consciousness. As am I. Beyond the functionality of pure evolution, and also beyond an external judgemental creator.

So, maybe the question becomes for each of us is... are we happy with where we are, or do we feel deep inside that there is something more?

As if you feel that the the views of Sylvia Browne is also your definitive belief, and although admittedly I may see things a little differently, I with my hand on my heart think that is so beautiful.

Indeed, I constantly question and revaluate - and I’ll always be receptive to different views. As this helps me constantly rationalise my understanding

[Ghost_Rider_1970]

Originally Posted by ImthatIm

I had no idea there was a maximum character limit.

Haha! He certainly found it with me

[HITESH SHAH]

Here are my 2 cents .

1. Spirituality like science is a field where documented logical experiences of well meaning wise people (whom we may call scientists or even philosophers) should be held authentic and right . Heretic / unscientific / untenable individual experiences howsoever in majority do not hold water against the authentic empirical documented experiences of well meaning wise people (whom people may call scientists or philosophers)

2. The religions world over and of all ages have accepted that there is life after death though there may be difference in how they present it ( like existence till judgment day in Christianity , Qayamat day in Islam , Worship of ancestors in confucianism / buddhism/hinduism , re-incarnation in hinduism / buddhism) . So all are unanimous without exception that spirit in human being is part of super spirit / cosmic spirit / all pervasive spirit and it exists after death . Let's first agree to agree on this fundamental experiences of philosophers of all age and region .

3. There were some questions why so many conflicts then and what was the need for so many differences etc. This is wonderful question . Before I answer this, let's examine how human beings play sports . If we were to see all game of sports (say from animal perspective or anybody not knowing that sports itself) , they are all follies . Some people chasing 1 ball trying to put somewhere and eliminate some sticks etc . But as anybody and everybody on this forum would agree that sports is for mental and physical development of participants . It induces a spirit of sportsmanship in a good person . Sports man has to know the rules of the game (his/her limits /restrictions / privileges /rights etc) . And there indeed is great fun in playing the game.
So coming to answer why so many conflicts / multiplicity in universe , God or super spirit as one may call it - felt alone and wanted to play. So He created multiple versions of His and started playing. Rules of the game are all sciences (material/ social / ethical /spiritual) . And one has to attain maximum potential knowing / appreciating these wonderful treasures . This is well documented in following axiom in hinduism.

lokavat tu lila kaivalyam [Brahma Sutras - 2.1.33]

The creation is merely a sport of Brahman.

Ekoham Bahu Syam

The non dual Brahman -Cosmic spirit thought or willed, "I am One, let Me become many!" ; so by the sankalpa(ie assertion ) the Brahman projected himself as many.

[essvass]

Originally Posted by Running Bear

I have read Sylvia Brown, and her answer to this question most resonates with me. I'll paraphrase: She said, we are energy. When it is our time our soul energy leaves. You are greeted by your loved ones, you have an opportunity to watch your life. You are met with your spirit guide, hash over learning experiences. You are cleansed, you play, you learn, you sit with Jesus. Your biggest learning experience is coming to Earth, the greatest school, hard knocks, lucky breaks and heart breaks, but it is all learning. You also have a chance to return to Earth, either to continue a life you knew or completely new experience. You and your Spirit Guide decide what will happen and your life is played out.

Hi, Running Bear,

Which life is played out per Sylvia Brown, the one that ended or the one that is decided on together with the Spirit Guide and is about to begin? Thanks!

[7luminaries]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Running Bear
I have read Sylvia Brown, and her answer to this question most resonates with me. I'll paraphrase: She said, we are energy. When it is our time our soul energy leaves. You are greeted by your loved ones, you have an opportunity to watch your life. You are met with your spirit guide, hash over learning experiences. You are cleansed, you play, you learn, you sit with Jesus. Your biggest learning experience is coming to Earth, the greatest school, hard knocks, lucky breaks and heart breaks, but it is all learning. You also have a chance to return to Earth, either to continue a life you knew or completely new experience. You and your Spirit Guide decide what will happen and your life is played out.

Originally Posted by essvass

Hi, Running Bear,

Which life is played out per Sylvia Brown, the one that ended or the one that is decided on together with the Spirit Guide and is about to begin? Thanks!

You know what is a real kicker? Yes - you do all that after/between lives, but you can also do a fair bit of that right now. You can meet with your guides all the time...certainly as needed. You can review what is needed from a higher or more integrated perspective. What is needed at a soul level. You can see the true purpose of healing, radical forgiveness, authentic love, and reconciliation. You can be with your loved ones in spirit...at least from time to time. With your closest soul fam, it seems in spirit you are always held in the circle of belonging...a place where all things were, are, and will come to be. It's just the ticket for growth and being.

So much of all that we think awaits is in fact here now. We're just in the body and bound by the laws of our universe/existence. Not eternally and not in the realm of spirit, of course, just regarding the physical aspects, more or less. Sometimes more so, sometimes less so

Peace & blessings
7L