Some thoughts on the big "D"

Originally Posted by spiritseeker123

I have been intensely interested in death since my mother passed May 7, 2011. I was with her during her last hours and watched her take her last breath. As I stared in disbelief and total shock at her dead face, I knew my life would never be the same as I now had to find out as much as possible about this mystery of mysteries. For the first year, I dreamt of her at least once a week. Beautiful, realistic dreams that comforted me very much. I saw her smile. I saw her face, heard her voice, felt her comforting presence. I was extremely close to her. I spent A LOT of time with her, and we talked about EVERYTHING and shared constantly. I loved her very, very much. It's been close to three months since I've dreamt of her and I feel like I'm losing her. I live in a small apt and I have dozens of pictures of her everywhere to help keep her image in my subconscious, but it doesn't seem to help. I am thinking of finding a qualified medium/channeler to connect me to her.
I'm looking at Elizabeth Herrington (elizabethherrington.com) who is recommended by world-renown medium James Van Praah.
What are your thoughts about this?

I'm thinking she's fading on purpose. It may easily be that she doesn't want you to be overly focused on her situation at the expense of your living your current life to it's fullest. She's also no longer who she used to be... once she crossed-over she remembered who she was (in the more complete sense) and was/is no longer tied specifically to her previous rolls as you've know her. She intimately feels a lasting love and concern for your well-being and happiness, and took very serious her place in your life as a loving mother and friend, that part is obvious do to her being there for you as she has until now... I would celebrate that and relax to that knowing... she'll certainly be present to very-warmly greet you when it comes to be your time to join her....

Originally Posted by Juanita

That was eloquent, Stephen, and I actually agree with you...:-)

Thank you Juanita.... I'm certain there is much that we both could easily agree on... :^)

I agree with Steven too very well written :)

Originally Posted by RainbowAngel

I do not fear death like i used to and believe it will happen when its meant to but i still have the natural instinct to stay alive and protect myself.

This line is critically important when it comes to ~"experiencing"~ spiritual matters! As physical animals, within human-version bodies, our primary instinct is to live... evolution would selectively opt for this propensity as a primary trait, favoring those who took this trait seriously... So as physical animals, with the intent to survive, we are generally watchful for things that would likely do us harm.... That is burnt into us, we "need" to feel safe...

What struck me about each "spiritual" experience that I've had, was the way that this instinct was tested... I would sometimes be split... I was deeply and overwhelmingly fascinated by the experience, along with, "OMG am I going to die!?"

Big stuff elicits big reactions.... and serious spiritual experiences can truly be big and life-changing events... and they often seem to come out-of-the-blue.... and surprisingly so, thus stimulating the fright and flight reflex...

This used to awaken me often when I found myself lucid dreaming... I would full-awaken within a dream, not know where I was, not know "who" I was, and respond with instant concern... poof, I'd awaken... over time I got used to this and tried to contain it, but there's still a little feeling of "survival discomfort" when such things take place without predictable framing.

So fear.... it's both a blessing and a challenge when we explore our "beyond"... and as long as we're physical we'll be bumping into this conundrum.... We can make the argument that we're here, and alive today, because our ancestors took fear very seriously... but we also must contend with this this very same process if we're wanting to step-outside our survival-instilled comfort zone...

Great point there stevenk. So are you saying that what we have been given as a basic survival instinct is actually preventing us from developing more spiritually as a whole? If so do you think the human race could overcome that to connect to our 'beyond' could that ever be possible?

Originally Posted by RainbowAngel

Great point there stevenk. So are you saying that what we have been given as a basic survival instinct is actually preventing us from developing more spiritually as a whole? If so do you think the human race could overcome that to connect to our 'beyond' could that ever be possible?

I doesn't stop us, but it does become an issue that needs to be faced and understood.

The challenge in this is the nature of the spiritual experience itself.

An "intense" exposure cuts right to our core... now, normally we have a bubble of personal space that we can monitor for most intrusions... if a person enters our personal space we can either allow them to do so, or reject them outright... if a growling dog gets too close we can see this occurring and take appropriate actions.... but when you find yourself suddenly in a strange land, or there's a soul standing before you in such a way that you become absorbed in it's vibrational rhythms to the degree that "separation" dissolves... then the normal, physical, boundary, proximity thing is no longer applicable.... you are raw, exposed, vulnerable, and without this normal physical assumption of reasonable boundaries.

In which case you are then having to "trust" the process on a level that's not normally experienced in our day to day living. And that trust level is complicated. For me it's taken repeated exposures, where I emerged each time okay, to mitigate some of this... but there's still resistance... I like being in control of my environment to the point that I can shape it and mold it into a reasonable experience... I'm not a control freak, but like most I also don't enjoy relinquishing all manor of "predictability".

...and there are few things predictable about a spiritual encounter... be they lucid dreams, out of body, encountering a soul, sans body... these are events that sidestep normal experience to the degree that fully trumps our learned expectation of normality..

And that's the issue as I've come to see it... spiritual encounters are not necessarily cozy and comforting exposures... at times they can challenge the very base of your very experience with existing... as humans, within animal bodies, we're not really primed for that... so when it does occur there may well be issues... there is indeed a learn-curve... :^)

[knightofalbion]

Forgive me for going off topic:
Stephen: I've just noticed your new signature...Great scott! I nearly fell off my horse!
You've made my day. (And Peter will be pleased too.)

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

Forgive me for going off topic:
Stephen: I've just noticed your new signature...Great scott! I nearly fell off my horse!
You've made my day. (And Peter will be pleased too.)

It's a really cool and much needed site on expanding our awareness in relation to our four legged friends! The site builder contacted me last night and asked if they could add my own out-of-body experience with our departed dog souls to their site, and of course I readily agreed!

I was looking through the site and loved it! It's fairly simple, as sites go, but the subject matter is a most critical one, and one that the authors have addressed in such a remarkably loving way! :^)

[TruthJunkie]

Interesting thread. Some fine views expressed here.

I have never fully embraced the "here" and "there" model. I experience a continuum that expresses as a set of systems that are intimately connected in nature. The animate life form is a hybrid of spirit and physicality. The ultimate bridge between spirit and matter. No matter how we dice and slice it we are still dealing with an indivisible continuum. As one teacher put it "Born a physical body, raised a spiritual body". In the case of death spirit does not experience the same kind of transition the body does in terms of permanence. No doubt spirit and matter express different constructs and capabilities but this is inclusive in nature. Communication in spirit occurs between two or more entities whether physicality is present or not. There is no here and there. We live in a continuum and continuously awaken to and experience the many levels and aspects that coexist in nature.

YMMV and if so let me hear about it :)

[Tobi]

This is a first class thread IMO.

spiritseeker123....my bet is that your mother stayed near to you to show you, to give you evidence-that she is all right. And to support you in your grieving.
Now -two things are happening. One -she has to gravitate to the astral level of her own Soul's vibrations. This is a natural occurrence. Once there, she will have development of one kind or another to work on, and maybe service.
Two...I sense (from what I am also in the process of learning right now) that Souls are given an insight into their loved ones' Spiritual needs -either from their own knowledge (as their knowledge will widen once they "come into their own" -or from Guides, teachers and helpers there.
She may have received access to this awareness, and as a result, has to stand back from you for a while, to allow your own spiritual growth to take place along natural lines, without any interference (albeit loving interference)
But rest assured, Love is one of the (if not THE) most powerful things. Once it is there, it is never severed.
Regularly include your mother in your prayers and meditations etc. Give love and gratitude, let it go to her, then let go with unconditional love. She will receive it.
Time may come when she will be able to visit you again. This may, or may not be in dreams. It may be direct, heart-to-heart. You could suddenly sense her love.

StephenK,
Beautifully-expressed thinking about this.