Accepting Death

[Timeless]

With my personal experience, I feel as though I've been surrounded by people my whole life who have never even truly contemplated death. But, it is inevitable...and to actually experience life to the maximum, one has to come to grips with this fact. After you die, there is no more "You."

To paraphrase Alan Watts, you have to really know what death means..so you will not live in confusion. And, the acceptance of death will ultimately bring about a sense of liveliness and increase creativity. You can't have a "lively" life if you deny the certainty of death!

Conquering the fear of death is the first step in living out your life to it's full potential. We all have to be brutally honest with ourselves and know what it means to be alive...and someday, die.

[Holly]

You know what did it for me? Losing a close family member, seeing him in the coffin, touching his hand and feeling the difference in his energy.

There's nothing like seeing death on the slab in front of you. No amount of cranial contemplation will ever have half the educational effect of real loss - the smell and texture of dead flesh and the visceral lack of the person you love. It was like a hammer blow to the gut and it made me seize the day in other areas of my life, because suddenly I understood mortality.

It's a fine goal, certainly, but I think acceptance of death might be more than most people are ready for in this lifetime. Even with the Angel of Death over my shoulder 24/7, I still struggle to come to terms with the necessity of death, no matter how many times he channels the myriad reasons why with me.

I think death hits us in the guts, not the head. I think acceptance is a matter of heart and soul rather than mind or belief. I'm not sure how that sits with other people but it's been my experience.

[In vita mea]

I had the same feeling when we lost our cat earlier this year. We had had the cat for 18 years. I knew that the end was coming, but when it did, I was distraught. I cried my eyes out regularly. I struggled to take it & had a temporary emotional breakdown over it all. The fragility of life, the speed at which time passes, each of these issues and the idea of losing friends and family just were too much for me to handle.

I've tried to make the most of my life since then, but it comes in fits & starts. One day I'm good, the next I let pass me by.

I can accept death, doesn't mean that I know it won't tear me apart when death does come. I can't even deal with the idea of seeing my family in coffins & knowing that they have left the World. No, it's the hardest part about life is the death of death of those around you. The second hardest, is the getting old stage. Would be ideal if people could hit 40, and then keep going, but not ageing, until the day that they had had enough and then pressed a button and that was that. People would still die as I think we will all tire of this existence eventually, but at least we would have none of the negative sides associated with getting old..if only.

Not everyone is afraid of death or dying. I had a NDE, there was no pain..there was beauty. I have read others nde's, and I relate a lot to them. I know and imagine what it will be like to be back as energy/light. I would be afraid to leave my children without a mother and my husband alone. At the time, I had never thought about death, or been to a funeral. I remember about 4 years later, my grandpa died. At his funeral I went up to his open coffin to say good bye, and to tell him how good he had been to me. I have to admit, after my NDE, standing up there at his coffin, I felt a bit jealous that he got to go home and I was still there. I remember telling myself, he has lived 80 years here, he has done his time, I have not! He earned it, I still have work to do. I knew about energy then because of my nde, I could clearly see his energy was not in there anymore. His body stiff and a bit cold, he was not there. We had a family cook out after the funeral, and everyone came over. People stayed late that night and we were all outside talking about him and some of us were still in shock, upset and sniffling...someone said something, and we all laughed hysterically. (Grandpa was a kind man, but didnt talk much. When he did, it was funny) We were all laughing and someone happened to look up, and told the rest of us, "Look' and pointed up to the sky. There was 3 comets, blue, green and yellow at the same time going across the sky in the dark. It looked like a rainbow, but prettier because it was across the stars in the black sky. And my oldest son said, there's grandpa! I think we all saw that as a message and stopped to stare. Things got quiet for a few minutes after that. Once a person goes through what I did, the thought of death does not scare you. It really fascinates you and its a funny feeling, because you long to go back.

For that little time I was there, I felt like me again. You know, when you were a toddler or a little kid and you never worried about nothing. You were happy to make friends, you got into things, you wanted to learn and you had no fear in the world. Thats what it felt like, and i didnt even go into the light. Theres not a day after I wake up, that I dont feel pain, worry, upset about something, or if I do, it doesnt take long before something happens and I start to worry again. It takes its toll..you dont feel that way over there, there is nothing to worry about.

[Native spirit]

Well I have to disagree with the statement after death there is no more.i am a medium and I speak to spirit of those who have passed over,in fact I will say there is no death only eternal life.your body stays here but your soul lives on.as well as seeing and hearing spirit I have had three NDE myself faced death three times at one point I was I minute away from death.
it doesn't concern me what so ever.apart from that I am a qualified counsellor.i have seen peoples lifes destroyed by the thought that there loved ones are gone.it is only through working with them that they see there is a life to be lived and one day they will be reunited with the lost loved ones,they have gone on to live full and happy lives,
ones mans meat is another mans poison that was said to me many moons ago and its true,there are only two certainties in life one is you are born the next you die so live it to the best of your ability,

Namaste

[In vita mea]

But isn't that just reading in to events what you want to see? I can appreciate the beauty of the comets & perhaps it was a sign from your grandad but it is easy just to point at naturals events & to place some higher significance to them, when you are looking for comfort.

I can sympathise with your loss, as my post stated, the loss of a family pet caused me to have what can only be described as a breakdown. But, I can't take proof of life after death from something that may simply be a natural occurrence.

Originally Posted by Native spirit

Well I have to disagree with the statement after death there is no more.i am a medium and I speak to spirit of those who have passed over,in fact I will say there is no death only eternal life.your body stays here but your soul lives on.as well as seeing and hearing spirit I have had three NDE myself faced death three times at one point I was I minute away from death.
it doesn't concern me what so ever.apart from that I am a qualified counsellor.i have seen peoples lifes destroyed by the thought that there loved ones are gone.it is only through working with them that they see there is a life to be lived and one day they will be reunited with the lost loved ones,they have gone on to live full and happy lives,
ones mans meat is another mans poison that was said to me many moons ago and its true,there are only two certainties in life one is you are born the next you die so live it to the best of your ability,

Namaste

I also had psychic abilities for years after my NDE, its very real. Without a shadow of doubt, its real. I think I had these abilities when I was small and turned them off as I got older. They came back full force after my NDE, and I remember a guide coming to me and telling me, "there is a lot of things you dont remember how to do, but are capable of doing " and he was laughing at me. Not because he was rude or mean, he thought it was funny that I was so advanced spiritually, yet forgot the simplest things my soul has known for eternity. I have since turned them off after a scarey episode where I was foretold of a relatives death the night they died. But, I can tune back into it, I just choose not too. I believe this contributes to my nervous issues I have from time to time.

[wolfgaze]

Originally Posted by CrystalClear

Not everyone is afraid of death or dying. I had a NDE, there was no pain..there was beauty. I have read others nde's, and I relate a lot to them. I know and imagine what it will be like to be back as energy/light. I would be afraid to leave my children without a mother and my husband alone. At the time, I had never thought about death, or been to a funeral. I remember about 4 years later, my grandpa died. At his funeral I went up to his open coffin to say good bye, and to tell him how good he had been to me. I have to admit, after my NDE, standing up there at his coffin, I felt a bit jealous that he got to go home and I was still there. I remember telling myself, he has lived 80 years here, he has done his time, I have not! He earned it, I still have work to do. I knew about energy then because of my nde, I could clearly see his energy was not in there anymore. His body stiff and a bit cold, he was not there. We had a family cook out after the funeral, and everyone came over. People stayed late that night and we were all outside talking about him and some of us were still in shock, upset and sniffling...someone said something, and we all laughed hysterically. (Grandpa was a kind man, but didnt talk much. When he did, it was funny) We were all laughing and someone happened to look up, and told the rest of us, "Look' and pointed up to the sky. There was 3 comets, blue, green and yellow at the same time going across the sky in the dark. It looked like a rainbow, but prettier because it was across the stars in the black sky. And my oldest son said, there's grandpa! I think we all saw that as a message and stopped to stare. Things got quiet for a few minutes after that. Once a person goes through what I did, the thought of death does not scare you. It really fascinates you and its a funny feeling, because you long to go back.

For that little time I was there, I felt like me again. You know, when you were a toddler or a little kid and you never worried about nothing. You were happy to make friends, you got into things, you wanted to learn and you had no fear in the world. Thats what it felt like, and i didnt even go into the light. Theres not a day after I wake up, that I dont feel pain, worry, upset about something, or if I do, it doesnt take long before something happens and I start to worry again. It takes its toll..you dont feel that way over there, there is nothing to worry about.

Nice post.

[Tobi]

There is very much a "you" after the death of the physical body. I promise you you will know that one day.

Coming to terms with the passing (i.e. apparent absence) of loved ones is very hard. On the one hand they are gone, but when we just raise up a little above the 'clouds' of this Earth or in our minds -then they have NOT gone! They have just transformed. And are still very much alive and very real. As we will be when we leave the body.

Why can't we see that all the time? Maybe it's about how we tune ourselves. If we tune our frequency to 'this world' we don't know all that. If we tune into a 'deeper level' we are given glimpses -enough to show us.

[wolfgaze]

The only thing which 'dies' is your physical body and the conditioned, limited sense of 'self' that had been largely rooted in the influence of your physical/egoic mind. You will still retain your consciousness (awareness), your memories, the attributes pertaining to your nature/character...

You can actually go through the process/experience of 'dying' before your physical body 'dies', and this comes about through consciously transcending your former, limited sense of self. It will feel like your old identity and former sense of self has been surrenders, and in doing so you will discover your higher nature/identity. Finding your true self. This is echoed in the notion of 'dying to oneself'. There is a saying that goes, "He who dies before he dies will not die when he dies". You will transcend any fear/concern about the experience of physical 'death' and when you do the former notion of ceasing to exist when your body expires, will now be perceived as illusory.