On how the soul falls into a sleep after death, William Atkinson in his
book "Life beyond death"
commented the following:
« In
connection with the subject of the soul-slumber,
of which we have spoken in the preceding chapter, we take the liberty of
quoting from one of our earlier works, in which this subject was briefly
touched upon, as follows:
« The process of
sinking into the restful state, and the soundness and continuance thereof, may
be interfered with by those left in the earth-life. A soul which has ‘something
on its mind’ to communicate, or which is grieved by the pain of those left
behind (especially if it hears the lamentations and constant calls for its
return), will fight off the dreamy state creeping over it, and will make
desperate efforts to return.
(I
suspect that William Atkinson copied this from Max Heindel who in chapter three
of his book "The Rosicrucian Cosmos-Conception"
wrote:
"It
cannot be too seriously impressed upon the relatives of a dying person that it
is a great crime against the departing soul to give expression to loud grief
and lamentations. Some who have passed out have told investigators that they
had, in that way, been kept dying for hours and had prayed that their relatives
would cease their mistaken kindness and let them die."
But
what Heindel and Atkinson say is only partially true, since although silence is
the ideal, crying will not prevent the soul from continuing to immerse itself
within the akashic dream, because it is something almost automated that the
soul cannot prevent nor control.)
And, likewise, the
mental calls of those who have been left behind will disturb the slumber, once
it has been entered into, and will cause the sleeping soul to rouse itself and
endeavor to answer the calls, or at least will partially awaken it and retard
its unfoldment.
(It depends on the soul, but few souls wake up because of
this, and the proof is that you try to wake up a person who is asleep just by
calling them mentally, you will find that the vast majority will continue to
sleep.)
These half-awake
souls often manifest in spiritualistic circles. Our selfish grief and demands
often cause much pain and sorrow to our loved ones who have passed over to the
other side, unless they have learned the true state of affairs before they have
passed out, and refuse to be called back even by those whom they love.
Cases are known where
souls have fought off the slumber for years in order to be around their loved
ones on earth, but this course was unwise as it caused unnecessary sorrow and
pain both to the one who had passed on and to those who remained on earth. We
should avoid delaying by our selfish demands the progress of those who have
passed on, — let them sleep on and rest, awaiting the hour of their
transformation.
To do otherwise, is
to make them die their death several times in succession — those who truly love
and understand always avoid this, for their love and understanding bids them
let the soul depart in peace and take its well earned rest and gain its full
development. This period of soul-slumber is like the existence of the babe in
the mother’s womb — it sleeps that it may awaken into life and strength. »
There is another
phase of this particular stage of the soul progress which should be referred to
here. Again we quote from what we have previously written on the subject, as
follows:
« It is only the
soul of the person who has died a natural death which sinks at once (if not
disturbed) into the soul-slumber. Those who die by accident, or who are killed —
in other words, those who pass out of the body suddenly, find themselves wide-awake
and in full possession or their mental faculties for some time.
(This also depends on each individual, for example if he
was a human with wisdom of life or with spirituality, then even if his death
was tragic and brutal, he will remain peacefully asleep.)
They often are not
aware that they have ‘died’ and cannot understand what is the matter with them.
They are often fully conscious (for a short time) of life on earth, and can see
and hear all that is going on around them, by means of their Astral senses. They
cannot realize that they have passed out of the body, and are often sorely
perplexed. Their lot would be most unhappy for a few days, until the sleep
finally overcame them in due course.
(Common humans who wake up in the astral plane are often called
"the souls in pain" and they are very diverse: those who are
conscious that they have died physically, and those who are not aware of it,
those who remain in that state for a few days, and those that remain in that
state for entire decades, etc.)
Were it not for the
Astral Helpers, those blessed souls from the higher states of existence, who
gather around them and gently break to them the news of their real condition,
and offer them words of comfort and advice, and generally ‘take care’ of them
until they sink into the soul-slumber just as a tired child sinks to sleep at
night. These Helpers never fail in their duty, and no one who passes out
suddenly, be he or she ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is neglected, for these helpers know
that all are Gods children and their own spiritual brothers and sisters.
(Unfortunately if the person is in a deep state of
depression or internal vibrations darkness, these
helpers cannot do
anything and have to wait for the person change her vibrations.)
Men of high spiritual
development and powers have been known to pass out of their physical bodies,
temporarily (dwelling in their Astral bodies), for the purpose of giving aid
and advice in time of great catastrophes (such as the Johnstown Flood and the
‘Titanic’ Disaster) or after a great battle, when immediate advice and
assistance were needed…. Persons dying in the way of which we have spoken, of
course gradually fall into the slumber of the soul, just as in the cases of
those dying a natural death. »
Another matter which
should be mentioned in this place is that wonderful phenomenon of the review of
the past life of the soul, that great panorama which passes before the mental
vision of the soul as it sinks into the soul-slumber. This the authorities
inform us really occupies but an infinitesimal moment of time — a moment so
brief that it can scarcely be spoken of as a point in time. Yet in this brief
moment, the soul witnesses the panorama of the life it has passed on earth.
Scene after scene, of
infancy to old age, passes before it in review. The most insignificant incident
is reproduced with as much fidelity to detail as is the greatest event. The
subconscious planes of memory unfold their secrets to the last — nothing is
reserved or withheld. Moreover, the soul, by its awakened spiritual
discernment, is able to know the meaning, cause, and consequence of every event
in its life. It is able to analyze and to pass judgment upon itself and its
acts. Like an omniscient and impartial judge it judges itself.
The result of this
process is that the acts of one’s past life are concentrated and impressed upon
the records of the soul, there to become as seeds which will produce better
fruit in the future. These seeds serve to bear the fruits of future character,
in future lives, at least, so far as the acquired characteristics and desires
will admit of.
To those who may
object that it is impossible for the mind to grasp the events of a lifetime in
the space of a moment of time, we would say that psychology will inform them
that even in ordinary earth-life this is possible. For there are many recorded
cases in which a person nodding into slumber has dreamed of events which have
occupied an apparent period of many years. In ordinary dreams time is
practically reduced to a small unit, and in the state of which we speak the
process of concentration is intensified, and the single point of time covers
the period of the longest life.
The soul carries with
it into its slumber-state a concentrated record of its entire life, including
the seeds of its desires, ambitions, likes and dislikes, attractions and
repulsions. These seed-ideas soon begin to sprout and bear blossom and fruit. Not
only in future incarnations are these manifest, but also in the life of the
soul on the Astral Plane.
For kind Nature does
not impose on the soul the task of living out and outliving all of its
tendencies in future incarnations, but so arranges that many of these strong
impulses shall be manifested and worn out on the Astral Plane, so that the soul
may leave them behind when it is reborn into a new earth-life. And it is toward
this fruition that the soul-slumber serves.
During the soul-sleep
the soul is prepared for its entrance into Astral life and manifestation, the
details of which we shall see as we proceed. The soul-slumber is just as
necessary for the soul in this stage of its progress, as is the slumber of the
unborn babe in the womb of its mother.
We have heard of some
unreasoning persons who, upon being made acquainted with these teachings,
manifested a fear of the soul-slumber state, and who said they “feared the
sleep in an unknown place, among so many unknown things and creatures.”
This objection seems
very childish to the advanced occultist, for he knows that there is nowhere in
Nature in which an entity is so carefully and fully guarded as in this case of
the sleeping soul on the great Astral Plane. So absolutely secure from invasion
or intrusion, from harm or hurtful influence, are these sleeping souls that
nothing short of a complete revolution of Nature’s most sacred laws could
affect them.
The abode is not a
place, remember, but a condition or state. And this state or condition is such
that no malign or harmful influence could in any way whatsoever reach or even
draw near them. Would that all of us in earth-life were so securely guarded. So
secure are these sleeping souls that it would seem as if all of Nature’s forces
had conspired to guard and protect them. It is a Hindu maxim which runs as
follows: “Not even the gods on their high thrones have any power or dominion
over the sleeping-souls.”
To those whose ideals
on the subject of “the other side” have been so ‘influenced by the teachings of
current theology that this conception of the soul-slumber may seem strange and
unusual, we would say that a little consideration will show that under the
popular conceptions of even the most favored theologies will be found many
veiled allusions to this blessed state of rest which the soul so sadly requires
after one strenuous life and before another.
“He giveth His
beloved sleep;” “There is rest for the weary;” “He has gone to his long rest;”
these and many other familiar expressions and quotations seek to express the
innate idea implanted in the human mind regarding a period of rest which shall
come to the tired soul. The idea of “rest,” after the stress and storms of
life, is so natural and instinctive that it may be said to represent the strongest
inclination and conviction of the human soul in connection with the idea of
death. It is as fixed as is the conviction of future life beyond the grave. In
the advanced occult teachings alone, however, are to be found the explanation
of the idea.
The soul which is
instructed regarding the existence and nature of this period of soul-slumber
will find nothing but satisfaction in the contemplation thereof. It will learn
to regard this stage of its future existence as a blessed balm and comfort. It
will feel toward this state that which we find expressed in the words of the
old song: “And calm and peaceful do I sleep, rocked in the Cradle of the Deep.”
As rest, securely resting, on the bosom of that Great Ocean of Life. Rest,
calm, peace, security, protection — this is the condition of the soul-slumber
on the Astral Plane. »
(Chapter 6)
OBSERVATION
This idea that humans
fall into a deep sleep after death is not usual in Western beliefs, and in this
respect, William Atkinson is transmitting the teachings that the masters
contributed, but Atkinson was wrong in stating that this dream is to prepare
the soul to its future life on the astral plane, because in reality that dream
is due to the fact that humans still do not have enough development to be able
to stay awake in the higher planes of existence. And that is why most humans
will continue to sleep during their stay on the astral plane, and later during
their stay on the mental plane. And it is only when humans return to the
physical plane, in their next reincarnation, that their consciousness is
reawakened.
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