To this
question, William Atkinson in his book "Life beyond death" answered the following:
« One
of the questions most frequently asked by the average person who considers the
question of life on “the other side,” is this: “What is the experience of the
soul immediately after it leaves the body?”
It is somewhat
pitiful to hear the answers given to this question by many of the so-called
authorities on the subject. Verily, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”
(Unfortunately William
Atkinson also had very little knowledge on this matter.)
The average person
imagines that the soul simply steps out from the body and immediately enters
into a new world of activity — a wonderland of strange and mysterious scenes.
To many there exists the hope of being met on the other shore by all the loved
ones who have gone before — a great reunion. While there is something which
corresponds to this, there is also an entirely different condition to be
experienced by the soul immediately after it passes out of the body. Let us
consider the experience of the soul immediately before, and immediately after,
its passage from the body, so that we may get a clearer light on the subject.
The person
approaching the stage generally called “death,” but which is merely a
transition stage between two great planes of life, experiences a gradual
dulling of the physical senses. Sight, hearing, and feeling, grow dimmer and
dimmer, and the “life” of the person seems as a flickering candle flame
gradually approaching utter extinction.
In many cases, this
is the only phenomenon attending the approach of death. But, in many other
cases, while the physical senses are growing dimmer, the psychical senses are
growing wonderfully acute. It is a common occurrence for dying persons to
manifest a consciousness of what is occurring in another room, or another
place. Clairvoyance frequently accompanies the approach of death, in some cases
being attended by clairaudience, the dying person being conscious of sights and
sounds in distant places.
There are also many
instances recorded in the annals of the societies for psychical research, and
far many more related in the privacy of family gatherings, in which the dying
person has been able to so strongly project his personality that friends and
relatives at a distance have actually seen his form, and in some few cases have
been able to converse with him.
A careful comparison
of time shows that these apparitions, in nearly every case, have appeared
before the actual death of the person, rather than after it. There are, of
course, cases in which a strong desire of the dying person has caused him to
project his Astral body into the presence of some one near to him, immediately
after death, but these cases are far more rare than those of which we have
spoken above.
In the majority at
these cases the phenomenon is caused by a process of thought-transference of
such a higher power and degree that the visited person became impressed with
the consciousness of the presence of the dying friend or relative even while
the soul of the latter still remained in the body.
(This
is false and in reality what happens is that the person who is dying, finding
himself less tied to his body, it is easier for him to project himself towards
those he wishes to see before dying.)
In many cases, also,
the dying person becomes psychically conscious of a nearness to loved ones who
have passed on before. This, however, does not necessarily mean that these
persons are actually present on the scene. One must remember that the
limitations of space are largely wiped out on the Astral Plane, and that one
may come into close rapport with the soul of another without there existing any
near space relationship.
In other words, while
the two souls may not be in what may be called a nearness in space, they may
nevertheless, enjoy the closest relationship in mind and spirit. It is very
difficult for one still in the flesh to realize this. On the material plane,
the laws of space of course govern.
Telepathy gives us
the key to the phenomena of “the other side.” Two persons in the flesh may experience
the closest relationship by means of the communion of their mental principles,
and yet may be on opposite sides of the world. In the same way, two souls may
enjoy the closest soul communion and communication, without the question of
space nearness coming into question.
As we have said, the
dying person frequently enters into soul communion and communication with those
already on the other side, and is greatly cheered thereby. And this is a
beautiful fact attending that which we call “death” — this fact that there
really do occur those beautiful reunion of loved ones, of which good folk
discourse so hopefully. But not in just the way these good folk usually
imagine.
(This
is also false, since loved ones who have already died are usually asleep, and
in the vast majority of times that people believe that they are communicating
with loved ones who have already passed away, it is because: they are dreaming
it, or because some entity of the astral is posing as their loved ones.)
The dying person’s Astral
body gradually disengages itself from its physical counterpart. The “Astral
body,” as the student probably is aware, is an exact counterpart of the
physical body, and during life the two dwell together in the majority of cases.
The Astral body, however, leaves the physical body at the death of the latter,
and forms the covering of the soul for some time. It is really a form of
material substance, of a degree, however, so fine that it escapes the tests
which reveal ordinary matter.
Toward the last the
“Astral body” actually slips from the physical body and is connected with it
only by a slender thread or cord of Astral substance. Finally this thread
snaps, and the “Astral body” floats away, inhabited by the soul which has left
the physical body behind it. But this “Astral body” is no more the soul that
was the physical body which it has just left. Both physical and “Astral bodies”
are merely temporary coverings for the soul itself.
(This
astral thread is often called "the silver cord" and the soul not only
continues to use its astral body, but also its energy body, its emotional body,
and its lower mental body. So, Atkinson's explanation is very
incomplete.)
The soul leaving the
physical body (in the “Astral body”) is plunged into a deep sleep or state of
coma resembling the condition of the unborn child for several months before
birth. It is being prepared for re‑birth
on the Astral Plane, and requires time in order to adjust itself to the new
conditions and to gain strength and vigor required for its new phase of
existence.
Nature is full of
these analogies — birth on the physical and on the Astral Plane have many
points of resemblance, and both are preceded by this period of coma. During
this sleep‑like
stage, the soul dwells in the “Astral body” which serves as its covering and
protection, just as the womb serves as the protection for the child approaching
physical birth.
(What Atkinson says is
partly false and I detail the reasons in the next chapter.)
Before passing on,
however, we should stop to consider certain features of the life of the soul in
this stage. Ordinarily the soul sleeps in peace, undisturbed by, and protected
from, outward influences. There are two things, however, which tend to create
an exception in some cases, namely that which may be called the dreams of the
sleeping soul. These dreams arise from two general classes of causes, viz:
1)
intense desire filling the mind of the dying
person, such as love, hate, or unfulfilled tasks or duties;
2)
the strong desires and thoughts of those left
behind, providing such persons are in sufficiently close rapport with the
departed soul, by reason of love or other strong attachments.
(This is also partly
false and I also detail it in the next chapter.)
Either or both of
these causes tend to produce a restlessness in the sleeping soul, and have a
tendency to attract the soul back to the scenes of earth, either in a dreamy
kind of telepathic communication, or else, in a few rare cases, by something
approaching the state of somnambulism or sleep-walking of the physical life.
These conditions are regrettable, for they disturb the soul and defer its
evolution and development in its new phase of existence. Let us consider this
in a little more detail, before passing on.
A person passing from
the material into the Astral Plane in a peaceful state of mind is seldom
disturbed in the Astral sleep by dream-like states. Instead, he lives naturally
through the coma state and then evolves easily into the new phase of existence
as naturally as the unfolding of the bud into the flower. It is different with
the individual whose mind is filled with strong desires concerning earth-life,
or with strong remorse, hate, or great love and anxiety for those left behind.
In the latter case
the poor soul is often tormented by these earthly ties, and its Astral sleep is
rendered feverish and fretful. In such cases there is often also an involuntary
attempt made to communicate with, or to appear to, persons still on the
material plane. In extreme cases, as we have said, there may even ensue the
state resembling earthly somnambulism or sleep‑walking, and the poor sleeping soul may even
visit its former scenes. In such cases, when the apparition is visible to men
it will be noted that there is a half-awake manner and air about the apparition
— a something lacking that was present in earth-life.
The history of
“ghosts” bears out this statement, and the explanation just given is the only
one which really throws light on the subject. In time, however, these poor
earth-bound souls become tired, and finally sink into the blessed sleep which
is their just lot. In the same way, the strong desires of those left behind
often serves to establish a rapport condition between such persons and the
departed soul, causing it to become restless and uneasy. Many a well meaning
person has acted so as to retard the natural processes of the Astral Plane in
relation to some loved one who has passed away, and has denied to the tired
soul that rest which it has merited. »
(Chapter 5)
OBSERVATION
The
fact that William Atkinson only considers the astral body and not the other
subtle bodies that also compose the human, makes his explanation of the ghosts
that appear and the spirits that communicate is very incomplete and in certain
aspects false.
No comments:
Post a Comment