| |
| |
|
Spirituality Information |
|
|
|
Beyond Life
The question of life after death is one that continues to intrigue and mystify. The theories of existence beyond life on the material plane are many and varied. Some believe there is nothing beyond the physical life, while others believe that we continue to survive as a spiritual beings. Most of us have been taught to believe that the way we live our lives on earth will determine whether we will live blissfully in heaven or suffer eternal damnation in hell. Yet we continue in our quest to determine whether life continues beyond the physical realm. There are those who believe that the answer lies in belief itself. Knowledge that life exists beyond this plane of existence would alleviate the fear of death and comfort those suffering the loss of a loved one. So the search continues for some sort of tangible evidence of life after death. Most people agree that some part of an individual's being does survive bodily death, namely the soul. But what constitutes the soul? The spirit or soul is thought to be perception, thoughts and feelings that make up the individual. Down through the ages, people have sought to prove the existence of life after death and to communicate with those on the other side. They have enlisted the help of psychic mediums and tried a variety of techniques to make contact with the spirit world. Some of the methods and psychics seem to be valid while others have proved to be no more than parlor tricks performed by skilled deceivers. Those who have had near death experiences do not seem to need any further confirmation of survival beyond death. The experiences all have similar details with the individual describing a tunnel, the bright light, meeting a figure that is interpreted by the experiencer as God, usually encountering a relative and being told to go back because their time on earth is not yet done. Those who have had near death experiences also have no further fear of dying. They come back with a more positive outlook on life, a greater knowledge of their purpose and a reassurance that life does not end with bodily death. Reincarnation is another possibility of life after death that suggests that we are reborn many times. Through the process of reincarnation we are thought to live many lives until we reach a certain level of attainment. Death has been described as the sum of all we are and have been and is only a transition, more of an altered state of consciousness. Death might be thought of as a progressive climb up the spiritual ladder of attainment. Some experiencers of near death have reported similarities to a dream state. One element that lends credence to the theory that fragments of the mind survive death is that material surroundings are created by mere thought, indicating that some sort of imaginative process is at work. The same beliefs a person had in life seem to be present in the afterlife. It has been speculated that what we believe to be life is only an illusion created by the human mind to make our experiences more understandable. We have to wonder if this could be true. It has also been said that what we perceive to be as living is actually a type of sleep and that at the moment of death we awaken from our sleep-like state to the true experience of life. Is death merely an extension of the physical life? Does death reveal the true inner self as the physical garment is shed? The outer layers of matter and materialism may need to be stripped away before the inner self can truly be realized and eventually progress to its fullness. Then why the need for life in the physical plane? Existence on the physical plane would be necessary to learn through experience in order to evolve. Perhaps death is nothing more than a revelation of the true self and, in dying, the real journey begins. Darlene Zagata is a freelance writer and columnist for the print publication Moon Shadows Magazine. She is also the author of "Aftertaste: A Collection of Poems" and "The Choosing." Her work has been published extensively both online and in print. For more information visit her website at http://darlenezagata.tripod.com or contact Darlene at darzagata@yahoo.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Spirituality - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Creating Our Own Emotional Chaos It's amazing how - even when we're working from a "higher vision" - we still see the people, the events and the circumstances in our lives with the same perspective: our own! It's "only human" to always be able to see how right we are in any given situation, and it's always difficult - and sometimes impossible! - to look at ourselves and our actions through the other person's eyes. But if we really want to grow - if we really want to know who we are - then we have to be willing to look at ourselves a little more objectively - a little more realistically - then we're used to doing, and we have to be willing to accept responsibility - both for the way we express ourselves emotionally, and for the effect we have on other people through that expression. Readjusting Our Eye Focus Peter is a man after my own heart. I feel a certain bond with him. 10 Interesting Facts about Archangel Uriel 1. The name Uriel means "Light of God" or "Flame of God. Living by Faith Five verses specify that we are to live by faith. How do you do that? It is like entering a black hole. Globe Unity Most of us think of what a wonderful world this would be if only this or that. Well the Bible says that to follow the words of Jesus Christ and walk in his ways. What is Kundalini? The Kundalini is a pool of energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine and which can be and often is, accessed, allowing the student/victim to use the energy for health, spirituality and creating their life as they were meant to live it.It's my belief that many people have had full or even partial awakenings of their kundalini energy and honestly don't recognize it. The Five Essential Secrets of Managing Your Energy Successfully Inspirational author Vernon Howard wrote, "Would you be worried over a $300 house payment if you had $3,000,000 in the bank? Spiritually, that is the way it can be for you."We can use our energy in one of two ways. Origin of Certain Thoughts (Part II) Continued from "Origin of Certain Thoughts, Part I"If you haven't experienced any near misses, you may have at least heard or read about them. When people describe their near misses, they say things such as "The bullet missed my heart by just a few inches," or "I was only a few feet away from the car that crashed into the crowd," or "Had I not turned around, I would have been killed. Forgiveness- The Path To Healing & Spiritual Growth The dictionary defines the word forgive as: [to pardon, as to for-give an enemy;to cease to feel resentment for,as to forgive an offense].I have heard people say this many times: "I will never forgive them for what they did!", as if by saying this they are causing harm to the person who hurt them. Law and Order of the Spiritual Kind There is no such thing as a coincidence. Albert Einstein reasoned that, "God simply does not play dice. Life Gets Teejus, Don't It? Those five words are from a song that I remember hearing a long time ago. It may even be the song's title. The Truth of Reactions In my life, I have tried to be Good and Pure and True. In these qualities, I have failed miserably. Is Your Soul Breathing? God made humans in his image but these days very few of them lead a God fearing life. Environment is the main cause of changes in a human being. Motivated By All The Wrong Reasons Sometimes trying to be spiritual holds us back from actually living the spiritual life we want. In our quest to live such spiritual and good lives, we often avoid the stuff that makes us seem unspiritual, even if that very stuff can move us toward our own spiritual growth. The F-Word =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and Improve Every Relationship in Your Life by Kevin B. Burk=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-I'd like to invite you to consider a powerful concept. Universal Law Primer Universal Law is an invisible influence in every individual's life, whether we realize it or not. It is invisible because we cannot see it anymore than we can see the God who created it. God Is Waiting To Bless Me In the year 2000, I went on a mission trip to Guatemala with Wycliffe Bible Translators. It was a weeklong trip where we were able to see the results of the Bible translation work in Guatemala. Distorted Perceptions Often, in being dishonest about our own faults and failures, we have been far too insensitive and callous toward others who have fallen short. It is really unfair to others becuase all human judgment is partial, one-sided, and superficial. What Is Wrong With Being Common? The Emmaus Journal What is Wrong With Being Common? This questioning title has tenaciously lingered in my mind for the past few months. Precociously tethered within a shallow stigma and pushed to the cliff of distasteful obsolescence; it seemingly mustered one final effort within my mind to be heard. Jesus wants A Few Good Men! Living A Life You Always Wanted! Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessup) (marine cornel) YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH ?.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
