Understanding Death and Dying: A Path to Deeper Living

Death and Dying

Death and dying are immortal facts that everybody has to face at a certain time. We are all mortal on the physical plane; death and transformation are universally unavoidable. Exploring the concept of death and dying allows us to confront our fears and embrace the finite nature of life. By shimmering on death and dying, we can find greater meaning in our daily practices and live with a transformed sense of purpose.  In this article, we will delve into understanding the death and dying process.

UNDERSTANDING THE GIFT OF HEALING

Dr. Wong, of the Xi Yuan Hospital in Beijing, China, made the profound statement, “Everyone I have ever treated has been healed.” Upon further inquiry into this claim, Dr. Wong responded,

“Everyone I treat gets healed; some get healed spiritually, others emotionally, some mentally, and some physically. Not all get cured, but all do get healed. Some patients that come to me for therapy are supposed to die. It is their time of passage, and I help them accept death with dignity and honor. This stage is achieved by helping the patients heal their spiritual, mental, and emotional wounds before they pass on. Other patients that come to me are in an active stage of energetic transition, and I help these patients to see where they’ve become stagnant, excessive, or deficient in their bodies and to release their pathogenic Qi.”

“Life is a pathway of transition and change; in the field of energetic medicine, all patients are moving toward or away from healing their relationships with themselves and others.”

UNDERSTANDING WHY A PATIENT DOES NOT HEAL

Normally, in a clinical setting, 80% of the patients respond favorably to Medical Qigong therapy. In some cases, complete remission of the disease is achieved. An additional 10% will improve and their condition will stabilize, while a final 10% will not respond to the treatments and will progressively get worse. When patients do not respond to the treatments, it is usually related to one or more of the following conditions:

• Failure to carry out the prescriptions means the pathogens are too strong, or divine will, described as follows:

FAILING TO CARRY OUT THE PRESCRIPTIONS:

Sometimes, the patient subconsciously sabotages the healing process. Refusing to practice the assigned medical homework, prescription exercises, and meditations is usually a sign that deep, unresolved emotional issues are contributing to the disease. In the clinic, there are times that the doctor may encounter certain patients who are responding to treatments but might feel unworthy of receiving healing.

In this particular condition, the patient is said to be self-sabotaging due to low self-esteem. In cases of self-sabotage, the doctor should also consider the “Secondary Gains” of the patient’s disease as a contributing factor to the patient consciously or subconsciously sabotaging the healing. The Secondary Gain pertains to the empowering ability and subtle benefits of having a terminal disease, for example:

• The patient has now become the center of attention
• The patient has now obtained power over his or her mate via guilt
• The patient has found deeper spirituality through being ill
• The patient may experience a subconscious fear that the mate may abandon them if he or she heals.

THE PATHOGENS ARE TOO STRONG

Sometimes the pathogens are just too strong to be effectively healed by medical therapy alone. When an illness is long-standing, additional and sometimes aggressive medical treatments may become necessary to achieve satisfactory change (i.e., more powerful herbs, Western medicine, or surgery).

DIVINE WILL GUIDE THE OUTCOME

Sometimes, the patient’s time in the physical realm may be complete, and his or her soul is preparing to return to the divine.

HAVING TIME TO HEAL

Sometimes the healing process takes more time than expected. Permanent transitions can sometimes be instantaneous but are more likely to be gradual. Like a sea captain standing at the helm of a great ocean liner, if the captain decides that the present course is unsafe for the ship and its crew, he quickly orders an immediate change in the course of the ship’s direction. With a flick of a switch and a hard spin of the steering wheel, the direction of the rudder is immediately changed.

However, because of the residual inertia of the massive ship, it will take some time to observe any alteration in the course of the ship’s current direction. Although the eyes of the captain are focused on the new direction, the ship still requires time to effectively move in that direction. It is the patient’s spiritual intentions and focused goals that eventually direct his or her emotional belief system, which in turn redirects the patient’s thoughts and physical reactions.

Sometimes, toxic emotions and memories are released through diligent Qigong practice and treatments. In some patients, however, although major changes have already occurred in the conscious attitude, belief structure, and spirit, it may take longer for the unconscious reprogramming to manifest and stop reinforcing the old fears and traumas.

This difficulty in releasing unconscious programming is due to the inability of the patient’s conscious mind to fully integrate the new reality and belief structure. A cancer patient may, for example, have been diligently practicing the prescriptions and the disease may be in remission, yet the patient continues to visualize the cancer as all-invasive. Rather than starting with an image of less cancer in the body, the patient continues to start the meditations with the cancer condition visualized at its worst. This sends a double message to the subconscious mind (heal and do not heal).

Similarly, the challenge of overcoming chronic programming patterns needs to be addressed. New behaviors and attitudes cannot become habits overnight. It simply takes time, endurance, and constant encouragement to make progress. The patient needs to keep his or her eyes focused on the initial goal and not give up hope.

It is also important not to force mental imagery when feeling angry, depressed, or upset. To be effective, creative visualization requires a quiescent mind and soft focus; it should not be hard work. Time allotted to creative visualization can be brief; practicing for only a couple of minutes, repeated several times a day, can be effective in most cases.

THE SIX STAGES OF DYING

Antagonizing the realisms of death and dying often brings us face-to-face with our deepest fears and doubts.  As human beings are created from the energies of Heaven and Earth, they are subject to the transitions of nature; death is an essential part of nature’s cycle of transitions. Sometimes, no matter who the doctor is or what his or her specific training has been, there is nothing that can be done to physically heal the patient.

Since patients have made attachments during their stay on Earth (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual), the doctor needs to assist them in their final transition of releasing and detaching.

The fear of death often causes patients to feel a loss of control over their lives; facing and conquering this fear allows them to regain a sense of control. According to Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross, five stages of dying (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) facilitate closure for patients, especially in the life-and-death transition. In medical Qigong, we observe six stages, believing that the death of the tissues does not facilitate the death of the body’s energetic soul.

These transitions also occur when facing the death and closure of any personal relationship or job, as well as the termination of one’s life. Although the first five stages were originally believed to follow each other in an orderly fashion, further research has indicated that these stages need not, and most often do not, occur one at a time. The different “stages” can occur at any time, going from “denial” to “acceptance,” back to “bargaining,” etc., (sometimes in just a few minutes).

Every individual reacts differently. Some never accept death and struggle to the very end. Medical Qigong therapy describes these transitions as follows: Shock, Numbness, and Disbelief; Denial and Isolation; Anger and Rage; Bargaining; Depression; Acceptance; Death and Rebirth.

1. Shock, Numbness, and Disbelief: This stage occurs when an individual is first introduced to the fact that his or her death is near. With shock, the mind will generalize, rationalize, delete, or distort information to make the data acceptable to the patient’s belief system. When these initial feelings of shock, numbness, or stoicism begin to disappear, most patients then experience disbelief. They cannot believe or will not accept what is happening to them. Some patients bypass this stage altogether. They feel great relief from learning of their impending death. They look forward to the cessation of pain and to rejoining loved ones who have passed on.

Denial and Isolation: This stage is the first semi-conscious choice the patient makes after hearing the news. The disbelief allows the patient to establish his or her denial system. This denial system functions as a shield to protect the patient as he or she emerges from the shock. Denial and isolation further allow the patient time to gather additional knowledge, hoping that the original diagnosis was incorrect.

2. Anger and Rage: This stage arises as the denial system breaks down. Patients experience anger, rage, envy, and resentment, and they view their terminal illness as an injustice. The patients’ discomfort and anger are usually displaced and projected toward anything and everyone (usually people and God). Patterned, fear-based behaviors get stored in the body and mind. These emotions affect the patients’ perceptions and beliefs.
3. Bargaining: This is another stage in the process of adjusting to the verdict. Patients offer counterproposals (usually with God), hoping to change or alter the course of events and postpone the inevitable.
4. Depression: This stage replaces hope as the patient experiences a deep sense of loss. Still resisting the outcome, patients sink into depression, sometimes lingering for quite some time before death. Grief and despair, stemming from the lungs, surface as the patient begins to lose hope. Depression stems from the liver and is divided into two different categories: regretful depression and preparatory depression.

a.) Regretful depression: This is caused by guilt and shame for not having lived life to the fullest. The regret gives way to fear and a feeling that having held on to past hurts (both real and imaginary) for so long has caused many dreams to be abandoned. Opportunities for healing and enjoyment were missed, and many old sorrows and conflicts were never resolved. Patients with this type of depression often seek to voice their regrets. Many ask to let go of the bitterness and open up to a spiritual healing rather than a physical healing.

b.) Preparatory Depression: This type of depression is not caused by regrets, but by mourning the loss of projected future experiences. These patients are usually quiet and reflective as they face the process of losing everything and everyone that they love.

5. Acceptance: This stage is considered the final stage before death. Having nowhere else to go, patients evaluate what they have learned in life. They are now able to express and release their feelings of envy for the living and the healthy, as well as feelings of anger at those who do not have to face their fate so soon. They finally accepted the inevitability of death. Depression gives way to a time of rest before the divine journey home. The patients, having faced their life’s work, fears, and feelings, now have a new outlook on life and are prepared for the spiritual transition of death.
6. Death and Rebirth: This stage represents the period that precedes death and is an important transition for the patient to experience. Knowing that life is composed of liquid energy and light flowing within the tissues, the patient needs to focus on his or her spiritual transitions and the re-birthing evolution of the soul.

UNDERSTANDING DEATH

Facing death is an important transition in life and should be approached with reverent respect for spiritual transformation. When a patient is dying, the doctor needs to accept the “higher order” or “divine will” for the patient and not harbor a win-or-lose attitude. No matter what stage of transition the patients are in, they will almost always maintain some glimmer of hope, even though they may claim otherwise, to the very last moment of their lives.

It is the doctor’s responsibility to accept and support each patient and not cease treating them for reasons of personal ego, fears, sorrows, or regrets. It is important to listen to the patients and allow them to release their fears. This continued support, acceptance, and encouragement allows them to die in peace and with dignity.

In modern Western society, the denial of death establishes the foundation for each individual’s ego and supports the survival of society as a whole. In Eastern society, however, the knowledge of death was one of the basic values that governed people’s lives on both an individual and a social level. Death is not the negation of life, but rather the negation of the ego.

Therefore, the awareness of death is the awareness of the doorway of being and can be utilized to go beyond the boundaries of the ego. The ego has no way of dealing with the concept of death; our energetic body, however, has an innate knowledge of its true destiny. This intrinsic knowledge allows us to deal directly with the mysterious, and interact with the unknown without interference from the confusions of the rational mind.

A CHANGE OF RESIDENCE

Death is considered merely a change of residence for the patient’s spirit. The ailing body is sometimes viewed as “a house with rotting walls.” Once the dying body becomes unusable, it is best to abandon it and look for another place to stay.

The spirit-body is immortal and will exist forever by the will of the divine. This is why one is taught to be unattached to the physical aspects of this world and to accept and embrace death as part of the natural process of existence.

REEVALUATE PRIORITIES

The ancient Eastern spiritual teachings insist on the value of eliminating our desires. There is an intrinsic relationship between our desires and our thoughts. One serves as the motivating force for the other. Although we are natural perceivers, the ego keeps us tied to our thoughts so that we do not perceive our natural energetic and spiritual capabilities.

Thinking is not perceiving. Our thoughts are what make up our basic nature and provide the substance of our ego. Stopping our internal dialogue allows us to leave the confines of the ego, freeing ourselves from the personal history that sustains it. The suspension of thoughts opens the door to spiritual perceptions.

The concepts of life and death are then exposed for what they truly are: nothing more than a mental veil that has obstructed our spiritual perception of truth. Lifting the veil of thought and seeing the real world represents true power and freedom. The dissolution of the ego opens the door to spiritual transformation and freedom.

BABY CHICK STORY

Think of the transition of death as similar to that of a baby chick that is about to be hatched. Although it has lived and existed within its shell all its formative life, as the baby chick continues to develop, it slowly begins to outgrow its place of existence.

The baby chick is now being harshly compressed and crushed within the security of its shell. Although the baby chick is confined within its shell, it has been constantly producing waste products. The waste that has thus accumulated within the shell becomes toxic to the little chick’s life.

As the little chick exhausts itself trying to get free from what has now become its prison, it seemingly faces death. While the little chick struggles to free itself from this toxic environment, the fight for its survival causes it to crack its shell. With its last apparent breath, the little chick shatters the surrounding shell.

Immediately, an intense light appears, followed by a whole new world that reveals itself in new wonderment. The baby chick is now reborn into a fresh new realm of existence, with new room to grow and the ability to experience true freedom.

ANCIENT HINDU STORY

There is an ancient Hindu fable portraying the common human ignorance and illusion of death, wherein a caterpillar, who feels the sluggishness that signals the end of the crawling stage and the beginning of the long sleep of the chrysalis stage, calls his friends over for support. He begins his lament by stating how sad it is that he must now abandon his life, filled with so much potential and promise of future achievements.

Feeling cut off in his prime by the Grim Reaper, the caterpillar feels that he is but an example of the heartlessness of Nature. Stating, “Farewell, my good friends, for tomorrow I will die and be no more,” he is accompanied by the tears and lamentations of his friends. As the friends surround his deathbed, an older caterpillar remarks sadly that “our brother has left us; such is also our fate, and to be cut down one by one by the scythe of the destroyer, like the grass of the field.

By faith, we hope to rise again someday, but perhaps this is but the voice of vain hope. No one truly knows anything about the things of the afterlife. Let us therefore mourn the fate of our race.” And with that, all of the caterpillars leave their friend, now sealed within the chrysalis stage.

The irony of this little fable is that, similar to the caterpillar, the first stage of death is a stage of transformation, wherein the individual will emerge from the sleep of death (moving from the lowly crawling stage) into a higher form of life (a glorious multicolored creature of beauty and flight).

EDUCATING PATIENTS AND OFFERING HOPE

In trying to understand the inevitability of death, it becomes apparent that classes and workshops on death and dying should be more available. Both patients and doctors should be encouraged to attend these types of classes.

Doctors can benefit from learning specific meditations to facilitate the transition of death, and also how to relate better to their dying patients. The patients can benefit by increasing their awareness and understanding of this process. Moreover, I am also learning numerous meditations that help resolve unprocessed emotions. Besides, patients can meet others with whom they can share their fears and hopes openly. Too often, the elderly do not wish to share these feelings, even with those closest to them, for fear of burdening their family and friends.

Patients may also be very reluctant to disclose their concerns for fear of being alienated, even with Qigong doctors, especially if the doctor’s fear of death becomes evident through too much encouragement to get well and to not lose hope. Most people live as though death were a distant fantasy and that it has no real impact on their current life. From a medical Qigong perspective, it is the ego that fears death and structures this concept so that death plays no functional part in a person’s world. The experience of death is purposely kept at a distance, creating an unspoken fear of survival.

It is only through spiritual revival that the human soul regains consciousness of the core self and truly understands its eternal existence and life purpose. If the temporary existence in the gross physical realm was accepted and understood, and the certainty of each individual’s impending death was welcome,. Also, each individual might experience a spiritual awakening before the death of the physical body.

Each individual’s relationship to life can take on a completely different perspective. When the desire for material possessions dies, all ambitions, drives, and jealousies melt away. The ego’s need for security ceases, and such emotional hostilities leading to revenge and prejudices vanish.

LAST AWAKENING BEFORE DEATH

In ancient China, there was a saying, “The candle burns brightest before it goes out,” meaning that, sometimes the patient’s Jing, Qi, and Shen can portray strong manifestations of mental acuity and physical recovery just before the Human Soul leaves its residence. From a Traditional Chinese Medical perspective, this condition is known as “False Yang Rising.”

THE SEPARATION OF YIN FROM YANG

The ancient Chinese considered death to be a separation of Yin and Yang. As a person ages, for example, the Yin increases at the expense of the Yang, and death marks the total separation of the two. Likewise, the human soul also contains both elements of Yin and Yang.

The Yin aspect of the soul is called a Gui (ghost), and the Yang aspect of the soul is called a Shen (spirit). At the time of death, when Yin and Yang are separating, the Yang rises upwards, providing warmth, creating color in the face, and releasing a temporary energetic boost for the last few moments of an individual’s life.

After this brief energetic transition, the patient quickly releases his or her hold on the fading tissues and departs the material world, entering the energetic and spiritual worlds of existence. Being aware of this energetic phenomenon can give the Qigong doctor and family members the chance to emotionally prepare for the patient’s departure and avoid misdiagnosis.

THE FIRST DEATH

Sometimes, when an individual is approaching the “first” death, he or she may experience a gradual dulling of the physical senses. However, in some cases, as the individual’s physical sight, hearing, and feelings begin to dim, the spiritual and energetic senses become powerfully acute.

It is a common occurrence for dying individuals to manifest a clairvoyant and clairaudient awareness of various things occurring in other rooms and places. According to ancient Tibetan belief, as an individual begins to die, each of the Five Element energies (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind/Air, and Wuji) dissolve into each other.

To begin with, the energy of the heavy, tangible earth element dissolves into the energy of the water element. As the individual begins to lose the ability to make physical contact (which is the nature of the Earth Element), he or she takes refuge in the fact that the mind is still functioning. However, when the energy of the Water Element dissolves into the energy of the Fire Element, the circulation of the body ceases, and the individual loses his or her grasp over the mind. At this stage of transition, the individual takes refuge in their emotions (possibly dwelling on someone they have loved, someone they are now leaving behind, or someone they will soon be joining).

As the energy of the fire element dissolves into the energy of the wind or air, all feelings of warmth or growth cease, leaving the individual with a faint experience of openness. When the energy of the wind or air finally dissolves into the infinite space of the Wuji, the individual loses the last feeling of contact with the physical world. As the individual’s consciousness dissolves into the center core Taiji Pole, an inner light is experienced as he or she passes into the more subtle spiritual realm. It is said that as this inner light shines, both Yin and Yang merge back into “one,” and the Eternal Soul departs the corpse.

SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING OF DEATH

When the “silver cord is cut” and the spirit separates from the body, the body dies. Everything within the body’s structure eventually becomes a vaporous type of gas and dissolves, slowly returning to the Earth. The energetic nature of the material body departs from the decaying tissues of the individual’s human soul. After the dissolution of the material body, the individual continues to exist in the form of an energetic and spiritual body.

It is important to remember that the physical body is not an “entity,” but merely a conglomeration of various cells acting as a material vehicle for certain forms of energy that animate and vitalize the individual. When the human soul leaves the physical body, the energetic and spiritual matrices that are responsible for governing the functional aspects of the tissues are also removed. The unifying force responsible for maintaining the body’s power begins to reverse, and the tissues begin to dissolve, returning to their various Elemental natures.

Most individuals are terrified when they observe or experience the death of the material body. After experiencing a debilitating illness for several years, the process of death is painless. The departed will feel lighter and freer than he or she has ever felt in the physical realm. If his or her physical body has been crippled or wounded, they will not experience any structural abnormalities or physical defects in the spiritual body state. Our spirit is essentially a combination of our conscious and unconscious minds. Being “dead” is actually equal to the same state of dreaming or slipping into sleep.

While sleeping, we leave our material bodies through subconscious Spirit Travel. While in this state, we feel no discomfort or physical pain. Practicing meditation helps cleanse our innermost being, preparing us for the spiritual transformation of death and rebirth. The dissolution of the material body is considered the “first death” in ancient China. After the first death, the individual will experience what is known as the “second death.” At the point of the “second death,” the individual’s energetic body, life-long experiences, and impressions are assimilated by the spiritual body.

At this stage in the individual’s transition, the spiritual body absorbs new heavenly energy and prepares for a new incarnation. In ancient China, it was believed that those individuals who suffered traumatic life experiences were allowed a time of peace and blissful rest. Other individuals who were ready would immediately begin a new cycle and begin their descent into the world of matter.

HELPING A DYING PATIENT PASS

The ancient Chinese believed that helping a dying person pass from the physical realm into the spiritual realm was one of the most profound expressions of a true enlightened saint. If the patient is still conscious when the Medical Qigong doctor reaches the room, the doctor may choose to actively assist the patient in the final stages of his or her passing. During this spiritual transition, there is a deep sharing of consciousness that exists between the doctor and the dying patient. Therefore, it is important to make this event as peaceful, calm, and spiritual as possible. When preparing for this spiritual transition, the medical Qigong doctor and the patient are encouraged to pray and meditate both together and alone. The doctor is encouraged to maintain a calm, centered, and peaceful state of mind while in the presence of the dying patient.

This attitude will have a positive effect on the patient, giving him or her the ability to more easily embrace the dying process. People in the room who are crying or upset will only disturb the dying process and should be gently removed from the environment. As this is the last opportunity for direct communication, it is important for the patient to speak honestly and directly with his or her family and friends, expressing any unresolved feelings and seeking closure. Any grievances or misunderstandings should be cleared up at this time.

In order to dispel any fear, all those present in the room should be aware of the imminence of the patient’s death and should not be afraid to discuss it openly. The dying patient’s favorite spiritual books may be read out loud and contemplated. Additionally, the dying patient’s favorite spiritual music may be softly played in the background. These spiritual tools will help elevate those in the room to a higher frame of consciousness.

THE RITE OF SPIRITUAL PASSAGE

Each spiritual tradition has its own specific beliefs and religious customs. It is therefore important for the Qigong doctor to become familiar with the specific spiritual needs of his or her patient before initiating any rite of spiritual passage.

If the patient is already unconscious when the Qigong doctor reaches his or her room, the doctor may choose to perform the “Rite of Spiritual Passage” to assist the patient in his or her dying process. For example, to assist a patient in reminding them of purification just before they are ready to “pass,” the Qigong doctor can assist in this important energetic and spiritual transformation by proceeding as follows after the rector has given the patient his or her “Last Rites:”

1. After performing the One through Ten Meditation and connecting with the Divine to perform the Three Invocations, the Qigong doctor can begin with three additional invocations, described as follows:

• The First Invocation: “Lord God, please fill me with your Holy Spirit and Divine healing light. Use me as your servant for your Divine Glory.”
• The Second Invocation: “Please fill this room with your Holy Presence and bring your loving virtue. Let your glory shine through me into this room, and sanctify ———— (patient’s name) in his (or her) time of passage.”
• The Third Invocation: “I lift ———– (patient’s name) before your Holy Presence, on your alter of mercy, asking that you wash him (or her) in your cleansing blood. Heal his (or her) internal wounds, freeing ——– from any hidden chains of guilt, shame, depression, or despair. Purify and cleanse their hearts, minds, spirits, and Soul. Remind them of your never-ending love and divine peace. Embrace them and accept their spirit back into your loving arms. Thank you, thy will be done, in Jesus’s name, amen.

2. Energetically purge the patient, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Use the Extended Fan Palm technique and gently sweep the patient’s body from the head to the feet.
3. Draw a cord of light from the Divine and connect it to the patient’s Taiji Pole and Upper Dantian, allowing the energy to connect through the body into the patient’s Lower Dantian. Imagine that the patient’s core energy is fusing into one harmonious union with the divine white light.
4. Begin to focus on the patient’s human soul enveloped in the divine white light and begin to draw the energy up through the top of the patient’s head and out of the body through the Baihui area.
5. In this type of spiritual passage, when the patient’s soul permanently leaves the body, there will be an energetic shift in the room. Sometimes, an immediate glow or flash of light, followed by a calm, pleasant feeling of peace and love.
6. After the soul has permanently left its tissues, the Hun also leaves through the top of the patient’s head, in the Baihui area. However, the Po will remain with the patient’s tissues for several days unless the body is cremated (which is a common practice in several cultures and is used to increase the transformational process). The above process can be molded and altered to fit the particular belief system of any patient. It is important to first talk with a patient to agree upon the exact wording or phrases that will be used during his or her Rite of Spiritual Passage.

AFTER DEATH

Sometimes, after a person dies, his or her spirit hovers around the dead body, confused and uncertain, wondering what to do next. Certain faiths believe that it is up to the departed’s family to help the dead by giving him or her directions to assist with the after-death experience. This initial support is used to help the departed minimize or transcend feelings of loneliness and the fear of the unknown.

Some faiths offer food to their departed loved ones, believing that their spirit will consume the food energetically by absorbing its essence through smell rather than taste. People are encouraged never to eat food offered to the dead. Although the external form of the food does not change, its energetic structure has been polluted by the spirit’s intense desire to return to physical form and will adversely affect the mind. Certain spiritual traditions will lay the corpse on the ground with the head pointing North, along the Earth’s electromagnetic lines of force that run North and South.

The purpose of this is threefold:

1. It helps rigor mortis set in quicker and hastens decomposition.
2. The Earth’s electromagnetic force reacts with the decomposing body in such a way that the individual’s spirit cannot reenter the body.
3. While facing North, it is easier for the rector to perform the purification rites, which can expedite the spirit’s reincarnation.

ENERGETIC AND SPIRITUAL REALMS

The ancient Chinese believed that a wide variety of beings exists within the energetic and spiritual realms. Departed human beings from the Earthly Realm were believed to linger within the energetic world by their degree of spiritual maturity, karma, and corresponding degree of energetic density. The more spiritually evolved, righteous, and noble the individual was, the purer and more refined the degree of his or her vibrational density.

It was also believed that the human body contained 72 levels of vibrational resonance. Each level contains specific intuitions and insights, allowing the individual to experience various levels of energetic and spiritual understanding and awareness as they grow within the gross material world. Awareness of these 72 levels allows an individual to evolve within his or her time frame and constitutes the various energetic and spiritual levels of human consciousness.

It was also believed that the energetic and spiritual worlds are divided into 72 levels, beginning from the lowest vibrational level and progressing to the highest spiritual levels, as each of these levels is separated by its degree of resonance. As the individual’s energetic body starts to gradually dissolve, it begins to vibrate at a particular energetic frequency.

The vibrational level of the energetic realm in which the individual stays and maintains existence is in direct correspondence with his or her spiritual maturity; hence, there are many descriptions of the various levels of heaven, purgatory, and hell existing throughout various religions.

To help the reader understand these various planes of existence, consider, for example, the vibrations of sound. Although the air may be filled with the various notes resonating from the musical scale, each note is simply a certain degree of vibration. Thousands of these vibratory notes can occupy the same position in space at the same time (for example, listening to classical music in a concert hall), and yet they do not conflict with each other. Though many instruments are simultaneously playing, and the air is filled with countless vibrations, an individual can still focus and specifically identify a particular instrument if he or she chooses. Another example is the vibratory waves of light.

Each ray of sunshine is composed of a great variety of colors. These colors can be separated through a prism, which allows all the colors existing within a specific point of space to be separated and categorized. The planes of life are varying forms of different degrees of vibration. These many planes and sub-planes of existence form the vast spiritual, energetic, and physical worlds in which we exist.

EXISTING CLOSER TO THE DIVINE

The ancients have always taught that you are as energetically and spiritually close to the Divine in the gross material world as you will ever be after your physical death. Death will not bring you closer, nor will it tear you away; it is only the removal of the gross physical shell that covers your energetic and spiritual form. The physical existence and survival within the gross material world are given to you for experiencing, training, and maturing the soul, as well as for energetic and spiritual transformation. Hence, embracing the inescapability of death and dying can lead to a deeper appreciation for life, urging us to value each moment. In understanding death and dying, we find the courage to live fully and realistically.

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