What will happen to us when the time comes to leave this world? Those who have experienced clinical death unanimously talk about a long tunnel, at the end of which there is a bright and warm light. And they also tell us that there, beyond the line, it is good, serene and calm. Then why is dying so scary? What happens after death? If we consider death as the liberation of the astral body from the earthly one, then experts see what happens next.
From an energetic point of view, death is perceived not as the end, but as a reboot with a bright surge of energy. The amplitude and strength of this surge depends on the level of spiritual development of a person at the end of his earthly journey. The higher the spiritual level of the deceased, the higher his astral, mental and etheric bodies rise. It very rarely happens that the four mental bodies and the astral body of a person rise beyond the Earth and even beyond the boundaries of our galaxy. But this only happens if a person managed to complete Earthly evolution by the time of his death. After death, the soul or essence of a person remains close to his body. It is held in place by the threads of the nervous system, which are destroyed by the 9th day of rest. But even then the etheric body cannot continue its path. For a year it remains near the earthly body, waiting for the last organic inclusions in the bone tissue to disintegrate. A year after death, a person’s astral body can enter the astral level of the planet (in religion this level is called Paradise). This will happen only if there are no sinful stains on the karmic area. Sin passes through streams of negative, black energy both through the earthly and through the astral and etheric body of a person. Such energy holds him back after death and does not allow him to rise higher. The same thing happens with suicides, since taking one’s own life is a grave, unforgivable sin. It is also impossible for the souls of those who have been mummified to go to the astral level. Thus, most of the etheric and astral bodies of the monks buried in the caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra still roam the Earth because the chemical composition of the soil and air in the caves does not allow the cells of their bodies to completely die, which is what holds the souls. There is a theory that at the moment of death other etheric bodies come. They are sent to ease the transition for the dying. As a rule, the souls of familiar people come to the rescue. On a mental level, they explain the noise that a dying person often hears (this is that same burst of energy), and help them navigate the tunnel in order to quickly get to the light. Typically these souls do not have faces or a specific, familiar physical form. Raymond Moody's book Life After Life describes an encounter with light. All those who have experienced clinical death say that this light can definitely be called a being from which love and kindness emanate. This creature talks to the deceased, asks him questions, and then shows pictures of his life, offering to analyze it. There is no reproach or hint of punishment in this analysis. Only the desire to teach a lesson, to help the deceased draw conclusions.
In conclusion, we note that everyone who has experienced clinical death and returned to the world of the living notes that dying is not scary. On the contrary, a feeling of serenity and lightness appears, as if this is how it should be. Rarely does anyone feel that they must remain on earth. Rather, on the contrary, I want to continue my unearthly journey into other worlds.
Without exaggeration, we can say that every person from a certain age thinks about death and asks himself: When a person dies, what happens...
What happens to a person after death
And, in general, is anything happening? It is difficult not to ask such questions simply because death is the only inevitable event in the life of every living being. Many events may or may not happen to us during our lives, but death is something that will happen to everyone.
At the same time, the idea that death is the end of everything and forever seems so frightening and illogical that it itself deprives life of any meaning. Not to mention the fact that the fear of one’s own death and the death of loved ones can poison the most cloudless life.
Probably partly for this reason, throughout the existence of mankind, the answer to the question: “When a person dies, what happens to him?” searched for by mystics, shamans, philosophers and representatives of all kinds of religious movements.
And, I must say, there are as many possible answers to this question as there are religions and various spiritual and mystical traditions.
And today, information about life after death can be found not only in religious and mystical traditions. The development of psychology and medicine, especially since the second half of the 20th century, has made it possible to accumulate a large number of recorded, recorded testimonies from people who have experienced clinical death or coma.
The number of people who have experienced separation from the body and traveled to the so-called afterlife or subtle worlds is so large today that it has become a fact that is difficult to ignore.
Books are written and films are made on this topic. Some of the most famous works, which have become bestsellers and translated into many languages, are “Life After Life” by Raymond Moody and the trilogy “Journeys of the Soul” by Michael Newton.
Raymond Moody worked as a clinical psychiatrist and over a long period of medical practice he encountered so many patients who had near-death experiences and described them in surprisingly similar ways that even as a man of science he recognized that this could not be explained simply by chance or coincidence.
Michael Newton, Ph.D. and hypnotherapist, during his practice was able to collect several thousand cases in which his patients not only remembered their own past lives, but also recalled in great detail the circumstances of death and the journey of the soul after the death of the physical body.
To date, Michael Newton's books contain perhaps the largest and most detailed description of post-mortem experiences and the life of the soul after the death of the physical body.
To summarize, there are many theories and stories about what happens to a person after the death of the body. Sometimes these theories are very different from each other, but they are all based on the same basic premises:
Firstly, a person is not only a physical body; in addition to the physical shell, there is an immortal soul or consciousness.
Secondly, nothing ends with biological death; death is just a door to another life.
Where does the soul go, what happens to the body after death?
Many cultures and traditions note the importance of 3, 9 and 40 days from the death of the body. It is not only in our culture that it is customary to remember the deceased on the 9th and 40th days.
It is believed that for three days after death it is better not to bury or cremate the remains, since during this time the connection between the soul and the body is still strong and burying or even moving the ashes over a long distance can break this connection and thus disrupt the natural division of the soul with the body.
According to the Buddhist tradition, in most cases, the soul for three days may not realize the fact of death and behave the same way as during life.
If you watched the film “The Sixth Sense”, then this is exactly what happens to Bruce Willis’s hero in the film’s plot. He does not realize that he has been dead for some time and his soul continues to live at home and visit familiar places.
Thus, for 3 days after death, the soul remains close to its relatives and often even in the house where the deceased lived.
During 9 days, the soul or awareness, having accepted the fact of death, usually completes, if necessary, worldly affairs, says goodbye to relatives and friends and prepares to travel to other subtle, spiritual worlds.
But what exactly does the soul see, who does it meet after the end?
According to most records of people who have experienced coma or clinical death, meetings occur with previously deceased relatives and loved ones. The soul experiences incredible lightness and peace that were unavailable during life in the physical body. The world, through the eyes of the soul, is filled with light.
The soul, after the death of the body, sees and experiences what a person believed in during life.
An Orthodox person can see angels or the Virgin Mary, a Muslim can see the Prophet Muhammad. A Buddhist will most likely encounter Buddha or Avalokiteshvara. An atheist will not meet any angels or prophets, but he will also see deceased loved ones who will become his guides to spiritual dimensions.
With regard to life after death, we can rely either on the views of religious and spiritual traditions, or on the descriptions of the experiences of people who have experienced clinical death or remember their previous lives and after-death experiences.
On the one hand, these descriptions are as varied as life. But, on the other hand, almost all of them have a common point. The experience that a person receives after the death of his physical body is largely determined by his beliefs, state of mind and actions in his life.
And it’s hard to disagree with the fact that our actions throughout life were also determined by our worldview, beliefs and faith. And in the spiritual world, free from physical laws, the desires and fears of the soul are realized instantly.
If during life in a material body our thoughts and desires could be hidden from others, then on the spiritual planes everything secret becomes clear.
But, despite the differences, in most traditions it is believed that until the end of 40 days, the soul of the deceased is in subtle spaces, where it analyzes and sums up the life lived, but still has access to earthly existence.
Often, relatives see the dead in dreams during this period. After 40 days, the soul, as a rule, leaves the earthly world.
A man feels his death
If you have ever lost someone close to you, then perhaps you know that often on the eve of death or the onset of a fatal illness, a person intuitively feels that his life is running out.
There may often be obsessive thoughts about the end or simply premonitions of trouble.
The body feels its death approaching and this is reflected in emotions and thoughts. To have dreams that are interpreted by a person as a harbinger of imminent death.
It all depends on a person’s sensitivity and how well he can hear his soul.
Thus, psychics or saints almost always not only sensed the approach of death, but could know the date and circumstances of the end.
How does a person feel before death?
How does a person feel before death is determined by the situations in which he leaves this life?
A person whose life was full and happy or a deeply religious person can leave calmly, with gratitude, in full acceptance of what is happening. A person dying of a serious illness may even view death as a release from physical pain and an opportunity to leave his decrepit body.
In the event of an unexpected serious illness that occurs to a person at a young age, there may be bitterness, regret and rejection of what is happening.
The experience before death is very personal and it is unlikely that there will be two people with the same experience.
One thing is for sure, what a person feels before crossing strongly depends on what his life was like, how much of what he wanted to achieve, how much love and joy there was in life, and, of course, on the circumstances of death itself.
But, according to numerous medical observations, if death was not instantaneous, a person feels how gradually strength and energy leave the body, the connection with the physical world becomes thinner, and the perception of the senses noticeably deteriorates.
According to descriptions of people who have experienced clinical death as a result of illness, death is very similar to falling asleep, but you wake up in another world.
How long does it take for a person to die
Death, like life, is different for everyone. Someone is lucky and the end happens quickly and painlessly. A person can simply fall asleep, experience cardiac arrest in this state and never wake up again.
Some people struggle with a fatal disease such as cancer for a long time and live on the verge of death for some time.
There is not, and cannot be, any script here. But the soul leaves the body at the moment when life leaves the physical shell.
The reason why the soul leaves this world can be old age, illness, or injuries received as a result of an accident. Therefore, how long a person dies depends on the cause that led to death.
What awaits us “at the end of the road”
If you are not a person who believes that everything ends with the death of the physical body, then at the end of this path a new beginning awaits you. And we are not just talking about the new birth or life in the Garden of Eden.
In the 21st century, many scientists no longer consider the death of the physical body as the end of the human soul or psyche. Of course, scientists, as a rule, do not operate with the concept of soul; instead, they more often use the word consciousness, but the main thing is that many modern scientists no longer deny the existence of life after death.
For example, Robert Lanza, an American, Doctor of Medicine and Professor at Wake Forest University of Medicine, argues that after the death of the physical body, a person’s consciousness continues to inhabit other worlds. In his opinion, the life of the soul or consciousness, unlike the life of the physical body, is eternal.
Moreover, from his point of view, death is nothing more than an illusion that is perceived as reality due to our strong identification with the body.
He describes his view of what happens to human consciousness after the death of the physical body in the book “Biocentrism: Life and Consciousness - the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe.”
To summarize, we can say that although there is no clear answer to the question of what happens after death, according to all religions and the latest discoveries in medicine and psychology, life does not end with the end of the physical body.
What happens to the soul after death in different religions
From the point of view of various religious traditions, life after the death of the physical body clearly exists. The differences, by and large, are only in where and how.
Christianity
In Christian traditions, including Orthodoxy, there are concepts of judgment, judgment day, heaven, hell and resurrection. After death, each soul awaits a trial, at which godly, good and sinful deeds are weighed and there is no opportunity to be reborn.
If a person’s life was burdened with sins, then his soul may go to purgatory or, in the case of mortal sins, to hell. Everything depends on the severity of the sins and the possibility of their atonement. At the same time, the prayers of the living can influence the fate of the soul after death.
As a result, in the Christian tradition it is important to perform the funeral ceremony over the grave on the day of burial and periodically pray for the repose of the souls of the dead during church services. According to the Christian religion, sincere prayers for the departed can save the soul of a sinner from eternal stay in hell.
Depending on how a person lived, his soul ends up in purgatory, heaven or hell. The soul ends up in purgatory if the sins committed were not mortal or in a situation where there is no ritual for the remission of sins or purification during the dying process.
After experiencing unpleasant sensations tormenting the soul and gaining repentance and atonement, the soul gets a chance to go to heaven. Where she will live in peace among angels, seraphim and saints until the day of judgment.
Paradise or the kingdom of heaven is a place where the souls of the righteous are in bliss and enjoy life in perfect harmony with everything that exists, and do not know any need.
A person who has committed mortal sins, regardless of whether he was baptized or not, a suicide or simply an unbaptized person, cannot go to heaven.
In hell, sinners are tormented by hellfire, torn into pieces and experience endless torment as punishment, and all this lasts until the day of judgment, which must take place with the second coming of Christ.
Descriptions of the loan hour can be found in the New Testament in the Bible, in the Gospel of Matthew verses 24–25. God's judgment or the great day of judgment will forever determine the fate of the righteous and sinners.
The righteous will rise from the grave and find eternal life at the right hand of God, while sinners will be condemned to burn in hell forever.
Islam
The concept of judgment, heaven and hell in Islam as a whole is very similar to the Christian tradition, but there are some differences. In Islam, much attention is paid to the rewards that a holy soul receives in heaven.
The righteous in Muslim paradise not only enjoy peace and tranquility, but live surrounded by luxury, beautiful women, delicious dishes, and all this in the wonderful gardens of paradise.
And if heaven is a place for the fair reward of the righteous, then hell is a place created by the Almighty for the legal punishment of sinners.
The torment in hell is terrible and endless. For someone who is condemned to hell, the “body” is increased in size several times in order to multiply the torment. After each torture, the remains are restored and subjected to suffering again.
In Muslim hell, as in Christian hell, there are several levels that differ in the degree of punishment depending on the severity of the sins committed. A fairly detailed description of heaven and hell can be found in the Quran and Hadith of the Prophet.
Judaism
According to Judaism, life is essentially eternal, therefore, after the death of the physical body, life simply moves to another, higher, so to speak, level.
The Torah describes the moments of the soul's transition from one dimension to another, depending on what inheritance the soul has accumulated from its actions during life.
For example, if the soul was too strongly attached to physical pleasures, then after death it experiences unspeakable suffering, since in the spiritual world, not having a physical body, it does not have the opportunity to satisfy them.
In general, we can say that in the Jewish tradition, the transition to higher, spiritual parallel worlds reflects the life of the soul in the body. If in the physical world life was joyful, happy and filled with love for God, then the transition will be easy and painless.
If the soul, while living in the body, did not know peace, was filled with hatred, envy and other poisons, all this will pass into the afterlife and intensify many times over.
Also, according to the book “Zaor”, the souls of people are under the constant protection and supervision of the souls of the righteous and ancestors. Souls from the subtle worlds help and guide the living, because they know that the physical world is only one of the worlds created by God.
But, although our familiar world is only one of the worlds, souls always return to this world in new bodies, therefore, while caring for the living, the souls of ancestors also take care of the world in which they will live in the future.
Buddhism
In the Buddhist tradition there is a very important book that describes in detail the process of dying and the journey of the soul after the death of the body - the Tibetan Book of the Dead. This text is usually read in the ear of the deceased for 9 days.
Accordingly, funeral rites are not performed within 9 days after death. All this time, the soul gets the opportunity to hear step-by-step instructions about what it can see and where it can go. To convey the essence, we can say that the soul will feel and experience what it was inclined to love and hate during life.
What a person’s soul felt strong love, attachment or fear and disgust for will determine what kind of pictures a person will see during his 40-day journey in the spiritual world (bardo). And in what world is the soul destined to be reborn in the next incarnation?
According to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, during the journey in the posthumous bardo a person still has a chance to liberate the soul from karma and further incarnations. In this case, the soul does not receive a new body, but goes to the bright lands of Buddha or the subtle worlds of Gods and Demigods.
If a person experienced too much anger and showed aggression during life, such energies can attract the soul to the worlds of asuras or half-demons. Excessive attachment to physical pleasures, which does not dissolve even with the death of the body, can cause rebirth in the worlds of hungry ghosts.
A completely primitive way of existence, aimed only at survival, can lead to birth in the animal world.
In the absence of any strong or excessive attachments and aversions, but in the presence of attachment to the physical world as a whole, the soul will take birth in a human body.
Hinduism
The view of the life of the soul after death in Hinduism is very similar to that of Buddhism. Which is not surprising, since Buddhism has Hindu roots. There are slight differences in the descriptions and names of the worlds in which the soul can be reborn. But the point is also that the soul receives rebirth according to karma (the consequences of the actions that a person performed during life).
The fate of a person’s soul after death - can it get stuck in this world?
There is evidence that the soul can become stuck in the physical world for some time. This can happen if there is strong attachment or pain towards those who remain or if there is a need to complete an important task.
This often happens due to unexpected death. In such cases, as a rule, death is too great a shock for the soul itself and for the relatives of the deceased. The intense pain of loved ones, their reluctance to come to terms with the loss, and important unfinished business do not give the soul the opportunity to move on.
Unlike those who die of illness or old age, people who die unexpectedly do not have the opportunity to make a will. And often the soul wants to say goodbye to everyone, to help, to ask for forgiveness.
And if the soul does not have any painful attachments to a place, a person, or physical pleasure, then, as a rule, it, having completed all its affairs, leaves our earthly world.
Soul on the day of funeral
On the day of the burial or cremation ceremony, the soul of a person is usually present next to the body among relatives and friends. Therefore, it is considered important in any tradition to pray for the easy return of the soul home.
In Christian customs, these are funeral services; in Hinduism, these are sacred texts and mantras, or simply good and kind words spoken over the body of the deceased.
Scientific evidence for the existence of life after death
If the testimony of eyewitnesses who have experienced near-death experiences, psychics who see souls and people who are able to leave the body can be considered evidence, then there are now, without exaggeration, hundreds of thousands of such confirmations.
A large number of recorded stories of people who experienced coma or clinical death, with comments from medical researchers, can be found in Moody's book Life After Life.
Several thousand different unique stories about life after death obtained as a result of regressive hypnosis by Dr. Michael Newthan are described in his books dedicated to the journeys of the soul. Some of the most famous are “The Journey of the Soul” and “The Destination of the Soul.”
In the second book, “A Long Journey,” he describes in detail what exactly happens to the soul after death, where it goes and what difficulties it may encounter on its way to other worlds.
Quantum physicists and neuroscientists have now learned to measure the energy of consciousness. They have not yet come up with a name for it, but they have recorded a subtle difference in the movement of electromagnetic waves in a conscious and unconscious state.
And if we manage to measure the invisible, measure consciousness, which is often equated to the immortal soul, then it will become obvious that our soul is also a type of very subtle energy.
Which, as you know, from Newton’s first law is never born, never destroyed, energy only passes from one state to another. This means that the death of the physical body is not the end - it is just another stop on the endless journey of the immortal soul.
9 signs that deceased loved ones are nearby
Sometimes, when a soul lingers in this world, it remains for a while in order to complete its earthly affairs and say goodbye to loved ones.
There are sensitive people and psychics who clearly sense the presence of the souls of the dead. For them, this is the same part of reality as our world is for ordinary people, without extrasensory abilities. However, even people without special abilities talk about feeling the presence of a deceased person.
Since communication with souls is possible only at the level of intuition, this contact often occurs in dreams, or manifests itself in subtle, psychic sensations that are accompanied by pictures from the past, or the voice of the deceased sounding in the head. In those moments when the soul is open, many are able to look into the spiritual world.
The following events may be a sign that the soul of a deceased person is near you
- Frequent appearance of the deceased in dreams. Especially if in a dream the deceased asks you for something.
- A sudden and unexplained change in smells near you. For example, the unexpected smell of flowers, despite the fact that there are no flowers nearby, or coolness. And if you suddenly smell the perfume of the deceased or his favorite aroma, then you can be sure that his soul is nearby.
- The movement of objects is unclear. If you suddenly discover things where they could not possibly be. Especially if these are the things of the deceased. Or you suddenly began to discover unexpected objects on your way. Perhaps the deceased is attracting attention and wants to say something.
- A clear, undeniable feeling of the presence of a departed person nearby. Your brain, your feelings, still remember what it was like to be with the deceased before he died. If this feeling becomes as clear as during his life, rest assured that his soul is nearby.
- Frequent and obvious malfunctions in the operation of electrical appliances and electronics may be one of the signs of the presence of the soul of the deceased nearby.
- Unexpectedly hearing your favorite or meaningful music for both of you while you are thinking about the departed is another sure sign that his soul is nearby.
- Explicit sensations of touch when you are alone. Although for many it is a frightening experience.
- If any animal suddenly shows special attention to you, or persistently attracts you with its behavior. Especially if it was the deceased person’s favorite animal. This could also be news from him.
Alas, it often comes quite suddenly. If a seriously ill person knows about his diagnosis and when his death will come, then an ordinary person does not always foresee this, although there are some signs that he will soon die. Does a person feel his death approaching, even if he does not have a dangerous disease? In some situations - yes. And, although these signs are not absolute, even the presence of one of them can show that a person is in danger of death.
First of all, a person may have a premonition that his days are numbered. This can be expressed by great anxiety, fear, sometimes a strange and incomprehensible feeling of anxiety and melancholy just like that, for no apparent reason. This is one of the signs of death, but also not absolute. Depression and similar conditions can precede changes and the fact that a person goes crazy or simply becomes very mentally ill. Each of us may have periods of wakefulness and depression when everything falls out of hand and nothing works out. Therefore, even if someone, a particularly suspicious and anxious person, tells you that he does not have long to live, you should not always believe it. Most likely, it will simply be the result of panic and anxiety.
Does a person feel his death approaching? In fact, this does not always happen. It all depends on his spiritual state and outlook on life. Very often, before his death, a person performs some kind of karmic task, often fearing not having time to do or fulfill something. Some are accompanied by great luck, luck in everything, or something fatal that can cause horror in others. For example, an obedient and kind girl can change before her eyes, get involved with bad company, or behave in such a way that even her close ones will not recognize her. At the same time, her behavior can become not just defiant, but too bold and provocative, and her parents begin to seriously fear for her life. And this is not due to what others will think about her, but to some kind of unconscious anxiety and fear. Quite often they have strange dreams, often repeating scenes of death with the same pictures. At the same time, the person himself does not always feel the approach of his death. Most often, his behavior changes radically. The cheeky reveler suddenly becomes thoughtful and calm, and may even ask to go to church for a service so that the priest can confess and give him communion. A calm and quiet person, on the contrary, can become very cheeky and behave in such a way that he gets into trouble.
Very often, it is not the person himself who sees the signs of approaching death, but his loved ones. Here's what might precede his death:
Sudden change in behavior. A person becomes either very calm and even philosophically inclined, or, on the contrary, dashingly cheeky, which was completely out of character for him before;
He often asks to suddenly distribute his estate, writes wills, or asks to go to church to confess and take communion, although previously he did this extremely rarely or not at all;
Before death, a person’s aura disappears, but only a psychic can see this;
Loved ones begin to see symbolic dreams, which can be strange. For example, a person begins to walk through a mine or electric field, fly, and to those who are going to follow him he answers that “you can’t come here,” leaves by train, flies away by plane, gets into a rusty elevator, and the doors close behind him. Sometimes a girl begins to get married in a dream and leaves her parents forever. Moreover, if death is really close, then you can see a coffin in a dream, hear the name of a deceased person, or see his loved ones cry.
There are other signs that death is approaching. These are the dreams of the dreamer himself, in which a dead person calls him. And, although such a dream does not cause physical death for everyone, some people simply feel it approaching, which is why they are sure of it. And often such premonitions are justified.
Does everyone have this feeling?
No, not everyone. Some can even name the date of their death, others do not suspect anything even until the very moment of death. Therefore, it is impossible to definitively answer whether a person feels his death approaching or not. Usually this can be determined not by the person himself, but by his relatives, and even then not always. A hint will be certain kinds of dreams and signs that were described above.
Death carries with it an imprint of mystery, horror and mysticism. And some have disgust. Indeed, what happens to a person after death, and in particular to his body, is an unpleasant sight. It is difficult for a person to come to terms with the fact that he himself, as well as his loved ones, will sooner or later cease to exist forever. And all that will remain of them is a decomposing body.
Life after death
Fortunately, all world religions claim that death is not the end, but only the beginning. And the testimonies of people who have experienced a terminal state make one believe in the fact of the existence of an afterlife. Each religion has its own explanation of what happens to a person after leaving. But all religious teachings are one in one thing: the soul is immortal.
The inevitability, unpredictability, and sometimes even insignificance of the causes of death brought the concept of physical death beyond the boundaries of human perception. Some religions presented sudden death as punishment for sins. Others are like a divine gift, after which a person would have an eternal and happy life without suffering.
All major world religions have their own explanation for where the soul goes after death. Most teachings speak of the existence of an immaterial soul. After the death of the body, depending on the teaching, reincarnation, eternal life or the achievement of nirvana awaits her.
Physical cessation of life
Death is the final stop of all physiological and biological processes of the body. The most common causes of death are:
The cessation of the body’s vital functions is divided into three main stages:
What happens to the soul
What happens to his soul after the death of a person can be suggested by those people who were brought back to life during a terminal state. Everyone who has experienced such an experience claims to have seen their body and everything that happened to it from the outside. They continued to feel, see and hear. Some even tried to contact their family or doctors, but were horrified to realize that no one was listening to them.
As a result, the soul was fully aware of what had happened. After that, she began to be pulled upward. Angels appeared to some of the dead, to others - beloved deceased relatives. In such company the soul rose to the light. Sometimes a spirit would go through a dark tunnel and emerge into the light all alone.
Many people who experienced similar experiences claimed that they felt very good, were not afraid, and did not want to return. Some were asked by an invisible voice if they wanted to return. Others were literally forcibly sent back, saying that the time had not yet come.
All those who returned talk about that they had no fear. In the first minutes, they simply did not understand what was happening. But then they became completely indifferent to earthly life and calmed down. Some people said that they continued to feel intense love for loved ones. However, even this feeling could not weaken the desire to go towards the light, from which warmth, kindness, compassion and love emanated.
Unfortunately, no one can tell in detail what happens next. There are no living eyewitnesses. All further journey of the soul occurs only under the condition of complete physical death of the body. And those who returned to this world did not stay in the afterlife long enough to find out what would happen next.
What world religions say
The main world religions answer in the affirmative about whether there is life after death. For them, death is just the death of the human body, but not the personality itself, which continues its further existence in the form of a spirit.
Different religious teachings their versions of where the soul goes after it leaves the earth:
The teachings of the philosopher Plato
The great ancient Greek philosopher Plato also thought a lot about the fate of the soul. He believed that the immortal spirit comes into the human body from the sacred higher world. And birth on earth is sleep and oblivion. Immortal Essence, enclosed in the body, forgets the truth, as it passes from deep, higher knowledge to the lower, and death is an awakening.
Plato argued that when separated from the body, the soul is able to reason more clearly. Her vision, hearing, and senses become sharper. A judge appears in front of the deceased, who shows him all the cases during his lifetime - both good and bad.
And Plato also warned that an accurate description of all the details of the other world is only a probability. Even a person who has experienced clinical death is unable to reliably describe everything that he managed to see. People are too limited by their physical experience. Our souls are unable to clearly see reality as long as they are connected to the physical senses.
But human language is incapable of formulating and correctly describing true realities. There are no words that could qualitatively and reliably designate otherworldly reality.
Understanding death in Christianity
In Christianity, it is believed that for 40 days after death, the soul remains where the person lived. This is why relatives may feel that someone invisible is present at home. It is very important, as far as possible, to pull yourself together, not to cry and not to grieve for the deceased. Say goodbye with humility. The spirit hears and feels everything, and such behavior of loved ones will cause him even more pain.
The best thing relatives can do is pray. And also read the Holy Scriptures, helping to understand what the soul should do next. It is important to remember that until the ninth day all mirrors in the house must be closed. Otherwise, the ghost will experience pain and shock when looking in the mirror and not seeing itself.
The soul must prepare for God's judgment within 40 days. Therefore, in Christianity the most important days after the death of a person are considered to be the third, ninth and fortieth day. These days, loved ones should do everything possible to help the soul prepare for a meeting with God.
Third day after leaving
The priests say that it is impossible to bury the deceased before the third day. The soul at this time still remains attached to the body and is located next to the coffin. At this time, you cannot break the connection between the spirit and its dead body. This process established by God is necessary for the soul to finally understand and accept its physical death.
On the third day the soul sees God for the first time. She ascends to his throne along with her guardian angel, after which she goes to see Paradise. But this is not forever. Then you have to see Hell. The trial will take place only on the 40th day. It is believed that any soul can be prayed for, which means that at this time loving relatives should pray intensely for the deceased.
What does the ninth day mean?
On the ninth day the soul again appears before the Lord. At this time, relatives can help the deceased with humble prayers. You only need to remember his good deeds.
After a second visit to the Almighty, the angels take the spirit of the deceased to hell. There he will have the opportunity to observe the torment of unrepentant sinners. It is believed that in special cases, if the deceased led a righteous life and did many good deeds, his fate can be decided on the ninth day. Such a soul becomes a happy inhabitant of Paradise before the 40th day.
The decisive fortieth day
The fortieth day is a very important date. At this time, the future fate of the deceased is decided. His soul comes to bow to the Creator for the third time, where the judgment takes place, and now the final decision will follow as to where the spirit will be destined - to Heaven or Hell.
On day 40, the soul descends to earth for the last time. She can go around all the places that are most dear to her. Many people who have lost loved ones see the dead in their dreams. But it is after 40 days that they stop physically feeling their presence nearby.
There are people who are interested in what happens in cases where an unbaptized person dies. There is no funeral service. Such a person is outside the jurisdiction of the church. His future fate is only in the hands of God. Therefore, on the anniversary of the death of an unbaptized relative, loved ones should pray for him as sincerely as possible and with the hope that this will ease his fate at trial.
Facts about the existence of the afterlife
Scientists were able to prove the existence of the soul. To do this, doctors weighed terminally ill people at the moment of death and immediately after it. It turned out that all the deceased at the time of death lost the same weight - 21 grams.
Opponents of this scientific theory of the existence of the soul tried to explain the change in the weight of the deceased by certain oxidative processes. But modern research has proven with a 100% guarantee that chemistry has nothing to do with it. And the weight loss of all the deceased is strikingly the same. Only 21 grams.
Evidence of the materiality of the spirit
Many scientists are looking for an answer to the question of whether there is life after death. Testimonies of people who experienced clinical death claim that there is. But pundits are not accustomed to taking their word for it. They need material evidence.
One of the first to try to photograph the human soul was the French doctor Hippolyte Baraduc. He photographed patients at the moment of death. In most photographs, a small translucent cloud was clearly visible above the bodies.
Russian doctors used infrared vision devices for similar purposes. They recorded something that looked like a foggy object that gradually dissolved into thin air.
Professor Pavel Guskov from Barnaul proved that each person’s soul is individual, like fingerprints. For this he used ordinary water. Clean water, purified from any impurities, was placed next to the person for 10 minutes. After this, its structure was carefully studied. The water changed significantly and was different in all cases. If the experiment was repeated with the same person, the structure of the water remained the same.
There is life after death or not, but from all the assurances, descriptions and discoveries one thing follows: no matter what is there, beyond, there is no need to be afraid of it.
What happens after death
The other world is a very interesting topic that everyone thinks about at least once in their life. What happens to a person and his soul after death? Can he observe living people? These and many questions cannot but worry us. The most interesting thing is that there are many different theories about what happens to a person after death. Let's try to understand them and answer the questions that concern many people.
“Your body will die, but your soul will live forever”
Bishop Theophan the Recluse addressed these words in his letter to his dying sister. He, like other Orthodox priests, believed that only the body dies, but the soul lives forever. What is this connected with and how does religion explain it?
The Orthodox teaching about life after death is too large and voluminous, so we will consider only some of its aspects. First of all, in order to understand what happens to a person and his soul after death, it is necessary to find out what the purpose of all life on earth is. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, St. Apostle Paul mentions that every person must die someday, and after that there will be judgment. This is exactly what Jesus Christ did when he voluntarily surrendered to his enemies to die. Thus, he washed away the sins of many sinners and showed that the righteous, like him, would one day be resurrected. Orthodoxy believes that if life were not eternal, it would have no meaning. Then people would really live, not knowing why they would sooner or later die, there would be no point in doing good deeds. That is why the human soul is immortal. Jesus Christ opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom for Orthodox Christians and believers, and death is only the completion of preparation for a new life.
What is the soul
The human soul continues to live after death. She is the spiritual beginning of man. A mention of this can be found in Genesis (chapter 2), and it sounds approximately as follows: “God created man from the dust of the earth and blew the breath of life into his face. Now man has become a living soul.” Holy Scripture “tells” us that man is two-part. If the body can die, then the soul lives forever. She is a living entity, endowed with the ability to think, remember, feel. In other words, a person’s soul continues to live after death. She understands everything, feels and - most importantly - remembers.
Spiritual Vision
In order to make sure that the soul is really capable of feeling and understanding, you only need to remember cases when a person’s body died for some time, and the soul saw and understood everything. Similar stories can be read in a variety of sources, for example, K. Ikskul in his book “Incredible for many, but a true incident” describes what happens after death to a person and his soul. Everything that is written in the book is the personal experience of the author, who fell ill with a serious illness and experienced clinical death. Almost everything that can be read on this topic in various sources is very similar to each other.
People who have experienced clinical death describe it as a white, enveloping fog. Below you can see the body of the man himself, next to him are his relatives and doctors. It is interesting that the soul, separated from the body, can move in space and understands everything. Some say that after the body ceases to show any signs of life, the soul passes through a long tunnel, at the end of which there is a bright white light. Then, usually over a period of time, the soul returns to the body and the heart begins to beat. What if a person dies? What then happens to him? What does the human soul do after death?
Meeting others like yourself
After the soul is separated from the body, it can see spirits, both good and bad. The interesting thing is that, as a rule, she is attracted to her own kind, and if during life any of the forces had an influence on her, then after death she will be attached to it. This period of time when the soul chooses its “company” is called the Private Court. It is then that it becomes completely clear whether this person’s life was in vain. If he fulfilled all the commandments, was kind and generous, then, undoubtedly, next to him there will be the same souls - kind and pure. The opposite situation is characterized by a society of fallen spirits. They will face eternal torment and suffering in hell.
First few days
It is interesting what happens after death to a person’s soul in the first few days, because this period is for it a time of freedom and enjoyment. It is in the first three days that the soul can move freely on earth. As a rule, she is near her relatives at this time. She even tries to talk to them, but it is difficult, because a person is not able to see and hear spirits. In rare cases, when the connection between people and the dead is very strong, they feel the presence of a soul mate nearby, but cannot explain it. For this reason, the burial of a Christian takes place exactly 3 days after death. In addition, it is this period that the soul needs in order to realize where it is now. It’s not easy for her, she may not have had time to say goodbye to anyone or say anything to anyone. Most often, a person is not ready for death, and he needs these three days to understand the essence of what is happening and say goodbye.
However, there are exceptions to every rule. For example, K. Ikskul began his journey to another world on the first day, because the Lord told him so. Most of the saints and martyrs were ready for death, and in order to move to another world, it took them only a few hours, because this was their main goal. Each case is completely different, and information comes only from those people who have experienced the “post-mortem experience” themselves. If we are not talking about clinical death, then everything can be completely different. Proof that in the first three days a person’s soul is on earth is also the fact that it is during this period of time that relatives and friends of the deceased feel their presence nearby.
Next stage
The next stage of transition to the afterlife is very difficult and dangerous. On the third or fourth day, trials await the soul - ordeal. There are about twenty of them, and all of them must be overcome so that the soul can continue its path. Ordeals are entire pandemoniums of evil spirits. They block the way and accuse her of sins. The Bible also talks about these trials. The mother of Jesus, the Most Pure and Reverend Mary, having learned about her imminent death from Archangel Gabriel, asked her son to deliver her from demons and ordeals. In response to her requests, Jesus said that after death he would take her by the hand to Heaven. And so it happened. This action can be seen on the icon “Assumption of the Virgin Mary”. On the third day, it is customary to pray fervently for the soul of the deceased, in this way you can help it pass all the tests.
What happens a month after death
After the soul has gone through the ordeal, it worships God and goes on a journey again. This time, hellish abysses and heavenly abodes await her. She watches how sinners suffer and how the righteous rejoice, but she does not yet have her own place. On the fortieth day, the soul is assigned a place where it, like everyone else, will await the Supreme Court. There is also information that only until the ninth day does the soul see the heavenly abodes and observe righteous souls who live in happiness and joy. The rest of the time (about a month) she has to watch the torment of sinners in hell. At this time, the soul cries, mourns and humbly awaits its fate. On the fortieth day, the soul is assigned a place where it will await the resurrection of all the dead.
Who goes where and
Of course, only the Lord God is omnipresent and knows exactly where the soul ends up after the death of a person. Sinners go to hell and spend time there waiting for even greater torment that will come after the Supreme Court. Sometimes such souls can come to friends and relatives in dreams, asking for help. You can help in such a situation by praying for a sinful soul and asking the Almighty for forgiveness of its sins. There are cases when sincere prayer for a deceased person really helped him move to a better world. For example, in the 3rd century, the martyr Perpetua saw that the fate of her brother was like a filled reservoir that was located too high for him to reach. Days and nights she prayed for his soul and over time she saw him touch a pond and be transported to a bright, clean place. From the above, it becomes clear that the brother was pardoned and sent from hell to heaven. The righteous, thanks to the fact that they did not live their lives in vain, go to heaven and look forward to the Day of Judgment.
Teachings of Pythagoras
As mentioned earlier, there are a huge number of theories and myths regarding the afterlife. For many centuries, scientists and clergy studied the question: how to find out where a person ended up after death, looked for answers, argued, looked for facts and evidence. One of these theories was the teaching of Pythagoras about the transmigration of souls, the so-called reincarnation. Scientists such as Plato and Socrates shared the same opinion. A huge amount of information about reincarnation can be found in such a mystical movement as Kabbalah. Its essence is that the soul has a specific goal, or a lesson that it must go through and learn. If during life the person in whom this soul lives does not cope with this task, it is reborn.
What happens to the body after death? It dies and it is impossible to resurrect it, but the soul is looking for a new life. Another interesting thing about this theory is that, as a rule, all people who are related in a family are not connected by chance. More specifically, the same souls are constantly looking for each other and finding each other. For example, in a past life, your mother could have been your daughter or even your spouse. Since the soul has no gender, it can have both a feminine and masculine principle, it all depends on what body it ends up in.
There is an opinion that our friends and soul mates are also kindred spirits who are karmically connected to us. There is one more nuance: for example, the son and father constantly have conflicts, no one wants to give in, until the last days two relatives are literally at war with each other. Most likely, in the next life, fate will bring these souls together again, as brother and sister or as husband and wife. This will continue until they both find a compromise.
Pythagorean square
Supporters of the Pythagorean theory are most often interested not in what happens to the body after death, but in what incarnation their soul lives and who they were in a past life. In order to find out these facts, a Pythagorean square was drawn up. Let's try to understand it with an example. Let's say you were born on December 3, 1991. You need to write down the received numbers on a line and carry out some manipulations with them.
- It is necessary to add up all the numbers and get the main one: 3 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 1 = 26 - this will be the first number.
- Next, you need to add the previous result: 2 + 6 = 8. This will be the second number.
- In order to get the third, from the first it is necessary to subtract the double first digit of the date of birth (in our case, 03, we do not take zero, we subtract three times 2): 26 - 3 x 2 = 20.
- The last number is obtained by adding the digits of the third working number: 2+0 = 2.
Now let’s write down the date of birth and the results obtained:
In order to find out what incarnation the soul lives in, it is necessary to count all the numbers except zeros. In our case, the soul of a person born on December 3, 1991 lives through the 12th incarnation. By composing a Pythagorean square from these numbers, you can find out what characteristics it has.
Some facts
Many, of course, are interested in the question: is there life after death? All world religions are trying to answer it, but there is still no clear answer. Instead, in some sources you can find some interesting facts regarding this topic. Of course, it cannot be said that the statements that will be given below are dogma. These are most likely just some interesting thoughts on this topic.
What is death
It is difficult to answer the question of whether there is life after death without finding out the main signs of this process. In medicine, this concept refers to stopping breathing and heartbeat. But we should not forget that these are signs of the death of the human body. On the other hand, there is information that the mummified body of the monk-priest continues to show all signs of life: soft tissues are pressed, joints are bent, and a fragrance emanates from it. Some mummified bodies even grow nails and hair, which perhaps confirms the fact that certain biological processes do occur in the deceased body.
What happens a year after the death of an ordinary person? Of course, the body decomposes.
In conclusion
Taking into account all of the above, we can say that the body is just one of the shells of a person. In addition to it, there is also a soul - an eternal substance. Almost all world religions agree that after the death of the body, the human soul still lives, some believe that it is reborn in another person, and some believe that it lives in Heaven, but, one way or another, it continues to exist . All thoughts, feelings, emotions are the spiritual sphere of a person, which lives despite physical death. Thus, it can be considered that life after death exists, but it is no longer interconnected with the physical body.
