The Body-Soul Connection: Part 2

Losing the Fear of Death

  • Near-death research offers a window into the extraordinary characteristics of the soul.            
  • Near-death experiencers live with the absolute certainty that when they lose their body, they’ll continue as a self-conscious being, flourishing with life in an environment of absolute, unconditional love.
  • When we think of our mortality being clothed with immortality, we’re not to think of making the body immortal. We’re talking about making a change in our self-perception … our consciousness.
  • What is the “sting of death” to the atheist? To the soul evolutionist?

An Alternative View

  • The belief that we have endless opportunity to work out our soul’s issues may give us some sense of relief, but it replaces it with the drudgery of thinking that any current mistake we make can add more lessons – possibly more lifetimes.           
  • The soul has no issues to work out – no lessons to learn. It’s the body-based self-image that has all the issues.    
  • Why might it be helpful to think of reincarnation as an option rather than a requirement for our soul’s continued progress? What is the advantage of assuming we are here because we want to be, not because we’re forced into another body as part of the soul’s ongoing education?

Personal Experience 

  • A near-death experience is not required to experience the profound beauty of the spiritual dimension.             
  • Why do those who have authentic spiritual revelations have difficulty putting their experience into words?  
  • Why would it be helpful to understand so-called spiritual ups and downs, not as indications of an unstable, immature soul, but as an easily distracted self-image?  
  • Why can’t we get spiritual enlightenment from another? More importantly, why do we keep trying?

Not in the Future 

  • A genuine spiritual awakening sets us apart from conventional thinking. Are we prepared for this?            
  • Most of what demands our attention is tied directly to our body-based existence. When you know you’re not your body, constantly catering to its demands can feel like a redundant distraction. How might we resolve this?
  • Many treat the spiritual quest as a hobby, attempting to use spiritual principles, not as a means for facilitating their awakening, but as a way of attracting material benefits. How can understanding our motivation aid us in our quest for spiritual clarity?      
  • Is the soul here to serve the body, or is the body here to serve the soul?   

The Soul is Already Advanced 

  • The near-death experiencer discovers their true essence is already highly advanced. It’s not diminished in any way by a preoccupation with the body and its endless demands. Most describe this state as their true being, their real home. The full power and beauty of God is accessible to the soul now. It doesn’t require years of disciplined study to develop.
  • Because we’re so identified with the body, the beauty described by the near-death experiencer seems out of reach to most of us. It’s important to remember that these people, sometimes without any spiritual training, or even a particular interest in spiritual matters, discover a level of their being that far surpasses anything they’ve experienced to this point.

What’s in a Name

  • The mystic and the near-death experiencer tend to speak the same language because they’ve experienced the same spiritual landscape.               
  • No amount of proof will convince a skeptic of the reality of the spiritual dimension of the soul. Those who know these experiences as real, are very clear on the fact that this is not a reaction from the dying brain.  
  • Reports from normal, everyday people, show us that there’s something accessible to all of us that’s beyond our normal understanding of who we think we are.

The Professional Edict  

  • Discuss the importance of distinguishing between a mainstream or alternative religious or scientific narrative and our own internal revelations. Am I following my own guidance, or am I depending on others to map out my spiritual belief system?
  • Some so-called spiritual conversions are not necessarily an exposure to a deeper reality, but a tremendous emotional burden lifted. There’s a major difference in the language of people who’ve had a transcendental experience and those who’ve been set free from the shackles of guilt. 
  • Discuss the question raised here: Were people like Jesus and Paul singled out by God to bring light to the world? If God singled out one, why not all?

Who They See – Death as Falling Asleep

  • It isn’t details, differences unique to particular cases that are important with near-death research.  The similarities are what we take, namely the freedom and inexplicable grandeur of the soul that individuals struggle to describe. 
  • It was once commonly accepted that the death of the body was a form of sleep. To the contrary, individuals report hyper-awareness, being more awake than ever.
  • The skeptic says that survival of death is wishful thinking for those who cannot accept their mortality. We can just as easily say of the skeptic that the idea of death as a finality brings comfort to their own belief in the meaninglessness of life. 
  • Credible documentation overwhelmingly supports the soul’s survival of physical death.

Near-Death Resources

  •  Near-Death resources: Near Death experience Research Foundation (NDERF.com), International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS.org).
  • Jesus: Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, drink or wear.
  • We want to care for the body, but we want to live with the awareness that we are much more than the body, that we are, right now, a complete and immortal soul momentarily experiencing life through a body.

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