“Think of it! One moment I was alive, in the earthly sense, looking over a trench parapet, unalarmed, normal. Five seconds later, I was standing outside my body, [trying to help] two of my pals to carry my body down the trench labyrinth towards a dressing station. They thought I was senseless but alive. I did not know whether I had jumped out of my body through shell shock, temporarily or forever. You see what a small thing is death, even the violent death of war!” — Private Dowding
Private Downing tried to make sense of what has happened to him. He had no conception, at first, of having passed over and that he was in the Afterlife. In trying to make sense of it all, he wondered if he was dreaming, or delusional.
“I seemed in a dream. I had dreamt that someone or something has knocked me down. Now I was dreaming that I was outside my body. Soon I should wake up and find myself waiting to go on guard... It all happened so simply. Death for me was a simple experience - no horror, no long-drawn suffering, no conflict. It comes to many in the same way… When I found that my two pals could carry my body without my help, I dropped behind. I just followed, in a curiously humble way. Humble? Yes, because I seemed so useless. We met a stretcher party. My body was hoisted on to the stretcher. I wondered when I should get back into it again. You see, I was so little ‘dead’ that I imagined I was still physically - alive.” — Private Dowding
Private Downing’s experience seems to be a common one. The person realizes that they are indeed what the world calls ‘dead’; yet they also realize that they are very much alive. They often gradually notice that in some ways they feel better than they have ever felt before and start to look around and wonder what is next.
“Then I found that the whole of myself - all, that is, that thinks and sees and feels and knows - was still alive and conscious! I had begun a new chapter of life. I will tell you what I felt like. It was as if I had been running hard until, hot and breathless, I had [finally stopped and] thrown my overcoat away… How does it feel to be ‘dead’? One can’t explain, because there’s nothing in it! I simply felt free and light. My being seemed to have expanded. These are mere words. I can only tell you just this: that death is nothing unseemly or shocking. So simple is the ‘passing along’ experience that it beggars description. Others may have other experiences to relate of a more complex nature. I don’t know.” — Private Dowding
One of the consequences of lack of knowledge about the Afterlife and what to do when we arrive there, is what causes unnecessary difficulties for people who pass over in extreme circumstances. A battlefield is hardly a good place in which to pass over as it has a very heavy and dense Astral atmosphere. Private Downing was intensely focused on what was going on where he found himself. He had unintentionally shut himself off from the helpers who were available to guide him.
If he had known to do so, he could have simply prayed for help, sent out a thought to his brother (who had already passed over), or at least lifted his mind above thoughts of the battlefield; instead he wandered around alone, and feeling lonely, in a semi-dazed state of mind that made him impossible to reach for some time. Eventually, his brother was able to reach him and take him to a place where he could rest, recuperate and begin to enjoy his new life. It may seem strange to us that this is allowed to happen, but free will is given great scope in the Afterlife and although help is always available, we usually need to ask for it.
“I have been helped. I am no longer alone; I have met my dear brother. He came out here three years ago and has come down to welcome me. The tie between us is strong. William, [my brother,] could not get near me for a long time, he says. The atmosphere was so thick. It appears that there are Rest Halls in this region, specially prepared for the newly arrived… We can only convey our experiences approximately. To describe conditions here in words is quite impossible. Please remember this. My brother helped me into one of these Rest Halls. Confusion at once dropped away from me. Never shall I forget my happiness. I sat in the alcove of a splendid domed hall. The splashing of a fountain reached my tired being and soothed me. The fountain ‘played’ music, color, harmony, bliss. All discordances vanished and I was at peace. My brother sat near me. On earth, the study of crystal formations was a great hobby of mine. To my intense delight, I discovered that this splendid hall was constructed according to the law of crystal formations.” — Private Dowding
We’ll look some more at the challenges Private Downing faced and how he could have avoided them, a few paragraphs further on.
‘Death’ by Drowning
In this example, Private Downing compares his own passing with that of a friend, who had also recently passed over. The ‘selfish’ attitude he mentions was partly due to his life-long habit of being an isolated, self-contained and rather curmudgeonly bachelor with very little interest in his fellow human beings. Although not a bad man by any means, he had tended to be self-centered in pursuing his own interests and was generally irritated with anyone, or anything, interrupting this. His self-absorption, his low level of care for others, and the way that he was somewhat hypnotized by battle conditions when he passed over, created a mental shell around him so that those who went to help could not get through to him for a while. It is an odd metaphor that his mental shell had been killing his spiritual life, while physically alive; and it was a physical shell, “a shell splinter” that killed his physical body.
“My sergeant friend is not here at present but I will tell you about him. He was drowned when the transport he was traveling in was mined. He says he made a big struggle to reach a raft but was unsuccessful. He does not remember any feeling of distress whilst drowning, when once he had given up the struggle. He told me the actual sinking into unconsciousness was not unpleasant. [He] does not know how long he remained unconscious. He says his passing over was gentle… It seems that his brother found him quickly and brought him through [to the Afterlife realms]. A bond of great affection linked these two; a year separated their coming over. A bond of love between two souls… will achieve much. Through it, the passing-out experience can be robbed of danger, made pleasant instead of fearful. Had I been met when I arrived, my troubles would have been less severe. I was met, but I was too self-centered to pierce the fog of my own selfish thoughts which shut me in on all sides.” – Private Dowding
Preparation for the Move
An example such as Private Downing, above, helps us to realize that the Astral Plane is very much a real place with its own characteristics. Learning about it before we go, so that we know how to ask for help if we need it, is only common sense. Our experience of the Astral Plane is very much dependent on our thoughts and how we focus our mind. If Private Downing had not been killed on a battlefield, but in some peaceful place, he would have had an easier transition, as he would have been immediately available to his helpers. However, someone who had been in a habit of prayer to ask for help, or in the habit of raising their mind above circumstances, would have been accessible to their helpers right away, even if they had died in extreme circumstances such as a battlefield.
It may seem strange to us that a situation like Private Downing’s is ‘allowed’ to happen. Yet, he freely admits the he himself caused it. The use of free will is deeply respected in the Afterlife and we are given great freedom in our choices. However, we also get to experience the consequences of our choices. “ My own selfish thoughts which shut me in on all sides”, is a telling example from the above of the consequences of free will.
There are many things occurring in our lives before we pass over aimed at helping us when we get there. We may be much more prepared for the Afterlife than we realize. The process of illness helps us let go of our attachment and involvement with the Earth and all its issues and concerns. Illness, if severe enough, can cause us to change our direction in this life. It can cause us to change our diet, or to take time to reflect on our purpose, or to re-evaluate what is really important to us. Obviously, if an illness is severe enough, it can cause us to pass over, so in one way or another, illnes
s helps us to make radical changes.
Many people have a long drawn-out illness before they pass over and this can be painful to watch for relatives and friends of the sufferer. However, how it feels to the person experiencing it might be far better than how it feels to those witnessing it.
There are two ‘threads’ attaching us to the physical body: the Life Thread and the Consciousness Thread. The Consciousness Thread often gets temporarily withdrawn from time to time during the process of illness and in the process of passing over (as it also does during sleep) but the Life Thread connection is maintained as that keeps the body animated and alive. When the Consciousness Thread is withdrawn, the person is not aware of their physical body, even if it is thrashing around, so they are not actually suffering when that is the case. One man describes it from his experience:
“The average man or woman when he or she is dying suffers no pain. They have become so dissevered already from the body that when the flesh seems to be in agony, the actual soul merely feels very drowsy …This sensation has its own easeful delight after the pain of the illness which has led the soul to the change of death. So, grieve not for the apparent agony of the dying, rejoice because they are already freed from the torment, are already fluttering between two existences.” — Road to Immortality
A woman’s mother was dying of cancer. Her mother did not want painkillers and told the woman not to let the nurses give her any. Later, her mother seemed to be suffering too much and the woman relented and let the nurses dose her mother with morphine. When her mother recovered temporarily, she angrily told her daughter “Never let them do that to me again!” There was obviously something going on with the mother that morphine was hindering and not helping. Of course, this is not necessarily true for everyone and some will be only to happy to have painkillers. But it does suggest that all is not what it seems and they are not all suffering as much as we think they are.
“After all, the parting of soul and body is but an affair of moments. There is no reason to regard it with so much alarm.” — After Death: Letters from Julia
‘Death’ After a Brief Illness
Some people are already in harmony with the conditions of the Afterlife. They tend to be the ones who were not particularly materialistic (except where necessary to create a balanced life), but more inclined towards spiritual ideas and values - especially where this means caring about more than just themselves and their own needs and wants. This tends to draw them away from earth and more deeply into the Afterlife realms more quickly. They may find themselves awakening at a peaceful place there rather than close to the Earth.
“I had never thought seriously of this life; I feared the change and tried to put it out of my mind. I came rather suddenly; a sudden cold, pneumonia, a brief illness, and I was here… I did not have any warning particularly; it was all so sudden, and my mind was bewildered until unconsciousness came. Then I seemed to myself to be dreaming a beautiful dream, and in this dream, selfish thought and purpose seemed to drift away and a new soul seemed to be born. That was when I really was here, without my knowing that I had passed across the Great Divide.
After a time, my dream seemed to change into a reality, and I was semi- conscious of friendliness and care surrounding me; and then, after a little, I awoke to full consciousness, and found that I had died, as they say there—but as I say, found that I lived for the first time.
My first sensation, perhaps, was the feeling of utter and delightful freedom and lightness of the body. This brought the sense of supreme happiness.” — Spirit World and Spirit Life
You’ll notice in the story above that they report that ‘unconsciousness came’ and then they woke up somewhere else – which is usually so beautiful that they struggle to describe it. This is a common feature of passing over and we will explore this more in the Sleep and New Arrivals section in the Earth Versus Afterlife chapter.
Accidental ‘Death’
This is another example of someone who died due to an accident. This one is from about over a hundred years ago, when horse-drawn carriages were common, but it is very interesting as he was killed while trying to rescue a young child from being run over. He lived in a large city where there were many poor and since he came from a prosperous family, he often went to do what he could to help them. Otherwise, he had been a bit of a social misfit and had not fitted in well into his social class and had become a partial outcast. I will quote this one at length.
“It was [dark] one evening, when on my way to visit some… uncared-for people, that the great change overtook me. I was walking along a crowded footpath, engaged in the contemplation of the lights and shadows visible on the faces of passers-by, when I heard a scream, and saw a child in deadly peril among the horses in the road.
He was not far away, so bounding forward - with no thought but for his safety - I reached and dragged him from his hazardous position, then turned, and - Something touched me.
I clasped the boy more firmly and stepped forward. The noise ceased, vehicles and street faded away, as if some great magician had waved his wand, the darkness disappeared, and I was lying upon a grassy slope in an enchanted land.
Neither did all the changes lie in our surroundings. Few people would have been enamored of the ragged child I rushed to save, with his shoeless feet, matted hair, and unwashed face; but the angel I found lying upon my breast would have driven an artist into raptures… The lad, though evidently conscious of the alteration, looked into my face with calm laughing eyes, void of any trace of fear; perhaps he expected me to give some explanation, but I needed that myself. Then he buried his head in my shoulder and fell asleep. I sat and nursed him, trying to answer the only question which occupied my mind – ‘Where are we?’
I was reclining upon the grass of what can only be described as the auditorium of an immense but natural amphitheater, with the arena occupied by a multitude who appeared to be engaged in the reception of strangers, whom they were welcoming and congratulating… Suddenly my attention was attracted to someone standing beside me and I arose… before I had time to frame a question, and, stretching out his hands towards the still sleeping lad, said : ‘There is someone coming who will answer all your enquiries, my duty is to take the boy.’
‘To take the boy?’ I answered, scarcely knowing whether I ought to give him up: ‘Where? Home?’
‘Yes!’
‘But how shall we get back? How did we come here? Where are we?’
‘You must be patient for a little while,’ he answered, ‘then you will know and understand all about it.’
‘But, tell me, is this delirium or a dream?’
‘No! You will find you have been dreaming; now you are awake.’ With a kindly salutation, he departed.
I felt, rather than heard, someone call my name. I turned, and saw a young woman, clad in the daintiest of pink robes, coming down the hill towards me. I was not sure, but thought her face bore a resemblance to one I had known long ago, except that the old furrows of care and want had been transformed into lines and curves of beauty. I had long since forgotten her, but she remembered me, and with eyes brilliant with welcome, and hands extended to clasp my own, she was the first of all I knew to greet me.
‘A thousand welcomes’ she cried, as she grasped my hands; ‘I have but just received the news of your coming; am I the first to meet you?’
‘Yes, Helen, the first of all I know.’
‘I am glad of that; I always hoped it would be so. I have watched, and prayed and waited for it; it is all I can do to thank you.’” – Through the Mists
It turned out that this young lady had been someone who he had helped during his time on earth and had been waiting for him to come over so that she could thank him properly. She acts as his initial guide and helps him adjust.
Descriptive Styles
How a person describes their transition to the next life very much depends on their normal way of looking at things. Some give mostly practical ‘nuts and bolts’ accounts; others
give more of a sense of how they felt at the time such as these two women express more poetically here:
“I was too ill to realize [that I was about to ‘die’], and passed over without knowing it. But oh, my dear! I was met with such tenderness and love that my life seemed all at once transformed.” – Spirit World and Spirit Life
"To me now, there seems only the remembrance of light, that was so clear and beautiful. I had been for a time unconscious, resting as it seemed. Then I began to see vaguely, and to hear exquisite sounds, and I slowly came into the consciousness that I had passed over and that I still lived. Then my good angel… so surrounded me with her tenderness and affection that I could nevermore be otherwise than happy." – Spirit World and Spirit Life
‘Death’ in Old Age
Not all examples of living to an old age are like the following one, but it offers a useful example how old-fashioned ideas about the Afterlife can get in the way. This story is from the priest of a church who believed in a very authoritarian religion and a stern and vengeful God. He finally discovered, much to his relief when he passed over, that his views had been completely wrong and that the other life was much better than he ever dreamed possible.
“I lived to a great age and suffered much before passing out of the body and yet I clung to life. Do you know why? Because the views I held with regard to the life beyond gave me no comfort. I trembled at what I thought was before me. The mistakes, follies, the faults, the failings, and the sins of a long life rose before me and filled me with fear; for I had been taught to believe, and tried to teach others to believe, that every idle word must be accounted for, that a strict record was kept of all our thoughts, our actions, and the words we uttered, and that for all wrong thinking and ill-doing we must answer and pay the penalty.
Afterlife Adventures Page 3
