Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00339)

> >
> >Dear Lmhem 111 (?)
> >
> >I was reviewing your list of estimated periods of time for
> >various types in "Devachan."
> >
> >As I  understand it the period of stay in Devachan was not
> >explicitly tabulated, but was entirely based on the nature of the
> >aspirations and nobility of ideas and practices that an
> >individual engaged in in his "life."  Is it possible that you
> >established such a tabulation for an "average" individual ?
> >Might be a little too rigid ?


Didn't Cayce have something to say about this?  I seem to remember reading
that he said that many of the baby-boomers (~1946-1958) were reincarnations
those  who died during WWII. This would seem to make sense to me--that
those who died during war would not have been able to achieve goals on
their own personal agenda and would therefore opt for less time between
reincarnation.  My daughter reported an incidence that could be explained
by this idea.  Her class (born 1983-1984) went on a field trip to a touring
replicate of the Vietnam War Memorial.  She reported a class mate who was
usually a rather easy-going girl, became moved to tears and disraught, even
though she had had no relatives in the war. When my daughter asked me to
account for the girl's actions, past-life memories seemed as good as a
response as any.

> ----------
> From: "Thoa Thi-Kim Tran" <thoalight@aol.com>

> Since I am reading about NDEs, I find this post interesting.  I can't
> comment on second death (sorry, Alan) because I've never come anywhere
> close to death.  The closest thing to unconsciousness (besides sleeping),
> was when I was under anesthesia to remove my wisdom teeth.  You would
think
> studying NDEs would be a major obsession with mankind, since death is
> inevitable for everyone.
>
Thoa, I have to disagree here.  I've always thought that a lot of the
hoopla about NDE was that the NDE was the person's first encountered  an
alternate state of consciousness (besides sleeping and dreaming). The
encounters with dead relatives and friends, archetypical images seem very
much like encounters made in shamanic states.  There's also the awareness
of losing consciousness that creates it's own imagery.  I've had epilepsy
all my life, but it went undiagnosed until I was 27.  Before the seizures
where I'd black out, there were always auras --my visual field would become
"electric" with glistening light and I could feel each cell of my body
tingle, energy racing up and down my spine.  Gradually, blackness would
creep in from the perimeters until eventually all was dark. Nothingness.
The next thing I'd know, I was lying on my back somewheres with someone
asking me if I was alright.  Afterwards, I was unusually relaxed --like a
rubber band that had been pulled too tight and allowed to snap.  I only had
a few of these episodes before I learned how to avert them with meditation
exercises, once the aura had started. Years later I was able to use the
same basic meditation techniques (with some help from anti-convulsants) to
set up a bio-feedback program to control the rest of the seizure types.

The reason I shared this is because I think it relates to NDE --that much
of the near-death experience is the consciousness trying to make sense out
of unusual physiological conditions that cause the brain to turn off or (as
in my case) short-circuit. Add to this psychological and cultural
conditioning for what happens after death, and it seems demystified.  I
think there's also a component related to emptiness.  Most Westerners are
not comfortable with the idea of emptiness.  I think for many people, the
awareness of the  withdrawl of the senses and the ceasing of the
monkey-chatter of the mind is enough to provoke a spiritual experience.


Pam
pgiese@snd.softfarm.com

"Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light..."