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Death is currently being defined as the ceasation of heartbeat, respiration as well as all brainwave activity. But esoterically and spiritually, we must also include the complete and total withdrawal and final departure of 'Spirit' or 'Lifeforce' from the physical body. Notice please that I did not use the term "soul" and for a very good reason.
The soul is normally used as a Christian term which has its beginnings in the Hebrew-Judaic 'nephash' meaning 'breath' or 'airy' or 'watery' but I equate the soul to the astral body vehicle which has its origins in Theosophical literature. The soul is that intangible essence that gives us life through the breath and is often referred to in Christian terms as the 'breath of life'. In Eastern terms it relates to the 'Akashia' and to the 'Astral which has also been described by many as cloudy, watery or vapours; hence---airy.
To me they these two terms (soul and astral body) are often one in the same and can be used interchangeably. Spirit (in caps, please) on the other hand is a much higher or finer vehicle and more akin to pure energy than to the breath. The astral body vehicle belongs to the astral plane or astral dimension while Spirit gives life to all planes of existence and belongs to the realm of 'Pure Light' or 'Spirit'. Basically I am making a distinction between the words 'soul' and 'Spirit' to denote differing aspects of life because we are indeed multi-dimensional beings.
But for the purposes of this document, it is an important distinction to make because the departure of the astral body (i.e. soul) does not mean that one has either died or had a Near-Death Experience because the two are not necessarily the same. For example, through prayer or meditation, or altered state such as a trance or through our dreams; and yes, sometimes even spontaneously, a person can have an out-of-the-body experience without the usual trauma associated with a Near-Death Experience. Matter of fact, I firmly believe that our astral body leaves us (at least in part) each and every time we sleep and enter our dream phase but most people either don't know this or don't want to know. We could also say, and rightly so, that to a limited degree a portion of our astral body vehicles leaves us with each and every breath that we take; and will do so until our final departure. It is reabsorbed into the common air for example.
In my travels, whether talking to people in the real world or posting to New Age bullitin boards, I have come across a few people who have actually had a Near Death Experience; of those who have been clinically pronounced dead, or who found themselves in a near death situation; but then come back to tell us about the other side of the veil. Remarkably many of those stories have similar components like remembering floating or hoovering above their physical bodies. For example some people claim to have passed through a tube or tunnel, seen a bright light, or were visited by angelic beings. Others tell us that they encounted relatives or friends who have already died; as if to suggest that meeting or communicating with dearly departed is any kind of proof that we ourselves have died and gone to heaven. Or they may suggest that it is proof of an after life. They do not realize that they are with us still and that we can communicate with them from this side of the veil. Yet seeing and hearing they believe that they too have died only to come back to tell us about it. But I say to you, that those who have died, really really died do not come back to inhabit the same body---not if the Silver Cord that binds has been completely severed they do not. In other words I am defining death as the ceasation of heart, lungs, brain and Spirit. There is no resurrection of the dead; unless of course we also include the doctrine of reincarnation.
Most Near-Death cases were brought about by some kind of trauma; a fall, a drowning or a car accidents. No two stories; whether we are comparing an oobe or a nde are ever exactly the same yet there are remarkable similarities. It is my hope to explore this facinating topic as well as to utilize this space to record those stories for those who may wish to display them; but who do not yet have a website of their own. So if you have one, just drop me a line and I will place it inside of this directory devoted to the topic of Near-Death and Astral Projection, Out-of-Body as well as Life After Death topics.
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