AN ADDENDUM ON RE-DEFINING DEATH AND DYING

TEXT IN GREEN ARE LINKS - CLICK ON THEM

In light of the seemingly present rash of untimely departures in both public & private forums we have decided to re-post & re-visit this topic. DEATH IS WHERE LIFE EXTENDS.

This is a re-post from May 15th 2019. There are some additions but most the contents remain unchanged. Life and death can be described as two parts of one experience. One cannot be experienced without the expectation of the other. Unfortunately many of us see life as a journey and death as a destination, but this is inaccurate. Regardless of how this may seem to be, it is not true. An understanding of homeostasis clearly illustrates that life's goal is to always move towards equilibrium among interdependent environmental elements. Simply put life syncs with and balances itself with other life. This is the way the universe operates. Death is not the end of life,rather an extension of it. 

---

In reality we all must admit that life is hard and death is easy. When life starts struggles begin. When someone passes their struggles end and pass along with them. It is the loved ones left behind that seem to struggle and take it hard. Their continued emotional mourning and suffering often postpones the future mention and celebration of the deceased. We all seek to sooth ourselves. When the anguish associated with this existence ends for "the deceased" why do we continue "it" by adding "it" to ours? We must acknowledge that as familiar as we are with death, in its common occurrence, we only have a limited understanding of the phenomena. Our vision can easily be obscured by pain. It is easy to embrace beliefs and superstitions that lack logic when we lack understanding. When we experience things that are difficult to accept or explain it is normal to create theories that account for them even if they do not make sense. Superstitious practices are based upon logical conclusions regardless of their accuracy.. Traditionally we fear death and regard passing as a difficult experience and so we do everything possible to postpone the inevitable. We fear the day of reckoning and dread the event. We expect that time to be associated with sorrow and mourning. We learned when to mourn from observing others mourning. Thinking that death is always associated with sadness became a belief. Any traditional belief can become an accepted practice if emotionally embraced.  Remember, emotions are as contagious as cold germs and fear is like a flu.

Memories hold the magic of any moment we choose. Memories themselves have a life of their own. Memories live through "lingering on." We can either decide to bottle them up or allow them to enrich us. When we say that "we don't want to think about it." That may mean that we have yet to create fond memories of the person or experience. Grief is an experience that is usually expressed in direct proportion to the amount of love invested. Suppressing the mention and memories of anyone denies us the opportunity to feel, experience and relive the best moments of the past, even if they are only lessons. The past is relived in the present through (M.I.E.) memory initiated emotions.  No matter how difficult life previously has been it is never to late to make any previous experience educational in some way or another. Regrets only offer us the wrong reasons to remember. By reworking our memories it allows us to imagine and shape things in ways that are comforting even if they were not so. Reliving any moment in time in our minds and making it better the second time around is one of the most powerful abilities we have. It is common for a perspective to change when viewed from a new present mindset as opposed to an old past feeling. How we feel about history affects how we operate in the present and what we expect in the future.  How we feel about and process difficult events over time is an indication of our emotional intelligence or E.Q.

​How do we get through the death experience and do we ever get over it? Can we ever be free of guilt, remorse or regret after such an event? Is it wrong to succumb to the seduction of depression? There are no absolute answers to these questions. There is no shortcut through or around the road of grief. We can package and store it or simply ignore it but eventually we will have to face it. Grief is a process and without confronting grief it is hard to grab hold of relief. However there is also relief through remembrance with renewal. There is joy in our soul if we choose to be free from sadness. Freedom is a state of liberty and power characterized by the absence of restraints. Besides having and maintaining multiple close knit relationships our social circle must cherish and embrace the memories of one another. Closely examining and rearranging the letters in the word "RELIEF" reveals "Re" as in renewal and LIFE resulting in RE-LIFE. It is written, even if not practiced in Christianity, that death is not final. If as Christians we cannot look forward to relief when a love ones passes, we certainly of all people are most miserable. (1 Corinthians 15:19)
​
The problem we have in dealing with people "passing" is that we have the wrong definition of what "passing" really means. We have to understand that we are passengers "passing along" as we "pass through" and continue to "pass out." We like to think when people die (pass) that they "passed away" or "passed on."  What do we think "passed away" implies?  Away, "away where?"  "Passed on"? On, "on to what?" The reality is that we're all "passing along," "passing by" multiple places and experiences as we "pass over" to the next one. Our bodies design is not meant to last forever. We are simply the occupants/passengers of our present body on the way to another. Isn't this the teachings of the Bible found in 1 Corinthians the 15th chapter? So why do we feel so bad when others "pass" before us? Death, although defined as the permanent cessation of an organism, compliments life. Death does not kill the evidence, essence or effect imparted which continues to impact us as long as we give it life.

---

In reality death as we presently define it does not exist. Many people see it as the ultimate termination. 
There is no such thing as a final ultimate end to existence. The fabric of reality has a lot more depth and layers to it then we normally acknowledge. The spirit of water, the energy of thought and the harmony of existence are intangible forces that exist in perpetuity. Maybe this is why we see signs and feel the presence of loved ones who passed long ago. We can acknowledge or deny "spiritual" manifestations but they do exist. It's like the history of germs. Just because we couldn't see them didn't mean they were not there. Think about all of the avoidable deaths from infections caused by the ignorance of doctors. Think of all of the comfort and consolation overlooked, ignored or missed by the ignorance of those left behind. Yes they've moved on and passed through leaving us behind. The sadness we probably should be experiencing should arise from having to catch up to them! Existence itself is perpetual. Whatever "mark" we make is permanent! We cannot help but leave the evidence of our existence. That evidence is in fact the essence of life that lives on in our memories forever. Memories are precious if we celebrate and regard them as such!  Death can be better defined as a separator and memories described as an assembler. There is energy inside memories like packets of data inside our computers. We simply need to open the programs and execute their code. Life goes on. Celebrate the life rather then morn the death. Let's Continue Renewal Through Celebration and Remembering!