Words of Comfort: Lorna Byrne

Mystic and author Lorna Byrne describes a profound near-death experience (NDE) that she had in her book "A Message of Hope from the Angels."  According to her, our deceased loved ones continue to be a part of our lives just as much as they ever were, maybe even more:

"I know one of the reasons people fear death is that they are concerned about those they will leave behind.  At the moment of death, you will realize that you can do much more for those you love in Heaven than you can ever do for them on this earth.  I know this is hard to understand.  When a soul has gone to Heaven, it is in a position to intercede with God in a much more powerful way, on behalf of family and loved ones, than it could when it was here on earth."

Beliefs About the Afterlife: the Ancient Egyptians

Sam Tetrault, a contributing writer for Cake, has an article about the ancient Egyptians and their beliefs in the afterlife.   For historical reference, most historians regard the "ancient" period of Egypt as lasting from circa 3100 B.C.E. (when the first pharaohs reigned) to 332 B.C.E. (when Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great).  Tetrault points out that death was not something the ancient Egyptians were afraid of:

"[The] Egyptians didn’t have much fear surrounding death. Because death meant continuing on to the afterlife, which was very similar to the life they knew—this wasn’t a reason to be sad. Daily life in ancient Egypt focused on living to the fullest, whether that meant joining festivals, gaining wealth, or appreciating moments with friends and family."

One aspect of Tetrault's article that I find particularly intriguing is the concept of a confession and "final judgement", which predates the beginnings of the great monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam):

"The first stop for departed souls is to the Hall of Truths. This is where they wait in line for judgment from Osiris, the god of the afterlife. In front of Osiris and the Forty-Two Judges, the soul makes what’s known as their Negative Confessions. This is a list of 42 sins one can commit against one’s self, the gods, or others....From there, the judges discuss the confession and present the heart to Osiris. It’s weighed on a scale against the feather of truth. If the heart is lighter than the feature, the soul goes to the afterlife."

Many other interesting facts and tidbits in Tetrault's article, including the Egyptians' belief that not burying a body would cause that person to return as a ghost!

Videos That Have Have Helped: Timothy Ward's View on the Secret of Life

For the last several months, I've been following Timothy Ward's YouTube channel.  Tim has a lot of interesting content exploring minimalism, nomadic life, overcoming addiction, and discussing the state of our culture and society.  He just posted a new video: "I Think I Just Stumbled Across the Secret to Life."   Tim points out that, yes, life usually isn't easy or fair.  We will have setbacks and losses.  But he also points out that life can be more like an adventure, or an exciting journey, or a treasure hunt, if we approach life with the right attitude.  My words don't really do Tim's words justice -- go ahead and watch the 15-minute video in its entirety.  For those of you who are feeling "stuck" in life while you're grieving (and believe me, I've been there numerous times!)  Tim's words sound like a good friend giving you an encouraging and motivational pep talk.  While he doesn't explicitly discuss grief and losing loved ones, I think there are many applicable points here for those of us who are depressed and grief-stricken could use.

Philosophy of Dying: Seneca - Part II

There was another quote from Mustapha Itani's article on Seneca that I think is worth mentioning, and that has to do with the memories we have of loved ones who have died, especially if they've passed away recently.  Again, Seneca addresses his friend Marcia, who lost her son at a young age:

"Then, Seneca states that it is an awful choice not to consider the entirety of [Marcia's] son’s life, and focus only on the tragic ending: 'you pay no attention to the pleasure you have had in your son’s society and your joyful meetings with him, the sweet caresses of his babyhood, the progress of his education: you fix all your attention upon that last scene of all.'”

After reading this, I realize that many of us who are grieving, including myself, might be better off heeding Seneca's advice.  When we lost someone we loved dearly, we tend to focus on our final moments with them, especially if those memories were extremely stressful and/or sorrowful.  As a consequence, we tend to bury or forget the memories of all the good times we had with them, which in all likelihood greatly outnumber the sad or negative memories.  As day-to-day life slowly becomes more manageable for me, I'm putting more effort in to remember the numerous good times I had with my mother and Carter and Milton.