Dying to be Born: The Complete Journey Between Death and Birth

By Jhani

Have you ever asked “What happens when I die?” or thought “Do I continue on?” Discover how reincarnation works and how it can dispel the fears about death and the after-life. From the experience of ‘My life flashed before me’, to understanding the ‘heaven-like’ state presented by religions to choosing your future parents – these are all part of the ‘seven important stages of transition’.
Learn how you can prepare – now – for the exciting journey of life after death. Curious? Being prepared, knowing what to expect and recognizing how to work with the new energies, can build you an easier passage through death and beyond.

By acknowledging the touches of the subtle-worlds, the transition into these realms will be eased and the environment more comfortable. Recognizing and developing skills in this life such as observing subtle actions, honouring intuitive feelings, being aware of non-verbal communication and finding nature’s beauty are just a few of the helpful perceptions into the subtle world condition.

Just as there are ‘helpers’ in this life, so there are a myriad of helpers ‘on the other side’ waiting to assist the traveler. From the light-filled tunnel pointing the way, to spirit-guides who help with wisdom learning, the higher worlds are eager for you to learn and transition. The book graphically paints a picture of each of the unique realms that are traversed while on this journey of reincarnation. Each stage, with a unique setting, assists us to grow and gain the wisdom that can be carried into the future in the chalice of achievements.

The book also weighs-in on some controversial issues that may differ from a mundane perspective – like why we have developed such a fear death, channeling, abortion, suicides and, children that choose parents long before pregnancy.

No matter what your beliefs or perceptions, this book may well stretch your reality and raise your interest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9780988139008

Book preview

Author

WHY THIS BOOK?

Some 30 years ago, I was fortunate enough to be working at an extremely exciting alternative, private school for very young children. I soon discovered that parents who choose to pay for their children’s education are, perhaps unsurprisingly, unusually interested in their offspring. While interacting with young moms, some of whom had two or three youngsters, I had the opportunity to see life through both the eyes of parents and their children.

In my time at the school, I became intrigued by the accumulation of wisdom carried by two- to seven-year-olds, and struck by the perception held by parents whose children, of the same sex and born just a slim year apart, with similar upbringings, could be so markedly different.

For example, I recall two girls, then in their fourth and fifth years, who were born in the same house to the same parents, with much the same friends, yet they exhibited dramatically different core attributes and attitudes. The first girl was interested in nature, and spent much time in the yard sloshing happily around in boots, while the other was Ms. Fashion – hair-do’s, beads, and glitter were her focus. I also remember one gentle child who, at the age of six, brokered peace treaties on the playground, using his own form of conflict mediation.

Having studied Eastern philosophies for a number of years, and being quite aware of reincarnation, it appeared clear to me that these children were not ‘blank slates’ to be written on, but youngsters who had brought with them, into this lifetime, unique attributes and talents. Occasionally, when this possibility was brought to their attention, a few parents would make the connection to a previous life existence. Most however were not interested in making the association, or even became indignant at the notion, replying, That’s just the way it is.

Now, after 40 years of study and personal experience of the subtle realms, I have become absolutely convinced that our current situations are a direct outcome of our previous lives. Having had undeniable experiences of being alive in differing eras, I have become intrigued at what happens between death and the next life. While there is a wealth of information available to the seeker, one must burrow deeply into the matter, as Western society generally does not promote the exploration of death, despite the writings of some of our greatest thinkers.

It is a secret of the world that all things subsist and so not die, but only retire a little from sight and afterwards return again… Nothing is dead; men feign themselves dead, and endure mock funerals and mournful obituaries, and there they stand looking out of the window, sound and well, in some new and strange disguise.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In my research into the time-between, I have come to understand that birth and death are two ends of the same circle, with birth simply a reversal of the death process. The entire death-to-birth-to-death rotation is as exceedingly beautiful in its symmetry as it is cyclical in its nature. As I have researched and written about what is important in the afterlife, I have been astonished at how much is mirrored in life. How we discover who we are, and how we position ourselves through our physical journey, has direct bearing on the time-between.

Having understood the in-between structure more completely, I have come to recognize the composition of the afterlife worlds as an opportunity to hone who we truly are as we traverse into rebirth. My understanding has been reinforced by my life-long experiences, that include ‘touches’ from the subtle and fiery worlds, with intuitive insights into life’s purpose. I have learned that the many stages we all go through, be it in the physical or spirit worlds, are intended to provide spirit-growth through learning that becomes inner wisdom.

The curious who care to investigate this area themselves will find a vast amount of material to support the search. As with fitting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle without a finished picture, the gathering of this information into a cohesive whole can become confusing. Potentially useful information can often be fragmented, dispersed across diverse philosophies and academic and scientific research. Collected information can become difficult to compile under one umbrella, as the terminology for the same concept may vary substantially, with many of the concepts being shrouded in apparent mystery. Add to this life’s many blinds, ranging from restrictive religious dogmas and the overarching fear most people have of death, to the disregard of personal insights or experiences, and the simple shortage of time. In the face of these obstacles, many opportunities for deeper comprehension of the subtle realms are lost.

The goal of this work is to create a unified picture, so that diverse information from your own life experiences can fit into that inclusive picture. It is my hope that this global view, of life and beyond, can provide a guiding framework for the journeying soul and that this material will be as helpful to the new mother assisting a soul to enter the world, as it is to the dying person who is leaving the familiar and entering new realms.

The framework that follows, like all structures, is not a panacea for the spirit-journey, but becomes just one facet of the crystal of knowledge – one way of observing our journey into infinity.

BEAUTIFUL PERFECTION

Death is a part of all our lives. Whether we like it or not, it is bound to happen. Instead of avoiding thinking about it, it is better to understand its meaning.

HH Dalai Lama

Why not be knowledgeable and prepared for death and rebirth? If one was going to present a talk on a little-known subject, it would not be wise to research the material a few days before, or leaf madly through notes while actually giving the presentation. Moving through life with no thought given to the inevitability of the next stage of experience is not a great idea, yet most do just that.

When I occasionally chat with people on the subject of impending death, comments such as, when it’s over, it’s over – there is nothing beyond, or I’ll think about that when I am dying, or the popular variation, I don’t want to think about that right now are typical. I very seldom hear the words, Yes, I’m ready – I know what’s next.

This reluctance to approach the subject is mainly based on fear.

Why We Fear Death

I’m not afraid to die; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.

Woody Allen

The subject of death is most often met with avoidance, humor, or denial. In most cases, fear will be the core motivation. Fears of death run the gamut – fear that the personality ceases to exist, fear of going to hell, fear of the unknown, fear that the entire physical existence that is central to our person is overturned, fear of leaving loved ones behind, fear of many other things – when it comes to the subject of death, fear is the motivator!

Throughout life in the West, one is told implicitly and explicitly to be afraid of, or at least avoid dealing with, death. Almost nowhere in Western society does death have a voice. Dying becomes something that happens to other people and at a later stage in life. Contemplation of death is seen as morbid and is to be avoided. Filled with mystery and uncertainty, the whole matter is to be rejected. As W. Somerset Maugham put it so succinctly, Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.

Seen as a heavy fate, incongruent to life, death hangs over the human consciousness like the blade of a cosmic guillotine.

While religions have traditionally been the sources of validation for the spiritual hereafter, most religious leaders carry little understanding of the journey of the soul. Repeating empty dogmatic formulae of heaven and eternal rest, they present a soporific that masks the true journey of the soul. Bereft of knowledge, they only further the bewilderment of people looking for guidance. With fundamental questions left unanswered, the psyche fills the void with strangeness. For many, the image of an afterlife is one filled with hobgoblins, hell-fire, nothingness, or angelic vapors.

A clear statement of death, a concise explanation of the journey of the soul, is almost never given.

Most funeral services I have attended have left me saddened at the lack of knowledge surrounding the death process. While mumbling incomprehensible concepts of death, participants mainly mourn the demise of the physical body. If the church really believed in the continuation of the spirit, funerals would be a celebration. If the service could be seen clairvoyantly, then it is most likely that the soul of the dead person (a ghost) would be in attendance at the service. Imagine how supportive a congregation could be in sending love and light for a clear passage for the transitioning entity!

Churches aren’t the only culprits. From the earliest days of childhood, a systemic fear of life after death has been built into a denial of ‘other worlds’. When children express an unusual perception, such as having an invisible playmate, they are told that’s not real or when a child gets scared at night by a vision, they are told, There’s nothing there. When a family member dies, the euphemisms of ‘he has passed over’, or ‘he is in the arms of God’, become the platitudinous answers for the child’s searching questions. Adults, not having a clear understanding themselves, provide a messy, confusing perception of the afterlife for young ones. The answers given can prove incongruous for a very young child who may clearly see a deeper and differing reality.

By the time these same children become teenagers, they are bombarded with ugly after-death images of malicious ghosts, bloodthirsty vampires, and wicked werewolves that are meant to scare and stimulate the viewer’s desire body. Later in life, in adult discussion, expressions like ‘you only live once’, ‘no one has come back from the grave’, and ‘when you’re dead, you’re dead’, are imbedded as the linguistic framework for spirit understanding. These are not particularly stimulating images to be carried in the psyche!

Still later in life, when faced with the impending specter of death, older or ill people look to healthcare professionals for guidance. While skilled at and dedicated to preserving life, they only reinforce society’s position that death must be defeated at all cost. To cling to life becomes all-important, even when a full life has been lived and the body is worn out. Death is seen as a medical failure, rather than a step in the soul’s journey. In my hospice work I have encountered people who refuse to have a DNR (do not resuscitate) order in their rooms. Even though the body fails, the dying person, ever fearful, will not let go of the physical form. Such an attitude causes stress for all, but ironically is especially harmful for the dying person.

Ken Murray, a doctor based at the University of Southern California, has described an imaginary (but oh-so common) scenario in which someone has lost consciousness and been admitted to an emergency room. As is so often the case, no one has made a plan for this situation, and shocked and scared family members find themselves caught up in a maze of choices. They’re overwhelmed. When doctors ask if they want everything done, they answer yes. Then the nightmare begins. Sometimes, a family really means "do everything! but often they just mean ‘do everything that’s reasonable’. The problem is they may not know what’s reasonable, nor, in their confusion and sorrow, will they have the presence of mind to ask, or to truly hear what a physician may be telling them. Murray concludes, that doctors told to do everything" will do so, whether it is reasonable or not.

The fact is, since it is almost always presented as an unpleasant subject, there is little incentive to become informed about death. Having said this, one might expect science to step up in an area where organized religion has so clearly let us down. Unfortunately, while offering growing insights into rarified matter through quantum physics, science generally offers little support for the existence of spirit-energy. There are few scientists interested in carrying out research that might shed some empirical light on the after-death experience. Add to this the widespread and growing belief that nothing exists after physical death and there are, unfortunately, some harmful misperceptions regarding the journey ahead.

Happily, in spite of all this, there is a plethora of pertinent knowledge that can provide guideposts for the death-rebirth journey, information and insights that can help dispel our fears of the unknown. This information reveals a process that is a reflection of the cosmic pattern itself, a journey that is inspiringly magnificent, one to be joyously anticipated rather than feared.

Drawing on ancient writings and Buddhist scriptures, supported by the results of controlled clinical studies into past-lives, combined with my own direct experiences, an integrated reality begins to emerge. Exhibiting perfect symmetry, the process of rebirth tells of an exacting and balanced environment that promotes learning and wisdom at every stage.

When we understand that the life-energy is continually being reborn then our approach to both life and death will be transformed. When the process of being born, dying, and being reborn is seen as no more remarkable than the act of breathing in and out, then fear of the gates of death can be dispelled. Let us not be frightened by breathing out after breathing in. Let us set aside the poor advisor of fear, and embrace reality.

REINCARNATION

The Foundation

The substance of this book is based on the premise that reincarnation is a fundamental law of the universe, as axiomatic as gravity or karma. Universal laws, though meagerly understood by science, govern existence both on this planet and in other star systems. The law of reincarnation, in whatever shape the monad¹ takes, provides a vehicle for the seed of the monad to comprehend and embrace the laws of the universe to become a co-creator.

Such large concepts are intellectually difficult to grasp – they can, like infinity, only truly be comprehended by the heart. This explains the two divergent views of reincarnation. The world is essentially divided into those who, having lived many times, either consciously or unconsciously, can embrace or entertain the concept, and those who, settled in intellect and Newtonian science, discard the notion as pure conjecture.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Shakespeare, Hamlet

I clearly side with the Bard. The concept of reincarnation forms the core of this book. If incongruent with the reader, then these writings may not be of interest.

A Reincarnation Perspective

People who have had first-hand experiences of events ‘beyond the rational’, will most likely be comfortable with an expanded view of life, one that embraces the possibility of reincarnation. So too will those who follow the leading edge of scientific discovery, where the boundaries of reality are constantly being stretched. Even those who review - in depth - the common view of spirit-energy that runs through many religions, will find endorsement of reincarnation.

Religion’s View

Most religions have a built-in failure mechanism to accurately report information. Many religions have been established for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Their doctrines were often set down from memory, in writing, many generations after the founder’s death. The resultant scriptures have been revised, rewritten, and translated many times. Direct personal experience of the divine was replaced by beliefs, and beliefs became encrusted with dogma. While a few religions have maintained close roots to their originator, most have morphed far from their beginnings. Such digressions can be seen even in groups that have been established for less than a hundred years. Experiences and subsequent beliefs about life after death and reincarnation are not exempt from such distortion.

Most religions have a central figure or guiding principle that generated a new cult – Gautama the Buddha, Moses, Jesus the Christ, Lao-tzu, and Mohammed, to name a few. These founders all had direct spirit-experience, experiences that led them to urge humanity to refocus its gaze from solely physical existence to an expanded view of life – a message that often included setting down laws and behaviors appropriate for the time.

"Every saint who has penetrated to the core of reality has testified that a divine universal plan exists, and that it is