Death dying and spirituality: perspectives for your heart

Death dying and spirituality, have an old and familiar relationship.

Experiencing death leads to spirituality for some as they seek answers. For others, their existing spirituality may be tested in the real world when they become ill, or lose someone they love.

Here are some perspectives around death, dying and spirituality that I hope will offer you some peace on your journey to understanding.

Death and dying can accelerate or deepen awakening

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. ”

– Shannon L. Alder

Earth is a spiritual fast-track. Life here is set up to be a series of catalysts. Catalysts can be painful, but they're valuable. Because by responding to catalysts, we discover more deeply, our true nature.

A serious illness can dramatically accelerate a spiritual awakening or the expansion of consciousness. While the catalyst on the surface may be challenging, shocking or sad, the transformation a person experiences during the process can be powerful.

Sometimes, a death will prompt a soul to contract and respond with rage. Other times, to retreat. Eventually, a soul may respond by opening. When that happens, they may find themselves on a spiritual path on which death, dying and spirituality play a part and that's when magic can happen.

A true story of how death, dying and spirituality meet

No one wants to be the one to face their own or another's terminal illness. Yet, millions of people find themselves in this very situation.

I'm thinking of a childhood friend, Jennifer. We were best friends in our teens to our late 20's. When she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, she was 19 years old.

We went our separate ways in our 30's, with some mutual friends. In 2011, she was diagnosed with 4th stage colorectal cancer. With the diagnosis, she went through a spiritual awakening. Literally, she changed her life.

In the last two years of her life, Jen got married. She dramatically changed her family relationships. And, she began to share her story publicly to raise money for cancer research. Hers is a powerful story where death, dying and spirituality intersect.

Jen died in early 2014, but not before touching the hearts of thousands of people and raising millions. A friend of Jen's made the film capturing her journey. Learn about Jen's journey and the film

How death changes people

Perhaps you'd sell your soul to not have to face death, dying and spirituality up close. Perhaps you'd choose to have your life back. Your loved one back. Of course you would. For a time I expect, so would I.

But if this is not possible: what will you do with the life you have?

Facing one's own death has the potential to transform us, right up until the moment we die. Losing a loved one is also potentially transforming. Not only to the person who has the illness, but to all who know them.

Grief can shut us down permanently. Or (in time) it has the potential to open hearts and help others. Think of the souls who become activists after losing a child. Who share their story to help others, and help themselves in the process. Think of the hearts that open, which perhaps, were previously closed.

What's happening when an awakened soul dies?

Imagine a person who lives a life where they encounter many challenges. Gradually and over time, they awaken. They see that life isn't as they had once thought. They seek to know themselves. The universe. They become stronger and happier. They then decide to bring light to others. To share their unique talents with one person, or to thousands.

This person has transformed into a person of great beauty and grace. They serve others from their heart. Life has more colour, more meaning. At last, they are happy. Then they get a terminal illness.

No matter how much they've read about death, dying and spirituality, one may at first wonder what they did wrong. Whether their illness is a sign that they made a mistake. Took the wrong path.

Then they may wonder if they should be fighting the illness like a warrior, or whether it's their time to accept that they're at the end of their life.

They may despair at the fact that not only are they losing their life, they may be losing all that they learned here in this lifetime. And, they may mourn that they aren't able to help as many people as they had hoped.

Why does a light worker die?

When an awakened person conscious of death, dying and spirituality dies themselves, does this mean that the universe is unjust? This is a fair question. For no matter how awakened we are, we cannot escape how grief feels in our body. In fact, if we are sensitive and our heart is quite open, we may feel it all the more.

Here is a perspective on death, dying and spirituality that is a helpful one to consider when someone dies before their time.

What if their physical vessel, their body is simply not strong enough to do the work of their soul. What if their soul has chosen to die now, for a reason. What if they choose to come back to help in a new body that is strong enough.

Like the Death tarot card, a soul may experience a new beginning in this way.

If they are reincarnated back to earth, they'll likely be reunited with their soul group. They will retain their learning and have the strength to complete their soul mission. But because they died before many of their soul group in this lifetime, they will come back as their elder.

In a future lifetime, what if they've set it up to be your elder.

Do you see? Tears mean yes.

Did you know unhealed grief is passed down?

There’s another level to death, dying and spirituality worth exploring. Have you ever felt that you came here to heal something in your family? I have.

Losing loved ones is devastating. Even more so when the deaths are clouded by confusion, secrets and denial. When death is not processed through a spiritual lens that allows for release, it lives on. Playing out for generations to come.

In my intimate memoir Back to the Water, I explore how unhealed grief affected my mother’s family, and me. It took me decades to unravel the cascade of personal effects and what to do about it.

Science is catching up to spiritual teachings – finally!

Over the years, I found psychics, intuitives and channelers that speak about family trauma and family karma. These insights have been helpful to me as I've looked to see death in a spiritual way. And recently I’ve realized that the science is catching up!

The emerging science of epigenetics shows that emotional trauma can be passed down through the DNA, for up for three generations. And pioneers such as Dr. Gabor Mate now speak openly and seek to heal inter-generational trauma.

Unhealed grief related to death, dying and spirituality is very, very elusive to get a hold of. Yet you can do it, if you know what to look for.

In Back to the Water, I tell my story. I wasn't looking to write a “how to” self-help book. It’s a sensory tale, loaded with true moments, shifts and insights. I have released the grief I inherited from previous generations of my family. And I humbly believe that sharing my story can help others shift too (even if your story is different than mine).

If books tend not to go deep enough for you, you might like it. Read my Amazon reviews so far. Nuff said.

Have you befriended death as part of life?

Here on earth, we have death phobia. There are entire industries dedicated to taking our money so we can deny it, control it or at least delay it as long as possible. But death will have its way. And our rigid denial of it's truth will ensure that the unhealed grief is passed on generation to generation, life afer life, until it's acknowledged fully.

If we're to understand life, we need to understand death dying and spirituality and collectively begin to see death as a natural part of the cycle on earth.

Death is the one thing all of us share. We must learn how to deal with death, not by avoiding it, but by embracing its mystery. By allowing its very presence to expand our consciousness, and open our hearts while we live.

Are you sensing death dying and spirituality in a new way?

Take me to:

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Discover Back to the Water – My intimate memoir explores the unhealed grief in my family, and how I pieced it together and let it go. And it's also a Love Letter for those who feel they're the Odd Ducks in the family...

Spiritual awakening symptoms – Here are more awakening symptoms to consider as you explore.

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