When someone close to you passes away, the absolute finality of that loss can be breathtaking.
That person (or pet) simply is not in existence anymore. You might see their lifeless body but it does not move or make a sound anymore. They are simply no longer with us. I have experienced this with both my parents, grandmother and stepfather at the end of their physical lives, along with several beloved animals. Yet if you believe in spirituality, you will feel that your loved one’s spirit lives on and remains with you, out of reach but there in the background, (and sometimes in a dream in the foreground) bonded by love.
All the ancient faith pathways in the world, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism etc believe in a life force existing beyond what we humans perceive in our three-dimensional material world. The spirit or soul that animates humans and sentient animals, is invisible to us; but it is an energy that many believe is eternal and moves to another realm when our earthly life has ended.
In an interesting and controversial study published in 1907, an American physician, Duncan MacDougall, attempted to measure the weight of six patients at the moment of death to prove that the soul or spirit leaves the body and is in the form of matter. Although rejected by the scientific community on the grounds of his experiment being flawed and unscientific, MacDougall claimed the soul weighs 21 grams. Immediately after death, he declared the body was 21 grams lighter.
Did the soul rise to its eternal home?
Many 21st century philosophers and non-denominational thinkers on metaphysical matters suggest that the spirit is an energy; that the whole of existence is a form of energy; and that energy may, or may not, have a divine origin. That is a matter of personal faith, along with your belief about a possible soul or spirit. It is a given: along with life comes death, and the loss of loved ones we will all experience in different ways.
For those that are grieving, having a strong foundational belief as to what happens to the soul post-death can provide comfort, from living on as energy, or living in another life plane, such as Heaven. Grief is the emotional response to the loss of something important, including when a loved one dies. A bond of love or affection seems to have ended with the ending of that life. If you believe in a spiritual life though, the energy of that person or pet—their spiritual essence—continues to exist, only in a metaphysical way. Love never dies and you are truly never alone.
This belief can soften the blow of loss. Whether you feel you have a relationship with God, or gods, or the Universe, your own spiritual outlook can buoy you up at times of great sadness on the loss of an important living thing that really matters to you. Our lives are enriched and given meaning in our relationships with loved ones.
How Can Loved Ones Appear To Us Beyond The Physical
Loved ones can appear in dreams, and there can be what´s known as “synchronicities” in our daily lives—signs and clear suggestions that the lives of spirits are connecting with us. An unexplained instance of coincidence, a song on the radio, an overheard conversation, a shared theme in your TV viewing, a providential encounter with a friend or stranger. Things that remind you of your loved one, things that bring them closer to you.
In figures from Pew Research, more than half of US adults (53%) say they have been visited by a dead family member in a dream or some other way in the past year. More than a third, (34%) have “felt the presence” of a dead relative. Such surveys provide compelling evidence that spirits live on and that we interact, beyond end-of-life stages, with significant others.
While grief is a real process that each of us handles in our own way, having a sense of a spiritual life can assuage the sadness and void of finality and loss.
Ways To Find Meaning & Connection
It may be that you light a candle for a departed loved one at church or synagogue; it may be that you pray before bed for peace in the world and for your departed loved ones. You might even talk aloud a little to your departed loved one at their grave, (or in the car or kitchen), and feel heard. Whatever your ritual in grief, you are never alone.
So, if you are in a bereaved state, don´t be distressed. In my humble opinion, your loved one is around you whether you know it now, or not, and if you are open-minded and open-hearted about a spiritual life, a whole other level of interaction is available to you, to take your blues away.
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