By: Geoff Brooke
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2223/the-daily-guardian/15
Dated: March 29th, 2025
Fears and phobias prevent us from living life on our terms. Some of these are deeply engrained, are termed as primal fears, and do not discriminate because of nationality or religion. Primordial fears are deeply rooted in the psyche, and include: fear of darkness, heights, predators, isolation, and death.
Of these, death is one of the biggest fears of human beings. Even if some are not afraid of death itself, they confess to a fear of the dying process, or of the unknown, that is, what happens next? In earlier years, death was a more intimate and often comforting experience. It took place at home, and friends and family were often gathered together, whereas now, many take their last breath in a clinical hospital environment. However, it is these very hospitals that have inadvertently provided the wherewithal to provide insights into the mysteries of death.
In 1975, Dr Raymond Moody, a professor of Psychology, published a book called ‘Life After Life’ that became an instant bestseller. It was a book based on the experiences of hundreds of people who had experienced near death, or out of the body experiences, that is, those who had clinically died but were revived and came back to tell of what they had seen and the experiences they had. These experiences had only been possible to recount in such great numbers because of modern medical techniques. These new medical advances made it possible to resuscitate patients who were ‘dead.’ However, the medical personnel involved in the procedure were the very ones who dismissed the testimonials as simply physiological phenomena. Dr Moody’s book has sold over 13 million copies and was scathingly received by the medical profession.
The experiences of so many, who had up until the interviews been very wary of sharing their experiences because of sceptical reactions, showed what the ancients had long understood; that when leaving the body, most people, after a brief feeling of shock, enter into an overwhelming feeling of deep and often exhilarating peace. The most important factor, especially for those in the west, was that if on leaving the body, one could actually see one’s body below on the bed, the question arises: who am I? Clearly not the body. The second factor is that if I am not the body, then I am eternal; I do not, and never will, die. There is no death.
It was this book that drew me to look for the answers that led me to learn meditation. It is in meditation that we can experience this same peace and stability, by letting go of the awareness of the body. The eternal spirit, or soul, is full of peace; peacelessness is caused by our lives in the physical realm. One of the other aspects of Raymond Moody’s book is that in the west, the idea of reincarnation was strange, and not talked about, whereas in the east it was an underlying truth; the soul goes on into other physical bodies, to other physical experiences. The book paved the way for the belief in reincarnation to become more commonly talked about in the west and for respected research into the subject.
It is important to balance our physical life experiences with spirituality. To maintain the awareness that this role is temporary – there will be others. To remain conscious of being a soul on a spiritual journey is key to alleviating any difficult situations or relationships.
Larry V. Hedges is a researcher in statistical methods for meta-analysis, involved in the advanced training of psychotherapists. He cites seven deadly fears of human beings: the fear of being alone, of connecting, of being abandoned, of self-assertion, of lack of recognition, of failure and success, and of being fully alive. If I am conscious of being a spiritual entity living a physical experience, then all of these fears have far less of an impact. Practising meditation daily, maintaining an awareness of the eternal qualities of the soul, keeping a connection with the source of all spiritual power, renders death and dying as just the beginning of the next adventure. If along with meditation, I develop spiritual principles that I am able to put into practice in all my encounters with others, then the next adventure will be one filled with love, peace, and joy.
Geoff Brooke is a Graphic Designer, Animator, and Visual Effects artist. who currently spends his time helping in projects at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Mount Abu as well as one of the retreat centres in Australia.
