PT: Thoughts on Death

What are your thoughts on Death?

Today is the memorial day of my grandfather’s passing on my mom’s side. I was not close to him, although he did help raise me in my early years. His memorial sparked my thoughts on what death means to me.

Idea of Physical Death

When people talk about physical death, I believe people mainly talk about the physical death of someone. Perhaps people think of death as this permanent thing because the person is no longer on this physical plane of existence. If someone cannot physically be around us how they used to interact with our physical existence then they must be gone. I would pose another thought. I believe that people are most saddened because they can no longer connect with the person’s essence - this could be called the soul or their life force. 

Idea of Soul

When I talk about the soul or life force in regards to death, I mean that we are so used to finding the person’s essence where their body is. This would make sense then why we get so saddened when it is no longer in this familiar place. I take the stance that we are all beings of energy and that our bodies are merely a holding place for such energy. Following this logic then I would say that when we die, it is truly our essence/ energy that is leaving our bodies and moving back into the universe. This can be called heaven, purgatory, the universe, the void, etc… 

Idea of Death

So what happens when we die? I believe our energy is now collected in the universe and that those we love and cherish are now free to be with us in whatever way they want. People often talk about how they see the dead in moments when they need comfort. This can be in the form of perhaps a loved ones embrace as we feel a warmth around our shoulders as we hear them telling us to keep moving forward and that everything will be okay. Perhaps it is in a dream where a loved one causes us to have a nightmare to keep us away from a terrible decision.

If we take this stance on death, and believe that the body is simply a collection of atoms that are bound by our essence then when people die they are allowed to be with us forever. I suppose then, that death is some form of freedom for our energy, but who gets to decide when, how, and why? This I would leave to the universe to decide. Obviously, we should all take precautions to ensure that we are not hastening our end without fulfilling some purpose in this life. Every life and day is a gift for our souls to learn, develop, and make the universe a better place. 

When my father-in-law passed away this year in February it was a sad time. I was sad as we had just started to really have a relationship because we could communicate better and I am grateful for the time I got to have a relationship with him. When he had officially passed, I believed and still believe that he could finally be at peace and now he could be with us like he wanted to. He always wanted to come to the U.S. and live with us, but there were limitations mentally and physically that barred them from coming. Now he can be on every car ride, every restaurant outing, and share every laugh and joyous moment with us.

With the spirit and energy of those who we love who have now past we can be empowered and emboldened to live the life they would want for us. I believe this is how we honor those who have gone. Holding onto their memories and using their life force to push us to be better people for the world. In this way, they live through us and we carry on their legacy. I believe this is why I love how different cultures honor and remember their “dead”. I believe it is a way to pay honor and respect to those who have come before us and helped us get to where we are now. 

What are your beliefs about death and the soul? When you answer this question for yourself, make sure as always you are answering for yourself.

Remember, that those who have gone from this physical plane are never really gone. They are simply not where you remember them to be, but they are always in your heart.