Thoughts of Mortality at the Beginning of the Year

If there is one strange subject matter I am interested in, I’m sure you will freak out once you hear it. It is one topic that almost everybody does not want to talk about. As far back as I can remember, I am fascinated with stories about death and dying. This statement is not a death wish, I assure you. The truth is, I have an oozing zest for life right now, and I don’t intend to cut it short any time soon. For many, death is the end of life or everything for that matter. This subject is taboo that nobody dares to touch. Many people would rather leave this matter out in the cold. 

When I was in my twenties, I had this weird “notion” that I would die at the age of thirty. I had no idea where this “information” came from or who fed it to me. This paranoia got stuck in my psyche like a buzzing insect that kept on hovering around. Celebrating my birthdays was not my favorite moment as it only reminded me of my impending end. I confided this secret to a friend who offered me a more profound explanation. She told me that the “death” I had embraced was not the physical death but a transition to a different life. She suggested that 30 is the crucifixion age, around the same age as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. She advised me to get ready for more challenges in life instead. And I thanked her for offering me that kind of insight, a perspective that I never thought of before. Now I am 46. I am still alive. I survived the crucifixion.

My fascination with death begins with a question I know I could not even fathom. It is an enigma that nobody is able to solve since the dawn of human civilization: “What goes beyond death?” From the spiritual standpoint, this puzzle has found answers in the Holy Bible. But, it rests upon a person’s faith in unlocking this conundrum.  In my effort to quench my thirst for clues, I turned to books. Hoping that a ray of understanding will shine on me, I have amassed books that dealt with death and dying. 

The first book I read was Elisabeth Kubler Ross’ “On Death and Dying.” Then I started reading Betty Eady’s “Embraced By The Light.” The list continues that I have this entire shelf devoted to this genre. Some of my favorite titles are: “Heaven is for Real,” “90 Minutes in Heaven,” “Dying To Be Me,” and “Proof of Heaven” among others. Yet, the book which impressed me the most was Raymond Moody’s best-selling “Life After Life.”

I never missed the chance of watching Netflix’s “Surviving Death” when it streamed on January 6. It is a docuseries, based on a book of the same title by Leslie Kean, with six episodes. Each of the episodes touches on a topic related to the afterlife. I immediately watched the first two episodes and got hooked right away. The documentary offers a lot of information to viewers not familiar with the topic. In my case, I have read them all from books and some from the internet. But, the visuals and the narratives of the documentary kept me glued to my seat. And for that I would not hesitate to give this show a commendation. 

The first episode deals with Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) from a scientific perspective. Dr. Bruce Greyson, a medical doctor and psychiatrist, provided explanations on this phenomenon. His insights are well-researched and backed up by data on the nature of consciousness. Dr. Greyson works at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS). His fascination with NDEs began with his own patient who reported the same phenomena. In episode 6, another expert from DOPS shared his scientific study on reincarnation. Dr. Jim Tucker deals with child psychiatry and memories of past lives among children. The cases of children who reported on their past lives make a very interesting episode. Dr. Tucker validated those details they gave using the scientific approach. The results are quite shocking and convincing. Viewers who do not believe in reincarnation will frown on this episode that’s for sure. But the compelling findings of the study will make them think otherwise.

Episodes 2 and 3 discussed the possibility of communication with the departed ones. It featured different individuals trying to cope with and move on from the death of a loved one. I couldn’t help but to sympathize with their stories of grief over the sudden demise of a beloved. In their quest for answers, they resorted to mediums to contact their dead relatives. I found these two episodes a bit eery but I kept a dash of skepticism whether the mediums were real or quack. My heart went out to the survivors as they struggled to make sense out of their loss through seances. 

The stories in the fourth episode made me teary-eyed. It narrates stories of people and the signs they received from their loved ones on the other side. One striking anecdote is that of a daughter who requested her dying mother to come back in the form of a rare bird. Soon after the funeral, a red cardinal appeared from nowhere and perched on the woman’s hand. The bird lingered for a longer time than they expected, a touching event captured by a video. A visit by a departed loved one is sometimes accompanied by flickering lights. The more popular sign include the appearance of a butterfly. In some cases, you will smell a familiar scent associated with the person who passed away. I have some personal experiences with the last two. 

The second to the last installment is reminiscent of the movie “The Sixth Sense.” It tells of dying people who had seen their departed loved ones before crossing over to the other side themselves. While on the brink of death, they would get help as they transition from here to the afterlife. 

In the end, the answer to the question “Is there an afterlife?” remains elusive. But one does not need to go somewhere else for answer. It lies deep within our heart, at the very core of our spirituality and faith. Death is not the end. This conviction may come as a soothing reassurance when death hovers around us in the midst of the pandemic. It buzzes in our ears like a pesky insect that never goes away.

Photo by brunetto ziosi on Unsplash