The hardest moments in life are when we lose the people we love. The loss we feel can't easily be expressed, especially when we are in the darkest depths of our grief. Even after we slowly begin the journey of healing and start to work through our despair, words rarely do justice to the memory of the person we lost or manage to describe how we felt.
The death of a loved one can often be the first time many of us begin to question the nature of life and death. Is death the end? Did our loved one suffer at their time of passing? Does consciousness survive physical death? Is there somewhere we go after death? Will we be reunited with our loved ones when our time comes? All of these questions have been asked since the dawn of time, yet we still do not have concrete evidence that consciousness survives physical death. But what if that is the point? Perhaps loss is an essential ingredient of the human experience that our souls cannot experience in any other way. Perhaps we are not meant to discover concrete proof of life after death or maybe our early 21st Century science is not sufficiently advanced enough to unlock these secrets... yet.
Wanting answers is natural. Imagine the comfort we would find if we knew for sure that we will meet our loved ones again. It certainly wouldn't take away the pain of losing someone, but it might be enough to see us through until our time comes. However, as much as we want answers, we have to resign ourselves to the fact that we may never know for sure. The very nature of life after death is elusive, subjective and ethereal.
Although answers in a scientific or absolute way may not be possible, our own spiritual practice can offer us glimpses and confirmation of our spiritual nature. Meditation is one of the most powerful and empowering methods of discovering the nature of consciousness and connection to those who have passed. Reading and listening to other people's experiences is another.
Man's earliest ancestors reported Near Death Experiences (NDEs). Even the Bible records stories of what we would term today as NDEs. Very few people in biblical times would have survived long enough to tell other people about their glimpses of heaven. Today, however, the number of people who report an NDE continues to increase. Medical advances have made what would have been fatal conditions or accidents, survivable, and in some cases, have become routine medical procedures.
It is estimated that near-death experiences are reported by five percent of the adult American population. According to IANDS (the International Association for Near-Death Studies), surveys conducted in the USA, Australia and Germany suggest that between 4 to 15% of the global population, which means over one billion people alive today may have experienced an NDE. The phenomenon of NDEs isn't going away. As the number of people reporting NDEs continues to grow, so does our urgency and desire to understand what is really going on.
One of those to report an NDE is Micky Havelock. In 2014, Micky's heart stopped. As emergency room staff moved into overdrive, Mickey was blissfully unaware of the commotion going on around her, but rather than panicking or feeling scared, unknown to the doctors treating her, she was enjoying the calmest, yet most exhilarating experience of her life.
Whilst lying unconscious, Mickey met her husband, Iain, who had died four years earlier after a six year battle with cancer. Guided by him, she met up with other loved ones and learned about life 'on the other side'. In many ways, Micky's experience could be considered a typical NDE, however, her long road to recovery following her heart attack wasn't an easy path. The implications of what she had experienced and learned, as well as her personal battle with grief, guilt, homesickness, shame and rejection, were the unexpected road to self-discovery that changed her life forever.
Micky Havelock's book, Dying to See You, tells her personal story of her NDE. Her emotional, informative and motivational story of self-discovery and growth is inspirational, heartwarming and informative. For anyone who has lost a loved one or are struggling to find a purpose or motivation, this book is highly recommended.
Her story helps to provide comfort as well as explain our connection to the universe in a down to earth and sensible way that makes sense from the outset.
While it isn't possible for all of us to experience our own NDE, learning from the experience of others is the next best thing.
Mickey's book, Dying to See You, is available from Amazon now in the US, UK and internationally HERE.
Comentários