This blog appeared in Motovaded Magazine (page 27) March 15, 2016

What happens when we die?  Do we really know?  Has anyone really spoken to someone who is deceased and said definitively, yes, there is an afterlife?

Ok, there are a lot more questions about death and dying than just three.  But think about it. These questions have taunted and captivated the minds of mankind for centuries.  Some believe they have answers while most of us wonder what really happens.  How many of us know someone who died and came back and told us what it was like?  Exactly!!

So how do we really know?

The bible talks of death and refers to is as Sheol or Hades.  Pretty scary stuff. This “stuff” gets transferred or converted (perverted) into some form of religious belief and we end up with heaven, hell, purgatory, rebirth, past lives or nothing … but what really makes sense? Does any of it make sense?

What I am going to share with you is what I have found to be true for me.  It certainly is not based on some of the religious doctrines I was taught, some of which my family still believe and hold fast to.  I also want to make sure that I am not speaking negatively about what they or anyone else believe in.  We all have our reasons for believing certain things and I definitely have mine.

A few years ago in the not too distant past, I was the host of a radio program called Inner Power. It became an anchor for me personally as I was able to learn from some of the greatest minds and thought leaders of our time.   I was privileged to have had people like Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Barbara DeAngelis, Jack Canfield and many others on my show.  They pushed my boundaries, my belief system, made me think and see past the doctrines and limitations imposed by religious upbringing.  My mind was stretched in ways I could not have imagined.

Everyone I interviewed was great on so many levels, yet if I was to choose one that truly rocked my world, who made me have a proverbial paradigm shift, it would be  Dr. Michael Newton.  Guess what his topic was? What happens when we die.  I was so fascinated by his work that I invited him to be on my show twice to share his stories.  He’s written several books but the first one to really ‘grab’ me was Journey of Souls, Case Studies of Life Between Lives.

This is the book I can honestly say changed my way of thinking which in turn changed my life.  As humans we are so afraid to die yet when we look at our lives, death is only part of the experience on this journey.  Death should never be seen as the end of who we are.

Here are the (very) short answers to the three questions I asked at the top of this blog:

What happens when we die?  We go to a spiritual realm (place)

Do we really know?  Yes!

Has anyone spoken to someone who is deceased and said definitively, yes, there is an afterlife? Yes!

Although I have given you the very short, abbreviated, one-word-answer to these questions, Dr. Newton addresses these questions in depth in his book. Using a special hypnosis technique, he reaches into the hidden memories of his subjects and discovers some amazing insights into what happens to us when we die or what he refers to as “in between lives.”  Yes, the idea is we live multiple lives.  I know, just go with me on this one.

Through documented real life stories, he writes about how it feels to die, the truth about spiritual guides, the purpose of life and much more.

Here is a quote from his book: “What you are about to read may come as a shock to your preconceptions about death.  The material presented here may go against your philosophical and religious beliefs.  There will be those readers who will find support for their existing opinions.  For others, the information offered in these cases will appear to be subjective tales resembling science fiction story.  Whatever persuasion, I hope you will reflect upon the implications for humanity if what my subjects have to say about life after death is accurate.”

So here is the sixty-thousand-dollar question: What if … what if he is correct?

“Death is only an experience through which you are meant to learn a great lesson: you cannot die.” 
— Paramahansa Yoganandada

More to come on this subject.