Three days after death
During this period, the soul remains in the earthly world. She can wander around the planet, or be near her family. So that the soul freed from the body does not fall into confusion, it is accompanied by two specially assigned angels.
They believe that the soul of a person who was preoccupied with acquiring things will be near them, it could be a car, an apartment, and so on. The soul of a person attached to relatives and friends strives to help them in some way.
After three days, after burial, the soul ascends to Heaven. Having renounced earthly concerns, she first appears to worship the Lord.
What will the priest answer to the one returning from the other world?
It all depends on what exactly the person has experienced and what he is asking about. I usually don’t get into my head in such cases. When answering, I use the rule: the answer should be twice as short as the question. I limit myself to the scope of the question, because if a person does not have pain, it means that he is not interested in what I say. If it hurts, he will ask himself. If they asked about something specific, I answer briefly and to the point, and then all that remains is to wait for the further movement of the soul and heart. Before answering, you must pray so that the Lord will understand what and how to answer a person.
I am very close to the words of priest Alexander Elchaninov regarding the border between our life and the world of the departed:
“The death of loved ones is an experimental confirmation of our faith in infinity. Love for the departed is an affirmation of the existence of another world. Together with the dying person, we reach the border of two worlds - the ghostly and the real: death proves to us the reality of what we considered ghostly, and the ghostliness of what we considered real.”
A very deep thought. What seems fundamental, infinite, eternal to us? Our life. In fact, it is ghostliness. The experience of death, including clinical death, is a very good help for a person, since it makes it possible to find a foothold in spiritual life. He can mature to the idea that his little family paradise could end at any moment - and some other, menacing reality will begin. Thanks to such an experience, a spiritual person can completely change his life; there are cases when people went to monasteries to devote themselves to God. One of the saints, after experiencing clinical death, said: “If only you knew, my children, how terrible it is to condemn your neighbors!” Everything is very individual, and therefore it is impossible to say anything specific about such situations. We can only judge by the fruits - that is, look at what a person comes out of the experience with, and based on this, help and support.
Interviewed by Ekaterina Shcherbakova
Six days of heaven
After ascension, the soul is allowed to survey the heavenly abodes and see how blessed it is to stay there. These visions change and transform the souls of the righteous, preparing them to accept Eternal Life. The souls of sinners, after such contemplation, reproach themselves for the sins they have committed, which will not allow them to go to heaven.
With the onset of the ninth day after death, the soul again appears before the Lord to worship him. On this day, a funeral service is held in the church; relatives pray for the deceased.
So does the soul exist and is Consciousness immortal from a scientific point of view?
In 2013, the 14th Dalai Lama met with scientists at a conference on the nature of the mind. At the meeting, neuroscientist Christoph Koch gave a speech on consciousness. According to him, the latest theories recognize the existence of consciousness in objects of the material world.
Christoph Koch at a meeting with Buddhists
The Dalai Lama reminded the scientist that, according to the philosophy of Buddhism, all beings in the Universe are endowed with consciousness. This is why it is so important to treat all living things with compassion.
Koch said he was shocked by the Buddhists' belief in what the West calls panpsychism (the theory of animate nature). In addition to Eastern religion, the idea of panpsychism is present in:
- ancient philosophy;
- paganism;
- philosophy of the New Age.
After the conference, Christoph Koch continued his research together with Giulio Tononi, the author of information theory. According to the theory, the soul consists of interconnected pieces of information.
In 2021, researchers said they had found a way to measure consciousness using a test that shows the amount of phi (unit of consciousness). By sending a magnetic pulse into the subject's brain, scientists monitor the response time and strength of the reverberation.
The amount of phi is measured by the strength of the response
A strong response is a sign of consciousness. Doctors adopted the scientists’ method. With its help it is possible to determine:
- The patient died or fell into a deep coma.
- The degree of awareness in age-related dementia.
- Development of consciousness in the fetus.
Scientists plan to study the souls of machines and animals. The theory states that even a weak response is a sign of consciousness. Perhaps awareness can be found in the smallest particles.
Thirty days in hell
Next, the soul is sent to the halls of hell to realize the torment that follows sins. The souls of the righteous look at this with regret for sinners, and the souls of those who have sinned with painful repentance. There are no detailed instructions in the Holy Scriptures about the structure of hell. Only pitch darkness with a lake of fire is mentioned.
In the 10th century, a narrative was compiled about the visions of ordeals in hell that appeared to Blessed Theodora. The clergy treat this apocrypha with restraint, but it has received wide circulation in popular Orthodox folklore. It states that throughout one’s life a person is accompanied by an Angel and a Demon. They take into account the good and evil deeds committed on the path of life. In hell, the soul overcomes twenty ordeals (obstacles), and at each one, the Angels and the Demons compare their lists. If a preponderance of good deeds is established, then the soul is sent to the next ordeal. If I outweigh the sins, then the Demon takes the soul to Hell. In the case of balance, thanks to God's love for mankind, trials continue. It is argued that through the prayers of the living the deficiency of good deeds can be filled.
It is customary for Catholics to refer to the description of hell in Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. Of course, this work is not one of the canonical works, nevertheless, the description of the nine circles of Hell given in it is widely accepted by believers.
Hello, Evgenia! We know for sure that the souls of both states of the afterlife, (Heaven and Hell) saved and unresolved, remember their loved ones. Having one common God, those who have passed into the afterlife rely on the prayers and intercession of the living and wish for salvation both for themselves and for those living on earth. In the Gospel parable spoken by the Lord: “There was also a certain beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate covered in scabs and wanted to feed on the crumbs falling from the rich man’s table, and the dogs came and licked his scabs. The beggar died and was carried by the Angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell, being in torment, he raised his eyes, saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his bosom and, crying out, said: Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said: child! remember that you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus received your evil; now he is comforted here, and you suffer; and on top of all this, a great gulf has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, nor can they cross from there to us. Then he said: So I ask you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers; let him testify to them, so that they too do not come to this place of torment. Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them. He said: no, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead comes to them, they will repent. Then (Abraham) said to him: if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, then even if someone were raised from the dead, they would not believe it.” (Luke 16:31) We see that the rich man remembers his brothers and asks the Lord to show them a miracle so that they will believe. Those who have died and are in Hell remember their loved ones, and if prayer is offered for them in the Church, they feel some kind of relief. For example, when St. Macarius of Egypt was talking to a skull, he heard: “When you pray for us, we receive some joy...” Consequently, the evangelical rich man could know about the state of life of the brothers on earth from his own afterlife, without seeing any joy after death, he made a conclusion about their carefree life. If they had led a more devout life, it is quite possible that they would not have forgotten their deceased brother, and would have prayed for him; then he too could say, like the skull of the priest, that he receives some comfort from their prayers for him. Not receiving any relief beyond the grave, the rich man directly concludes about their carefree life. Therefore, based on this, we can say with confidence: the deceased, feeling relief from suffering, understand that prayer is being offered for them and that their relatives and friends remember them. As for the souls in Paradise, I think they have complete freedom in their actions. They abid in God and the Holy Spirit abides everywhere, God is Spirit (John 4:24) and he who abides in God abides in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the souls of holy (justified) people not only remember us, but also see us, because, I repeat, they have complete freedom, unlike the souls who were punished in Hell. In any case, Evgenia, we must not forget to pray for the dead every time we come to the Temple, as well as during home prayer. If your deceased (relatives, friends) are justified by God, then they also pray for you before the Creator, having their Holy right to do so. Sincerely. Archpriest Alexy
About the Private Court and the Last Judgment
After viewing the beauties of heaven and the horrors of hell, souls appear before the Lord for the third time, and a preliminary Private Judgment is carried out by the Angels. The fate of the soul is determined by the deeds of life until the Last Judgment, when the fate of all human souls will be finally decided by Jesus Christ.
The New Testament gives a general description of the Last Judgment, when the souls of all those who lived on earth will be brought to judgment by the Angels. The souls of believers and pagans will be subject to the Last Judgment; deeds, words, thoughts, and intentions will be judged. The Kingdom of God is prepared for the righteous, eternal fire for sinners.
The clergy note that the above should be perceived as spiritual and moral instructions, calling for a righteous life in compliance with God's commandments. And in cases of sins, it is necessary to admit one’s guilt and sincerely repent before God.
Does an unholy person also see something spiritual or are they just hallucinating?
We don’t know where a person ends up in this state. I can assume that everything depends on how and with what this person lives.
We must remember that our God is not a god of horror and death, not some kind of thunderer. Our God is Love, he is kind and merciful, he pities us so much that He Himself came and became incarnate for the sake of our salvation. He became part of this world to save us. Two thousand years ago, amazing things happened. Realizing this, we can safely assume that when dying, a person falls into the spiritual world, into the hands of the Creator and Creator - the safest place in the entire universe. It’s another matter when a person lives like a demon: he excludes the very possibility of being in communion with God, everything holy is disgusting to him.
It is certainly necessary to differentiate the impressions a person receives during clinical death. It seems to me that in this matter one can be guided by the spiritual and moral state of a person after the experience. If he starts going to church, joins church, repents, prays, loves everyone, forgives, leads a pious lifestyle - everything that happened and saw was clearly from God. This is the case when the Lord called and touched the soul and heart. Moreover, what you see may not necessarily be good. One of my acquaintances, in a state of severe drunken stupor, fell asleep and experienced some strange state in which something was shown to him. After that, he stopped drinking, smoking and swearing, began working at the temple - and went to the monastery. His complete rebirth took place. He never said what exactly he saw, he only began to cry when remembering that event. When a person begins to tell all sorts of horror stories, to assert that one must go to some sect for the truth or read the gospel of Satan, this is clearly not from God; if he is despondent, depressed, or suicidal, then most likely he has come into contact with demons, and this meeting has left such a heavy imprint.
I would advise people who have seen and experienced something during clinical death to be guided by the opinion of the holy fathers. With your questions, you can turn to modern shepherds - fortunately, there are many of them now who have a humble and modest opinion about themselves. They can give good advice in such a situation and assess a person’s spiritual state.
Clinical death as proof of the existence of the soul and its immortality
In the 70s of the 20th century, the term “near-death experiences” appeared. It belongs to Dr. Raymond Moody, who wrote the book “Life After Death.” The doctor collected testimonies from people who experienced clinical death.
The visions did not depend on the gender, age and social status of the patients
All patients mentioned a strange feeling of peace. People rethought their lives and their actions. There was a feeling of unreality of what was happening.
The majority saw their own body from the outside and were able to confidently describe the doctors’ actions. A third of those who died felt like they were flying through a black tunnel. About 20% were attracted by the flowing soft light and a ghostly silhouette calling to itself. Less often, scenes from their lives flashed before the eyes of the dead. And very rarely there was a meeting with deceased relatives.
Evidence of the existence of the soul was provided by the testimonies of patients who were blind from birth. They were no different from the visions of sighted people.
Video about near-death experiences:
Cryonics
Cryo-freezing is considered a promising technique for studying immortality. The patient's body is placed in liquid nitrogen. At a temperature of -200 °C, life processes will cease for hundreds of years. In the 18th century, scientist John Hunter put forward a theory about the infinite extension of life due to freezing and thawing of the body.
Cryopreservation is based on the hypothesis that human death consists of:
- Clinical death.
- Biological death.
- Information death.
Freezing stabilizes the body between biological and informational death
In 2015, successful experiments were carried out on defrosting small animals and small pieces of biological tissue. But reviving the human brain remains beyond the realm of possibility. Therefore, only deceased patients are subjected to cryonics. According to statistics, about 2 thousand people entered into contracts with cryogenic companies.
Scientists believe that the development of technology will make it possible in the future to revive the dead. This will happen thanks to:
- Nanotechnology (creating molecular robots to repair damage at the cellular level).
- Computer modeling of the brain.
- Cyborgization (transplantation of artificial organs to humans).
- 3D printing of fabrics.
For this reason, some freeze only the head. It is in it that information about a person’s identity is stored. Presumably, in 50 years it will be possible to revive the first frozen patient.
Spiritualism: communication with the departed
In the 12th century, the first societies of people capable of speaking with the dead appeared in Europe. In Russia, aristocrats and royalty became interested in spiritualism. From the diaries of meeting participants, it becomes clear that many officials of that time did not make decisions on their own. In important matters they relied on the opinion of spirits.
Nicholas II regretted in his diaries that he did not take advantage of the advice of his deceased father Alexander III
Spiritualism sessions were called "turning tables." The deceased made it clear that they yearned for the world of the living. At all times, spirits have been drawn to abandoned families, to graves where they are buried, and to people. Therefore, spiritualism is the only way to touch the world of the living.
Spiritualist societies have developed basic rules for contacting spirits:
- Speak politely. Immediately after death, souls are depressed and fearful.
- If the spirit wants to leave, it should be released.
- Exercise caution. There are cases where mediums died for unknown reasons.
Often communication with spirits appeared spontaneously. This happened within 40 days after death, while the soul was among the living. At this time, with a strong emotional connection, contact with the other world can occur.
Video about the work of mediums:
Modern research into clinical death
In 2013, researcher Bruce Grayson pointed to cases in which the deceased met a relative whose death he did not know.
The scientist found that during near-death experiences, patients' thought processes increased. Memories became brighter and remembered for a lifetime. The people interviewed by the scientist spoke about their experiences in great detail, even decades later.
According to Bruce Grayson, the experience has not changed since Raymond Moody's discovery. The scientist compared the evidence from twenty years ago with the evidence received and found no difference.
Bruce Grayson believes that the mind exists separately from the brain
Science is unable to explain visions of clinical death from the point of view of brain physiology. This opens up prospects for the study and further development of humanity.
Video presentation by Bruce Grayson “Consciousness without brain activity”:
