Post Mortem Consciousness during its Process of Death

Eugene Jennings, M.D.

(continued)

Those latter impressions have reached the Buddhic nature and earned the right to impress themselves thereon becoming the immortal traces and character forming nature or our more Divine Individuality.

Theosophy tells us that the astral light, in its lower presentation, can be impressed not only by images, but sound, intensity, force, sensations, the qualities of pain and suffering, along with a host of other life vibrations. As the motions, lives and/or elementals are impressed therein; they carry within them all such records. And it is they that make up our being, sheaths, and even the matter of mind or brain. Understanding this provides us with the basis for understanding what happens to consciousness, itself a kind of composite, independent of the external forms and environment in the astral and kamic planes of our post mortem cosmos. As HPB tells us in “Psychic and Noëtic Action,” “Every cell registers and emits sensations (or vibrations) of its own,” and these registrations and emitted sensations are the very fabric of our consciousness, which in turn we come to experientially know by a process akin to assimilation and resonance.

Since these lives and their impressions hold the pictures, sounds, force, energy, kamic nature and vital / intensity of the acts formed release of their psychic forces brings the ego to an immersion in its own acts, the very power, force, and emotional experience, which others felt at the hands of this ego, having been photographed in the lives and aura of its being. Truly it learns or experiences the effects moral and physical, of its acts, what it has done to others, through this process although this is not its karmic retribution. Thus “do unto others as you would have done to yourselves” applied to the death process affecting consciousness takes on a greatly significant and moral meaning. Thus the personal ego does not escape, but comes to know even before it passes on.

Consciousness

In all these after death processes and states there are ranges of awareness, intensity, reliving, feeling, duration, understanding, experiential immersion, etc. The process during death is as involuntary as the death review is during the end or severe crisis of life. It is an egoic experiential preoccupation with the images, events and feelings going on until the external and aggregate lives have been separated from the Ego, and only the inner subjective impressions of the higher begin their life expression, living and exhaustion. Thus the higher purer and more subtle or spiritual personal ego is able to manifest and live its life, after the gestation period, when the separation of higher and lower manas, and its release, has been completed.

The intricacies of post mortem consciousness are multiple and complex. What we will try to do is provide a limited framework within which consideration of this process and its effects upon consciousness as a quantal ray or unit can be thought of.

In considering consciousness, we should, for simplicity purposes, categorize using the three qualities; tamasic, rajasic, and sattvic. In its broad categorization the sattvic consciousness is only that of the initiate, adept or Mahatma. It can be divided into tamasic sattvic, rajasic sattvic, and sattvic sattvic. The same may be applied to tamas and rajas. From this mode of categorization we will have nine classifications of consciousness synthesized by the tenth, or Unity.

The idea of our motives, propelling consciousness must also be included in this conceptualization as they further impact the nature of the act. Motive, important for karmic retribution, and the experience of the after death state, can also be classified for simplicity purposes as tamasic, rajasic, and sattvic.

Consider also the sense of self, or Ahamkara as being fully self-involved or tamasic, rajasic or self and other for selfish or general purposes, and sattvic, serving in life for others and all.

The consciousness of the general population will likely be of the rajasic nature. It is active, full of desire with variable degrees of passion, interests, moved by relatively good motives and centered about the personal self. This consciousness nature will dictate the average types of after death states and post mortem quality of consciousness. The two extremes in their varying degrees will represent either the soul moving towards “dugpaship” or one moving towards Mahatmaship. For consideration regarding how consciousness is colored and molded we may look at the following additional categories that impact the consciousness quantal field, affecting it for better or worse.

The criteria by which the experiences of post mortem consciousness will be determined include varying and diversified degrees of:

Spiritual illumination versus gross materialism (100% versus 0% and vice versa). This represents the degree to which the being has concentrated their life and mental energies as well as desire in spiritual pursuit or steeped them in materialism with its brutish passions and desires.

Quantity of consciousness going into each state. 100% manasic awareness to none. This represents the “amount” of consciousness energy remaining to experience the sensations and perceptions. Consider the condition of dementia. Although the true Ego is aware, the personal ego is in a state of poorly connected perception and understanding in its relation to the world. Its powers of proper perception and understanding have dwindled and eventually work towards a totally inwardly directed subjective state unrelated to the world.

Degree of self-reflective consciousness (knowledge of self, other, and experience). This relates to the degree to which the personal ego has purified, trained and transcended personality in the service of the higher spiritual Ego, or yielded to (dugpaship) the dictates of the lower manasic physicality.

Quantity of consciousness available, related to length of life (sheath and manas). This represents the amount of “consciousness” remaining, the time or duration, which the power, force and light of consciousness can continue, either in connection or disconnected to a particular state or sheath. For example, the Devachanic consciousness has survived the physical, astral, kamic, and gestational dissipations to persist for some time in the Devachanic state where the remainder of its “psychic force” will be expended prior to another birth in life.

Duration of life span karmically assigned to sheaths versus being cut short in the physical form by accidents, murders, disease, or otherwise. Each sheath has a cohesive force karmically determined. It has a life span throughout which the consciousness ego, in whatever state of clarity or obscuration, is “locked in” and remains, until freed by the dissolution of the sheath.

Subjectivity versus objectivity in the lower and higher planes. This relates to the amount of personal or higher consciousness associated with the sheaths during post mortem experience. This also is especially prominent and of concern in those dying by accident or otherwise.

For the initiate the subjective states and planes may be objective. This alters the experience and creates a deeper subjective possibility state.

Nature of sheaths in the astral, and Kama Lokic states with all its impressions. This relates to the natural dissolution of the specific sheath and the psychic force locked in each life point or impression, which must be released and “experienced” or impressed upon the consciousness of the personal ego. (N.B. This still is not the soul’s karmic retribution).

Higher or lower Kama Lokic states. Depending upon the circumstances of death, and the nature of the consciousness, one will be in any of a number of kamic states with the associated consciousness of clarity or dullness, a dream of sorts.

Pre or post gestation. This reflects the process wherein the Devachanic energies of consciousness are separated from the kamic, and/or the degree to which the consciousness is greater, regarding perceptive and memory energy, in the Kama Manasic aspect or the Devachanic aspect of consciousness. This is an inversely related situation.

Level of Devachan or higher states in the Tribuvana related to the universal good and assimilation

For those entering into the Devachanic realm, there are some whose consciousness has been focused and absorbed in universal concerns of collective humanity, in any of the arts or sciences, and this “meditation and variation of possibilities” continues in the subtle states.

Awake, Dull, akashic sleep, dreamy, sharp, illuminated and self-reflective consciousness. This reflects the clarity of the consciousness and its relation to “experiencing” the impressions, and the degree to which a self-reflective consciousness has been developed such that knowledge in the higher “Turiya” or deep sleep states may be derived. This is usually for the initiate performed during life. It is a type of conscious dying, which is an actual living in the spiritual consciousness, while also having access to the material life. Consider the consciousness of the nirmanakaya, or sambhogakaya.

Using post traumatic stress disorder as a model of state. This would reflect the degree to which the consciousness is totally immerged in the sensations, having no reflective or comparative basis, hence reliving and suffering the events over and over until the psychic impulses have been exhausted.  This will refer to both the separation of the sheaths, as the ego is loosened, as well as to the returning Kama manasic ego post gestation that is often the entity in psychic experiences.

Manasic consciousness before its time, connected to the astral. In this case, the lower manas may be relatively conscious in the astral. It may become a visitor at séances, or wander about through the attraction of unfinished business, trying to fore fill its insatiable urges, desires and passions through an appropriate proxy. Manasic consciousness before its time immersed in its last states or life duties. As indicated earlier in the general presentations, these would include souls having lost an outwardly directed awareness, now in varying degrees of subjective preoccupation, soft, gentle, fair awareness, slumbering in a dream state in the higher astral states.

Intensity of impressions based on life lived. This reflects the degree and extent to which the actions sensations desires passions loves and hates of a lower nature, brute and animal proclivities, pain and suffering inflicted upon others, etc. are all being reflected into the consciousness and re experienced as in the example of the assassin Guiteau. When we put all these possibilities together, we can see that the impact of the death state on the post mortem consciousness is varied in all ways such as perception, experience, awareness, intensity of impressions felt and lived, degree of I-ness present, and other related experience. These factors play a strong role in all disembodied states from the lower to the higher.

The Initiate Adept or Mahatma

The consciousness of the initiate is different in many ways from that of the profane. The overall goal of the initiatic process is to become one with the full consciousness of the Reincarnating Ego, before moving on to assimilate and become one with the Divine Individuality of Being whereby one is able to become a coworker with great nature. Madame Blavatsky informs us of this process in “Mahatmas and Chelas” and also informs us of the related nature of subjectivity and objectivity as it relates to the inner consciousness of the initiate versus that of the profane.

The consciousness of the initiate then is much different in quality, quantity, discipline and training than that of the profane. The initiate, for a series of lives, has been preparing, and practicing the life of spiritual pursuit for universal service, and by virtue of that, has more “Higher Manas” incarnating into the sheaths than the profane. This is one of many “life time meditations” that have been sown, and the fruits of which have been reaped in the successive accumulation of the Egoic Force light and consciousness. This implies that their entire life experience, although outwardly looking the same as many, will be qualitatively different on the inner or subjective side even if in the same place and time as others. Since their inner life will be different their after death states will also differ from the general public humanity.

Spiritual consciousness of the initiate

This will depend on the status of the initiate and their accomplishments as well as inner attainments. Thinking in terms of the higher rajasic, and moving into the region of the threefold sattvic we will see a diversified range of consciousness for disciples, initiates, aspirants, adepts and those of the brotherhood. Their understanding will vary as will their light force and power of consciousness, affinities and goals. In our terminology we speak of the stream enterers, the once returning, the never returning, and the Arhat. Even beyond these states there are degrees of conscious awareness that plays more into the mastery of the dhyanas, samadhis, nirvanas, and the like.

The degree of death for the initiate or disciple then depends on his or her attainments, or the actual degree of awakening and absence of clinging, attachment, and ignorance evidenced. This will relate to the wisdom of self, state of Self, process, maya, the samadhis and nirvanas.

          For some, it is the masters who enter into the after death states, but only to assist the initiate ego return within twenty five, sometimes fifty years, such that they may work for humanity in the service of humanity and according to the wisdom of the brotherhood.

For others, they themselves may have reached levels wherein the purification of mind and sheath, experience and understanding, discipline and practice, service and renunciation of fruits, has lead to a degree of awakening such that they move effortlessly, with awareness through the states, leaving behind a sheath much like we leave behind old clothing. All the while working on one plane or another for the great life of humanity.

For such, the Kama Loka, in its negative sense of passions and desires assailing the ego, of clinging to earth images, of the wrong done to brother man, the environment, and all life, of the assimilation of psychic impulses, need not apply. The stay in this domain is short if present at all and in various stages of awakening. In some cases it may be a conscious passage since much training and right living has gone on in this life as well as many before. The gestation process, wherein the highest aspirations and intents are severed from the lower, and the manasic consciousness follows one or the other in part of fullness, may be as consciously simple for the advanced initiate or adept, as making a choice and moving on, in full possession of his total “transcendental” but personal consciousness and knowledge of the implications of such a choice. Having in degrees become one with the Reincarnating Ego, he or she need not take a “Devachanic” break, instead, being one with the Ego, one studies the inner life and its possibilities and realities along with the deeper path of true subjectivity. It matters not whether one may be in the Tribuvana state, or consciously with the “Master” since the transcendental consciousness is “total and full” and has awakened the spiritual perceptive power and understanding during life, to be used during the subjective and “after death states” which now is one of perceptive understanding and self-reflective conscious experience.

The “blending,” resulting in the continuity and integrity of consciousness Ego. The above process has been accomplished in brief by the life and lives lived wherein the symbolic process of the blending has occurred consciously. Whether we use the halls in the Voice of the Silence, the states of dream, or the stages and states of the after death process, they all, when properly worked and mastered result in the experience and knowledge of consciousness in all states and degrees of awareness. As the qualities are threefold in themselves, or even seven fold, so are all the states we are referencing now. Thus, in waking state, we have a waking Waking, dreaming Waking, deep sleep Waking, and “Turiya” Waking. The same division and experience is applied to the dreaming state, and then the deep sleep state.  The Turiya recognition in each state will perhaps have a different hue, coloring or nature. To further appreciate the sublime subtlety of the initiatic consciousness, these states themselves are further qualified with either a tamasic, rajasic, or sattvic condition, impacting keenness of awareness, concentration and becoming, resonance and transcendence.

          By adhering to this process and that suggested in the “Elixir of Life” in Five Years of Theosophy, the Pistis Sophia, Patanjali’s Yoga Aphorisms, and the Voice of the Silence, one can see that the dying process and the rarification, strengthening, understanding and penetrating power of this light force of consciousness has been going on, all along the path of the way. Consciousness has become pure in heart and mind to penetrate, transition through, study, experience, etc. all these states first hand.  In addition to this many other abilities emerge from the power of the true being, far transcending those of the psychic or cognitively intuitive beings. For the initiate, the state of death consciousness is full of relative light, learning and transcendence, as they have become qualitatively different in the nature of their consciousness and being.

Purification of mind, sheaths, and transformation (elixir or life). None of the following processes noted below can be performed without the requisite purifications, practice, training, experience, and occult knowledge and guidance required for success.

Integrity of the self-reflective consciousness

The integrity of the self-reflective consciousness unit represents the degree to which all of the quantity of the emanated ray, in its purity, sensitivity, inner perception and awareness, has returned, with the accurate knowledge gained, throughout all planes and states, such that one is truly “awake” to the inner divine and eternal truths.

          Thus, for the progressed initiate there is no conventional “premature death” but a continuity and working of consciousness. For the aspirant, such death is looked over by the “Masters” who like “Jesus” in Pistis Sophia, is able to draw out the soul “lights” from the after death states and bring them to incarnation, for the express purpose of continuing the line and light of Sacred Wisdom on earth, available for all humanity.

          Having ended our journey where we began, with the Reincarnating Ego, as the Immortal aspect of our being, we find ourselves back within our true Self. If we have progressed in the path of the immortal by transcending even our Devachanic bliss, we then truly have as a portion of our incarnating nature the light power and force of the Higher Reincarnating Manasic source. The more universal our outlook, the more “we” become with every life more Self Conscious, until it is ourselves as the Higher Ego which is incarnating. The Dhyan Chohan, or Mahatma, in readiness to serve the true cause and needs of humanity.

          Until then, if we have integrity beyond Devachan in the bosom of the Ego, we then re emerge. And as we do, looking from within without, into the pool of samskaras, those that will be attaching and becoming the driving force of our nature and environment, we either see the future outline of our life, the justness of it all based upon these samskaric impressions of past lives, or we choose. Choosing wisely the seeds that will allow us, while balancing the karmic slate, to serve in our highest capacity, the spiritual service of humanity. Understanding the electric and magnetic properties of these samskaras and tendencies, we see who will be the parents and what are the family, nation, area of the globe, time of the cycles, nature of the conditions and fellow mankind, in relation with ourselves, and conditions into which we descend. We converse in our higher nature, with the higher nature of the parents involved such that their DNA will carry the proper seeds for the manifestation of all that is due in body and environment, to provide the Ego with the chance, in the midst of temptation of regression, or success, to best serve humanity.

          Upon our descent, some forget the knowledge gained, as Arjuna, and need reminders along the way, to awake and fore fill our promise and self ordained destiny. Others remember, and to that degree do so with great continuity and light of consciousness, under the ever-watchful eyes of the brotherhood of humanity.

          For the general mankind, this re emergence and incarnation has yet to reach this level, and it is with a full cup from the river of Lethe, that the souls drink, and do not remember. It is only then in their conditions, bodies, environment, and associates, that they come, if at all, to a reminiscence of their past and their purpose.