The six stages
of death and
life in the
spiritual world
The duration of
these phases is
extremely
variable, being
that some of
them can be
drastically
reduced or even
quashed
The basic stages
faced by the
discarnate
Spirit can be
divided in six
fundamental
phases: Death
itself;
Discarnation;
Spiritual Help;
Adaptation to
the Spiritual
World; and the
preparation for
a new
reincarnation.
Death is
consisted of the
biological
collapse of the
body which
enables the
material life of
the Spirit, that
is, is the
interruption of
the current
minimal
conditions
required for the
physical body to
develop its
physiological
manifestations
indispensable to
the
manifestation of
life.
The death of the
physical body
can occur in a
sudden way, when
a physical
accident
interrupts the
organic life of
an individual
who was healthy,
or in a slow and
gradual way,
when old age or
a certain
disease wear
out, step by
step, the
vitality of the
body.
In these cases,
above all when
it is popularly
said that the
individual “died
of old age” we
can infer that a
total wearing
out of the vital
fluid, which is
a type of fuel
of physical
life, has
occurred.
Besides, the
vital fluid has
fundamental
participation in
the constitution
of the so called
“silver cord” or
“silvery cord”,
which is the
bond that unites
the perispirit
to the physical
body from the
moment of
conception up to
discarnation
(disembodiment).
While we use the
terms death and
discarnation
interchangeably,
strictly
speaking, these
should be
distinct
phenomena.
In fact, in our
evolutionary
level, the
temporal
coincidence of
the durations of
both processes
is rare.
For Spirits such
as we, who live
on Earth, and
who live in
levels of Tests
and Atonements,
it is rare when
the process of
death itself is
concluded much
before the so
called
discarnation.
Discarnation
would be an
untying of any
links between
perispirit and
the physical
body. André
Luiz and Brother
Jacob talks in
depth about the
theme in their
works “Workers
of Eternal Life”
and “I am back”,
respectively.
Brother Jacob
affirm thats
when the “silver
cord” between
his corpse and
his perispirit
got “cut out”
during his
funeral, the
impact he felt
was so intense
that he thought
that “he was
dying for a
second time”.
It is worth
adding that,
according to
Brother Jacob
(the pseudonym
of a former
president of the
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation, Mr
Frederico
Figner), after
this process of
rupture of the
“silvery cord”,
the
deterioration of
the corpse
became
significantly
accentuated.
The depurating
passage through
the lower spirit
zones with the
level of
excessive
materiality of
our perispirit
In cases of
direct or
indirect
suicides, this
process is much
slower, as,
besides suicide
being an offence
against the Laws
of God, the
discarnate
spirit still has
an excess of
vital fluid,
once it is
“dying” well
before the
foreseen time.
This abundance
of vital fluid
(also known as
“ectoplasm” when
it is
exteriorised
and/or
materialised)
strenghtens the
intensity of
interaction
between
perispirit and
physical body,
enabling the
spirit or
spiritual body
to be
excessively
“materialised”,
and unduly
hampering the
process of
liberation of
the Spirit in
relation to the
corpse.
The diminution
of vital fluid
explains, in a
certain way,
common phenomena
of terminally
ill people who,
despite having
never been clear
and evident
mediums during
their physical
life, start
having truly
spiritual
dreams, clear
clairvoyance and
more concrete
intuitions.
Besides the
preparatory
spiritual
protection for
death, the
greatest freedom
in terms of
spiritual
bi-corporeity or
bi-location due
to the slow and
gradual
disconnection of
the sick person,
occur due to the
lesser intensity
of the
perispirit/physical
body interaction
associated with
the depletion of
the
physiological
organs and to
the shortage of
vital fluid.
These processes
can occur with
high clarity and
evidence at the
deathbed, when
despite being
still
incarnated, the
discarnate
Spirit,
accentuates its
spiritual
perception.
André Luiz
comments on this
subject in the
chapter
“Mediumship at
the deathbed”,
of the book
entitled “In the
Domains of
Mediumship”.
Moreover,
several cases of
“Near Death
Experience”
reported by
doctors and
healthcare
professionals
and who are
totally
unconnected with
Spiritism, have
corroborated
with the
spiritist
analysis in
respect to these
phenomena of
almost total
unbinding of the
incarnate
Spirit.
The very same
depurating
passage through
the lower spirit
zones, necessary
for many of us,
has a
relatioship with
the level of
excessive
materiality of
our perispirit,
due to the
excessive mental
focus in purely
material
questions which
many individuals
have during
their physical
existences.
Such mental
vices,
associated with
other sick
estates of the
soul as feelings
of guilt, fear,
hatred,
resentment and
attachment to
matter, amongst
other things,
increase the
level of
materiality of
the perispirit,
rendering it
“denser”,
“coarser”, by
consequence
causing it to be
nearer to the
material body in
its needs and
manifestations.
According to the
spiritual
affinity that
defines the
vibrational
barriers of the
spiritual world,
Spirits of
similar
evolution end up
inhabiting the
same regions or
regions of
similar
spiritual level.
The spiritual
relief or rescue
can take place
simultaneously
in the processes
of death and
discarnation
The more
materialised,
more complex,
the perispirit
is, the
vibrational
pattern of the
newly discarnate
Spirit tend to
be more complex,
prolonged and
suffered.
Consequently, in
a lower spirit
zone the
departure of
this Spirit from
an idle and
counter-productive
state of
perturbation in
the direction of
a region of
effective work
for the greater
good, such as
Nosso Lar (The
Astral City),
tends to be much
later.
This stage is
known as
“spiritual
relief or
rescue”.
This “spiritual
relief or
rescue” can take
place
simultaneously
with the death
processes and
discarnation,
but this is a
common situation
for the Spirits
that return to
the Spirit World
in a good
spiritual
condition,
which,
unfortunately in
our world, still
corresponds to
the minority of
creatures.
This spiritual
assistance, with
posterior
guidance
referral to
regions where
the greater
goodness is the
predominant
behaviour, would
free the
discarnate
spirit from a
larger
depurative
period in
regions of
suffering.
Despite constant
spiritual help
that we always
receive in any
situations,
“spiritual
relief” will
only be
effectively
provided and
felt by the
newly discarnate
Spirit when it
minimally
ascends from the
spiritual point
of view, in
order to have
conditions to be
received in a
spiritual region
of active work
in the field of
the greater
good.
This type of
care avoids the
discarnate
Spirit being a
motive for
problems for the
spiritual
workers and
muddles their
roles in the
innumerable
tasks to which
they dedicated
themselves. On
the other hand,
the placing of a
Spirit in a
spiritual
colony, who
still finds
itself in a
rebellious
attitude will
not be
productive for
the Spirit
itself, as it
will not have
the due
appreciation for
its new
condition, as it
has not even
reflected upon
the reasons that
had brought it
to a situation
of suffering
after its
discarnation.
Obviously, an
eventual passage
through a spirit
lower zone also
generates
intense terror.
This fear is
often more
pronounced in
followers of
orthodox
religions that
preach that the
referred regions
of sufferings
beyond the
grave, known
generically
through the
vulgar name of
“hell”, would be
associated to
eternal
damnation.
Subsequently,
the discarnate
Spirit would
initiate the
fourth stage,
which would be a
broader
adaptation
process to the
spiritual world,
in which the
moral and
intellectual
evolutions, with
special
highlight to
kindness and
knowledge
associated to
questions
related to
spirituality,
would be
fundamental for
the newly
arrived to the
in-between
incarnations
break at the
spiritual world.
The discarnate
being
understands more
and more that it
will reap what
it had sown in
the last
incarnation
In this level,
the Spirit
starts to work
and study hard
and with
dedication,
seeking to
analyse,
concomitantly,
the profound
objectives of
life and,
mainly, its
present
spiritual
status.
It is an
important phase,
as besides
learning about
the spiritual
world and
knowing more
about the laws
of life, it
analyses its
past
reincarnation,
identifying
positive and
negatives points
in its
trajectory,
analysing
developed tasks
and neglected
work.
It is worth
highlighting
that, besides
the evaluation
of the developed
tasks, it is a
phase in which
the process of
self-knowledge
rises or deepen
itself many
times through
rigorous
self-criticism,
as the Laws of
God which are
recorded in the
conscience of
the creature,
come to the
surface even
more concrete
and lucid than
at the moment of
discarnation.
Normally, this
phase is also
associated with
the first
contacts with
loved ones in
the spiritual
world, but this
opportunity is
subjected to a
series of
variations,
depending on a
range of
spiritual
possibilities of
the Spirits
involved in this
eventual
reunion.
The fifth phase
would be an
extremely
interesting
step, as it
corresponds to
the Spiritual
life of the
discarnate Being
prefectly
adapted to its
new state.
It is conscious
of its spiritual
level, including
its shortcomings
and conquests,
as well as being
aware of its
spiritual debts
and many times
of the spiritual
states of loved
ones.
This Spirit goes
to work with
dedication, many
times having
goals in short,
medium and long
term, involving
achievements in
the greater
good, spiritual
achievements,
desired reunions
with beings who
remained
incarnated,
amongst others.
This phase can
be short or
relatively long,
depending on
several factors.
Anyhow, the
discarnate being
understands more
and more that it
will reap what
it had planted
in the last
incarnation or
what it is
planting in the
spiritual world
and, if
minimally mature
and conscious,
it accentuates
the effort and
the use of time
to carry on
increasingly, to
learn and help,
aiming to future
challenges.
It is worth
remembering that
André Luiz
describes
extraordinary
activities
developed by six
Ministries in
Nosso Lar:
Regeneration,
Aid,
Communication,
Enlightenment,
Elevation and
divine Union.
The first four
would be more
linked to the
inter-relation
between Nosso
Lar and the
Physical realm
of Earth’s
environment and
the last two
would connect
Nosso Lar more
effectively to
the higher
spiritual
realms.
André Luiz said
he had a
difficult and
painful death in
a hospital, and
spent over eight
years in the
lower spirit
zone
The sixth and
last phase would
be the
preparation for
reincarnation.
This phase which
in a significant
part co-exists
with the fifth
phase, starts to
look more
defined when the
projects start
to be designed
more concretely.
Indeed, in the
fifth phase,
when the Spirit
is aware that it
should
reincarnate in
the future, this
concern is not
yet a prority as
the spiritual
world has many
works, studies
and
opportunities
for growth in
reserve.
When the
projects of the
new experience
in the flesh
start to be
planned, the
regimen of
urgency in the
preparation for
the next
physical
experience
starts to
co-exist with
the own tasks of
the spiritual
life.
Probably due to
our ancestral
fears of
physically dying
and going to
“hell”, we
always worry
more over the
three first
stages (Death,
discarnation and
spiritual
relief).
Indeed, even the
concern about
the so called
spiritual relief
is not so
disseminated, as
it depends on a
certain level of
information in
respect to life
after death
which very few
individuals have
in our society.
We always worry
more about
having a “good
death”,
preferably
without pain and
with quick
spiritual
relief, than
really with our
real future
spiritual
condition.
André Luiz, for
example, had a
difficult and
painful death in
a hospital and
spent more than
8 years in the
spirit lower
zone.
However, even
so, after the
phase of
adaptation to
the Nosso Lar
spiritual
colony, he
presented an
extraordinary
spiritual
maturation,
having been
chosen, due to
his
achievements,
for a great
mission of
becoming a type
of “reporter
from the
spiritual world”
unveiling to us
great realities
and enabling for
all of us
spiritists, a
deepening in the
teaching of the
Codification
which was left
to us by Allan
Kardec.
Therefore,
despite not
having had an
excellent death
and discarnation,
Andre Luiz has a
remarkable
spiritual
baggage, which
was catalysed by
his effort and
spiritual
discipline and
allowed the
noble spiritual
author to
proportionate a
work of unique
relevance for
the spiritual
advancement of
the planet.
Many times we
also worry over
the evolutionary
level of the
spiritual colony
in which we will
be helped and
which also does
not cease to be
secondary, as,
despite certain
levelling, this
homogenisation
is not absolute,
implying that
Spirits of
different
evolutions can
inhabit the same
spiritual
colony, above
all in those
most populous
ones.
The interval
between
incarnations is
a significant
period that can
improve the
future
conditions of
the person
It is common
that truly
missionary
Spirits as
Veneranda
(according
narrated on
Nosso Lar) and
Bezerra de
Menezes abdicate
from inhabiting
higher spheres
in order to help
us in our
evolutionary
process in name
of authentic
practice of Love
and Fraternity.
Brother Jacob,
the author of
the
extraordinary
work “I am
back”, is an
example of a
Spirit that
achieved much
while
incarnated,
doing justice to
what we might
call “good
death”, as he
was worthy of
being rescued
spiritually by a
spiritual team
led by Dr.
Adolfo Bezerra
de Menezes.
This help took
place during the
process of death
and
discarnation,
minimizing the
inherent
perturbation to
the great
transition
largely as they
were immediately
succeeded by
Brother Jacob’s
entrance into an
elevated
spiritual
colony.
However after a
certain time of
adaptation in
the spiritual
world the noble
spiritist worker
realised that he
did not have the
conditions of
spiritual
elevation that,
a priori, he was
thought to have
had, even though
having had
deserved all
discarnation
assistance, as
well as being
placed in the
above mentioned
spiritual
colony.
It is important
to stress the
duration of
these phases is
extremely
variable, being
that some of
them can be
drastically
reduced or even
practically
eliminated
depending on the
spiritual
evolution of
each being.
As an
illustration we
can cite Andre
Luiz’ father
who, due to his
spiritual
difficulties,
came literally
out of the
spirit lower
zone to
reincarnation
procedure.
So, the phases
of spiritual
relief and of
preparation for
reincarnation
overlapped,
practically
having a total
suppression of
the phases of
adaptation to
the spiritual
world and of
achievements.
However, in more
general and
frequent
occurrences, the
six stages are
observed by a
large number of
Spirits.
Indeed, the
period of
permanence in
the spiritual
world for the
majority of the
Spirits that
inhabit Earth at
the present
time, is usually
greater than the
average time in
which we remain
incarnated on
Earth.
Therefore, the
break between
incarnations is
a significant
period, which,
if really well
used, can much
improve the
conditions of
the individual
in his next
reincarnatory
experience.
For us
incarnated, is
only left to
accomplish more
and better in
the realm of
material and
spiritual
duties,
increasingly
studying with
more dedication
to the Spiritist
Doctrine, in
order to have
moral merit and
intellectual
knowledge about
spiritual life,
which will
render our
future period a
phase of peace,
of work in the
greater good and
fulfilled
achievements
during our
between
incarnations
break at the
spiritual world,
from the first
moment, that is,
the moment of
physical death.
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