Renewing Hope in the Afterlife at Easter

Could life so end, half told; its school so fail?
Soul, soul, there is a sequel to thy tale!
~Robert Mowry Bell

In an earlier life, I was a religious person.   My crash into the wall of religious disappointment maimed me more than if I had hit a real wall going at freeway speeds.  My foundation of faith was ripped away from my feet, and I was left to wonder if my other beliefs about life might be nothing but water vapor.  But I continue to hold on to one very dear belief. . .

The belief  that there is life after death and that we will, after death, continue to enjoy the comfort of friends and family. I’m no expert on the afterlife, but I believe that death is similar to moving.  We change houses, but go on living.

My friend Michael, on the other hand, is certain that “when you’re dead, you’re dead!”

Many people in the world believe, like Michael, that death is final.  If, in the end, Michael proves to be right—there won’t be anything left of me to feel disappointment.  And though life is wonderful sometimes, it is often accompanied by physical and emotional pain that can seem unbearable.

What Do You Belief About Death

The question¸”Is there life after death?”  has been around a long time.  The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans believed in an afterlife.  The belief of life after death has been taught by many other cultures, including Polynesia, Australian Aborigines, and Aztecs.

Religion, culture, and even science have tried to provide answers to that important question about life after death.  Ultimately, each of us will ask the question of ourselves, as we try to piece the meaning of life back together after death separates us from someone we love.

How Have You Experienced Death

Though we all expect to experience the death of loved ones, it usually leaves us feeling shocked and numb for quite some time.  That is probably why we don’t talk much about it openly. It makes us cry. Like I am doing right now.

My closest experience with death occurred one week after Easter, 16 years ago.  My habit was to bring my younger brother, Chad, over to our house for Sunday dinner. I went to pick him up from his apartment.  His partner opened the door slightly to talk to me.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” he said.  “Your brother died Friday night.”

From the opening in the door, I could see my brother lying on the couch with a towel over his face.  So I laughed and told the partner I did not appreciate bad jokes.

The partner took me over to my brother, and removed the towel. Blood had drooled out of both eyes and was dried to my brother’s cheeks. I picked up Chad’s leg, but it was hard and heavy.  His flesh was cold.  All I could think to do was to scream, “ I love you, I love you” over and over, hoping by some chance, Chad would hear me and know the most important truth about our relationship.

Chad, age 32 at the time, had Bipolar Disorder  and Polysubstance  Abuse.  He also was HIV positive at a time we had no way of prolonging life with AIDS. He died of mixed poisoning (heroin and alcohol).

Why I Believe in Life After Death

Michael (my friend, the skeptic) would say that I believe in life after death because I cannot face losing Chad.  I need to believe I will be with him again in order to cope with the profound sadness and emptiness brought on by the death of a loved one.

My belief comes from a combination of religious training, reading stacks of books on philosophy, and having some “shared death experiences.” ((A shared death experience is an encounter that a living person has with the afterlife that is shared with a person who is dead or dying.  For more information, see  Moody and Perry (2010 )).

For You Who Seek Comfort

Many readers of Moxie Mental Health have, like myself, carry some grief and loss over a loved one’s death.  It is Easter, and everyone is talking about the Resurrection and Life After Death. Perhaps you would like some reassurance?

Here are two resources from men I consider have some objectivity about the subject of life after death. I believe that watching these resources can bring you much comfort.

The first resource is from Carl Jung, an imminent psychoanalyst . It is a Youtube video interview where Dr. Jung discusses his observations leading to the conclusion that there is life after death (Listen to Dr. Jung)

The second resource is an MP3 recorded from a speed by Dr. Raymond Moody made in Salt Lake City on June 11, 2011. Dr. Moody is a psychiatrist and a professor at the University of Las Vegas.  He is also a personal associate of mine, and I have enjoyed the privilege of dinnertime conversation with him.  He wrote the first edition of his book, Life After Life, in 1975, initiating a public interest in “near death experiences”.  Dr. Moody’s observations about life after death come from thousands of interviews with people who have had near death experiences and shared death experiences (Listen to Dr. Moody).

I find Easter to be an opportunity to renew my hope that there is life after death and that I can be with Chad again.  This belief gives me joy and energy.  Though I don’t attend church, I remember well the hymns of my youth.

This Easter morning, I will sing one of them.  As I have each of the 15 Easter mornings since Chad’s death,   I will sing the best news I have ever heard: He is Risen!  (Listen to Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing ” He is Risen“)

He is risen, He is risen

Tell it out with joyful voice

He has burst his three-day prison

Let the whole wide world rejoice!

Death is conquered, man is free!

Christ has won the victory.

Works Cited

Alexander, Cecil Frances. He is Risen. In  Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, #199. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Moody, Raymond. (2001).  Life After Life: the investigation of a phenomenon – survival of bodily death, San Francisco, CA: Harper San Francisco.

Moody, Raymond and Perry, Paul. (2010). Glimpses of Eternity: Sharing a loved one’s passage from this life to the next, New York, NY: Guideposts.