For those of you present today, who are of like-mind, I hope that by the end of these three lectures we can cover some of these questions.  So let us begin!

Every man provided he fits within the normal, mental framework of our society has his or her concept of what is death and dying.  Perhaps no subject is more surrounded by superstition and misconception than that of death, in general.  If there is one thing this world ought to know, does not know, and wants to know, it is the process in which, and by which, an inhabitant of this plane of consciousness leaves the physical body to become an inhabitant of the next plane or of an etheric plane.  I make this statement because for the most part, our human race has not developed sufficiently to understand what life is, or the source from whence this atom that develops self has come.

How many of you have read “The Rosicrucian Cosmo Conception” by Max Heindel? 

Good!  Quite a few, this tells me that I can skip some parts and you will be able to follow me nicely!

Well according to this book, from the Rosicrucian standpoint, death is but a passing of the Spirit into a larger sphere, or a birth – if you will.  At the end of this life the ego must assimilate what it has experienced and in order to extract the best from its experiences it begins the process of physical dying.  So, death, as defined by Max Heindel, is the passing out of the individual Soul Spirit or etheric body from the flesh covering.  The Soul Spirit does this transfer during the first three and one half days after physical and clinical death.  And death is not complete until this process is accomplished.

I believe this definition of death is simplistic in nature.  Yet, I also know that it is utterly impossible for a human being to understand the change in which death occurs unless we realize that every individual possesses a Soul Spirit form composed of etheric atoms that is just as much matter as the flesh garment that is visible and tangible.  So let us discuss a few related points here.

I am assured by those versed in Physics that all life down to the atom, and beyond, has etheric form.  We know, for example, that every atom of every grain of sand that forms the ocean shore; that every seed, and plant, and tree, and every molecule of earth that covers the barren stone, that makes up the mass of rock; and that every drop of water that flows in creeks, have etheric form.  We further believe that in and through the ether, it carries light and electricity and all forms of radiation.

Scientists also tell us that the etheric requires for growth a covering of matter lower in vibration than itself the same as the seed planted in the earth, and in that outer garment it increases and reaches a higher development.  So based on these scientific findings, we know that no life can exist in the physical unless it has a garment suitable for that purpose.

When by heat we break down the outer garment of a lump of coal, when the physical no longer holds the energy, the life, or the etheric form, the two are dissociated.  In other words, the energy or life form escapes to pass unto some other state.  The outer garment, the cinder or ash on the other hand returns from whence it came, ultimately to be taken up by another form of life, until in time it has been so refined that it will hold continuity because it has become etheric.  And so it is true that when any form of life dissociates its etheric form from its outer garment that life form can no longer remain an inhabitant of this physical plane and what we call physical death occurs.

Man in the same manner is a part of one stupendous whole, evolved from the ether life in the mass.  Hence, it follows that upon physical death our Soul Spirit, released from that outer garment, our dense body, becomes an inhabitant of a plane where all is etheric.  In other words, in the change we call death, the individual has been refined to the point where he holds individuality. Let me remind you, at this point, that to etheric sense and touch, all things are tangible, real, and natural as when in earth life. … So keeping that in mind, let us move into the progression of our Soul Spirit.

It has been my experience, in my personal and professional vocation that people become aware of their own impending death in stages, and this awareness leads us to conscious dying.  Conscious dying is an active mental process of awareness and preparation for one’s own physical death.  The word “dying” is used to imply the dynamic and individualized process of the actual physical transition. In the case of a terminal illness, dying is a process that often occurs over time and the client, although in the actual process of dying, is still alive.  The goals of becoming aware of impending death, or conscious dying, are to live fully until death comes and to direct or participate in the death process until one is comfortable with accepting the ministration of others.

An excellent example of this fact is found in The Memoirs of Mount Ecclesia, about Max Heindel and the Rosicrucian Fellowship, which was written by Augusta Foss Heindel.  I am going to read from part II of that book, a section entitled “Max Heindel’s transition.”

And Mrs. Heindel writes “The question has been asked by friends, ‘Was it not possible that Max Heindel was aware of his coming death?’ For several weeks previous to this time we were calculating the 1920 Ephemeris and heretofore we had divided the work, he calculating the longitudes and the writer calculating the declinations, but Max Heindel at this time urged the writer to work out the entire Ephemeris. One evening she asked him the question, ‘Dear, why do you want me to do this work alone? Do you think you are going to leave me?’ He replied, ‘No, dear; I just want to be able to tell people that you did this Ephemeris all alone. I want them to be proud of you.’ This solicitude and the careful preparations continued for several weeks before he was called, and all his papers were carefully listed and filed.

Two months before he died he went to San Diego to see his lawyer about some papers and while there and without mentioning that he desired to do this, he had all of the Copyrights as well as the plates, which were in his name, transferred by deed of gift to the writer; this was in later years to be the saving of Mount Ecclesia and The Rosicrucian Fellowship work.      When his will was probated it was found that the land had been bought by him before the Fellowship was incorporated. In the deed he had stated that he held this land as trustee for the Fellowship, but when the deed was discussed and the will probated the Judge stated that as there had been no corporation at the time of the issuing of the deed, that the Fellowship land would go to Mrs. Heindel as the heir.      The will was probated in 1919, and in 1920 the writer deeded this land to The Rosicrucian Fellowship and today the Fellowship is in possession legally of all of the fifty acres constituting the Headquarters (Mount Ecclesia)” [60]

This brings me to one of the six most common questions people ask me related to death, that being: What is death like, anyway?  To answer this question, let me begin by saying that in the physical realm, the signs and symptoms of approaching physical death are the following:

1         The arms and legs may become cool to the touch and the underside of the body may become darker in color.  These symptoms are the result of the blood circulation slowing down.  To determine how long it has been since death occurred:

(a)    The leg is divided from the ankle to the knee into three parts.

(b)   Beginning with the kneepan as a fourth part, the limb to the thigh is further divided into six parts, or ten in all for the entire limb.

(c)    If section one is colder than section two, the body is assumed to have been dead for one hour.

(d)   If section two is colder than section three, the body has been dead for two hours, and so on.

(e)    Experiments conducted in temperatures between 40° and 80°F. proved fairly accurate in over 100 examinations

2.     The person will spend more and more time sleeping during the day and at times will be difficult to arouse.  This results from slowing down of the body’s metabolism.

3.     The person may lose bladder and bowel control resulting in incontinence.  This is the involuntary continual dripping of urine and fecal matter.

4.     The person will have a decreased need for food and drink.

5.     Oral secretions may become more profuse and collect in the back of the throat, producing what is commonly referred to in the medical profession as the “death rattles.”  This is a result of decreased fluid intake and the person’s inability to cough up normal saliva.

6.     The person’s vision and hearing may decrease slightly with hearing generally being the last sense to be lost.

7.     The person may become restless, pulling at bed linen and having visions of people or things.  This is the result of decreased oxygen to the brain, as well as the decreased metabolism.  Max Heindel, in his writings, explains it like this.  And I quote “Thus… it has been often noted by persons attending the death of a mother whose children had passed out, perhaps a number of years before, that at the time of dying she would see the children around her bed and exclaim: ‘Why, there is Johnny, and what a big boy he has grown to be,’ and so on. The people around the bed would probably think that it is a hallucination, but it is not, and it will be noted that a certain phenomenon always attends those visions, namely, when a person dies there comes over him a darkness, which he feels descending upon him. Many persons pass out without again seeing the Physical World, which is the change from our light vibrations to the vibrations of the Desire World, and is similar to the darkness that spread over the earth at the time of the crucifixion. With other people it happens that the darkness lifts after a moment and then the person is clairvoyant, seeing both the present world and the Desire World, and there, of course, appear the loved ones, who have been attracted by the impending death, which is birth into their world.”

8.     The person’s breathing pattern will change during sleep to an irregular type of arrhythmic breathing.  In this type of breathing, at first the breathing is slow and shallow, then it increases in rapidity and depth until it reaches a maximum.  Then it decreases gradually until it stops with 10 to 30 second periods of no breathing (apnea).  This type of breathing pattern is called Cheyne Stokes respiration. Although it occurs in certain acute diseases of the central nervous system, heart, lungs, and in intoxications it frequently occurs before death.

9.     Physical death is described as the cessation of physiologic processes that sustain life; a passing or parting; letting go of this life, or loss of life.  It has also been defined as a “moment in time,” because it is usually over with the blink of an eye.  The signs of clinical death include:

A.     No overt or covert signs of breathing,

B.     No heartbeat - In the state of California two flat EKG (electrocardiogram) readings within a 24-hour period is considered a definite sign of death.

C.     No response to shaking or shouting,

D.     Lose of bladder and bowel control.

E.     Eyelids slightly open with eyes fixed on one spot, and

F.     Jaws relaxed and mouth slightly open

 

Thus far, I have spoken of physical death.  If you recall I explained that death usually occurs gradually.  However, The consciousness is centered in the higher dimensions for a while before actual transition occurs.  Since the consciousness is not in the brain there is no suffering.  If the one departing is not placed under sedatives by his doctor, it is very possible that at the time of actual transition the consciousness may return momentarily and the departing Soul Spirit, even though partially detached from the body, will give a description of the scenes and people he is beholding.  Or he may become suddenly conscious of what is transpiring and say a last farewell to those beside him

 

When death is imminent it is very important to bid the dying person farewell.  When a guest is departing we see them to the door and bid them “good journey!” – saying our farewells until we meet again.  It is well to learn to do this with those who are departing earth life.  During this time or immediately after death, if it is possible a prayer should be spoken, committing the body to the four mighty Archangels of the elemental kingdom: Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel.  The rite, as simple as it sounds, surrounds the dead or dying form with the proper force field of disintegration.  When these mighty Archangels are invoked, such a ceremony immediately surrounds the form with light.  My personal preference is the “ Our Father” because it has a tendency to produce a peace profound.

 

What actually occurs at death, in the spiritual real is that the force of the individual’s seed atom leaves the body and all its impressions are transferred from the vital body into the desire body, which then forms the basis of the man or woman’s life in purgatory and the first heaven.  The slow withdrawal of the atoms, which we call the “etching of the seed atoms,” is the normal process of death.  With the complete withdrawal comes the appointed moment of actual transition.  The time required for this separation depends considerably upon the stored up electromagnetic power in the etheric force field.  When those electromagnetic forces have run their course and the three seed atoms have completely detached, the etheric body releases its hold upon the silver cord.  Then, when the cord breaks, the Soul Spirit is completely liberated.

 

Therefore, in reference to the six most common questions I am often asked about death, I would like at this time to address the question “Will the individual suffer?”  I will end part one of this conference on death and dying by saying that every change in nature is beautiful and physical death is no exception to the rule.  The death change is simply the liberation of our Soul Spirit form, from the physical body composing the outer flesh garment, and it is perfectly natural and painless.

 - Alexandra Porter

INTRODUCTION

PART 1 – INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL DEATH

PART 2 – SPIRITUAL BIRTH

PART 3 - HOW TO LIVE HERE, NOW, AND BEYOND WITH CHRIST  

 

DIVINE ESSENCE - INTRODUCTION

PART 2 – SPIRITUAL BIRTH

PART 3 - HOW TO LIVE HERE, NOW, AND BEYOND WITH CHRIST

 

 

 

CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE
FELLOWSHIP TEACHINGS

  Although the word "Rosicrucian" is used by several organizations, The Rosicrucian Fellowship has no connection with any of them.

  In the years 1907-08, after being tested for sincerity of purpose and selfless desire to aid his fellowmen, Max Heindel was selected by the Brothers of the Rose Cross to give out publicly the Western Wisdom Teachings and thus help prepare humanity for the coming Age of Universal Brotherhood. By means of intense self-discipline and devotion to service he earned the status of Lay Brother (Initiate) in the exalted Rosicrucian Order.

  Under the direction of the Brothers of the Rose Cross, spiritual giants of the human race, Max Heindel wrote The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, an epoch-making book which has now become the Western World's leading textbook on occultism. By means of his own spiritual development he was able to verify for himself much that was given in the Cosmo-Conception, as well as to gain additional knowledge that later become embodied in his numerous books.

  One of the basic conditions on which the Western Wisdom Teachings were given to Max Heindel was that no price should be set on them. This condition was faithfully observed by him to the end of his life, and has since been carefully observed by those directing the affairs of the Rosicrucian Fellowship. Although the Fellowship books are sold, the correspondence courses and the service of our Healing Department have been kept on the free will offering plan. There are no membership fees.

The Rosicrucian Fellowship P.O.Box 713, Oceanside, California 92049-0713 U.S.A. 2222 Mission Avenue Oceanside, CA 92054 U.S.A. Telephone: (760) 757-6600 Fax: (760) 721-3806 E-mail: rosfshp@rosicrucianfellowship.org Internet: http://www.rosicrucianfellowship.org   Return to home page.