My thoughts on the afterlife, part 1

I’ve been reading Sylvia Browne’s book Life on the Other Side, which has really got me thinking lately.  I’m going to try to be semi-coherent as I write about this, and try to limit the length, which is why I expect this to be a few different parts based on the different topics I have questioned.  But first, a disclaimer. I know that I don’t know what the ‘right answer’ is, and Sylvia also realizes that she doesn’t know the whole story.  Since she certainly knows more than me, I will accept that much of what she describes is true, or as true as she understands.  In time (hopefully not too soon) I’ll know much more of the ‘truth’, but in the meantime I’m just guessing here.  Feel free to pop in with your own opinions, I don’t mind.

The first concept that threw me off was the overall way the afterlife is set up.  Sylvia describes the other side, or Home as I’ll refer to it, since it’s shorter, as a place about three feet above the ground, but vibrating at a much higher frequency so we can’t see it.  It mirrors the earth’s topography, but without all of the buildings, though there are buildings.  Each planet has their own Home where the beings of that planet return to.  We spend our time there doing research, learning things, helping beings back on the physical planet, whatever.  At some point we choose to reincarnate and start the physical life process over again.  The big thing that bothers me about this is how few people seem to move between Homes, or planets.  Why would a soul incarnate so many times on one planet, rather than jumping around between planets?  It’s not that I don’t believe her, but it doesn’t make much sense.  Maybe it’s just me in my current form, but I want to see all the different planets, and see all the different kinds of beings.  I want to experience it all!  How can I know if I don’t at least visit these other places while on the other side?  I mean, do I just get distracted by all my work back Home that I forget this desire, or do I get to visit other places whenever I want?  See, I believe that our souls are truly and absolutely free to choose whatever they want.  If I want to visit another planet, my soul should be able to right away.  It shouldn’t have to wait until a different incarnation, or ask permission.  That implies a restriction on my soul, which I don’t believe exists.  This isn’t really addressed in the book though, so who knows what she thinks.

Another thing that seems a bit odd is that we have bodies and everything Home.  Why do we have bodies that serve no biological function?  Is it just handy?  Her answer of ‘that’s just how God created us’ just doesn’t wash with me.  Granted, there’s no harm in believing or disbelieving, but it doesn’t sit right with me.  Because again, there is an overseeing being that gets to decide something for me, rather than me deciding every last detail on a whim.  If I don’t want a body, why do I have to have one?  Maybe this is just my perspective as a human, but all of the sounds like restrictions subtley placed on our souls, which again can’t happen because souls are free.

Thinking about this tonight, I realized one possibility is that we choose to exist in this framework of Home because it is comforting to us, and familiar.  Though I don’t see why we need comforting once beyond our physical incarnations, especially once we’ve reintegrated back into the ’soul world’.  But, if people like that sort of place, then it works.  I just don’t see how I would have to stay there and have a body that serves no real purpose.  Wow, I sound like a kid right now, but I think adults forget to question things sometimes, and now is one of them.  Growing up I didn’t question heaven or hell, and I should have.  I’m making up for that lost time now though! 

Another thing that I absolutely disagree with, and now have evidence to back up my claim, is the idea that animals only incarnate as animals, and humans as humans.  Going back to the concept of freedom of souls, it makes no sense that we couldn’t choose to live as an animal.  I mean, how many experiences are we missing out on by not living as an animal at some point?  It sounds a bit elitist to me.  While driving up to Lake Travis this week I was talking to Carrie about this and she shared the story of a person she knew back home.  This guy underwent past life regression and had it videotaped.  As they worked their way back, they came to a point where the therapist asked him who he was, and he didn’t respond.  He asked a few more times, and he finally responded with, “I’m the hunter”.  Since that didn’t make sense, he had him describe his characteristics.  The therapist didn’t lead in anyway.  After some time, they finally came to realize this man was a fox.  And actually, during that time he switched from being the hunter to the hunted, which couldn’t have been fun.  In his next lifetime he was a human, so he literally went from an animal to a human.  The therapist asked to keep a copy of the tape, because that’s the first time he’s found a person who was an animal in a past life.  So while it’s rare, it’s not impossible.  Perhaps Sylvia hasn’t come across anyone like this before, and hasn’t thought to ask about the situation.  But Carrie absolutely believes this situation was legit, and I certainly believe her.  Plus, it makes more sense with my beliefs because I don’t see how you can limit the soul to a choice of only humanity.

In the end, all of my issues come down to freedom of choice.  I believe the soul to be completely free.  Not mostly free, with a few restrictions, but completely and wholly.  We are god, not just a part of god.  We are not separate from the creator, we are the creator.

This book is quite interesting though, and certainly worth the read.  I’m sure much of it is quite true, and it was fun to push some of my beliefs.  Neale Donald Walsch has his final ‘with god’ book coming out next week, and I’ll be sure to write about my thoughts after reading that too.  Stay tuned!