--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > For the third time in the last five years, I had an experience > yesterday during meditation that I can only describe as the > experience of death. The previous two times I had the experience > during dreaming while sleeping (as opposed to dreaming while asleep > during program, which was the case here). > > I felt, first of all, a separation of my mind from my body. Indeed, > my mind became an observer of my body which felt like a piece of meat > that one would see in the butcher shop: mass of flesh, sinews, blood, > and bone. Just a lump. Then a cessation of activity of that body. > Indeed, this last time I even experienced a last exhale of breath > leaving the body in a final, long "Haaah" of exhalation. > > During waking state, I never experience my body like that; it > feels "normal". > > Anyone identify with this? Ever had an experience similar to it? > > One other point: I mention that I was dreaming when I had these > experiences. I will venture to say that I was perhaps in the state > of "tandra" (not to be confused with "tantra") which Muktananda > defines as "a state of higher consciousness, beyond sleep, which is > experienced during meditation". He calls it "yogic sleep" > where "sometimes one has visions of the past or the future, visions > of different lokas such as heaven and hell and other things. Yogic > sleep leads to all realisations." >
I'm interested in why people think this is an experience of death. Perhaps it is the experience that gave rise to ideas of what happens after we die. I always thought it might be the last thing we experience BEFORE we actually die, perhaps a way for our brains to stave of the insanity of non-existence. It sounds to me like a classic "out of body experience" or part of the "near death experience". Never had one myself but know people who have through accidents, drugs and TM. Though rarely at the same time. They all say it's amazingly real. I always thought it might be the last thing we experience BEFORE we actually die, perhaps a way for our brains to stave of the insanity of non-existence. Susan Blackmore, who I've already mentioned once on here today funnily enough, did a lot of research into this sort of thing. Have a read, though she doesn't go for the spiritual line it's interesting in it's description of how we decide what is "real". http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Articles/si91nde.html
