Table of contents
2. Where do we go after death?
3. Some principles that govern which of our departed ancestors we can meet in the afterlife
4. How do we recognise our previously departed ancestors when we die?
5. Once identified do we stay together with other departed relatives in the afterlife?
6. How do we communicate when we meet with relatives and friends in the afterlife?
7. Do we meet our pets in the afterlife?
1. Introduction
Almost all of us have at sometime wondered if we can meet our departed ancestors and loved ones when we leave this Earth at the time of death. The purpose of this article is to explain the factors and principles governing who we can meet and who we cannot in the afterlife.
2. Where do we go after death?
Please refer to our article on ‘Where do we go after death?’.
As you will see, there are 13 subtle and intangible regions we can go to after death. In the current era, approximately only 5% of us make it to the positive regions of Heaven, Mahaaloka and above. This is because one needs to be at least at the 60% spiritual level (which is 5% of the world’s population) to attain the first positive region of the Universe, i.e. Heaven, after death. Refer to the breakdown of the world’s population by spiritual level.
There is another region that is very important to mention in what happens to us after death. Immediately after we die, we go to a region known as Martyaloka or the ‘Region of the Dead’. This is a halfway house or an interim plane of existence as one makes their journey from the moment of death to their final resting place in one of the 13 subtle (intangible) planes of existence.
Please refer to the article on the Region of death (Martyaloka).
3. Some principles that govern which of our departed ancestors we can meet in the afterlife
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Same region: Subtle bodies of relatives in the same region can meet each other easily. For example, two subtle bodies of relatives in the Nether Region (Bhuvaloka) can meet each other.
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Subtle to subtler regions: It is not possible for a person in a subtle (intangible) plane to meet a person in an even more subtle (intangible) plane of existence. After the Earth plane, the Nether region (Bhuvaloka) is the most gross (tangible). A subtle body in one of the planes in Nether region (Bhuvaloka) cannot go to meet a subtle body in Heaven or the ‘1st Region of Hell’ (Pataal).
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Subtle regions to more gross regions: A subtle body from a more subtle plane of existence can go to a grosser (less subtle) plane of existence. For example, a subtle body in the 3rd Region of Hell can go to meet a person in the 1st region of Hell on a temporary basis. Such visits usually last for as long as they are required and are also dependent on the spiritual strength of the visiting subtle body.
- Subtle higher regions:
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Subtle bodies in the higher positive subtle regions of Mahaaloka are so spiritually advanced that they are devoid of desires including desire to meet family members. The main purpose in their existence is to grow spiritually.
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Subtle bodies in Heaven (Swargaloka) experience immense happiness and are generally caught up in the subtle pleasures that Heaven has to offer. As a result, the desire to meet previous relatives just does not encroach upon their consciousness.
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Visiting Region of the Dead: Subtle bodies in any subtle region can visit the subtle bodies in the Region of the Dead (Martyaloka) or Earth region.
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A ghost of higher spiritual strength in the lower regions of Hell can temporarily enter higher positive regions such as Heaven to upset the peace.
4. How do we recognise our previously departed ancestors when we die?
4.1 What form do we take after we die?
Once a subtle body enters the Region of the Dead, it begins to loose its identity with its previous Earthly life. By the time it crosses the Region of the Dead (Martyaloka) and reaches one of the main subtle regions such as the Nether region (Bhuvaloka), the subtle body takes an amorphous form.
If people have a strong attachment to their Earthly life and relatives, they are not able to move on beyond the Region of the Dead. Here they continue to take a form resembling their previous form. The form is created by the ‘energy of Desire’. Subtle bodies can get stuck in the region of the Dead for many years and hover around the ancestral home. As a result, those with sixth sense are able to feel or see their presence.
4.2 Mechanism of meeting
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When entering the same region: When the subtle bodies of departed ancestors have an intense desire to meet another departed relative or friend, the energy from that single-minded thought creates a subtle (intangible) materialisation. At the same time the relative who has just died and entered that region is attracted to that particular ancestor’s subtle body because of the frequencies of desire emanating from the subtle body of the ancestor. The descendant who has recently expired then recognises his ancestor because of the familiar form that the subtle body of the ancestor has taken.
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At the time of death: There are generally hereditary similarities at the level of subtle basic sattva, raja and tama components among family members. Hence the subtle bodies of ancestors residing in the ‘Region of the Dead’ (Martyaloka) and Nether region, due to their over sensitiveness are able to perceive the changes happening in the dying person at the time of death. They are then pulled towards the sound of the sub-vital energies emitted and excretory gases discharged by the dead body. Thus they enter the Earth’s environment and come near the dying person. That is why many dying people get visions of their dead ancestors. If the recently dead person strongly wishes to meet his departed ancestors or if the departed ancestor strongly wishes to meet the dead person, then the ancestor on the strength of his strong ‘energy of Desire’ attains a gaseous apparition like form. They thus help the dead person in identifying themselves.
4.3 Risks involved with meeting
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In some cases higher level ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) like subtle sorcerers can take the form of dead relatives and misguide recently departed subtle bodies. This can be best avoided if one has done a lot of spiritual practice on Earth and can see through their illusory form.
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Departed ancestors who are in one of the regions of Hell can also mislead recently departed subtle bodies.
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The sure way of ensuring one is not misled after death is to do regular spiritual practice as per the six basic principles of spiritual practice and attain as high a spiritual level as possible. The higher the spiritual level at the time of death, lower the chances of being deceived by ghosts or ancestors from regions of Hell. Also one is able to access a greater protection from God.
5. Once identified do we stay together with other departed relatives in the afterlife?
Subtle bodies from a family generally stick together. This is because there is lot of similarity among relatives compared with others.
6. How do we communicate when we meet with relatives and friends in the afterlife?
The method of communication in the afterlife is not the language of sound that we are used to on Earth. The thoughts in the mental body of one are perceived by the others.
7. Do we meet our pets in the afterlife?
Pets' and other animals' existence comes to an end when they die. For them there is no rebirth. Hence there is no question of meeting them in the afterlife. If at all one sees pets this again is the doing of illusion creating sorcerers. Again regular spiritual practice is the assured way of avoiding being deceived.
