Death is not the final stop for our consciousness. When the heart stops beating, we leave the body, which will soon begin to decompose. We are leaving for a new world. Almost all of us have unusual stories related to the death of loved ones. Everyone is able to remember the strange, sometimes inexplicable phenomena that often accompanied this already alarming time.
Scientific fact
Even scientists have become concerned about the problem of whether deceased relatives can see us. At the same time, it is worth recognizing that the conclusions they came to are not as clear and categorical as skeptics and convinced atheists believe.
For example, in 2012, interesting scientific facts appeared. Experts in the field of quantum physics have studied whether deceased relatives can see us. In particular, numerous media outlets reported that scientists were able to find out where the human soul goes after death.
Experts from the UK and the American University of Arizona said that they were able to understand why people, when dying, see black and long tunnels with light at the end, as well as their own long-dead relatives. In their opinion, such visions appear at the moment when a person’s soul leaves the body, going into the vastness of the Universe.
The connection between the soul and a living person
Followers of religious and esoteric teachings consider the soul as a small particle of Divine consciousness. On Earth, the soul manifests itself through the best qualities of a person: kindness, honesty, nobility, generosity, the ability to forgive. Creative abilities are considered a gift from God, which means they are also realized through the soul.
She is immortal, but the human body has a limited lifespan. Therefore, at the end of earthly life, the soul leaves the body and goes to another level of the universe.
Near Death Experience Research
Scientists have studied the near-death experiences experienced by people who have experienced clinical death. These patients said that at the same time they met with their long-dead relatives, and observed their own body from the side. Before this, it was generally accepted that these were reactions of the brain, which was faced with oxygen starvation; some areas in it began to die.
British and American scientists came to a completely different conclusion when they studied this experience from the point of view of the quantum theory of consciousness. They found out that the human soul is contained in certain structures of our body. They were called microtubules or microtubules. They are found in brain cells. When a person at death sees such pictures, this is explained by the effect of quantum gravity, which develops in microtubules. The soul gradually leaves the nervous system, becoming part of the Universe.
It is noteworthy that this point of view coincides with the ideas about the afterlife of Hare Krishnas and Buddhists. They also believe that the soul of a deceased person becomes part of the Universe, and later returns to the world as a result of reincarnation.
Scientists' opinions on the soul and the afterlife
Representatives of science took the position of materialism, and the church always condemned atheists.
In earlier times, scientists believed that there was no soul. Consciousness and psyche are the activities of the brain and nervous system. Accordingly, with the cessation of life of the physical body, consciousness also dies. Scientists also did not take the afterlife seriously. They were convinced that in church they talked about heaven and hell in order to achieve obedience among parishioners.
About a century ago, Albert Einstein put forward the general theory of relativity, which revolutionized scientific views on the structure of the Universe. It turned out that such categories of matter as time and space are unstable. And Einstein questioned matter itself, declaring that it was more reasonable to talk about energy in its various manifestations.
The development of quantum physics has also made adjustments to the worldview of scientists. A theory has emerged about many variants of the Universe. And it has been experimentally proven that consciousness can influence processes in the world of microparticles.
This video talks about the view of modern scientists on the phenomenon of death:
What do the dead see after death?
If we look at the options offered by world religions, they can be divided into two groups.
Representatives of the first claim that after death a person will find eternal bliss in some other place, while the rest are convinced that the soul is reborn.
It is noteworthy that in each of these options there is the opportunity to see the living after death.
When figuring out whether deceased relatives see us after death, some argue that dreams serve as confirmation of this. After all, completely unknown people often appear in them, who in a dream communicate with you as if they have known you for many years.
Do the souls of the dead come to their relatives?
People give many examples that prove that deceased relatives visit their loved ones. Some have things falling, others celebrate the light breeze that cannot occur indoors.
One woman said that her deceased son was calling her from that world. But no one can say for sure that this is the soul, and not a figment of their own imagination.
Spirits can visit relatives
According to beliefs, the soul wanders the earth for another 40 days. At this time, she visits relatives, close and familiar people. Many people say that they feel the presence of the spirit of the deceased. Sometimes this happens in a dream.
If this happens after forty days, then you should think about it. This usually means that the soul has not found peace. Or the feeling of guilt haunts her, and she wanders in search of forgiveness. Priests advise going to church and lighting a candle for the repose.
Meeting in a dream
It is believed that these are people we met during the day. You don’t know them, you don’t remember them, but for some reason they are deposited in your subconscious.
There is another version. It's like your dead relatives visiting you in your dreams. They themselves have already moved to another world, but sometimes they have the opportunity to see you, and you - them.
In this case, it is believed that they are speaking from a parallel reality. In this situation, it is safe to say that this is one of the few ways of communication between souls. According to this version, it is obvious whether the deceased see their living relatives.
How can the dead contact the living?
The souls of the deceased do not belong to the material world, therefore they do not have the opportunity to appear on Earth as a physical body. In any case, we will not be able to see them in their previous form. In addition, there are unspoken rules according to which the dead cannot directly interfere in the affairs of the living.
- According to the theory of reincarnation, deceased relatives or friends return to us, but in the guise of a different person. For example, they may appear in the same family, but as a younger generation: a grandmother who has passed on to another world may return to Earth as your granddaughter or niece, although, most likely, her memory of the previous incarnation will not be preserved.
- Another option is spiritualistic seances, the dangers of which we discussed above. The possibility of dialogue, of course, exists, but is not approved by the church.
- The third communication option is dreams and the astral plane. This is a more convenient platform for those who have passed away, since the astral plane belongs to the immaterial world. The living enter this space also not in a physical shell, but in the form of a subtle substance. Therefore, dialogue is possible. Esoteric teachings recommend taking dreams involving deceased loved ones seriously and listening to their advice, since the dead have greater wisdom than the living.
- In exceptional cases, the soul of the deceased may appear in the physical world. This presence can feel like a chill down your spine. Sometimes you can even see something like a shadow or silhouette in the air.
- In any case, the connection between the departed people and the living cannot be denied. Another thing is that not everyone perceives and understands this connection. For example, the souls of the departed can send us signs. There is a belief that a bird that accidentally flies into a house carries a message from the afterlife calling for caution.
This video talks about communicating with the dead through dreams:
Help from Heaven
According to another version, the man found himself in another world. In Heaven or Nirvana, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it is an ephemeral reality in which the soul is united with the general mind.
Such a person receives a large number of new opportunities that were previously unavailable to him. At the same time, he is still connected by common experiences and emotional ties with those who remained alive. Answering the question of whether deceased relatives see and hear us, supporters of this theory are convinced that they are not only capable of this, but are also trying to help in one way or another.
You can find a lot of evidence of how deceased friends or relatives warned the living about impending dangers and advised how to act in a difficult situation.
Of course, you can attribute everything to intuition. But why then do images of deceased relatives appear before us? There is no logical answer to this question.
Answers from the dead.
Can the dead see us in the cemetery? They see. Moreover: the living one talks, and the dead one listens. But will a person receive an answer from a dead person? And what would that answer look like?
Most often there is an emotional return. A living person begins to feel anxiety, fear regarding certain questions asked. The deceased gives an answer with the necessary emotion (not necessarily negative - he gives the emotion according to what he wants to convey to the person).
In other cases, they take advantage of insects. Especially with butterflies - it can land on you or on some symbolic object. For negative, dark situations, moths are used. This is how the spirits’ anger and dissatisfaction are expressed.
For example, my grandmother’s grandson died, she came to his grave. He has been disabled since childhood and sat on her neck. Then he will appear to her in the form of a moth. Because the moth only eats things, just as the grandson ate the grandmother’s strength. Moths are also used by evil spirits for bad intentions - in any case, moths always mean something negative.
The behavior of the insects will be a sign that the dead one heard you and responded. So he will give you a hint, a hint.
They hardly use people. There must be an exceptional situation for this to happen. It is a rarity.
In addition, there is one simple technique that allows you to call the dead to sleep. More about this in the article when to come to the cemetery after a funeral.
Are both versions correct?
Finally, there is a third option when trying to answer the question of whether deceased relatives see us. It can be argued that both of the above versions are correct.
In this case, it turns out that after death a person finds himself in another world, in which he prospers as long as he has someone alive to help. It stays there as long as it lives in someone's subconscious. But since human memory is not eternal, sooner or later the last relative or descendant who knew him dies.
After this, the deceased is reborn to begin a new cycle. Get a new family and acquaintances, repeat this circle again.
Do deceased relatives see us in the cemetery?
On memorial days, all relatives and close people of the deceased gather near his grave. There they talk about him, remember all the joyful and happy moments with his participation.
As the saying goes: “they either say good things about a dead person or nothing.” These days, souls also come to the cemetery to see everyone. On other days, the soul that has found peace does not visit the earth. If you decide to visit a deceased person on other days, then he is watching you from heaven.
The dead see us from heaven
The church teaches us all this. Skeptics are suspicious of these points. They believe that the person died and his consciousness was forgotten in eternal sleep. It cannot come to life in another reality and watch everyone from the side. This is Vera's business. If it is easier for you to survive the death of a person, hoping that he sees and hears you, then just believe in it.
Catharsis
Understanding what a person is generally able to see after death, one can come to the conclusion that just before death, a certain state of catharsis occurs. This is the limit of physical suffering, when a thought begins to gradually fade away until it fades completely. Often the last thing a person hears is the doctor's words about cardiac arrest.
At the next stage, a person begins to observe his body from the outside. At the same time, he most often hangs several meters above the ground, sees how doctors save him, trying to bring him back to life. He finally understands what happened to him only when everything calms down.
After this, the person comes to terms with the current situation, realizing that he now has a new path. A path to another world, from which he will be able to watch his relatives for some time, help them and support them in difficult times.
Signs of the presence of deceased loved ones in the lives
Specific signs can confirm the connection between a person who left this world and his remaining relatives.
- Strange behavior of animals - the soul can move into pets, butterflies, ladybugs, birds, etc. They can sit on people, knock on the window, scream.
- Places of things that are important to others or the deceased - loved ones constantly stumble upon them in unexpected places. They can find long-lost items. They will work as amulets.
- The appearance of odors - this could be the aroma of the deceased’s favorite perfume, the food he preferred, cigarettes, etc. They appear from nowhere, and only one person feels them, while others do not smell anything.
- Including songs that the deceased loved - especially at times when a loved one needs advice or is having a hard time. Throughout the day, one melody can sound several times from different sources - TV, radio, Internet.
- Dreaming about the deceased - it is easy for a person to come to his family in a dream. Often these are bright pictures that foreshadow good events. You need to be able to interpret them.
- Repetition of the same numbers - relatives may often encounter dates that were significant to the deceased. Repeated numbers often come across. Looking at the clock, a person realizes that several days fall at the same time. Such coincidences often warn of upcoming changes in the lives of relatives. Events can be both good and bad.
- Feeling of peace - loved ones feel at peace. They begin to be overwhelmed with love after a fit of anger. Often this is how their children feel the presence of their deceased parents.
- Receiving unexpected answers to questions - a person is visited by thoughts that help him find a way out of a difficult situation. Souls have the property of telepathy, because they do not have the right to vote. If a person understands that this is not his guess, then it means that he received a message from the other world.
- Games with electricity - the light may turn on and off for no reason. For example, a lamp on the deceased’s desk.
- Tinnitus is the conversation of the soul, which is communicating at a high frequency. A person can hear the clue if they pay attention to the buzzing and concentrate.
Often the soul may not allow you to turn the key in the door lock or start the car. In this way, she tries to detain her relative for a while in order to protect him from trouble.
What does our soul see?
When figuring out whether the souls of deceased relatives see us, we need to understand that in this case we are talking about what the human soul can see. It is believed that a person’s consciousness concentrates, turning into a disembodied shell, at the moment when he finally resigns himself to death, accepting it.
Until this moment, his spiritual body looks exactly the same as his physical body. But after he realizes that the peculiar shackles are falling off him, the force of gravity no longer has power over him, the body begins its transformation, losing the outlines familiar to the eye.
Then the souls of relatives who died before them begin to appear around. In this situation, they strive to support us so that it is easier for a person to move to the next stage of his existence.
When the soul begins to move, it is believed that a strange creature appears before it, which cannot be described in words. One can only understand that love of enormous power emanates from him.
Among those who have experienced clinical death, having been beyond this point, there is an opinion that this is our very first ancestor, from whom all people on earth descended. He always hurries to help the dead man who still does not understand anything. This creature begins to communicate, asking questions, but not with a voice, but with images. In these moments, a person sees his entire past life in front of him, only in reverse order.
Testimonies of religious ministers
In Orthodoxy, special attention is paid to the journey of the soul in the first 40 days. For the first three days, she is still among her family and friends - saying goodbye to them. And only then the Angels accompany her to Heaven to contemplate the Paradise abode and the Hellish palaces. But even there, the out-of-body essence of the deceased relative hears prayers offered for her, parting speeches and memorial words.
Relatives and friends are required to pray for the deceased. Services in the Church - memorial service, lithium, Sorokoust - are also intended to help the soul of the deceased. It is believed that the Lord, hearing so many prayers and seeing the efforts of the living, understands how righteous the deceased looks in the eyes of the living. Even the most sinner, but for whom many are killed and for whom many ask, is worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, for he has left behind him a good reputation and a good memory.
If the living want to make sure that their prayers reach the Most High, then the priests remind them of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:31). For those who do not believe in Almighty God, any evidence from the other world will not be arguments, and for those who believe, such phenomena are not needed.
Other Abrahamic religions have similar beliefs about the out-of-body essence of man. Thus, in Judaism, the joint reading of the Torah, the Kaddish Yalom prayer (the orphan’s prayer), and words of respect for the deceased build for the soul the steps of the ladder leading to God. And the more words of praise and prayers are offered, the higher the spiritual essence will rise, the more chances it will have to reach the heavenly spheres. It is customary for Muslims to rely on the will of Allah in everything - only he knows where the spirit of the deceased will go. At the same time, the deceased also hear and see which relatives are sincerely saddened by their death, who perform posthumous duas (prayers for the deceased).
At the barrier
It is then that the realization comes that we are approaching some kind of barrier. It may not be visible, but it can already be felt. If we think logically, believers come to the conclusion that this is a barrier that separates the world of the dead from the world of the living. What happens behind it is unknown to anyone living today. One can only guess about this, build various versions and assumptions.
Now it’s clear whether our deceased relatives can see us. It is obvious that they are not only able to observe us, but also to influence loved ones who remain on earth, to help them, and to give practical advice.
Having considered all the versions that exist today, believers claim that the dead can really see us.
Basic theories about afterlife
Myths and religious views of peoples offer their vision of what happens to a person after death. For example, the “Tibetan Book of the Dead” describes step by step all the stages through which the soul passes from the moment of dying to the next incarnation on Earth.
Heaven and Hell, Heavenly Court
In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, a person after death awaits a Heavenly court, at which his earthly deeds are assessed. Depending on the number of mistakes and good deeds, God, angels or apostles divide dead people into sinners and righteous people in order to send them either to Heaven for eternal bliss or to hell for eternal torment. However, the ancient Greeks had something similar, where all the dead were sent to the underground kingdom of Hades under the guardianship of Cerberus.
Souls were also distributed according to their level of righteousness. Pious people were placed in Elysium, and vicious people were placed in Tartarus. The judgment of souls is present in different variations in ancient myths. In particular, the Egyptians had a deity, Anubis, who weighed the heart of the deceased with an ostrich feather to measure the severity of his sins. Pure souls headed to the paradise fields of the solar god Ra, where the rest were not allowed to go.
Evolution of the soul, Karma, Reincarnation
The religions of ancient India look at the fate of the soul differently. According to traditions, she comes to Earth more than once and each time she gains invaluable experience necessary for spiritual evolution.
Any life is a kind of lesson that is passed in order to reach a new level of the Divine game. All actions and deeds of a person during life constitute his karma, which can be good, bad or neutral
The concepts of “hell” and “heaven” are not here, although the results of life are important for the upcoming incarnation. A person can earn better conditions in the next reincarnation or be born in the body of an animal. Everything determines behavior during your stay on Earth.
The space between worlds: the restless
In the Orthodox tradition there is the concept of 40 days from the moment of death. The date is important, since the Higher powers make the final decision about the residence of the soul. Before this, she has the opportunity to say goodbye to places dear to her on Earth, and also undergoes tests in the subtle worlds - ordeals, where she is tempted by evil spirits. The Tibetan Book of the Dead names a similar period of time. And it also lists the trials encountered on the path of the soul. There are similarities between completely different traditions. Two beliefs tell about the space between the worlds, where a deceased person resides in a subtle material shell (astral body).
This place can be called the astral, parallel or subtle world. The human eye is not capable of seeing astral inhabitants. But the inhabitants of the parallel world can watch us without making much effort.
In 1990, the film “Ghost” was released. Death overtook the hero of the film suddenly - Sam was treacherously killed on a tip from a business partner. While in the body of a ghost, he investigates and punishes the culprit. This mystical drama perfectly outlined the astral plane and its laws. The film also explained why Sam was stuck between worlds: he had unfinished business on Earth - protecting the woman he loved. Having achieved justice, Sam gains passage to heaven.
People whose lives were cut short at an early age, as a result of murder or an accident, cannot come to terms with the fact that they are gone. They are called restless souls. They wander the Earth as ghosts and sometimes even find a way to make their presence known. This phenomenon is not always caused by tragedy. The reason may be strong attachment to spouses, children, grandchildren or friends.
Ways to protect yourself from a ghost
To protect yourself from the influence of the restless, religious practitioners advise adhering to the rules.
- You need to grieve, but in moderation. Excessive lamentations and prolonged sadness keep the deceased on earth and materialize him into a ghost.
- If you are not at the funeral, light a candle in a secluded place in the evening, communicate with the deceased and apologize for not seeing him off on his last journey. Say goodbye.
- To drive a ghost out of a house, an iron or copper sharp object, or a knife, is stuck into the place where it appears.
- Listen to the signals. If the ghost of a friend told you something or asked you to do something, do it. He will calm down and leave. Today, the dead even use the telephone and SMS.
- Don't talk to ghosts of strangers, don't turn your back. Put something on backwards and walk away. You are allowed to read a prayer and dismiss the vision.
There have been cases when spirits calmed down when they were buried according to accepted customs. They may indicate the place of death. Another option is to help finish what was started on earth. The dead are found everywhere, not only in cemeteries.
Although eyewitness accounts of ghosts have been recorded, they have not been scientifically proven. They exist in the form of semi-legends; science has not been able to record a single spirit using accessible methods. For superstitious people, it is important to say goodbye to the deceased correctly and know that he has found peace.
All over the world, different cultures have developed unique legends about the path of the soul after death, special burial traditions and about the dead in the form of ghosts. You shouldn’t be terribly afraid of death, but you need to respect it. Also, when saying goodbye to loved ones, the psychological factor is taken into account: sometimes voices, noise, visions are the body’s defense mechanism against stress, and not supernatural events.
Views of different religions on the path of the soul
Attitudes towards the end of earthly existence change with changing eras and depend on culture. In Ancient Greece, they believed that Moira, the goddess of fate, was in charge. She decides what the fate of the soul of the deceased is, where it should go - to Hell or Elysium. The tradition is influenced by mythology and philosophy.
In Ancient Egypt, death was treated with respect: all funeral rites were carefully observed, because they believed in resurrection. The soul was called Ba and was likened to the god Osiris.
In the Middle Ages, Christianity had a propagating character. All alternative views were eradicated; people believed in the physical death of the body and the eternal existence of those saved under the auspices of God in Paradise or Hell for sinners.
But even during the time of the Inquisition and accusations of heresy, a pagan worldview existed in parallel. Although death promised salvation to the righteous, they were afraid of it, they talked about it, they tried to deceive it, considering it a living being. They practiced witchcraft and believed in predictive signs. In the early period, people were taught to think about finitude from childhood.
In Eastern religions the idea of immortality prevails:
- reincarnation into a person, animal, plant, object;
- cyclical rebirth of the soul - up to 777 times;
- death is perceived only as a transition to another body and is not associated with sadness.
Northern peoples believed in the transmigration of souls within the clan. Great-grandfathers incarnate into great-grandchildren, etc. Therefore, newborns were often given the names of deceased relatives.
Later, the topic of death became taboo. Children are still protected from it; many adults cannot overcome the fear of death. Today there is a whole technique for overcoming it, mainly for older people.
Therefore, questions arise about where the soul of the deceased goes, whether it exists, and what happens after death. In our culture, Orthodoxy and some folk inclusions are fundamental, so the theory of the end of earthly existence is considered from this angle.
