What is the purpose of life? What happens when we die? Is there an afterlife? Is it all about just making the most of every moment? Does any of this even matter? Can we possibly see the perfection of it all? Who knows for sure?
I’ve written and spoken extensively about how we determine what’s true. In general, people know what’s true based on their personal experience, collective experience (jury system), science, or intuition. Scientific research dominates a search for truth, but most Americans believe in a Higher Power of some kind and pray regularly for a deeper level of information that is not available by objective measurement or reason. Indeed, the consensus of religious and related spiritual systems is that the ultimate purpose in life is to realize the Eternal Self/Soul within, know of one’s union with All That Is, and live in harmony with all of creation.
It’s very interesting to me that this is where science and religion appear to agree. The study of quantum physics has determined that all of creation is connected by an energy field of complete harmony, order, compassion, and love. It has also concluded that consciousness creates physical reality. You literally reap what you sow, which is the logical basis for the Golden Rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated.
I have found that most people believe our life purpose includes learning to love. When I attempted to define what love is in writing my book, Why Love Heals, I found a major survey of spiritual traditions which discovered there are six dominate virtues: wisdom and knowledge, courage, humanity, (including love and kindness), justice, temperance, and transcendence.
This got me thinking, “Is it possible to master all of these virtues in a lifetime?” What happens when you die if you haven’t become unconditionally loving or kind? If this really matters, is it reasonable to think that you get a little (or a lot) more time and opportunity to learn. Or if our life ends when we die (oblivion), what was the point of this learning or personal or spiritual growth? All things considered, maybe that’s why just making the best of our life (what brings us the greatest joy and meaning) is a pretty reasonable approach to life.
But this still leaves the elephant in the room: death. Is it really “lights out” when we die? Or is there some kind of afterlife? Is there a heaven or hell? There’s no way this isn’t a little scary.
Our greatest fear and time of vulnerability is that we will no longer exist. Everything about our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual makeup is intended to keep us alive. No one really wants to die. Although I’ve found that most people aren’t nearly as afraid of dying; they just don’t want to have to suffer. So, yet another question: What’s the point of suffering? How does suffering and all of life’s turmoil fit into a life purpose?
One perspective is that death is a convention through which our life becomes more valued. If we only have so much time to live, it can motivate us to do more of what we really want to do before we no longer can. Times of suffering can similarly cause us to reprioritize our lives where they actually become richer and fuller. Suffering also causes people to look at what they really believe.
Another perspective is that human life serves the purpose of learning to love through the “school of hard knocks”. In order to learn what love is, we need to experience what love is not. What’s love without fear? What’s hot without cold? Up without down? We learn through trial and error that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors have real consequences.
What we believe creates our reality and affects all of our relationships. Life is always a matter of choosing who we are and who we choose to be. It’s certainly character-building. Like the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin where a mysterious man spins straw into gold to save the miller’s daughter, our problems become the very place to discover wisdom and love. Ships are safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.
I like the idea that we’re here to experience the joy of creation. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to create my life. It requires a serious dose of personal responsibility, but perhaps this learning to discipline our minds and thoughts is necessary for progression into a spiritual (nonphysical) life (where in resonance with our True Nature of love and kindness) our thoughts are capable of creating universes.While many claim there is no proof of life after death, or of life serving a purpose, I’d like to recommend a number of resources that give ample evidence of the perfection of all of life. I believe that we actually plan our life challenges before birth, and have endless time in our journey of souls to appreciate our connection with All That Is. There are many doorways to truth. I hope you find these additional considerations as yet more “food for thought” in helping you develop your spiritual life.
Recommended Reading for “Life, Death, and Perfection”
Why Love Heals by Dean Shrock, Ph.D., explains how you have chosen your life path to experience both the negative and positive so that you can experience true joy and grow spiritually. This includes conversations with John the Baptist channeled through the medium, Sharon Bauer, where he wants us to know he is as alive now as he ever was on the earth plane.
Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch, explains how God is experiencing itself through us in order to know itself experientially – for us to know ourselves as God and the infinite power to create our lives.
Voices of Love from the Light by Philip burley, who channels conversations with great souls in the afterlife and their unmistakable messages of love and spiritual truth.
Courageous Souls by Robert Schwartz, who has worked with and interviewed mediums and channels to learn the reasons why we as souls choose to incarnate and experience challenges.
Life Eternal, Love Immortal by Sharon Bauer, a medium who has connected thousands of people with loved ones who have died. Their message is that they still live and continue to love and protect us.
Life After Life by Rayomnd Moody Jr., M.D., has sold millions of his book documenting near-death experiences (NDE).
Saved by the Light by Danion Brinkely, is maybe the most remarkable NDE you’ll ever read about the spiritual realm.
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss, M.D., used hypnotherapy with countless patients who recalled past-life memories and messages on life after death, when we are born and when we will die.
Journey of Souls by Michel Newton, Ph.D., used hypnotherapy to regress people back into their soul state – filled with case studies about what happens between lives.
Friday Afterlife Report by Victor and Wendy Zammit, WWW.VictorZammit.com
