DEATH AND LIFE

The pioneering work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross on death and dying will be known to many readers. She herself died in 2004, and I came across this book on a table at Hawkwood College in September. On opening it, I discovered that it claimed to be a message from Elisabeth about her experiences since her own transition and her current understanding of the nature of death and dying. Having read it on a trip to Italy in October, I am convinced that this is a genuine message from Elisabeth and one of the most important books ever published on the subject. Part of her work concerned the transformation is implied in the dying process, and this theme comes through very strongly in the current book. As you can imagine, the author himself was somewhat sceptical when Elisabeth came through, but her voice is powerful and distinctive as ever.

The title suggests the intrinsic relationship between death and life. Transience means that no form is permanent and indeed nature is in a continuous process of transformation. Out of decay and death comes new life, as we can see from the compost heaps in our garden. We are constantly in a position of being challenged to let go of the old and embrace the new. We are both acquiring and disposing. Elisabeth explains that death serves life because it consumes everything that life no longer needs for its perpetuation and progress. This actively supports the dynamic of change underlying the whole of life as Goethe understood when he said that death is life's way of producing more life. Death is in this sense a great transmuter of useless aspects.

Fear is a very important theme in relation to death, and Elisabeth explains that it dampens and delays the process of dying by creating resistance: we cling to life because we have not learned to die. Consequently, delaying death simply lengthens a miserable life of reduced quality. She therefore encourages readers to disengage the idea of death from fear, which requires considerable spiritual work. As she used to say in her workshops, fear of death translates into fear of life, fear of fully engaging. She encourages us instead to regard death as a life-enhancing experience leading to transformation. An important corollary is the modern separation of the human (ego) from the divine. People who do not feel themselves separate experience their essence as a divine being that can by definition not be extinguished: 'only in the falsely perceived absence of God does death appear as something final.' The book gives some powerful examples of people coming to terms with death after a terminal diagnosis. The lesson is to maintain contact with the structure of the soul rather than being completely preoccupied with the reality of the senses.

In a striking sequence, Elisabeth describes her own transition, for which she was uniquely prepared through her life work. There was a great sense of reunion, expansion and joy but then she was immediately presented with a new assignment of accompanying people on their transition - described as a service of love. First, however, she had to take leave of her physical body and thank it for all its service. She explains how the finer structured bodies emerge from the physical at death, but then there is also a corresponding psychological process that can take a lot longer, especially for those who have found it difficult to let go. We can initiate this kind of process during life by clearing out thoughts, emotions and possessions we no longer need. Elisabeth challenges readers to reflect deeply on their attitude to death and what this means for their corresponding attitude to life (pp. 84, 128). She affirms the possibility that we can all manifest the higher and deeper aspects of ourselves in physical incarnation and even merge more closely with our guidance. This is true creative self-expression. She also refers to a red thread of inner determination, which we should seek to align with.

At the beginning of the third part (p. 112), there are some memorable aphorisms about death as a human construct and ways in which we can break down this barrier. We need a new culture of death, towards which many people have been working over the last 40 years. The ideal across many cultures is conscious death unimpeded by fear, but this can only be reached through serious spiritual work and reflection, as every reader will recognise. An important part of this process is understanding one's main purpose, which itself requires desire and courage to become an expression of love, which Elisabeth affirms is the ultimate substance of life. Readers will appreciate that this remarkable book contains a hugely important message, not only about death, but also about the nature of life and transformation. Even those already familiar with the field will learn a great deal and will be challenged to live more deeply and fully.