An introduction to religious and spiritual experience

Pert em hru
and the Europeans their 
Ars Moriendi
. 
Tibetan Buddhists have the 
Bardo Thosgrol Chenmo
. The English title is 
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, 
the Tibetan 
The Great Liberation by 
Hearing in the Intermediate States
. This has recently been translated into 
English in its entirety for the first time, under the auspices of the Dalai 
Lama, who has written a learned introduction. All these works give 
detailed advice on dying, which is also applicable to spiritual practice in 
life. Shamanic initiation draws on a viewing of death as a transition to 
new life, and many rites in tribal religions imitate the pattern of dying and 
rebirth. There are myths in most religious traditions which reflect this 
pattern, and it is also the core of the Christian religion, as in the words of 
the Apostles’ Creed, Christ
was crucified, died, and was buried; 
he descended to the dead. 
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven.
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Some forms of Hinduism indicate that the ultimate fate of the individ-
ual is to merge with the absolute. In Buddhism all passions and trials dis-
appear in the state of 
Nirvana. 
Christianity, Islam and Judaism believe in 
a judgement followed by sojourn in a place commensurate with what one 
is due, paradise or hell, although there is often a location where further 
development and purification can take place. Many people do indeed 
experience a dying and rebirth in their spiritual lives. Special practices 
and even drug-induced experiences can give rise to insights into the 
pattern of living, dying and being reborn.
Dramatic experiences are now being reported taking place when the 
brain has ceased to function, during accidents, operations or illness. As 

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Dying and Death
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resuscitation techniques improve and people survive after longer periods 
of unconsciousness, there are more and more reports of Near Death 
experiences. These are often preceded by an Out of the Body experience. 
Are these spiritual experiences too and what might such experiences 
indicate as to the possible survival of death?
Spiritual experiences often give a new perspective to the age-old ques-
tions as to why we are here and whether there is any purpose in life 
beyond material wealth and professional success. They may throw light 
on the purpose and value of life. Whether one is sceptical or a believer, the 
question of human consciousness is of profound importance. Is the mind 
identical to the brain or can the two operate separately? Does anything of 
what we are survive our death?
Apart from the existential fear of death, there is the anxiety about 
dying, yet those who work with the dying, such as carers and nurses in 
hospitals and hospices often find the process a peaceful one. Nowadays 
pain can be managed and the end is generally calm. There have always 
been unexplained phenomena around the dying, and recently these have 
begun to be studied.
Here is an account of a recent event.
Leading up to my mother-in-law’s death she had been ailing for some 
time, nothing specific, just her general health, she was 86 and getting 
weaker and weaker. My father-in-law was pretty much her full time 
carer for at least a year or so. She couldn’t really do much, just sat in 
her chair and would seem to ‘just not be there’ at times. When I would 
visit she would say ‘do you think I’m dying?’ I felt embarrassed, it 
being a difficult question to answer, so just replied, ‘I don’t know’. 
To which she replied, ‘Because if I am, it’s wonderful!’
It was finally getting too much for my father-in-law to cope with 
and the day before she died she had been assessed for extra help or to 
see if she had to go into a care-home. She obviously didn’t want to do 
that, and choose to slip away quietly instead.
The night she died, my father in-law washed her to make her more 
comfortable, starting with her feet – (not wanting to be too sentimen-
tal but when he told me this it made me think of Jesus washing the 
disciples feet, with such love). He was beside her all night long and her 
last words to him were ‘I am at peace’. Apparently she looked younger 
and beautiful and it was a very peaceful passing.
Initially, I felt her presence with us very closely. Then I felt she was 
agitated with me and I wondered why, and if I had done something 
wrong to upset her. My father-in-law wanted help to sort through her 
clothes, it was too upsetting for him. I felt this was what she was 

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asking me to do and once I had done so, the feeling of agitation left. My 
husband had a dream of her in her prime a day or so after she died.
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This is a premonition of death, which had a profound effect.
I was sitting on a train, when it felt as if curtains in my forehead parted. 
I was standing at the end of my life, aged 76, looking back over my 
shoulder in wonder at a broad stream of colour radiating away from 
me that had been my life. My life was lion-yellow in colour – with light 
and dark ‘patches’, and I knew I could dive into the colour at any stage 
to examine what had happened at that point in my life. At the same 
time, I was conscious of being surrounded by the most extraordinary 
love – it looked like sparkles set amongst ‘darkish’ infinity. I do not have 
adequate words to explain exactly what it was like, but the 
feeling
com-
ing from this infinity was one of unconditional love and acceptance of 
who I was, what I had done, and how I was in my life. I had never 
encountered such love during my life, nor have I since. While I was 
looking at my ‘life’ from over my shoulder, I was conscious of beginning 
to drift upwards and I knew I was dying. I then realized that my life was 
only an experience, but it was how I used the experience that mattered. 
It was a powerful realization that swept over me and I could feel myself 
changing my thought patterns. As soon as I understood the implications 
of this, the curtains in my forehead closed, and I was back on the train.
For days after I mourned the loss of that infinite love – still do, 
although a lesser extent. Yet I have tried all manner of ways to make 
my curtains open again, but have never been able to. Nonetheless, I am 
forever hopeful.
I suppose it is the same feeling that C. S. Lewis wrote about in the 
Narnia chronicles – the desire to return to Narnia, but unable to find 
the opening.
I began to look at life as just an experience – and became much more 
conscious that each life experience I was having was as an opportunity 
for growth. It helped me to become more in control of my feelings, and 
therefore to make informed choices about the way I wanted to live my 
life. It also confirmed my belief that there is more going on around me 
than just the physical/material world. Whether there is a God, I don’t 
know. But I do believe love is a powerful force in the world and beyond, 
and there are many ways of experiencing it. I also believe that I will 
return to this experience of infinite love when I ‘die’, which will proba-
bly happen when I am 76. I have already started the process of spiritu-
ally preparing myself for my death. Part of this preparation includes 
choosing to do PhD research in end-of-life experiences to help improve 
spiritual end-of-life care for the dying, their relatives and carers.

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I have no idea if there is a reincarnation process. It certainly did not 
feel like that while I was having my experience. It felt more as if I was 
drifting ‘up’ to a different level of consciousness, free from my body, 
which felt warm and inviting. However the experienced ended before 
I could grasp what was to come.
Due to the experience, I have no fear of dying – in fact I am really 
looking forward to it. However, I am aware I am fearful of the way in 
which I die, which I know is contradictory. But I guess that is the human