I’ve spent my life trying to figure out what this life is all about. I’ve swung from believer to agnostic to atheist and back.
Like many people, I always asked, “How can God let so much horror happen?” I realized I was looking at things the wrong way. It’s our presumptuous nature to think this life is where it’s at, it’s all about us, and we’re the be all end all. But we also know this is not the garden of Eden—it’s a very imperfect place. What if it’s really just the pregame show, the spring tryouts, the auditions, the proving ground?
Many people who have had near-death experiences describe a life-review, with events long forgotten. This includes the perspective of the people affected by our actions, to show the previously unseen harm we’d done. Perhaps if there are enough of those, without requisite growth and repentance, we may come right back for more development when we die. Maybe that’s what reincarnation is all about. There are well-documented cases of small children, barely old enough to speak, describing their previous lives in great detail. Researchers has scientifically verified these, as shown in episode six of the Netflix series, Surviving Death. (episode one discusses afterlife experiences, as does the excellent book, After by Bruce Greyson, MD).
If this theory is true, our life is a teaching ground and test. It explains another of the questions I’ve asked all my life, “Why do we have these huge defects, the massive temptations of lust, greed, pride, ego? Maybe they’re put there on purpose. Without them, there can be no test. They are the Eden apples in our Earth garden.
If that’s the case, we need bad things to happen here. God cannot step in. Our reaction to these temptations may be a critical barometer to gauge where we’re at in our spirit’s evolution to becoming good enough for admission to the idyllic hereafter that people who have had near-death experiences have consistently described. Our spirit needs to be well-formed for entrance.
This all fits with the hard to argue, scientifically verified afterlife experiences that have been reported, in Dr. Greyson’s book and the Netflix series. It’s likely they have happened throughout time. They may be the basis for all religious beliefs, doctrines, scriptures, and the commonalities between them. The rest of organized religious practices and principles may be added, by humans, for control, ego, and profit.
And the truth is likely, as some have reported after temporarily transitioning, that you don’t need to join any clan or cult. You don’t have to go through rituals, give up your hard-earned money. Simply, just talk to and love God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah and the spirits who have passed on. Be kind, be generous. Follow those basic rules laid out on the tablets given to Moses and beatitudes in Matthew 5 in the New Testament as a roadmap for your time here. It’s not that complicated. Maybe God did give it a crack once and send his emissary down for some guidance!
Those who profit greatly from organized religion in ego, control, or money won’t like hearing that. Their bad acts steer us away from this basic truth. We are not wretched, we’re just learning and developing. It’s been there in front of us all along.Some churches and religious organizations are good. They bring together community in their faith, but not when they’re grifting, sinning, or shaming.
Our bodies are perhaps just temporary physical vessels to hold our mind, our spirit, to live amongst each other and try to grow and learn until we’re ready. We’re proud that we’ve figured out how our bodies work, and how to replace parts, even growing them in a lab, or using animals if necessary. Some see that as a sign there is no God. But we haven’t figured out, and may never, the great mystery of our minds and spirits that are housed in these vessels. We’re not even close, and may never be.
Think about it. If this is true, then time, health, money, tragedy, our daily concerns, don’t matter at all. All the things we fuss and fight over are gone. They are irrelevant.
It means inside our vessels, we’re all the same. This far deeper than the saying, “We’re all the same color in the inside.” If this is the case, is it worth hating because of choices someone else makes with their body, who they love with it? What color their skin is, or how it’s dressed? Which flavor of religion or politics they choose to follow? None of it matters. Even if a child passes, the ultimate tragedy, if we all live on in glory together forever, it doesn’t matter. In the end, we have eternity together, in a far better place.
These revelations have made me happier. I no longer fear my death or that of those I love. It’s made life beautiful in every moment, and I’m far more tolerant of the people and circumstances in life that used to upset me and cause me so much stress. I”m going to work it into my followup to Farawayer, which will be titled Stayer. Stay tuned at billydecarlo.com!
