Category Archives: Life & Death

WHAT’S BEHIND THE BLACK DOOR?

What’s going to happen to you in death?

DeathWhere do you go? What will you do? Is it truly the end of your life? Or the beginning of another? Are you just going to have one long sleep? Or a continuation of your eternal journey?

HeavenWill you meet past departed loved ones? Or connect with your maker? Will you go to heaven? Or to hell? Will you be alone? Consoled? In purgatory, peace, or in peril? Pain? Comfort? Agony? Bliss?

I’ve been asked these questions, and a lot more, by those close to the deceased that I’d examined as a Coroner – bereaved folks, struggling for what makes sense. I don’t have the answers, still don’t, so I did a lot of listening and let them tell me their thoughts.

AfterlifeI observed one consistent thing about human nature. With the exception of the occasional atheist, a basic human trait is a belief in an afterlife. The form varies, but it seems programmed that somehow you recognize that you live on in death. It’s something… you just know.

It’s obvious that your physical body changes form after death, whether that be through natural decomposition or through a mortician’s craft, but what’s fascinating is what happens to the non-physical part of you…

Consciousness.

In life, you’re a conscious being. Consciousness became part of your existence somewhere following your conception and will leave you somewhere around death. Where it came from… and where it goes? No one knows.

consciousnessThe study of consciousness is something that’s only beginning to be discovered in the human journey. Science knows much about what makes your body tick, but almost nothing about your mind.

And what’s your mind? It’s the facilitator of consciousness. The link between the terminal and the eternal; the body/mind duality that philosophers have struggled with since becoming aware of consciousness. So it makes sense that your mind is eternal, as is consciousness.

I think what’s behind the black door of death is exactly what was there before you came through it. You go back to the same state you were in before being born. Death just alters your state of consciousness and you continue to live on forever.

What do you think’s going to happen to you?

I’m dying to hear your words.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO DIE?

Have you made preparations for your death?

Coroner BadgeDuring my time as a coroner, I experienced many cases where a death was sudden and totally unexpected. The deceased made no plans, gave no directions, and the family was left in utter devastation, grief, and turmoil, to sort out a mess.

Most estate plans address the basics like wills, insurance, and funeral arrangements, but they don’t think of two things that will bite your family, big time, if not planned for.

1.  Your death must be supported by two legal documents.

Death CertificateThese are your Registration of Death (ROD), commonly called the Death Certificate, and your Medical Certificate of Death (MCD) which families rarely see. Your ROD is the opposite of your Birth Certificate.  Your MCD is a different thing. It states the cause of your death and can get quite complicated. That’s why authorities don’t want your family trying to interpret it. Your MCD can only be signed by your family doctor if your death classification is Natural, or by the coroner having jurisdiction where your death is not natural (Accident, Suicide, Homicide, or Undetermined) or… if you don’t have a family physician. No exceptions. When your cause of death can’t be immediately determined and awaits autopsy/toxicology results, a coroner can issue an interim certificate and release your body, however your estate legalities can’t be dealt with until the final MCD is done. This can be hastened by making sure you have a family physician.

2.  Your body can only be released to your legal Next-Of-Kin.

Funeral homeIf your NOK can’t be determined or located, your body has to lay in the morgue till this gets straightened out. All jurisdictions have an NOK designation list, starting with estate executor, spouse, oldest child, sibling, etc. Where this gets really messy is where spouses aren’t legally defined (common-law arrangements don’t apply, regardless of the length of time together) or the legal NOK is known, but can’t be found.

Grave siteDo everyone a favour. Get a family doctor and make sure your NOK is clearly identified. Same goes for someone who you’re the primary NOK to.  And here’s a really good primer / checklist on death preparation from the University of California that covers all else.

atyourservice.ucop.edu/forms_pubs/misc/prepinevit.pdf

So look after these loose ends today.

You don’t want to wait till you’re dead.

DO YOU BELIEVE JESUS IS SUPERNATURAL?

Whether you’re Christian or not, you have to behold the enormous impact Jesus of Nazareth continues to have on humanity.

JCTwenty-one centuries after his recorded birth, approximately 2.2 billion souls adhere to Christianity; a mainstay being their belief that Jesus possessed supernatural abilities. The religion asks you to accept the Articles of Faith – the Immaculate Conception, the Miracles, direct communication with the Divine, and the Resurrection. All of these require your acceptance that Jesus was, and continues to be, a supernatural entity. The payback of your faith is everlasting life for your soul.

So what, exactly, does supernatural mean? Without checking with Webster, I’d say it’s events for which there appears no natural, scientific explanation. Much of our understanding of science comes from operating in our timeline. 2,000 years ago the PC I’m writing this on, and the Internet connection you’re receiving it through, would be mind-blowing. We’d probably get stoned for Blogging.

3D1Over the past two years, I did a lot of investigation into the supernatural while writing No Witnesses To Nothing. The novel’s based on a true-crime story where many believe paranormal intervention occurred, as there’s no natural, scientific explanation for what went down during a police operation on a frozen Canadian Yukon lake, 27 years ago.

My research into the science and spirituality behind the human soul took me into the worlds of organized religion, First Nations mythology, Shamanism, consciousness, and quantum physics. I confirmed there’s a lot of really weird shit that goes down which science sucks at explaining, but there’s continual scientific progress being made into understanding all kinds of fascinating things.

Higgs BosonThis year, the Higgs Boson confirmation bust the quantum door wide-open in our understanding how the sub-atomic communicates – some call it the ‘God Particle’. Another little gem is in DNA research with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) explaining how genetic code realignment at the quantum level accounts for how chameleons and cuttlefish camouflage – they think themselves into shifting shape.

Christ on CrossI believe that the human soul exists, and I made an attempt to scientifically & spiritually explain how the soul works. But I gotta admit that it comes down to faith, just as 1/3 of humanity accepts that Jesus Christ is supernatural and I respect that.

What do you think? Have I been drinking the Cool-Aid?

I’m dying to hear your words.