Based on an understanding of the benefits of incarnation (embodiment) in this mortal life; it is possible to discern what happens during the transitional process of dying, and the situation of post-mortal existence (i.e. death).
In dying we begin to lose consciousness, lose the ability to concentrate at the command of our will - we are losing our capacity to exercise freedom: losing agency.
Dying can be understood as a process by which we are losing some of that agency we have (probably) gained in developing from a foetus and baby, through childhood and adolescence, to mature adulthood.
A young child is "in" the world of his experience; "diffusely aware" in contrast to the more detached and focused/ concentrated awareness of a (normal) mature adult.
In dying and losing the effect of our functional body; we become more passive and reactive, more immersed in our spiritual environment, more accepting, more "childlike".
It is because we are more passively a part-of things, more inclined to float-along responding to external influences, that we have less capacity to exercise agency.
Dying can also be understood as a going-to-sleep into a world of dreaming; and also into a bewildering world of "psychosis" - through which we wander in a partial delirium.
This harmonizes with the similar Ancient Greek and Ancient Hebrew conceptualizations of the state of the dead as (more-or-less) witless, will-less, demented ghosts; inhabiting Hades/ Sheol.
Again the picture is one of the post-mortal self passively reacting-to the situation, rather than exerting agency and making choices.
What does this change mean for salvation? In particular; how do these changes affect our capacity to choose Jesus Christ's offer of resurrected eternal life in Heaven?
It seems certain that dying - the dissolution of our body, and the loss of that enhanced agency which comes with incarnation - does have an effect on changing, and reducing, our agency...
If we further assume that dying is a process rather than an instantaneous event, then we can suppose that this decline of agency is a progressive dwindling.
In the end our agency is reduced but not eliminated; since we know that the insane, children, and dreamers do have some independent capacity to evaluate, to choose.
If we recall the extreme Protestant idea that "the tree lies as it falls" - i.e. that salvation is completely determined by the state of the soul at the "moment" of death, and by our choice at that "moment" - we could perceive that there is some truth in the notion - insofar as our dwindling agency during dying will reduce agency and thereby affect our capacity positively to choose salvation...
However; the above scheme also clarifies that after death is completed; our agency is diminished but not eliminated.
This fits with the Catholic understanding that the fate of the soul after death (i.e. when the process of dying is completed) can be affected - and that the dead soul can in principle benefit from spiritual assistance, such as the prayers of the saved-and-resurrected dead and the prayers of still-living mortal s such as ourselves.
Indeed, the greater sensitivity of the discarnate dead soul to "externals" - as seen in early childhood, or in the dreaming self, or in some states of psychosis/ delirium/ dementia - would mean that the dead soul may be especially able to benefit from the love of others - assuming that the dead soul is capable of love, and values love.
On the other hand; a dead soul without capacity for love, or one who gives love a low priority, or who is dominated by non-loving motivations - would probably be more susceptible to evil temptations than during mortal life.
This implies that it is a significant benefit to have chosen salvation - i.e. have made a commitment to follow Jesus to Heaven - during our mortal life.
Choosing salvation during mortal life will enable us to make the choice in favour of resurrection while we retain the maximum agency, before the process of dying is complete, and before our consciousness and freedom have been reduced to the level of a fully discarnate post-mortal soul.
2 comments:
As usual Bruce, your postings make me think.
As a minister, I have seen many people make the transition from mortal life to death. I have noticed that those that struggle the most to live (struggling to breath), as death is surely approaching are those that have not chosen salvation in Christ. This is just an observation through years of ministry, while it may not be that all who die in Christ transition peacefully, it is just an observation.
I hope and pray, that when death draws near that I am able to transition in full confidence in Christ.
@Latigo3. That is very interesting, although not really surprising.
This question may be a little less intuitive, but I would be interested to hear your experience. It seems to me that many (most?) people nowadays cling to life and delay death for as long as possible, and sometimes suffer dementia for many many years.
Some say that they wnt to die, yet do many things - eg taking antibiotics, immunizations, and other medications - that are intended/ designed to prolong their lives, showing that they do not Really want to die.
Yet we are fragile creatures, and it is Easy to die - indeed it is a truism of doctors that old people often die quickly after, for example, their spouse dies. ("She turned her face to the wall" is a colloquial English expression for this.)
What this analysis seems to imply is that those who "die in Christ" would not be so likely to suffer long term dementia, if they are willing to go "when called".
Of course, they may not be called when demented, because they may be able to learn valuble long-term lessons from the experience - fr becoming dependent, for example. So this is only a generalization and will not apply to everybody, because there are so many possible individual circumstances.
So my question is whether you have noticed any difference in "average" longevity, with those who die in Christ nowadays tending to die *younger*, hence less demented or decrepit, than those more common materialist-atheists who would tend to cling to life, at any cost - clinging and extracting maximum gratification, at least until they desire to be "humanely" murdered?
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