INTRODUCTION

[mac]

According to teachers and guides it can actually be observed - by individuals who have the necessary psychic sensitivity - as a fine, silvery "cord" stretching, apparently without limit, from the physical body to the spirit which animates that body. As it's not visible to regular eyes, and appears to stretch without fracturing, it may suggest the cord does not consist of material found in the physical.

Definitely not metaphorical or symbolic but real with a vital purpose that's the same for all of us. I've used the word 'umbilical' before because it has an action similar to an umbilical cord, that of keeping alive a body. In NDEs, and also in deliberate or accidental OoBEs and Astral Traveling, the body is effectively parked and immobile yet its animating spirit is active elsewhere, having temporarily become distanced from the body but not irretrievably separated as in death,

 

[mac]

Relying on my memory - never a good idea now - I think we have looked at these topics in years past, probably asking Mikey Morgan's take on the whole business. I doubt there are many other practical aspects we haven't considered, even if we've not been able to progress 'em very far.

 

[bluebird]

Since the soul, if it exists, is not a physical thing, I see no reason why it would need something physical (even if not visible to everyone) to anchor it to the body. You mentioned that the cord might not "consist of material found in the physical" -- in that case, what would it be? Do you think it is perhaps just a portion of the soul, stretching to the afterlife?

 

[mac]

The simple answer to both your questions, bb, is that I don't know. You might well be right that the soul/spirit can apparently use its own 'material' without the limitations on thickness or length that we experience in this dimension.

Some years ago I tried - and failed - to get some guidance about the nature of the etheric worlds and whether its sciences (assuming any such things exist) are compatible with our own. I've often used the verb 'interpenetrate' in connection with body and spirit but I've yet to 'hear' a detailed explanation of how that works.

We understand so very little.

 

[bluebird]

I agree that we understand very little. If the soul and the silver cord do exist, I don't know that the cord is a part of the soul, but the idea does make some sense to me -- in much the same way that while I do believe that each human is her/his own being, the spark of life in us may be the tiniest speck of god/creator, if there is such a being/thing.

 

[Hamilton]

According to teachers and guides it can actually be observed - by individuals who have the necessary psychic sensitivity - as a fine, silvery "cord" stretching, apparently without limit, from the physical body to the spirit which animates that body. As it's not visible to regular eyes, and appears to stretch without fracturing, it may suggest the cord does not consist of material found in the physical.

Definitely not metaphorical or symbolic but real with a vital purpose that's the same for all of us. I've used the word 'umbilical' before because it has an action similar to an umbilical cord, that of keeping alive a body. In NDEs, and also in deliberate or accidental OoBEs and Astral Traveling, the body is effectively parked and immobile yet its animating spirit is active elsewhere, having temporarily become distanced from the body but not irretrievably separated as in death,

Given the insistence of some or many that the cord exists (despite having never seen one) I find it bizarre indeed that so few NDExperiencers have seen it or make mention of it. Given that experiencers have seen so much, ie.detail from vast distances, God, angels, relatives , hearing grass and flowers etc sing, ( obviously 'psychically' sensitive) I don't accept the suggestion that "regular eyes" are even involved, or are an explanation for not having seen this cord. Given that "all is One", I don't see that such a function is necessarily needed to conjoin body with spirit or soul, especially when body, physicality is of dubious "reality" anyway.

 

[mac]

Given the insistence of some or many that the cord exists (despite having never seen one) I find it bizarre indeed that so few NDExperiencers have seen it or make mention of it.

Fair comment but an NDE doesn't show everything there is to be shown.

Given that experiencers have seen so much, ie.detail from vast distances, God, angels, relatives , hearing grass and flowers etc sing, ( obviously 'psychically' sensitive) I don't accept the suggestion that "regular eyes" are even involved, or are an explanation for not having seen this cord.

I'm with you on that point but it's not been suggested anyway that we can see this cord with regular vision. I've already used "psychically" in connection with how the cord's discerned.

Given that "all is One", I don't see that such a function is necessarily needed to conjoin body with spirit or soul, especially when body, physicality is of dubious "reality" anyway.

You might be right but it's not optional as far as I'm aware. How it is, how it functions is how it appears to be whatever our personal views.

 

[llyonne]

Apparently, many people reporting personal NDE's were either clinically dead, or at the point beyond which
our brain is capable of forming thought. Many report experiences which defy logic as to how these folks could have
been aware of conditions they witnessed and heard while dead or in a state of no brain activity. If conciousness is in fact independent of the body, using the brain as a temporary home during a relatively brief physical interlude, these reports seem to reflect brief glimpses, into an existence we cannot presently comprehend. But only the front door...there's probably a lot more to come if one has permanently left the body. While physically dead , later returned to life by modern medical techniques, we may be enabled to see beyond a veil hiding most of the "true" reality, kept from us while in this three dimensional physical..( school of spiritual development?)..( test?)...whatever this is..existence.
One thing none of us want- to find out it's all Darwin.

 

[mac]

welcome to ALF

This website is predicated on there being a life beyond corporeal death. We do feel we comprehend that situation to some degree.

I encourage you to take a look at the various categories, forums and numerous threads here. You'll see we've been discussing the many aspects of survival and what happens after death for several years. Both the website's owner and myself are totally sure about humankind's survival and have been for decades even though we gained individual surety from different experiences.

Near death experiences can be revelatory to those having them and transformative of their lives. Recently I've started to feel they're especially evidential for modern-day seekers and the many accounts out there do grab readers' imaginations. What I do try to do however - still acknowledging the value of their experiences - is to make the point that people who have had an NDE did not die. A body may have had no clinically detectable signs of life but the individual was not dead.

Death is a one-way trip and those who are alive to tell their stories had not died.

 

[mac]

This introduction thread - opened for members to discuss a subject not strictly part of afterlife discussions and for me to assess interest - is now closed. Members wishing to raise points are now asked to post a new thread or contribute to any existing one(s).