Stanislav Grof

If consciousness can function independently of the body during one’s lifetime, it could be able to do the same after death.

Individuals approaching death often experience encounters with their dead relatives, who seem to welcome them to the next world. These deathbed visions are authentic and convincing they are often followed by a state of euphoria and seem to ease the transition.

For any culture which is primarily concerned with meaning, the study of death – the only certainty that life holds for us – must be central, for an understanding of death is the key to liberation in life.

Research challenges the materialistic understanding of death, according to which biological death represents the final end of existence and of all conscious activity.

The experiences associated with death were seen as visits to important dimensions of reality that deserved to be experienced, studied, and carefully mapped.

Coming to terms with the fear of death is conducive to healing, positive personality transformation, and consciousness evolution.

Consciousness after death demonstrates the possibility of consciousness operating independently of the body.

There is no fundamental difference between the preparation for death and the practice of dying, and spiritual practice leading to enlightenment.

A text of Tibetan Buddhism describes the time of death as a unique opportunity for spiritual liberation from the cycles of death and rebirth and a period that determines our next incarnation.

An important consequence of freeing oneself from the fear of death is a radical opening to spirituality of a universal and non-denominational type.