This book is for those at or nearing the end stages of their lives and for those who are dear to them. Following on the heels of Dr. Elizabeth Kübler Ross, I see that there is once again a need to change the way we in our society perceive the death transition. There is a continuum I believe we need to acknowledge and come to terms with before we face the conclusion of our human experience on this earth. I emphasize "before" because when someone is in the throes of grief (for one's own life or that of a loved one), they are not in a place to be altering major belief systems. Perhaps there will come a day when we can have greater wisdom that will temper our emotions during these kinds of things. That may be a good thing, but perhaps the emotions of grief have their purpose. Let those "on the other side" give us comfort, but part of our humanness is the outpouring of love and help for those in need left behind here on earth. We need a time of mourning. It helps those who are struggling and even those who are not, for in times of great need we all tend to draw closer together. What I have come to understand from my experiences and those of others—and what I am attempting to show in this trilogy—is that humans, especially those of us in the Western world, have been taught to see life and death as two separate conditions: you are either experiencing one or the other. A more realistic approach could be explained by drawing a circle that includes all of life, whether physical or not. The distinction would be between physical and nonphysical life. There are specific areas, or levels, of the nonphysical world that are inhabited by human beings who are no longer physically alive. Even when they've shed the temporary human conditions of their most recent incarnation, their basic soul personality remains intact. That being said, the most plausible conclusion we can draw is that, technically, there is no death—just life on earth, or the physical plane, and life in spirit. It's true that we commonly deeply mourn the loss of the physical body, the physical presence. But that has not always been the norm. (Being common does not imply that a thing is normal.) Members of many tribe-like societies, both ancient and modern, do not, as a rule, experience prolonged psychological distress after the death of a loved one. They tend to have an initial dramatic display of raw emotion either concurrent with or before a funeral or ritual that allows them to then move on with positive memories and thoughts of the deceased person. It is my intent—through the information, vignettes and exercises presented in these books—to help more people reach a deeper level of understanding about death and dying so they may experience much fuller, happier and healthier lives in every moment, both here on earth and beyond.
More information can be found on the Trilogy website at www.dragonflyheart.net.