The following are my edited progressions of thought, which begin in a "Q and A" format. The thoughts came to me while contemplating personal experiences of fear, what fear actually is, what fear feels like, and wondering, where is the experience of fear occurring at? I have often felt like certain personal experiences of fear have felt like a very quick, yet momentary and painful death. These contemplations led me to some philosophical and spiritual ideas, which led to the following. Enjoy!
Death: Ascension or a Fall, Love or Fear?
Q. Could "death" be what is occurring whenever we leave the conscious reality of our true and higher self?
I'm thinking about the "sin" in the garden, which seems to have resulted in a type of death. Their new (lower) beliefs, and the behavior which resulted from the belief(s), resulted in them "dying to" the higher reality that they had known, and leaving to a lower reality, which matched their new and current belief(s).
Q. Was this "death" the dying of our divine and highest consciousness?
A. The Divine and highest consciousness did not die, nor can it. This was not a death in the sense that you understand death, because death is not a final event. Death is the separation from one reality to move on to another reality, whether that reality be higher or lower. (This type of movement goes on for eternity). The event(s) symbolized by the story of "The Garden" is a type of death, but it is better understood using the analogy of "a fall". This can help the human brain to conceive that returning is possible. "The fall" was, and is, the awareness of an individual's consciousness that has fallen away from the identification with who and what they truly are.
This is why the Bible discusses that "sin' leads to "death" (aka, a fall). When we are lured into (agree with and decide to experience) lower levels of consciousness, such as fear, worry, anger, lust, etc., we have experienced a death; a falling away from identifying as a higher, loving, trusting, peaceful being, to identifying as a lower, fearful, worried, troubled being.
Q. So, the falling into fear, anger, lust, or other lower egoic realities, is a type of spiritual death?
A. Yes. But the concept of death as you perceive it must be renewed. Truly, "death" is more like a fall. Jesus understood this, which is why He viewed death as being easily reversible; even after four days (referencing the story of Lazarus). Death, or falling, occurs several times within the human mind and heart. But these deaths are easily reversible, because, with God all things are possible, and fortunately God lives within all of you.
Here are some other perspectives on death, or "falling away" from identification with higher realities...
"A coward dies a thousand times before his death [in their heart and mind], but the valiant taste of death but once. It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."
William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
Frank Herbert, Dune (Dune #1)
"La petite mort" (French) - Meaning, "the little death". This phrase is an expression that means "the brief loss or weakening of consciousness" and in modern usage refers specifically to "the sensation of post-orgasm as likened to death."[1]
Separation from a higher conscious identification (such as knowing you are loved, safe, and never alone), and shifting to an identification with a lower consciousness (such as believing you aren't loved, you aren't safe, and you are alone) can be described as a "fall" or a "death". However, the ascension back to where you "fell from", whether it be immediate or extended, is attainable. The journey is different for all, according to what they choose.
Similarly, the separation that occurs when one stops identifying with a lower consciousness and begins identifying with higher love and higher truths (a higher consciousness) is also a "death". However, this death is an "ascension", not a "fall". Even while still on this earth, within their hearts and minds, individuals are falling and ascending. This is part of the internal journey for each individual as we all climb the proverbial "Mountain of God".
Once we can understand these concepts, realizing that both falls and ascensions will occur, that both are beneficial for teaching us, and that none are irreversible, then perhaps we will experience more hope, courage, and freedom to go higher up the mountain. Perhaps we will even be able to reach that beautiful Garden. The one from which we came. To get there we must simply keep choosing to identify with the highest forms of Love and the highest forms of Truth (aka, Christ) that we can view and grasp in each moment. "From glory to glory, from faith to faith." Let's not fear death, whether physical or internal. Always view every circumstance with love (compassion, understanding, and unconditional acceptance) and love will cast out fear. When love is present during any death, then that death will be one of ascending and not falling. With God all things are possible. Ascension is simple when we can keep our eyes on our true identity, which is the Spirit of Love, whom you may know as, Christ. "Christ in me" (us); our hope for seeing and experiencing Glory (Colossians 1:27).
I really enjoyed the post. It stretches me to see everything from Love’s vantage point.