What happens to people when they die? The shocking truth

The moment of death is something everyone will eventually face.

At that time, what kind of experience will a person have?

Let's follow the question, 'What happens when we die?' together using the example of a grandfather who has passed away.

【Cardiac Arrest (Medical Death)】

When the heart stops and the body dies, the soul leaves the body and, in many cases, looks down at its own body from above. At this stage, the 'spiritual thread' that connects the soul and the body is still intact, and the soul can still feel the pain of the body.
A spirit that has just passed away has a spirit body that closely resembles its physical body and can think and move, making it difficult to realize that it is dead, often calling out to those around it.

【Wake】

The wake is usually held one day after death to wait for the 'spiritual thread' that connects the soul and the body to break. If the body is cremated immediately after death, the soul suffers because it is still connected to the body and cannot peacefully depart to the afterlife.

【Funeral】

The funeral is not just a ritual; it is very important for the soul of the deceased to realize their death and embark on their journey to the afterlife.
By seeing their own photo displayed at the wake or funeral, they gradually begin to accept their own death.
The chanting by the monk is originally meant to help the deceased realize this.

【First Seven Days to Forty-Nine Days】

The soul remains around the home for about seven days after death, but is encouraged to depart to the afterlife by 'guiding spirits'.
The guiding spirits are usually relatives who have passed away before and are suitable for persuasion. However, only those who have 'returned to heaven' come. To ensure that the soul can peacefully depart to the afterlife, memorial services are held at milestones such as 'First Seven Days' and 'Forty-Nine Days'.

When departing to the spirit world, one crosses the 'Sanzu River', which is the boundary between this world and the next (Click here for details open_in_new).
After that, in a place like a movie theater called 'Shoma Theater', the thoughts and actions from their lifetime are projected as images, and they return to a world that matches their state of mind.

The spirit world is vast and divided into multiple layers of dimensions. The higher the dimension, the closer the beings are to the divine, and within the fourth-dimensional world closest to this world, there exists what is commonly referred to as 'hell' (for more about hell, click here open_in_new).

【Burial】

Recently, 'scattering ashes' and 'tree burials' have become popular, but graves serve as a connection for souls that do not realize they are dead and are wandering. Additionally, they act as an 'antenna' for the living to offer their thoughts of remembrance to the deceased. Creating a grave and burying the deceased is very important.

【Obon and Other Memorials】

During Obon, ancestor worship becomes active. During this time, communication between the spirit world and the earth becomes lively, and it is said that 'the gates of hell open'.

Moreover, even after the first Obon (the first Obon after death), by occasionally honoring ancestors, one can offer light not only to spirits who have returned to heaven but also to those who have fallen into hell.

However, if the understanding of those offering the memorial is low, they may be influenced by the negative aspects of wandering spirits after death. It is essential for those offering memorials to learn about the afterlife and engage in spiritual training.

【Reincarnation (Cycle of Birth and Death)】

Spirits that have returned to heaven are reborn into this world after spending a certain period in the spirit world for further soul training. By accumulating different experiences in a new era and environment, people aim for eternal improvement.

One day, suddenly, Mr. Yasunaga collapsed at home. While wandering between life and death, he has a mysterious experience of 'seeing the world of the afterlife'. What he grasped through this mystical experience is――.