Metaphysical beliefs about the afterlife are not widely known outside of certain spiritual groups.
While the origin of the metaphysical perspective can’t be pinpointed, there is general agreement that it first appeared in written form in the ancient Indian Vedas. Vedic writers conceived that human beings have a number of bodies or vibrating energy fields in addition to their physical body. These bodies form a hierarchy in terms of the rate of their vibration with the physical being the lowest or most “dense.” The higher bodies are nonphysical and thus invisible to ordinary sight.
The body next higher and closest to the physical in terms of its vibration level is the etheric or bioplasmic. The etheric body is a duplicate of the physical and interpenetrates it. It molds matter into the many organs making up the physical body and channels certain cosmic energies required to keep the body healthy and operational. The etheric body is involved in the chakras and in the meridian system forming the basis of acupuncture
.The next higher body is the astral which interpenetrates the physical and etheric and extends several inches beyond them, forming an oval of colored lights visible to certain psychic sensitives. The astral body controls the emotional aspects of our personality. Normally it stays within the confines of the physical and etheric bodies, but can leave temporarily during sleep and in certain other circumstances. The astral body survives the death of the physical and etheric bodies.
Next higher beyond the astral is the mental body which contains all of our memory banks and is connected to, and works through, the physical brain. Still higher, beyond the mental, are a number of spiritual bodies of increasingly high vibrations which reside partially outside of the individual, but are nevertheless part of our being.
Just as there are interpenetrating nonphysical bodies, so too are there are an incalculable number of nonphysical realms, or planes of reality, which occupy the same space as the physical world. They too exist as a hierarchy based on their vibratory rates. Closest to the physical world are the astral planes made up of three general levels. The lowest astral plane is dark, dismal, dangerous, and often frightening world, which is the dwelling place of greedy, self-centered, unloving, resentful discarnate people. Some traditions believe that less desirable beings of non-human lines of evolution also exist here. This plane is cluttered with thought-forms of humanity’s hatred, greed, lust, and jealousy accumulated over the centuries. These thought-forms can be as real as any of the shadowy bodies of the poor lost souls existing there. This lowest astral plane is traditionally referred to as hell.
The intermediate astral planes are primarily a region where the deceased person rests and is helped to recuperate from the travails of physical life. Continued mental and spiritual growth is encouraged so that progress can be made to higher planes of reality.
The higher astral planes are wonderful realms of existence characterized by the most positive of experiences. The individual enjoys loving interactions with likeminded and spiritually developed people and encounters with angelic beings. There are unlimited opportunities for mental and spiritual growth. This realm corresponds to the Christian notion of heaven
.Beyond the astral planes are higher mental planes offering unlimited scope for the further development of the individual mind and soul. There is access to all of the accumulated wisdom of the ages on the earth plane and throughout the cosmos. Still higher are a number of spiritual (causal and celestial) levels where the individual gods of various religions may be directly experienced. And finally, all form dissolves into the final absolute indescribable universal Godhead. As we will have seen, philosopher Ken Wilber includes these higher realms in his transpersonal developmental system.
According to metaphysical teachings, at death our physical and etheric bodies die, but the “real” us remains alive in our astral, mental, and spiritual bodies. In this nonphysical form we rise or float out of our physical body, often accompanied by spirits of departed loved ones who have come for us. Although we may remain in contact with the physical world and the familiar people in it for a time, we are generally unable to communicate or interact with them. What is said to happen next, and in what sequential order, varies among different metaphysical systems.
A very common motif is that at some point, as our physical body shuts down, we become aware of, and may be drawn toward, a very bright light which is clearly spiritual in nature and which communicates great love. However, we don’t remain with or in the light because we are not sufficiently developed spiritually. Usually, within minutes to a few days after the death of the body, we find ourselves functioning on the particular astral level to which the quality of our life on earth has entitled us. If we have made more than average progress in this and/or past lives, and our soul has evolved to the point that it is living naturally in harmony with the principles of the highest astral plane, we will find ourselves there. This is likely to be only a very small percentage of the population. If we are an average adult or a child we will find ourselves on the intermediate astral planes.
According to general metaphysical belief, if we have been cruel, greedy, and unloving or addicted to drugs and sensual pleasures, the story following physical death is different. In our astral body form we may be met by malevolent entities and taken to or just arrive automatically at the lowest astral planes. Even here, however, there is hope. If we discover ourselves in this dark and unpleasant realm upon death, and if some part of our soul still strongly desires spiritual growth and calls out for assistance, sooner or later a compassionate being from a higher realm will come and lead us out of darkness. As we’ve seen, Howard Storm’s near death experience contains many of these elements.
Metaphysical beliefs provide still another possibility following our death. We may remain tied to the physical plane and, even though we no longer have physical bodies, remain here in our astral form. We could be in such a state of confusion when we die that we simply don’t realize we’re dead. This is said to be more likely when death is sudden. We could be so convinced that nothing happens after death that we simply refuse to see the family members or spirit guides who come for us. If we are afraid of hell, we may resist efforts of those who have come for us. We could be so ashamed of our former deeds that we don’t want to meet spirit forms of our deceased family members or spirit guides.
If we are addicted to drugs or sex a strong tie is created, binding us to the physical plane. Obsessive attachment to a living person can also have the same effect. Should we continue our existence on the physical plane, we would be said to be earthbound spirits.
Earthbound spirits seem to remain exactly as they were moments before death, including the same attitudes, desires, needs, interests, and addictions. They are likely to want to continue this same existence, and the only way they know how to do this is through a physical body. Thus, they attach themselves to, invade, or possess a living person. But such possessions are always negative both for themselves and for the host person. The near-death experience of George Ritchie, as we’ll see, involves some of these entities.