Word
Gems
What is a
man but the sum of his thoughts?
Life
& Death:
Michael
Tymn:
ARE ORGAN TRANSPLANTS
METAPHYSICALLY CONTRAINDICATED?
Donating one's organs to those in need of them certainly
seems like a spiritual act -- one of kindness, of all giving and no taking, of human love
and service. However, there have been warnings that it might be spiritually harmful for
both the donor and recipient. At issue is whether the consciousness actually leaves the
body at the moment brain wave activity and vital functions cease or whether it lingers for
hours or even several days. Also, there are indications that premature removal of organs
can result in possession of the recipient by the donor, causing the donor to be
"earthbound" and the recipient to be negatively influenced.
The story line is now a familiar one. A doctor tells
distraught parents that their teenage son has no brain wave activity and is for all
practical purposes "dead." It is just a matter of how long he is left on the
life support system. But there is something that the parents should seriously consider
donating their son's organs so that someone else can "live on." After some
deliberation, the parents agree that it is the humanitarian thing to do.
"It's a miracle," the popular TV program host
proclaims after interviewing the mother of the deceased and the thankful heart recipient.
The mother tells of the comfort she now has in the belief that part of her son is
"alive" in another body. The recipient gives thanks for the "gift of
life." It is all very emotional, very heartwarming, and very spiritual.
To suggest that it is other than spiritually proper is
certainly to raise eyebrows and invite ridicule, scorn, and contempt. How can there
possibly be any issue concerning the use of body parts that are no longer needed? Isn't
helping others what spirituality is all about?
Nevertheless, there are claims that organ transplants
are metaphysically contraindicated, both for the donor and the recipient.
"There is nothing against the well-meaning motive
that leads a donor to make such a disposition, although, viewed in a higher sense, it is
hardly to the benefit of the one provided for," writes Dr. Richard Steinpach in Why
We Live After Death. "Every such donor must know what he is taking upon himself. At
the time the organ is removed, which, as is well known, must take place immediately after
the presumed death if the organ is still to be usable, he is by no means 'really dead,'
otherwise the organ could no longer be fit for use. In any case, the connection-cord is
not yet completely severed. When the density of the connection-cord, depending on the
nature of the person concerned, can still act as a channel for pain, such a person will
still feel the infringement very perceptibly. Therefore, it is with good reason that some
rites, especially among primitive races, provide for minimum intervals between death and
burial, or even cremation." (Steinpach, 1980).
Earlier in his book, Steinpach goes into great detail
about the transition from the "gross material earthly body" to the "astral
body" and the "ethereal soul." He states that the soul is connected with
the astral body, and thereby also with the physical body, through the "silver
cord." He calls the silver cord a kind of ethereal umbilical cord.
Of course, the first thing anyone should ask is: Who is
or was Steinpach and what is the source of his "knowledge"? Steinpach was a
lawyer, born in Vienna in 1917. He was a follower of Abd-ru-Shin, whose given name was
Oskar Ernst Bernhardt (1875-1941). Abd-ru-Shin wrote with great authority on numerous
metaphysical subjects in a series of books entitled In the Light of the Truth: The Grail
Message. The Grail Foundation in Gambier, Ohio is dedicated to generating wide availability and awareness of
The Grail Message in North America. Before he died in 1992, Steinpach is said to have given
hundreds of lectures on various spiritual topics all over the German-speaking world. While
we might conclude that the source of Steinpach's "knowledge" was Abd-ru-shin, we
are then left to wonder about the source of Abd-ru-Shin's "knowledge." His
"truths" are consistent with the preponderance of psychic communication and
appeal to reason, but the Grail books do not tell us the source of those
"truths." By inference, he was some kind of mystic or seer, similar to
Swedenborg or Steiner.
According to Abd-ru-shin, it appears that the soul, or
etheric body, draws the astral body with it out of the physical body, but in reality the
soul only pulls it off the physical body, because there never was a fusion but only a
sliding into one another, as with a collapsible telescope. "Thus after the earthly
departure of the soul the astral body always remains near the physical body,"
Steinpach quotes Abd-ru-Shin. "The further the soul moves away, the weaker the astral
body also becomes; and the ever-advancing severance of the soul finally brings about the
decay and disintegration of the astral body, which in turn immediately brings in its train
the decay of the physical body, in the same way as it also influenced its formation. This
is the normal process in accordance with the Laws of Creation."
Severing the Silver Cord
Steinpach summarizes it by saying that the body
radiation having become too weak, the connection of the telescoped covering is severed.
Like a balloon, the soul then floats away. However, Steinpach is quick to point out that
the severance of the soul does not always take place so simply. "What is decisive for
the soul, not only to slip out of its body but also to detach itself completely from it,
is the condition of the ethereal soul-body and its homogeneous connection-cord," he
writes. "This depends entirely on the spiritual nature of the individual human
being."
Steinpach goes on to say what has come through in many
spirit messages, that the more materialistic the person, the more the silver cord is
tightly knit, and the more difficult it is to sever the connection. "The severance
may then take many days, during which time such a person, because of the density of the
connection-cord, must still feel what happens to his physical body, so that, for example,
he does not necessarily remain insensitive to cremation."
On the other hand, Steinpach points out that the more
spiritual person can quickly loosen the connection.
More recently, in Through the Tunnel,
Diane Goble gives the same warning as Steinpach. "The consciousness is still aware of
its physical body and may still be connected to its body by the Silver Cord for many hours
after breathing ceases and the heart stops beating," she writes. "Moving the
body, removing organs, autopsies, embalming, and even family arguments about the will and
thoughtless comments by attending medical personnel, police coroners, or morticians,
within a few hours after a death may be detrimental to the consciously departing
soul." (Goble, 1993)
Goble states that she was given the "Key to
Life" during a near-death experience some 30 years ago, and that she was sent back to
become a teacher helping others prepare for their transition while guiding them through
the process until they meet their etheric guide on the other side. She refers to such a
person as an "anubisist," after the Egyptian god who led the dead to judgment.
"The heart seed atom does not depart until the
astral form is fully built and, depending on the person's karma, this may take anywhere
from one to fifteen hours after death," Goble adds. "Removing any organs,
especially the heart, before this is completed will severely hinder the Soul's
progress."
Goble's views seem to be both intuitive and based on
deductive reasoning. "Much of what I learned during my NDE becomes more clear
when I read something someone else has written, like a light bulb goes on," Goble
replied when interviewed for this article and asked about the source of her information.
"Someone has found the words to convey something I knew but couldn't express. Such is
the case about the process of transition from physical death to spiritual rebirth which I
read while studying Astara's Degree Lessons, which include writings from many ancient and
modern sources. It's my conclusion that if it is true that the heart seed atom may not
leave the body for many hours after clinical death, then taking organs, particularly the
heart, immediately following clinical death may not be healthy for the transiting
soul."
Interestingly, Goble was involved with the creation of
the organ donor program in California around 1980, but said that she soon realized it wasn't right and
had to get out. That was before she had heard of Astara. "I knew it wasn't right, but
I didn't know why," she explains.
Perhaps Steinpach's, Abd-ru-Shin's, and Goble's views
have been influenced by The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which holds that it might take up to
three-and-a-half days for the consciousness to leave the body. According to Sogyal
Rinpoche, it is believed that if the body is touched in a certain place, as an injection,
for example, it may draw the consciousness to that spot. The consciousness of the dead
person may then leave toward the nearest opening instead of through the fontanel, at the
crown of the head, and make an unfortunate rebirth. (Rinpoche, 1993).
But Rinpoche also questioned several "masters"
on the subject of organ donation. They all agreed that it is an extremely positive action.
"So, as long as it is truly the wish of the dying person, it will not harm in any way
the consciousness that is leaving the body," Rinpoche summarizes his interviews.
"On the contrary, this final act of generosity accumulates good karma." One
master added that the pain and suffering that a person goes through in the process of
having the organs removed turns into good karma.
Most orthodox Jews are opposed to organ transplants.
According to Dr. Carla Wills-Brandon, author of One Last Hug Before I Go, if one loses a
body part in life, it is buried in the individual's final physical resting place. Jewish
tradition holds that the entire body should be buried, without any embalming fluid, and be
allowed to return to dust in time as nature intended. "My physical body will be
placed in a pine box and without embalming fluid," Wills-Brandon states, explaining
that phantom limb syndrome strongly suggests some type of energy remaining after
amputation.
"Maybe our ancestors were more aware of time needed
in body-soul disengagement than we, in our scientific world, are," she adds.
Message from the Higher Realms
Possibly the most intriguing and original source on this
subject, at least to those with an open mind who know the full story, is the spirit entity
who called himself Silver Birch. Sometime during the 1930s, Maurice Barbanell, a young
British journalist of Jewish heritage, was investigating Spiritualism, apparently very
skeptical and thinking he might have a story in which he could expose Spiritualism as one
giant fraud. Attending his second seance, Barbanell, who said he was an atheist at that
time, fell asleep. Upon awakening, he was informed by the others present that he was not
asleep but had been in a trance and that a Red Indian had spoken through him. Although
Silver Birch never fully identified himself, indications were that his Indian name was a
convenient persona behind a very spiritually-evolved soul. For nearly 50 years, Silver
Birch spoke regularly through a home circle attended by many very educated and influential
people. The wisdom of Silver Birch is now contained in at least a dozen books.
Until shortly before Barbanell's death in 1981, Silver
Birch delivered lectures and answered questions about every possible subject relating to
the meaning of life and the evolution of the soul. When asked about organ transplants, he
replied: "I know about transplants, and am aware that the motive is often a very good
one. But I must say that I am opposed to transplanting any part of the human body to other
people." He went on to explain that doctors cannot judge when death takes place and
that death is final only when the silver cord is severed and the spirit body leaves the
physical one. "When that severance has taken place, no medical man can make that body
live again," Silver Birch said. (Ballard & Green, 1998)
Silver Birch often mentioned that although he came from
a realm with a considerably higher vibration than earth, he had not evolved to the point
where he had knowledge of all things. He frequently prefaced his remarks, including those
on transplants, by saying it was simply his opinion. "I do not think, from my point
of view, and I speak only for myself, that the sustaining of the physical body must be the
be-all of every endeavor," he offered at one sitting. "I maintain that man
should be instructed how to live aright, spiritually, mentally and physically. If he
thinks right, then he behave right and his body will be right. The solution is not the
transfer of bodily parts. The solution is for every man to order himself to live as the
Great Spirit intended. Man must have compassion for other men and for all the creatures
with whom he shares his planet. They were not placed here by the Great Spirit to be used
as experiments, to prolong the physical life of man."
Reports that workers relocating cemeteries in Great
Britain have found scratch marks on the inside covers of many caskets, indicating that the
body was not yet "dead" when the cover was closed, add to the concerns. The
story of Dr. George Rodonaia, a psychologist in the Soviet
Union, as related in several books on near-death
experiences, is a particularly chilling one. Rodonaia was said to be murdered by the KGB
as he was preparing for a trip to the United States in 1976. As medical personnel began cutting into him during an
autopsy nearly two days after his "death," Rodonaia opened his eyes and returned
to life. He returned with a very vivid NDE, one that transformed him from an atheist to a believer.
Of course, the cemetery victims were likely buried
before embalming became commonplace, but that only indicates that embalming may now begin
before bodies are actually dead. And even if Rodonaia had not been checked for brain wave
activity, how can we know whether the lack of brain wave activity is the true criterion
for death or that it corresponds to the severance of the silver cord? If there is a gap of
up to 15 hours between clinical death and severance of the silver cord, as Goble's studies
indicate, how can we know if the body is indeed still sensitive to removal of the organs,
embalming, and cremation?
Earthbound Spirits
From the standpoint of pure science, it might be an open
and shut case, but this subject seems well beyond the limitations of science. The risks
could very well extend beyond physical pain to the body of the "deceased." The
departing soul may be left "earthbound" because of the organ removal. In A
Change of Heart, author Claire Sylvia tells of her own heart transplant and how she took
on some of the tastes and interests of the donor. "Although I couldn't yet put this
idea into words, I now believe that what made me so confused and disoriented during my
early days in ICU were the first stirrings of another presence inside me," Sylvia
writes. "Increasingly, in the months ahead, I would have the feeling that some aspect
of my donor's spirit or personality existed within me." (Sylvia, 1997).
Sylvia reports taking on an affinity for green peppers,
something she had never liked before. She also began craving beer and chicken nuggets as
well as becoming more masculine in personality and taking an interest in motorcycles. She
continued feeling a "presence" with her. "I noticed that I no longer felt
lonely, even when I was by myself," she continues her story. "Sometimes I had
the feeling that somebody else was in there with me, that in some intangible way, my sense
of 'I' had become a kind of 'we.' Although I couldn't always detect this extra presence,
at times it almost felt as if a second soul were sharing my body."
Sylvia investigated and found out that her heart came
from an 18-year-old male, the victim of a motorcycle accident. She met his family and
found out that her new tastes and interests were those of her donor. She interviewed other
transplant recipients and found that they also had acquired the interests, traits, and
tastes of the donor. One recipient had a great fear of water before her transplant, but
after it she had a great desire for swimming and sailing. She found out that her donor had
been an avid sailor who died in a boating accident. Another recipient, a born-again
Christian, seemed completely out of character when he began cursing and swearing after the
transplant. It was discovered that the donor frequently used such vulgar language.
Continuing her investigation, Sylvia interviewed some
open-minded scientists, authors, and other experts as to what might account for such
experiences. The most logical and scientific explanation seems to be that of
"cellular memory." Dr. Paul Pearsall, a neuropsychologist, discusses this theory
at length in his book, The Heart's Code. "The donated cells remained energetically
and nonlocally connected with their donor and seemed to 'remember' where they came
from," Pearsall writes. (Pearsall, 1998).
Dr. Deepak Chopra also explained it as cellular memory,
while popular author Dr. Larry Dossey had several possible explanations for Sylvia, but
concluded that the most likely one is that the consciousness of the donor had
fundamentally united with the consciousness of the recipient enabling the recipient to
gain information from the donor. He wondered if organ recipients are entering into a realm
of consciousness where information about another person can be accessed through a
"nonlocal mind," more commonly known as the Universal Mind.
Medium James Van Praagh was also asked for his opinion.
Sylvia quotes Van Praagh: "Donated organs often come from young people who were
killed in car or motorcycle accidents, and who died quickly. Because their spirits often
feel they haven't completed their time on earth, they sometimes attach themselves to
another person. There may be things that your donor hadn't completed in the physical
world, which his spirit still wanted to experience. When this happens, the spirit is
caught between two worlds, like the movie, Ghost. Sometimes this leads to possession, and
sometimes, as in your case, to influences."
As Sylvia does not comment on Van Praagh's theory, it
appears that it is the least appealing to her. While she talks about the "gift of
life" for herself and other recipients, she also discusses the comfort given to the
families of the donors in knowing that parts of their loved ones "live on." In
other words, it is a positive situation for both the recipient and the family of the
donor. Lost in the discussion, however, is the welfare of the departed soul. Van Praagh's
comments can be viewed as a diplomatic way of saying that some of them may be
"earthbound" spirits, possibly being held back from advancing "into the
light" by the attachment to their physical bodies, including the separated parts.
Pearsall considers 13 alternative explanations to his
cellular memory theory, including what he calls the "Unprepared Spirit Theory."
He mentions having interviewed four "spiritual mediums" or
"channelers" who speculated that the donors were souls who were unable to move
on to another plane. In other words, they were "earthbound spirits." Pearsall
does not comment on this theory, but his finding that a transplant recipient can acquire
the tastes, habits, and traits of a donor still living does seem to be contrary to the
earthbound spirit theory. Then again, if, as some spirit communication has indicated, the
human consciousness is part of a higher self or greater consciousness, a
"fragmentation theory" might be advanced to support both the cellular memory and
earthbound spirit theories. This seems to be in line with Dossey's theory.
Dr. Edith Fiore, a clinical psychologist, deals
extensively with the subject of spirit possession in her book, The Unquiet Dead. From over
20,000 hypnotic regressions, Fiore concluded that various psychological disorders can be
caused by spirit possession. "Possession is a relative condition," she writes.
"When it is complete, which is rare, the original personality seems to be gone and is
replaced by that of the earthbound entity. Usually, there is a vacillating balance between
the two; at times, the spirit exerts only slight influence, while at others, he or she can
be extremely dominant." (Fiore, 1987).
Fiore views the possessing entities as the true
patients. "They are suffering greatly, perhaps without even realizing it," she
continues. "Virtual prisoners, they are trapped on the earth plane feeling exactly as
they did moments before their deaths, which may have occurred decades before. Moreover,
they are keeping themselves from being in the spirit world which would offer them a
beautiful life and afford them the opportunity to make spiritual progress."
In the majority of cases, Fiore goes on, the possession
involves a blending of personalities and is only vaguely perceived, if at all. However,
she adds that possession is always negative. She also mentions that possessions often
occur after surgery or during hospitalizations.
"From my clinical experience, I have found several
basic explanations for why certain entities remain tied to the material plane rather than
completing their transitions to the spiritual world," Fiore writes. "The most
usual are ignorance, confusion, fear (especially of going to hell), obsessive attachments
to living persons or places, or addictions to drugs, alcohol, smoking, food, or sex. Also,
a misguided sense of unfinished business often compels spirits to stay in the physical
world."
In her autobiography, Fifty Years a Medium, Estelle
Roberts, one of England's best known mediums of the middle of the last century, tells of
a man of charm and accomplishment who was overcome by an irresistible desire to kill his
mother. During a seance, Roberts went into a deep trance and Red Cloud, her control,
addressed the young man, explaining that he had visited a house of ill repute while in France and that an evil
spirit attached itself to his aura at that time. Since no one else knew about his
"sinful visit," the man was astonished and shamefacedly admitted it was true. An
exorcism followed and the evil spirit was driven out. (Roberts, 1959).
Many other mediums, psychics, or seers, whatever name
they go under, have reported seeing evil or earthbound spirits attaching themselves to the
auras of humans, usually when the person is in a weakened condition, physically or
spiritually. In his classic book, Spirit Teachings, William Stainton Moses, another of England's great mediums,
passes on messages given to him by means of automatic writing from a spirit entity known
as Imperator. He mentions violent death often resulting in a spirit being earthbound and
attracted to humans as a magnet attracts iron. "This power of sympathetic attraction
is mysterious to you," Imperator told Moses. Yet, it should not be, for you see it in
action in a lower degree in your world. Attraction and repulsion operate strongly in daily
intercourse. Most are unconscious of the fact, yet all, especially the sensitive, act upon
it. This is intensified once the body is done with." (Moses, 1976).
So what are we to make of all this? Is it possible that
bodies are violated before the consciousness actually leaves them, even if there is no
brain wave activity or heart beat? Does the soul experience pain from this? Does the
spirit of the donor attach itself to the recipient and negatively influence him or her? Is
the soul of the donor held earthbound because of its attachment to the recipient? Might we
assume that the more spiritually evolved are not at great risk, either as donor or
recipient, and that only those grounded in materialism have anything to fear?
Needless to say, the evidence against organ transplants
would not be admissible in a court of law, and as previously mentioned, anyone opposing
organ transplants would likely be subject to ridicule, scorn, and contempt.
The case for organ transplants, the "gift of
life," is hard to oppose, unless, of course, we go to the very core of spirituality
and view death as the great liberator, even if the person has not lived his or her
allotted three score and ten or more. "I do not see that what you call death
is a disaster," said Silver Birch when asked about the divine justice involved with
people who die prematurely. "To me it is the great hour of freedom for the
soul." Since not many people in this day and age of extreme materialism are prepared
to appreciate such a philosophy, the case against organ transplants will never be widely
heard. Those who are prepared to consider it are probably much more spiritually developed
and perhaps would not have the problems discussed here. That is, they should quickly sever
the Silver Cord and not be earthbound.
Then again, if it is true that Jesus took from Friday
afternoon until Sunday to achieve separation, while taking a tour of hell during that
time, what hope is there that the rest of us can do it instantly?
Bibliography
Ballard, Stan A. & Green, Roger, The Silver Birch
Book of Questions & Answers, Spiritual Truth Press, London, England, 1998
Fiore, Edith, The Unquiet Dead, Ballantine Books, New York, 1987
Goble, Diane, Through the Tunnel, S.O.U.L. Foundation,
Inc., Palm Harbor, Florida, 1993
Moses, William Stainton, Spirit Teachings, Arno Press, New York, 1976
Pearsall, Paul, The HeartŐs Code, Broadway Books, New York, 1998
Rinpoche, Sogyal, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying,
Harper San Francisco, 1993
Roberts, Estelle, Fifty Years a Medium, Gorgi Books, London, England, 1969
Steinpach, Richard, Why We Live After Death, Grail
Foundation Press, Gambier, Ohio, 1996
Sylvia, Claire, A Change of Heart, Warner Books Inc., New York, 1997
ORGAN TRANSPLANTS ADDENDUM
In an article in the last issue of the Journal
("Are Organ Transplants Metaphysically Contraindicated?"), I overlooked a very
interesting reference, "Light & Death," by Michael Sabom, M.D. Michael
Schmicker, author of "Best Evidence" and a new member of the Academy, called
this to my attention. While I had read Dr. Sabom's intriguing and informative book shortly
after it was released, I failed to recall his comments on this subject. In a chapter
entitled "Defining the Final Frontier," Sabom discusses the near-death
experience of Pam Reynolds during a very complex surgery. It was necessary to lower her
body temperature to 60 degrees and to stop her heart and breathing. Her brain waves
flattened and she was by all clinical tests "dead." However, since life was
restored at the completion of the surgery, she did not die. Sabom cites an article by Dr.
Linda Emanuel, who comments that life and death are viewed as non-overlapping, dichotomous
states, whereas in reality there is no threshold event that defines death. "Several
scientific observations support Emanuel's argument that loss of biologic life, including
death of the brain, is process and does not occur at a single, definite moment,"
Sabom writes. He goes on to mention that 10 organ donors diagnosed as "brain
dead" showed an average increase in blood pressure of 31 millimeters of mercury and
in heart rate of 23 beats per minute in response to surgical removal of the organs. He
also refers to a study at Loyola University Medical Center in which it was found that 20
percent of patients diagnosed as brain dead had persisting EEG activity up to seven days
after the initial diagnosis.
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