Has Anybody Else Experienced This?

[drock]

When my mom died I was holding her hand and I got this rush that went through my body. I equated it to relief that she was no longer suffering because it was similar to other instances of relief I had in the past except much more intense this time. Of course this is also the most intense thing I've been through.

When I started to tell this hospice grief counselor she immediately identified with it and told me that was the energy leaving her body. Now I'm not really very religious so I don't know if this is the case or it was just relief that she is no longer suffering. This is an interesting thought though. I never thought of this.

I'm just wondering if any of you had the same thing and what do are your thoughts on this?

[Babypod]

Drock,

At the moment my Grandmother died my cousin saw a flash in the sky. Something that could not be explained by the weather. Two days later I smelled my Grandmother's floor cleaner (Grandma's house was spotless since she was always cleaning it) - a very distinct smell that was never in my home - where I smelled it. The next day my children were watching television when the powerstrip the TV was on got turned off - there was no one there to turn it off but somehow it got turned off. Someone knocked on my door several times the week between her death and burial - yet there was no one at the door (the children heard it too). When we were all in the living room trying to go to sleep (the kids and I camped out together a lot those first few weeks) there was a very distinct sound of someone walking around upstairs - and my two cats went to the bottom of the stairs and just growled and had their hair stand up. I know it is a little different from what you experienced - but all of these things make me believe Grandma was there with us.

Now - this is something that my Grandmother always told me about. My Aunt passed away when she was 12 years old from cancer. Two things with this - first - the last time she came home - about a week before her death - my Grandparent's were woke up by hearing her screaming. They ran to her room and found her on her bed buried under all of her books that were on her book case. Now - her book case was no where near the bed - it was on the entire other side of the room. She said she woke up because she was hit by books - she swore that something was at her book case and threw all those books at her. Next - when she actually did die my Grandparent's were holding her hands. My Grandfather knew when it happened - had a very similar experience to what you had.

Don't know if it helps at all - but I wanted to pass this on to you.

[drock]

I try to keep an open mind to things like this but I always try to look for a logical explanation. That is why I instantly went to the relief of her suffering explanation. I have to say though that I felt it halfway up my arm, to my chest area and onwards up through the top of my head. Sort of like a wave. I would like to think that since I was so close to her I was actually feeling her leaving and on the start of her journey. Sort of a last gift my mother gave to me!

Thanks for sharing that Babypod!

[loulou]

Hi Drock,Im so sorry for your loss.I was just reading on the web about the infamous "21 grams"(you know,supposedly when we die our bodies lose 21 grams thought by some to be our soul or spirit)and I'm sorry to not have the link,I dont know how to do that,but if you google 21 grams at death,you will find this guys testament that as he held his mother while she died of cancer,and at the time of her death he felt a huge rush of energy come out of her into him.It was beautiful to read,andof course I thought of your post.He said exactly what you did!Its amazing and I had to share.

[drock]

Thanks alot loulou! I'm going to go look that up now!

[loulou]

Drock!I'm so curious if you found it.I'm very intrigued by this now...I believe it WAS her life force or energy leaving.Its amazing.

[drock]

I couldn't find the exact story you were talking about. Just alot about peoples theories on the weight of the brain before and after someone dies. I did look up more on this by goggling it and found a few things. I found different takes on it. Some that have experienced it and feels that it was their loved ones spirits that have passed through their body and others that believe it has a scientific explanation like the brain just coping with the overwhelming situation that just happened. While this makes total sense and I'm sure you could come up with some studies on this that claim certain things that support there theory their is no 100% proof that this is what is happening. So what this means is this is just a theory in the end. Just the same as this being explained as the spirit leaving the body and going through a loved one. So the spirit leaving the body is just as viable an explanation as the scientific explanation. It may be argued that certain activity happens in the brain when someones loved one dies but there is so little really known about the brain so who knows what this brain activity really is. As far as proving the feeling the spirit running the body theory, how are you going to prove that? Well the same goes for disproving it!

I'm more of a person that looks for scientific explanations for things but after looking for absolute evidence of scientific explanations for things like this I find all kinds of holes. It could be said that people that believe this is the soul leaving the body and entering the loved one is just someone telling themselves what they want to believe. Well when you have no solid evidence otherwise isn't that exactly what the so called scientific explanation is?

Since my Mom passed I've rethought alot of things and have opened my mind more. If there is solid evidence to disprove things like this and other spiritual things than I'll believe it but if not then my mind is also open to other explanations. It doesn't mean I necessarily 100% believe in the alternate explanation but just I'm keeping that possibility open until proven otherwise.

As far as what happened to me I choose to believe that it was my mother that passed through me. It would make sense because of the close relationship I had with my mom. Yes partially I choose to believe this because it makes me feel better but what if I choose to believe otherwise when in reality it actually was my mothers energy running through my body? What a loss that would be!

[pmpupdamike]

Hi there. I am so sorry for your loss. I am a new member, and I am both fascinated, and relieved to see so many different perspectives regarding the death process. I am not sure what I believe, at least not now. I think, my grief has clouded my faith, and my understanding of the philosophy of death and it's many components. I think, that you are very lucky to have experianced this. WHile I can not validate it as fact or otherwise, perhaps it is more important to focus, that it was meaningful to you, and your journey towards healing. During my father's illness, I poured through every piece of information regarding end of life stages. I came across a very unique site, regarding a buddhist perspective, and his understanding of what happens when death approaches. I am sorry I am not well versed enough to re-iterate, but if I find the link, I will post it.