While I’ve stated many times throughout my writing that speculating on the nature of the afterlife, if indeed there is one, is unskillful, through reason, I believe we can postulate that some sort of reconciliation upon physical death of a sapient being is required (apokatastasis).

The nature of Ji, or the principle underlying the totality of existence, is one of interconnectedness, harmony, balance, order, and a host of other qualities. That which is unaligned with these traits must be brought into alignment — and sapient beings are most certainly out of alignment. What occurs after this reconciliation is something we cannot know, however we may have a minimal degree of insight into the process through near-death experiences.

No two-death experiences are the same, for all individuals are unique and perceive the world in their own way. That said, the commonalities reported across such experiences give me pause. They do not provide empirical proof of what, if anything, awaits beyond death, but they do serve as meaningful suggestive reflections. They offer us a hint into what the mind, when stripped of its ordinary defense of ego, intuits about the nature of reality and moral consequence.

The one that stood out to me the most, and the reason I wanted to write this, is the frequent occurrence in near-death minds of a “life review” or “life playback,” usually referred to as one’s “life flashing before their eyes.” This jumped out to me because of the striking moral character of the review. Rather than simply rewinding the tape of one’s life, those who came out the other side of the experience reported profound feelings of empathy and humility, understanding the effects of their actions and the nature of cause and effect broadly, realizing the value of applying ethics in life, and perceiving their past through the eyes of others.

For these individuals, the interconnected nature of their actions and their consequences became viscerally apparent. Their testimonies are deeply consistent with the Jiayan understanding of karma and relational reality. If one accepts the premise that as a mind approaching death is stripped of most sense perception and relies mainly on interior qualia, the mind’s most fundamental experiences appear to tune into something like a cosmic standard at the root of existence — a deep sense of underlying order, structure, and consequence.

Due to its emphasis on causation (or prehension, if you prefer), that was the main element I wanted to discuss. Of course, there are a number of other commonalities that point to the truth of Ji.

• Detaching from the physical body: the body is an illusory force (māyā) that acts as an obstacle on the path to recognizing the true interconnected, monistic nature of reality
• Loss of attachment: reports of letting go of earthly attachments represents the mind’s acceptance of the truth of anicca
• Connection to a primary source or origin: speaks to the truth of the universe’s oneness; Ji flows in and out of all things
• Existence of hierarchies corresponding to different levels of understanding: profoundly correlated with the stages of personal epektasis, a Jiayan framework leading from disalignment to alignment
• Feelings or experiences of light, goodness, truth, gentleness: Ji as feeling or sensation; ecstasy upon alignment with the Universal Good

Naturally, the process of reconciliation begs the question of what happens to one’s mind after completion of the process. Is one now simply part of all things or does one move on with the knowledge gained? This is a matter that can only be speculated on, something I would discourage. By nature of its very existence, this world has value and is not something to be dismissed for hopes of better luck next time.

Instead, what we should take from near-death experiences is a profound peace. A reassurance that the universe is innately good and bends on a path toward balance and harmony. However, the life review element of such experiences reminds us of one critical aspect: we have an important part to play in that alignment. That is our place in the universe.

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General source for the scientific information on this page:

Parnia, Sam; Post, Stephen G.; Lee, Matthew T.; Lyubomirsky, Sonja; Aufderheide, Tom P.; Deakin, Charles D.; Greyson, Bruce; Long, Jeffrey; Gonzales, Anelly M.; Huppert, Elise L.; Dickinson, Analise; Mayer, Stephan; Locicero, Briana; Levin, Jeff; Bossis, Anthony (May 2022). “Guidelines and standards for the study of death and recalled experiences of death–a multidisciplinary consensus statement and proposed future directions”. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1511 (1): 5–21. Bibcode:2022NYASA1511….5P. doi:10.1111/nyas.14740. ISSN 1749-6632. PMID 35181885.