Art of Dying Art of Dying_Volume III_joomag | Page 83
can look out the window at the mountains?” Would you
rather be back in the bedroom where it's quieter?" If
your loved one can't communicate well, lay in their bed
and see what the view is. Will recessed lights shine in
their eyes? Will they look into a bathroom door with
people walking in and out? Can they see the mountains?
Dying is the event for the remaining family and friends.
For the dying person, their evolutionary path is the event
—crossing the bridge into another dimension.
It's fuzzy what's going to happen to us after we die. The
important thing is to give someone the best possible
chance to have the best landing. It's like they're
shooting off in a rocket. Let's help them land in the best
possible way on the path that's right for them. That
path may be Buddhist, it may be Catholic, it may be
scientific. But everybody wants to be loved. Everyone
wants to be safe and at peace. Everyone wants to be in
control, especially when you're sick, and everybody's
been controlling you for the past couple of months. To
assure someone they are in control, that they can leave
their physical body when it no longer serves them, is
helpful for everyone, no matter what they believe.
I’ve found that as the physical body declines, the spiritual
activity increases. Consciousness is still in the body, but
they're starting to have out-of-body experiences. They
talk with deceased loved ones. I let them know they’re
in a safe space. They’ll smile and say, "I just saw my
husband." I'll ask, "How did that make you feel? Are you
looking forward to being with him again?" Others often
dismiss them as drug-induced hallucinations. I don’t
question them.
I want to die a good death when I can still communicate,
take care of my business, show gratitude, forgive
people that need to be forgiven, and be physically
comfortable to focus on my spiritual journey. I will
have said my good-byes, so people don't have to say,
"Good-bye," to me. No crying, no tears, no regrets. I
don't want anyone hanging all over me and I don't
want 10 people sitting around the room waiting and
checking their watches. I want to simply say, “Good-
bye," and go quietly into a room with a loved one to
transition. And that will be it.
SUSAN BUHLMAN is
an experienced hospice caregiver.
As a certified end-of-life doula, it is
her passion and her soul’s purpose
to provide comfort to those who are
actively dying. As a companion to
those in the final hours or days of life,
she offers a calming, compassionate
presence and, if the patient is open to
it, Susan guides him or her through a
transitional preparation process.
Guided visualizations, positive
affirmations, Hemi-Sync® and energy
healing are a few of the tools that are
used to ease the emotional pain and
fear of the dying process.
During bereavement workshops, she
uses spiritual principles to lessen the
burden of loss, leading the way toward
a peaceful appreciation of the next
conscious steps in our soul’s journey.
She has co-authored a book Higher
Self Now! with her husband, William
Buhlman. Together, they lead workshops
to assist others in their quest to develop
their personal spiritual transition.
WWW.ASTRALINFO.ORG.
From a conversation with John Wadsworth
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