Almost all of us are affected by problems in our life where the root cause is due to departed ancestors' subtle-bodies. This type of spiritual problem affects us regardless of race, cultural background or social status. While this is a spiritual problem, it can manifest in many different ways in our day-to-day lives. In some cases, people have gone through years of suffering only to find out that it could have been alleviated in a few days. The alleviation would only have come about if they knew the root cause, the remedy and if they had the required know-how to put it into practice. This section is a must for all those who are faced with problems - financial to marital - that do not go away despite every effort. We have divided this section into three parts: General information about ancestral problems What can you do to protect yourself against this spiritual problem? What can we do to help our ancestors? Section 1 - General information about ancestral problems What are ancestral problems? According to the science of Spirituality and unknown to modern sciences, 50% of difficulties in our lives are caused solely due to spiritual factors and another 30% due to spiritual and psychological and/or physical factors. 1
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Transcript
Almost all of us are affected by problems in our life where the root cause is due to departed ancestors'
subtle-bodies. This type of spiritual problem affects us regardless of race, cultural background or
social status. While this is a spiritual problem, it can manifest in many different ways in our day-to-day
lives. In some cases, people have gone through years of suffering only to find out that it could have
been alleviated in a few days. The alleviation would only have come about if they knew the root
cause, the remedy and if they had the required know-how to put it into practice.
This section is a must for all those who are faced with problems - financial to marital - that do not go
away despite every effort. We have divided this section into three parts:
General information about ancestral problems
What can you do to protect yourself against this spiritual problem?
What can we do to help our ancestors?
Section 1 - General information about ancestral problems
What are ancestral problems?According to the science of Spirituality and unknown to modern sciences, 50% of difficulties in our lives are caused solely due to spiritual factors and another 30% due to spiritual and psychological and/or physical factors.
Why would my departed loved ones and my other ancestors want to give me pain?
Note: In order to understand this article better, it is recommended that you read the article ‘Where do
we go after death?’
This is a question that is very commonly asked. People think of their near and dear ones who have passed away and find it unimaginable that they would deliberately cause them problems in life. The following are the two main reasons as to why ancestors trouble their descendants.
Due to unfulfilled desires and
Due to the inability to move on in the after life and attain a higher positive region or sub-region.
Distress due to unfulfilled desiresIn this case, ancestors trouble us as they have unfulfilled desires. These desires can include:
Anger directed at descendants who do not use their inheritance in accordance with the ancestors'
wishes.
Ancestors who have an attachment to the family and still want things to be done their way.
Ancestors who are addicted to some physical desire such as cigarettes, drugs, sex, food, etc.
They take advantage of the remaining give-and-take account between them and their descendants
to possess their descendants and fulfill their desires. Departed ancestors trouble their
descendants instead of others with whom they may possibly have a give-and-take account with;
this is because the bond between blood relations is the strongest.
Distress due to a call for help by ancestors
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When one dies, the vital energy is released back into the Universe. The physical body remains on Earth, while the subtle body travels to a subtle plane depending on its merits or sins and its spiritual level. Unlike on the Earth plane, the only parameter that matters in the after-life is the spiritual level or the spiritual purity of a subtle body. The physical body and the various worldly aspects such as money, prestige, job, how well we are connected etc. have absolutely no relevance in the spiritual realm or subtle world.
The subtle body as shown in the diagram becomes 'heavy' due to sins and excessive ego. As a result, it gets stuck in lower subtle planes of existence such as the Nether region (Bhuvarlok). If the demerits or sins are intense, then the subtle body goes to one of the regions of Hell (Pātāl). On the other hand, the subtle body becomes lighter due to good deeds (merits) and the intensity of spiritual practice. The higher the spiritual level, the lighter the subtle body and faster the progress to the higher positive subtle regions of the Universe.
Samashti spiritual level refers to the spiritual level attained through spiritual practice for the sake of society (samashti sādhanā), while vyashti spiritual practice refers to the spiritual level attained through individual spiritual practice (vyashti sādhanā). In the current times, spiritual progress for the sake of society has 70% importance while individual spiritual practice has 30% importance.
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An advanced seeker's subtle body crosses the Nether region immediately as a result of spiritual
practice and goes to higher subtle regions of existence such as Heaven (Swarga). Only ancestors
who are above the 50% ( samashṭi) or 60% (vyashṭi) spiritual level are able to go to higher subtle
regions, such as Heaven and are able to access the requisite protection from God to fend off any
attack by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.). Less than 5% of the world population falls
in this category.
The following is the breakdown of world population by spiritual level:
(Please refer to the article on spiritual level and the breakdown of the world population by spiritual level.)
This means that the vast majority of our ancestors (over 95% of them) will be consigned to regions
below Heaven like the Nether region or one of the regions of Hell. A large percentage of the world
population is at a spiritual level of below 30%. When they die, they have very little spiritual strength to
help themselves in the lower subtle regions. By ‘help’ we mean helping themselves spiritually to
advance to higher positive subtle sub-regions.
In the lower subtle regions, they experience pain due to demerits and do not know how to help
themselves. They are also attacked and tormented by more powerful ghosts who control them for
It is said that sometimes our ancestors help us, is that correct?It is commonly believed by many people and cultures that their departed ancestors look over them and help them in their lives.
The spiritual research conducted by SSRF corroborates the fact that ancestors can help us. The extent and quality of help depends on their attitude in their life on Earth and their spiritual level. Departed ancestors at a lower spiritual level can help less than those at a higher spiritual level. The higher the spiritual level, the more the extent and quality of help possible.
In almost all cases, the help that ancestors want to provide to their descendants is at a worldly level.
For example:
An ancestor may help his descendant get a job by putting the idea in the interviewer’s mind of selecting him.
They may help a girl get the boyfriend of her choice by putting the thought in the to-be boyfriend’s mind.
An ancestor with the foreknowledge of a possible accident may try to delay the departure of the descendant from the house thus trying to keep him away from the scene of the accident.
Ancestors, by helping their descendants, are in effect enhancing the attachment of their descendants
to worldly pleasures and simultaneously get further attached themselves. The only real help departed
ancestors can give their descendants is to make them aware of the necessity of spiritual practice.
More than 50% of mankind is below the 30% spiritual level with minimal spiritual strength. It is very
difficult for these ancestors to be of any help to their descendants. Sometimes higher-
levelghosts (devils, demons, negative energies etc.) like subtle-sorcerers ( māntrik ) can also ensnare
our departed ancestors of lower spiritual levels and torment them. At this point, survival is the only
thought in their mind.
However even if some ancestors may genuinely desire to help their descendants, the fate of the
helpful ancestors is akin to being trapped in a glass cage. They can see the plight of their
descendants but cannot reach out to them to alert them of danger or deliver timely help. This can be
caused by one of two factors:
The descendants do not receive or understand the signals sent by the ancestors or do not believe
in them.
The spiritual power of ancestors falls short of the help needed.
For example, a departed father may want to warn his son about the risk in signing the business deal through dreams but the son either does not make the connection between the signs in the dreams and the deal or if he does, he may not attribute enough significance to it thus ignoring the message.
In another case, a departed mother may have to helplessly watch her beloved son falling prey to a lethal drug addiction orchestrated by a subtle-sorcerer. She understands the root cause of the addiction, though the son and the world is unaware about it, but as her spiritual power falls much shorter than that of the subtle-sorcerer she is forced to be a helpless spectator.
How is it that an ancestor at a lower spiritual level has the strength to trouble, but not to help?
Divine help is unavailable to fulfill worldly desires: In almost all cases, the meaning of ‘help’ for departed ancestors and descendants is restricted to worldly help. When help is restricted only to worldly needs, ancestors are unable to access divine help to assist them in fulfilling their wishes. As a result, they have to depend on their own spiritual strength which is negligible. If the intention of the help is to assist the descendant spiritually, the ancestors have more access to divine intervention and assistance.
Need to use their strength to protect themselves: Departed ancestors between the 20-30%
spiritual levels, due to their lower spiritual strength will be curtailed in the quality and quantity of help
that they can give their descendants. The truth is that ancestors at a lower spiritual level are in most
cases in survival mode and cannot think beyond themselves. The oppressive environments in the
lower regions, that is Nether region and Hell along with the attacks by higher level ghosts give them a
substantial amount of pain. So instead of helping their descendants they are actually in need of help
themselves.
They try to communicate to their descendants and do so in the form of creating problems in their
descendants' lives. The extent of the problems they can cause is disproportionately larger than their
ability to help.
Influence of higher level ghosts: When it comes to causing distress to people on Earth, higher
level ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) use ancestors as a means to get to humanity
with expending the least amount of energy. Hence they provide departed ancestors with the required
black energy.
Ancestors between the spiritual levels of 20-30%, i.e. lower spiritual levels are more self-centered and
hence focus on alleviating their own pain in the Nether region. Hence their attempt to help their
descendants is negligible.
Causing distress is a method of communicating with the descendants: When we are living on Earth, we have a variety of issues in our lives that vie for our attention. Our energy ends up being distributed across various facets such as job, relationships, chores and errands, entertainment etc. However when we die, there are no such activities to vie for our attention. In the subtle regions, our departed ancestors experience the full measure of happiness and unhappiness in accordance with their merits and demerits. Ancestors of a lower spiritual level generally accrue more demerits and as a result experience more pain. With no other distractions as we have on the Earth plane, they become singularly focused on reducing this pain or experiencing some worldly desire. They reach out to their descendants on Earth to do something for them. As there is no physical body, they do not need to
sleep and can work at reaching out to their descendants with an incredible amount of single-mindedness. This single-minded focus in turn enhances their ability to affect us.
What happens after the death of a person that causes him to need help?A human being has two bodies – the gross body (sthūladēha) and the subtle-body. Along with this he has Vital energy (Prāṇa-shakti) that links these two bodies together. See the diagram given below.
Note: In order to understand this article better, it is recommended that you read the article Where do
we go after death?
When one dies, the vital energy is released back into the universe. The physical body remains on the
Earth region (Bhūlok) while the subtle-body travels to a subtle-plane depending on its merits or sins
and its spiritual level. The subtle-body becomes heavy due to sins and excessive ego and as a result
"I dream of departed family members and ancestors"
1. Introduction
2. What are the reasons behind seeing dead family members in dreams?
3. What if the dream is of a close friend who had died suddenly?
4. What can one do, at a spiritual level, to help deceased loved ones or family members who appear in one's dreams?
1. IntroductionQuite often our readers ask the meaning behind seeing dead relatives in their dreams frequently. A few of them, welcome seeing dead relatives and a few are fearful of the same. Their questions
include, ‘Has my father moved on in the afterlife?’, ‘Has he gone to heaven?’, ‘What are they trying to tell me?’, etc. In this article, through spiritual research, we shed some light on this issue from both a psychological and spiritual viewpoint.
Please read what is spiritual research?
2. What are the reasons behind seeing dead family members in dreams?Through spiritual research we have found that there are psychological and spiritual reasons for seeing dead family members in dreams. 30% of the time the reason is psychological and 70% of the time it is spiritual.
Psychological reasons can include a feeling of guilt or regret for not having spent time with a loved
one before he/she died or some anxiety about that departed family member. Here the images that
appear in the dream are eruptions from our sub-conscious mind.
Spiritual reasons are mainly two-fold. One is that the subtle-body of the departed family member
needs help in the afterlife and is trying to contact its descendant on the Earth region (Bhūlok) of
existence. The other reason is trying to seek revenge, to get even with some family member.
Through spiritual research we have found (with regards to the spiritual reasons) that approximately
70% of the time, it is the subtle-body’s need for help in the afterlife and 30% of the time, it is to seek
revenge or to trouble the descendant on the Earth plane of existence.
A dream can be considered spiritual in nature if the same dream recurs at least 3 times. Dead family
members will generally try to contact the family member (or appear in the dreams) who they feel is
most likely do something for them. The reasons subtle-bodies, in the afterlife, find it easier to
communicate through dreams as opposed to the waking state is because during the waking state the
person who they are trying to contact, is more engrossed in the five senses and does not have
concentration of the mind. During the dream or sleep state, the mind is more receptive to messages
We have found that people who have had untimely or violent deaths are more likely to appear in
dreams as opposed to people who have had normal deaths such as after a prolonged illness. This is
because the person who has died of natural causes is more mentally prepared for death and therefore
finds it easier to move-on in the afterlife. In only 10% of cases could there be a negative energy
masquerading as the ancestor, in the dreams.
3. What if the dream is of a close friend who had died suddenly?However, dreams of the departed are not necessarily limited to deceased family members. Sometimes even close friends who are deceased appear in one's dreams. This is mainly to seek help as they may feel closer to the person who they are trying to contact as opposed to their family members on Earth. The following example narrated by one of the members of the SSRF research team will shed more light on this aspect.
Recently a friend of mine, Andrew (not his real name), visited me at the SSRF research centre and narrated how he had been plagued by dreams of a close friend who had died in a tragic accident. Andrew said that once, while at University, he did not go on a trip with his friend because he was competing in an event that his friend had trained him for. During the trip, his friend drowned.
Andrew was overcome by a feeling of remorse and guilt for not being there for his friend and perhaps being able to save his life. He did not have the strength to go to the funeral. Soon after the funeral, Andrew’s deceased friend began to appear in his dreams. It would be the same dream each time and it would recur every few days. This continued for many years. Andrew was very fearful of the dream but he did not ask for help from anyone on this matter.
Then one day after many years, he faced his fears and said to his friend in the dream, “Look I am sorry I was not there for you. I cannot change the past but I cannot keep living like this, dreaming of you every second day. So whatever it is you want from me .... do what you must ... kill me if you will, I don’t care.” From the next day onwards he did not have the dream ever again. Andrew felt that standing up to his deceased friend in a dream was the correct thing to do. However, from a spiritual perspective, all that the departed friend wanted, was some spiritual help from his closest friend Andrew. Once he saw that Andrew would never understand, the subtle-body of the deceased friend retreated, never to ask again.
Andrews’s correct action should have been to help organise a ritual to be conducted to help his deceased friend.
4. What can one do, at a spiritual level, to help deceased loved ones or family members who appear in one's dreams?
The Name of Shrī Gurudev Datta is a potent chant that provides relief from any problems caused
due to departed ancestors or family members.
SSRF also recommends that for more severe problems due to departed ancestors or family
members, along with chanting Shri Gurudev Datta , some specific rituals such as Nārāyaṇa
Nāgbali (for ancestors), Tripindi shrāddha, etc. be performed.
Can we meet our ancestors and loved ones in the afterlife?1. Introduction
2. Where do we go after death?
3. Some principles that govern which of our departed ancestors we can meet in the afterlife
4. How do we recognise our previously departed ancestors when we die?4.1 What form do we take after we die?4.2 Mechanism of meeting4.3 Risks involved with meeting
5. Once identified do we stay together with other departed relatives in the afterlife?
6. How do we communicate when we meet with relatives and friends in the afterlife?
7. Do we meet our pets in the afterlife?
1. IntroductionAlmost all of us have at sometime wondered if we can meet our departed ancestors and loved ones when we leave this Earth at the time of death. The purpose of this article is to explain the factors and principles governing who we can meet and who we cannot in the afterlife.
2. Where do we go after death?
Please refer to our article on ‘Where do we go after death?’.
As you can see, there are 13 subtle and intangible regions we can go to after death. In the current
era, approximately only 5% of us make it to the positive regions of Heaven (Swarga), Maharlok and
above. This is because one needs to be at least at the 50% (samashṭi) or 60% (vyashṭi) spiritual
level (which is 5% of the world’s population) to attain the first positive region of the Universe, i.e.
Heaven, after death. Please refer to the breakdown of the world’s population by spiritual levelfor more
There is another region that is very important to mention in order to understand what happens to us
after death. Immediately after we die, we go to a region known as the ‘Region of the Dead’
(Martyaloka). This is a halfway house or an interim plane of existence where one stays as one makes
their journey from the moment of death to their final resting place in one of the 13 subtle (intangible)
planes of existence.
Please refer to the article on the Region of the Dead for more information.
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3. Some principles that govern which of our departed ancestors we can meet in the afterlife
Same region: Subtle-bodies of relatives in the same region can meet each other easily. For
example, two subtle-bodies of relatives in the Nether region (Bhuvarlok) can meet each other.
Subtle to subtler regions: It is not possible for a person in a subtle (intangible) plane to meet a
person in an even more subtle-plane of existence. After the Earth region (Bhūlok), the Nether
region is the most gross (tangible). A subtle-body in one of the planes in the Nether region cannot
go to meet a subtle-body in Heaven or the 1st Region of Hell (Pātāl).
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Subtle-regions to more gross regions: A subtle-body from a more subtle-plane of existence can
go to a grosser (less subtle) plane of existence. For example, a subtle-body in the 3rd Region of
Hell can go to meet a person in the 1st Region of Hell on a temporary basis. Such visits usually
last for as long as they are required and are also dependent on the spiritual strength of the visiting
subtle-body.
Subtle higher regions:
Subtle-bodies in the higher positive subtle-regions of Maharlok are so spiritually advanced that
they are devoid of desires including the desire to meet family members. The main purpose of
their existence is to grow spiritually.
Subtle-bodies in Heaven experience immense happiness and are generally caught up in the
subtle-pleasures that Heaven has to offer. As a result, the desire to meet previous relatives just
does not encroach upon their consciousness.
Visiting Region of the Dead or Earth: Subtle-bodies in any subtle-region can visit the subtle-
bodies in the Region of the Dead or Earth region.
A ghost of higher spiritual strength in the lower regions of Hell can temporarily enter higher positive
regions such as Heaven to upset the peace.
4. How do we recognise our previously departed ancestors when we die?
4.1 What form do we take after we die?Once a subtle-body enters the Region of the Dead, it begins to lose its identity with its previous Earthly life. By the time it crosses the Region of the Dead and reaches one of the main subtle-regions such as the Nether region, the subtle-body takes an amorphous form.
If people have a strong attachment to their Earthly life and relatives, they are not able to move
on beyond the Region of the Dead. Here, they continue to take a form resembling their
previous form. The form is created by the ‘energy of desire’. Subtle-bodies can get stuck in
the Region of the Dead for many years and hover around their ancestral home. As a result,
those with sixth sense are able to feel or see their presence.
4.2 Mechanism of meeting
When entering the same region: When the subtle-bodies of departed ancestors have an
intense desire to meet another departed relative or friend, the energy from that single-
minded thought creates a subtle (intangible) materialisation of his form when he knew his
relative. At the same time, the relative who has just died and entered that region is
attracted to that particular ancestor’s subtle-body because of the frequencies of desire
emanating from the subtle-body of the ancestor. The descendant who has recently expired
then recognises his ancestor because of the familiar form that the subtle-body of the
ancestor has taken.
At the time of death: There are generally hereditary similarities at the level of the subtle
basic Sattva, Raja and Tama components among family members. Hence, due to their
oversensitiveness the subtle-bodies of ancestors residing in the Region of the Dead and
the Nether region are able to perceive the changes happening in the dying person at the
time of death. They are then pulled towards the sound of the sub-vital energies emitted
and the excretory gases discharged by the dead body. Thus, they enter the Earth’s
environment and come near the dying person. That is why many dying people get visions
of their dead ancestors. If the recently dead person strongly wishes to meet his departed
ancestors or if the departed ancestor strongly wishes to meet the dead person, then the
ancestor on the strength of his strong ‘energy of desire’ attains a gaseous apparition-like
form. They thus help the dead person in identifying themselves.
4.3 Risks involved with meeting
In some cases, higher level ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies,
etc.) like subtle-sorcerers ( māntriks ) can take the form of dead relatives and
misguide recently departed subtle-bodies. This can be best avoided if one has done
a lot of spiritual practice on Earth and can see through their illusory (māyāvi) form.
Departed ancestors who are in one of the Regions of Hell can also mislead recently
departed subtle-bodies.
The sure way of ensuring one is not misled after death is to do regular spiritual
practice as per the six basic principles of spiritual practice and attain as high
a spiritual level as possible. The higher the spiritual level at the time of death, the
lower the chances of being deceived by ghosts or ancestors from Regions of Hell.
Also, one is able to access greater protection from God.
5. Once identified do we stay together with other departed relatives in the afterlife?Subtle-bodies from a family generally stick together. This is because there is a lot of similarity among relatives as compared with others.
6. How do we communicate when we meet with relatives and friends in the afterlife?The method of communication in the afterlife is not the language of sound that we are used to on Earth. The thoughts in one's mental body are perceived by others.
There is a chance of an animal being born as a human being if a human being had regressed to that animal form as punishment for his misdeeds. After the animal that was initially a human has finished its quota of suffering as an animal, it can be reborn in human form. Rituals for departed ancestors done by their descendants also help.
It is extremely difficult for an animal (that was born as an animal to start with) to evolve to a human being as it is very difficult for an animal to do spiritual practice. However, an animal who has attained a Saint's satsang, consumed Holy sacrament (prasad), listened to Holy songs or repetition of the Name of God regularly may develop the desire for God realisation and evolve spiritually to human form. Also if an animal lives with a Saint, and the Saint makes a resolve for the animal to progress spiritually to evolve to a human form, then an animal could attain a human birth.
Hence, it is highly unlikely to meet pets in the afterlife. If at all one sees pets, this again is the doing of illusion creating subtle-sorcerers. Again, regular spiritual practice is the assured way of avoiding being deceived.
1. You have mentioned in one of your articles that one of the reasons our ancestors trouble us is because the give-and-take account has not been settled. However is it not pre-destined how much account we are going to settle and with whom in a particular lifetime?
Yes, but we do not always complete it and besides we create new give-and-take account too.
Does the give-and-take (karma) with my ancestors get cleared if we chant the protection chant
of Shri Gurudev Datta?
Yes, chanting the Name of Lord Datta clears our give-and-take account with our ancestors. The mechanism of how this works is that the subtle basic sattva component is generated through the chant and passed on to the ancestor. This acts as a repayment mechanism and helps to nullify the give-and-take account between the affected person and his ancestor. With the increased subtle basic sattva component, the ancestor’s desires pertaining to their give-and-take with their descendant doing the chant reduce. However, the ancestor’s desires in general do not reduce. Along with this the ancestor also acquires the requisite spiritual boost to make his onward journey into more positive sub-regions. The quantity and quality of our chanting will decide how much we can contribute to their onward journey.
1. We are living a very comfortable life and so did our parents and grandparents. We do not suffer from any symptoms of ancestral problems as mentioned on your website. Should we and our children still chant Lord Datta’s Name?
Ans.: It would still be advisable to chant Lord Datta’s Name as it is extremely rare for one not to have
distress due to subtle bodies of departed ancestors. Besides not doing any form of spiritual practice is
itself a kind of distress. One is so engrossed in and attached to worldly life that one is consequently
far away from God. One experiences the full measure of pain when the people and things we are
attached to are taken away from us.
2. Is it true that children are protected by keeping photos of their ancestors in their bedroom?
Ans.: No, this is a misconception. In fact they are prone to experience a variety of distress due to the
negative vibrations of the subtle bodies of the departed ancestors.
The reason is as follows. A rule of Spiritual science says that ‘the word, touch, form, taste, smell and
the energy of any object co-exist.’ According to this rule, wherever there is a picture of our ancestors,
their spiritual energy co-exists. As explained earlier, most ancestors experience distress in the subtle
bodies. This subtle body then goes to one of the 13 subtle planes of existence other than the Earth
plane.
2. The 14 planes of existence in the Universe
There are 14 main planes of existence in the Universe. Seven of them are positive planes of
existence and seven are negative planes of existence. The seven negative planes of existence are
commonly known as Hell (Pātāl). There are numerous sub-planes within these main planes of
existence.
Righteousness (Dharma) is that which accomplishes the 3 tasks of:
Keeping the social system in excellent condition Bringing about the worldly progress of every living being Causing progress in the spiritual realm as well.
the breakdown of the world population in 2006 according to spiritual level. Basically from the
Spiritual science perspective, meritorious acts to attain Heaven or the higher positive planes
of existence are those acts done with the objective of God-realisation. The following three
criteria can be applied.
Acts done without doership, i.e. with the outlook that God Himself is getting it done from
me and hence I cannot lay claim to any credit.
Done without expectation of acclaim or appreciation.
Done without expectation of results.
More than the acts per se, it is the attitude or outlook behind the acts that counts more.
5. To attain a higher plane of existence beyond Heaven one needs to be at a spiritual level
higher than 60% (samashti) or 70% (vyashti). This can only be achieved by
consistent spiritual practice according to the six basic laws of spiritual practice along with a
major reduction in ego.
6. By predominant body, we mean the body that is most active, i.e., mental, intellect or the
subtle ego. For example, in the Nether plane of existence (Bhuvarlok), the subtle bodies still
have a lot of desires and attachments. As a result, quite often they become ghosts trying to
fulfil some desire of theirs. This leaves them open to higher-level ghosts from the lower
rungs of Hell to take advantage of their cravings to affect people on Earth.
7. In the Nether plane of existence we experience some happiness. However, the unhappiness
is amplified as compared to the unhappiness experienced on Earth.
8. In Heaven plane of existence, subtle bodies experience an over abundance of happiness.
This happiness is much beyond the happiness experienced on Earth in quantity, quality and
duration. As we go up the positive planes of existence, there is an increase in the quality of
happiness and no unhappiness.
9. Sāttvik happiness means happiness derived from helping others without any expectations or
strings attached. When ego is involved in the act, it becomes rājasik.
10.Serenity is a higher experience than Bliss.
3.1 Positive planes of existence and reincarnation on EarthFrom the planes of existence below Maharlok, people need to be reincarnated on the Earth plane to settle their destiny and complete their give-and-take accounts.
If one attains Maharlok at the 60% (samashti) or 70% (vyashti) spiritual level or attains Janalok at the
70% (samashti) or 80% (vyashti) spiritual level after death, one does not need to be reincarnated as
all of the individual's remaining destiny (accumulated account) can be worked out from these planes
themselves. However these evolved subtle bodies may choose to be born of their own will. They do
so primarily to act as spiritual guides for humanity.
In some circumstances people who pass away even below the spiritual level of 60% can
attain Maharlok. Here the person’s potential for further spiritual growth is considered. Through spiritual
research we have found that that there are 5 factors that influence this potential for further spiritual
growth.
Having a high amount of spiritual emotion (bhāv),
Having a low ego,
Having an intense desire for spiritual growth,
Doing regular spiritual practice of increasingly higher levels,
Affected or not affected by negative energies.
Being affected by negative energies can severely obstruct the ability for spiritual growth. Hence, if a person is below the 60% (samashti) or 70% (vyashti) spiritual level and has good qualities, but is severely affected by negative energies, then the individual's ability to attain the higher spiritual planes of existence such as Maharlok is restricted.
If one attains Tapolok or Satyalok after death, then one does not take birth on the Earth plane of
existence but continues to do spiritual practice from that plane of existence until one merges
completely with God.
3.2 The importance of the Earth plane of existenceThe Earth plane of existence is very important. It is the only plane of existence where we can make rapid spiritual growth and settle our give-and-take account in the shortest period of time. The main reason for this is that with the help of the physical body, we can do many things to enhance our spiritual growth and spiritual level and reduce the basic subtle Tama component.
Other than Earth, spiritual growth is mostly likely to occur only in the regions beyond Heaven such
as Maharloka etc. This is because in Heaven, the subtle bodies run the risk of getting caught up in the
unending pleasures it offers. In the Nether and Hell planes of existence, the punishment is so severe
and also the distress from the other higher-level ghosts is such that it becomes very difficult to rise
above the suffering to undertake any spiritual practice of value.
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4. What is Hell, who goes to Hell and what is Hell like?
As one goes to lower planes of existence of Hell, as the subtle
basic Sattva component progressively reduces the environment becomes less conducive to the
experience of happiness.
Within the planes of existence of Hell, there are some ghosts who do certain types of spiritual
practice to gain spiritual power. The highest in the hierarchy of ghosts are sorcerers from the
seventh plane of existence of Hell. They have immense spiritual power almost equivalent to
a Saint at the 90% spiritual level. They control all the other types of ghosts with lesser spiritual
power.
As one goes deeper into the various planes of existence of Hell, i.e. from 1st to 7th, the extent of
happiness experienced by the subtle bodies therein goes on decreasing and the extent of
unhappiness goes on multiplying. The minimal experience of happiness is also due to being
engrossed in memories of past positive events, pleasant memories of wealth in a past life, etc. The
Higher amount of personality defects such as anger, greed, fear, etc.
A higher amount of ego: By ego we mean how much a person identifies himself with his body,
mind and intellect as opposed to the soul within
Resulting in lower spiritual level
A permanent reduction in the proportion of the subtle basic Tama component and the related
characteristics mentioned above come about only with sustained spiritual practice according to the six
basic laws of spiritual practice. Psychological improvements with self-help books or trying to be nice
are at best superficial and temporary.
6.1 Importance of the mental state at the time of deathThe mental state at the point of death, apart from what has been mentioned above, is very important. Our mental state is generally relative to the proportion of the subtle basic components in our being.
If a person is actually doing his spiritual practice such as chanting the Name of God at the time of
death then the influence of desires, attachments, ghosts, etc. are minimal possible for that person
compared to his state when not chanting. This makes his subtle body lighter. Hence, if he passes
away while chanting, he attains better plane of existence among the sub-planes than what he would
have attained were he to pass away without chanting.
At the time of death, if a person is chanting the Name of God and is also in a state of surrender to
God’s will, then he attains an even better plane of existence in his life after death and his sojourn is
undertaken with lightening speed. This is because the person being in a state of surrender on Earth
plane of existence itself, has very less chance of increasing his ego in his life after death. Also, the
entire responsibility of his well-being in his life after death is undertaken by his evolved spiritual guide
(Guru).
6.2 Who goes to Hell?The following are the types of deeds in our life on Earth that typically land us in one of the planes of existence of Hell.
The extent, duration and intention behind the wrong-doings are important factors deciding the planes
of existence of Hell attained after death rather than just the action itself.
7. Suicide and the after life
There are two types of death with regards to its timing.
Destined final death: This is the time of death that no one can escape.
Possible death: This is where a person can possibly die. Each person may undergo a possible death wherein one comes close to death but may be saved due to his or her merits.
For more information on the types of death please refer to our article - Time of Death
In cases where a person is going through insurmountable crisis in his life or has severe personality
disorders, he may think of taking his own life in a depressed state. Ghosts (demons, devils, negative
energies, etc.) also fuel the depression of a suicidal person and sometimes are instrumental in
pushing a person over the edge into committing suicide. However, suicide remains a wilful act that
happens when a person is going through a possible death phase as per their destiny.
Life on the Earth plane of existence is precious and is given to us primarily for spiritual growth. When
we kill others we create akarmic give and take account with them. However by committing suicide, we
squander away the opportunity for spiritual growth and hence incur the heaviest sin. The
consequences are that a person committing suicide goes to the Narak part of the 7th plane of
existence of Hell for a period of 60,000 Earth years, in his life after death. It is a place that is without
What is the effect of kissing the hand or forehead of the dead body?
Losing a loved one is a traumatic experience for anyone. Sometimes people who are emotionally upset, hug and kiss the body of the deceased. This may however be harmful for both the person and the subtle-body of the deceased.
The proportion of excretory gases expelled from the dead body is high. Hence the area around the
dead body is charged with distressing frequencies. This negatively charged area is conducive to the
functioning of ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) therefore increasing their activity.
By kissing the hand or forehead of the dead body the distressing frequencies on the skin of the dead
body can enter that person. As the immediate area is charged with distressing frequencies, the
person who goes to kiss the dead body also gets charged with the distressing frequencies and runs
the risk of being severely affected by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.).
If the person who kisses the dead body is affected or possessed by ghosts then through the medium
of his touch the ghosts in him can enter the dead body and take control of the body. They can then
trouble its subtle-body thereby creating obstacles in its onward journey.
People involved with the funeral by necessity need to touch the body of the deceased to prepare it for
the funeral rites. This is a professional hazard. For example, the staff in Radiology (X-ray) department
What is the effect of keeping objects in the coffin?
The favourite objects of the dead person kept in the coffin are attacked by ghosts in the same way as the corpse is attacked. This includes even dressing up the dead body in their favourite clothes. The subtle sorcerers can use these objects to do black magic. Also as the vibrations of the person are more in those objects, the subtle body instead of attaining onward momentum is attracted again and again to the coffin because of prior attachment to those objects and then finally starts residing in it.
Due to being Earth bound, the subtle body of the deceased ancestor falls prey to other tamasik subtle
bodies in the graveyard and also to ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.). It comes under
their control and becomes a medium for their activities. Therefore while the act of keeping something
special in the coffin may be done with the best intentions, it is most likely to be harmful for the subtle
body of the deceased. Instead of moving out of the Earth region, the subtle body gets stuck in its
favourite objects. As the subtle body becomes more earth bound, it gets easily controlled by ghosts
and thus suffers immense agony. Besides being trapped by ghosts, he also gets stuck in the cycles of
birth and death.
For this reason it is best not to add anything into the coffin, not even flowers. Also in the case of
burial, it is best to dress the body in white and simple clothes.
2. The circumstances of the physical body after death
3. Cremation of a body
4. Burial
5. Dead body being consumed by vultures
6. The environmental perspective of cremation versus burial
7. In summary
1. Introduction
Every year more than 50 million people die worldwide. The two main forms of funeral rites adopted by
most are either cremation or burial. The Parsis (Zoroastrians) in Mumbai, India, a small community,
leave their dead out in the open in the Towers of silence to be consumed by vultures. In the past
some civilizations would embalm their dead in the process of mummification. Through spiritual
research methodologies, we have examined the effect of some of the main modern types of funeral
rites from the point of view of helping our ancestors in the afterlife.
A popular concept is that after death the soul goes towards the light or has its loved ones waiting on
the other side to welcome them etc. However, to understand the true experience of a subtle-body who
has just left its gross body (sthūladēha) after death, we recommend that you read the following 3
articles before resuming reading this.
Where do we go after death?
What is the region of death?
Going towards light
Having read these articles, one will have an understanding of how ancestors can be in a state of
distress in the afterlife and how they can be helped. Another popular belief is that our ancestors who
pass on are in a position to help us on Earth. However this is far from the truth. Most of our departed
ancestors are desperately in need of help themselves. The only people who can do something for
them are their descendants on Earth. The only way to get the attention of their descendants is to
harass them. This harassment can come in many forms until they reach a point where the descendant
is cornered into doing some spiritual practice which would go towards relieving the distress of the
ancestors.
To understand this further please read:
What are ancestral problems?
Why would my departed loved ones and other ancestors want to give me pain?
The method of disposal of the dead can contribute to or alleviate the distress that the ancestor has to
go through in the subtle-realm.
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Sometimes people weigh the pros and cons of different forms of funeral rites based on its impact on
the environment. This is one yard stick to use. However the most damage is done in the spiritual
environment when a spiritually detrimental funeral rite is performed leading to further distress to the
subtle-body of the dead ancestor.
2. The circumstances of the physical body after death
When a person dies only the gross body is shed, but the subtle body consisting of the mind, intellect,
ego which contains all the desires and impressions continues to exist. The mind, intellect and subtle
ego form the personality of the person. These personality traits remain unaltered and dying physically
does not change the person in any way.
The concept of attachment for ones gross body:When a person dies, he is unfamiliar with all the experiences of the afterlife as one will understand from the article – The region of death. Thus he clings to the body he knows and the world he came from, even though he is dead. This is heightened when the body is kept completely intact as happens when the body is embalmed or frozen for a delayed funeral. The subtle body associates itself with its gross body and thus finds it that much more difficult to detach and proceed on its onwards journey as it cannot leave its prior ‘home’ – its gross body.
Vibrations around the dead body that attract negative frequencies:At the time of death, excretory gases are expelled from the dead body. These excretory gases are regular physical gases expelled by the body such as putrefying gases etc. Since they are gases exiting a decaying body, their frequencies and vibrations are negative in nature and as a result the tama component increases in the immediate surrounding environment.Ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) get attracted to these negative frequencies and enter the environment around the dead body.
The series of drawings based on subtle-knowledge below have been drawn by spiritual seekers who
have an advanced sixth sense that enables them to ‘see’ what happens to the subtle body of the dead
person as well as what happens in the unseen environment around the gross body of the dead
person.
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Ghosts attack the dead body by gaining control over the five vital energies and sub-vital energies,
which are in the process of being released into the Universe from the body at the time of death. They
emit black energy in the form of smoke on to the dead body, engulfing it and creating a black covering
on it. This smoke is invisible but can be perceived through one’s sixth sense (ESP). Due to the attacks
by ghosts, there is a transmission of black frequencies into the dead body and the corpse gets
charged with these black frequencies.
After the ghost gains control of the gross body and five vital energies and sub-vital energies, it turns
its attention to capturing the subtle body of the dead person.
The subtle body of an average person is generally full of worldly desires and hovers around in the
Earth plane. It has a subtle link with its previous gross body, both in the form of attachment to it and
also through the vital energy which is released from the dead body into the atmosphere over a period
of a few days. Ghosts use this subtle link to get to the subtle body. It begins to ensnare the subtle
body by transmitting whorls of black energy towards the subtle body. It thus pulls the subtle body of
the deceased ancestor into its field of attack.
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Then they trap the subtle body into a web of black frequencies. This impedes the free movement of
the subtle body and thus creates obstacles in its onward journey in the afterlife. After some time,
many ghosts join the attack on the subtle body by creating further whorls of black frequencies and
take it under their complete control. In this way, ghosts systematically gain control over the dead body
and the subtle body of the departed ancestor.
From a spiritual perspective, the main aim of a funeral rite should be to accomplish the following:
Minimise the attack by ghosts
Help the subtle-body shake off its bond to the gross body
To give momentum and protection to the subtle body in its onward journey in the afterlife.
The information given below along with the drawings based on subtle-knowledge have been provided
by Mrs. Anjali Gadgil, a seeker in SSRF with a highly advanced sixth sense. The information and
drawings based on subtle-knowledge have been obtained from the Universal Mind and Intellect and
show the exact sequence of subtle events when a person is:
A. Cremated
B. Buried or
C. Consumed by vultures
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3. Cremation of a body
Cremation is the practice of disposing of a corpse by burning.
At the outset, it is important to note that the cremation needs to be done at the earliest and preferably
before sunset. If the person has died at night, then one can wait till the morning to conduct the
cremation. By expediting the funeral process itself, we minimise the impact on the dead body by
ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.).
The following is the sequence of events that were observed:
1. During the cremation (with the effect of the Absolute Fire Principle(Tējtattva) along with the
recitation of specificmantras, the five vital energies, sub-vital energies and excretory gases
in the corpse are expelled and disintegrated in the atmosphere.
2. As the body is burning, a subtle protective sheath forms around the body due to the Absolute
Fire Principle andmantras, protecting it from any attack by ghosts.
3. Due to the complete disintegration of the five vital energies and sub-vital energies any subtle-
bond that the subtle body had with the body is broken.
4. The Absolute Fire Principle and mantras also cleanse the subtle body of any Raja-
Tama frequencies and provide a protective sheath around it.
5. As a result, the subtle-body now cleansed of Raja-Tama frequencies becomes lighter and
more sāttvik. This adds to the momentum in its onward journey out of the Earth plane.
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A quick analysis of cremation shows that it meets all the criteria for the effectiveness of a funeral rite.
If a body is incompletely burnt, it still faces the risk of attack by subtle-sorcerers (māntriks).
Also read: "What is the spiritual perspective on scattering of ashes from a cremation urn?"
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4. Burial
Casket (coffin) manufacturers generally manufacture caskets with seamless welds and rubber
gaskets. These caskets are known as 'sealed' caskets. The caskets are made in such a way so as to
keep out water, soil and air. However they also succeed in trapping all the excretory gases in the
coffin. The subtle pressure in the coffin rises as the distressing frequencies emanating from the
corpse materialise within the coffin and are transformed into a black sheath around the body. This
materialisation process generates distressing, frictional, hot frequencies. These frequencies generate
a subtle distressing sound that attracts ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.).
The ghosts enter the coffin and gain control over the five vital energies, sub-vital energies and begin
the charging of the corpse with a covering of black energy. As the body is buried adjacent to the
ground, it attracts distressing frequencies from the Hell region (Pātal) that form a dome of black
frequency chords over the corpse. Ghosts use the control that they have over the gross body, five
vital energies and sub-vital energies to gain access to the subtle body. Over time, with the inundation
of black energy by ghosts, the heaviness of the subtle body also increases. The subtle body is pulled
towards the coffin and gets trapped in it and falls prey to the attacks by ghosts.
As the subtle bodies of the buried are trapped in the Earth region their probability of becoming ghosts
is more than in those where the body is cremated. Even if the person has led a relatively good life
when alive, just by the very act of burial, his probability of becoming a ghost much against his own will
increases manifold. Under the influence of other ghosts, he is forced to commit acts wherein his
demerits rise relegating him further to the lower regions of the Universe.
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A subtle-analysis of the burial method shows that it does not meet any of the criteria for the
effectiveness of a funeral rite.
5. Dead body being consumed by vultures
The Parsee (Zoroastrians) community disposes its dead by placing the bodies in a place known as
the ‘Tower of Silence’. The tower is open to the sky as it has no roof. The corpse is subjected to the
rays of the sun to decompose and vultures to eat it.
As the subtle-body is still attached to its gross body at the time of death, it undergoes agony when the
body is torn by vultures and is decomposed.
For a body not be used as a vehicle to attack the subtle-body, it needs to be destroyed completely
and as soon as possible. Fire is the only element that can do this immediately. The five vital energies
and sub-vital energies generally take a few days to finally leave the body completely. During this
period, they can be used by ghosts as a means to get to the subtle body of the departed ancestor.
The sun’s rays simply do not have the ability to destroy the body and nor do the vultures in a matter of
days.
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However something far more damaging happens at a spiritual level. In this method as the vultures
attack the corpse, many subtle-sorcerers and ghosts are attracted to the smell of the blood, bones
and flesh of the corpse. They use the blood and bones to do negative rituals to gain control over the
subtle-body. By giving the corpse to vultures the entire body goes into the complete control of the
ghosts and subtle-sorcerers in a very short time. They are more likely to become slaves of these
subtle-sorcerers and suffer immensely in the afterlife. In this way, these subtle-bodies also do not
attain momentum and easily go into the control of ghosts and thus to the Hell region. In addition,
many ghosts fulfil their cravings and hunger for meat by eating the human blood and flesh through the
medium of the vultures.
The subtle-sorcerers materialise the subtle distressing smell emitted through the blood and flesh and
with the help of recitation of negative mantras give subtle form to that subtle body again. Then they
give it a genie like form and make it perform many negative acts and thus trouble others severely.
A subtle-analysis of being consumed by vultures shows that it does not meet any of the criteria for the
effectiveness of a funeral rite and is more harmful than burial.
6. The environmental perspective of cremation versus burial
On the face of it the funeral rite of burial of a person in a shroud or letting bodies be eaten by vultures
may seem to be more eco-friendly than burial in a coffin or crematorium or funeral pyre. However in
choosing the way we want our funeral rites done cannot be looked at purely from an environmental
point of view. There are other spiritual considerations such as the attack of ghosts. By excluding the
spiritual realm in our decision making on what funeral rite to choose and by keeping the body intact
dramatically increases the chances of our departed to get attacked by ghosts.
7. In summary
Out of all the types of funeral rites to let go of a body, committing it to cremation is the most beneficial.
People who have lived relatively good lives, by the very act of burial increase their risk of becoming
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ghosts in the afterlife. Sometimes we are attached to the form of funeral rite that our culture is used
to. However, the spiritual repercussions of burial and being consumed by vultures needs to be
weighed against one’s psychological attachment for a certain funeral rite.
likely to fall prey to an attack by ghosts?) They sometimes enhance the ability of the
medium to exert a wider and deeper influence. The medium interprets this improved ability
as a sign of their personal progress, but this is far from the truth. Finally, ghosts (demons,
devils, negative energies etc.) mislead people through the medium.
3. On the other hand mediums who have higher spiritual strength generally have a few ghosts
(demons, devils, negative energies etc.) under their control. They use these ghosts
(demons, devils, negative energies etc.) to get information about the people coming to them
and who are in need of contacting their departed loved ones.
4. Sometimes we hear about "ghost whisperers" helping our ancestors to cross over. A ghost
whisperer is another word for a medium who can communicate with the spirits of the dead.
However, unless a ghost whisperer is above the 70% spiritual level (i.e. at Sainthood level),
it is nearly impossible to help any subtle-body cross over to the higher positive regions from
an Earthbound existence.
5. Trying to contact departed relatives only increases their feeling of attachment for us and vice
versa. The departed ancestors can perceive the pain and mourning of their surviving
relatives and are drawn back to the Earth region (Bhūlok). This creates obstacles in the
subtle-body’s ability to move on and progress in the afterlife.
6. Only a person who is a Saint (i.e. above the spiritual
level of 70%), can actually decipher information
accurately from the spiritual realm about one's departed
ancestors. They are able to discern whether contact is
being made with the concerned ancestor or if a ghost
(demons, devils, negative energies etc.) is
masquerading as an ancestor. At present, there are less
than 10,000 of these evolved people living on Earth and
they generally never indulge in helping people talk to their dead relatives.
7. There is only a 10% chance of getting in touch with one’s departed ancestors by using an
Ouija board. However the flip side is that there is also a 90% chance of a ghost (demons,
devils, negative energies etc.) coming through masquerading as an ancestor. What is more
damaging is that the ghost (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) can use the medium of
the Ouija board itself to possess the person involved.
Losing a loved one can be a traumatic experience and one may have the desire to contact them to see if they are doing well. However the best service we can offer to our departed relatives is to make every effort to let them go. This is so that they can continue with their onward journey in the afterlife. Likewise, the best way to honour them and show our love for them is to let them go. Communicating with the dead has absolutely no spiritual value and will only create a loss to both the ancestor and to the descendent. It is important and beneficial to channel the sorrow of losing a loved one into doing spiritual practice and chanting the spiritual protection chant of Shrī Gurudev Datta. This will not only help alleviate the pain that one feels but also substantially assist the departed loved ones in their afterlife.
How should one dispose the clothes and things of a person who has died?
After a loved one dies, many people are unsure what they should do with their belongings. The purpose of this article is to provide a guide to the surviving relatives.
At a principle level, we can keep a few things in mind. The actions we take with regards to belongings
of ancestors need to help them reduce their attachments and help them move on in their afterlife.
The vibrations of the dead person remain in their belongings that they leave behind. Death of a
person means an increase in subtle basic tama component in the environment. If there was an
associated illness leading to death, the subtle basic tamacomponent is further accentuated. In
addition to this, if the person was suffering distress by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies,
etc.) before, at the time of death or after, the person using the dead person’s belongings is likely to
suffer a corresponding amount of distress.
The following are some of the things one can do after a relative has died to help the dead person
break his attachment to his belongings and to protect oneself from the distressing effect of the subtle
basic tama frequencies emanating from the belongings.
1. It is best to burn the clothes worn by the person at the time of his death and at the time of his
cremation/burial as they are affected the most by the distressing subtle
basic tama frequencies. The ashes can be immersed in the sea.
2. Sprinkle holy water (i.e. water plus holy ash) all over the dead person’s room. This will help to
reduce the tamacomponent that is generated in the atmosphere at the time of death.
3. The whole family can chant the spiritual chant of ‘Sree Gurudev Datta’. The chant can also
be played continuously at low volume in the dead person’s room. By continuously playing
the chant of ‘Sree Gurudeva Datta’ for about a year, the premises are purified and the subtle
body of the departed relative also gains momentum in its onward journey in the afterlife.
4. For items where the dead person was very attached to, it is best to give them to a deserving
spiritual organisation. As it is given to deserving spiritual organisations, the resolve of God
becomes functional. The vibrations of the dead person in his belongings are destroyed and
the subtle body gains momentum in its journey after death. This is because merits are
accrued due to this donation to the deserving. By ‘deserving’, we mean those organisations
that help people realise their true spiritual purpose in life.
5. For items that the dead person was not much attached to, family members may use them
after a period of six months by which time the vibrations of the dead person would have
been removed due to the purification by the spiritual chant.
1. Introduction to ancestor veneration and ancestor worship 2. Some popular belief systems that drive ancestor veneration and ancestor worship 3. Departed ancestors’ ability to protect and look out for their descendants: 4. Can departed ancestors intercede for us with God or Deities? 5. If neglected or not worshiped can ancestors cause us problems? 6. Can departed ancestors communicate with their descendants? 6.1 Mechanism of the action for communication
1. Introduction to ancestor veneration and ancestor worship
Ancestor veneration or ancestor worship is practiced in some form or another throughout the world.
The types of customs and rituals are varied; in some cultures, ancestors are worshiped as deities. In
this two part series on ancestor veneration and ancestor worship, we provide spiritual perspectives for
various beliefs and customs, from simple respect and veneration to ancestor worship, so that people
can make informed decisions about how they should treat their departed ancestors, both from their
own perspective and that of the departed ancestors.
The first ritual for departed ancestors is the funeral rite and we have given a spiritual perspective to
some of the more popular funeral rites in our article cremation versus burial.
2. Some popular belief systems that drive ancestor veneration and ancestor worship
Protection: Departed ancestors are believed to wield great authority, having special powers to
influence the course of events or to control the well-being of their living relatives. They provide
protection to the family; keeping it together is one of the departed ancestors' main concerns. The
living may regard the departed ancestors as ‘guardian angels’; protecting them from serious
accidents, or guiding their path in life.
Intervention: Sometimes departed ancestors are considered intermediaries between God (and/or
Deities) and the family they have left behind. It is believed that they intercede with God, Saints and
Deities for the benefit of the family.
Fear and reverence: In some cultures the attitude of descendants towards departed ancestors is
one of mixed fear and reverence. It is believed that if neglected, and not venerated or worshiped
after their death, the departed ancestors may cause disease and other misfortunes.
Communication from the afterlife: Departed ancestors have the ability to communicate with the
living through dreams and by possessing their descendants.
Help in life’s decisions: The descendants sometimes turn to the ancestors for guidance through
seances and mediums or Ouija boards to help them in making important decisions.
The following sections explain some spiritual research in relation to the above beliefs that fuel
3. Departed ancestors’ ability to protect and look out for their descendants:
The ability of a subtle-body in the subtle-regions of the Universe to protect someone on the Earth
region (Bhūlok) is directly related to the subtle-body's spiritual strength or spiritual capacity. The
following table provides an overview of the proportion of people going to the various subtle-regions
after death.
Region type Proportion of people
going to these regions
after death
Relative spiritual
strength
Main aim
Higher positive regions of
the Universe
(i.e. Maharlok and
beyond)
Less than 0.1% + 100 to Infinity Spiritual growth
Heaven (Swarga) Less than 1% + 5 Enjoying the fruit of their
merits
The Nether region
(Bhuvarlok)
85% + 1 Survival
1st and 2nd Region of
Hell (Pātāl)
10% -10 to -20 Survival and troubling others
3rd region of Hell and
lower
5% -30 to slightly
before negative
infinity
Troubling others
Note: The negative figures for spiritual strength show the spiritual energy that is demonic spiritual
energy. It is also commonly known as black energy.
On average a departed ancestor will take about one to three generations to lose attachment to his
previous life on Earth. One generation can be taken as roughly 30 years. In other words, people are
most affected by the generations that pertain to their parents to great-grandparents. One aspect that
decides this time period is the suffering that one has to undergo in the subtle-regions due to incorrect
actions and deeds when on the Earth plane. When undergoing these sufferings, departed ancestors
are aware of which part of their Earthly existence is responsible for the suffering. In that time their
attachment to their previous worldly life also exists and is bound to influence the lives of their
descendants.
Samashti spiritual level refers to the spiritual level attained through spiritual practice for the sake of
society (samashti sādhanā), while vyashti spiritual practice refers to the spiritual level attained through
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individual spiritual practice (vyashti sādhanā). In the current times, spiritual progress for the sake of
society has 70% importance while individual spiritual practice has 30% importance.
The subtle-bodies that can effect real change on the Earth plane for their descendants are subtle-
bodies that are spiritually evolved and reside in the higher regions of the Universe such
as Maharlok,Janolok, etc. These subtle-bodies are above the 60% (samashṭi) or 70%
(vyashṭi) spiritual level. However, in practice people do not receive material help from these highly
evolved beings. This is for two reasons:
Firstly, less than 0.1% of our departed ancestors go to these higher regions of the
Universe because one’s spiritual level needs to be above 60% (samashti) or 70% (vyashti).
Secondly, even if our departed ancestor was to be of a high spiritual level, material help would not be something that he would indulge in. As a person evolves their only focus is to grow spiritually. So all their help to others is also given from the perspective of helping them grow spiritually. Moreover they begin to loose their attachment to family members. This is because they get more expansive in their perspective which is to help all of humanity grow spiritually.
Subtle-bodies in Lower and Higher Heaven are fairly evolved spiritually. However, while in the
subtle-region of Heaven, they are mostly involved in enjoying and experiencing the fruits of
the merits gained when they were on the Earth region. This is why they rarely help their
descendants on the Earth region. Moreover, they have less spiritual strength and if they do help
their descendants it is in the more easily manageable worldly matters. Less than 1% of all
departed ancestors go to the subtle-region of Heaven.
Most of our ancestors go to the subtle-regions of Nether region and the 1st and 2nd regions of
Hell. Here the environment is quite oppressive. Due to a lack of spiritual practice and various
attachments/unfulfilled desires, subtle-bodies of departed ancestors in these regions mainly
experience unhappiness. Most of the time these departed ancestors want to trouble their
descendants. The following are the two main reasons as to why ancestors trouble their
descendants.
Due to unfulfilled desires
Due to the inability to move on in the after life and attain a higher positive region or sub-region.
Please refer to the article - Why would my departed loved ones and my other ancestors want to
give me pain? If help is provided by the ancestors, then it is because of intense desire to help. It is
generally for small things such as getting a job, etc. However if a descendant on Earth is to
undergo some event because of medium to severe destiny, it is impossible to change that
event without the descendant themselves doing spiritual practice.
Ancestors that go to the lower regions of Hell generally only trouble their descendants and never