Hello. I was with my grandmother when she passed. A sweet, very sweet Victorian lady who had a pure soul. And within a moment of her going, I saw something (her Soul?) rise up above me, an ethereal but very real image (of course, I saw fairies too when I was a child, so take it as you may!) My children have been around Death a little too much for their lifetimes, but they never asked. They're grown now, but I think I may show this to them, and see what they have to say. It seems you are in Japan, a place that fascinates me. Death in Japan seems to have a more varied and deeper, spiritual outlook than here in the States with all the little gods and the various stories the go along with them; also, a closer relationship with Nature, which, if I was there, would have me contemplating quite a bit. Oh yes...I just had a dream a few days ago where my grandmother called me on a phone and said (very clearly, and in a very strong, healthy voice), "Hello! We're here, two doors up at Jupiter!" Hmmmmm......Have a fun Holiday season! :))
That’s an interesting dream and an interesting experience. I’ve heard a lot of people say similar things about the moment of death and have seen photographs that seem to support it. That would be an experience that would move me deeply.
Yes, I’ve been in Japan for eight years now, and I think I’ve definitely been influenced by various aspects of the way they worship the dead over here. I particularly like the idea that the dead return to their homes every August during Obon. Even the way they worship here, at temples and shrines often surrounded by areas of nature, where you tend to feel connected with the natural world and sometimes beyond suits me very well.