Post 26 – Exploring Mystical and Near-Death Experiences

Mystical experiences and near-death experiences (NDEs) have long been interpreted as glimpses into a deeper reality beyond ordinary perception. While contemporary theories of consciousness attempt to explain them in terms of neural activity or psychological states, the Structure of Being provides a different perspective—one that reveals their necessity within the eternal order of reality. These experiences do not signify a transition from one state to another, nor do they point to contingent alterations in consciousness; rather, they unveil what is always and necessarily the case.

Mystical Experiences: Seeing Beyond the Appearance of Becoming
Mystical experiences often involve a dissolution of the individual self, a sense of unity with all existence, and an awareness of an eternal and unchanging reality. Such encounters reveal the necessary interconnectedness of all beings, stripping away the appearance of separation and change.

• Recognition of Eternal Being: Those who undergo mystical experiences often report a realization that all things are one, that there is no true birth or death, and that reality is fundamentally complete. This aligns with the Structure of Being, in which all things exist necessarily and eternally, without fragmentation or temporal flux.
• The Appearance of Time: Many mystics describe a state beyond time, where past, present, and future are perceived as a single, unified reality. This corresponds to the understanding that time is not an external framework in which beings come and go, but rather a manifestation of the eternal structure of Being as it appears to human perception.
• Dissolution of the False Self: In mystical states, the sense of an individual, changing self dissolves, replaced by an awareness of an eternal identity. This is not a transformation, but the unveiling of what was always necessarily the case—identity is not something that changes or is lost, but something eternally real within the Structure of Being.
• The Role of Language in the Appearance of Becoming: The way mystical experiences are described often reinforces the appearance of becoming. Phrases such as “I became one with everything” or “I saw the truth” imply a before-and-after distinction. In reality, these experiences do not introduce anything new but merely reveal what has always been. The Structure of Being clarifies that mystical experiences do not cause unity but disclose its eternal necessity.

Near-Death Experiences: A Glimpse of the Eternal Structure
Near-death experiences frequently involve reports of moving through tunnels, encountering luminous beings, or experiencing profound peace and understanding. Rather than being events marking a transition from life to death, they can be understood as moments in which the eternal nature of Being is perceived more clearly, free from the distortions of ordinary experience.

• No True Death or Annihilation: NDEs often lead to the conviction that death is not the end of existence. This is not because the individual “continues” in a linear sense, but because all being is eternally necessary and does not pass in and out of existence. What appears as death is simply a shift in manifestation within the eternal structure of Being.
• Encountering the Necessary Order of Reality: Many who experience NDEs report an overwhelming sense that everything is as it must be, that all events are interconnected and meaningful. This aligns with the understanding that nothing is contingent—everything unfolds necessarily within the structure of Being.
• The Resolution of Contradiction: Some NDEs involve a life review, in which individuals see their past actions with clarity and understand their impact. This is not a moral judgment in the conventional sense but an instance of contradiction resolving itself within necessity. The ethical implications of this are profound—actions are neither arbitrary nor subject to external reward and punishment, but are part of the necessary unfolding of Being.
• The Influence of Interpretation: Just as with mystical experiences, the language used to describe NDEs often distorts their true significance. Words like “I transitioned” or “I returned” reinforce the appearance of change, when in fact, the experience is simply the unveiling of the eternal necessity of all beings. Understanding NDEs through the Structure of Being dissolves these misinterpretations, revealing them as glimpses into what has always been.

Ethical and Existential Insights from These Experiences
Rather than viewing mystical and near-death experiences as exceptional or transformative in a contingent sense, they can be seen as revealing what has always been the case. Their implications are not about personal change but about recognizing the necessity of all things within the eternal order.

• Living Without Fear of Death: The realization that death is not an end but an aspect of eternal Being alleviates existential anxiety. Recognizing that nothing is lost, but rather eternally real, dissolves the appearance of mortality.
• Compassion and Interconnection: Mystical and NDE insights often lead to a deeper sense of compassion, not as an emotional response to suffering, but as a recognition that each being possesses an intrinsic, necessary value that is not contingent upon actions, status, or perception. To acknowledge this value is to respect the eternal necessity of all beings as they truly are.
• Beyond the Appearance of Progress: These experiences reinforce that progress, in a conventional sense, is illusory. There is no true becoming—only the necessary unfolding of what is eternally real. Rather than striving for transformation, one recognizes the necessity of all things as they are.

Final Thought: The Eternal Reality Beyond the Appearance of Becoming
Mystical and near-death experiences don’t introduce anything new to reality; instead, they remove the appearance of becoming, revealing the eternal structure of Being. The self, time, and the fear of death dissolve—not because they change, but because they were misunderstood from the beginning. When we view these experiences through the Structure of Being, we see them not as exceptions but as glimpses of what has always been: an eternal reality where all things are interconnected, necessary, and beyond change.

Recognizing this isn’t about personal transformation, but about the unfolding of the Structure of Being. In this understanding, anxieties about achievement, transformation, and loss give way to a profound acceptance of necessity. Instead of chasing an imagined future or mourning the past, we move through life with clarity, seeing each moment as part of what has always existed. Ethical concerns shift from temporary personal struggles to recognizing every being’s intrinsic, necessary value. In this way, the insights from mystical and near-death experiences reveal a deeper understanding of eternal Being that goes beyond temporal perception.