The Thanatology of
Masonry

Part Two - What To Expect Beyond The Gates

In Part 1 of this article we looked at the
experience of death from a thanatological point
of view and through an examination of Masonic
traditions. Howeuer, we are left with the ques-
tion. ' What is beyond the gates of death? 'Again
a review of the philosophical, thanatological,
and Masonic literature may give us the key.

YOU ARE DEAD! You have experi-
enced great physical distress. You have
been pronounced dead by a doctor. You
are no longer in your physical body but
can see it lifeless below. Your emotions
are on edge as never before. Slowly you
become aware of your new form, a form
with different qualities and powers. You
travel through a tunnel with the loud
noises. As you look around you notice
friends and family who have died coming
to greet you, to help you across the bor-
der between life and death. Your guide,
a being of light and love, appears before
you. Lovingly you take his hand and
cross the river of no return. (1) Or as Evans-
Wentz describes (p. 95-6):

When the deceased has departed the
body he can see that the share of food is
being set aside, that the body is being
stripped of its garments, that the place of
the sleeping rug is being swept; can hear
all the weeping and wailing of his friends
and relatives, and although he can see
them and can hear them calling upon
him, they cannot hear him calling upon
them, so he goeth away displeased.

What's next?

'The dead...was brought to the shore
of that lake (Acherusia), and to the foot
of a tribunal consisting of several judges,
who inquired into his life and conversa-
tion. ' (Fellows, p. 3). This is an ancient
account of the travel of both the spiritual
and the physical body. The key was the
crossing of a barrier of no return and the
judgment which accompanied the jour-
ney (See Fig. 1). These two points were
made by Moody (1977) and recounted in
steps 10 and 11 in the first part of this
article. The judgment is not imposed by
some moralistic deity or archangel but Is
one of clear and self determination (See
Moody 1988, Atwater 1988, Ring 1980).
We as Masons should realize we can be
our most severe judge when we reflect
upon our obligations. This is more true
when one reaches the objective perspec-
tive of one's spiritual self. Atwater does
note that the judgment is in terms of love,
not some moraristic dogma. A Mason
would ask: 'Have we used the tool of a
Master Mason to cement Fraternal love
both within and without the Lodge?'

Many years ago a friend described her
near death experience (NDE). She was
in a beautiful field, surrounded by
flowers. A white sun shown brightly. She
was told by a being of light (See Figure 2
& 3) that she had a choice. If she wished
to continue all she had to do was to climb
over the fence at the edge of the field . She
looked and was fully aware of the mean-
ing behind the choice. On the other side
of the fence she saw more of the same
beautiful panorama with magnificent
buildings far in the distance (see Figure
4). But the one thing that came to her
mind was: 'Where is my husband?' He
had died several years before and she
expected him to be waiting for her. She
asked her guide. The response was that
he was not there at present. Then she
thought about the response and felt her
husband's thoughts. She was still needed
by her children, even though they were
grown. At that point she decided to re-
turn, whereupon she found herself con-
scious in her hospital room. (2)

This experience is not unlike the soul's
journey described by the Thompson
River Tribes of British Columbia (Eli-
ade, 1967, p. 366-7):

As the deceased reaches the entrance
(to the other world), he hears people on
the other side talking, laughing, singing,
and beating drums. Some stand at the
door to welcome him and call his name.
On entering, a wide country of diver-
sified aspect spread out before him.
There is a sweet smell of flowers and an
abundance of grass, and all around are
berry-bushes laden with ripe fruit. The
air is pleasant and still, and it is always
light and warm.

The ascent to the heavenly abode is
what usually follows. In most primitive
tribes this is described as the ascent by
the climb up a ladder, the being carried
away by a great spirit bird (see Figure 1
in Part 1). In the Western World a flight
of stairs or upward passage is described
in the Bible as Jacob's ladder or similar
descriptions by various mystics in Chris-
tian history. (3) In Masonry we see the
means of ascent pictured on paintings
and tressel boards as Jacob's Ladder. We
see on these old tressel boards the ladder
clearly reaching past the clouds to the
bright stars above. In the rituals the as-
cent can be the literal or figurative stairs,
the rough roads and bridges, or the as-
cent after finding that which was lost. In
each case, the Masonic rituals bestow
more 'light' on the candidate after the
symbolic ascent. In the same way the
NDE gives light to the traveler after its
journey up the tunnel.
 Similar descriptions follow the out of
the body sensations of those involved in
meditation and shamanistic practices.
While 'traveling' on the other planes
they often see the same landscapes and
beings as NDEers. An example are the
experiences of individuals who partici-
pated in shamanistic seminars. (4) Out of a
group of 22 participants all but two were
able to achieve out of the body ex-
perience (see Tart 1969, 1975, Eliade,
1964, and Harner). A commonality of
experience and descriptions, inde-
pendentofeachother,tendedtoconfirm
the experiences. The overall impression
is the beauty of the field and flowers.
Most of the flora were recognized by any
botanist but a few were considered
strangely beautiful, 'beyond earthly de-
scription. ' Almost all participants saw a
zoological paradise with animals of every
description. The animals on this plane of
existence included a host of mythological
creatures including, unicorns, dragons, ''
griffins, etc., all peacefully lounging
around the landscape. (5)
 One participant described the fields
and pastures as the fields of knowledge
and existence - past, present, and future,
where myth and reality join together in
a living world. Souls of the deceased were
found on various levels. One level which
was described, 'like an unemployment
office' filled with souls who never gained
the knowledge of where to go. This
would be the plane where two of
Atwater's participants describe a 'hell'
like place. Other planes were filled with
joyous souls, angels, and beings of light
bathed in the pure love.
 The interesting thing about the ex-
perience was the opportunity to choose.
Entering would be of NDEer's own free
will and accord. Also the description of
the green fields of flowers and trees, of
beautiful buildings in the distance, all
follow descriptions given by others who
have seen the world beyond (see Moody
1988, and Atwater 1988) . These descrip-
tions parallel those of shamans in the
various levels of the under and upper
worlds. The descriptions could be ap-
plied to 'The Temple not made with
human hands. . . ' often referred to in
various Masonic rituals.
 The freedom to choose is related to the
feeling of great knowledge. Knowledge
sufficient to make the spiritually correct
choice(Moody, 1977, 10-11)
 There was a field of knowledge: It
seemed that all of a sudden, all knowl-
edge - of all that had started from the
very beginning, that would go on
without end - that for a second I knew all
the secrets of all ages, all the meaning of
the universe, the stars, the moon - of
everything. But after I chose to return,
this knowledge escaped, and I can't re-
member any of it.
 The occultists call this the Akashic Re-
cords, the place where all knowledge of
all times is kept. It is accessible to any
who can obtain the ability to reach this
plane. The problem is reaching the plane
and returning with the knowledge. Few,
if any are successful. In Hinduism it is
the becoming one with all life: 'And
when life thus departs, all the vital
breaths depart after him. He becomes
one with the Supreme Intelligence. What
has intelligence departs with him. His
knowledge and his work take hold of him
as also his past experience' [Brihad-
aranyaka Upanishad] (Eliade, 1967, p.
335, also see Atwater 1988). To the
Greeks it was drinking from the Lake of
Memory (4 century B.C. gold plates in
Greek - Eliade, 1967, p. 358, also see
Fellows, p. 142):
Thou shalt find to the left of the House
of Hades a spring,
And by the side thereof standing a
white cypress.
To this spring approach not near.
But thou shalt find another, from the
Lake of Memory
Cold water flowing forth, and there are
guardians before it.

Say, 'I am a child of Earth and starry
Heaven;

But my race is of Heaven (alone). This
ye know yourselves.

But I am parched with thirst and I
perish. Give me quickly

The cold water flowing forth from the
Lake of Memory.

And of themselves they will give thee to
drink of the cold spring,

And thereafter among the other heroes
thou shall have lordship.

Upon return Atwater (p. 77-94) de-
scribes the NDEer as having a brain shift
with three distinct changes associated
with the expanded knowledge. The
NDEer often has expanded sensitivities
and is more psychic. They have a harder
time differentiating time senses and ref-
erences since on the other world, all
knowledge, past, present, and future is
available to them. The poor ability to
recognize limits and cultural boundaries
since the experience, makes day to day
life functions so nonessential in a spir-
itual sense. All the changes must be un-
derstood to deal appropriately with those
who have had a NDE.

In a similar way Masonry takes the
allegories of the past and applies them to
the present and future of the candidate.
A new world of knowledge and philoso-
phy is opened with every new degree.
Likewise I have known some Masons
who when meditating and internalizing
their experiences in the Lodge have ex-
panded their psychic and spiritual
awareness in much the way Foster Bailey
and Wilmshurst describe in their respec-
tive books on the Craft.

Most important, NDEs confirm the
great lesson of Masonry: All life on earth
1S one; All mankind become our
brothers. God lives! Atwater describes
how she and other NDEers now believe
in the unity of life. But we as Masons
have had that lesson with us all the time
(Wilmshurst, p. 133-4):

Life is fundamentally one, a unity
though distributed into many separated
lives and divided into separate self-con-
tained kingdoms, as compartments of a
ship are divided by decks and bulkheads.
It is 'an ever-rolling stream,' a stream
that pours through those kingdoms in a
continuous flow which is never more
than momentarily checked by the forms
(or bodies) it flows through, which are as
it were but little eddies and vortices in the
stream; and these forms, from the lowest
to the most highly evolved, are devised
and adjusted to raising consciousness to
progressively higher levels. Nature, in a
word, is a system of restricted conscious-
ness in perishable bodies, leading up to
unrestricted consciousness in an ultra-
natural immortal body.

For those returning to the body who
have experienced the field of universal
knowledge, there are lasting after effects
of an intellectual nature. The lessons of
the Second Degree in Masonry take on
real meaning to them. The importance
of knowledge and learning are internal-
ized. Science, history, all fields associated
with math become more interesting to
the individuals. Geometry takes on new
meaning. They have seen the great
geometric patterns upon which the uni-
verse is built. Each sphere, cone, spiral
brings new understanding of the impor-
tance of geometric forms. With the re-
newed interest in geometry, arithmetic
also becomes more interesting. Numbers
are the keys to understanding not only
the geometric patterns but of the hidden
side of nature.

The arts and social sciences are not
neglected . Music becomes a major focus.
Those once attracted to rock or the less
harmonious forms of music, usually re-
ject the old favorites for the more har-
monious melodies, of classical or even
some 'new age' forms of music. Some
have rejected all music as being inade-
quate expressions of the heavenly sounds
heard while in the other world (see
Atwater).

All is put together by a new logic. This
logic is the product of being in the 'light
of Truth. ' This 'Truth' seen on the other
side is not completely extinguished upon
returning. What is interesting is the dif-
ficult time NDEers have with Grammar
and day to day rhetoric. Small talk and
daily conversation often become labored
and near impossible for the NDE sur-
vivor. They see far beyond the average
individual and have been blessed with a
knowledge beyond the comprehensions
of the physical forms they have returned
to. Grammar and rhetoric seem limiting
and restricting, but when expressed are
carefully chosen (See Atwater, Ch. Chap-
ter 3 for additional discussion on all these
effects). The NDEer has manifested the
ideal found in the Fellow Craft's degree.
We as Masons should now realize how
important that degree is and how it can
be applied to the understanding of the
world above which will become our ulti-
mate dwelling. Likewise this new reality
will often leave them the impression that
they are the craftsman from the Mark
Degree, whose work is not accepted since
it is beyond the comprehension of the
common man.

With the knowledge, the logic, the
light, be it of the ideals found in Masonry
or from experiencing first hand, the
other side, comes a change. For both the
NDEer and the Mason who has under-
stood and explored the inner meaning of
the rituals and symbols of the Craft, his
whole life is energized and transformed
into a higher morality. Certain 'Truths'
must be rived. All mankind are part of a
great brotherhood and we must respect
and treat them as part of our family. The
love within the Lodge should be
manifested throughout the whole world.
God is real and when we do His Will, we
are walking in his path and aiding the
building of the heavenly temple. NDE
(See Moody, 1977, 1988, Atwater, 1988)
and Masonry (read Steinmetz, Hay-
wood, Bailey, Whilmshurst) have the
same effect, or should have; a great
desire to learn more about ones own
spiritual nature and his/her place in
God's tressel board, how to live in His
Light.'What has life or death to do with
light? In the image of My light I have
made you. The relativities of life and
death belong to the cosmic dream. Be-
hold your dreamless being! Awake, My
child, awake!' (Yogananda, 317-8).

The importance of LOVE as the su-
preme religion is what rules the heavenly
world. All the mistaken theologies of a
vengeful God, of a God who favors one
people over another, of a God whose
principals are encompassed in one re-
ligion over another, are dissolved once
we reach the other reality. Atwater (op.
ct.) and NDEers even describe the being
of light, who becomes our guide to the
other world, as having a sense of humor.
When told: 'My church didn't say it
would be like this,' he would laugh.
When given reasons why one should re-
turn to the physical he would also express
amusement.6 The importance of love
the fact that all are equal in God's eyes.
All religions are likewise equal in repre-
senting only a part of God' s Truth. This
reaffirms the basic Masonic tenants of
the Brotherhood of Mankind, under the
FatherhoodofGod(Haywood, 1971,99-
100):

...It is as if the Fraternity said to its
children, 'Here is the great substructure,
the mother rock under your feet, on
which you must each one build your own
house of religions; what manner of
temples you build, and in what style, and
where, and how high, that I shall leave to
you individually; but on the substructure
of belief in God, in brotherhood, and in
immortality, you must build, else you do
not belong to me. '

             Conclusion

I have tried to show what the various
researchers in thanatolo ry have found
and how it reaffirms the basic lessons of
Freemasonry. A Mason who has this
knowledge will not fear death but wel-
come the warm and friendly arm of his
Deacon returning to the Grand Lodge
above. 'From whence he came and to
which he is returning. '

The object of these articles is to help
Masons understand the truly religious
and spiritual nature oi the Craft. It is the
spiritual and religious nature ofthe Craft
that has not been taught for fear of step-
ping on the toes of the personal beliefs of
the members. But the greatest impor-
tance of the Craft is to teach a means of
knowing your inner self. Once armed
with the knowledge and love within the
Lodge and ourselves, spreading it to the
outer world is our greatest duty. Only
then, in this member's view, will our
ranks become filled, our doors con-
stantly knocked upon. Our Great Frater-
nity will once again be the beacon of
Light and Moral guidance not only for
the country but the world.

All the NDEs related here are from the
perspective of non-Masons. but within
Masonic literature we do have one glow-
ing example. Bro. Wilmshurst in his
wonderful book Masonic Initiation de-
scribes his experience on the other plane
in terms which every Mason should rec-
ognize (Wilmshurst, pp. 156-158):

I raised myself and looked round.
Standing near me I saw one whom, in-
stantly and instinctively, I recognized as
my hitherto unseen friend and brother,
the concealed interior monitor, to whom
I had previously addressed my appeals
for counsel. What a mighty, glorious
being he was as he stood there, a dazzle
of flame-like hair circling his fine head,
his feet also winged with wreathing
harmless fire; his person white-robed
with a garment that seemed, not put on,
but to grow from and be an integral part
of him, and about his neck and loins the
shimmering blue and gold clothing of, to
my amazement, a Grand Lodge Of ficer.
In one hand he bore a tall crystal wand
like a deacon's, and his other arm held a
golden thyrsos or caduceus.

We both smiled a recognition when our
eyes met. I discerned that he was waiting
there till I was sufficiently rested.

'Where are we?' I asked.

'In the Aula Latomorum!'

'Freemason's Hall!'--my thought
translated his words, and then as swiftly
went on by habit; 'Great Queen Street,
London, W.C.2. But surely not there!'
And I saw that his mind read mine
though I spoke not.

'No, not there. That is far below you
now; far removed, yet not so much by
distance as by difference of conscious
state. '

'Then where am I?'

'In the candidate's preparing-room of
the Aula Latomorum; the Supreme Uni-
versal Lodge of all Builders in the Spirit
what you have heard of as The Grand
Lodge Above. '

I began to protest that I was unfitted
for, and had no title to admission to, such
a place, but he checked me, saying:--
'You have sought, asked, knocked,
though you did not know it. That forms
your title to admission. Your search for
wisdom, your continued askings for
light, did not pass unobserved by the Eye
that watches here, that never slumbers
nor sleeps. Your blind strivings after
truth were heard as knocks upon our
door, and for you that door will be open.
You are being awaited within. Come, we
will enter the Lodge!' And he placed a
gentle but powerfu~ arm around me.

I still hesitated, but the bracing vitality
of his presence and touch countered my
weakness and gave me tenseness and
courage. Nevertheless, as we began to
move away, I turned and looked back
upon my sleeping body in the gloom at
my feet, with its head couched upon the
rude dark stone,--the poor, poor rags of
myself. From it, linking me with it, I saw
issuing a slender silvery streak, a phos-
phorescent filament faintly visible
against its violet background.

'That,' said my guide, 'is your cable-
tow, by which you shall be restored later
on to the blessing of your material com-
forts:--if, indeed, comforts they be to
you,' he added with a laugh. 'They are
a ~,lessing, nevertheless, for without
them you could never have reached or
entered here. Now come ! '

'What is that glorious music?' I asked,
as we passed up a great stairway, the
steps of which his fire-winged feet scarce-
ly touched, for its tomes grew louder,
richer, as we ascended, and its waves
rolled out upon me like ocean billow.

'Pending your arrival, the Grand Or-
ganists playing selections from the Music
e,f the Sheres for the healing of your
bruised spirit. . .This Lodge, the heavens,
yes, and the earth beneath, are all built
and held together by that music, though
few of you in the world have ears to hear

Sc, we passed on. . . to the Grand Lodge
Aboue (see figure 5).

Sc, let us continue to meet, act, and part
in brotherhood knowing the blessings of
the Great Architect (no matter what
name our faith calls Him) are upon all
true and faithful brothers throughout the
world. And when our work is done and
the Grand Master of All calls us to iabor
again, our place in the Grand Lodge on
High will be waiting.

Bibliography

Atwater, P M . H . Coming Back to Life: the After-Ef-
fects of the Near-Death Experience, Ballantine Book,
New York, NY 1988.
Bailey, Foster, The Spirit of Masonry, Lucis Publish-
ing co., New York, NY 1957.

Castells, F.DeP.: The Apocalypse of Freemasonry; A.
Lewis, London, England, 1925. The Genuine
Secrets of Freemasonry Prior to A . D. 1717, A . Lewis
London, England, 1971.
Eliade, Mircea: Shamanism: Archau Techniques of
Ecstasy, sollingen Press, Princeton, university
Press, Princeton, NJ, 1 964, From Primitives to Zen
Harper and Row, 1967.

Gallup, George, Jr., Adventures in Immortality,
McGraw-Hill, New York, NY 1982.

Hamilton, Edith and Huntington Cairns, (eds.)

The Collected Dialogues of Plato, Bollingen Series
71, Pantheon Books, New York, 1961.
Haywood, H L., The Great Teachings of Masonry
Macoy Masonic Publishing co., Richmond,
Virginia.

MacLain, Shirley, Out on a Limb, New York, NY,
santum BOOKS ~ 1983 .

Moody, R A., Life Affe~ Life, Atlanta, Mocking-
bird sOOkS~ 1975, Reflections on L~fe After Life
Atlanta, Mockingbird sooks, 1977; The Light
Beyond, santam sooks, New York, 1988.

Ring, Kenneth, Life at Death, Coward, McCann &
Georghegan, New York, NY, 1980.

Steinmetz, G H., Freemasonry: Its Hidden Meaning
Richmond, VA, Macoy Publishing & Masonic
SupplyCo., Inc., 1976.

Tart, c., (ed ) Altered States of Consciousness, New
York, John Wiley & Sons, 1969, States of Con-
sciousness, New York E P Dutton & co., 1975.

Wilmshurst, W.L., The Masonic lnitiation, London,
Rider & co., n.d.

Yogananda, P., Autobiography of a Yogi, Los An-
geles, Self-Realization Fellowship, 1972.

Footnotes

1. This is a brief review of the stages experienced
by those declared clinically dead and resuscitated
as described in Moody 1975.
2. See Moody, 1977, p. 15-18 for similar descrip-

Comments from the Editor

The memorial for Louis Lenway Wil-
liams was taken from the work of Francis
Paul of the Northern Masonic Jurisdic-
tion Supreme Council. We are grateful
for the work of Illustrious Brother Paul
and can think of no one who could have
written a better memorial to one of the
pillars of Freemasonry.

In the "Full of Sound and Fury"
column a letter from Brother Jacques
Litvine castigates Hampton Harley for a
passing reference to another Masonic
rite. The three places where Brother
Harley obtained his information are "A
Pocket History of Freemasonry " by Pick
and Knight: 1977, Mackey's Freema-
sonry Volume II and: "The Craft" by
tions .

3 . See Atwater and Moody, 1988, also Eliade, 1964
for extensive descriptions from a Shamanistic
perspechve .

4. The seminars I mention here were conducted by
Dr. Michael Harner. Dr. Harner was the head
of the Anthropology Department at the New
School for Social Research in New York in the
70's. He has authored several books and has done
extensive ethnographic research on severdl tribes
in South America, and is an expert on the Aztec
culture of prehistoric Mexico. He also heads the
Center for Shamanistic Studies in Connecticut.

5. The description of the saints prior to receiving
the Light of Christ and the description of the
Buddha when the armies of Mara attacked him
prior to his final enlightenment all speak of the
attack by the beasts attempting to hold back from
divine inspiration the soul of about to surpass
their own abilities to achieve the true spiritual
light. Examples of these creatures can be seen in
the art of many religious painters of the 14th
through 17th centuries.

6. Atwater gives the example of one woman who
said she had not danced enough, whereupon the
being laughed and sent her back.

John Hamill; 1986. This is not intended
as a complaint about any brethren. Let-
ters I receive are printed in my column
if I think they are interesting enough. I
will forward them to the author if they
are a private complaint. However, I sel-
dom answer letters with a minor com-
plaint. If I were to answer all of this mail
I would have to hire a full time secretary.
Letvine's letter appears in this issue.

