The Thanatology of Masonry

Part One - Facing Death

Thanatology and Masonry are subjects
rarely linked. Thanatology is the study
of death and the dying process. Masonry
is a system of morality which demands a
belief in the brotherhood of mankind and
the fatherhood of a God.

What is the connection? Masonic ritu-
als are often concerned with death. Our
allegorical legends suffer death as a
moral lesson in how to live the good life.
Thus, Freemasonry follows most re-
ligious and mythological systems in at-
tempting to answer the riddle death (Ku-
bler-Ross, 1975, p. 1):

The most persistent questions that
human beings explore through their myths
and religions are those pertaining to re-
birth, resurrections and a life hereafter...

Masonry is a part of man;s exploration
into the life hereafter. For centuries, un-
known even to many of its members,
Masonry has been directly connected
with thanatology and the mystery of
death.

Over the past few decades thanatology
has become an interesting field in the
realm of social science. The study of
death and dying started to receive public
notice with the book On Death and Dying
by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross ( 1969) . On
Dcath and Dying studied the psychological
aspects of the dying process. Dr. Kubler-
Ross described the five basic psy-
chological stages associated with dying:
denial, anger, bargaining, depression,
and acceptance. She was also the first in
the field to challenge the thanatological
(and agnostic) paradigm that death was
the termination of human existence. Dr.
Kubler-Ross went so far as to relate thF
afterlife hypothesis by describing stories
of dying patients she had witnessed (see
Questions and Answers On Death and Dying,
1974 and Death the Final Stage of Growth,
1975). What is more important is Dr.
Kubler-Ross' books opened a flood gate
of literature written by respected social
scientists supporting the hypothesis of a
continued consciousness after the death
of the physical form.
 Raymond Moody's Life After Life
(1975) explored the commonality of ex-
periences of individuals declared clini-
cally dead and later resuscitated. By
using a larger population he verified
what Kubler-Ross had found, that the
out of the body experiences of patients
near death were remarkably similar. A
number of observational studies and
even cross-cultural comparisons (l) of the
dying's postmortem experiences fol-
lowed. What the thanatologists and psy-
chologist have observed in dying have a
direct correlation to the philosophy and
mysteries of Freemasonry. A knowledge-
able Mason should also recognize the
stages of death as described by the thana-
tologists and others who have observed
the dying.

The passage from the physical to the
spiritual realm is often difficult and
frightening. In many religions and pre-
literate cultures the shaman/priest (med-
icine person) or spiritual leader is at the
bedside of the dying to help them across
the abyss. (2) In the past, Western theolo-
gians and anthropologists tended to dis-
miss the practice as silly, superstition, or
just occult nonsense. Yet, as with the near
death experiences (NDEs), the com-
monality of descriptions of what is hap-
pening to the dying is remarkably similar
in all the ethnographic literature. The
silver cord, attached to the body during
life, (3) becomes detached at death. The
silver cord description is found in some
NDEs, the Bible, various books and
writings on shamanism, and is even re-
ferred to in the Third Degree of the Sym-
bolic Lodge.

The upward passage of the soul is seen
in the illustrations. The photos are of a
sculpture from the highlands of Papua,
New Guinea (personal collection of the
author). It clearly shows the soul, or
astral body (Figure l) of the deceased
rising above the head of the physical
body. A bird (Figure 2) is assisting the
soul in the journey to the upper worlds.
The bird represents a spirit bird of the
Papuan culture, one of several flying
creatures that assist the souls of the dead
in their journey to the upper spiritual
worlds.

The transition from the physical death
to spiritual life can be found throughout
the Bible and Masonry. Daniel 12:2
states that 'those that sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake. . . ' The 1 Corinthi-
ans 15:35-52 describes the difference be-
tween the physical body, 'bodies ter-
restrial, ' and the soul which continues as
the 'body celestial.' Descriptions given
by the medicine men when they assist the
dying (personal communication) also re-
flect various Masonic rituals and Biblical
accounts. The theological, anthropologi-
cal, and Masonic descriptions of a world
to come (see Moody, 1975, Atwater,
1988, Eliade, 1964, and Harner 1980)
match the experiences of those declared
clinically dead and later revived the
world wide. The experiences were de-
scribed by Emanuel Swedenborg over
two hundred years ago: 'Man, when he
dies, only passes from one world into
another' (Moody, 1975, p. 123). All this
reaffirms the eastern teachings that (Yo-
gananda, p. 485):

Physical death is attended by the disap-
pearance of breath and the disintegration
of fleshly cells. . . At physical death a being
looses his consciouness of flesh and be-
comes aware of his subtle body in the
astral world.

Additional research by various in-
dividuals further suggests the postmor-
tem hypothesis as a correct one. Dr. Ivan
Stevenson (1974) of the University of
Virginia has collected as a large body of
evidence suggesting the reincarnation of
what some call a 'soul' or 'consciousness'
from one life to another.4 Similar conclu-
sions were reached by others in the field. (5)
As the researchers were looking at this
phenomena some started to rethink ear-
lier hypotheses (Kubler-Ross, 1975, p.
119):

This work with dying patients has also
helped me to find my own religious iden-
tity, to know that there is life after death
and to know that we will be reborn again
one day in order to complete the tasks we
have not been able or willing to complete
in this lifetime.

Such work and studies support basic
Masonic teachings in the immortality of
the soul. Many Masonic authors reflect
on the relationship between the teach-
ings of the Craft and the cycles of spir-
itual rebirth. Steinmetz, Bailey, and
Wilmshurst are but a few of the Masonic
writers who have discussed reincarna-
tion in Masonic symbolism. Reincarna-
tion is also the most common meaning
attached to the sprig of acacia by various
cultures around the world. The sprig is
placed at the head of the grave to en-
courage the soul's quick return to the
family in the form of a baby. All of such
teachings, symbolism, and the research
are pointing to a common explanation of
death and dying.

The importance of thanatology should
be apparent. We all must die! To help
lessen the fears of death and to help those
facing death, the study of thanatology
proves exceedingly helpful, providing
one accepts the postmortem survival
paradigm. 'The Mysteries' only interest
in death of the physical body was to teach
man that it was inevitable, and NOT TO
BE FEARED ' [emphasis in original
text] (Steinmetz, 96-7). Freemasonry is
a branch of 'The Mysteries' indirectly, if
not directly, (6) and should assist in dispel-
ling the fear of death.

Most Masonic rituals have a strong
thanatological undercurrent. But Ma-
sons are rarely familiar with the meaning
behind the rituals. The Mason must find
the light within himself to overcome any
fear of death. The rituals could be a key
to achieve this. His confidence could
then assist others in the same: ...'The
most frightening thing about dying for
most people is the feeling of being alone,
of having to face the unknown without
any of the familiar props that usually
sustain us in times of great change' (Ku-
bler-Ross, 1975, p. 27~. Knowledge dis-
pels fear. A knowledgeable Mason can
act as the guide in much the same way as
the medicine person in preliterate socie-
ties. (7)

All this puts our claimed belief in the
soul or spirit to the test. Masons believe
in the immortality of the soul. Thus a
Mason should have no fear of death. He
knows his consciousness will continue.
Yet far too many Masons forget the
teaching when the grim reaper draws
near. This is not as it should be (Kubler-
Ross, 1975, p.2):

...death does not have to be a catas-
trophic, destructive thing; indeed, it can
be viewed as one of the most constructive,
positive, and creative elements of culture
and life.

Masons who examine the symbolism
philosophy, and religious aspects of Ma-
sonic teachings, when death draws near,
intellectually know what is happening.
When reinforced with that of thanato-
logical research available, the Mason
would view death as just another initia-
tion into 'higher' Lodge.

This is not saying one should welcome
the death of a friend, relative, or Ma-
sonic brother. Sorrow and grief are ac-
cepted parts of the dying process. We
grieve for the one we no longer can hug
or kiss good-morning. We miss the
friendly face, the familiar voice. The
Brother who has moved to what is called
the 'Grand Lodge On High' will no
longer be in our Lodge, Chapter, Coun-
cil, Commandery, etc. and we will miss
him. Most of the bereaved say the loved
one is going to a 'better place' without
really accepting what they are saying. All
of this is normal. But fear should not be
a part of the process to the Mason who
has done his work while in this life. Take
a lesson from our Jewish Brothers
(Heller, p. 39): 'Jewish tradition con-
fronts death directly and specifically
views the period of terminal illness (She-
chiv Mera) and dying (Groses) as a time
when loved ones should surround, com-
fort and encourage the patient. '

Need more to conquer the fears? The
knowledge of what occurs upon death
has been growing. The postmortem ex-
periences studied by Moody and others
should be very familiar to Masons. A
review of the steps of the experience un-
veil some of what we all will experience
to varying degrees (Moody, 1977, p. 5-6)

1. A feeling of great physical distress;

2 . Hearing the pronouncement of death
by doctor;

3. Hearing uncomfortable noise, loud
ringing or buzzing at same time as
moving through a tunnel;

4. Finding oneself outside the body but
in the immediate physical environ-
ment and sees the body from a dis-
tance as a spectator;

5. Watching the resuscitation attempt...
while in a state of emotional
upheaval;

6. After some time becoming accus-
tomed to the odd condition;

7. Noticing you still have a body but of a
different nature and with different
powers;

8. Others come to meet and help you;

9. You see spirits of relatives and friends
who have died and a loving warm
spirit of a kind never encountered
before, a being of light, appears;

10. You review your life in a panoramic
form assisted by the being of light, (9)

11. You find yourself approaching a bar-
rier representing the limit of life on
earth and the next life;

12 . You must go back but do not want to
return;

13. You become overshadowed by the
feelings of joy, love and peace on the
other plane;

14. Despite attitude and desire to stay
you find yourself back in the physical
body;

15 . You try to tell others but find it
impossible to adequately describe the
experiences .

The stages described above are not new
to the knowledge of man. Plato in Book
VII of The Republic described much the
same in what is called the myth of the
Cave. A prisoner is released from the
cave of his existence. When forced up-
ward through a tunnel, into the light, he
is blinded, fearful, and much distressed.
When he becomes accustomed to the
light he sees what was left behind were
just shadows. Now he is in the realm of
heaven and truth. A loving guide comes
to his side. But when forced to return
from whence he came, attempts to de-
scribe what he saw and the realm of light
above are incomprehensible to those still
in the darkness (see Moody 1977 or
Hamilton and Huntington, 1961, p.
747-749).

The thlrd degree in Masonry has as a
theme death of a noble figure in the
Masonic allegory. Dramatically por-
trayed is the death, internment, and re-
internment of the Master Builder. The
underlining meaning should be clear:
' . . . that what is commonly called
'Death ' far from being the extinction of
all life, is only a transition, a transfigura-
tion, an apotheosis' (Castells, p. 195).
But do we stop and think about the
meaning of the ceremony, the possibility
of our own death? Further evidence sup-
port the NDEs and basic post-mortem
Masonic belief.

The hypothesis of Osis and Haraldsson
questioned the validity of the out of the
body experiences reported by Moody
and others. Their solution was to do a
cross-cultural study, taking populations
from two very distinctly difference cul-
tures (America and India), and compare
the experiences . Both authors were of the
old paradigm, that death was the end of
any type of conscious existence. When
they tried to explain the experiences as a
result of a hallucinogenic drug ex-
perience (eg. Morphine, Demerol, etc.)
they found that only a small number of
their test population had taken such
drugs and when taken the drugs 'did not
generate deathbed phenomena sugges-
tive of an afterlife' (Osis and Haraldsson,
p. 187). When they examined the popu-
ation for brain disturbances caused by
inJury, uremic poisoning, and or disease,
there was a marked decrease in the post-
mortem experiences (op. cit p. 188).
Likewise: 'No evidence was found in our
sample to suggest that psychological fac-
tors known to facilitate hallucinations
also cause afterlife-related deathbed vi-
sions' (op. cit p. 188?. '...Our findings
concerning the experlences of the dying
do not fit into the psychiatric explana-
tions when they are analyzed in more
detail including medical, psychological,
and cultural factors' (op. cit, p. 196).
Likewise Moody (1988) also describes
the differences of NDEs with other psy-
chological and physiological disorders
and shows how they differ considerably
from pathological or psychopathological
traumas.

The possible explanation of the out of
the body experiences being artificially
produced eliminated the next two ques-
tions Osis and Haraldsson asked: 'To
what extent did the culture condition the
experience? ...Were the experiences
different between India and the U.S.?'
The latter question being important
knowing '...the way that a society or
subculture explains death will have a
significant impact on the way its mem-
bers view and experience life' (Kubler-
Ross, 1975, p. 27). 'Inourjudgment, the
similarities between the core phenomena
found in the deathbed visions of both
countries are clear enough to be con-
sidered as supportive of the postmortem
surviva, hypothesis' (Osis and Haralds-
son, p. 190) (10)

All the NDEs were 'benign and pleas-
ing' in nature with no reporting of
Hell,(11) the Devil, or even Heaven in the
classical Christian context. Thus again a
long held belief in Masonry is confirmed,
a brotherhood of man, irrespective of
what the individual's faith, are the same
in our Father's eyes (Bailey, p. 18):

. . . through adherence to the Masonic
principles, his exemplification of the Ma-
sonic tradition, and (the Mason's)
strenuous preparation for the final epi-
sode in which he faces death and attains
resurrection through his faith in God, his
patience under affliction, and his knowl-
edge of the laws under which Masonry
works.

But let us turn to the rituals and
ceremonies of Masonry and see what
side of life. Masons have always known
they have to further verify the studies
cited. Compare Moody's stages with a
Masonic initiation. The Candidate is
usually in some physical distress--if for
no other reason than the unfamiliar en-
vironment surroundingthe Masonic in-
itiation. He knows not what is about to
happen. The candidates are deprived of
some senses. He ventures into an un-
known world. He is not declared dead
but is given a new identity ('Brother,'
'Companion,' 'Sir Knight,' etc.). (12) He
approaches and then passes through a
barrier. He is subjected to the perambu-
lations around the Lodge not unlike the
tunnel experienced by the dying. The
candidate is in a state of emotional
upheaval. Hopefully he slowly becomes
accustomed to his new condition. He
recognizes the helpful assistance by the
hand of a Mason. He is given the 'Light'
of the initiation and is greeted by the
Brethren. The candidate is surrounded
by the feelings of brotherly love within
his new Lodge.

 In some rituals the initiation is closer to
the stages of dying. From the British
Federation Ritual of the Three Craft Degrees
(1951, Le Droit Humain) we discover
three distinct perambulations around
the Lodge which closely resemble the
stages of death described by Moody and
others. After the first perambulation the
candidate is told: 'In olden days, (13) when
the ceremonial initiations of which Ma-
sonry is a survival were duly performed
the Candidate was led through gloomy
cavern, symbolizing the underworld,
amid tumultuous sounds, in darkness,
surrounded by perils he could not under-
stand. . . ' (op. cit. p. 37). The second
journey is explained thus: 'As the Can-
didate left the gloomy cavern behind
him, he passed into a quieter region
symbolizing the higher regions of the
underworld, whereinto the coarser,
harsher sounds did not penetrate, but
still there was some disharmony among
the souls. This second stage is also found
in the real underworld as the Candidate
passes out of Hades into the Elysium
above. . . ' (op. cit. p. 40). After the third
trip the candidate is told: 'The Candi-
date passed out of the lower regions and
reached the threshold of the heavenly
world, where perfect silence lulled the
weary senses and calm peace enfolded
him. The lower world lay behind him;
before him the joys of heaven. In the
interspace was silence.' (op. cit. p. 43,
Also see Eliade, 1964 and 1967 for simi-
lar discussions and descriptions related
to death). The ceremony is concluded
with the receiving of 'light' by the candi-
date (See Figure 3).

 How could any who have experienced
this initiation fear death? He already
experienced it.
 The Masonic rituals and ceremonies
have reaffirmed the existence of another
what thanatologists have just begun to
discover--that life is more than a physi-
cal body of flesh and blood. Wilmshurst
(135-6) summarizes intimate connection
between thanatology and Freemasonry:

  Natural man must, therefore, die to
himself, must abnegate and put off his old
nature, before he can hope to pass into the
fifth kingdom as spitual Man. This
death..is signified by the Masonic Third
Degree, whuh ceremoially dramatizes
what the indiuidual must pass through
before attaining an order of life and con-
sciousness he has never before experienced
or been able to experience.

 What has this shown us? To a Mason
death is never an ending but merely a
passing to the next degree. 'The after-life
may still be an impenetrable enigma, but
for the M.M. two things are clear, viz.
that there is to be a deliverance from the
gloomy tomb and a happy re-union with
our former associates' (Castells, p. 14).
Part 2 will explore some of the ex-
periences beyond the gates of death and
how the lessons of Masonry reflect the
essence of the Eternal Grand Lodge.


Footnotes

l.See Osis and Haraldsson, 1977 and Ring 1980
for a more extensive domestic study.

2.See Evans-Wentz, I957, The Tibetian Book Of  the
Dead as an example of one such practice.

3.See: MacLain, 1983, p. 327-9.

4.The ancient Hebrew believed in evolution, rein-
carnation and karma, as well as astrology...
Before turning from the subject with disdain
however, one should be mindful of the ancient
saying: 'FOOLS DERIDE, PHILOSOPHERS
INVESTIGATE.' (Steinmetz, 1976, p. 123-4).

5.Kubler-Ross and Moody are two examples.

6. Some Masonic authors declare modern Freema-
sonry has no connection to the 'Mysteries' or
ancient schools of initiation. However, if they
were to study Jung and the concepts of arche-
types, the connection on a subconscious, if not a
conscious level, of the founders of modern
Freemasonry and the teachings found in the an-
cient mystery schools would quickly become ap-
Parent.

7.Such a task was before me when my Grand-
mother summoned me to her bedside. I was
delayed and had to fly half way across the country
to get to her. She held out almost a week until I
was there. The next day when the time came I
knew and sped to her side. When I got tbere she
was fearful of letting go until I held her hand and
described what was happening to her. This al-
lowed her to relax and accept the new world
opening up before her. Twenty minutes later the
doctor declared her dead.

8.one is reminded of Trelease's account of an old
woman who called her family together waited
for all of them to arrive, held a party, had funeral
services for herself (which she attended), sang her
favorite hymns and then died at 6 p.m. in the
evening. (Kubler-Ross, 1975, p. 33-37).

9.Acts 26: 13-26 even gives a description of the
light from heaven.

10. Morse concludes--as have other researchers--
that religious background does not alter the core
experience, only the interpretation of the ex-
perience ' (Moody, 1988, p. 70).

11 .Atwater is the only exception and then the
'Hell' matches the description ofthe underworld
level of shamans who tell of a place of lost souls
who do not know where to go. Also see Eliade,

12.With alI initiatory rites the new title implies
death of the old person and a rebirth into a new
form. Eliade, 1964, pp. 33, 64, 76, 206 and 506
for discussion on the relation of death and initia-
tion .

13.A description of the ancient initiation ceremo-
nies, as taken from Greek authors gives the fol-
lowing description:

'The hero and his guide now enter on their
Journey .

'They advanced under the solitary night through
the shade, and through the desolate halls and
empty realms of Pluto; their progress resembling
a journey in woods by the precarious glimmering
moon under a faint malignant light, when
Jupiter had wrapped up the heavens in shade
and sable night had stripped objects of colour. '
(Fellows, p. 146)

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