By Barry Eaton

A large number of people are afraid of death, either the event itself, or facing the prospect of the unknown. Death, for many people, represents the ultimate fear of change, or the final curtain-call. But what if it was really a new beginning and not the end? Surely that would make the whole concept far more palatable?

My long-time interest and research into the areas of past lives, life after death and reincarnation has totally changed my view of death, and of life as well. It has taught me one important fact. Once we can accept the concept that this lifetime is just one of many, where we get the chance to make mistakes, to learn and to grow, the fear of death soon begins to fade.

I suspect that is what British writer J.M. Barrie is getting at in his story of Peter Pan, when Peter describes death as “an awfully big adventure”. I believe death is a lot more than that. It’s more like returning home after experiencing a big adventure. The world of spirit is our real home. It’s our time on earth that is the hard part. We come into the physical world in each lifetime for a range of human experiences, which play a vital role in the soul’s evolution.

It’s rather like actors who accept a role in a new play or film. They immerse themselves in the character for the duration of the production, but afterwards, when the costumes and the make up finally come off, they go home to rest and prepare for their next role. The quality of the performance and the audience reaction will determine when the phone rings for the next opportunity to be cast.

What happens when we die?

A good starting point is accepting that we are a spirit with a physical body, not the other way around, as is generally believed. The body is just a vehicle for the spirit. Our spirit or soul is basically energy and potential and an important point to remember is that physics tells us that energy cannot be destroyed.

In other words we exist in energy form before the birth of our body. So logically our spirit, or astral body, has to go somewhere after our physical form perishes. Let’s call this place the spirit world for ease of reference. I went through a series of regressions while writing my book Afterlife, which took me through the whole between life experience, culminating with my soul energy joining my body just before I was born in this lifetime. It’s a journey that took my soul through a number of stages following my death in my immediate past life. When I think about the information and teachings I received in the afterlife and the people I met along the way, it certainly answers many questions I have about my current life. I have now been able to lay some ghosts of the past to rest and clear the way to live this life to my highest potential.

Where do we go after death?

The spirit world overlaps our own, as distinct from the idea of Heaven being ‘up there’ somewhere, as if it somehow hovers around, satellite-like, in outer space. Vibrating at a much faster rate than our own, it essentially occupies a different dimension of reality. Spiritual beings in astral form have to lower their vibrational rate in order to visit the thicker density of our earthly domain. As the world of spirit occupies the same space as us it explains how we are able to communicate with those who have supposedly ‘died’.

We visit here for our earthly experiences, attempting to raise our consciousness with each succeeding life, returning after each incarnation to our individual level of soul evolution. Just as on earth, there are many levels of existence in the afterlife, each vibrating at a different rate. As we evolve spiritually our soul vibration increases allowing us access to the higher planes.

Describing the afterlife

My research and contacts shows the spirit world is a wonderfully peaceful place full of vibrant colours, sights and places, the like of which we can not even imagine. There is no such thing as time and, without physical form, we communicate by thought. The good news is that we can indulge in all kinds of artistic, spiritual and sporting activities, but the bad news is that we do have to face up to the events of our immediate past life.

Now for some more good news, there is no judgmental deity involved, despite what certain belief systems proclaim. We do interact with a council of wise beings as we review our immediate past life, and often we are our own harshest critics.

While there is no actual hell, full of demons and fiery pits, the lower astral levels are reserved for those whose earthly activities relegate them there. Far from being tormented with pitchforks, they are given loving help and advice from beings in the higher levels to help them evolve and also prepare them for their next life journey.

Former screenwriter and journalist John Dingwell spoke to me through a medium, providing some very vivid descriptions of his activities in the afterlife. He told me that during our sojourn in the spirit world we work with many teachers as we never stop learning. After a very painful battle with cancer John passed over early in 2005 and soon settled in to his new surroundings. He described his new life as being very satisfying, and not what he expected, “with more knowledge available than I can poke a stick at.”

John has been inspired by what he describes as many wonderful souls who dedicate their lives to helping others in any way they can. These teachers come from much higher planes than the one he is on, bringing with them a wealth of wisdom to share with the people who come to them for learning.

He described the living conditions as “however you want them to be”. If he wanted to be where he lived on earth, right on the waterfront, in a waterfront house, fishing off the wharf, he could do it through the power of his thoughts.

When I asked John about his normal activities he said he often helps with new souls as they cross over as many people are very confused at first. He also spends a lot of time with other souls, talking, discussing and debating. He is now also part of a movement to inform people on earth about life after death. I look forward to many more conversations with him in the future.

This article is an edited extract from Barry Eaton’s new book Afterlife – Uncovering The Secrets of Life After Death,

now available in bookshops

Published by Inspired Living, a division of Allen & Unwin.

Well known as a mainstream journalist and broadcaster, and for his internet radio show 'Radio Out There', Barry gives regular talks and lectures, as well as one-to-one sessions as a psychic intuitive.