An interview with William and Susan Buhlman
Knowledge of our multidimensional nature and the nonphysical environments we will enter helps to prepare us for our continuing journey beyond the body. Each reality we experience after death will provide us unique opportunities to learn and evolve.
TMI: From a consciousness perspective, why is it important for us to be spiritually prepared for our deaths?
William: We are all approaching a magnificent transition beyond the body. As powerful beings, we possess the ability not only to create our current environment but to shape our continuing existence beyond this life. We all have the ability to make a difference in our afterlife journey. By creating a Spiritual Directive now, before a critical moment in your life, you become the proactive designer of your transition.
TMI: What is a Spiritual Directive?
William: This is a planning tool that we have created. It provides a space for people to determine and document their end-of-life spiritual wishes. For example—what will my sacred space/last physical environment look like? Will it be in the middle of many people or alone in a quiet spot, at home or somewhere else? Do I want music? What kind of ceremony do I want at the end? What affirmations will be meaningful to me? It is important to review this with your trusted team of allies.
TMI: What was the pivotal moment that led you to the point where you began to develop your own plan for a conscious transition?
Susan: One morning as a hospice volunteer, I had a silent visit with a sweet lady who had only days to live.
It occurred to us both that at this point in our lives we still have the opportunity to assert a great deal of influence regarding our own transitions, from both a physical and a spiritual perspective.
TMI: Can you tell us about it?
Susan: Miss Bess ate her breakfast slowly, thoughtfully. Seated on the side of the bed she was a little unsteady, so I was her guardian while she ate. Occasionally she would glance my way and raise her painted-on eyebrows with just a hint of sparkle left in her eyes. Focused on the cinnamon bun in front of her, she didn’t speak—she just stared out the window at nothing in particular. Bite after deliberate bite, I could almost read her mind. “How did I get to this point in my life? Why is my body failing me? What happens next?”
Bill and I had just celebrated our twin sons’ thirtieth birthdays. We had all met for lunch the day before. As we sat across the table from our two grown men, I remember thinking how fast time had flown by. Had it really been thirty years since they were babies? So when I looked at Miss Bess—who was probably about thirty years older than I am—it hit home. In another flash of time, that will be me. What will I be thinking, sitting on the side of the bed struggling with the simplest of tasks? Will I be afraid, thinking, “What happens next? Where will I go when my body dies?” Or will I say “I have completed this life as I had planned. Now, I’m ready for my next adventure!”
TMI: How did this motivate you to take the next step in preparation for a conscious transition?
Susan: It occurred to us both that at this point in our lives we still have the opportunity to assert a great deal of influence regarding our own transitions, from both a physical and a spiritual perspective. We can create a natural environment that supports the elevation to our higher selves at the time when the physical body stops functioning; but more importantly, we can work on our readiness today. And it felt right to share this with others who are either facing their own mortality or that of a loved one.
TMI: So, William, how can we get started on this journey to our Higher Selves?
William: You should first recognize and then reduce your attachments to the physical world. This includes self-identity (gender, race, professional title, etc.), addictions to substances or things, or an unbreakable bond with a physical location or person. Strong attachments to the physical will act as mooring lines on a boat, keeping you closer to the dock (the physical). To quote Robert Monroe, “You are more than your physical body.”
Our amazing adventure has just begun; let us be prepared and empowered!
TMI: What else is important?
William: Resolving the emotional baggage that weighs you down. Start by acknowledging that unpleasant events are a source of learning. Then use forgiveness and gratitude to raise your energy frequency. This is important because your emotional vibration at the time of death has an impact on your afterlife experience.
TMI: How can we help someone who is dying achieve these goals?
Susan: We can create a sacred space and time that encourages a conscious transition. For example, a clean, quiet area that will support meaningful conversation, internal life reviews, and promote a healing atmosphere. If this is your loved one, now is the time for sincere words of gratitude. One might give thanks for something specific like “I appreciate all the time you spent teaching me how to play the guitar.” Or it might be more comfortable to say “Thank you for being a part of my journey. I couldn’t have been as successful without you.” And it is just as important to allow the dying to express wishes to you.
TMI: Susan, what words of advice can you give to someone who is currently with a loved one who has a life-limiting illness?
Susan: Remember, you cannot rush or delay someone’s dying because of your personal desire. People will die on their own schedule; it is your job to provide support and comfort regardless of timing. If it is taking too long in your mind, then it is possible that your loved one has more spiritual work to do before their heart beats for the last time. If it seems to move too fast, then celebrate the joyful return home of their soul. Always remember: it is their journey—not yours.
TMI: William, any final thoughts?
William: Knowledge of our multidimensional nature and the nonphysical environments we will enter helps to prepare us for our continuing journey beyond the body. Each reality we experience after death will provide us unique opportunities to learn and evolve. We have much to master in order to effectively navigate the vast thought-responsive dimensions we all experience. Follow your own personal spiritual path using meditation, out-of-body travel, or any other consciousness-raising process that resonates with you.
Our amazing adventure has just begun; let us be prepared and empowered!
Plan now for your spiritual liberation.
Death is not the end.
Download your Spiritual Directive Planning Document—
a gift from William and Susan Buhlman
In his latest book, Adventures in the Afterlife, William was inspired to explore the afterlife as a result of his confrontation with mortality following a cancer diagnosis in 2011. His lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences during his treatment and recovery provided mind bending visions that were so illuminating he felt compelled to journal them. Insights provided in this book will assist the reader to navigate the many thought-responsive environments in the afterlife.
Susan Buhlman is a hospice volunteer and a certified end-of-life doula. It is her passion and her soul’s purpose to provide comfort to those who are actively dying. As a companion to those in the final hours or days of life, she offers a calming, compassionate presence and, if the patient is open to it, Susan guides him or her through a transitional preparation process. Guided visualizations, positive affirmations, Hemi-Sync®, and energy healing are a few of the tools that are used to ease the emotional pain and fear of the dying process. As a coach during bereavement workshops, she uses spiritual principles to lessen the burden of loss, leading the way toward a peaceful appreciation of the next conscious steps in our soul’s journey.