by Mark Pitstick MA, DC
Note: If you already know the following information scroll down to the article title in maroon below the seven asterisks. However, I strongly recommend reading this introduction until you really ‘own’ it. In addition, post The Great News where you’ll see it every day.
Over the last 15 years, and especially during 2019 – 2024, data from a series of experiments at the University of Arizona have definitively demonstrated scientifically that life continues after physical death. This research was conducted by Gary E. Schwartz PhD, former professor at Harvard and Yale, and pioneer in the fields of behavioral medicine and energy healing.
Dr. Schwartz is assisted in this work by a team of electrical engineers, software developers, research assistants, evidential mediums, and postmaterial luminaries at the Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health. (To learn more about the SoulPhone Project and lab, visit LACH.Arizona.edu. To learn about postmaterial luminaries, see article #31 at SoulProof.com)
The Demo SoulSwitch is a binary (Yes / No) SoulSwitch device that postmaterial persons (the so-called ‘deceased’) can use to answer questions, verify their identity, and begin providing information to help many people and our planet. This device should be ready for beta testing by the summer of 2024. After sessions with project volunteers and larger donors, we will share data that scientifically demonstrates life continues after bodily death. However, this ‘reveal’ will initially occur as an ‘incremental trickle’ versus a ‘sudden splash’. Over time and under optimal conditions, we will gradually amplify how widely this news is shared.
Likewise, demonstrations of this technology will occur in a stepwise fashion. We anticipate, but cannot guarantee, that full announcements and demonstrations will occur by spring 2025. These decisions were made in April 2024 after many strategic planning discussions with core project team members. The many factors involved are much more complex than you might imagine.
See articles #1, 60, and 115 for an overview of the scientific, clinical, and experiential evidence that indicates – with 99.9% certainty – that consciousness survives bodily death. This collective evidence also shows – with very high degrees of certainty – The Great News that you and everyone else:
- continue to live after your earthly body dies.
- can interact with ‘departed’ loved ones now and after you pass on.
- are integral, infinite, eternal, and beloved parts of Source Energy now and always.
- receive guidance and support from angels, guides, master teachers, etc.
- are sacredly interconnected with all people, animals, and nature.
- have special purposes for having this earthly experience now.
- may manifest in other simultaneous time / space realities now and after bodily death.
- have everything you need to enjoy an optimal earthly experience – no matter what your past or current circumstances.
- can find meaning, as well as opportunities for growth and service, amidst your toughest changes and challenges.
- co-create how heavenly your life feels – whether living on earth or elsewhere – by your predominant thoughts, words and actions.
- can likely use SoulPhone technology in the future to communicate with postmaterial loved ones and access wisdom from luminaries who can help us heal our world.
Statements #1, 2, and 11 are based on definitive scientific research. The other statements are based on: (a) clinical research: near-death experiences, past life memories and regressions, perinatal experiences, life between lives sessions, shared crossings, terminal lucidity cases, and deathbed visions; and (b) evidencefrom firsthand experiences: after-death communications, out-of-body experiences, spiritually transformative experiences, electronic voice projection / instrumental transcommunication, and other ways of knowing.
This is, obviously, a new and exciting era for humanity. When understood and internalized – even just a bit – The Great News can help you make the shift:
- FROM thinking, believing, and acting as if your time on earth is unfair, meaningless, cruel, and ends with cessation of consciousness or the possibility of endless suffering.
- TO thinking, believing, and acting as if this earthly experience is a totally meaningful, safe, and magnificent adventure amidst forever.
Conscious language can help you adopt a greater reality perspective and live based on the second bulleted worldview. And that, in turn, can help you create the greatest life YOU have envisioned, fulfill your purposes for being on earth, serve others, and enjoy a magnificent journey. In the pursuit of using more conscious / accurate terms, l:
- Will use the term ‘YOU’ to describe the totality of your energy / being. Your real self may manifest in different spacetime ways simultaneously since only approximately 50% of your consciousness is needed to have an earthly experience. The term ‘YOU’ recognizes both of these possibilities.
- Won’t use the terms ‘die, departed, deceased, or dead’ without single quotation marks since those have strongly entrenched and erroneous meanings indicating an end of life.
- Will use the terms ‘bodily death’ and ‘death of the earthly form’ to remind you that only the earth-suit dies. The rest – all the intelligence, love, personality, memories, preferences, sense of humor, and much more – continues living in other parts of the field of all possibilities.
- Will use the terms changed worlds, passed on, transitioned and others that aptly describe a continuation of consciousness after bodily death.
- Will primarily refer to those who have passed on as postmaterial persons. That term recognizes the points in #3. I also will use soul, consciousness, essence, and awareness.
- Will primarily refer to ‘physical humans living on earth’ as material persons. Why? Because those terms within single quotation marks may apply to postmaterial persons. That is, they can have physicality, visit earth, and are still human in meaningful ways.
- Will use the terms lower versus higher energies, emotions, and ways of being. These descriptors are not critical, judgmental, or subjective; rather, they are based on objective measures by, for example, David Hawkins PhD, MD author of Power Versus Force. He and other researchers found that higher-energy emotions of peace, joy, and love calibrate at 600, 540, and 500 respectively. Conversely, lower-energy emotions of anger, fear, and guilt calibrate at 150, 100, and 30. To be clear, energy / consciousness is who and what you really are, not just how you are feeling. Your predominant energies create the quality of your life and the nature of your earthly or other time-space experience.
- Will use single quotations marks with words such as ‘lose and fail’. The Great News and collective afterlife evidence can expand your worldview about what seem to be losses and failures. We can’t accurately judge the big picture of life – what is lost or how we failed – with our limited human senses.
Note: To recognize and respect different genders and sexual identifications, I will alternate using ‘he’ or ‘she’ and related pronouns. Depending on a person’s orientation, one, both, or neither of those may apply.
The free articles and radio shows mentioned are available at SoulProof.com. To learn more about the collective afterlife evidence and The Great News, read Soul Proof, The Afterlife Evidence, Greater Reality Living (co-authored with Dr. Schwartz) and The Big Picture of Life (for ages 10 – 16 written with Schwartz and Katta Mapes MA, MEd). To experience expanded states of consciousness to optimally heal and transform your life, use audio sessions under Shop at SoulProof.com.
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Terms for Optimally Living on Earth and Beyond
Introduction
In Appendix A of our book Greater Reality Living, Gary E. Schwartz PhD stated: “We don’t want to continue using words that take our minds in the wrong direction.” Dr. Schwartz and I spent many hours considering the most accurate terms for ultra-important matters to most people: this earthly experience, when the human form dies, and the afterlife.
We wanted to establish a better language for discussing the greater reality – the totality of life / all that exists. Your vocabulary shapes your beliefs about the nature of life. Your beliefs, in turn, determine your thoughts, words, and actions. So this isn’t just a meaningless academic exercise in semantics. The more you can accurately think and speak about the nature of reality, the more you can understand it and accept ‘The Great News’ about how life is set up. (See article #19 The Great News at SoulProof.com to learn more.)
Once meanings for a word have become well established, the associated images can be difficult to change. However, we considered the effort to be worth the benefits. In this article, I’ll share some of the words we suggest using. (See our book Greater Reality Living for a full list of words we do and do not recommend.)
NOTE: Numbers in parentheses, for example, (#28) indicate free articles at SoulProof.com for those who want to learn more.
After-Death Communication (ADC) describes a meaningful perception, while awake or dreaming, of postmaterial loved ones. (#28)
Bereaved / Shining Light is an adjective that describes how very sad and grieving people can, over time, increasingly realize that their postmaterial loved one is now a shining light. Those who have changed worlds are enjoying – or soon can enjoy – unfathomable levels of love, peace, joy, enthusiasm, clarity, and much more. And they want their dear ones on earth to do the same now.
For example, deeply bereaved persons can increasingly become shining lights as they realize the above and live accordingly. The order of the two adjectives – bereaved / shining light – honors the mourning that usually precedes healing and transforming. This shift can occur more quickly after a meaningful contact, knowing the afterlife evidence, and other actions. (#93)
Channeling is considered to be what an extrasensory gifted person can do by allegedly relaying information from higher energies described as angels, guides, or master teachers.
Consciousness / Awareness / Mind is that which perceives and experiences events before, during and after a human incarnation. These terms describe that which is aware of sensation, perception, motivation, intuition, information processing, cognition, memory, and emotion. These terms also convey that which includes the information (form, structure, pattern, personality, wisdom) and energy (power, force, motion, love). Information and energy are perhaps the most fundamental understandings of absolute reality.
Depending on a number of factors, your consciousness may be more or less mindful of the greater reality. After your body dies, your consciousness has an enhanced opportunity to expand because it is less restricted by the filter of the biological brain. Your consciousness then continues, but in a different way because of your earthly experiences and learning. (#100)
Cyclical Life Experiences denotes the myriad possibilities you have for living after your earthly body dies. This concept opens the door for the possibility that you do not have to experience just one slice of life at a time. Part of your consciousness may manifest as / observe this earthly experience while another portion experiences simultaneous realities. (#34, 75)
Death of Human Body is a term used to indicate two vitally important points:
- YOU do not die, just your human body does. That earthly vehicle is no longer needed by your enduring self. This is a vital distinction for remembering that the vast majority of who and what you are persists after your earth-suit perishes.
- Good data suggests that postmaterial persons have, or can have, physicality. As such, we won’t use the terms ‘bodily death’ or ‘death of the physical body’ since those imply a loss of physicality after the human body dies.
Other modifiers to be used with death and die include: human form, earthly body, and earth-suit. Examples of usage include ‘the death of her human body,’ ‘his human form died,’ ‘the death of her earthly body,’ or ‘his earth-suit died.’
Energetic Body, also known as astral or spiritual body, refers to a historical energy system of a person after the earthly body dies. Dr. Schwartz refers to this as an “info-energy system” in his book The Living Energy Universe. Indications are that beings in the next phase of existence can take on a more substantial and varying appearance when visiting humans, greeting recently ‘deceased’ loved ones, or enjoying various activities.
Energy is used to describe the power and vitality of a person or system. From a materialistic perspective, we may think of energy as coursing through wires to make electronic devices work. However, in discussions about consciousness, the word energy refers to that which cannot be destroyed. This has been recognized by various cultures and termed chi, ki, prana, bio-energy, innate intelligence, and life-force.
Field of All Possibilities is our preferred term for ‘where you go’ after your human body dies. However, it’s important to realize that you and everyone else are in the field of all possibilities right now – it isn’t just somewhere you go after leaving earth. The quality and content of your ‘afterlife’ is determined by your predominate beliefs, thoughts, words, and actions.
The term ‘field of all possibilities’ and other better synonyms for ‘afterlife’ include: the next phase of life, different space/time experiences, and other planes of consciousness. These terms imply that life – whether on earth or elsewhere – is connected and energetic even though it may appear separate and only physical. (#107)
G.O.D. stands for the universal Guiding, Organizing and Designing process in life that has historically been called many names such as Yahweh, God, and Allah. See Dr. Schwartz’s book The G.O.D. Experiments to learn more about the love, power, intelligence, and creativity that is behind and within all life.
Other synonyms we’ll use for G.O.D. include: Life Source, Higher Power, Creator, the Light, One Mind, Life Itself, Unitive Consciousness, and All That Is. Our best understanding of reality is that G.O.D. is all that exists; any appearance to the contrary is brain-filtration induced myopia.
The letters E and L, for Energizing and Loving, can also be added to G.O.D. The resulting acronym E.L.G.O.D. captures more of the attributes of this ultimately ineffable phenomena. Those additional letters also honor ancient names for the Source. El or Al – the root words of Elohim, Eloha, Allah, and other sacred names for Unitive Consciousness – meant: That, The One, or That One which expresses itself uniquely through all things. (#13)
Greater Reality describes the totality of life, most of which is imperceptible to the average human senses. Different people – mediums, shamans, mystics, and other more sensorily sensitive persons – can perceive more of this greater reality. Synonyms include: all that exists, absolute reality, and the big picture of life.
Greater Reality Living is a term that invites you to consider how you would live and treat others as you comprehend more of life’s bigger picture. What higher paths might be taken when you deeply know that bodily death is a relatively minor event in the bigger scheme of things? How could you live more optimally when you really internalize that you and everyone else are timeless beings of energy/consciousness/spirit? (#72)
Higher Energy Assistants / Assistance describes help from more evolved nonhuman sources. From a religious or spiritual viewpoint, this aid can be seen as coming from Assistants: saints, angels, guides, and master teachers. From a secular or scientific perspective, this help can be seen as higher energy Assistance that incorporates the law of attraction. In either case, there is good evidence that higher, faster, and more refined energies provide support and guidance – especially when invited to do so. (#73)
Human Birth is a term that recognizes you existed before your current earth-suit was born. Adding ‘human’ to the word ‘birth’ highlights the evidence that only your human form – a tiny fraction of who and what you are – arrived on your earthly birthday. The rest of YOU pre-existed this earthly experience and continues after death of your human form.
Information describes data or facts that are learned or conveyed. Systems theory – as taught by Dr. Ervin Laszlo, author of Science and the Akashic Field, and others – holds that reality can best be understood as the totality of energy and information stored in a quantum void. Dr. Schwartz combines energy and information in his concept of dynamical info-energy systems.
A number of factors affect whether your awareness of info-energy results in having an earthly or different time-space experience. Further, in this view, expanded access to energy and information is possible under certain conditions, for example, after a spiritually transformative experience. Different cultures and disciplines have described this repository as the Akashic records, Hall of Truth, or Collective Unconscious.
Imbalanced Entities is a term we use instead of ‘evil spirit.’ Just as there are immature and malicious humans on earth, the same appears to be true in other planes of existence. We use this term instead of ‘imbalanced postmaterial person’ since malicious beings may not necessarily have ever lived on earth. (#47)
Matter refers to a solid substance when compared to energy. In physics, matter is considered to occupy space and contain mass at rest whereas energy does not. However, the electron microscope and other devices reveal that matter is not as solid and physical as it might appear and consists mostly of empty space.
The apparent solidity of matter depends on who is observing. Quantum / electro-dynamical physics holds that matter and energy shift back and forth many times per nanosecond with varying particle and wave characteristics. For now, consider that matter may not be as solid, nor energy as insubstantial, as you may have believed. The shifting appearance of matter and energy also provides key insights for more fully understanding the nature of humans as temporary and relatively illusory manifestations of energy.
Mediums are people with sensorily-sensitive abilities that exceed the normal range of human perception. The term ‘evidential medium’ refers to those who have been tested under strictly controlled / blinded conditions so they could not know the identity of the subject before the reading. Despite those laboratory restrictions, these mediums were found to be highly accurate. They can, at least at times, provide specific details from PMPs. Their abilities can involve clairaudience (clear hearing), clairvoyance (clear seeing), clairsentience (clear feeling), or claircognizance (clear knowing.) Mediums usually convey messages from PMP-loved ones, but others specialize in teaching, counseling, and research. (#6)
Near-Death Experience (NDE) describes perceptions a person may have while clinically dead. NDEs have been independently described very similarly across time and in various cultures. Blind people and children have also reported documented NDEs: accurate observations of events that a clinically dead person could not know unless, indeed, consciousness exists apart from brain function. (#94)
Out-Of-Body Experience is a novel experience for many people. Examples include viewing one’s self as though from above or experiencing being outside of one’s body while not clinically dead. (#114)
Perinatal Experience is an awareness – recalled spontaneously or during hypnosis – of the time period just before, during, or after human birth. Perinatal experiences usually involve young children who accurately describe events during these time frames despite having never been told anything about them. This research further suggests that awareness pre-exists and operates independently of the human brain. (#99)
Postmaterial Person recognizes that the great majority of who and what you are continues to live after your previously inhabited human body dies. Put another way, this term describes those whose earthly body has died, but are yet very much alive. Good evidence indicates that PMPs can manifest in physical form depending on their situation, intentions, and with whom they are interacting.
The acronym for the noun form is PMP, for example, ‘my father became a PMP eleven years ago.’ PMP can also be used as an adjective, for example, ‘my PMP-sister’ or ‘PMP-scientists assisting the SoulPhone research.’ Postmaterial can be used as an adjective to describe people and pets whose earthly form has ceased to function. An example is ‘my postmaterial dog’ or ‘my postmaterial husband.’
Again, a primary reason for this language upgrade is to remember that life continues after the material or human form dies. Our hope is that PMP will become a commonly used abbreviation along with NDE (near-death experience), ADC (after-death communication), and STE (spiritually transformative experience). (#31)
Soulmate refers to dear persons with whom you may have close connections in different space/time experiences. These kindred spirits allegedly help during your visits to earth, greet you after your human body dies, and help you learn and grow in different parts of the field of all possibilities. Michael Newton Ph.D., founder of the Life Between Lives technique, stated we each have twenty or so primary soulmates and a larger number of secondary and tertiary ones. The existence of soulmates is also reported by some evidential mediums and near-death experiencers.
Spiritual is a term with varying meanings. Dictionary definitions focus on relating to spirit, soul, or sacred matters. Spiritual can also describe more open-minded considerations of ultimate matters as opposed to orthodox religious views. We will use this word – and its related forms spiritually and spirituality – since those are so well established in our language. Examples include: spiritual center, spiritually transformative experience, and evolved spirituality.
Spiritually Transformative Experience (STE) is an occurrence creating a deeper knowing that you and everyone else are eternal and integral parts of life. As with near-death experiences, STEs often engender a more humanistic viewpoint and reordering of priorities.
Spiritually transformative experiences can be triggered by a near-death experience, out-of-body experience, after-death communication, or death of a loved one’s human form. Other ways that STEs may be initiated include childbirth, deathbed vision, exposure to violence, meditation, consciousness altering drugs, deep love, precognitive incident, beautiful nature scene, intuitive event, evidential medium session, synchronicity, and sublime music.
Synonyms for the verb form ‘have a STE’ include: see the Light, awaken to the greater reality, attain realization, see life’s bigger picture, and become enlightened. (#17)
Stuck Postmaterial Person is our preferred term for ‘ghost.’ This label, and its acronym ‘stuck PMP’, refers to those whose human bodies have died, but apparently have not yet moved into the Light. Their energy is considered to be significantly attached to earth instead of fully entered into the next phase of life.
We do not have as high a degree of certainty about this subject as we do about many others, for example, consciousness surviving death of the human body. However, we want to contribute to a more evidence-based discussion since many people are curious about, interested in, and/or fearful about this topic.
Possible reasons for stuck PMPs may include, we suspect, one or more of the following: desire to reassure dear ones on earth; strong emotions such as anger, fear, or the desire for revenge; shock after a sudden or violent passing; strong beliefs about nothing existing after death that initially carry over; addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, materialism, or gambling and the fear that these are not available beyond earth; lacking a strong spiritual/ religious foundation. (#104)
I hope these terms help you better fathom and demonstrate your true nature as a wise, infinite, special, and powerful being of consciousness / spirit / info-energy.
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Your life, and that of others around you, will be more enriched when you:
- read this article again within a few days so you really own it.
- discuss it with trusted family members and friends.
- take recommended action steps that seem right for you.
- share it with others who can use it.
Let it shine,
Mark
Mark Pitstick MA, DC is an author, master’s level clinical psychologist, holistic chiropractic physician, frequent media guest, and webinar / workshop facilitator. He has also helped others in pastoral counseling and suicide prevention / education settings. Mark directs The Soul Phone Foundation, founded Greater Reality Living Groups, and assists research on the SoulPhone Project. To learn more about how Dr. Pitstick might help you, visit SoulProof.com/About.
Dr. Pitstick’s goal is to help you know and show– no matter what is happening to or around you – that this earthly experience is a totally safe, meaningful, and magnificent adventure amidst eternity. Visit SoulProof.com for free articles, newsletters, and radio interviews with top consciousness experts. Other resources include his very reasonably priced books, audio-products, and documentary film.
Note: Because of his many outreaches, Dr. Pitstick can no longer answer complex and/or multiple questions. However, he has created many resources to answer your biggest questions and provide holistic solutions for your toughest challenges . . .
FREE ARTICLES, RADIO SHOW, AND E-NEWSLETTERS
– Articles for Transformation and Healing (top tab Articles at SoulProof.com) address the most common questions, concerns, and challenges about life, death, and afterlife.
– Radio Shows (top tab Radio Shows at SoulProof.com) share his and top experts’ answers to life’s biggest questions: “Who am I? Why am I here? What happens after I die? Is there a God? Why is there so much suffering? Why do children die?” and others.
– E-Newsletters (sign up on any page at SoulProof.com)
AUDIO-PRODUCTS, BOOKS, AND DOCUMENTARY FILM
– Transformational Audio Products (see Shop at SoulProof.com) provide quality sessions at home for a fraction of the cost of an office visit. These CDs and digital audios use deep relaxation, visualization, breathwork, and/or other techniques to: access your inner wisdom, visit with “departed” loved ones, release old wounds and lower energy emotions, evaluate your pre-birth planning, have past life regressions, and other goals.
– Books and Documentary (Shop at SoulProof.com) provide information and strategies to help you more deeply realize and demonstrate:
- you are a forever being of energy / consciousness
- the many wonderful benefits of realizing this
- how to reflect this great news in every aspect of your life — even when confronted with big challenges and changes
Webinars and Workshops: to learn about these, subscribe to newsletters at SoulProof.com and SoulPhone.org (Classes & Interviews at SoulProof.com)
Greater Reality Living Groups: these local and online groups share information from Dr. Pitstick, Dr. Gary Schwartz, and other experts on consciousness and holistic wellness topics. (Visit Greater Reality Living at SoulProof.com)
Coaching / Counseling Session: meet with Dr. Pitstick by Zoom to gain answers to your toughest questions and holistic solutions to your biggest challenges. (Shop at SoulProof.com)
Disclaimer: This information is not designed to replace medical or psychological care. Dr. Pitstick’s remarks are based on his personal and professional training and experience during forty-eight years of helping many thousands of people. Collective clinical, scientific, and experiential evidence supports some, but not all, of what he shares. Mark’s views may change over time, and he does not claim to have all the answers or the only answers.
Dr. Pitstick encourages you to consider this information and decide for yourself what makes the most sense. Note: the articles and other resources at his SoulProof.com site are NOT purely based on scientific research as is the SoulPhone Project.
