Dying

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Dying is a process that leads an animate living organism to death, as a result of which the body usually begins to decay, to decompose. Mortality (from the Latin: mortalitas) is limited to living beings that, in addition to the physical-material and etheric body, also have at least an astral body, such as animals, or, in addition, also have an I, such as man. Through his I, however, the death of man, which is connected with a radical change of consciousness, is to be evaluated differently than that of the animal. Minerals and plants are subject to destruction, but they are not mortal in the true sense of the word.

In fact, a quiet dying process accompanies the human being from birth or conception throughout his entire earthly life. The only reason why it is not outwardly noticeable is that up to midlife the rebuilding processes predominate and continue to successfully fight against the inevitable decay of the body until the end of life. Man owes his I-consciousness to this lifelong dying process. Seen in this light, death is a lifelong friendly companion of the human being. Only in the very last phase of life do the processes of decay completely gain the upper hand. Then the etheric body begins to detach itself from the physical body from below, from the legs, the blood supply to the extremities decreases and the organ functions gradually cease. The astral body also loosens its connection with the metabolic limb system. With death, the silver cord that can be perceived clairvoyantly, which connects the astral body with the physical body throughout life, even during sleep, breaks.

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.
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