Life and death are contrary aspects of one thing and that is the change.  If there remains anything of death with the soul who has passed away from this earth it is the impression of death according to the idea that it has of death.  If the soul had a horror of death, it carries that horror with it.  If it had an agitation against death it carries that impression.  Beside, the dying soul carries with it the impression of the idea and regard that those surrounding it in life had for death, especially at the time of its passing from the earth. This change for some time paralyses every activity of the soul.  The soul which has become impressed by the idea that it itself held of death, and by the impression which was create by those around the death bed, that keeps it in a state of inertia, call it fear, horror, depression or disappointment. But it takes some time for the soul to recover from this feeling of inactivity.  It is this which, from the metaphysical point of view, may be called purgatory.  Once the soul has recovered from this state, it again begins to progress, advancing towards its goal on the tracks which it has laid before.

The picture of this idea may be explained thus: a simple man was told in jest by his friend that, when a person is yawning, that is the sign of death.  He was impressed by this idea and after he had the experience of yawning, he thought certainly he was dead.  He was very sad over his death and went to look for a grave for himself, despairing over the idea that, “How false are friends, that no one came to his funeral.”  He found a hole in the ground dug by the wolves, and he thought, “How nice, I do not need to dig a grave for myself; at least that much is done for me.”  He threw himself in that hole and was lying comfortably sorrowing over his death. A man happened to pass that way who was looking for someone to carry some of his load, and who was talking to himself: “If only I had someone in these woods who could carry half of my load, it would be so nice.” In answer to his thoughts he heard someone say, “Alas, now i am dead.  If I were living, I would certainly have helped you.”  This man could not understand how a person who is dead would speak.  As he turned back and looked, he found a man lazily lying in a hole dug in the ground.  He thought, perhaps he was ill, he could help him. He came near and asked, “What is the matter with you?”  The simpleton said, “Nothing is the matter with me. I am quite well.  It is only that I am dead.”  The man said, “How can you be dead?  You do not look like a dead man. You are speaking.  How could you be dead and speak at the same time? You are not dead.” But the simpleton continued saying “No, no, I am dead,” until that man had to kick him out of the hole.  Then he got up and tried to believe that he was not dead.

Behind this humorous story there is a wonderful secret hidden.  How many souls are foolish in believing in the idea of death and carrying with them that thought while passing form the earth to a life which is a still greater life.  And how many souls do we find in the world who believe the end of life to be death, a belief in mortality which cannot be rooted out from their minds.  The whole teaching of Jesus Christ has as its central theme to rise toward the realisation of immortality.