When a Loved One Dies we often go into shock. What has happened doesn't really penetrate. It's only later that we start to experience our emotions, what that person has meant to us. This is when grief and loneliness begin. For many of us this is also the time we start asking questions, like "what does death really mean?" We want to know, and understand. This time of sorrow can also be the start of a new, spiritual path. But whatever our reaction, for almost everyone it means passing through a dark tunnel. It is only beyond the deepest darkness that light begins to dawn again, and we can gradually open ourselves to life once more. When the end of the tunnel comes in sight, you are a different person. Every mourning process is a process of transformation.

Is there truly life beyond death? What really happens when we die? Can the living stay connected with, or even help, their loved ones who have passed on? Answers to these questions have traditionally been sought for in Eastern religions but - perhaps surprisingly for some - they can also be found within the Christian tradition. In fact, such knowledge was prevalent in early Christianity, but was gradually suppressed and eventually forgotten.Turning to hidden - esoteric - sources that reveal lost meanings within the Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Gnostic texts, Hans Stolp and Margarete van den Brink describe the world of light that exists beyond death, and the 'seven steps' needed to progress through its realms. The authors draw on near-death experiences as well as the many profound personal encounters with deceased friends and family members described by people in recent times. With this knowledge, together with Rudolf Steiner's research, they offer answers to the following questions: - What is the world beyond death really like and what tasks await us there? - Why is love and wisdom gained in life on earth so important in the afterlife? - How can the living help or hinder the dead? - How do the departed themselves help loved ones who are left behind? - How does the Christ sustain the dead as they review their previous life and prepare for the next?This is an extraordinary guide to understanding what happens after death. It also offers invaluable advice on staying connected to our loved ones who have passed on.