This is in response to reader Karen’s questions on what happens to a person in a coma and after physical death, which are probably better addressed to a priest or a medical doctor.

The answers I will give here may differ from what a Christian priest will tell you. But since you asked me, I hope you are prepared and open-minded enough to consider them.

“What happens to a soul when the physical body is in a coma, and what happens after the death of the physical body?

“My dad died May 25 of lung cancer. Two days before that, he went into a coma after a cardiac incident. According to the doctor, he flatlined for six minutes, and after he was revived, he went into a coma. What happened to the soul during those six minutes? What happened to him after he was revived?”

The answers I will give here are not really my own, but those I have gathered from psychics, clairvoyants, from spirits who have communicated with the living, and from the teachings of religions other than Christianity. So it’s up to you to accept or reject them.

The soul of a person in a coma is still there, but mostly the vegetative part of it. You see, there are three aspects of a human soul—the vegetative, the sentient and the rational. The reason a person in a coma is still alive, though unconscious, is because of the vegetative part of the soul.

What happened to the soul during the six minutes the body was brain-dead with no more heartbeat? The soul (or astral body) may have left the physical body temporarily, and returned after six minutes.

“When he was already in a coma, there were episodes of ‘coughing,’ as if he had a lot of liquid in his lungs and he could not breathe. Sometimes he seemed to ‘cry’ from the pain. Was he feeling pain?”

No, he was not in pain. The coughing and other movements could just be biological, mechanical movements.

“There were times he would open his eyes, although the eyes were cloudy and seemed not to see anything. The doctor said the opening of the eyes may have been caused by the medicine flowing inside his body. Was he opening his eyes on his own? Could he still see or hear the people around him? What was going on in his soul during that time?”

Because the astral body or soul may be hovering in and out of the physical body, there will be moments he may open his eyes, and even move a little. He may not see the people around him, but he can still hear them. It is believed that the sense of hearing is the last to go before a person dies.

Broken cord

“Was my dad already dead even before he was revived?”

This depends on what you mean by “dead.” According to South African biologist and psychic researcher Dr. Lyall Watson in his book, “The Romeo Error,” it is not possible to determine exactly when a person is really dead.

From the esoteric point of view, death happens when the astral cord or silver cord, which connects the soul to the physical body, is finally severed or broken. Until that happens, a person is technically still alive.

“We also have a belief here about whispering to the dead or dying person. What’s this all about? Does the dead or dying really hear this? Minutes after my dad died, I talked to him in my mind, asking him to watch over my kids, but not to show himself because I am scared.”

The reason for this practice is the belief that the sense of hearing is the last to be lost when a person dies, as pointed out earlier. And it is true that even if a person is already dead, you can still talk to him through telepathy, and that will be received by the dead person, whose astral body may still be around. Actually, there is no such thing as “dead.” A person continues to be conscious or aware even after death, but he may no longer be able to respond or talk back.

If he is still earthbound days or even months after that, it is possible to communicate with him through a medium or clairvoyant. There is, by the way, biblical proof that we can talk to the dead. See Samuel I, 28:3-20. You may verify this in your own copy of the Bible.

“To this day I have not dreamt of him. Is he really looking after my kids?”

It’s good that he has not appeared or manifested himself to you or to anyone. That means he has ascended to the light and is no longer earthbound. He has accepted his new state of being. You should be happy for this. It is when the dead manifest themselves that you should be worried.

“During the wake, we took some pictures of my dad. I noticed that although my dad’s eyes were closed, there were two black crosses on both eyes. What does this mean?”

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just due to the makeup. It’s really difficult to interpret or give any meaning to it. Sometimes we give too much meaning to things we do not understand.

Attend the next Practical Mind Dynamics seminar on July 13-14, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and the next Soulmates, Karma and Reincarnation seminar on July 20, 1-7 p.m., at Rm. 308 Prince Plaza I, Legazpi St., Greenbelt, Makati. Call 8107245, 8159890, 0908-3537885; e-mail [email protected]; www.jimmylicauco.com.