Q00.003 - Remorse and experience after death

From Anthroposophy

Question

When one encounters another soul in the spiritual world to whom one did something wrong on Earth, does one pass through the same experience if one has already corrected one's wrongdoing while on Earth, or does one pass through what he/she has done to the other with the same intensity of what the other has experiences in result of one's act?

Further comments by the person asking the question

I believe that the personal Karma stays as to what goes on one to compensate. The main question is about the 'intensity' of the experience one would have in Kamaloka .. is this intensity the same or not. Would the person who passed away experience his wrong deed with the same intensity, if this wrong deed has been forgiven on earth?

For me it is important to know, if a reconciliation have been achieved between the offender and the offended, does the intensity of the experiencing one's mistake is the same, if such reconciliation has not been achieved on Earth?

So my question is: when we cross the threshold and meet there another soul that is also discarnated, do we experience what we cased to this person that is now also only in a soul body, with the same intensity, if we have been forgiven by him/her on Earth. If we have not been forgiven I know what happens. But if a forgiveness is achieved, then is the intensity of the suffering we caused to the other person we would experience in the spiritual world, still the same?

Is there amid Steiner's lectures where he says this...about the intensity? [in case you know, thank you]

Reflecting on it, either .. the intensity of experience, let say the pain, of the other soul will be the same .. in other words, the forgiveness is only connected with the future, but not with the experiences after death. Or, the wrong deed (if forgiven on earth) when the affected one is met - also discarnated - in the Spiritual World, the intensity of the suffering the former cause to the latter will be waved?

Answer

In response to your question: what has happened is recorded in the Akasha.

A possible metaphor for the process during kamaloka is the 'rollback' in reverse of what has been recorded in the 'karmic recorder' in your heart during your life, in the periods of sleep. Imagine a recorder that archives everything to tape, and then it is rolled back in reverse. This applies to everything, so also both the actual deed and further actions that follow from remorse.

With regards to the aspect of intensity, due to our state of consciousness then, the actual experiences are much more enlarged and hefty than during incarnate life. [lecture reference to be added]

What matters most however is the karmic balance that is left. That is why it is important to try and resolve as much as one can during incarnate life,with individuals in living relationships on earth. In other words not leave it open in your own soul, but also act upon it with the other human being directly. It is interesting to contemplate the reality of what you write with 'corrected one's wrong doing', and its deeper meaning, as this is not so obvious but quite complex and relative to the person concerned, and not only direct conflicts or acts but even thoughts and after-feelings matter.


Afterwards

Thank you from my heart! Indeed, everything you said is greatly put, truthful and answers my question in full.

Further answers

All experiences one caused to someone else still 'keep on staying on' as facts. However, if one has understood to have done another a wrong, and there was a compensation/resolve during life on earth, both experiences would be experienced after death.

Hence the person who committed the deed will experience the feelings of the person that suffered the deed after they die, that cannot be avoided. However if the deed is forgiven, then the karma is released. This is the spiritual significance of forgiveness that releases both parties. To forgive is to understand, and understanding of the person is also love, and love sent to the dead helps the dead. Understanding kind of relieves the burden, but the dead will still have to understand that he did wrong.

From this follows the question, if a person who has done another something wrong has understood it was wrong before he died, is he (still) hindered (in the same way) by the victim's animosity?

Understanding a bad act is important for the perpetrator as he/she now takes conscious responsibility for an act whereas this was not previously the case, this impacts the conscience and the burden on his/her shoulders.

This however does not mean that the karmic balance does not have be amended, which is another matter.

Steiner mentions [somewhere - reference to be added still] that a person who kills another person and understood that it was wrong, will or may (have to) save that person in a non-spectacular way. In contrast to the case if he had not understood, and would/could die when saving the person.

Another follow on question

We experience what the other experienced in kamaloca. What if you were much older than the one to whom you did something (eg a child), and the age gap is such that you have gone through kamaloca before the other soul enters. The older perpetrator will experience the impact to the child, but what about the child when that soul reaches kamaloca?

In the akasha all stays readable irrespective, and time not work in a similar way in the spiritual world as on Earth, our current experience of time is bound to physical timespace on Earth.

Steiner spoke about this 'time lapse' between the offender and the offended [somewhere - reference to be added still] saying that the one who is discarnated (the offender) must go to his victim and if the victim experiences hatred towards his offender, then the offender's soul experiences as though going through burning fire.