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Question:
What is your position on organ transplants which are becoming
evermore prevalent? What happens to the seed atom of the donor during a heart
transplant? In your opinion, what is the effect on people who donate parts of
their bodies to medical science or to people in need?
Answer:
Every atom of each physical body is the unique possession of
the Ego inhabiting that body. The condition of the physical vehicle and its
organs mirrors the way in which the Ego has lived his previous Earth lives and
has been able to construct the archetype of his physical vehicle during the
postmortem period.
For this reason, transplanted organs, certain types of blood
and some artificial substances may be rejected by a particular Ego. No Ego will
accept physical insertions into his dense vehicle which are too much at variance
with his own singular makeup. The Ego must dominate the cells of foreign matter
brought into his physical body, whether in the guise of food, transplant or
transfusion. If the Ego cannot dominate the foreign matter, then it will be
rejected. The patient should be as sure as he can, therefore, of his ability to
dominate any foreign matter before its insertion into his body.
To receive a transplanted healthy organ for a hopelessly
diseased or malfunctioning one might give an Ego the wherewithal and the
incentive to live a more useful life. The use of a transplanted organ, however,
no matter how well its atoms may harmonize with the rest of the recipient's
dense body, will not help that person make the archetype of a better organ for
use in its next life. The ability to do this will spring from the spiritual
progress he is able to make in the present life. If he does not correct the
underlying spiritual cause of debility in the organ concerned, it is to be
expected that similar or worse trouble will plague him in a forthcoming life.
If a person is willing to reform spiritually, the use of a
well-functioning transplant might provide sufficient immediate relief of
suffering or helplessness to enable him to review his situation more rationally
and put forth the needed effort. We can conceive of situations in which a
transplant might give a helpful advantage to an Ego who otherwise would be
hindered greatly in life, provided he undertakes to conform, in the future, to
the rules of right living.
We believe that heart transplants must be considered in a
different light from those of other organs. The heart contains the Ego's seed
atom, the forces of which have been present in every dense vehicle which that
Ego has ever used. The record of past experiences inscribed on the seed atom is
as indispensable to the Ego's evolution as the heart itself is indispensable to
his survival in the physical world. Thus it appears that great evolutionary
hazards could occur to both donor and recipient as the result of a heart
transplant. We do not believe, therefore, that heart transplants are desirable.
The original seed atom of the recipient of a transplanted
heart, we believe, would remain with the etheric counterpart of his original
heart, which continues a part of his vital body. Occult science teaches that
when parts of the dense body are amputated, the etheric counterpart of the
amputated member remains with the individual concerned and gradually
disintegrates as the physical member (arm, leg, or whatever) disintegrates.
People who have had amputations sometimes complain of what they describe as pain
in the amputated member which they feel because the etheric counterpart, which
may not disintegrate for years, still is a part of their vital structure.
We believe it likely that, once a heart transplant has taken
place, the angelic Beings in charge of such matters would transfer the
recipient's seed atom to the apex of the donor's heart, which now is pumping
blood through the recipient's body.
Concerning the donor's seed atom, ordinarily we could assume
that this remains with the donor's etheric vehicle, the two higher ethers of
which are retained during the initial phases of the postmortem period. However,
unlike an amputated limb left to decay, the donor's heart continues to function,
albeit in another body and, perhaps, fitted with the seed atom of the recipient
Ego. We do not know what the role of the original seed atom would be in such a
case but, as said, the potential for evolutionary hazards is considerable.
Concerning donors who authorize the transplanting of their
organs after death, the following must be kept in mind: during the first three
and one-half days after an Ego is considered physically dead, a singularly
important period in his evolution takes place. He is engaged in viewing a
panorama of the life just ended. This panorama will form the basis of his
postmortem experiences in the spiritual worlds. The degree to which he can view
the panorama without distraction will determine the extent to which he will be
able to permanently learn the lessons of the Earth life just ended.
While the panorama is taking place, the silver cord
connecting the Ego, in its higher vehicles, to the dense body is still intact.
Thus, although the Ego is considered "dead," there remains a
connection with his physical vehicle and he cannot help but be aware of
disturbances to that vehicle. Since organs to be used for transplant must be
"fresh", they must be removed from the donor's body immediately after
death. The surgical procedure thus required necessarily would distract the Ego
from his concentration on the panorama and he would be prevented from profiting
fully from this experience.
Donors who permit transplanting of their organs while they
are alive - as often is the case with donors of kidneys - must remember that
such a sacrifice will make it more difficult for them to cope with the remaining
period of their physical existence. It also is possible that such willful
mutilation of their physical bodies - even though it is done in the context of
service to a fellow human being - may have a detrimental effect on their ability
to construct a more nearly perfect archetype or a more nearly perfect physical
body for their next Earth life.
On the other hand however, the motivating factor of love and
service which underlies the actions of most donors of physical organs certainly
should add to their soul growth and spiritual stature. In this respect, they are
likely to reap beneficial rewards.
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