My aunt and uncle are donating their bodies to science when they pass away. I sometimes joke with them and tell them, ya’ll are so old all they will find is dust… like when they cut the turkey on the Christmas movie Chevy Chase is in with the whole family around the table and the turkey is so dry it just pops up and nothing there… now this may sound awful.. but, our family has a crazy sense of humor.
They are both Christians, very good people, proud to have them as my aunt and uncle, but, was wondering… would this cause unrest in the after life. I mean down deep it bothers me to think of them taken away and poked and examined by complete strangers, and I know the intentions are honorable.. But how do you think this will effect their after life?
My mom mentioned doing this and I just fell apart and told her I couldn’t have peace living and knowing she was off somewhere, talk about haunting my spirit, so, thank goodness she changed her mind.
Asked by Lisa
3 replies on “Does Being An Organ Donor Affect Your Afterlife?”
I wouldnt think so. Leaving organs is helping people and I would think it would be a point for you in the final tally.
Hi Lisa,
Everything belongs to God, including our bodies, but they are merely the ‘vehicle’ our spirit resides in in this lifetime. After we die, the spirit leaves the body .. like you walking away from your car after turn the engine off. If its a rusty wreck (old) and you are leaving it to the ‘mechanics’, for whatever good that can come from them taking it apart, or simply checking it over, or to have it used to teach other ‘mechanics’ (doctors in training) how to understand it, or fix it if they can, then its actually good for the human race.
In the afterlife you no longer have an attachment to that ‘vehicle’. Oh yes, you still love your family profoundly, but you’ll find the body doesn’t matter anymore. While it ‘confines’ you right now, it does not ‘define’ who you are as a person, unless you allow it to. We are spiritual beings having a physical journey, but only one of many, and each time we choose a different ‘vehicle’ to travel (live) in.
Your aunt and uncle have decided to make a contribution to human knowledge by donating their bodies to science. I should tell you now that they might not actually be accepted for that work, not as many are as people believe. Being a donor might not suit some people, but for others, it gives them comfort to know that they will still be of benefit to many people by doing so.
Speaking of donors, I am a registered ‘organ donor’. I figure if someone can use some part of my body that I don’t have any use for anymore, and that might be life-changing for them (the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and to have a new heart when their own heart is failing ..) I think they should go for it. As a spiritual being I shall be able to watch over them too, which adds another family to my family, and hopefully see their joy as their loved one benefits from what I decided to do after I die.
We still have so much to learn about ourselves, and people who choose to go this path really can help to save lives.
Love & Peace
Ama
Hi Lisa
I do love your questions.
In my view, any selfless act of giving, whether whilst we are alive or dead, is a wonderful gift for someone else to benefit from.
I appreciate how uncomfortable you might feel about the thought of your loved ones being ‘poked and examined’ by strangers but try to think of it another way – the very act of ‘poking and examining’ may be the catalyst needed to improve or save thousands or even millions of lives in the future. Now, that is one great and selfless gift to give to another upon your swan song.
AJ
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