Afterdeath "oneness"=loss of individuality?

Does achieving "oneness" after death mean loss of individuality?

Michael Tymn recently did a little essay on whether "oneness" in the afterlife means loss of human individuality, loss of the sense that "I am I, the individual unique personality". If this is so then there is ultimately no afterlife at least in human terms. The essay is in his blog at http://whitecrowbooks.com/michaeltymn/en...viduality/. 

Tymn doesn't think so, and for an answer on this he mainly cites as sources various channeled messages on this received by different accomplished mediums over the last century or so. Included are messages from Emanuel Swedenborg through a late 19th century medium, from Silver Birch communicated through Maurice Barbanell, from Frederic W. H. Myers through Geraldine Cummins, and from the group soul known as Imperator through William Stainton Moses. The general message seems to be that the person never loses his "I am I" sense of individuality.

"Silver Birch, the name taken by the apparent group soul communicating through the mediumship of British journalist Maurice Barbanell, put it this way:  “The ultimate is not attainment of Nirvana.  All spiritual progress is toward increasing individuality.  You do not become less of an individual, you become more of an individual.  You develop latent gifts, you acquire greater knowledge, your character becomes stronger, more of the divine is exhibited through you.  The Great Spirit is infinite and so there is an infinite development to be achieved.  Perfection is never attained, there is a constant striving towards it.  You do not ever lose yourself.  What you succeed in doing is finding yourself.”

Silver Birch went on to say that such conditions are beyond human language and that we cannot understand it until we attain it.  “You do not lose your individuality in a sea of greater consciousness, but that depth of the ocean becomes included in your individuality,” Silver Birch added."

Do NDE accounts figure into this question? I don't think so, since these experiences are of just of the initial stages of the afterlife. In any case the experiencers seem to generally not lose themselves, their sense of "I am I".

Do NDE accounts figure into this question? I don't think so, since these experiences are of just of the initial stages of the afterlife. In any case the experiencers seem to generally not lose themselves, their sense of "I am I".

I agree. For example, some NDErs have experiences of hell. Obviously it doesn't mean that we are all going to hell.

NDErs don't seem to lose their identities:

We are not a great melting pot, a collective. We are individuals, and always have been and always will be, for infinity.

If one person on the other side of infinity knows the answer, then so do you, but we are not ‘all one.’

William Bray

The incomprehensible part is at that point at which you no longer exist and you become only light when you fully merge with the light. This is because the character and the characteristics that you are, the uniqueness that is you and nobody else, still exists when you cease to exist as a personality. But every bit of your personality is available for reincarnation.

Thomas Sawyer

I was aware that I was being "absorbed" into the Light, became One with the Light. But, at the same time never lost my "Andy-ness"!

Andy Petro

Well if my memories are anything to go by then I'd agree with the article and the alleged channelled spirits. Especially with the analogy that you're not really the same person at 15-35-75 either, and it's not much different. What's most interesting to me is looking back at sequences of incarnations where I didn't have the (relatively) full memory I have right now and noticing how emotional things I learned or encountered in one seemed to transfer to the next even though I was consciously unaware of it at the time.

I told Teal about this thread and teh article and she agreed as well, stating that it's interesting looking backat yourself and how it's almost like looking back at a lesser life form given how dumb we were when we were younger souls. I've learned a lot in this life already and changed accordingly so I wonder how I'll see this period of my existence later. She mused about the idea that maybe that's how some spirits and even aliens would see this place. Certainly it was the way  places like this were seen by such people in our memories. She thought it could explain the interactions here. In that there's some via NDE's and other small paranormal things, but there isn't anything global scale and undeniable.

I also agree with the idea that there isn't just one other plane or set of planes. according to my memories it can basically be summed up as "infinite layers of infinites". Likewise with the idea that you're whole personality doesn't just magically change just because you move locations. From my perspective things "up there" aren't really any different than down here when you get right down to it. But I'm sure if someone was suddenly thrown up there they would vehemently disagree with me.