The New Testament represents the separation between the earthly realm and the heavenly as though peering through a veil. Lynn Rollins Stull believes now is the time in our spiritual evolution to lift the veil, so that we may cultivate conscious, creative and, living relationships with loved ones who have died.
As a successful broadcast advertising executive, Stull thought she knew how to handle any situation. After the death of her only child, Lara, the only thing Stull did know is that she wanted to find a way to serve her daughter. With a deep commitment to Lara and spirit, Stull found the indications by Rudolf Steiner, a scientist and philosopher, of how one could be of service to those who have died by reading to them in a very specific way. This foundational practice of reading dates back to the 1900s and led Stull on a journey of renewal and healing, and eventually to creating Easing Grief.
Easing Grief is a home study program offering the holistic tools and practices Stull has been gathering following Lara’s death. Her study of God, the spiritual world and particularly what happens after death intensified. She designed Easing Grief to empower, educate, and support those who are interested being pro-active in their own process of grieving.
“My intention is to make Steiner’s indications understandable and reader friendly, to give a modern way of working with the dead and using real life experiences,” says Stull. She brings Steiner’s work of connecting with the dead to one place and clarifies the processes that have worked beautifully for her.
Stull reinforces Steiner’s point that when we die, we do not immediately become enlightened. Our consciousness in the spiritual world depends on how we develop our knowledge of the spiritual world while living on the physical plane. She believes now is the time in our spiritual evolution to work with the dead in a conscious creative way. Stull brings forward a unique idea: if one believes in spiritual evolution, reincarnation makes perfect sense and our loved ones would want to be working with us to learn new things for their next incarnation, as well as to support and help us in our current reincarnation.
Stull emphasizes her program is not for atheists or people looking for a fast and easy way to ease grief. It is a program designed for people who are spiritually inquisitive and committed to engage with daily practices of prayer, meditation and journaling. The thought of being of service to your loved one is intriguing.
Easing Grief is a proactive program consisting of easy to understand, modules, instructional videos with supporting PDF resources designed to deepen your connection with your loved one. Stull provides an introductory video where she demonstrates how to prepare by providing a thorough list of books, music, art supplies and instruction on how to cultivate a mood to ensure they get the most out of the material.
She teaches subscribers how to gradually ease the pain and bring joy back into life through service with the loved one who has died. Feelings of numbness will begin to dissipate and a sense that you have a reason to go on living will slowly grow in you.
According to Stull, to be of service to the person who has died you need to create a spiritual connection. The practice of reading spiritual material to the person who has died creates this connection and builds a foundation for the relationship. The dead person can actually find and locate the person who is alive more easily when the person who is alive has spiritual thoughts and feelings and participates in spiritual deeds.
The basic process of reading can be as simple as sitting at your kitchen table and choosing the spiritual materials (books, bible, poetry) in alignment with the deceased’s spiritual orientation. The key is to make a connection to a Spiritual Being who is greater that you.
It is not just about the words. Stull guides you how to bring in your loved one utilizing sensory memory by feeling and re-experiencing the details about your loved one. This could be remembering the touch of their skin, or a quality or deed that made this person remarkable to you. Creating an imagination and picture is part of the process that brings them there to you – sitting with you at the table.
Stull prefers reading aloud but Steiner suggests reading silently. More importantly, when you read try as best as you can to put what you are reading into mobile pictures like mini-movies, penetrating the material deeply and filling what you are reading with feeling from the heart.
“When I first started this practice 18 years ago, I would read for hours”, said Stull. Today her reading times vary from 20-30 minutes to hours depending on the day. Reading and prayer first thing in the morning are still her touchstone for connecting with her daughter and loved ones who have died. In fact – they have been the inspirations other collaborative impulses.
In the spring of 1997 Stull’s daughter died. Lara was only eight years old. Stull remembers holding Lara as she took her last breath. “My soul, my feeling life, became quite numb after my daughter’s death,” said Stull.
Even though there are many unanswered questions surrounding Lara’s death, Stull does not use her daughter’s death as an excuse to define her life story. The doctors treating Lara thought there was something going on in the grey matter of her brain, the neutral tissue specific to the brain and spinal chord because her symptoms were of a gross motor problem. At that time there were no diagnostic tools to confirm her illness and oddly all of the diagnostic tests available came back normal. “ I don’t talk about my daughter much; the reason being that it is such a sacred relationship to me and most people really don’t get that in a reasonable way, “ says Lynn.
“In the past death has been woven into culture and made sacred- in our culture, death is not a topic you talk about at cocktail parties,” says Stull. She has kept that part of her life quiet for the past 16 years. Stull continues to only work through her blog and programs but is always available to answer questions privately.
“I do not believe in grief groups, I am kind of a rebel in that perspective,” says Stull. Life has taught her that we all have different experiences of death and it is impossible to understand what someone is going through. In her experience groups can sometimes be self indulgent and repulsive. Her programs are for those who are depressed, removed from life and prefer to take action and engage with their loved one privately. People have unsubscribed to her blog because they were still too tender to actively participate in the Easing Grief technique.
The spiritual practices Lynn has gathered and the collaborative nature of working with those who have died continues to inspire her. She feels there is no coincidence the impulse for a book came while attending an after life convention in Oregon because her daughter was born in Portland. Stull is currently in contract with an editor she met through a Hay House writing workshop.
Wonders of the Veil outlines Stull’s process and is scheduled to be released Spring 2016, on the anniversary of Lara’s death. The significance of the date will be kept private. According to Stull, “It just doesn’t feel right to share either when Lara was born or when she died. It really is information that belongs to her.”