W.S.Herrmann

Eurydice: The greek word "eurys" means ´far´. And "dikein" is the verb ´to speak´. Etymologically Eurydice means: the person, who speaks from far away. This does not mean, that a public speaker calls aloud over a distance of 100 yards or more. It means speaking from the next world. The name ´Eurydice´ is strongly connected with the myth of Orpheus and Eurydike. So it is necessary to explain the ancient myth, if we want to know about Eurydice´s next world communication.

Mythological Explanation

Shortly after her wedding, Eurydice died, because a snake bit her leg. Orpheus, well known as an artist of the harp, went down to Hades ( the greek underworld), in order to convince the godesses, to give Eurydice back to him. His harp concert persuaded Proserpina and also Pluto. But they decided on a precondition for Eurydice´s return. Orpheus should not turn around, to have a look on his wife as long as they were on their way back to earth. Of course the unavoidable happened, as it is shown in the famous relief of the Parthenon-temple: Orpheus turned back to his beloved, and Eurydice disappeared. Consequently, Orpheus fell in a deep depression, and he was no longer able to play his music as before. Finally several younger ladies of Thracia killed Orpheus in a collective rage. His head and his harp floatet away to the island of Lesbos. Some nymphes discovered the relicts of Orpheus, and Apollo elevated the spirit of Orpheus to the stars of heaven. Eurydice´s return to heaven had the effect, that this kind of love became usual in Hades. The Hades metamorphosed into Heaven. The phylogenesis of love started, which is told by Jesus Christ 500 years later.

Systematic Explanation

Communication with the next world is a concept quite common with next world theories in present leading religions.They say, that living people are able to get in touch with the deceased and share information. Basis for this kind of communication is a high level of inner quietness combined with concentration and introversion(Röthlisberger 2007). In musical practice you have to play with your eyes closed; and one has to concentrate on the spiritual meaning of the currently performed peace of music. Also receptive techniques of musical next world communications are described (Matzker 2008).

The Christians understand next world communication as a meeting with Jesus Christ and, as it may be, as a meeting with the Saints. But meetings between the bereaved and their deceased partners seem to be heretic (Koch 1998). Occultism and mysticism are described as profane and also clerical countermovements (Schreiber 2003).

Buddhistic religions are the model for many esoteric next world communications. Transcendental meditation enables perception of extremly frequent structures, which are supposed to be the correlates of souls (after departure from their physical bodies). The meditating monc receives those highly frequent structures, and he can - after a complex sequence of cultivation, actualization, verification and perception of the right way (v.Brück et al. 1997, 417) - find the next world knowledge, which can basically come from all levels of spiritual entities.

Islamic religions differentiate between redeemed and condemned souls. Living people are able to perceive those ghost beings during mourning and grieving. Islamic believers assume an instant presence of the deceased in the life of their living partners (paraworld). The deceased have acceived a higher level of development, and they supervise the life of their remaining partners (Küng 2004).

The Jewisch mysticism knows the so called Kabbala of different manifestations (Laitmann 2007). Here also next world communication plays an important role (Hildebrand et al. 2005).

History of Culture

Survey

The analysis of Eurydice´s cultural history should show, that the ancient greek concept of Eurydice´s love was perverted into moral theology for nearly 2000 years. The classicism of 18th century however, started out with new concepts: first allegoric (Gluck), second symbolic (Goethe). The romantics, especially the British Praeraffaelites created important theories of next world speakers ("Eury-dike"). The 20th century offers an atheistic and nihilistic Eruydice-pessimism, but also symbolistic, surrealistic, and spiritual concepts are evident (Chagall, Hesse, Marcel Camus, Davreux, Kerstetter). The new spiritualism of the 21st century is connected with the great tradition of Eurydice-communication (Godfrey, Smith, Abaelard).

Link to German version

The development of the Eurydice matter from 550 bc to 21st century is documented in German language Eurydice´s matter.

Literature

• Abaelard, Wolfgang: Eurydike. Bekenntnisse eines Leukämie-Ehemannes. Norderstedt 2008
• Brück, Michael v./ Lai, Wahlen: Buddhismus und Christentum. Geschichte, Konfrontationen, Dialog. München 1997
• Frenzel, Elisabeth: Orpheus. In: Dies.: Stoffe der Weltliteratur. Stuttgart: Kröner 2005, S 702-09
• Hasselmann, Varda/ Schmolke, Frank: Archetypen der Seele. München: Goldmann 2005.
• Hildebrand, Alfred; Schroeder, Leopold v.; Holtzmann, Adolf: Der Hinduismus: Bibliothek der Weltreligionen. Paderborn 2005.
• Knittel, E-M.: Orpheus im Horizont moderner Dichtungskonzeptionen 1998
• Koch, Kurt: Christus oder Satan. Wahrsagen, Magie, Spiritismus. Gießen 1998.
• Küng, Hans: Christentum und Weltreligionen. München 1984
• Küng, Hans: Der Islam. Geschichte, Gegenwart, Zukunft. München 2004.
• Laitmann, Michael: Quantum Kabbala: Neue Physik und Kabbalische Spiritualität. München 2007.
• Littger, Klaus W. (Hg.): Orpheus in den Künsten. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2002.
• Matzker, Reiner: Ästhetik der Medialität. Reinbek 2008.
• Roethlisberger, Linda: Der sinnliche Draht zur geistigen Welt. Kreuzlingen: Hugendubel 2006.
• Schreiber, Stefan et al. (Hg.): Das Jenseits. Perspektiven christlicher Theologie. Darmstadt 2003.
• Smith, Gordon: Mein Blick ins Jenseits. Berlin: Ullstein 2007.
• Storch, Wolfgang (Hg.): Mythos Orpheus. Texte von Vergil bis Ingeborg Bachmann. Leipzig: Reclam 1997. German version