On the last day of May, the Huffington Post headline read: “George Tiller Killed: Abortion Doctor Shot At Church.” The abortion job was famous, not the 67-year-old man himself—fame came to him by his murder. The lines of opposition to abortion are clearly drawn in the USA between those who hate it and those whose concern for mothers leads them to defend women against the dire consequences of “back street” abortion procedures.

On June 20, a young woman was shot on the embattled streets of Tehran at the height of the conflict over the recent national election in Iran. She was Neda Agha Soltani, a lovely, innocent girl, whose gruesome death throes were caught on camera for the whole world to see on Facebook and TV. There was nothing else in her life, except the symbolism of her assassination, to make Neda, whose name means “voice,” into an icon of her people’s struggle for true democracy in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Then on June 25, Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop,” died unexpectedly. Michael was an entertainer with a huge international following, and massive global sales of records, by far the most sold by any singer. The Internet, airwaves, and newspapers were dripping with the news of his sudden passing at age 50. His death was felt all around the amazed world.

Why them, and why now?

The Masters of the Spirit World, who are channeled daily by my colleague Toni Winninger, are senior guides on the other side. They have made several points about human death. One is that each soul who comes down to planet Earth chooses in advance the timing and the purpose of its physical death. This is one of many decisions the soul makes before incarnating, and it can be altered subsequently by the soul, who has always freedom of choice in the matter.

The timing of our death can be for various reasons. One is a contract made with another soul to kill or be killed with a purpose in mind—for example, to teach a spiritual lesson to a family or a community. In a conversation with the soul of the American actress Sharon Tate* the lesson was to awaken the public to the dangers of religious cults, such as the Charles Manson gang who did the killing.

The assassination of young Neda in Tehran appears to be in the same category, death for a larger purpose in society. It is also bound to be a lesson for her family and friends in grieving.

Another reason for the timing of death can be that the soul (but not necessarily the conscious mind) arranges to opt out when its human work is done. I suspect that this may be true in Michael Jackson’s passing. Despite his plans for a world tour, perhaps his soul knew that his planned life lessons on Earth were finished. And his fans, young and old, are now learning a lesson in coping with loss—a life lesson for them..

And when death comes, what happens?

The Masters tell us that eventually all souls transition to their home on the Other Side, the dimension of unconditional love. And death itself? Transition is not difficult. Pain fades from our consciousness as the bullet is shot or the heart gives out, and we find ourselves transported Home all in one piece. The soul never dies.

*(In Talking with Twentieth-Century Women – see our Literature page.)