There are stages that a body goes through during the dying process and experiences that will occur as consciousness withdraws from the body. They are referred to as the dissolution phases. Here the focus is on what the mind experiences as the elements and fundamental constituents dissolve into luminosity.

Now the sign of the dissolution of earth into water is present, of water into fire, fire into wind, wind into consciousness, and so forth...

Because the element of earth is dissolving, your mind becomes extremely unclear, dull, and torpid...  at this first stage of dissolution, you see something that looks very much like a shimmering mirage.


The element of water dissolves...This produces a further state of mental obscurity;  marked by a quality of wildness or disturbance.  What was previously seen as a shimmering mirage becomes more vivid and starts to look more like thick smoke.


The element fire dissolves...you start to feel quite cold...Your mind...becomes alternately clear and unclear;   what was previously seen as smoke starts to come more into focus in your perception and takes the appearance of something like fireflies.


The wind element dissolves...At this point, because the four elements have dissolved into consciousness, your mind becomes extremely confused or bewildered and unseated; therefore, a variety of hallucinations can occur at this point. ...what was previously seen as fireflies becomes clearer and takes the appearance of something like a lamp flame.

 ...the fundamental constituents which have produced your body, which are the white element, found in the top of your head, and the red element or constituent, found below the navel, move from their seats, where they have resided during your life.

First, the white drop moves or flows downward from the top of your head toward your heart. As it moves downward, you experience a pervasive, brilliant whiteness, as though everything had become entirely composed of white light.

The second stage of this subtle and final dissolution is that the red drop or red constituent, previously found below the navel, flows or moves upwards, also approaching your heart...
everything is now perceived as a brilliant redness, as though everything were a brilliant red light.


The third stage occurs when the two drops, the white drop which descends from the head and the red drop which rises from the abdomen meet at the heart.  As they meet, they enclose or sandwich your consciousness between them, as a result of which you experience a pervasive blackness, an absolute obscurity.