Death is a pain for the ones who are too lost in their lives. The mind lacks consciousness and as they die they lose themselves to the process of being carried away by higher energies. Most of such lost people are unaware of the direction they shall move to after death and are often in a state of deep confusion.
This confusion often leads to a kidnap by the stronger negative forces. They take the soul to negative realms and the soul has to suffer for hundreds of years before any other energy comes for a rescue.
An aware energy always knows the direction or is too readily supported by other positive higher energies. For ex: A confused kid when changes his school can be taken up by bad boys to get their ulterior motives fulfilled. An aware child would get attracted to the right crowd and would even be helped by the good students there and his teachers. Similarly, an aware positive soul lands up in the right hands and is taken care of. There have been cases where such souls didn’t wait in the nether (the lowest realm, right above the earth) and rose really high to reach the upper realms where the environment is tranquil and where the higher positive energies of sages and saints rest.
How does a soul rise higher or is helped by positive energies? The process is meditation. Meditation doesn’t mean to sit and chant for hours always. It can start from taking small breaks from work and understanding that I am not this body but I am the soul within. I am the energy who has made this body around to live on planet earth. As the consciousness rises and one is calm to the process of life, one is getting ready for the right place. As the process of understanding and placidity rises, one is consciously aware.
This awareness is what we need to reach the right place and to make the best of life after death. This tranquility is what helps us to be supported by strong positive energies to reach the right realm.
Bhagwat Geeta states:
na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato yam purano na hanyate hanyamane
Translation
The soul never takes birth and never dies at any time nor does it come into being again when the body is created. The soul is birthless, eternal, imperishable and timeless and is never terminated when the body is terminated.