Yes!
I agree with the possibilities you offer, Chrwe!

You've certainly thought about it more than I had. What you suggest seems so very probable. 
It goes with an ancient idea that we have layers of consciousness that can peel off individually.  Sometimes in afterlife writings these layers are called aspects.

You seem to be onto something that could be very helpful to such people and their caregivers!

Bets

   I have a theory which may explain some cases of dementia, especially those of which they forget who friends and relatives are. A psychic author named Ruth Montgomery in her book "Strangers Among Us" once introduced the concept of walk-ins who take over a person's body:
http://www.newagefast.com/soul-exchange.html

http://paranormal.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=paranormal&cdn=newsiss...

   A common problem that walk-ins have is recognizing family and friends of the soul that they changed places with. It could be that some people hitting 80 years or more just get plain tired of living that long.

chrwe, it seems to me that there are those whose bodies should have concluded their viability at some previous time but were "cured" by mans medical prowess.  We are here for a reason and if we cannot die of cancer, TB, or some other dread disease, something has to come along to end the physical life...especially if all your soul mates are already on the other side waiting for you to come home and plan the next play date.

My wife's parents both died withing two years of each other...my best friends parents both died within two years of each other...then my wife's best friends parents did the same...see the pattern?  From our incarnate, human standpoint, we see that the other spouse no longer had anything to live for and died as a result...the tragedy of losing a loved mate...and it is a human tragedy.  But we are only human while here.   Look at it from a soul's standpoint...each of these couples had all raised their children, lived through good times and bad, were philosophical about the loss of their mates (with natural loneliness, and appropriate grieving, of course) and then when the time came they were looking forward to it as much as their sense of socialization would let them (keeping up the good fight to survive) with kids all telling them to hang on (for what, I cannot imagine...winning the lottery?).  They had all lived good, productive, fruitful lives...what was there to hang on to?  Why not move on and get the next one started? 

Each of my four grandparents have passed in their nineties, although my maternal grandmother still tweaks my cheek when I look cute.  Each of them went with little fanfare and drama, all had no problem talking about looking forward to the next opportunity, no fear, just boredom with their current lot and the loss of everyone who was a contemporary.  Each of them was "somewhere else" at times and we would have to push a little in order to bring them back, but they were, at worst, early stage Alzheimers (the one who wasn't, the maternal grandmother cheek pincher, died on her 98th birthday...the oldest of all).  There is no alternative...we all will die.  The plan we have put in place to end this incarnation may take care of it for us, but if not there will be other causes...some may be more appealing from our current mind, but l daresay that whatever ends it will be effective to enable our transition.  And then we get to do it again...with a new plan/play and with all our friends meeting us at different points of the play to enable us to live different experiences.  The 98 year old told me with absolute seriousness a few weeks before she died..."Scott, never live to this age...everyone who can understand what your problems are is dead and anyone alive to listen to you cannot imagine what you are doing.  And just know that where you go from here is a whole lot better than where we are now...I've seen it.  Oh, grampa says hello."  

Hi Guys,

It's so difficult when we try to speculate about our lives and purpose. We have to constantly refocus the lens between ourselves and our families and the world at large and between the past and the present.

We need to make certain assumptions about our experience to be able to make any sense out of it. Locally the problem of dementia or Alzheimers seems like a personal issue but if you believe that we each have purpose then what service might the individual provide?

Or where might these conditions be on a scale of concern compared to the random suicide bombings at a wedding or the victims of recent earthquakes?

Then we add history to the equation with the assumption again that we each have a purpose. Change is the reality that we have dealt with since we've been recording our history but never before have we had so many of us here and able to communicate by the technology we've created.

Further assuming that everything”s progressing as it should be and its all for our higher good and that we each have a part in the entire scheme, why wouldn't dementia also be a valuable piece to the puzzle as well as the bombings and pollution as well as our ever increase technology.

Somewhere I read that we humans create with our minds and hands the very things that we possess inside ourselves. And the purpose of all of this is explore, satisfy our curiosity, and to remember
we 're all one by using emotional glue of love.    

My dear husband, he just turned 82 on 7/14, had a major stroke while we were on a Nile cruise boat back in '97 and we have been dealing with vascular dementia for the past 13 years.  Since neither of us is really into doctors, this conditions was only diagnosed last year by our local VA hospital.

The main reason I'm glad we didn't know is because it might have affected our decision to take a chance on relocating in AZ where I was able to achieve my goal of getting my ASU, BSSW degree  and subsequently working in my field till I became a fulltime caregiver. I also might not have contacted Valley Fever and experienced the most wonderful loving atmosphere in possibly the focus 27 planning department before I realized that I was returning here. I did get to learn the difference between aftereffects of drug induced coma and an actual visit out there. During that 2 week coma, my non physical self was extremely active.

The best part is that because of my being introduced to Bob and Bruce's material in the 90's, I was able to keep my head about me during and after my experiences. Thankfully this site was there for me to process by sharing my experiences through the posts and getting feedback.

So what have I learned? I'm listing a few or the valuable lessons I've learned these past years. I learned that I am stronger than I thought. I learned that the individual I love so dear is separate from the daily cognitive challenges presented. I learned that his nightly hugs would be sorely missed by me. I learned that his daughters family very much benefits by his being here. I learned that without the support of this board and the understanding that I am more than my body, I would probably not have been able to continue to deal with the ups and downs of being here or survived some system crashes that I experienced these past years.

I learned that maybe he's not necessarily still here for him but possibly for the rest of us and that one persons purpose might not make any sense to the rest of us till we gain a much larger perspective.

Jean,

P.S. This message was proofread and approved by my husband, Mac. J.

Jean, do you then believe your husband will be whole again - or more than whole - once he dies? This is the only part I find terrible, personally. That one may never remember one`s loved ones, or even what you are and learned yourself. Or take the case of poor Clive Wearing. This man can not experience anything new, he is forever caught in the present moment, he cannot improve anymore or truly experience or learn anything. He is loving, yes, but not "alive" as we see it with progressing experiences.

I do believe that others can learn from such an experience, but how about the person themselves?

Do you believe they will be whole again when they die? I find it so hard to believe when I see such a case of brain damage that one will be able to experience anything or "be" and "think" and "learn" without a brain at all (i.e. dead).

I pray daily that I will be spared such an experience. It is really my greatest fear after death itself (as in oblivion, not if there is an afterlife).

Of course, these sick people deserve all our loving care, of course they are valuable and of course we can learn to give from them or sometimes (Clive Wearing) even learn how great love can be. But I just hope they will be healthy once they are completely free of this body - and not simply "gone". And I do believe that - if this is true, if there is really an afterlife for all of us - they may just choose to go there before it is time for their body, or they choose to have this short experience of not knowing about themselves to teach others or themselves something.

Thank you Jean,

this is very interesting and helpful to me, not only because of my personal fear sickness, but because my great grandmother (whom I knew until I was 18) and now my dearly beloved grandmother both suffered a lot from memory loss and ability loss. And I find comfort in the thought that they will be whole again one day - and, ofc, re-unite with the people they loved and who went before them.

christiane