Is Getting to Your Bankruptcy Discharge Heaven or Hell? Your Choice!

There's a movie called Jacob's Ladder. The interesting part of the movie (which is one long hallucinatory flashback) has to do with a philosophical analysis that is delivered by Danny Aiello, quoting the 14th century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart:"Eckhart saw Hell too; he said: 'the only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you,' he said. 'They're freeing your soul. So, if you're frightened of dying and... you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth.'"

The concept that attachment, excessive holding on, can cause suffering, isn't merely a part of Christian theological tradition. It shows up as the central concept of Buddhism, that desire causes suffering.

So a part of bankruptcy may involve letting go in order to experience the bliss that is the bankruptcy discharge. Now, a bankruptcy discharge isn't heaven, nor is it nirvana.

But if you're squashed flat by debt, and you spend sleepless nights worrying about how you can possibly pay your debts AND feed your family, then letting go of your dignity, and your credit rating, and your non-exempt assets when you can't sell them prior to filing, and your pride, can sometimes give people a good deal of psychological rest and comfort.

And I am constantly surprised, for no good reason, that some folks make a decision to suffer through each and every moment of the bankruptcy process, and some folks decide to rejoice.

Fortunately for me, I'm perfectly willing to lead a band of bankruptcy tourists through bankruptcyland whether they are crying or laughing. As long as they listen to me, and don't step into the quicksand.