This blog is more than an account of Near Death Experiences. It ponders in detail the tough questions of life. Who are you, and why are you here in this physical world? What happens when you die, and is there a judgment? However, most anything could appear here. This is not a news blog, archived posts are just as relevant as new posts. Check the boxes at the top of the page for the Contents, Contact, Forum and other links.
Question:Can NDEs be duplicated by Scientists under controlled laboratory conditions?
Answer: Yes and No. As of this writing I know of no studies or experiments that have produced a full-blown Near Death Experience. By that, I mean an experience that contains a discussion between the Experiencer and a “Spirit Being” as to whether or not the Experiencer will continue living their physical life. Usually this consists of a statement from the Spirit Being telling the Experiencer “you must go back and finish your life.” Absence of this “life” discussion excludes the experience from being labeled a near death experience, in my opinion. However, it does not exclude it from being a real spiritual event. When Dr. Raymond Moody coined the phrase “near death experience” it was appropriate for his time, but now the phrase is being applied to sports teams and companies when they come close to losing either the game or a lot of money. This phrase no longer serves its intended purpose. Some researchers are now using the phrase “Clinical Death Experience” which more aptly fits the real event.
Near (Clinical) Death Experiences are only a small part of the very large field of spiritual experiences. But a very important part, since they show evidence life continues after death. Other spiritual experiences include Out-of-Body experiences, Pre-Birth experiences, Lucid Dream experiences, Death Bed Visions, Psychic experiences, After Death Communications, Spiritual Healings, experiencing the Oneness of all things, feeling surrounded by the Creator’s unconditional Love, and experiencing spiritual justice and morality through insights into life. If one studies spiritual experiences, it soon becomes apparent these experiences all thread into the fabric of the Greater Spiritual Reality that is our real beginnings, our real home.
Keeping in mind that Near (Clinical) Death Experiences happen when the body ceases to function (dies), we can examine scientific claims of duplication. There are three basic types of these claims to duplicate NDEs that I am aware of:
The use of mind/body altering drugs.
Stressing the body to the point of collapse, as in the Navy Airmen gravity testing by centrifuge.
Stimulation of the brain by electical, laser, chemical or other means.
The first method is discussed fully in a previous “frequently asked questions” concerning Ketamine and can be applied to any other drug as well.
The second method invokes stress, disorientation, interference with normal body functions, and even trauma in some cases. Too much stress, or too many G-forces will cause the subject to die clinically and thus have a death experience or some elements of one.
The third method, brain stimulation, begs the question that consciousness is biological and a product of the brain. However, there is no biological proof that memory or consciousness exists in the brain, or, is a product of the brain, see the Brain Thing for further explanation.
So, while some of these “drug and body stress” experiments have produced certain “elements” found in the NDE, and it is understandable that they would. There is no biological argument for science just because they can give drugs, or apply gravitation forces to the body that stop the blood flow to the brain, which then causes a person to experience some “elements” of the NDE. Heart attacks do the same thing. It is just a difference of method, fortunately the centrifuge or drugs can be stopped quickly, a heart attack usually can not. None of these G-Force stresses or drugs have actually duplicated a full-blown NDE.
The only way science could (might) produce a real NDE is to take the subject into clinical death. I saw an account of this on television (A&E). A patient’s body temperature was lowered to 60 degrees and the heart stopped so surgery could be done on a brain aneurism. All the blood was drained from the patient’s body effectively bringing her body into clinical death. At which point she left her body, looked down upon it, and observed the instruments being used in the operation. When she was revived, more than an hour later, she described the instruments used, and the surgery in detail. The surgeon was amazed, he believed her due to the accurate account she gave. She was certain the experience was real and spiritual. She had the experience independent of her clinically dead body. Her brain showed no activity on the EEG, nor any brain stem activity. She had been clinically dead for almost two hours.
The paragraph below is a quote of the same event from an anonymous writer in the NDE newsgroup. It has more detail than mine, so I thought it would interest readers.
“Such is the case of Pam Reynolds who is quite well known in the NDE community. She was having surgery performed to remove an aneurism from her brain. Her body was cooled to below 60 degrees F. and all of the blood was drained from her brain. Her EEG and brain stem response showed no activity, the definition of brain death in many states. During all of this, she reported rising from her body and seeing the operation performed below her. She also reported contact with “The Light” and many of her deceased relatives. Remember, she had no brain activity whatsoever. Even hallucinations register brain activity. It is interesting that upon recovering she recounted accurately many details of her operation, including conversations heard and a description of the surgical instruments. It has been postulated by a NDE skeptic, that Pam overheard the sounds in the room and generated a “mental map” of things around her. What the skeptic failed to acknowledge though is that instruments were inserted into Pam’s ears that generated clicks to measure brain stem response. Her brain stem response throughout the surgery was inactive. If conversations were heard, her brain stem response should have registered them.”
So, yes and no: Yes, science could (might) produce a NDE if the conditions (clinical death) for having one were met. But, no, these scientific experiments have not shown NDEs are biological in nature. There is no research showing memory and/or consciousness is biological. Think about it. Memory of all the events in our life would have to be huge. Yet, brain cells are all alike, if biological memory were there it should be easy to see some changes or coloration differences in the memory held cells.
According to Pam, she was present, above her body, viewing the whole surgical operation, her consciousness, memory, personality; her whole individuality intact. She proved this with an accurate, detailed description of the instruments, conversation, and procedures used during the surgery. At the same time science, using scientific monitoring instruments, was proving that her body was dead. No brain response, no heart response, no response of any kind. Obviously, the brain nor any other organ of the body was needed to sustain her life, and this account is just one example of the hundreds that exist in the NDE literature.
I believe this is as conclusive as proof gets. Clear, solid proof that man is a spiritual “being” inhabiting a physical body. I hope that in the future, scientists and others concerned with NDEs will consider this preponderance of evidence before telling the general public, or experiencers that NDEs are just biological events. In that manner humankind can benefit from this “knowledge of self” in many ways, and get on with its spiritual growth.
P.S.: Skeptics need to show proof of two things. First, they need to show proof, tangible, physical evidence of consciousness, and memory existing within the physical brain, and that this evidence can be collaborated by their peers. Second, they need to prove how this physical consciousness can remain alive and capable of gathering information of the body’s surroundings while the body is in a state of clinical death, showing no brain or heart or respiratory response of any kind, in order to promote their belief that humankind is wholly biological with no future beyond death.
Finally: In the interest of truth, let the skeptics present their biological proof, or forever cease calling Near (Clinical) Death Experiences some sort of biological misfire. I personally don’t expect this proof to ever be forthcoming. Ironically, it is science that has proved man will live beyond physical death. Science has finally validated the spiritual nature of man.
Eternally: All people hold within themselves the perfect light of their Creator. Skeptics, believers, and experiencers alike share the common bond of their Creator’s Love. There are no cracks to slip through, the program is perfect, individual souls struggling to affirm their identity, to extend the love they feel within while trying to balance the contradictions of physical dualism. Near Death Experiences remind us that we are safe, secure, and eternal in our Creator’s Love. We are One.
Question:I need more proof that NDEs are real, do you have any more evidence?
Answer: Yes, there is a lot more evidence. The paper below was written by EtepongeNekoKun whom has done a lot of research into near death experiences. He has a channel on “You Tube” and a “Blog.” Check out his work, it is great stuff.
Near Death Experiences / Out Of Body Experiences:
An Indepth Examination of Veridical Evidence and The Rebuttal of Common Skeptical Explanations.
Veridical Perception and Veridical Information gained during Near Death Experiences / Out Of Body Experiences, even during a flat EEG where brain and heart activity had ceased, and even in cases of persons born blind:
There are a number of well documented cases of people having near death experiences / out of body experiences, even during a flat EEG where brain and heart activity had ceased, returning with factual information which they had no prior knowledge of, and numerous cases in which the experiencers returned to life with information unavailable to them at the time of death.
These include being able to accurately tell the doctors what they were doing while they were clinically dead, what clothes they wore, what procedures and instruments they used, and any conversations being said, including accurate blow by blow accounts of their own resuscitation from a bird’s eye point of view, the whole of which can later be checked and verified to be true.
Often times they also describe what was happening out in the hallway, who was sitting in the waiting room, what was happening on the other side of the building, and conversations being said at these same locations, all while they were clinically dead elsewhere. The events witnessed, heard, and experienced, later being verified to be true. Even obscure objects on the roof have been seen and verified.
There are also accounts of experiencers meeting deceased relatives during an NDE that the person did not know was dead, such as a relative or a friend, and finding out that they were really deceased after the fact, and learning information from them that they could not have otherwise known.
There are many accounts of children and adult NDErs learning about relatives and siblings who had died before their own birth that they never met or were never told about, etc.
Also, people who have been blind since birth have been able to accurately perceive visual surroundings during their experience. Many people have also been informed of knowledge far beyond their personal capacity. Etc.
The most convincing aspect of these, is that many of them were recounted, recorded, and documented IMMEDIATELY or VERY SOON after the patient regained consciousness to the doctors, nurses, staff, and family members, not long after the fact.
Interestingly, there have in fact been Successful Experiments in actually testing Veridical NDEs…
–Many doctors, nurses, medical staff, paramedics, and family members have been interviewed by NDE Researchers to obtain cross-referenced verifiable information between the stories of the patients concerning their Veridical NDEs and the cross-referenced experiences of the medical staff involved with them.–Dr. Michael Sabom did a study on over 57 cardiac patients who had clinically died and were brought back, 32 of whom had experienced Veridical OBEs and had described in great detail their own resusitations during cardiac arrest, and 25 of whom had not experienced an OBE during their cardiac arrest. He had two groups, the experiencers who saw in their OBEs and the non-experiencers who did not, describe their resusitations. To his suprise, 80% of the non-experiencers made serious mistakes. On the other hand, all of the experiencers did not make a single mistake.
According to PMH Atwater in her book “The Complete Idiots Guide To Near-Death Experiences” regarding Dr. Michael Sabom’s Research Study…
“Experiencers even correctly detailed readings on medical machines that were not in their line of vision, and described other circumstances they should not otherwise have been able to know.”
–Dr. Pim Van Lommel did a more indepth study with 344 cardiac patients independently of Dr. Michael Sabom with similar results. They made sure that their subjects could be verified as flatlined during the experiences.–Dr. Kenneth Ring did a study on Veridical NDEs of 31 persons who were born blind and found that they could veridically “see” events while their OBE unfolded the same way sighted people’s do.
I’d like to add that Dr. Michael Sabom and Dr. Pim Van Lommel and Dr. Kenneth Ring’s Research were published in PEER REVIEWED Science Journals.
Here is an excellent list of arguments in favor of the phenomenon by IANDS…
–Once a person’s brainwaves have ceased, indicating that all mental activity has stopped — perceiving, thinking, and remembering — how do we explain their accurate perception of events going on around their “deceased” body (both sight and sound), and their accurate reporting of events taking place even at significant distances from their clinically-dead body?–If we regard experiencers’ perceptions of dead relatives as just imaginary “wishful thinking”, how can we explain their accurate description of relatives previously unknown to them, yet later verified by living relatives and by civil documents?
–If the spiritual component of the near-death experience could be explained away as just an extension of the person’s pre-existing belief system, why have confirmed atheists come back after their NDE convinced there is a God? And why have religious believers returned from their NDE with un-orthodox changes to their prior dogmas?
Excerpt from Wikipedia’s Article on NDEs…
“As An Afterlife Experience…Some see the NDE as an afterlife experience. They believe that the NDE cannot be completely explained by physiological or or psychological causes, and that consciousness can function independently of brain activity (Rivas, 2003).
Many NDE-accounts seem to include elements which, according to several theorists, can only be explained by an out-of-body consciousness.
A majority of individuals who experience an NDE see it as a verification of the existence of an afterlife (Kelly, 2001). This includes those with agnostic/atheist inclinations before the experience.
As Greyson notes: ‘No one physiological or psychological model by itself explains all the common features of NDE. The paradoxical occurrence of heightened, lucid awareness and logical thought processes during a period of impaired cerebral perfusion raises particular perplexing questions for our current understanding of consciousness and its relation to brain function. A clear sensorium and complex perceptual processes during a period of apparent clinical death challenge the concept that consciousness is localized exclusively in the brain.’ (Greyson, 2001)
Research on NDEs occurring in the blind have also hinted that consciousness survives bodily death.
NDE’s can also lead to long-lasting spiritual effects (as evidenced by the many studies which confirm the experience as having taken place during clinical death).”
OBE Specific Research:
–The Monroe Institute’s OBE Experiments.–Charles Tart’s OBE Experiment of having an experienced OBEr accurately read a five-digit number from an unreachable/unseeable location. 100,000 to 1 chance accuracy.
–Robert Morris’ OBE Experiments with Keith Harary who reported accurately on sitters, letters, and positions, in a sealed laboratory 20 yards away.
–Clinical testing of OBEs – in which strain gauges were triggered at a distance, apparently by the test subject’s roving presence, and in which an animal reacted consistently as if the subject were in the room when he was reportedly having an OBE while asleep in the next room.
–The US Government’s 20 year long Program “Stargate” on Remote Viewing which had a number of amazing positive veridical results with Remote Viewers, as well as a number of misses.
What do the Skeptics on the otherhand have to say about NDEs? Let’s be fair now.
Skeptic Argument # 1: Dying Brain Theory
The Dying Brain Theory states that upon clinical death the brain is slowly starved of oxygen and creates a vivid hallucination that is later remembered as an NDE.
This theory in truth falls very short of the cold hard medical facts of what happens to the brain after cardiac arrest occurs and when clinical death sets in, and is likewise destroyed by the well documented Veridical Aspects of the NDE Phenomenon itself that are never adequately dealt with as a whole.
In total refutation of the “Dying Brain Theory” the cold hard medical facts are that when a person’s heart stops they lose total consciousness within seconds. The loss of consciousness is complete and there are no memories of the event. EEG and brain stem monitors show no brain activity while in this state. There is no gag reflex, no pupil response, no brain activity whatsoever. They are dead. The brain cannot produce images in this state, and even if it could, you wouldn’t remember them.
Multiple medical doctors including Peter Fenwick a respected neuropsychiatrist, Pim Van Lommel a cardiologist, Sam Parnia, Bruce Greyson, Ian Stevenson, Melvin Morse, Michael Sabom, and numerous others, will tell you the same thing.
“Simultaneous recording of heart rate and brain output show that within 11 seconds of the heart stopping, the brainwaves go flat. Now, if you read the literature on this, some skeptical people claim that in this state there is still brain activity, but, in fact, the data are against this in both animals and humans. The brain is not functioning, and you are not going to get your electrical activity back again until the heart restarts.” (Dr. Peter Fenwick)
Dr. Sam Parnia: “During cardiac arrest brainstem activity is rapidly lost. It should not be able to sustain such lucid processes or allow the formation of lasting memories.”
Pim Van Lommel’s well-known research study published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal, also notes that cerebral activity flatlines within 4 to 20 seconds of cardiac arrest.
“How could a clear consciousness outside one’s body be experienced at the moment that the brain no longer functions during a period of clinical death with flat EEG? . . . Furthermore, blind people have described veridical perception during out-of-body experiences at the time of this experience. NDE pushes at the limits of medical ideas about the range of human consciousness and the mind-brain relation. In our prospective study of patients that were clinically dead (flat EEG, showing no electrical activity in the cortex and loss of brain stem function evidenced by fixed dilated pupils and absence of the gag reflex) the patients report a clear consciousness, in which cognitive functioning, emotion, sense of identity, or memory from early childhood occurred, as well as perceptions from a position out and above their ‘dead’ body.” (Van Lommel, Van Wees, Meyers, Elfferich (2001). Near-Death Experience in Survivors of Cardiac Arrest: A Prospective Study in the Netherlands. Lancet.)
The Dying Brain Theory also doesn’t explain why only 18% of those who are brought back from clinical death experience an NDE, while the remaining 82% do not. Even under the exact same conditions.
“Our most striking finding was that Near-Death Experiences do not have a physical or medical root. After all, 100 per cent of the patients suffered a shortage of oxygen, 100 per cent were given morphine-like medications, 100 per cent were victims of severe stress, so those are plainly not the reasons why 18 per cent had Near-Death Experiences and 82 percent didn’t. If they had been triggered by any one of those things, everyone would have had Near-Death Experiences.” (Van Lommel 1995)
I’d like to clarify that even though only 18% of those who are brought back from clinical death experience an NDE (all under the same medical conditions), the LONGER one is clinically dead, the higher the chance of being brought back with an NDE. Those who were clinically dead longer than several minutes have a far higher chance of coming back with an NDE than those who were clinically dead for only a minute or two.
Skeptic Argument # 2: DMT Chemicals Causing NDEs
DMT does not account for the Veridical Elements of the NDE, nor the amazing structure of many NDEs, according to the book “DMT: The Spiritual Molecule,” it may act as an initial NDE trigger, but cannot make up for the entire experience, Veridical Elements and all, in addition to the pesky little fact that within 4 to 20 seconds of cardiac arrest, the brain waves go flat, and even if they were sufficient (which they are not), the brain cannot produce images in this state, and even if it could, you wouldn’t remember them.
Skeptic Argument # 3: Ketamine
The Skeptic Sources refering to the Drug Ketamine causing NDEs are referencing an old paper by Ketamine Researcher Dr. Karl Jansen, who has since totally changed his stance on Ketamine actually causing the experiences, and is now far more open to the metaphysical component of NDEs. His current hypothesis is that Ketamine and other triggers of NDEs/OBEs simply act as a “door to a space” rather than actually producing that space. He states that his findings now are more in line with other researchers in his field such as John Lilly and Stanislav Grof.
“I am no longer as opposed to spiritual explanations of these phenomena as this article would appear to suggest. Over the past two years (it is quite some time since I wrote it) I have moved more towards the views put forward by John Lilly and Stan Grof. Namely, that drugs and psychological disciplines such as meditation and yoga may render certain ‘states’ more accessible. The complication then becomes in defining just what we mean by ‘states’ and where they are located, if indeed location is an appropriate term at all. But the apparent emphasis on matter over mind contained within this particular article no longer accurately represents my attitudes. My forthcoming book ‘Ketamine’ will consider mystical issues from quite a different perspective, and will give a much stronger voice to those who see drugs as just another door to a space, and not as actually producing that space’.” (Dr. Karl Jansen)
Melvin Morse M.D. wrote an insightful article titled “The Right Temporal Lobe And Associated Limbic Lobe Structures As The Biological Interface With An Interconnected Universe” that is along these lines of thought.
Skeptic Argument # 4: The Navy Airmen Stress Tests
These are studies where they used Navy Airmen in G-Force stress tests that caused the blood in the heads of the individuals to drain, inducing a state of simulated clinical death, in which NDEs were reported. These do not conflict with the NDE Phenomenon, as the persons were essentially put into a state of simulated clinical death when the blood drained from their heads, and they had an NDE.
Again, like Pim Van Lommel’s findings, it only occured in 18% of individuals who underwent and came back from this state of simulated clinical death.
Skeptic Argument # 5: Susan Blackmore’s Critique Of “The Tunnel”
Regarding the Tunnel that people see during their NDEs, Susan Blackmore has theorized that the optic nerve causes a “Tunnel Effect” due to random neuron firings in the back of the eye to explain away the “Tunnel” that people see.
But a woman named Vicki who was born blind had her optic nerve severed in her incubator at birth, and she still visually saw a Tunnel during her NDE and OBE. And it happened awhile into the actual experience.
The fact is, The Tunnel can appear in front of them, to the side of them, up above them, even through a wall, soon after or long after their clinical death set in. And sometimes even not at all.
The Tunnel is truely a moot point concerning the overall NDE experience.
Skeptic Argument # 6: The Assertion That People Only See And Experience What They Already Believed
This is completely untrue. Atheists and Agnostics come back believing in a God. Many Christians come back believing in Reincarnation, that Other Religions are Valid Spiritual Paths, and other Unorthodox Hetrodox ideas. There are a number of cases of Hindus meeting Muhammed, Muslims meeting Buddha, Christians meeting a Figure of God other than Mainstream Christianity. (I know one Southern Baptist Christian who saw Shamanic Imagery in his NDE, and became a Shaman. I met another one who met a Demiurge Figure in Addition to a God Figure, which reflects Gnosticism.) A seven year old girl who was raised Christian saw deceased spirits of people waiting to be reborn (reincarnation) that goes against her belief system, etc. I know an Atheist who had a very profound NDE when she was a child, and she had been raised non-religious, and she had experienced God in a Panentheistic Context, that she was informed “All is One”, and she said that she became and identified and connected with everything during her NDE. Very much in line with Eastern Spiritual Thought.
Skeptic Argument # 7: Keith Augustine’s Anti-NDE Article (The Skeptic’s Trump Card)
Sources such as Keith Augustine’s article will prey upon the perceived weakness of certain NDEs, out of their full context, while ignoring alternative explainations and far better and far stronger NDE examples, in an attempt to bring all NDEs down. The “weird” NDEs he presents are without context, and his sources are usually Christian Fundamentalist Anti-NDE Books (Not Kidding), and short excerpts from Books of NDE Researchers, taken out of their full context and presented without the full explanation of the NDE Researchers who are presenting them. His alternative explanations of Veridical NDEs ignore pesky facts and additional and alternative information that he conveniently ignored to come to his conclusions. The bulk of his arguments against specific veridical cases, revolve largely around presenting totally unprovable unverifiable highly speculative “coulda-woulda-shouldas” regarding how they “could have seen/heard those things naturally” while ignoring well presented alternative explanations, the full context of the specific cases, and ignoring all of the known facts and circumstances surrounding the matter at hand that conflict with his hasty conclusions. His arguments often revolve around presenting a totally one-sided view of things, ignoring what the other side has to fully say regarding it, and comes up with his own conclusion without the full data being presented there. There are times where he partially or very briefly and shortly presents what the other side has to say, but certainly not all of it, as much of what he does not present is very damning to his side of the argument.
FIN
I’m planning on making another indepth article on this subject eventually to tackle more indepth skeptical arguments that I didn’t have time to tackle in this particular article, although I feel that the whole of what I did tackle in this particular article covers all of the main skeptical objections.
EtepongeNekoKun
“In July 1995 the CIA declassified, and approved for release, documents revealing its sponsorship in the 1970s of a program at Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, CA, to determine whether such phenomena as remote viewing ‘might have any utility for intelligence collection.’ Thus began disclosure to the public of a two-decade-plus involvement of the intelligence community in the investigation of so-called parapsychological or psi phenomena. Presented here by the program’s Founder and first Director (1972 – 1985) is the early history of the program, including discussion of some of the first, now declassified, results that drove early interest.”
Question:What about it, Evolution or Intelligent Design?Answer: Yes, Evolution or Intelligent Design, actually it is both:This question looms large in the theist vs. atheist conflict. Evolution and Intelligent Design are often thought to be opposites, one defining a solely materialistic world, and the other a world of greater dimensions, including “God.” But Evolution and Intelligent Design are not opposites. Neither do they prove nor disprove the existence of “God.”
To begin, all deductive thoughts as to the beginnings of this Universe are theory, guesses, nothing more. No person, text, data, ancient tomes, research, or whatever, can enlighten us as to where the energy, matter, and/or intent to bring this Universe forth, came from. On this point all humans are at square one.
Evolution:
The Evolutionists contend a series of random events started life on earth. Certain chemicals came together in the right proportions to create life. From there, interaction with the environment, chance events, and survival needs, caused these life forms to modify into ever-more complex forms until we humans finally emerged. Assuming evolution is correct, next, we ask the question of cosmic origins. How did the planets, stars, galaxies, etc., end up as they are today? Here the Evolutionist points to the “Big Bang.” A theorized cosmic explosion that marked the beginning and creation of the universe as we know it. Even if we accept both these theories as correct there is still the question of Intelligent Design within Evolution and Big Bang to be considered.
So the question for Evolutionists is: how did “order” emerge from a “random” creation?
If this Universe had its beginnings in random events, how and where did the order and cooperation self-evident in this world come from? What or whose intelligence directed the planets to follow their orbits? If they followed random orbits life would not last long. If gravity holds them in orbit, what holds gravity? If the force of gravity was random how long would earth last? There is also great cooperation between flora and fauna, enabling the survival of both. The order observed in our universe implies intelligence, higher intelligence than us humans, shaping and directing the forces of gravity, energy, and matter that make up our cosmology. In fact, the field of science could not exist in a random world. Science depends on such things as laws, and ordered repeatable experiments. The laws of Gravity. The laws of Physics. The laws of Electro-Magnetic Forces. All these things are self-evident of the order/intelligence working in our world. Order appears only through intelligent direction. Order is the product of intelligence, the more intelligence the more order.
Comments:
For the sake of argument, we could assume both order and randomness exist in our world. Some things random and some things ordered. Notice that this assumption eliminates neither order nor randomness, so both sides of this argument would win.
My own feelings are that randomness never existed. “Higher Intelligence” used the tools of “evolution,” and the “big bang” (here I am theorizing with theories) to put into motion the creation of our world and is guiding it along a path. Still guiding it today. I don’t believe evolution and the big bang are finished. Creation is an on-going process, never-ending, eternal. While those things that have seemed to be random to us, are events beyond our ability to understand or “see” the patterns that lie within them. As the child can not understand adult logic, so we can not understand the logic of the Creative Higher Intelligence.
Now, just because I agree with “Intelligent Design” doesn’t mean I agree with the proponents of “Intelligent Design.” I do not believe “God” as defined by religious doctrines exists. He is not the “higher intelligence” that created this universe
Intelligent Design:
Proponents of Intelligent Design argue that “God” created the universe, and everything in it including us humans according to the account in the Christian Bible. We can expand this and include all religions who believe a “God” in written or spoken form created this universe. Actually, we can include any theory of creation which believes “God” played the role of Creator. But if we accept any of these theories as correct, how will we know we have chosen the right “God”.
So the question for proponents of Intelligent Design is how do you define the “Intelligence” that designed and created our universe? How do you define “God”?
In the religious writings of the world “God” is defined as good, hateful, loving, angry, unchanging, caring, jealous, judgmental, punishing, unchanging, forgiving, compassionate, omniscience, warring, unchanging, ubiquitous, faithful, unfaithful, controlling, unchanging, a supreme ruler, the ultimate reality, lord almighty, a divine king; also, as loving his children, sacrificing his children, burning his children in eternal fire, unchanging, saving his children, controlling his children, and giving his children free will, etc., and that’s only the Christian religion. No wonder people can’t agree on what “God” stands for or represents. When someone tells me “God” wants me to do something, I wonder how they know the mind of “God” so to speak for Him. I wonder why “God” didn’t tell me personally.
Comments:
We can not find the answer in books, old or new. Most religious people become Godless when you take the Bible out of their hand. The only definitions they have ever known are Biblical doctrine. Other sacred religious texts offer no clearer definitions nor more logical concepts of God. So if we can’t read God out of a book how do we know s/he exists or what s/he wants us to do?
The reason words fail, is because God can’t be understood by logic and/or intellect alone. It is through our emotional feelings that we are able to know God. Yes, our feelings are a reliable source of knowledge. Just as reliable as our ears and eyes which put together with taste, smell, and touch form our personal experiences. Feelings, intuitions, frequently called the “sixth sense” are an integral part of our humanness. They are the spiritual nature of mankind.
The only place to look for the Creator is within the creation. Can we look at the Universe, the millions of life-forms within it, and discover the mind of the Creator? Can we look within ourselves and others, finding, understanding the path to God. Yes, I believe we can. In studying religion for many years, I find the only word people agree defines God, is Love. Love is what you feel, Love or God is a spiritual event.
Thousands of near death experiencers will tell you they have been in the presence of God, felt God’s love for them and experienced many things. Yet, they will also tell you their experience can’t be put into words. When written, the words just don’t match the feelings.
Conclusion:
So we have come to a logical conclusion that “Intelligent Design” or “Higher Intelligence” was the most likely cause that brought forth, from nothingness, our universe. The tools of evolution, big bang, and probably many other tools, unknown to us, could have been used to accomplish this task. But, we still don’t have a definition, other than Love, of this “Higher Intelligence” (God) or its motivation. Here, I believe, we are on our own. Each individual must look within themselves to discover God (Love).
Ending Comments:
“Think outside of the box.” A common phrase today, spoken by many, followed by few.
Belief systems like religion and science build boxes around themselves. The walls of these boxes are made of rules, procedures, processes, rituals, doctrines, laws, etc. The walls are designed to protect the authority and prestige of those individuals enclosed. But they “keep out” as much knowledge as they preserve.
Our world is without limits, constantly growing, being renewed, and unfolding its challenges upon us daily. Personal experiences reveal a spirituality that is also without limits. The spiritual and the physical merge, and swirl together through endless events and endless ages. It is the dance of life. Only through Love can the dance be observed and joined. “Think outside the box.”
Definitions:
A few dictionary definitions of the words used in the above writings:Evolution: a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations.
Intelligent Design: a design having or indicating a high or satisfactory degree of intelligence and mental capacity b : revealing or reflecting good judgment or sound thought.
Randomness: lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern b : made, done, or chosen at random, determined by accident rather than design. Random stresses lack of definite aim, fixed goal, or regular procedure.
Intelligence: a (1) : the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : REASON; also : the skilled use of reason (2) : the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (as tests) b Christian Science : the basic eternal quality of divine Mind
Order: means to put persons or things into their proper places in relation to each other. Order suggests a straightening out so as to eliminate confusion, implies arranging so that the whole aggregate works as a unit with each element having a proper function.
Question:Why are the Near Death Experiences in the News Media so different than the ones on NDE web sites?
Answer: Good question. The news media reports mainly the skeptical view of near death experiences. Explaining how drugs cause NDEs, or how NDEs are just a misfiring synapse in the brain, or an illusion due to dissociation. They have a list of standard “physical” causes of the near death experience. This list only works with some of the aspects of near death experiences, but not with others. So they name only the NDE aspects their list can explain. If they named all the elements of a full-blown NDE, their physical causes would look rather lame.
Some of the things they don’t usually mention are:
After being revived, the individual will give information of what happened while he/she was dead. Not only local information from around the body, but sometimes information gathered from miles away, information that is later verified by doctors, friends, or relatives. These are called veridical NDEs.
Talking with deceased relatives and receiving information that proved accurate in the physical world. Such as a deceased relative telling the experiencer where their last will was buried or other helpful information later verified by the experiencer and others.
Seeing and talking to a Spirit Being who is very loving, and kind. This Spirit Being tells them they must go back into the physical world because they have not finished their lives. The experiencer often protests and wants to stay in the spiritual, but is forced back into their body anyway.
Experiencing a Life Review: A Spirit Being shows them to a place where their life is reviewed on a screen. Literally “having your life pass before your eyes”. Here the experiencer feels the result of his actions to others. This experience can be very difficult. Danion Brinkly said this part was so difficult for him he could barely talk about it. He said he felt the pain of a man he had killed, at the same time he felt the pain of his wife, children and friends. One experiencer said she never felt so humilated in her life. Another said she was so embarrassed she could do nothing but cry after seeing the way she had treated others.
Being taken to a hall or cathedral and shown future events in the form of pictures and icons. Then coming back to life and seeing these things come true one after the other.
Feeling intense energy, and upon returning not being able to sleep for days, having strange things happen, like touching a light bulb, not connected to electricity, and watch it light up, touching people and having them remark that their aches and pains had just stopped. Feeling so peaceful and full of joy, indescribable in words. Small electrical items fail around you, watches stop, batteries go dead, etc. Pictures appearing in a camera not taken by the NDE user. This intense energy does lessen with the passing of time.
Being shown the Park, the Akashic Hall of Records, Schools, and Libraries, a partial layout of the crystal city so many experiencers talk about.
Seeing the Bright Light, knowing it is God’s presence and His unconditional love. There is the knowledge within the light of all things available for the asking. When one thinks of a question, the answer immediately pops into conscious thought. No wonder no one wants to leave.
Not all of these events will happen in all NDEs. But they have all happened in someone’s near death experience posted in the web sites that study this phenonmenon along with other events not mentioned here. Remember that the near death experience is personal for the individual experiencing it. They each will be unique as each person is unique.
Please read the actual experiences as posted by the individuals who had them if you really want to know what they contain. There are over 300 experiences on this near death experience site, and the links page will take you to hundreds more of them. Good reading.
