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.
The suicide rate is rising dramatically. Drug overdoses are also rising. Fingers point in all directions as who’s to blame. What can we do about it?
First we need to define the real problem. That problem is an identity crises. We no longer believe what religions teach us about ourselves. Church attendance is less each year. Science tells us we are accidents of nature. There is no omniscient creator looking over and protecting us. Accepting these beliefs leads to a void within, a lack of meaning. A feeling it just don’t matter what we accomplish.
We are at a point in history where change is imminent. No longer can this spiral downward continue. It must be stopped. The people must have a vision or they will perish. Morality is good, but it is not enough. Our efforts should count for something greater than ourselves; and they do, in many ways not readily understood.
It is what we believe about ourselves and our world that makes us strong or weak in the face of adversity. Most of us just accept what we were taught as children. We believe what our friends and parents believe, going back far into history. The few that question old belief systems become rebels and, for the most part, show us new paths into the future. Society advances on the backs of those who think “out of the box.”
Most all belief systems: religious, scientific, political, or cultural contain an element of truth. But none can comprehend the whole truth of our existence. There are just too many questions without answers. Far too many theories trying to explain the unexplainable. Wisdom understands there is knowledge aplenty in accepting our lack of it.
There is an objectivity that comes from facing our dearth of understanding. A feeling of relief. We no longer have to pound a square peg into a round hole. We can say out loud, “I don’t know,” with confidence. In order to achieve objectivity we need to learn about life from the experiences of others. Those we agree with, as well as those who think outside the box of our beliefs. Give up black or white thinking, and consider possibilities. Start by working with yourself.
Take time to listen to yourself. Think about what frightens you the most and put it at the top of your study list. Fear is our greatest enemy. The more we fear the harder life becomes. We are not born with fear, it is a learned process. Others teach us what they have learned to fear. We learn to fear: God, hell, death, the afterlife, police, IRS, strangers, those with different beliefs and/or of different races. Aliens, zombies, demons, evil spirits, vampires, the dark, and certain symbols are more feared objects. The list is endless.
But the buck stops with you. The decision to fear, or not to fear, is your choice. Knowledge is what you use to break free of fear. Learn everything possible about what you fear the most, and the fear will diminish.
What helps in life is self-confidence. An understanding that you belong and have the tools to be successful in your endeavors. This means accepting yourself and approving of your accomplishments. It is a form of self-love, and the goal in life is self-love. You may think that impossible because of how you look, or what you have done at this point in your life. But that is only because you lack the knowledge of who you are; what you are doing here; and what happens when this life is over.
Knowledge, and/or experience are the foundation for answering the hard questions of life. Some of us have had a glimpse of the afterlife, and know why we exist. It is called a Near Death Experience. Millions of people in the U.S. are Near Death Experiencers. Thousands of their stories are posted on the Internet. It is through these experiences we can gain knowledge of our existence. Each experience is different because we are different. But there’s a thread of truth that exists in all of them. It is necessary to read a lot of them to better understand their meaning. Over 300 are posted on the “Thoughtful Living” site.
NDE’s take away our fear; change lives and give meaning to our existence. We are not accidents. We came into the physical world to learn about ourselves and others. There is a purpose and a goal for us to achieve. The physical world is a classroom, and not an easy one. We learn by experience, overcoming hurdles and obstacles in our path. It takes courage and determination to keep going. Those who become addicted to drugs or alcohol are attempting to find that meaning. Looking for a reason to endure. But it can’t be found in addiction, so they begin to believe there is none. Yet, the answer is close, in a different direction. It is within them.
Near Death Experiences teach us we are eternal beings, created from pure energy. We live in an energy world, sometimes called a spirit world, surrounded by caring and compassion. In order to grow we come into a physical classroom where caring and compassion are not so prevalent. Here, we gain knowledge about ourselves and others by bringing caring and compassion into the physical world. Through our acts of kindness we make the physical world more gentle and loving. Even the smallest act of kindness never goes unnoticed.
The tools we all bring into this world are profoundly simple. They include the ability to learn and understand the motives of others. The power of forgiveness for ourselves as well as others, and the ability to overcome fear with love. Please read all the Near Death Experiences you can find and all other information written about them. You will begin to see the pattern of reality they reveal to us. They will allow you to love and appreciate your life. They will add meaning and purpose to your physical existence. They will teach you to love yourself and others.
A DEA officer stopped at a ranch in Texas, and talked with an old rancher. He told the rancher, “I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs.” The rancher said, “Okay, but don’t go in that field over there,” as he pointed out the location.
The DEA officer verbally exploded saying, “Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me!” Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removed his badge and proudly displayed it to the rancher. “See this badge! This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish…on any land! No questions asked or answers given! Have I made myself clear…do you understand?”
The rancher nodded politely, apologized, and went about his chores. A short time later, the old rancher heard loud screams, looked up, and saw the DEA officer running for his life, being chased by the rancher’s big Santa Gertrudis bull. With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that he’d sure enough get gored before he reached safety. The officer was clearly terrified.
The rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs…”Your badge, show him your BADGE!”
We are individual spiritual consciousnesses enjoying a physical life created for the purpose of self learning. Picture yourself standing on the edge of two dimensions. One spiritual and the other physical. If you look outward from your physical body (which is only a communication tool) you will focus into the physical dimension. If you look inward through the physical body you will focus into the spiritual dimension. Christians will remember reading when Jesus was asked where the Kingdom of God was, He replied: “The Kingdom of God is within you”.
Unfortunately, many are focused so intensely in the outward physical dimension that they can no longer feel or believe in the inward spiritual dimension. However, when the physical body dies, the individual consciousness returns to the spiritual dimension which is home.
If you direct your point of consciousness inward and hold it there. After a time, the physical world will begin to fade, dimmer and dimmer. Eventually you will see the light and feel the love that NDEers do. You may also meet deceased friends and experience other NDE-like events. You will have entered the fringe of the spiritual dimension. This process, I have described, is called meditation. Meditation is the safest, most reliable way to visit the spiritual dimension, and there are many, many varieties of it. If you read the literature on meditation you will find an abundance of NDE-like events mentioned. In fact, some Yogi masters warn their students to ignore the lights, and things they may see because they believe it is a distraction from the purity of the meditation.
However, meditation has one very large drawback. It may take many months, even years of daily practice to learn how to lower the physical senses (focus) to the degree necessary to experience the spiritual dimension. And, for one reason or another, some practitioners are never able to reach the spiritual. So, over the centuries, man has devised, and discovered shortcut methods.
These methods included anything that could diminish, or fade the physical senses. Sweatlodges, dancing in circles for hours, staring into crystal balls, watching pendulums swing, and of course a wide assortment of drugs. Peyote, loco weed, hash, opium, and now Ketamine. The drug Ketamine, along with numerous others, diminishes, lowers the physical senses (focus) of man and allows the spiritual dimension to be experienced. The real NDE is caused by the death of the body which temporarily cancels ALL physical focus, thereby producing the intense spiritual experience that it is. A severe warning about drugs is needed here. The use of drugs to enter the world of spirit can be very dangerous for those who are unprepared emotionally for the trip. The results can be disasterous to the personality of the individual.
In summary: the world of spirit is alive and well. The drug Ketamine, and any others that may be developed in the future, only allows the spiritual experience, and does not cause it. The Near Death Experience is very real, and is, exactly what it appears to be: man encountering his Creator at the time of his physical death. The NDE is a wake-up call. It is time to return to our roots of Love, and Compassion for ourselves and others.
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.
