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.
A measuring tape is a great way to find the true length of a 2×4 wooden board. But it won’t tell you how many gallons of water are in your bathtub.
No one measurement, or group of measurements, will suffice to find truth in all situations. Lets look at the problem of consciousness, or psyche, or mind, or soul, or spirit, whatever you wish to call it.
Consciousness is who you are, and science says it resides in the brain. OK. If consciousness resides in the brain then it must be biological, and it must die when the brain dies. So we look at the brain, and find that brain cells look pretty much alike. It seems “memory” would take up a lot of brain space, but we can’t find memory anywhere, does it have a color? Do we look for red for memory, green for thoughts, where are the thoughts?. Well we have looked over 100 years at the brain, and can’t find consciousness anywhere in it.
So, we just assume it’s there, but we can’t see it. Maybe brain mapping will tell us where it is, so scientists start mapping the brain. A problem arises, the maps don’t match, and then when a portion of the brain is damaged, another portion takes over to continue the function. How does the brain do that?
Enter the near death experience. Surgeons and medical doctors noticed their patients recalling strange stories after they were revived from cardiac arrest. One doctor Raymond Moody decided to study this strange phenomenon with the permission of the doctors and hospital. When he completed his study and published a book, his peers were outraged, and kept him from working as a Psychiatrist for the rest of his life. Dr. Elisabeth Keubler-Ross spent her whole life studying death and dying. She came to the same conclusion that Dr. Moody did. Consciousness is spiritual, and Spirit does exist without the body.
I think Pam Reynolds will become the benchmark of near death experiences. Here is an event that was experimental surgery. It was monitored and taped with every modern device of medicine.
Stopped heart and no brain waves
A mother of three, 35 year old Pam Reynolds lay on the operating table in the summer of 1991 with a life-threatening bulge in her brain.
Doctor Robert Spetzler, the director of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix had arranged for Pam to be hooked up to a brainstem monitoring machine. And other machines tracked Pam’s heartbeat, temperature, breathing and other vital signs. Additionally, Pam’s eyes were taped shut. Pam was also under anesthesia. Doctor Spetzler had to stop Pam’s heart which caused all bodily signs to cease.
Shortly after Doctor Spetzler turned on the surgical saw to begin cutting through Pam’s skull, Pam felt herself “pop” outside her body and hover above the operating table to a position where she could hover over Doctor Spetzler’s shoulders where she could observe the operation on her motionless body below.
From this position she saw Doctor Spetzler working on her with a saw which looked to her like an electric toothbrush. Pam heard and reported later what nurses in the operating room had said and exactly what was happening during the operation.
A little while into the operation, Doctor Spetzler ordered that Pam’s blood begin to drain from her body. Still every monitor attached to Pam’s body registered “no life”.
Pam found herself going from monitoring the operation above the table to traveling down a “tunnel” which had a light at the end. At the end of this tunnel Pam could see her relatives and friends waiting, including her long-dead grandmother. Time and all worries seemed to stop for Pam.
It wasn’t long, however, before a “dead” uncle led her back to her body.
Reentering her body felt to Pam like “plunging into a pool of ice”.
BIBLE PROBE COMMENT:
THE ABOVE STORY was reported in the August 2003 Reader’s Digest.
What is important about this story is that with no brain wave function, no heart function, and blood being drained from her – Pam’s is a case that rules out any “hallucinations” from chemical or psychological reasons. Combine this with the preponderance of evidence from thousands of similar near death experiences – and any thinking person would have to be led to the belief that the “soul” is cognitive, and that it survives death….
It was another dreadfully cold and snowy Monday in Indianapolis; a town far away from home and a place I truly despised. I did not have family near by and I was in a terrible marriage. On that November 15, 1993, the fear of cancer was added to my already, unsettled life and the only option was surgery.
As I woke up in the recovery room, I heard a voice telling me that there was no cancer. Shortly thereafter, I realized something was very wrong. There were many alarmed voices and fast moving bodies huddling over me. I was crying out, “WHAT IS WRONG?,” yet no one would answer. I reached for someone, but my arms would not move. My vision failed me and I could only hear faint voices, the most prominent one stating, “Her blood pressure is dropping, oh my God, we are losing her, get the ventilator!” Panic began to overcome me and I screamed, “PLEASE, HELP ME!”
A beautiful, luminous light appeared. It was so pretty and peaceful looking. As I slowly walked towards the light, I could feel a glorious warmth on my face. It made me feel content and happy for the first time in years and I wanted to stay there forever. However, I heard many noises behind me and turned back. I could see the doctors and nurses working on my lifeless body. At this point, going towards the light was so easy compared to my complicated life.
Once again, I turned to walk into the light and this time I heard some familiar voices behind me. As I turned to look, I could hear my children crying, “Mommy, please don’t leave us!” Both of them were reaching out for me. There was a beautiful light on one side and my children on the other, what to do?
The next thing I remember was opening my eyes and the light was replaced with a green wall. The voice I heard was a nurse telling me, “welcome back.” I had been in a coma for three days.
This experience changed my life. I made many changes and now my children and I are very happy. Sometimes, I can not believe I had to think about the choice of the light or my children, but I am thankful for the choice I made.
Has anyone else ever had to make such a choice during their NDE? Was this a voluntary return or just not my time yet? –T.
It was one of those days when I couldn’t think of anything to post on the blog. A friend wrote me, and I replied with a letter I thought might interest others.
A friend asks:
“Back to our souls journey. I have asked you about your NDE before but please allow me to ask again. How does it manifest now. Is it a knowing that is as fresh as the instant you where with God. I have no doubt it is still with you but I am eager to hear details of your progression. Last time I asked I believe you said some things did fade a bit but I am assuming the imprint upon your soul is still as strong, otherwise you would still be struggling with some of the same problems as you had stated in your life story.”
My Reply:
Yes, I did get a big step up with my Near Death Experience, I like to call it my enlightenment. When I was in the Divine presence everything was real and perfect, all knowledge was there just for the asking, and the love and compassion were complete. It didn’t matter what I had done, left undone, or believed. The only thing that mattered was me. I could have stayed forever, but my family needed me so I asked to returned. Don’t have all the knowledge I experienced available now, nor the love, but I do know, without doubt, it will be available on my return.
I lost my fear of death, we are eternal. There’s plenty of time to learn and accomplish whatever we wish. I changed my belief system about this world. I learned that positive beliefs matter. You find out things through experience. There is little knowledge without experience. I try to learn as much as possible from what I experience.
What I learned from my near death experience is that beliefs we hold are not reality nor truth. However, these beliefs are responsible for our happiness and joy, or our sadness and depression. It is very important to understand that what you believe can help or hurt you. The axiom of “you create your own reality,” is very true. If you think badly of yourself it reflects in all your thoughts and deeds prompting others to think badly of you also. Hopefully, you will think well of yourself and your ability.
I learned what unconditional love is like, and why it is important for me to learn to love in that manner. It is love that holds everything together. It is love that replaces fear and gives you self-confidence. It is love that brings peace and joy into your life. It is love that heals both physically and mentally. I am trying now to walk the path of love, forgiving my faults and shortcomings, and forgiving others theirs. I am using love to stop judging myself. No one said it would be easy, but it is rewarding beyond belief.
