I have to admit to having a fascination with NDE's. I've studied dozens, or perhaps in the low hundreds, of them, and have come to some certain conclusions. Additionally, I've known two people personally who "died" and then were returned, and reported their own NDEs which never really made it into the literature, and I have to wonder how many other thousands of times that has happened, with few or none the wiser for it.
One of those who died and came back was "dcmb1490" from ATS, whom I also knew from outside that site. He died on the operating table, and then was returned. A few months later, he died for good, of cancer. He told me, in that time in-between deaths, that he was transported to something like "a huge meadow", filled with flowers. He could feel other "people" there, but couldn't see anyone. One thing that stuck out to me is that he said "there were no shadows. None at all. it seemed like the light came from everywhere, and that left no place for shadows to form" He said that the flowers in the meadow were the most colorful, the most beautiful he had ever seen.
And then he was sent back to finish living his life. I don't know what else he had to accomplish, but whatever it was, it only took him a few months before he left for good.
One of the last things he told me was that, because of that experience, he was no longer afraid to die... which he had been before.
The other individual died in childbirth, bled out, and was revived using I suppose gallons of blood to replace what was leaking out. She had what we would think of as a more traditional "religious" experience of death, and was a bit put out at being sent back from what she perceived of as "bliss". However, she too is no longer afraid to die, due to that experience.
What I have gathered from that report, as well as many more "traditional religious" experiences from the NDE literature, is that most of those folks calibrated in that direction see a "religious figure". Oddly, perhaps, they all identify that figure with prominent religious figures from their own religious tenets... but I do not know of any actual cases where that figure identified ITSELF. it has always been the supposition of the viewer that has made the identification, rather than the religious figure confirming that. It seems to be content to allow them to think what they want to think regarding it's identity.
So, Muslims will see "Mohammed" or "the Imam" during those experiences, where Christians will see "Jesus", and Hindus will see "Buddha", etc. it seems to me that they are all seeing the SAME religious figure, but that their own experiences are being allowed to color whom that might be, whom they identify it as.
So, I think the reality of the afterlife is far greater than we can conceive it to be. I think it is far more all-encompassing than the various "religions" will allow for it to be. I think that many religions act as boundaries to limit what people believe will be experienced.
I think the reality of it is far greater than we can understand, because we have been made to wear blinders so that we can only see in one, approved, direction, and have to ignore all the other potentials because we are no being allowed to see them.
However, I have no doubt that there is "something" beyond this life. it's just that the "something" there is far more than we can see for now.
Breaking the prohibition on religious quotes, I would like to offer at least some small support for this "wider" viewpoint from the Bible itself - "For now, we see as through a glass, darkly. But then we will KNOW, even as we are known".
You may make of that quote from Corinthians what you will. I choose to see it far more broadly than the average "Christian", though.
I prefer not to attempt to put human limits on Deity.
.
One of those who died and came back was "dcmb1490" from ATS, whom I also knew from outside that site. He died on the operating table, and then was returned. A few months later, he died for good, of cancer. He told me, in that time in-between deaths, that he was transported to something like "a huge meadow", filled with flowers. He could feel other "people" there, but couldn't see anyone. One thing that stuck out to me is that he said "there were no shadows. None at all. it seemed like the light came from everywhere, and that left no place for shadows to form" He said that the flowers in the meadow were the most colorful, the most beautiful he had ever seen.
And then he was sent back to finish living his life. I don't know what else he had to accomplish, but whatever it was, it only took him a few months before he left for good.
One of the last things he told me was that, because of that experience, he was no longer afraid to die... which he had been before.
The other individual died in childbirth, bled out, and was revived using I suppose gallons of blood to replace what was leaking out. She had what we would think of as a more traditional "religious" experience of death, and was a bit put out at being sent back from what she perceived of as "bliss". However, she too is no longer afraid to die, due to that experience.
What I have gathered from that report, as well as many more "traditional religious" experiences from the NDE literature, is that most of those folks calibrated in that direction see a "religious figure". Oddly, perhaps, they all identify that figure with prominent religious figures from their own religious tenets... but I do not know of any actual cases where that figure identified ITSELF. it has always been the supposition of the viewer that has made the identification, rather than the religious figure confirming that. It seems to be content to allow them to think what they want to think regarding it's identity.
So, Muslims will see "Mohammed" or "the Imam" during those experiences, where Christians will see "Jesus", and Hindus will see "Buddha", etc. it seems to me that they are all seeing the SAME religious figure, but that their own experiences are being allowed to color whom that might be, whom they identify it as.
So, I think the reality of the afterlife is far greater than we can conceive it to be. I think it is far more all-encompassing than the various "religions" will allow for it to be. I think that many religions act as boundaries to limit what people believe will be experienced.
I think the reality of it is far greater than we can understand, because we have been made to wear blinders so that we can only see in one, approved, direction, and have to ignore all the other potentials because we are no being allowed to see them.
However, I have no doubt that there is "something" beyond this life. it's just that the "something" there is far more than we can see for now.
Breaking the prohibition on religious quotes, I would like to offer at least some small support for this "wider" viewpoint from the Bible itself - "For now, we see as through a glass, darkly. But then we will KNOW, even as we are known".
You may make of that quote from Corinthians what you will. I choose to see it far more broadly than the average "Christian", though.
I prefer not to attempt to put human limits on Deity.
.