Historical examples of near-death experiences

Atwater writes: “Robert Carter III of Nomini Hall Plantation in Virginia freed more slaves than anyone else in American history. He claims to have died, gone to heaven, and talked with God. He set slaves free because of that encounter—what we now call a near-death experience.[1] History is rife with such cases. Don’t think for one moment that the phenomenon is only of modern vintage.

“The oldest recorded English account of a near-death experience was provided by the Venerable Bede in the eighth century. It concerns a Northumbrian by the name of Dythelm who suddenly arose from his deathbed after a light-filled experience, then proceeded to give away all his earthly possessions so he could join a monastery in service to others.[2]

“Thanks to Donald R. Morse, DDS, Ph.D., we also have the story of Dr. A. S. Wiltse, a physician of Skiddy, Kansas, who in 1889, died of typhoid fever. He was without pulse for four hours, in a state of ‘apparent death’ for half an hour. Said the good doctor when he returned to life: ‘With all the interest of a physician, I beheld the wonders of my bodily anatomy, intimately interwoven with which, even tissue for tissue, was I, the living soul of that dead body. I learned that the epidermis was the outside boundary of the ultimate tissues, so to speak, of the soul. I realized my condition and reasoned calmly thus. I have died, as men term death, and yet I am as much a man as ever. I am about to get out of the body. I watched the interesting process of the separation of soul and body. By some power, apparently not my own, the Ego was rocked to and fro, laterally, as a cradle is rocked, by which process its connection with the tissues of the body was broken up. After a little time the lateral motion ceased, and along the soles of the feet beginning at the toes, passing rapidly to the heels, I felt and heard, as it seemed, the snapping of the innumerable small cords. When this was accomplished, I began slowly to retreat from the feet, toward the head, as a rubber cord shortens. I remember reaching the hips and saying to myself, Now, there is no life below the hips.’

Wiltse appeared to himself something like a jellyfish in color and form. As he emerged from his head, he saw two women sitting at the head of his physical shell and wondered if there was room for him to stand. ‘As I emerged from the head, I floated up and down and laterally like a soap bubble attached to a bowl of a pipe until I at last broke loose form the body and fell lightly to the floor, where I slowly arose and expanded into the full stature of a man. I seemed to be translucent, of a bluish cast and perfectly naked. With a painful sense of embarrassment, I fled toward the partially opened door to escape the eyes of the two ladies whom I was facing, as well as others who I knew were about me, but reaching the door I found myself clothed, and satisfied upon that point, I turned and faced the company.’

Wiltse did not recognize the two women as his wife and sister, as he had no concept of individuality while outside his body. He wandered outdoors and was overwhelmed by the distinctness of everything he saw. ‘I took note of the redness of the soil and of the washes the rain had made . . . Then I discovered that I had become larger than I was in earth life and congratulated myself thereupon.’ He looked back through the open door, where he could see his body. ‘I discovered then a small cord, like a spider’s web, running from my shoulders (of the spirit body) back to my body and attaching to it at the base of the neck in front (referred to in the Bible as the silver cord).’

A Presence entered his awareness. ‘Yet, although the language was English, it was so eminently above my power to reproduce that my rendition of it is far short of the original. The following is as near as I can render it: This is the road to the eternal world .Yonder rocks are the boundary between the two worlds and the two lives. Once you pass them, you can no more return into the body. If your work is complete on earth, you may pass beyond the rocks. If, however, upon consideration you conclude that it is not done, you can return into the body.’ Wiltse was sorely tempted to cross the boundary, when a black cloud appeared in front of him and stopped his advance. He found himself back in his physical body, wondering, ‘What in the world has happened to me?’[3]

P. M. H. Atwater, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story (Hampton Roads, 2011).

[1] Larry Buttram, The Curtain Torn (New Virginia Publications, 2009).

[2] Carol Zaleski, Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experiences in Medieval and Modern Times (Oxford University Press, 1987).

[3] Donald R. Morse, “An Old NDE,” Journal of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies, vol. 31, no. 3, July 2008.

Spiritual: Trouble of the world

Soon I will be done with the trouble of the world.

The trouble of the world, the trouble of the world.

Soon I will be done with the trouble of the world.

Going home! to live! with God!

 

 

No more! weeping and wailing. No more! weeping and wailing.

No more! weeping and wailing. Going home! to live! with my Lord!

Soon we’ll be done with the trouble of the world.

The trouble in the world, the trouble of the world.

Soon we’ll be done with the trouble of the world.

Going home! to live! with my Lord!

 

 

Mahalia Jackson

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Lj5P3BTFw

 

Atwater: life reviews and the Book of Life

P. M. H. Atwater writes: “Not half of experiencers report life reviews, yet life reviews wield an almost unspeakable power. Even in the midst of hellish, frightening, or distressing near-death states, nothing strikes at the core of what it is to be human as bluntly as these. It is your life you must face, from birth to death, in reverse order, or in segments—reviewed or relived as things actually happened, in a moment’s flash, or agonizingly slowly. Some of those I studied experienced no buffer between them and any pain that could be experienced. The rest, the majority, were more like objective witnesses during the life review, which gave them a deeply meaningful opportunity to see ‘the other side’ of actions and behaviors.

“An example of a life review more radical than most is that of a Mafia hitman whose life review involved him reliving everything he had ever done, good or bad, as well as the consequences. He also had to live through whatever happened to each person he hurt as if he were them. He felt all of their pain, lived through their circumstances, and faced their grief. He was incapable of hurting another person after that and devoted the rest of his life to serving the poor through various church programs.

“There is no prison term, no punishment that can equal the totality of a radical life review. Some accounts cover the entire impact of a person’s existence: everything said, thought, or done since birth, and the effect he or she had on everyone, even passersby, whether met or not, and on the air, soil, plants, water, animals . . . the entire gestalt of one’s life—the result of ever having taken a breath. There are those I have sessions with who could not even step on a bug after such a review, nor swat a fly.

“Now that I’ve scared you, let me ease up some. One of the great puzzles in all of this is why almost mundane incidents tend to be highlighted in the life review over seemingly more important ones. The life review actually highlights the little things in life—how we treat each other, lies we told, what we did about our promises and goals, how willing we were to ‘walk that extra mile’ to get a job done or lend a helping hand. It is as if a life review is actually a teaching mechanism, an opportunity to ‘peel back the layers’ so deeds versus consequences can be weighed and measured.

“Remember those mystical and religious stories you once heard that claim that when you die you will read all about yourself in ‘The Book of Life’ or the ‘Akashic Records’? Well, about 30 percent of the adults in my research reported having seen the fabled book. Of those who did encounter this, some said it really was an actual book, a large one—found in a library stacked with millions of them or simply lying open on a stand or podium as if waiting to be noticed—that had a record of each moment of a person’s life contained in its pages. The majority, however, instead of describing ‘The Book’ told me about what appeared as holograms or television-like theatrical showings of their lives acted out before them. They referred to our histories as recorded upon ‘the skeins of time’ (an information field held at a certain frequency) that were only accessible when we as a spirit ‘vibrated at a particular energy.’”

P. M. H. Atwater, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story (Hampton Roads, 2011).

Atwater: four types of near-death experiences

P. M. H. Atwater writes: “In my work, I discovered four distinctive patterns to the near-death experience. Here they are. The incident-rate figures I present are based on 3,000 adults and 277 child experiencers.

Initial experience—sometimes called the 'non’ experience.

"Involves one, maybe two or three elements, such as a loving nothingness, the living dark, a friendly voice/visitation, a brief out-of-body experience, or a manifestation of some kind. Usually experienced by those who need the least amount of shake-up in their lives at that point in time. Often, this becomes a ‘seed’ experience or an introduction to other ways of perceiving and recognizing reality. Rarely is any other element present. (76 percent of children, 20 percent of adults.)

 

Unpleasant or hellish experience—sometimes referred to as ‘distressing.’

"Encounter with a threatening void, stark limbo, or hellish purgatory, or scenes of a startling and unexpected indifference (like being shunned), even ‘hauntings’ from one’s own past or having to face ‘unfinished business.’ Usually experienced by those who seem to have deeply suppressed or repressed guilt, fear, and anger, and/or those who expect some king of punishment or discomfort after death. Life reviews common. Some have life previews. (3 percent of children, 15 percent of adults.)

 

Pleasant or heavenly experience—sometimes referred to as ‘radiant.’

"Involves heaven-like scenarios of loving family reunions with those who have died previously, reassuring religious figures or light beings, validation that life counts, affirmative and inspiring dialogue, lovely landscapes. Usually experienced by those who most need to know how loved they are and how important life is, and how every effort has a purpose in the overall scheme of things. Life reviews common. Some have life previews. (19 percent of children, 47 percent of adults.)

 

Transcendent experience—sometimes called the ‘collective universality.’

"Encounter with otherworldly dimensions and scenes beyond the individual's frame of reference; sometimes includes revelations of greater truths. Seldom personal in content. Usually experienced by those who are ready for a ‘mind-stretching’ challenge and/or individuals who are apt to utilize (to whatever degree) the truths that are revealed to them. Life reviews rare. Collective previews common—the world’s future, evolutionary change, etc. (2 percent of children, 18 percent of adults.)

 

Do not affix ‘positive or ‘negative’ labels to any of these experiences or types.

"Positive and negative are judgmental terms that do not necessarily apply to near-death states or to the aftereffects that follow. Case in point: I gave a talk about the phenomenon in a large hall. It was so packed that there were not enough chairs, leaving some standing. When l I finished, I asked if there were any experiencers in the audience who would like to come up to the microphone and share what had happened to them. Two volunteered. 

 

"A slender man, maybe in his late twenties, enthralled everyone with his tale of one of the most beautiful, heavenly experience I had ever heard. There was hardly a dry eye in the place. Then he shocked the audience by saying this was the worst thing that had ever happened to him, that it had fouled up his life and he felt cursed to have had it. 

 

"Immediately, a woman, probably in her thirties, jumped up and described her experience, a terror-filled scenario of being at the mercy of a raging storm, with high winds, thunder, and lightning. She had to fight to save herself from being sucked into a whirlpool as she swam to shore. What she said next was equally a stunner: 'This was the best thing that ever happened to me. I proved to me that we all have a second chance in life, and we can succeed no matter what the obstacles are.' She was so glowing when she said this that she appeared to be engulfed by a special light."

 

P. M. H. Atwater, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story (Hampton Roads, 2011).

Remembering and sharing NDEs

P. M. H. Atwater writes: “We have been told since ‘the near-death phenomenon’ first hit the scene in 1975 that experiencers become honest, loving, spiritual paragons after their experiences. Well, many do. The rest improve greatly. Still, there’s a shadow side, and we need to admit that.

“The narratives that experiencers give help to establish the veracity of near-death experiences—they hold up over time. The stories are as clear, coherent, and vivid as the day originally told, even if twenty years or more have passed. If anything did fade, seldom is it of any significance. This is almost unheard of in memory trials. 

 

“There are a few complicating factors when dealing with experiencers that appear to challenge the honesty factor, but really don’t. The majority tend to hold back until they trust you. Perhaps this is because of the fear of being labeled crazy. Whatever the reason, it is fairly common for narrative stories to be delivered in bits and pieces and spread out over a few months or a year or so.

 

“And then there’s ‘downloading.’ Few experiencers can process the revelations that surface during their episode. You hear comments such as: ‘I felt like I would explode if the information didn’t stop coming,’ or ‘I can’t handle this—too much too fast,’ or ‘I just can’t remember it all.’ And, indeed, most of the deeper materials that often flood in during a dying episode, ‘the revelations,’ are lost.

 

“Yet, some experiencers report downloading afterward as if what was lost is now coming back. This can occur in dribs and drabs or be quite extensive and go on for years. What I am describing here is not an embellishment, per se. Rather, it often signals that the experiencer has developed another form of sensitivity to ‘otherworldly realities’ and has become like a ‘channel.’ This ‘extra’ material does not affect the individual’s original narrative—thus no embellishment. But it does expand on what is commonplace afterward.

 

“During my research of the phenomenon, I discovered a pattern to the way death visited most of the experiencers, and it went like this: A little over half the men I contacted died because of heart-related ailments, while another 25 percent were involved in violence or accidents. A whopping 70 percent of the women experienced their episode during childbirth, miscarriage, or a hysterectomy.”

 

P. M. H. Atwater, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story (Hampton Roads, 2011).

Atwater explains her NDE research

P. M. H. Atwater writes: “As of this writing, my sessions with experiencers of near-death states (at times simple interviews) number nearly four thousand adults and children. This figure does not include the sessions I had with significant others: parents, spouses, children of experiencers, relatives, health-care providers, neighbors, coworkers, friends. I lost count of this segment of my research base long ago, although an estimate in the range of around five hundred people would be reasonable. The bulk of my findings were obtained between the years of 1978 to 2004, after which the search for meaning took precedence (although some fieldwork continued). The majority of these additional cases were from child experiencers who are not adults. These people sought me out after the publication of Children of the New Millennium, and later The New Children and Near-Death Experiences.

 

“Knowing that personal bias could jeopardize anything I did, I put my own experiences on a ‘back shelf’ in my mind and played dumb a lot. What I mean is that I asked as many open-ended and unstructured questions as possible, trying not to reveal either my identity or intent. If I did say who I was, experiencers would counter with, ‘Well, you know how it is.’ I’d stand my ground if this occurred: ‘Maybe yes, maybe no, but tell me anyway. Give me details and don’t leave a thing out.’ Mostly, though, I used simply phrases like ‘oh really’ or ‘tell me more’ or that wonderful all-purpose lead of ‘and . . . ?

 

“I found that voice intonation and inflection, along with easy, nonthreatening body language, netted more information than ‘arranged’ questions. All I had t do was ‘leave the door open,’ and the experiencer would willingly ‘walk through,’ as if utterly relieved. There’s nothing like a nonjudgmental, sincerely interested listener. I did alter my style somewhat with children, though and in this manner; no parents allowed, same eye-level contact at all times (with little one what meant I was on my belly), changed body postures to elicit response, replacing note-taking with a gentle sincerity and steady focus, encouraging feelings as well as memories, opening myself to sense the ‘wave’ of consciousness they ‘ride’ so I could see through their eyes. I had sessions with parents, too, as I wanted to explore what they noticed and any opinions they had. This was important, as children can and sometimes do slant their stories to fit the emotional expectations of their parents."

 

3,000 adult experiencers

 

80 percent White (from Canada, England, Belgium, France, Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine)

 

20 percent Black (15 % African American, 5% Kenya, Haiti, Canada)

 

277 child experiencers

 

60 percent White (from Canada, France, England, Ukraine)

 

23 percent Latino (U. S., Mexico, Argentina, Colombia)

 

12 percent Black (U. S., Canada)

 

5 percent Asia (Malaysia, China)

 

P. M. H. Atwater, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story (Hampton Roads, 2011).

Near-Death Experiences reveal our true home

"I dedicate this book to the powers of darkness and light. Without both, Creation’s story would not exist, nor would we. The swings of Creation’s pendulum between these two great polarities enable growth to occur. I witnessed this truth when I died. Researching that edge—the one between life and death—defined what I had witnessed. The bigness of forever lies in the eyes of near-death experiencers. I've had the privilege of looking through thousands of them, including my own.

"People forget that the vast majority of near-death experiences emerge from situations of violence or trauma. A typical experiencer contends with body damage (sometimes severe) and the immediacy of recognizing that ‘here’ (where they are now) is not the same as ‘there’ (where they once were). No matter how ecstatic or terrifying the experience may be, what comes next is usually confusion, maybe anger, as most of us didn’t want to come back. We wanted to stay where we were.

 

"The phenomenon captures public attention as none other. It is soul-stirring in the way it reminds even the most staid that home, our true home, is not a joke. It exists, and it is real.

 

"Who among us can be certain if all near-death experiencers were fully dead? Many revived or were resuscitated after clinical death; some were close to death; others, in a split second of utter fear, were convinced they were going to die but didn’t (called a ‘fear’ death).

 

"We’ve known for some time that five minutes without oxygen is fatal to brain cells. Yet dying itself takes longer to occur because cell death isn’t an event, it’s a process. An exception is with humans who are exposed to extreme cold or who drown in icy water. It is possible for them to benefit from hypothermia, a survival response that automatically lowers body temperature enough to slow cell death.

 

"There is little argument among researchers that, on average, most near-death experiencers, adults and children, go without vital signs (pulse, breath, brain waves) for between five and twenty minutes. Amazing as this may seem, considering how quickly brain damage can occur after cessation of vital signs, even more amazing is that usually there is little or no brain damage afterward; rather, there is brain enhancement. You heard me right: Individuals return to life smarter than before. Sometimes this enhancement can be quite dramatic, especially with young kids. In my own work, I discovered so many who had revived in a morgue—maybe an hour, maybe six hours after having ‘died’—that I no longer came to regard this as unusual.

 

"I admit a bias here. Being a three-time near-death experiencer myself, it would take a lot to impress me as concerns ‘the dead come back,’ yet impressed I was when I met a man who had revived while being cut open during an autopsy after a full three days of being a corpse in a freezer vault."

 

P. M. H. Atwater, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story (Hampton Roads, 2011).