Friday, December 31, 2021

During NDE friend says his death wasn't my fault

I experienced a bad accident a couple months ago. I was knocked out for 24 hours and I don't remember what really happened before my accident.

But what I vividly remember, to this day, was going through a tunnel. I was out of my body. I could see myself lying there on the bed. Then when I came out of the tunnel at the other end was seeing my friend, standing on the mountain. I didn't recognize him from the back. I thought it looked like Trey, my best friend who was like a brother to me. He had passed over when I was 21.

I called out to him saying, 'Ray is that you standing there?'

He turned around to face me as he answered, 'Yes.'

I said, 'Ask them why am I here? What am I doing here? Am I dead?'

He said, 'No you're not dead; just somewhere else in a different reality.'

I asked him, 'What do you mean?'

He wouldn't answer me, only saying, 'I have something to tell you and that was whatever you do don't blame yourself for my death. It it wasn't your fault. It was my fault.'

I think I needed that validation because ever since that day of his tragic death, I was supposed to be with him that night, and I wasn't there for him. I felt that it should have been me that night who died and not him. 

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I went through a tunnel that was bright, white light.  

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My best friend who had died 10 years prior.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light.

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world.


NDERF.org #9312

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Twelve lines of NDE evidence: Long excerpt #25

Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - "Twelve lines of evidence for the reality of survival of human consciousness after death have been presented in this article. This evidence consistently demonstrates that near-death experiences are medically inexplicable and cannot be explained by physical brain function.

"The evidence presented would be extraordinary even if near-death experiencers were fully awake when they had their experiences. But they’re not. NDEs happen at a time of unconsciousness or clinical death with an absent heartbeat. Conscious and lucid experiences while unconscious should not occur. Yet NDEs do occur and are packed with multiple lines of evidence consistently pointing to an afterlife. To review, these are the twelve lines of evidence presented in this article for the reality of NDEs and an afterlife:

1. Consciousness and alertness during near-death experiences is usually greater than during their everyday life. This is medically inexplicable given that NDEs occur when they are unconscious or clinically dead.

2. What near-death experiencers see and hear while they are out-of-body during near- death experiences is almost always completely accurate. Out-of-body observations far from their physical body are also nearly always totally realistic. Nearly all out-of-body observations are confirmed to be accurate when later checked by the NDErs or others.

3. Supernormal sensory awareness is consistently described in near-death experiences. Normal or supernormal vision may occur in those born totally blind and in those with severe vision impairment.

4. Typical near-death experiences occur while under general anesthesia at a time that conscious and lucid experiences should not be possible.

5. When deceased loved ones are encountered in near-death experiences, they are virtually always deceased at the time of the NDEs and almost always appear in perfect health.

6. The core content of near-death experiences from all around the world is remarkably consistent. NDEs from non-Western countries are remarkably similar to Western NDEs.

7. The core content of near-death experiences in children, including very young children, are strikingly similar to the NDEs of older children and adults.

8. Life reviews in near-death experiences typically have an unearthly acceleration of consciousness. They include real events that previously occurred in the NDErs’ lives, even if the events were long forgotten.

9. Near-death experiencers commonly have substantial changes in their beliefs and values as aftereffects following their NDEs. NDErs usually develop a greatly increased belief in an afterlife and decreased fear of death.

10. Near-death experiencers generally accept the reality of their NDEs. The NDERF survey found that 93.8% of NDErs believed that their experiences were definitely real.

11. Shared near-death experiences occur when two or more people have a life- threatening event simultaneously, with at least one person surviving and the other(s) permanently dying. The surviving NDEr later describes a shared experience with the permanently deceased person(s). This is significant evidence that what is described in NDEs is the initial journey of the irrevocably deceased into the afterlife.

12. The remarkably consistent spiritual content of near-death experiences is further evidence for the reality of NDEs. In describing the profoundly blissful afterlife, NDErs are consistently aware of the vital importance of love, the reality of God that transcends human understanding, and the unity of all of us.

"The strength of this evidence convinces me that near-death experiences are real and there absolutely is an afterlife. I encourage each reader to consider the evidence for the reality of NDEs and the afterlife and reach your own conclusion. The convergence of multiple lines of evidence for the validity of NDE and an afterlife presented in this article builds a far stronger case than from only a single line of evidence. To illustrate this, suppose there existed only two lines of evidence for the reality of an afterlife. Neither line of evidence may be 100 percent convincing but assume each line of evidence is individually 90 percent convincing. When combined, the two lines of evidence are mathematically calculated to be 99 percent convincing of the reality of an afterlife.
 

"Given the complexity of mathematically analyzing just two lines of evidence, it would be far more difficult to mathematically analyze all twelve lines of evidence presented in this article. Fortunately, the NDERF website has a custom-designed form that automatically performs this mathematical analysis for you (www.nderf.org/afterlife). This form allows you to calculate how strongly you believe that an afterlife is proven by the twelve lines of evidence in this article. This form also shows you the results of all others who completed the form.

"The NDERF studies presented throughout this article are the most extensive scientific investigation of near-death experiences ever reported. These investigations provide new and exceptional scientific evidence for the reality of NDEs and the afterlife. Most of the lines of evidence presented in this article are corroborated by the findings of prior scholarly near-death experience studies spanning over forty-five years. These previous investigations reinforce the remarkable results from the NDERF studies. I believe the evidence is now so strong that the survival of human consciousness after death is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

"There is still much that we can learn from the scientific study of near-death experiences. Further scholarly investigation of NDEs and other experiences that suggest the survival of consciousness after bodily death is strongly encouraged.

"Skeptic arguments cannot explain the remarkable consistency of the content of near-death experiences. Physical brain function cannot explain NDEs. An essential part of convincing the world that NDEs and their evidence of an afterlife is real is to address the skeptical arguments. To accomplish this, a section of the NDERF website explores skeptical views in depth. Those interested in particular skeptical arguments not addressed in this article will likely find them discussed and refuted in this NDERF website section.

"Near-death experiences have profound implications for science. NDEs conclusively show that human experiences suggesting an afterlife can and should be scientifically investigated. NDEs provide compelling evidence that there is far more to consciousness than is explained by our physical brain.

"Near-death experiences also have important implications for religion. The great religions have always addressed a belief in an afterlife and God. The evidence from NDEs offers compelling evidence for the reality of an afterlife. Additionally, NDEs consistently point to a universe imbued with a vast and loving intelligence.

"NDEs show that death is not the end but rather a transition to a magnificent afterlife. This is a profoundly inspirational message for us, our loved ones, and all of humanity."


Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article. Footnotes have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at https://www.nderf.org

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

NDErs view of religion: Long excerpt #24

Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - “While talking about God in near-death experiences, it is noteworthy that NDErs may become aware that there is no preferred religion. Jean learned this when her heart stopped four times as she battled for her life with toxic shock syndrome. In her NDE she asked a spiritual being directly about religion:

I found myself in a city and was told this was the City of God. I was at a water fountain along with a man dressed in a long white linen robe that was tied around his waist with a cord. He told me that I could ask any question. My first question was, 'What is the right religion?' He said, 'They all are. Each religion is a pathway trying to reach the same place.' I was shown a mountain, with each religious group trying to reach the top. A distance separated the religious groups, but all were trying to get to the same place.

“Another important spiritual concept in near-death experiences is an absence of judgment. We previously discussed that judgment by other beings almost never happens during life reviews. The lack of judgment is a strong and consistent theme throughout NDEs. Typical comments about this from NDErs are:

It's not God as classically defined in religious texts. It's more a supreme energy that set everything in motion. There are no judgments cast. It's a force of pure love and acceptance.

God was with me. I felt Him clearly and so deeply - He was holding me in His arms. His love was in every fiber of my being and every cell of my body. God was in front of me, behind me, beside me, and all around me. All I felt was His total acceptance of me with absolutely no judgment. He is all love; entirely love, and He showered that love on me and through me. I felt complete and whole for the first time in my entire existence. My life review seemed to happen on its own. The life review was over in the blink of an eye. I learned that we judge ourselves; God does not judge us.

“Near-death experiencers consistently describe a connection and unity with God. This may be surprising to many, as this notion of God is usually not emphasized in traditional Western religions. The dictionary definition of love indicates that attachment is a defining characteristic of love. It makes sense that God’s exceptional love would manifest as an exceptional attachment. God’s overwhelming love for all of us likely contributes to the unity and oneness with God so commonly expressed in NDEs:

I felt what we know as 'God' was a very alive and dynamic living force that flowed through our hearts and connected the greater universe and all of us.

We are God. Our spirits are one. We are all parts of the whole.

I now know that unconditional love and acceptance are mine. I was enlightened as to the universe and the oneness of us all. I was not aware of this possibility until my experience. Now I know the universe is one, and we all make up the supreme being.

I was surrounded by God. The light is love. The light is God. We are all connected. We are all one.

“The most recent version of the NDERF survey explored the idea of unity and oneness in near-death experiences in general. A survey question asked, “During your experience, did you encounter any specific information/awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?”

“As with the NDERF survey question regarding God, the “or does not” part of the question was added to see if any significant percentage of NDErs encountered information that a mystical universal connection/unity/oneness does not exist. A narrative response to this question followed. As with the NDERF survey question about God, virtually all NDErs responding affirmatively indicated that they encountered information that a mystical universal connection/unity/oneness really does exist. Here are examples of the unity encountered in NDEs:

I felt at one with all existence, and it was indescribably beautiful.

I felt entirely at one with the universe, like a great light free from all suffering had absorbed me. This light was peace, understanding, acceptance, and complete tranquility. I describe coming back to life as being 'ripped back from the oneness.

It was evident that EVERYTHING, not just EVERYONE, is related somehow and that everything is necessarily part of the whole.

There is only one God, and we are all part of that great soul. In all of God's realms, or in the small corner called the physical universe, there is nothing but God.

I felt a connection, a unity or oneness that we are all connected through God.

“The unity of everyone and everything is consistently described in near-death experiences. Hundreds of examples of this unity are available on the NDERF website as supplementary material. The unity described in NDEs transcends the physical material world and seems to encompass and transcend our earthly consciousness. The remarkably high percentage of NDErs encountering this sense of unity is, in my opinion, among the most important spiritual insights from NDEs.

“The consistency of multiple spiritual concepts in near-death experiences converges on the understanding that afterlife is a reality and idyllic in every sense of the word. Evidence from NDEs shows that we are all part of something much greater than ourselves. The vital message from NDEs is that love, unity, and God are central aspects of the afterlife. An unimaginably glorious afterlife is the destiny for all of humanity.”


Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article. Footnotes have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at https://www.nderf.org

Monday, December 27, 2021

Experiencing God in NDEs: Long excerpt #23

Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - "Near-death experiencers often describe an awareness or encounter with God. When God is encountered in NDEs, the most common word used to describe the appearance of God is light. NDErs often point out that God is an earthly word that does not do justice to the transcendent God they encountered. NDErs express this concept when they say:

"The words we use in this world cannot be translated to the words in the world of God. My church is inside of me. God is a part of me and my experience. God is just a small word compared to what I experienced.

"When near-death experiencers encounter God, they are generally in an otherworldly realm. Thus, it is not surprising that God may appear variably to different NDErs:

I thought that if I were a Buddhist, perhaps he would look like Buddha. I was told, 'That is right. God appears in a familiar form.’

"The increased acceptance of the reality of God following near-death experiences is remarkable. From the survey, belief that God definitely exists rose from 37.3% before their NDEs to 71.7% after their NDEs. This is entirely consistent with the frequent awareness of God in NDEs. This extraordinary increased belief in God further shows that NDErs generally accept the reality of their experiences and change their beliefs in response to their NDEs.

"A small prospective study of near-death experiencers found they were statistically much more likely to have an inner sense of God’s presence in comparison to a control group that did not have NDEs. Retrospective studies have also shown that NDErs have an increased belief in God or become closer to God. An increased closeness to God after NDEs was the conclusion in a scholarly book chapter I co-authored that reviewed 30 years of previously published literature regarding NDEs:

For most, the result appears to be spiritual awakening. The NDE often brings with it spiritual certainty and an intense desire to conform one’s life to divine will. The new relationship with what is often a personal God becomes central to the NDErs’ lives.

"The NDERF study of God in near-death experiences found that the most common descriptor of God was love. Love in NDEs has already been discussed, but the awareness of love seems especially strong when God is encountered. Here are examples of what NDErs said about God’s love:

The light and the presence of the entity was clearly God. It was present everywhere and a part of everything. There were no limits to the power of God. There was unconditional acceptance, forgiveness, and love.

The entire encounter was about God, the ultimate power of God, and God's forgiveness. The message was, "Love is the greatest power in the universe.”

God does exist. I was aware that God is not a man or woman. God is everything as pure love energy. We are God because we are one entity.

"I could go on with vast numbers of quotes like these describing the powerful and unearthly love of God. A profound and reassuring message from near-death experiences is that God loves everyone."


Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article. Footnotes have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at https://www.nderf.org

Sunday, December 26, 2021

NDE experience of love: Long excerpt #22

Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - "The NDERF survey question regarding love requested a narrative response by asking, “If yes or uncertain, describe in as much detail as possible.” The narrative answers to this question described the love encountered in NDEs as immense, all-encompassing, and universal. As you read these quotes from NDErs about love, you can feel the passion in their words:   

There was nothing that was not love. This love is not what we know on earth. It has nothing to do with feelings. It is like transitioning from being unable to breathe to where everything is air. It is the essence of everything and what we are. I would not call it love, bliss, peace, or oneness. It is an indescribable sense of belonging to everything, being everything, and being home.

 

I was surrounded by unconditional and never-ending love. It was the origin, a fabric of all that everything is made of. It totally enveloped me and held me.

It is all and only about LOVE. We come here to love ourselves as a part of God. We also come here to love everyone.

"Near-death experiencers often describe the love in their NDEs as a part of everything, as if love really does connect everyone and everything. NDErs routinely express the love they encountered as all-encompassing and beyond any love they could have possibly known in their earthly lives. In NDEs, this universal, enveloping, and extraordinary love is consistently described. This regularly described unworldly love in NDEs exemplifies the remarkable consistency of spiritual content in NDEs. Here are more examples of love described in NDEs:

Love and overcoming the fear of death is what it's all about. There is no death. Light, love, and God are the same. Accessible and free.

I became aware of the totality of unconditional love and that it was endless there. Love did not have to be earned, as it was already offered to all who would accept it.

We are love, peace, and all that is on the other side. That is what our soul is made of, and that is what we should be sharing.

"Many near-death experiencers emphasized that the love they encountered was beyond human language:

The human word "love" can't begin to address true love.

Love wasn't a stand-alone and clearly defined item. It was part of everything else. It was pervasive.

The love I felt was indescribable. No words can describe how profound it was.

"For near-death experiencers discovering such all-encompassing spiritual love, this awareness can be life-changing. NDErs often become more loving and compassionate following their NDEs. Throughout history and around the world there have always been substantially different views of what love is. This makes it all the more remarkable that love in NDEs is described so consistently." 



Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article. Footnotes have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at https://www.nderf.org


Saturday, December 25, 2021

NDE spiritual experiences: Long excerpt #21

Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - "Another common spiritual message from near-death experiences is that every one of us is united in the afterlife. I will let the NDErs themselves introduce this important spiritual aspect of NDEs:

We are each pieces of a greater whole, as I understand it. Getting back where we can all be together again is the ultimate "going home.”

I felt a universal connection or unity, but it didn't seem mystical at the time. It just felt like this IS how it is. In retrospect, it appears mysterious or unearthly, but at the time it was apparent that everything is interconnected, and it was plain and simple.

I was aware of a oneness, a connection with God and all the other souls, and individuality.

I felt like a single atom as a single point of energy, surrounded by other energy. We were all connected; we were all infinite. I felt like I belonged. I felt at peace.

"Many near-death experiencers find themselves in realms vastly different from anything they knew from their earthly lives. It is rare for NDErs to encounter realms that are frightening or hellish. These unusual NDEs are sufficiently rare that they are outside the scope of this article but are discussed on the NDERF website.

"Unearthly realms in near-death experiences may be analogous to earth but enormously more beautiful. NDErs may encounter mountains, forests, streams, lakes, and dwellings which they often describe as distinctly unearthly in appearance due to their exceptional beauty, brightness, or scale. Wendy shares an example of this otherworldly beauty. During surgery, her heart stopped. CPR was started, and she had an NDE:

I came through the light and knew everyone there. They were delighted to see me and welcomed me home. All of them were dead relatives that I never met before, yet I knew everyone. They appeared in human form to allow me to recognize them. However, I sensed that was not their real form now. I was connected with everyone and had an almost a collective consciousness, though I cannot describe it. I feel so many emotions as I recall this. It felt like a blanket of love was wrapped around me when I came through the light before I saw everyone. There is no feeling here that can express the love or feelings I felt there. Everything was "pure", such as the brightest blues, greens, reds, yellows, whites, purples etc. It was like removing a filter so that I could now see the purity of everything.

I went to the right where I saw what I believe was God, who was pure energy. Yet you knew who it was and the great wisdom within. God spoke to me, stating that the message for me to bring back was love. We all have to live in love.

The next thing I saw was a meadow in the mountains of indescribable beauty. The sky was the bluest blue, and the grass was the greenest green. All colors here are extremely pale compared to there. I saw my grandmother with children running towards me. She took me by the hand, and we were on the beginning of a bridge over a small creek. I had just turned nine when she died. We talked for seemingly hours about my life since she died. We also talked about when she came to let me know that she died, say goodbye until we would meet again, and not be sad. She died of a brain tumor, yet now she was vibrant and healthy. I told her how much I missed her, and she said that she watches over my son and me. She then said something unexpected: She said I had to go back and it was not my time yet.


Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article. Footnotes have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at https://www.nderf.org


Friday, December 24, 2021

NDE light and love experiences: Long excerpt #20

Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - "Any investigation finding evidence that consciousness survives bodily death would be expected to provide insight into what that conscious existence is like after bodily death. As you will see, the remarkably consistent spiritual content in near-death experiences provides this insight with a profound message of reassurance and inspiration for all of humanity.

"This section will review the spiritual content of near-death experiences. The word spiritual means different things to different people. Regarding the spiritual content of NDEs, the term spiritual will be used consistently with the Webster dictionary definition of spirit, which is: A supernatural being or essence. Consciousness in NDEs is apart from the physical body and may be conceptualized as a supernatural essence. The Webster dictionary definition of spirit makes no assumptions regarding any religious or other specific beliefs.

"An essential scientific principle is that what is real is consistently observed. In a previous section we found that when near-death experiencers see ongoing earthly events while out-of-body, they are generally exceptionally accurate. Given this, it is reasonable to believe that when NDErs consistently describe their often unearthly spiritual experiences, they are similarly accurate.

"The spiritual content in near-death experiences is often unlike what the NDErs could have expected based on their pre-existing beliefs. The spiritual content is often described as unearthly, which further contrasts the spiritual content in their NDEs from any prior earthly experiences.

"When near-death experiencers are in unearthly realms, they often feel overwhelming sensations of peace and love. Here are examples of the peace that NDErs experience:

I was more aware of how ridiculous my fears were and how they didn't compare to the intense peace and love I was feeling at the time. 

 

Indescribable joy, happiness, and peace.

 

Conscious of peace and love on a much higher level than usual.

"We will discuss the love that near-death experiencers encounter in detail later. For now, you can get a sense of the unearthly love commonly described in NDEs:

I knew the being I met was composed in its very atoms of a substance I can only call love. That substance created a force or power like electricity is here. Love is the only word I have. It is not the right word here.

I knew that love was the greatest force around us and that we are all love. Love is the only real thing. Hatred, pain, hurt, and all the negative things are not the way it really is.

Love was everywhere. It permeated the afterlife. It was incredible.

"I could go on with literally hundreds of quotes like these from near-death experiences, but you get the picture. The otherworldly love commonly encountered in NDEs is often powerful, overwhelming, and may be difficult to express in mere words. One previously published study analyzed hundreds of NDEs posted on the NDERF website to find the most common words used to describe the phenomenology of their experiences. The two most common words were light and love."


Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article. Footnotes have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at https://www.nderf.org

 

Gödel's reasons for an afterlife

Alexander T. Englert, “We'll meet again,” Aeon , Jan 2, 2024, https://aeon.co/essays/kurt-godel-his-mother-and-the-a...