NDE: How Death Changes Life

[Olcott Library]

"Not only do NDE's (Near Death Experience) eliminate the fear of dying, they also reduce the fear of living." There is a marked "change in attitude toward life"... so we begin our November Quest Reading Discussion based on the article How Death Changes Life: Aftereffects of Near Death Experiences by Joann S. Bakula, published in the Fall 2009 Issue.

With "Day of the Dead" celebrations proceeded by Halloween here in America, and on the heels of our discussion last month regarding "Illness as a Spiritual Experience," here is the most poignant quote pertaining to last month's article: "... as guides to the true principles upon which the whole cycle of life is based, from individuation to the Omega Point of enlightenment and perfection, resulting in the cessation of the cycles of lives on the wheel of samsara."

We read from the two interviews: "... In the end he saw that we are responsible for what we do, what we think and what we feel..." and "... Moreover, when she related her experience to others, she was careful not to challenge their beliefs while remaining certain of the meaning of her experience...."

Click here to read the article and share your own poignant quotes and any thoughts, insights, or stories with our group this month.

[christinaleestemaker]

Ok My experience was 10 year ago in stress situation I noticed the interval in breathing and at one night breath stops, mostly if I notice a stop of breathing I jump out of the bed and go to drink some water which directly helps.Through several circumstances I did not and my mind knew some finish. I was not afraid and stay in my bed and at once there was a blowing into my nose( no one else could do that, for there was no visible person near me.So that must have been an aetherical being, angel or whatever.
I think that NDE situations are levitations of our souls into another dimension, there are 12 dimension as there are 12 zodiacal signs, representating our 4 dimensional beings. Most of the time i hear people saying I saw such beautiful nature and sometimes they see friends or family and did not want to come back on earth. I worked for several years in a hospital and spoke a lot of people who telling me their stories. I noticed by myself more than once in my life ( 3 times)first time in the sea, second time in my car and last in my bed, that if our supreme nature don't want us to go, we will not go, whatever we want. So I am sure there is some ruler over us or watcher or maybe God, who knows?

I citate:cycle of life is based, from individuation to the Omega Point of enlightenment and perfection, resulting in the cessation of the cycles of lives on the wheel of samsara."

Mahatma Letter 13 gives: The whole individuality is centred in the three middle or 3rd, 4th and 5th principles.( solar plex,heart and throat )
During earthly life it is all in the fourth(heart) the centre of energy, volition -- will. Mr. Hume has perfectly defined the difference between personality and individuality. The former hardly survives -- the latter, to run successfully its seven-fold downward and upward course has to assimilate to itself the eternal life-power residing but in the seventh and then blend the three (fourth, fifth and seventh) into one -- the sixth. Those who succeed in doing so become Buddhs, Dyan Chohans, etc. The chief object of our struggles and initiations is to achieve this union while yet on this earth. Those who will be successful have nothing to fear of during the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. But this is a mystery. Our beloved K.H. is on his way to the goal -- the highest of all beyond as on this sphere. M.

[Jackie Clayton]

I enjoyed reading this. I found it calming and encouraging.

[christinaleestemaker]

thank you and I can say we have helpers round us, but we need to be aware and thankful for this helpers.

[Maureen]

I have been invited by a member to share my experience of a near death to this discussion. When I needed to be able to talk about it, some 31yrs ago, there was no-one I could access who understood and no-one who could help me cope with its aftermath. Eventually I managed to work everything out for myself about it and eventually discovered TS which furthered my understandings about the truth of all things and now just share the fruits gained from the whole ordeal and what it taught me at every opportunity I can fit into a busy life.

I truly don’t have time for detail about the actual death experience but I was dying. Didn’t really care excepting for the wellbeing of my 2 children. One of whom seemed to need me very much in some way.
Nevertheless, whilst personally in 2 minds about whether or not I was going to die, I carried on as best I could with my responsibilities and quietly prepared myself for death with an attitude that I will or won’t and had no choice about it anyway. I believe that quiet preparation is what resulted in a truly beautiful death experience and a complete self cure of the medical condition causing the problem…alongside, eventually, many other healings in my body that I wasn’t even aware existed. These are the issues…the fruits gained from my experience that could be replicated for other people if I ever became able to explain and be understood.
.
All I feel inclined to say about the actual experience at this time is that I died…stood in front of a Being I call God….I had no preconceptions of what ‘God ’would look like…...this Being had a face and features (without obvious gender) and we communed……….. I was not given a choice to stay or leave as some are but was told “go now” as I reached out touching God in an attempt to stay……..(I’ve always been a bit brassed off about that when I hear of others who were given a choice.)

I awoke to the thought “that must have been Heaven…I want to go back” As loudly and as clearly as a bell I heard the words “Heaven on Earth”

that caused me to laugh (for the first time in many a year I might add) I thought…”how can there be HoE when this happens…that happens….etc etc (starving children, wars, illness, misery and sadness etc etc) From that moment on my whole life was truly ‘taken over’ – Immediately given the most amazing series of experiences and teachings over a period of time…a true Union/AtOnement that made it perfectly clear to me that God does not lie….HoE is indeed a possibility and all my questions were answered. All the intricacies of the answers explained so there was no doubts of this information being anything less than pure brilliance….clearly I was a good student in the hands of a good teacher because there was no detail about the whole puzzle of life and all it’s doings that I was not made knowledgeable about in the most clearly understood ways and could see how very easy it would be for others to understand too. What people now call a Consciousness raising.

Real knowledge that really could make this world the HoE it could and should be. (This was way before the days of talk of planetary changes..Age of Aquarius..Golden Age and whatnot.The word Heaven was only ever used as a place to go to when you die)

I hasten to add…this HoE I craved was never a ‘personal private HoE for me or individuals generally..but a true HoE for the whole world! An absolutely revolutionary thought not even considered by mainstream in those days. Now…..many not only believe in the notion but expect it. Yay. Many hands make light work.


Naievely I realised I had been given great information…solutions to all that made this world less than it could and should be so wanted to share. That’s when my biggest trials came…..no-one understood. Eventually I came to the conclusion that…okay, even religious folk don’t actually believe there is a God and I can’t prove it…but neither can they who disbelieve, or (possibly) think I’m deluded.prove I’m not telling the truth. Time moved on and I just got about fulfilling my promise to ‘God’ that I would help make the world Heavenly and that I would always make it known that ‘God told me’ The first person who actually believed I told the truth about ‘seeing God with a face’ was an elderly member of TSNZ. She knew her Bible better than the religious folk. Religious folk said the Bible says ‘and no-one shall see his face’ whereas my TS mentor said the Bible also says…’and the pure of heart shall see his face’ 

Now I don’t care whether people do or don’t believe me personally, there’s enough others speaking out now to relieve me of that job, but will argue the case for a ‘personal God Being’ whenever I feel like it or think it really necessary for some reason or other. I’m far too busy trying to be useful in the world for unnecessary chatter.

I would have declined this request to share in the nde discussion for lack of time excepting for the date of this thread. 4 November.

It just so happens to be a very significant date for me, very much connected in a roundabout way to my own death experience…. I have celebrated 4 Nov in my own quiet little way for the 31 years since my death experience which resulted in a complete understanding of the Truth of the Spirit metaphysically. 4 November 1963 was the date of my Spiritual Birth. Let me explain because it is 100% relevant to the outcome of my learnings about all life and death matters and the inevitability of a Heaven on Earth phase of life.

In 1963 this young 14yr old, had an inherent love of things religious. As a result chose to go through the confirmation procedures in the Anglican Church I attended. Each week would attend the confirmation lessons in preparation. The Minister said to us all “it is very important that you understand the Holy Spirit….very important” I walked home thinking about it…..concerned because I didn’t really know what he was talking about. On 4 Nov 1963, in line at the alter of the Church to receive my first bread and wine, I quietly thought to God….,”well, I really don’t understand the Holy Spirit so I hope it’s alright”

Moving on to the actual death experience some 15 years later, and it’s aftermath. I was given a personal life review and now think something special happened to this serious seeker child on that day in 1963.

The most pressing matter for the world to deal with at this time, in my opinion, in order to manifest a HoE phase is the need to fully recognise the Truth of the Spirit. In it’s current usage - ‘untransmuted into a superconsciousness’ stage - it exists as psychic activity right from birth in those people of superconsciousness potential.

Not recognising such children at the outset of their lives is the root cause of most of life’s problems in the world. Too many words need to be said about this matter…but, at least, in these days there is more mainstream recognition of metaphysical areas like psychism. Even so, the children of the world thus afflicted, possibly not recognised and even if they are, nevertheless, not appropriately guided in theosophical style wisdom…leaves for the world in danger of more delays to world potential of a Heaven on Earth/Golden Age spell. God told me so….. 

[AngieMom57]

Heaven on Earth HoE! Thanks I loved reading about that this morning...and spontaneous healing; you are truly a dear for sharing so personal a story.

[Janeth]

I second AngieMom57 sentiments!! Thanks much, Maureen!! ☺

[Arvind Ramanujam]

My Near Death Experience, not physically, but emotionally, has made me come out of my comfort zone. A NDE was a critical point in my life. At this point, I have managed to stop replaying it again and again and instead acknowledged the reality of things. And the reality is...suffering is real...something what Buddha said. The remedy for me was not to look for a cure outside but rather dive right inside and take responsibility. This is not an easy thing to do and it is not possible without the strength that God gives me. It is only difficult as long as one shies away from confronting the heart of the matter. The heart is our closest friend but we mistake it's gentleness for weakness.

[Arthur E Gregory]

I used to volunteer in a local hospital and would recommend this as a path of service to people.. I'm a Baha'i and was working under the hospital chaplain.. We would visit people on the ward and when they wanted to we would share and talk to the patients

Anyway I met a man a few years ago who told me he had two NDE's and had been clinically considered "dead", this man had no philosophical or religious background and had been involved in construction. He described the Light and feelings of euphoria and release.. He said the experience he had removed all fear or apprehension of dying. Overall he seemed to be very positive and relaxed when we talked..

I asked him what he thought about sharing his experiences with others to maybe encourage them but he mentioned he had talked with another man who also had a NDE who told him not to do that and that people would just say he was crazy and reject him.


While on another forum the subject of NDE came up and a neurologist seemed to suggest that all these experiences were chemically based and there was nothing more to it.. So I suppose that would be the view of some doctors. For myself I believe there's "more to it".

One thing though that I've found that is some what disturbing to me is the way some doctors frighten their patients and from an emotional and psychological view this could be detrimental to healing and recovery.

[michelangelo costa]

Oh, I think you are right when you say doctors frighten their patients when a severe disease is involved. I'm a doctor in a family practice in Italy and noticed that when hospital doctors have to comunicate a bad prognosis, either they keep off doing or do it as they were gods who sentence to death their poor believers, emptying their hearts from hope and throwing their souls into a desperate condition. I think this is due to an exceedingly materialist vision of life (both patients' and doctors') who refuse to consider consciousness a "continuum" that can never be broken off; till we can't definitely assert the autonomy and supremacy of consciousness over form we wouldn't be able to explain the mystery of life's cycles. Unfortunately by now science can't support this "copernical revolution" of thought because of its form-oriented study of reality; nevertheless each one of us is really free (even if many doesn't know it) to think as he like, because from a mental standpoint each vision has the same worthiness and science is only one element that may steer towards a definite vision of life.

[Sally Colbert]

Wonderful article. I would like to put a link to it on our website, www.theosophysandiego.org.

[Olcott Library]

Sure Sally! Go ahead.

[Garrett Behrends]

The funny thing is just a few days ago i started reading about NDEs, and just reading them changed my attitudes towards life, and people.