Near Death Experiences

[Guest]

I have read many such, written by sensible normal people, including very credible people like doctors. I have no reason to question their sanity or honesty. 

Some have a horrible experience of going towards hell. This makes sense to them as they later say, if they were atheists. Yet some are shown both hell and heaven but told it is not their time. They then come back and become great believers in Jesus. Even becoming ministers and spreading their story of seeing Christ. 

I am curious though about often how those who are not religious, not Christian, still experience the wonderful peace and love of what they perceive as a very comforting great being that welcomes them. They are told it is not yet their time and they then wake up back in their body. They are left with a happy feeling and no more fear of death. 

So could this mean God welcomes everyone and we Christians do not have exclusive entrance to heaven as we thought? 

My own belief is firm. That Christ is the only way to heaven and eternal life. Yet I am interested in peoples' stories and will never dismiss or put them down. I never want to be that arrogant. 

It is mysterious. So what are your thoughts? 

 

 

 

 

[LearningToLetGo]

43 minutes ago, Melinda12 said:

So could this mean God welcomes everyone and we Christians do not have exclusive entrance to heaven as we thought?

Here's my take: just as the Torah is law unto the Jews, Jesus is law unto Christians. Walk with sincerity the path you have chosen.

[The_Patriot21]

I had an incident a couple years ago...i was hauling crude oil, got exposed to a large dose of gas (probably benzine) at about 1130 at night. From what i was told when i was found i wasnt breathing and had no pulse. I was life flighted out of there, and had a body temp below 95 degrees F. When i reached the hospital. I apparently woke up a few hours later buy i have no memory between 1130 Wednesday night until maybe mid morning on friday.

I also have no recollection of any out of body experiences, heaven, hell, anything. No dreams. Nada.

Ive heard it said that a lot of these "experiences" are just random neurons firing in the death throes.

I dont know for sure if thats the case. In many cases it probably is. Its possible that some are legit spiritual visions or whatever.

What I do know is the Bible flat out says there is only ONE way to heaven. One. And that is through Jesus Christ. We have to repent of our sins and follow Him. Period. 

I know thats what the Bible says. I dont know what causes all these "near death" experiences. They could be just the natural reactions of a dying brain. They could be from the devil.

So i will stick with what i know.

[Deborah_]

Personally, I think that the vast majority are the effects of hypoxia on the brain. The actual experiences are fairly stereotyped (e.g. sensation of travelling down a tunnel of light, or of floating above your own body) - but because the brain is programmed to make sense of its sensations, we put them into context ("I nearly died") and interpret them according to our pre-existing beliefs.

My mother used to get these "near death experiences" every time she had an anaesthetic at the dentist's when she was a child (this was in the 1930s). No way was she ever "near death" at the time, and so she found them terrifying. But they were just the way the anaesthetic affected her.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

When I had a C section, I will never forget it as long as I live....they never told me I nearly died, but I was haemorrhaging and it was an emergency.....I can remember going down a dark tunnel, to which appeared to be on either side of me, some entity’s  dressed in black, I can’t say they were people, I just saw black covering over them, as I was going down this tunnel I could see a bright light ahead, but, all I could hear was them discussing with each other, it’s not time, it’s not time, that’s all I heard.

I always believed that it was God, that he wasn’t ready for me, I was a non believer.

I find that most interesting, thankyou for sharing this memory. I of course believe you. It maybe means we all go to the light initially. Then face judgement, get separated and sent to our eternity. 

[LearningToLetGo]

Whatever the truth is, it's certainly so far above human level comprehension as to be inscrutable and ineffable. That said, the Bible does a good job laying out the "Cliff's Notes", so to speak. When seeking falls flat there is only faith. Bible got that one right, for sure.

[missmuffet]

16 hours ago, Melinda12 said:

I have read many such, written by sensible normal people, including very credible people like doctors. I have no reason to question their sanity or honesty. 

Some have a horrible experience of going towards hell. This makes sense to them as they later say, if they were atheists. Yet some are shown both hell and heaven but told it is not their time. They then come back and become great believers in Jesus. Even becoming ministers and spreading their story of seeing Christ. 

I am curious though about often how those who are not religious, not Christian, still experience the wonderful peace and love of what they perceive as a very comforting great being that welcomes them. They are told it is not yet their time and they then wake up back in their body. They are left with a happy feeling and no more fear of death. 

So could this mean God welcomes everyone and we Christians do not have exclusive entrance to heaven as we thought? 

My own belief is firm. That Christ is the only way to heaven and eternal life. Yet I am interested in peoples' stories and will never dismiss or put them down. I never want to be that arrogant. 

It is mysterious. So what are your thoughts? 

 

 

 

 

It is not impossible for God to give a person an NDE. Although it would be rare. Satan is always ready to cause deception so we need to be careful on how an experience is validated. The experience would have to line up with God's Word. 

[Guest]

A while back I read 

Near Death Experiences in the ICU: Stories from patients by Doctor Laurin Bellg.

It really made me think. 

 

[Starise]

Welllllll.....................so I have/had an interest in all of this because you know, one day that will be us. All of us.

Presently I have a theory that I haven't borrowed from anywhere so it may seem a bit odd at first glance, but I think it explains ( at least for me) what could be happening. 

I think there is possibility when we are not really dead but so close medical people can't tell, a splintering might take place where the soul does move away from the body. I had the most real dream once which was odd where I had the sensation I awoke and my head was right near the light fixture above the bed in my room. My grandfather had recently passed away in that very bed and I was all alone in that house that evening. I'm not sure what association his death had, if anything, to that event.

I remember awaking and feeling fear that, hey I'm not supposed to be up here. My body is down there. The room was dark as they mostly are at night when we are sleeping making it even more creepy. I can't get that dream out of my head if it was a dream because it seemed so very real.

My aunts once lived with us and were like my older sisters for awhile when I lived at home. I have lots of creative types on my mother's side of the family. My aunts, especially one, was extremely artistic, so sometimes it was difficult to tell if she was using her imagination or if what she was saying was fact. One time she looked at me dead serious and told me she would have dreams about going places and once she dreamed she was in a grove. When she awoke she had a leaf from one of the trees in her hand. She seemed to really believe what she was saying at the time.

The NDE movement seems very similar among those who experience it, including non Christians and even atheists. Yet most of them describe a wonderful being of light who makes them feel so good that never want to go back. Even after my personal experience I am VERY skeptical of this.

I mentioned this in another thread, that there seems to be a strong similarity to astral projection and remote viewing. Both are satanically based and I believe them to be demonically powered. Satanists claim in all sincerity to be able to transport themselves to other locations. Similarly the american indian skin walkers can become either animalisitc or outright animals for a time like wolves of eagles and go to other places. It is said that in order to join them you have to kill one of your loved ones. Bad stuff. Out west people have seen these things that seemed like animals with human traits, like large wolves standing erect. To me it's all the same thing. Worship of demons to do their bidding in trade for these 'powers'.

I believe there can be a splintering of the self in certain situations. In a near death situation, these people are not following Satan most of the time, but I think we can see the temporary separation taking place in a similar way. In order for it to happen there must be certain conditions to it, because it doesn't happen to everyone in similar circumstances. There might be a stage where it can occur and a stage where it won't occur. In order for it to happen, everything has to line up or it won't happen.

This is all an unfounded theory on my part, but I know what happened or seemed to happen to me and I don't routinely have dreams like that. If it was a dream is was one of the most real dreams a person can have.