by Dirk Gillabel, 2020
An overview and wider interpretation of near-death experiences.
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Every culture has its own belief in the afterlife. There are their stories and tales of what happens when one dies. The souls goes to happy places, sad places, hang out with the gods, or other spiritual beings. What happens after death is often a reflection of the earthly world, but different in character. Reward and punishment plays a big role in it, and it gives humanity morals and ethics in order to reap the benefits once the earthly life was over. Not that everyone would hold on to a good life, as they are always people who don't believe in the afterlife and live their lives in selfish ways. Religions keep the idea of an afterlife alive, but all too often in a simplified and childish way, in order to keep the masses dependent on the churches or other religious institutions. With the rise of the industrial revolution, science was declared the only reality and everything spiritual as non-existent. Together with the rising scandals of the churches, many people left their religions behind, and with it a belief in the afterlife. Some churches and religious institutions thrive once again, but their teachings of the afterlife is often a simplified one. Fortunately, the advance in medical science had the result that people who would have normally died, were brought back to life. A good deal of those people, who had a brush with near-death, started talking about their experiences while their physical body was clinically dead. The stories of those near-death experiencers (NDErs) are all different, but with common themes. Even the differences are meaningful. Some investigators have collected and researched numerous NDE stories, which you now can find on the web at certain websites, but also on YouTube (links at the end of this article). Unfortunately, we, humans, have a lack of discernment. When people have near-death experiences, (NDEs) the experiences reflect their belief system, religious or otherwise. They do not question the appearance of their experience. What I am attempting to give you here is an overview of the NDE, with information from esoteric sources, which will give you a better interpretation of what NDEs or life-after-death is about. In the usual NDE research there is a lack of this esoteric information, and I will try to fill in that gap. First we will have to look at this esoteric information before we can interpret the NDE stories.
The Nature of the Afterlife World What we call the afterlife is very real. You could call it another dimension; in esoteric circles it is usually called the astral world. After the physical body dies, the soul finds itself in this other dimension. The astral world is composed of astral matter that is very fluidic. That means that it will shape itself according to one's thoughts. As the mind is very habitual, the souls in the astral world will automatically create an environment that reflects their previous existence on the physical level. In the same habitual manner, their astral bodies take on the shape of their previous physical bodies, because that is what they have been used to while they were in the physical body. The soul itself does not have a form, but it can take any form it wants in these astral worlds. Over time, the appearance of the astral body will change to reflect the inner nature of the soul. Most deceased souls are unaware of the nature of the astral world and astral matter. Their subconscious will create their appearance and the environment they arrive in according to their previous habits and all their unconscious programs or belief structures. An awakened soul who has left his physical body will go rapidly through the initial phases, and it can take any human form it wants, or any other form, even a light sphere; and can go whoever it wants, or create any environment it desires. All forms on the astral world are created by the mind, and this is important to understand. All those astral realms you hear about or read about have no objective existence. They only exist as long as there are souls who consciously or subconsciously create them. These environments allow the souls to recover, to reflect, to create, to enjoy and to explore. The astral world could more accurately described as states of consciousness. In each astral environment you will find souls living together who are like-minded. So each astral environment, reflects a certain state of mind of those who dwell in it. A soul can visit other souls in other astral realms. However these other souls have a different consciousness, and thus that soul can't stay for long in these other realms because the environment vibrate at a different 'frequency' than his own. He will be most at ease in those realms that corresponds to his own state of mind. By now, you will understand that when the physical body of a person dies, his soul will enter a realm that provide him experiences that reflect his own state of consciousness. His mind will project its content outwards, because human beings are accustomed to experience life as moving in a world that exists objectively outside itself. In other words, when the soul leaves the body, it automatically creates his own environment in the spiritual world that corresponds to his own beliefs and expectations. This also applies for some of the beings encountered, who are projections of one's mind, and not real spiritual beings. In near-death experiences, we see this clearly happen. Taken into account that every NDE is different, the soul of the NDEr will find itself in a self-created environment that it can relate to based on his earthly experiences. It should also be mentioned that some NDErs will also have truly transcendental experiences, that is, transcendental to their ordinary experiences in the physical world, such as merging with the Light, feeling infinite, having all the knowledge in the universe. The astral world, being a reflection of the human mind, is a much more intense and wider experience as it does not have the limitation of the physical world. Emotions are more intense, there is more clarity of mind, communication with other souls is instant and not limited in words, space and time is different, there are more colors etc. Time and Space NDErs often remark that time doesn't exist in the spiritual world, and that space or distance can be bridged in no time. This is also well documented with out-of-the-body-experiencers, who tell us that the experience of time and space in the astral world is totally different than on Earth. Emanuel Swedenborg, a Swedish scientist and mystic from the 17th-18th century, who visited the spiritual realms numerous times, explains: All things in heaven appear, just as in the world, to be in place and in space, and yet the angels have no notion or idea of place and space. As this must needs sounds like a paradox, I will endeavor to present the matter in a clear light, as it is of great importance. All changes of place in the spiritual world are effected by changes of state of the interiors, which means that change of place is nothing else than change of state...Such are all movements of the angels; and in consequence they have no distances, and having no distances they have no spaces, but in place of spaces they have states and their changes. Spaces in heaven are simply the external conditions corresponding to the internal states. Again, when any one goes from one place to another, whether it be in his own city, or in courts or in gardens, or to others out of his own society, he arrives more quickly when he eagerly desires it, and less quickly when he does not, the way itself being lengthened and shortened in accordance with the desire, although it remains the same. This I have often seen to my surprise. All this again makes clear how distances, and consequently spaces, are wholly in accord with states of the interiors of the angels; and this being so, no notion or idea of space can enter their thought, although there are spaces with them equally as in the world. (Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen § 191-195) In other words, space or distance is seen as in our earthly world, but its is only apparent. One merely has to think or want to be at another place, and one is there. If you want to visit another soul, you just think of him and are with him. One can still walk the apparent distance, as on Earth, if one still wishes to do so. It just depends on one's intent. The key element in this is one's own state of mind, or inner awareness. This is also true for the notion of time. Angels do not know what time is, although with them there is a successive progression of all things, as there is in the world. (Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen § 161) Although there is a progression of time in the spiritual worlds, there is no means of measure as we do have here on earth. There are no clocks, no 'fixed alternations' as Swedenborg calls it. They only thing they keep track of are the changes that are happening. In the astral world, one can experience events as having taken a certain (long) time period, while the amount of physical time during the near-death is very short. The time experience in the spiritual worlds is a matter of how fast or slow one's mind can experience the events. Also, in the spiritual worlds, one can perceive past, present and future together, as some NDErs have told us. They often tell us that there is no time in the afterlife, because of this. This is not quite true. However, one can instantly see past events, the present, and the possible future as they are connected to each other. That is a perception; past, present and possible future also flows on the spiritual planes. But we, here on the physical plane, are conditioned to see time as a linear development, and thus have difficulty grasping the spiritual concept of time and space.
It is important to understand what life is about, and who we are, both as humans, and as spiritual beings or souls. Although we do not have all the answers, and it can be looked at from different angles, here is a short overview. Everything that exists, on the physical and on the spiritual planes is the Divine. (I am avoiding the word God because it has such a laden religious content). We, humans, like every other living being, are part of the Divine. In the process of the (ongoing) creation, we have created ourselves a duality. So now, we speak of our divine center, our Spirit, also called the Higher Self, and the Lower Self, which is our Soul that incarnated in a physical body to have experiences in the physical world. At one time in the past, you came to this planet Earth to incarnate in the human form, and at each death of the physical vehicle, you went to the astral world for a while, and then re-incarnated again into the physical, many times. A human life is short, so what one can learn while in the physical world is limited. So, one needs to come back many times. At physical death the soul enters the afterlife to process his past experiences and to have some time to rest and enjoy before going back to a new physical body. What you need to understand is that the afterlife, or the astral world, is an illusory world. Most NDErs take their experiences at face value. They are convinced that they have met God, Jesus, their dead relatives, have visited heavenly parks, libraries and other environments. They are convinced that all these are objective, just as on the physical plane. Because an NDE is a profound, often life changing and positive experience (there are negative ones too), I doubt they would be willing to consider that what they experienced is not what it seems. And yet, it would not invalidate their experience but only their interpretation thereof, because they lacked the knowledge of what the astral worlds are really like. Everything in the astral worlds is self-created, that is, created by one's own mind, including the group-mind of like-minded people who congregate in their own societies. The people a soul meets in the astral world is not always the person they believe they are seeing. The being can also be another kind of being that has taken the shape and form of a relative, in order for the newly arrived soul to be at ease. The being can also take the form of a religious figure, such as Jesus, or an angel, knowing that would certainly provide a much need calm and guidance for a soul that does not know what to expect. The encountered being can also be a projection of one's own mind. I think this is the case in most NDEs, or a part of the NDE. Emanuel Swedenborg reported that one time, when he was on the astral plane, his guide showed him a community of souls who were listening to teachings given by Jesus. His guide explained him that the Jesus present was not the real Jesus, not even a real being, but a form created by the subconscious mind of the group, because these people longed for the appearance of Jesus because of their belief system. They themselves were not consciously aware that this was a created manifestation. They took it for the real Jesus. This shows that on the astral plane one really has to watch out for what is real or what is a created illusion. An example of this happened to one NDEr: So the thoughts came into my head: what kind of form or shape would make you most comfortable? 'What do you mean?' I thought back. Some require me to take the shape of a wise old man, others a woman and still others an animal, all of different races, ages, sizes or species. What about you? I thought without hesitation 'Human.' With that, the light began to simultaneously separate into amazing rays of color and intensify into a more solid form. Once the light reached the stage where it looked like a human form, a rather generic looking cookie cutter shape, like a gingerbread man, I thought, 'That is enough, I am comfortable with this form.' (NDERF) The Jesus, the God figure, the angels, and the dead relatives the NDErs encounter are then subconscious projections of the NDEr's own mind. Jesus, if he really exists, has better things to do than to welcome an ordinary person to the afterlife. When the NDEr is welcomed and guided by an invisible presence or a visible being (usually a light being) often interpreted as an angel, is most likely a subconscious form of one's own Higher Self, because in the afterlife one is still living in duality. Relatives are also most likely projections, even if they are deceased ancestors that one has never known. The reason for this is that one is still connected to the morphic field of one's family, that includes the lives of ancestors many generations back. This does not exclude that in some cases, a real deceased relative does show up. Even elaborate scenes, such as an amphitheater full of angels, might have been created by the NDEr's mind. Does this mean that the NDEr's experience is "just an illusion"? No, Everything that he experiences has a meaning, because it is a reflection of one's own mind coupled with what already exists on the astral plane. It is important to recognize what is a projection, and what it is its meaning. What is the value of certain, especially transcendental, experiences, and what beings are real and have some interesting things to communicate. Below is an overview of all the different aspects that can happen when somebody dies, and then comes back. Some people will experience most of them, while others experience only a few of them. There are also differences between different cultures. Every near-death experience is different, but the features below are common themes. A very basic experience is finding oneself outside the physical body, being indifferent to the physical body, seeing a bright light, feeling immense love, seeing dead relatives and other figures, and being told to go back. An NDE is a variable combination of a number of possible elements from an established repertoire, the details of which differ on a case-by-case basis for reasons which remain largely obscure.
What is a near-death experience, or NDE? It is an experience a person can have when his body is nearly dead, or clinically dead for a short amount of time? Consciousness leaves the body. The soul feels that all his usual senses are heightened. Colors are brighter, sounds are clearer and can sometimes be heard from a distance. One can find himself in other places in an instant. Space and time is experienced quite differently than on Earth. Feelings and emotions are more intense and in general positive, although a few NDErs experience negative emotions. Some pass through a tunnel, have an experience with a light source. Light beings or deceased relatives show up. A life review can present itself. One can even visit other spiritual realms. Information and knowledge can be obtained. Eventually one comes back to the physical body. All near-death experiences are different, but the essence of an NDE is the experience of love and how all life in the universe is connected. On the other hand, the experience is difficult to describe because it is so unfamiliar, and so different compared to the physical world. The NDEr description is not a complete one, because he does not really know what he is dealing with. We will often find that NDErs try to interpret and identify what they went through, based on their own belief systems and cultural background. Like any experience, an NDE is rooted in the culture of the person having it. This means they are processed and interpreted depending on a person's religion, language, society and environment. Some NDEs are short, or follow an almost standard process, while in others the soul has elaborate mystical experiences. Overall, an NDE has a profound effect on the person when he comes back to his body. He gains another perspective on reality giving his present life more meaning. On the other side, NDErs never question what they have experienced. Is what they experienced and who they encountered in the afterlife really what they thought it was? Is it possible that they misinterpreted the experience? A lot of NDErs would not even consider that their favorite religious figures who gave them so much love might not be what they thought they were. The afterlife process might be quite different than what most people believe it is. When the soul or consciousness is released from the body and enters the dimensions of the astral realms, it begins to project its own reality and creates its own world according to its state of mind and purity of consciousness. The state of one's consciousness will shape his experience in the afterlife. Most people are ignorant, they have no or little spiritual knowledge. They are largely focused on the material world, and belief the misguided religious stories their priests have told them. They live in a world of duality, of light and darkness, and are driven by their desires. In the afterlife they will find themselves in their own self-created reality which they will take as real. When a person has gained spiritual knowledge and a consciousness that can see beyond the veil of illusion, it will recognize the illusionary worlds in the astral realms, and go beyond it, into the higher spiritual realms.
An Overview of the Afterlife Process Some near-death experiencers finds themselves first in darkness. It is a total black darkness that stretches all around them into infinity. It is sometimes called the Void. It is total stillness and peace. Although it might be initially scary, it does bring relief after all the pain and trauma the physical body had to endure. Now one feels free and calm. Some people might think that the darkness or void is something bad or evil, but that is not so. It is sometimes explained as being the void that is full of potentials, before creation. One NDEr (she was around 5 years old) found herself in what she called "The Womb", and asked her spiritual guide what is was: ...I call, "The Womb". It's similar to "void" experiences except that I saw flashes of pink (sometimes other colors, but usually pink) like muted, dark lightning. I was floating in darkness, everything was peaceful and incredibly calm. I existed, it wasn't frightening. I felt wrapped tightly in immense love... I could sense what I usually
call my "attendant". Guide, guardian angel, whatever you wish. It was
there, as a presence, but not as a being of light this time, just sort
of there on the periphery of my "knowing". For esoteric minded people, I would compare this black void with the sephirah Binah on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is the womb of the Mother of the universe, before creation takes place. Everything is present in her as potentialities. In Hinduism we could compare it with Shakti as primordial female. After the impact, I faded to black into what I call a void. It was dark, black, empty and wide open. It was the most peaceful and calm feeling I ever had. I knew with just one thought I could travel through the void... NDERF I found myself in a black void completely at peace. I had no self-awareness, no memory of who I was but I somehow knew that I was separate from the void. I cannot describe the feeling of completely peace: no pain, no worries, no sense of self, it was fantastic...I didn't feel very lucky and was really angry at being back. At the time, I really would have preferred to stay in the void. NDERF After a while the soul perceives a light in the distance, and will be attracted to it. This then leads to the experience of the white Light. Sometimes this movement towards the Light creates a tunnel effect, or a vortex like tube, that will connect the soul with this next, higher level. The time spent in the void seems to be related to what the soul needs in order to contemplate its new state of being. When it is ready it will perceive the Light in the distance. In a certain way you could call it a black mirror. A few NDErs experience this black void with fear. Based on their explanations, it seems more that their fear stemmed from not understanding what this void is about. The void itself is neutral. The Void is actually the basis of everything, for all creation. The stillness and nothingness is only apparent, as it contains all potentialities. I think this is what the alchemists called Nigredo, the Blackness, and also the Prime Materia, the substance underlying all creation. The Void can be a rather pleasant experience: I had traveled to another realm of total and absolute peace. With no physical body my movement was unencumbered. Thought was the avenue for travel. I floated up through blackness where there was no fear, no pain, no misunderstandings, but instead a sense of well-being. I was enveloped by total bliss in an atmosphere of unconditional love and acceptance. The darkness was warm and soft, a blanket of velvety love, stretching endlessly. The freedom of total peace was intensified beyond any ecstatic feeling I’ve ever felt on Earth. In the distance, a horizon of glorious white, golden light beckoned me forward. (Laurelynn Martin's Near-Death Experience) One can see the Void as the primal matrix of creation containing nothing and everything (as potentials). However the Void is also in oneself, a place of stillness where one can rest, reflect or just be. It seems that some NDErs who find themselves in the dark Void, actually have gone within themselves, to that inner quiet place they need adjust themselves to the new situation they are in. That is why in the Void we do not find any presence or interference of astral beings. I have always found it strange. How can there be tunnel in the afterlife? Why does a soul have to go through a tunnel? However, a third of near-death experiencers do. Other rise up directly to a heavenly place, or out into space, looking at the earth, or find themselves in another situation, without ever going through a tunnel. The tunnel can be experienced as being in motion, and with texture or grooves. Colors also vary. Most people go over to the next level directly without going through a tunnel. Maybe this is because the soul was still 'out of it' after having experienced the traumatic process of death, and did not consciously experience the transition through a tunnel. The tunnel can appear when one is in the void, but also in any other afterlife scene. Most of the time the White Light appears at the end of the tunnel. At other times, a figure is waiting. Although the term 'tunnel' is widely used, the soul can also go through a 'door', 'passage', 'tube', 'shaft', 'hole', 'funnel'... these are all transition structures. It seems that the mind of the deceased is creating the appearance of a tunnel or other structure that symbolizes for him the passage from one place to another, with the transition from one plane of consciousness to another, or from one dimension to the another. The soul can also go through a tunnel when it returns to the body. This is rarely reported, probably because the descent into the body is usually very rapid and the tunnel experience might not have been consciously noticed. I must go back; I have not accomplished my mission. In that moment, I sensed I was going backward into a tunnel and I found myself back in my body. NDERF So I returned through the same tunnel, seeing my life pass before my eyes from my childhood until my age at that moment. At the end, there was a window. When I looked, I saw my body on the table of the operating room and the doctors around me, operating. NDERF In regression therapy, a form of hypnotic access to the subconscious to explore previous life times or incarnations, a tunnel is also reported when the soul in the spiritual world, goes 'down' into its new physical body for another incarnation. We find the tunnel experience also with out-of-the-body-experiences (OOBEs). In his book Far Journeys II, Robert Monroe (1915-1995) reports on the tunnel experience as the result of fixation on a pinpoint of light when the latter appeared into the vision of the participants: "These phenomena were gradually perceived in a pattern, as somewhat of a band preceding a change into the out-of-body experience. There were also preliminary physiological responses—lowering of blood pressure and pulse, slight temperature drop (03°), loss of muscle tone. Subjectively, there were reports of a heaviness in the physical body, sometimes catalepsy, and a strong sense of heat followed by coolness. As the induction of the OOBE state was examined further, one key element did repeat consistently. Subjects began to locate within their nonphysical perception a pinpoint of light. When the subject learned to "move" in the direction of the light until it became larger and larger, and then move through it, the OOBE state was achieved. In slow motion, it "felt as if one were going through a tunnel to get to the light," a classic description that has been brought forth by many who performed the OOBE inadvertently or in a near-death situation." (page 19) OOBEr Oliver Fox (1885-1949) writes in his book Astral Projection about going through a tunnel when he wanted to visit a scene in the past: I then willed to travel to a certain temple which I have been told once existed in Allahabad. I moved off at a great speed and came to rest in a modern brilliantly lighted room. Here a man and a woman were seated at a table, having a meal. They did not seem to see me. Again I repeated my desire : "Temple —Allahabad—India—in the Past". And now it seemed to me there was a sort of hole or break formed in the continuity of the astral matter ; and through this, in the distance—as though viewed through a very long tunnel—I could see something indistinct which might have been an entrance to a temple, with a statue still further away showing through it. I then moved forward again, but to my disappointment came to rest almost immediately in another room, where three women were seated at a table which also bore the remains of a meal. A fourth woman—pretty, with fair hair and blue eyes—was standing up in the act of leaving the table. Apparently, none of them could see me. Sticking to my objective, I once more repeated "Temple Allahabad—India—in the Past". The tunnel arrangement was coming into view again, then something must have occurred which broke my trance —though what, I do not know. Instantly I rushed back to my body and awoke. (page 98) It seems that the tunnel can also appear when consulting the Akashic Records to see or relive past events. On page 106, Oliver Fox writes about another experience in which he arrived at another scene in the past: I then decided that I would try to reach a certain ruined temple in Tibet, of which my Master, Azelda, had spoken. With this end, I concentrated all my will in one big effort, expecting to rush off in some horizontal direction. The result was absolutely unexpected. The ground collapsed beneath my feet and I was falling, with seemingly tremendous velocity, down a dark, narrow tunnel or shaft. Tunnels also appear with people take mind altering drugs. Here is a quote from and person who took DMT, posted on Erowid Experience Vaults: The visuals began. My breathing became heavy, I was laying on the ground and could see the night sky above me. Large beings were circled around me, observing me as if I had fallen right out of the sky, they all bent over me, blocking my view of the sky, suddenly they began to circle around me, raised their arms and the next thing I knew, I was trapped in a colorful tunnel. I was overwhelmed by what was happening, the tunnel began projecting me through it and I had no idea where I was going or if this tunnel ever ended. 2- dimensional beings were dancing on the walls of the tunnel...I was thrown back into the tunnel, but this one was slightly different; It was as if the artist Alex Grey had painted the inside of this tunnel for me. I remembered the end of the last tunnel, this one too had an end! I Indubitably reached the end...
When the NDEr finds himself in the Void, a light in the distance will eventually appear, and the soul will gravitate toward it, usually through a tunnel. Some people do not experience the Void or the Tunnel but go directly to the White Light. The experience of the White Light seems to be the most common element in NDEs. However it is not unique to NDEs, it is also experienced in altered states of conscious (by the use of psychedelic drugs), in OOBEs, and in experiences of shamans. It is usually described as a very intense bright white light, but some NDErs say that it had a golden, blue or pink hue to it. Is it really white in color, or is it just so intense and bright that the closest description is that of being white? "My first visual memory was looking forward and seeing a brilliant bright light, almost like looking directly at the sun. The strange thing was that I could see my feet in front of me, as if I were floating upward in a vertical position. I do not remember passing through a tunnel or anything like that, just floating in the beautiful light. A tremendous amount of warmth and love came from the light. (from the book Beyond the Light, by by P. M. H. Atwater) As we will see in the following chapter there might be a difference between a White Light and a clear brilliant Light that NDErs encounter. Because most NDErs don't know what to expect when they near-died, they probably didn't pay attention to this difference and/or don't remember if the Light was white or just clear bright. For now we will look at what most people experience when encountering a Light. As the experience of the White Light varies from person to person, one's culture is also a factor. Studies of NDE's of Hindus in Thailand and India show that they usually do not encounter a White Light. In contrast Japanese NDEs do have the same White Light experience as Westerners, but the Japanese do not ascribe a personality to the White Light, nor does it emit any love feelings. This seems to reflect the low importance of religion in their lives. Some Japanese NDErs can have a conversation or communication with the White Light. (A Comparative Analysis of Japanese and Western NDEs) It is quite common for NDErs to state that they felt drawn toward the Light, or that the Light pulled them in. The Light can embrace the soul with a feeling of intense love, or understanding, or bliss. This feeling can be immense and powerful. Some NDErs merge with the Light. The love feeling is so overwhelming that the soul wants to stay there. A sense of unity is also reported. The soul can also hear music at the same time. I noticed my body separating from me, as I was drawn towards a strong white light at the other end of a tunnel which itself was completely dark. NDERF At first, it was the Light, a brilliant, white light, without reflection and without glare. Then, the feeling... of quiet jubilation, of peace and incredible serenity enveloping me. It was not ecstasy or any feeling I could identify, except perhaps glory in the warmest most positive sense of the word. NDERF The Light can appear as having no dimensions, no limits or boundaries, just being infinite. Sometimes the soul finds itself inside an orb of light, or when reaching the light, one or more beings appear. The Light also has an intelligence to it, so much so, that it is sometimes considered to be a light being of some sort, or God himself. So what is this famous White Light? It seems that it is (from a dualistic perspective) the essence of one's Higher Self, one's divine self or Spirit. It is like a home-coming, becoming aware again of one's divine essence. At that level of consciousness one's own divine Self is at unity with the cosmic Divine. So, although the NDEr is experiencing himself at that highest level, he is also experiencing the Divine in its all-encompassing omnipresence. For ordinary people who are not aware of these higher levels of being, this Light presence is (often after the NDE itself) interpreted as God, or an angel, or sometimes a spiritual guide. In reality he is experiencing his own true divine essence. NDE investigator Raymond Moody in Life after Life, makes an interesting remark about the White Light: Despite the light's unusual manifestation, however, not one person has expressed any doubt whatsoever that it was a being, a being of light. Not only that, it is a personal being. It has a very definite personality. The love and the warmth which emanate from this being to the dying person are utterly beyond words, and he feels completely surrounded by it and taken up; in it, completely at ease and accepted in the presence of this being. He senses an irresistible magnetic attraction to this light. He is ineluctably drawn to it. (page 58-59) One woman put it this way: It was an Awareness, an Intelligence that was everywhere. It also communicated, but again, without words. As soon as we entered what I have termed 'the chamber' I understood that this Being is everywhere, everything. (NDERF) Some NDErs do leave the White Light presence undefined. They admit they don't know what or who it is. When inside the White Light, some souls hear a voice (often male) telling them to go back, or sometimes answering questions, or allowing the soul to experience certain characteristics of the spiritual world of cosmos. This voice, or the discussion that takes place is actually from the higher Self of the NDEr to his lower self, or ordinary state of consciousness that he still has in this afterlife period. The White Light is also associated with the appearance of religious beings, such as Jesus, Mary or angels, and deceased relatives. They also serve as reminders of going back to the physical body, or they will guide the soul to the Council for a Life Review. For the most part, all these beings are not real. They are projections from the Higher Self, or the subconscious mind of the NDEr to create an experience in a way he can understand. By the way, NDErs have given totally different descriptions of the Jesus they saw, reflections their own ideas how Jesus looks like rather than a historical Jesus. Sometimes spiritual beings can serve as guides. In certain cases, a Life Review can happen right away, while inside the White Light. Because the NDEr, as a human being, is spiritually not evolved enough, he cannot stay at this highest level of consciousness, and thus he is always summoned, sooner or later, to go back to the physical body. For those that choose to stay, or are unable to go back because the physical body cannot be revived, they will go to level of the astral world that corresponds to the level of consciousness that they have reached thus far in their cosmic journey. White Light versus Clear Light This chapter might not sit well with a lot of people, but I think we should look at NDEs from more than one angle, even if this viewpoint stirs up controversy. There have been a few people who have claimed that the White Light might be a deceptive light. That might sound strange because we all hear about the wonderful feelings the white Light impart on the NDEr's soul. It often emanates immense love, it has intelligence, it guides the soul. We do have to remember that the astral plane is a world of illusions. Everything you see and experience in that world is a reflection of what is in one's own mind, or in the mind of other astral beings, whoever they might be. We create our environment there, or enter in the environment created by other beings. In the astral world we are also subject to the energies and influences of other beings. That is why all those wonderful NDE stories of God, Jesus, heaven etc. should not be taken at face value. After all there are negative NDE too. The Light can a manifestation of one's Higher Self, or divine Self, appearing in manifestations that the ordinary consciousness of the NDEr can comprehend. Because there are also deceptive spiritual beings in the astral world, we should also consider the possibility of mind manipulation by those beings. Is the Light that attracts so many NDErs to it really the Higher Self, or is it a trap, as some call it, to blind the soul, and to keep it ignorant, and send it back to Earth. If the White Light encountered, in some NDEs, is indeed not the Higher Self, but a manufactured light, then the beings that often appear with this Light, such as religious figures and angels, are also deceptive projections. Maybe the difference lies in what Light the NDEr encounters. When you follow spiritual traditions, they will tell you that the Light of the True Self has no color. The True Self lies outside any created (astral) worlds. It is clear, bright, intense energy. When the light you encounter has a color, including white, then it is present in the astral world. Such an intense White Light, with accompanying love feelings, can be created by astral beings. Then you can be tricked in whatever they want you to do or believe. Maybe we should consider that it is possible that in some NDEs this is the case. It is a bit strange that, especially in the Western world, NDErs always almost always made feel guilty during their Life Review process, and that this the major reason for returning to the physical body. Guilt is a negative emotions, and never constructive. Guilt is often used, here on the physical plane, by people who want to manipulate other people. It is quite effective unless you are more spiritually evolved. It is not a comfortable thought that this can happen after you die, or near-died, when you don't know what is right or wrong. Instead of directing your attention to the Light you are seeing, maybe it is better to direct your attention to your inner heart, or inner being, or True Self, or to the bright, clear Light.
The White Light is closely associated with the appearance of welcoming figures, although they can appear without a White Light manifestation. These figures always have the same function: welcoming the soul, and then telling the soul it has to go back, or to bring the soul to the Council for a Life Review. The beings are often related to one's belief system. Jesus is popular with Christians, although his appearances vary widely. Occasionally Mother Mary can be present. With Hindus and Buddhist it is often the Lord of Death. Angels frequently appear. Krishna can appear, and Mohamed too. Most of the time, these beings do not identify themselves. It is the NDEr who assumes that they represent a particular religious figure. Sometimes they leave them unidentified. I remember being in the most beautiful white light. It was all encompassing and warm. In the white light with me was a holy being that seemed to me to be God or Christ. NDERF As you can see in the above quote, the soul is greeted by a man he didn't know, but is assumed to be God, or Jesus. It can also happen that only a voice is heard, or an invisible presence is felt. The identity of a welcoming being seems to be a combination of a real spiritual entity (or entities) and the subconscious of the NDEr who will interpret it in a way he can understand. An example of this we find with an NDEr who was welcomed by a being, and asked who it was: It's response was that I
could call it whatever I wanted to. Most people, it explained, called it
an angel or a guide; some called it a god. Non-descriptive beings appearing in a white robes are sometimes assumed to be angels. Sometimes spiritual guides appear to help the NDEr through the afterlife process. These beings don't have to be human spirits, they can be angelic or light beings, or even other types of beings we are not familiar with. In a rare NDE account, this is exactly what the NDEr is told: "I am your guardian angel, your higher self, your oversoul," answered the angel, "I have been with you all of your life."Upon hearing these words, I became aware of another part of myself, a larger, higher part that I had only glimpsed as a child and in rare dreams throughout my life. I had not understood that this was the larger part of me, the oversoul, or the source of inspiration, my connection to the light. (The Wonder Child, A Journey Through the Light and Back, by Mellen-Thomas Benedict) Here is an account of a woman who was engulfed by the White Light, and then hooded beings appeared: As I got closer, it got bigger and brighter until it was all that I could see. I was immersed in the light. As I stood there, the light slowly parted, and I was now able to see two rows of hooded beings in long robes similar to monks lined up in front of me. I sort of passed between them as if floating forward. One of them stepped toward me and spoke. As I turned to look at this being his presence felt somewhat male. There was no face to be seen inside his hood, just darkness and energy. I heard his voice and words, which seemed more energetic than vocal. It was as if we were speaking inside of each other. There was a knowing about our way of communicating. At this point I became overwhelmed with this feeling of unconditional love surrounding me. It was as if all of the hooded ones were radiating love to and through me. I felt totally cherished for the first time in my life, on a level I never knew existed. I was home! South Bay IANDS In this NDE it is possible that hooded beings were her mind's projections because of her catholic upbringing. Hooded beings resemble monks. It is also possible that they are real beings of another type. Hooded beings also appear with the Council and the Life Review.
We might expect that the same afterlife scene would also occur with people from other cultures, replacing the appearance of religious figures with their own gods. Strangely, the entire experience can be different, although it is still a reflection of their own belief system. Here are two quotes from researchers to illustrate this. "Near-death experiences in Thailand are different from western experiences. There is no tunnel and no White Light. However the soul is always greeted by one or two beings who lead it to Yama, The Lord of Death, who acts as judge and who usually rules that the wrong soul has been taken and that it has to be taken back to Earth. Heaven and hell scenes reflect their Buddhist beliefs." (Near-Death Experiences in Thailand: Discussion of case histories, by Todd Murphy, 1999) "Hindus in India report that the souls were taken to the after-death realm by functionaries. Then, they or Yamraj, the Hindu god of the dead discover that a mistake has been made and send the person back; but they also can be told by family members to go back. Tunnel experiences do exist but are rare. Religious deities are also encountered. Consistent with western accounts, some Hindu near-death accounts included a Life Review. However, whereas in western accounts the Life Review often consists of viewing a person's entire life, Hindu accounts consist of having someone read the record of the dying person's life." (Near-Death Experiences of Hindus Pasricha and Stevenson's research, 1986) Despite the superficial differences with Western reports we do find the same theme of beings who take the soul to a place of where an authority figure sends the soul back, although for a different reason. When the soul does not want to go back, it is forced to go back as is the case in Western NDEs. Although the reason of the wrong soul being taken is quite common in near-death experiences for these eastern people, some of them had never heard of this before. The reason for this might lie in the shared morphic field of that culture. There is also a cultural difference in the reason why the soul is send back to the body. The Hindu and Buddhist people are forced to go back, because of a mistake. There is no place for arguing, and no reasons are given and no special mission is mentioned. In Christian societies, we don't hear of any mistakes. They are usually send back because they still need to take care of their family member(s), or they have a mission to fulfill. Sometimes they are also forced to go back against their will. So, these figures also don't seem to be real, but rather a function of one's own conscious to make it clear that they have to go back because the physical body is being revived. Of course, this does not exclude that in some cases there are indeed real spiritual beings who assist in the return to the physical body. The following quote of an NDE researcher also explains the appearance of these beings as a result of their belief system: In past Japanese Buddhism there were reports of souls encountering Enma-Daio, the Japanese version of the Lord of Death. In contemporary Japan people don't believe in Enma-Daio anymore, and modern Japanese NDE'ers do not encounter the Lord of Death at all. "With the demise of the sense of being judged by Enma-Daio, which is directly linked to the overall loss of religiosity, the majority of Japanese people do not seem to think that their deeds in this world will be judged in the next world. This situation may very well contribute to the scarcity of panoramic life review in Japanese NDEs." (A Comparative Analysis of Japanese and Western NDEs) If we take the Hindu and Buddhist experience as a clear setup of a play with fictional characters, then the afterlife experience in Western culture must also be a play, and the characters also not to be the real ones. That might come to a big shock to all those Christian who were feeling so privileged that Jesus or God showed up in person. In the majority of NDE cases, it seems that the NDEr is actually creating all those figures himself. It is actually very strange that Jesus, angels, and family members always show up immediately after passing over to the spiritual world. It is more plausible that the mind of the NDEr is creating those figures with all the accompanying love and happiness. This happens unconsciously. The conscious mind of the soul is not aware that his experience is a projection of his mind. Swedenborg once visited a heavenly community, or astral community, with one of his angelic guides. He saw Jesus arrive and give the members of that community a teaching. Swedenborg asked his astral guide if that was really the historical Jesus. His guide answered that it wasn't. He explained that the combined desire for spiritual teaching of that Christian community created a the form of Christ giving the teaching they longed for. They took the appearance of Jesus for the real Jesus, while in reality it was merely a manifested thought form. This is what happens in the astral worlds. All one's desires, emotions and thoughts take shape around oneself, and that includes manifestations of beings that are inherently not real. They are just a projection of one's mind. This might sound not appealing to people who have had an NDE, and who were so happy that Jesus was there to great them, that they were able to see their deceased family members, and the incredible good emotional feeling that are so characteristic of a typical NDE.
What also happens is that real spiritual beings show up, but the NDEr's mind will automatically shape the outer appearance of those beings according to his own belief system. A good example of this is the NDE account of three people who were struck simultaneously by lighting. They went out of their body together, and found themselves in a beautiful valley: The light began gathering at the far end of the valley, and slowly, out of the mist, a pure white being began to materialize. I saw an angel with a strong, bright face, but not like you’d usually imagine. She was closer to a strong, Viking Valkyrie. I knew she was the special angel that watches over the women of my family, and I perceived her name to be Hellena. James saw this same being as his late father, a career Naval officer, in a white dress uniform. Rashad perceived the being to be the Enlightened One, or Buddha. (Near-Death) The unconscious projection of an NDE experience from one's own mind (subconscious) does not invalidate or degrade an NDE. Esoteric knowledge tells us that the entire astral world is a reflection of the mind of the souls who live there. So, an NDE should be looked at in these terms. The Presence of Deceased Relatives A little more about those deceased relatives that show up. By the way, there is an NDE account where a still living friend showed up in her NDE experience. A strong indication that he was just a projection of her mind, Religious figures are not the only ones that show up. Frequently, deceased family members, mostly a grandparent, who the soul once was close to, are present. It is of course quite possible that the relatives are real, that they came from their astral home or heaven to say hello. One would expect that the NDEr and the deceased grandpa or grandma would have a lot to talk about, since they last saw each other. Instead, there is often no conversation worth mentioning, and the relative(s) seems to be just there to tell the soul...to go back. The appearance of a dead relative seems to be to gain the trust of the soul, just like all the other characters. Sometimes the dead relative doesn't say anything at all; he/she is just standing there with the other characters. As I said, these can be mind projections. When The Soul Does Not Want To Go Back All these beings, and that includes the Lord of Death in Hindu and Buddhist experiences, are there to send the soul back to his body. The big problem is, the soul almost never wants to go back, because of the good feelings of love and bliss that were given, and the immense feeling of freedom in the spiritual world. He answered that the only way I could help him was by going back and telling my world what had happened to me. I was completely shocked to hear him say so, because I did not want to go back. I was so depressed that I almost started to cry. (NDERF) Refusal is never accepted. There is clear persuasion tactic at work. First the soul is bathed in extreme good feelings and the appearance of a trustworthy personage. They all exude love feelings, but tell the soul to go back anyway. In a 1900s native Hawaiian account, the woman told that she walked through a couple of villages populated with a few dead people that she had known, and with many more people who were all happy. But then: ... they said, "You must go back to your body. You are not to die yet." I did not want to go back. I begged and prayed to be allowed to stay with them, but they said, "No, you must go back; and if you do not go willingly, we will make you go." I cried and tried to stay, but they drove me back, even beating me when I stopped and would not go on. So I was driven over the road I had come, back through all those happy people. They were still joyous and happy, but when they saw that I was not allowed to stay, they turned on me and helped drive me, too. Over the sixty miles I went, weeping, followed by those cruel people, till I reached my home and stood by my body again. (Hawaiian Folk Tales by Thomas George Thrum (1907), page 58-62) That sounds more like the entire scene was a projection of her subconscious mind. It is inconceivable that so many souls in the afterlife would turn on her in such a cruel way. If the soul refuses to go back, it will be told that it has work to do on Earth. If that doesn't work, it will be reminded of family members, especially children that need them. That works in most cases because refusal would bring up an immense feeling of guilt. If the soul is brought before the Council for a Life Review, it will be shown scenes that the soul will always feel bad about. Who has never done something in his life that he regrets or knows that was wrong? (that doesn't mean it was wrong or bad to begin with) Another reason that is effective is to tell the soul that it has a special mission to fulfill, although it is never told what that mission is. If the soul is steadfast in staying, then it will be forcibly pushed into his physical body. It is possible that the NDEr is actually have a conversation with oneself. Remember in the afterlife, or astral world, one is still in duality. One's Higher Self can project the scenery, the figures and the discussion, to persuade the lower consciousness to go back to the physical body. However, why would a soul want to go back to the physical plane full of suffering. After all, the soul is now in a good place, full of love, good feelings, freedom and the possibility to do and to create anything it wants. It seem more likely that the soul is being forced to go back. What family relative, religious figure, angels or other high spiritual being would send a soul back to suffer again and again with each incarnation? Uncertain up to this day I can't recall if after looking downwards the decision to return was completely mine or forced to me by an inside voice that didn't belong to myself. (NDERF) However, some NDErs make their own choice, knowing the difficulties that are ahead of them in the physical world. As one six year old child describes it: I looked then at my body
lying there. 'I will know only pain if I go back.'
Not all NDErs have a Life Review (LR). The Life review itself can happen at any time, right after leaving the physical body, inside the White Light, with a light being or with deceased relative, or at the Council inside a building. The Life Review can be projected onto a screen, but not always. The scenes can be presented just in front of the person. The person can find himself in the scenes from a third person point of view or relive the scenes as it was happening again. In esoteric circles this corresponds with the akashic records of the individual. Everything we do, feel and think during our life is recorded on the astral plane in the akashic records. These akashic records are such that they can be viewed as a third person or relived. You can also do this when consulting other people's akashic records. This explains that an NDEr can also feel what other people were feeling when he did his good and bad things in life. For example, he can feel the result of his expression of anger towards the other person. One must understand that the other person is responsible for his own feelings and reactions, but when you express anger with the intention to hurt, then it is beneficial to see how this causes pain in others. In my opinion, the Life Review is also initiated by the Higher Self of the NDEr, and any accompanying figures are also projections of his mind to facilitate the process. It is possible that there are real spiritual beings who can show up who can bring up the Akashic records too. People who have had a Life Review gained insight in their past actions, and try to change their lives for the better. They change their morals and become more empathic towards others. They now understand that their thought, emotions and actions affect other people.
The 'mission' is so prevalent in NDEs that I will go a little more into it. Sometimes the soul refuses to go back to the physical body. The reason for this varies. The spiritual environment is so full of love and light and freedom, that going back to a battered physical body (often by an accident) in pain is not attractive. Some NDErs do ask themselves, afterwards, why we come here in the first place. Over there it so wonderful, so why would any soul decide to incarnate here on the physical plane with all its hardships, troubles, pain and horrors? When the NDEr does not want to go back to his physical body, then we see a discussion that is aimed at giving reasons to change his mind. We see this especially with the Council. An effective technique is to tell the soul that it has a special mission to fulfill, although it is never told what that mission is. When the person reached me, we spoke through thought. He told me that it was not my time to enter into my heavenly home but had a mission to fulfill. NDERF When getting to the light I saw a man who radiated peace and tranquility, but when I was next to him, he stopped me and said, 'No, you cannot come in. Your time is not now yet. Get back you still have to fulfill your mission on earth.' NDERF During the NDE experience I was told' that I couldn't stay there and I had to return to this world because I had a mission'. That was all I was told in words... Furthermore, this 'mission,' I did not know what my 'mission' was. But I knew I had one. Every second of recovery in the hospital I obsessed the thought, 'What the hell could this mission be?' Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife The light told me without words that I was still on a mission on earth, but without saying what it was. NDERF I was at TOTAL peace so there was nothing I needed. I asked if I could stay and a voice boomed, 'Your mission is not complete. You cannot stay. NDERF I asked if I could stay because it was so beautiful there and I didn't want to come back to earth. The light being said, 'No, you have a mission that you must do.' I didn't know what the mission was but I said 'Yes' to returning back to the earth. NDERF After a while, they told me they had to go and I should go back, because they said, 'You, also, still need to accomplish your mission'. NDERF In the garden to the right were two people; one wore a white tunic and had bare feet. It was JESUS CHRIST and beside him was my brother who had died of a car accident when I was eight years old. When I reached them, my brother asked me, ‘What are you doing here? Jesus told me, ‘GO BACK. It is not your time. You have to go back because I gave you a mission. You’re already a MOM! NDERF They said, 'Maybe another time, but not now. You have a mission to do on the Earth and you must do it. No one else can do it but you.' I thought about it and I said, 'Ok. I’ll do it.' My mission is basically to share my story down here on the Earth, to tell everybody that they are love too. I told the light body that I would do my mission. It said, 'We will be in touch once more.' NDERF Then somebody spoke to me in a loud voice. It was my dad. He said I had to go back because my mission wasn't over yet. NDERF So as I drifted along, I suddenly came to a stop. I didn't want to go back into my body. I encountered a form, who I knew was God, who told me it was time to now go back. I started arguing with God in my own little obnoxious way and God said I needed to go back because my mission here wasn't complete. NDERF Next, I found myself in some kind of courtroom. Before me sat an unbelievably stern all-powerful yet very kind judge. Absolutely incorruptible. Duty and person were one and the person didn't exist without the duty. I sat on a bench and near me was a friend or defender. Great love emanated from him. Was it Jesus? The judge asked me, 'What are you doing here?' I was overcome with fear and wanted to wake up but that didn't happen. I thought about it and remembered that I had wanted to die. At the same moment that I knew this, so did the judge. I felt his mercy and it was like balm for my soul. I realized he wasn't at all angry. I learned how to distinguish between power and anger. The judge thought for a while and said: 'But you have a mission.' In this moment, I saw all the people (of my era?) with their unique destinies as a great mosaic, and my destiny was intertwined in that mosaic. The harmony of all these destinies together was amazing. I knew that if my own destiny failed then the harmony of the whole would be destroyed. I knew that I had to fulfill my destiny. The shirt was closer to me than the jacket. I did not want to return to the hell that is the reality of being on earth. The judge determined in his objective way, 'You must go back!' NDERF In this last experience, the NDEr is shown "I knew that if my own destiny failed then the harmony of the whole would be destroyed." Really? It sounds more like a manipulation of one's conscious. If he would decide to stay in the astral world, then he would be responsible for the destruction of the whole world. The problem here is that the recently deceased souls tend to belief everything an authoritative figure, like a judge, tells them. When back in their body, these people often try to understand what their mission is. Being ordinary people, they usually figure that it is to help other people. This not exactly a mission, it is our natural instincts to help each other. Some NDErs don't have a clue what their supposed mission is. What's the point of telling someone that he has a special mission without telling him what the mission is? That person is just going to rack his brains for nothing. I was sent back and I was supposed to do something, and I don’t know what. I don’t know what. I’m here, and I don’t know if it’s supposed to jump out at me and I’ll know. I haven’t a clue. I haven’t a clue! Maybe I’m supposed to save somebody from getting hit by a car, or something, but I know I’m here for a reason. I know this, but don’t ask me how I know, because I know. I don’t know how I know, but I’ve got to be here. I haven’t a clue. NDERF As mentioned earlier it is a typical western phenomenon. So the source might lie in the collective unconscious of Western people. In Eastern NDEs this mission issue does not appear.
When the soul refuses to go back, the response can be very intimidating when the authority figure raises its voice with a thunderous tone. This is not to be expected from a peaceful and loving God. It does make sense when people are familiar with the Old Testament God. You always have to consider that the human mind can create any scene in the astral world in an instant, although the accounts strongly suggest that these scenes are created by deceptive astral beings. While flying around having a little fun, a large translucent head approached us very rapidly. It was only a head and face of an old wise man with no body. The head seemed to be the size of a house, ten times the size of us. The angel/spirits began to speak first saying, 'He likes it here. He wants to stay.' The large head of the wise old man replied in a very low deep voice, 'He is not ready.' The angel/spirits replied again, 'But he likes it here.' The old man responded in a sterner voice, 'He's not ready.' Again, the angel/sprits replied, 'Please can he stay? He really likes it here.' This the wise man responded with a mean expression on his face and with thunderous deep loud voice, saying, 'He's not ready!' This seemed to scare the angel/spirits and shook me a little bit. Because I understood the old man was not talking to me and was directing his wrath towards the angel/spirits for not being obedient to his words, I just stared at the old man. This is the last image I saw in this reality. NDERF By the way, the old wise man image is reminiscent to the Old Testament God. The thunderous voice reminds us of how God spoke to Moses. Very intimidating. In the following account, a figure on a throne also implies God: There were two glowing figures. I could not see their faces but one was sitting on a throne and one was standing next to the other. A thunderous voice spoke and the other man said it is not time my son, go back and take care of people. NDERF Even more intimidating, also with biblical reference: I am not quite sure about what happened next, but all of a sudden, I heard a thunderous, angry voice accusing humankind, including myself, of destroying his garden on Earth...However, he insisted by saying, ‘Now you are again a little and ignorant child that does not know how to do it!’ So I asked him that, being a little and ignorant child, I would not know how to inform my world. To my great surprise, the light answered in an angry and brusque voice, ‘You will know how to do it when the time is right.’ NDERF Superior beings this time, whoever they were: Just when I was ready to go into the great city, a big voice, something like when a big thunder comes down and booms strongly. A very authoritarian form and sounding very loud says my name. I started to feel an incredible force, like a big turbine, pulling me back. Just when I was returning, I could see the moon and a big transparent being, like a jellyfish, was holding over his head the moon and in between both feet, holding the Planet Earth... Yes I was aware that there was a superior being. Besides, I heard his voice pronounced in a tone like the noise of a thunder that resonated in my ears in the dome were I was, pronouncing my name. I saw him when I was coming back, I saw him holding the Moon over his head and with his feet he held The Earth and I am certain that he was the one that pronounced my name with a thunderous voice. NDERF
The Council does not seem to be a natural product of the afterlife. There is no reason for one's subconscious to project a scene in which a council of beings judges a soul. It strongly suggests that there deceptive beings at work here. There are not that many NDErs who will be led to appear before a Council. The Council event is a visual way that provides primarily the Life Review. When we look at Hindu accounts, the Life Review consists of having someone read the record of the dying person’s life (called the akashic record). There is no visual or panoramic view. Life reviews can also happen without a council. A life review might happen only when the soul has a (subconscious) need to review his life. It seems that a soul is brought before a Council when it has no intentions of going back to his physical body, and thus the deceptive beings want to exert a more pressure on the soul to change its mind. The Council event is usually in a courtroom-like setting, and maybe this is a reflection of the existence of courtrooms in our present culture. It is an ideal setting to bring the soul under an authoritative environment in which it has to submit to a verdict. The council meeting can be really strange. In typical NDE fashion, it is different in every case, which is indicator that the NDEr own mind is at work too. I find it strange that the NDErs never ask "Who are those council members?" They describe them as 'beings', sometimes their description is clearly non-human, sometimes they are hooded, hiding their faces. Strangely, some of the council rooms were filled with mist making it impossible for the soul to make out any details about these beings. Is the NDEr's own mind making a mysterious and authoritarian setting, or is his subconscious content used by deceptive beings to create such an environment? In the following experience, the fourteen year old girl, got a verdict that was really strange as it included judgment on things she hadn't done yet. This does not look like one's own mind creating such a judgment on itself. It looks more like an instigation of sever guilt on a young girl: I was aware that I could communicate without speaking and that I could know all that I wanted to know. There was a feeling of peace and calm, unlike anything I've experienced since. Then came a judgment of sorts, where I was judged on the things I had done and the things I would do in my future life. This upset me as I felt it was mean to punish or judge me for things I hadn't done yet. I wasn't judged on big things, more small instances of intent. It was the little things that mattered and not the big things. Then I was told that I had to go back, which didn't make me happy at all as I knew that being alive would hurt. (NDERF) As we so often find in NDE experiences, the soul interprets entities as being angels, without actually knowing who they are. It is clear that these entities don't want to reveal their identity. Although they asked the NDEr if he wanted to stay, he was forced to go back under the pretext that he still had to learn a lot. It is a reason that often comes up when a soul wants to stay in the astral world. He is or persuaded to go back, or he is forced to go back. I was surrounded instantaneously, by six or seven 'Entities', (maybe Angels) as I was in the middle of them, all of us were in a cloudy mist like fog or clouds, floating in the air, in a grayish-brilliant LIGHT. They were in white robes, but I couldn't see their faces or their feet. None of us was the touching ground. There was no ground. I realized they all knew me. They knew who I was and everything about me... They asked me if I wanted to stay with them or if I wanted to come back to Earth? Because everything there was so overwhelmingly wonderful and beautiful, I asked to stay with them. It wasn't until years later, after I realized what happened to me had a name, 'Near-Death-Experience', and that what happened to me was REAL, not a dream, that I remembered then that they 'sent' me back, against my will. Then I was really MAD! Why did they make me come back, when I wanted to stay?? I felt controlled. Why did they ask me, if the decision wasn't really mine?? OHHHHH I was so MAD!!! Of course, now I know why. My life on EARTH wasn't finished yet. I had a lot to do. I had a lot of learning to get, and I was to help others with this experience. (NDERF) The soul can feel really intimidated, especially when it finds itself naked: Next thing I knew, I was standing in front of a council of thirteen beings with the One in the middle twice as big as the six on either side of him. They were all sitting in chairs, big chairs at a sizeable distance in front of me. I was naked and felt totally revealed and tried to use my hands to cover myself up. NDERF Here is a Council existing of all men, judging a woman who had issues with men in her life, what also reflects that her subconscious is used in a very particular way to persuade her : "I was led to a room, which was exquisitely built and appointed. I entered and saw a group of men seated around the long side of a kidney-shaped table. I was led to stand in front of them within the indented portion of the table. One thing struck me almost immediately; there were twelve men here - men - but no women. (from Betty Eadie's book Embraced by the Light) From the scenes of its past life, usually projected on a screen, the soul feels a sense of duty, or obligation, or the soul is told that it has a special mission to fulfill. Again this is designed to make the soul feel guilty. Especially when there is a judge present. I did not want to return to the hell that is the reality of being on earth. But the judge determined in his objective way: You must go back! NDERF
Predictions and Prophetic Visions It is really a small minority of NDErs that receive predictions of the future. There are two types of predictions given in an NDE experience. Predictions of future happenings in the NDEr own life, and prophetic visions of the future of humanity and the planet. The predictions of one's own life are usually detailed and accurate, that is, they happen as predicted. It seems that this is to strengthen the belief of the person's own spiritual path in life. Here it is possible that the NDEr is able to tap into his own blueprint he drew up before incarnating, a blueprint that outlines the most important events that he wanted to have in this life. It is also possible that another spiritual being or guide is showing this to him. The other kind are prophetic visions of large or world events. These are usually less detailed, and most of the time they do not come true. Why give a prophetic vision that is not going to happen? The prophetic visions are given to the NDEr by a voice, by God, and often by unidentified beings. Why would any spiritual being give dire predictions about the world or humanity to a soul that just died? I see two possibilities. There are some mischievous spiritual entities that delight in giving these false predictions. Or, it is again the NDEr's own mind at work. We live in a world in which prophetic visions receive a lot of attention, especially in Christian circles. The NDEr himself might have an unconscious desire to give such predictions (actually make then up). Dr. Kenneth Ring, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Connecticut who has studied hundreds of near-death cases, states that according to the NDE prophecies, "there will be an increasing incidence of earthquakes, volcanic activity and generally massive geophysical changes. There will be resultant disturbances in weather patterns and food supplies. The world economic system will collapse, and the possibility of nuclear war or accident is very great (respondents are not agreed on whether a nuclear catastrophe will occur). All of these events are transitional rather than ultimate, however, and they will be followed by a new era in human history, marked by human brotherhood, universal love, and world peace. Though many will die, the earth will live." If you have followed predictions and prophecies of the last decades or even the last centuries, then you will know that most of them never happened. Isn't it strange that some NDErs are shown what will happen in the future by supposedly spiritual beings. It is, of course, mostly about cataclysms, catastrophes and disasters. What's the point of relaying such information to an ordinary person? Even if they write a book about it, it won't change anything. It just puts people into fear. Not to mention that most of it never happens. Personally, I think that the NDErs who are told, or who are shown these cataclysmic prophecies are actually picking up the severe imbalances in the human collective unconscious. Everybody knows that humanity has not been nice to each other for centuries, and still is, and is creating ever more problems for themselves and for the planet. These imbalances are of a psychological nature: egotism, selfishness, greed, anger etc. The negative emotions and actions pile up in the collective unconscious. Once in a while a psychic person will pick up on it and the collective unconscious will present these problems in a visual way to the consciousness of the person. These are not actual predictions of a future, but rather a reflection of our psychological imbalances and their possible ramifications. The few NDErs who are told or show prophetic visions are actually contacting this layer of the human mind. After all, when you are fully in the spiritual world, as in an NDE, it is much easier to contact such information. When there are other beings giving the predictions to the NDEr, these figures are not what they seem to be. If we accept that Jesus is at least a very advanced spiritual being, he would not give such frightful information to a soul to disseminate into the physical world once he is back. Most of these visions don't come true anyway, and cause only fear; and when the predictions don't come true the person will be ridiculed. This Jesus is not the real one, but a projection of one's mind, or mischievous astral beings who took on the appearance of Jesus. The same applies to all the other beings who have given such information to an NDEr.
Esoteric teachings have always told us that the entire cosmos or universe is based on sound. Sound was the first thing created. Music is the progression and harmony of sound. You probably have heard that everything is vibration, or frequency, and thus everything has a sound. Sound and music always played a big role in obtaining altered states. Robert Monroe talked about sound and music in out-of-the-body-experiences: "Out-of-body realms are usually areas of intense experience where the dominant reality is that of light, sound, vibration, motion or emotion. For example, the soul may sense a powerful vibration or sound that causes them to be caught up in that energy. Sometimes these sounds or vibrations propel them at a great speed through a tunnel. They may experience the feeling of inner sounds or vibrations but not the experience of movement and acceleration. Often, such experiences involve hearing spiritual music or sounds, and can be quite ecstatic. These inner sounds along with inner lights can sometimes act as a means of transition between waking experience and some formed inner world. Sounds which occur during conscious transitions out of the body are usually very powerful, and may result in the obliteration of the body image. Some of the sounds which occur are of a spiritual or mystical nature rather than transitional sounds that carry the traveler to a different place. These "higher" spiritual sounds are of a heavenly nature and are ecstatic beyond description. Some sample sounds one may encounter are the sounds of a speeding train, a loud buzzing, a flute, or the sounds of nature like the roar of a waterfall. These sounds or vibrations are of such intensity that they seem to pass right through the body, overpowering the other senses." Sound and music is prevalent in the spiritual worlds. Swedenborg states that: Once again I heard hymnists, or those singing the praise of our Savior. In fact, a number of choirs were heard singing at the same time about a variety of subjects, by means of visual displays and mental imagery. And yet they are one chorus, consisting of very many, and acting at the same time as one, without any confusion from each other, so that one was in the other, or inside of the other, even outside of the other. In this way the whole angelic heaven customarily devotes itself to the praise and glory of the Savior. This is why musical harmony and singing is so delicious to the heavenly ones when the thoughts of a person on earth are concordant with their ideas. I have often experienced in churches, that the heavenly choirs have joined in, with a very deep sense of gladness, unbelievable, and thus unutterable, to anyone. (Spiritual Experiences §491) Swedenborg talked of the life in heaven as filled with music, concerts, and singing. He said that music originated in the heavens before coming to the natural world. Music can be an experience of wholeness and connection with each other and with God. In the astral worlds, everything vibrates, and thus makes music. As a soul one can consciously or subconsciously tune into the vibrations of anything, from something small to something immense, and hear its music with the mind, and even become one with the music. So it is no wonder that many NDErs feel vibrations, hear sounds or music. Because in the spiritual spheres there are no limitations as we experience on Earth, the music heard by NDErs is often difficult to reproduce, but some composers have tried and have come close. Developmental and musical psychologist Dr. Joel D. Funk, a professor of psychology at Plymouth State College in New Hampshire, found that about half of the NDErs had heard music while out of their body. To figure out the type of music he played different styles for 60 people who have reported a NDE and found the music sounds closest to New Age synthesized music. "New Age" music topped the list -- especially works by two California performers, Iasos and John Serrie, Funk said. They choose The Angels of Comfort composed by Iasos as the one best resembling what they heard. This track is on the Angelic Music a album. Some said the music of Brian Eno and Tibetan bells also came close to the music they had heard, while others felt some connection to the classical works of Wagner, Beethoven and Richard Strauss. We should also mention Steve Roach who composed Structures from Silence as a close reflection to what he heard during his NDE. Gilles Bedard, also an NDEr said that "...when I heard Structures from Silence from Steve Roach, I recognized the sound I heard on the Other Side. The music of Steve Roach is by far the most accurate and closest to the real sound of the near-death experience. When you go to the source of that sound, you then find yourself beyond the emotional side that we usually associate with the music on Earth. In my twenty-five years of research, on the television and radio programs I was invited to, I played that music and hundreds of people 'recognized' this particular sound. This happened also at the IANDS conference." An example of Music heard by an NDEr: The stars began to change shapes before my eyes. They began to dance and deliberately draw themselves into intricate designs and colors which I had never seen before. They moved and swayed to a kind of rhythm or music with a quality and beauty I had never heard and yet ... remembered. A melody that humans could not possibly have composed, yet was so totally familiar and in complete harmony with the very core of my being. As if it were the rhythm of my existence, the reason for my being. The extravagance of imagery and coloration pulsed in splendid unison with the magnificent ensemble. I felt completely at peace, tranquilized by the vision and the melodic drone. I could have stayed in this place for eternity with this pulse of love and beauty beating throughout my soul. The love poured into me from all corners of the universe. (from the book lessons from the Light by Kenneth Ring)
Many things can happen during an NDE. Most of it are similar, but different, than what we experience on Earth: meeting deceased relatives, or an 'angel' in human form, hovering over the operating table of the hospital room or over the scene of an accident, visiting other earthly places, going to the Council room for a Life Review. Other experiences are truly transcendental as we do not usually experience these while still alive: The feeling of absence of time and space. Perception of infinity. Seeing all around oneself in 360°, also up and down. Becoming one with something greater than oneself. Feeling one with everything else. Reality is viewed in a new light. The feeling that everything is perfect. Everything seems to have consciousness and is alive. Communication is by telepathy or mind-to-mind. Perceiving what is going on at another location. Perceiving of future events. Experiencing immense joy, bliss, love. Touring around the universe and experiencing total unity. Being in a state of mind where one knows everything, or any question is immediately answered. Hearing unearthly music, or seeing colors that don't exist on Earth. Some examples of mystical experiences: I mentioned before that in the afterlife, or spiritual worlds, one can assume any shape one wants. Normally, a deceased, or soul, keeps the form of his former human body, because that is what he has been habituated to. But more spiritual people can assume the form of a light sphere, which is the archetypal, or rather, the essential form of a soul. The Greek philosopher Plato said that the soul had the form of a sphere because the sphere is the most perfect and most beautiful shape. When light spheres or orbs are seen in NDEs, they are the forms of other souls. I tried to fight for my life, but the battle became overwhelming. At this point I just surrendered myself, my soul, to the power that brings us all into existence and that gives us all life. I knew that this was the source of all life and the way of all things. I surrendered to that and I entered a state of peacefulness. Then, just like that (clapping her hands), I became a ball of light or energy in the midst of this crowd that was circling a body. (Near-Death) The all-knowingness: In time the questions ceased, because I suddenly was filled with all the Being's wisdom. I was given more than just the answers to my questions; all knowledge unfolded to me, like the instant blossoming of an infinite number of flowers all at once. I was filled with God's knowledge, and in that precious aspect of his Beingness, I was one with him. (Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife) I suddenly felt a connection to all the knowledge that there is in the universe. I realized that I didn’t even need to form a question in my mind because the second I’d start to do that, I’d have the answer. (IANDS) Infinity: As if I blinked, I was no longer in a hospital bed but in a vast bluish/white infinity that radiated such peace and beauty. The vastness consumed me but expanded everywhere and all around. (IANDS) Other realities, other worlds: I had a strong desire now to join the river of life and felt this was home, where I came from. Touching the river gave me insight into realms beyond realms, universes beyond universes, dimensions beyond dimensions; I experienced infinity. I was shown a long line of experiences in other realms of realities and on other worlds. It was some time later I realized it was my past “lives” review of all existences of which I had been part. There were beings and objects unlike anything I had ever seen or heard of, even in the imaginings of science fiction writers I had read. I was made to know there were an infinite number of realms of existence and all were part of the One, the Source. The stream had distinct layers or levels that were not divided by any kind of barrier but each seemed to be of a different density. (IANDS) The experience of oneness is quite common with NDEs: I was no longer a separate awareness experiencing God but I became IT. I was THAT. I was the Omnipresent LOVE! I was the FORMLESS ONE DRIPPING LOVE DROPS THAT WERE manifesting INTO FORM everywhere. All of it was me. I was in God and God was in me. We were One and the same. I was the formless and the form, all pervading and timeless. I was everything and nothing at the same time, beyond time and space. (IANDS) All this shows that the Earthly experience is limited to what the physical brain and body can process. In the spiritual realms there is so much more to explore.
Many NDErs had a profound change in their life because of their experience. They changed their attitudes towards people and the world at large. Their belief structure changed. Some became more religious (in their church), others became more spiritual. The consciousness of NDErs has expanded, and they have gained or deepened their awareness with the Divine. Although some NDErs came back with a feeling of guilt, or had a distressing experience, the majority experienced a beneficial transformation. They have a larger picture of what life is about, and how they fit in it. They become less egocentric or egoistic, and have more respect towards others. In general they do not fear death anymore. Some want to go back to that wonderful place they were in. One could call an NDE a mystical experience because of its lasting changes in character and values, including changes in the person’s relationship with what they perceive as God, but also with nature and other people.
Aside from spiritual transformations, a few NDErs started a healing practice. They usually also give intuitive and give spiritual guidance. Other NDErs were healed from their aliments, such as cancer, anorexia, PTSD, bi-polar disorder, depression, etc. after their NDE. I was just in this white light and in this bliss feeling. I don’t know how long all this was, but I came out and saw blood in my brain. As I saw my brain bleeding, I was guided on how to heal it. I was shown how to suck out this blood, and as I was doing this it was as if something was holding my hands, guiding me in doing this. I didn’t even have my literal human hands, but my self outside my body and something else using my “hands” to heal. Once all the blood was gone, I came back to the here and now and “woke up. (IANDS) This shows that the transformative spiritual effect on the life of a person, can also have a healing or harmonizing effect on his mind and body. Some NDErs also develop psychic abilities. It seems that an NDEr not just returns to his body, but also can bring spiritual energies down, or certain certain spiritual channels are opened up by which he now can tap into more universal energy for various purposes. It just depends on the person to what degree, and to what extend.
Some NDEs are distressing. The individual feels fear and panic when he left the body, and is filled with despair, enters darkness and a void, encounters an evil presence, or sees hellish places. NDEs that are happy and wonderful get a lot of attention. However there are people who have had negative or fearful experiences during their NDE. These people are not so willing to share their experiences. NDE researchers have come across these accounts, but their estimate of how many people had negative experiences varies. Negative NDEs being unreported was due to fear, shame, social stigma, experiencers not wanting to burden others with their horrific tales, and the trauma associated with reliving these upsetting stories by retelling them. For some NDErs their experience was frightening or had frightening elements to it, because they actually did not understand what was going on. We see that, for example, with the Void. Being alone in an endless black space can indeed be fearful for some. Experiencing strange vibrations, movements, and going through a narrow tunnel also can be frightening. Some see angry or malevolent spirits, or find themselves in a desolate place. Overall, such NDErs have never being harmed. They experienced a fear or negative emotions that actually exists in themselves. The NDEr automatically creates such an environment, or is attracted to these lower astral levels. Once the NDEr calls out for help, he will be lifted out of these negative realms, or states of consciousness. People who attempt suicide are almost always in a distressed frame of mind. Usually they are attempting suicide because they feel themselves to be in unendurable and unending emotional or physical pain. In addition, they are almost certainly aware of the widely held belief that suicide is cowardly and/or the wrong way to escape the pain of life. The positive side of a distressing, negative or hellish NDE is that it can have a spiritual transformation in the life of the person. When the NDEr realizes what was wrong in his behavior he will motivated to change his life around into a more positive direction. I don't think only bad people, or people with heavy negative emotional issues will will have unpleasant NDEs. Nobody is perfect, we all have issues and fears. There are probably many issues at play that we don't know of. The state of mind at the moment of near-death is probably is big factor, but not the only one. One's belief system or lack thereof can also be important. Some researchers use the term hellish experiences, but the word hell is misleading because of the traditional religious meaning. It is necessary to understand that in the astral worlds, there is no Hell as it is explained in religious traditions. There are lower astral regions in which human spirits dwell who are still holding on to their lower, negative emotions. In the astral world one creates his own environment, and somebody who is still attached to his fears will create himself a fearful environment. This also applies to people who are experiencing an NDE. During several of Swedenborg's near-death experiences, he would witness people dying and see their happenings in the afterlife. He stated that immediately following death, there is a period of self-discovery in which the social masks worn on Earth dissolve away and the true self is revealed. Each person then shapes their own eternity to correspond with their real inner nature. Some people become irrational, driven by fear and greed. Such people are in the spiritual condition which Swedenborg called hell. Hell is a psychological condition which corresponds to the suffering we experience on Earth when we allow ourselves to be driven by the blind greed of our own egos. There are no devils in hell to inflict punishments because in the hellish spiritual state each person acts out their own malice by tormenting others. From an NDEr: Lamenting my situation, and aching for another chance at life, it dawns on me that the void is a place of my own making. A representation of my apathy; a symbol of the wall I’d spent a lifetime building. Its bricks were ones I’d stacked to keep people out and my feelings in. A barrier of my own construction, built brick-upon-brick with each hurt I’d suffered. My efforts to protect myself had made me less…less real, less vulnerable, less joyful, as impenetrable as the coma I lay in. My physical self in the ICU had no idea how close she was to losing it all. “When I finally realized the void was a prison of my own design, it split open with a thunderous BOOM! A bright light shone before me. The darkness was still there, but now it was behind and beneath me, being pushed back and down by the brilliant light. (IANDS)
Here is a strange topic associated with a few NDEs that we need to look into. It seems strange that the Moon would be involved when a person dies and the soul leaves the body. However the presence of the Moon sometimes comes up in near-death experiences. Many cultures or peoples tell us that after death, the souls go to the Moon. The Moon is seen as a place where souls live or rest until they come back to Earth again. In the following NDE, the typical love feeling that is instilled in the departed soul, usually by the White Light or a light being, came from the Moon. Somehow, I felt like I was between the Earth and the Moon. I felt this overwhelming presence next to me on my right side, like the Moon, but it was an intelligence. It radiated love, far beyond anything I had dreamed or heard of before, sort of like a father. There was no image. He made me feel sad that I had ended up in that condition, like a scolded child, but in a loving way. I felt other beings nearby, but no shapes or faces. There was an overwhelming sense of peace and contentment all around me. Source: NDERF Here, the Moon is associated with the Light: It looked like I was floating into a huge light that looked like the full moon. Source: NDERF I was moving towards a beautiful bright light just like the moon but sending out long rays of light that I was going towards. NDERF The following NDEr thinks that the Moon is the place where deceased souls go to. As I looked around I saw a bright light. It was the moon; the sun was reflecting light off the moon surface. We were in space, equal distance to the moon on the right side (looking from earth). I do not think this was heaven's final destination. I think it was a greeting area to receive us when we cross over. Source: NDERF This last quote is really interesting, as the person sees the Moon as a receiving area for souls, something that out-of-the-body-experiencers also have talked about. Of some interest is that this man also claimed to have a UFO abduction eight months earlier. Another NDEr went to the Moon: I looked over my shoulder and it was as though I was on the moon or somewhere else other than earth...I looked around again and it was as though I was standing on the moon looking back down at the earth. I could see scattered white clouds covering the deep blue waters of earth. It was very beautiful and I felt very peaceful and happy. NDERF There are quite a few NDErs who mention that at one point they 'flew' through the universe, and saw other stars and planets. Usually they are only briefly noticed, as in the follwing examples: When it was time to return, we came to my body almost precisely as we had left it. This was odd to me because I had just spent eternity among the strange creatures of the other planet, among the stars, gas giants, ringed planets and frozen planets, and burning magma planets. (NDERF) The tunnel seemed to be lit up. The space around me was lit up, like the stars. There was a large planet that was bigger than earth. It seemed to me. I even saw the atmosphere.... Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place Well! Now that I think of it, as I traveled through the tunnel, it kept stopping at planets, and stars: some strange places other than Heaven. It looked like there were buildings. But that was long ago. (NDERF) I received knowledge. I flew in outer space, until I reached Jupiter. I was expanded and I was huge. My guides told me how planets were formed. Everything was discussed with me. (NDERF) I immediately found myself moving past the planets starting with Venus, then Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus. I must confess that I don't remember seeing Pluto. These planets were very close to each other in sort of a staggered line, not a straight line. They were huge and absolutely beautiful. Jupiter was the most colorful and brightest. They were close together in a way that I would pass one and immediately approach another. I was moving past them in a short amount of time yet I did not feel like I was moving very fast at all. As I was going past Uranus, I turned my head to look back at all of them again, they were just so incredibly beautiful. (NDERF) At some point, I communicated that I was interested in knowing if there was life in other areas of the universe. I was transported through millions of light years of space in moments and shown many planets and places where complex and more simple life existed. Whole cultures and societies that flourished unknown to us. I was allowed to view these beings living their daily lives. (NDERF) I distinctly remember feeling like I was being lifted. It was like I was in a transparent elevator moving towards a soothing light that did not even hurt my eyes. I saw planets unlike earth with just dust and rocks. It reminded me of mars or something like that. (NDERF) At some point during the night I came to awareness to see that I standing on another planet. I looked up to see that a huge planet took up most of the sky, and it had rings like Saturn. I could also see a small moon. I knew for certain I was not dreaming, and that I was far from my own galaxy. What I saw and felt there was far more real than anything I ever experienced while dreaming or while awake. I was on a beach in front of an ocean. It was exactly like an ocean in every way, except each wave was transparent - and each one was a different, deep jewel-like color. There were colors in that sea that I had never seen before. The Sea of Light was rolling and crashing on the beach, wave after wave. The sand was made up of pebbles and particles of real gold. The waves, taken together, created a heavenly orchestration that is indescribable. I could hear tones and instruments that I knew did not exist on earth. It was like the music was not only 3D, but 4D. I experienced the colors and music in ways I cannot describe... I WAS the colors and music in every atom of my being. (IANDS) Then I could see a small pinhole of a light, wanting to know about it, suddenly I was there. Entering into a light but not what I expected, I went through and saw billions of galaxies. Farther than the spiritual eye could see. Thought not really in control but still wanting to know more I spotted a blue planet. I guess I thought it was earth and wanted to go, suddenly I was there and it was not earth. I was in a city with buildings made of what appeared of glass. There were no seams in the buildings. It was as if a giant glass blower had blown the buildings from ground up. (IANDS) I found only three accounts with detailed descriptions of life on other planets. Two of them I don't trust, as the have all the earmarks of having been made up. The only one that seems reliable, which is also interesting, is from Sandi T., a woman who had gone through multiple physical abuses. Here is the extract about the planets she visited, accompanied by her spiritual guide. It gives us a perspective of other intelligent life-forms in the universe: Then I was out of my body, standing
there watching the scene. My body was now limp, and Dorothy was shaking
it by the throat as if expecting more of a fight. I turned to the Being
beside my Awareness, as it were.
You create your own world, be it here in the physical, or later in the afterlife. In the physical world you need to work to make it happen; in the spiritual worlds your reality is created instantly. In the spiritual worlds there is no judgment, no punishment or reward. If you want to judge yourself, then you do that by your own choice. Even the Life Review is a projection of your own consciousness, and how you feel about your past actions that is up to you. In the spiritual world, you create your own environment. Like minded souls create a shared environment. You can also enter other created environments, but they might not resonate with your own inner state of consciousness. Out of habit, most deceased souls retain their human form, usually in a much younger and more beautiful appearance. But that is just habit. One can take any form one wants. Clearness of mind (emotions and thinking) is essential to where you will end up in the spiritual worlds. So, better start working on it right now. Is the afterlife manipulated by entities other than human souls? This is a sticky point, and a hard pill to swallow for most people. However, there is more than enough information to point to the existence of beings who are manipulating the deceased souls, or NDE'rs, right after death when they are still confused and vulnerable, and particularly ignorant about the reality in the astral world. The astral world is a world of illusion in the sense that there is no objective world such as the physical world. In the astral world, everything that one encounters is a temporary reflection of the mind of its inhabitants, be it human or non-human. Besides human souls, there are high-spiritual beings who at times come by to help the deceased souls; but there are also lower astral beings who are deceptive and can manipulate the unaware deceased human soul. Sometimes, the lower beings are also active when people have out-of-the body experiences or have hallucinogenic experiences. These beings are well-known by people on the spiritual path. So, who are these entities and why are they manipulating us? In my opinion, they are thought-forms made by humans themselves, consciously and unconsciously. Thought-forms normally are temporary. They arise on the astral plane and disintegrate quickly when the thoughts and emotions associated with it stop. However, thought-forms tend to acquire a certain degree of consciousness, and they desire to continue their existence. For that purpose they need to feed of human energy (humans created them in the first place). So they stimulate humans to create more of the same energy (emotions and thoughts). Some of these thought-forms develop into independent beings with a lower degree of intelligence. They are apt at manipulating humans to create the energy they need to prolong their existence. In short, we, humans, are confronted with our own creations. As astral beings they can take any form they want. In the past they would appear as elves, fairies, spirits, djinns, demons, and at present aliens. For the most part they are beings of the lower astral plane, and have a low consciousness. But there are some higher astral beings created by the devotion to our self-created gods and goddesses. They too need our human energy to continue their existence, which they mainly get from religious devotion. These astral beings are our creations, what means that they do not have a divine essence as we, humans, do. It is important to understand that, because when confronted with these beings, in their many disguises, we are more powerful than they are, because our essence is divine and we are creators. They are not, they can only imitate. Eventually we have to stop giving our energy to them, and that means an end to religion, devotion, worship. We also have to stop all suffering (because this also releases a lot of energy). We need to stop our fascination with aliens and spaceships, and all forms of psychic contact with these beings. Of course, I don't see this happen soon. It is important to have a clear understanding of what to expect in the afterlife. So many people don't know anything. Those who have read NDE accounts know the general process, but they tend to accept the accounts at face value, and fail to see the nature of the astral world, the subconscious reflections and possible manipulations. There is evidence that in some cases (we don't know for sure how many) lower astral beings manipulate the initial experience in the afterlife, to keep the souls ignorant and make them go back for another incarnation-tour. It depends how easy one is manipulated. Unfortunately most people are completely ignorant about the reality of the afterlife. With NDEs we often see that the person is persuaded or forced to return to the ailing body. This would not make sense if this would entirely depend on the NDEr, because the NDEr is always happy to be there, is bathed in love and bliss, etc. and initially does not want to go back. However, someone is persuading and forcing him to do so. A high spiritual being would never do this, that leaves only lower astral beings. It doesn't take much for the astral entities to manipulate the recently deceased soul. All the have to do is take on the appearance of what the soul beliefs in, make him feel guilty, and tell him a couple of lies in order to send him back to the physical plane. The soul will easily belief what it presented to him, and will then 'willingly' comply. I leave the question open if an individual NDE experience is purely a reflection of one's own subconscious, or that one's experience is (in part) directed by lower astral entities who use the contents of the soul's subconscious. Very few NDE'rs are able to become aware of interference by astral entities, but it does occur. Of course, not everything the NDEr experiences in the astral world is subject to the manipulation of these lower astral entities. There is a natural afterlife process for human souls. The lower astral entities only interfere in order to keep the soul ignorant and to make him go back to the physical body. It also seems that when a person really dies, the astral entities will always persuade the soul to incarnate again. In the mean time the soul will spend its time wherever he wants in the astral world, although he usually settles with like-minded souls. If you want to know more about what these astral beings are, read my article of Physical Manifestations of Thought Forms and Artificial Elementals.
A detailed explanation will come later, so let it suffice here to say that beings on Iarga that possess this mentality are denied reincarnation. This selection is the cause of the continuing improvement in mentality, generation after generation, which enables a race to become unselfish. On Earth, this selection was blocked some twenty centuries ago by extraterrestrial intervention whereby we cannot improve our average mentality. UfO...Contact from Planet Iarga: Stefan Denaerde, by Ankh-Hermes, Deventer, Netherlands, 1969 The above book was published in 1969, a long time before anybody made a link between near-death experiences (NDE) and control of the afterlife process by aliens. Even today nearly everybody would reject such an idea. But, what if the author is right?
I never heard of aliens being present in NDEs, until I started reading NDE accounts. How strange it may sound, there are indeed a few stories that describe the presence of alien looking beings during an NDE. What people perceive and interpret as aliens are not extraterrestrials, but the thought-forms I have mentioned in the previous chapter. In the NDEs, the element of control always shows up with these particular beings when they are seen as aliens. Here is a rare statement from an NDEr in this regard: The light appeared in the same way people describe about the tunnel. I thought to myself, in my awareness, and without my conscious thought. I saw a man and a woman on his left side, both holding a candle. He held the candle with his right hand and she held the candle with her left hand, both sharing the same candle. ... I let out the words, 'Hey, I died'. In a fraction of a second, it was like he had stepped into my mind to control me and to take me to only God knows where. NDERF
The following are issues that are believed to be signs of a clear manipulation of the afterlife process by the deceptive lower astral beings. This does not mean that this is always the case with every NDE. However it is interesting to read and know that this can happen. With knowledge and discernment one can avoid possible manipulation, and make one's own choice in the afterlife instead of blindly following what is presented. Some of the statements below are a bit extreme, but leaving out this information would be a form of censoring.
The White Light so many people encounter in their NDE is considered by some people to be a deceptive light for the purpose of (spiritually) blinding the soul, and erase his memory. It is also associated with instructions to go back to the body (during an NDE) or with death, and also to be referred to a strange council or an astral environment. There are indeed several indications that this White Light is not what it seems, but how can you be sure what it is or isn't? I found a strange comment on YouTube on the video The death traps – trailer by The Farsight Institute (people who do remote viewing sessions). The YouTuber, who goes by the name of pneumatonic, had an accidental out-of-the-body-experience during which he encountered the White Light, the alien being associated with it, and what the purpose of the white Light. It is a quite unique, and maybe extreme, experience, and maybe only one of a kind. It shows that a lot of strange things are going on when one enters the astral plane. It is a quite long comment, but worth while to give it here in full: I never thought that I would share what I herein disclose given I do not desire to injure anyone with the horrific knowledge of it. Yet it remains clear to me now that someone else has discovered and by a divergent means what I some decades ago did as well. For the historical record, and to corroborate your findings, I add the following, based upon first hand experience, in order to aid whomsoever does read this in assessing the true and occulted nature of what occurs at death. I have lived a life few would call common or typical, having served as an intuitive empath and trained for such since a child. I remain thankful for my past, given what my ability afforded me of understanding of what really occurs from a third-party perspective. Tragically, if this life didn't make a drug fiend of you, the afterlife will -- they dispense narcotic vapors to 'steer' a person which way they want. I fell asleep at the time of day which would regularly place me into a deep sleep in those years: the hour of sunset. An environmental disturbance caused me to regain consciousness in the most peculiar manner: I began hearing sounds and as I lay there unconscious, I began to FEEL those sounds. Soon, the sound grew and grew in intensity -- both audible and tactile. It sounded like glass smashing into a million bits and pieces, and the feeling was prickly and enervating tingles. Suddenly I was awake and fully conscious, very lucid. Yet here I discovered to my utter confusion something amiss: as I attempted to roll off the bed, I realized that my tactile feedback senses were not giving me the customary signals indicating the bed beneath me, and where and how far to the edge. I felt no tactile feedback, and worse, as I attempted to log roll to discover the edge, I also felt no gravity sense and hence was totally unsure as to what direction therefore was upright. This totally confounded and confused me for a while, and I then resorted to what is my innate type of movement: aquatic. I began breast-stroke swimming and suddenly found myself relatively upright, judging by the walls of the room. Yet I remained all the more confused, as I saw no door I might traverse through as usual. I then discovered upon further examination that I was actually pressed up against the ceiling of the room, and noted the oddity of someone laying in a bed at the bottom of the room. I had no clue that this person was me. Wondering how I got stuck to the ceiling and how I might get down to the door below, I lifted my head upwards, to get a good look at the actual ceiling and to better assess my predicament. I saw the ceiling, and then completely through it, and marveled at the type of panoramic supervision I suddenly possessed, noting the setting sun on the horizon beyond the building I in which I remained inside. That is when I spotted the light, curious at the sight of it, as it arced its way into our world, intuitively sensing that it sought my location, marveling at the oddness of also having acquired the ability to see some extra dimension in addition to the usual 3-D. As I felt that, it changed its course and I watched the light like an arc-shaped tube bend its way into our reality towards me. What I mean is that I saw in 4 dimensions, and the additional one is an overlay which defies the customary 3-D we see in geometric ways which hurt my head to behold at first. The extra dimension seemed to somehow invalidate the usual vision of 3D because it interpenetrated things, making our notion of an object having a solid and definitive form rather childish. It is like suddenly everything you looked at no longer had the customary form, given I could see an extra dimension somehow violated 3D physics, and this was noticeable visually. My hyper-panoramic vision in 4D had an incredible range and I noticed that if I looked at something for a few moments I would then see through that thing. I looked through the buildings around mine and saw the people living in apartments there. Then suddenly my super vision was gone, as the light had arrived at my physical location it rendered me completely F***** BLIND, so intense was the blinding light that it hurt me, and I could feel the invasiveness of it, instinctively crumpling into a defensive posture to protect myself from what I recognized to be a bonafide attack upon my senses and sovereignty of being. That is when the euphoria hit me and F***, WHAT AN INCOMPARABLE F****** HIGH IT IS. Drugs ain't nothing' compared to the high I felt. I forgot about being attacked by the light, and as I slowly unsquinted my closed eyes and peeked them open I noticed that the intensity of the light had subsided to a tolerable level of too-very-f***ing bright. Without any indication as to why, the light began to slowly retract itself up and away from me, and with it the feeling of euphoria. This had one effect: like a senseless drug fiend in need of another fix I yelled WAIT! and propelled myself with swim strokes upwards out through the roof of the building, and was on the roof when the light began to turn sideways, affording me a view of the hidden cage and operator attached to it. I went from drug-fiend-junkie-willing-to die right then and there to get more of that euphoria to 1000 percent completely sober and f*** the euphoria, get me the F*** away from this evil lizard who wanted to kill me, if it could have gotten away with it, so much was the antipathy and unequivocal HATRED for me. In the initial phase of confusion and shock I wanted to understand the cause of why this being LOATHED me, so that is when all of that formal training in my youth kicked in again and I did what I do habitually: I empathically connected to the being, given that the channel linking us had been established by its hatred of me. Every channel is a two-way road, and I did what I do best and was trained for in my youth. Searching for some cause of my unrecognized offense, I quickly learned the truth of it -- that this lizard knew nothing of me personally and that I had done nothing which had injured or harmed it as an individual. This was, instead, one of many light-tube operators who await human deaths to then intercept the normal and natural post-death process by removing a person from the earth and onto the moon torture and labor camp through the vacuum tube of light it operated. I understood that there are many such machines, operated by a whole host of two-legged lizards with wings -- I would many years later learn that these are Draco reptilians exactly. The closest equivalent internal representation I had to what this lizard did as a profession was like a taxi cab operator, dispatched by central command where the real-time list of the newly dead is compiled and collected. I then understood that from the lizards perspective, I turned out to be a false positive. I understood that this was not discernable until the machinery of the light tube was in close proximity to me. This lizard was dispatched to recycle me, yet went back empty handed, no prize for the effort. AND THIS IS WHY IT WAS SO F****** ANGRY AND PISSED OFF THAT IT VIOLATED PROTOCOL IN ORDER TO LET ME KNOW, PEON HUMAN THAT I AM, THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT IT WAS NOT ALLOWED TO HARM ME, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE SO HAPPILY JUMPED OUT OF THE CAGE AND KILLED ME WITH GLEE IT HATED ME THAT MUCH. If you can imagine someone do the breast-stroke to propel themselves backwards with every ounce of might and fibre of their being -- that was me, and as I flew down back into the bedroom while still looking upwards in horror, expecting combat at any moment I suddenly SLAMMED BACK INTO MY BODY WITH SUCH FORCE. My heart was beating so hard and fast yet no matter, I jumped out of bed, out the door, yelling something in the process, and I kept on running, out the building and down the street and did not stop until I could run no more. There I collapsed on the front lawn of an apartment building some blocks away. Frantically panting, terrified at what I had just experienced. Then suddenly, as the lawn sprinklers turned on, I sat up, now the object of ridicule for my Korean American neighbors, and stumbled my way back home, trembling from being wet, cold, exhausted, and SCARED. What I experienced -- minus the reptile revealing the deception of it all -- was the commencement of the post-mortem experience EVERYONE will encounter. There was nothing special singling me out for special treatment -- I was just one of many people dying at that moment on planet earth. Yet I was not dead, but having an out-of-body experience. Yet given limitations inherent to the matrix system, false positives can not be identified until the machinery and sensors onboard the light-tube are in close proximity to the target individual. That operator was dispatched uniquely for me, not just anyone dying in the vicinity. These details prove important to our victory, as they highlight exploitable and hackable shortcomings of the system used to abuse us all. Find in it what you will, make believe any meaning or distortion of fact that you wish, or even think that it never happened and is not real. Yet this was my experience, and I know only the truth of it. In closing, I suspect that part of the energy-matrix grid which imprisons us here -- and possibly the source of the electricity they torture and zap the memories out of a person with in the afterlife -- are the pyramids found all over the world. With a full-moon at lunar noon over head, the electrostatic charge is at its greatest. Removing the metallic capstone might possibly disconnect the charge generation. What fools we have been hitherto. It's high time now that we all win, break the prison, f***up royal the slave masters. None would argue with the truth of this: payback is a BITCH.
An Alien Council Giving Life Reviews Can it be any weirder for an ordinary human to see aliens in the Life Review council during an NDE? What are they doing there? They can be viewed as typical aliens or non-specific light beings (other than true spiritual beings). I then went to twelve beings of greater knowledge. They were in front of me and stood in a row. They were not human. They had no feelings of anything like judgment or authority, but seemed strong in themselves. They seemed taller than I did and they wore silver white robes. They had white skin, large heads and large eyes. I do not remember them having a mouth. Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife Tall white skin beings reminds us of the so-called Tall Whites, or Nordic Beings during alien abductions. They also wear white robes and have large eyes. I was taken to special entities who looked like the usual grays, but they had many wrinkles on their faces. They called themselves the Counsel, and said they were part of a group called 'soul recyclers' helping souls to re-incarnate. NDERF Isn't that quite revealing that Grays are telling that soul that they are involved in our reincarnation process? Grays with many wrinkles are also known in alien abductions. In the following account the NDEr's soul was on a ... spaceship! When I was before the council of thirteen beings (and they were not human, I know that!) There was no actual light, just a grayish mist everywhere. A clearly mystical or unearthly realm vague stuff...My past flashed before me, out of my control Well, we 'talked' about some things, and I think they took me somewhere else and showed some things although they did not allow me to remember all that. The place I was at looked like it was round inside, not square. Now I think it may have been some space ship. NDERF Next we have an account where alien beings are not only present, but also an authority figure that uses force on the soul when it figured out they were aliens, as if it was not supposed to know this. I found myself suddenly 'very high up' in a bright white room. There were several beings there. I can't remember how many now, but at least four. I think there were more though. There was a being on a throne, that I was almost directly in front of, that was the only one sitting down. The others were standing up, and they were barefoot and in robes. I couldn't see their faces, just their feet, ankles, and the bottom of their robes. The standing ones seemed irritated a bit, and one lifted his ankle a bit as if to hide from me. They wanted to move off to the sides so that I couldn't see them. I was forced on my hands and knees, and couldn't move or look around except with my eyes. First I thought, 'cool, weird' and I thought they were aliens. I thought about the fact that there was one on the throne and changed my mind away from aliens. NDERF The following account is from a YouTube video. It contains all the typical features of a near-death experience, with a clear the presence of aliens. Bear in mind that she was raised a devout Christian in the Methodist Church. The woman was 12 years of age when she choked on food. First she was in darkness, and started to see the White Light to which she felt drawn, accompanied by the feelings of peace and love. She was rotating while going slowly up into the Light. In what she thought was heaven, there were white clouds everywhere with light shining through them. Then she was grabbed by the arms what she thought were her guardian angels. To the right was archangel Gabriel and to the left Gloria, a female angel. They took her to some place. Then she noticed a bright light to her left. She felt that this was her father. Then, she was taken into a room which had a movie theater-like screen, showing her entire life, but also the future in which she would "take a part as the book of Revelation would come about". All of a sudden she was placed into another room. She was shown two alien beings. To her right was a typical small Gray who looked very pretty to her. To her left a taller beings, more whitish and smaller, more slanted eyes, and a smaller head in comparison with the bigger head of the Gray. The voice of God said to her not to be afraid of them. She could communicate with them telepathically. She was told that there are others liken them out there, and that they are God's creation. Then she was taken out of the room back into the White Light where God was. God told her not to look at him, otherwise she would have to stay. Of course, she wanted to stay. All of a sudden God told her that she had to go back, that she had work to do. She argued, but God started to speak in loud thunderous voice and pushed her down with great force, back into her body. One wonders, why in the world would God himself show an ordinary 12-year old girl, after she had died, two alien beings, and tell her to not be afraid of them? In Christian religion aliens have no place at all, or they are regarded as demons. Do the aliens feel the urge to portray themselves as benevolent in the eyes of Christians? It is quite common with alien abductees and contactees, that the aliens do their best to portray themselves as nice, loving, well-meaning beings, and many of the abductees and contactees are convinced of it, despite what the aliens put them through. In another YouTube video, a woman gives a short description of her near-death experience. While she was out of the body, she could not only see the operating room and the people working on her body, but she also knew what they were thinking, and other things about their lives. She started to become aware of ghosts and having telepathic conversations with some of them. Then she also became aware of alien beings coming and going, and having conversations with them as well, as to why they were there, and what they were doing there. Some of the aliens were humanoid, some were looking very different. She knew what they were thinking, where they were from. These aliens were in the third dimension" but in a place you can't see with your five human senses". In a follow-up video she explains that these aliens were 3-D but of another frequency. About three or four of them that she perceived were beings who had been on this Earth for as long as humans have been here, and "have their games set up that they are playing. They are playing the duality game too, in a different way." They are doing a lot of things we are not aware of. There are a lot of questions unanswered in regards to those aliens, or alien spirits, and their involvement in an NDE. We should not leave this issue out of NDE research, even if it is only a small fraction of NDE stories.
People who have been abducted or are in contact with alien beings usually deal with the Greys. However, in some occasions also Mantis being are seen or communicated with. Without going into detail about these beings, I found an interesting remark by a Reddit user, who had life-long experiences with both Greys and Mantis. She made an interesting remark that would clarify some of issues discussed above: The Mantis are often seen wearing a purple cloak, and a medallion. I asked them about it, and they said the medallion is actually a device, and not a status symbol. They consider themselves "neutral" (or at least, they strive about it). The Mantis are the so called spirit guides people experience in-between lives and take care of reincarnations. According to Michael Newton PhD's book "Journey of souls", the spirit guides have a purple aura and wear a medallion. This was written before the Mantis aliens became as known as they are today (and even today, most people only see Greys). In other words: UFOs are not "people from other planets" perse. I have surmised that the phenomenon is a control AND support system for reincarnation. The planet belongs to them, and we are renting the place while we incarnate here. They are behind social engineering via religion creation, and folk myths. They are driving our evolution via intellectual, social, and of course, genetic methods. (Reddit) This would imply that in near-death experiences, or with a real death, the immediate appearance of relatives, friends, angels, spirit guides and religious figures are just visual impersonation by Mantis beings who steer the deceased soul into a desired direction.
Special Missions and Contracts "You have a mission" is a reason that often pops up in NDEs when a soul refuses to go back to Earth, and other reasons have failed. Do they really have a mission, or is it just a ploy to change the mind of the soul? Most of the NDErs are at a loss of what that mission might be, as they are never told what it is. Therefore some of them try to come up with a reason, because they are eager to make sense of what an apparent trustworthy religious figure told them in the afterlife. Some near-death experiences said that we all make contracts before incarnating. At least that is what they were told, although they don't remember such a contract.
Negative Alien Experiences During an NDE Here is an example of an NDE in which the typical Grays are seen as a kind of demons in the terminology of this Christian person. This person grew up in an abusive home, and had taken an unidentified pill from her father after which she had her NDE. Now as I sit, I feel parts of my life drip from my spirit body like water. It was like the stories of my life fall away through the surface I’m sitting on until the last drip. I knew I was going to hell and knew I deserved to go, but as the last portion fell away, there was what I like to call a small “belief-in-God stone.” I’m saying stone for lack of wording but there was a belief in God that did not fall through the surface, and as I was revealed that, a group of beings similar to the grey alien came up out of the black cavern. And I thoroughly knew I deserved hell and even said so, saying, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Something in me said, “Pray.” The aliens had large, empty black eyes. I saw beyond their eyes into emptiness that went on forever, like if it were possible to step in to that eye, it would be a dark very vast empty place, void of anything. The largest being of the group of four or five threw his hand into my soul and was trying to capture or scare or hurt me. I felt electrical charge run through my soul’s lower right side. The being’s hands were emitting some sort of rough electrical shocking charge, but as fast as this is shocking me, I begin the Lord’s Prayer. When I was provoked to pray the Lord’s Prayer, I knew I had to do it NOW because there is an alien demon’s hand in my side. A dim light appears either from me or behind me, and as that light appears, these creatures turn and flee, and I mean flee fast. My praying the Lord’s Prayer and light appearing and their running all happened within seconds. (IANDS)
Near-Death Experience Research Foundation International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife There is also YouTube with many videos of first-hand NDE accounts and lectures. |