Adapting to an “exceptional experience.”
One of the biggest mysteries in life is what happens after death. Humans have been trying to find the answer since man realized that death meant someone was gone forever.
But where do we go—or do we go anywhere? Over the years, hundreds of books have been written by scientists, spiritual leaders, and philosophers, each espousing their own views about whether or not there is an afterlife.
Since 1975, and the publication of Raymond Moody’s book Life After Life, much of the conversation has centered on the Near Death Experience (NDE). Given the number of documented accounts from all over the world, it is hard to dismiss the reality of the experience. But is it a function of a dying brain or a spiritual experience proving there is an afterlife?
What is an NDE? An NDE occurs when a person is close to death or pronounced dead. However, some people have also had these experiences and have not been close to death. Most commonly, there is an initial out of body experience (OBE) in which the person perceives themselves floating above their body. Next, the individual often experiences going through a dark tunnel at the end of which is a bright divine light. There is a reunion with loved ones who have died before and a return to the body.
In Michael Shermer’s new book, Heavens on Earth, he presents all the reasons why the NDE is not a spiritual experience but hallucinations from the dying brain. He does, however, write: “A scientific understanding of NDEs… is not meant to take away from the power of the experience as seemingly real, as emotionally salient, or as transforming and life-changing.”[1]
The event is so profound that it often does alter the experiencer’s life. Perhaps the most common after-effect of an NDE is the loss of the fear of death and a strengthened belief in the afterlife. There is typically a new awareness of meaning and purpose in experiencers’ lives. A new sense of self with increased self-esteem is reported.
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