I’m not aware the Church has any teaching on this. Why should it?What do you all think of near death experiences? What does the Church think of them? Are they a true glimpse into heaven or a product of the mind? If real, how does one explain that even athiests and other non-Christians experience them?
And some, I think, are nothing more than hallucinations.I think that some are real, and others are delusions from the devil
since I have never seen or read a shred of evidence that these are anything other than subjective sensory phenomena, I give no credence whatever to reported “near death experiences.” Should I ever confront such objective, testable, reproducible evidence, which so far even the most dedicated supporters of the thesis have never found, I will reconsider. Whether or not any or all of such reported experiences are in fact genuine has absolutely no impact, none, on the Catholic doctrine of life after death.What do you all think of near death experiences? What does the Church think of them? Are they a true glimpse into heaven or a product of the mind? If real, how does one explain that even athiests and other non-Christians experience them?
I used to think they might be real experiences of the afterlife until I’d heard about athiests and other non-Christians experiencing it. While many Christians 'see" God or Jesus, others often “see” whatever it is that reaffirms their concept of the afterlife.since I have never seen or read a shred of evidence that these are anything other than subjective sensory phenomena, I give no credence whatever to reported “near death experiences.” Should I ever confront such objective, testable, reproducible evidence, which so far even the most dedicated supporters of the thesis have never found, I will reconsider. Whether or not any or all of such reported experiences are in fact genuine has absolutely no impact, none, on the Catholic doctrine of life after death.
The belief that “only Christians” go to Heaven is a heresy.I used to think they might be real experiences of the afterlife until I’d heard about athiests and other non-Christians experiencing it. While many Christians 'see" God or Jesus, others often “see” whatever it is that reaffirms their concept of the afterlife.
If only Christians go to Heaven, these NDE instances can’t be real.
I saw this post in a Google Alert so thought I would answer it. I am a near death experiencer, and can say that near death experiences are very real. They are life-changing experiences. I have been studying them for over 20 years. There are many critics and skeptics of the experience including many scientists and many religious individuals, but they have not had the experience. I won’t plead the case for them here, but I do urge all who are interested to start reading them, the real experiences not what the skeptics or media say about them, but the real thing as told by the experiencer.What do you all think of near death experiences? What does the Church think of them? Are they a true glimpse into heaven or a product of the mind? If real, how does one explain that even athiests and other non-Christians experience them?
Would you be willing to tell me about your NDE, so I could see where it fit into the literature on near death experiences. If you don’t want it to be public you could email me. I am always interested in these experiences whether positive or negative. Incidentally most are positive, only about 5-15 percent negative depending on who you talk to about them.I had a terrible experience in 2003 in my 13th week of chemo. There was a few nights that I had to be rushed to the ER in close calls, but one night I passed out and had a negative NDE. As PuzzleAnnie pointed out, nothing about NDE’s changes the view of the Church and I think they can even possibly be a tool used by the enemy to cause despair or even presumption. All I know is that it is the source of much worry and pain for me.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I do believe you were dying as a result of the drug you were taking. You were slipping into the void or darkness that usually signals the beginning of a near death experience. The voice telling you to get up is unusual for a near death experience. Could have been your guardian angel. I realize you were frightened, but the darkness is not negative, soon you would have seen the light and gone on from there.I am sorry you had to experience that, however that would not have been considered a NDE. I wish I could show you there is nothing to fear, you are a child of God.I’ll say it publicly because I believe the Lord spared me the final destination at the time. I was having a tough time with a reaction to chemo as an outpatient. My oncologist was given me nuelasta shots to boost my white blood cells…but this was causing bone pain/swelling. One day or night, not sure which, I had pain in my collerbones so bad I couldn’t take it any more. I was on oxycotins for longterm pain and diladins for short term pain. I was eating diladins until I passed out. I don’t recall going to sleep, just one minute I was in pain and the next second I was falling into a black empty abyss. There was a mix of terror, vertigo, spinning fast. It was like a blackhole. As this continued on, I realized I wasn’t asleep but dying. I also knew it was getting worse and worse. It felt like I was being crushed in the vertigo, all the way to my soul. An inner voice told me to get up and I fought hard to come back to consciencness. When I finally came too, I was facedown across the bed. I had dim sight, tunnel vision and a crushing feeling for a while afterwards. I also woke up and went into a panic attack. It sucked.
since it is certainly NOT true that only Christians go to heaven, so who does or does not have these experiences, as I said, is totally irrelevant to the Christian teaching on the afterlife.I If only Christians go to Heaven, these NDE instances can’t be real.
I am glad you did fight and get up. I am glad you are here. There is no name for a near-NDE. But they are common. The void is just that, a void, empty of anything at all. The fear you felt was within you, fear of the unknown is very powerful fear. So is fear of rapid change. Most NDEs start with these fears and end up being very positive. I don’t know how you health is now, but hope for the best. God loves you.Ok what is a near-NDE called? I don’t think it was going to get better, not at all and it was terror, mind/soul splitting terror. The whole thing was accelerating quickly, terror, weight, the spin. I have reasons to believe it wasn’t a purging out sorts. I don’t know what the inner voice was. It could have been me, but it happened so fast. Once I realized I had to “get up”, I just fought.
Thanks for the help. And thanks for asking, I’m ok. Oct. 31st will be 8 years in a tenative remission. Never thought I would be here. Stage 3 is a tough DX, but I would say long term recovery, mental…is a tougher fight. When I was sick, I was blessed with tenacity too, but this world is tireing and I believe in an afterlife, what the Saints wrote of…It would be nice to rest in the Lords light.I am glad you did fight and get up. I am glad you are here. There is no name for a near-NDE. But they are common. The void is just that, a void, empty of anything at all. The fear you felt was within you, fear of the unknown is very powerful fear. So is fear of rapid change. Most NDEs start with these fears and end up being very positive. I don’t know how you health is now, but hope for the best. God loves you.
I always thought that the only way to the Father was through Jesus.since it is certainly NOT true that only Christians go to heaven, so who does or does not have these experiences, as I said, is totally irrelevant to the Christian teaching on the afterlife.