Validity of Near Death Experiences

[mikew262]

At work, I hang out on the Baptist forum just to read their perspective on different issues. One issue that came up was the validity of near death experiences and the book (can’t remember the name) about the Baptist minister who spent a short time in heaven.

The vast majority of the Baptist forum members think his experience as well as other alleged experiences are not real because it doesn’t follow their interpretation of what the Bible says the immediate afterlife is supposed to be. They feel it’s just the brain dying and causing illusions.

I don’t necessarily agree with the Baptists. How does anybody really know if these are real or not? What if somebody is getting a glimpse of heaven, or at least the beginning of the a soul’s journey into the afterlife? I would like to believe these experiences are indeed real.

Your comments?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Mother Angelica had a Catholic Priest, who had such an experience. I’ll see if I can find his name.

I believe these experiences are real, especially in the fact that of all the experiences I have read about, the people who have had them, came back completely transformed. The priest on Mother Angelica’s program, was a bad priest before his death experience. He now serves Christ, giving talks to priest and warning them about serving as good priests.

Jim

 

[mikew262]

I find it hard to believe only 1 other person has an opinion on this subject.

Oh well.

 

[InLight247]

Many years ago when I was in deep grief of lamenting the death of my adopted mother, I read a little book called “Embraced by the Light”. In my opinion, that book is **much more **moving than the book you mentioned above. Anyway, it was an amazing story of the woman’s near death experience. At first when I was looking for that book in a Protestant bookstore, I was told they did not carry such books because they were not in accordance with Bible teaching. That is typical Protestants’ view.

However, I do believe those experiences. “Embraced by the Light” brought me tremendous comfort at the time.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Many years ago when I was in deep grief of lamenting the death of my adopted mother, I read a little book called “Embraced by the Light”. In my opinion, that book is **much more **moving than the book you mentioned above. Anyway, it was an amazing story of the woman’s near death experience. At first when I was looking for that book in a Protestant bookstore, I was told they did not carry such books because they were not in accordance with Bible teaching. That is typical Protestants’ view.

However, I do believe those experiences. “Embraced by the Light” brought me tremendous comfort at the time.

I believe the author of “Embraced by the Light,” was exposed to being a fraud. I could be wrong, but this is my recollection.

However, I did read other testimonies of after life experiences, which I have no doubt are true.

Also, many years ago, I read Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s articles on death and dying.

I do believe God gives some of us, this experience. As I said before, everyone who has had this experience, transformed their lives completely, after they returned to their new life. All, had faith in God, and all got involved with their religions, and doing good works for people.

Jim

 

[InLight247]

Jim,

Could you let me know where did you find the author of “Embraced by the Light” is a fraud? I also have read her second book “The Awakening Heart” and thought it was very good.
In my recollection, the author seems to be very sincere. She talked about how she missed the experience of being with the Lord, and it is hard to think her detailed vivid descriptions were made up. She also talked about the providential experiences of publishing her books.

I have no intention to defend or doubt the author, neither do I want any debate. I am just curious why you said that and where is the proof.

Thanks.

 

[hasikelee]

I had a near death experience and I believe it’s real.

Of course, define “real.” How exactly are we to confirm if it is the brain or some supernatural experience?

I would personally call mine supernatural as the situation was more than random “dream” images, including proper sensations and visual stimuli outside of normal, imaginary range.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Jim,

Could you let me know where did you find the author of “Embraced by the Light” is a fraud? I also have read her second book “The Awakening Heart” and thought it was very good.
In my recollection, the author seems to be very sincere. She talked about how she missed the experience of being with the Lord, and it is hard to think her detailed vivid descriptions were made up. She also talked about the providential experiences of publishing her books.

I have no intention to defend or doubt the author, neither do I want any debate. I am just curious why you said that and where is the proof.

Thanks.

I may have the wrong person, so leave it at that.

The person I had heard of, and I thought it was Betty Eadie, was that she would not release her medical records, to show she in fact when through a death experience. When she finally did, it showed she was never even near death.

I’m not sure its her, so I’ll just leave it at that.

Jim

 

[mikew262]

My wife’s grandmother was on death’s door several years ago and was only semi-conscious when all of a sudden she bolted upright and said “Oh Bob”, kind of smiled and then fell back down in bed, and stopped breathing a short time after. This was witnessed by several.

Bob was her son who had died a couple of years before and all felt like he was there to gather her soul and take her to the afterlife.

Not exactly a near death experience, but it cements my belief in life after death.

 

[Mary_ann_R]

Mother Angelica had a Catholic Priest, who had such an experience. I’ll see if I can find his name.

I believe these experiences are real, especially in the fact that of all the experiences I have read about, the people who have had them, came back completely transformed. The priest on Mother Angelica’s program, was a bad priest before his death experience. He now serves Christ, giving talks to priest and warning them about serving as good priests.

Hi Jim, It is Father Scheier…here is a link to read about him. At the bottom of the page is a link to his interview with Mother Angelica.

 

[TOP]

I think there should be a distinction between near death and dead and back. I’m sure NDE’s happen, but I’m not so sure about being dead, soul displaced, and back. Tim

 

[Gertabelle]

I think there should be a distinction between near death and dead and back. I’m sure NDE’s happen, but I’m not so sure about being dead, soul displaced, and back. Tim

Excellent distinction, Tim. Does the Church have any teaching on such a thing as NDE or actual death experiences?

Gertie

 

[mschrank]

Excellent distinction, Tim. Does the Church have any teaching on such a thing as NDE or actual death experiences?

Gertie

Hmm. Interesting distinction indeed.

The problem with NDEs is two fold.

1. They cannot all be reduced to the “dying brain” hypothesis. Studies exist that show NDEs happening when physiologically they cannot be said to happen- when the brain is not showing the activity thought necessary to produce the subject’s experience.
2. They are incredibly contradictory. Some say there is a God, some just see light. Some report being judged, others no judgement. Some say they see loved ones, others not. Some report something close to Christian belief, others are very new agey, and a few are completely off the wall (increases in non-western cultures).

So, it’s not “just the brain”, but on the other hand, people don’t see the same thing. So what are they???

I guess this is just another one for the bin.

 

[TOP]

Excellent distinction, Tim. Does the Church have any teaching on such a thing as NDE or actual death experiences?

Gertie

I posted this question a year or more ago and never found a Church position on NDE’s. Tim

 

[Mary_ann_R]

At work, I hang out on the Baptist forum just to read their perspective on different issues. One issue that came up was the validity of near death experiences and the book (can’t remember the name) about the Baptist minister who spent a short time in heaven.

The vast majority of the Baptist forum members think his experience as well as other alleged experiences are not real because it doesn’t follow their interpretation of what the Bible says the immediate afterlife is supposed to be. They feel it’s just the brain dying and causing illusions.

Mike, I believe the person that you are referring to is Howard Storm, although I may be wrong.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Storm

near-death.com/storm.html

 

[Dorothy]

I remember when Betty Eadie discussed her book on the Oprah show many years ago, when the book first came out.

Oprah still promotes New Age books.

Some of the statements in Ms. Eadie’s books is that sin is not our true nature, and we are inherently divine. She also states that she was shown that we were with God at the beginning of creation and that we helped him create the earth. She also states that all religions and faith are equal in God’s sight.

We need to take Sacred Scripture to heart when it warns us that the devil can appear as an “angel of light”. There are many new age books on the market now, all very high sounding and esoteric.
They mislead many who have itching ears for another Gospel, one that is easier.

We have the fullness of truth in our Catholic faith, grace, Sacraments, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, etc.

We don’t need to be lifted up by writings that have led many away by mixing half truths with truth.

 

[Jennifer_G]

1. They are incredibly contradictory. Some say there is a God, some just see light. Some report being judged, others no judgement. Some say they see loved ones, others not. Some report something close to Christian belief, others are very new agey, and a few are completely off the wall (increases in non-western cultures).

I think that’s the major problem with them. About 2/3rds of the ones I’ve read seem to have gone into New Age practices (Buddhism is another… especially ones that recount an experience from back in the 70s)

One major problem I have with maybe 90% of them is this – they all (of the 90%) seem to deny the existence of Hell either directly, or indirectly (by saying or inferring that everyone gets to Heaven).

 

[Dorothy]

There are near death experiences people have had that experienced the reality that there is a hell.

In a previous message in this thread, a priest who gave his testimony on EWTN had such an experience.

 

[Jennifer_G]

There are near death experiences people have had that experienced the reality that there is a hell.

In a previous message in this thread, a priest who gave his testimony on EWTN had such an experience.

Here’s another - I was Googling for Catholic NDEs when I found this one.

 

[WilliamJ]

If you are interested in NDEs I second the recommendation of reading Embraced by the Light by Bettie Eddie. What I found so interesting about it is that it basically describes a very “catholic” understanding of heaven. Her follow up books, there are two, are extremely consistant and when she is unfolds the subject of Hell, suicide etc it was a visualization of what the church has articulated for years. Bettie Eadie was not a Catholic at the time these events occured in fact she had a predisposition to be anti- catholic. She unfolds intercession of the saints and many other areas that are predominently held by the Catholic Church. I read it before I deployed to Iraq and it was was invaluable in my dealing with mortality as I had a dangerous job there in the military.

The story of the Baptist in the car accident, which incidentally happened only about an hour away from my home here in Texas is only a very small snippet of what Embraced by the Light unfolds. Am I the only one who saw remarkibly consistant catholic description of Heaven in this book? I’m not saying it is on the Vatican reading list per say but it enabled me to see many of the churches teachings from a supernatural perspective. If you want to lose your fear of death, read this book. -wm.