The Promise of Presence and a Place – Reflections on Near Death Experiences and the Christian Faith – Part 3

Fresco on the ceiling of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral).
 Painted by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari in the 16th century.
 Photo © 2009 by Dennis Hendricksen

I want to conclude this mini-series on NDEs with a few thoughts about what can be learned from Near-death Experiences. I begin with a few comments on what we can say about NDEs, and end with a few thoughts on what we can learn from NDEs.

The most recent book I have read on this subject was “The Wisdom of Near-death Experiences” by Dr. Penny Sartori. The author is a registered nurse who began researching Near-death Experiences in 1995. This eventually led her to enroll in a PhD program to research NDEs.  When asked to summarise her biggest learnings from her studies Dr. Sartori said  “In medicine, we’re trained to believe that the brain gives rise to consciousness. My research into NDEs has made me question this prevailing paradigm, which admittedly is very widespread. The most important lesson for me has been a deeper appreciation for death and a whole lot less fear and anxiety about it.”

There are a growing number of researchers who are beginning to suggest that the brain is not the creator of consciousness, but rather the mediator of consciousness.  This theory makes sense to me, though I do not have any scientific credentials that would make my opinion count.  However from what I read in Dr. Sartori’s book, and in Dr. Eben Alexander’s book “Proof of Heaven” I believe the question of consciousness remains crucial, and new research is challenging the notion that the brain is the source and end of consciousness.

I find it hard to accept that the vast majority of the world’s cultures and religions have some kind of belief in life continuing after death simply because of an evolutionary need to ease the pain and fear of death and dying.  To simply ignore this vast body of belief as wishful thinking is willful blindness.  I believe NDEs give us a glimpse of a greater mystery, of a greater universe, of a greater reality – one that we simply are not built to see and experience directly as humans.

There were two surprising things related to NDEs that I found out from Dr. Sartori’s book that I don’t recall coming across before:
  

1)  Some people seem to have an altered personal electro-magnetic field after a NDE, which causes wrist-watches to not work properly while worn by the person who has experienced a NDE.  Other related phenomena are light bulbs blowing in one’s presence, and computers turning off and on for no apparent reason when these people are in close proximity.

2)  Some people who have experienced a NDE have unexplained healing within themselves, or even the ability to heal others.  Dr. Sartori’s best example of this was a patient in her study. She writes “He was in bad condition. When we put him into bed he was unconscious and unresponsive. Later he reported an OBE. He was accurately able to tell us which doctor was in the room and what he had said while he was unconscious. He claimed to have met his deceased father and a Jesus-like figure. But the most extraordinary part was that afterwards he was able to use his hand, which had been paralyzed since birth. There is no medical explanation for how that healing occurred.”

What We Can Learn from NDEs

1)  Death is not to be feared.

Most people who have had a NDE will state consistently that they are no longer afraid of death.  They do not seek out death, but due to their experience they are convinced that when it comes there is nothing to be afraid of.  In my personal conversations with people who have had such experiences this was an important emphasis in sharing their story.  Christians affirm we have a Saviour who has defeated death, a Saviour who has promised to prepare a place for us, and to come again and take us to be with him – thus we can be assured that there is something more wonderful than we could ever imagine waiting for us on the other side of this life.  NDEs line up with this belief.

2)      Love is the highest calling.

Many people who have experienced a NDE are significantly transformed afterwards, being far less concerned about material things and wealth, and far more concerned about helping others, and caring for the earth.  This transformation also comes with a sense of mission and purpose – they feel there is something they still need to do in this life, and often that translates into being more loving and compassionate people.  Christians recognize that we are called to be people who care for each other and the world around us. Jesus summarized all the law with a two part commandment: to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbours as ourselves. Loving others is more important than gaining power and wealth for one’s self.  Those who have experienced a NDE seem to re-align themselves to this goal, this they see as fulfilling their purpose, their reason for being.

3)      There are limitations to our current knowledge.

Even in this era of exponential growth of human knowledge there remains mysteries that science and technology cannot answer, simply because they are beyond our ability to perceive and measure in this existence.  Thus faith remains an important aspect of life – even Near-death Experiences do not give us proof beyond a shadow of a doubt of life beyond death.  In the end we cannot be 100% certain about what awaits us beyond death’s door, but we can have faith in the promises of Jesus and live our lives accordingly.

Near-death Experiences raise more questions than they answer, but I believe that given more time and research we will come to understand these experiences better, and perhaps we will develop a better understanding of the wonder and mystery of human consciousness.