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.

The Promise of Presence and a Place – Reflections on Near Death Experiences and the Christian Faith – Part 2

Photo © 1993 by Dennis Hendricksen

Over the past few months, as I was reading through the book “The Wisdom of Near-death Experiences” by Dr. Penny Sartori I found myself thinking about how some of the elements of NDEs correspond to what my Christian faith has taught me.  I would like to share what I consider to be the three most significant connections between the reports of NDEs and Christian faith.

1)  Approaching the light
  

Most people who have had a NDE (particularly in Western civilization) will describe moving towards a light, sometimes through a tunnel, other times simply having the light become brighter and brighter. Yet this bright light doesn’t hurt their eyes, they do not need to turn away or shield themselves from it.  One member of our congregation who had an NDE back in the 1980’s described this light as growing brighter throughout his Near-death Experience, but he was aware that it was more than a light – it was a being – and this light with a swoop of movement as if it was pointing, indicated that this person was to go back, that it wasn’t his time yet.

Many people who have experienced a NDE will describe a being of light as central to their experience, and sometimes they will identify this being of light as Jesus, other times simply as a mysterious being. 

 

In many places in the New Testament Jesus is referred to as “the Light” (Matthew 4:16; Luke 1:79; 2:32; John 1:4-11; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36,46; Acts 9:3; 22:6-11; 26:13; 2 Corinthians 4:4-6; Ephesians 5:8-14; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:5-7).  During the Transfiguration Jesus’ appearance transforms so that he shines brightly, he becomes, in essence, a figure of light (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:3; Luke 9:29).  In the Book of Revelation Jesus is described as the source of light that fills heaven so that there is no need for sun or moon (Revelation 21:23-24; 22:5).

Since Jesus is described with “light” as an identifier on so many occasions it would not be surprising that Jesus would appear in Near-death Experiences as a being of light, or a person surrounded by light.  Light reveals and removes doubts and fears, and being brought into the presence of Christ does the same thing. In this regard what many people experience in NDEs then matches what is presented in scripture.

2)  Being met at the threshold of life and death
  

Most people who have a NDE will report meeting a person, or people, as they begin to cross from life into death (or more accurately into life after death).  This is what Jesus promised.  In the 14^th chapter of the Gospel of John Jesus says to his disciples “When I go to prepare a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me so that where I am you will be too” (John 14:3). Here Jesus is promising his presence and a place after our life on this earth is over.

A quick comment about the place before looking at the presence.  While the traditional and literal understanding of heaven would see it as a place high in the sky this is not the most helpful understanding in the 21^st century.  When Stephen sees heaven opened to him he is indeed looking up in the sky, but others do not see the vision (Acts 7:55-56). Rather than considering heaven as somewhere “up there” it makes more sense given our current understanding of physics to say the heavenly realm is in a different dimension, or on another plane. Thus in the account of the execution of Stephen we could say that he was given the ability to see into other dimensions.  Perhaps this is also something that happens to those who have a Near-death Experience. 

Many (but not all) people who report a NDEs will say Jesus, or a being of Light, were waiting to meet them, in other words they are not alone – someone else is present.  Often there are relatives that have passed away previously who appear at the threshold between this life and the next (either along with Jesus, or sometimes by themselves).

One fascinating account I read in Dr. Penny Sartori’s book tells of a man who during an NDE was met by members of his family who had died before him.  However he was surprised and confused to see his sister as part of this group.  After he was resuscitated he found out that his sister had died the week previous, unbeknownst to him – the family had kept this news from him as his own condition was so fragile at the time. 

 

A few years ago I was at the bed side of an elderly woman who was very close to death.  In these final minutes she kept looking up at the ceiling and reaching out her arms towards the ceiling with what little strength she had left.  What I now believe was happening was that she was seeing someone coming to be with her as she crossed over from life to death and beyond.  Perhaps it was Jesus she saw coming to get her, or perhaps a loved one who had died previously – she never said, but shortly after reaching out she passed away in peace.  Ever since I mentioned this in a sermon I have had many others tell me that they witnessed something very similar with their loved ones.

How comforting to know that God does not let us be lost and alone as we experience passing from this life to the next.  God provides someone, or even many, who are there to assure us in this foreign and completely new reality.  I know for myself, it is much easier to travel in a foreign land if I am with someone who is already familiar with that new environment. Jesus sends us guides, or even comes himself, as we enter this new world, as we approach the heavenly realm – we need not fear the unknown, because the one known to us is with us to help us make the transition (or in the case of many NDEs to tell the person they cannot stay, they need to go back, that they still have something to do in this life).

3)  Deep peace & love
  

The most common element of NDEs is the experience of an incredible and beautiful sense of peace and/or love.  All people who have a positive NDE (I need to note here that not all NDEs are positive, a minority of these experiences are negative for the person).  However for the majority of people who have such an experience, it is the feeling of deep peace and/or unconditional love that is remembered vividly, sometimes for decades afterwards.  Most people who experience an NDE do not want to return to this life – the peace and love that saturates their whole being is so alluring, so wonderful that they don’t want to leave it.  This is also the reason why people who have had such an experience do not fear death when they return to this existence.

This deep abiding peace and love is something that Jesus promises for his followers. When talking to his disciples shortly before his death Jesus tells them that the peace he gives is not like the peace they find in this world.   “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid.”  (John 14:27 Common English Bible)   The peace of God is beyond all human understanding – in other words when experienced there is no earthly equivalent that it can be compared with.  In the Letter to the Philippians Paul writes of “the peace of God that exceeds all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and it is this sort of peace that people who have had an NDE will attempt to describe, as inadequate as our language is to fully explain what they have experienced.  Perhaps Paul is drawing on his own Near-death Experience here, we do not know, but we can be assured that in the life to come all the cares and worries of this world are completely removed, and replaced with the fullness of love and peace.

When people experience a sense of complete and unconditional love during their NDEs this reflects the understanding of the nature of God as recorded in the First Letter of John: “Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love.”   (1 John 4:7-8  Common English Bible). Jesus also talks of being immersed in the love of God: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”  (John 15:9-10 NRSV)  This God-love embraces many during their NDE so that all fear is removed.  As is written in 1st John:  “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear^…” (1 John 4:18 NRSV)  Once people have experienced this perfect love everything else pales in comparison.

The Book of Revelation speaks of a time when “Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore…” (Revelation 21:4 CEB)  The absence of these negative experiences would mean the possibility of feeling peace and love in a full and complete manner – not possible in this existence where we still must contend with grief, sadness and suffering.

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There are other elements of Near-death Experiences that could correspond with what is part of Christian understanding – such things as a life review, heavenly music, an increase in knowledge or awareness as some examples.  However the three I have mentioned in this post are the ones I feel are most significant.

In Part 3, the final installment in this short series, I will conclude with some thoughts about the current research into NDEs and what are some of the learnings and implications we can draw from the wealth of material available about this topic.

The Promise of Presence and a Place – Reflections on Near Death Experiences and the Christian Faith – Part 1

Light abstract photo © 2011 Dennis Hendricksen

When I was a university student at Camrose Lutheran College I took a class in Thanatology – the study of Death and Dying.  This was the late 70’s when there was a surge of interest in this topic.  It was shortly after Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross published her book on Death and Dying which identified the 5 stages of dying and grieving – these are well known today but at the time it was a new understanding.  This was also shortly after Dr. Raymond Moody published his book Life After Life – the book that first introduced Near Death Experiences (N.D.E.s) to the general public. Since that time I have had an interest in this subject, reading articles and books about N.D.E.s when I come across them.

Recently, while reading the book “The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences” by Dr. Penny Sartori, I noticed that some of the common elements of NDEs are reflected by revelations in scripture. It should be noted that all Near Death-Experiences are not the same, however there are many elements that occur in many cases, and it is some of these common elements that I would like to comment on in these series of posts.

First let me explain briefly what an NDE is:  The International Association for Near Death Studies defines a near-death experience, or NDE as: 

“a profound psychological event with transcendental and mystical elements typically occurring to individuals close to death or in situations of intense physical or emotional danger.”

Not everyone who has been resuscitated after a cardiac arrest remembers having such an experience, it is estimated that anywhere from 1% to 10% of people who have been clinically dead, and then revived, will have an NDE. No two NDEs are exactly alike – but there are often common elements experienced. A NDE typically includes one or more of the following elements:

• Intense emotions: commonly of profound peace, well-being, love
• A perception of seeing one's body from above (called an out-of-body experience,  or OBE), sometimes watching medical resuscitation efforts or moving instantaneously to other places
• Rapid movement through darkness, often toward an indescribable light
• A sense of being "somewhere else," in a landscape that may seem like a spiritual realm or world
• Encounter with deceased loved ones, possibly sacred figures (Jesus, angels, saints) or unrecognized beings, with whom communication is mind-to-mind
• A life review, reliving actions and feeling their emotional impact on others
• In some cases, a flood of knowledge about life and the nature of the universe
• Being told it is not one’s time yet, or sometimes being given a choice to return to the body or stay in the spiritual realm
• Near-death experiencers commonly say their experience was unlike a dream, “more real than real,” the most powerful event in their lives. They struggle to find words to describe it, but insist they now know something new about reality, that “there's more than what's here” (in the physical world). Most feel deeply changed in their attitudes toward life, work, and relationships.

A 1992 Gallup poll projected around 5% of Americans have experienced a near-death experience in their life, yet this is still regarded as an unusual phenomena.  Perhaps this is because those who have had NDEs are reluctant to talk about them for fear of being called crazy, or having such a meaningful experience disregarded or minimized.  After I preached on this subject recently I had five different individuals come to me after the service and tell me about their own experience.

How are such experiences related to Christian faith?  To begin with, I believe there are accounts of NDEs in the Bible. I would like to note two of them here.

I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago.  I don’t know whether it was in the body or out of the body.  God knows.  I know that this man was caught up into paradise and that he heard unspeakable words that were things no one is allowed to repeat.  I don’t know whether it was in the body or apart from the body.  God knows.

  2 Corinthians 12:2-4  (Common English Bible)

In this passage, in which the apostle Paul is likely referring to himself, we have a possible reference to an OBE (out-of-body experience) and a vision of another realm (as it is referred to: the third heaven or paradise).  The phrase “caught up” suggests a sense of rapid movement towards somewhere else.  Thus three elements of the common elements of an NDE are present in this description – a possible out-of-body experience (whether it was in the body or out of the body), a sense of rapid movement into another realm (caught up into the third heaven / paradise), knowledge that is impossible to put into words (unspeakable words).

Some have suggested that this passage is referring to a vision resulting from a trance state, and that possibility is certainly viable as well.  We do know that Paul had many close calls with death, and my own speculations was that during one of these extreme circumstances Paul experienced a NDE.  Some scholars have indicated that 14 years prior to this letter to the Corinthians would coincide with the time Paul was stoned by a mob on the outskirts of Lystra and left for dead (Acts 14:19).

The second account is found in Acts 7:54-60 - the story of the martyrdom of the disciple Stephen, who sees heaven as he is facing imminent death. As Stephen is being executed: He exclaimed, “Look!  I can see heaven on display and the Human One standing at God’s right side!”  There are many people, including Dr. Raymond Moody himself, who believe this to be an account of a Near-death Experience (p.65-66 "Reflections on Life After Life").
 
Stephen looks up and sees a vision of heaven opened up to him, with God the Father and Jesus present.  This is a vision others do not see – thus it seems to be only related to what Stephen is experiencing.  Often those nearing death will see someone, or something that causes them to reach upwards.  Stephen’s vision is located in the sky – upwards as well.  Most significantly this vision seems to give him a deep sense of peace and love – so much so that he is able to forgive his executioners, just as Jesus did.  This profound peace is one of the most common elements of NDEs.

There may possibly be other accounts in the Bible that could be described as Near-death Experiences, but these are the two that I have come across this past year.  In Part 2 I will connect Near-death Experiences with the teachings of Jesus.