Near Death Experiences

It is estimated that millions (five percent) of the American population have had what are identified as Near Death Experiences (NDEs).  That means a massive number of persons have, in the face of their own deaths or very deep concerns, experienced what they identify as a realistic experience in which, in part or in all, they have gone to heaven, talked to loved ones, seen glory lights, felt total reality, and the experiences extend in many directions even to talking with Jesus, or listening in on conversations between God the Father and Jesus.  All of these reports, some book length, are rather consistent in that the writer wanted to stay in the experience and not return to earth for any reason.  In most instances they are informed they must return, having no choice in the matter, and that there remains work they must do for family or other earthlings. Some reports are so bizarre or amended so as to be unbelievable, but there remains a massive literature that cannot be trashed if we are seekers of meaning for the human experience.  Some of it comes from persons believed to have great integrity and high education, and some from persons known to be dysfunctional to ordered life.  The oddities lead to a skepticism that may disperse the topic without accounting for much that appears genuine and experience of mystery so to beg attention and response.  The various writers appear to be trying to reduce mystery, and communicate a genuine experience.  We encounter charlatans in any context of life, but do not dismiss the various areas because of any misdirected tale.  Persons reporting include theists (Christians and others), agnostics, even atheists.  Most seem to understand and expect skepticism.  Some eminent names appear in the list: Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Carl Jung, Elizabeth Taylor, Wm. Booth, Dostoevsky and others.  Much of this theme is addressed by Robert Gottlieb in the October 23, 2014 issue of the New York Review of books.  An admitted skeptic, Gottlieb proposed that some future article should offer response with scientific evaluation.

There are numerous occasions in Scripture that might fit the modern definition of NDEs.  The temptation of Jesus is one, with danger stress, fasting, conversation, and resolution between Jesus and Satan.  The Apostle Paul reported his own experience to the Corinthian Church marked by a heaviness of humility and admitted ignorance about what the process means.  Prophets, priests and lay persons reported experiences, and interpreted others as Joseph did in Egypt.  The holy family, even shepherds and magi, appear to have been included in such experiences.  A lengthy one relates to the Apostle John on Patmos, and it becomes the story of the last Book of the New Testament – The Revelation.

Most persons will agree that some stories are made up, some amended by the reporters, some were dreams arising out of the psychological make-up of human beings.  Some were hallucinations passed off as divine experience.  Many clearly require more definitive explanation.  Some persons reported they died, which is believed unlikely.  Scripture and logic offers the strong impression that this kind of transition is also unlikely.  We do have the experience of Lazarus in which a person is returned to earth family.  The Apostle Paul recovered a lad believed to be dead, and there is a summary statement here and there of life recovery for multiple persons on occasion, but the assertions are not followed up with explanation.  If the experience is a gift, it is not limited to devout persons only.  King Saul and the Witch of En-dor were confronted.  Jonah, a prophet out-of-sorts with God had a whale (great fish) of an experience, and ended his story with an argument with God about a gourd.  Stories abound providing some reason to believe that there is both true and untrue reporting of out-of-this-world experiences.  During the decades of my life, engaged with professionals, general public, naturalists and super-naturalists, and life in a number of contexts, I have felt no need for any special discoveries or illuminations other than the information of Scripture and the pursuit of knowledge in search through the contexts of heaven and earth.  We would like to have more information than we have, but we have enough for a meaningful earth sojourn and future transition.  Our greatest problem is the lack of application of what we know.  The skeptic, Mark Twain, admitted his doubts about spiritual information but also admitted failure in applying what we do know.