Knocking on Heaven’s Door: The
Near Death Experience
Introduction
We
are a people that celebrate birth and mourn death. But should we really mourn
for those that die? Do people die or are they just reborn into another place.
Is there life after death, death as we know it?
A
majority of Americans (71%) believe that there is life after death. The
question posed in this report is whether or not people have the ability to
encounter the afterlife before their death?
is estimated that one in five adults
within the
Only
about a decade ago, did the world begin to hear about a curious but intriguing
phenomenon called near death experiences. A psychiatrist named Raymond Moody
published a book in 1975 called, Life after Life documenting the case
studies of NDE patient, giving birth to the immensely popular belief of life
after death. This annotative report will look at different articles supporting
as well as discounting the near death experiences. This report will cite
examples of case studies of actual people that have experienced NDEs. This
report will look at the views of psychologist, psychiatrist, and health care
professionals on the near death experience, and finally this report will tell
you just what is experienced in an NUE.
My stand on this subject is straight and to the point, I am a Catholic and believe in life after death. I believe that we do not really die but are taken to another place. I believe that Cod does give those that are near death the opportunity to view what it is like in the other world. I hope to prove this in the following report and show that these experiences are a gateway to another life, a brief encounter with God, a taste of what is to come.
Ring, Kenneth(1986). Near death experiences: Implications for human
evolution and planetary transformation. ReVision, 8(2), 75-85
This
article talks about the founder of the near death experience movement, Raylmond
Moody, whose book entitled, Life after Life captured the attention of millions
of people and opened the eyes of people to this phenomenon of near death
experiences. The article goes on to say that over forty percent of all those
that experience clinical “death’, also experience NDE’s. The author goes on to
say that those who experience NDEs show a generalized awakening of higher human
potential as well as a radical spiritual transformation. The author is quick to
point out that although they have experienced a deep inward change in their
spiritual awareness, it has not made them more outwardly religious in their
behavior. Mr. Ring goes on to say that he believes that it is possible and
plausible to regard the near death experience as playing a critical role in
personal development. I cannot help but wonder if he is saying that those who
experience NDEs are more fulfilled as people than those of us that have not
experienced it. He hypothesizes that maybe the high rate of NDEs collectively
represents an evolutionary thrust toward a higher consciousness.
The
article goes on to say that we live in hope as well as fear that this
phenomenon known as near death experiences holds out a powerful message of hope
to humanity that even, and perhaps especially in its darkest moments, the Light
comes to show us the way onward. It is up to us whether we have the courage and
the wisdom to follow where it beckons.
Mr.
Ring has some very interesting points that he makes throughout his article. I
must say that I never thought of NDEs as a growth process for humans, but after
he stated this it did make sense. I remember Dr. Jakbovits saying that we are
constantly undergoing change physically as well as mentally. I also agree with
his statement that those experiencing NDEs have had immense personal
development. After having such a profound experience, I do not see how it could
not affect you. This experience hardly appears to be a passing fad, but one
that continues to powerfully hold our attention.
Klinkenborg, Verlyn (1992). At the Edge of Eternity. Life, March, 65-73.
This
article list case studies of people who have experienced the r and interview
them. It lists what they experience and how it has affected their lives. -
It seems that all those that have
experienced NDE’s have very similar as well as very vivid memories of the occurrence.
The near death experience starts with the spiritual being released from the
physical body. They are out of pain and are able to see their physical body.
They then are transported to a tunnel, with a light that is very bright at the
end. They feel nothing but love and warmth in the tunnel. There is no fear, as
they walk towards the light. Stories tend to vary as to what they see but at
the same instance they are told they must go back and it is not there time to
die. Even though they do not want to go back, they are thrust back into their
physical bodies.
In one account, this woman is clinically dead, she sees her body on the table in the emergency room and them she is in a tunnel. She reports that she feels the most incredible, warm, golden light. She says that she was in the light, part of the light. She goes on to say that their is a presence in the light, a wisdom and the wisdom knew her and loved her. She says that she felt wind brushing up against her ears, but she had no ears, she was there but her body was not. Everything she had done and felt was there for her to see, she was then shown that she had to go back and in the same fragment of a second she was back in her body. I found it interesting that all those experiencing the NDE phenomenon had accounts that were almost identical, yet the world of science has not fully accepted this as real.
Cabbard, Glen and Twemlow, Stuart (1981). Explanatory Hypotheses for
Near Death Experiences. ReVision, 4(2), 66—71.
This
article tries to disprove the phenomenon of NDE by listing several hypotheses
on the shared experiences of those hat that are documented as clinically dead.
They claim that the reason those that have NDEs share common experiences is
because this is what we are taught by our community. They claim that all out of
body experiences have one thing in common— a characteristic array of defenses
designed to ward off anxiety originating from the threatened disintegration of
the ego, from the breakdown of the body image, and from the fear of death. The
authors go on to say that the only reason why NDE is such a huge phenomenon is
because it comforts us from our dilemma regarding the meaning of life and the
finality of death. I found this article to be very hard to swallow. I found
there to many holes in there logic. To be considered clinically dead your brain
dead also. They do not explain how those experiencing NDE did it if they were
brain dead. Also NDE is not a new thing. It has been reported as far back as the
time of the Egyptians. People who claim they had no religion and experienced
NDE are not explained in the authors hypotheses either. In class, we were told
that only in math are there finite answers. Just because you cannot physically
see something or prove its existence doesn’t mean it is not there.
Walker, Barbara (1989). Health Care Professionals and the Near Death
Experience. Death Studies, 13, 63—71.
This
article discusses the need for health care providers to be more understanding
to those individuals that experience NDE. It is estimated that one five adults
within the
The
author states that the health care provider must be helpful as well as non-judgmental
in assessing the accounts of the NDE survivor.
The
article goes on to cite examples of health care professionals that were not
open to NDE. A boy tried to commit suicide because he wanted to return to the
place he was yet no psychiatrist would believe him- A woman went into a
depression for ten years because her psychiatrist told her to keep quiet about
the NDE or people would think you are crazy. The examples go on and on- The
author states that it is imperative the health care professionals help NDE
survivors “normalize” as well as talk about it instead of dwelling on it and
keeping it to yourself.
I
was shocked that health care professionals would act this way. With all the
published reports and articles written on the subject, you would think they
would be a little more open minded.
Groth-Marnat,
This
article summarizes the I’JDE. The authors write that history and research on
NDE are reviewed and evaluated fewer than five categories: Frequency,
measurement, patterns, aftereffects, and explanations. It is written in this
article that NDEs have been interesting scientist since the early nineteenth
century. The
article goes on to say that all those
who have had NDEs had very similar patterns Raymond Moody, the psychiatrist
responsible for the fascination of NDE says those experiencing the phenomenon
had a sequential pattern, but rarely would a person experience all of the
following:
1—calm, peace, serenity
2—noises (buzzing, clicking, music,
whistling)
3—an out of body experience in
which they would see their body and sometimes observe details of such events as
efforts at
resuscitation.
4-going down a tunnel
5-meeting spirit-like person (deceased
relatives, friends)
6—encountering a being of light
often not identified but sometimes referred to as Christ, an angel, or God
7—review of one’s life
8—experience of a border region that could not be crossed
9-reluctance to return to one’s
body
They
go on to say that the NDE has a powerful affect on one’s life. Affects such as
an increased belief in the afterlife; greater self acceptance; increased
concern for others, and less interest in material possessions.
The
authors go on to say that what the study of NDEs has produced is a clear
knowledge of the patterns of the experience, its effects on survivors,
implications for persons counseling the dying, and the change in popular views
on the process of dying.
Rodabough, Tillman(1985). Near Death Experiences: An examination of the
supporting data and alternative explanations. Death studies, 9, 95-113
Mr.
Rodabough believes that the phenomenon known as NDE is nothing but the brain
trying to compensate the fear of death. He says that they are nothing but
hallucinations brought on by different factors. Drugs, toxic metabolic
products, and autointoxication can trigger these so called NDEs. The reason why
the NDEs are so similar is that our perceptions of what occurs at the point of
death are shaped in part by the response of others. In other words NDEs happen
only because we have read about it and heard about it and are told this is how
it should be.
The author states that the need to examine research of NDE results with a critical eye to avoid accepting conclusions, no matter how desirable, is critical.
Wren-Lewis, John (1988). The darkness of God: A personal report on consciousness
transformation through an encounter with death. Journal of Humanistic
Psychology, 28 (2), 105—122
This
article talks about the author’s radical and lasting change of consciousness
resulting from an experience of nearly dying by poisoning. He talks about his
NDE in detail. It follows the pattern that Moody laid out. the author
remembered seeing his body on the operating table and then being thrust into a
dark tunnel with a bright light at the end of it. All his relatives and friends
that had passed away were there to greet him. He goes on to say that he felt
such peace there. He is told that it is not his time and is thrust from the
light back into his body. The author’s attitudes on religion and life in
general are radically changed after his NDE. This article is unique in that it
is written by someone that has experienced an NDE firsthand and puts his
experience into a very vivid article on the process.
Sutherland, Cherie (1989). Changes
in Religious beliefs, attitudes, and practices following NDE: An Australian
study. Journal 9(1), 21—31
This
article interviewed fifteen men and thirty—five women who were between the ages
of seven and seventy-six at the time of their NDE. The number of years since
there experience ranged from two to fifty—two. The people interviewed were no
more religious or spiritually inclined than the rest of the Australian
population before the NDE. Following the MDE, there was a significant shift
towards spirituality. Over seventy—five percent of the subjects said that they
gad a fear of death before the NDE, whereas no subject had a fear of death
after the NDE. What I found interesting was the change in attitude towards
suicide, with subjects being opposed to suicide after NDEs. I would think that
if they liked where they were so much why wouldn’t they attempt suicide? The
most significant changes resulting from the NDE were reported to be spiritual
growth, a loving attitude, knowledge of God, and inner peace.
Serdahely, William (1989). Pediatric Near Death Experiences. Journal-of-Near--Death--Studies,
9(1), 33—39
This article reviews four cases (2 boys and 2 girls, aged four through seventeen) of pediatric NDEs. The children were interviewed and the findings revealed that the children’s’ interpretation was much more simple and pure. There was a feeling of tremendous peace and a release from pain. No life review was reported thus suggesting that this be a function of chronological age. The article also talks about Mr. Melvin Ross, author of the book, Closer to the Light a best-seller about children who have had NDE’s. He says that children are filled with wonder, without a lot of interpretation. He says that we get at the essence of the NDE through them.
Irwin,
This
article discusses the popular beliefs about the concept of heaven of sixty—six
females, and twenty—eight males enrolled in an introductory psychology class at
the University of New England, Australia. There were several popular
stereotypes of heaven--the pastoral scene, cosmic state, biblical
characterization, and earthly biosocial schemes. The answers given by these
students are important in explaining the uniformity of descriptions of NDEs.
The author goes on to say that two different theories on the concurrence on
NDEs are that the experience has been a separation of the physical body and the
consciousness with the consciousness going to some other place: and that these NDEs have been more of a
relative “hallucination” that has been triggered by some common cultural
heritage.
The
author tries to get across that our perception of heaven is transformed into
reality when a person experiences NDEs. I think that in other words the author
is saying that everyone’s heaven is a little different, but because of the fact
that we are taught basically the same thing about heaven, the NDEs all are
rather similar.
Royce, David (1985). The Near Death Experience: A Clergy’s attitudes
and knowledge. Journal of Pastoral Care, 39 (1), 31-42
This
article talks about a questionnaire that was completed by 174 predominantly
male pastoral counselors assessing their attitudes and knowledge of the NDE.
The article goes on to investigate the hypotheses that pastoral counselors that
were knowledgeable about NDEs would comfort those that had experienced NDEs and
if those that experienced NDE became stronger in their faith. It was found that
NDE patients had increase in faith and a decrease in fear of death. The article
goes on to say that given the frequency of NDEs and their profound effects,
pastoral counselors should learn as much as possible about the topic in order
to help interpret the event to those actually experiencing it.
Bush,
This article reviewed 17 accounts of NDEs by children between the ages of 13 months and 14 years. It was found that NDEs occurring during childhood are substantially similar in content to those experienced by adults. Accounts frequently noted a light or a dark tunnel, a sense of well being, out of body experiences and an absence of fear. This article disproves with other articles that contend that NDEs are culturally conditioned response to a life crisis or a reflection of education, religious training, social teachings, or family traditions. Children of this study were too young to be taught this. It just goes to prove that NDEs are not some response to a life threatening crisis but rather a real visit to the other.
The
Near Death Experience, is it a gateway to heaven or just a figment of the
scared unconscious mind compensating for death.
I think that this term paper has proved that NDEs are real and not just
figments of our imagination.
It
is said that science dismisses things when it does not have the tools for
investigation. This is a case in point. Because science cannot measure proof of
the NDEs, they try to explain it by saying that it is not real, or it is the
mind playing tricks on you, or that it could be the drugs given to you to try
and revive you. They even have said that it is society and what they have
taught you about death and heaven that triggers the “hallucinations” we call
NDEs. This is why I devoted two articles on children that had experienced NDE.
These articles disproved scientists and skeptics that claim that NDEs are
culturally conditioned responses to a life crisis or a reflection of education,
religious training, social teaching, or family traditions. Children of these
studies were too young to have these teaching ingrained in their thoughts.
Science should not disprove what it cannot prove.
Near
Death Experience, and our reactions to them, shouldn’t focus on the existence
of an afterlife or the separation of mind and body, this is already known to be
true. Rather it should focus on our perception of death and our cultures
perception of it. Death should not be looked upon as the end, it should not be
looked upon as frightening. As I presented case study after case study of
people that experienced NDEs, death should be looked at as a journey to a
better place. As Moody says we do not die, we are reborn, instead of life after
death, it should be life after life. Death then comes to be a passage rather
than a termination.
Throughout this paper, all those that experienced NDEs had their faith strengthened, there priorities straightened, and their lives bettered. Are NDEs an evolutionary thrust toward a higher consciousness? I think so. We are always changing, adapting, and striving to be perfect to be one with our Maker. Through this process, it brings us slightly closer to Him. We are on the edge of eternity, and as scientist study the meaning of NDEs and as we get a better understanding of what it means, perhaps we may step closer to an understanding of life.
BIOGRAPHY
King, Kenneth (1986). Near death
experiences: Implications for human evolution and planetary transformation.
ReVision, 8 (2)
Klinkenborg, Verlyn (1992). At the
Edge of Eternity. Life, March, 65-73.
Gabbard, Glen and Twemlow, Stuart
(1981). Explanatory Hypotheses for Near Death Experiences. ReVision, 4(2),
68—71.
Walker, Barbara (1989). Health Care
Professionals and the Near Death Experience. Death Studies, 13, 63—71.
Groth-Marnat,
Rodabough, Tiliman (1985). Near
Death Experiences: An Examination of the Supporting Data and Alternative
Explanations. Death Studies, 9, 95-113.
Sutherland, Cherie (1989). Changes
in Religious Beliefs, Attitudes, and Practices following NDE: An Australian
Study. Journal-of Near-Death-Studies, 9(1), 21-31.
Serdahely, William. (1989). Pediatric
NDEs. Journal-of-Near-Death-Studies, 9 (1), 33-39.
Irwin,
Royce, David (1985). The Near Death
Experience: A Clergy’s Attitude and Knowledge. Journal of Pastoral Care, 39(1),
31-42.
Bush,