What’s your opinion?
https://scientificprogress.substack.com/p/peer-reviewed-science-they-came-back
In the 90’s, my Mom was really into NDE’s and I read a couple books in High School of stories from individuals who claim to have had such experiences. They were inspiring and fascinating. Do I believe they prove the Catholic Faith?
Jimmy Akin did a few episodes on this topic and gives examples of Catholic and non-Catholic experiences. If you are interested, here are a couple of the episodes.
- Christianity & Near Death Experiences
- Do Angels and Demons Appear in Near Death Experiences?
- Back from Hell? (Negative NDEs)
- Do People See Non Christian Gods in Near Death Experiences?
- What Are Good Resources to Learn About Near Death Experiences?
Enjoy : )
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As far as those NDEs, I’ve seen some testimonies of NDEs of encountering those in Hell. But the Hell from those testimonies does not have any Lake of Fire at all. At the same time, it is Not paradise either because the Hell-stranded person lives a very primitive life—for example, in a cave. No luxuries, no electronics, no modern conveniences. Under such circumstances, life would be a struggle, especially for those who are used to modern conveniences. But at least there would be No agony from fiery torment at all. Instead just a struggle of primitivism bereft of modern conveniences.
No phone, no lights, not motorcar—not a single luxury! (That’s from the theme song of Gilligan’s Island, a silly 1960s TV comedy about shipwrecked people.) However, my understanding is that the resurrection will happen when Christ returns, and that everybody in hell and almost everyone in heaven doesn’t have a body right now. The new earth and the lake of fire are after the resurrection, I think.
Stephen, when I grow up, I wanna be just like you. You cracked me up with your opening sentences there LOL!
Sorry, I should have been more explicit. I meant the resurrection of all the dead on the last day, mentioned in the Gospel (for example, when Martha said to Jesus that she knew that her brother Lazarus would rise on the last day) and elsewhere in the Bible.
Literalman is that the same Lazarus Jesus brought back from the dead or is this a different Lazarus?
Sorry, I’m not trying to put you on the spot or anything, I was just curious. I don’t remember Martha having a brother. I read The Bible and study it but sometimes I forget certain things…
Yes, his sisters were named Mary and Martha. Jesus waited till Lazarus was dead before going to their town. When He arrived, He said to Martha that Lazarus would rise again. Martha said she knew that Lazarus would rise again on the last day. This is in the Gospel of John, chapter 11.
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Ok…that’s what I thought. Thanks!
My conviction (which may not go down well speaking to Catholics), although I do respect the Catholic faith…….is that all classical religions are based on the same metaphysical axiomatic truth, viz., that there are two energies within God’s creation.
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Material energy: (comprised of the elements of the periodic table). These elements are not conscious. Dead matter. And no combination of these elements in the laboratory can produce conciousness.
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Spiritual energy: Spiritual energy is alive……..and can never die. Spiritual energy is conscious.
When the spiritual energy is inside a material body…….it runs around. Just like, when a man is inside a truck, the truck appears to be live. But when he leaves the truck, it stands still. the living force inside makes the body appear to be “alive”. As soon as the spiritual energy leaves the material form or container……the container begins to compost and return to the earth. Scripture describes the process as, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
Therefore the basic axiomatic understanding of all religions (except Buddhism which is atheistic) is: “I am not this body. I am eternal spirit soul.”
The empirical “scientist” cannot see spirit through his microscope. Therefore he rejects the concept of spirit. He is thinking that life is a “mature combination of material elements”, and that he will produce life in the laboratory. He cannot do it……..but he says, “We are working on it.” This is a post-dated check that will never be cashed.
When one has an NDE, near death experience, the soul leaves the body. E.g. one may be under anesthesia, on the table in a hospital operating room. If he leaves his body, he can see everything that is going on in the room. He can see his body on the operating table. He can hear the doctors discussing, watch them cutting etc.
Other souls go much further. They leave the hospital. They enter other dimensions, spiritual dimensions. They may see the souls of departed relatives. They may meet Jesus. They may receive instructions about what to do when they return to their body on earth, what to preach, etc.
Yogis voluntarily engage in what is called “astral projection”. They can wander in their subtle body comprised of mind, intelligence, etc., and then return to their body at will.
Different religions have been trying to capitalize on this phenomema by creating false stories (on you tube) of individuals who have left their bodies, and gone to hell, where they saw Mohammed in hell…….things of that nature. This kind of story-telling is nothing more than a hate crime.
The bottom line is that near death experience is proof of all religions that postulate the fact that we are eternal spirit souls. We are not these material bodies. In this way God is giving us little hints in order to increase our faith. People who have these experiences ……….their faith becomes unshakable…….they no longer fear death…….because they understand that they are eternal.
God is not Catholic. Nor is He Muslim. Nor is He Jewish. Nor is God Hindu. different teachers come to our planet at different times, to different cultures, and teach in terms of what a local culture can absorb and apply. Just like, Jesus says in the New Testament, “There is so much more that I could tell you about the spiritual reality…..but you are not ready to hear of such things at this time.” (paraphrase). He actually said at different times, “How long do I have to relate to you people who are so faithless?” (paraphrase). “Oh ye of little faith……”.
So these near death experiences can give us a little encouragement. And other people will reject all of this……because they are not ready to hear of such things. But it is not proof of one religion or another. It is proof of what all religions are telling us, “We are eternal spirit souls. We are not these material bodies. The consciousness of the spirit is now so identified with the material container, that we are thinking that the purose of life is to gratify our material senses. This is called being a servant of “mammon”. The symptom of one who is actually coming closer to God is that he will appear very austere. But actually, he is not austere. He is experiencing the pleasure of the spirit, which makes him detached from the shallow pleasures of the flesh.”
Near death experiences have scientifically been proven to happen on the brain level in its entirety. There are also many near death experiences not involving Jesus, catholicism, or anything of the sort
I think when you have a NDE, that you are shown what you need to be shown at that moment. Cause, it’s near death but it’s not dying, cause you come back. So, whenever you have one, you are shown what you need to be shown. There’s no such thing as luck or coincidence. Everything is by design, and so, when you are shown a near death experience, you are given information that is relevant and pertinent to you.
To you, but to help others!
NDEs happen in completely brian-dead people: no bloodflow, no electric activity. True, not all experiences involve Jesus, but all of those going to heaven experience one God of Love (not those falling in hell but rescued when asking for God’s help).
I forgot about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke chap. 16). It was clearly before the general resurrection on the last day, because the rich man’s family was alive on Earth. But he was tormented in flames. This being a parable, I think that Lazarus and the rich man were characters but not necessarily actual people, but I’m sure Jesus would not have mentioned flames if such torment did not await the rich man or someone like him.
Yes, I agree with Peter that NDE is NOT limited to Catholicism but also encompasses Islam and Hinduism. And even though Buddhism is agnostic but the Tibetan-Buddhism documents the Bardo experience which is the twilight or TRANSITIONAL dimension between previous and future Reincarnations.
completely brain dead people never come back to life. there has never been such a case. brain dead means you are dead. done. you are not coming back.