74 of 193

Write now Article Tools

A difficult question both emotionally (facing the very real fact of death awaiting us all) and philosophically, as no 'living' human really knows. But there are echoes from the fringes of society that give us a clue - in the form of the Near Death Experience or NDE.

According to the Gallup poll in 1992, approximately 5% of North Americans have experienced NDE. IANDS (International Association of Near Death Studies), found that NDE's share characteristics regardless of race or religion - floating outside the physical body, lingering for some time, ability to morph one's appearance and eventually move into a tunnel of some sort. Some have even reported - after traveling through the tunnel - that they had a life review, assisted by spiritual beings, as they themselves reviewed their own lives, and decided upon the outcome for the next life. All NDE experiencers choose then to return to their current lives to make a difference there and then. It is noteworthy to see how these people change from 'night to day' on their recovery: becoming profoundly spiritual (not religious), being kind to others and nature as well. Many reductionists will argue that NDE's are hallucinogenic experiences; but there's a catch. Many NDE experiencers reported seeing things - confirmed later - that could not have been seen by him/ her without being removed from their bodies somehow (as in the case of a shoe lying in a shut part of the hospital). Some NDE experiencers have also given future predictions (as seen during their NDE) of which many came true (as is the case with the famous Dannion Brinkley: a third of his major predictions coming true thus far).

We then have to look at Out of Body Experience (OBE) or 'astral projection' as well, as they are so similar to NDE. A very interesting case is that of Emanuel Swedenbourg - a scientist, philosopher and mystic in the 17th century. Swendenbourg could exit his body at will in trance states, and wrote volumes of works on his experiences, which were remarkably similar to NDE's. He, and many other modern researchers of OBE (such as Robert Bruce), have shown the similarities between these experiences and their relevance.

From NDE and OBE, it would seem that 'life' as we call it, is a very limited level of experience and consciousness, and that a more profound level of consciousness and understanding is possible; lost by 'supermarket-man' over the last few centuries due to enforced dogma - religious and empiricist.

It would seem then that, to 'die', is the mere last exit from your 3-dimensional 'vehicle' called 'body', and that multiple exits and entrances are possible throughout one's lifetime in the form of sleeping, dreaming and OBE.

Death is then not the end...it is merely a 'time' to reflect upon one's 'life', and to find a new vehicle in order to continue one's spiritual Journey...

Learn more about this author, Jean Erasmus.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about What happens when we die??
We want to hear your view. Write now!