The Real Purpose of Near-Death Experiences: An Interview With Betty J. Eadie
Last week on PJ Lifestyle I read with great interest a piece by P. David Hornik titled “What Near-Death Experiences Tell Us.” With “great interest” refers to my long-time fascination with near-death experiences (NDEs), which began in 1994 after a friend gifted me the book Embraced By The Light by Betty J. Eadie.
The book, according to my friend, was a “must read.” As proof, she claimed it was still on the New York Times best seller list after an entire year. (For the record, Embraced By The Light was #1 on the New York Times list in September 1993 and in the top ten for 78 weeks. Subsequently, it became the fifth bestselling book of the 1990s.)
Embraced By The Light, published in 1992, was Eadie’s personal account of her near-death experience after an operation gone awry in 1973.
Then, for more than a decade, Eadie was hesitant to write or speak about her NDE out of fear that people (including family members) would think she was totally nuts, or would not believe her story.
What makes Eadie’s NDE so controversial and intriguing is the title of the book itself. Because, immediately upon reaching heaven, Betty was “embraced by the light,” and that light was Jesus Christ and he made himself known to her.
Betty is then taken on an unforgettable tour of heaven which she describes in great detail. Throughout the book, Jesus teaches Betty His message of eternal and unconditional love. But despite her pleas to stay in heaven, Jesus sends her back to earth because it was “not yet her time.” The book concludes with Jesus’ final message to Betty, “Above all else, love one another.”
Like millions of other readers around the world (the book was published in 130 countries, translated into 38 languages, and to this date has sold over 20 million copies), I was totally captivated by Embraced. This captivation stemmed from my belief in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. But Betty’s NDE account, the first one I had ever read, only served as sweet confirmation that the “benign deity” (the phrase used by Hornik in his piece) not only exists, but that we will meet Him face to face “when it is our time.”
Here’s a video of Eadie on the Oprah Winfrey Show in the ’90s, when Embraced was a best-selling book:
Within the last few years, there has been a proliferation of books about NDEs, and several of them have been bestsellers. As Hornik’s piece mentions, sitting atop the New York Times bestseller list this week is Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon who chronicles his own heavenly experience.
Also, 2010′s Heaven is for Real, a young child’s story of his trip to heaven written by his father Todd Burpo, still attracts readers.
However, Hornik’s NDE piece to my surprise makes no mention of the best-selling NDE book of all time, Embraced By the Light. And, as a long-time fan of Embraced, I was troubled by these two paragraphs in Hornik’s piece because of what I consider a glaring omission:
And NDEs show remarkably similar features all over the world, transcending religious and cultural backgrounds. One of those constantly reported features is the encounter with the deity. Strongly religious people usually perceive the deity (and sometimes other mythological beings) in terms of their own religion; but people of little or no religion also have the encounter and speak more generally of a “being of light.”
Most dramatically of all, the phrase “unconditional love” occurs repeatedly in these descriptions. The deity is reported to be what we would call nonjudgmental; entirely accepting; and a source of overwhelming love. Yes, the news is rather good.
Now, does any specific name come to mind when you read Hornik’s description of “the deity”?
Is there a possible name for “the deity” that Hornik neglects to mention?
(Hint: A beloved name that is most associated with light and “unconditional love,” one who is non-judgmental — or forgiving — and known as the source of overwhelming love?)
Hornik even writes that the NDE “news is good.” (Is he making a play on words referring to “The Good News,” which is the Old English name for The Gospel?)
OK, I will not be shy when stating that “the deity” described by Hornik is none other than Jesus Christ.
I am also not shy in revealing that, after reading Embraced By The Light in 1994, I had the opportunity to meet Betty Eadie. For the last 17 years, I have counted her among my closest friends.
Betty J. Eadie
She is the one I call when I need serious advice or, at the very least, a casual attitude adjustment. And I consider myself very fortunate to have a friend who has actually embraced Jesus and, as a result, can provide heavenly counsel, which many times over the last 17 years I have desperately needed.
Now, I know it sounds rather silly to write “a friend who has actually embraced Jesus,” and I would not blame you for clicking away from this piece right now.
But those who have met Betty personally and the hundreds of thousands of people who have heard her speak (and the millions who otherwise have seen and heard her via the media) know that Betty has a heavenly countenance about her. It is a countenance that could only have resulted from embracing Jesus after her 1973 NDE.
So last week after reading Hornik’s piece, I forwarded it to Betty. Then this week I called and asked if she would like to discuss her thoughts on the latest round of NDE bestsellers for a piece I was planning to write. Betty, always eager to share her message, was pleased to grant my request.
My timing, it turned out, was “coincidental” because it has been exactly 20 years since Embraced By The Light occupied the #1 spot, where Proof of Heaven now sits. Betty believes that is no coincidence, as you will read below.
Below is a telephone interview with Betty J. Eadie that took place on January 30, 2013.
PJ Lifestyle: Why are there now so many new NDE books?
Betty J Eadie: Heaven is sending us a message. This message is to make people know that Jesus Christ is Lord. We have to prepare ourselves to meet the Lord. He wants to awaken the people of the world, to prepare us before we go to the other side where there is no death. He wants us to love one another, that is the message I most often share with people. Of course it was also the final sentence in Embraced By The Light, Jesus’ words to me, “Above all else, love one another.” My book touched hearts because people truly felt that message of love.
PJL: What do you think about all the new bestselling NDE books?
BJE: I get excited when another NDE book is published, for it allows me to take a deep breath because people used to say I was crazy. I am especially pleased when doctors write NDE books. It is no coincidence that more doctors are having NDEs because it is a gift to skeptics who need someone of a higher intellect to have an NDE in order for the skeptic to believe. Greater numbers of people are more willing to accept “proof of heaven” coming from a doctor’s own account than when it comes from somebody like me. Doctors can reach people at a different level. If I were God, I would have chosen a neurosurgeon, someone like Dr. Eben Alexander, to educate the educated about heaven.
PJL: What about NDE books that do not mention Jesus by name? (Proof of Heaven is one such book. It mentions a divine force that Dr. Alexander refers to as “the Core” but Jesus is not named. Heaven is for Real, however, does mention Jesus by name.
BJE: Anyone who has had a real NDE knows that Jesus lives, but some authors choose not to say “we know him,” “we saw him,” or “we met him” because of the fear that people or the media will call you crazy. I know because I have lived that experience and it is not pleasant. Now, there are best selling authors of NDE books who did not mention Jesus by name in their books, but later admitted to me that they knew the bright light was Jesus. They said they left out His name because they were afraid of coming forward with it. I can totally understand that thinking. My greatest fear was of people saying, “Why her?” Why did Christ welcome Betty Eadie to heaven? Who was she to receive such royal treatment? But I had “guts” and was not afraid of the truth. (Note: Betty was a married mother of seven children without a college degree at the time of her NDE in 1973.)
PJL: In the 21 years since Embraced By The Light was published, you have received countless letters from readers who practiced different faiths but had an NDE and saw Jesus. Do any specific letters stand out in your mind?
BJE: Yes and phone calls as well. I distinctly remember that a distressed woman called our office to tell us that as her mother was dying her last words were about seeing Jesus. We were pleased to hear that because we knew her mother was now with Jesus. But the woman cried out, “You don’t understand. We are Jewish — we don’t believe in Jesus!”
Another example that stands out was a letter I received from a Muslim man who had an NDE. The man described how he met Christ, embraced Him, and remembered Him after the NDE. He wrote that “Christ was my brother, how could I deny my brother?” He went on to describe how his family had disowned him after he told them about his NDE. I could go on and on. I have huge boxes full of letters from people who met Christ during an NDE even though Christ was not in their belief system.
PJL: What is the message you would like to leave with our readers?
BJE: Here is the bottom line: He loves us unconditionally. Jesus is not concerned about people who don’t know him because He is forgiving. Even if you do not believe in Him, you will come to know Him.
PJL: You had such a high media profile in the 1990s when Embraced was on top of all the best seller lists, and now with this recent resurgence of NDE books, do you have any plans for “getting out there more”?
BJE: Myra, as you know the last 10 years I chose to be home caring for my dear husband, Joe, who was very ill. Since Joe went home to be with the Lord in 2011, I am just now starting to consider some of the media offers that have never stopped coming my way. You also know that my “celebrity” and any fame or fortune that came my way were not important to me. All I ever tried to do through writing Embraced and later with my other books was to be true to my experience with Jesus and his teachings. The Lord sent me back to earth in 1973 to be His messenger of His truth. That is what I have tried to do and that is what I will continue to do until He takes me home so I can “Embrace Him” once again.
This video of Betty was from the DVD of the 2002 movie Dragonfly with Kevin Costner about NDEs. Betty served as a consultant on the movie.
****
Related at PJ Lifestyle:
I read Embraced some time ago and must say that I find Betty Eadie a very credible “witness” to what awaits us in the after life. Thanks for this well-researched, interesting piece, Myra.
I enjoy reading about personal NDEs and how they meet Jesus and experience “unconditional” love. Not having experienced in this life much love, unconditional or otherwise, that prospect is appealing. But it seems to me that often the Jesus encountered in these NDEs seems to contridict the Jesus one meets in the Gospels. Of course I am happy that people encounter a loving Jesus, but still, they do not encounter sin, or penality, or the prospect of judgement, and those are primary stones in the foundation of Jesus’ teaching.
Brobro, you are right that Jesus preached both love and judgement. But remember the two great commandments on which he expounded and told parables (e.g., The Good Samaritan). Love God with your whole mind, heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. Yes, those who ignore the Lord will be judged but the overwhelming message of the Gospels is love.
Remeber John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, throught him, might be saved.”
We condemn oursleves.
‘John’ says this. ‘John’ says that Jesus said this. Betty Eadie and a number of others appear to be saying that he didn’t.
Do not worship the word of man, understand that the bible is a severely limited and obviously corrupted source. It is two thousand years of ‘telephone’, replete with all the pettiness the human race can muster.
Azathoth,
You might want to read the historical record of the transcriptions of the Bible over the past 2000 years before you start making statements like that. There is a historical record. It is a matter of whether you accept history or not. If you do not, then you can not “believe” in many other things, like the existence of Caesar Nero, Alexander the Great, Plato, Homer, etc.
When you have studied the historical record, you will find there has been very little change in the books of the Bible over the past two thousands years. The change comes down to a few letters in Hebrew and Greek.
Telephone never had such a record.
The Dead Sea Scrolls put an end to that lie. The documents are not corrupted.
But even without the Dead Sea Scrolls, we have over 20,000 manuscripts of the New Testament. More documentary evidence than any other ancient document, by a few orders of magnitude. No serious scholar would doubt the authenticity of, say, Homer’s Illiad. But we have only about 600 copies of it. That’s fine. That’s plenty to establish its authenticity. (By the way, it’s the next nearest competitor to the New Testament for number of copies. That’s right – the BEST documented secular document, accepted by all competent scholars, has 600 copies, compared to 20,000 for the NT.)
Even without the manuscripts, we have enough quotations of Scripture in the writings of the early Christians to replicated the entire New Testament, jigsaw fashion, with very few gaps. Many times over.
The idea that the Bible has been corrupted down through the ages is very comforting to people who do not like its message, but the fact are solidly otherwise.
An historical record of what? What men wrote down after the fact? The words of god as interpreted by men?
Perhaps the word ‘corrupted’ stirs your ire. Maybe this will be better–
There is so much chaff that one takes it for the wheat.
I had forgotten Betty’s appearance in Dragonfly, a movie which I dearly love but which actually hits too close to home on many levels for me to have watched it more than once or twice.
All of these accounts remind me of the passage in Mark where the teacher asks Jesus which is the most important commandment. And Jesus replies, “You must love the Lord…” then goes right on to say “The second is this- you must love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” He doesn’t give the scribe the single answer he is looking for-and he conflates the two commandments. The same story as told in Matthew adds that “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” which- upon a logical analysis- they in fact do.
Love is what it all boils down to- that’s what Jesus said, and that’s what these people are telling us. I wonder how many times we have to hear it to make it stick.
Looking down through the pages of history, it’s hard for me not to think that we, as a species, are moving toward something. I’m not sure I completely agree with Eadie that that’s why there is suddenly such a crop of reported NDEs- medical science seems much more capable of bringing people back from the brink than it used to be- probably more than it even should. But I do agree with her that they are a clue, or hint (if not an outright sign) of things to come. Either individually or collectively, we are going to go where she has already been.
I wonder if some Muslim has had a similar experience, getting the grand tour of 72 waiting virgins and then, after getting all hot and bothered, getting kicked back to earth and waking up in Gitmo? Bummer.
Another example that stands out was a letter I received from a Muslim man who had an NDE. The man described how he met Christ, embraced Him and remembered Him after the NDE. He wrote that “Christ was my brother, how could I deny my brother?” He went on to describe how his family had disowned him after he told them about his NDE. I could go on and on.
Yes.
we have freedom to bring theories here so put this skin on. When God in the flesh died he descended to sheol the hebrew word for hades , descended into hell. the change from this light from heaven made all these places seem like heaven. But in time each in their own place want more of heaven
Whereas the bottomless pit is this time travel we do now 20 100 year periods since the birth of Jesus. the 20th century I can’t help but believe was the bottom of the bottomless pit, I hope.
I remember the last week of dec 1988 after being in the heights of heaven with the blue flame on the grass all my skin was burnt off, the pain for a half an hour impossible to endure. That was the bottom of the bottomless pit for me and the miracle all the trauma memory is God then the last as the clouds formed with the hand of the greatest artist I ever saw turning the clouds into a story, the great lion entering bedroom scenes of dreaming sleeping male and female bedroom after bedroom and now it dawned on me . The Lion was not trying to wake them up. They wake up when they are done sleeping . What looks like sleep behind the scenes they were all looking at me ready to get sleep and join them after those 5 days without a wink of sleep
thinking back the blue flame not one blade of grass burned. it was the place i went after from that pure heaven all my skin burnt off
Can you give us some more background on this? Did you have an NDE? Is that what you are describing?
Thanks for asking. When I was with the blueflame in the grass i knew I was with holy and I took off my shoes but then latter I descend into helllike conditions and it only last a half an hour but it was the worse thing ever happen to me.
But it was so long ago. It is only a memory. Now everyday I have a NDE so I do not have to only rely on a memory. I go to heaven but then I am moved to descend into hell
Yikes
But this purgatory then this hell begins to look like heaven and practice makes perfect figure of speech. Mercy and forgiviness in my heart and mind for those in purgatory like conditions and hell like conditions
Each time I do this it is like a snowflake and no two snowflakes are alike. After my flesh body maybe exhausted warn out but then heaven healing makes me healthy and robust again and only one in a while i say
Please God may I not leave heaven for a little while longer then after a little while no one pushing me I am excited to pour out heaven upon those people in misery. It gets even better. I can leave this typing and look out my window and 8 out of 10 times heaven appears.
Who is in heaven I see is this next question but my point is not to limit the the NDE experience just to a memory and open your eyes to how heaven is close to you to heal you if that is God’s will and pour out heaven upon the people
Then even your silence with your eyes still in heaven angels rush in and demons flee the demon of doubt hate jealousy replaced by faith love and expecting miracles then believing the great heights of heaven blessings are limitless even when you see your flesh body has limits
Then you do not plan the next day or the next hour as the mystery is revealed by heaven your next step in the presence of the magic of Heaven to dwell in God’s love and I do every day I see Jesus and more often now the Presence of his mother.so it is a personal experience the pouring out of so much love on me but now my prayer is though i visit hell and purgatory please lord let not one day go back I do not return to heaven
Since this is a personal experience as the demon of doubt flees how another person experiences heaven never may i be a thief to take this away is a good rule to live by
No one can take away my caring for those in purgatory or hell like conditions I pray
I have witnessed my mother’s death. I still wonder and ponder over every seen and word of last (5 minutes) moments of her since 13 years. Near Death Exp is true. I watched my mother terminally sick , suddently raising with energy and looking at our family hindu gods place for few seconds and holding her hands together to pray, then said just two words “where’s ” , made sure she sees her, and quietly closes her eyes forever.
All her 6 years of bedridden sickness , she use to pray even Jesus along with other Indian gods/goddess.
Her death stands as a proof to me that gods/goddess/Juses are not silly enough to feel bad if you show devotion to more then one god. All that matters is how much you follow the path of love and devotion.
“What Near-Death Experiences Tell Us.”
They tell us a lot of things, mostly untrue and fantasy.
Doubt is a at times a gift from God. It say: I want more than what i read so far just like doubting Thomas wanting to put his own flesh fingers into the holes of Jesus wounds
Thanks for writing this article. Indeed more and more people are being blessed with these experiences and they are coming back with information.
However, I think you forgot to say that in Dr. Alexander’s book he not only has experiences of “The Core” he also reports hearing a type of living, divine sound manifesting as OM, which is mentioned in the ancient Vedas as the creative vibration behind the material universe and one of the names of Vishnu (“All Pervasive”) or Krishna(“All Attractive”)– according to this tradition.
Isn’t it possible that God manifests Himself differently to different people, according to their consciousness. why couldn’t He do that, he’s not bound by any rules of how He should appear to people. In the Bhagavad Gita God actually hints to that, by saying:
“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion–at that time I descend Myself.” (Chapter 4, Verse 17)
The article asks: “Is there a possible name for “the deity” that Hornik neglects to mention?”
Hornik does not neglect to mention anything here; he is not a Christian.
Laying it on the line here, Mr. Hornik, Ms. Adams and especially Ms. Eadie seem to be implying that you and Dr. Alexander are acting in bad faith here – that EVERY near-death experience involves a figure positively identified IN EACH CASE as Jesus, and that anyone whose NDE testimony does not admit to it is, politely, at best lying by omission. I know what I think of this little nudge-nudge wink-wink…
What NDE’s reveal is that human beings cannot tolerate death – that existence just ending with our passing from here is intolerable. You don’t have to see Jesus to see the truth of the Revelation and that He is who He said He is. The human mind and spirit cannot tolerate death, everything said is in denial of this but when this truth is accepted everything falls into place. Reason comes from faith, love comes from the One Who loves and beauty comes from Grace. But fear of death is the tip of the sabre – keep that pointed in the face of the adversary and watch his resolve wither away……
NDEs are just the result of brain chemistry. The same thing can happen to people on drugs, undergoing psychosis or fighter pilots undergoing rapid acceleration.
It’s a bunch of shash. But one can always make a lot of money and get a lot of admirers peddling it to the gullible.
Except that, in some cases, people see relatives and others whom they had never met and never knew about, but later identified through old photographs. I read about a case in which the woman experiencing the NDE saw her brother on the other side, and no one believed her because her brother was still alive. And then they found out that he had died just before her experience.
“Except that, in some cases, people see relatives and others whom they had never met and never knew about, but later identified through old photographs. I read about a case in which the woman experiencing the NDE saw her brother on the other side, and no one believed her because her brother was still alive. And then they found out that he had died just before her experience.”
You mean they they saw relatives they didn’t know about. Anyone can claim anything. You can claim you saw the Easter Bunny, it doesn’t make it true.
Nero,
Read Heaven is for Real and see if your perspective changes a bit. The recounting of an NDE experienced by a five year old boy that would have been very difficult to fake.
This phenomenon of Near Death Experience is fascinating and raises interesting questions. Are we to be reunited with family? Everyone has four great grandmothers and four great grandfathers but most can not name them or describe them in any detail. What regard does one have for the crowd of forbears as recent as six generations ago, even for those of us who know their identity? We could not speak intelligibly to an ancestor who lived 1500 years ago. So what then? We meld into a crowd of veterans of life on earth and float around in the Oort Cloud like Tinker Bell points of light? Or is this life a carnival ride, and afterward we go off to get some cotton candy.
“Wanta go again?”
“I’m out of tickets.”
Actually, after going through a lot of NDE testimonies from various sources, including youtube videos, books and other types of written reports and corroborated with similar testimonies from the ancient traditions of the East it seems that there are different locations in this afterlife that people supposedly visit during their NDEs.
According with Eastern traditions (Hindu and Buddhist mainly) the place you go after you die depends on what you have cultivated during your life. For instance, people who have been very spiritual and surrendend themselves to God are being taken to the truly spiritual world a place that is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, with God in His multiple aspects (including impersonal ones), reflecting facets of His Person. This place, the actual absolute reality behind everything is called Brahman (“Out of which everything comes”), Vaikuntha (“The Place of No Anxiety”) or Paravyoma (“Transcendent sky”). It is only these people — who have developed their relationship with God — who actually get Enlightened, liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
People who have especially good karma, but have not especially cultivated God consciousness don’t go to the spiritual world but to some form of material but very subtle heaven known as Svarga, where they live off their good karmic excess until it is depleted and then they get a new birth, usually as human. Here they are surrounded by various kinds of (for us) supernatural beings, but they are not in the direct presence of God Himself.
People who are in the middle, having a somewhat balance of good and bad karma usually go back as humans (after being judged and after waiting sometimes for long times–waiting for soul-mates, life-companions etc to die on Earth–so they can reincarnate together); there was one report I heard where a guy, during an NDE remembered a state previous to his birth where he, and some angelic helpers, was roughly designing the repartition of his karma throughout his upcoming life so that he can learn various lessons.
For people who have especially bad karma, after the judgement they are sent to some kind of hells where their human minds is slowly being numbed into submission so that it can be compatible to a lower form of life, after which they get incarnated again on Earth as various non-human species, gradually evolving life after life until they come to the human form of life — the gateway God).
Consistent with the reports of various NDE survivors, who experienced both malevolent and benevolent being coming after them to guide them in the “afterlife”, the Vedas report of messengers/facilitators of the adiministrator of Death and Destiny, who the Indians call Yama, who is actually an advanced, enlightened being serving a role in God’s plan. There is no Satan in this equation. These messengers are sent in both beautiful and ugly forms depending on the karma of the person being brought to justice. I speculate that is must also have something to do with the manner in which the dead are brought. It is probable that good people are easier to guide than bad people who might have to be scared into submission.
To recap, the Vedas speak of the following levels of the afterlife:
- Martyaloka (the place between this world and the Judgment Place; a place that needs to be crossed over; it is here that ghosts and other beings who can’t let go dwell)
-Bhuvarloka (the place of judgement, where Yama resides and where souls linger to be judged; a sort of big waiting world)
-Svarga and its various level (a subtle material heaven, where advanced being reside and where the good souls, but not necessarily God conscious, sport around for ages, spending ther especially good karma until depletion)
-Naraka and its various level (a subtle material place of suffering where UNREPENTANT people with especially bad karma are “processed”, getting them prepared to inhabit lower species)
-Brahman/Vaikuntha/Paravyoma or Haridhama (“The House of the Supreme”) –the spiritual, transcendent world where we all originally come from and to where we return when we are fully surrendered to God
It is important to note that, according to this view, NDE might take place in any one of these places and no one can know for sure. For instance, in the Vedas there are levels in Svarga where very advanced saints live, getting ready to make the “spiritual jump” to the spiritual world. Even more interesting, in the vedic creation accounts, there is a special world inside the material universe called Satyaloka, where Brahma lives, a kind of universal engineer empowered by God to create the universe. During the various devastation cycles through experienced in the history of the material universe this level remains intact up until the end of the life of Brahma, which is supposed to be 300+ trillions Earth years. Then, at the end of the universe, when the final dissolution happens, Brahma and all the souls that find themselves on his level of existence (who have come to reside there through various means –like worshiping Brahma or saints associated with Brahma), are saved the dissolution and they all get back to the spiritual world, to God. This part seems quite similar with the Apocalypse narrative where souls have to wait for the end times until they finally go back to God.
If we are eternal, what function does life on Earth have in that eternal existence? That is to say, Is life a learning or training experience? Is it research? What are we to take from it? Or is it entertainment or amusement?
I am familiar with the Hindu and Buddhist concepts, having lived for a time in India. However, the multiplicity of levels, personages, spirits, and gods, marvelous though they are, seem rather tortured and imply clerks and bureaucrats for administration.
The universe began in a single point and then expanded from nothing to possible infinity almost instantly. The expansion created space larger than light has traversed within the limitations of the matter within the space. That is quite amazing. The expression, “Let there be light, and there was light,” is one of the most profound ever written. This process, by which the universe came into being, is tantamount to that of thought–the creation of an idea.
An idea is a subjective thing. If we experience the idea and live within it, then we are part of the consciousness that conceived it.
Life on Earth is “what it’s like to be away from God”, a simulation of the real so called “spiritual” world. Out of our own free will we came here, the world where it is possible not to experience God’s presence directly. In order to really enact this independence drama, we are made to forget where we come from and move about through various species of life, enjoying various types of pleasures and situations, in which we are the center, not God.
The material, temporary universes are being created, maintained and destroyed endlessly. The “let there be light” phrase actually applies to just a restart of one universe, in which the undifferentiated matter is again reactivated for a new cycle. As for the actual structure of the universe and the way things work it’s hugely complicated but in perfect order, so that the souls get the chance to experience their desires life after life, following the subtle universal law of action-reaction on the mental level (the law of karma). God is not manifested in this world, all the functions of the universe, including the actual structuring of it is let in the hands of normal souls that are relatively spiritually developed, but not to the level of the souls in the spiritual world. These are the so called gods, demigods, angels etc.
The purpose of this world is double: (1)to be the playground of the rebel souls, who can’t fit in the devotional atmosphere of the spiritual world, where the vast majority of souls resides eternally and (2) to teach us the lesson that without loving God, there is no lasting happiness.
Also, during our “trip” in the material world God keeps us company as Paramatma, a manifestation of God as the Supersoul living in our heart (in the subtle, mental body not the actual heart). He personally guides the consciousness of each and every individual entity through the material maze, either passively assisting them (according to their desires and karma) or actively inspiring them (when souls desire liberation, return back to His presence or to know and love Him)
I would like feedback, I had an NDE over 3 years ago and I fear all it did to me was cause PTSD. I used to be vibrant and active, loved my family, friends and hobbies. After the NDE I became fearful, obsessed with death, and have withdrawn from the world. I have little contact with my family and no longer feel love nor do I have any desires period. I no longer work or get dressed. I went to a very peaceful place during the NDE (cardiac arrest). The experience also left me with memories of another life I lived in Russia of all places. I know I am suffering from depression etc. but would like to know what others think other than get therapy and antidepressants.
What about seeing the bright side? You have been blessed to experience “the beyond”; be it traumatic or not, it can still be a solid springboard to start a spiritually fulfilling life. Have you thought about getting more serious about religious practice (one you would be most comfortable); in every religious path there’s a more wordly and a more mystical side — for instance, where I was raised, in Romania, there’s regular orthodox Christian practice for everyone and there’s a more involved, daily type of practice (called hesychasm); the same is valid in spiritual yogic paths such as regular, materialistic “Hinduism” vs bhakti or jnana yoga and probably there would be equivalents in other paths also.
You have something many people don’t have — the certainty that your existence is not limited to your body and, though this can be disconcerting as far as dealing with your current life situation you may want to start to look at the people around you as equally eternal spiritual beings that are on their path of waking up. You’ll never really lose them, because both you, them and God are eternally related. So why not enjoy the rest of the time you’re left before you leave this body to develop your spiritual consciousness further and further. It doesn’t mean that you have to quit your job or leave your family; it just means that you can allow spirituality to pervade all these temporary situations by allowing you to see things in their proper perspective.
Hope it helps
” I know I am suffering from depression .”
Depression drains you of all your life and can make you not want to live. A Hospital can be a good safe resting place to begin to trust the doctor and the therapists there and then before you are released you get help to get follow up care , a good therapist on the outside if you need one. Don’t stay alone in this battle with depression.
Medication without therapy can give you depression if it is not the right medication for you or an under active thyroid can do this so first get help to defeat your depression then you can get back your energy to want to live again and perhaps explore the meaning behind your Near death experience
Of course, no one would ever make stuff up to sell a book. A few years before I met her, my wife was in a coma and her kids were given the choice to turn off life support. The doctors were amazed that she survived and is well today but she says she didn’t see anything. Is heaven subjective? I say, I don’t care what you saw or didn’t see because, died and returned, near death, shmear death, if you survived than you didn’t actually die. Did you?
Here is a website that addresses the subject: http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Perry/e/B000APFNAW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1360605097&sr=1-2-ent
Some years ago I read “Closer to the Light” by an M.D. who is considered the founder of NDEs studies and found it convincing, particularly in light of experiences I won’t go into right now.
I first “discovered” Embraced By the Light quite a few years ago while looking through the Books on Tape section at the library . After listening to Betty relating in her own words her experience, I could hardly speak. (Try to hear her book read by her if you can.) I kept thinking, “What have I just heard?” “How can this be!” “This can’t be, can it”? I listened to it over and over and checked it out several times. That was when I started noticing other accounts of people describing NDEs. Being a very careful skeptic, I wanted to believe it but I had to correlate it with the scriptures I had learned from a child. I watched a video called “Life After Life” with several people relating their NDEs. I called Dr Rhondia (sp?) after hearing his story. He was an atheist until he had his. Fascinating story! I had never really understood Paul in scriptures was describing such an experience until after hearing some of these stories. I’m amazed that we become so arrogant that we can say with absolute certainty that we know without a doubt about even what we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch, let alone the universes we don’t even know about yet. Can a baby in it’s mother’s womb descibe what it will be like…living on the outside! I do think it makes a difference what we believe. There were more than 300 prophecies from the beginning of recorded history about Jesus Christ. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” In John 1- Before the world began, the Word was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was there with God in the beginning. Everything was made through him and nothing was made without him. In him there was life and that life was a light for the people of the world. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not defeated it. There was a man named John. who was sent by God. He came to tell people about the light. Through him all people could hear about the light and believe. John was not the light. But he came to tell people about the light. The true light was coming into the world. This is the true light that gives light to all people. They believed in him and he gave them the right to become children of God. They became God’s children but not in the way babies are usually born. It was not because of any human desire or plan. They were born from God himself. When I see peoples of the world bowing down and giving worship to man made “gods”, it is really sad. It is sad that some believe that, “Nothing Created Everything” as well. But scriptures teach that many will believe a lie. At the same time, I’m sure there are opportunists who take advantage of people’s interest in NDEs to make money. But there are many who have had legitimate NDE’s who have kept mum from fear people would think they lost their marbles too.
That Myra Adams counts Eadie as “one of her closest friends” for 17 years explains a lot about Adams’ hostility to conservatism, especially the evangelical wing of it.
Eadie is a Mormon. In fact, her book was originally published by a Mormon book publisher.
Her her “Jesus” is a very different Jesus from the Biblical Jesus.
The Mormons use all of the same terms as Christianity, but the names are superficial – the meanings are all antithetical to Christian meanings.
For example, in Christian theology, Jesus IS God, co-equal with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the Creator. God is the ONLY God who ever was, is, or ever will be. He is Eternal.
In Mormon theology, Jesus is the spirit-brother of Lucifer, a created being, born as a result of the Father God (for this world) having physical sex with Mary. God is just one of billions of Gods. (They are tricky on this. Many of them will claim they believe in only one god, but if you press them on it, they will admit that they mean that there is only one god for this world.) Any person who obeys the Mormon rules well enough can become a god of his own world.
There are many, many other such differences.
The two are not in any way compatible – they are arch enemies.
In fact, it’s only in the last 20 years or so that the Mormon Church has wanted to be considered “Christian”. Prior to that, they were proudly ANTI-Christian.
They still are in fact, of course, but now they want the “respectability” of being called Christian.
My first near Death experience was in the ocean on Sep21st 1985. i/m not interested in going into the details but what i know is something Big and terrible was hunting me after and that hurricane Glory coming up the coast convince me it was beyond my ability to want to understand .
With the Mormon , my belief a fallen angel may start a religion but Jesus can take it over if the people are getting close to him looking for protection and a betrayal of the great demon fallen rebel angel may even get Christians get frisky to murder them as we see Christians murdering Christians in the two great wars of the 20th century what great shame.
through experience I found it wasn’t enough to just say I believe in Jesus In needed to have the PRESENCE of Jesus in my life to stay safe and not be hunted down by the enemy.
PLease see your Mormon people as your brothers and sisters because what we face in the future I believe the enemy would like to stamp out the name of the Jew Jesus and his Jew Mother from every tongue on the earth wiping all the Jews from the face of the earth and getting Christians to bad mouth Christians and then murder each other
it in one thing to say Jesus is The King of kIngs and Lord of Lords , it is another thing to know your very life depends on the protection Jesus gives you in this life or in the afterlife and then being raised from the dead.
You know that Mary was an abductee, right? As in aliens…
Seriously? Not that it would surprise me at all, but I had not heard that. Links?
It’s just one interpretation, and the lack of mainstream sources lends some credibility.
Ooops. Read too quickly. I thought you were talking about Eadie. It would fit with her other views.
I believe Mary was an innocent lamb like person just like Eve before Eve was seduced. She had no special powers and neither did her son Jesus just the power not to sin.(when he was 30 for three years were not from him nor from the fallen angels but from God so the good angels came to him and minister to him and then the saints he gathers are given all authority and power to rule over heaven and other the worst slap in the face to Satan and his fallen angels)
Lamb like innocence Satan the Devil can not stand it nether can the fallen angels who love to seduce people to believe they have magic powers. Where this sinlessness would bring Mary and Jesus were the reason why they were hunted and King Herod was made to murder so many innocent babies just like today with 55 million unborn innocent babies murdered in mommies womb with legal license to murder them it is easy to see Satan is doing his hunting business and one can only wonder what kind of Carnival cruise ship awaits people in this nation in afterlife but I believe there are people who want to be holy and innocent before God in USA so this is not Sodom.
Mark v,
You are WAY off the mark. Betty Eadie is NOT a Mormon. All you have to do is read one of her books to realize that. I’m not sure if she is affiliated with any particular Christian denomination, but she would probably self-identify as an evangelical!
She is a Mormon. That is not my opinion, that is a fact. She is a member in good standing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, A.K.A. the Mormon Church. She began concealing that fact when her book became a best seller. However, it’s well documented.
Here’s just ONE source. A quick search will turn up many, many more:
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0171a.html
Furthermore, any WELL TAUGHT evangelical Christian, reading her books, would immediately recognize the deceptive New Age nature of her writings. They are anything BUT Christian; they are classic Mormon doctrine.
Any Christian who is fooled by Betty Eadie needs to go back to Sunday School and learn the basics of Christianity.
Mark V,
Your well-informed response prompted me to investigate Eadie’s background further. It seems that indeed she did explore joining the Church of LDS but someone who knows her well asserts that Eadie is not a Mormon now. In any case, you are right that some of Eadie’s observations from her NDE are rather new-agey sounding. Thanks for your insight.
Published reports put her as a member in good standing at the time of her initial publication, but that all went into deep cover when she hit the big time. I also found this very interesting discussion on an ex-Mormon site, wherein some members claim to have known her from their time in Mormonism.
http://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,235012
At any rate, the much more important issue is what she’s written, and it is NOT compatible with Christianity.
Of course, it works very well with what passed for Christianity in most “Christian” churches today.
I’m 82 years old, have been a “mormon” since I was 8 years old. I don’t know what the ‘hell’ you are talking about! If you have actually read the scriptures contained in the Book of Mormon you would know that we have always been followers of Christ; what else is a Christian if not a follower of Jesus Christ?
A big surprise to me, and I suspect every other Mormon, is this crap about God having sexual intimacy with Virgin Mary, hence begetting Lucifer! What are you smoking? I can only suspect you of gross stupidity or you are an evangelical who loves to chooses to believe such nonsence because you are too lazy or incapable of independent thinking.
The rest of your rant is equally incorrect, but I’m not willing to waste time and effort to enlighten someone who is so far from factual information it rather boggles my mind. Please don’t ask you own spiritual guide for information – ask a Mormon, preferably a knowledableone or go to LDS.org.
Wolkenkuckucksheim
It would be very interesting to, perhaps someday, read Betty J. Eadie’s comments on Sister Faustina’s diary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Faustina_Kowalska
Perhaps Ms. Betty J. Eadie would consider such a project, for the good of those of us who are willing to think about these experiences in a serious manner.
perhaps the afterlife this carnival ship in the news shed some light.
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/14018722-passengers-of-cruise-ship-carnival-triumph-literally-lost-at-sea-in-gulf-of-mexico
Sins catch up to your release from your body . My personal opinion is Jesus descent into hell made this the Jesus hell creating the Jesus purgatory ,the heavy lifting in hell from that broad and spacious road leading there is how you are made to confront your sins by your dealing with this untamed world your sins roam in . Purgatory made for those who see the door open to Jesus heaven but everyone by the release see what they lost from sins. Divine love is such a healer for all those in the Jesus purgatory yet the Jesus hell no one knows when they will be released
if there is a “Sauron” hell without Jesus ,I doubt it it because that place is for the fallen angels who are waring against the True God up to this day. The great power they have from being immortal , man is blessed with how his power is so short lived
But this sounds cruel. Sins are cruel Rebellion against God where do you think it brings us? Distance from God at first gives you a feeling of freedom how the passengers at the carnival ship feel when they first enter but that memory fails yet I believe anything Jesus has created in the afterlife is to bring hope to the unholy souls distant from the Holy Holy Holy God.
We were all babies and children once. Can you encounter your innocence again. This is how the easten religions believe. But I suspect Divine Love heals in a way that with your soiled soul your innocence is restored one day
During hypnotic work as a psychotherapist, and during psychotherapy independent of directive hypnosis, I have encountered at least twenty persons who reported “life-after-life” or NDE experiences. Beyond that, doing research on reincarnation, I listened to many clients report many more previous lives. There is a good library of information on all this, if one wants to look into it. The one thing with respect to life-after-live experiences that struck me was this: religious persons experience the NDE in the context of their own religion and non-religious persons experience it without a dogmatic context. There’s no doubt in my mind today that NDEs or life-after-life and reincarnation are facts.
I like this expression life after life for NDE and to add to our treat as the play before our eyes adds the cherry on top of our life after a life desert, the asteroid is here for tomorrow the size of the lost at sea Carnival Cruse ship . Those who read God’s word the Bible may know about Revelation Chapter 8 The great mountain burning with fire thrown into the sea by the 2nd angel but this ship with wings passing by is not on fire for us
How blessed with much comfort do some people have who have seen how much they are loved by what is on the other side and are far less afraid of their death below the feet above their head and if they look into the horizon
in conclusion in the afterlife you will be sure of the will of God for you. look how much understanding you will gain on that Carnival Cruise ship lowered into third world peoples. YOU will understand Jesus Sermon on the Mount like Jesus understood. And you not complain like the devil and his fallen angels. You were understand Jesus feeding of the 5000 who went three days without food.
this is far better than the fate of John Calvin reading the dusty books for 500 years. Only Satan the Devil have a better knowledge of these dusty books than he does, but this is some souls heaven and there pathway-be glad that is not yours
turning attention to Russia ,the lady of Fatima giving them a nudge so it seems with tiny mountain burning with fire and the world as witness to this near death experience with people under the atheist frisky religion for so many years now more russians maybe going to church i pray
I find all this credible. I’ve had a kind of encounter myself, not a dear death experience, but a powerful presence at a moment of great fear and dread. That has been enough to convince me the Christ is all that He said He is and that He must be the central focus of my beliefs and actions. What is also interesting, though, is that Christ walked this earth in the flesh, and even then that was not enough for many who were in His presence. Likewise, today, there are those who deliberately worship evil and purposely act as enemies of Christ. So while it is greatly encouraging when any person commits to Christ, one must not forget that there are those who reject not out of ignorance, but for purpose.