Near death experiences have been reported by people from all walks of life and from all cultures. They are not limited to people who are religious or spiritual. In fact, many people who have had Near death experiences say that they were not religious or spiritual before their experience.
Fetti - Veil of Veronica Isaiah 53: 3-5
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Whatever the cause, Near death experiences can have a profound impact on the people who have them. Many people say that their Near death experiences have changed their lives for the better. They may feel more grateful for life, more compassionate towards others, and more at peace with themselves.
Many individuals who have had a Near death experience report learning important lessons from their experience.
Here are some of the most common lessons reported by individuals who have had a Near death experience:
On Love and Compassion
Many people experienced an overwhelming sense of love and compassion during their experience. They often report feeling a deep connection to others and a sense of oneness with all things.
Life's purpose
Experiencers often report a new understanding of the purpose of their life. They may gain insight into their life's mission, their spiritual path, or their role in the world.
Death and the Afterlife
Often include encounters with deceased loved ones or spiritual beings, which can provide a sense of comfort and reassurance about the afterlife. Many people who have had an NDE report that they are no longer afraid of death.
Self-awareness
Experiencers report a heightened sense of self-awareness and an understanding of their true nature. They may gain a new appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and the importance of living in the present moment.
Forgiveness
Many people report that they gained a new understanding of forgiveness and its importance in their lives. They may feel a sense of release from past traumas and a newfound ability to forgive themselves and others.
Giovani - Christ in Gethsemane Mark 14:32-42
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Life is precious:
People realize how precious life is. They may come to appreciate the simple things in life, such as spending time with loved ones or enjoying nature.
Love is the most important thing:
People realize that love is the most important thing in life. They may come to understand that love is the only thing that truly matters.
There is more to life than what we can see:
People realize that there is more to life than what we can see. They may come to believe in a higher power or in an afterlife.
On all of us being connected :
Near death experiences often make people realize that we are all connected. They may come to believe that we are all part of something larger than ourselves.
Near death experiences can be powerful experiences that provide individuals with a new perspective on life, death, and the afterlife. While the lessons learned from Near death experiences vary, many people report gaining a deeper understanding of love, compassion, purpose, self-awareness, and forgiveness.
Eugeniusz - Divine Mercy Romans 9:1-33
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Near death experiences and Jesus Teachings
Similarities:
Love - Both emphasize the importance of love.
Similarly, Jesus emphasizes the importance of love, with the greatest commandment being to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:30-31).
Forgiveness - Both stress the importance of forgiveness.
Experiencers report being forgiven for their mistakes and shortcomings, often by a loving, non-judgmental presence. Similarly, Jesus taught his followers to forgive others, even as they seek forgiveness from God. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus says "Forgive us our sins, as we also have been forgiven" (Matthew 6:12).
Afterlife - Both point to the existence of an afterlife.
Experiencers often describe encountering deceased loved ones, travelling through tunnels, and experiencing a sense of peace and joy. Similarly, Jesus spoke about the afterlife and promised eternal life to those who believed in him. He said, "Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
Living a life of service - Finally, both emphasize the importance of living a life of service.
Jesus taught that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, and NDEers often report a desire to help others after their experiences. They may also report feeling a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives, and a desire to make a difference in the world.
Of course, there are also some differences. For example, Jesus taught us to believe in him and follow his teachings, while Near death experiencers do not always report having a specific religious affiliation. Additionally, Jesus' teachings are based on faith, while Near death experiences are based on personal experience.
Differences:
Authority
While Near death experiences do not have a central authority figure, Jesus is seen as the ultimate authority in Christianity. His teachings are the basis for the Christian faith, and his life and teachings continue to be studied and followed by millions of people around the world.
Resurrection
The Christian faith centres around the belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Christians believe that Jesus' resurrection proves his divine nature and the promise of eternal life for all who believe in him. In contrast, Near death experiences do not necessarily involve a belief in the resurrection or in any particular religious tradition.
Salvation
While Near death experiences may provide comfort and insight into the afterlife, they do not necessarily involve the concept of salvation. In contrast, Jesus emphasizes the importance of salvation and the need to believe in him as the Son of God in order to receive eternal life. In John 3:16, Jesus says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
Despite these differences, they both offer a number of valuable insights into the nature of reality and the afterlife. They both emphasize the importance of love, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance, and they both offer a sense of hope and comfort to those who are struggling.
One Near death experiencer related to what they call the boomerang effect. What we send out into the universe, words, thoughts, feelings etc is what we get back in return. Is this not resonant with treating people as you would like to be treated and being careful about speech as a means to wisdom? Jesus spoke extensively on the former and the latter is a constant theme in the book of Proverbs.
Ivanov - Christ cleanses the temple John 2:13-22
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More learning from Near Death Experiences:
I am a Christian, and I try daily to live as one, which suggests that I consider myself a practising Christian. As a Christian however, I have always been uneasy with the claim that only Christianity and Jesus will lead one to heaven, or if you prefer peace and solace in the afterlife. I love Christianity and how applying Jesus's teachings has changed my life for the better, but I defer to the love of God for all humanity as far as where we end up in the afterlife is concerned.
Please don't get me wrong, am not an apostate, but I am a seeker of truth and I have found my truth in Christianity. But, I think Christians need to be wary of seeing themselves as having the highest truth.
I generally believe in the nobility of the human soul, and that nobility (right through difficult behaviour and actions) for me is about rising above what is terrestrial, understanding that all men are equal before their maker and are made in his image and likeness. Pride and ego must be suppressed in favour of Love (Charity) for the whole human race. Additionally, Jesus's Teachings allude to an afterlife, which for me is an affirmation about the eternal nature of our existence; our consciousness or soul, never dies and is part of He who created us.
Am simply a layman that sees the interconnectedness of all humanity, and any faith that preaches love and charity to all men, must have the spark of the divine in it, even if not under any particular religious system. In the end, all men are born, live and die. It is impossible to imagine that our lives are only about the constant motion of day-to-day activities.
Orthodox Christianity is but one of the worlds well defined and developed religions; we must however reiterate, that it is one among many. Orthodox Organized religion, meaning developed over a long period of time, centuries to be precise, must have in it the learnings and experiences of a great number of other human beings, who over time also saw in its development a spark of the divine. That Christianity is superior to Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and the like, I think is arrogant, in much the same way that they should not profess the same against Christianity. I use the term Orthodox because in every system, there are many outliers that preach messages that are different and in some cases in direct opposition to an orthodox view e.g extremism of any kind, a religion that emphasises gain without struggle etc. Am not a theologian, and I will not pursue this further, but hopefully, my point of encouraging ecumenism and an ecumenic mind is made.
Morot - The good samaritan Luke 10:25-37
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In this wonderful age of knowledge and the internet, I have had the privilege of watching many Near death experience encounters. Some refer to meetings with Jesus, others with spiritual guides, others with angelic beings and so on. I tend to get the impression that the beings one meets, are skewed to what you believe when you are in the body, possibly as a way of making us feel comfortable in their presence. Despite the differences, however, the one singular similarity is the importance of loving each other and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.
In one episode, a Near death experiencer asked who Jesus was; was he the son of God? The reply was surprising, but if you have an open mind, not unreasonable, from the perspective of the billions that have existed before us, and the billions we have as yet to encounter from other realms. They described Jesus as one of many ascended masters, sent to sentient physical beings to teach them the ultimate purpose of life; summarised in the 2 great commandments, namely a love of God (which for me suggests the creator of the universe and all of his creation) and a love of neighbour (a love of all his sentient creation).
This post is not aimed at causing doubt or irreligion, but rather to reaffirm that love of God and Neighbour is indeed the fundamental aim of existence, whether in this realm, the one to come, or the ones we don't know about.
Am happy to be a Christian, but I am also open to anything that conforms with our Lord's teachings on Love (charity) and concern and love for all his other creations. There is much similarity between Jesus Teachings and Near death experiences and I hope I have opened up your mind to thinking more broadly in your spiritual walk.
Enjoy!