[Knight]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for April 3rd, 2012 09:00 AM

toldailytopic: Near-Death Experiences: glimpses of the after-life?

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[zippy2006]

Could be. But it seems to me that socio-cultural beliefs have a strong influence on such experiences. And I think some are probably more psychologically driven than others, but all should be taken with a grain of salt. Interesting stuff nonetheless.

[sesseltheologe]

I agree with Zippy. They could be glimpses into the afterlife, but I think that much of what we hear has been influenced by what people have heard beforehand.

[Dena]

I vote for psychologically driven, influenced by medication and in some cases, extreme pain.

[Inzl Kett]

I take them with a grain of salt. I recently read the Todd Burpo Book Heaven is for Real and found a few red flag issues there. If a person really sees Heaven, I don't think they are coming back. A genuine experience would confirm the scripture. A lot of these books are influenced by the drive to make money and make them marketable.

If you want to know about Heaven, read your Bible. That is where I stand on the issue.

[steko]

I've heard some claim to have toured their 'mansion', which looked like the typical southern plantation, columns and all.
I've heard some claim to have seen the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

These kind of statements reveal a misunderstanding of what the scriptures teach and reveal that these experiences(at least some of them) are vain imaginings.

[eameece]

Originally Posted by Knight

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for April 3rd, 2012 09:00 AM

Absolutely; that seems to be what the reports indicate. And most are pretty consistent, despite some accounts of people seeing what they are taught to see beforehand.

Certainly, when it comes to actual experience, you can't just go by "what the scriptures teach." Reality is not determined by authoritarian fiat.

[SaulToPaul]

Tet: "Brainwashed MADists believe in soul sleep."

So, I guess not.

[Sanmateo]

The Apostle Paul teaches that sharing your visions is not profitable, boasting, foolish and opposed to the truth. I don't share mine and I don't want to share anyone else's. 2 Corinthians 12:1-6

[Ps82]

Originally Posted by Sanmateo

The Apostle Paul teaches that sharing your visions is not profitable, boasting, foolish and opposed to the truth. I don't share mine and I don't want to share anyone else's. 2 Corinthians 12:1-6

Well, why did you even bother to enter this thread if you are so adamant about your not believing in such things? Did you come to argue or make others feel bad?

Probably the best solution to your not wanting to hear anyone else's accounts is for you just leave the thread and not come back.

Otherwise you will be a real bother to those who do believe in such things.

[Ps82]

Originally Posted by Sanmateo

The Apostle Paul teaches that sharing your visions is not profitable, boasting, foolish and opposed to the truth. I don't share mine and I don't want to share anyone else's. 2 Corinthians 12:1-6

Didn't you find it interesting that Paul went ahead and shared a super-natural experience with the people?

We notice from the way he was expressing himself that he not only believed in such things but was willing to share the accounts.
Some Bible scholars say that he simply was not taking credit for this particular experience at that particular time, because he did not want to appear to be boastful about himself before those people.

Paul had so many super-natural experiences in his life that I can comprehend that he must have been humbled by the blessing. I can see why he might begin to feel like he was being too boastful when he shared them.

Look see, there were super-natural things shared about Paul... without any apologies:
A whole ship's crew being saved, because God was not ready for him to die.
Not dying from a poisonous snake bite.
Being stoned and reviving.
Seeing the glory of the LORD and hearing his audible voice.
Going to an area of the country for three years and being taught truth personally and individually by God.

I suggest that Paul might be disappointed to meet people today who do not believe that God can still do super-natural things.

Now, which accounts are true or false are hard to prove ... but it is not terrible to listen and ponder such things.

[Ps82]

Not being intimidated, I'll add that I have had what I believe to be a "sort" of near death experience. I can't prove that is was real to anyone. I just know for myself what I saw and heard and I've accepted the experience.

I did not see heaven and my experience actually had two parts which occurred years apart (probably 20 years), but the two parts and the fact that they happened so far apart made the experience more meaningful and real to me. These were more like connected dreams than some sort of violent literal death experience.

Dream one:
I sat in the yard at my childhood home under a tree where I spent many hours playing. My mother was there with me.

A small toddler with dark curls in a pink dress was making baby steps toward me and I opened my arms, as a mother would, ready to receive her with a hug.
Before she even reached my arms, she suddenly disintegrated like one might see portrayed of the ancient dead in some recent old mummy movie. That was the end of my dream.

Yet, a year or so later, I had a early miscarriage ... and I always wondered whether God had let me know that I was going to lose a daughter before I could even hold her in my arms.

Fast forward 20 years dream two:
I was dreamless and sound asleep, when suddenly there was a flash of light that came from straight ahead in the center of my vision. It seemed to fly with purpose toward my right shoulder and remained positioned just in sight of my peripheral vision. At once I was aware of a young female directly in front of my vision. She was dressed in a beautiful red billowing dress with a white blouse. Her long thick wavy hair was dark brown or black. She was hovering at the very front of a gray billowy cloud. She just looked at me with an urgent expression, but didn't say anything. She had her arms opened wide ready to greet me.

Just as suddenly as my vision began I heard an audible voice say: "Not yet."
As soon as I heard these words I immediately felt the need to breath. It was like I had gone too far underwater and was deliberately holding my breath with great difficulty because I was not yet near the surface.

Then I had a thought. I was not in water, but in my bed. I could take a breath anytime I chose; so, I took a deep breath like someone who had just broken the blessed surface and air at last. I could feel my chest move as my lungs expanded; so, I took another and another until I had taken five full breaths and my deep breathing began to ease.

By the time my breathing eased I realized that the angelic girl had gone while I was concentrating on breathing. I never fully awoke, but the next morning I remembered the experience clearly and also recalled my first dream of so many years ago.

You see, I put the two dreams together. My arms had been open to receive my baby girl, but she never made it into this world into my arms. Later her heavenly arms were open wide to receive me, but I never made it into her world amd into her arms either.

Since these two dreams, I've given my daughter a name, and I look forward to seeing her one day in heaven... when God decides that it is time for me to cross over. I've decided that I had stopped breathing during the night and would have died if God had not intervened. I have not worried about this since, because I figure that dying in my sleep would not be such a bad way to go ... plus I'm not going to die until God said; "Now."

[Nick M]

I believe they were "nearly dead" as the description applies. But not dead.

[Ps82]

Originally Posted by Nick M

I believe they were "nearly dead" as the description applies. But not dead.

If you are talking about the experience I shared just above, then I agree "nearly dead" would be a good deduction.

I think I would have died if 'that voice' had not said: "Not yet." Of course I believe 'that voice' was from God. Whether I would flatly state that IT was The LORD, or My Lord, or the Holy Spirit, who was speaking to me I do not know ... but I certainly believe that it was 'a word' from the WORD of God.

[freelight]

~*~*~

Enough research has been conducted on NDE's and the Afterlife to show consistency in the continuation of consciousness and universal principles that conduct life-processes in this life and those dimensions of existence beyond. The general consensus is that life goes on, what you do here has cause and effects that continue into eternity. Life is an eternal progression, so the soul's journey is just that, as it travels from one life-experience or embodiment to another.

Near Death Experiences and the Afterlife

Space and time facilitates 'learning'.


Injoy!


pj