What the NDE says about Religion

There has been a lot of dissonance on Religion. I see a wonderful thread posted on something beautiful, like for example a thread on Peace, and the thread gets ruined because the religious people pull the Bible out and start quoting from it. Before you know it, they are all arguing and fighting and getting mad at each other because they disagree so much on what each line means. Or people from different religious backgrounds argue and fight. And there goes the "Peace", right out the window. Wars are fought over Religion.

I would not try to put anybody down for their religious beliefs. But, at the same time, I realize that if we ever truly want Peace, we have to get beyond this religious arguing. We HAVE to. We have to find a way.

I'd like to present to you what the absolute majority of people who have had an NDE (Near Death Experience) have found out about Religion.

Heaven is not about religious beliefs, but about spiritual actions. It is not true, as some people believe, that we get to heaven by giving verbal assent to belief in God. It is love, not religious doctrines, that creates spiritual growth. Religions are cultural institutions but love is universal. Those religions which claim superiority over other religions or exclude people for various reasons, go against God's law to love others as we love ourselves. Although religion, in itself, is not important to God, all religions are necessary because there are people who need what they teach. For this reason, all religions are precious in the sight of God. All religions refer to the same God. All religions are different ways of trying to describe the same God. After death, if you insist upon searching for an old man on a throne as God, you will do this for awhile until you get the idea that you are following an illusion.

www.near-death.com...




Below is a quote from Mellen-Thomas Benedict on Religion. His full NDE is presented here.

God does not care which religion is best. God does not care what religion people practice. They are all a blooming facet of the whole. All religions refer to the same God.

Next we have a quote by Dr. Liz Dale. She researches homosexuality and the NDE. Her findings can be located here.

One man who had a near-death experience realized that the "God" of his religious background wasn't anything like the reality. He learned that it doesn't matter if people call him God, Allah, Great Spirit or whatever, he is one and the same.

This is the finding of Nora Spurgin. She is an NDE researcher and her entire findings are very well presented here.

Everyone, religious or not, believing in God or not, transitions to the spirit world as part of the natural process of life. Just as one does not need to be religious to live in the physical world, one does not need to profess a particular faith to live in the spirit world.

Dr. PMH Atwater

God is not dependent on our belief, for our belief or disbelief in God does not affect God - only us.

God is not a member of any church or religion. It is the churches and the religions that are members within the vastness and the glory that is God. There is no one religion just as there is no chosen people or person, nor any single way of regarding what cannot be fully comprehended. We are all sons of God in the sense that we are all souls of God's creation, without gender, without form, without nationality, complete and whole and perfect as we explore the never-endingness of God's wonderment.

Kevin Williams

God cares little about our religious affiliation or church membership. Love is not limited to any one religion or even religion at all. Religions are cultural institutions but love is universal.

Aurthur Yensen

How are we saved? By unselfish love. When we love unselfishly, our vibrations are so high that the only place we'll fit into is heaven. There is no other place we can go if we want to. This is divine justice because it gives all the people who ever lived, as well as all the higher animals who know right from wrong, an equal chance to eventually attain internal harmony which will fit them into some kind of heaven - regardless of their intelligence, education, indoctrination, ignorance, wealth or poverty.

This quote by Betty Eadie attempts to point out an important purpose that Religions can fulfill.

Religion is used as a stepping stone to further knowledge. As an individual raises his level of understanding about God and his own eternal progress, he might feel discontented with the teachings of his present church and seek a different philosophy or religion to fill that void. When this occurs he has reached another level of understanding and will long for further truth and knowledge, and for another opportunity to grow. And at every step of the way, these new opportunities to learn will be given.

Finally, there are many examples given of the harm that can be done by Religion. Here is a quote by Margaret Flavell

Many people, when they come to the astral world, experience a great deal of turmoil and distress because they have been too positive and too dogmatic in their earthly lives and have tried to impose that dogmatism on other people. I think you can find, if you will think about it and look back at your own lives, that there are times when you wish you hadn't been so forceful in persuading someone to do something. When one does this he is cutting across a divinely given attribute of each person, which is free will.

I sincerely hope this thread is looked at, as was intended, as a piece for peace - and does not turn into an exercise in mud-slinging.

There should be a universal rule that if they want to have input they need to have facts.
That'll stop em dead in their tracks.

A truly fresh and inspiring topic that is the NDE phenomenon.
Probably the scientific proof that some people need to make them believe in life after death.

Originally posted by WakeUpRiseUp
There should be a universal rule that if they want to have input they need to have facts.
That'll stop em dead in their tracks.

When you say "they", do you mean religious people in general or the people in my quotes above?

reply to post by angellicview


I agree.

It doesn't matter what God you pray to, just love and remain calm.

Love EVERYONE (do it for yourself, at least), you will feel better.

The best way to defeat someone is with kindness and everlasting respect.

Everything is beautiful.

reply to post by angellicview


Religious people in general
but in regards to nde the only facts we have would point to dmt being the culprit, everything else is just opinion

During my NDE I experienced many of the things you quoted above. When I was in the light (God) I felt his forgiveness and understanding. It is way beyond what you may have been trained to expect. God is so far beyond what you think, humility, love and understanding will fill your soul when you stand before him.

Originally posted by kinglizard
During my NDE I experienced many of the things you quoted above. When I was in the light (God) I felt his forgiveness and understanding. It is way beyond what you may have been trained to expect. God is so far beyond what you think, humility, love and understanding will fill your soul when you stand before him.

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing your feelings on this. I think NDE's could be a wonderful way to help people understand all things spiritual.

I was wondering...

In a dream some years ago, I saw and travelled along the ''long tunnel'' we have heard so many times in religions but also with NDE experiencers. The tunnel was tinted white-yellow, I was moving at a very very high speed to finally reach the end of the ride where I saw an overwhelming yellow color as I emerged out of the tunnel. I somewhat remember having a spiritual (or mind) growth for a few seconds. Then... end of dream.

What would that experience be? An OBE to the land of death, to a spiritual realm? Or only a fantasy dream?

Originally posted by St0rD
I was wondering...

In a dream some years ago, I saw and travelled along the ''long tunnel'' we have heard so many times in religions but also with NDE experiencers. The tunnel was tinted white-yellow, I was moving at a very very high speed to finally reach the end of the ride where I saw an overwhelming yellow color as I emerged out of the tunnel. I somewhat remember having a spiritual (or mind) growth for a few seconds. Then... end of dream.

What would that experience be? An OBE to the land of death, to a spiritual realm? Or only a fantasy dream?

Great question! Ray Meir says that dreams can trigger NDE's. Also Out of Body Experiences. A lesser-known and perhaps intriguing cause of NDE can be orgasm!

(I know, you didn't ask about that - just had to throw that in there)

Humans were all supposed to worship one God, the Creator. Leave it to man to devise many different religions and argue and fight wars over the same nightmare they created in the first place.

I think we mostly see what we want to see in NDE and that whatever we see isn't god...
I'm not saying there is no god.

Until the day Evil is no more, there will be no peace.. With opposition came the beginning of division.

Us Humans have taken segregation too far. We even divide due to how many strands of hair we have on our arms. There will be no peace til' there is no Evil... The only way.

Originally posted by User8911
I think we mostly see what we want to see in NDE and that whatever we see isn't god...
I'm not saying there is no god.

I have heard it said before that the light we see is our Higher Self. Here is one explanation by Mellen-Thomas Benedict

As the light revealed itself to me, I became aware that what I was really seeing was our Higher Self matrix. The only thing I can tell you is that it turned into a matrix, a mandala of human souls, and what I saw was that what we call our Higher Self in each of us is a matrix. It's also a conduit to the Source; each one of us comes directly, as a direct experience from the Source. We all have a Higher Self, or an oversoul part of our being. It revealed itself to me in its truest energy form. The only way I can really describe it is that the being of the Higher Self is more like a conduit. It did not look like that, but it is a direct connection to the Source that each and every one of us has. We are directly connected to the Source. So the light was showing me the Higher Self matrix. And it became very clear to me that all the Higher Selves are connected as one being, all humans are connected as one being, we are actually the same being, different aspects of the same being. It was not committed to one particular religion. So that is what was being fed back to me. And I saw this mandala of human souls. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I just went into it and, it was just overwhelming. It was like all the love you've every wanted, and it was the kind of love that cures, heals, regenerates. As I asked the light to keep explaining, I understood what the Higher Self matrix is. We have a grid around the planet where all the Higher Selves are connected. This is like a great company, a next subtle level of energy around us, the spirit level, you might say.

Originally posted by FidelityMusic
Until the day Evil is no more, there will be no peace.. With opposition came the beginning of division.

Us Humans have taken segregation too far. We even divide due to how many strands of hair we have on our arms. There will be no peace til' there is no Evil... The only way.

edit on 5-12-2011 by FidelityMusic because: (no reason given)

Yes, getting rid of all the evil in the world is a good way to peace. But, even if we somehow zapped all the evil people out of existence, all the good people in the world would have to find a way to connect, to get along, to get past barriers.

reply to post by angellicview


A person can't be evil or not evil, we all have evil within us. God created evil, for what? I don't know... Evil itself has to be eliminated, or our understanding of it would have to be eliminated, not the evil people, if that was the case humans would be no more, and that wouldn't solve anything because there is still evil, just not within something physical.

Here's the confounding thing about NDEs. A coupe of centuries ago they used to be scary with references to hell and purgatory. But as people stopped taking it seriously NDEs have become less religious too.

Now, the thing is, apparitions still talk of hell and purgatory even though people don't take them seriously anymore, So now you have to either go with what the apparitions say or what the NDEs say. They contradict each other.

reply to post by angellicview


Star and Flag for a wonderful message!

I would not try to put anybody down for their religious beliefs. But, at the same time, I realize that if we ever truly want Peace, we have to get beyond this religious arguing. We HAVE to. We have to find a way.

I personally do not think a way will be found. Christians all want it their way, Muslims all want it their way. These two will be the factions of World War three, I believe, right now Muslims are being killed by the thousands while Christians at home cheer it on. Israel commits acts of terror on her neighbors, but America has to "support Israel," to the tune of several billion dollars a year. I think all of Christianity is praying for the end of the world, and now the Muslims want to kill all Christians. Little do they know who harvests all of the energy during a battle, and who is planning to take them all as food?

I applaud your message, angellicview, but fear it will fall on deaf ears. Bless you for trying.

Originally posted by 547000
Here's the confounding thing about NDEs. A coupe of centuries ago they used to be scary with references to hell and purgatory. But as people stopped taking it seriously NDEs have become less religious too.

Now, the thing is, apparitions still talk of hell and purgatory even though people don't take them seriously anymore, So now you have to either go with what the apparitions say or what the NDEs say. They contradict each other.

On the contrary, there are hellish realms. Here is some info about them. You can click the link if you'd like to follow up on them.

Between the Earth realm and the heavenly realms, there exists two hellish realms known as (1) the earthbound realm and (2) the void. Both of these realms can be considered hell because they are the two darker levels. This web page will focus only on the earthbound realm. The earthbound realm is a hellish dimension that overlaps the physical realm. It is a dimension where souls who are bound by some strong earthly fixation, may remain indefinitely until they are able to extract themselves from this fixation. After death, most souls expand very quickly through the dark hellish realms of the earthbound realm and the void, by means of the tunnel and on to higher realms.

Hell is a psychological condition which represents the hellish inner thoughts and desires within some souls. In hell, souls become uninhibited and their hellish condition is fully manifested. No demons are there to inflict punishment. Each soul acts out their own anger and hatred by warring and tormenting others. (Emanuel Swedenborg)

Hell refers to levels of negative thought-forms that reside in close proximity to the Earth realm. It is where we go to work out, or remain within, our hang-ups, addictions, fears, guilt, angers, rage, regrets, self-pity, arrogance, or whatever else blocks us from the power of our own light. (Dr. PMH Atwater)

I believe the peace you speak of comes from within ones self and not from the world.
The op you present will help some find that inner peace.