The Phenomena Of Near-Death Experience

 by +Chrissie Apollonia Nicolles

The subject of NDE [near-death experience] has forever fascinated me since reading Dr. Raymond Moody’s groundbreaking book Life After Life – a research of hundreds of NDE cases proving the staggering magnitude it has to change our attitudes toward death + life … so I posit herein, there’s a fresh new world awaiting our last breath + it’s not darkness! I also met Dr. Moody, long ago in New York who shared he was an atheist during his research of the NDE but is no more. We also learnt we both esteemed Plato, who also was interested in cases of the supposed dead who returned to life with stories of another world…Plato’s views on the afterlife are expressed in his dialogues especially in “Republic” + “Phaedra’s” believing the soul is immortal + survives death of the body.

For Plato the focus on philosophy is a preparation for death… for monastics of Eastern Orthodox, their focus is on death as preparation for Theosis… + I for one say: following arrival of the God/Man Jesus, the experiential of Theosis is attainable + goes beyond Plato’s positing the ‘existence of the Forms’ – [‘unchanging ideals that exist in a realm beyond material world’]. And many Saints have achieved this apotheosis. Dr. Moody says the NDE even relates to St. Paul’s description of the “third heaven”+ the apostle’s reference when asking, “O death, where is thy sting?”

For me, the NDE is proof of Heaven… despite never having one, I emphatically believe it – I’ve tasted a glimpse of that other world from an ‘out of body’ encounter … I saw an Angel standing before me; I departed my physical state; I knew I entered my glorified body of light, encircled in intense pink light… it was ineffable, as if retrieving my true self. Take my word of honor, your glorified body of light is primordial — not the restrictive corpse we so cling to. Also, Bishop Athanasios of Limassol aka the “Fr. Maximos” in books by writer Kyriacos Markides, has accepted the paradigm of NDE.

I listened recently to the NDE on YouTube of Mr. John J. Davis + you can hear more of him on YT. John is a devout Christian, husband + father who gave rich colorful detail of his NDE; I reached out to him from his home in Colorado for his testimony: John speaks with great clarity + remembers this life changing event from over 40 years ago, like it was yesterday + explains it wonderfully as it’s his “mission” to illumine us that death doesn’t exist. Recalling in detail is his takeaway gift from visiting Heaven; some return from other side with clairvoyance or many different expanded abilities.

The story goes, he was 21, riding a scooter, while trying to avoid hitting a squirrel, he slammed into a tree tearing his hand which landed him in hospital surgery room only to find he had allergic reaction to Anesthesia + died — John was gone 7 minutes. “Something remarkable happened” said John… he remembers vividly opening his eyes + standing up in the most beautiful Grecian white marble building with white columns which went as far as you can see – “Oh my gosh, this hospital is bigger than I thought!” JD didn’t realize he was out of his body + was clinically dead… he then noticed a very old man had just arrived from earth who died of heart attack + his angelic guide held his hands as he transformed into a younger version of himself at 33. [Interesting that Jesus left earth at 33.] John’s heavenly guide said, “Everyone in Heaven is forever young in their 30’s + time doesn’t exist there.” Next, he saw tunnels/doorways everywhere, tables + benches with people sitting there – many dressed in white robes or colorful regalia, this scene went all the way down… then his “heavenly guide” took him to a huge sports stadium + JD asked what is the nature of buildings there?

“You’d think things on other side are not solid — but they were!” John touched the marble + it felt cool + solid; next he met a person who ran the planetarium who told him “Let’s begin: when you look up at the stars on earth you see our planets, Jupiter, Mars, Venus from space… but here on the other side, when we look at the stars, we see dozens of planets, galaxies so much more in the universe…more life in the cosmos than you can imagine!” John’s favorite visit so far on Heaven’s topography was the planetarium. Next, John saw a huge round building of white pristine marble with a dome on top + was shown scrolls tied in red ribbons – as JD unfolded the scrolls, it looked like ancient calligraphy + learnt that everything is written there — about our lives! Everything is actually planned. Is it all destiny? And in detail too, who your parents are, what country, gender, etc. He got the memo: “We have a purpose in coming to earth + are given challenges in order to grow, to reach spiritual enlightenment. In Heaven’s unspeakable plenitude, our lives are perfect – but on earth we must experience sorrow + pain; we must lose persons, have breakups, be disappointed, suffer in health, lose material possessions, money, etc.

But none of those things go with you anyway – only your character + what you learned.” JD says, “Heaven cares only if you helped others. Heaven doesn’t care about your awards or your accomplishments.” He mentions a favorite quote of the Dalai Lama of Tibet: “Our prime purpose in this life is to help people… and if you cannot help, at least, don’t hurt them.” Again and again in countless NDE stories, I hear the same message: It is the enormity of the quality in human relationships, not how materially successful we are, but having empathy, engaging in acts of kindness, and being fully present that makes the big difference in people’s lives. Next, John said he stepped into the most dazzling gardens, the greenest, softest grass, gorgeous flowers, trees ever seen… + there came people who loved him, welcomed him. It was absolute joy + bliss. Everyone has a reunion in Heaven + everything we loved on earth is given back to us! Then John talked about his amazing “Life Review” after his reunion in the gardens…his guide took him to a round building where a movie screen began playing scenes from his entire life on earth. He learned: “Everything in our life is recorded + in extreme detail! We see ALL we’ve done + said + feel the impact it had on others; if we hurt others we will feel the pain they went thru because of our actions … we watch this “film” to see if we’ve completed our “mission” on earth. This Life Review is indeed reminiscent of author Charles Dickens’ “Scrooge” character who later ends up in what Orthodoxy calls metanoia.

We now see, why Church Ethos prescribes Confession to absolve our Sins + acquit ourselves – but also in lieu of not having to witness + feel the pain or horror we may have caused others during Heaven’s Life Review … this by itself has to be hell. Next, John was taken to the building of learning… it looked reminiscent of the Temple of Artemis in ancient times; it is the place to learn + grow… Inside were many libraries/ temples dedicated to music, science, history, literature, medicine, art, sports, theatre, and anything you wish to learn is there. Once inside, John saw a woman in a purple gown, her back to him, watching the history of the Earth in the battle between Native Americans and the US cavalry. John asked how it was possible that she was watching what had happened long ago? It blew his mind to hear that “Everything is recorded in the universe.” Anything that happened on Earth that you were puzzled about, you can watch it on screen and know the absolute truth. But John’s big regret is that while in the afterlife Library, a woman scholar dressed in a long, orange-red gown, whose specialty was history, could see him and inquired if he needed her help. However, John regretfully said, “No, I’m just looking.”

And to this day he kicks himself for not asking! On earth we only have books to read or films to gain knowledge but Heaven is experiential! You’re able to not only witness events in any period of time, but also step into that very moment in history + experience the sights + sounds… even hear conversations that happened between people because it’s all recorded. Talk about the ‘All Seeing Eye Of God’? And the “deceased” have jobs in Heaven …not that they have to work, just because they love doing it. Anything you loved to do on earth is magnified in the Afterlife… you can hike in nature, you can still cook + eat if you wish but food is not necessary. You can still run, swim, play golf, etc. After hearing this from John I understood why my late husband during hospice kept telling me he was going in + out from this world to the next… but joyfully explained that over “there” he was once again a marathon runner – his fave hobby on earth…+ his new home over “there” is an exquisite mansion on a huge estate + beside him stands a holy lion! There’s more to John’s NDE than I can write here but will end with this: Just before returning to his body in hospital he was greeted by a being of ultra magnificent light… he knew it was Jesus — He was dressed in white tunic + gold sash wearing gold sandals…

Lord Jesus told John: “You must tell them — tell my people —there is no death!!