I've been thinking about the topic of NDEs (near death experiences) for the last few days and in general how subjective and abstract most spiritual experiences are and I've been throwing around some ideas about these things. I am curious if we don't hear more about NDEs because people are afraid to talk about them or if they are actually very uncommon. I've come to the conclusion that I often come to that it really doesn't matter why and that those of us that do talk about these things ultimately do it as much for ourselves as we do it for others. Regardless, today I want to discuss what I actually think an NDE is and why they can be so life changing.
I believe that part of the natural human experience is accepting the finality of it all. Surrendering to the fact that we cannot control every aspect of our lives and that we really don't control when we die, just like we don't control when we're born. Many philosophers get hung up on the idea of suicide and in my opinion it's probably one of the greatest "chicken or the egg" metaphors of existence. If we have the ability to exist, do we have the ability to not exist? I really don't want to derail my own topic here jumping into another wormhole, so I'll keep it moving.
Perhaps all an NDE actually amounts to is coming so close to death that we can see the other side. Opinions on this will vary greatly, as there is no way to measure a subjective experience, but the idea of being dead and then coming back to life is strange in it's own right. If we can be born and then die and the universe can decide that it's not our time yet and send us back, then did we get born again or did we just not die? I'm not sure if that really matters either because the net impact is the same, there is a point of time where we couldn't be considered alive. Perhaps an NDE is our consciousness facing that void and the ability see past our own existence gives us greater perspective on things we weren't aware of in life.
I guess the real question then becomes, why are NDEs so life changing for those of us that remember them? Personally, I think that when I realized that I had regrets and things I wish I had done differently, my consciousness perhaps just reset itself to a point where I could still see things turn out differently. Maybe they don't turn out the way I wanted or thought they should have, and really the greatest mystery of life in my opinion is, "what do we want?" Perhaps we don't ever really know what we want or what the purpose of all of this was until it's over.
One thing I feel that I am certain of after my last NDE is that life implies death and death implies life. There can be no endings without beginnings and no beginnings without endings. Perhaps the reason NDEs are so life changing is that it breaks the illusion that so many trivial things that control our lives are really anything but irrelevant excuses we make and do little more than inhibit our freedom. I know that if nothing else came from my last NDE, it made me face the things about myself that I was scared of before and it made me stop caring about presenting anything but my authentic self. Maybe it's just the realization that death is not the end, but I can't even imagine living like I used to beforehand. Namaste.
i have never experienced that but i would like to know if there is another side and also stay alive to share the knowledge... :p
The problem with doubt is we all seem to have to remove it for ourselves to find faith. :)
yeah, thats true... whatever knowledge i share everyone else will want to witness those by themselves. i know i would. always the question, why not with me?
I like to think of it like this: We all have different lessons to learn, but we're going to the same place. Each experience is subjective and necessary.
hmmm
I have not experienced a NDE myself. I have had the honor and privilege of being present for both beginnings and endings...birth and death. I appreciate the wisdom in your statement that , "There can be no endings without beginnings and no beginnings without endings." In my experience working/serving families in all stages of the Birth-Life-Death Continuum that statement rings true.
Have you shared your NDE, I would Love to read about it.
I thought about linking back to this post, but ultimately they are all so subjective and I feel like my understanding of mine has changed so much over time that I couldn't even describe it the same exact way anymore, but hopefully you find something interesting in it. :)
https://steemit.com/life/@clayboyn/those-times-i-really-should-have-died
It is really interesting from the post that you linked here how with each NDE your view about life and death evolved, to the point of writing about it again in this post. Perhaps we will have a better way of understanding and describing these experiences in the future, but it was a real eye-opener to get an insight into what someone else who has gone through these experiences think!
TY for sharing it :)
I have heard stories about NDE, all are alike they travel into tunnel and see a light in the end and gain knowledge. Some did remember they are just happy.
Interesting, because mine are nothing like that at all. Check the first comment if you want to read the ones I had, I linked them to her. I think the whole "walk into the light" is a joke people tell each other.
Thanks...
I would love to hear the story of your NDE if you care to share?
Have you heard of David Sunfellow? He is doing some interesting work studying NDEs and compiling the common threads that run through most of them despite the seemingly different circumstances.
He has suggested this is changing the world or humanity and has used the information to formulate a plan on how to bring heaven on earth in his opinion. Some fascinating stuff there:
http://the-formula.org/resources/how-near-death-experiences-are-changing-the-world/
I've almost died twice but never had any kind of mystical experience, I just woke up in the hospital disoriented and blurry. But those experiences made me value life much more and I now see death as no big thing simply because I've already died twice essentially. Luckily I woke up both times but the feeling of it, of life just switching off, has left me stronger and way more grateful.
It's funny you say that, because it was the third one that things got all "woo woo" for me. My personal views on the whole "mystical experience" thing and spirituality is basically to accept that we are all one and part of something greater than this 3D existence. I think the harder we try to define what that is, we just basically complicate it unnecessarily. It is what it is. Interesting to hear you've also been to "the other side" though. :)
I don't think there is a beginning or an end to life. There is simply one moment you are alive, and another you are not. Dying itself is fictitious.. you are either alive or you are not. Time itself may be an illusion, the past and future do not exist except as fictions in our mind. Only a never-ending 'now' is truly the only thing that exists is what I believe.
So I don't think life necessarily implicates death or death implicates life. Death exists, but dying doesn't just like 'becoming alive' doesn't.
Edit: Worrying about death is nonsensical too in a way: you'll never experience it anyway. By the time you are dead, you are no more, so the experience is lost on us
@clayboyn - I have mixed views about people's perception of NDEs... having seen a very young girl who nearly lost her footing and would have fallen down a very long set of stairs (because she was paying more attention to her phone) to what would have at least been a serious injury shrug the event as if nothing had happened and continued to stare at the phone and keep walking. I guess for some people it means something, and for others who continue to risk not only their lives but the lives of others and tempt fate. Of course, I have very little experience to draw on and so I can't speak with much authority or conviction about it. Your post did give me an opportunity to pause and give the matter further consideration. Thank you.
Very informative post thanks for sharing it with us.... resteem comment done...
you are right bro
About what?
death experiences bro
OK its not that I leave a comment here but you can check this video from youtube.
I think it will make something helpful.