Heaven and the
Near-Death Experience
Where
is heaven? Is it up in the sky somewhere? From the beginning
of recorded history, humans have expressed in various
ways their desire to attain heaven - as a paradise on
Earth and after death. But history shows how searching
for a heaven on Earth is like searching for an illusion.
Religions have been created to help people find heaven
after death. The overall consensus of the major religions
is that heaven as a society cannot be found on Earth;
but rather, heaven is a state of mind and condition
of the heart. Skeptics unknowingly agree with this when
they claim heaven to be merely a figment of the human
mind and imagination. By focusing within ourselves through
meditation, dreams, prayer, and even quiet reflection,
we connect with the heaven we seek within us. When we
are in love, we say were are "in heaven." When we are
separated from love, it may feel like "hell." Religious
figures such as Jesus and Buddha have helped humanity
understand how
loving others is the way to
heaven and that
this
heaven can be found within
us. Near-death
experiences (NDEs) describe a hierarchy of afterlife
realms of which the physical realm is just one of them.
This article presents revelations about heaven from
the perspective of NDE testimony and research.
The following is a summary of the insights gleaned from
the NDErs profiled on this web page concerning heaven:
a. |
Introduction to the Heavenly Realms: |
|
The consensus among
the mystical traditions of the major religions
is a
cosmology consisting of a hierarchy of
10 afterlife realms
plus 1 top-level divine realm.
This agrees with a leading interpretation of
quantum mechanics called Superstring theory
which calculates the universe is comprised of
10 dimensions plus a top-level "brane" dimension.
Scientists say these dimensions exist in the
same space as the physical universe much like
boxes within a box. Near-death experiences confirm
the existence of a multi-dimensional afterlife
of which our physical universe is but one of
them. NDEs also reveal how humans are "working
their way up the ladder of success" with the
goal of attaining the highest heaven.
|
b. |
The Kingdom of Heaven is Within: |
|
Near-death experiencers
have a lot to say about heaven. Concerning the
relationship between life on Earth and life
in heaven, our life on Earth is but a preparation
for our life in heaven. We come to Earth from
heaven for the purpose of obtain spiritual development
and to bring the heaven we came from to Earth.
It is also here on Earth that God and ourselves
can really know what level of spiritual development
we desire and have earned. After death, the
level of our spiritual development determines
the spiritual realm we inhabit after death.
Free will is a divine gift from God to humanity
and God does not force anyone to heaven. The
level of heaven we develop within us on Earth
is the level of heaven we enter after death.
When the physical body is removed, we step into
the spiritual condition we have been building
within us throughout our entire life. Since
God is love, the greater spiritual love we build
within us, the closer we are to God. This holds
true for the spirit world as well. It is a life
of love that leads to heaven. Love is God's
paradise for humanity and we can create this
paradise from heaven on Earth and within us
if we learn to love one another.
|
c. |
Heaven is about Good Vibrations: |
|
Heaven
is a matter of vibration and the various realms
after death is based on the various levels of
spiritual energy that exists. As quantum physicists
state, the 10 dimensions of reality exist within
the same space as our universe and are based
on the varying energy levels that exist. The
reason we cannot see these multi-dimensional
energy levels is the same reason we cannot see
radio or television waves because they exist
beyond the frequency on the light spectrum that
we can see. For this reason, the realms of spiritual
energy that exists after death, which is the
same energy levels described by quantum physicists,
is based on different frequencies of vibration.
Love can be compared to heat that has vibrations
that are finer that colder temperatures. The
greater the love - the finer the vibration -
and the closer we are to heaven. Heavier vibrations
represent coldness and the heavier the vibrations
the nearer we are to hell. When
we manifest unconditional love, our soul vibration
are so high that the only place we can fit into
is heaven. People don't go to heaven because
of their good deeds, but because their soul
vibration of spiritual love fits in and belongs
there. After death, people gravitate into groups
according to the rate of their soul's vibration.
Birds of a feather flock together. This connection
between the level of soul vibration we have
in determining the level of heavenly vibration
we realize after death is the same principle
as putting a coin into the slot of a coin counter.
The coin just naturally fits to its proper location.
So it is with the soul. After death, our soul
naturally fits in the level of heaven we have
developed within us. In fact, while we live
on Earth our soul actually dwells, not only
within us, but also in the spiritual realm we
will find ourselves in after death.
|
d. |
Removing the Mask of Personality at Death: |
|
We all
have some level of discord or negative vibes
within us after death because of our Earth experience.
In heaven, all these unwanted soul vibrations
are removed by God - who can be thought of as
the Master Vibration. The first stage after
death is a condition of still being involved
with and acting according to our outward personality
which we had on Earth. From this initial stage
after death, we slowing begin to lose this outward
personality consciousness and begin to become
more of the person and inner nature we actually
are. My own
personal opinion is that this removal of our
outward elements occurs in the void where there
is nothing else to focus on but our true inner
nature.
|
e. |
Into the Realm where Thoughts are Deeds: |
|
As our outward earthly
personality is removed, our thought process
begins to change. Our thought process becomes
more and more based on our true intentions -
our impulses. In the realm of mind and imagination,
impulses are the same as actions. In other words,
thoughts and impulses become united. Thoughts
are impulses and impulses are actions. The farther
into the afterlife experience we get, the more
we are acting on the basis of who we really
are. The final stage of adjusting to the spirit
world is a stage of instruction. As it is with
children in the Earth realm, we must be instructed
once again in the ways of the realm we have
just entered - with the exception that our instruction
on the Other Side is not based on time. Higher
spirit beings educate us and bring us into heaven.
More information on this will be described later.
|
f. |
Heaven is Forever Our True Home: |
|
As mentioned earlier,
negative vibes cannot be expressed in heaven.
As we enter into heaven, these negative vibes
are removed by God. This creates a level of
happiness that cannot be imagined on Earth.
Heaven truly becomes a spiritual state of living
as who we really are. In heaven, we remember
our real identity. In heaven, only the best
in each person survives. It is a joyous condition
and a state of expanded awareness. There is
a perfect freedom of spirit and no one gets
tired. It is a new lease on life. It is a lively
hilarious place and our true home. We then begin to realize
how we were merely visitors on Earth and heaven
is our real home. We begin to realize that we
have been here in heaven before. Knowledge beyond
our deepest dreams exists all around us like
the heavenly all-pervading music that can be
heard. God's presence is so obvious here that
it cannot be denied. The love of God in heaven
is like the air we breathe. The Golden Rule
is the only law in heaven. The beauty of the
environment in heaven is beyond words and they
reflect the spiritual nature of those who dwell
there. Multi-colored cities of crystal light
created by God can be seen. There exists exquisite
heavenly structures such as spires, domes, amphitheaters,
Grecian looking buildings, libraries of wisdom,
halls of spiritual learning, temples, and communities.
Waterfalls, mountains, valleys, lakes and other
realms of recreation exists in a way that makes
their earthly equivalents merely a empty shadow.
|
g. |
Heaven is Where Your
Heart Is: |
|
Because there is no
time in the spirit world, we enjoy eternities
in heaven. A soul can choose to remain in heaven
for as long as desired and can choose to operate
on that level of spiritual development forever.
Generally, however, we stay in heaven for as
long as it serves our spiritual development.
This is because one of our main goals for existence
is to attain a level of spiritual growth that
will bring us back to a complete merger with
God in the highest heaven. However, spiritual
development is much more difficult in the spirit
world compared to developing spiritually in
the physical realm. The full range of love (child's
love, martial love, and parental love) is ideally
available on Earth for which we can become more
spiritually developed.
|
h. |
At a Deeper Level, We are All Connected Together: |
|
Although our goal
is to remain forever in heaven, our greatest
goal is to bring heaven to Earth. If we don't
help those in the lower realms to develop a
higher level of spiritual development, we cannot
truly enjoy heaven. This is because our family
and friends may exist at these lower levels.
As
Mellen-Thomas Benedict
so eloquently described it, "We are going
to link up, hold hands, and walk out of hell
together." For this reason, we leave paradise
not just for the sake of our own spiritual development,
but for those we love. By doing so, we are also
doing this for God's sake. We are assured by
God that when we leave paradise for another
incarnation at a lower spiritual level, we will
be brought home safely again. Ultimately, everyone
will merge with God at the highest level as
it was in the beginning. Ultimate paradise lost
will truly become ultimate paradise found again.
(Kevin
Williams)
|
The
following information concerns the relationship between
our lives on Earth with our lives in heaven.
"God doesn't force anyone to
heaven, hell, or anywhere. We are free to choose and
build our destiny. Nevertheless, all destinies eventually
lead back to God." (Edgar
Cayce)
"If I lived a billion years
more, in my body or yours, there's not a single experience
on Earth that could ever be as good as being dead. Nothing."
(Dr.
Dianne Morrissey)
"Life on Earth is a preparation
for a fuller, freer and richer eternal existence in
heaven; much like a baby in a womb preparing to be born."
(Nora
Spurgin)
"The Earth is the only place
where God can determine if you want to go to heaven
or hell." (Mihbond)
"We mustn't wait to find our
heaven in the clouds. We must find it here because it
exists here and will be whatever we make it and whatever
we are willing to accept of it." (Tina)
"Love is a sign from the heavens that you are here for
a reason." (J.
Ghetto)
"There may be a good reason why relatively few people
have NDEs. Perhaps too many glimpses of heaven might
destroy our freedom. Forcing people into heaven would
be like turning them into robots. And nobody loves a
robot because they are incapable of love." (Kevin
Williams)
Sandra Rogers asked the light,
whom she identified as Jesus, how people from other
religions get to heaven. She was shown that the group,
or organization, that people profess alliance to is
inconsequential. What is important is how we show our
love for God by the way we treat each other. (Sandra
Rogers)
"Doctrine, creed and race mean
nothing in heaven. No matter what we believed we were
all God's children. The only rule is to do unto others
as you would have them do unto you." (May
Eulitt)
"Heaven is about deeds, not
creeds. Therefore, persons of many cultures and religions
form the societies of heaven." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"Heaven is not sitting down
and casting down your golden crowns and singing
Hallelujah. However, there is a tendency among certain
religious people in heaven to congregate in their little
groups and have their little sessions of what they feel
are "heaven." Eventually, they become very bored with
this narrowness, and then their own helpers and teachers
will try to give them another thought and another idea
and help them to break away from this narrow approach."
(Margaret
Tweddell)
"I saw the Christian heaven. We expect it to be a beautiful
place, and you stand in front of the throne, worshipping
forever. I tried it. It is boring! This is all we are
going to do? It is childlike. I do not mean to offend
anyone. Some heavens are very interesting, and some
are very boring. I found the ancient ones to be more
interesting, like the Native American ones, the Happy
Hunting Grounds. The Egyptians have fantastic ones.
It goes on and on. There are so many of them." (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
"The most difficult thing for
a person who has been deeply steeped in a particular
religious tradition is to realize that the form alone
is not what elevates a person; it is the heart. Still,
those who cling to an external form of religion will
be most comfortable with others who practice the same
rituals, whatever they may be. In this sense, congregations
may continue centered around the particular religious
traditions they practiced while on Earth." (Nora
Spurgin)
"In heaven, Buddhists can experience
their own path and Christians can experience their own
pate. Same with Hindus, Muslims, and any religious group.
All have their own paradise, goals, aims, and objectives
until they suddenly have a tremendous experience of
knowing that all is one under God and that there is
no division in purpose. There is one God of us all."
(Margaret
Tweddell)
"It is said that the Golden
Rule is the governing principle in the spirit world:
do unto others as you would have them do unto you. People
who truly practice the religion of love will find themselves
in a universal sphere where everyone understands that
true religion is to love others as ourselves." (Nora
Spurgin)
"It is within the simple principles
of the gospel that the mysteries of heaven are found."
(RaNelle
Wallace)
"Genesis is the symbolic account
of the soul's journey from heaven. Revelation is the
symbolic story of the soul's return to heaven. It is
the story of paradise lost and paradise found." (Edgar
Cayce)
"The purpose of religion is not so much to get us into
heaven, or to keep us out of hell, but to put a little
bit of heaven into us, and take the hell out of us."
(E. Stanley Jones)
"People who have spiritual
love will enter heaven. People who do not have spiritual
love will enter hell." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"God's paradise for us is love.
We can create paradise again if we learn to love one
another as ourselves." (Sandra
Rogers)
"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
everyone an equal chance to eventually attain the harmony
to fit into some kind of heaven - regardless of their
intelligence, education, indoctrination, ignorance,
wealth or poverty." (Arthur
Yensen)
"A heavenly existence is created
by how we live on Earth, including the truths we have
lived, taught, and believed in life; and the love, peace,
and compassion we have known for ourselves and those
we have touched. Everything else is associated with
a hellish existence." (Tina)
"It is a life of love, a life
of behaving honestly and fairly in every task, that
leads to a heavenly life. This life is not hard." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"The heavenly realm we enter
into after death is determined by how we have lived
our lives on Earth. We must earn our citizenship into
the various heavenly realms and we do so at our own
pace." (Betty
Bethards)
"Everyone is born with a spiritual
void within them. Throughout our lives, we fill our
void with a multitude of things. Then when we die, we
step into the spiritual void we have filled. This is
why having love within us is so important when we die.
Giving and receiving love from the heart, creates a
heavenly paradise within us which is manifested in the
spirit world and becomes realized at death." (Kevin
Williams)
"The general rule of thumb
is this: hellish life, hellish afterlife - heavenly
life, heavenly afterlife. Death will not change a hellish
life into a heavenly afterlife, nor does it change a
heavenly life into a hellish afterlife." (Dr.
Melvin Morse)
"We do not go to heaven. We
grow to heaven here on Earth." (Edgar
Cayce)
"The spiritual state of being
we have on Earth is the spiritual state we take with
us to heaven. There is no sudden metamorphosis from
an idle person into an active person, from a nonreligious
person into a religious person, from a money-centered
person into a God-centered person." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"Day by day we are building
for eternity ... Every gentle word, every generous thought,
every unselfish deed will become a pillar of eternal
beauty in the life to come." (Rebecca
Springer)
"When we die, we take this
heaven of love with us to the level of heaven that corresponds
to the love within us." (Kevin
Williams)
"All you may know of heaven
or hell is within your own self." (Edgar
Cayce)
"If we are willing to suppress
our self-centered nature so that our higher spiritual
nature can gain control, it will bring about a resurrection
and ascension of the transformed self, which can create
heaven on Earth." (Dr.
George Ritchie)
"No heaven can come to us unless
our hearts find rest in it today." (Fra
Giovanni)
"The best way to get to heaven
is to take it with you." (Henry
Drummond)
"People don't go to heaven
because of their good deeds, or because they believe
this or that, but because they fit in and belong. It's
what you are that counts." (Arthur
Yensen)
"To love is to receive a glimpse
of heaven." (Karen
Sunde)
"Jesus taught people that the
way to heaven is through love and that this heaven of
love is within us. And because love is God, we manifest
this heaven on Earth when we love others. But when we
refuse to love, we create a hell within us which also
becomes manifested on Earth. Being without love is absolute
hell. But if we give love, we are already in heaven."
(Kevin
Williams)
"As much of heaven is visible
as we have eyes to see." (Ralph
Waldo Emerson)
"You'll not be in heaven if you're not leaning on the
arm of someone you have helped." (Edgar
Cayce)
Near-death accounts can provide
a general overview of the cosmology of the afterlife.
The following is the journey to heaven as I see it from
the near-death experiences I have read:
a. |
A person
leaves their body
and enters the
earthbound realm
where they observe what's going on around
their dead body. |
b. |
They may then
be sucked into a
tunnel
toward the
light;
or find themselves in the
dark void
temporarily until the tunnel appears. |
c. |
Once a person
is in the incredible light of God, they
are overwhelmed by the
love,
beauty,
happiness,
and the wonder of it all.
|
d. |
Memories of
forgotten knowledge
returns; supernatural powers are again realized
such as 360 degree vision, bi-location,
instantaneous travel,
mental telepathy,
timelessness,
heavenly music,
creating realities with your mind, remembering
past lives,
omnipresence, time travel, seeing
the future,
meeting future children, seeing
orbs
- angels -
guides
- Elders. |
e. |
At some point,
the new arrival is shown their
life in review
for the purpose of instruction and for an
evaluation to see they have earned the right
to enter a
higher heavenly
realm. |
f.
|
The person is
reunited with family and friends in a
homecoming. |
g. |
Heavenly structures
may be seen such as: a
city(s) of light,
libraries of knowledge,
crystal cathedrals of light, a
receiving station
where destinies become known, a hospital
where damaged souls are healed, a dome structure,
or an amphitheater. |
h. |
Heavenly
vistas may be experienced such as exquisite
valleys, gardens, lakes, rivers, mountains,
waterfalls, and dwellings. |
i. |
A
barrier might be reached where it is impossible
to return to Earth and a choice may have
to be made whether to remain or return to
Earth. If the choice is to remain, the new
arrival will be able to choose their habitation.
It may be at a higher realm that they have
earned, or they can operate at the same
level or a lower level where loved ones
may need help. |
j. |
Eternities may
go by before the desire for further soul
growth is realized and it is decided to
reenter a
World-School.
In heaven, an Earth life seems to last for
only a brief moment. After the moment in
the World-School is over, they will go through
the process again to see if they have earned
the right for a higher level of heavenly
life. |
k. |
There are many
World-Schools in the world of universes.
We are working our way up toward a permanent
residence at the highest level of life -
complete at-one-ment and merger with divinity.
This requires sojourning through the vast
system of World-Schools and dimensions with
the goal of reaching the top. This is the
goal for everyone and eventually everyone
will achieve it. (Kevin
Williams) |
"Children who have NDEs sometimes
report having to visit an animal heaven before they
can go to the adult heaven. (P.M.H. Atwater)
"From the light we have come
and to the light we all shall return." (Josiane
Antonette)
"Paths are visible in the spirit
realm. Some lead to heaven and some to hell. Good people
travel only along paths that lead to heaven according
to their own desire. They do not see paths leading in
other directions. Evil people follow only paths that
lead to hell according to their own desire. They do
not see paths leading in other directions; and even
if they do, they do not want to follow them." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"In heaven you feel much more
alive than you will ever feel here. Our lives on Earth
are for just a short time, like a vacation. You visit,
try to find your way around, and just when you think
you've got it down, it's time to go home. When you go
home to heaven, you know exactly where you are, what
you're doing. It's just a wonderful place. There's no
hatred, just love, kindness, and mercy. It's one huge
family there." (Roy
Mills)
"Some experiencers meet people
in heaven who are yet to be born or preparing to be
born into the world." (Kevin
Williams)
"To appreciate heaven well
it is good for a man to have some fifteen minutes of
hell." (Will
Carleton)
"From an endless dream we have come. In an endless dream
we are living. To an endless dream we shall return."
(Michio
Kushi)
"As the two beings approached
us, I could also feel the love flowing from them toward
us. The complete joy they showed at seeing the Christ
was unmistakable. Seeing these beings and feeling the
joy, peace and happiness which swelled up from them
made me feel that here was the place of all places,
the top realm of all realms. The beings who inhabited
it were full of love. This, I was and am convinced,
is heaven." (Dr.
George Ritchie)
Herr Pettersson was also permitted to visit the spirit
world and discovered, much to his surprise, that even
the worst in heaven exceeded the best on Earth. To Herr
Pettersson the world of spirits resembled the material
world. There were many countries, or "Kingdoms." There
were cities and villages, temples and palaces, flowers
and animals of great beauty and variety. The people
were very busy. Some were preaching on street corners
and in assembly halls, and all had great congregations.
"Who
are they?" Herr Pettersson asked (referring
to the preachers)?
"They,"
his guide answered, "belong to the church
of the First born, and they have been sent
here to be ministering spirits to those
who shall yet becoming heirs of salvation."
"I
am afraid," stammered Herr Pettersson, "that
I do not comprehend you. Are we not in heaven?
How can the world of salvation be preached
here?"
"No brother!"
the guide replied, "We are not in what mortals
call heaven! This is Hades."
(Lundahl
and Widdison)
|
"Turning back to the interior
of the temple, I saw that creative activities were taking
place in different areas. There were a number of individuals
sitting at easels painting, and I saw one man playing
a flutelike instrument that emitted the sweetest of
sounds. Farther on, dancers moved with ethereal grace,
performing with a lightness impossible to the physical
human form. As I watched in utter delight, I became
aware that the musical background for this visual feast
came from what I would call a celestial choir - an orchestra
of voices creating heavenly music for the dance. This
Music of the Spheres was indeed singing the praises
of the Creator." (Jan
Price)
"Instead of allowing me to
enter, the angel stationed me before the gates, slightly
to one side. He instructed me to stay there and watch
as the saints were permitted to enter into heaven. As
the saints were allowed into heaven, I noticed a strange
thing. They were permitted to enter only one at a time.
No two were permitted to enter those gates at the same
time. I wondered about this but it was never explained
to me." (Rev.
Howard Pittman)
"The experience of merging
with the light of God is like having your body explode
in a pleasant way and becoming a million different atoms.
Each atom can think its own thoughts and have its own
feelings. You feel all at once what it feels like to
be everything and everybody." (Nora
Spurgin)
"Jesus said that I would never
quite be the same as I was before I visited heaven.
He said that some of the power of the light would remain
within me. And he told me to let the love that I would
feel in my heart express itself to all people. He said
that I should never worry if people doubted my story
or could not understand what I was telling them. 'One
day,' Jesus said, 'everyone will come to see
for themselves what you have seen.'" (Randy
Gehling)
"A little girl who died in
a swimming pool said to Dr. Melvin Morse, 'Don't worry,
Dr. Morse, heaven is fun!'" (Dr.
Melvin Morse)
"It seemed like the dawn of
a new day; day was just breaking! It was a beautiful
experience. I heard little birds singing, tiny birds,
and they got louder and louder. People have said there
are no birds in heaven, but I heard them." (Lorraine
Tutmarc)
"Then, as if I had eyes all
around my head, I saw saints, souls that were in heaven
- multitudes. There was no way to count them. Whether
there were millions or billions, I have no idea. As
far as I could see in every direction were people of
all sizes dressed in white robes. The people were transparent;
I could see through them. They were behind me, across
from me, all around me. They were floating on what appeared
to be a crystal mirror or cloud or smoke. It is hard
to describe these things in earthly terms, but I am
trying to show you what my spirit saw. Each person was
holding a crown in his or her hand. The saints were
saying, 'We were waiting for you.'" (Dr.
Gerard Landry)
"The angels told me that all
who enter the third heaven must remain there until brought
back to this physical world by Christ himself." (Rev.
Howard Pittman)
Apostle Paul's view
of heaven:
"I know a person
in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught
up to the third heaven. Whether it was in
the body or out of the body I do not know
- God knows. And I know that this person
- whether in the body or apart from the
body I do not know, but God knows - was
caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible
things, things that humans are not permitted
to tell." (2
Corinthians 12:1-4)
|
Stephen's view of heaven:
"But Stephen, full
of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven
and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing
at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said,
'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing
at the right hand of God.'" (Acts
7:54-56).
|
Jacob's view of heaven:
"He [Jacob] had
a dream in which he saw a stairway resting
on the Earth, with its top reaching to heaven,
and the angels of God were ascending and
descending on it. There above it stood the
Lord, and he said: 'I am the Lord, the God
of your father Abraham' ... When Jacob awoke
from his sleep, he thought, 'Surely the
Lord is in this place, and I was not aware
of it.' He was afraid and said, 'How awesome
is this place! This is none other than the
house of God; this is the gate of heaven.'"
(Genesis
28:10-12)
|
Apostle John's view of
heaven:
"After this I looked,
and there before me was a door standing
open in heaven. And the voice I had first
heard speaking to me like a trumpet said,
"Come up here, and I will show you what
must take place after this." At once I was
in the Spirit, and there before me was a
throne in heaven with someone sitting on
it. And the one who sat there had the appearance
of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling
an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding
the throne were twenty-four other thrones,
and seated on them were twenty-four elders.
They were dressed in white and had crowns
of gold on their heads. From the throne
came flashes of lightning, rumblings and
peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven
lamps were blazing. These are the seven
spirits of God. Also before the throne there
was what looked like a sea of glass, clear
as crystal." (Revelation
4:1-6)
|
"Because in heaven only the
best in each person survives and good is all anyone
wants to do there, this allows a freedom and happiness
that people on Earth can not imagine. On Earth we need
thousands of laws to keep order, but in heaven restrictions
are not needed." (Arthur
Yensen)
"Negative thoughts cannot be
expressed in the heavenly realms - only positive ones."
(Ned
Dougherty)
"Humans are educated at a higher
level by spirit beings who bring us into heaven. We
grow and increase, and grow and increase, and shed the
concerns, desires, and base animal stuff that we have
been fighting much of our life. Earthly appetites melt
away. It is no longer a struggle to fight them. We become
who we truly are, which is part of the divine." (Rev.
Howard Storm)
"In heaven, we can remember
our real identity and know what possibilities exist
for soul growth. We do not move forward until we choose
to do so." (P.M.H. Atwater)
"Heaven is a joyous condition
and a state of expanded awareness, of perceiving more
and more of the grand plan of creation." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"Knowledge beyond our deepest
dreams exists in heaven and in the hearts of those who
dwell there." (Betty
Eadie)
"What people call heaven is
really our true home and destination. It is where we
go for recess or to be rewarded by assessing our progress
as a soul, evaluating our lives, and to remember all
truths, including our real identity. We stay there for
however long best serves our development." (Nora
Spurgin)
"Everyone in the realms of
light knows that there is a Creator. It is said that
this presence is so obvious it cannot be denied." (Nora
Spurgin)
"Once in heaven, a person may
feel as if they had been there before. They may remember
that heaven is their real home. They may remember that
on Earth, people are visitors and homesick strangers."
(Arthur
Yensen)
"We tend to feel that when
we die, heaven is as we thought it-and it certainly
is. We can be received exactly the same way we always
thought we would be received. People can remain in narrowness
if they want -they don't need to change unless they
wish. There is perfect freedom of spirit in heaven."
(Margaret
Tweddell)
"Some people have high hopes
that everything is going to be different for them in
heaven. However, nothing can be different for them because
they have brought with them what they are. There is
so much harmony in heaven that if anyone brings a disharmonious
personality with them, they will find it very difficult
to link in with the harmonious existence that exists." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"In heaven there is no way to get ahead of others. This
is because there is no place in heaven for discontent
or personal ambition." (Arthur
Yensen)
"Heaven is a world much like
our own except there is no time nor space as we think
of them here. Heaven exists in a higher dimension of
energy. The higher realms are a world of inexpressible
beauty. They are realms where it is possible to be fully
alive, where, for example, the whole body perceives.
They are realms of endless possibilities for creativity
and full realization of self; and they are where the
love of God is like the air we breathe. As air is the
atmosphere on Earth, God's love is the atmosphere in
the spirit world." (Nora
Spurgin)
"Heaven is very hard to describe
because words are inadequate to describe it. Heaven
is a place of imagination. Heaven is exactly what our
imagination needs it to be. It is a lively hilarious
place that's unbelievably sweet, serene and melodious.
It is characterized by its vivid greenness, its crystalline
cleanliness, its newness, its all-pervading music and
its overall beauty - all of which are maintained by
God. It's a vigorous, lively place with an outflowing
happiness that's uncontainable. It's not a place of
rest because no one there gets tired. It's more like
a new lease on life. Everything in heaven is pure. The
elements don't mix or break down as they do on Earth.
Everything is kept in place by God's all pervading Master-Vibration
which prevents aging. That's why things don't get dirty,
or wear out, and why everything looks so bright and
new." (Arthur
Yensen)
"Heaven and hell are spiritual
states of being. They are not static states but are
states in which there can be growth and progress toward
ultimate wholeness of being." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"Think of stepping on the shore and finding it heaven,
of touching a hand and finding it God's, of breathing
new air and finding it celestial, of waking up in glory
and finding it home." (Don Wyrtzen)
"To me, the valley appeared
to be Heaven, but at the same time I knew that James
and Rashad were seeing it differently. James saw it
as the Gulf of Souls. Rashad saw it as Nirvana, and
somehow we knew all this without speaking." (May
Eulitt)
"All of heaven is divided into
communities based on the different levels of goodness
that comes from the desires of those in them. Everyone
who enters into heaven is taken to the community where
their desires are expressed and where they belong. They
enter the community as though they were at home and
where they were born. People sense which community they
belong to and then develop close relationship with others
like themselves." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"If one is in the highest realms,
love reigns. And where there is love, there is happiness.
Where there is happiness, there is no awareness of time.
Therefore, there is no time as we know it here. However,
in the lower realms, because one is very unhappy, time
seem interminable. There is space, but the whole spirit
world is a reflection of the qualities of the people
who live there. Where love reigns, there is no distance
between people. The spirit world is thus not like our
three-dimensional world, but is more like a symbolic
reflection of the inner quality of the people." (Nora
Spurgin)
"As there are degrees of heaven
and hell on Earth, so there are degrees of heaven and
hell in the spiritual world." (Margaret
Tweddell)
An experience from a subject
of Dr. Lundahl and Dr. Widdison's research:
"There were spheres above, whose occupants could and
did visit us, and we could always recognize these higher
natures by the virtues which possessed them, and were
apparent to us as they passed beside us. But we could
not visit their spheres until we had perfectly qualified
for it. And there were of course spheres below us, where
those who had not repented of their evil ways still
had to work out their redemption. Those in the lower
spheres could not have been happy in this higher kingdom
until they qualified themselves by a change of heart
and mind. This individual went on to
observe that although individuals in each sphere are
aware of the others' existence, they cannot see, let
alone visit, without significant preparation. Those
living on the higher realms of the city radiate the
brightest light, being so resplendent that their glory
must be cloaked so others of lower degree can look upon
them (Note: This phenomenon can be found in
Howard Storm's
NDE). Visiting the higher levels is possible, but
the spirits of lower realms must be prepared or covered
so they can stand in the presence of greater glory.
In addition to the placement of individuals at judgment,
the next world is efficiently organized to help individuals
adapt to their new home. Infants are taken to a place
where they are nurtured and taught and where they mature.
Some new arrivals are taken to a place of orientation
where they rest, adjust to their new condition, and
prepare to take their place in the City of Light. (Lundahl
and Widdison)
A person's dreams, visions,
and meditations are reflections of the soul's experience
in the spirit world. The conscious mind is the product
of the evolution of the stars and planets. The soul
mind (subconsciousness) is conditioned by its previous
incarnations within the physical world and the spirit
world. The conscious mind becomes dimmed or brightened
by its recent experiences in these worlds. (Edgar
Cayce)
"But no matter what level or
city a person qualifies for, each city is so superior
to any on Earth that it is indescribable, and each succeeding
realm is indescribably better than that immediately
below it." (Lundahl
and Widdison)
"All of the various
heavenly realms of consciousness have different frequencies
of vibration. Matter on Earth is composed of atoms and
these atoms are composed of energy which vibrates. Earth
matter is denser than the matter of the higher realms.
We can see Earth matter because of light waves which
vibrate at a visual observing rate. But the same reason
that we cannot see radio or television waves, which
vibrate at too fast a rate to be seen, is the same reason
we cannot see the matter of higher realms, unless you
happen to be clairvoyant." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"There is strong scientific
and religious evidence that there are
10 dimensions
(heavens) to the afterlife." (Kevin
Williams)
One near-death experiencer
saw everybody in the spirit realm organized into several
different grades. Another individual discovered that:
"The reports of
many individuals who have been permitted
to see or visit the next world tell us that
it is located right here on our physical
Earth. If our spirit eyes were to open,
we would discover we are surrounded by those
who have preceded us in death. But not everyone
goes to the same location in the next world.
We will be acutely aware of everything we
have done or failed to do in our lives.
We will also know the lives of those around
us and they will know ours. Therefore we
will seek out those who think the same way
we do, who value the same things we do.
We will gravitate toward those we feel at
ease with, who are like us. Judgment is
more a process of self-evaluation than the
product of a heavenly tribunal. The next
world is segmented into spheres organized
around qualities of love, service, and personal
preparedness." (Lundahl
and Widdison)
|
"There are many realms that
take up the same space as the physical realm much like
boxes within boxes. The physical realm is but one of
the boxes in the hierarchy of boxes. This means we are
actually already in the so-called afterlife right now
because the physical realm is a part of the afterlife.
Each realm corresponds to a particular level of spiritual
development and proximity to God - the ultimate level
of spirituality. For example, when we are deeply in
love and very happy, we are in heaven. When we are without
love and miserable, we are in hell. This becomes fully
apparent after death when there is no physical body
to restrict it." (Kevin
Williams)
"On Earth we are all aware
of the various kinds of lifestyles of various individuals.
Some seem to have a very desirable lifestyle, others
less so. The same may be said about life in the spirit
world. In terms of externals, some persons there live
in more attractive and comfortable environments, others
in less appealing conditions. At the extremes there
are beautiful and uplifting settings which are truly
heavenly and, on the other hand, there are very unattractive,
even repugnant, environments which are without a doubt
hellish. One's outward environment in the spirit world
depends upon one's internal nature. If, during our lifetime
on Earth, we matured in a spiritually rich and beautiful
way, we will come to dwell in an environment that corresponds
with these qualities. Indeed, such environments are
said by those who have experienced them to possess a
beauty that is beyond anything seen on Earth." (Nora
Spurgin)
"Heaven is a matter of vibration.
The finer the vibration we have, the nearer we are to
heaven. Heaven is a state of being joyous, light, loving,
harmonious, vibrant, God-centered and others-centered.
The heavier the vibration, the nearer we are to hell.
Hell is a state of being heavy, dull, dismal, gray,
and glum-as when you are heavily depressed and self-centered."
(Margaret
Tweddell)
"We are likely to seek out our relatives, loved ones
and ancestors with whom we have a bond. However, if
there is a vast difference in spiritual development,
a person of lesser development will be unable to enter
the higher realm to which those of greater development
have advanced. In this case, the more highly developed
loved one may choose to visit the realm of lower spiritual
development to help the person in need of spiritual
development." (Nora
Spurgin)
"If you loved someone who is on a lower vibration than
you are, you are allowed to visit anytime you choose
by simply lowering your rate of vibration. This may
help the entity greatly by encouraging self-love and
growth. However, the entity will need to incarnate again
on the Earth plane to test out these new lessons, because
it is the Earth experience that determines your stage
of evolution." (Betty
Bethards)
"After death people gravitate
into homogenous groups according to the rate of their
soul's vibrations. If the percent of discord and negativity
in a person is small, it can be eliminated by God; then
the remaining good can live on here. But if the percentage
of discord and negativity were too high, this couldn't
be done, and the person would have to gravitate to a
lower level and live with others who have the same kind
of thoughts." (Arthur
Yensen)
"All of heaven is divided into
communities which are based on different spiritual desires.
Everyone is taken to the community where their desires
fit in." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"After death each person lives
in the kind of a heaven or hell that they have prepared
for themselves while on Earth. It is the same principle
as putting a coin into the slot of a coin counter. The
coin goes into the slot and ends up in the right container,
not because it was good or bad, but because it is the
proper size for where it belongs. No one sends us anywhere
after death. We are sorted by the vibration of your
soul. Everyone goes where they fit in! High vibrations
indicate love and spiritual development. Low vibrations
indicate debasement and evil." (Arthur
Yensen)
"Taken all together, our desires
and love make up a kind of kingdom within us while on
Earth. This kingdom is made known to us after death
when our thoughts and feelings reach out into a particular
heavenly or hellish community. Heavenly communities
are reached if our strongest love matches the love of
a particular heavenly community. Hellish communities
are reached if our strongest love matches the love of
hell." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"While in heaven, Pettersson
discovered that heaven also has multiple levels, and
inhabitation of each level is contingent on one's diligence
on Earth and in heaven. It seems that the assignment
to a specific city is contingent on the actions and
attitudes of the individual while on Earth. The key
that opens the gate to a specific city of light is the
ability to dwell in the light of that city, and this
evidently depends on behaviors during Earth life." (Lundahl
and Widdison)
After death, each soul has
to rise as best it can through a hierarchy of heavens
and face the increasingly difficult challenges posed
by the guardian angels of each level of heaven. (Apocalypse
of Paul)
"In the spirit world God's
truth is represented by light and God's love by warmth.
Those people in the spirit world who live in harmony
with God live in light and warmth. Conversely, if a
person living on Earth has stunted their spiritual growth
through an undeveloped or misdirected lifestyle, or
has led a totally self-centered life, or has hurt other
people, that person's spiritual environment will reflect
these realities. A self-centered life places a person
in an area of the spiritual world with like-minded people
who have yet to learn how unselfishness advances the
soul. Locations that are distant from God are said to
be dark, cold and inhospitable. They reflect the spirits
of those dwelling therein. In between these two extremes
are many levels representing different stages of spiritual
growth. The central factor determining our particular
level is the degree to which we have lived for the sake
of others, and the extent to which we have helped others
on the path of love. In this respect, the actions of
loving, serving and teaching others carry the highest
spiritual value." (Nora
Spurgin)
"People who are thinking about
divine matters while they are active on Earth are in
touch with the angels of heaven ...
People who are motivated mostly
by physical desires cannot breathe in heaven. If such
a person is taken there, they would draw each breath
like someone hard pressed in a struggle. But people
who are involved in heavenly desires breathe more freely
and live more fully the farther into heaven they are."
(Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"People on the Other Side who
have an orientation of hate will find themselves unable
to appreciate a realm of love and harmony. Therefore,
they continue in their state of bitterness and are closed
to the glory which exists around them. Such people will
have to wait until they gradually appreciate the fact
that it is very destructive to hate like that. When
they have had real hates and have been emotionally upset
like that, or have had a real bitterness toward someone,
then it takes them quite a period of time to get the
light and the power around them again, to be able to
appreciate this place or that, or go to the Valley of
Praise, or go and hear beautiful music. They just hear
discords, and eventually they come to the realization
that "this isn't much of a life, is it?" And the moment
that happens, those who are dedicated to work with this
sort of person come and they have their methods of easing
them away from the state they are in. It is like taking
a skin off an onion. They will gently peel off this
layer that is formed by hate." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"Our outward appearance in
heaven is determined by the quality of our heart and
life. One's inner quality is perceived as light. Our
features are visible but the light that comes from our
very essence is the identifying feature. For example,
because they lived totally for other people, Jesus and
other religious leaders emanate brilliant light." (Nora
Spurgin)
"A physical body is of no use
in the spiritual world. People in heaven get along very
well with translucent spiritual bodies. This is why
a resurrection of physical bodies is useless." (Arthur
Yensen)
"In the spirit world, where
we don't have a physical body, spiritual growth is more
difficult. The opportunity for the full range of love
(child's love, marital love, and parental love) is ideally
available on Earth. Love which has been misused or misdirected,
is also best corrected in the physical world because
there is a full range of physical and spiritual senses
with which to act and communicate.
Since the spiritual world is a world of mind and imagination,
food is not necessary. A person in the spirit world
may still have physical desires they had on Earth. In
the spirit world, there is fruit to be eaten or even
have a banquet. All that is good in life, whether it
is food, drink, human affection, or sex can be experienced
in spirit world. Because our current senses of hearing,
seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching are only poor
reflections of our more greater spiritual senses. The
spirit body can travel by thought. If one thinks of
a person and place, one can immediately be transported
there. Communication is also by thought. In the spirit
world, we are free from the restrictions of a physical
body. (Nora
Spurgin)
"Married couples will be reunited after death, and may
choose to stay together if they want to, provided they
are on the same level of vibration. You will be with
those you love, and there is a total merger which is
a much higher experience and a deeper love bond than
anything you can know on the Earth plane. This total
merger is like stepping inside one another's auras,
a total blending of energies. It's a way of expressing
love and sharing. What you know on Earth as a sexual
relationship takes the form of a higher merger of souls.
There is no need for sexual organs on the other side
unless you choose to have them. For this merger of energies
is far superior to the physical mechanics of the sexual
experience. This merger is not limited to husbands and
wives, but may be experienced by any two souls who are
loving and caring." (Betty
Bethards)
"The people in heaven are like
uninhibited, carefree children. Heaven is where all
people really love each other. There are no inhibitions,
or need for them. Everyone does exactly as they please;
which works out well because only the best in each person
survives, and good is all anyone ever wants to do. This
allows a freedom and happiness that people on Earth
can't imagine." (Arthur
Yensen)
"Heaven is a realm where we
recognize and enjoy our worth, talents, abilities, joys,
courage, generosity, caring, empathy, giving-ness, virtue,
cheer, diligence, thoughtfulness, patience, loving kindness,
or whatever else reveals the power of our own light.
We stay in heaven (and there are many divisions to this
vibratory level) for however long best serves our development.
There is a sense of benefit here, as if one has found
their true home. In heaven, we have the opportunity
to assess our progress as a soul, to evaluate pros and
cons and outcomes, to remember all truths including
our real identity. We experience the glory of love and
the power of forgiveness." (P.M.H. Atwater)
"What we do in the spiritual
world depends on where we are in the spirit world. The
higher realms of the spirit world is truly heaven; a
world of enjoyment and recreation. People do things
they enjoy, and keep company with people they enjoy.
It is a world of joyful activity. The skills, interests,
and abilities developed on Earth may be reflected in
the roles chosen in eternity. Each of us will contribute
uniquely toward the goodness and beauty in our realm."
(Nora
Spurgin)
"Plans, paths, and truths await
us in heaven, some of which are eternities old, and
some of which we have yet to make." (Betty
Eadie)
"Everyone in heaven is enjoying
themselves and they do not have to work in order to
be happy. Everyone in heaven has work they can do -
a position to fill in the greater scheme of things and
all souls evolve." (Arthur
Yensen)
"In heaven there is an overall awareness of what is going
to happen on Earth six weeks, six months, or perhaps
two years ahead. At times it is rather like being in
an airplane looking down, and we get an overview or
prevision of what is going to happen, due to our being
able to see things in broader perspective." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"A truly loving marriage is
one of God's greatest gift. A marriage that expresses
the love of God is for eternity. In such a marriage,
couples are united together to continue growing closer
to God and to each other. Where children are born from
such a union, the depth of love shared on Earth keeps
the family together in the spiritual world." (Nora
Spurgin)
"People who were married on
Earth meet in heaven and recognize one another. They
may want to live together as they lived on Earth. As
the outward superficialities dissolve once they are
in heaven, the couple will discover what they are really
like inwardly. They will discover what their love and
attraction really were and whether they are able to
continue to live as one. A marriage without God's love
and blessing may soon disintegrate. Where love is underdeveloped,
growth is necessary before such blessed oneness can
be experienced and enjoyed. The misuse of love and sex
during a person's earthly life leaves a deep scar on
the spirit which can only be mended by true love." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"Our friends on Earth are the
same friends we had in heaven. Our best friends here
were quite often with us there. And it's the same with
our families. We made plans together about things we
would do and events we would share on Earth. We really
got into the planning part. A lot of the people who
are important in our lives on Earth are people we met
in heaven, even if it was just for a short while to
discuss a few things that would effect our lives in
a small way." (Roy
Mills)
"The quality of life in the
spirit world is directly affected by one's heart and
one's activities on Earth. Since love is supreme, opportunities
for the practice of love will continue. Spiritual growth
is attained through the dynamic of love." (Nora
Spurgin)
"When people leave and travel
to another community, there is a certain constant resistance.
This is the effect of their longing to return to those
who are like themselves and where their strongest desire
can be expressed. This is how close relationships are
formed in heaven. The same holds true in hell, where
people also form relationships based on their desires
but which are opposed to heavenly ones." (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
"Our deceased pets appear in
heaven the way we remember them, only younger and more
vital. We can communicate with them telepathically.
They also have dwelling places of their own." (Jan
Price)
Return to
Top |
13. Heavenly Cities, Temples, Libraries, and
Structures |
Near-death experiencers have
described seeing a heavenly city or cities of light
during their NDEs. Some examples of these descriptions
include:
Golden cities
with towers and domes - cities of crystal
cathedrals - beautiful unearthly cities
- beautiful fairy tale cities - a city that
represents an entire world - multi-colored
crystal cities - an endless, brilliant,
city of light and love - a heavenly city
in the clouds where souls leave to come
to Earth and where souls go for after death
for rejuvenation - a multi-dimensional city
of increasing glory - heavenly cities of
increasing glory - traveling through a tunnel
of cities of increasing glory - cities of
light with beautiful music - cities of colorful
light - cities built of light - cities built
by God - the eternal city - galaxy-like
cities of lights - galaxies of light beings
- New Jerusalem - the city of God - a crystal
city of light - a city where the light is
God. (Kevin
Williams)
|
"Many experiencers visit a
heavenly structure that resembles a temple or a library.
This structure has several names, such as: the Temple
of Knowledge, the Temple of Wisdom, or the Hall of Records.
It is a vast, old, pure white, somewhat Grecian, structure
of supernal beauty that contains all of the wisdom of
the ages, everything ever said or written. Everyone's
Book of Life is there. It is a library of the mind and
a repository of all knowledge. By simply reflecting
on a topic, all the knowledge concerning that topic
will come to you. Inside, people can be observed painting,
playing music, dancing, and doing many other activities."
(Kevin
Williams)
"An experiencer in Dr. Allen
Kellehear's research described seeing a heavenly computer
in heaven that is very complex and very beautiful and
designed to guide the path of a person's destiny. It
works by waving a hand in a pattern over its large keyboard
as if playing a piano without touching the keys. When
this is done, something of great benefit happens to
someone on Earth.
Dr. George
Ritchie saw a similar heavenly computer while on
a guided tour with Jesus through enormous rooms filled
with complex equipment and people bent over intricate
charts and diagrams, and people sitting at the controls
of elaborate consoles flickering with lights. Years
later, Ritchie was reading a magazine and saw a photo
of the instruments in a nuclear submarine and realized
that it was the same computer he saw in heaven.
Betty Eadie
described seeing a similar heavenly computer and realized
that all important things on Earth first originate in
heaven. Other experiencers have described watching their
life review on computer-like screens." (Kevin
Williams)
"Some heaven-bound people first
enter a heavenly receiving station where family and
friends can be met and where life reviews can occur.
From there people travel on to other locations in heaven.
Other structures seen in heaven include heavenly temples,
a heavenly library containing great wisdom, cities of
light, crystal cathedrals and cities." (Kevin
Williams)
"There are heavenly hospitals
full of injured and crippled souls - the result of their
hard faring on Earth - who are nursed back to health
so that they can begin their work in heaven." (Dr.
Craig Lundahl)
"Although our goal is to go
to heaven, our greatest goal is to bring heaven to Earth."
(Anne
Horne)
"We leave paradise not just
for the sake of our own spiritual potential but for
God as well, and assuring us, his children, that his
perfect, unconditional, eternal life will light our
way through all our days on Earth and right back through
the tunnel that will someday bring us safely home again."
(Sylvia
Browne)
"The reason we cannot remember
our life in heaven before we were born is because these
memories would alter our earthly experience and our
opportunity to learn." (Roy
Mills)
"A soul can choose to remain
in heaven and operate on that level for eternity." (David
Oakford)
A process in heaven determines the number of destinies
a soul can choose from and follow when the soul leaves
one heavenly realm for residence in another. Destinies
are based on a soul's karma and are astrologically connected
to corresponding heavenly and hellish afterlife realms.
(Edgar
Cayce)
Return to
Top |
15. Heaven as Revealed by Dr. Michael Newton's
Research |
"Once the decision has been
made to come to Earth, we are directed to the place
of life selection. We then consider when and where we
want to go on Earth before making a decision on who
they will be in life. We then enter a heavenly building
which resembles a movie theater to allow us to see ourselves
in the future, playing different roles in various settings.
In this place of life selection, our souls preview the
life span of more than one human being within the same
time cycle. When we leave this area, most souls are
inclined toward one leading candidate presented to us
for soul occupation. However, our spiritual advisors
give us ample opportunity to reflect upon all we have
seen in the future before making a final decision. After
we complete our consultations with guides and peers
about the many physical and psychological ramifications
of entering the physical realm, the decision to come
is made. Afterward, we undergo a significant amount
of preparation in a place called the recognition class.
This heavenly class is where we prepare ourselves for
entry into the physical realm in a manner that is similar
to cramming for a final exam.
One of the last requirements
before being born is that we go before the Council of
Elders. The Elders reinforce the significance of our
goals for life. Once we are ready for entering the physical
realm, we are like battle-hardened veterans girding
ourselves for combat. This is our last chance for us
to enjoy the omniscience of knowing just who we are
before we adapt to a physical body." (Dr.
Michael Newton)
Sylvia is a well known psychic whose insights into the
afterlife have made her books best-sellers. Her insights
are the result of a psychic gift that she was born with
and a near-death experience she had at the age of forty-two.
To read her near-death account, visit my
Sylvia Brown page.
The following is an excerpt from her page which is a
summary of her afterlife insights.
"After death,
people return home to the place they came from on the
other side. There is a reunion with family and friends
who have departed before them. After the reunion, most
of people are lead by their spirit guide to a building
on the other side called the Hall of Wisdom. In a sacred
room, they see their lives flash before them on a scanning
machine. This device is a domed screen where life reviews
are played out in three-dimensional holographic form.
Once a person's life has been fully evaluated, they
are debriefed in an orientation process. This is when
a person's life is discussed and reviewed in the scanning
machine. People then meet with guides who are trained
orientators who discuss ways of amending previous mistakes.
People then receive help if they were unprepared for
crossing over into the spirit world. For
those whose transition is especially difficult, the
orientation process is preceded by another process called
cocooning. This is when the person is put into a restful,
healing sleep for as long as it takes for them to feel
healthy. In extreme cases, people are taken to a structure
called the Towers where extremely confused people undergo
a deprogramming process. Once
a person has adjusted to the transition, they can visit
a place called the Hall of Records where historical
data is stored such as the records of everyone's past
lives. Another beautiful structure is the Hall of Justice
where people go before a Council of Elders who are highly
advanced spokespersons of God who help us decide how
we are to progress further into the spirit realm.
At some point, people recognize
the need for even further advancement and therefore
choose to return to Earth to gain this spiritual advancement.
With the help of a spirit guide, they decide on an incarnation
which will meet their goals. They then proceed to the
Hall of Justice where they meet once again with the
Council of Elders. The Council prepares them for their
next incarnation. When they are ready to incarnate,
their family and friends are gathered together to bid
farewell. Once they have said their goodbyes, they can
meet with a spiritual teacher, such as Buddha or Jesus,
to embrace them in their divine light. People are then
taken to the Towers and are eased into a deep sleep.
The descent into the womb begins and a new life is born
on Earth. (Sylvia
Browne)
The parallels between the afterlife experiences of
Emanuel Swedenborg
and near-death experiences are quite remarkable. So
remarkable in fact that in
Dr. Raymond Moody's
ground-breaking book on near-death experiences entitled
Life After Life,
he has a section where those parallels are specifically
discussed. You can read them on the
Swedenborg web page
on this website. The following are some of Swedenborg's
descriptions of life after death.
Emanuel
Swedenborg described three stages that people pass through
after death before arriving in heaven or hell. The first
stage involves a person's more outward nature according
to Swedenborg. His descriptions of this stage are a
good description of the earthbound realm, in my opinion.
The second stage involves a person's more inward nature
according to Swedenborg. His description of this stage
is a good description of the void, in my opinion. The
third stage is a stage of preparation according to Swedenborg.
His description of this stage is a good description
of transcending the void and arriving at the so-called
third heaven. According
to Swedenborg, all souls arrive in the type of community
where their spirits dwelled in the physical world. In
fact every person is bonded to a particular heavenly
or hellish community-an evil person to a hellish one,
a good person to a heavenly one. A person is guided
there step-by-step and eventually gains entrance. The
following is Swedenborg's description of these three
stages after death.
The first stage after death:
Thoughts are how people communicate in heaven and there
are no distances between people. Whenever a person thinks
about someone else in the spirit world, their face appears
before them in their thought along with many other things
that characterized the person's life. When this happens,
the other person becomes present as though they have
been summoned. This is why everyone arriving in heaven
is recognized by family and friends.
When
people arrive in heaven, they are taught by their friends
about the state of eternal life, and are taken around
to different places, into different communities. Some
are taken to cities, some to gardens and parks; but
most are taken to splendid places because these kind
of places delights the outward earthly nature they are
still involved in and are beginning to lose. Eventually,
they are then led into thoughts they had in life about
the soul's state after death, heaven, and hell. At this
point, people begin to resent their former ignorance
of these things, and resent the Church's ignorance of
these things as well.
[Webmaster's
note: In the
earthbound
realm,
people can travel anywhere on Earth and see places they
have never seen before. Also, the powers of the spirit
mind can be first realized in the earthbound realm.
Others can also arrive to guide the person. Swedenborg's
description of the first stage is also similar to accounts
of near-death experiences in the earthbound realm.]
The second stage after
death: At this
stage, a person's thought process is based on their
impulses. Thoughts and impulses become united. With
such a unity, a person hardly seems to be thinking at
all - simply intending. It is almost the same when communicating
with others; except that people at this stage communicate
with a certain fear that their secret impulses will
be made known to everyone. This fear originates as a
part of a person's impulses in the physical world due
to the demands of normal life.
Absolutely
everyone enters the second stage because it is the actual
condition of the spirit. During the first stage, the
condition of our spirit depends on our association with
others in that stage, which is not our proper condition.
But once we enter the second stage, the stage of our
more inward concerns, it becomes very obvious what kind
of person we were in the physical world. At this point,
we are acting on the basis of who we really are. If
we were inwardly involved with good things while in
the physical world, they we will behave rationally and
wisely -more wisely, in fact, than we did in the physical
world because we are released from our bodily ties and
therefore from the things that darken the spirit. On
the other hand, if a person was involved with evilness
while in the physical world, then they will behave senselessly
and crazily after death - more crazily, in fact, than
they did in the physical world, because they are now
in perfect freedom and are not repressed. When they
lived in the world, they were sane in outward matters
because they were using them to fabricate a rational
person. So once these outward matters are taken away
from them, their madness is unveiled. Once the second
stage is completed, they hurl themselves into the hell
where there are people like themselves.
[Webmaster's
note: This is a
very good description of the
void
experience. In the void,
there is nothing there but our own true inward nature.
The purpose for this is to reflect and understand who
we have become from the physical life just lived. Seeing
ourselves as we really are can be a paradise if love
is there. Then the love within you draws you out of
the void and toward the light. But if there exists within
us mostly unspirituality, then may remain in the void
temporarily or return to the earthbound realm which
is hell for those who are bound there until they eventually
have a change of heart.]
The third stage after death:
This stage is a state of instruction for people who
are entering heaven and in the process of becoming like
an angel. This stage is not for people who are entering
hell, since they cannot be taught. As a result, the
second stage is also the third stage for those entering
hell, concluding with their complete turning toward
their strongest desire, and therefore toward a hellish
community others are involved in similar desires.
The
only way people can be prepared for heaven is by being
instructed in the insights concerning what is spiritually
true and good. This is because people cannot know what
is spiritually good and true unless they are taught.
In the physical world, it is possible to know what is
good and true on a civil and moral level, and what is
called fair and honest because there are civil laws
which teach what is false. There are also social norms
in which a person learns to live by moral laws, all
of which deal with what is honest and right. But what
is spiritually good and true is not learned in the physical
world, but in heaven. However, people who have been
taught what is spiritually good and true in the physical
world have already been prepared for heaven and are
brought into heaven by another route. Some are brought
in immediately after death.
[Webmaster's
note:
I believe Swedenborg is referring to those death experiences
that involve the person to bypass the
earthbound
(First Stage) and
void
realms (Second Stage) and
go straight into the light.]
Once people in the spirit
world have been prepared for heaven through instruction,
they are dressed in angelic clothes, most of which are
white, as though made of linen. So dressed, they are
brought to a path that heads up toward heaven and are
committed to angel guardians there. Then they are accepted
by some other angels and introduced into communities,
and there into many forms of happiness. (Emanuel
Swedenborg)
[Webmaster's
note: This description
of the third stage agrees with those who leave the tunnel
and enter the light where they may be met by Jesus,
loved ones, the Council of Elders, temples, libraries,
etc.]
"The wise man makes his own heaven while
the foolish man creates his own hell here and hereafter"
(Buddha)
The concept of heaven and hell in Buddhism is different
from traditional Christianity. The Buddha taught that
a person's citizenship in the many heavens and hell
realms is not permanent. The Buddha taught that there
are heavens and hells not only in the spirit world,
but in physical world also. The fire of hell in the
physical world is hotter than that of the hell in the
spirit world. There is no fire equal to anger, lust
or greed and ignorance. Buddha taught that people burn
from various kinds of physical and mental pain: lust,
hatred, illusion sickness, decay, death, worry, lamentation,
pain, depression and grief. Buddha taught that wherever
there is more suffering, in life or after life, it is
a hell for those who suffer. And wherever there is more
pleasure and happiness, in life or after life, it is
a heaven to those who enjoy it. The physical world is
a combination of both pleasure and pain, and people
experience both in order to learn the real nature of
life. But in other realms after death, people have less
of a chance to learn this reality. In some worlds there
is more suffering than pleasure while in some other
worlds there is more pleasure than suffering.
The Noble Path of Liberation |
The Buddha taught that people
can be liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth
by freeing ourselves from the attachments that leads
to suffering. This is accomplished by following the
Buddha's Noble Path that leads to the ultimate happiness
of Nirvana - the highest Buddhist heaven where a person
joins all the other Buddhas. This Noble Path consists
of the following Four Noble Truths:
[Webmaster's
note: This is a
very general summary of these truths. A more in depth
understanding of these can be found at
this Buddhist website.]
I. |
Understand
the true nature of life. Life is about suffering.
|
II. |
Suffering
originates from clinging to transient things
such as desires, objects, ideas, and even
our perceptions.
|
III. |
The
way to end this suffering is to free ourselves
from clinging to these attachments.
|
IV. |
Liberation is
attained by following the path of self-improvement
called the "middle way" (living between
the extremes of self-indulgence and excessive
restriction) and this leads to liberation
from the cycle of birth and rebirth - and
Nirvana. (Siddhartha
Buddha)
|
"Once, having been asked by
the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus
replied, 'The kingdom of God does not come with your
careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,'
or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within
you.'" (Luke
17:20-21)
"And he said, 'I tell you the
truth, unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,
whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little
child like this in my name welcomes me.'" (Matthew
18:3-5)
"I tell you the truth, no one
can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water
and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John
3:5-6)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those
who mourn, for they will be comforted ... Blessed are
those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." (Matthew
5:3)
"If you wish to be perfect,
go sell your possessions, and give the money to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." (Matthew
19:21)
"But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where
you treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew
6:20-21)
"But seek first his Kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well." (Matthew
6:33)
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for
fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went
away and sold everything he had and bought it." (Matthew
13:45-46)
Jesus affirms that
love is the way to eternal life:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood
up to test Jesus.
"Teacher," he
asked, "what must I do to
inherit eternal
life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied.
"How do you read it?"
He answered: "Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength
and with all your mind and,
Love
your neighbor as yourself."
"You have answered
correctly," Jesus replied. "Do
this and you will live."
(Luke
10:25-28)
|
"Eternal life means no more death. Attaining
unconditional love is the way to overcome the cycle
of birth and death." (Kevin
Williams)
|