Betty Eadie's Near-Death Experience
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When
Betty Eadie book
Embraced by the Light was first published, it quickly
became a New York Times bestseller and was the first of many
"by
the Light" books published about the NDE. Eadie followed
up her bestseller with the
books,
Awakening Heart and
The Ripple Effect. Visit
her website at
www.embracedbythelight.com for more information about
her. Betty's NDE testimony
is one of the most detailed and most profound testimony ever documented
in my opinion. "Embraced" was certainly the most popular and
important book about the NDE since Raymond Moody's
ground-breaking book "Life After Life" book was published in
1975. The
following excerpts are from Betty Eadie's New York Times bestseller,
Embraced by the Light, reprinted by permission.
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On November 18, 1973, Betty Eadie
succumbed to complications due to a partial-hysterectomy surgery
and had a near-death experience. Afterwards, Betty suffered with depression so
painful was her separation from the light of love - she experienced
during her moments of clinical death. Twenty years later, after
sharing her story with family and friends, and with critically
ill cancer patients, Betty was urged to write her experience
so that a wider audience might share its beauty. In 1992,
Embraced by the Light was published by a small press out of Carson City,
Nevada. Embraced became a permanent fixture on the New York
Times Bestsellers list, spending more than a year at number
one.
Betty Eadie leaves her
body through her chest and floats above her bed. Three hooded
monk-like beings appear whom she identifies to be her guardian
angels. They tell her that they have been with her for "eternities"
and that she died prematurely. Concerned about her family that
she left behind, she travels in spirit to her home to see them;
but she discovers that she cannot be seen by them. Betty then
returns to her body where her guardian angels are waiting for
her.
[The
following is in Betty's own words.]
I saw a pinpoint of light in the distance.
The black mass around me began to take on more of the shape
of a tunnel, and I felt myself traveling through it at an even
greater speed, rushing toward the light. I was instinctively
attracted to it, although again, I felt that others might not
be. As I approached it, I noticed the figure of a man standing
in it, with the light radiating all around him. As I got closer
the light became brilliant - brilliant beyond any description,
far more brilliant than the sun - and I knew that no earthly
eyes in their natural state could look upon this light without
being destroyed. Only spiritual eyes could endure it - and appreciate
it. As I drew closer I began to stand upright.
I saw that
the light immediately around him was golden, as if his whole
body had a golden halo around it, and I could see that the golden
halo burst out from around him and spread into a brilliant,
magnificent whiteness that extended out for some distance. I
felt his light blending into mine, literally, and I felt my
light being drawn to his. It was as if there were two lamps
in a room, both shining, their light merging together. It's
hard to tell where one light ends and the other begins; they
just become one light. Although his light was much brighter
than my own, I was aware that my light, too, illuminated us.
And as our lights merged, I felt as if I had stepped into his
countenance, and I felt an utter explosion of love.
It was the
most unconditional love I have ever felt, and as I saw his arms
open to receive me I went to him and received his complete embrace
and said over and over, "I'm home. I'm home, I'm finally home."
I felt his enormous spirit and knew that I had always been a
part of him, that in reality I had never been away from him.
And I knew
that I was worthy to be with him, to embrace him. I knew that
he was aware of all my sins and faults, but that they didn't
matter right now. He just wanted to hold me and share his love
with me, and I wanted to share mine with him.
There was
no questioning who he was, I knew that he was my savior, and
friend, and God. He was Jesus Christ, who had always loved me,
even when I thought he hated me. He was life itself, love itself,
and his love gave me a fullness of joy, even to overflowing.
I knew that I had known him from the beginning, from long before
my Earth life, because my spirit remembered him.
All my life
I had feared him, and I now saw - I knew - that he was my choicest
friend. Gently, he opened his arms and let me stand back far
enough to look into his eyes, and he said, "Your death was premature,
it is not yet your time." No words ever spoken have penetrated
me more than these. Until then, I had felt no purpose in life;
I had simply ambled along looking for love and goodness but
never really knowing if my actions were right. Now, within his
words, I felt a mission, a purpose; I didn't know what it was,
but I knew that my life on Earth had not been meaningless.
It was not
yet my time.
My time would
come when my mission, my purpose, my meaning in this life was
accomplished. I had a reason for existing on Earth. But even
though I understood this, my spirit rebelled. Did this mean
I would have to go back? I said to him, "No, I can never leave
you now."
He understood
what I meant, and his love and acceptance for me never wavered.
My thoughts raced on: "Is this Jesus, God, the being I feared
all my life? He is nothing like what I had thought. He is filled
with love."
Then
questions began coming to my mind. I wanted to know why I had
died as I had - not prematurely, but how my spirit had come
to him before the resurrection. I was still laboring under the
teachings and beliefs of my childhood. His light now began to
fill my mind, and my questions were answered even before I fully
asked them. His light was knowledge. It had power to fill me
with all truth. As I gained confidence and let the light flow
into me, my questions came faster than I thought possible, and
they were just as quickly answered. And the answers were absolute
and complete. In my fears, I had misinterpreted death, had expected
something that was not so. The grave was never intended for
the spirit - only for the body. I felt no judgment for having
been mistaken. There was just a feeling that a simple, living
truth had replaced my error.
I understood that he was the son of
God, though he himself was also a God, and that he had chosen
from before the creation of the world to be our savior. I understood,
or rather, I remembered, his role as creator of the Earth. His
mission was to come into the world to teach love. This knowledge
was more like remembering. Things were coming back to me from
long before my life on Earth, things that had been purposely
blocked from me by a "veil" of forgetfulness at my birth. As
more questions bubbled out of me, I became aware of his sense
of humor. Almost laughing, he suggested that I slow down, that
I could know all I desired.
But I wanted
to know everything, from beginning to end. My curiosity had
always been a torment to my parents and husband - and sometimes
to me - but now it was a blessing, and I was thrilled with the
freedom of learning. I was being taught by the master teacher!
My comprehension was such that I could understand volumes in
an instant. It was as if I could look at a book and comprehend
it at a glance - as though I could just sit back while the book
revealed itself to me in every detail, forward and backward,
inside and out, every nuance and possible suggestion.
All in an
instant. As I comprehended one thing, more questions and answers
would come to me, all building on each other, and interacting
as if all truth were intrinsically connected. The word "omniscient"
had never been more meaningful to me. Knowledge permeated me.
In a sense it became me, and I was amazed at my ability to comprehend
the mysteries of the universe simply by reflecting on them.
I wanted to
know why there were so many churches in the world. Why didn't
God give us only one church, one pure religion? The answer came
to me with the purest of understanding. Each of us, I was told,
is at a different level of spiritual development and understanding.
Each person is therefore prepared for a different level of spiritual
knowledge. All religions upon the Earth are necessary because
there are people who need what they teach. People in one religion
may not have a complete understanding of the Lord's gospel and
never will have while in that religion. But that religion is
used as a stepping stone to further knowledge. Each church fulfills
spiritual needs that perhaps others cannot fill. No one church
can fulfill everybody's needs at every level. As an individual
raises his level of understanding about God and his own eternal
progress, he might feel discontented with the teachings of his
present church and seek a different philosophy or religion to
fill that void. When this occurs he has reached another level
of understanding and will long for further truth and knowledge,
and for another opportunity to grow. And at every step of the
way, these new opportunities to learn will be given.
Having received
this knowledge, I knew that we have no right to criticize any
church or religion in any way. They are all precious in his
sight. Very special people with important missions have been
placed in all countries, in all religions, in every station
of life, that they might touch others. There is a fullness of
the gospel, but most people will not attain it here. In order
to grasp this truth, we need to listen to the Spirit and let
go of our egos.
I wanted to
learn the purpose of life on the Earth. Why are we here? As
I basked in the love of Jesus Christ, I couldn't imagine why
any spirit would voluntarily leave this wonderful paradise and
all it offered - worlds to explore and ideas to create and knowledge
to gain. Why would anyone want to come here? In answer, I remembered
the creation of the Earth. I actually experienced it as if it
were being reenacted before my eyes. This was important. Jesus
wanted me to internalize this knowledge. He wanted me to know
how I felt when the creation occurred. And the only way to do
that was for me to view it again and feel what I had felt before.
All people
as spirits in the pre-mortal world took part in the creation
of the Earth. We were thrilled to be part of it. We were with
God, and we knew that he created us, that we were his very own
children. He was pleased with our development and was filled
with absolute love for each one of us. Also, Jesus Christ was
there. I understood, to my surprise, that Jesus was a separate
being from God, with his own divine purpose, and I knew that
God was our mutual Father. My Protestant upbringing had taught
me that God the Father and Jesus Christ were one being. As we
all assembled, the Father explained that coming to Earth for
a time would further our spiritual growth. Each spirit who was
to come to Earth assisted in planning the conditions on Earth,
including the laws of mortality which would govern us. These
included the laws of physics as we know them, the limitations
of our bodies, and spiritual powers that we would be able to
access. We assisted God in the development of plants and animal
life that would be here. Everything was created of spirit matter
before it was created physically - solar systems, suns, moons,
stars, planets, life upon the planets, mountains, rivers, seas,
etc. I saw this process, and then, to further understand it,
I was told by the savior that the spirit creation could be compared
to one of our photographic prints; the spirit creation would
be like a sharp, brilliant print, and the Earth would be like
its dark negative. This Earth is only a shadow of the beauty
and glory of its spirit creation, but it is what we needed for
our growth. It was important that I understand that we all assisted
in creating our conditions here.
Many times
the creative thoughts we have in this life are the result of
unseen inspiration. Many of our important inventions and even
technological developments were first created in the spirit
by spirit prodigies. Then individuals on Earth received the
inspiration to create these inventions here. I understood that
there is a vital, dynamic link between the spirit world and
mortality, and that we need the spirits on the other side for
our progression. I also saw that they are very happy to assist
us in any way they can.
I saw that
in the pre-mortal world we knew about and even chose our missions
in life. I understood that our stations in life are based upon
the objectives of those missions. Through divine knowledge we
knew what many of our tests and experiences would be, and we
prepared accordingly. We bonded with others - family members
and friends - to help us complete our missions. We needed their
help. We came as volunteers, each eager to learn and experience
all that God had created for us. I knew that each of us who
made the decision to come here was here was a valiant spirit.
Even the least developed among us here was strong and valiant
there. We were given agency to act for ourselves here. Our own
actions determine the course of our lives, and we can alter
or redirect our lives at any time. I understood that this was
crucial; God made the promise that he wouldn't intervene in
our lives unless we asked him. And then through his omniscient
knowledge he would help us attain our righteous desires. We
were grateful for this ability to express our free will and
to exercise its power. This would allow each of us to obtain
great joy or to choose that which will bring us sadness. The
choice would be ours through our decisions.
I was actually
relieved to find that the Earth is not our natural home, that
we did not originate here. I was gratified to see that the Earth
is only a temporary place for our schooling and that sin is
not our true nature. Spiritually, we are at various degrees
of light - which is knowledge - and because of our divine, spiritual
nature we are filled with the desire to do good.
Our earthly
selves, however, are constantly in opposition to our spirits.
I saw how weak the flesh is. But it is persistent. Although
our spirit bodies are full of light, truth, and love, they must
battle constantly to overcome the flesh, and this strengthens
them. Those who are truly developed will find a perfect harmony
between their flesh and spirits, a harmony that will bless them
with peace and give them the ability to help others.
As we learn
to abide by the laws of this creation, we learn how to use those
laws to our own good. We learn how to live in harmony with the
creative powers around us. God has given us individual talents,
some more and some less according to our needs. As we use these
talents, we learn how to work with and eventually understand,
the laws and overcome the limitations of this life. By understanding
these laws we are better able to serve those around us. Whatever
we become here in mortality is meaningless unless it is done
for the benefit of others. Our gifts and talents are given to
us to help us serve. And in serving others we grow spiritually.
Above all,
I was shown that love is supreme. I saw that truly without love
we are nothing. We are here to help each other, to care for
each other, to understand, forgive, and serve one another. We
are here to have love for every person born on Earth. Their
earthly form might be black, yellow, brown, handsome, ugly,
thin, fat, wealthy, poor, intelligent, or ignorant, but we are
not to judge by these appearances. Each spirit has the capacity
to be filled with love and eternal energy. At the beginning,
each possesses some degree of light and truth that can be more
fully developed. We cannot measure these things. Only God knows
the heart of man, and only God can judge perfectly. He knows
our spirits; we see only temporary strengths and weaknesses.
Because of our own limitations, we can seldom look into the
heart of man.
I knew that
anything we do to show love is worthwhile: a smile, a word of
encouragement, a small act of sacrifice. We grow by these actions.
Not all people are lovable, but when we find someone difficult
for us to love, it is often because they remind us of something
within ourselves that we don't like. I learned that we must
love our enemies - let go of anger, hate, envy, bitterness,
and the refusal to forgive. These things destroy the spirit.
We will have to account for how we treat others.
Upon receiving
the plan of creation, we sang in rejoicing and were filled with
God's love. We were filled with joy as we saw the growth we
would have here on Earth and the joyous bonds we would create
with each other.
Then we watched
as the Earth was created. We watched as our spirit brothers
and sisters entered physical bodies for their turns upon the
Earth, each experiencing the pains and joys that would help
them progress. I distinctly remember watching the American pioneers
crossing the continent and rejoicing as they endured their difficult
tasks and completed their missions. I knew that only those who
needed that experience were placed there. I saw the angels rejoicing
for those who endured their trials and succeeded and grieving
for those who failed. I saw that some failed because of their
own weaknesses, and some failed because of the weaknesses of
others. I sensed that many of us who were not there would not
have been up to the tasks, that we would have made lousy pioneers,
and we would have been the cause of more suffering for others.
Likewise, some of the pioneers and people from other eras could
not have endured the trials of today. We are where we need to
be.
As all of these things came
to me, I understood perfection of the plan. I saw that we all
volunteered for our positions and stations in the world, and
that each of us is receiving more help than we know. I saw the
unconditional love of God, beyond any earthly love, radiating
from him to all his children. I saw the angels standing near
us, waiting to assist us, rejoicing in our accomplishments and
joys. But above all, I saw Christ, the Creator and savior of
the Earth, my friend, and the closest friend any of us can have.
I seemed to melt with joy as I was held in his arms and comforted
- home at last. I would give all in my power, all that I ever
was, to be filled with that love again - to be embraced in the
arms of his eternal light.
[The rest of Betty's NDE will be summarized
here.]
Two close friends appear to Betty whom
she knew before she was born. They embrace and go on a tour
of the spirit world. They enter a large room and see people
creating heavenly garments using heavenly looms of some kind.
In another room, she sees people working with a large computer-like
machine. They enter another room similar to a library. It is
a library of the mind. They go outdoors to a garden where beautiful
mountains and rivers can be seen in the distance. It is a realm
more beautiful than words can describe.
Beside a waterfall, Betty observes a
magnificent rose and becomes one with it briefly. A group of
people gather around her for a graduation party. Her guardian
angels are there and they tell her she has died prematurely
and must go back. Wanting to explore the universe, Betty is
escorted by two light beings into the vastness of space. She
travels to other worlds similar to Earth and with intelligent
beings on them. She returns to the garden and is taken to a
place where many spirits are preparing for life on Earth.
Betty's guides show her a drunken man
lying on the sidewalk and ask her what she sees. Betty sees
only a drunk wallowing in his own filth. Her guides show her
who the man really is. They reveal to her the man is filled
with light and love and is greatly admired in the spirit world
for being a reminder to people of the need to help others.
Betty is shown the Earth
as it appears in space. She is shown how prayers shoot like
beacon lights from the Earth. She sees angels rushing around
answering these prayers. Betty is observing all of this while
in the garden.
She is led from the garden
and into a large building before a "Council of Elders" consisting
of 12 men and Jesus. Here, she is again told her death was premature
and she must return to Earth. Jesus shows her life in review
in the form of well-defined holograms. Jesus comforts her when
she sees the negative aspects of her life and begins to judge
herself too harshly.
After her life review,
she is told her mission in life is not complete and must return.
Betty steadfastly refuses. Jesus decides to reveal Betty's mission
in life with the condition that if she decides to return to
Earth, the memory of her mission will be removed. She agrees
to this and is shown her mission. Immediately, she agrees to
go back. Suddenly, thousands of angels appear to sing her farewell.
Betty finds herself back in the hospital where it all began.
Her mission in life was completely removed from her memory.
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