The Void and the Near-Death Experience
This
may be the one of most important articles you will read
on this website. Knowing the nature of the
earthbound
realm and the void will give you a good understanding
of these first two afterlife realms beyond Earth which
are commonly known as "hell". The purpose of the void
and how to escape it will be also be discussed. This
article concludes with a discussion of the spiritual
struggle between light and darkness and what it means
to the future of humanity.
Many near-death
accounts involve a description of traveling through
a realm commonly known in NDE circles as - the "void."
Together with the earthbound realm, the void is known
by many religious traditions as hell, purgatory, or
outer darkness to name a few. There are many myths concerning
this realm and it is my point to also dispel some of
them.
1. Summary of Insights Concerning
the Void
After death,
some souls travel very quickly through the two lower
realms - the earthbound realm and void - by means of
the tunnel and on to higher realms. Other souls, particularly
those who have developed a strong addiction for some
earthly desire that went beyond the physical and into
the spiritual, may enter the earthbound realm in a vain
attempt to re-enter Earth. Many near-death accounts,
as you will see later, involve souls entering the void
immediately after death. From here, the soul may then
enter the tunnel toward the light in the next heavenly
realm. Other souls remain in the void for one reason
or another until they are ready to leave it.
The general consensus
among near-death reports is that the void is totally
devoid of love, light, and everything. It is a realm
of complete and profound darkness where nothing exists
but the thought patterns of those in it. It is a perfect
place for souls to examine their own mind, contemplate
their recent Earth experience, and decide where they
want to go next.
For some souls,
the void is a beautiful and heavenly experience because,
in the absence of all else, they are able to perfectly
see the love and light they have cultivated within themselves.
For other souls, the void is a terrifying and horrible
hell because, in the absence of everything, they are
able to perfectly see within themselves the lack of
love and light they have cultivated within themselves.
For this reason, the void is more than a place for the
reflection of the soul. For some souls, it is a place
for purification. In the latter case, the void acts
as a kind of time-out where troubled souls remain until
they choose a different course of action.
For some souls, the
time
spent in the void may feel like only a moment. For others,
it may seem like eternity. This is because the way to
escape the void is to choose love and light over the
darkness. Once this happens, the light appears and the
tunnel takes them toward the light and into heaven for
further instruction. For those souls who either refuse
the light or have spent a lifetime ignoring the light,
it may take what seems like eons of "time"
before they reach the point that they desire the light
of love. The problem for many souls is that they prefer
the darkness rather than the light for one reason or
another. For some of these souls, their only hope is
reincarnation.
This is because it is not possible for any soul to be
confined in the earthbound and void realms forever.
God is infinitely merciful and would never abandon anyone
to their own spiritual agony for too long; however,
God allows souls to remain there only as long as it
suits their spiritual growth.
The void is not
punishment. It is the perfect place for all souls to
see themselves and to purge themselves from all illusions.
For those souls who are too self-absorbed in their own
misery to see the light, there are a multitude of Beings
of Light nearby to help them when they freely chose
to seek them. The nature of love and light is such that
it cannot be forced upon people who don't want it. Choosing
love/light over darkness is the key to being freed from
the void. The moment the choice is made, the light and
tunnel appears and the soul is drawn into the light.
2. The Nature
of the Void
As mentioned
earlier, nothing exists in the void except your own
thought patterns and the thought patterns of others.
In the absence of light, souls tend to group together
according to the vibration of their souls. In the void,
the darkest of human nature can be found there if you
desire to seek it. However, even souls in the darkest
of the darkness are not without hope.
The following
is an excellent general explanation of the nature of
the void by Arthur Yensen: "Those who are too bad
go to a realm of lower vibrations where their kind of
thoughts can live. After death, people are drawn into
groups according to their rate of soul vibrations. If
the amount of discord within a person is small, it can
be eliminated by God so that only the good remains and
they are welcomed into heaven. However, if the amount
of discord is too high, eliminating it cannot be done
because they would be annihilated. So, the person will
gravitate to a lower realm and live with their own kind.
Each person lives in the kind of a heaven or hell that
they have prepared for themselves while on Earth. High
vibrations indicate love and spiritual development,
while low vibrations indicate debasement and evil. Without
a physical body, feelings of hate and fear are intensified
as souls vainly try to hide from their enemies. (Arthur
Yensen)
The rest of this
section will focus on important characteristics of the
void such as:
• There is no love there.
• There is no light there.
• There are degrees of darkness with edges that are foggy.
• There are ignorant souls there which many people would
consider to be evil.
• Human souls that committed suicide can be seen in the
foggy edges.
• Non-human creatures can be found there, including creatures
not found on Earth.
• Beings of light are nearby to help tormented souls.
• Religious references to the void.
• Profound examples of people who experienced the void.
3. Love Does Not Exist in the
Void
The only love
that exists in the void is the love you bring into it.
The void itself has no love or light and because of
this, the only way to leave the void and enter the higher
realms is by choosing love. The moment love is desired,
the light appears as if summoned. Most near-death accounts
describe very brief encounters with the void, if any
at all. It is probably true that most people choose
love over darkness, much like most people choose to
remain out of prison. God does not force anyone out
of the void. The way to heaven must be earned through
cultivating and bearing the fruits of love and light.
This is the key to getting out of the void and into
heaven. The following near-death accounts describe the
loveless nature of the void.
"While in second heaven - the void - Howard Pittman felt
an overwhelming oppressive feeling and wondered what
was causing it. He was told that it is because there
is no love there." (Rev.
Howard Pittman)
"In the void, your only source of stimulation will be
your own thoughts." (Robert
Monroe)
Carter Mills was shown that hell is a black blankness
without God. (Carter
Mills)
4. Light Does Not Exist
in the Void
Light and love
is God. Because of this, God's influence in the void
is limited because darkness rules in the void. In the
same manner, the influence of darkness (spiritual ignorance)
on Earth is limited because light rules on Earth. And
light cannot be forced upon people. But once light/love
is chosen by the soul, the soul's stay in the void is
ended. The problem is that many souls have not realized
divine love and light within themselves while on Earth.
This makes it difficult to leave the void.
The following
description of the second stage after death by Emanuel
Swedenborg is a remarkable description of the void:
"Immediately following death, there is a period of self-discovery
in which the social masks worn on Earth dissolve away
and the true self is revealed. Each soul then shapes
their own situation to correspond with their real inner
nature. The second stage after death is where people
learn the inward things that belong to their mind and
their true selves. Everyone is directed into this stage
after death because it is the actual state of the spirit.
If a soul was inwardly involved in goodness while in
the physical world, they will behave rationally and
wisely at this stage. If a soul was inwardly involved
in evil while in the physical world, they will behave
senselessly and crazily. Once their outward matters
are taken away from them, their madness is unveiled.
People who are thinking about divine matters while they
are active on Earth are in touch with angels of heaven.
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 following is a description
of the void from the revelations of
Edgar Cayce
who referred to the void as outer darkness - a term
that can be found in the Bible.
"After death, we may enter a region that is void of love,
life, and light, void of everything. For some, this
region is approximately their wish come true. Here they
are truly alone with themselves. For some souls, this
is a pain that is unbearable. In the absence of truth,
love, gentleness, and kindness, some souls fill the
void with an irrational and unbelievable amount of pain
and fear. It is so dark in the realm of outer darkness
that the darkness hurts and panic grips them without
knowing why. There are various degrees of darkness to this realm,
and it is darker and denser at the center than at its
outer fringes. The closer we are to the outer edges,
the more interaction there is with others in the realm.
The closer to the center, the darker and more painful
is the solitude. Those who find themselves in outer
darkness cannot travel across this dimension. They must
grow through the levels of this realm. After death, one may find themselves in a particular
degree of darkness that most closely corresponds to
the degree of the absence of love in one's life. Outer
darkness is not a punishment. It is a region which operates
lawfully for the benefit of those who are there. This
region is not a realm which was created for any soul
to experience, but one which came about as a consequence
of the negative activity of souls in creation. So great
has been the desire for self, so monumental across time
and space has been the selfishness of some of God's
creatures, that this realm is the creation or manifestation
of their own collective activities. Outer darkness and
the reality with which it is associated were created
and are held in place by collective self-interest. (Edgar
Cayce)
5. The Foggy Edges of the Void
Many near-death
accounts describe a realm that is shadowy, grayish,
and foggy. This is the outer edge of the void. The following
are near-death accounts that describe this foggy region.
Howard Storm was led from a dark, foggy realm by ignorant
souls to a realm that would get darker and darker. At
some point Storm refused to go any further. They they
tore Storm to pieces. (Rev.
Howard Storm)
"People who have deliberately chosen to live debased
or cruel lives and have turned their backs on the light
of God find themselves in a state similar to groping
in a dark and depressing fog. Everyone there is wrapped
up in his own cruel thinking. These souls wander around
in this lost state until they, of their own volition,
make an attempt to turn toward the light of God. Some
may be lost for eons of time." (Margaret
Tweddell)
"All around me was a gray, cloud-type, thick fog. It
had texture. The closer I approached the light I became
aware of a fundamental sense of purity. "(Chris
Taylor)
"I was aware of being surrounded but I didn't know by
what or by whom. At first it just seemed like a foggy
grayness about me. As the speed of my upward and outward
movement increased, the enclosing fog seemed to have
a bright ending at the distance." (Grace
Bubulka)
6. Ignorant Souls
in the Void
Souls become
trapped in the void for various reasons. Virtually any
earthly desire that becomes so obsessive that it goes
beyond the physical and extends into the spiritual,
has the ability to prevent people from realizing the
divine love and light within them. Any negative thought
process cultivated on Earth can be manifested to its
fullest extent in the void. The void is the best place
for those who entertain such negative desires and thoughts
because they are able to fully realize the hellish nature
within themselves and perhaps seek something different.
Jesus led George Ritchie to a dark realm where angry
souls were locked into hand to hand combat and trying
in vain to hurt each other. George discovered that this
was hell. (Dr.
George Ritchie)
Howard Storm was forced by a mob of unfriendly beings
toward some unknown destination in the darkness. At
some point they started to inflict upon Storm a wild
orgy of frenzied hand to hand combat. It was only by
crying out to God that Storm is removed from there.
(Rev.
Howard Storm)
"This is an example of a murderer who deliberately kills
another person for personal gain or satisfaction. Full
of hatred or vengeance, he expects to find nothing
after death, and for a long time that is what he finds
- nothing. Then he discovers that the hell he had
every reason to expect is indeed awaiting him. It is
not goblins and devils that he sees, but visions of
his own face distorted by hatred, greed, malice,
and other defeating emotions. He cringes from the sight,
realizing that he sees himself this way. He is appalled
as he realizes that he wasted a lifetime of opportunity.
This soul will stay in torment for a long, long time,
until he believes himself to be totally lost. When
he eventually reaches this pit of despair, he may at
last cry out to God to rescue him and that wail of despair is
heard by God. Other souls are sent to ease his suffering,
and if his will is truly uplifted toward spiritual development,
he will slowly, slowly, slowly begin to work himself
upward until he has learned the penalties for taking
another's life which was given by God." (Ruth
Montgomery)
7. Suicidal Souls in the Void
The fact that
suicidal souls
are seen in the gray foggy edges of the void, the least
painful part of the void, suggests to me that God shows
special mercy to them. Not all souls who have committed
suicide find themselves stuck in the void as you will
see below.
One of Dr. Kenneth Ring's research subjects attempted suicide
and experienced a gray area. It was here that his fear
was gone and he felt an adventurous feeling of excitement.
He had a feeling of hope that there's something better
somewhere else. He heard a woman's voice and was drawn
to it but something held him back. Eventually, he returned
to his body. His experience in the grayness was
decidedly pleasant and very positive and powerful in
its emotional impact. (Dr.
Kenneth Ring)
Dr. Kenneth Ring's research concluded that suicidal NDEs
tend to be truncated, aborted, and damped down. It begins
with a feeling of relief or peace and continues with
a sense of bodily detachment to the same degree as non-suicide
NDEs. But it tends to end, if it got this far at all,
with a feeling of confused drifting in a dark or murky
void a sort of twilight zone. (Dr.
Kenneth Ring)
8. Creatures
Found in the Void
Not only do human souls inhabit
the void, but animals and strange creatures inhabit
the void as well. The following NDE summaries will show
you this.
Howard Pittman noticed that some of the demons
were human in form and looked like ordinary people.
Other demons were in mixed shapes and forms. Still more
demons were half-human and half-animal forms while others
were in horrible and morbid forms. (Rev.
Howard Pittman)
Whenever Edgar Cayce traveled through the tunnel
toward the light, he would observe strange creatures
inhabiting the various afterlife realms he passed through.
In the first realm, there were vague, horrible, grotesque
forms such as one would see in a nightmare. On all sides
of the tunnel, he would see misshapen forms of
human beings with some part of the body magnified. He
would also see people calling out to him for help and trying
to get his attention:
The afterlife level where Cayce sees human beings appear
with some body part magnified is also described in the
Tibetan Book of the Dead
and other religious traditions as being hell. It is
a place where a particular desire has been overemphasized
while in physical life. (Edgar
Cayce)
"Dalyrada committed suicide and found herself before
a fierce looking and angry Angel of Death with huge
black wings pinioned behind him and glittering eyes.
This being was made out of shadows and was humanoid
in form. She learned that this being is frequently confused
with, or assumed to be Satan. Dalyrada and this being
argued for a long time until she grudgingly returned
to her body. (Dalyrada)
Another creature
that is unusually similar to the one Dalyrada saw was
sent to guide George Lennox on his journey to a hell
of fire and brimstone:
"He resembled a man somewhat, but was much larger than
any human being I ever saw. He must have been at least
ten feet high. He had great wings on his back. He was
black as the coal I had been digging, and in a perfectly
nude condition. He had a spear in his hand, the handle
of which must have been fully fifteen feet in length.
His eyes shone like balls of fire. His voice sounded
more like the growls of a lion in a menagerie than anything
I can recall." (George
Lennox)
While preparing to undergo one of his otherworldly journeys,
Edgar Cayce had lost consciousness and had a dream.
Usually, he would travel through a tunnel toward the
light. But in this instance, he met the Angel of Death.
The following is his experience described in his own
words: "As I went out,
I realized that I had contacted Death, as a personality,
as an individual or as a being. Realizing this, I remarked
to Death, 'You are not as ordinarily pictured - with
a black mask or hood, or as a skeleton, or like
Father Time with the sickle. Instead, you are fair,
rose-cheeked, robust - and you have a pair of shears
or scissors.' In fact, I had to look twice at the
feet or limbs, or even at the body to see it take
shape. He replied, 'Yes, death is not what
many seem to think. It's not the horrible thing which
is often pictured. Just a change - just a visit. The
shears or scissors are indeed the implements most representative
of life and death to man. These indeed unite by dividing
- and divide by uniting. The cord does not, as usually
thought, extend from the center - but is broken from
the head, the forehead.'" (Edgar
Cayce)
A strange creature met Kenneth Hagin at the gates of
hell. Hagin didn't look directly at the creature because
his gaze was riveted on the gates. The creature took
him by the arm to bring him into hell. A voice was heard
in a foreign language that caused the whole place to
shake. At that point, the creature released Hagin's
arm. (Rev.
Kenneth Hagin)
In heaven, the Apostle John saw all kinds of creatures:
a dragon, four beasts, a seven-headed beast with ten
horns, a lamb, and a creature rising out of the sea.
(Revelation
13)
9. Beings of
Light Near the Void
Near-death accounts
involve the experiencer observing Beings of Light near
the void ready to help, or helping, souls in the void.
Souls in the void are unaware that Beings of Light are
all around them, until they decide they need God's help.
Mellen-Thomas Benedict descended into hell. As he did,
he "descended into each person's customized human
misery, ignorance, and darkness of not-knowing."
It seemed like a miserable eternity for him. Each of
the millions of souls there had a little star of light
always available to them. But nobody there seemed to
pay attention to it. They were so consumed with their
own grief, trauma and misery to see it. (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
Angie Fenimore realized that nobody else in dark and
cold purgatory could see God talking to her. She learned
that it was because they lacked the will to seek God
as she did. Then she suddenly realized that many Beings
of Light were everywhere all along. As she accepted
more of God's light, she became less a part of the dark
realm she was in. (Angie
Fenimore)
Asher Elmekiess was in a place where darkness was everywhere.
Yet there were sparkles all around like little stars.
It was a place of so much love, peace and joy. Asher
did not want to move or come back from there. (Asher
Elmekiess)
Jesus led George Ritchie to hell and realized that there
were Beings of Light above each angry soul fighting
others there. These Beings were attending, watching
over, and ministering to these souls although they were
completely unaware of them. (Dr.
George Ritchie)
"People who have led a life of hurting others or have
led a misdirected, purely self-centered lifestyle, their
spiritual environment after death will reflect this
reality. It will place them in an area of the spirit
world with like-minded people who have yet to learn
the value of unselfishness for the advancement of the
soul. These are areas distant from God and are said
to be dark, cold and inhospitable. Spiritual guides
are ready to enlighten any willing soul here and offer
growth them opportunities to lead them into the light."
(Nora
Spurgin)
"There are souls called the shining ones who dedicate
themselves to going into this dark realm and bringing
spiritual light. The souls who are dedicated to this
work of rehabilitation are clothed in protective garments
so that they are not harmed or pierced by the dagger-like
thoughts of hatred which those in the dark realms are
throwing out. The shining ones are not allowed to go
and talk to these people, but they stand nearby and
call to them through thought - prayer, if you like.
The moment the souls in this dark area respond in a
positive way, the ones who have come to help are able
to bring them out into a less dense, foggy world and
eventually out into the realm of light." (Margaret
Tweddell)
10. Religious
Traditions and the Void
The void is known
by many religious traditions by many different names.
Some of them are: purgatory, hell, outer darkness, prison,
Gehennom, She'ol, pit, abyss, an-nar, and Preta-Loka.
The following is a brief description of some of these
traditions.
The ancient Dead Sea sect of Hebrews, known as the Essenes,
believed that bad souls were consigned to a dark, stormy
abyss, full of punishments that know no end. (Essenes)
Hinduism holds to an idea of hell realms where exceptionally
sinful people are punished. Many of the torments of
Hindu hell realms, such as being tortured by demons,
resemble the torments of more familiar Western hells.
Unlike Western hells, however, Hindu hell realms are
not final dwelling places. They are more like purgatories
in which sinful souls experience suffering for a limited
term. After the term is over, even the most evil person
is turned out of hell to once again participate in the
cycle of reincarnation. (Hinduism)
"[During deep meditation] I lost all sense of individualness
and only after attempting to regain a sense of myself
did I realize that I had lost individual consciousness
... It was as if my consciousness turned off a gravitational
force that somehow maintained selfness, allowing my
mind to slip into an infinite vacuum much like the difference
between a contained planetary atmosphere and infinite,
airless outer space. I assume this is what the Eastern
seekers mean by entering the Void." (John
Van Auken)
"[During deep meditation] I immediately found myself
in a beautiful place, right next to the Light and Presence
of God, where we are all living traces of His movement,
yet still Him in essence. We are ourselves, yet also
Him. I could feel it! All unique, but still Him. We
all were open both to God and to connecting with each
other, and there was nothing else except this! This
was prior to inner and outer worlds, prior to space
and time, prior to existence itself! This is the place
where there are no limits, where peace is not yet disturbed,
where surrender is natural, and where our life is wholly
our relatedness to each other and to God." (Stuart
Dean)
The Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead teaches that once
awareness is freed from the body, it creates its own
reality as one would experience in a dream. The Clear
Light of the Ultimate Reality appears and the deceased
must embrace this supreme experience not in a selfish
and egoistic way but rather with love and compassion
for everyone. The deceased must then realize that his
own self is one with this light in order to attain Nirvana.
If the deceased responds with fear, it is still not
liberated and will descend into the second phase [the
void] where peaceful deities appear. If liberation is
not attained at this time, then the peaceful deities
turn into wrathful deities. It is important in this
realm to recognize the void-ness of all these beings
as a projection of their own mind. (Tibetan
Buddhism)
"People create hell realms out of their own anger." (Buddhism)
Muslim Sufi masters teach that, after death, people
judge themselves thereby bringing about their own heaven
or hell. Muslim theologians, particularly those
of the Asharite school, believe that if a believer enters
hell, God could forgive his sins and remove him,
either immediately or after a certain period during
which imperfections had been burned away as in a purgatory.
(Muslim)
One line of Jewish thought argues that after death the
soul has to be purified before it can go on the rest
of its journey. The amount of time needed for purification
depends on how the soul dealt with life. One Jewish
tradition states that a soul needs a maximum of 11 months
for purification, which is why, when a parent dies,
the kaddish (memorial prayer) is recited for 11 months.
(Judaism)
According to the Gnostic Christian book called the Pistis
Sophia, some souls experience hell as a place of shadows
and torture. However, after these souls pass through
hell, they return to Earth for further experiences.
Only a relatively few extremely evil souls are not permitted
to reincarnate. These souls are cast into outer darkness
until a time when they are destroyed and dissolved.
(Gnosticism)
"Many people believe that those who don't give verbal
assent to Jesus are cast headlong into eternal fire
to burn forever. It should be common sense to anyone
that a God of infinite love would never treat people
this way. As Jesus said, even an evil father knows how
to give good things to his children." (Kevin
Williams)
The writers of
the New Testament referred to the void more than they
did heaven. Here are just some of these references:
"Blackest
darkness is reserved for them." (2
Peter 2:6-18)
"But
the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown into outer
darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth." (Matthew
8:11-12)
"...you
may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you
will not get out until you have paid the last penny."
(Matthew
5:22-26)
"It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test
the quality of each man's work. If what he has built
survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned
up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but
only as one escaping through the flames." (1
Corinthians 3:11-15)
"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world,
but men loved darkness instead of light because their
deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds
will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes
into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that
what he has done has been done through God." (John
3:19-21)
11. Profound
Experiences of the Void
There are many
very interesting near-death accounts that involve an
extended experience in the void. From such accounts,
much information concerning the void can be gleaned.
The following profound near-death experiences with the
void are the best I have come across.
Guenter Wagner's
void experience is too long to summarize here. His void
experience is one of my personal favorites.
Other excellent void experiences come from:
•
Mellen-Thomas Benedict •
Angie Fenimore •
Rev. Howard Storm •
Dr. George Ritchie,
and •
RaNelle Wallace.
Other, less in depth, void experiences come from:
•
Nancy Evans Bush •
Don Brubaker •
Rev. Kenneth Hagin •
Dr. George Rodonaia•
Tom Sawyer.
12. The Reasons
For the Existence of the Void
a.
Self-reflection |
b.
Decision-making |
c.
Purification |
The following
is a detailed discussion of each of these reasons:
a.
Self-Reflection
Examining your
inner spiritual nature is an important part of soul
growth and there is no better place to do this than
in the void. Those who have learned to ignore their
inner spiritual nature have the most difficulty in the
void because they have the most to learn. This is why
it is important to examine your inner spirituality on
Earth before you get to the void. In fact, that is one
of the important reasons we come to Earth in the first
place.
Lynnclaire Dennis entered a vacuum, a sacred space that
was exceedingly real and where her grief disappeared.
The love within her saved her from oblivion. (Lynnclaire
Dennis)
RaNelle Wallace encountered a deceased friend who, in
life, fell into a life of drug dealing and hurt a lot
of people. He was inhabiting a dark realm because of
it and RaNelle was not permitted to hug him. She was
told that his progress is limited. To the degree he
became spiritually dark, he was consigned to a similar
degree of darkness after death. As RaNelle returned
to life, she was told repeatedly, "Tell everybody that
the key is love." (RaNelle
Wallace)
"All you may know of heaven or hell is within your own
self." (Edgar
Cayce)
b.
Decision-Making
The ultimate
purpose of the void is for us to look perfectly within
ourselves. If a person looks deep enough within themselves,
they will find the light that can bring them from the
darkness. The problem is that many people choose not
to do this for one reason or another. The following
near-death accounts involve making decisions in the
void.
Diego Valencia was in a foggy realm near the Earth.
He was then given the decision to return to his body
or stay. (Diego
Valencia)
Cecil asked the light, "What is hell?" He is told to
turn and look. Cecil saw an old woman in a rocking chair
determined to sit and rock and worry about children
and grandchildren and everything else. Cecil learned
that hell is a lack of wisdom and not moving on,
choosing not to go any further, sitting there and doing
nothing. Hell is not a place. (Cecil)
"Hell is a state of being heavy, dull, dismal, gray,
and glum - as when you are heavily depressed and self-centered.
It is a foggy realm after death where many people
walk around just like people might do on Earth in a
fog. If there has been much negativity during their
life, or a suicide, the soul must spend some time contemplating
what has happened. It is a holding place where souls
who are confused, who do not want to let go of their
earthly attachments, or who choose not to grow, will
remain until such time as they allow themselves to be
released to flow into the light. Many people need to
suffer in order to feel worth. When they finally learn
that this is a negative process they are running, they
can move on." (Betty
Bethards)
"Some souls, particularly those who have committed suicide,
proceed to a purgatory of gray fog where they must make
the decision to move into the light. People in
purgatory shuffle slowly around in despair in a gray
fog with their heads down until they make their
decision." (Sylvia
Browne)
c.
Purification
The suffering
that souls experience in the void serves a purpose for
good. Many religious traditions teach that God gives
us suffering in order to create character, perseverance,
and to cause us to rely more on God and not in our own
strength (or weakness). Suffering should never be viewed
as a curse from God, but rather a blessing in disguise.
It is God's will for us to suffer in this world and
in the void in order to bring forth goodness. In fact,
this is the symbolism behind the cross of Jesus.
Howard Storm stated that God allows people to be dragged
into darkness with like-minded creatures. This is the
right place for them, the right company, at the right
time. God allowed Storm to experience this hell because
he saw something redeeming inputting him through it.
It was a way to purge him. People with a loving nature
are not allowed to be pulled into darkness. Because
of their love, they are attracted upwards toward the
light. (Rev.
Howard Storm)
Angie Fenimore realized that she was in a dark realm
called purgatory where souls were completely self-absorbed
and too caught up in their own misery to communicate
with others. They had the ability to connect, but were
incapacitated by the darkness. Jesus taught her that
the realm of darkness was literally a spiritual time-out
where people grasp the gravity of their offenses and
pay the price for them. She learned that progressing
out of this dark realm depends on a person's willingness
to see the light. She learned that hell is primarily
a state of mind. When we die, we are bound by what we
think. People begin their citizenship in hell while
on Earth. But when we die, our state of mind grows far
more obvious because we are gathered together with those
who think as we do. This ordering is completely natural
and is consistent with how we choose to live while we
are in this world. (Angie
Fenimore)
Betty Bethards learned that the void is a realm of total
darkness where we must confront the fears we have built
within our own minds. As soon as we are able to meet
them directly, to face them, they dissipate. It
provides the opportunity for people to confront and
move beyond the negativity they have created. Souls
do not enter the void unless they need to experience
it for their growth. Hell is a level of consciousness
which can be experienced in or out of the body. It is
a lonely place where one is not allowed to be in communication
with anyone other than one's own negativity. (Betty
Bethards)
"The type of near-death experience that Dr. PMH Atwater
categorizes as the initial experience, involves elements
such as a loving nothingness, the living dark,
a friendly voice, or a brief out-of-body episode. Unpleasant
or hell-like experiences involve inner cleansing and self-confrontation.
(P.M.H. Atwater)
"Purgatory is an intermediary state that gives the soul
the opportunity to develop further clarity. Hell is
a state of being heavy, dull, dismal, gray, and glum-as
when you are heavily depressed and self-centered. People
who have an orientation of hate, for instance, find
themselves unable to appreciate a realm of love and
harmony. These people must wait until they gradually appreciate
the fact that it is very destructive to hate like that."
(Margaret
Tweddell)
"Upon death, most souls go through a heavenly process
before entering into heaven. Some souls, instead of
experiencing the tunnel and bright light upon death,
find themselves in an abyss of empty, joyless, nothingness
for a brief period of time. This realm is known
as purgatory." (Sylvia
Browne)
13. How to Escape From the Void
Escaping from
the void is very easy for some souls and extremely difficult
for others. Various near-death accounts provide a wealth
of information on how to escape from the void.
a.
Love sets you free from the void.
b.
The light sets you free from the void.
c.
Your faith sets you free from the void.
d.
Beings of Light set you free from the void.
e.
Reincarnation sets you free from the void.
The following
information is a more detailed discussion of these ways
to escape from the void:
a.
Love Sets You Free From the
Void
The void is a
spiritual dimension that exists within us. During our
lives, we may fill this void with many things such as:
love, hatred, happiness, sadness, knowledge, ignorance,
family, just to name a few. And when we die, we actually
step into this spiritual dimension we have filled. Whatever
we fill the void within us with, at death, we enter
into it. Perhaps this is one good reason why the most
important aspect of our missions in life have to do
with love. Realizing, filling and cultivating divine
love within our void and sharing this love with others
during our life will create a heavenly paradise that
will be manifested in death. The following near-death
insights deal with love and its relationship to the
void.
"After death, many people find themselves in the void.
The way out of the void is simple. You must think of
love. Those who you love might show up to tell you to
go back to your body or to think of love. To recognize
love as a reality is the key to getting out of the void."
(Brian
Krebs)
Lynnclaire Dennis' love redeemed her from oblivion.
We only have to remember to make love real. (Lynnclaire
Dennis)
"Hell is a condition of being totally devoid of love.
We leave this condition when we choose to return to
him." (Sandra
Rogers)
"Ignorance of the need to seek spiritual growth may keep
some souls in the void for a long period of time." (Nora
Spurgin)
"Those in the dark realm can progress, but their progress
is limited. The key is love." (RaNelle
Wallace)
"To protect yourself from the unspiritual souls in the
darkness, whether on Earth or in the void, chose to
focus on love." (David
Oakford)
Joni Maggi was in a dark outer space and feeling total
bliss. It was there she learned that the universe is
upheld by love. (Joni
Maggi)
"The heavier the vibration of your soul (the amount of
darkness), the nearer you are to hell." (Margaret
Tweddell)
b.
Light Sets You Free From
the Void
While some people
describe leaving the void through love, others describe
leaving the void through light. They are both describing
the same thing and the same God. One near-death experiencer
put it so nicely, "God is the light that loves."
Laurelynn Martin floated up through blackness where
there existed no fear, no pain, and no misunderstandings.
There was also a sense of well-being. She was enveloped
by total bliss in an atmosphere of unconditional love
and acceptance. The darkness was warm and soft, a blanket
of velvety love, stretching endlessly. The freedom of
total peace was intensified beyond any ecstatic feeling
she had ever felt on Earth. In the distance, a glorious
white, golden light beckoned her forward. (Laurelynn
Martin)
Ray Meir was in a very dark, vast, peaceful area. It
was much like floating through outer space and total
darkness. He felt extremely peaceful and very comfortable.
Ahead he could see an extremely bright light attracting
him. He felt a great love emanating from the light and
he moved toward the light much like a child walking
to its father. (Ray
Meir)
Barbara Springer entered a black space where there existed
no light; but she wasn't frightened at all. The space
was totally comfortable. Ahead of her she noticed
a bright light. (Barbara
Springer)
Darlene Holman approached the blackness. Then see saw
a light in the distance with souls around the edge of
it. (Darlene
Holman)
Hal was in the darkness and could neither see nor feel
himself nor anything else. He wondered if the blackness
was all there was and if he'd have to make do with his
memories and imagination until they ran out. He was
absorbed in thought when a faint glimmer of light appeared;
but it quickly vanished. He tried to summon the light
and another brief burst of light appeared. He wondered
if he could attract its attention. The light appeared
again and the nearer it came, the brighter it was. In
the light, he could dimly see himself. The light grew
very bright and he tried to look away. It was so bright
that he feared its intensity. He yelled for it to stop
and the light replied, "I will not harm you." (Hal)
c.
Faith Sets You Free From
the Void
By reflecting
on positive thoughts instead of negative thoughts, and
feeling the love and light within yourself, you will
be able to progress from the void. The following information
demonstrates how faith can set you free.
George Rodonaia was surrounded by a profound darkness
which shocked and horrified him. He wondered why he
was in darkness and what he was supposed to do. He realized
that because he could still think, this meant he still
existed. Then he reasoned that since he existed, he
should think only positive thoughts. He wondered how
to define what is positive in the darkness. When he
thought of light, he was instantly in the light. (Dr.
George Rodonaia)
"As soon as we are able to confront our fears directly,
to face them, they dissipate." (Betty
Bethards)
Mrs. Walters tumbled in the blackness and felt frightened
because she didn't know where she was going. She thought,
"I have to get back inside my body." Immediately, she
was back inside her body without knowing how. (Mrs.
Walters)
d.
Beings of Light Set You Free
From the Void
Beings of Light
are near and ready to help anyone in the void out of
their predicament. All it takes is but a desire or a
cry for help, no matter how large or small the desire.
Some experiencers, such as Linda Stewart, didn't belong
in the void at all and were automatically rescued from
the void. The following is a summary of her rescue from
the void.
Linda Stewart was irresistibly draw toward a vast, endless
black void or black hole. Gradually, she felt herself
sinking into it. It appeared that she would simply disappear
into the dark nothingness. As her new awareness waned,
she yielded to the heaviness overtaking her as darkness
filled her mind. Her vision became obscured as she began
to merge into the blackness. Offering no resistance,
she released her hold on any remaining shred of consciousness
and personal identity. As she felt the last of herself
disappearing into nothingness, she was suddenly buffeted
by a powerful, energetic force that swooped beneath
and lifted her, carrying her upward. She was barely
conscious. Her only awareness was the sensation of rising.
Vast distances seemed to fly by her and the higher she
rose, the more her head cleared. She felt peaceful and
loved immeasurably. She knew that she was in the arms
of a Being who cherished her with perfect love. This
Being was Jesus and he carried her from the void into
a new reality. (Linda
Stewart)
"Higher beings know what to do to help a soul in the
void advance themselves if they so choose to do so."
(David
Oakford)
e.
Reincarnation Sets You Free
From the Void
God never abandons
anyone to the void. Those who are either unwilling or
ignorant about entering the light may have only one
choice and that is to return to Earth. Again, this is
not punishment; it is a way for such souls to return
to the Earth-school for more lessons and learn how to
progress.
"For some souls, the only hope out of the void is through
reincarnation." (Arthur
Yensen)
Sandra Rogers committed suicide and Jesus gave her two
choices: (1)
She could be revived from her NDE and live out the rest
of her life, or (2) she could remain on the other side. If she chose to
remain on the other side she would have to eventually
reincarnate and experience once again everything that
led her to commit suicide in the first place. (Sandra
Rogers)
14. The Struggle
Between the Dark and the Light
One of the most
interesting aspects to near-death research is learning
about the struggle between the forces of light and the
forces of darkness. These forces compete to gain supremacy
over the Earth realm. Not only does near-death research
provide information concerning this spiritual struggle,
but there is an abundance of religious sources that
describe this struggle. Both sources provide information
about the future of the Earth and humanity. Both near-death
and religious support of this struggle are remarkably
consistent. The following information will provide you
with some of the details concerning this struggle and
its future outcome.
15. The Struggle Witnessed By
Experiencers
Many experiencers
witness or participate in struggles between light and
dark beings. Souls from the lower hellish realms enter
into the world for the purpose of soul growth. Unfortunately,
many of these souls end up entertaining the forces of
darkness (spiritual ignorance) and result in
making the Earth that much more spiritually ignorant.
Souls from the higher realms attempt to bring spiritual
enlightenment to the world. This balance between light
and dark is the nature of the Earth and the universe.
It is a constant struggle and one day the light will
overcome the darkness on Earth. But because free will
is an aspect of divinity which every soul has, spiritual
enlightenment cannot be forced. But ultimately, because
human beings are an aspect of divinity, the forces of
spiritual ignorance can never win. They may win the
battle but the war has already been decided. This same
spiritual battle that occurs in the spirit realms, also
occurs within the hearts of human beings.
The following
near-death accounts give more information about this
spiritual war:
The light told Guenter Wagner that there existed very
powerful spirit enemies with whom the light had been
constantly fighting. The light told Guenter to warn
the people on Earth about these spirit enemies. The
light also mentioned that these enemies wanted to play
a trick on Guenter by using him as a kind of trap, but
that he had to defend the Earth and the dark realm.
The light said that the Earth would be much easier to
defend because these enemies had no power in the world
and the light had no power in the dark realm. The light
said that this war has been going on for a very long
time and the enemy souls have become more and more powerful.
He said that if this continued, there would not be any
means of preventing them from taking over everything.
The light said that if these enemies succeeded in coming
to the Earth realm, the war would be lost. Guenter was
told that although the light was powerful enough to
fight them off, the war would be lost in the long
run. The light told Guenter that he needed to go back
and tell the world about it. (Guenter
Wagner)
Edgar Cayce learned that the so-called Battle of Armageddon
described in the Bible, is actually a battle that is
fought in the spirit realms between the souls of light
and souls of darkness coming into this world. He explained
that the souls from the dark realms wage war with "the
spirits of light that come into the Earth for the awakening."
This means it is a battle between souls coming into
the Earth realm and those leaving it. Both groups, the
souls of darkness and the souls of light, are attempting
to influence the balance of light and darkness
in the world. Cayce learned that at a time in the future, souls from
the lower realms will be completely prevented from incarnating
to the Earth and only souls from the higher realms of
light will be allowed to incarnate. Over a period of
time, this will result in forces of light on Earth overcoming
the forces of darkness. Complete spiritual enlightenment
on Earth will occur. During the time that only souls
from the higher realms are permitted to incarnate, Jesus
will return and eventually a new era of spiritual awakening
and enlightenment will renew humanity and the result
and be a thousand years of peace (the "kingdom
of heaven" on Earth). (Edgar
Cayce)
"The conflict between the higher and lower self within
human beings, or what some call God and the Devil, causes
growth until finally the negativity or the destructive
elements are completely overcome." (Betty
Bethards)
"A sense of blackness, like a dark damp cloud, came over
a woman during a NDE. She was terrified and called out
to Jesus. Immediately, she witnessed a battle between
a Being of Light and this dark force. Immediately
following, the light overtook the darkness." (Dr.
Liz Dale)
16. The Struggle
Described by Religion
The following
are some religious references to this battle between
the forces of light and the forces of darkness.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against
the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians
6:12)
The Jewish and Christian doctrines of the dualistic
cosmic struggle between the forces of darkness and the
forces of light; as well as resurrection and the Final
Judgment, originated with the ancient Persian religion
called Zoroastrianism (the religion of the three wise
men). (Zoroastrianism)
Before the world began, a war in heaven occurred and
the devil and his angels were cast out of heaven to
the Earth. (Revelation
12:7)
17. The Light Will Overcome the
Darkness
All the religious and NDE
evidence suggests that the new era of spiritual enlightenment
and peace is close at hand. However, before this happens,
the Earth and humanity will also have to undergo a purification
period to remove all the sins of modern civilization.
According to many NDE and religious sources, this will
be a tremendous upheaval of society as well as nature.
You can read more about this on the
NDE and the Future
page. The following near-death accounts are some of
the best I have read on this subject.
Josiane Antonette was given a vision while in heaven.
She saw the Earth from space and it was colorless, bare,
and obscured behind a gray veil. There was no love or
joy there. She saw phantom-like people standing on a
stage. Half of the Earth was in darkness. On the other
side, a sun attempted to shine but nobody paid attention
to it. The darkness grew and eventually covered all
of Earth and nobody paid attention. A voice told Josiane
that this is the world in the absence of love, light
and free will. She was told that it was our choices
that created this world. With that, the nightmarish
world dissolved and became a place of breathtaking beauty.
She learned that everything is interconnected by a transparent
net of light. (Josiane
Antonette)
Edgar Cayce revealed over 50 years ago that the spiritual
Battle of Armageddon will begin in the year 1999. At
this time, souls from the lower realms will not be permitted
to incarnate. Cayce mentioned that the Christ soul will
incarnate again in the year 1998. Cayce also learned
that this spiritual war is not only an outward spiritual
battle, but is also an internal spiritual battle within
everyone on Earth. The end result will be heaven on
Earth. (Edgar
Cayce)
An interesting thing that Mellen-Thomas Benedict learned
while in the void was that God was not there. God is
here on Earth. That's what it is all about. Humanity's
constant search for God outside of this world doesn't
need to happen. Everything is here. We are God's exploration
of God through us. People are so busy trying to become
God that they ought to realize that we are already God
and God is becoming us. That's what it is really about.
(Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
In the future, the devil will finally be thrown into
a bottomless pit for one thousand years. Then a new
heaven and a new Earth will come into being. (Revelation
20)
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