My father,
in a blind drunken rage, raped and sodomized and
beat me to death in the middle of the night. At
the most extreme outpost of pain, I cried out to
God and in that moment I was torn from life.
As I died
I felt myself raised up by angels in robes of many
colors. I did not know where they were taking me
as they flew, carrying me up higher and higher in
the sky. Finally, we reached a place where emptiness
gave way to form, and form took the shape of huge
cloudlike masses on which other angels seemed to
be walking, although they too floated through the
air.
The angels
carrying me lay me at the feet of a beautiful female
angel whose radiating love was more powerful than
any of those around her. She said to me in a voice
whose sweetness and tone are unknown here on Earth,
"Tell me your story."
I said to
her, not in spoken words but in thoughts, "I will,
but now I need to rest."
My spirit
had no energy, even to answer this loving lady.
God in the
manifestation of infinite light appeared off to
my left, and I was engulfed in a form of all-powerful,
all-nourishing love. That divine being appeared
as a massive column of golden light, with the suggestion
of a human shape inside. I both saw and felt his
light, feeling as if I were in a warm bath that
completely healed and protected me. I never wanted
to leave. No conversation passed between us, but
in those infinite moments I acquired the knowledge
that allowed me to go back to Earth to complete
my life.
After this
infinite moment had passed, there began a battle
for my life between the angels in heaven and the
doctors on Earth. Every time the doctors pounded
on my chest, my spirit was sucked into my body for
a split second, only to be pulled back again by
the angels. They held me by my feet, struggling
to keep me from coming back. Finally, the doctors
pounded one last time. I heard an angel say, "They're
stronger than we are," and I was sucked back into
my body, sat up, screamed, and passed out.
To this
day, I always have the feeling that I need to go
back, that there was something more I was meant
to do there before returning. That feeling of incompleteness
keeps me half in the other world all the time.
I
was in the fifth grade when I became sick with extreme
pain in my lower right side. My teacher thought
it was only a stomach ache and ignored it. Two hours
later I was rushed to the hospital. I was terrified
and begged to go home. I was fighting the ether
mask when it happened. One second I was awake, scared
to death, the next second I was falling straight
down a dark hole as if in a well.
There were
loud sounds like buzzing and ringing and metal scraping
together, then I was up by the ceiling looking down
on myself. I felt as though I was spread out all
over the room like vapor or a cloud. I watched as
the doctor had a square green machine wheeled into
the room by a nurse, and then worked on me using
it. There were several nurses there.
Suddenly
I was standing alone in a room with large, heavy
doors leading into other rooms. Someone came
to me. I didn't see him; I only heard his voice.
He led me up through what seemed like a tunnel.
I seemed to be walking, but my feet didn't touch
a floor. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a city-sized
playground full of kids, laughing and playing. Hearing
them calmed me. Another man came to meet us. I didn't
see him either. He asked the one leading me who
I was, then he went away. When he returned he told
the man with me that I had to go back, that they
weren't ready for me yet.
I was led
up a sidewalk to a large building with large doors.
I walked inside and saw people all around working
and doing things. I was taken to a huge iridescent
white room and told to sit down on some steps that
led up to a large white chair, and wait there for
someone who was to talk to me. He came out a door
at the other end of the steps, walked to the chair
above me, and sat down. He was dressed in a white,
long-sleeved, floor-length robe with a wide gold
band around the mid-section. He wore sandals. His
dark brown hair was shoulder length; he had a long
face, broad chin, dark eyes with black around both
eyelids, like eyeliner pencil, but it wasn't. His
skin was olive colored and his eyes were as liquid
love. He communicated by looking at me. No words
had to be spoken, as we could hear each other's
thoughts. He told me what I had to do in life and
had me go to the other side of the room and look
down into something like a TV set so I could see
my future. What I saw made me very happy.
This man, who I believe is Jesus Christ, said that
once I woke up in the hospital I would forget what
I was supposed to do in life.
"Nothing
can happen before its time," he cautioned.
As I was
leaving the room he said I must obey his commandments
if I wanted to come back.
When I revived,
a nurse was sitting beside my bed and she said,
"Thank God you finally woke up." I told the doctor
that I had watched him work on me and the color
of the machine brought into the surgery room. He
didn't know what to say.
My brother and I went
swimming. He had a problem. I tried to get him out
of the water, but in his panic he pulled me under
several times. We both drowned. He died and I came
back. I can remember it all like yesterday. Just
as I could no longer stay afloat, a strange sound
like ringing in my ears started. A peaceful feeling
came over me. I felt my spirit come out of my body
and I went into a black void. That was a little
frightening.
A long way off there
was a pinprick of light. I moved toward it, slowly
at first, then faster and faster as if I were on
top of a train accelerating. Then I stopped and
stepped fully into the light. I noticed everything
- sky, buildings, glass - emitted its own light
and everything was much more colorful than what
we see here. A river meandered around. On the other
side was a city, and a road running through it to
another city, and another city and another and another.
Right in front of me
but across the river were three men. They projected
themselves to me. They didn't walk or fly; they
projected over. I didn't recognize them, yet I knew
one was Lynn Bibb. (I was named after him. He died
a matter of weeks before I was born.) I knew these
three men were looking out for me, like a welcoming
committee to escort me over the river to the first
city. I had the feeling that if I went with them,
there would be no coming back, so I hesitated.
The first city was like
first grade. People stayed there until they were
ready to go to the next city - your eternal progression,
from city to city. Behind me and to the left was
a strong light source, very brilliant and filled
with love. I knew it was a person. I called it God
for lack of a better term. I could not see it; I
felt what seemed like a male presence. He communicated
to me, not so much in words but telepathically,
and he asked, "Why did you hesitate?"
I replied, "Well, I'm
kind of young to die."
He chuckled. "We have
babies die."
I said, "Well, there's
some things I want to know first."
He replied, "What do
you want to know?"
"What is death?" I asked.
He said, "Turn and look
to one side."
As I did, I saw a bad
car wreck. Several people had been killed. Out of
some of the bodies a spirit came up to progress
on.
Some who did not believe
it was possible stayed in their bodies and would
not emerge. I asked if they could be reached and
he said, "Yes, some more quickly than others and
some maybe never." Death, then, is not believing
in anything.
I asked, "What is hell?"
He said, "Turn and look
again."
I saw an old woman in
a rocking chair determined to sit and rock and worry
about children and grandchildren and everything
else. Hell is therefore a lack of wisdom and not
moving on, choosing not to go any further, sitting
there and doing nothing. Hell is not a place.
I asked if there was
a Devil or Satan.
He said to me, "Would
God allow that?" He continued, "If I made you God
for just a few seconds, what would you do first?"
I knew my first act would
be to eliminate any Devil or Satan. I asked, "How
do I know right from wrong?"
He replied, "Right is
helping and being kind. Wrong is not only hurting
someone but not helping when you can."
We walked as I asked
about the universe and reasons for everything. All
of these things were shown to me. Then he wondered
if I still wanted to return to the physical world.
"I do want to return."
He asked, "Why?"
I said I would help my
mother whom my father had left with four children
and one on the way. God kind of chuckled and asked
me for the real reason. I said I would leave the
Earth a little better than I found it.
Then you may return with
some of the knowledge of the things you have learned,
but the rest will be veiled for a time. Live in
such a way that you will not be going back when
you return here again.
I woke up facedown in
the mud of the river bottom and was 'lifted' to
the top. I threw up great amounts of water, then
pulled myself out of the river only to discover
my brother had died.
This
is the true story about an event that forever changed
David Goines' life and that has been the basis for
the way he has since lived. When he was thirteen
years old, he was riding his bike to school when
he was hit by a concrete mixing truck. His resulting
near-death experience revealed to him many of the
secrets of the afterlife. Many questions concerning
"Why are we here?" and "What is the meaning of life?"
are answered here. At the end of his experience,
he was given a choice - a choice that is offered
to all of us. It is a choice we all must make when
we die.
I remember
the fear of impact (getting hit), however, I have
no recollection of the impact or having my body
become totally integrated with the bicycle, nor
hurtling over sixty feet through the air and landing
in the canal. My next memory was quite a scene in
the hospital emergency room. It was the most unique
experience of my earthly life. Unique, because I
was observing my own body in the emergency room
and all the activity going on, except that I was
not in my body. I was above it all - looking down.
I was feeling no pain.
Everyone
was very busy. I knew by their activity that I was
in serious trouble. There was much discussion about
how to extract me from the tangled wreckage of my
bike and/or whether they would need to leave me
in it until I was stabilized enough to try. I could
see and hear everything. It was gruesome. It was
frightening. They finally decided they had me stable
enough to get rid of the bike and they called for
a welding specialist to bring a torch to help cut
me out of the bike. Thank God my body seemed to
be unconscious. All of this would have been quite
enough for my young mind to endure - until one nurse,
whom I knew, said to another, "Well - it certainly
makes you wonder if it is worth saving this mess."
She nearly
scared me to death! At that moment, it was
more than I could stand above and watch. I wanted
to run away from this scene. I needed to escape.
Quickly, I turned, took one step through the wall
so to speak and found myself in total darkness.
I looked back - nothing but darkness! Before I could
barely think, "Now I've done it!" I apparently took
another step; and I was instantly in the most beautiful
garden I have ever seen. This garden was like a
formal terrace which had been carved out of a rough
mountain, just a few feet below the peak. Everything
was white marble and evergreen. The air was so incredibly
light and clear and fresh and cool. It seemed like
I was breathing pure chilled oxygen. The garden
was trimmed in evergreen shrubs, each a perfect
specimen; and the fragrance of evergreen lightly
scented the air. This place seemed so perfect in
every detail. Directly in front of me, just a few
steps away, was a marble bench which seemed to invite
me to come, sit, and rest.
As I sat
down and breathed in the fresh wonderful air, I
looked around. What a wonderful place to rest. The
floor was flat and smooth, polished to perfection
such that it looked seamless. This garden terrace
was surrounded by low marble pillars and a marble
railing and looked like it had been formed right
out of the side of the mountain in one seamless
effort. I noticed the stark contrast between the
formal perfection of white marble and the surrounding
mountain that was rough and ragged by comparison.
It seemed
like only moments while I looked around this beautiful
setting, when I noticed a very warm, kindly, old
gentleman sitting beside me on the bench. I had
not seen or heard him come - he was just there.
A light smile crossed his face, and I knew he was
a friend. His face was warmly wrinkled, but soft.
His eyes were a soft blue and yet with a depth and
sparkle of wisdom. I looked away so as not to fall
into his eyes; and as I did, he spoke to me. His
voice was firm, but soft and loving.
He said,
"Well, you've had a rough day," as if he knew all
about it.
With a tired
sigh I said, "I sure have!"
No further
explanation seemed necessary as we both sat there.
Then, I remembered just how much trouble I really
was in; and I looked back at him hoping he would
have an answer I could stand to hear.
I asked
"Am I dead?"
He smiled
to assure me and said, "No, you are not dead. Your
body is in a lot of trouble, but it is being well
taken care of and you do not need to worry."
I remember
I felt so relieved to be told that I was not dead.
Life was not over. This was not the end. All these
things ran through my mind like a whirlwind that
stopped abruptly, and I was filled with a million
questions as to explain my current condition. I
could not explain why I felt like I was sitting
here in this place feeling very much like I had
a body and yet knowing very much that I had left
it behind.
Again I
looked at him, and his face looked so understanding
I knew he had the answers even before I asked the
question. It was like we could read each others
thoughts - even before words were spoken - and I'm
not sure but what a lot of our communication did
take place this way, mind to mind. Then a kind of
panic set in.
I demanded
of him: "How am I here, in this place, when I know
that my body is back there in the hospital?" And
"Where is this place? How do I see this place and
you, if I'm not with my body? How can I be two places
at once?" I began to feel very upset. "What are
you?" I demanded!
His voice
calmed me immediately. He said, "You are in a very
special place. You are safe."
He went
on to explain that, though my body was in the hospital,
it was my physical body and that each of us has
also our spiritual body and our mental body.
He said,
"It is your mental and spiritual body that is here.
It is with your mental and spiritual eyes that you
see this place. Likewise, it is through your mental
and spiritual body senses that you perceive everything
in and about this place. This place is in your mind's
eye, your imagination; it is as it is because this
is exactly what you need it to be. Your physical
crisis and mental need caused it to be just as you
perceive it. I am here too without a physical body.
You see me as I see myself in my own mind's eye.
A mental picture (a thought) from my mind to your
mind's eye. I am as you see me because this is the
way that I perceived that you needed me to be. Who
I am or my name is not important. I am here for
you on behalf of your heavenly Father's love for
you and to remind you from where you came."
My first
thought was - The hospital?
He smiled
a smile of wisdom and patience beyond wisdom itself
and said lovingly, "No, I mean your Father's house."
It was then
at that moment that I realized that I knew everything
that he was saying was true and that I had known
this consciously before I was born to this Earth
to have a physical body. I remembered that I was
also a spiritual and mental body (being), and it
all made perfect sense. I even remembered coming
through the veil to find and choose my physical
body. I was mildly puzzled that I could have even
forgotten such things - when he reminded me that
to have/experience a physical life - it was necessary
to at least for a while, forget a little of our
prior knowledge so that we might more fully experience
the physical things, be physically challenged, make
choices of free agency, and yes, even make mistakes
so that we could learn from them in ways that only
a physical life could impart.
If we retained
all of our prior knowledge, we might not bother
to experience the physical life for its fulfillment
- we might decide to skip the pain and thus miss
the pleasure. I also remembered the promise I had
made to my heavenly Father upon accepting the opportunity,
challenges and responsibility of a physical life.
To make the most of this opportunity for myself
and for him. To return to my Father's house with
the knowledge and experience gained such that likewise,
my Father (Creator) could be enhanced by the experience.
It was upon this basis that I realized why we need
to experience a separation of our total reality
when we take a physical body. That is because in
order for us to appreciate, benefit, and learn all
we can from our physical life, we must seemingly
have to re-discover what we knew before - now in
physical ways. Likewise, through this physical life
we must discover how to return to our heavenly Father.
By the good that we do to each other here, by the
ways we improve our minds, and by the ways that
we learn to cope with a physical body and physical
life, do we earn our right of safe passage back
to our Father's house; and in so doing, do we likewise
magnify and glorify (honor) our Father. It is our
Father's love that sends us on the journey and it
is our love for him that will allow us to go back
home to his loving arms again.
As soon
as I had remembered all that I needed to know, my
loving, special friend disappeared.
This was
a wonderful place; it was everything I needed it
to be. I not only remembered and could see from
where I came, I could also see and remember where
I was going, the many things that I was supposed
to do. I knew when I chose this life that it would
be challenging. I knew that I would be responsible
for finding a physical life mate and that, together,
we would accept the responsibility of providing
new physical life so that others of God's children
(creation) could likewise share in a physical experience
for themselves. I knew that I would be responsible
for choosing between good and evil so that my life
would serve to glorify my heavenly Father upon my
return to him.
As I continued
to ponder and re-affirm these things, I felt very
refreshed and again more conscious of my garden
place. I turned and noticed a small winding path
leading up to the crest of this rugged mountain.
I had not noticed this path before, but it was there
now and it beckoned me. I got up from my marble
bench and began making my way up the steep access
of the path. It was difficult and my footing was
very unsure. As I reached the top, I looked down
upon a beautiful meadow on the other side. It was
so tempting. There were flowers of every description
and color. A beautiful brook flowed playfully through
the meadow, and I made my way through the lush grass
to be by its side. The brook was only a few inches
deep. The water flowed quickly. I picked up some
pebbles and tossed them one by one into the water.
I was about to turn away and leave when I looked
on the other side of the stream and saw a beautiful
white light much like sunbeams. From this beautiful
light a figure appeared. It was clothed in white
robes and white light such that I could scarcely
tell the difference. I could not make out a face
- but I clearly saw hands. These hands stretched
out to me and a voice said: "Will you come unto
me?"
Without
hesitation I stepped into the water, then I paused.
I was shaking all over. Then I remembered that I
had a life to learn and experience. I turned; and
as I stepped out of the water, I said "No, I still
have many things which I must do."
I made my
way quickly, running as fast as I could back up
to the top of the hill and back down that winding
path, nearly falling several times. As soon as my
feet touched the floor of my beautiful marble garden,
I was consciously back in my physical body, awake,
and suddenly in more physical pain than I ever thought
possible. My body was in five-way traction, and
I was barely touching the bed. Everything hurt.
My first
conscious thought was, "Big mistake - boy, I've
done it now! I've screwed up big time! That white
figure was Jesus and I told him, "No!"
I don't
know whether I cried more from the physical pain
I was in or the spiritual and mental torment I was
having over this decision. Later through prayer
and meditation, I have been comforted. I now understand
and have so often reflected that through this experience
I was being offered a choice. A choice which I,
and each of us, have the right to make. My heavenly
Father has such a profound love for me and all of
his children, for that matter, that I was offered
through his son Jesus the opportunity to come back
to him right then.
His love
is so great for his children that he was and is
willing to sacrifice his potential for glory. Fortunately
for me, I have the opportunity on his behalf to
experience a physical life; and hopefully in doing
so, I will ultimately magnify and glorify my heavenly
Father and more so than if I had accepted grace
and forgone this opportunity.
I did not
realize that my garden experience had lasted for
twenty-one days, until I was told by my doctors
and nurses that I had been in a coma all that time.
It was from this experience that I was able to draw
enough strength and energy to rehabilitate my body,
learn to walk again, and do all the things that
I have been able to do so far in my life.
I am telling
you this story, one, because I needed to tell it;
two, because, perhaps you needed to hear it; and,
three, because it allows me a credible basis for
sharing with you much of the magic that can enhance
a physical life.
Brad
Steiger is a famous author of paranormal books such
as
Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places,
Dog Miracles: Inspirational and Heroic True Stories,
and
Angels Around the World. On an August day in
1947, 11-year-old Brad Steiger nearly died of multiple
skull fractures after being caught in the metallic
blades of a piece of machinery on his family's Iowa
farm. He felt his "essential self" drift away from
his body. He watched his sister run for help and
realized he was simultaneously in his father's arms
being carried from the field, and above himself,
observing.
While "out"
of his body he was shown a geometric design of colors
and seemed to see the patterns inherent in all of
life. He came back to his body just as the surgeons
were about to operate.
Although he did not understand
it, he felt he had been shown a plan of the universe,
and that he had a mission "to testify to others
that the human spirit is eternal and that we are
not alone in the cosmic scheme of things."
Children
report being taken on a tour of heaven, seeing angels,
colorful geometric patterns, and dead relatives
and pets. One 9-year-old boy, after 36 hours in
a life-threatening fever, reported seeing his sister
during a tour of heaven. It was she who told him
he had to come back to life. His father assured
him he couldn't have seen her there as she was safely
away at college. The following morning they found
out that the daughter had died the night before
in a car crash.
One of her
professors at the Chicago Theological Seminary once
told of a girl who was dying and reported seeing
her brother right in front of her in the hospital,
telling her it was "OK."
When told
of this after her death her parents were stunned.
They had never told her she had had a brother who
died years before she was born.
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