Tag Archive: NDE


Fear of Death Due to Hellish NDEs

Filed Under: Afterlife, Death and Dying by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Fear of Death Due to Hellish NDEs


Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I’ve read about some hellish near-death experiences and now I’m terrified of dying. Can you help me work through this fear?

Donny

Dear Donny:

It’s interesting to note what different individuals choose to focus upon. All of life is composed of both darkness and light, yet some people cling to the light they see, while others obsessively worry about the dark. In the case of NDE’s, the tremendous majority of experiences reported are beyond positive. People describe them as blissful, ecstatic, moving, and life-changing in wonderful – even miraculous – ways. Since nearly all of this research is so positive in nature, I often recommend people study near-death experiences to overcome their fear of dying.

Nevertheless, it is true that some people have reported dark or hellish near-death experiences, and to ignore these negative experiences is just as foolish as it would be to fixate on the dark, dangerous and ugly we find in life. The physical universe is full of contrast: good and bad, positive and negative, dark and light. It is this contrast that gives life meaning. Without the contrast, we could not know happiness, beauty, love or even wisdom.

One aspect of spiritual wisdom is to know darkness but no longer fear it. Some people seek peace by ignoring everything that disturbs them and denying their own faults and weaknesses. This does not produce true and lasting peace, of course, for “reality” is constantly rearing its ugly head and marring their idyllic view of themselves and the world. To find lasting peace, we must seek the truth instead of running from it and rise above needing life and people to be anything but what they are. We must acknowledge the darkness as well as the light, and not only accept that this is the nature of reality but embrace and appreciate the perfection of All That Is. It may seem ironic, but it is only by letting go of our resistance to darkness that we begin to shine so brightly that we move beyond being affected by it.

According to ancient teachings such as those found in The Tibetan Book of Death and Dying, death is something of an obstacle course. The more prepared we are for death, the better we will be able to control what happens when we cross over and where we end up. While I’m certainly not a fan of traditional religion, I do believe it’s foolish to throw the baby out with the bath water by actively disbelieving in everything ever taught in a church, temple, or religious text. Every culture around the world and throughout history has shared some key beliefs, including the belief that there are heavenly and hellish realms in the afterlife, and that how we live here on Earth will have a strong influence on where we end up when our time here is over.

I think what scares people the most about death and “hell” is the sense that they have no control over what happens to them. This is where you can begin to work through your fear, for all knowledgeable sources from esoteric teachings to the very near-death experiences you reference suggest that we DO have control over what happens to us and where we end up when we leave this life.

For example, people who have had negative NDE’s tend to have some things in common. Many of them almost died due to suicide attempts or drug overdoses. Others were atheists who had lived according to very superficial values. Basically, their spiritual lives were either non-existent or a mess. It’s my understanding that we are constantly building our home in the afterlife from the inside out, so if our inner worlds are full of darkness, heaviness, sorrow, anger, or other negativity, we will find ourselves in similar realms when we leave our bodies.

People who have had positive NDE’s also tend to have some things in common. Though they may not have been overtly religious or even spiritual, they had cultivated a lot of love in their lives. In fact, the main reason most of them returned was to be here with their children or other people they loved with all their hearts. They had good reasons to live: relationships, goals and dreams they had been cultivating that they wanted to see through to the end. Most of these NDEs involved accidents or illnesses and were not a result of self-destructive choices.

Further, in nearly every account of a positive NDE that I’ve read (and I’ve read many!), the person who almost died lost all fear of death. Interestingly enough, even people who have negative experiences tend to be changed in positive ways and, despite the darkness of their experience, also lose their fear of death. For most people, a negative NDE is a valuable wake-up call that makes them realize that that the direction they are heading in life is not going to lead to where they really want to end up.

The Earth plane has its own hells and paradises, so why wouldn’t other realms? People who make poor choices in the physical can end up in slums or prisons, while people who make wise choices can create their own paradise on Earth. It’s my understanding that the same is true in the afterlife, only what we do physically doesn’t matter so much as what we do metaphysically: what we think about, how we feel, and what we intend. The more we fill our inner worlds with love, faith, peace and gratitude, the more likely we are to end up in a higher realm when we leave this world. Given all of the above, you are wise to be facing your feelings about death and reaching for greater peace and faith.

Fortunately, there are all sorts of things you can do while you’re alive to align with a positive experience when you leave this world. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that most of these things are the same practices that various religions and spiritual teachings have promoted throughout the ages.

First we have the age-old prescription to meditate. Through meditation, you can become conscious of the inner world upon which your afterlife experience will be founded, and gain control over your thoughts and feelings to purposefully cultivate a beautiful inner landscape. Through detachment from the physical, meditation also promotes a deep sense of peace and well-being, a higher vibration, and all sorts of spiritual wisdom, insights and powers.

Though I’m not in harmony with “fire and brimstone” sermons on all the reasons we are surely going to hell, I do think that the idea that to go to heaven, one must be a “good” person is valid. Since our inner landscape becomes the world we inhabit when we leave this life, we are wise to make our thoughts and feelings as beautiful as possible. The more we purify our minds and hearts of negativity, make peace with life and other people, and strive to do good in the world, the more we will be blessed both in this life and in the realms beyond it. We are all wise to cultivate the highest personal vibration possible, and to do this, we must constantly strive to grow into better people. Ignoring our faults, putting off the hard work of facing ourselves and overcoming our weaknesses is foolish, for we take the shadows in our hearts and souls with us when we leave this world.

Finally, I think one of the best things we can do to prepare for the next world is to begin to explore it now by learning how to lucid dream and astral travel. The more adept we are at traveling in metaphysical realms, the more at home we’ll feel when we shed our bodies and move on to new adventures.

Soul Arcanum

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Fear of Death Due to Hellish NDEs

Filed Under: Afterlife, Death and Dying by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Fear of Death Due to Hellish NDEs


Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I’ve read about some hellish near-death experiences and now I’m terrified of dying. Can you help me work through this fear?

Donny

Dear Donny:

It’s interesting to note what different individuals choose to focus upon. All of life is composed of both darkness and light, yet some people cling to the light they see, while others obsessively worry about the dark. In the case of NDE’s, the tremendous majority of experiences reported are beyond positive. People describe them as blissful, ecstatic, moving, and life-changing in wonderful – even miraculous – ways. Since nearly all of this research is so positive in nature, I often recommend people study near-death experiences to overcome their fear of dying.

Nevertheless, it is true that some people have reported dark or hellish near-death experiences, and to ignore these negative experiences is just as foolish as it would be to fixate on the dark, dangerous and ugly we find in life. The physical universe is full of contrast: good and bad, positive and negative, dark and light. It is this contrast that gives life meaning. Without the contrast, we could not know happiness, beauty, love or even wisdom.

One aspect of spiritual wisdom is to know darkness but no longer fear it. Some people seek peace by ignoring everything that disturbs them and denying their own faults and weaknesses. This does not produce true and lasting peace, of course, for “reality” is constantly rearing its ugly head and marring their idyllic view of themselves and the world. To find lasting peace, we must seek the truth instead of running from it and rise above needing life and people to be anything but what they are. We must acknowledge the darkness as well as the light, and not only accept that this is the nature of reality but embrace and appreciate the perfection of All That Is. It may seem ironic, but it is only by letting go of our resistance to darkness that we begin to shine so brightly that we move beyond being affected by it.

According to ancient teachings such as those found in The Tibetan Book of Death and Dying, death is something of an obstacle course. The more prepared we are for death, the better we will be able to control what happens when we cross over and where we end up. While I’m certainly not a fan of traditional religion, I do believe it’s foolish to throw the baby out with the bath water by actively disbelieving in everything ever taught in a church, temple, or religious text. Every culture around the world and throughout history has shared some key beliefs, including the belief that there are heavenly and hellish realms in the afterlife, and that how we live here on Earth will have a strong influence on where we end up when our time here is over.

I think what scares people the most about death and “hell” is the sense that they have no control over what happens to them. This is where you can begin to work through your fear, for all knowledgeable sources from esoteric teachings to the very near-death experiences you reference suggest that we DO have control over what happens to us and where we end up when we leave this life.

For example, people who have had negative NDE’s tend to have some things in common. Many of them almost died due to suicide attempts or drug overdoses. Others were atheists who had lived according to very superficial values. Basically, their spiritual lives were either non-existent or a mess. It’s my understanding that we are constantly building our home in the afterlife from the inside out, so if our inner worlds are full of darkness, heaviness, sorrow, anger, or other negativity, we will find ourselves in similar realms when we leave our bodies.

People who have had positive NDE’s also tend to have some things in common. Though they may not have been overtly religious or even spiritual, they had cultivated a lot of love in their lives. In fact, the main reason most of them returned was to be here with their children or other people they loved with all their hearts. They had good reasons to live: relationships, goals and dreams they had been cultivating that they wanted to see through to the end. Most of these NDEs involved accidents or illnesses and were not a result of self-destructive choices.

Further, in nearly every account of a positive NDE that I’ve read (and I’ve read many!), the person who almost died lost all fear of death. Interestingly enough, even people who have negative experiences tend to be changed in positive ways and, despite the darkness of their experience, also lose their fear of death. For most people, a negative NDE is a valuable wake-up call that makes them realize that that the direction they are heading in life is not going to lead to where they really want to end up.

The Earth plane has its own hells and paradises, so why wouldn’t other realms? People who make poor choices in the physical can end up in slums or prisons, while people who make wise choices can create their own paradise on Earth. It’s my understanding that the same is true in the afterlife, only what we do physically doesn’t matter so much as what we do metaphysically: what we think about, how we feel, and what we intend. The more we fill our inner worlds with love, faith, peace and gratitude, the more likely we are to end up in a higher realm when we leave this world. Given all of the above, you are wise to be facing your feelings about death and reaching for greater peace and faith.

Fortunately, there are all sorts of things you can do while you’re alive to align with a positive experience when you leave this world. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that most of these things are the same practices that various religions and spiritual teachings have promoted throughout the ages.

First we have the age-old prescription to meditate. Through meditation, you can become conscious of the inner world upon which your afterlife experience will be founded, and gain control over your thoughts and feelings to purposefully cultivate a beautiful inner landscape. Through detachment from the physical, meditation also promotes a deep sense of peace and well-being, a higher vibration, and all sorts of spiritual wisdom, insights and powers.

Though I’m not in harmony with “fire and brimstone” sermons on all the reasons we are surely going to hell, I do think that the idea that to go to heaven, one must be a “good” person is valid. Since our inner landscape becomes the world we inhabit when we leave this life, we are wise to make our thoughts and feelings as beautiful as possible. The more we purify our minds and hearts of negativity, make peace with life and other people, and strive to do good in the world, the more we will be blessed both in this life and in the realms beyond it. We are all wise to cultivate the highest personal vibration possible, and to do this, we must constantly strive to grow into better people. Ignoring our faults, putting off the hard work of facing ourselves and overcoming our weaknesses is foolish, for we take the shadows in our hearts and souls with us when we leave this world.

Finally, I think one of the best things we can do to prepare for the next world is to begin to explore it now by learning how to lucid dream and astral travel. The more adept we are at traveling in metaphysical realms, the more at home we’ll feel when we shed our bodies and move on to new adventures.

Soul Arcanum

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Lightning Strike Awakening

Filed Under: Psychic Ability, Spiritual Growth by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Lightning Strike Awakening


Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

In June of 2008, I was at the lake for a surprise party for my 48th birthday. It was a day I will never forget. A sudden storm came up, and the tree I was under was hit by lightning. I caught some of what my physicians called “flash over current.” I wound up with singed hair and a major concussion. I struggled with memory issues and headaches for a few months, some of which continue today. A few months afterward, something happened that I can’t explain. I honestly thought I was losing my mind! I started having visions, seeing swirling colors when I closed my eyes to relax, seeing faces of people I hadn’t yet met (but met later) in clouds, and hearing voices. The most startling was discovering that stones and crystals seem to speak to me. I found this out quite accidentally at a jewelry store when I picked up a bracelet and it vibrated. At times, the sky “calls” me to come outside because it has something to tell me, and when I do, there are messages in the clouds. This has been both disconcerting and incredibly interesting, as I never know what will happen next. Could this lightning strike have awakened some ability that I was previously unaware of? What do I do with it now?

Mel

Dear Mel:

I think you would be very interested in Dannion Brinkley’s books, especially Saved by the Light. In fact, I’m surprised you haven’t stumbled across them already, for much like you, Dannion was struck by lightning, had a near death experience, and then a profound psychic awakening. You can find the fascinating story of his first near death experience In fact, I’m surprised you haven’t stumbled across them already, for much like you, Dannion was struck by lightning, had a near death experience, and then a profound psychic awakening.

Though you don’t remember having a near death experience, that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Further, whether or not you traveled through a tunnel toward a divine light where you met a being of unimaginable love and compassion and all the rest, you almost died, and almost dying is known to spark profound spiritual transformations.

In fact, trauma of any kind – physical, emotional, mental or spiritual – is known to be a powerful initiator of spiritual awakenings. For this reason, shamans and mystics will actually induce trauma through fasting, sleep deprivation, physical pain and other practices in order to disassociate from the physical body and align with the spirit world. Some say that this leads to a purification of the body or a shift into a higher vibration. Certainly there is a relationship between physical and emotional “suffering” and spiritual growth and awareness. It sounds like you have yet to consciously label what you’re going through as a spiritual awakening, but that is precisely what is causing these extraordinary experiences.

There are a couple of reasons why you may be especially confused and disoriented by all of this. Usually, psychic awakening is a result of years of spiritual practice and devotion, so those who experience it both welcome and understand the strange and wonderful things that begin to happen to them.

I imagine people who have a conscious near death experience would tend to have an easier time with all the changes that occur in the aftermath than those who have no idea what happened to them. When people of no great spiritual background die only to find themselves outside of their bodies and very much “alive,” they are naturally catapulted on a conscious quest for greater spiritual understanding. Most people who have a near death experience come back knowing that they will be forever changed. These changes often include new psychic abilities, which may be amazing but are also accepted as part and parcel of the profound transformation they are undergoing on every level.

When awakening occurs suddenly as a result of trauma, as it did for you, it can be very unsettling. Since you didn’t have a conscious near death experience, it makes sense to me that you didn’t notice these changes right away. You had no reason to question the “reality” you had lived in all the years of your life, and it doesn’t sound like this experience launched you on a big spiritual quest – at least not until strange psychic events began to occur.

A related term for the spiritual awakening you’re going through is “kundalini experience.” (You might find it very helpful to research that term.) As a surge in the life force energy known as kundalini can spark a sudden spiritual awakening, I imagine any surge in energy through the body could have a similar effect. I’m suggesting that you may have been hit double, first by the surge of energy from the lightning, and second from the subsequent surge in life force/kundalini energy that this trauma unleashed.

Spiritual awakenings and kundalini experiences are known to induce psychic abilities. Frequent headaches and/or strange feelings of pressure in the head are one of the most common kundalini symptoms. Kundalini surges have also been known to cause amnesia or memory loss. As you can see, all of these fit what you experienced after being struck by lightning.

Why trauma causes a surge in kundalini is debatable. As I see it, incarnating into a physical body involves “stepping down” our spiritual vibration in order to remain anchored to this plane. It is unusual to leave our physical bodies and then return to them again, especially in a conscious manner. To do so is to reconnect with the higher vibration of the soul and to shift our general vibration in that direction. This is why practicing astral projection, leaving the body in a near death experience, and mentally disassociating from the physical via prolonged meditation lead to profound spiritual transformation and greater psychic awareness: through these experiences, we are reconnected to the higher vibration of the spirit world.

I must admit that I have never heard of anyone being called by the sky or receiving “messages” in the clouds before. However, the idea that we can receive messages “from the heavens” is as old as time, and there are many people who see visions in clouds. While there could be all sorts of explanations for your special relationship with the sky, I’m betting your spirit guides have simply found this to be the easiest or most effective way to get your attention in order to communicate with you. If you further develop your psychic awareness and begin to dialogue with these messengers in the sky, you may discover the true source of these communications.

As for how you are to handle all of this, the answer is carefully. You’ll want to relax into this new awareness and at the same time remain well grounded. Balance is the key to a smooth, pleasant journey. When undergoing kundalini surges, life becomes something of an exciting roller coaster. Your whole being is rapidly changing and experiencing all sorts of peaks and valleys as it integrates this new level of energy, so it’s especially important to honor your true needs. Sometimes you will feel called to dig in to spiritual practice or use your gifts in new ways; other times you will feel like taking a break from all this spiritual stuff so you can just enjoy physical life. Your needs may change from one moment to the next as your energy waxes and wanes, so you’ll have to be extra mindful to honor your feelings and inner guidance for a while.

– Soul Arcanum

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Near Death Dream

Filed Under: Afterlife, Dreams by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Near Death Dream

 

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I had a dream that I was in a grave with dirt being thrown on me, but I don’t think I was dead. It was very sunny out and I woke up and that was it. I wasn’t afraid. About one month before the dream, I had heart surgery. During the surgery, I felt like I went to the other side but did not die. I don’t remember what was said on the other side. I woke up feeling very different, and I still feel changed. I am wiser, more loving, calmer and vibrating higher. Other than that, everything is the same. Can you explain this to me? Thank you!

Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth:

It sounds like you were wondering if you did indeed “die” during your surgery, and this dream came to answer the question burning in your heart while also confirming what you learned when you “died” that day: that death is nothing to be afraid of.

I am assuming that you have found your way to the term “near death experience” and read up on this phenomenon. If not, prepare to be amazed, for it’s commonly accepted that near death experiences (in which someone is clinically dead but then brought back to life) are known to induce the very personality changes you describe. A great resource for near death experience information is I am assuming that you have found your way to the term “near death experience” and read up on this phenomenon. If not, prepare to be amazed, for it’s commonly accepted that near death experiences (in which someone is clinically dead but then brought back to life) are known to induce the very personality changes you describe. A great resource for near death experience information is near-death.com.

Most people who have an NDE vividly remember the events that happened while they were supposedly dead. They may have perfect recall of every moment or they may have some parts that they can remember and some parts that seem vague or blocked. Often the parts that they can’t remember seem to involve deep conversations that they sense they are not “supposed” remember upon return to this world.

I have, however, heard of people who just knew that they had died but couldn’t remember much if anything about what happened while they were out. Further, it makes sense to me that you could have had a near death experience and not be able to consciously remember it. After all, we can’t remember most of the spiritual experiences we have when dreaming or astral traveling, especially those that transcend our current beliefs and expectations. If I were you, I would trust your feeling that you had been to the other side, especially since you exhibit many of the classic signs of someone who has had an NDE.

If you want to remember what happened while you were gone, you may be able to relive those events with the help of a skilled hypnotherapist. Since regression therapy can take us back to relive events from childhood, the womb, and even past lives and lives between lives, it should be possible to relive what happened while you were unconscious and possibly in another realm. At the same time, however, there is usually a good reason why we remember some metaphysical experiences and not others, so you would be wise to trust that when the time is right, you will gain awareness of whatever you need to know.

The fact that NDEs tend to induce profound spiritual awakenings and personality changes is well established, but why that would be is a mystery. This whole subject raises lots of fascinating questions for me. Why does dying and coming back change us in profound spiritual ways? Is it because we no longer fear death, and since fear of death is the ultimate fear behind every other fear we experience, when we lose it, our vibration shoots through the roof? Is dying like getting a glimpse behind the proverbial curtain, after which the world’s illusions fall away and we can see clearly for the first time? Is it because, when we experience a life review, we instantly realize how most of the things we focus on aren’t important, and how the only thing that really matters is how well we love?

I imagine there is no greater change in perspective than to be lifted right out of life, for only then can we see the immensity of the landscape below us and get a true sense of the lay of the land. However, there does seem to be something energetic happening, as you allude to when you write that you’ve been “vibrating higher.”

Indeed, the changes that people describe following a near death experience mirror many of those that are associated with kundalini awakening and conscious spiritual development. When we purposefully raise our vibration, we naturally begin to tap into psychic abilities and feel filled with love, compassion and other positive emotions. As many of the spontaneous results of an NDE mirror those of spiritual development, it makes sense that near death experiences cause a shift into a higher vibration.

As a result of this shift, you may spontaneously begin to have psychic experiences. For example, you may be able to sense what other people are thinking and feeling, have prophetic visions or feelings about the future, or begin to see spirits and subtle energies that other people can’t. You may begin to have profound spiritual dreams or spontaneous out of body experiences. You may suddenly develop healing ability or feel called to help people who are in physical or emotional pain. You may start to experience strange electrical phenomena; for example, watches may break when you wear them or lights may flicker when you touch the switch or pass by. You may begin to feel called to do something more meaningful with your life or devote yourself to helping others in some way.

The main message that people bring back from near death experiences is that love is the most important thing in the Universe, and our goal is to love others as ourselves. In various ways and terms, NDE’rs tell us that God is love and our whole goal in incarnating is to put ourselves in challenging situations and learn to choose love despite our ego-based, primal fears for our own well-being and personal interests.

Another main message is to live our lives fully. Many report that the only remorse they felt upon their life review was not for the things they had done wrong, but for all the good things they had failed to do. This does not mean that there are big “shoulds” we need to figure out somehow, but that life is all about finding happiness and embracing every opportunity to experience and create more joy. Indeed, instead of putting our dreams aside in the name of duty, we are wise to trust and honor the true desires of our hearts.

You don’t have to remember your near-death experience to benefit from it, for we are all being guided to fulfill our higher purpose via our hearts whether we’ve had a near death experience or not. The key, then, is to listen to and follow your bliss with trust that doing so will prove wise and good.

While we’re on the subject of near-death experiences, a model of the Universe comes to mind that resonates with me as true and fits with everything I’ve learned through spirit communication and metaphysical studies. It’s the idea that we are already dwelling in the afterlife – that the Earth is just one of many spiritual realms. Our ideas about hell reflect dimensions of a lower vibration, while our ideas about heaven reflect our awareness of higher dimensions. In this scenario, birth and death are simply transitions from one dimension to another. As we evolve, we naturally rise in vibration, eventually moving into the range of a higher dimension and beginning the cycle of birth and rebirth there. Thus it is true that the more we develop spiritually while living, the more likely we are to go to a “a better place” when we leave this life.

– Soul Arcanum

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