James_Robertson
Member
Hi everyone,
I have some thoughts on Near Death Experiences that I'd like to share.
I am not aware of any NDEs of a non-christian walking through the streets of Heaven as in many Christian NDEs and visions. I am aware of non-Christians finding themselves in a garden/meadow and they can sometimes see a off in the distance, but they are sometimes told they don't have the information necessary to enter.
Perhaps this shows that NDEs somehow indicate the condition of a person's "heart" or maybe their closeness to God (whether they are Christian or not) based on how far they are allowed to go. This would be different from the view that they are simply seeing what they "expect to see" based on their beliefs.
Here's a quick list of settings that may indicate "closeness to God" listed in order of closest to furthest from God:
Closest to God
Throne room of God (Reported by Christians only?)
Walking the streets of Heaven (Reported by Christians only?)
Standing at the entrance of the city but not allowed in
Walking in garden and allowed to see city from afar
Absorbed into large ball of light
Floating in darkness/void
Fiery hell
Furthest from God
Here is a visual to help convey the concept:
Allowed to See the City from Outside
was allowed to enter doorways into two hellish realms during her NDE but when she tried to enter a "heavenly" realm she was not allowed to and she was told why:
"...I flew along further up the tunnel and glanced in other doorways but the next one that made a lasting impression on me was a world of almost indescribable beauty. I looked upon a beautiful wooded garden with fountains and waterfalls and streams and bridges that glowed and sparkled with iridescent colors. A feeling of peace and harmony flowed from this scene and I moved toward the doorway with a great desire to enter. As I began to go through the opening, my "nose" encountered what felt like plastic wrap webbing. I pushed forward but was gently rebuffed and a voice said, "You do not have the information to enter this world". At the time, I remember feeling disappointed, but not judged as unworthy, just uninformed..."
Sarah's NDE on the Art Bell Radio Show on 2/4/99
Another woman describes:
"...Then I saw babies as far as the eye could see and then some. They were ‘our precious abortion babies’ said the angel. But when I told him they were all different ages, he told me you don't stay a baby but will grow to about thirty-four or thirty-six. I was told I needed to get the word in me while on earth because I couldn't approach God in the great Throne Room until a certain level of knowledge was attained. I could learn it there but it would slow down my journey. "
Mary R ND
-----
George Ritchie
"...And then I saw, infinitely far off, far too distant to be visible with any kind of sight I knew of- a city. A glowing, seemingly endless city, bright enough to be seen over all the unimaginable distance between... But as fast as they came toward us, we drew away. Desperately I cried out to him not to leave me, to make me ready for that shining city, not to abandon me in this dark and narrow place."
George Ritchie NDE
----
People Experience Hell for Not Being Loving
CJ C Possible NDE
"At first evil was all around. I went to the depths of despair and spiraled down to the pit and was completely broken at the bottom of hell. I then realized why I was there. I was not sent there by God. I had put myself there. I realized at which point in my life my security had given way and it was age five. I had to move to America and leave the security of my uncle who was like a father to me. I lost all security at that point. Later I leaned on God as much as I could and became support to my family and then my wife and kids. I was spiritually leading them. But I didn't love myself so I couldn't lean on anyone because I felt I didn't deserve it. Slowly I started to destroy myself by holding things in then got sick physically. Then I leaned on pain medication to hold me up.
In the pit, I realized that God is one and he stands as one."
----
Francine B NDE
"Next, I was in a Hell and was flat on my back with bars pressing down on me. I could hear the cries of other souls and their anguish. An evil presence questioned me for what seemed like an eternity. It wanted to know what I believed spiritually and who I worshiped. I was very afraid a first but became defiant and challenged their right to keep me. I told them I did believe in Jesus and I didn't think he would hurt me. Then I was suddenly out of hell.
The next thing that happened was an in-depth review of my life. The Beings that were with me, showed me in detail each mistake I had made in my life. This review was so detailed that even inappropriate looks were pointed out. I was shown how my behavior hurt others and it was my responsibility to curtail my responses and love others more fully."
-----
Howard Storm NDE
After Howard storm experienced hell, called for Jesus, and got pulled out he had a conversation with beings and then was told he had to return, but feared he would end up in hell again. He was told:
"Do you think that we expect you to be perfect, after all the love we feel for you, even after you were on Earth blaspheming God, and treating everyone around you like dirt? And this, despite the fact that we were sending people to try and help you, to teach you the truth? Do you really think we would be apart from you now?"
I asked them, "But what about my own sense of failure? You've shown me how I can be better, and I'm sure I can't live up to that. I'm not that good." Some of my self-centeredness welled up and I said, "No way. I'm not going back."
----
Hindus and Idol Worshipers
Hindu's and others who practice idol worship tend to have experiences of Hell or darkness. (I'm trying to find examples where this is not the case.)
----
Agnostics vs Hypocritical Christians
Christians who do not practice love experience this hell as well. In fact, people who are agnostic seem to have more positive NDEs than hypocritical Christians. It makes me wonder if those agnostics may be walking closer to Jesus than the others if they are loving and forgiving people.
----
Visits to Heaven that Give Insight to the Garden and the City
Terry Bennett - 3 Levels in Heaven
Terry Bennett says he was taken to heaven multiple times starting in 1996. He talks about being taken to the outer parts of heaven in the suburbs or "Realm of the Least" as he was informed, which is a place to advance in spiritual learning that was not finalized on earth until he was allowed to enter "The Realm of the Overcomers" which is not the suburbs but more of the city itself as he seems to describe it.
---
Oden Hetrick - Testimony of Heaven
Oden Hetrick claims to describe the layout of heaven as it was shown to him with an outer "garden" area for learning and the next level which is "the city".
My conclusion is that NDEs show that biblical Christianity leads a person to the closest relationship with God.
Maybe you all have some thoughts on this?
I have some thoughts on Near Death Experiences that I'd like to share.
I am not aware of any NDEs of a non-christian walking through the streets of Heaven as in many Christian NDEs and visions. I am aware of non-Christians finding themselves in a garden/meadow and they can sometimes see a off in the distance, but they are sometimes told they don't have the information necessary to enter.
Perhaps this shows that NDEs somehow indicate the condition of a person's "heart" or maybe their closeness to God (whether they are Christian or not) based on how far they are allowed to go. This would be different from the view that they are simply seeing what they "expect to see" based on their beliefs.
Here's a quick list of settings that may indicate "closeness to God" listed in order of closest to furthest from God:
Closest to God
Throne room of God (Reported by Christians only?)
Walking the streets of Heaven (Reported by Christians only?)
Standing at the entrance of the city but not allowed in
Walking in garden and allowed to see city from afar
Absorbed into large ball of light
Floating in darkness/void
Fiery hell
Furthest from God
Here is a visual to help convey the concept:
Allowed to See the City from Outside
was allowed to enter doorways into two hellish realms during her NDE but when she tried to enter a "heavenly" realm she was not allowed to and she was told why:
"...I flew along further up the tunnel and glanced in other doorways but the next one that made a lasting impression on me was a world of almost indescribable beauty. I looked upon a beautiful wooded garden with fountains and waterfalls and streams and bridges that glowed and sparkled with iridescent colors. A feeling of peace and harmony flowed from this scene and I moved toward the doorway with a great desire to enter. As I began to go through the opening, my "nose" encountered what felt like plastic wrap webbing. I pushed forward but was gently rebuffed and a voice said, "You do not have the information to enter this world". At the time, I remember feeling disappointed, but not judged as unworthy, just uninformed..."
Sarah's NDE on the Art Bell Radio Show on 2/4/99
Another woman describes:
"...Then I saw babies as far as the eye could see and then some. They were ‘our precious abortion babies’ said the angel. But when I told him they were all different ages, he told me you don't stay a baby but will grow to about thirty-four or thirty-six. I was told I needed to get the word in me while on earth because I couldn't approach God in the great Throne Room until a certain level of knowledge was attained. I could learn it there but it would slow down my journey. "
Mary R ND
-----
George Ritchie
"...And then I saw, infinitely far off, far too distant to be visible with any kind of sight I knew of- a city. A glowing, seemingly endless city, bright enough to be seen over all the unimaginable distance between... But as fast as they came toward us, we drew away. Desperately I cried out to him not to leave me, to make me ready for that shining city, not to abandon me in this dark and narrow place."
George Ritchie NDE
----
People Experience Hell for Not Being Loving
CJ C Possible NDE
"At first evil was all around. I went to the depths of despair and spiraled down to the pit and was completely broken at the bottom of hell. I then realized why I was there. I was not sent there by God. I had put myself there. I realized at which point in my life my security had given way and it was age five. I had to move to America and leave the security of my uncle who was like a father to me. I lost all security at that point. Later I leaned on God as much as I could and became support to my family and then my wife and kids. I was spiritually leading them. But I didn't love myself so I couldn't lean on anyone because I felt I didn't deserve it. Slowly I started to destroy myself by holding things in then got sick physically. Then I leaned on pain medication to hold me up.
In the pit, I realized that God is one and he stands as one."
----
Francine B NDE
"Next, I was in a Hell and was flat on my back with bars pressing down on me. I could hear the cries of other souls and their anguish. An evil presence questioned me for what seemed like an eternity. It wanted to know what I believed spiritually and who I worshiped. I was very afraid a first but became defiant and challenged their right to keep me. I told them I did believe in Jesus and I didn't think he would hurt me. Then I was suddenly out of hell.
The next thing that happened was an in-depth review of my life. The Beings that were with me, showed me in detail each mistake I had made in my life. This review was so detailed that even inappropriate looks were pointed out. I was shown how my behavior hurt others and it was my responsibility to curtail my responses and love others more fully."
-----
Howard Storm NDE
After Howard storm experienced hell, called for Jesus, and got pulled out he had a conversation with beings and then was told he had to return, but feared he would end up in hell again. He was told:
"Do you think that we expect you to be perfect, after all the love we feel for you, even after you were on Earth blaspheming God, and treating everyone around you like dirt? And this, despite the fact that we were sending people to try and help you, to teach you the truth? Do you really think we would be apart from you now?"
I asked them, "But what about my own sense of failure? You've shown me how I can be better, and I'm sure I can't live up to that. I'm not that good." Some of my self-centeredness welled up and I said, "No way. I'm not going back."
----
Hindus and Idol Worshipers
Hindu's and others who practice idol worship tend to have experiences of Hell or darkness. (I'm trying to find examples where this is not the case.)
----
Agnostics vs Hypocritical Christians
Christians who do not practice love experience this hell as well. In fact, people who are agnostic seem to have more positive NDEs than hypocritical Christians. It makes me wonder if those agnostics may be walking closer to Jesus than the others if they are loving and forgiving people.
----
Visits to Heaven that Give Insight to the Garden and the City
Terry Bennett - 3 Levels in Heaven
Terry Bennett says he was taken to heaven multiple times starting in 1996. He talks about being taken to the outer parts of heaven in the suburbs or "Realm of the Least" as he was informed, which is a place to advance in spiritual learning that was not finalized on earth until he was allowed to enter "The Realm of the Overcomers" which is not the suburbs but more of the city itself as he seems to describe it.
---
Oden Hetrick - Testimony of Heaven
Oden Hetrick claims to describe the layout of heaven as it was shown to him with an outer "garden" area for learning and the next level which is "the city".
My conclusion is that NDEs show that biblical Christianity leads a person to the closest relationship with God.
Maybe you all have some thoughts on this?
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