This posted was written by Dr. Owen Allen, one of our contributors, and shared with permission.
For us Christians, life’s greatest miracle – and biggest mystery – is the promise that we’ll go to heaven some day. The problem is that we don’t know much about heaven. Or how we’ll get there. Or what it’ll be like. We know heaven is glorious. And we know that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all there, together with the angels and our deceased family members. The mystery is that we don’t know how we’ll travel, or what we’ll see, hear, and feel when we get there.
Happily, a new field of medical research is now giving us some of these answers. Doctors call this new field of research “Near-Death Experiences.” Or “NDEs” for short. These episodes happen when Christians die prematurely from unexpected illness, accidents, or trauma, and arrive in heaven early. And since they’re in heaven before their appointed time, Jesus lets them return to earth, where some are willing to tell doctors what happened to them.
Of course, there have always been Near-Death Experiences. Twelve NDEs are recorded in the Bible. The difference is that today, with the invention of social media Christians are more willing to talk about the experience. And doctors are more willing to publish NDE re- search in medical journals, books, and articles. In fact, several NDE’s have now been made into movies.
Recent examples of published Near-Death Experiences are the stories of Captain Dale Black, an airline pilot. Mickey Robinson, a skydiver. Rev. Don Piper, a pastor whose body was crushed by an 18-wheeler. Betty Malz, a Florida homemaker whose pastor father prayed her back from heaven. And Rev. Todd Burpo, a pastor who’s four-year old son went to heaven and met his grandfather and a sister who had died before he was born.
It’s also important to know that two prominent doctors, Dr. Raymond A. Moody, Jr., of the Medical College of Georgia; and Dr. Maurice S. Rawlings, of the Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga, devoted much of their time to interviewing Christians about their Near-Death Experiences, and these two doctors wrote over a dozen books on NDEs, some of which were best-sellers.
So the purpose of this article is to explain Near-Death Experiences to Christians, and to reveal what NDEs tell us about heaven. NDEs have nine parts, and every Christian doesn’t go through all nine parts (or at least they don’t remember all nine parts). However, when NDEs are studied as a whole, these nine parts can be seen. So we’re going to describe all nine parts in this article. To get us started, here’s how the Spiritual adventure of a NDE begins.
Leaving Our Body
As we said, Near-Death Experiences are a temporary and unexpected form of death that results from non-fatal sickness, accidents, and trauma. And we Christians need to know about NDEs because they give us such a deep insight into permanent death. Now, Part One of a NDE is when our spirit (our soul) leaves our body during a traumatic event. Some Christians don’t remember this step because it happens in seconds with no feeling. Other Christians do remember it, and they say we float effortlessly out of our body and linger nearby to see what’s happening. As we’ll see, there are as many descriptions of NDEs as there are Christians. So other Christians say we just “stand up” out of our body. Others say we float out through the chest area. Still others say we float out through the head area.
Regardless of what part of our body we leave from, once we’re outside, we’re transparent and invisible to others. Our spirit is about the size and shape of our body, except that it looks as if it’s made of blue mist, or as if it’s a body-shaped cloud of bluish smoke. Once again, some NDE-Christians (let’s call them that to remember that we’re not talking about permanent death) don’t remember this first step, and don’t realize that something supernatural is happening to them until they’re already in Part Two of their NDE.
Hovering Over Our Body
Part Two of Near-Death Experiences is when Christians realize they’re outside of their bodies, but still thinking normally. They have all of their memory, personality, education, self-awareness, and so on. Except that now these faculties are working outside their body instead of inside it. They realize that now they’re hovering over their body, looking down at it from above, and feeling completely happy, healthy, and normal about it all.
If their NDE is happening indoors (such as in the operating room of a hospital), Christians usually find themselves floating near the ceiling of the room, watching the doctors and nurses. If their NDE is happening outdoors (such as at the scene of a car wreck), they usually find themselves standing a few feet away, watching the police and rescuers.
The important thing about this hovering phase is that it proves we humans are dual creations. We’re half eternal spirit, and half perishable body. The relationship between the two is that our perishable body is a “glove” that we, as spirits, “wear” to live and work on earth.
This means that the real us is our spirit. Not our body. The real us is not the thing we see in the mirror. The real us is the thing we don’t see in the mirror.
This hovering stage also proves something else. It proves that since we can think outside of our body, that means our mind is located in our spirit, not in our brain. If our thinking was located in the brain organ of our body, our thinking would die with our body. But it
doesn’t. We continue to think after our body is clinically dead. So our mental abilities (thinking, deciding, remembering, etc.) are part of our spirit. The purpose of our brain organ is simply to implement the things our spirit is thinking while it’s here on earth.
It’s also important to know that while we’re hovering, we can see and hear as clearly as we can when we’re in our body. Researchers know that’s true because when NDE-Christians return, they can describe in detail everything that was said and done around them while they were hovering. They can describe the equipment doctors were using. The clothes people were wearing. And who came or left the room where they died. They can also describe what everyone said at the scene. That can be quite embarrassing later for people who said things they thought the “dead” person couldn’t hear.
The fact that returning Christians know these details is one way doctors know that NDEs are real. Clinically dead bodies can’t see and hear. And since returning Christians can describe everything that was said or done around them while their body was clinically dead, doctors know that the Christians had to have been hovering over the scene, watching and listening to everything.
It’s also interesting that while NDE-Christians are hovering, they sometimes try to speak to – and to even touch – other people on the scene. But they discover that the other people can’t see, hear, or feel them. This confuses NDE-Christians at first, and sometimes they ask themselves questions like, “What’s happening to me?” “Is this what they call death?” But as we said earlier, this confusion is unnecessary. It only happens because today’s Christians aren’t taught anything about the dying process.
Finally, the best thing about the hovering phase is that while Christians are hovering they feel the most peace, comfort, and happiness they’ve ever felt. They feel no discomfort or fear at all. They feel totally relaxed and calm. Christians need to remember that fact. Because when our time to die comes, it won’t be frightening, stressful, or painful. Just the opposite. And those wonderful feelings then increase as the NDE progresses. But in the meantime, the hovering phase soon ends, and it’s time for Christians to continue. Now it’s time for their trip to heaven.
Leaving for Heaven
Part Three of Near-Death Experiences is when the hovering phase ends, and Christians “Fly Away” as the old hymn says. They leave earth and start their journey to heaven. This can happen in several different ways. Some Christians find themselves sliding through a tunnel, like children on a playground slide. Others find themselves walking up a path. Others find themselves climbing a staircase. Still others find themselves flying through the air. The method of travel depends on the personality, culture, and memories of the individual Christian. But as an example, Christians who fly to heaven find themselves sailing over their city, recognizing landmarks as they go. Soon they see the earth as the “Big Blue Marble” that the astronauts saw. And they sail on, through planets and stars, until they finally land in heaven.
But whether Christians travel by tunnel, path, staircase, or air, this phase of their NDE is when they often see their first supernatural beings. These are usually one or two angels, dressed in full length robes and glowing with light. The angels are confident and powerful, and they travel beside, and slightly behind, Christians on their journey. The angels don’t speak, and only serve as calming and comforting escorts all the way to heaven.
Again, it’s interesting that some Christians say they skipped this traveling phase and just found themselves standing in heaven. Others say they skipped all three of these early steps, and simply woke up in heaven. Still others say they left their body, hovered over it for a time, and then woke up back in their body without any of the other steps. This last scenario is normally due to a doctor using shock paddles on their body, as we’ll see. It’s also common for Christians to forget one or more of the NDE steps, due to brain trauma in their accident or illness.
But the fact that some Christians don’t have – or don’t remember – all nine parts of their NDE isn’t especially important. What is really important is that NDEs happen at all. And since they do happen, that proves many wonderful things. It proves that we’re spirits who are temporarily visiting earth. It proves that our thoughts are in our spirit, not in our brain. It proves that we can leave our body and return to it safely, if some trauma forces that on us. And it proves many other indescribably beautiful things, as we’re about to see.
However, regardless of how many steps of their NDE Christians remember, all of them remember the wonder and amazement that flooded their senses as they arrived in heaven. So let’s describe that arrival next.
Arriving in Heaven
Part Four of Near-Death Experiences is when Christians realize that they’ve arrived in sight of a shining golden city. They find themselves walking toward that city through a beautiful meadow. Or up a beautiful hill. Or on a beautiful path. And they’re heading for a magnificent gate they can see in the city’s wall.
All Christians describe their arrival in different ways, based once more on their differing personalities and perceptions. But they all realize that they’ve landed in the outskirts of heaven, and they all are eager to reach the gate and enter the shining city. While this is hap- pening, they feel even more of the incredible peace, comfort, and contentment they’ve felt ever since leaving their body. Also, some of them still have their escorting angels; while others realize that their angelic escort has now left them.
As Christians are walking toward the gate in the wall, they hear wonderful singing, and magnificent music, all coming from behind the wall. And they see incredibly beautiful flowers, stunning displays of colored lights, and amazing grass, trees, and waterfalls all around them. These sights are so breathtaking that when NDE-Christians return to earth, they often don’t have the words to tell researchers what they saw.
This arrival phase is also about the time that a Welcoming Committee often appears. Christians recognize deceased members of their family in this group, as well as friends from high school, college, and career days, all gathering outside the gate to welcome them.
This is also about the time – and sometimes even earlier – that an amazing Person ap- pears. He’s bathed in brilliant light, and so some Christians call Him “The Person of Light.” Others recognize Him as Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, and our glorious Savior. And the first thing Jesus does is ask them an important question.
Answering the Question
Part Five of Near-Death Experiences is when Christians meet Jesus outside the city gate, and He asks them a question. Some Christians see Him the way the apostle Paul saw Him on the Damascus Road – as a light brighter than the sun. Others see Him the way the disciples saw Him in First Century Jerusalem – as a human being wearing a white robe.
Whichever way Christians see Him, Jesus now asks them a challenging question. The wording of the question varies, but it’s something like this: “What have you done with your life?” “What has your life been worth so far?” “What have you done that I can reward you for?” This piercing question usually leaves Christians speechless. And their surprise only increases in the sixth step.
Reviewing Our Life
Part Six of Near-Death Experiences is when Jesus gives NDE-Christians a Life Review to reinforce His piercing question. This Life Review is a kind of slide show, or movie, in which a Christian’s entire life – from childhood to the present day – is revealed in a few seconds. During the Review, Christians see the good, the bad, and the ugly behavior that they’ve committed during life on earth. And they’re comforted by the good behavior that they see. And they’ve ashamed and repentant over the bad behavior that they see.
Some Christians say they don’t remember this Life Review. But that’s probably due to shame and mental repression. Other Christians do remember it, and the Life Review is one reason for the positive changes in NDE-Christians after they return. We’ll talk about those positive changes later. But first, when the Life Review is over, Jesus presents NDE-Christians with an incredible choice.
Deciding What to Do
Part Seven in Near-Death Experiences is when Jesus asks NDE-Christians what they want to do next. This is the turning point in NDEs. Because Jesus tells Christians that their arrival in heaven is premature, that it’s not their time to stay, and that they can return to life on earth if they want to. This phase also reminds us that we Christians have free will in every area of our life, and our free will lasts all the way to the gates of heaven. This means our personal will power is a huge responsibility during life on earth, and it reminds us how important the guidance of the Holy Spirit is every day of our life on earth.
So Jesus is now asking NDE-Christians to make the biggest decision they’ll probably ever make. He asks the question in words to this effect: “Are you ready to die now?” “Or would you rather go back now?”
And in every case, NDE-Christians answer: “No! I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here!”
NDE-Christians give this answer because the singing and music from behind the wall are so glorious. And the grass, flowers, colors, and waterfalls around them are so beautiful. And Jesus, the angels, and their deceased relatives are so loving, that they feel no desire to return to earth’s cares and woes. But Jesus is requiring an answer. And now He shows them a Barrier between them and the city gate.
The Problem of the Barrier
Part Eight in Near-Death Experiences is when Jesus shows NDE-Christians a Barrier between them and the city gate. This Barrier can look like a fence, a river, a large rock, a stone wall, or a line on the ground, depending on the Christian’s cultural background and per- ceptions. But regardless of what the Barrier looks like, Jesus tells NDE-Christians that this Barrier is the key to their decision: If they cross the Barrier now and enter the city gate, they must stay in heaven and not return to earth. On the other hand, if they don’t cross the Barrier now, and don’t enter heaven now, they must immediately return to earth and resume their former life.
And in every case, NDE-Christians want to cross the Barrier and stay in heaven. And indeed many do cross the Barrier and do stay in heaven. We know this is true because when- ever scientists study NDEs, they always have trouble finding enough NDE-Christians to in- terview for their study. As recently as 2019, a medical journal found that only 10 percent of Christians today are NDE-Christians. That is, only 10 percent of Christians today are Chris- tians who once died prematurely, went to heaven, were told by Jesus that they could return to earth if they wanted to, and then did return to earth.
And yet 10 percent is still a lot of NDE-Christians. That equals a thousand or more Christians in most geographic areas. The trouble is that scientists don’t know who they are and how to contact them. This is why most NDE research has been limited to doctors. They’re the only people who have immediate contact with newly resuscitated trauma victims, and they’re also the only people that trauma victims trust enough to tell their NDE stories.
However, NDE-Christians are easier to find today than at any other time in history. That’s why so many new NDE books, videos, and movies are coming out. Scientists say this flood of new NDE stories is being created by modern resuscitation methods – especially shock paddles (defibrillation pads). These paddles pull many Christians back to earth “against their will” as they’re trying to cross the Barrier and reach the gate of heaven.
Some Christians have actually told researchers that they were trying to cross the Barrier and reach the gate when suddenly they were “jerked” back to their bodies by doctors using shock paddles. There have even been cases where a doctor was using the paddles on a Chris- tian’s body, and the Christian opened his or her eyes and said, “Stop that! I’m in heaven and I don’t want to come back!” Of course, the doctor obeyed his medical training and continued shocking the Christian anyway.
But even without the intervention of shock paddles, some NDE-Christians still turn their backs on Jesus, the Barrier, and heaven, and decide to return to earth. They do that for one of three reasons: First, prayers back on earth can convince them to return. Some Christians even hear their name being called back on earth by a relative or a prayer group, and this convinces them to return.
The second reason some NDE-Christians willingly come back is that they have unfin- ished business back on earth, such as raising small children, or caring for a sick relative. And this convinces them to return.
The third reason some NDE-Christians willingly come back is that Jesus, or an angel, or a deceased relative in heaven, convinces them that they’re in heaven prematurely, and that there are still things they need to do back on earth. And that persuades them to return.
Returning to Our Body
Part Nine of Near-Death Experiences is when NDE-Christians decide not to cross the Barrier enter the gate of heaven, and instead decide to return to earth. As soon as they make that mental decision, they find themselves traveling back the way they came, and re-entering their body in the same room, or at the same wreck scene, they originally left. How does this re-entry work? Some Christians say they don’t remember it. They just opened their eyes and found themselves back in their body. Other Christians do remember it. One Christian told researchers that he arrived back in his room, saw his body on the bed, and just went over and “lay down on it.” Others say they floated back into their body the same way they floated out of it originally.
The only negative to returning and to re-entry is that Christians also return to the pain of the trauma that caused their NDE in the first place. Some endure weeks or months of operations and physical therapy before they can continue life on earth with any degree of normality. That being true, we need to ask ourselves whether it was worth it for them to come back. Was returning to earth’s cares and woes a wise decision?
The Lessons From Near-Death Experiences
We’ve now learned that all Christians here on earth potentially face two kinds of death, not just one. The first kind of death that all Christians face is a normal and permanent death from natural causes. This kind of death is God’s plan for all Christians and can’t be avoided.
The second kind of death that all Christians risk is a premature, unexpected, temporary death due to accidental trauma. This second kind of death exists because we live in a dan- gerous, wicked, sinful world where everything that happens is not necessarily part of God’s perfect will for us. This is the kind of death we’re calling “Near-Death Experiences.” And since these NDEs are the result of unexpected trauma, Jesus lets “NDE-Christians” decide whether they want to stay in heaven or return to earth.
And as we’ve seen, about 10 percent of NDE-Christians do choose to return to earth and resume their former lives. And this makes them important in Christianity, since they’re the only Christians who can give us a snapshot of what permanent natural death is like. More, it’s also interesting to see how a brief stay in heaven changes Christians for the better.
How a Visit to Heaven Changes Christians
It’s also important to know that after NDE-Christians return to earth, they live very different lives than the ones they lived previously. Their behavior is different. They often even look different. Many of them change careers to become teachers, pastors, priests, public speakers, authors, missionaries, and Bible teachers. In other words, they have new “servant’s hearts,” and live a much more loving lifestyle after returning.
Researchers find that NDE-Christians also no longer fear death. They don’t necessarily want to die the second time. But they don’t fear it either. In one interesting case, a bandit was holding a gun to a NDE-Christian’s head planning to kill him. But the NDE-Christian was so relaxed and unafraid that it unnerved the criminal and he fled.
Another thing researchers find in NDE-Christians is that their daily emotions and behavior are permanently more positive. They’re happier, more energetic, more loving, more tolerant, and more understanding than they were before their trip to heaven. Some of them have even shown “before-and-after” pictures to researchers that prove their visit to heaven even changed their physical appearance for the better.
What’s the Biggest Lesson in Near-Death Experiences?
The most important lesson in Near-Death Experiences is that they prove that the Chris- tian teachings we’ve had all of our lives are true. We really are spirits. There really is a heaven. It really is a shining city of gold. It really does have angels, beautiful singing, magnificent music, glorious colors, and stunning scenes. Best of all, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit really are there, and our relatives and friends really are waiting to welcome us.
We know these things are true because NDE-Christians have been there, have seen it, and have returned to tell us that it’s all true. And even though these NDE-Christians didn’t cross the Barrier and see everything that’s behind the city wall, they saw enough for us to know that permanent death from natural causes is simply moving from a life filled with a lot of pain, disappointment, betrayal, and problems – to a life filled with beautiful, pleasant, and joyous experiences of supernatural love, peace, and service for all of eternity. And that’s not something we Christians should fear. That’s something we Christians should anticipate with hope, confidence, and boldness.
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