GeneralNDEs vary in content depending on the individual’s involvement in life up to that point. Those given to reflective attitudes and the associated self-awareness are the ones who receive in-depth messages that transform them into wholesome human beings. People who are strongly influenced by a surrounding belief system experience their own conditioning and remain addicted to those systems. However, even the many who practice some religion before the experience turn to be independent rather than continue to practice the religion. Some leave the sectarian religious practices and move towards the more philosophic approaches of the East involving karma and reincarnation.
The primary message is that we are here to love life and not manipulate it to fit our needs in terms of ego-satisfaction and security. This brings in an unconditional love towards all living beings, irrespective of their identifications with nationality, religion etc. Such a compassion cannot come through determining to love which would only lead to yet another self-centred activity. The fear of mortality is transformed by the understanding of the fact that there is no ending of the primal self and that there is only a loving transition at that point.
Implications
In schools and colleges, we come into close contact with young and grown up children. When we appreciate the NDE messages, we look at all of them as spiritual beings who are moving towards Divinity, each one in one’s own way. We will not try to convert them to our ideas of religion, politics etc nor will we make them conformists according to our ideational outlooks. There would be an unconditional tenderness towards them and we would not subject them to the ‘reward-punishment’ syndrome. Children growing in such an atmosphere would certainly grow to appreciate life’s deeper values.
When medical people pay attention to the NDE messages, they can transmit the knowledge to the terminal patients that the process of passing on is not painful or scary but spiritual and wondrous.
There are implications for the surviving family and friends. Telling them about the enormous freedom, love and joy that people experience at mortality can be greatly comforting to them. If such information is given merely from theology, it will be bookish and cannot have the power of one’s sensing the fact from understanding NDEs. Mortality related visions can serve to restore a sense of order and meaning to the universe which is particularly important in facing the demise of a child or an untimely demise.
The above paragraphs are meant to be heuristic in their approach. Readers who are attracted to that life-transforming issue should proceed in their own way to explore into it. In the very process of that exploration, they will find transformation taking place in them towards genuinely appreciating life and the afterlife. That can lead to deep trust in themselves and in their spiritual journey.
Dr Melvin Morse, a well-known researcher on NDEs, has brought out a scholarly book entitled “Transformed by the Light”. He says, “Human beings have the ability to be inspired by a light which has the power to transform them. We do not have to have a NDE to learn from the experience. We only have to be open to its message.” In his book, he brings up many practical suggestions to people along the lines indicated above.
For further reading, please visit the site http://spirituality.yolasite.com