At what age do we begin questioning our faith? How many of us, whether devout believers or on-the-fence have asked, "What if this is all there is?"
For me, the age was 13. Growing up Anglican in a small town offered little resource to a young girl who knew there was more, yet at times feared there was less. It was during this period of anxiousness, that Dr. Raymond A. Moody's book, LIFE AFTER LIFE presented itself. Looking back, I believe divine intervention played a role, for this book changed my life!
Author of 11 books (which sold over 13 millions copies), Dr. Raymond A. Moody coin-phrased Near Death Experience in 1975.
"A near-death experience is a spiritual experience taking place when someone is near death; where they're in an accident, have an injury, infection, incident of childbirth, or trauma in which they are nearly killed," explains Dr. Moody. "Many of them undergo a cardiac arrest from which they are resuscitated. When these people are revived, they give us very vivid descriptions. Very often they tell us they hear their doctor, nurse or someone present say, 'Oh my God, he's dead' or words to that effect."
In sharing these extraordinary stories, Dr. Moody answers the question, "What happens when we die?" From his patients' points of view, the similiarities are astonishing.
"They leave their physical bodies, entering a state of consciousness so profound, there are no words to describe it." No matter how articulate, or how many languages they speak, Dr. Moody suggests the best way to summarize their experience is to keep things simple.
Journeying through a tube or passageway described as a tunnel, patients find themselves in the presence of a brilliant light. "They say it's far brighter than anything we've experienced while we're alive, and in no way is it uncomfortable to their eyes." Dr. Moody continues, "They feel complete comfort, joy and peace." Many recall loved ones or friends passed, welcoming them on the other side.
"They undergo panoramic memory . Every event in their life, or action taken, displays around them instantly. Like a hologram they see everything at once. They later relate it to a sequence, yet in the experience, it's not sequential at all. Everything is there at once. "It's like you're looking at another person. When you see yourself doing an action, you remember the action. When that action has its consequence, you find yourself embedded in the consciousness of those with whom you've interacted. So if you see yourself doing a mean or unkind action to one of your fellow human beings then you feel the sadness you brought about. If you see yourself doing a kind-hearted and loving action toward someone else, then you feel the good feelings you brought about."
Returning to their physical bodies, many claim to have no transitional recollection. Many were told they had to return to complete unfinished business, while others were given a choice. "It's not surprising that many want to stay in that light," concedes Dr. Moody, "Yet the most common reason for returning is to raise their young children."
Aftereffects of this journey consist of acceptance of an afterlife and an understanding that our presence here is to "learn how to love."
"That is a structure of a near-death experience which has been studied by physicians all over the world. We find these common patterns of experience unfolding by people who almost died," concludes Dr. Moody. "We now have genuinely rational means of investigating this in entirely new ways, that are not pseudoscientific. The real problem that has vexed the investigation of life after death since the time of Plato is not scientific. It's logical. The logic we have in the West, the statements about life after death, don't compute given that logic. This was pointed out by David Hume, a friend of Ben Franklin's. The notion of an afterlife is just not commensable or computable with the logic we have. To quote him, 'By the mere light of reason it seems difficult to prove the Immortality of the Soul.' Some new species of logic is needed for that purpose; some new faculties of the mind, that they may enable us to comprehend that logic.
Until recently that has been regarded as an impossible task. What I'm confident in saying now is that problem has been solved. This opens up entirely new ways to explore life after death. I'm ready to stand up for that. You have to go through a lengthy process of thinking through a very complex case and that's going to be essentially impossible for those who are already in this. A new era is coming in the investigation of life after death. We will soon have entirely new ways to investigate this question. I feel we are closer than we have ever been in human history to a genuine rational process. It's going to create an entirely new generation of people who are going to investigate life after life in totally new ways. We are on the verge of great things."
We welcome you to take a deeper look into Dr. Moody's investigation into this phenomenon by exploring his many books, such as Life After Life, Life After Loss, The Light Beyond, The Last Laugh, Coming Back, Reunions: Visionary Encounters With Departed Loved Ones, Reflections on Life After Life, and his latest book Glimpses of Eternity.
Please click here to view our interview on the Ask Your Angels Talk Show with Dr. Raymond A. Moody, M.D., Ph.D., which originally aired December 7, 2011.
A special thank you to Dr. Moody, for helping me find my way so many years ago, and for joining me on our show. It was truly a dream come true!
For me, the age was 13. Growing up Anglican in a small town offered little resource to a young girl who knew there was more, yet at times feared there was less. It was during this period of anxiousness, that Dr. Raymond A. Moody's book, LIFE AFTER LIFE presented itself. Looking back, I believe divine intervention played a role, for this book changed my life!
Author of 11 books (which sold over 13 millions copies), Dr. Raymond A. Moody coin-phrased Near Death Experience in 1975.
"A near-death experience is a spiritual experience taking place when someone is near death; where they're in an accident, have an injury, infection, incident of childbirth, or trauma in which they are nearly killed," explains Dr. Moody. "Many of them undergo a cardiac arrest from which they are resuscitated. When these people are revived, they give us very vivid descriptions. Very often they tell us they hear their doctor, nurse or someone present say, 'Oh my God, he's dead' or words to that effect."
In sharing these extraordinary stories, Dr. Moody answers the question, "What happens when we die?" From his patients' points of view, the similiarities are astonishing.
"They leave their physical bodies, entering a state of consciousness so profound, there are no words to describe it." No matter how articulate, or how many languages they speak, Dr. Moody suggests the best way to summarize their experience is to keep things simple.
Journeying through a tube or passageway described as a tunnel, patients find themselves in the presence of a brilliant light. "They say it's far brighter than anything we've experienced while we're alive, and in no way is it uncomfortable to their eyes." Dr. Moody continues, "They feel complete comfort, joy and peace." Many recall loved ones or friends passed, welcoming them on the other side.
"They undergo panoramic memory . Every event in their life, or action taken, displays around them instantly. Like a hologram they see everything at once. They later relate it to a sequence, yet in the experience, it's not sequential at all. Everything is there at once. "It's like you're looking at another person. When you see yourself doing an action, you remember the action. When that action has its consequence, you find yourself embedded in the consciousness of those with whom you've interacted. So if you see yourself doing a mean or unkind action to one of your fellow human beings then you feel the sadness you brought about. If you see yourself doing a kind-hearted and loving action toward someone else, then you feel the good feelings you brought about."
Returning to their physical bodies, many claim to have no transitional recollection. Many were told they had to return to complete unfinished business, while others were given a choice. "It's not surprising that many want to stay in that light," concedes Dr. Moody, "Yet the most common reason for returning is to raise their young children."
Aftereffects of this journey consist of acceptance of an afterlife and an understanding that our presence here is to "learn how to love."
"That is a structure of a near-death experience which has been studied by physicians all over the world. We find these common patterns of experience unfolding by people who almost died," concludes Dr. Moody. "We now have genuinely rational means of investigating this in entirely new ways, that are not pseudoscientific. The real problem that has vexed the investigation of life after death since the time of Plato is not scientific. It's logical. The logic we have in the West, the statements about life after death, don't compute given that logic. This was pointed out by David Hume, a friend of Ben Franklin's. The notion of an afterlife is just not commensable or computable with the logic we have. To quote him, 'By the mere light of reason it seems difficult to prove the Immortality of the Soul.' Some new species of logic is needed for that purpose; some new faculties of the mind, that they may enable us to comprehend that logic.
Until recently that has been regarded as an impossible task. What I'm confident in saying now is that problem has been solved. This opens up entirely new ways to explore life after death. I'm ready to stand up for that. You have to go through a lengthy process of thinking through a very complex case and that's going to be essentially impossible for those who are already in this. A new era is coming in the investigation of life after death. We will soon have entirely new ways to investigate this question. I feel we are closer than we have ever been in human history to a genuine rational process. It's going to create an entirely new generation of people who are going to investigate life after life in totally new ways. We are on the verge of great things."
We welcome you to take a deeper look into Dr. Moody's investigation into this phenomenon by exploring his many books, such as Life After Life, Life After Loss, The Light Beyond, The Last Laugh, Coming Back, Reunions: Visionary Encounters With Departed Loved Ones, Reflections on Life After Life, and his latest book Glimpses of Eternity.
Please click here to view our interview on the Ask Your Angels Talk Show with Dr. Raymond A. Moody, M.D., Ph.D., which originally aired December 7, 2011.
A special thank you to Dr. Moody, for helping me find my way so many years ago, and for joining me on our show. It was truly a dream come true!
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