Did She, or Didn’t She, Die?

Did She, or Didn’t She, Die?

By Madis Senner

You would think determining whether someone has died is pretty straightforward. However many people that have been certified as being dead have miraculously come back to life 10, 20, or even 30 minutes after their vital signs had flat lined.

These individuals had what is referred to as an Near Death Experience (NDE) where you die and go to heaven. The International Association for Near Death Studies (IANDS) has been studying NDE’s for 40 years and notes that,

An NDE may begin with an out-of-body experience—a very clear perception of being somehow separate from one’s physical body, possibly even hovering nearby and watching events going on around the body. An NDE typically includes a sense of moving, often at great speed and usually through a dark space, into a fantastic landscape and encountering beings that may be perceived as sacred figures, deceased family members or friends, or unknown entities. A pinpoint of indescribable light may grow to surround the person in brilliant but not painful radiance; unlike physical light, it is not merely visual but is sensed as being an all-loving presence that many people define as the Supreme Being of their religious faith.

IANDS is an educational platform that publishes a journal, maintains an informational website, holds conferences and more. There are several IANDS support groups around the world one of which is in the Finger Lakes/Syracuse)   (Upstate NY Chapter) that meets regularly, is open to the public and has had some interesting and noteworthy speakers.

The local Upstate NY IANDS support group provides a venue for people that have had NDE’s, or spiritually transformative experiences to share their experiences with others. Have you ever had a deja vu, sensed a presence, thought of someone and your phone rings and its them, had a vision, had a premonition, felt a strong unity with all of creations, or had a mystical experience of any sorts? Such experiences can be traumatic and confusing. The Upstate Support Group is a safe place you can go to talk about those experiences and learn from others. 

I attended the November meeting with guest speaker Richard Hughson who told of an out of body experience (OBE) he had at 18 when he departed his physical body moments before the car he was driving was about to crash. Because of that experience he picked up several spiritual gifts such as the ability to feel others emotions when they were close to him; and how for a while he could drive his car through Elmira without having to stop for a traffic light. However, he regrets he lost those gifts because he abused them. Picking up spiritual gifts is common for people that have had an NDE, or a powerful mystical experience.

Richard was peppered with questions from an attentive audience as he spoke. One question dealt with his acknowledgement that everything will be all right, and not to worry about life. “How can it be all right if some of us are going to have cancer, loose loved one…..?” asked a woman in the audience. He said he was constantly reassured and comforted during his OBE and realizes that there is a God; a loving God that will make everything right. 

The Upstate NY Support Group has had several prominent figures in the NDE community that have appeared on CNN, Dr. Oz and other national programs. This past summer I heard Dr. Mary Neal  (To Heaven and Back) an orthopedic surgeon who drowned while kayaking in South America and went to heaven and met Jesus before she came back to life. She was transformed from being a lackadaisical participant in church services to saying “the truth of God's promises and the reality of eternal life became a part of my every breath.

I also had a chance to hear and spend time with PMH Atwater one of the pioneers of NDE research earlier this year. PMH had 3 NDE’s in 1978 and received several spiritual gifts. She is incredibly vibrant and sharp-witted and has written over a dozen books. I took her to see several sacred sites in the Finger Lakes. Her commentary about what she was seeing behind the veil on the other side was a treat.

I wish I would have known about IANDS 20 years ago when I transitioned from being a global money manager to a full time spiritual seeker. I think it would have helped with processing all those newfound mystical, surreal and ecstatic experiences.

Have you ever had a mystical experience?

Upstate NY IANDS website,  Meets the 2^nd  Friday of the month 4/5 times a year at the North Syracuse Community Center, at 700 South Bay Rd, in North Syracuse, will change for big name speaker. Admission $5 or $10, depending upon speaker. Doors open at 6 PM meeting starts at 6:30