Posted on 01/21/2010 6:27:18 AM PST by marshmallow
In new book, he says that near-death accounts transcend cultures and ages
The near-death experience story is so common that it has become a bit of a cliché: A medical patient, hanging in a murky limbo between life and death, is drawn through a tunnel of bright light, meets their maker, and is told they must return to the land of living.
But that scenario played out letter-perfectly for Mary Jo Rapini. And her story is getting firm backing by a doctor who has studied some 1,300 near-death experiences. Medical doctor Jeffrey Long chronicles Rapini’s story, along with his own research, in a new book: “Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences.”
In the book, Long contends his study shows that accounts of near-death experiences play out remarkably similarly among the people who have had them, crossing age and cultural boundaries to such a degree that they can’t be chalked up simply to everyone having seen the same Hollywood movie.
Through a tunnel
Appearing with Dr. Long on TODAY Wednesday, Rapini related her near-death experience to Meredith Vieira. A clinical psychologist, Rapini had long worked with terminal cancer patients, and when they told her of their near-death experiences, she would often chalk their stories up as a reaction to their pain medication.
But in April 2003, she faced her own mortality. Rapini told Vieira she suffered an aneurysm while working out a gym and was rushed to the hospital. She was in an intensive care unit for three days when she took a turn for the worse.
“All of a sudden [doctors] were rushing around me and inserting things into me, and they called my husband,” she told Vieira.
“I looked up and I saw this light; it wasn’t a normal light, it was different. It was luminescent.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.msnbc.msn.com ...
"Normal light" is what "luminescent" means, doofus.
This is what passes for journalism these days?
BTTT
luminescent” means, being able to produce it’s own light source.
You mean there are not 72 virgins waiting there? Some people are going to be pissed!
I have always found this to be a fascinating subject. I personally don’t believe that we will ever know what eternity holds until we cross over to the other side. Many of us have our faith and our beliefs, and that will have to suffice while we walk the earth.
I’m wondering if there are any reports of the opposite, falling into Dante’s Inferno?
Ask Keith O. of MSNBC. Many of his facial expressions indicate he is residing there now!
I believe there are.
The one which springs to mind immediately is this guy named Howard Storm.
There may well be others and perhaps someone will enlighten us.
Funny how Lazarus and Jesus didn’t mention these circumstances. I wonder what the Bible says about death and Judgement Day. Is every day Judgement Day? It must be if we get to go right to Heaven.
This was a quote ~ I, of course, would have described it entirely differently. Frankly, I don’t recall.
There are. I'm a recovering alcoholic and have spent a lot of time talking/listening to recovering addicts of much harder drugs. Many of them have described chillingly similar visions of hell and demonic beings. Certainly it's easy to write these off as hallucinogenic byproducts of their addictions, but the similarities between their accounts coupled with the sincerity and fear in their eyes when relating their accounts suggest to me that it's something more.
You know I have had expericences with this. Not personally but with people close to me including children.
When my youngest son had cancer(he died 8 months later. He was two years old in 1992), I had the privilege of meeting other children who after becoming terminal, related to their parents of the visions they had. One family in particular, who were totally agnostic, were converted to christianity because of their dying 8 year old son, Brendan who had visions before he died of angels telling him he will be going to heaven soon. Now, his parents forbade anything relgious in their lives up to that point.
Even my two yearold son, a month before he died while we were at treatment at UCSF. He was not terminal, there were every indication that he was going to beat his leukemia. He died a month later from septic shock due to a blood infection.
Anyway, while were there in May of 1992, unbeknownst to me, he started to give away personal items to people at UCSF including some patients. He gave away his matchbox cars, a item of clothing and a couple of his favorite books. I was told later what he did. HE KNEW!!! at two years old!!!
I do feel some small comfort in that for sure. The Lord is GREAT!!! I thank him for that Gift!!!
More recently, my brother who almosts died this summer, had a NDE, although he is still trying to put into context what happend to him. He told me this: Liz, mom and dad have a message for you....HANG IN THERE EVERYTHING WILL BE OK! There are other things he still cannot talk about.
Anyway, my experience.
While interesting, it really doesn’t impact my faith.
As a point of interest though, I will tell you that I have had many patients share such stories with me.
Two are stuck in my head.
One lady told me she had two experiences. At the time of the first she was a Christian and had an experience of total love, a bright light, told she has to go back. At the time of her second she was an adherent of a cult that hovers around the periphery of Christianity. This time she reported darkness and torment.
I also spoke with a gentleman who was an agnostic. He had a near death experience and told me that “Hell and retribution are real.” He was always a calm, composed guy, but when talking about this he became very aggitated, almost in a panic.
Ping to post 17.
My condolences on your lost. Thank you for sharing this with us. Wisdom most times comes at great cost. Thank you again.
The one which springs to mind immediately is this guy named Howard Storm.
And he came back, turned his life around and became a UCC Pastor?? He’s definitely going back to hell...as an apostate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.