Ex-atheist describes near-death experience

Standard-Times ^ | 1/31/2004 | LINDA ANDRADE RODRIGUES

[yonif]

DARTMOUTH -- A native son and newspaper carrier for The Standard-Times in Falmouth, Howard Storm went on to earn a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and for 20 years was an arts professor at Northern Kentucky University. An avowed atheist, he believed that there was no such thing as life after death -- until the day in 1985 when he died and went to hell.

Speaking to about 125 people at Smith Mills Church last week, Mr. Storm became very emotional, often stopping to compose himself, as he described his near-death experience, which transformed his life.

In 1985, Mr. Storm, 38, and his wife, Beverly, were in Paris on the last day of an art tour. Buckled over by searing pain in the middle of his stomach, he was rushed to the hospital. Awaiting emergency surgery, he knew he was dying. He said good-bye to his wife and drifted into darkness.

Standing up, he realized he was between two hospital beds. He looked at Beverly, who was motionless, staring at the floor, sitting in the chair next to his bed. He spoke to her, but she didn't seem to hear.

As he bent over to look at the face of the body in the bed, he was horrified to see the resemblance that it had to his own face. But he knew that was impossible because he was standing over the person and looking at him.

Off in the distance, outside the room in the hall, he heard voices calling him. They were pleasant voices, male and female, young and old, calling to him in English.

"Come out here," they said. "Don't you want to get better?"

He stepped out into the hall, full of anxiety. The area seemed to be light but very hazy, and he couldn't make out any details.

He followed them shuffling along in his bare feet with the memory of pain in his belly, yet feeling very much alive. The fog thickened as they went on, and it became gradually darker.

Overwhelmed with hopelessness, he told them he would go no farther and that they were liars. He could feel their breath on him as they shouted and snarled insults.

Then they began to push and shove him about, and he began to fight back. A wild frenzy of taunting, screaming and hitting ensued. As he swung and kicked at them, they bit him.

Even though he couldn't see anything in the darkness, he was aware there were dozens or hundreds of them all around and over him and that his attempts to fight back only provoked greater merriment.

They began to tear off pieces of his flesh, and he realized that he was being taken apart and eaten alive, methodically, slowly, so that their entertainment would last as long as possible. In that wretched state he lay there in the darkness.

Suddenly remembering a prayer from childhood Sunday School class, he said, "Yea though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."

To his amazement, the cruel merciless beings were incited to rage by his prayer. They screamed at him, 'There is no God! Nobody can hear you!" But at the same time they were backing away. He realized that saying things about God was actually driving them away, and he became more forceful. They became more rabid, cursing and screaming against God, but in time, they retreated back into the distant gloom beyond his hearing.

Alone, destroyed, and yet painfully alive in this horrible place, he yelled out into the darkness, "Jesus, save me."

Far off in the darkness, he saw a pinpoint of light like the faintest star in the sky. The star became brighter and brighter. As it came closer, he realized that he was right in its path, and he might be consumed by its brilliance.

This was a living being approximately 8 feet tall and surrounded by an oval of radiance. The brilliant intensity of the light penetrated his body. Ecstasy swept away the agony. Tangible hands and arms gently embraced him and lifted him up. He slowly rose up into the presence of the light, and the torn pieces of his body miraculously healed before his eyes.

After his words of personal witness, Mr. Storm answered questions for an additional two hours.

"He told me that he has given this talk hundreds of times, but whenever he describes these creatures, he just comes apart," said the Rev. Michael Robinson, pastor of Smith Mills Church.

After Mr. Storm's near-death experience, he entered United Theological Seminary and was ordained as a minister of the United Church of Christ. Since 1991 he has been pastor of Zion United Church of Christ in Cincinnati. He documented his near-death experience in the book "My Descent into Death and the Message of Love which Brought Me Back," published in 2000.

Earlier in the day, the Rev. Storm spoke to about 30 area faith leaders at Smiths Mills Church on the topic "Bringing Passion of the Gospel into City Ministry."

"Jesus weeps for New Bedford," he said. "He can heal addictions, broken relationships and poverty. I broke every one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus can fix what's wrong with us."

[Ichneumon]

I rest my case.

Wise move.

[adam_az]

"The bunny grew into a huge rabbit, and lived for 4 years, about a year and a half longer than life expectancy. We named her "Charlie's Angel Hare," after my Dad, Charles."

You kidnapped the cemetery rabbit and took it home?

[RightOnline]

Simple. I've researched this for years. NDE's are the real deal; they have zip to do with "oxygen deprivation", the absolute lamest attempt at pseudo-science I have come across in some time.

For those who simply refuse to believe that there is a spiritual realm.....that demons exist, that angels exist, etc.....simply because they can't see them (I know several people who have......and they're far saner than many here)will just sit back, guffaw, spout sarcasm, and call these people quacks, idiots, charlatans, or worse.

...and they're wrong.

I will not go into my own personal experiences here, and I DAMNED well guarantee I'm as sane as anyone. Suffice it to say that those who pooh-pooh the concept of life after death....and the existence of evil....are gambling with something they don't want to gamble with.

[lucidloony]

Great story.Thanks.

[EAGLE7]

Wow, those demons enticed him to walk to the light, where it became increasingly 'dark'. They reacted to his prayers, or spoken truths, with anger and name calling. They continued to shout lies while they backed away. It sounds like demons and democrats have alot in common. Those evil demoncrats.

[HungarianGypsy]

I actually felt a chill reading your last paragraph. I believe :~) sw
So did I.

[Flightdeck]

I read the article you linked, and it was okay, but there were some factual errors. For instance, one of the three problems with Schwartz' experiments was inadequate guarding of sensory leakage from the sitter to the medium. This quote appeared:

"In the first part of the readings in the second experiment, the sitter was asked not to answer yes or no to any of the medium's statements. However, the experimental set-up still employed insufficient safeguards against potential sensory leakage. The medium sat facing a video camera and the sitter sat six feet behind the medium without any form of screen separating the two of them."

The article's author either wasn't aware of, or purposefully omitted the entire third experiment, which was designed by the skeptics and cold readers to eliminate most of the problems. During the third one, the medium and the sitter were not even in the same building, had no communication whatsoever, and the judging was double-blind. Schwartz also mentioned how Michael Shermer (Scientific American fans should know him as the author of the 'Skeptic' byline) was blatantly unethical in his treatment of the first two experiments.

Sometimes it's frustrating when those who claim to have an open mind to hard evidence are hypocritical when it is shown to them. (Shermer)

[Nita Nupress]

Having worked in an ICU setting, I've seen enough NDE's to convince me of their veracity. One big, hefty woman I remember in particular was pretty convincing.

She coded, went to a flat-line for over 30 minutes, and was unconscious (obviously) the entire time we worked on her trying to regain a pulse. We were successful and managed to stabilize her vital signs. In a few hours after she came around and woke up, she commenced to scold the doctor & some of the nurses for the cruel "fat jokes" they said while trying to resuscitate her. (Sick humor used as a coping mechanism to deal with all the death they see).

Anyway, this woman knew exactly who was in the room during the code and repeated verbatim the words they said while working on her. She even knew who said what. She also repeated some of the medical orders that were given, like someone hollering, "Gimme 'x' cc's of epi!" etc.

I won't even get into the topic of her recanting of the bright light and reunion with long-lost relatives -- all that's already been said and laughed at by the non-believers. Just don't try to tell me that genuine out-of-body experiences don't happen. This experience is just one of several I've witnessed.

[plain talk]

Your bible quote in #75 had nothing to do with his statement "There's nothing Biblical about being able to be saved once you're dead". I say that as a Christian not to harrass you but to point this out so others are not misled. I know of nothing in the Bible that says you can accept Christ after death and be saved although much is said about every knee will bow etc.

[Flightdeck]

It's hard not to get a feeling of superiority when reading some of the posters here. I know it's wrong and a character flaw, but once you have actually experienced consciousness outside the body or been confronted with the undeniable existence of an afterlife, people who deny it seem so thoughtfully primitive. I shouldn't worry about their souls, but sometimes it is frustrating not to confront ignorance. If everybody made a conscious effort to develop their mental abilities while here on earth, it would be a muuuch better place.

[mrfixit514]

My Grandfather was a Baptist preacher. He died in 1993. The moment he died, the "nurse call" went off in the room next to his. The room was empty. My mom believes that as his soul was leaving his body, it caused some sort of electrical disturbance that caused the alarm to go off.

[Vinnie]

So your Faith is the result of a cost-benefit analysis? I doubt that it is, but wonder why you are portraying it as such.

You are correct, my Faith is not based on cost-benefit but I was merely pointing out that disregarding Faith out of hand is playing with fire. Literally.

I've found solace during many trying times in my life when circumstances appeared impossible.

I found answers through prayer.

To my mind there is no question the God , his Son, the Holy Spirit exist as portrayed in the Bible.

If someone wants to question that existence by way of 'science' or logic (illogic), I'm not in a position to change their minds. It's something each person has to find for themselves. Hopefully.

[all4one]

The bond between a mother and her children is miraculous. It sounds like your mother was helping you accept her passing. Thank you for sharing your experience.

My brothers and my father and I all have what we call our "peaceful moments" that we shared with my mother when she lay dying. For the last week while she was alive, we would rotate staying with her. She was in and out of consciousness, and even through her pain she expressed only positive thoughts. She was not afraid. I will never be able to explain the calming experience I had just sitting and holding her hand. Looking back, I always feel like there was a holy presence there with us. It wasn't until weeks after she passed-away that my father, brothers and I shared what had happened to us individually.

During my mothers illness I could never bring myself to even think of her death. I would jump in terror if the phone would ring late in the evening, thinking that something had happened.

To anyone going through an illness of a loved one, I always hope that they can have them at home for their last days. Have deep converations or just hold their hand for hours. The fear of their death is worse than actually going through the last days, hours and minutes.

[Quix]

Thanks, Quite a number have had such experiences.

Dr Eby sp? was an atheist MD heart Dr who died of a heart attack and had a similar experience. Ended up preaching the rest of his life.

I think Eby was recussitated an incredible number of times. As an MD, he could believe his body could endure that many recussitations.

The first time, he came back into his body, he was screaming--GET ME OUT OF HERE, I'M IN HELL--GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!

Then they'd lose him again.

He'd come back after being shocked yet again and scream some more GET ME OUT OF HERE, I'M IN HELL, I'M IN AGONY, GET ME OUT OF HERE.

The nominal, not real Christian Episcopalian Dr attending him was very annoyed and frustrated. He attributed it to the trauma of the situation.

But I think after the 7th or 8th or some such awful number of resussitations, the Episcopal Dr was exasperated at the blood curdling screaming about being in Hell and dismissively said

OH, PRAY TO JESUS AND SHUT UP.

That was the last resussitation. He survived and lived to tell his story about how Jesus came to him at that point and told him his life was not finnished.

[Quix]

You happen to be WRONG.

Well documented cases involve the individuals seeing things on top of pipes and describing procedures they had no knowledge of--as well as other factors (such as personnel in other rooms doing specific tasks at that moment) they could not have known in their bodies at the time.

Your construction on reality will crash in this era. It remains to be seen whether it will crash with you on God's side or not. I would encourage you to make certain you end up on God's side while there is still time to choose.

Time is running out for the whole planet . . . and EVERY individual in it.

[Quix]

God seems pleased to scatter His true Believers througout all manner of questionable groups . . . including all manner of denominations.

Even some pharisees of Jesus' dusty pathed days believed.

[Quix]

How do you explain such individuals while out of their bodies seeing things on top of equipment above everyone else in the room? How do you explain their seeing other individuals in nearby rooms doing specific tasks at the same time that the individual's body is clinically dead and their eyes shut?

There's a long list of things that your construction on reality has ABSOLUTELY NO ADEQUATE EXPLANATION FOR in such situations.

Dream on. But your construction on reality will come crashing down within my lifetime and I'm 56.

[roadcat]

I believe that somehow my mom kept me asleep and I was "seeing" what she was "seeing" as she died.

I had a similar experience when my grandfather died. He was thousands of miles away on another continent, and my immediate family didn't learn of his death until a week later. The time of his death exactly matched the time of my dream of his death and his talking to me in my dream, from which I awoke in a cold sweat and relayed to my mother. My mom had a similar incident when my grandmother died. And I also had an incident of my dead father visiting me and my wife, she saw exactly what I saw. This stuff does happen.

[Quix]

It is rather interesting, though, the vast number of folks who are atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems etc. who MEET JESUS THE RISEN CHRIST in their experience.

There are some who evidently don't.

The amazing thing is how many do--many who had never even heard of Christ.

[Quix]

BS.

There's plenty of details, specifics in MANY of such experiences which archetypes, hallucinations, blood chemistry etc.

ALL HAVE 0.0000000000000% EXPLANATION OF.

Comfort your biases and value orientation with that hallucination if you wish, but it is NOT FACTUALLY based.