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."

[Gunslingr3]

And he wanted that 10% so bad he died in order to get it.

Did you notice that the guy that died didn't take the 10%, it's been those afterwards, acting in his name, that lay that claim.

[lawgirl]

Maybe because the "archetypes" are based on truth?? If there is one heaven it would make sense their stories would all be the same, even cross culturally.

Kind of like if you all got to peek into the same room- just for a minute. Being able to describe it and its contents accurately would LEND credibility, not discredit.

I throw that out as discussion fodder only, so (everyone) don't flame me.

[Gunslingr3]

What a crock! Tell it to Rhoemer, Semelweiss, Planck, or Thomas Kuhn.

I paraphrased incorrectly, but not in a way to alter the truth of the observation, "No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right, one single experiement can prove me wrong" -Albert Einstein

[Fishrrman]

lasereye writes:
Good point, if for example Hindu's have had the same kind of NDE's. Their conception of God is very different. In fact, I don't think there's is no heaven in Hinduism. I don't think Nirvana is equivalent to heaven, i.e. a distinct place where God is that you (may) go to when you die.

Some years ago, I read "Life After Life" by [I think] Raymond Moody. Probably still have that book around someplace, but not going looking for it now.

In his studies of near-death experiences, one factor Moody noted was the "commonality" of the experiences among the accounts that were relayed to him. This made little difference in _which_ religion the person having the near-death experience believed. It made little difference in the "depth" of the person's faith (i.e., "deeply-religious" vs. "mildly religious"). There was also little difference between those who had religious beliefs, and those who had no religious beliefs at all.

Regardless of the religious or cultural background from which they came, Moody wrote that individuals, in the first moments "after death", all traveled a remarkably "common path".

I would find it easy to reject the significance of near-death experiences, _IF NOT_ for the strange similarity of the recollections.

If the subject interests you, it's probably worth your while to read Moody's book. It's probably still available in paperback.

- John

[lawgirl]

You know, it strikes me what a strange age we live in. Where we have such amazing medicine, and people are told "your life is over- there is nothing we can do"- nothing in THIS day and age, and then someone is just healed with no explanations medically, that should lend proof to the theory of miracles, not take away. Look here- man in all his modern science couldn't fix me, but God did. That is way more convincing than back in Biblical days where simple cleanliness probably would've saved some lives. Interesting.

[Taliesan]

I can't imagine what that has to do with whether his claims are true or not. Maybe you could lay that argument out for me.

[Gunslingr3]

I can't imagine what that has to do with whether his claims are true or not. Maybe you could lay that argument out for me.

Whose claims? The Pope's (or whoever where's the funny hat where you live) claims?

[EggsAckley]

Yes, the phone thing was horrendous. I slept with my pager for more than a year. One night I got a string of wrong numbers in the middle of the night. It was some Hispanic woman looking for her son, and she had my number. I couldn't get her to understand that it was a wrong number. It was awful.

[Taliesan]

The guy that died. The guys who said he died who also died because they said he came back. I thought you said he or they wanted 10% of your money and that's why they said what they said.

Isn't that what you said?

[Quix]

My bad.

I don't always distinguish well or quickly when I'm on a . . . rush to respond to a list of posts.

Thanks for your kind response.

[Quix]

Thanks much.

Yes, there is HOPE IN THE LORD that I may eventually, in eternity, have a healthy significant conversation with mother dear that is beyond relatively surface issues. PTL.

Your concern and kind comments are much appreciated. The best to you and your loved ones.

[MarMema]

ping.

[Gunslingr3]

Isn't that what you said?

No, I said, "We know there is a supernatural, because it was written about in a book and told to us by a guy who wanted 10% of what we earned."

Now maybe you've been talking to Jesus and the disciples, but I doubt you're 2,000 years old. More likely than not you're relying on what you were told by someone who also wasn't there, and who, by the way, wants you to not just rattle that plate next time.

[Fester Chugabrew]

. . . with no demands made upon him . . .

"My burden is easy and My yoke is light."

. . . his job on earth was not complete . . .

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

. . . a sense things happen for a reason and that in the end everything will turn out right . . .

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

I see these themes recurring in posts related to this subject. Thanks for the post. God bless your spouse

[HungarianGypsy]

Actually, I have had a lot of awe-inspiring experiences in my life. For a while I thought I was really losing it, until I recently spoke to my Grand-Aunt and found out such things are common in our family. It's just usually taken for granted or not talked about. For obvious reasons. Like, how everyone will think I'm nuts now.

[moondoggie]

In his studies of near-death experiences, one factor Moody noted was the "commonality" of the experiences among the accounts that were relayed to him. This made little difference in _which_ religion the person having the near-death experience believed. It made little difference in the "depth" of the person's faith (i.e., "deeply-religious" vs. "mildly religious"). There was also little difference between those who had religious beliefs, and those who had no religious beliefs at all.

We must remember it is "here on earth" where we divide ourselves re: religious beliefs, but in the afterlife there are no such divisions.

Our bodies die and our souls live on in another dimension "whatever" we choose to call it.

IMO.

[music_code]

We must remember it is "here on earth" where we divide ourselves re: religious beliefs, but in the afterlife there are no such divisions.

The Bible says there most definitely is a division in the afterlife. Those who are saved live eternally in heaven, those who are lost live eternally in hell.

[realpatriot71]

Of course, I test the spirits. / This statement suggests one of two things: 1. You have never actually read the Bible 2. You have read the Bible but have never understood it.

Any spirit or spiritual experience that describes humans in heaven or hell is not from God, for this is not Biblical.

It is written: Only God is Immortal (1 Tim. 6:16) - man, a living a soul, is not. The terms "soul" and "spirit" occur more than 1600 times in the Bible, but never in association with the word "immortal" or "immortality". It is written: Human life is transient (James 4:14; Ps. 78:39; Job 14:2). It is written: Eternal life is derived from God, it is not innate to humanity (Gen. 2:8; Acts 17:25; Col. 1:16,17). It is written: The original lie to humanity was "ye shall not surely die" (Gen. 3:4). It is written: the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) - not eternal life in hell. It is written: God barred Adam and Eve from eating from the tree of life so that they would not "live forever" (Gen. 3:22) - if man were an immortal soul, this would not be necessary. It is written: death is akin to sleep (1 Kings 2:10, 11:24, 14:20, 15:8; 2 Chron. 21:1, 26:23, [*etc.*]; Job 14:10-12; Ps. 13:3; Jer. 51:39,57; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:39; John 11:11-14; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:51,52; 1Thess. 4:13-17; 2 Peter 3:4) - not eternal life in either heaven or hell. It is written: The dead know nothing (Eccl. 9:5; Ps. 146:4). It is written: the dead do nothing (Eccl. 9:10). It is written: The dead have no emotions (Eccl. 9:6). It is written: the dead do not praise the lord (Ps. 115:17). It is written: the soul who sins, shall die (Eze. 18:20).

Think on these things.

[Fester Chugabrew]

How does one reconcile Hebrews 9:27 with such accounts?

How does one reconcile the raising of Lazarus with Hebrews 9:27?

[music_code]

Any spirit or spiritual experience that describes humans in heaven or hell is not from God, for this is not Biblical.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Phil 1:21-24 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

2 Cor 5:6-10 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

2 Thess 1:6-10 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Rev 6:9-11 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

John 14:1-3 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Luke 16:22-24 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

These are just a few of the many verses in the New Testament that confirm the truth of life after death both for the saved and for the lost.

The Old Testament confirms this truth also, although it is somewhat veiled in comparison to the New Testament. The New Testament is concealed in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New.

The verses you quoted from the Old Testament were written in the context of a man's earthly perspective on physical death. Thus, phrases like "the dead know nothing" or "the dead do not praise the Lord" are used.

As for the New Testament verses you quoted, along with your flawed exegesis of the Scriptures in general, my guess is that you are possibly a Seventh-Day Adventist or a member of one of the other Christian cults which disavows the truth of life after death.