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."

[SkyRat]

I know you are responding to someone else but this flies in the face of the evolutionists.

I don't think so.

According to the Darwinists only the adaptions that make a species more suitable to the environment persist. Creatures become more and more niche specific. An adaption that makes death less unpleasant does not enhance survival.

How does this adaption hinder survival? A function that makes death more pleasant won't disturb you while you are living. In earlier times when you had an NDE you were most likely going to die. It's only our modern medicine that brings you backSo, this would mean it's an neutral mutation, if it is one. But it's more likely that it is an otherwise clever protection mechanism that just overreacts when the damage is too big. The brain is a fine machine but don't expect it to run properly when it' just seconds away from goin kapput.

In the same vein since I have thought about things that defy evolutionary thought. There is a valve in mamilian ears that allows for pressure equalization. Everyone is familiar with the growing pressure in the eardrums when ascending while traveling.

I think you have a typo there. Pressure decreases the higher you go. But I get your point.

Why would a feature that is necessary only in the age of speed have become a mamalian feature prior to it being necessary. No animal can move fast enough up a height for this feature to be useful.

I see. Well, pressure increases under water too. Next time you go swimming, take a dive. At 30 feet you'll have the twice the pressure. Your ears are gonna hurt if you don't equalize the pressure.

Anyway, I'm not an expert in biology but I'm a SCUBA diver. I have no clue why we have this feature or how it we got it, I'm just glad we have it or I couldn't go further down than 30 feet.

[TASMANIANRED]

The pressure thing, I'm not talking about atmospheric pressure but the sensation of pressure in your ear. As you rise and the atmospheric pressure falls, the air space behind your eardrum causes outward bulging of the eardrum . It is painful. That's why little kids with ear infections scream,cry and pull on their ears.

With the NDE, I wasn't suggesting that it would hinder survival. According to the Darwinist's the biologic changes that enhance survival among the breeding individuals tend to be the most successful in reproducing, therefore the trait gets passed along. It makes animals more uniquely suited to their environment.

A pleasant death experience does not contribute to breedability and numerous off spring. It doesn't fit into "Survival of the fittest". It doesn't hinder evolution it would be irrelevant to it. Traits that do not enhance survival are usually bred out over time.

[CommerceComet]

The gap between hard science and religious faith may not be big as some think.

A couple of years ago, public TV ran a show on the possibility of time travel. Some theoretical physicists (all from Ivy League or comparable schools) discussed whether modern theories in physics allow for time travel. Some said no and some said yes citing a particular theory (string theory, maybe?) which holds that reality consists of an infinite number of parallel universes which in some cases may interact with one another. As they were talking about this, I keep thinking that this doesn't sound far removed from alternative universes called Heaven and Hell by Christians.

[SkyRat]

The pressure thing, I'm not talking about atmospheric pressure but the sensation of pressure in your ear.

You are talking about atmospheric pressure.

As you rise and the atmospheric pressure falls, the air space behind your eardrum causes outward bulging of the eardrum .

Right. Which is the same as diving where the outside pressure rise and the eardrum bulges inside. Since it's said all life started in the sea, I guess that's enough time for evolution. It's not something that came with quick travel.

It is painful. That's why little kids with ear infections scream,cry and pull on their ears.

It helps to swallow or to yawn. A chewing gum works best for me. I always have some with me when I fly.

With the NDE, I wasn't suggesting that it would hinder survival.

If it doesn't hinder survival, it can stay quite a while. Like you said yourself, it's irrelevant to evolution. No force is acting upon it.

A pleasant death experience does not contribute to breedability and numerous off spring.

Who knows? I've been death and came back to see you, sounds like a unbeatable pickup-line. Maybe it does enhance breedability.

Traits that do not enhance survival are usually bred out over time.

Well, without modern medicine most NDE cases wouldn't walk today. So, isn't it a mood point?

Anyway, I think you are too eager in search for reasons against evolution and use the NDE cases for that. I think this isn't really a case either pro or contra evolution. NDE's happen when the brain is under a lot of stress. I guess it uses every trick in the book to minimize damage and stay a live for some more time. The NDE's appear to be a side effect of this. Just a side effect not something that happens on purpose.

To grant you something here, if NDE's do happen on purpose, it does raise a lot of question in most areas, including theology and evolution. But I think that is very unlikely.

[Auntie Mame]

I just feel like bumping this thread ...