[boatbums]

Have you read about the little boy's experience spoken of in his book, Heaven is for Real? From a little kid's perspective, things he reportedly saw were plausible. Though, we can't really know how much was verbatim and how much was embellished by his minister father who wrote the book. There are several instances in Scripture where people WERE brought back to life from death but we don't have any of their testimony as far as I know. I don't totally deny it CAN happen, just that we should be wary and not easily tricked into believing wholesale what someone says as being THE truth just because they say they saw it. The subconscious mind can do strange things to the conscious mind, that's for sure, but our guard should be up whenever someone purports to being a "prophet" with new revelation or a visionary declaring new truths. It's no different with a person claiming to tell us things they saw on the "other side". Too much room for deception there.

[Cronos]

the book “heaven is for real” is a work of fiction. NDE’s occur, but that one was clearly fiction

[Cvengr]

The best advice I have seen regarding spiritual experience is to test it by something veritable.

What is more veritable than the personal experience?

The MEMRA, the Word of God.

That is one reason for studying Scripture. By studying Scripture while in fellowship with God, we are in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, in the right manner, allowing Him to sanctify us in the graceful, just, and right manner He has Planned.

Let God provide.

If God provided the spiritual experience, He will edify us in His fashion by His means, which to not contradict themselves.

If our spiritual experience is contradicted by what He provides us in His Word, it glorifies Him to have faith in His Word before our experience. If they reinforce one another, then it also glorifies Him to have faith in His Word.