This will become entry #400 for this blog. It
started late 2009; a means to pass convalescencing time from my cancer
treatment and the first of my hip replacement surgeries...
Yet, as time went on,
it became a rolling memory book, confessional, travelogue and just a place
where most (I have to be honest and say
not all…) feelings have been shared. Supposedly, someone who writes must be
willing to bare his/her inner self and put everything on the pages (well, OK, the e-filings) for all to see.
Not my case. It is still my belief that some aspects of the mind -such as they
may be- are private and should remain so.
After all is said, it
is often a rudderless flight of fancy (nice
term for aimless ramblings?) precisely the one that takes us to the most
amazing destinations.
Near death
experiences… are they real? ”a personal experience associated with death or impending death. Such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations
including detachment from the body, feelings of levitation, total serenity, security,
warmth, the experience of absolute dissolution, and the presence of a light.” (WIKIPEDIA)
Also from Wikipedia
and according to Bruce Greyson, the general features of the
experience include impressions of being outside one's physical body, visions of
deceased relatives and religious figures, and transcendence of egotic and
spatiotemporal boundaries. NOTE: I did try to look up the word “egotic” and by
inference (for there is no such word in
the thesaurus) it refers to the boundaries of self, within one’s own mind.
Over the years there have been occasional opportunities
to talk about these transcendental (too much? … well… OK… interesting) issues with people of different faiths,
races and backgrounds. Interestingly, there seems to be a relatively even split
along the lines as to whether or not they believe in these near-death experiences.
Those who believe in this possibility, tell me that these visions
are not always present. My questions: Who is subject to them and why? I have
not found a convincing answer to those questions. Yet, in three occasions there
were conversations between two individuals who said they had lived through them
and myself. Nothing strange, esoteric or especially telling about them. Normal,
run of the mill folks. One in India, one in Spain and one right here in the US. Two in their mid-forties, the
other one over 60 years of age. Their account was very similar. Diffuse
visions, people shapes with inner lights, a feeling of familiarity and, above
all, peace. Both also told me that their vision of life thereafter changed to a
better acceptance of circumstances and clearer definition of purpose.
This posting is not meant as a study of probabilities or even
possibilities. It just means to raise a questioning eyebrow and pose the plausibility
of that moment. The moment when our soul or spirit has accepted the reality of
imminent departure and is getting ready for the next step of the journey.
What is apparently a very common thread from all the studies
(not counting my three conversations… right…)
done on this matter, is that those who do come back (Yes, I know… those who do not come back could not answer the
questionnaires…) have a radical attitude change towards life, expectations,
and general attitude. Almost all change to a better understanding of purpose… and
yes, my guys definitely supported this last turn.
There is a lot of reading material on this subject; there is
a lot of time to be spent going through that material and I will devote some (not as much as I would like to, but…) time
to this because it is a topic which interests me. Not only near-death experiences but
also those who have been actually declared clinically dead, only to revive a few
minutes later.
From as early a time in my life as I can remember, there have
been far too many “happenings” around me not to take these type of issues seriously. I
have had, for many years, an implicit acceptance on my part that logic can only
explain what we can understand according to set parameters. What we don’t
understand or have an acceptable explanation for, is outside that realm of
logical order.
Does it mean it is not
real or not existent? No; to me, it means that it falls into the realm of
belief and willingness to believe; it takes a jump of faith. And then, we hold
on for the ride of a lifetime.
There’ll be more… I think…
Be Well … Be Back!!!
Final
Notes:
· Pray for those who are fighting an illness
which may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and
counts!!
· Follow us on Twitter … @RJAsPandora
