Near Death Experiences (NDE)

From Anthroposophy

A Near-Death Experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death of the physical body, experienced as a significant (spiritual) event by the experiencer.

NDEs are characterized by the following pattern: a person comes close to death (eg in case of accidents of critical illness in hospital), and then actually experiences leaving the physical body and going through a process, after which the person returns to the physical body and continues incarnate life on Earth. Certain elements of the process that is experienced come back often in reports by experiencers, such as: seeing one's life memory tableau, going through a tunnel, seeing a light, etc.

An NDE usually or mostly has a major impact on the individual's personality and outlook on life, in terms of values and beliefs. Kenneth Ring (see sources below) found "greater appreciation for life, higher self-esteem, greater compassion for others, less concern for acquiring material wealth, a heightened sense of purpose and self-understanding, desire to learn, elevated spirituality, greater ecological sensitivity and planetary concern, and a feeling of being more intuitive".

Aspects

  • occurence and studies:
    • many thousands of cases have been reported since the 1970s in all countries worldwide, certain scientific studies review 2500 to 3500 cases
    • Gallup (1982) found that approx. one in twenty people had experienced some kind of NDE-type experience (those 5% would mean 8 million people in the US alone, as Kenneth Ring writes in his book review and his book 'Lessons from the Light')
  • stages following Moody:
    • the sequence can vary, and not all experiences include the higher or all stages (eg some people only experience the first two stages)
      • (1) Out of body experience: one sees one's own body from outside; (2) outer-sensible spatial experience; (3) tunnel experience
      • (4) light world; (5) life memory tableau; (6) the 'light being'; (7) the 'light city'
      • (8) return to the body; (9) transformation, cure; (10) new relationships (social, community, moral)
    • notes
      • stages (5) and (6), the encounter with the light being, have a moral impact: have you truly loved, did you truly learn
      • regarding stage (3) see Schema FMC00.024 below; regarding stage (5), see Laying off the etheric body after death
  • potential correlations or relationships
  • contemporary research and literature
    • see 'Further reading' section below, and the work of ao Kenneth Ring, Melvin Morse, Pim Van Lommel, Bruce Greyson
    • an International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) was founded in 1978, with the publication, from 1982 onwards, of the Journal of Near-Death Studies
    • pioneers of period 1975-1982
      • first books: Raymond Moody 'Life after life' (1975), George W. Ritchie: 'Return from tomorrow' (1978), Kenneth Ring 'Life at Death' (1980), Michael Sabom 'Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation' (1982), George Gallup Jr. : 'Adventures in Immortality: A Look Beyond the Threshold of Death (1982)

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.024 is an illustration by Hieronymus Bosch made around 1505-1515, reminiscent of the tunnel of life as appearing in the reports of people having had Near Death Experiences (NDE). For more on the 'life memory tableau' experience', see Laying off the etheric body after death.

Lecture coverage and references

Plutarch

The story of Arisdeu in 79 AD.

Arisdeu was a dishonest individual with a bad reputation in his community. He suffered an accident where he fell and hit his head against a rock, resulting in a coma which lasted a couple of days. During this coma, Arisdeu perceived himself outside his body. He found himself with his helper, or spiritual guide, and talked to her. During this experience, Arisdeu also saw another dimension which was inhabited by consciousnesses with little equilibrium and stayed to examine them.

Then, at a certain moment, he felt a force pulling him back inside his body. Arisdeu woke up in the physical plane at the moment in which he was about to be buried. One can imagine the reaction of the community. Nevertheless, since this experience, Arisdeu changed his ethics, values, and behavior, transforming himself into a respected citizen valued in his community.

Kenneth Ring

in Lessons from the Light, brings forth from his thorough research, some exceptional stories from NDE experiences: in Chapter 13: Journeys to the source.

  • Mellen-Thomas Benedict
  • Howard Storm
  • Virginia Rivers
  • Beverly Brodsky
1993 - Peter Michael Cook

book review in Journal of Near-Death Studies, Spring 1993 of book by Calvert Roszell: 'The Near-Death Experience - In the light of Rudolf Steiner's Spiritual Science' (1992)

Calvert Roszell's 91-page book The Near-Death Experience can easily serve as an in-depth introduction for anyone seeking a better understanding of both the physical and spiritual realities underlying near-death experiences (NDEs). It presents an easily readable and culpable synthesis of present day scientific information now available about NDEs. Even referring to the founding meeting of the International Association for Near-Death Studies organized by Raymond Moody in 1977, this book clearly and simply explores the relevance to NDEs of concepts such as temporal lobe seizures, the Sylvian fissure, hypoxia, hypercarbia, endorphins, enkephalins, ischemia, and autoscopy.

However, the true value of this brief book does not lie in its simple explanations of contemporary scientific research. Such explanations are at best intermediary to the student of near-death studies who asks the question of "why?" and not just "how?" Since traditional science can at best explore the material "'how?" question of NDEs, Roszell's book turns to the works of Rudolf Steiner and others for an explanation of the spiritual "why?"

Though Steiner wrote a mere dozen or so books, he delivered a series of 6,000 lectures that were recorded and translated into many languages. It is with a thorough understanding of Steiner's books and lectures that Roszell explains the 9-minute near-death journey of George Ritchie. Much of what Steiner wrote and lectured upon at the turn of the century is brought to life and made clearer by Roszell's explanation of Ritchie's NDE: the '~life review" or ~'etheric tableau," the '~guardian of the threshold," ~'kamaloca," ~'devachan," and other such experiences discussed by Steiner are validated by Roszell's commentary on Ritchie's experience.

Ritchie's NDE was in fact so consistent with Steiner's teachings that Roszell felt compelled to document that ~In a personal letter to me, Ritchie confirmed that he had never before heard of Rudolf Steiner" (p. 69).

So what is an NDE to Roszell? As experienced by Ritchie, it is simply a separation of the four aspects of every human being: the physical, the etheric, the astral, and the I. When the physical aspect is removed from the other three by death or a near-death experience, devachan occurs

[editor: does not agree, probably not well understood or phrased here .. devachan means spirit world and this is the etheric tableau - see Laying off the etheric body after death].

It lasts two to three days, the length of time a person might normally be able to stay awake, or the same period of time considered proper by most cultures prior to burial or cremation of the body. The separation of the astral aspect follows, which is sometimes called purgatory or kamaloca and lasts about one-third of that person's life, the relative period of time most persons spend in sleep. Roszell discusses these explanations but does not attempt to prove them, because~'as Rudolf Steiner explained, spiritual truths cannot be proven once and for all; they can only be experienced" (p. 70).

In addition to drawing upon Steiner's teachings, Roszell also draws upon well known contemporaries in the growing field of near-death studies, such as Melvin Morse, Kenneth Ring, Michael Sabom, Moody, and of course Ritchie. Roszell also draws meaningfully from such other notables as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Carl Jung, Swami Prabhavananda, Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, Isaac Newton, Plato, and Galileo. Thus Roszell's short 91 pages reflect breadth and depth of both research and thought.

The Near-Death Experience specifically addresses not only the question of ~'why?" but also the question of "why not?"

Many people return from an apparent death and do not recall any aspect of an NDE. The question arises whether they experienced an NDE and simply failed to recall it, or whether they will experience a life after permanent physical death. Roszell writes that, unlike those fortunate to have an NDE or other transformative experience, '~others never wake up" (p. 73).

Finally, what of those reported NDEs resulting from real fright of death but where there were no physical or mental pathological conditions? Roszell addresses these tangential questions in a fashion that makes his book required reading for anyone seriously interested in the study of NDEs.

Discussion

Note 1 - NDEs and Christ in the etheric

For a perspective on aspect from a 'Christ in the etheric' experience, see:

Christ in the etheric#Note 3 - Christ experiences during NDEs (Near Death Experiences)

Given the NDE is a reality and a fact, with many thousands of witness reports and scientific studies by doctors and clinics, what about the appearance of a human figure in light that is perceived as Christ Jesus? These reports exist, but in today's world dominated by the media and huge amounts of unqualified information, it is hard to judge or separate fact from fiction. The fundamentalistic Christian stream of belief in the US does not help to shed a light of objective factuality on this (...).

This topic is not about judging, but of collecting elements for an assessment in how far the NDE circumstances could facilitate the experience of what Rudolf Steiner described as a Damascus experience of seing Christ in the Etheric.

Note 2 - Secondary literature

This note is to provide an overview of secondary literature

  1. Raymond Moody
  2. Kenneth Ring
  3. Michael Sabom
  4. Melvin Morse
  5. Pim Van Lommel
  6. Bruce Greyson

and:

  • George Gallup Jr. : 'Adventures in Immortality: A Look Beyond the Threshold of Death (1982)
  • David Lorimer: Whole in One: The Near-Death Experience and the Ethic of Interconnectedness (1991, in DE 1993 as 'Die Ethik der Nah-Todeserfahrungen'; republished in 2017 as 'Resonant Mind: Life Review in the Near-Death Experience')
  • Jeffrey Long: 'Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences' (2010)

.

Note 3 - NDEs and kundalini symptoms

Several authors and researchers explore the connections between Kundalini awakening symptoms (see Kundalini#Effects caused by the kundalini and energetic balance) and Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), comparing the physiological, psychological, and spiritual transformations involved in both phenomena.

Several authors (such as Kenneth Ring in 'Heading toward Omega) explore the parallels between NDEs and Eastern spiritual practices including Kundalini, and how these experiences can lead to profound spiritual transformation. They posit that both NDEs and Kundalini awakenings are routes to expanded consciousness, reshaping personal identity and spiritual awareness in significant ways.

See the quotes below that illustrate the essence of the link between Kundalini awakenings and Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and how both experiences can serve as powerful catalysts for transformation and intense, often involuntary gateways to higher states of consciousness, deeply altering one's perceptions, abilities, and sense of self.

References

  • Dr. Kenneth Ring: 'Life at Death' (1980) and 'Heading Toward Omega' (1984)
    • In "Heading Toward Omega", he suggests that the spiritual transformations reported by NDE experiencers resemble changes attributed to Eastern spiritual practices, including Kundalini awakenings. He coined the term "Omega Point" to describe the transformative endpoint many experiencers report, drawing a parallel with Kundalini awakening as a catalyst for spiritual evolution.
    • quote from 'Heading toward'

      The near-death experience can be thought of as a forced kundalini awakening, in which one’s consciousness is suddenly thrust into realms of being and vision where new spiritual knowledge and new psychic abilities are attained. It is a process that changes the very fabric of a person’s life from the inside out.

  • Gopi Krishna: 'Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man' (1970) and 'Living with Kundalini: The Autobiography of Gopi Krishna' (1971)
    • Though primarily focused on kundalini, Gopi Krishna was among the first authors to relate kundalini energy to states of consciousness akin to mystical and near-death experiences. He describes how his own kundalini awakening led to a complete transformation of perception, awareness, and understanding, aligning with the shifts reported by NDE experiencers.
    • quote from 'Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy'

      The awakening of Kundalini is comparable to stepping across a threshold of consciousness, as if entering a new dimension of reality. Near-death experiences, too, reveal that such dimensions are not only possible but transformative, offering a glimpse of a more profound truth underlying existence.

  • P. M. H. Atwater: 'The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences' (2007) and 'Beyond the Light: The Mysteries and Revelations of Near-Death Experiences' (1994)
    • studied the long-term effects of NDEs, especially those related to energy, psychological changes, and heightened intuition, which she notes have similarities with Kundalini symptoms. Atwater suggests that the surge of energy often reported in NDEs can be likened to the Kundalini energy rising, leading to a permanent shift in awareness.
    • quote from 'Beyond the light'

      “Near-death experiencers frequently describe energy surges, heightened sensitivity, and shifts in awareness that parallel the phenomena associated with Kundalini. This transformative energy, whether triggered by a near-death event or a spontaneous awakening, forever alters one’s relationship with life.”

  • Dr. Bruce Greyson: 'After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond' (2021)
    • .. noted that the physical and mental symptoms reported by NDE survivors, such as increased sensitivity, changes in energy, and transformative shifts in consciousness, resemble the effects seen in Kundalini awakenings .. and he often references broader spiritual and physiological impacts similar to Kundalini symptoms.

Related pages

References and further reading

For very extensive further literature lists and reviews, we refer to the specialized studies such as the books of Kenneth Ring and others.

Spiritual scientific

  • Calvert Roszell: 'The Near-Death Experience - In the light of Rudolf Steiner's Spiritual Science' (1992 and again 2019)
  • Wolfgang Weirauch, Florin Lowndes: 'Nah-Todeserfahrungen. Rückkehr zum Leben' (1995, Flensburger Hefte)

General

Experiences

  • George W. Ritchie: 'Return from tomorrow' (1978)

Some additional references:

  • Margot Grey: Return from death
  • Phyllis Atwater: 'Coming back to life'
  • Cherie Sutherland: 'Transformed by the light' and 'Within the light'

A whole number of 'bestsellers' followed, a.o. just the few examples below as an entry to myriads of others:

  • Betty J. Eadie: 'Embraced by the Light' (1992), also with sequel books. About clinical death experience in hospital surgery in 1973.
  • Dannion Brinkley: 'Saved by the Light' (1994), movie in 1995 and sequels: 'At peace in the light' (1995) and 'Secrets of the light' (2008). Example of sceptical analysis of claim by the author.
  • Don Piper: '90 Minutes in Heaven' (2004), bestseller (sold over six million copies) and movie in 2015. About car accident in 1989.

Studies

  • Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004)
    • 'On Death and Dying' (1969)
    • 'Tunnel and the Light: Essential Insights on Living and Dying' (1999)
  • Raymond Moody (1944-)
    • 'Life after life' (1975)
    • Reflections on Life After Life (1977)
  • George Gallup Jr. : 'Adventures in Immortality: A Look Beyond the Threshold of Death (1982)
  • Kenneth Ring (1935-)
    • co-founder of the 'International Association for Near-Death Studies' (IANDS) and founding editor of the 'Journal of Near-Death Studies'
    • 'Life at Death' (1980)
    • 'Heading Toward Omega' (1984)
    • 'Mindsight: Near-death and out-of-body experiences in the blind' (1999)
    • 'Lessons from the Light' (2000)
  • Michael Sabom
    • Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation (1982)
      • interviews with 116 people
    • Light and Death: One Doctor's Fascinating Account of Near-Death Experiences (1998)
      • interviews 160 patients
  • David Lorimer (1952-)
    • Whole in One: The Near-Death Experience and the Ethic of Interconnectedness (1991, in DE 1993 as 'Die Ethik der Nah-Todeserfahrungen'; republished in 2017 as 'Resonant Mind: Life Review in the Near-Death Experience')
  • Melvin Morse (1953-)
    • Closer to the Light (1991)
    • with Paul Perry: 'Transformed by the light: The powerful effect of Near Death Experiences on people's lives' (1992)
    • Parting Visions:: Pre-Death visions and spiritual experience(1994)
  • Peter Fenwick (1935-)
    • The Truth in the Light: An Investigation of Over 300 Near-Death Experiences (1997)
    • Past Lives: An Investigation into Reincarnation Memories (2001)
  • Pim Van Lommel (1943-)
    • study in The Lancet about NDEs with patients in the hospital, as reported by a cardiologist (2001)
      • Van Lommel, P., van Wees, R., Meyers, V. and Elfferich, I. (2001) Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands. Lancet 358: 2039-2045.
    • other papers
      • Van Lommel, P. (2006). Near-Death Experience, Consciousness and the Brain. A new concept about the continuity of our consciousness based on recent scientific research on near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest. World Futures, The Journal of General Evolution 62: 134-152.
      • Van Lommel, P. (2013). Nonlocal Consciousness. A concept based on scientific research on near-death experiences during cardiac arrest. Journal of Consciousness Studies 20: 7-48.
    • 'Consciousness Beyond Life, The Science of the Near-Death Experience' (in EN 2010, in NL as 'Eindeloos bewustzijn' in 2007)
    • 'Het geheim van Elysion. 45 jaar studie naar nabij-de-dood-ervaringen' (in NL 2020)
  • Bruce Greyson (1946-)
    • Near-death experiences and spirituality (2006)
    • co-editor of 'The handbook of Near-Death Experiences: thirty years of investigation' (2009)
    • 'Implications of near-death experiences for a post materialist psychology' (2010)
    • 'After: A doctor explores what Near-Death Experiences reveal about life and beyond (2021)
More
  • P. M. H. Atwater
    • Beyond the Light: The Mysteries and Revelations of Near-Death Experiences (1994)
    • The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences (2007)
  • Jeffrey Long: 'Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences' (2010)
  • Eben Alexander: 'Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife' (2012)
  • Dr. Penny Sartori: 'The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences: How Understanding NDEs Can Help Us Live More Fully' (2014)
  • Dr. Yvonne Kason: 'Touched by the Light: Exploring Spiritually Transformative Experiences' (2019)
Organizations - journals - internet
Papers
  • E.W. Kelly: Near death experiences with reports of meeting deceased people (2001 in 'Death studies')
  • T. Murphy: Near death experiences in Thailand (2001, Journal of Near-Death Studies)
  • S. Parisha: Near death experiences in South India: a systematic survey (1995)
Movies

Various other unqualified

  • Roy L. Hill
    • Jesus and the Near-Death Experience: Testimonies of the ascended Christ (2017)
    • Psychology and the Near-Death Experience: Searching for God (2015)
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