"If I lived a billion years more, in my body or yours, there's not a single
experience on
earth that could ever be as good as being dead. Nothing." - Dr. Dianne
Morrissey
=================================================================
NEAR-DEATH NEWSLETTER Vol. 02, No. 07 July 1, 2003
=================================================================

The Near-Death Newsletter is a free opt-in monthly newsletter in
connection with http://www.near-death.com

To UNSUBSCRIBE from this newsletter, send a blank email to:
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If you have NDE information that you would like to contribute for
possible inclusion in this newsletter and/or website, please
email it to Kevin Williams at: neardeathexperience@...

=================================================================
AOL AND COMPUSERVE USERS
=================================================================

An online version of this newsletter can be found at this web
page: <a href="http://www.near-death.com/newsletters/0107.html">
Click here</a>

=================================================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================================================================

(1) News of the NDE
(2) NDE Forum
(3) What's New
(4) Discussion
(5) P.M.H. Atwater's Q&A
(6) TV Listings
(7) Books
(8) Web Links
(9) Odds and Ends

=================================================================
(1) NEWS OF THE NDE
=================================================================

*** Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Nears Her Own End
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - (The Arizona Republic)
"Kubler-Ross, the psychiatrist who wrote dozens of books about
death and dying and helped start the American hospice movement,
is now herself ready to die."
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0609nekubler09.html


*** God on the Brain - Questions and Answers
LONDON, UK - (BBC)
"Additionally, very different patterns of brain activity may appear,
depending on the particular experience the individual is having. For
example, a near death experience might result in different activity
patterns from those found in a person who is meditating. Scientists
now believe that a number of structures in the brain need to work
together to help us experience spirituality and religion.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2003/godonbrainqa.shtml


*** Welcome to the Death of a Thousand Clicks
WHANGAREI, NZ - (The New Zealand Herald)
"The net's one-stop shop of NDE is Near-Death Experiences and the
Afterlife, which looks at the topic from every angle, including the points
of view of everyone from skeptics to Buddhists."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3503436&thesection=technology\
&thesubsection=web-column


*** Area Residents Who Nearly Died Form Group to Talk About Their
Otherworldly Experiences
FREDERICKSBURG, VA - (The Free Lance-Star)
"Ken Hart of Spotsylvania County almost died in 1996 after a car ran
into him, crushing his body while he was pushing a disabled vehicle
off the road ...He says that on the other side there's only calm and peace.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2003/062003/06222003/996559


*** Louis Farrakhan on War of Words, Prostate Cancer, Religion
WASHINGTON, DC - (US Newswire)
"Because of my prostate cancer and my near death experience ...
I was much more cognizant of my duty to all of humanity. So those
who prayed for me caused me to see in greater depth the silliness
of people of God being divided by the misunderstanding of God and
his oneness."
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=164-06252003


*** JK Rowling's presents the NDE of Harry Potter
LONDON, UK - (BBC)
"In one near-death experience, Harry imagines seeing his father
across a lake. Professor Dumbledore, an older wiser wizard, reveals
that Harry was actually seeing himself, and should find his father
by, "looking inside his own heart."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/genes/horizon/article02.shtml


*** Heart Attack Survivors Give Rescuers Heartfelt Thanks
LONDON, UK - (The London Free Press)
"It happened really quickly. I wasn't dead for long," said Griffin, who
suffers from cardiac arrhythmia. "I saw a milky white light and I was
aware of a presence of angels."
http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2003/06/11/108285.html


*** Half Past Dead (2003) - Movie review by Mark Stevens
LONDON, UK - (BBC)
The title of this move is the name dreamt up for Seagal's near-death
experience in the first reel of the movie. After being shot by the cops,
Sascha (Seagal) flatlines, sees the tunnel and the white light, but
decides to spurn heaven to come back to kick some more butt.
http://www2.thny.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/04/08/half_past_dead_2003_review.shtml


*** IANDS Releases Bibliography on CD-ROM
EAST WINDSOR HILL, CT - (Vital Signs)
If you want to research a topic related to NDEs, you can locate
every article on that topic ever published in the Journal for
Near-Death Studies. https://www.iands.org/bibcd.html

=================================================================
(2) NDE FORUM
=================================================================

*** Deborah Fourtner's NDE
"She was holding my newly born baby. She seemed so sad, so lonely,
so depressed that I was no longer there. I felt as if I was to die before
even knowing that I had a child."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0106.html


*** Elaine Durham's NDE
"I was pulled into billions and billions of diamond-like sparkles and I
was one of them." Then Elaine was shown visions of the future.
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0107.html


*** Jessica Carde's NDE
"The light beings surrounded me and filled me with light. I saw them
unrolling a scroll before me that looked like an Arabic or Greek text.
I was shown earthquakes along the Ring of fire in the Pacific."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0108.html


*** Cassandra Musgrave's NDE
"I saw that there was a 20 year period from 1992 to 2012. Things will
be greatly accelerated on earth. All these things will be manifest by
great earth changes: earthquakes, floods, tidal waves, great winds."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0109.html


*** Benjamin's NDE
"The next thing I knew, I was in this tropical paradise and there were
these tourists walking around. There I was sitting in this cafe that was
shaded with palms and bamboo rafters."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0110.html


*** E.L.'s NDE
She was told that she needed a righteous person to appeal on her
behalf. When she mentioned her Hassidic Rebbe, the Rebbe appeared
in spirit, even though he was currently alive on earth.
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0111.html


*** Jeana Bettencourt's NDE
"Then I saw the silhouette of a hand come to me and turned me around.
I felt the soft touch on my soul that had pushed me away. At that moment,
I felt as if I was falling at the speed of light and into my body."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0112.html


*** Pamela Anderson's NDE (not the Baywatch star)
"I felt as if I was in a huge stadium or amphitheater. It was wonderful
and here is where I have a truly hard time explaining how marvelous it
is. I felt absorbed by love and compassion and that all was well."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0113.html


*** Steve's NDE
"The only one I could really make out was a man who I recognized
as Jesus Christ, although I couldn't tell you exactly what he looked
like because he was sooooooo shining bright."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0114.html


*** Sarah's NDE
"I flew along further up the tunnel and glanced in other doorways but
the next one that made a lasting impression on me was a world of
almost indescribable beauty."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0115.html


*** George Lennox's NDE
"He must have been at least ten feet high. He had great wings on
his back. He was black as the coal I had been digging, and in a
perfectly nude condition. He had a spear in his hand, the handle
of which must have been fully fifteen feet in length. His eyes shone
like balls of fire. His teeth, white as pearl, seemed fully an inch long."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0116.html


*** John Bunyan's NDE
"I saw coming toward me a glorious appearance, like the person of
a man, but circled round about with beams of inexpressible light
and glory, which streamed from him all the way he came."
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0117.html


*** Lloyd Glenn's NDE
This near-death account of a three-year old boy can be found all
over the internet under the title "The Birdies". It is a very beautiful NDE,
as many children NDEs are. However, no one has been able to verify
this account, including myself. Because of this, I have suspicions
that it is a hoax. I will let you decide.
http://www.near-death.com/forum/0118.html


*** Post your NDE at: http://forums.near-death.com
or email it to me at: neardeathexperience@... for
possible inclusion in this newsletter and website.


=================================================================
(3) WHAT'S NEW
=================================================================

(These are new web pages recently added to near-death.com)

(1) NDE and Hell
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research14.html
The first realm after death is the earthbound region often
referred to as the "earthbound" realm. (added 06/29/03)

(2) NDE and Void
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research15.html
The second realm after death is called the "void". This is
the launching point for many NDEs. (added 06/29/03)

(3) NDE and Jesus
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research22.html
Experiences with Jesus are summarized along with NDE
insights about him. More will be added soon. (added 06/29/03)

(4) Guenter Wagner's NDE
http://www.near-death.com/wagner.html
Guenter's amazing encounter with the void, earthbound
discarnates, Jesus and time travel, is profiled here. (added
06/23/03)

(5) Roy Mills Remembers Heaven
http://www.near-death.com/mills.html
Mills has always had real and vivid memories of his life in
heaven before he was born. It wasn't until age ten that he
realized most people don't have such memories. (added 06/23/03)

(6) Peter Novak's Division of Consciousness
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen11.html
Novak's research into consciousness led him to develop a
compelling theory that incorporates both reincarnation and
resurrection.
(added 06/23/03)

(7) Events of the NDE
http://www.near-death.com/events.html
New events have been added to this listing of conferences,
seminars, workshops, lectures and other activities around
the world concerning near-death experiences. (added 06/29/03)


=================================================================
(4) DISCUSSION
=================================================================

*** A Theory that Accounts for the Occurrence of all NDEs
http://www.near-death.com/discussions/0013.html
John Newport discusses his "Free will of the Spirit" theory. It is
based on the ideas that each of us has a spirit form (soul) with a
spirit mind that had free will prior to entering our physical body,
it has free will during its stay in our physical body, and it has
free will after it departs the body during an NDE, and at some
point near death.


*** Search NDE Discussions Archive
http://www.near-death.com/discussions.html


=================================================================
(5) AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE NEAR-DEATH PHENOMENON
Q and A with P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D.
=================================================================

In this new section of the newsletter, P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D. will answer
questions submitted to her from subscribers to this free newsletter.
If you have a question that you would like her to answer, just email
your question to webmaster@... for consideration.

P.M.H. Atwater's next book, entitled "The New Children and
Near-Death Experiences," will be released on December of 2003.
You can order your copy now through Amazon. Order your copy at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591430208/neardeathexpe-20

Dr. Ken Ring had this to say about her book: "This book is the richest,
most probing, and most comprehensive available of NDEs in children."

QUESTION: "In the June 2nd newsletter, you remarked, 'A word of caution is due
here: near-death experiences can occur without perceived or actual physical
death involved.' Could you say some more about this?".........Yangtzu

ANSWER: "The vast number of near-death experiences occur either when the
person is at the edge of death and could die, or when the individual
actually does die but is later resuscitated or revives. That's why the
phenomenon is so important to medical science It happens under their watch
and they can no longer explain it away or ignore what patients have to say.
Too many millions of people, all ages, are involved - worldwide. The large
prospective clinical study done by Pim van Lommel, M.D. and Associates in
Holland, and published by The Lancet medical journal 12-15-01, really
brought everything to a head in the sense that he was able to establish that
his patients had no brain wave function as well as no vital signs, yet they
still had their senses, could "travel around" and see and hear things
"impossible" for them to do. And they had aftereffects, and they took a
long time to integrate what they went through because it was that intense.
The suggestion here is that many things we term "paranormal" may not be
paranormal after all (but then, that's another subject, isn't it?).

"What surprises medical science, researchers of any ilk, and even the
individual experiencer, is that near-death episodes can occur under other
circumstances, as well. I talk about this a lot in Beyond the Light and The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Near-Death Experiences, and I suggest that you
refer to either book for more details and actual case histories. What I can
offer you here are a few examples.

"Late one night, a man had stopped his car at the request of his
mother who was riding with him, to pick some flowers along the side of the
road. He had pulled over enough that he created no safety hazard for other
motorists. After picking the flowers, he was returning to his car when the
lights of another car suddenly loomed large and larger, right in front of
his face. The incident was such a surprise, and was so threatening, that he
experienced a near-death episode which included a life review. Just when he
was certain he was about to die, the lights veered away and disappeared. He
was so shook up he could not move for awhile. This is a case of "perceived"
death. There was nothing wrong with this man. He was in excellent health.
Yet, because of how the lights were positioned, how large and threatening
they were, he thought he was about to die, when actually this was not true.
He experienced the near-death phenomenon, including the pattern of
aftereffects, and this remained clear, coherent, and powerful to him
throughout the rest of his life.

"Early on a Sunday morning, a woman walked to the front porch of her
home to retrieve the Sunday newspaper. She bent over, picked up the large
bundle, and, as she straightened herself to walk back inside her home, she
gazed into the rising sun and had a full-blown near-death experience
complete with aftereffects. She was transformed on the spot, never to look
or act the same again; her family utterly puzzled as to what had happened to
her. The impact on this woman was overwhelming; her story the same as that
of any near-death experiencer. Yet, she was in perfect health, and nothing
even close to "perceived" death threatened . We call her case a
"near-death-like" experience. Nothing can be offered scientifically to
account for this.

"Lastly, a young man in Canada was sitting on the sofa of his
apartment when he decided to walk across the room to the window and either
open or close it (I don't remember which). He did this. When he turned to
walk back to the sofa, he walked into a transcendent near-death experience
fully-conscious and alert to what was happening at the time that involved
meeting Jesus and learning how to interpret the Bible "correctly." His
episode was on the order of Betty Eadie's, only even more amazing and
complex. Consumed with the intensity of his experience and the spread of
aftereffects which followed, he devoted his life to speaking with
theologians and at seminaries and churches, and with ministers or anyone
interested in learning more about the Bible. He did not live long. It's as
if the intensity of his experience "burned" him up. In good health, he was
suddenly overtaken by the type of leukemia that quickly kills - as if the
individual is "on fire." This case is also termed a "near-death-like"
experience.

"Research cannot explain why near-death experiences can happen under
vastly different circumstances, even when death is not near. Researchers
like myself know that it can, but we have no reason or explanation to offer
as to why."

QUESTION: "I have gone through many articles on NDE, and I have noticed a great
percentage of people who experienced NDEs are physically sick people. I
personally feel that when a person is sick, met with an accident, or any
other reason, he/she may think once at least that he/she may not survive,
and the thought lead him/her to have NDE. Mostly, we see in NDE what we
have heard, thought, or seen. My question is: should we believe in what we
experience?".........Kapoor"

"With adult experiencers in my research base I noticed an interesting
pattern to how most of them died. A little over half the men exited because
of heart-related ailments, while another 25% were involved in some form of
violence or violent accidents of various types. A whooping 70% of the
women experienced their episode during childbirth, miscarriage, or
hysterectomy. With the children, drownings were the number one killer,
followed by suffocation, parental or sibling abuse, surgery (more from minor
surgeries like tonsillectomies, than major surgery).

"I have long maintained that emergency wards are the place to "hang
out" in search of near-death episodes, rather than in surgical rooms or at
sick beds. Or, travel with EMTs on their life-saving calls to those who
have been injured or whose life is suddenly at risk. It is the venue of
"accident" or "suddenness" that seems to set the stage for most near-death
experiences.

"And, as Pim van Lommel, M.D. made it so clear in his ground-breaking
study, those who did not have time to think, who had no thought of death or
that they might die, these were by far the most likely individuals to
experience the near-death phenomenon. He found that the longer a patient
lingered, the less likely he or she was to have such an episode.

"So, dear Kapoor, I question the articles you have been reading.
Perhaps they are not deep or broad enough. I would hardly say that the
largest percentage of near-death cases come from sick people or from those
who think they are about to die. However, about the idea that we only
experience on the other side of death what we expect to experience - that
idea is hotly debated.

"Almost all experiencers, at one point or another, claim, "they got
what they needed," during and after their experience. What is termed "the
need factor" is undeniable. It's almost as if these types of experiences,
no matter how caused or what we call them, are triggered by some mechanism
we have not been able to identify and/or some power source or "plane of
being" that exists beyond that of the personality. Such a notion broaches
on the existence of a soul or higher self. But note: the connection here
is to "need"..........not desire.

"Yet, some experiencers do indeed seem to visit the heaven or hell
they have portrayed in their own mind and are certain exists as they have
believed it does. And the treatment they received fulfilled their
expectations. In the Idiot's book, there is a section devoted to the great
Swedish genius and mystic, Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). During his
mystical journeys and in his writings, he went to great lengths to explain
what he had discovered about heaven and hell, that each was a construct the
individual created by projecting their own values and fears upon the "lens"
of their "inner viewscreeen" (the subconscious). And many contemporary
researchers and scholars agree with him. His discoveries, though, "fall
apart" in consideration of the following:

* Shared near-death states. "There are cases in which several
experiencers seem to share in each other's episode; that is they have the
same or similar elements, scenario type, or basic storyline. Usually you
encounter most of these when two or three people are involved in the same
accident at the same time or are in the same general section of the hospital
at the same time. Sometimes these states are experienced singly (one
individual is not aware of the other during the episode but learns later on
that both apparently had the same scenario). Sometimes the people involved
are aware of each other, and are able to confirm the extent of that
awareness after they are able to compare their separate stories."

* Group near-death states. "These are rare, but they do occur. With
this kind, a whole group of people simultaneously seems to experience the
same or similar episode (as per above). What makes these so spectacular and
challenging is that all or most of the experiencers see each other actually
leave their bodies as their scenario begins, then dialogue with each other
and share messages and observations while still experiencing the near-death
state. Their separate reports afterward either match or nearly so. Reports
like these emerge most often from events of a harrowing nature that involve
a lot of people. (Please refer to The Complete Idiot's Guide for actual
case studies of this - like "Hot Shots from Hell.")"

"Yes, you can trace some of the imagery and elements of a near-death
experience to the inner life and expectations of the individual, but not all
of it. Invariably the experiencer will be exposed to things he or she has
no thought or background for. They encounter data and details impossible
for them to know. And, afterwards? I don't know of any experiencer who had
any expectations about the aftereffects, that there would even be any, or
how to handle them - or how his or her life would be changed afterward.
Remember, languaging is always a problem - there are no words to describe
what most people encounter, at least none they are aware of. In choosing
words to say, experiencers will offer use terms they have been exposed to,
rather than trying to find or draw what they really saw and experienced.

"Do we always find what we expect with near-death experiences?
Although it may seem so, at least at first, I would say - no, not really.
We experience more, far more than we might ever suspect. Should we believe
what we experience? That's up to you. The truth is, you are the only one
who can validate your experience. No one else can do it for you."

P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D.

Website: http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/
Marketplace (a public service): http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/rosen.html
Research: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/experts05.html

=================================================================
(6) TV LISTINGS
=================================================================

(Check your local TV listings for the correct time near you)

*** July 8 - "Dragonfly" - Drama
A doctor encounters young cancer patients who have had near-death
experiences and claim to have messages from his deceased wife.

*** July 4,7,8,9,10,12,13,15,17 - "Flatliners" - Drama
Medical students experiment with the afterlife by inducing near-
death experiences that have strange aftereffects.

*** Television series featuring the paranormal (including NDEs)
http://www.near-death.com/tv.html

*** Search cable TV listings for NDE programs aired from May 15
through May 30. http://www.tvguide.com/listings/search/Search.asp


=================================================================
(7) BOOKS
=================================================================

*** "The New Children and Near-Death Experiences"
by P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D. (Available: December 2003)
This book is a remake of the original; same basic style, but new
cases and new research never before published, especially as
concerns our tiniest near-death experiencers (newborns and
toddlers).
http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/


*** "The Lost Secret of Death: Our Divided Souls and the
Afterlife" - by Peter Novak, Colin Wilson. (Available: July 2003)
Peter Novak, author of "Division of Consciousness", discusses
his very interesting theories concerning the soul and it's
connection with the afterlife.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1571743243/neardeathexpe-20


*** "Visits from the Afterlife: The Truth About Hauntings, Spirits,
and Reunions With Lost Loved Ones" - by Sylvia Brown
(Available: October 2003) Sylvia describes true encounters with
earthbound souls seeking peace and closure. She explains the
reasons behind many of the world's most bizarre and mysterious
hauntings. And she shares her own personal, face-to-face
experiences with these inexplicable phenomena.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0525947566/neardeathexpe-20


*** "We Are Eternal: What the Spirits Tell Me About Life After Death"
by Robert Brown (Available: March 2004)
Robert Brown is a psychic investigator and medium to the stars who
shares his experiences with the spirit world and his belief system
concerning the afterlife which his spirit guide taught him.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446691283/neardeathexpe-20


*** Search for NDE books at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=
neardeathexpe-20&keyword=near%20death%20experience&mode=books


=================================================================
(8) WEB LINKS
=================================================================

Note: The website profile for this month is the IANDS website.
Don't let the humble look of this website fool you. It is filled with
valuable info on NDEs and related subjects.


*** International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS)
Visit the foremost NDE website for reliable information about NDEs,
along with excellent resources and support.
http://www.iands.org


*** The Lancet Study on Dutch cardiac patients
Read about and download info concerning the 2001 landmark
NDE study led by Dutch cardiologist Pim van Lommel, MD.
This study casts serious doubts on the leading "brain-only"
theories.
http://www.iands.org/dutch_study.html


*** IANDS site map
A single web page displays all the important links of the
IANDS website. Good for finding the page you want.
http://www.iands.org/toc.html


*** IANDS Revelation Registry
This page is a bulletin board where you can post your NDE
revelation and read others.
http://www.iands.org/revelations.html


*** IANDS Message Boards
A large number of bulletin boards are here on various topics
concerning NDEs.
http://www.iands.org/msgboards/messages/board-topics.html


*** Register your NDE with IANDS
Post your NDE account here in the IANDS archives. You can
remain anonymous if you wish. Researchers approved by IANDS
may review your NDE for research studies and other scientific
endeavors.
https://www.iands.org/archives.html


*** IANDS Bibliography on CD-ROM
If you want to research a topic related to NDEs, you can locate
every article on that topic ever published in the Journal for
Near-Death Studies on a CD provided by IANDS.
https://www.iands.org/bibcd.html


*** Search for all the NDE websites on the internet
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=near-death


*** If you know of any new NDE website or web article you would
like to see profiled, email me the address of the website at:
neardeathexperience@... Thank you!


=================================================================
(9) ODDS AND ENDS
=================================================================

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Visit the International Association for Near-Death Studies
website (IANDS) http://www.iands.org

That's it for now. Stay tuned for the next monthly issue!

=================================================================
Copyright (c) Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife
=================================================================
Peace and Light,

Kevin R. Williams
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife"
http://www.near-death.com
"Nothing Better Than Death"
http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=15695
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you
truly dance." - Kahlil Gibran