2006
Diego- "Threshold of Death"
10 06
Here is a near-death experience that comes from a man in Columbia, South America. His name is Diego. His description of what happened to him is a little different than North American cases, maybe his English not as you are used to, still, we need to consider all aspects of these episodes. And, we need to keep in mind that an experiencer in a country like the U.S. will differ somewhat in their interpretation and feelings about what happened to them than those in other countries. Diego is part of my original study of child experiencers of near-death states. I discuss his case in both "Children of the New Millennium" and "The New Children and Near-Death Experiences."
--Dr. P.M.H. Atwater
Guenter - "Themes of Good and Evil"
09 06
You will be surprised by this account from Guenter Wagner of Germany. His near-death experience when 11 years old is not at all like the reports of loving encounters with the Light that the public is used to hearing from both adult and child experiencers. But then, a lot of accounts deviate as his does from the so-called "classical model." He originally termed his episode an "out-of-body experience." Still, it has all the characteristics of near-death, as well as those more typical to youngsters, so for that reason I am publishing it herein the NDE Cases Section. Notice how themes of good and evil interweave the scenario,and,how he as a child is lectured and even taunted by a predominant"Voice" - to the extent of becoming as fearful and confused as elated. Information about future careers and achievements are common to childhood accounts, as well as stern or threatening messages given with great authority. I refer you to my book,CHILDREN OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM, which details how children's near-death experiences can differ from those of adults, and how suicidal tendencies and alcoholism can be a problem afterwards. This account is followed by some personal data from Guenter Wagner, and then a brief Question/Answer exchange. Although he remembers very little in the way of aftereffects, I suspect he was far more affected by this experience than he admits(children tend to ignore or compensate for"differences").
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Gudrun - "Come walk with me"
09 06
The near-death experience of Gudrun Parker is brief and lacking in detail about the aftereffects. I am publishing it in this section, however, because I think it's important. It is important because it shows how confusing and haunting near-death episodes can be and what real-life people, the same as you and me, can face in having one - especially an episode such as this with strong religious overtones.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Greg - "A Child's Near-Death Experience"
09 06
In the forefront of my consciousness has always been my earliest memory. I doubt most people think of their life in chronological order, but my earliest awareness was the equivalent of an intense wonderful, mystical, heavenly LSD trip, although LSD hadn't been discovered yet! It turned out not to have been caused by drugs, but something even more sinister. I had always assumed it was a vivid, intense childhood dream which for some odd reason just stuck with me throughout life. What confused me however, was the fact I remember little of my early childhood except the "dream." Decades later, as a grown man, I was given information and the circumstances behind it...
Dixie - "I Know That God Hears Me"
09 06
Many experiences people have, especially the young, are brief and involve darkness instead of light. Some are difficult to classify, and may be near-death-like experiences instead. Regardless of "labels," such brief episodes can be not only memorable but life changing. Dixie shares what happened to her when she was in her late teens.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Susan - "Can you stand the pain?"
09 06
Susan’s near-death experience, although briefly put, is typical of the phenomenon. How she describes what she went through and has been dealing with since is raw and truthful. The public forgets that episodes such as this come from accident scenes, serious illness, or some other form of trauma or violence. Near-death experiences are not always pleasant, but they can indeed lead to a broader and more positive life afterwards.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Ray - "Not a Fairy Story"
09 06
Near-death scenarios can differ greatly in imagery and feeling sense. They can also be very difficult to integrate. Here are the two near-death states experienced by Ray: one when he was only 10 years old, the second when 16. It is important that experiencers like Ray share their episode with others, and talk especially about what happened afterward. That way everyone can have a better idea of what actually goes in with individuals who have them and how they are changed. . . and challenged. The near-death phenomenon is not a fairy story. It is a real, physical event that happens to any one of any age, anywhere.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Raul - "Heaven and Hell"
09 06
Raul is from Puerto Rico and, although he has lived in the United States for awhile, the English language is still difficult for him. I have elected to carry his case "as is," without editing, so you can gain a sense of how someone from another country might struggle with word usage. You will also notice as you read Raul's case, that his Roman Catholic upbringing plays heavily into the imagery he experienced during his episode and in how he interpretswhat happened to him. That imagery was both positive/negative, heavenly/hellish, and includes a broad expanse of events and outcomes that had yet to happen, that indeed really did occur- and- as revealed to him. I thank Raul for having the courage to share his near-death experience, an experience that still puzzles and sometimes troubles him. In sharing, what ofttimes happens, is that we find meaning and peace and a great relief from the burden of secrecy.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Olan - "Bright and Beautiful"
09 06
When only 18 years old, Olan was involved in a terrible auto accident. He is now 49, and recounts for us here how that event changed him - not just what he went through physically - but the vision he had of Jesus. Actually, Olan had a near-death experience; but like many other experiencers he called his episode a "vision." This terminology is common. Who among us are educated enough to name things as science does? It is only after the passing of several months or years that experiencers change their initial term of "vision" into "experience," to denote a reality more intimate, more real, more vivid than life itself. Note that about twenty years after his initial transformation and the "calling" he received to become a minister, he walked away from his lifepath in search of a less constrained, broader, more inclusive way of living. This "second shift" corresponds exactly with Phase Four of the Four Phases of Integration, a chart you can find on this website, and spoken of at length in THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. Near-death experiences, no matter how wonderful, are not easy to integrate into one's daily life and require many years to understand and accept. Phase Four catches most experiencers by surprise - as it is not expected - and in actuality is much deeper and far more life-changing than the initial transformation the individual went through.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Michellanea - "Getting Back to the Other Side"
09 06
Child experiencers of near-death states do not respond to their experience in the same manner as do adults. Children compensate; they do not integrate. For that reason, it is not unusual for a child experiencer to take 20 to 30 years or more before they begin to ask questions about what happened to them and why they have always been a little "different" from their peers. Once they "connect the dots" and recognize how their experience really did have a tremendous affect on their lives and the choices they made, they begin to open up in healthy, new ways. In my research base of 277 child experiencers, 21% attempted suicide within about eight years to get back to The Other Side. None of those I had sessions with thought they were doing anything negative or hurtful by taking such action; they just wanted to return to the bright worlds - the place of their homey home. I discuss this conundrum at length in my book, CHILDREN OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM. Micellanea's case began with an attempted suicide and included many other attempts later on. What Micellanea went through and why should inspire all of us to get the word out, educate people, about the special needs of children. Whether their experience was fun or frightening, kids could use a little extra help processing what they went through.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Mellen-Thomas Benedict- "Through the Light"
09 06
Mellen-Thomas Benedict's case is part of my original near-death research; a brief version of it appears in my book, BEYOND THE LIGHT. I can attest that his case is genuine and his claims about the brain tumor and the conditions of his death are true. I have met his mother and step-father, been in his and their homes, and have followed his life since - his struggles and his accomplishments - as he sought to find a way to integrate his experience into his daily life while still honoring the mission he feltžguided to fulfill. What you are about to read has a hint of mystery to it, and this is the mystery: this version of his story (which reads like an article) is actually a transcription of a tape made of ažtalk hežgavežabout a decade ago. Whoever did the transcription then put the story on the Internet for free distribution. Five different people sent it to me, so I contactedžMellen-Thomas to discuss the situation. He and I both felt it was as if the Universe, his soul, God, was saying to him. . . "It's time now to open up and share your story. You have something to say that needs to be heard." Whoever put his material on the Internet did the man a favor, actually, did all of us a favor,žand not just because his is such an interesting case (it truly is) - but because ofžhow he has matured since and what he has learned.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Maire - "A Hellish Near-Death Experience"
09 06
The hellish near-death experience of Maire is very brief, but well worth considering. It helps us all to realize that not everything is angels and harp music when one dies, even for the religious. I wish Maire would have gone into more detail. Still, her willingness to take classes and integrate what happened to her in a healthy, positive manner shows that no matter what happens to us, we can learn from it - we can use it to make our lives better.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Denise - "Lessons from the Spirit"
09 06
The case of 10-year-old Denise and what she went through, the diabetes coma and then a stroke, seemed to have no other outcome but death. Yet she recovered, and quite miraculously. Her recovery centered around the near-death episode she experienced while at death's door and how that changed her - and her entire family. Denise is one of six children; her family a religious one. Relatives, friends, family members, church elders, Mom and Dad, were all challenged by the "new" Denise and her "new" otherworldly abilities. Her Dad, Doug Mendenhall, was inspired to write about their experience. The book is called "Possibilities. . . Lessons from the Spirit." Check out their website at http://www.publishinghope.com for more details about how to obtain the book.. --Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Dan – An End to Addiction
09 06
Experiencers of near-death states invariably are changed by what happened to them, some more than others. Dan's case, although briefly stated, is unusually powerful in the difference it made in his addiction to drugs - nullified the addiction completely. I have run across the same response repeatedly, and with other addictions as well. Near-death states can indeed be life changing. He wants to write a book about his experience but doesn't know how. Most do. It's not so much selling a lot of books and becoming famous that drives these people. Rather, it is the desire to reach out and help others. If writing a book and having it published does that, fine. If such a project never occurs, there is no disappointment as they are guided to find other ways to serve others and make a difference for the better in the world. --Thank you, PMH
Lyn - "All Pervading Intelligence"
09 06
The field of near-death studies encompasses far more than someone dying in surgery and later reviving or being resuscitated. What happened to Lyn would be termed a "Near-Death-Like Experience," for she was not that close to death, at least not technically (although that could be argued). The way she has chosen to describe what happened to her is most unique - and the fact that she encountered a black aliveness. Hers was indeed a transformation of consciousness that resulted in aftereffects typical to near-death episodes (even the way she languages her story is an example of the type of abstraction experiencers often exhibit). Her use of the phrase, "an all pervading intelligence" (rather than saying "God") is noteworthy. I am hopeful that cases like hers, where a dark or black light was involved, will become more numerous. We need to spend more time with these and do more research on them. That dark or black light is extremely important in how it affects people - for the better.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Adam - "Why wait till you die to be enlightened?"
09 06
Transformative experiences come in all shapes and sizes, hardly just through near-death episodes. This one is briefly described, and involves the practice of Zen meditation. I'd like you to know about it because it is a "black light" experience, rather than involving the bright or white light most people are familiar with. I have discovered during my many years of researching the near-death phenomenon, that black light experiences are important in the unique way of how they affect people. Adam was profoundly changed by one. Here is his story. --Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
Michael - "WE CREATE OUR OWN HELL"
06 06
It is difficult to determine in Michael's case how close he was to physical death. He certainly was in the throes of a drug overdose (or suffering from a bad batch of the chemical he took). His experience was hellishžand his aftereffects genuine. Whether his was a near-death or near-death-like episode, it is inspiring to see how he chose to deal with the many challenges he had to face afterwards. Far too many people grew up in a household like he did, confused about God, and ill-prepared for life. That he used the hell he went through as a "wake-up call" to make significant changes in his life - and very much for the better - is an inspiration to all of us, and proof that hellish or distressing episodes can and often do lead to positive change.
--Dr. P.M.H.Atwater
