Heaven
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
Hannah's Death Dream
02 07
Recently I was contacted by Kathy, who had just read my book "We Live Forever: The Real Truth About Death." She wanted to tell me about her 11-year-old daughter Hannah's death dream. The story she shared turned out to be a rich and wonderful slice of life, proof, at least to me, that the human family uplifts and endears its own. Too many of us live our lives as if half asleep to the treasures at our fingertips, the answers to our most perplexing questions so easily and simply given. The circumstances of Hannah's death dream focus on her deceased grandmother Mag. It's a fairly long story, but one that might address the puzzle of why some sterling members of society have unpleasant and terrifying near-death experiences, while those that seem like they should face some type of punishment for their misdeeds sometimes have the most enlightening episodes. Hannah, by the way, gave me permission to publish her dream, so did her Mom, and I can't help but believe that her grandmother Mag did, as well.
--Thank you, PMH
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
