NEWCHILDR.ENÿrTHE

AND

NEAR-DEATHEXPERIENCES

ifittMly m

P.M.H. ATWATER, LIED.FOREWORD BY

JOSEPH CHILTON PEARCE

It is with the deepest Jove and affection thatIdedicate thisback to Kenneth L. Johnston, my father, a man consideredby most who know him to be one of thefinestpolice officersever to have worn a badge.Igrew up immersed in policework thanks to him; the police station in Twin Falls, Idaho,was my second home. Life extremes were daily fare then,and my father’s insistence thatIlearn the techniques ofinvestigative fieldwork later evolved into the researchprotocolIcame to use in my explorations of the near-deathphenomenon.Icall myself the "gumshoe of near-death”because of this, andIamforever grateful to my fatherfor histeachings and his love.

Acknowledgments

MY SINCEREST GRATITUDE goes to the 277 people who participated inthis study of child experiences of near-death states.Although many were

youngsters whenIinterviewedthem,the resthad reached their teen years

or were in varying stages of adulthood. All of them bared their souls andshared their secrets about what it is really liketo experiencethenear-deathphenomenon as a child.Iam awestruck by their courageinbeing so open,

andhumbledat their willingness totrustme with their joy andtheir pain.

Those who provided extra support are listed below. As is true of anyendeavor of this magnitude, it is impossible to name everyone. So, to eachandall,Igivemy deepest thanks!

Terry YoungAtwater

Stephany Evans

William G. Reimer

Melvin Morse

DianeK, Corcoran

Theresa A, Csanady

ToddMurphy

LeslieDixon

Joseph Benedict Geraci

Pat Kennedy

Donald Riggs

Andrew Swyschuk

L. SuzanneGordon

ALejandra Warden

Sarah Hinze

Mellen-Thomas Benedict

Kelly JohnHuffman

NatalieDeGennaro

PaulieLitke

Dennis Swartz

Contents

<§>

:lePage

cation

knowledgments

ateful Acknowledgment is MadetotheFollowing,,.

rewordbv Joseph Chilton Pearce

?face

IAPTER ONE:Evolution’s Nod

IAPTER TWO:Brain Shift/Spirit Shift

BRAIN SHIFT

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM AND EMOTIONS

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM AMD CHANGES INTHE BRAIN

THE TEMPORAL LOBES AMD THINGS "FUTURE"

THE TEMPORAL LOBES AND IMAGERY

IAPTER THREE: A New View ofNear-Death States

INITIAL EXPERIENCE

UNPLEASANT ORHELL-LIKE EXPERIENCE

PLEASANT QR HEAVENLIKE EXPERIENCE

TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE

ELEMENTS OF A SECOND BIRTH

IAPTER FOUR: Tumbles of Good andEvil

IAPTER FIVE: TheImpact of Aftereffects

COMPARISON WITH ADULT EXPERIENCERS

CHARACTERISTICS TO BE ALERT FOR INCHILDREN

HEALTH

SPECIAL HEALTH PRECAUTIONS FOR CHILDEXPERIENCERS

PHASES OF INTEGRATING THE AFTEREFFECTS

OURTINIEST EXPERIENCERS

SOME ADVICE FOR PARENTS

IAPTER SIX:Many Types, OnePattern

WHENNOTHING THREATENS

TUCKING IT AWAY

IAPTER SEVEN: Cases fromHistory

IAPTER EIGHT:Evidence for a LifeContinuum

CHOOSING

EMBRACING A BIRTH AFFLICTION

LETTING THE MOTHER KNOW

REACTING TO A CHANGE OF FLANS

REMEMBERING PAST LIVES

ENCOUNTERING THE UNBORN

SEARCHING FOR THE "MISSING" TWIN

EXPRESSING “SELF" INMULTIPLES

TAKING A SECOND LOOK

IAFTER NINE:AlienExistences

ORIENTATION TO THE LIFE CONTINUUM

IAPTER TEN: A New Race Aborning

IAFTER ELEVEN: ThePromise

THE BIG PICTURE

TENDIX ONE: Tips fortheChild in All ofUs

A MOTHER'S PUZZLE

TIPS ONINTEGRATION AND COUNSELING

TYPES OF THERAPIES FOR CHILDREN

TIPS ONEDUCATION. MUSIC. ANDTHE ARTS

LIFESTYLE ISSUES

THE HEALING EFFECTS OF MUSIC

TIPS ONBEING INSPIRIT

TIPS ONCOPING WITH SPIRIT

RITUALS ANDROLE PLAYING

TIPS ONSOULMAKING

'PENDIX TWO:Research Methodology

THE QUESTIONNAIREIUSED FOR CHILDEXPERIENCERS fWHEN OLDEST

CHILDREN'S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES QUESTIONNAIRE

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT RESEARCH

fPENDIX THREE: Web Site of P. M.H. Atwater.L.H.P

TENDIX FOUR: Web Site of International Association for Near-DeathStudies (IANPS)

otnotes

,dnotes

dex

her Booksbv P, M. H_ Atwater

LOJULt_th_e_A.uth.Qr

tout Inner Traditions Bear £ Company

oks ofRelatedInterest

p_yright_&_Permis_slojtis_

FLY

To think thaticouldFLY, likeyou,

above thiscomplicatedplacetoknow thatitis

i, untrue,

issomethingican‘tseem tofaceatall Tofeelthat

sun, likeyou,uponmycottoncandyback,..

aware thatiam

one whoflewsolongago,icryandrack

mybrainforonefaintmemory

offreedomhighabove theearth,

ofFLYING, , .buticannotsee.

Twas waybeforemysecondbirth.

—JANET BLESSING, PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS,

HER NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE OCCURRED AT NINE

MONTHS OF AGE DURING A BOUT OF PNEUMONIA,

SHE WROTE THIS POEM WHEN SHE WAS NINETEEN,

Foreword

IT MAY BE that the greatest value of a book is its ability to disturb, unlessone wants only to be entertained. In either case, The New Children andNear-DeathExperiencesis quite a cup of tea. This heady adventureinto theinner world just may be P.M.H. Atwater’s magnum opus, though it can

become threatening and disturbing to our commonly held assumptions.(At least it was tomine.)

Read with an unprejudicedeye, or mind(which, again, was not easy forme), it surely should rank with William James’s classic The Varieties ofReligious Experience; if nothing else. Like James's work, it raises a richsubstrate of unanswered questions concerning the nature of the humanmind and its incomparable, awesome creativity, Thus this is a seminalwork, demanding further and deep philosophical inquiry and objectivepursuit, while at the same time a work of astonishing thoroughness,brilliance, insight, andprodigious admirable research.

Atwater has simply covered her subject with impeccablethoroughness, even as her rigorously disciplined approach opens hersubject to a wider question that might be beyond the scope of any singlebook. And she wisely knows when to leave a question hanging (always

risky academically), rather than trying to make the definitive statement

about everything, as some of us are wont to do. Every timeIthink she hasboxed herself into an untenable position, she offers counterexperiencesthat provetobe outside that box and that show her objectivity toward anypart of the remarkably rich material she has gathered. And much of thismaterial is academically suspect—politically incorrect, so to speak—even

as it is undeniably a rich segment of actual human experience, material

that resonates with my own history as it will with that of many readers(whereas the academically/politically correct tends to leave me as a livedexperience rather out of thepicture).

Surely there are unresolved issues in this book, as there wouldhave to

be in a work of this scope. Time and againIwanted to stop and insist on

battling out some issue, though it might take years. Memory itself is a

gapingblack hole ofmystery, in spite of allthe research intothis area.Falsememory has been the subject of much study. Shared, archetypal memoryis almost surely a real phenomenon. Nobelist GeraldEdelman claims thatmemory is quite organic, shifting, growing, changing, the brain-mindcontinually updating and reshuffling its memory. Contrary to current

academic opinion, David Chamberlain denies that memory is "in thebrain" at all, and gives serious evidence toback his point.Ijust received a

disturbing paper concerning our “biomythologicalmemory" that remakesitself continually on behalf of rationalization, self-aggrandizement,

apology, and what Caroline Myss calls "woundology." Atwater's

contribution to this perplexing and open-ended issue should prove richand ongoing. I trust this book will be read and accepted by a widepopulation,

—JOSEPH CHILTON PEARCE,AUTHOR OF THEBIOLOGYOP TRANSCENDENCE:

A BLUEPRINTOP THEHUMANSPIRIT

Preface

Only those whohavedaredtoletgocandare toreenter

—MEISTER ECKHART

TWENTY SOME YEARS AGOIDIED,not oncebut threetimes within a span

of three months. The year was 1977. A miscarriage and extreme

hemorrhaging started it all, followedby a major thrombosis in the right-thigh vein that dislodged andthe worst case of phlebitis the specialist hadever heard of, let alone seen. These events happened on January 2 andJanuary 4, respectively. Three months laterI suffered a physical, mental,and emotional collapse. Doctors were seen after the fact, so no one was inactual attendance whenIdied, yet it is the opinion of a gynecologist thatIdidindeed die, and that is my opinion also.

Regaining full use ofmy body andmy faculties provedtobe a dauntingtask, made more difficultby three relapses in September and October, one

of which was adrenal failure. My blood pressure reading at that time was

sixty over sixty.For me, comingback from death meant relearning how to

crawl, stand, walk, run, climb stairs, tell the difference between left andright, and see and hear properly, It also meant redefining and rebuildingmybelief systems.

The specter of insanity became the greater challenge, though, as

dealing with three different near-death episodes demanded more from me

than dyingever had,Iwas absolutely overwhelmedby theexperience and

its aftereffects. My previous background in the paranormal and alteredstates of consciousness was of little help. Dreams and visions offered no

solace.For a while,Iwas lostbetween worlds,belongingtonone of them.

WhatIdealt with in reidentifying myself andmy place in the humanfamily is described in chapter 2 of my first book, ComingBack toLife: The

Aftereffects of theNear-DeathExperienceÿ and chapters 11, 13, and 15 inFuture Memory:How Those Who "See the Future" ShedNew Light on the

Workings of the HumanMindf Although bits and pieces of my personal

story have been inserted into every bookIhave ever written, my primarywork, first and foremost, is research, Why? Becauseit's my job.

Let meexplain.

During my third near-death experience,Ireached whatIbelieve to bethe centerpoint of existence. Many revelations about creation andconsciousness and the journey of the soul were given to me while there.Afterward, a voice spoke.Icame to regard it as the Voice Like None Other,

for it was all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent, and of God. The Voicesaid: "Test revelation. Youare to do theresearch. Onebook for each death.”Books two andthree werenamed,but notbook one.Iwas shown what eachbook was to contain,but not how to proceed or what such a project mightentail,Iacceptedtheassignment

My research of the near-death phenomenon began in earnest onceI

was back in my body and had sufficiently recovered from the trauma ofmy deaths, and had left my home state of Idaho and zigzagged across thecontinent to the Old Dominion of Virginia, It was mid-November 1978,

andIhad work to do.Immediately,Iset about doingit,

For a quarter of a century, with only what monies I could scrapetogether,Ihave quietly moved among a special populace, those who had,like me, survived their deaths—asking questions and observing ever so

intently the behavior of those who answered, as well as that of theirfamilies, friends, and caregivers,Ilearned through hard experience howtospeak in "sound bites” once the media discovered I existed, but,

fortunately, any fameItasted was fleeting enough to allow me the timeIneeded to investigate the field of near-death states and consciousnesstransformations from 360 degrees . . . what was really there, whether or

not it was whatIwanted or expected to see.Iwas able to look through theeyes of over three thousandnear-death survivors—a figurethat doubles innumber if youcount the peopleIworked with and interviewedback in thesixties and early seventies when I was actively involved in exploring"otherworld journeys." (My work in the sixties led me to initiate Idaho'sfirst nonprofit metaphysical corporation dedicated to an objectiveexamination of mysticism and spiritual awakenings. Headquartered inBoise, Inner Forum existed for six years under my tutelage and one year

under the direction of a board of directors, before it was replacedby theCreativeLivingInstitute.)

Like other experiencers in the annals of near-death studies, I was

shown my mission. Researching thenear-death phenomenon andwhat itimplies is whyIreturned from death. In my books,Ipass along to othersclear and tested material that provides a context for further inquiry andlends perspectiveto intriguingbut elusivemysteries—about themind, andabout life anddeath.

I also do what I do because it's my passion, because, as the great

paleontologist and Jesuit scholar Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said,"Research is thehighest form of adoration."

Icametoknow Godin death... andIhaven't stoppedcelebrating since.

The book you are now reading is actually a rewrite of Children of theNew Millennium. Yet it is no ordinary rewrite. Thanks to theencouragement of Jon Graham at Inner Traditions,I was able to restore

much of thematerial removedby the previous publisher, including two ofthe Appendices.Iwas toldat the timethat the deletions were forbudgetaryreasons. This book, therefore, is a bigger, more dynamic version than theoriginal.It includes new research andnew case studies spread throughout,as wellas corrections andchanges tothe originaltext,

Childexperiences ofnear-death states havearealvoicein this edition ...much tothebenefit of us all.

My wholelifeisanaftereffect.

—JOHN RAYMOND LIONA,BROOKLYN,NEW YORK.

HIS NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE OCCURRED DURINGUIRTH TRAUMA.

ONE

<§>

Evolution'sNod

The test of afirst-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two

opposedideasin themindat thesame time, andstillretain theability tofunction,

—F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

TODAY'S CHILDREN really are different from those of previousgenerations. They are unusually smart, even gifted; identify with “alien"existences whether past-life oriented, extraterrestrial, or

multidimensional; andthey arenaturalcreativeintuitives,

William Strauss andNeil Howe, authors of Generations: TheHistory ofAmerica's Future, 1584 to 2069,1label the children born between 1982and about 2003 as our nation’s fourteenth, or "millennial," generation,These youngsters are arriving at a time in our history when countlessmeasures for theprotection of the youngarebeingswept into law. They are

turning out tobe the most wanted, the most nurtured, the most educated,themost dedicated topublic service, ever.

Andthis is true globally.

Millennial children are not confined to the boundaries of any one

country, as this observation from Ibarra Chavez, a Mexican pediatrician,proves: "Thenew crop of infants are cominginmore aware. . . eyes focusedand alert, necks strong, lying in bassinets no bigger than chickens, andwith a knowingnessl cannot describe [in Spanish or in Englishl. They are

very specialbabies,this new crop.”

Sharon Begley, author of the Newsweek magazine article entitled “The

IQ Puzzle, describes the situation this way: “IQ scores throughout thedeveloped worldhave soared dramatically since the tests were introducedin the early years of this [twentiethl century

____The rise is so sharp that it

implies that the average school child today is as bright as the near¬

geniuses of yesteryear."

The gene poolcannot change fast enough toaccount for this jump. So ithas been supposed thatbetter nutrition andmore efficient schools are thecause. Yet neither factor explains the fascinating incongruity thatappeared in IQ test scores: acquired intelligence, which comes from rote

schooling, improved only slightly, while nonverbal intelligence, which isbased on creativeproblem solving, soared!

Tryingto make sense of this, experts have surmisedthat either kids are

gettingbetter at taking tests, or something in their environment accounts

for this astonishing difference. Some top educators feel that the spread ofimage-intense technologies, like video games, for example, are probably at

least partially responsible since they train a child to concentrate andrespond—major components to learning (unlike regular television, whichdemands nothing of viewers). Other professionals suggest that it may bepermissive or relaxed parenting, which results in the child leading theparent, that can promote thecriticalskillof vocabularybuilding,

Whatever the cause, the global jump in youngsters’ intelligenceamounts to about a 24- to 26-point rise over the IQ score used during thefirst half of the twentieth century as a marker for genius, at around 134.

This directly challenges the entire academic understanding of whatconstitutes genius andhowit is measured.

Surprisingly, the research of near-death statesIbegan in 197S showsthat roughly half of those children who have experienced the near-deathphenomenon fall within this same score range, upward to 150, 160, andeven higher.But their jump in intelligence was sudden andcouldbetracedto that moment when death seemed their only option—not playing withvideo games or tryingtooutwit parents. They werenotborn that way. Andfew of those I interviewed ever used image-intense technologies; themajority describedparentalbondingas "strained." Although the endresultof their experience matches the changes currently being observed withmillennialkids,how they got that way differs radically,

Theincongruity in test scores, though, concerns nonverbal intelligenceor creative problem solving. Nearly all of the child experiencers in mytwenty-six-plus years of researchingnear-death states came to exhibit thistrait (genius or not), followedby a noticeable decrease for most of them intheability to express themselves andsocialize,

Commonalities between the millennial generation and childexperiencers of near-death episodes are so numerous (nonverbal

intelligence being just one) that to understand what might be happeningwith the new crop of young people worldwide, we would be wise to take acloser look at the near-death experience and its aftereffects—at howchildren are really affectedby the phenomenon of experiencing life afterdeath.

Near-death studies in the past have focused on adults, The classicalmodel that emerged was an adult model—of adults, for adults. What islacking has been an in-depth study of near-death states as seen throughthe eyes of the child experiencer, beyond the initial work done by MelvinMorse, M,D,, and chronicled in his book Closer to theLight:LearningfromtheNear-DeathExperiencesofChildrenA Because of this, the fuller story ofwhat happens to kids has been bypassed. In seeking to remedy the

situation,Imade a most amazing discovery: child experiences of near¬

death states have all the markers to indicate that they are the precursors,

theadvance wave, who not only set the stage for the millennialgenerationbut also offer persuasive evidence to indicate that a new race is aborning—evolution in our lifetime.

A poll takenby US. News &. WorldReportin early 1997 estimates that

there are15 millionnear-death experiencers intheUnitedStates, or aboutone-third of those who "died" but later revived. That already high figure

does not take into account child experiencers. The best estimate we havefor kids comes from the work ofMorse. He reported the occurrence rate foryoungsters at around 70 percent, more than double that of adults in thesame situation: brushing death, nearly dying, or being resuscitated or

reviving from clinicaldeath.

In other words, the vastmajority ofchildren whoface death experience a

near-death scenario. Andthese children contend with the same aftereffects,both psychological andphysiological as do adults . . . but in a differentmanner. Goodandeviljumble togetherfor them, andthelineseparatingone

realityfromanotherdisappears.

Modern technology and ever-improving resuscitation techniques are

returning more people from the brink of death, especially children, thaneven ten years ago. We've already explored adult versions of encounteringthe Other Side; now it's time to focus on kids. Except that, when we talkabout little ones, we must also address evolutionary factors. Actually, anyreference to near-death states, whether concerning adults or kids, can no

longer be limited to an analysis of "the experience" as a single, anomalousevent—becauseit isn’t

Near-death states comprise a complex and many-facetedphenomenonthat is part of a much larger genre, transformations ofconsciousness. As

such, they modelbroader issues that impinge uponthe human family as a

whole. Label them evolution's nod, God's will, or the adaptation of thespecies; whatever they're called, the experience and its aftereffects are

reflective of a powerful force for changethat isundeniablein its impact.

Recent attacks on Charles Darwin's theory of evolutionput whatIhavejust saidintoperspective. Bear withme asIshow you why.

Darwin based his theory on the doctrine of uniformitarianism, whichstates that all geological phenomena may be explained as the result ofexisting forces operating uniformly from the origin of life on earth to thepresent andthat biologicaladvancement from species to species is equallygradualandcausedby similar forces.

How then, ask Michael Cremo and Richard Thompson, authors of

Forbidden Archaeology: The Hidden History of the Human Race2* do you

explain theexistence of an ornate vase inlaidwith silver embedded in rockover 500 million years old? And how, asks Richard Milton, author of

Shattering the Myths of Darwinism,£ can you account for the manyexamples of rapidly forming fossils (e.g., that of a fish formed as it wasswallowedby another fish, or of an ancient amphibian in the process ofgivingbirth), and rocks off Britain's coast that took shape in a matter ofhours rather thanmillions of years?

Thanks to computer modeling, satellite photography, and a new breedof scientist willing to ask the unthinkable, a new theory of evolution isdeveloping—onebased on evidence from the fossil record in rock strata—

that posits that the Earth has suffered severe convulsions, volcanicupheavals, and worldwide flooding at various stages in its prehistory,These catastrophes, and the sudden changes that resulted, are proving to

have been a greater influence on the path evolution took than graduatedpressure over time.

Thebrilliant paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould applied the catastrophetheory to species adaptationby detailinghow a species can go for millionsof years without change andthen, within a brief span,perhaps a hundredyears or much less, make a quantumleapin evolution and accomplish theimpossible,

Sudden changes. Quantum leaps. Evolution can alter its direction in a

heartbeat—transforming geological formations, continents, plants,animals, human beings, even us moderns—irrespective of the naturalorder.

None of the present theories on evolution addresses biochemicalmolecules. Found at the core of the tiniest life-forms, biochemicalmolecules, the “living machinery of consciousness," know and are

uniquely sensitive to light. According to Michael J. Behe, associateprofessor of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and

author of Darwin 'J Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution?ÿ"Light sensitivity couldnot have evolved,but must havebeen designedbysome form of prior intelligence."

Intelligent design, responsible for the encoding of light sensitivity anda knowingness of light in all life-forms, accommodates evolution's nod as

if responding to a greater plan, one that is replete with growth

contingencies,

Take entropy, for instance. Contrary to its definition as the law ofdiminishingorder andthe decreased availability of energy, entropy alwaysleads to new forms and a higher order—as illustrated by chaosmathematics. This theory tells us that in any system whereunpredictability suddenly increases to the point that order disintegratesinto chaos, that very chaos gives birth to new order. Life utilizes randomunpredictability to guarantee continuous changeandadvancement,

Evolution operates the same way in thehuman family,

Always, sudden changes, quantum leaps in physiology andconsciousness, have catapulted the growth and development ofhumankindbeyond that which can be explained. As “missing links" arestill standard fare in trying to understand the evolution of our bodies, so,

too, are there missing connectors in any attempt to rationalize theevolution of consciousness.

Untilnow.

My work in the sixties and early seventies researching altered andtransformed states of consciousness, and since 197S studying near-deathstates, has enabled me to recognize that these experiences have less to dowith anything paranormal, religious, mystical, or offering proof of an

afterlife, than they do withhow evolutionmight really work.

I have come to realize that what is involved in a transformation ofconsciousness, whether precipitated by the cataclysm of a near-deathexperience or a shamanic vision quest or a kundalini breakthrough or a

baptism of the Holy Spirit, has all the markings of a structural, chemical,and functional change in the brain. This sudden change, sometimes akinto a quantum leap, flings the experiencer from one mode of existence to

another—as if on cue. Social justice andmoralintegrity take on the vigor of"new light" when this occurs.

I call the phenomenon a brain shift/spirit shift, andI suspect that,because of the gravity of its aftereffects, such a shift is the engine thatdrives evolution—that which transforms, transmutes, and advances our

species while triggering the development of the higher brain. Thissuspicion of mine is based on the interviews and observations I haveconducted since 1978 with over 3,000 adult near-death experiencers (not

counting the significant othersIalso spoke with), as well as research withnearly the same number of people during the middle sixties to the middleseventies who had undergone transformations of consciousness throughother means. This research base was expanded by work with 277 childexperiencers (about half still youngsters when we met, the rest havingreached their teen or adult years).

Since near-death states model consciousness transformations in a

neutral fashion, as they happen to anyone, at any age, under anycondition, anywhere,I will use my research in this field to explore thebroader subject ofbrain shift/spirit shift andwhat that implies,

BeforeI do, it would be helpful ifIcommented on why and howIdo

research.Iwas "told" duringmy thirdnear-death experiencethat it wouldbemy job( whenIreturned to Life, tobringclarity and perspectiveto whatIhad just survived while testing the validity of its revelation. Thus, it hasnever been my intent or interest to verify or challenge anyone else’sfindings.As fate wouldhaveit,however,my research has indeedbecome a

challengetothegenerally acceptedclassicalmodel.

The protocolIuse is that of a police investigator, a skillI learned frommy police-officer father (that's why some people call me the gumshoe ofnear-death). I specialize in interviews and observations, cross-checkingeverything I notice a minimum of five times with different people indifferent sections of the country, as a way to ensure that any biasImay

have as a near-death experiencer willnot cloudmy perception andthatmywork is not completely dependent on anecdote. Questionnaires for me are

auxiliary, used only to further examine certain aspects of near-deathstates. All of my work is original, and most of it has sincebeen verifiedbyother researchers. Near-death studies has been a full-time profession forme since1973, in addition toemployment thatpays for the groceries.

My interview style is straightforward.Iask open-endedquestions, suchas "What happened to you?" IfIwant to know more,Isignal that intentwith forwardbody movement, a tilt of my head, a smile, andtheincrediblymagical word"and. , Languageused is determinedby the experiencer as

he or she responds to questions. To obtain a greater depth of material, Ilearned early on to avoid telling anyoneI was a researcher, and to relymore on facial expressions andbody posturing than on words.Iwatch as

well as listen, ever mindful of feelings and sensations, for the dance we

humans engagein as werelateto one another is quiterevealing,

Ialteredmy style somewhat with children, in this manner: no parents

were allowed when I was with them; the same eye-level contact wasmaintained throughout the interviews; I replaced note-taking withgentleness;Iencouraged them to share feelings as well as memories; andIopened myself to sense the wave of consciousness they rode,

Parents were interviewedtoo, asI wanted to know their point of viewand whether they might have applied any pressure on their child bymaking a big deal out of it. This is important, as children are capable ofslanting their stories to fit the emotional expectations of their parents

and/or teachers. IfIsuspected such a compromisehadbeen made,Iwouldretire the account to the dustbin. I rejected about 15 percent of theinterview opportunities Ihad with children for this reason. Fascinationwith "out of the mouths of babes" reports can misleadmore readily thanenlighten.

These claims, though, are most often right on target, as a report fromRichmond, Virginia, demonstrates. In February 1996, a mother with two

small daughters aboard lost control of her car and flipped it over into a

ditch. The oldest nearly lost a leg, and three-year-old Victoria died.Refusing the grim verdict, a police officer began CPR (cardiopulmonaryresuscitation) on the lifeless body. Five minutes later the little girlbreathed. Her first words were: “I saw Jesus. But he told me it wasn't my

time andIneed to goback andbe withmy daddy." The child's grandfather,

a man who drank heavily and “messed around," was so overcome byVictoria’s message that hequit drinkingandstarted toreadthe Bible, (This

report is from Pat Kennedy, a friend of Victoria’s family.)

Why are we so awestruck with what children have to say? Because

we've forgotten what it is like tobe one,

In 1994,Idevised a lengthy questionnaire to probe the memories ofthose whohad had a near-death episode as a child.My goal was not only to

test recall,but totrack theaftereffects throughout various life stages. Of thefifty-two people who participated, forty-four had experienced the near¬

death phenomenonby their fifteenthbirthday. The youngest to fill out thequestionnaire was twelve, the oldest a seventy-two-year-old whohadbeenpronounced clinically dead at four and a half, (The other eight hadsignificant experiences that were near-death-like, and were helpful incross-comparisons,)

Because questionnaire findings so closely mirror whatIhave observedthroughout the bulk of my work,Iwill reference them often and providedirect quotes. Each time a quote appears, the experienced name (a fewrequestedanonymity), location, age of occurrence, and cause willbenoted.For starters:

FrancisPiekarski, NewMartinsville, West Virginia. NDEat agefivefromdrowningy at twelvefrom high fever andbone infection. “I got a boneinfection andmy temperature shot up to 105 degrees.Iwas very sick andmy body began to shake. My mother was scared. So as not to scare hermore,Istiffened up my muscles to stop the shaking. All of a sudden my

body shook violently. My mother ran from the room yelling, 'He's dying.’At that moment,Iwas out of my body and looking up from the foot of mybed.Isaw two men in their mid-twenties. One was looking to the left andthe other to the right. They were about ten feet tall. It made me feelbetterthat they werethere.Ifelt they were angels and were guardingme."

CarlAllenPierson,Hinton, West Virginia. NDEat age eight or nine,kitbylightning. “During a thunderstorm, with a metal washtub over my head,Iwent to untie a cow from the tree for my uncle. WhenIgot approximatelyfifteen feet from the tree, lightning hit it and bounced to the tub.I was

barefoot, standing on wet grass. Lightning took all the galvanizing off thetub, and knocked me and the tub away from the tree. The tub traveledabout 250 feet andit knocked me 25 feet away.Burned meeverywhere thatIhad contact with the tub, Turned the tub black,Iwas hovering above as

my family encircled my body, which was lying on the grass. It wascommunicatedthatIwas dead.Iwas tryingtotellthemIwas not dead,butI made no sounds. Soft light, Warm, glowing feeling, Something orsomeone toldme that everythingwouldbe okay, then there was blackness.NextIwas lyingin a dark house on a couch but couldnot hear or see, yetI

was aware of what was goingon,Icouldnot move anything, likemy bodymuscles were lockedup. Great pain. Blackness, ThenIwas in a hospital or

doctor’s office on a gurney.Ihad a vision and saw myself hovering over

my body again, but this time no one was present. My body was larger(adult size).Iremember hearing the news on the radio, something about a

boy who hadbeen killedby lightning. There was mention of it in the localpaper, too.Both turnedout tobe falsereports, as youcan readily see."

Barbara True Bradley, Des Moines, Iowa. NDE at agefour and a half,pneumonia, complicationsfromsurgery. “I was in the hospital with lobarpneumonia and a pus pocket in the lung, along with an extremely highfever. In1926 there was no sulfa or penicillin. The doctors toldmy motherI was critically illIhad two operations. Two of my ribs were removed inorder to open my lung and keep it open for the pus to be siphoned out

severaltimes a day.It was painful and frightening for a littlekid! Sometimeduringthis illness,my mother was toldthat that particular night wouldbethe turningpoint. She and the Episcopal pastor prayed over me allnight.Iwasbetter thenext day.My ‘dream’ happenedthat night, although I'mnot

sure. This ‘dream’ was inblack and white frames except one picture of meall dressed up in skirt, sweater, hose, and heels, and wearing a yellowcarnation, going to a football game. (At the time, my family lived inNebraska—Big Red Country. Later, when I married, my husband and Imoved to Iowa—Yellow and Black Country,) In other scenesIsaw myselfwalking toward the rear of an airplane that had two seats on each side ofone aisle,Irode on a train that had a glass-domed top with pine andbirchtrees flashing by outside. (According to my encyclopedia, the first glass-domedtrain ran in 1945.)Iwatchedmyselfbeingmarriedto a dark-hairedman in front of an altar that had a cross in the back.Ihad long, dark hairand wore a white dress with a white veil and a long train. Everythingsubsequently happened as shown tome,"

JohnRaymondLiona, Brooklyn, New York. Complications atbirth. “I was

strangled by my umbilical cord during birth. Once born, I was given a

tracheostomy to get me breathing—black eyes, swollen face, cuts from

forceps. My mother didn’t see meuntil the third day.Irelive the event inmy dreams from time to time, vividly. I remember being bent over or

kneeling down, fighting with theseknots.Iwas very upset andangry. JustwhenIwas thinkingIwas gettingin controlof these things,Igothit intheface (the doc with the forceps). I started struggling even more. All of a

suddenIbecame very peaceful. EverythingIwas feelingbefore just pouredout of me andI was so calm.I remember looking at my hands, but thedetails are not clear.IthinkI was floating, becauseI was trying to moveforwardbut could not.I was trying to reach this woman in the distance.Thematerialofher gown was glowing with little specks of light trailingoff.There was a bussing or humming sound. She floated away towardthe left.Iwas calling to her, yelling, but the light, it was all around. It was comingfrom theright, and was sobright. She couldnot hear me,Iwas so upset, asIwantedto go withher."

—

V//f/Jfy44JohnRaymondLionet, complicationsatbirth.

Tonccia Maxine McMillan,. Oxon HiUf Maryland NDE at age eleven,drowning “Iwas on an inner tube in the water off a beach in Delaware.Ihad venturedout too far. My grandmother (whoraised me, asInever livedwith my siblings) motioned for me to comeback to shore,Imisjudgedthe

depth.Istepped out of the inner tube andbegan to drown.Ileft my body.Icould see myself in the water.Isaw my grandmother trying to come andget me, and I saw my brother cut his left foot. Then I was in a verybeautiful, peaceful, picturesque place like a meadow.Ifelt very loved. Thecolors werebrilliant; they were nothing likeIhave ever seen before. Thereis simply no comparison—the yellows, greens—so very beautiful, sopeaceful. At the time of my drowning,Iwas on a ‘black beach,' so to speak.Delaware still was practicing segregation.I was told that two white menwere on thebeach at the time. These two men saved my lifeby pulling me

to shore, then they simply disappeared On the way to the hospital, whenIaskedmy brother how his cut foot was doing,Iwas met with stony silence.He couldn't deal with the fact thatIsaw his accident whileIwas out of mybody."

AnellQ, Tubbs,Boise;Idaho.HIDEatagesevenor eight,blowtohead. "I was

playing on a hassock in the living room. It rolled andI fell off backward,striking thebase of my head on the sharp corner of the coffee table—rightin the little area where the neck and skull attach. Everything went blackand there was this whoosh., andIfelt likeIwas traveling at an extremelyhigh rate of speed through theblackness. Then, in a split second,Irelivedmy entire life, every bit of it, andit was in color just like it was happeningall over again—emotions and all—but it only took a split second. The next

thingIremember is sittingup andthinking, 'Sothat is what it is liketo die,’

Idon't remember tellinganyone. But it has always been fresh andright inthe front ofmy mind,"

/!,

II :

xfMULihoeih t+hr*w-f|Sbi0LfcKn**3 °

AnellQ. Tubbs,NDEatagesevenoreight

Lauraf SanFrancisco, California.NDEatage threeandahalf childabuse,surgery. "My father, in a blind drunken rage, raped and sodomized andbeat meto death in the middleof thenight. At themost extreme outpost ofpain,Icried out to God and in that momentIwas torn from life. AsIdiedIfelt myself raised up by angels in robes of many colors. I did not knowwhere they weretaking me as they flew, carryingme up higher andhigher

in the sky. Finally, we reached a place where emptiness gave way to form,and form took the shape of huge cloudlike masses on which other angelsseemed tobe walking,although they too floated through the air. The angels

carrying me lay me at the feet of a beautiful female angel whose radiatinglove was more powerful than any of those around her. She said to me in a

voice whose sweetness and tone areunknown here on earth, 'Tellme yourstory.'Isaid to her, not in spoken words but in thoughts, ‘I will, but nowIneed torest/ My spirit hadno energy, even to answer this lovinglady. Godin the manifestation of infinite light appeared off to my left, andI wasengulfed in a form of all-powerful, all-nourishing love. That divine beingappeared as a massive column of golden light, with the suggestion of a

human shape inside.Iboth saw and felt his light, feeling as ifIwere in a

warm bath that completely healed and protected me.Inever wanted to

leave. Noconversation passed between us,but in those infinitemomentsIacquiredtheknowledge that allowedmeto goback to earth tocompletemylife, After this infinite moment had passed, therebegan a battle for my life

between the angels in heaven and the doctors on earth. Every time thedoctors pounded on my chest, my spirit was sucked into my body for a

split second, only tobe pulledback again by the angels. They heldme bymy feet, struggling to keep me from coming back. Finally, the doctorspoundedonelast time.Iheardan angel say, ‘They're stronger than we are,’andIwas suckedback into my body, sat up, screamed, and passed out. To

this day,I always have the feeling that Ineed to go back, that there was

something moreI was meant to do therebefore returning. That feeling ofincompleteness keeps mehalf intheother worlda11the time."

ReginaPatrick, Toledo, Ohio.NDEat agefour,pneumonia. "From infancyuntilIwas ten years old,Iwas chronically in andout of the hospital.At agefour, it was because of pneumonia. It was night andIlay on my stomach,having just awakened from whatItook for a dream. A group of five to ten

ethereal people had just given me a lot of instructions. The instructionswere important andIneeded to remember them.I was trying, but therewere so many thatIcouldn't.I even tried repeating them to myself againand again, but to no avail. I was getting them jumbled and confused. Isensedthat these instructions wouldbe important tome someday, evenifIdidn’t understand them. I was starting to get frustrated. Just at thatmoment, we separated. Because there was no sense of movement,I can’t

say whetherImoved away from them or they from me, or if we separatedfrom each other simultaneously.Iawoke with a strangething, somethingIhad never had before, a great sense of peace, which confused me. Whatwas thepurpose of this peace? Normally, whenIawokein thehospital likethis,Iworried about my family back home: What were they doing? Werethey worriedabout me? Were they okay? The peace obliteratedmy worry,I

tried again to remember what they had told me but found I couldremember even less now thatIwas awake.Iwas concerned that 'they' (the

etherealpeople) wouldbemadat me for forgettingtheir message,”

TWO

<§>

BrainShift/Spirit Shift

Thereisa soulforcein the universe, whichif wepermitit will

flowthrough usandproducemiraculousresults*

—MAHATMA GANDHI

THE “ENGINE" OF EVOLUTION, that force that drives the adaptation andrefinement of species, is normally so gradual that centuries must pass

before we can even glimpse thechanges it fosters.Brain shifts/spirit shiftsjump-start that process in the human family, They are in essenceevolution’s quantum leap. The way experiences are impacted by thespread of physiological and psychological aftereffects has all theappearances of a structural, chemical, and functionary change in thebrain, and alterations in the nervous and digestive systems—not to

mention a sudden “awakening" tothings sacredandspiritual,

These two shifts are the invisible weights that tip perceptual scalestoward spiritual realities instead of physical actualities. Whereas brainshifts can be examined, verified, and explained, at least to some degree,

spirit shifts can be identified only by interpreting responses; that is, byrecognizingthetypeofbehavioralchanges exhibitedby the experiencer.

Amongadult experiences,lregardabrain shift/spirit shift as agrowthevent—% sudden, unexpected twist in life that operates like a "'washingmachine" in how it motivates us to clean up our habits, flush out our

minds, and overhaul our lifestyles. Some examples of growth events are:

losing when we were certain we would win, or winning when we were

certain we would lose;being forcedto slow downinlife when we wantedto

go faster, or beingspeeded up when we wantedto go slow; suffering whenwe wanted to prosper, or prospering when we were unprepared or even

unwilling. Growth events, if we are open to the messages they wouldimpart, not only giveus the opportunity to turn our lives aroundbut allowus to make course corrections in favor of that which is spiritual. Growthevents engendered by the near-death phenomenon are unusuallypowerfuland far-reachingintheir impact.

Among child experiencers,Iregard a brain shift/spirit shift as anevolutionary event—for, regardless of how others are affected by a child'snear-death scenario, the secondbirth the child seems to undergo reordersor “seeds" the youngster in ways that are exceptional to regular behaviordevelopment.Also, thebrain is affectedto a greater degree in children thanin adults, propelling them into abstractions and learning enhancementsas creative expression soars. This marks them as different from theiragemates and at variance with family and social structures. Once grown,they attempt to enter the traditional workforce with a nontraditiona1mindset, ever pushing for change and new, even exotic, options andalternatives. The “second-born" challenge every aspect of society on every

level, continuously, They inspire the kind of cultural growth that fuelssocialrevolution,

To advance the idea that at the core of near-death episodes and othersimilar states is a brain shift/spirit shift, we need to explore the subjectfrom various angles (as does thereport PhaseII—BrainShift/SpiritShift:A

Theoretical Model Using Research on Near-Death States to Explore the

TransformationofConsciousness).ÿ

BRAIN SHIFT

Any manner of occurrence can trigger a brain shift.Iwould include herethose of a more turbulent nature, such as: religious conversions, near¬

death episodes, kundalini breakthroughs, shamanistic vision quests,

sudden spiritual transformations, certain types of headtrauma, or havingbeen hit by lightning.Iwould also count those more tranquil in how theyare experienced—like the slow, steady application of spiritual disciplines,mindfulness techniques, meditation, sacred rituals, or a prayerful state ofmindin which an individualsimply desires tobecome abetter person.

With turbulent experiences, I have noticed that the brain organ

(structure, chemistry, function) seems to shift before the mind, or thedegree of consciousness present. With tranquil experiences, the mind, or

consciousness level, tends to shiftbeforethebrain,

Which shifts first makes a difference with the aftereffects:consequences from tranquil episodes are gradual and usually happen inincrements, giving a person time mentally to think andprepare; turbulentones are so immediate and so powerful that thebrain organ itself can beoverwhelmed, compounding the challenges of whatever might beencountered. Certain major characteristics tend tobe displayedby peoplewho have gone through a brain shift, as described in the following twolists,

These characteristics can be positive or negative, depending on howthey are applied. Based on my previous investigations of spiritualawakenings and enlightenment done in the 1960s and 1970s, thesecharacteristics match across theboard with the universal experience of a

transformingandevolvingconsciousness—in other words, abrain shift,

PhysiologicalAftereffects

.anges in thought processing (switch from sequential/selective thinking to

clusteredthinkingandan acceptance of ambiguity)

satiable curiosity

fightenedintelligence

tie to abstract easily

>re creativity andinventiveness

lusualsensitivity tolight andsound

bstantially more or less energy (even energy surges, often more sexual)

versalofbody clock

werbloodpressure

celerated metabolic and substance absorption rates (decreased tolerance ofpharmaceuticals andchemically treatedproducts)

metricalsensitivity

lightenedsensations of taste, touch, texture, andsmell

nesthesia (multiple sensing)

creased allergies andsensitivities

preference for more vegetables and grains (less meat) with adults, just theopposite with children

ysically younger appearance with adults, more mature with children(beforeandafter photos can differ)

PsychologicalAftereffectsss of the fear of death

>re spiritual/less religious

ilosophical

ssiblebouts of depression

sregard for time

>re generous andcharitable

pable of forming expansive concepts of love while at the same timechallengedin initiatingandmaintainingsatisfyingrelationships

aggerated“inner child" issues

ss competitive

nvincedof a lifepurpose

jection ofprevious limitations andnorms

creasedpsychic ability, awareness of future, and futurememory episodes

.arismatic

.ildlike sense of wonder and joy (adults); a moremature wisdom (kids)

ss stressed

>re detachedandobjective (dissociation)

lerge" easily (absorption)

mger for knowledgeandlearning

These lists abovehighlight the aftereffects that arenormal and typicalto a brain shift. Because of the intensity of impact, it takes at least seven

years for the average adult experiencer to fully integrate them,ÿ Withkids,it depends—some adjust quickly,butmost notuntilthey reach adulthood.

Almost every single one of the aftereffects can be traced to enhanced,accelerated limbic system involvement as a point of origination in thebrain. For this reason, it would behoove us to learn something about thislittle-known area,

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM AND EMOTIONS

The limbic system, a conglomerate of various small but important brainstructures located in a semicircle in the middle of the brain, caps off thetopmost extension of the brain stem. It wraps around our primitive

reptilian brain, translating our basic instincts for sex, hunger, sleep, fear,andsurvivalinto more flexible andsocial forms ofbehavior. Often referredto as the emotional or feeling center (the “gutbrain"), the limbic system isalsothe seat of theimmune system andthebody's ability toheal itself.Fewpeople realize that it is the limbic system that operates as the “executiveoffice" in deciding what information is stored in memory, what isforgotten, and what willbe further elaboratedupon and refined in the two

main hemispheres and throughout thebrain/mindassembly. Andit has a

directneuralconnection totheheart.

Although this smallbut extremely efficient system has been part of us

for hundreds of thousands of years ofbrain evolution, only recently has itbeen recognized as the most complicated structure on the earth. Many

brain researchers now believe that if the limbic system doesn't actuallyoriginate “mind," then it certainly is the gateway within the brain to

higher realms ofmind andmore powerfully diverse andcollective types ofconsciousness, Thus, the staging arena where the organ called the brainaccesses and filters what is referred to as themindis thelimbic system.

Thebrain, incidentally, hasbeen discoveredtobe more emotiona1than

cognitive. Nicholas Humphrey, a senior research fellow at Cambridge

University, has explained, “A person can be conscious without thinkinganything. But a person simply cannot be conscious without feeling,’’ÿCombine this with the scientific findingthat feedback between the limbicsystem and the heart is instantaneous, and it becomes clear why in most

near-death scenarios experiences are “flooded with love,"

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM AND CHANGES IN THE BRAIN

When the limbic is stimulated, it leaves "prints.” With a little bit of

stimulation, we get excited, perk up, emotions flow, and receptivity isenhanced (music, rituals, and celebrations promote such a response).Passion/compassion turns on with more stimulation, along with displaysof psychic/ intuitive abilities and the inspiration to take action (hearingcharismatic speakers and reading shocking news headlines oftenaccomplish this; for instance, listening to the speeches of Martin LutherKingJr., or hearing of the tragic death ofPrincess Diana).Massive surges oflove and light, faculty extensions, panoramic visions, and the emergenceof wisdom and knowing can occur when the limbic system is deeply

impactedby a sudden change or intenseshift inits function,

When the limbic system is "spun around” or receives a good"blow," it’s

as if the temporal lobes, nervous system, andheart are signaled to do one

of two things: shut down or accelerate response. Shutting down means

damage or death. Accelerated function means healing or enhancement.What we refer to as "the aftereffects" in cases of near-death and near-death-like states may wellbe the spread, or cascade effect, or “imprinting,"that various bodily systems come to exhibit in reaction to and incorrespondence with the specifics of limbic enhancement/enlargement/acceleration. The extent of the cascade effect seems to reveal the degree to

which thelimbic system was impacted. Thelimbic system, far from beingjust a survivalcenter, jump-starts:

arning. “When emotions do not guide our awareness of the environment,thoughts, dreams, and images disappear, Our most subtle feelings have a

physical basis within the limbic region, and the limbic should never be

forgotten,"4

'u?£fqg7"The intensity of electricalcurrent surrounding the heart’s activity isabout fifty times more powerful than that of thebrain organ and precedeshemispheric action. There is 'heart intelligence' in how the heart gives

intuitive input tothemind,

Andthe limbic system, once accelerated in function, is the gateway ofinitiation for such conditions as:

dtiple Sensing (Synesthesia): Multisensory awareness, like hearingpaintings, smelling sounds, tasting vision, seeing music. NeurologistRichard E, Cytowic believes sensing in multiple ways is not something

newbuthas always existedandcanbe developedby anyone.ÿ

usteredThinking:"Shaking together” or "clustering" information, instead ofusing linear logic, so data can be rearranged and tossed around in new

ways; a sign of genius. Psychologist Howard Gardner speaks of Einsteinseeing a light ray in his mindandknowinghe was right,French composer

Olivier Messiaen seeing color in tones, and Picasso experiencing numbers

as patterns of contour,-

rallel Processing/Simultaneous Brain Waves: Presence of all brainwavespeeds (beta, alpha, theta, and delta) in simultaneous operation; the"awakened" mind.Anna Wise, a researcher ofbrain waves, andMax Cade,a psychobiologist andbiophysicist, found that spiritual adepts can utilizethe full range of brainwave levels simultaneously. Wise discovered thatcertain images, words, and timed pauses could actually shift anyone’s

brain intothis statednd aver Matter: Moving physical objects with brainwave emissions.

Scientists at the New York State Department of Health, Albany, havediscovered that people using thought alone can move a computer cursor

around a display screen, Clinical trials are in progress to see if paralyzedindividuals can be taught the same technique to help them communicate

better andperform simpletasks,

Any experience that overwhelms a person to the degree that thoughtprocesses are altered appreciably changes brain structure to some extent,

We know this from clinical experiments using PET scans (positron-

emission tomography). Near-death states and other transformativeepisodes of the same or similar magnitude affect an individual even more,

engendering in most cases evidence to suggest permanent bodymindchanges—accompanied by the awakening of higher levels ofconsciousness.

"Growth spurts" in the brain (intelligence and/or facultyenhancements) appear to be the result of brain cell branches suddenlyincreasing in number and spreading rapidly, which expands contact

between cells. Scientists have long suspected that any rise in intelligencehas moretodo withthese spurts than with thebrainhemispheres (left andright) and neo-cortex (new or high brain). Growth spurts (or heightenedbrain cell branching) literally rewire and reconfigure the brain, makingmore complex, efficient neural pathways for transmitting information.Everything else proceeds from this factor—the brain and how it shiftsstructureandchemistry tosuit the demands ofnew modes of usage.

THE TEMPORAL LOBES AND THINGS "FUTURE”

While studying cases of child experiences, I came across clusters ofreports at certain ages. Determininghow significant these age clusters are

requires larger studies than mine,but, for the present, my statistics sufficeto support an intriguing observation: there appears to be a connectionbetween the ages when most near-death episodes occur with kids and themore criticalstages of childhoodbrain development

Although these findings come from my work with near-deathsurvivors,Iusetheterm "brain shift” inthe chart toreflect a broader rangeof inquiry, because large numbers of unusual and different incidentsinvolving children cluster at the same ages as do the near-death reports inmy research, especially with youngsters aged three to five.

I first began tracking anomalous events in the mid-sixties out of pure

curiosity and noticed, much to my surprise, that three- to five-year-olds

were much more apt than persons of any other age to experience past-liferecall, alien sightings, alien abductions, flying dreams, out-of-bodyepisodes, spirit visitations, invisible friends, and other paranormal andpsychic occurrences. This is the same timeframewhen long-term memorybegins for most children and when storytelling has the greatest influence.It is also the period when kids are almost entirely future oriented andtemporal lobe development predominates. (The temporal lobes are thosesections of thebrain locatedbehind and upward from the ears to near thetemples.) Traditionally, the temporal lobes are referred to as the"patterning center” or "library,” that place where our originalblueprints ofshape and form are stored. For this reason, they are thought tobe the seat

of imagination.

AGE CLUSTERS FOUND IN REPORTED CASES OF A BRAIN SHIFT

Age Clusters Correlations

Children and Young Adults

Birth—15 months*

When the actual wiring of the brsln Is determined endsynapse formation increases 20-fold; utilize* more thantwice the energy of an adult brain. By about 18 months,excess neurons and synapses are pruned.

Time of temporal lobe development; explore and experiment

with possible roles, future patterns, action/reaction, environ¬

mental continuity. Brain usually reaches 90% of adult size byage 5.

Time of Judgment/discrimination development; often whenserious accidents and Illnesses occur or problems withsignificant others. Dramatic growth spurts in brain region

crucial to language and understanding of spatial relations.

Time of puberty; hormone fluctuations; sexuality and authority

are questioned; identity crisis. Brain's gray matter thickens,especially In frontal lobes (the brain's region for planning,impulse control, reasoning).

3-5 years*

7-9 years

11-15 years

Mature Adults27-32 years* Crossover between adherence to values of friends, family, and

the pressures of the workplace and the urge to establish selfas an independent and mature ego; social crisis. Brain begmsto shrink In volume; gray matter loss. Information processing

slows.

NOTE'. Among mature adults, smaller clusters are notable around iho ages of 39, 4?. arid 59.

Children's data i: based on 199? analysis; adults, on 1994 analysis. More researeh is needed forreliable confirmation of these groupings.

* With children, the Firet two age categories erewhere most of the reports duster In my researchbate, as well at where 1 found the most compelling cases of genius. With adults, I found thelargest duster from ages V to 32-

Because youngsters who have near-death experiences come tohave an

extraordinary relationship with things future,I searched through studies

done on childhoodbehavior development for anythingthat might explainwhy—and learned that kids between three and five have no natural sense

of time or space. They gain this sense byprojectinginto thefuture andbyintuitively engaging with futuristic ideas, images, feelings, andsensations.The future does not appear as "future" to children. To them it is simplyanother aspect of "now" (that which is immediate), andit remains so untilthey are ableto establish the validity of continuous scenery andconnectedwholes. Once they accomplish this, they have the perspective and thesense of continuity they need to adapt to ever-changingenvironments andthemeaningfulness of cause and effect (consequences).In other words, theimaginal adventures of childhood are necessary for the development ofhealthy minds.

Yet near-death states that happen during this same juncture in braindevelopment appear to accelerate mental growth in child experiencesyears ahead of what wouldbe expected. Perhaps this critical timing is thereason. More than just imaginal worlds andmagical imagery are involvedin near-death states, though. The shift child experiencers undergo

suggests thehandof evolution at work,

A fascinating fact is that adults as well as children who haveundergone any type ofbrain shift regularly begin to “step" into the future.Many even begin to "live" the future ahead of time and remember havingdone so when the futuristic event actually occurs. Their feat mimics whathappens to ordinary kids between the ages of three and five.Icalled this

the “future memory" phenomenon and wrote a book about itÿ defining

thephenomenon as:

Future Memory: to live in advance (subjective/sensory rich), Theability to fully live a given event or sequence of events in subjectivereality before living the same episode in objective reality. This isusually, but not always, forgotten by the individual after it occurs,

only tobe remembered later when some “signal" triggers memory,

Sensory-rich future memory is so detailed as to includemovements, thoughts, smells, tastes, decisions, sights, and soundsof regular physical living. Ail this is actually lived and physically,emotionally, and sensorially experienced, not merely watched(which is clairvoyance), heard (clairaudience), predicted(prophecy), or known (precognition); and that livingis sothorough,there is no way to distinguish it from everyday reality while thephenomenon is inprogress.

Future memory is not to be confused with deja vu, which is past

oriented. WhatIrefer to is a clear and cogent ability to somehow access thefuture and "live" it beforephysical manifestation. That sense of "living inadvance" is acutely felt by experiences. Some examples from interviewswith adults:

former military officer who now lives in Illinois pre-experiencesconversations at meetings he attends. He claims this relaxes him andmakes lifemoreinteresting.

woman in Washington State is able to comfort troubled travelers becausesheprelives whichbus andplaneterminals to visit and whoto look for andwhy,

woman in Alabama meets fellow shoppers in advance and pre-experiencesstanding at cash registers, and seeing items rung up at other registers,

includingprices,

Distinguishing features of the future memory phenomenon are:physical sensation at start andfinish,, akin to a chill, rush, lift, tickle, or

"high" (a signalofbrain-chemical release);patternofoccurrence, universalregardless of experiencer; mindstate when ithappens, usually wide awakeand alert, although some report having it during dream states; content,

almost always mundane activity, but can cover significant events—feels

as if it's a rehearsal of some kind; awareness ofpower to change thefuturedividedafterward, with someclaimingthe pre-lived future can be changed,others saying it can’t; consequences, handle stress better because ofrehearsals,becomingmore peaceful and confident—frequency of episodestends to subside once experience:: feels more grounded.

The similaritiesbetween what happens naturally to children from ages

three to five and what happens to experiences of any age after a brainshift, once they begin having future memory episodes, is uncanny.Consider these strikingcomparisons.

CHILDHOOD BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND THE BRAIN SHIFT EXPERIENCE

Typical Three- to Five-Yeni-Olds Adult and Child Brain Shift Experiences

TemporalLobeDevelopment TemporalLobeExpansion

EnlargingConsciousness

Prelive the future on a regular basis, Prelive the future on a regular basis throughspend more time in future than in dream states, visions, future memory episodes,present.

Play with futuristic possibilities as a way Pre-experience life’s challenges andof “getting ready”; rehearse in advance opportunities before they occur as a way ofdemands soon to be made upon them. preparing for demands they will soon face,

No natural understanding of time-space No longer restricted by a sense of time-spacestates; consider "future” an aspect of states; an awareness of simultaneity and the"now.” Gain perspective and continuity importance of "now.” Embrace broaderby establishing the validity of dimensions of experience beyond that ofaction/reaction or "future” (continuous "future” (unlimited perspectives held in tandemscenery and connected wholes),

Progress from mental imagery of Progress from mental imagery of culturaluniversal archetypes to cultural stereotypes to the individuation process in astereotypes in a process of self- journey of soul discovery.

EmeigingConsciousness

with the continuity of stable reference points).

discovery,

TheBirth ofImagination TheRebirth ofImagination

This chart emphasizes how reliable the future memory phenomenonmay be as a signal that a person's brain is in the process of shifting instructure, chemistry, and function—that it’s undergoing a growth spurt.

Andthat, as part of the shift, experiences tend to revertback to thebrain-development stage of three- to five-year-olds\ andIbelieve for the same

reason: to reestablish continuity andorder throughfuturistic rehearsals so

they can ready themselves for the greater challenge of higher mind states

andspiritualmaturity.Ihave observedthat:

Beingable to livethe futurein advance, andremember that one did,alleviates much of the stress and fear that worrying aboutunknown variables can cause. This advanced preparation enablesthe human psyche to negotiate the demands of sudden changemore smoothly. The ability imparts an immense sense ofconfidence andpeace in individuals, nomatter what age, and oftenleads to frequent incidences of synchronicity (meaningful“coincidences") as if one's life were caught up in some type of“flow,"-ÿ

THE TEMPORAL LOBES AND IMAGERY

Todd Murphy, himself a near-death survivor, researches near-deathimagery cross-culturally. In his paper “The Structure and Function of

Near-Death Experiences: An Algorithmic Reincarnation Hypothesis/'-ÿhestates:

It is well established that, although there appears tobe a universalgrammar to NDEs, the specific vocabulary of any given case isdetermined by a variety of factors including age, culture, thespecific circumstances in which the patient dies, psychologicalhistory, and possibly many other, still undiscovered factors. Adictionary containing this vocabulary might encompass the wholeof human subjectivity including our symbolism, myths, andreligions.

In discussions with Murphy, he reminded me that the left temporallobe specializes in negative emotions and images (things fear based, likeparanoia and sorrow), whiletheexpertise of theright temporal lobe is withpositive emotions and images (things love based, as joy and peace). Two

excellent sources of scientific material on this subject are the article"Towarda Psychobiology of Transcendence: God in theBrain,"by Arnold J.Mandell, and the book Neuropsychological Bases of God Beliefs, by

Michael A.Persinger,ÿ

Persinger induced what appearedtobepleasant,heavenlikenear-deathexperiences in subjects by stimulating the Sylvian fissure in the righttemporal lobe. He used magnetic signals of the same strength as thoseproducedby the earth's magnetic field to accomplish the feat. Because hiswork had results similar to that of Wilder Penfield, a medical doctorprobing certain parts of the brain during surgery to target memory

recall, many researchers are now convinced that unpleasant/hellishnear-death states are a product of exciting the left temporal lobe andpleasant/heavenly ones, theright.

Persinger's experiments andthose ofphysicians likePenfield,however,failed to induce anything other than a generalizedpattern of imagery, a

basic template or “blueprint," This was also true with similar states causedby temporal lobe seizure, centrifuge pilot training, and excessive stress.

The fact that classical near-death scenarios are easily created was

undoubtedly a major impetus behind Raymond Moody’s study of crystalor mirror gazing. Through resurrecting the centuries-old practice, he hadhoped to see if volunteers really could contact the Other Side andexperience a legitimate “visitation." His book Reunions: Visionary

Encounters withDepartedLovedOnesÿ caused quite a stir, to say the least,anddidresult in a few claims of success.

Even so, no researcher or experiencer of any such createdimagery/episode, includingMoody, has ever induced or exhibited the fullscope and impact of genuine near-death states, the incredible range ofdetail present in most of them (which only on rare occasions could havebeen known about in advance), or the spreadof aftereffects (which inmost

cases increase with time andbecomepermanent).

All anyone can accomplish when stimulating the temporal lobes (left

or right), regardless of method or conditions, is to create generalpattern

arrangements of emotions and images. The reason for this isstraightforward enough: the temporal lobes are storage receptacles or

libraries ofbasic shapes, forms, feelings, and sounds.Implicit in this is thenotion that together they may function as a resource center or datacomparison device that children can tap into as they learn to discerndifferences. As we age, engaging in creative imagination and inventionensures that both lobes not only remain active but can take on moreexpansiveandexpressiveprojects.

But if mind states alter significantly, as during a brain shift, thetemporal lobes seem to assume the role of mediator between worlds. This"mediator within” is strongly evident in near-death cases. Initial imagery,sometimes called “over-leafs,” will alwaysmatch what will accommodatethe experiencer's most urgent need at the moment, and/or what willdirectly affect those around him or her. This phenomenon ofaccommodation occurs repeatedly, regardless of whether the imageryfeatures Godor religious figures or angels, animals, relatives, or friends,

This leads me to believe that the initial patterning of any otherworld

journey is first and foremost to either relax the experiencer andput him or

her at ease (through a pleasant episode), or tense the experiencer and alerthim or her (through an unpleasant episode), so that whatever needs tobeaccomplishedby the experience may be addressed. This primary directiveof the temporal lobes can and often does alter once the scenario is fullyunder way (e.g., a child, once comfortedby an angel, may then ask, “Is thatwhat you really look like?" only to have the angel dissolve into a brilliantburst of light). Experiencers, when so alerted or relaxed, are more likely to

go through intense scenarios that foster life-changing characteristicsafterward.

Still, accommodations, personal history, what a person has beenexposed to duringthe span of his or her life, even language constraints, donot fully explain all of the contents of near-death states. In Beyond the

Light: WhatIsn'tBeingSaidabout theNear-DeathExperiencedIdescribedfour levels of imagery found in otherworld journeys such as near-death.Briefly, these levels are:

Personal Images from one's own life,

Mass Images of a collectivenaturethat reflect thehuman condition,

mind

Memory Primordial, archetypal images that areuniversalinnature.

fieldsTruth That consistent, stable reality that undergirds andtranscends

creation andallcreatedthings (seldom any imagery per se;rather, a knowing).

(Many authors have written extensively about the imagery inotherworld journeys,I would call your attention to the works of Carl G.

Jung, Joseph Campbell, Richard Heinberg, Manley P, Hall, and loan

Couliano.)ÿ

Scenarios can sometimes be better understood if one keeps in mindthat subjective imagery has various interpretations. The initial"greeter" isnot always who or what it seems tobe. The fact remains,however, that therange of details present in the experience places near-death states frontandcenter as a major challengeto anyone'sbelief thatthelife wehave, andwho wethink we are, is allthere is.

SPIRIT SHIFT

Spirit shifts bespeak a larger agenda, one that transcends personal andsocietal concerns and expectations, and seems determinant in why someindividuals have a brain shift while others do not, even if conditions are

similar.

I offer this observation without hesitation, for one cannot researchnear-death and other transformative states as long as I have withoutrecognizing a greater power at work, as well as a subtle spirit or soul forcethat appears tobe responsible for the outworkingof that greater power.

Repeatedly, experiencers describe this subtle presence as a highlyorganized, intelligent luminosity that plays the role of emissary for theDivine, God, Source, or whatever title one prefers. Apparently, thisintelligent luminosity can take on any form or color or substance or odor,yet is always available as a nonenergetic force, a Holy Spirit capable of

moving in and through us once we are ready or once we surrender to it,—

Experiencers claimthat should we ignore its presence or remain lockedin aparticular lifestylethat denies our truepurpose or "lifemission," this subtlespirit can forcibly intervene, andif it does, a shift occurs.

How this plays out with child experiencers of near-death states isworth a closer look, The depth of maturity that emerges from theseyoungsters threatens as many people as it inspires. Since spirit shifts lack

the physicality of brain shifts,I will rely more in this section on quotes

frommy case studies toconvey the stirringof spirit.

Linda A.Jacquin,Missouri. NDE at agefour anda half, drowning. "At a

recent meetingIwas talking about my childhoodnear-death experience. A

few days later,Ireceived a note from a fellow experiencer who was there.She said she received a message for me from a divinebeing. The messagewas: ‘A good fisherman practices the catch-and-release philosophy. If thefish he catches is too small, it is simply returned tothe water soit can growsomemore.' She felt that mybrush with death was reviewedand judgedbythe Divine and that the judgment was to return me to let me grow.Iagree.

Perhaps this is why children who have near-death experiences are sent

back toearth.Like little fishes, they needtime for their spirits to grow."

AnellQ. Tubbs, Boise, Idaho. NDEbefore age eight, blow to head. "I havecome tothe conclusionIamnormal Every person onthis planet is here forthe same reason—to grow and to learn—and everyone is at a differentstage in their evolutionary process. Everyone has the same ability to healandbe psychic andknow things. If they don't exhibit these abilities now,they will,"

Emily, Seattle, Washington. NDEat age twofromhighfever;atfivefromcomplicationsduringsurgery. "Ibelieve, in modern society, we mistakenlyfocus primarily upon physical and material needs and neglect our

emotions and spirit I am deeply committed to helping people achievehealth in Mind, Soul, and Body through alternative medicine. 1 sense a

change comingandIhopetobepart of it in a positive way,"

Regina Patrick, Toledo, Ohio. NDEat agefour,pneumonia. "My ultimatemission is tohave a home, a place wherepeople can come to die, andto dospiritual work with the dying—to help them, strengthen them, and

prepare them to go on. I've done hospice work, volunteered at nursinghomes through my church.Ihave a ministry sharing The Journey, whichis for people strugglingwith life-threateningillness.”

Joe Ann Van Gelder, Newport, Vermont. Nine NDEs as a child, multipleillnesses and accidents. "My experiences have led me to believe that our

human evolution involves the development of a different level ofconsciousness, which requires our physical bodies to adapt to higher

vibratory frequencies.Iwas toldby my guidance to move my geographiclocation to the forty-fifth parallel, halfway between the equator and theNorth Pole. WhenIdid, everythingimproved for me.”

Diana Schmidt, El Cerrito, California. NDE at age nine, undiagnosedseizure. "I have discovered the suppressed and forgotten femininefoundations of our culture, and think that the paradigm of the New Age isthe Dark Goddess and Sophia—Light comesfrom theDark Icelebrate andspeak wheneverI can on this paradigm change and teach a course calledThe Symbolic Life, which shows people how symbols are a source ofrenewal and healing.I do this through symbol systems such as tarot,IChing, astrology, runes, etc,”

Christina Moon, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Two NDEs, complications at

birth. "I describe my 'religion' thusly: take a computer card for each of themajor religions of the world and stack them up. Mine would be where theholes match and go all the way through. In other words,I have a veryeclectic philosophy and would describe myself as a Buddhist Pagan.Iam

guidedby a concern anda compassion for alllivingbeings no matter whatshape, size, or species, I try to live in a way that will add to rather thandetract fromthe world,”

Laura,SanFrancisco, California.NDEat age threeandahalf, childabuse

andduringsurgery. "I learned how to live with my murderer for anotherfifteen years by learning what I could from him and leaving the rest I

learned that the most important phenomena in the universe are love,truth, and the quest for knowledge.I received a clear sense of my purpose

in life andhowImust achieve it.Iwas given thegift of seeingthingsbeforethey happen and the ability to visualize events, images, and forms, andthenbringthem intobeing.Ilearned that we are wounded, andheal, fromdeep wounds, not sothat we may somehow be safe forever,but so that wemay be wounded again in a new way. Most of all,Iacquired a deep love ofdeath and a longing to be in the presence of God again, a longing that iswith me every moment of every day. It is only for the knowledge of hispresencethatIam ableto live.”

NT.A., Omaha,Nebraska.NDEat age thirteenmonths, electricalshock. "Ibelieve every person is a spiritual being and that we all have a specialpurpose that is spiritually oriented.Ibelieve we are all lightbeings of loveandthat Christ came to teach us that we couldbe like him.Ibelieve in theconcept of unity of all things.Ithink that the history we havebeen taughtfor thousands of years is not the whole truth, and that these truths are

coming out Many earth changes are taking place and many ascendedbeings [Holy Ones| are helping and guiding us through this time oftransition. It is time for us tobe okay in questioning our beliefs and to takeresponsibility in healing ourselves and the planet—to hold more light Ibelieve 'bad' things, people, and experiences are opportunities for growth.As we awaken and remember, we willbegin to create heaven on earth. My

near-death experience has mademerealize andknow without a doubt thatlove andhappiness, acceptance and joy, arepossible for every person,”

The majority of the child experiencers 1 interviewed had the gift ofconversing directly with spirit afterward. And they spoke of divineintervention as an active forcein their lives.

An example of divine intervention is what happenedto StephanieLangof New York City. She nearly died at the age of three from a severe kidneyinfection complicated by measles, chicken pox, and a raging fever.Although she does not remember havinghad a near-death experience per

se, she went on toexhibit most of the aftereffects.Alongwith a sharp mindand incredible artistic talent, she struggled with depression and a lack ofmotivation and felt somehow “off course." While lunching one day on theroof of a twenty-six-floor skyscraper, she walked to the railing with theintent of just looking around. She began to rock, absentmindedly lost herbalance, and pitched forward toward the traffic below. Before she couldreact, she suddenly foundherself ten feet back from the railing, sitting on

her bottom with tears streaming. A clear voice in her head spoke: “Are yougoing or are you staying? If you are staying, you have to change." Shecredits this rescue to divine intervention. It totally changed her life;afterward, shebecame goaloriented andexcitedabout taking advantage ofevery opportunity she could.Even though doubts stillassail her from timetotime, the deep depressions she oncehadare gone.

This closeness to spirit, a sense of the Divine, of God, propelsexperiencers into a search for more andbetter avenues of service, mission,and outreach. Says Tonecia Maxine McMillan of Oxon Hill, Maryland, whoat age eleven drowned: “I was mean, self-centered, and egotistical before,but, when my episode was over,I was more peaceful andI really caredabout people and wanted to help them," She became a nurse as a result,andhas devotedher lifetotakingcare of others' needs.

It is true that many are frustrated by a lack of any clear knowing or

message tellingthem exactly what todo with their lives or how,but just asmany are like McMillan—motivated and alive with the faith that wherethey're headed is the right path for them. Jungian analyst James Hillman

addresses this in hisbook TheSoul's Code:Character, CallingandFate Hestates, "Psychotherapy has become an exaggerated self-searching to findout who we are but has neglected entirely the search for what the world

wants fromus—our calling? DavidSpangler, author of The CallP- expandson Hillman's idea, saying: "You areyour own unique self, andif youhavethe humility to break through the boundaries of ego you will hear thesummons of your Call. Something you may not even know about yourselfwillemerge, andyou willdiscover a service, a gift, a divine purposebehindyour actions."

Prayer and meditation take on dynamic proportions immediatelyfollowing a child’s near-death experience, as does visioning (aligning inconsciousness with the divine purpose within us to love and to express a

greater degree of life and caring). Many of these youngsters actually saw

prayers being said for them while they were out of body. They describehow the power of those prayers turned into beams of radiant, golden, or

rainbow light that arced over from the one saying the prayer, no matter

how many miles away, to where they themselves were "hovering." Once

the prayer beam reached them, the feeling would be akin to a “splash" oflove or an incredible warming. Because they have seen and felt theeffectiveness of prayer, child experiencers consider it a valid and real waytotalk with God whilesharingGod's healinglove with others.

Larry Dossey, M.D., former chief of staff of Humana Medical City inDallas, Texas, and current cochairman of the panel on mind/bodyinterventions in the Office of Alternative Medicine at the NationalInstitutes of Health, has a lot to say about the power of prayer,both in his

books andpersonally,ÿ "There is a quality that correlates with theeffect ofthe prayer, and it's something that sounds very old-fashioned. It's love.And if the individual doing the praying does not have compassion andempathy and love and a deep sense of authentic and genuine caring forwhoever they arepraying for, these |medical| experiments [on thepower ofprayerj don't work very well.Love is thekey to success,"

Typically, children seem obsessed with worship andattending churchafter their episodes.Barbara True Bradley of Des Moines,Iowa (who “died"at four and a half from lobar pneumonia), said, "When I was well and

returned home,I set up a table in my bedroom, covered it with a whitecloth, andhad a prayer book and cross on itIremember kneeling there to

pray.”

Those who hadbeen steeped in certain religious dogmas beforehand,though, oftentimes found the call to express the inner spirit runningcounter to their earlier indoctrination. To appreciate why childexperiencers are more apt than adult experiencers to lose the pure

spontaneity and utter joy of their new relationship with God, considertheseincidents.

Judy,New York.NDEatage eleven, complicationsduringa tonsillectomy. “Iremember questioningeverythingtheminister andSunday Schoolteachersaid. I became belligerent in Sunday School. I stopped going to choirpractice. I used science to prove religion (nothing can be created or

destroyed, only changed) andappliedit tobody/soul.”

Dorothy M. Bernstein, North Olmsted, Ohio. NDE as a toddler, twicestoppedbreathing. "1 stood up in class andasked Father Marginen, “How isit you teach that ifI stand by and say nothing when someone is doingwrong,Iam as guilty as the person doing wrong? Yet you say it was the

Jews who crucified Christ, when intruth it was theRomans who drove thenails into his hands and feet and pierced his side, Why are they not

guilty?”

Robert C. Warth, LittleSilver, NewJersey. NDEat ageJive, complicationsduring a tonsillectomy. "I was brought up Methodist until I asked the“wrong” questions and was pulled out of church. My parents were toldbymy Sunday School teacher that I was disrupting the class by asking[questions|about church dogma hecouldnot or wouldnot answer,"

Child experiencers seldom remain alienated from God if they are ever

"turned off/' but their feelings about religion and church attendance dochange. The split of those who stay in religious settings versus those whochoose a more eclectic spiritual path is about the same as with adultexperiences: one-third stay, two-thirds leave. But youngsters are more

than twice as likely as adults to cut ties permanently. (Adult experiencesusually rediscover the value of church with time, and return to a churchsetting, though rarely the one of their youth. They seem to prefer “new

thought" churches likeUnity,Religious Science, or Baha'i.)

Kathleen Norris, a published poet and author, speaks to this schismbetween the church of one's youth andthe challenge to make peace withwhat once seemed so divisive. Although she does not claim to be a near¬

death experiences her behavior traits andmemories suggest that she mayhavehad such an episode as an infant. Sherecalls:

"I didn’t do living right, at first. WhenIwas six months old,Inearlydied. All wrong, for an infant to be so caught up in the last things.

Naturally, the hospital was called Providence; in all likelihood, asI was indanger of dying, a nun baptized me there. My official baptism came fourmonths later, in the arms of my grandfather Norris, a Methodist pastor. Sixmonths of age is too early to learn that one's mother and father arehelplessbefore death. But the struggle that took place in my infant body and still¬forming pre-verbal intelligence was between life and death, andI am

convinced that a sense of something vast, something yet to come, tookholdinmy consciousness andremains therestill/'

Inher journey to erase what she felt was religious bigotry, sheturned to

the arts, revisiting her home church years later only to discover that shelikedbeing there andconversing with theministers. She eventually joineda monastery and immersed herself in Christianity, After becoming a layminister, she shared what she learned about religion and the spiritual

quest intwobooks, The Cloister WalkandAmazingGracedWhile religion is a systematized approach to spiritual development

formed around set standards or dogmas, spirituality emerges from a

personal, intimate experience of God. There are no standards or dogmas,only precedents, as individualknowingor gnosis is honored. Needlessly at

odds with each other, both routes to a more positive, uplifting, andmeaningfullifeare equally validandworthy.

Ken Wilber, author of A Brief History of Everything,ÿ puts this issueinto perspective by describing it in evolutionary terms: "Consciousnessevolution moves from pre-personal to personal to transpersonal; fromsubconscious to self-conscious to super-conscious; from pre-mental to

mentaltosupra-mental; from instinct to egotoGod."

An integralpart of spirit shifts is the floweringof psychic abilities. Thiskies more people and causes more misunderstandings than any other

aspect of the phenomenon. Few can adequately address why this occurs.Cries of “It's the devil's work" are as commonplace as “This is God's gift."Here are some incidents of this nature as reportedby childexperiencers inmy study:

ran

GradeL. Sprouse,Keene, Virginia.NDEatage eleven, drowning. “Ibelievedmyself to be psychic untilI learned that psychic abilities may be fromSatan. Yet constant, instant miracles have never ceased in my life; theyhavein fact increased. ThemoreIrecognize them,the morethey happen.InowbelievethesetobeGodly abilities,"

P.BradleyCarey, Burlington, Washington. NDEat age thirteen, chokedby

boyatschool. “I heard the radio playing when the dial indicatedit wasn't,

Then what sounded like a commercial started. In it, the company gave

their telephone number, whichIwrote down figuring to prove to myselfthat it was just my imagination,Idialed it, A ceramic store clerk answered(located in Spokane, on the other side of the state), After asking a fewquestions,Ifoundout that their c ommercial was onlybeingcarriedin theirlocality. There are so many miles and mountains between us that thesignalcan't get down here.It was totally impossible for metohear this ad,I

live in the middle of nowhere, no traffic, no neighbors, and there was no

radio on.How didIhear theradiocommercial?"

CecilL.Hamilton,Palmyra, Virginia.NDEatageeleven, drowning.; 'How doyou use the information you have?Isee so many psychic fakes.Ican tellwhere their experience ends and guesswork begins. I know the future,especially with little, ongoing things.Iknow when people are about to die.Itry sometimes to turn it off—'cause youdon't enjoy going out todinner andseeingdeath on someone at thetable."

RhonaAIterman-Newman, CherryHill,HewJersey.NDEatagesixmonths,strangulatedhernia. "Ten days after my mother died, she cameback toherroom and checked to see if we'd turned off the heating pad. The reasonI

think she didthis isbecause, when we left for thehospital withher, we leftthe pad on and she was concerned about that. It scared me to see her thatnight.Iwas fully awake when she came."

Francis Piekarski, New Martinsville, West Virginia. NDE at age five,drowning andat twelve, highfever, bone infection. "Perhaps the craziestthing that happened was when 1 was listening to JFK politicking inCharleston.Iwantedto standup withhim onstage and tellhimthings thatIknew about him.Icould have changed his future, butIdidn't. This hashappened several times, like a time warp. The single greatest change my

episodes gaveme is an unwaveringknowingthatIhad seen God and thatIhavetwo angels watchingover me."

Lynn,Michigan. NDEat age thirteen, duringopen-heart surgery. “I knowthings about people.Ihavebecome very psychic,Ifindpeople react to thisin different ways. Some want tobe your 'friend' andthen ask youquestionsall the time—about boyfriends, lottery numbers, interpersonalrelationships. This typeof 'friend' is a user. Somehave accusedme ofbeing

a witch. They confuse being psychic with witchcraft and devil worship.These areusually 'born again/ andthey either want to 'save’ me or killme.

Others hear about me and believeIcan work miracles. It’s amazing whatthis group thinks I can do. I have been credited with healing people,healing relationships, and uncrossing any situation a person might findthemselves in. One woman went so far as to climb through my open

bedroom window and sit on my bed one night, asking me to bring herhusband back to her. I was only sixteen.I screamed when this womantouchedmy hand.My mother got her to leave."

Lauren Thibodeau,Madison, Ohio.NDEat agesix, electrocuted. "Ibecamevery psychic, although I’d already shown signs prior to my near-deathexperience. My childhood was lonely;Iwas nicknamed 'Jinx’ and ‘WitchGirl/ Some parents in the neighborhood wouldnot let their children playwith me or come to our house.I’ve had ongoing, very positive 'visits’ frombeings made of light, whichIthink of as theangels whorescued me whenIwas electrocuted, andpast-liferecall.”

Carroll Gray, Atlanta, Georgia. One prebirth experience, five NDEs inchildhood,mostlyfromchildabuseiti/uries. “I have some precognition, likeknowing who is on the phonebeforepicking up, or knowing when Motherwants to be called.Isee auras. There have also been several instances oftelekinesis;I once tossed a child about fifteen feet backward from across

the yard simply by 'thinking’ it so. This surprised me, frightened my

mother, andthechildItossednever camebacktoplay withme again,”

ClaraLane, Belmont, Ohio. NDEat age ten, complications duringsurgery

for acute appendicitis. "Many timesIhave awakened in the middle of thenight to seepeople standingin mybedroom andin thehallway. They turn

to look at me, then vanish.Idonot feel afraid, Several times we have livedin houses that were haunted.I could sense things, Seeing people in my

bedroom at night stillhappens to methirty-eight years later.Ibelievetheyare watching over me all the time, but only at night do they becomevisible."

Childexperiencers often speak about thelight they saw surroundinglivingthings while they were out of their bodies. They claim this light was as

beautiful as prayer beams andseemedtoconsist of a similar energy.Many,likeCarrollGray, continueto seethis light or aura on an ongoingbasis.

It canbe a realchallenge for youngsters to handle a phenomenon suchas this, or, for that matter, any of the faculty extensions that typicallyoccur. An excellent book for introducing kids to the psychic realities of

near-death states is Kathleen J. Forti's TheDoor to the Secret CityMFortihad a near-death episode in her late teens, described in my book future

Memory\ that accurately presagedevents inher adult life, includingbeing a

storyteller for children.

The flowering of psychic abilities after a brain shift/spirit shift seems

to be more of an enhancement of the limbic system than anythingmysterious or paranormal. As such, it relates directly to perceptualenlargements of the electromagnetic range and to extensions of facultiesnormaltous. Although an issue for experiencers, the subject touches us all.

It is possible to extend andbroaden our five faculties of sight, hearing,touch, taste, and smell to embrace psychic dimensions (those beyondreliance on physical forms), andcollective/spiritualrealms(thelarger view,grander realities). Since the average person is only aware of 1 percent ofwhat goes on around him or her, these extensions are advantageous andenriching, enabling us to circumvent whatever factors may seem to limitthe information we can access. Faculty extensions of this kind are not

esoteric,but practica1andeasily learnedby anyonewiththe willtotry,

The followingchart clarifies whatImeanby faculty extensions, Noticewhat happens to intuition and perception once our faculties extend andbroaden to reach therange of spiritualrealities,

FACULTY EXTENSIONS

Physical Faculty Psychic Extension Collective and/orSpiritual Extension

£ee/Slght See without use of eyes;

research term: "clairvoyance"

Hear without presence of sound;

research term: "daIraudionce"

Feel, or have an effect on an object. Art

without touching; research term:

"psychokinesis"

Taste without use of testebuds;

research term; "clalrgustatlon”

Smell without use of nose;

research term; "daIfolfaction’

Sensing without or in advance

of recognition; research term:"clairsentience"Apprehending without or in

advance of physical stimuli;research term: "precognition"

Vision

Hear/Sound Music

Feel/Touch

Taste/Flavor Discrimination

Smell/Scent Integrity

Sense/lntultton Grace

Perceive/

PerceptionKnowing

The root of the word “psychic" means "of the soul." We might inferfrom this that psychic abilities are really soul abilities, part of our

inheritance as children of God—our wellspring of wisdom from within. As

with everythingelse in life, usedetermines value,

Henry Reed, Ph.D., after years of innovative experimentation, foundthat psychic abilities center around the traits of intimacy and closeness,the bond we share in spirit The workshops he now gives, called TheIntuitive Heart, and his paper titled "Intimacy and Psi: Explorations in

Psychic Closeness" are based on this fresh new approach,ÿ He explains:"Communicating heart to heart is another way of knowing: the way ofintuition, and intuition is the key to the twenty-first century, Theconsciousness revolution has discovered the psychic outsidethebrain,not

within it. The intuitive heart is visionary, psychic, it has soul, and itsessence is spiritual. Developingaccess tointuition is not a mental trick;it isa matter of caring.”

The word "heaven” comes from the Greek language. In the originallanguage of the Bible the word was often interchanged with the word"leaven." Jesus is quoted inMatt. 13:3 3 as saying, "The kingdom of heavenis like unto leaven." Leaven causes dough to rise. Leaven expands, yet theGreeks understoodthat heaven is that whichisalreadyexpanded. With thatclue from the Greek version of what heaven might be, allow me to

conjecture. Brain shift/spirit shift may well function as does leaven,expanding the consciousness and faculties of theexperiencer intothe next

phase of growth and learning. Individual consciousness, once expanded,could extend to and connect with other dimensions of reality and higherlevels of consciousness—perhaps mass mind or even the One Mind.Having expanded in this manner, the person's consciousness could"becomegreater thanbefore\ perhaps permanently ...a true shift,

THREE

<§>

ANew View ofNear-Death States

Ibelieve there are two sides to the phenomenon known asdeath, thisside where welive, andtheotherside where weshallcontinue to live. Eternity doesnot start with death. We areineternitynow.

—NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

ON AVERAGE, adult and child near-death experiences are without pulseor breath for about five to twenty minutes. It is notuncommon, at least inmy research, to hear of individuals being dead for an hour or more; some

"wake up” in the morgue. Since thebrain canbe permanently damaged inthree to five minutes without sufficient oxygen, it is important to note thatone of the striking features of the near-death phenomenon is that no

matterhowlong theperson is dead, there is usually littleornobrain damageonceheorsheisrevived;rather, thereisanoticeablebrainenhancement.

Because this is true, near-death states provide a dynamic lens throughwhich we can continue to explore the many aspects of brain shift/spirit

shift and what such a transformation of consciousness implies.

The term "near-death experience" was coinedby Raymond A. Moody

Jr., M.D., in his 1975 book Life after Lifef to describe the anomaly ofresuscitated patients who reported life on the other side of death. Fiveyears later, Kenneth Ring scientifically verified Moody's work in Life at

Deathf Thesetwobooks legitimizedtheplethora of research papers, otherbooks, articles, and speculations that followed—all of them based on thesamemodelof eightbasic scenario components.

These components are:

1. A sensationoffloatingoutofoneobody, often followedby an out-of-body experiencein which allthat goes on aroundthe"vacated"bodyisboth seen andheard.

2. Passingthroughadark tunnelorblackspace, accompaniedby a feelingor sensation of acceleration—windmay beheardor felt.

3. AseendingtowardaUghtofincrediblebrilliance thatemitslovingpeacefulness, with thepossibility of seeing deceasedrelatives,animals,plants, scenery, andcities,

4, Beinggreetedbyfriendly voices, lovedones, and/orbeingsmadeofUghtConversation can ensue, anda messagemay be given,

5. Seeingapanoramic, reviewofthelifejustlived, frombirth to death orin reverse order, sometimes a relivingrather than a dispassionateviewing,

6, A differentsenseoftimeandspace;thediscovery that time andspace

donot exist.

7, A reluctance toreturn to theearthplane,but a feelingof obligation to,so a job canbe finishedor a mission performed,

3, Disappointmentatbeingrevived, even anger or tearfulness atbeingback,

Few near-death episodes include all eight components. Most

encompass about five. This confuses people who may have had such an

experience and has given rise to a major complaint voiced by those whoattend local meetings of the International Association for Near-DeathStudies (LANDS) through any ofits Friends of IANDS affiliates in theUnited

States, Canada, andaround the world.ÿ The complaint? What happened to

them doesn't match the"classical" model.

Since this discrepancy involves so many people and happens so often,the time has cometo admit how the originalmodel came intobeing. It is acomposite of elements common to the experience that was used as a"model"by themedia to sensationalize Moody's firstbook, My work differsbecauseIwas never privy to what others inthe newly emerging field were

doing, nor hadIheard of Moody or his work. Today, the official definitionof a near-death experience as offered by IANDS is: "A lucid experienceassociated withperceivedconsciousnessapartfrom thebody, occurringat thetimeofactualor threatenedimminentdeath. "

Right off,I isolated four distinctive types of near-death experiences inthe researchIconducted.Idiscovered elements similar to those describedby Moody and Ringbut different patterning from what was billed as theso-called classical version; each pattern type was accompaniedby a subtlepsychological profile suggestive of other forces that might be present

These four types have consistently heldup throughout a quarter century ofinterviews, observations, and analysis regardless of a person’s age,

education, gender, culture, or religion. In Beyond theLightIused separate

chapters to discuss each of the four types. What Ioffer here is a shorterrendition of the scenario patterns. The statistics are based on a study of3,000 adult and 277 child experiencers of near-death states. Children'scases follow as illustrative examples of each type,

THE FOUR TYPES OF NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES

InitialExperience (sometimes referred to as the "nonexperience”)

Involves elements such as a loving nothingness, the living dark, a friendly voice, a greeterof some kind, or a brief out-of-body episode. Usually experienced by those who seem toneed the least amount of evidence for proof of survival, or who need the least amount ofshakeup in their lives at that point in time. Often, this becomes a "seed” experience or anintroduction to other ways of perceiving and recognizing reality,

Incident rate: 76% with child experiencers

co% with adult experiencers

Unpleasant orHell-LikeExperience (inner cleansing and self-confrontation)

Encounter with a threatening void or stark limbo or hellish purgatory or scenes of astartling and unexpected indifference, even “hauntings” from one's own past. Usuallyexperienced by those who seem to have deeply suppressed or repressed guilts, fears, andangers and/or those who expect some kind of punishment or discomfort after death.

Incident rate: 3% with child experiencers

15% with adult experiencers

Pleasant or Heavenlike Experience (reassurance and self-validation)

Heavenlike scenarios of loving family reunions with those who have died previously,reassuring religious figures or light beings, validation that life counts, affirmative andinspiring dialogue, 1Isually experienced by those who most need to know how loved theyare and how important life is and how every effort has a purpose in the overall scheme ofthings.

Incident rate: 19% with child experiencers

47% with adult experiencers

Transcendent Experience (expansive revelations. alternaterealities)

Exposure to otherworldly dimensions and scenes beyond the individual’s frame ofreference; sometimes includes revelations of greater truths. Seldom personal in content.Usually experienced by those who are ready for a mind-stretching challenge and/orindividuals who are more apt to utilize (to whatever degree) the truths that are revealed tothem.

Incident rate: 2% with child experiencers

iB96 with adult experiencers

NOTE:Ihave noticed that all four types can occur during the same experience for the sameperson at the same time, can exist in varying combinations, or can spread out across aseries of episodes for a particular individual. Generally speaking,however, each representsa distinctive type of experience occurring but once to a givenperson.

INITIAL EXPERIENCE

Sophia Carmien,Boulder, Colorado,NDEatagefour, "I was swimming ina neighborhood swimming pool. There were two lifeguards. Mom sat medown near the pool and went to the dressing room to change. She said,'Don’t jump m the deep pool without water wings.’Ihadno water wings on

but I thoughtIdid, So, I jumped. Part of me was down below splashingaround, not able to see much. The other part was floating up, way up

higher than the lifeguards,Iheard somethingbehind me, all around me,'speak' an unspoken question: 'Do you want to live?'Ithought about thatDying seemed somehow good, nice. Dying feels normal. And then Ithought about my parents and how sad they would be. Even though itseemed niceto go,Isaid, 'I’llstay,’Islowly went back downin the water to

theother half of me, The next thingIknewIwas beingheldby a fat lady ina polka-dotbathingsuit,Ithanked her for helpingme. Afterward,Ithought

it was normal,being as young asIwas, for this kind of thingto happen to

everyone.”

JoeAnn VanGelder,Newport, Vermont.NineNDEsfromagefifteenmonthsto age ten. "My first eleven years found me challenged withboth chronicand acute illnesses, including polio, plus various serious accidents. Thenext five years foundme on a slow recovery.During each ofmy childhoodnear-death experiences I encountered a warm, supportive darkness,almost womblike, which communicated a sense of love and safety to me.This friendly darkness was not a scary place;neither was it a 'void.' It wasindescribable, timeless, spaceless—where the 'real I’ goes. I had many

aftereffects, increasing in intensity after each experience. As a child,Itookmy near-death episodes as natural and normalbecause my mother hadhad such an experience as a young adult. There was no reason for me to

feel strange or weirdsince sheunderstood."

UNPLEASANT OR HELL-LIKE EXPERIENCE

DianaSchmidt,ElCerrito,California.NDEatagenine. “It is highnoon andIam in the 'chopped' (weed-free) backyard of my paternal grandfather.Isee my nine-year-oldself walk across the yard andputmy head down on a

tree stump. A giant ax appears and splits my head open. What falls out

onto the ground rather thanbrains are crawling, wiggling maggots! Thiswas a terrible experience for me.It wipedout any good feelingsIhadaboutmyself, asIthoughtIwas filled with something repugnant. This 'dream'left me feeling totally frightened and ashamed. After being operated on at

twenty-nine for theremoval of a bloodclot in my brain,Iremember beingso relieved. It was good news!I had a brain, not a skull full of maggots.

Considering my history of blood clots and seizures,Ibelieve this incidentwas an undiagnosed seizure resulting from a congenital or inheritedangioma|swellingor tumor],”

AdriannaNorton,Modesto, California.NDEatagefive “I wasborn with a

large hole in my heart, which wasn't fixed surgically untilIwas an adultWhenIwas five,Iwas stricken with the flu and a very high fever. DuringthenightIfoundmyself up in the corner of the ceiling lookingdown atmy

small sleepingbody. Suddenly,Iwas floatingin a black cube about twelvefeet square with black matter, black clawlike hands everywhere andclawing at me. I was horrified; there was no opening for escape. Againsuddenly,Iwas floating facedown in a ‘sea' of opalescent light and felt themost warm, safe, secure, loved, comforting feeling. Waves of light tenderlymassagedme. ThenIwasback inmybody andbackonthebed, exhausted.My fever was gone andIfell asleep.Ithought it was a nightmare andtriedto forget it, I could not. I tried to repress the memory of it because thefrighteningepisode overwhelmedthepleasantone, yet it has remainedvividallmy life.I'vebeen claustrophobic ever since."

AdriannaNorton,NDEatagefive,

PLEASANT OR HEAVENLIKE EXPERIENCE

GradeL. Sprouse, Keene, Virginia. NDEat age eleven. “I was swimmingwith my sisters when suddenly I found myself unable to reach the top ofthe water for air. It felt likeI had just stepped into nothingness,I went

down twice and was coming up for the third time whenImanaged to yell

for help. BeforeIwas pulled from the water,Isaw a filmstrip of my life. Itwas just likebeingin a theater, asIsat cross-leggedandwatched thethingsI'ddone wrongtomy sisters.Iwas not judgedby theangel who showedme

this;I judged and convicted myself. The angel hovered in midair, to theupper left of the screen.Iremember thinkingthatIwas leavingmy familyand sisters and started to feel sorrow. The sorrow left immediately andIfelt as ifI'dbeen assured they wouldbe fine. Then, there was such a feelingof bliss that it's indescribable. Since then, I have had a lifetime ofunexplained happenings. My entire outlook is different from the norm.I

see withmyheart 11

\ /S\s

f-111kA

GradeL Sprouse,NDEatageeleven,

ClaraLaner Belmont Ohio.NDEatage ten. "I was inthe fifth grade whenIbecame sick with extreme pain in my lower right side. My teacher thoughtit was only a stomachache and ignoredit Two hours laterIwas rushed to

thehospital.Iwas terrified and begged to go home.Iwas fightingtheethermask when it happened. One secondIwas awake, scaredtodeath, thenext

secondI was falling straight down a dark hole as if in a well. There wereloud sounds like buzzing and ringing and metal scraping together, thenIwas up by the ceiling lookingdown on myself,Ifelt as thoughIwas spreadout all over the room like vapor or a cloud,I watched as the doctor had a

square green machine wheeled into the roomby a nurse, andthen workedon me using it There were several nurses there. SuddenlyIwas standingalonein a room with large, heavy doors leadinginto other rooms. Someone

came to me.Ididn’t see him;Ionly heardhis voice. He led me up throughwhat seemed like a tunnel.Iseemedtobe walking,but my feet didn’t toucha floor. SuddenlyIheard what sounded like a city-sized playground full ofkids, laughingandplaying.Hearingthem calmedme.

Another man came tomeet us.Ididn't seehim either.He askedthe one

leading me whoIwas, then he went away. When he returned he told theman withmethatIhadto goback, that they weren't ready for me yet.Iwasled up a sidewalk to a largebuilding with large doors.Iwalked inside andsaw people all around working and doing things.I was taken to a hugeiridescent white room and told to sit down on some steps that led up to a

large white chair, and wait there for someone who was to talk to me. He

came out a door at the other end. of the steps, walkedto the chair aboveme,

and sat down. He was dressed in a white, long-sleeved, floor-length robewith a wide goldband around the midsection. He wore sandals. His darkbrown hair was shoulder length; he had a long face, broad chin, dark eyeswithblack aroundboth eyelids, like eyeliner pencil,but it wasn’t. His skinwas olive colored and his eyes were as liquid love. He communicatedbylooking at me. No words had to be spoken, as we could hear each other’sthoughts.He toldme whatIhadto do inlifeandhadme go tothe other sideof the room and look down into something like a TV set soIcould see myfuture. WhatIsaw made me very happy. This man, whoIbelieve is JesusChrist, said that onceI woke up in the hospitalIwould forget whatIwassupposed to do in life, 'Nothing can happen before its time,' he cautioned.As I was leaving the room he saidImust obey his commandments if Iwanted to come back, WhenIrevived, a nurse was sitting beside my bedand she said, 'Thank God you finally woke up.’Itold the doctor thatIhadwatched him work on me and the color of the machine brought into thesurgery room.Hedidn’t know what to say,"

K

ClaraLane,NDEatage ten.

TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE

CecilL.Hamilton,Palmyra, Virginia.NDEatage eleven, "My brother andIwent swimming. He had a problem,Itried to get him out of the water,butin his panic he pulled me under several times. We both drowned. He diedandIcame back.Ican remember it all like yesterday. Just as Icould no

longer stay afloat, a strange sound like ringing in my ears started. Apeaceful feeling came over me.I felt my spirit come out of my body andIwent into a black void. That was a little frightening. A long way off therewas a pinprick of light.Imoved toward it, slowly at first, then faster andfaster as ifIwere on top of a train accelerating. ThenIstopped andsteppedfully into thelight,Inoticed everything—sky,buildings, glass—emitteditsown light.And everything was much morecolorful than what we see here,

A river meandered around. On the other side was a city, and a roadrunning through it to another city, and another city, and another andanother. Right in front of me but across the river were three men. Theyprojected themselves to me. They didn't walk or fly; they projected over.Ididn't recognize them, yetIknew one was Lynn Bibb. (I was named afterhim, He died a matter of weeks beforeIwas born,)Iknew these three men

were looking out for me, like a welcoming committee to escort me over theriver to the first city,Ihad the feeling that ifIwent with them, there wouldbe no comingback, soIhesitated. The first city was like first grade. Peoplestayed there until they were ready to go to the next city—your eternalprogression, from city to city. Behindme andto the left was a strong lightsource, very brilliant and filled with love,Iknew it was a person,Icalled it

God for lack of abetter term.Icouldnot seeit;Ifelt what seemed like a malepresence.

He communicated to me, not so much in words but telepathically, andhe asked, 'Why did you hesitate?’Ireplied, 'Well, I’m kind of young to die.’He chuckled. 'We havebabies die.’Isaid, 'Well, there’s somethingsIwant

to know first.’ He replied, ‘What do you want to know?’ 'What is death?’Iasked. He said, 'Turn and look to one side.’ AsIdid,Isaw a bad car wreck.Severalpeople hadbeen killed. Out of some of thebodies a spirit came up to

progress on. Some who did not believe it was possible stayed in theirbodies and wouldnot emerge.Iaskedif they couldbe reached andhe said,'Yes, some more quickly than others and some maybe never,’ Death, then,is not believingin anything.Iasked, 'What is hell?’He said, 'Turn andlookagain.’I saw an old woman in a rocking chair determined to sit and rockand worry about children and grandchildren and everything else. Hell istherefore a lack of wisdom and not moving on, choosing not to go anyfurther, sitting there and doingnothing. Hell is not a place.Iaskedif therewas a Devil or Satan. He said to me, 'WouldGod allow that?' He continued,

'IfImade you God for just a few seconds, what would youdo first?'Iknewmy first act would be to eliminate any Devil or Satan, I asked, 'How doIknow right from wrong?’ He replied, 'Right is helping and being kind.Wrongis not only hurtingsomeonebutnothelpingwhen youcan.’

We walked asIasked about the universe and reasons for everything.

Allof these things were shown to me. Then he wonderedifIstill wantedto

return tothe physical world. 'I do want to return.’ He asked, 'Why?’IsaidIwould help my mother whom my father had left with four children andone on the way, God kind of chuckled and asked me for the real reason,IsaidIwould leave the earth a littlebetter thanI found it, ‘Then you may

return with some of the knowledge of the things you have learned,but therest will be veiled for a time. Live in such a way that you willnot feelbadwhen you return here again,’Iwoke up facedown in the mud of the riverbottom and was 'lifted’ to the top.Ithrew up great amounts of water, thenpulledmyself out of theriver only to discover that mybrother haddied,"

The vast majority of youngsters have InitialExperiences, and thoseInitialExperiences can involve powerful feelings, knowings, and often a sense ofpresence, which greatly affect thechild andleave a lasting impression.For

instance, the warm and friendly dark experienced especially by the young

is incredibly important. This darkness is similar to that of the womb, a

protective love cradle, yet it somehow "voices" instructions and enjoyslively dialogue.Unlikethe womb,it is theDarkness ThatKnows.

In direct contrast to adult cases, imagery is not necessarily a primecomponent of children's near-death episodes,nor is light.

And the dark that little ones experience should not be confused withtunnels. Yes, kids do describe tunnels on occasion,but not nearly as oftenas do older experiencers. Even among adults the tunnel component to thescenario is not that common. I have encountered this stereotypicalelement among less than 30 percent of thoseI have interviewed. In theoriginalGallup poll,conductedin19S2, only 9 percent mentioned a tunnel.Many times I’ve actually seen adults change their near-death accounts to

include a tunnel so they could fit in and avoid the embarrassment of not

matchingthe “classical" model,

The life review of the very young commonly consists of vividprebirthscenarios and past-life remembrances, recounted, curiously, from theviewpoint of a seemingly “mature mind," A judgmentlike appraisal of thepresent life from a child's perspective usually doesn't begin until aboutkindergarten age.

Multiple experiences are as common among kids as they are among

adults. The forty-four child experiencers who filled out the questionnairerecorded sixty-one episodes, with 27 percent experiencing another near¬

death event in adulthood. Van Gelder, who suffered from chronic illness,polio, surgery, and several serious accidents as a child, reported nineevents between the ages of fifteen months andten years, as already noted,

Another individual had five as a child and five as an adult, as well as aprenatalmemory that was verifiedby her mother. Therecordholder inmy

research base is a man who claimed a total of twenty-three near-deathexperiences throughout his lifetime, beginning shortly after birth. Theman, who asked to remain anonymous, came into the world with severe

physical handicaps and was not expected to live. He was in his late fortieswhenIinterviewed him. After countless surgeries, he felt he never couldhave survived as long as he had without the healing strength he gainedfrom each near-death episode.

Drowning was by far the most frequent cause of death among thechildren in my study. Large numbers also “died" from suffocation; duringor after major surgery or during tonsillectomies; and from child or siblingabuse (in that order). Other traumas were described, like those from highfever andbeing hit by lightning, but what captures my attention are thetonsillectomies—a minor operation that has hardly garnered a singleheadlineinmodernmedicine.

Consider what happened toRobert C. Warth ofLittleSilver, New Jersey,

when he was five. His mother and father took him to a local doctor’s officeto have his tonsils out. Three other children were already there, sitting on

beds with their pajamas on. He was ushered to the fourth bed. Soon afterhis mother toldhim that the doctor was going to remove something fromhis throat, a nurse came and took him to another room where the doctorwas. She put a mask over his face, "It dripped something sickeninglysweet," herecalled. Instantly he found himself above the domed operatinglight looking down, and was surprised to see his body below him alongwith a layer of dust atop the light fixture. “I could see 360 degrees withoutmoving," he noted, Fighting back tears, he described a scene that stillhorrifies him.

“My mouth was priedopen andIwas coveredup tomy neck. There was

a frenzy, The nurse yelled, ‘Doctor,’ He swung around and said, 'Standback,' The next thingIremember is waking up in the bed, andIcouldn'ttalk andI felt miserable," Two weeks later Robert was taken back to thedoctor for a checkup. He described for the doctor everything he had seen

andheard. "The doctor winkedatmy mother andsaid, They tellme storiesoften. It’s the ether.It makes them dream andhallucinate.’ What else was

the doctor going to say, that the little creep stoppedbreathing?Isaw whathe did, andhe couldn't get me out of his office fast enough."

Melvin Morse, M.D., in his seminal work with children, noted thatduring the early to mid-1900s doctors regularly used too much ether fortonsillectomies, and that’s why so many show up in near-death cases

during that period. This practice changed by the late 1970s (althoughcases like this are still reported). Apparently, excessive amounts of ethercan trigger full-blown near-death states with some children instead of thesimple hallucinations many report. My research caught the same “error ofjudgment" regarding the drug as Morse’s did, verifying his findings,butIalso discovered something else: Medical mistakes readily surface in near¬

death scenarios, They maybe individual incidents, as when the patient,while out of body, witnesses what the doctor or nurse really did; or they

may show up as an unusual percentage of people “dying" from a

nonthreatening procedure, as in the case of children across the country

being overdosed with ether during tonsillectomies, The accuracy of thesereports suggests that the range of human faculties is as nonlocal as themind—somethingthemedicalcommunity wouldbe wisetonote,

fW:

Roger C. Worth,NDEatagefive.

Over 70 percent of children’s near-death scenarios involve angelvisitations. Small children are not as explicit in their descriptions as olderkids, yet the majority describe the angels as winged and either bright ordark or colored “like real folks are." The very young seldom use the term

“angel"; rather, they speak of “the people" or describe lovingbeings madeof light Youngsters are alsometby:

•Deceasedrelativesandfriends, a1ways authentic andgenuine even ifunknown tothechildat thetime.Invariably, these are later verified.

•Animalsanddeceasedpets, aIong with sensations ofbeinglieked,rubbed,pawed, or nosedby theanimal.Ifnot a pet, children almostinvariably are greetedby smaller animals such asbirds, chickens,bunnies, etc,; with adults, it is usually the larger animals likehorsesandlions, Critters sometimes converse telepathically or serve asguides, Occasionally, kids report havingto visit theanimalheavenbefore they can go to theheaven wherepeople are,

* Religiousfigures describedasbeingmore wonderftilthan angels.Many children were exposedtoChristianity beforetheir experiencesandcalledthis “extra specialbeing” Jesus or Christ.Kids of otherbackgrounds usedterms typical totheir family of origin, excepithztJesus andMohammed were almost always describedas havinglightbrown skin andBuddha somewhat yellowish skin, regardless of thechild's race or culture.

•God, experienced as the greatest of fathers or grandfathers (alwaysmale,never female)by the very young. Yet kids of schoolage andaboveusually saw Godas a sphere of all-knowinglight.

* People verymuch alive, a rarity,usually involveda favorite teacher or

playmate. “Image" lastedonly longenough to calm the child, thenitdisappeared, replacedby more common otherworldly beings such as

angels.

To understand children’s cases, we must keep in mind that kids are

tuned to different harmonics than adults. Concepts of life and death leavethem withpuzzled faces, “Idon't endorbegin anywhere," a youngster oncetold me. “I just reach out and catch the next wave that goes by andhop aride. That’s howIgot here."

This child, like other young experiencers, speaks in the language of“other worlds," one that is less verbal and more akin to synesthesia(multiple sensing). This ability enables them to perceive what we callreality as consisting of layered realms unrestricted by physicalboundaries, Thus, they easily giggle with angels, play with ghosts, and see

the future. Parents generally find such behavior cause for panic. Yet whatseems worrisome may well have a simple explanation: near-death states

expand faculties normal to us, hence allowing access to more of theelectromagnetic spectrum,

A fascinating aspect of this is that as a child's mindbegins to shift, hisor her intelligence increases, Using questionnaire responses, let's take a

look at what I’m implying.

Faculties enhanced, altered, or experiencedinmultiples

Mind works differently—highly creativeandinventive

Significant enhancement of intellect

Mindtestedat genius levelon standardIQtests (no genetic markersfor increase)

main group, frombirthto15 yearsli

subgroup,between 3 to 5 years

subgroup, aroundbirth to15 months

same subgroup as previous,but those whohada dark lightexperience rather than abright one

Drawn to andhighly proficient inmath/science/history

Professionally employedinmath/science/history careers

Unusually gifted with languages

School

easier after experience

harder afterwardorblocked from memory

77%

84%

68%

4S%

81%

96%

100%

93%

25%

35%

34%

66%

NOTE:I found no difference between males and females with regard to

enhanced intelligence and spatial and mathematical abilities. Althoughthe percentages shown arebasedon the questionnaire results, they reflectwhatIhave consistently observed with the 277 child experiencers in my

study. The lone exception is professional employment,In thelarger group,the figureis 40%, not 25% as shown here, which is still substantially lowerthan interest levelandproficiency,

These figures come close to matching whatIhave encountered with theaverage child experiencer since 197S, But I want to make another

observation: After a near-death experience, a child's learning ability seems

to reverse; instead of continuing on along the normal developmentalcurve, from concrete (details) to abstract (concepts), a typical childexperiencer returns immersed in broad conceptual reasoning styles andhas to learnhowto go from abstractback toconcrete.

The most often repeated phrase was: "I felt like an adult in a child’sbody,"

Here are some comments from the experiencers themselves aboutwhat it was like for them to grow up this way.

Kenneths. Taylor,Midlothian, Virginia.NDEatageseven, drowning. “Ihada lust for knowledge afterward. By the time I was eight or nine I was

reading adult books.Istill read a lot andhave a large library. The militarytested me and discoveredI have an unusually high and sharp degree ofhearing.Inever thought about itbefore,but they were impressed."

Judith Werner, Bronx,New York.NDEatnine days old, duringsurgeryforinfection. "I was first in my class through grade school, thirteenth out of a

class of one thousand in high school, Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum

Laude in college. Other people havealways seen me as serious, precocious,ffocusedj inward, stubborn, and a little depressed.Iwas probably always

psychic about the future,but it took many years toadmit it tomyself,"

SusanFirth,Free Union, Virginia.NDEat age twofroman accident, atsix

fromdrowning. ‘School was very difficult. From the first day,Iexperiencednegativity inthe vibrationalairwaves. The sounds, clamor, andnoise weredysfunctional tome, andIhadto separate[from mybody] for safety,Ihadtrouble readingand comprehending, transposing letters,numbers, words.At home thebroken record was: 'Won't you ever learn? What are we goingto do with you? You are so stupid. Goto your room and don’t come out 'tilyou’ve learned something,’ Consequently, I spent more time [projecting

myself] in[tol thetree outsidethe classroom window withthebirds than at

the desk whereIsat.Iwas quite adept atbeingintwoplaces at once."

Beverly A. Brodsky, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NDE at age seven and a

half, duringtonsillectomy. "I was brilliant in school and loved to learn.Iread the encyclopedia from cover tocover, first the children's edition, thenthe adult WorldBook.Idevouredbooks that were supposed tobe far abovemy level.I was accused of plagiarism in the third grade by my Englishteacher, for spicing up an assignment with an analogy to a Greek myth.Ifinally convincedher it was my own work. She was stunned.Icloseddownto everyone except my sister and one friend. I often thought I had an

inferiority/superiority complex; inferior because some connection was

missing inside me, yetI was so smartIwas intellectually superior to my

peers."

Robert C. Warth, Little Silver, New Jersey. NDE at age five, duringtonsillectomy. “I couldn’t stand school. The teacher called in my motherandtoldher, ‘Robert doesn't seem tobe able to do the work.I'llhave to put

himback in kindergarten.' My mother was devastated. She talked to me.Idon't know what happened, but within a week I was doing what thesecond graders were doing and so was able to skip the first grade. By thetimeIwent to another school to finish the sixth grade,Ihad a miserablereputation with teachers for being the class clown. My teacher hated myguts and told my motherIshouldn’t be in the sixth grade.Iwas sent to a

psychiatrist. He saidIshould be skipped into the seventh grade, but mymother said no. Allthis time,Iwas frantically clippingout science articlesfrom every paper I read. Also, I was getting precise dates when thingswouldhappen, sometimes years in advance, andIwould writethem down.They just 'came' to me.Iwas never sick or late for school in twelve years.

Graduated high school with the Bausch and Lomb Science Award for top

science students."

Christina Moon, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Two NDEs, complications at

birth. "I am smart. Throughout schoolIwas told that I have a high IQ.Learninghas always come easily to me.My pattern as an adult has been to

get interested in something, immerse myself in it until I have learnedeverythingIcould about the subject, andthen move on to something else.To some this looks like fickle behavior. To me, it is an indication of howinteresting things are. I am neverbored.Idon't think linearly.I think inimages, feelings, impulses.Isensethings."

CarrollCray,Atlanta,Georgia.FiveNDEs due toiryuriesfromchildabuse/oneprenatalexperience. "My father, who had left school at thirteen, was

openly threatenedby an intelligent, precocious child. Other relatives were

very proudbut bewildered, as there was no one else in the family like me.

By two and a half I could read and write, had a library card, and was

reading the newspaper. Had an immediate interest in theater; saw an

opera. Read Hamlet with some comprehension, and was performingShakespeare by the age of five. Learned how to fence andhave had a reallove of good blades and fine swords since after my fourth near-deathepisode. Began writing poetry at three, plays shortly thereafter. Ibelievemy intelligence level has changed after every episode, thoughIcan’t say

how. I rarely forget research, names, dates, history, but often can’t

remember if I’ve eaten or slept in thepast few days. At fourteen,I tested at

an IQ of 1S6. 1have no idea what my IQ is after five additional near-deathstates in adulthood.Idon't feel that smart, but over and over people keeptellingmeIam, almost to the point where they can't converse with me orunderstand what I'm saying, I, on the other hand, feel that I'm beingperfectly clear and simple, and that anyone shouldbe able to grasp whatI'm saying,"

L. S. Gordon, United States; NDE at age three, during tonsillectomy.“Suddenly began to read right after my near-death experience. Evidencedhigh IQ, Could think and read at incredible speed. Could think multiple

trains of thought. It made a big impression on others thatI could read so

suddenly and without explanation. WhenIlearnedof [Einstein's formulalE = MC2, I understood that the 'speed of light' was home—no time andinfinite mass!I got it!I was dismayed that Icouldn’t get back to ‘home.’Read physics and grasped it, even as a ten-year-old. Studied worldreligions and spiritual practices. Knew that 'earth school’ was a Scotch-tape-and-cardboard affair. Always in trouble, but high IQ won metolerance. I hated, hated, hated school—skipped, forged notes. Did myreading out in the fields. Without parents initiating the idea,Iknewl was

going to college, andI knewI was supposed to. From college on, I was

always on the dean’s list,"

Lauren Thibodean,Madison, Ohio.NOEatagesix, electrocuted. "I seem to

pick things up very easily. Great facility with languages and math. Honor

student throughout school, tested high IQ. Very sensitive to smells andtastes. Unable to tolerate light for long periods. Hypersensitive to sound.My body temperature routinely is about 97 to 97.4 degrees Fahrenheit,blood pressure lower than normal. I'm often allergic to medications,

Animals andnature 'speak' tome.”

CarlAllenPierson,Hinton, West Virginia. NDEbefore age nine, struckbylightning. "I was an exceptionally bright child. School was a breeze for me.

Made straight A’s.Ihave had 20/10 vision and extremely sensitive taste

buds—can taste something and usually tell what all the ingredients are

andthen can cook it. My IQ was 13S inhigh school,Itook another IQtest intheearly nineties andmy scorehad goneup to ISO.”

Anthony Chipoletti, Arnold, Pennsylvania. NOE at age seven duringand

after tonsillectomy. “1 was confident thatIcouldpredict the future, such ashumans going to the moon, cures for mental and physical illnesses,Icanrecall saying to countless people, ‘Boredom doesn't exist,' In high school,

my classmates and even the chemistry teacher 'gave up’ and let me teachthe class—at least for a day. 1 became aware of a massive amount ofscientific knowledge, specifically chemistry, without any previous studiesin science."

These quotes richly illustrate the mixedblessing near-death states are to a

child’s development. Even those who didnot test out with extraordinarilyhigh IQs evidenced uniquely creative minds, numerous facultyenhancements, unrelenting curiosity, and an exceptional ability to knowthings soon after reviving. Some were unusually gifted with foreignlanguages.

Themajority of childexperiencers arenaturalcomputer whizzes,not to

mention top physicists and inventors,masters of thearts andhumanities,and even professional psychics. Older teenage and adult experiencers are

the ones who aremost often drawn tohealing, counseling, andministerialroles afterward; this is not true of the majority of younger kids. Mentionmath or science and they’re all aglow. Andhistory intrigues them, as wellas anythingtodo with times past.

Percentages clearly show a discrepancy between ability and interestand career choice: 93 percent are drawn to andhighly proficient in math,science, andhistory, while only 25 percent are actually employed in thosefields (40 percent if you consider the full 277 people involved in thisstudy),

Why theglaringdifference?

Ioffer the following case as an example of the kinds of challenges thatcan derailchildexperiencers.Bill from Atlanta, Georgia, “died" at about two

months of age when an infant chair fell over onhim,cuttingoffhis airway,Early on he tried to tell his family about his near-death episode, but was

slapped down harshly by his "wrath of God" southern Baptistgrandmother and shunned, ignored, or teased by other members of hisfamily,untilhe learnedtokeep quiet.He drovehis first-grade teacher crazy

remembering things randomly, Like the time when she was helping theclass readSee SpotRun andhe up and quoted from memory a longpassage

fromRobinson Crusoe."In my classicalmechanics courses,Ihad what is best described as an

intuitive grasp of everythingI ever looked at.I would see a problem andimmediately know the solution. Unfortunately, whenIwent to graduate

school, where you have to explain how and why,Inever finishedmy M.S.

in physics. A professor in my graduate-level classical mechanics classonce remarked, 'If you say once more that it is Intuitively obvious'concerningthings thatIand your classmates haveto work out ten pages ofcomplex equations to arrive at,Iwillgive younot a C but an Fin this class.'

“My analytical, mathematical, creative, and scientific skills havealways been very good.Iexamine things and solve problems as ifIhad a

parallel-processing system insteadof a brain. This is very hard to explain,but it is almost as if most problems get broken down somewhere in my

brain, the various portions of each are attackedby different subparts ofmybrain, and the solution is integrated and put together for me with no

conscious effort or control on my part. It is particularly frustrating for meto deal with other people doing joint research or brainstorming, becauseother people don't think likeIdo. Please don't laugh—I get some of my bestideas from dreams,

"I am currently able to see all sides of an object at once.Ican read the'other' side of a box of Pop-Tarts without touching or moving the box,I

have seen theinsides of locked objects at the same timethatIsaw all|their

outerl sides. It’s not like they areunfolded and laid out in two dimensions;it’s more likelookingat objects from allpossible angles simultaneously."

Bill has full-blown synesthesia (multiple sensing), is gifted in manylanguages, andis self-taught in computers.

"I once took a job at a company, andthe job was operating a typesettingcomputer and interfacing and integrating it with the company's 'maincomputer,' There was no manual for it andIreceived no training, In two

daysIwas makingit do things themanufacturer said were impossible."

WhenBill was a childhisbrain operatedlike a lightningcalculator. Theonly other person in his family who could do anything similar was hismother, who hadhad a near-death experience as a teenager,but hadnever

discussed it with anyone. He felt that heredity was not a factor inexplaininghis or his mother’s mind—the phenomenon of near-death was.

Although Bill finally became a respectable physicist,he didn’t remain one,nor did he continue on with what could have been a successful career ingrandopera. Instead,hebecame what he calls “a happy computer geek."

The bias against creative thought in the adult world, I submit, is thereason why most people who experience near-death episodes as childrenseldomreachormaintain theirfullpotential

And, according tomy research, 85 percent of the kids with the greatest

acceleration in mathematical ability also had a corresponding connectiontomusic that was so passionate, it felt like a loveaffair with the embrace ofcelestial harmonies. Many considered it better than sex. Curiously, thosewho showed no particular interest in or special response to music eitherlaggedbehindinmath or didn’t havethe skilltobegin with,

Theparts of thebrain that process math andmusic are located next to

each other.Near-death states in children somehow seem to acceleratebothof these areas together, as if they were oneunit,

There is a link between spatial reasoning, mathematics, and music, inthat all three are necessary to arrange schemes that encompass themany-

sidedness or wholeness of a given design. As an example, music impartsharmony, how things resonate or fit together; mathematics suppliesmeasurement, the specifics of physical manifestation, Yet it is spatialreasoning that, through creating an overall pattern, gives meaning andpurpose to the task or item at hand, while ensuring that all parts fit thewhole,

This ability tocreate an overall validpattern is precisely where thekidsshine, for the averagechildexperiencerbecomes a

spatial/nonverbal/sensory-dynamic thinker afterward—regardless ofgender.

I was able to show in Beyond the Light how varying degrees ofphysiological aftereffects (especially as regard light, sound, and electricalsensitivity) are relatedtothe intensity of exposure to light during thenear¬

death episode. It was the intensity oflight; not the length of exposure, thatdeterminedthese effects.

Among children,I discovered some fascinating contradictions to myprevious work, andthey center aroundtheissue of genius.

Near-death experiences, if sufficiently intense, seem to trigger fasterand more complex growth spurts in children’s brains than would beexpected for children of their age. The more intense the experience, thebigger the growth spurt, including relative intelligence increasessometimes tothepoint of genius.

In the previous chapter,I reported finding clusters of children's near¬death cases at certain ages in the overall group of 277. Birth to fifteenmonths andthree to five years arethe age groupings during which most ofthe events occurred. These two clusters account for most of the genius-level intelligenceI found. This suggests to me that the younger the childthe more susceptible he or she is to the sudden charge of intensity from a

near-death episode. (Brain circuitry formation normally skyrockets ininfancy; three- to five-year-olds undergo temporal lobe development asthey experience thebirth of imagination and creative thought. By the age

of five, thebrain reaches 90 percent of adult size.)

The Darkness That Knows can be a major component of scenarios forthe tiniest experiences, This unique, warm, friendly, living, loving,pulsating, and all-knowing darkness is describedby little ones (as

they are verbal) in terms that are evocative of a passionate embrace. Theirbody language, facial expressions, often a shaking or quivering voice thatthey use when trying to find words to portray this darkness, areunmistakable, This darkness is not frightening, nor is it a state of

soon as

suspension or void or lifeless nothingness. This darkness has a brillianceall its own and an enfolding shimmer that is, for them, love's fullness.Unusual healings are often associated with this dark or black light(sometimes said to have purple tinges to it), even with older children andadults.

Significantly, I found more compelling cases of genius specificallyassociated with infants and toddlers who experienced the Darkness ThatKnows, than with their counterparts who werebathedinbright light.

Because of this,Iam movedto ask, What if children can have temporallobe enhancementbefore they are old enough to experience temporal lobedevelopment? Wouldthat account for thephenomenal abstractions a childdisplays after a near-death experience? What if the learning reversals soapparent in child experiencers are the direct result of the brain being"charged" by the intensity of either an unusual light effect or dark effect at

crucial junctures in its growth? What if there is more involved in theoutworking of a near-death scenario than canbe explainedby thestudy ofeither thehumanbrain or thehuman family?

What if the near-death experience in children is a second birtht a

repositioning of brain/mind structures from regular genetic patterning to

more expansive capacities and an acceleration of intellect that makes thechildrenpartof thegroundwork evolution laysfor thenext "upgrade"in ourspecies?

Let me go further with this,

There are three styles of learning and at least seven distinct types ofintelligence. The three learning styles are visual, auditory, and tactile-kinesthetic, Most people are familiar with these but unfamiliar with thefact that intelligencecan manifest in somany different ways.PsychologistHoward Gardner, famous for his insights into genius, posits that society’s

concept of intelligence is far too limiting, In his book Frames ofMincfi- heargues that Western society as a whole and schools in particular forcelinguistics and logic/mathematics on kids while neglecting other ways of

knowing. He identifies the seven types of intelligence as linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal (more

social, outwardly directed), and intrapersonal (self-paced, inwardlydirected).

It is important that we accept this broader concept of intelligence to

appreciate that the genius I observed in child experiences was not

confinedto linguistics or logic or even what we normally think of when we

refer to visual and/or auditory and tactile learners. WhatIsaw was whatIcall "truegenius, 11 where intuition is the equal ofintellect; where the brainseemed to evidence parallel-processing systems, faculty enhancements,multiple sensing, the simultaneouspresence ofmultiple brainwavepatterns,

andan ability toknow things unboundedby the constraintsofpast, present,

andfuture, asif theycouldaccessanddrawfromacosmicbankofknowledge.

True genius is the goal of transcendental meditation, various types ofspiritual and religious practices, and enlightenment; it is the idea ofreaching oneness with Source. Few probationers on the spiritualpath ever

reach this goal, and fewer still are able to maintain the state once theyreachit

It would be an exaggeration for me to claim that children who havenear-death experiences are able to maintain such a high state of brain-mind functioning,but many of them do reach this state andevidence thatthey didwith typicalaftereffects.

How many actually develop and refine what they achievedby virtueoftheir secondbirth?

Precious few.

Too much too soon may be the reason this is the case—along with thestress of readjusting back into social groups. The conundrum: How caneducators be expected to teach a child who knows more than they do? Yethow can a childbe expectedto attendto a teacher who is utterlyboringandhas absolutely nothingof interest to offer?

Hence, most child experiences go through some period of rejectionafterward, both of home and of school, that leads them either to act out

feelings of anger, rage, and resentment or to withdraw due to feelings ofloss, abandonment,and depression.Fortunately,many are able to turnthesituation around, if not in the lower grades, then by high school or incollege. I find it fascinating that a third of those who filled out thequestionnaire had another near-death episode in adulthoodthat they saidhealed the confusion of their earlier one. Thisunderscores another force at

work—a spiritualdimension.

Theresa Csanady of Glenview, Illinois, suggested thatIinvestigate thefield of gifted children in my search for links to the spiritual dimension ofintelligence. WhatI found has a direct bearing on the uniqueness of near¬

death kids, for those qualities that identify a gifted child are amazinglysimilar tothosethat describe childexperiencers.

Linda Kreger Silverman,Ph.D,, a psychologist and director of theGiftedChildDevelopment Center inDenver, Colorado, is a leader in this field, andshe has given me permission to list the characteristics of gifted children

that shehas identifiedinher research:ÿ

•Giftedchildren often haveuniquelearningstyles; they learn indifferent ways from other children,

* They also learn at a faster pace. They solveproblems rapidly,

•They areusually developmentally advanced. They learn totalk, walk,read, etc,, earlier than usual.

•They may appear healthier,physically stronger, andbettercoordinatedthantheir agemates,

•They are very curious andtendto ask complex questions,

•They also givecomplicated answers. Their detailedexplanationsshowthat they have greater depth ofunderstandingof topics thantheir classmates,

* They are quick to recognize relationships, even relationships thatothers donot see.

* They organizeinformation innew ways, creatingnew perspectives.

* They often seemany solutions to a problem.

•Their thinkingis more abstract thantheir classmates', involvinghypotheticalpossibilities rather than present realities.

•They often seeambiguity in what appears tobe factual information.

• Theyhavelarge vocabulariesandtendtoexpress themselves well\

They haveunusually good memories.

* Theymaybenaturalleaders\ Theymayinitiateandorganizeactivities

forothers.

•They also enjoy workingindependently. They easily becomeabsorbedin themastery of skills.

• Theymayprefer thecompanyofolderchildrenandadults.

• Theymaylike tobebestateverything, andmayrefuse toparticipateinactivitiesin which theymightfail. *

• Theyareoftenperfectionists, becoming very upsetifthingsdon ft turn

outas theyexpect. Sometimes theycompare themselvesandtheirachievements togreatpersons theyhavereadaboutrather than to

others theirownage. *Theyarenotnecessarilygiftedinallareas.

•They usually don't want their giftedness pointedout,

Italics are my own and indicate areas of deviation. Regarding largevocabularies, natural leadership, a preference for the company of olderpeople, and limitations in gifts, these traits were true with some childexperiences,butnot trueoverall. The starred items signify a definite "no,"

I say this because I have seen only a few kids out of all of thoseIhaveinterviewed who were competitive or perfectionists by Silverman’s

standard. Thesetwomissingtraits are significant.

The average near-death survivor, child or adult, couldn't care less ifgoals are fulfilled, deadlines met, or awards won. What motivates them isquite different. Silverman included in the material she provided me a

monograph about Dabrowski’s theory of emotional development.ÿKazimierz Dabrowski, a Polish psychologist and psychiatrist, based histheory of emotionaldevelopment on the study of sensitive,nonaggressive,highly intelligent, and creative individuals. Through neurologicalexamination, he documented that creatively gifted individuals had morepronounced responses to various types of stimuli, He called this"overexcitability" and equated it to an abundance of physical energy,,heightened acuity of the senses, vivid imagination, intellectual curiosityand drive, and a deep capacity to care. The greater the strength of thesetraits, the greater the potential for an ethical, compassionate path inadulthood.

His discovery dovetails with what I have consistently seen in childexperiencers.

Truly, youngsters whohaveundergone a near-death episode standout.

1 call them the "second-born" because of the following telltalecharacteristics:

ELEMENTS OF A SECOND BIRTH

•Thosehardlyborn can undergo a secondbirth.

•Temporallobeexpansion can precede or acceleratenaturaldevelopment.

* Thelearningcurve can reverse itself,placingabstractconceptualizingbefore foundationalunderstanding,

* IQ enhancements and faculty extensions can accompany heightenedspatial/nonverbal/sensory-dynamic thinking, givingrise to creative

problem-soLving skills.

* An awareness of futurecan clarify the earth worldof time andspace,

by engendering"rehearsals" thatprovide for advancepreparation inmeetinglife demands.

* Sensingmultiples can open up wholenew worlds ofpossibility andnew dimensions of what is real.

* Brain shifts can jump-start theengine of evolution, enablingthehuman species toadapt toever-changingneeds andpressures.

•Spirit shifts can advance attitudes andbehaviors towardsocialjustice andmoralintegrity, as compassion andcaringreplacetheobsessions that drive greed.

* Thehigher mindcan emerge as thehigherbrain develops, thanks to

structuralandchemicalchanges that occur in thebrain after abrainshift andin theheartbecause of its realignment after a spirit shift.

It is my belief that the formula evolution uses to guarantee renewalandrebirth in the human family, and the continuous cycling of the SecondComing (that transcendent enlightenment that lifts us to the next

vibratory octave of existence) is brain shift/spirit shift—the engine thatdrives evolution .. . themechanismthat enables us tomake quantum leapsin our development as a species.

FOUR

<§>

Jumbles ofGood andEvil

Allhave their ownpersonal ways ofactingaccording to theirvisions, We must learn to be different tofeel and taste the

manifoldthings thatareus,

—LAME DEER

THE GRANDIOSITY OF THEORIZING about a child experienced possiblesecondbirth is unconscionableif we ignoretherealitybehind the theory—the positive and negative aspects of how kids really respond to

transformational events: what they think By taking a few moments to see

through their eyes, we can begin to appreciate the fuller scope of our

subject This will prepare us for an in-depth look at the impact ofaftereffects, coveredinthenext chapter.

Here is a brief sampling of comments that should dispel any notionthat a baby’s mind is a blank slate:

Margaret Evans, Roscoe, Illinois. NDE-like experience at age seven,

dramatic death dream. “As a baby I was very observantI 'knew' certainthings.Iunderstood what death was and could tell when each of my two

grandparents wholived with us in the samebuildingwere goingto die.”

DorothyM. Bernsteint North Olmsted, Ohio. NDEat ages tenmonths andthree andahalfyears,both suffocation. “The tiny person perched at thehead of my crib said, ‘You’re a baby.'Iremember glancing up at a nearbymirror and catching my reflection, that of a baby lying in a crib, then ofgrabbing a foot and stickingit in my mouth andbiting down. ‘Yup, this isme,'Ireplied. 'This is real.Ireally am a baby. Wow, isn't this something!'"

Some children's memories begin beforebirth, as in the case of CarrollGrayof Atlanta, Georgia: “Red, warm, wet fear. Voices raised in anger

somewhere nearby. Not a childlike perspective,but an adult awareness ofwhat anger is. Voices were male and female. A sense of alarm. Somethingdrastically not as it shouldbe.Male accusing female ofkillinghis son."

Two weeks previously, the doctor had informed Gray’s mother thatthere was no heartbeat, that the baby was dead. At the moment of thisparticular memory, Carroll’s father, screaming and enraged, grabbed hiswife and sent her flying across the room, right into the corner of a largetable, causing her amniotic sac to rupture. The mother was rushed to thehospital, where a “dead" baby girl was delivered via an emergency

cesarean section. To everyone's astonishment, thechildbegan tobreathe.

The case of Carroll Gray typifies something that I've found to becommonplace among children's near-death experiences, and that is thejumbling together of good and evil. For kids, the prospect of “wearing" a

body, even theact ofbreathing, lacks definable edges. What weregard as a

blessingmay behorrific to them, or vice versa.

Carroll went on to have numerous near-death scenarios, startingtwenty-four hours after her emergency delivery. The fragmented speechpattern she uses is how she remembers thinkingat thetime,

"Looking down at thebaby from above, through the glass of the thingit’s in [the incubator). It's tiny. Unfinished.Its head open from forehead to

base of skull. Brain under something like gelatin. Skin yellow. Fingers andtoes blackened. Purple blotches. Body fur, more like an animal than a

human. Tubes, needles. On its back. It can’t breathe—no one has noticedthat it can't breathe. It's me.Irecognize the hands and feet as mine. But

this is wrong. Anxiety.Alarm. I'mnot supposed tobehere.A mistake.Fear.

Sorrow for the baby. Born too soon and already traumatizedby the loudanger it absorbed in the red stuff. That kept it small, too. Head the size ofsoap ball, eleven inches long. Two pounds and dropping. It's not going to

make it. I can’t fit into something that small, and I’m not supposed to.

Sense ofbeinginthe wrongplace. Supposedtobe somewhere else. Late for .. . something." The attending physician warned Carroll’s parents that thebaby couldnot possibly survive, andthus obtainedpermission fromthemtotry thirty-oneexperimentalprocedures on theinfant.

Carroll remembers looking at “the baby" in the glass thingthree dayslater and determining that its heart and lungs were working but itsstomach wasn't "Little lashes. Eyes moving under thin lids. Not my face.After all, it's a baby andI’m not.It might just make it.Is that goodor bad?"The attending physician reported bad nights followedby rallies, thoughnothinghopeful. Yet against allodds, thechildlived.

Eight months had passed when Carroll Gray’s father took a sharppencilanddroveit through her stomach.It enteredbelow theright rib cage

andexited to the right ofher spine. She floated free of herbody, "Thelivingroom is in disarray, a heavy platform rocker andtwo lamps knocked over,

The man, disheveled and apparently intoxicated, and angry, leaning overthe baby, screaming for it to stop crying. The baby lies on an end table,impaled on the pencil, gasping jerky breaths, gushingblood, its right littlefinger facing toward its shoulder. No feeling of pain, or connection to thebaby at all. Realization that the pencil has missed major vital organs butthat it may die anyway. No wish to return to its tiny body," Thepediatrician, a drinkingbuddy of the father, never reported the abuse to

theauthorities.

On a snowy winter day two years later, Carroll's father strapped herbythe waist to a sled and set out on a brisk hike to the home of a friend. He

went inside to visit.Hours later he remembered that he’dleft his daughteroutside.By then, shehadcontractedpneumonia and was in the first stagesof hypothermia. Her near-death scenario this time was lengthy andfocusedon a walk shetook along a curvingwallof white light totheright ofa mist. A grown-up soon accompanied her.He was tall andslender, with akind face and thinning hair. He wore a shirt, pants with suspenders,practicalshoes, and a vest with somethingshiny on it—a watch chain thatglintedlight He allowedher topickhis pocket andpullon the chain. A goldwatch slid out. "For a momentIam me andthe toddler at the same time.The toddler cannot read,butIcan. The watch is not running; it stopped at

1:17.1smile.He smiles.Iput it back andpullon theother side of thechain.Onit is a smallgoldshiny thing.It has curlicues on it.The curlicues on one

side are writingin English, the toddler's first name, on whatIrecognize asa small, two-bladed pocketknife. On the other side, a little shieldsurroundedby a flower garland with the year 1917 on it.Ilook up at him,

'That's my name.' He smiles, nods, 'It's all right, I'm the other Carroll,' He

smiles again. 'It’s yours. Remember.’Inod. The shiny thing is mine. Neat,

I'll remember,” The man let her choose the direction in which she mightcontinue to walk. She looked both ways, shrugged, then returned the wayshehadcome, into a dark,peaceful, unscary tunnel,

At the age of two and a half, in front of both parents, Carroll Gray

repeated back to her father every word he had said when he threw hispregnant wife into the table. She also described the situation andfurnitureplacement. You will recall that Carroll wasn'tborn yet when she “saw andheard" what her father did. Nor was her heart beating, She had beenpronounced deadinher mother's womb by thephysician ten days prior to

her delivery. Her parents were dumbfounded. No oneknewthe fullstory ofwhat had occurred, nor had they discusseditbetween themselves. A shorttime later, she detailed what she had once looked like and how she had

been cared for "in the glass thing," her impalement with thepencil, andherordealon the sled.

Afterward, she toldher grandmother about the man who had walkednext to her along the white wall. Her grandmother, suspicious of who itmight be, opened the family album to a page with numerous pictures ofmany people. Carroll immediately identified the grandfather whohad diedtwo years before her birth, and for whom she had been named. She thenrelated with great accuracy every facet of his watch, chain, and goldpocketknife, includingthe time the watch had stoppedandthe date on thepocketknife,but was unable to convince anyone that the grandfather hadgiven those treasures to her. They remained tucked away in a glass case

until, twenty years later, her mother, while sorting through papers,

happened upon thegrandfather’s will.Inreading it, she was flabbergasted

to learn that he had bequeathed his watch, chain, and gold pocketknife to

his granddaughter and namesake. At the time of his death he had no

granddaughter or namesake, nor did anyone have any inkling that heexpected to have one, or that through perhaps an act of precognition hewas privy to futuristic knowledge. Carroll finally got the treasures hergrandfather hadpromisedher when she “died" at the age of two.

At twelve, Carroll survived death yet again when she had a severeattack of asthma, Shethen "died" fivemoretimes in adulthood from variedhealth crises, each timeexperiencinganother near-death scenario,makinga totalof ten, in addition tothe prebirth incident. Her father, resentfulthatshe lived, continued his villainy until she was forced to seek legalprotection, “The monster died last year," she confided to me, "At last, I’mfree."

Throughout Carroll Gray’s story, regardless of her age at the time, we

can recognize the workings of a decidedly mature mind that is stunninglyaccurate in what it perceives. This oddity was displayed by every childexperiencer 1 ever had sessions with, irrespective of age, It's as ifconsciousness can function quite apart from personality, and, in so doing,

is aware of other agendas—perhaps the mission of the soul. Carroll’s case,though, implies that the traditional understanding of soul plans as beingdivinely guidedmay not alwaysbetrue.

Children do not process their near-death states as do adults, nor dothey regard them in the same fashion. A case in point: "I was very smallwhenIhadmy near-death experience. WhenIcould run andplay like theother kids again, I’d go from room to room. I’d look under thebeds, in theclosets, behind the doors and furniture—from the top of the house to thebottom—other people's houses, too. I'd look and look butI never foundthem [thebeings of light whohad visitedher|. They lovedme.Iknow theydid. They were warm and wonderful andbright with light. They came to

me whenIdied andthey left whenIbreathed again.Ilooked for years andyears. Sometimes I'd curl up underneath my bed and cry. Why couldn'tIfind them? Where didthey go? Why didthey leaveme in a place where no

one cared andno onelovedme? WasIthatbadthat they couldn’t return?"

Theteenager who spokethese words was four years old when her heartstoppedandbeings made of light came to get her. She recalls walkinghandin hand with them into realms of music and joy andbeauty, and so muchlove that she wanted never to leave. Then, suddenly, without choice or

warning, she revived and found herself back in a body racked with pain,Surrounded by strangers, she was forced to deal, alone and frightened,with theaftermath ofmajor surgery. She has yet to recover from the shockandtheanger at feelingabandoned, notbyherparentsor themedicalstaff,interestingly enough, butby the "bright ones" who lovedher andthen leftherbehind. Shenow sees a counselor andhas requestedanonymity,

A young man from New Zealand, with tears flooding his eyes, told me

about a time, when he was barely seven, that he died of a high fever frompneumonia. He had disobeyed his parents about playing outside,overdoing it, when he had not sufficiently recovered from a previousillness, Confined to bed, alone, frightened, and guilt-ridden, he left hispainfully hotbody and went in search ofhelp,

He described "walking” through the house and seeing his father enter

through the front door. He ran to his father with arms outstretched,believing thathelp hadbeen found. His father lookedhimin the face, thenran right past him, ignoringhis pleas. Theboy was invisible to his father,but he didn’t know it at that time.He was heart-brokenby what his fatherdid and decided that, because of this, he wasn't good enough to be lovedanymore. He never saw how panic-stricken his father was once theboy'slifeless body was discovered nor the heroic efforts made to save him.When he revivedin the hospital, allhe remembered was pleading for helpandbeing refused. He withdrew from his family after that and remainedestranged from his father for many years. No amount of counseling madeany difference until we spoke, and he could finally understand what hadhappened tohim andwhy.

Stories of children’s near-death scenarios arecompellingly heavenlike,innocent renderings of a greater reality andthepure lands our hearts knowmust somehow exist on the other side of death's door. The cases of littleones, we say, confirm that we are more than just a body and that life iseverlasting. Yet the foregoing experiencersIhave quoted are examples ofwhat I keep hearing from the young, especially those who "died" as

preteens andcan compare “before" with "after."

Clearly, children can be and often are more confused and disorientedby their near-death episodes than by any life-threatening event thatprecipitatedthem.Listen tothese voices:

Laura,SanFrancisco, California.NDEatage threeandahalf,childabuse.“For many years,Isimply wanted to die again and goback.”

Emily, Seattle, Washington. NDE at age two, high fever; atfive fromcomplicationsduringsurgery "I wanted to goback in my dreams,Ilookedfor The Light in the hall closet downstairs, 1 felt loved there, I wassaddened when I could not find The Light I missed The People, I liked

them very much."

Regina Patrick, Toledo, Ohio.NDEat agefour,pneumonia. ''Afterward,Iwas concerned that 'they’ would be mad at me for forgetting theinstructions they gaveme."

Janet Blessing Pittsfield, Massachusetts. NDE at age nine months,pneumonia. "I felt so homesick afterward.I regretted being in the fleshagain, cut off from the Voice of God/Source of Guidance. I oscillatedbetween periods of great elation and creativity and deep suicidaldepression as a teenager."

Mary Cosgrove, San Francisco, California. NDE at age thirteen, severe

meningitis. “I recallnot really wanting to 'wake up' or ‘get well/ My initialreaction was confusion, guilt, even some anger duringmy recovery.I toldno one about it,I was in a quandary of sorts, feeling different, as thoughIwas from another place or family.Iwanted toreturn, and finally tried tobyslashingmy wrists at twenty,"

P. Ann Baillie, Ann Arbor, Michigan. NDE at age three months,hypothermia; atfive monthsfrom drowning. “Being sent back into thismess of a family has often felt like a betrayal. Being loved and welcomedbriefly on the other side and then returned into a loveless world wassometimes more thanIcould bear, especially becauseIcould not seem to

killmyself andIwantedto,"

Lois Bradford, South Dakota. NDE at age four, complications duringsurgery. “Psychologists were telling me my problem was a projection frommy parents, yetIhad come to terms with my inadequate human parents,

As horrendous as my history of sexual abuse is, and the ongoing abusebymy family members, nothingis as traumatic as the spiritual implications

ofbeingrejectedby God. You can’tbelieve thehorror of this.Iwasbad andGodconfirmedit."

Tom Meeres, southern NewJersey. NDEJike experience at ayefourteen,severe reaction to death dream. "I was so disassociated from ordinaryperception afterward thatIcouldn't even imagine how to live the rest ofmy life. Something as ordinary as getting out of bed and leaving therelative safety of the bedroom seemed frightening.Ihad no idea how to

relate to other people anymore, leading to long periods of depressionduringthenext twenty-odd years."

All of these experiencers had positive, uplifting scenarios. All of them!They foundtheir true “home" andwanted to stay there,but couldn’t,

Theresult?

One-third of those in my study of childhood near-death states turnedto alcohol for solace within five to eight years of their near-deathexperiences (the incidence rate with adult experiencers is about one infive). Over half dealt with serious bouts of depression afterward (adults

have a slightly higher incidence). Twenty-one percent actually attemptedsuicide within about twelve years of their episode (this is an exceptionallyhigh rate, compared to less than 4 percent of adult experiencers). None

who sought to re-create their episode through the use of drugs wassuccessful (the sameis true of adult experiencers).

Amongadults, thenear-death experience is, for the mostpart, a suicidedeterrent Unfortunately, the same cannotbe saidof children,

Numerous experiencers have admitted to me that they becamealcoholics as children because they couldn't handle the aftermath ofcomingback from wherethey hadbeen, Those whotriedtokillthemselvesdid so as a way to return “home," Kids who had their episodes while theywere of school age were much more likely tobe affected by such extremes

than those who "died" in infancy or as a toddler. Among the experiencersI

interviewed, how the episode ended, especially if abrupt, proved to be thedeciding factor in their response. We need to realize that children tend to

personalize whatever happens to them. Hence, if they are left with a sense

of:

It's their fault “everyone went away," andthey feelguilty.

They'rebad, andthey feelashamed.

They'reunworthy, andthey feelabandoned.

Loss

Rejection

Betrayal

Acceptance It's okay to leave “home," andthey feel satisfied.

They'retrustworthy, andthey feelconfident.

They are extra special, andthey feel secure.

Joy

Love

Child experiencers tendto repress their feelings until some unexpectedincident (usually inadulthood) triggers whatlies tuckedaway within theirdeepest self. Delayed aftereffects are commonplace. Regardless of thechallenges adult experiencers face, kids haveit tougher. Adults can at leastspeak up for themselves or exercise a fair degree of choice. Should a childsay anything about an experience, he or she is usually ignored or hushed,

Although many youngsters are able to integrate their near-deathexperiences successfully, thereverse is also true.

Good and evil can indeed, jumble together with children, as is furtherevidencedby the nexttwo cases. Nathan Kyles III ofEl Campo, Texas, wasalmost eleven when, with his brother Dale, he was given permission to

splash around,in a motel swimmingpool while an older cousin applied forwork,

“I got out of the water and walked inside to where my cousin was.

When we were ready to leave, my cousin asked me, 'Where is Dale?’ Thefirst thing that came to my mind was the pool.Iran back to the deep endand saw my brother looking up at me from the bottom,Ibent over andsomehow grabbed his hand,but he pulled me in. NowIam on thebottom

with my eyes closed, scared, tryingto callmy cousin, thinkingIam aboutto die. Every timeIopened my mouthIswailowed more water. ThenI feltmy life leave me. To this day,before God,Iswear that everything good or

bad thatIhad ever done passedright beforemy eyes.Ifelt a hand grab my

shirt collar and snatch me out of the pool, but nobody was there. WhenIopened my eyes,Isaw that my brother was already out. My cousin didn'tknow howto swim, sohe didn't save us. Years later, we were talking aboutit,and the other two told me a white woman saved us. Nobody knew her.After shepulledus out, they said, she just disappeared.”

Nathan's next comment echoes what is said by many childexperiencers: "Afterward,Iblockedallof this frommy mind.”

InNathan's case, once hereturned home after his close call with death,his mother toldhimtoshut upbefore he couldoffer a single word, then shewhipped both boys for leaving the house. His later attempts at

communication were also rebuked. Guilt and shame came to overlay themiracle of his experience,not because of his episode, per se, but because ofthe way his family treated him after he came home. Certainly his motherwas worried about her children and, to that degree, her reaction wasunderstandable. Still, the question remains: Would Nathan have turnedout differently if shehad let him speak? After the whipping, Nathan didn'tcare anymore. His grades immediately plummeted. His teacher becamealarmed andcalled on his mother,but she couldn’t get him to listen, either.Within the span of one year, he turned from a positive, studious, happy,thoughtful child to a sullen criminal who didn't give a damn aboutanythingor anyone,

Nathan explained: “Before it happened,Iwas never in trouble with thelaw. After it happened, I started stealing, burglarizing houses andbuildings. My whole way of thinking changed.Iwas about twelve whenIwent to jail for the first time,Igot caught stealing some old coins out of alady's purse while playing with her son, The judge kicked me out of town

for a year, andI had to live with my father nine hundred miles away,

When I returned, I went downhill further." A long litany of difficultiesfollowed, beginning with a prison term at the age of nineteen for paroleviolation. Charges ofburglary, terrorist threats, andharassment were laterdroppedbecause it was proved he hadnot committed them. When he was

released, however,hepromptly stole again andwoundupback inprison. “Istayed in prison this time for nine years andtwo months.Iwas sent to a

halfway house because my mom had died earlier andmy parole plan wasallmessedup.Istartedsmokingmarijuana,Iguess for comfort at my mombeing dead. So, while in the halfway house,Iwas written up for violatingtheir rules, which was also a violation of my parole. Again, my parole was

revoked, and hereIsit inprison for the fourth time.”

It would take some digging to determine if Nathan, an AfricanAmerican, was a victim of racial prejudice, as his punishment seems

outlandish considering the crimes he committed. But it wouldn't take anydigging at all to pinpoint the moment he underwent a personality changethat radically alteredhis life for the worse.

Nathan’s case opens the door to the topic of family reactions andhowdeceptively complicated they can become. The following account,although filled with miracles, dramatically illustrates the extremes kidscan face when family members feel threatened by the near-deathphenomenon,

Lynn from Michigan underwent open-heart surgery at thirteen to

correct a condition she hadhad almost sincebirth. She was unable to run

andplay with the other kids, and she would on occasion turnblue and getsick, A largeblack Great DanenamedHarvey was her constant companionandbestbuddy,

"The last thingIremember in surgery was a male voice sayingin a verymatter-of-fact way, ‘Uh-oh, wehave a problem here,’ Thenext thingIknewIwas floating aroundthe ceiling looking down on my body. My chest was

open wide andIcould see my internal organs,I remember thinking howodd it was that my organs were a beautiful pearl gray, not at all like the

bright red chunks in the horror flicksIlovedto watch.Ialso noticed therewas a black doctor and an Oriental one on the operating team. The reason

this stuck inmy mindis thatIwasbrought up in a very whitemiddle-classneighborhood, and I had seen black schoolteachers but never a blackdoctor.I'dmet the operatingteam the day before,but they were all white.

“Suddenly,Ihad to move on, soIfloated into the waiting room, wheremy parents were. My father had his headburied in my mother's lap. He

was kneeling at her feet, his arms wrapped around her waist, and he was

sobbing. My mother was strokinghis head, whispering to him. This sceneshocked me, as my father was not prone to showing emotions. Once Irealizedthey wouldbe fine,Ifeltmyselfpulledinto a horizontaltunnel.

“The ride through the tunnel was like nothing else. I rememberthinking, 'Sothis is death.’ Thetunnel was dark, and every once in a whilesomething that looked like lightning would flash across my path. Theseflashes werebrilliant in color anddidn't scare me. At the end of the tunnelwas abright light

“From the light came two dogs of mine. One was a collie named Mimiwhohaddiedthree years previously from an infection, andthe other was a

boxer named Sam who had died two years before after being hit by a car,

The dogs came running and jumped on me and kissed my face with theirtongues. Their tongues weren't wet, andIfelt no weight when they jumpedon me. The dogs seemed to glow from a light that was inside them.Irecallsaying to myself, 'Thank you, God, for letting my dogs be alive.’Ihuggedmy dogs as tight asIcould.

"I then called my dogs and together we started walking toward thelight Allcolors were in the light and it was warm, a living thing, and therewere people as far as the eye could see, and they were glowing with an

inner light—just like my dogs.In the distanceIcould see fields, hills, and a

sky. The light spoke andit said, 'Lynn, it is not time for you yet. Go back,child,'Iputmy handup to touch thetop of the light,Iknew then thatIhadtouched the face of God,I told God thatI loved him, andIwanted to stay

with him. Again the light said, 'Lynn, go back. It is not time for you. You

have workto do for me. Goback,'

"I know this sounds silly,butIasked the light, 'IfIgo, canIcomebackand willmy dogs stillbe here waiting for me?' Thelight said yes, andthentold me there were people who wanted to see mebeforeIleft. From out ofthe light came my maternal grandparents.I ran to them and embracedthem. They were going to walk me part of the way back. Just as I was

turning to leave, a man stepped from the light. He wore a full dressuniform, U.S. Navy. He was very tall and very blond, withblue eyes.Ihadnever seen themanbefore,butheknew meandsmiled.

"T am your uncle Franklin. Tell Dorothy that I'm okay and that thebaby is with me. TellherInever stopped lovingher and thatIam glad shegot on withher life. Tell her that when her time comes,Iwillcome for her.Remember to tell her I love her.’ As I turned, the man shouted, 'TellDorothy,tellher youmetFranklin andI’m okay andso is thebaby.’

"My grandparents told me if I stayed any longer Imight not make itback.ButIwanted to talk withJesus.Ihada very important question to askhim,A beam of light, different from yet similar tothe first one, coveredme.

Iknew this light was Christ.Ileaned against it for one moment and thenasked my question. 'Dear Jesus, is it true that you gave me this heartcondition so thatIwouldhave a cross to carry like you did?' (Sister Agnes,

my sixth-grade teacher,hadtoldme thatmy heart condition was my crosstobear for Christ)Iheardthe voice of Christ vibrate throughme as he said,'No, this heart condition of yours is not a cross from me for you to bear,

This heart condition is a challenge to help you grow and staycompassionate.Now, goback,'

"AsIwalkedback, my grandmother toldme that my father was goingto leavemy mother and thatIwouldbemy mother’s strength,Isaw peoplehidingin the tunnel, people who were afraid to come into the light or whowere disoriented about where they were,Iexpressed concern for thembutwas told not to worry, as a guide would be along to help them, Some of

these people Looked like soldiers. ThenIremembered Vietnam andIknewwhere the soldiers were coming from."

Lynn detailed what it was like to be resuscitated and then wake up

hours later hooked up to a myriad of tubes. She recalls being unable to

speak andbeing fascinatedby shadows moving among the medical staff,shadows she came to realize were people who haddied there. She claims itdidn’t take longbefore she could watch death take place—to see thesoul as

it exited the body. Her doctor released her after a month because he wasafraid that all the time she spent talking to dead or misplaced souls woulddrive her crazy. Her early release pleased her father, as if it gave him anexcuse tobe coldandunemotionalagain.

“The day I left, in front of my parents,I asked Dr. Davidson who theblack doctor was in the operating room. Dr, Davidson said he had beencalled in at the last minute when one of the team members became ill.He

wanted toknowif this doctor hadbeenby to say hi,butIsaidno,Isaw himduring surgery. Dr.Davidson stopped smiling andtoldme to gohome andforget everything,"

Once Lynn returned home, her life changed. Light bulbs would pop ifshe got angry, and formerly inanimate objects would movearound of theirown accord (the research term for this is psychokinesis). She would seeimages whenever she touched anything (synesthesia). From touchingjewelry, she could tell who owned it and where it had been worn

(psychometry). When she looked at a person, she could see their life inflashes, including their future (clairvoyance). School became easy, as sheno longer had to study to get really good grades (intelligenceenhancement). But sunshine bothered her, and so did loud noise(increasedsensitivity to light andsound),

“My father left us.In front of the whole family, he toldme he thoughtIwas crazy and belonged in a mental hospital, It was Thanksgiving Day,

one year after my surgery,I told my fatherIcould proveIwasn't crazy,Iturned to Aunt Dorothy and said, ‘Who is Franklin?’ There was silence,

Every eye at the table was on me; mouths were wide open. Uncle George,

who was marriedto Aunt Dorothy, looked at me with tears in his eyes andsaid,'Lynn,ifyou wantedtohurtme, you’ve done a good job.’

"Everyone wenthome early andmy father left us. A few weeks later myaunt wanted to know howIknew about Franklin.Itold her exactly whathad happened during surgery. Then my aunt led me up to her attic andunlocked a large trunk. (Ihadnever been in her attic before, nor hadIseen

the trunk.) She pulled out pictures of the manIhad seen in the light. Myaunt told me that she had married Franklin during World War II, after abrief twenty-four-hour courtship. Shehadbeen engagedto UncleGeorge at

the time, but left him for Franklin. My aunt started to cry as she told me

that she andFranklin were very happy together for two months, andthenhe was shipped out. After he left, she discovered she was pregnant. Whenshe was seven months along, my aunt received word that Franklin hadbeen killed in the invasion of Italy. He was on the lead ship dropping offtroops. The news caused her to miscarry. Shehemorrhaged sobadly that acomplete hysterectomy had to be performed to save her. The next yearUncleGeorgemarriedher anddestroyedallpictures ofFranklin, requestingthat everyone in the family never speak Franklin’s name again. The onlypictures to survive were those AuntDorothy hidin thetrunk,”

With this final verification of what shehadseen duringher near-deathexperience, Lynn became openly confident and trusting, although shepreferred solitudeto a social life. She lost all fear of death, changedher dietto include less meat, began to exhibit steadily increasing displays ofpsychic abilities, andbecame a friendof ghosts,

Yet the guilt she felt about her father’s actions and what he did to herGreat Dane stillhaunts her,

“He took my dog when he left, and he’d callme on thephone and accuse

me ofbeing possessedby the devil, sayingIhadto become a Christian or

he'dkillmy dog. Andwhile we'dbe talkinghe'dbeatmy dogsoIcould hearhim cry out in pain. He did this with phone call after phone calluntil he

killed my dog with me on the line listening.I couldn't believe my fatheractually didit until that night, when Harvey’s soul came to say good-byeand let me know he was okay. For years afterwardI'd have coughing fitswhereI could hardly breathe. It wasn’t untilI reached adulthood that Iconnectedthecoughingtomy pent-up emotions aboutmy dog’s death."

After years of counseling, Lynn has yet to release the grief she feelsabout her near-death experience. “My father walked out on our familybecause of me, because of how I changed after my episode, and myrelationship with my uncle was never the same again. My family was

badly hurt andmy dog was killed, andit's allmy fault."

Here's another case ofhow a child's near-death experience changednot

only the child, but the entire family. Unlike the case of Lynn, theMendenhall family managed to overcome the challenges they faced indealing with their "strange" daughter, Denise. What happened to Denisebecame a “shared event" everyone could benefit from.It is important thatthe family dynamics be presented as they occurred. For this reason, Iinclude the fullreport submittedby the father,DougMendenhall,

“In the summer of 1999 our little ten-year-old daughter, Denise, was

literally counting the weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds untilschool started. Denise was always a happy, sweet little girl, Soon afterschool started her personality changed. She was unhappy all the time,

claiming how much she hated school, her friends, everything. Then shestarted going to thebathroom all the time and drinking tons of water. Shewould get sick and just not feel well. We asked several medical people thatlived in the neighborhood about the symptoms she was displaying, andwere told it was probably just a virus. One even was a diabetic nurse andanother one was a medical doctor! It was like they were shielded fromseeing that it was diabetes. Her personality change was so dramatic, thatwetalkedabout gettingher to see somementalhealth professionals,

“It progressed to thepoint where she felt real sick onFriday, November5, She played in the morning with her mother, ate lunch, and asked if she

couldlie down for a nap.My wife went in to check on her an hour or so laterand she was asleep. Then after another hour she checked on Denise againand found she hadn’t moved and was breathing really strangely. Shecalled me in and we found that her eyes had rolled back in their socketsand she was unresponsive.Icalled a doctor friend andhe said to get her to

the hospital immediately, also he would call ahead andhave them readyfor her. So we took off to the hospital. I literally drove over one hundredmiles per hour andhit every light green.

“At thehospital they descended on her.As they pulledher clothes off,Iwas shocked at what a skinny little girl she was. She had always beenskinny, but now she looked like a little child from a third world country,

skin andbones.Istaredin disbelief.

“They put anIV in her immediately and started checking. They told us

it lookedlike she was in a coma and wantedto do many more tests. We sat

andwaited as they wheeledher off todo a CAT scan.

"Two hours later a neurologist took us to a room and told Dianne andme that Denise was in a coma, from the diabetes she has. But the most

devastating thing was that she had suffered a stroke. It was at thebase ofthe left side of her brain, the main artery. He then said that the left side ofher brain, more than two-thirds of it was destroyed by the stroke. Theblood vessels and capillaries had fragmented like tissue paper and thebloodhad flowed freely, Normally they wouldput in a shunt anddrain offtheblood, but she was so far gone, they saw no reason to do so. All of herorgans were shutting down. She would not live past the next twenty-four

hours we were told. If by some miracle she did live, she would be a

vegetable the rest ofher life,never to walk or talk again.

“They had put a tube down her throat to breathe for her if she quitbreathing. Later we would learn that they had wanted to harvest herorgans for donation,buthadnever brought out the forms, A ‘bolt’ was put

into her brain to monitor the pressure, as the liquids they had to give herwould make thebrain swell, cuttingoff thecirculation at thebase and that

also wouldkillher.It seems likethere was no way she couldlive.

“She stayedin the coma for three days and never quit breathing. Aftertwo days they took the tube out of her throat. At the end of the third shewoke up( looked at Dianne and me and said she was hungry. The nurse

looked up, startled, asking if she had just talked.I said she had and theydescended on her as she wentback to sleep.

"The next day she woke up and stayed awake. They moved her fromICU to the third floor where we could learn to give her insulin shots. Iremember that she really was a vegetable when she woke up. She was

taught todo everything all over again, from talking, reading, writing, even

going to thebathroom. Within three days she had progressed to the pointwhere she walkedone thousand feet that day. Shetruly was a miracle! Thedoctors really didn’t know what to make of her. They would come into herroom, look at her, shake their heads, and walk out. We left the hospital on

November, 30, 1999, twenty-fivedays after goingin.

“We figured that life would go on as normal except that we did have a

miracle child with us. Though we now had to give her two injections ofinsulin each day for her diabetes.

“One dayIwas tryingtogive her a shot of insulin and she kept fightingme, She wouldn't let me give her the shot. After forty-five minutesIwas

upset with her, and let her know it. She yelled, pointing her finger abovemy headthatI‘was mad andIwas red.'Iasked what in the worldshe was

talking about. ‘You're mad, you're red,' she said again.Ihad read enoughthatIknew about the energy fieldaroundourbody, calledtheaura.

“‘Youcan see auras?'Iasked.

“‘What's that?' sheresponded.

“I told her it was the energy around our body. She said that she couldsee them, since she woke up from her coma. This was the start of ourfamily entering a worldwe didnot know existed.

“Over the next month,Denise displayedmany gifts or abilities andtold

us many things. Shenot only couldseetheaura of a person, sheknew whatthe color meant. At this point she only saw the first levelof the aura. She isable to see 'spirits’ as we call them, or people that have passed on (died).

She sees Christ and her Heavenly Father. She can tell what kind of person

youare; she sees into your heart.

“The most fascinating thing she told us was that while she was in thecoma for three days, she hadspent that time with Jesus. She toldme abouthis birth, life, his suffering in the garden, the cross. It was in detail, all thecolors, smells, and sounds. She toldmethings thatIknew a little ten-year-

oldcouldnot know.

“Allof this changedour lives significantly.My wife andIhave six livingchildren, five were at home during this time. The events polarized our

family somewhat.Iknew inmy heart that Denise was tellingmethe truthof what she hadexperienced. Yet it was hard for others to understand andaccept. We learnedmany 'lessons' from our littleten-year-olddaughter.

"She taught us not to judge: anyone or anything. We learned of God’sunconditional love for allof us. One of thebiggest lessons was tobe grateful

for all things.Gratitude is a huge lesson we were to learn over and over. We

learned that after a person dies, he or she can move on to God, or some

become 'earthbound.' Such was the individual (spirit) that was in ourhome at the time. She even encountered some who wouldnot believe theywere dead! We learnedthat evil is real. There are dark spirits who do workfor Satan or theDevil, She sees them also,

“We learned through our experiences with her that we all have a

guardian spirit(s) or angel(s). We had several experiences where our liveswere saved by them and she saw what they did to save us. She thought itwas 'cool,’

“I guess the main spiritual impact on our lives was the fact that shespent three days withJesus and still sees him and interacts with him on a

daily basis. This has had the biggest impact on our family, One person

asked Denise who her best friend is and she said, 'Jesus,’ We ended up

going out and talking to people one-on-one for the next year. All duringthat year she kept telling me, 'Dad, youare supposed to write a book aboutallof this.'Itoldher thatIdidn't writebooks and thatIdidn't want anyoneto know about all of this.Ifelt that it was just too weird for most people to

accept, anddidn't want to invitepersecution into our lives.

"Finally at the end of the year 2000, 1 agreed to do a book about it. We

hada friendhelpus writeit. It was publishedsome seven months later. We

then went around and did 'book reviews' where we gave them away. Thebook is called, My PeaceIGive Unto You, and we gave away over seventhousand copies over thenext eighteen months.From the e-mails we get ithas changed many lives and helped many people find their Savior, JesusChrist.

"In May of 2002, we were prompted to write a second book. You see our

experiences with Denise never quit. We are continually being taughtthings and are having experiences. So we published the second book inNovember of 2002. We have sinceprintedover onethousand copies of it.Itis calledPossibilities. , , LessonsfromtheSpirit Since wehavebeen asked to

travel all over the country telling our story, we now sell both books. Thatdefrays our expenses somewhat, since we do not charge when we dobookreviews. Thebooks are available on a website at:

www.publishinghope.com. At one time we had them available in some

bookstores, but now we sell them at book reviews or ship them from our

home or people can order from the Web site,

"Doing the book reviews has changed our lives. We have met many

people with similar gifts as Denise, We havemetmany children andadultswho see the spirits of dead people. There are dozens we’ve met who see

auras. Others 'fly' at night when they sleep as Denise does. These peoplehave told us our books havehelped themtorealize that they are not freaks,that there are many others out there similar to them, with gifts. There areothers who can see into you and determine where an illness is, They havecome to understand that these gifts come from a loving God and are tobe

used for his work. Whether they aretobeused or not is the willof God, andnot that of Denise or those with similar gifts. 'Today, our family haslearnedto live with a daughter/sister wholives inboth worlds, the onetherest of us see and the other one that few others see. She enjoys meetingpeople that havelivedbefore. When she sleeps she can goback in the past

and see events. She has witnessed all of the Bible. She fell in love with themovie Titanic when it aired on television andwent back to see what it was

really like. At first, being able to do this made it difficult for her to attendour church. When people put their own interpretation on biblical events

she would turn to me and say, 'Dad, that’s not how it really happened.’Now she goes to enjoy thepeople andbe aroundkids her own age.

"Sheprefers tobe a normalkid, yet knows that she is not. She likes tobearound friends who 'know about’ her, yet treat her as any other friend.Being a fourteen-year-old, she loves to talk about the cutest boys, etc.

Individuals who look at her as 'special’ or gifted she doesn’t like to bearound.Or those who want tocontinually ask her questions.

“We are now used to having others that have passed over, from theother side of the veil, 'hanging' around. There are some special friends shehas made on that side who hang around a lot. Others come when thoughtof. Some comebecause they know she can see them. Most of the time theyare only known to her when they are there. At other times, the rest of us

have 'experienced’ them at our home. After three plus years of havingherlive inboth worlds, it has become old hat for our family. There are manyoccasions when we do have fun with it and interact with those who are

passed on, through her,Iguess to some people that may seem a bit odd or

weird, yet tous nowit is quitenormal,

"As for the future, we will continue to do book review meetings whenwe areinvitedandshare our story with those that want tohear about it,”

What happened to Lynn and Denise speaks volumes about thephenomenon called near-death, and how it can be both a blessing and a

nightmare. What these two went through as children shows us that

integrating the experience is a very sensitive issuefor theyoungand their

families;one that has neverbeforebeen adequately addressed.

FIVE

<§>

TheImpact ofAftereffects

Deepin theirrootsallflowerskeep thelight

—THEODOREROETHKE

IT TAKES A CHILD EXPERIENCER to understand a child experiencer. Ayoung man, preferring to call himself A Child from Minnesota, was

suffocated at the age of three and a halfby an older brother.He has this to

say about the challenge of experiencing the near-death phenomenon as ayoungster:

“Children react differently to near-death episodes than adults becausethe set of experiences they have to compare them with is smaller, To anadult, such a phenomenon is only one of many life occurrences. But to a

child, a near-death experience is the world itself, or 'all there is,’ A childhasa moredifficult time 'drawingthe line’between what is eternalandwhat isearthly.Children are forced to rely on the experiencemore, simply becausethey lack what adults can draw from, This colors everything childrenthink, say, anddo,

"Speaking for myself,I have come to understand that the long-termeffects of this phenomenon have been very large indeed. These effectsinclude (1) an ability to desensitize the self from physical sensations; (2)

an ability to communicate throughnonverbaland nonauditory means; (3)

a partial loss of ability to communicate verbally and auditorily; (4)

problems reintegrating theethereal selfback intothe physicalself; and(5)

challenges interactingsocially.

“My experience of being out of body enabled me to learn very younghowto performthe separation ofbody andspirit. My understanding of theprocess, however, was unconscious.I did not know what I was doing orhowIwas doingituntilmuch later. This first experience arose as a result ofintense pain, so, in the beginning,I used this skill simply to avoid pain.Since the skill itself was unconscious, it quickly became a knee-jerkreaction todiscomfort of allsorts.Eventually,Icametoremain in that state

as much as possible. This led to an inability to function socially. As Idesensitized myself to my own feelings, I was equally unable to feel thepain or joy of others. And—asIexplored this state—emotions, people, andall of social life grew ever more foreign to me;Igrew ever more withdrawn.Ihave cometobelievethatbody andspirit needto nourish each other, andcannot remain separate indefinitely.”

Almost every childexperiencer becomes adept at dissociation, as did A

Child from Minnesota. The term "dissociation” was formerly used in thefield of psychiatry as a label to describe an individual who withdrew or

severed any association with his or her body and/or environment. It was

considered an aberrant, unhealthy mental state. Current thinking on thesubject has shifted considerably as more mentalhealth professionals arenow recognizingthat dissociation may actually be a naturalby-product ofconsciousness as it develops along new lines of thought and creative

imagination,1that it is more a sign of adaptation than insanity. But, as AChild from Minnesota finally learned, even positive skills that enrich our

lives canbecome crutches.

Without a supportive framework of understanding in the wake of a

near-death episode, a child experiencer can easily feel as if he or she iseither stupid, crazy, or suddenly "foreign." Family and friends who are

unaware of what such an experience can entail may find the child’ssudden behavior changes either frightening or perhaps an attention-gettingploy,maybe even theproduct of an overactive imagination.

The fullprofileofphysiologicalandpsychologicalaftereffects appearedearly in chapter 2. What follows are more questionnaire results togive us adeeper look athow these aftereffects impact a child's life:

Significant increasein allergies 45%Became vegetarian 18%

Significant increase in allergiesllecamc vegetarianUnusual sensitivity to light

decreased toleranceincreased tolerance

Unusual sensitivity to sound

decreased toleranceenhanced desire for classical music

1-1Lee trieaI sensitivity

Health

45%

18%

59%20%

74%41%

52%

still dealing wirh handicaps from death event

went on to have major illnesses in adulthoodblood pressure substantially lower after epistxlefed as if bodymind was rewired/rcoonfigureddirect improvement in health after episodestate of health now

excellentchallenged

32%30%27%

41%

45%

77%

23%

Psychic enhancements

more intuitivemore preoognitivemore knowingmore of an active, vivid dream lifeconscious future memory episodesvisible manifestations of spirit

Unusual connection to naturc/animalsSpiritual inclination

mysticalreligious

Kola[ionship with parents/siMings after

better

alienated

Relationship with friends/strangers after

opcn/friendlybecame a loner

64%73%48%

66%34%

27%

66%

66%

25%

30%57%

27%57%

Marriageonce, long-lasting

twice, second one long-lastingdivorced, never remarriedsingle, never married

41%16%

23%20%

Attitude toward money

careful and responsibledisinterested, doesn't “give a hoot"

Attitude toward job

loves to work

30%66%

80%

doesn’t like to work (or unemployable] 16%

Homeowner (58%

Missionknows exactly what it is and is doing it

has a sense of what it might be but no detailsdoesn’t have a due

Immediate response to episode afterwardpositivenegative

Desires to return to the Other Side

45%

32%

23%

34%

61%

41%yes43%no

learned how to return at willRegrets about the near-death experience

9%

32%57%

yesno

Aftereffectsdecreased with timeincreased with time

remained the same

9%73%

18%

NOTE: Concerning counseling, only 27% ever obtained any. Of thatnumber, only a little over half werehelpedtoany degree.

COMPARISON WITH ADIILT EXPERIENCERS

If we compare research results between child experiencers and adults (as

detailed in Beyond the Lfcht), we will see some startling differences. Tobegin with, 57 percent of child experiencers who filled out the

questionnaire went on to enjoy long-lasting marriages once grown(combine first and second marriages that were long-lasting). Adultexperiences, on the other hand, report having tremendous difficultyafterward forming or maintaining stable relationships. Of the threethousand in my research base, 78 percent of the marriages ended indivorce.

Doth groups experience unusual increases or decreases in lightsensitivity: about 79 percent of the kids (this includes both tolerance-levelchanges), which is closeto theadult range of SO to 90 percent. Whereas 7 3

percent of adults evidence electrical sensitivity, only 52 percent of the kidsclaim to exhibit the same anomaly—perhaps more a reflection of who hasaccess to technological equipment than a true deviation. Olderexperiencers are four times more likely to become vegetarians than theyounger crowd(even “near-death” kids snub veggies).

Afterward, parent-sibling relationships tend to be strained for childexperiencers. Additionally, kids are more likely than adults to suffersocially and to report having regrets about what happened to them. Anastounding number would go back to the Other Side, even if that meant

suicide. Child experiencers, whether still young or grown, seldom see acounselor and receive less help when they do. This is not true with adultexperiencers, contrary to how loudly they may contest the fact. Because

the disparity between children and adults in this area is so enormous, itbegs further exploration,

Famity/FriendAlienation

One-third of the child experiencers in my overall study and with thequestionnaire group admitted to havingproblems with alcohol within fiveto eight years after their episode. Almost to a person, they claimed thatundeveloped social and communication skills were the culprit, along withan inability to understand what motivated the behavior of family

members and friends.

Unfortunately, 42 percent of the child experiencesIhadsessions within the overall group underwent the tragedy of parental and sibling abuse.And note the sibling abuse—big brothers and sisters can pack a mean

wallop or give a nasty squeeze when they’re roughhousing or angry. Theworst of all horrors, always, is parents who mistreat their children. Whilesuch abuse is rampant throughout the general population, the additionalstresses inherent in the near-death phenomenon and its aftereffects seemto exacerbate situations that are already less than ideal.

Still, there's another aspect to the issue of alienation that, for the child,may be even more profound. Completely aside from any abuse or peer

pressure from family or friends, and whether or not parents aresupportive, the most significant factor is who or whatgreetedthe childon

the other sideofdeath. What parent, no matter how wonderful or loving,can compare with the Holy Spirit? What person, friend or foe, can interesta child who has visited the bright realms and become buddies with an

angel? For the child experiencer, connecting with such transcendent love,then abruptly losing that connection, can be very confusing, sometimesdevastating.

TheIssueofSuicide

Children reason differently than adults. Unaccustomedto a considerationof cause and effect, they tend to act on impulse; hence the high degree ofalcoholism, suicidal tendencies, and even actual attempts at suicide, Itseems perfectly logical to a child that the way torejoin the lightbeings met

in death is to die and go back, This is not recognized by them as self¬destructive, Yet it is the children,, not the adults, who are the most likely to

leave the heaven of their near-death experiences andreturn to life so their

families won \thesaddenedby theirdeaths.

Parent-child bonding is initially quite strong. These kids want to be

with their families. That bondingbrings themback, time after time. WhenI speak with youngsters, their common retort is, "I came back to help mydaddy" or "I came back so Mommy won’t cry." The parent-child bonddoesn't begin to stretch thin or break until after the child revives. Theclimate of welcome or threat they are greeted with, as well as how theepisode ended, directly impinges on everythingthat comes next.

The story ofNadia McCaffrey,now of Sunnyvale, California, givesus an

example of what can drive a child experiencer to attempt suicide. Whilespending her vacation from convent school at her grandparents' estate inFrance, seven-year-old Nadia was playing in a meadow of wildflowerswhen she stopped abruptly. She had disturbed a red asp viper, a deadlysnake. "It stayed perfectly still for a long moment, curled on its tail in a

perfect circle, the upper body standing straight up, two piercing eyes

staring deep into my soul.Iam petrified.Iwant to scream.Ican’t move. A

horrible pain suddenly flooded my senses. The snake left very fast; two

tiny spots ofbloodappearedonmy left ankle."

Nadia struggled up the steep hillside, but collapsed before hergrandmother found her. First aid was immediately applied; hergrandfather pedaled his bike to reach the only public phone in the villagetosummon a doctor.Here is Nadia's account of the crisis,

“I left this dimension and was gone for about a week. It was then thatIsaw her. She introduced herself, saying, T am your little mother of the sky.'She was beautifulIstill see her so clearly, as though she were standing inmidair, glowing with an extremelybright andpowerful light, so lovingandwarm and comfortable. Leaving my body in my bed, I floated in herdirection. She smiled very softly and opened her arms, holding up thepalms of her hands to help me understand that I was not to come anycloser asIlistenedto her. She visited metwice. Each time themessage wasthe same and each timeIdid the samething—slipped out of my gray skin,

The sight of this puffy form was unbearabletothe spiritIhadbecome.

“The last time I saw her, she wore a long white gown with a cord

knotted at the waist.Her headand shoulders were drapedinbluematerial.There was a live green snake at her feet anda tear-shaped drop ofblood on

her right foot.Both her arms were extendedtowardme, withher palms up.

Her head was slightly bowed, but I can’t remember seeing her eyes. I

wantedto curlup inher arms, to remain withher rather than return tomybody,but 1hadno choice.My body claimedme, andIwas overwhelmedbypain and sadness, and unable to completely understand what hadhappened to me.Ihadto stay inbed for a couple of weeks.My leg was threetimes its normal size and of the same mottled color as the snake.Irefusedto talk with anyone.Ihatedbeingback inthis dimension.Iwas filled withresentment, andlonged to slip out ofmy painfulanddisfiguredbody.”

Later Nadia learnedthat an adult will survive for only twenty minutesafter beingbittenby an asp, yet she had lived for over two hours withoutthe antidote. People said it was a miracle that she had survived. It tookmonths for her to learn how to walk with a cane,but her spirit didn’t healas quickly. “I started asking my grandmother about the beautiful lady.Idesperately needed some information about my experience. She seemed to

be startledby my account, full of fear, andhorrified at whatIwas saying.She cautioned me—'People would not understand. They would put youaway forever if you toldanyone about this.’From then on, she thought thatIwas possessedandnever let me forget ituntilthe day she died.

"The rest of my childhood was not happy or good.Ibecame a rebel,fighting everything and everyone. The sisters at the Catholic school Iattended didn’t know what to do with me. When I turned seventeen,

people saidIwas beautiful andbright, yet no one knewIdidnot want to

live. Although |I was] very popular, 1 pushed people away and isolatedmyself.Iwas not able to share the wayIfelt and ended up hurting peopleasIrejected their offers of friendship. After seeing theLady of Light,beingback was not easy, At first,Ithought she wouldreturn. When she didn’t,Iwantedtobe where she was, in the light, with the love. There was a hollowspot in a park tree where a limb had been removed, and into itIplaced a

statue of the Virgin of Lourdes, It comforted me to visit her there. On the

wall of my grandmother's bedroom was another picture of Mary thatremindedme of her andItalkedto it, keeping hope alive, wishingthat shewouldspeak tome or giveme a sign."

Soon after, Nadia decided to go back to the light. She made two suicideattempts. The first time, she swallowedpills marked "poison." She becamevery sick, vomited, lost consciousness, and was rushed to the hospital,whereher stomach was pumped. Visits to a psychiatristbegan.

“The second time I became more sophisticated, calculating the[number] of pills required to end my life. It workedbut, unfortunately, a

girlfriend from the village came unexpectedly toborrow a schoolbook andshe found me wearing a beautifulball gown, with no sign of life except afeeble pulse. Thehospital was forty minutes away,

“I was out ofmy body, looking down at myself.Ilost interest in nursesand doctors trying to revive me and was attracted to a longtunnel.Icouldsee a very bright light at the end of it I floated inside and with whatseemed to be extraordinary speed, reached the light. Oh, the light, thepeace, the great feeling of love. Once more I was there. Then a voice,extremely powerful, a man's voice, saidIhad to go back,Ihad work to do.SadlyIreturned tomy body, finally understanding thatIhad to stay. Thisexperience totally changed my life. Once I knew I could not go back, Istopped fighting the world and began to pass on the love thatIhad oncereceived."

Today, Nadia McCaffrey is dedicated to "Changing the Face of Death"(thename ofher organization), Shehas workedmany years inhospice careandnow seeks to establish a center for both children with developmentaldisabilities and the terminally illwho cannot afford medical costs for theircondition,2

Another case involves Debi of California: “When I was about eightyears old,Iwas in surgery for kidney stones andguess what?Idiedon thetable. The life I was leading at that time was so filled with abuse andnegativity that Iembraced being able to leave,'I went through the dark

tunnel, found the light,’ andtried to race into heaven.I was stoppedby a

very wise, older man—tall, flowingbeige-coloredrobe, long gray and whitehair andbeard.He seemedtobe one 'adult'Iwas unafraidof.Ilookedup inconfusion when he looked at me with sadness on his mouth and in hiseyes, and he said, ‘No, little girl, it is not time yet. You have to go back.’Iawoke coughingupbloodin theICU.From that momentuntil just this yearIhatedmy life.Itried suicide at sixteen and when that didn't work,Iwent

to great lengths to sabotage my life. My life was lived on the 'other' side ofthemirror, soto speak.Nomatter whatIdid,Iwas not allowed to die.

“When other people walk ahead in life, toward something, if I walkwith themit turns out not tobe right for me. This is whatImeanby livingon the ‘other side’ of themirror,Ihave toturn around andgo ‘backward’ inorder for things tobe ‘right.’Iam continually ostracized for thisbecause, to

most people, it looks likeI am being silly walking ‘backward’ instead ofreaching a destination going forward. The only people who seem to

understand whatIam really doingare children andthose whohad a near¬death experience.I'see' things others cannot.I'hear' things others cannot,

and, to a degree,I can read minds.I am not lying,Ihave not told this to

anyonebecauseIcannot seem to finda group of people Tike’ me.Iam forty-

eight years old. SinceIhave quit fighting the inevitable,Iam now able to

approach the rest of my life with kindness and love for myself. Theintegration ofmy inner childto whoIam today is actuallybeingallowedto

happen.Pretty excitingstuff!"

Obviously, Debi had many problems to contend with long before hersurgery. Still, in her case, her near-death experience only served to deepenher despair, not lessen it. As adults, we make our biggest interpretivemistakein assumingthat the way wemight respond in a given situation ishow a child would respond. Not so. Debi's life was greatly complicatedbythe contrast she experienced between the heaven of her near-deathepisode andthehellof daily fare.It took her a longtimetomake peace withhavingbeen "rejected" from thebright world on the Other Side of death,

Money,Mission, andHome

Look at what occurs once child experiences mature: job satisfaction SO

percent, home ownership 6S percent. Add these to those long-lastingmarriages and you get a picture of contentment adult experiences can’t

even begin to match, and one that the general population might envy.Maybe it's the added yeas, the extra time children have to experimentwith what works and what doesn't as they grow up. In fairness, adults areon the opposite end of the developmental curve, with thebulk of their livesbehindthem.It is interesting tonote, though, that salary motivates neitheradult nor child experiences, as the majority tend to eschew money andmateriality, possessions, and awards. Why is it, then, that so many childexperiences put such strong emphasis on home ownership? Adults can’t

wait toberidof their mortgages;kids can hardly wait tohave one, andonce

they get a home, they keep it Their attachment to home,I believe, is adirect result of losing their "real home" when they were children. Thiswound appears to create a subconscious need to make certain that no onecan ever take away their home again.

Youngsters seldom do anything about their mission (the reason theybelieve they cameback to life)until they are older, even if they know whattheir mission is, Adults seem almost driven to communicate theirs andmobilize necessary energies quickly, Yet it is the kids who windup doingmore and making a more positive and lasting contribution to society.Perhaps this is another finding that simply reflects the age difference,butmaybe not.Ihave observed that child experiencers tend tomature rapidlyafter their episodes, while adults become more childlike. Thus, while thekids cogitateandplan, their seniors take allmanner of risks and“run withthe wind," Emotionally, the kids come back as the grown-ups; the adultsrevert tobeingmore like children,

Judgment

The nonjudgmental aspects of near-death episodes are toutedby almosteveryone, a result of the very real presence of unconditional love andforgiveness most adult experiences report. But with children, anotherstory emerges: many are met on the other side of death by a being whoserole is that of a critical or caring parent-type. This parental figure eithergives orders, judges them for past deeds, or in some manner prepares themtomeet and fulfill their destiny by instructing themin advance on what tolook out for and how to behave. Images of a critical or caring parent aremost often found in cases from Asia and various indigenous cultures likethose of the Native Americans, yet child experiences from theindustrializednations describe similar “lecture” episodes as well.

It is not unusual for children to face an array of judges who haveanimal forms,not human, or tobe sharply criticized for actions few adultswould ever take seriously. If you consider how a child's mind works, youcan better understand why small infractions would loom large and havefar-reachingeffects. Children personalize everything. The consequences oftheirbehavior are important tothem.

There is a counterpoint to the judgment issue among adultexperiencers, andIwouldsay it is the lifereview. Older children, teenagers,

and adults have a lot of these—opportunities to witness or relivetheir past

experiences in this life and see how their actions affected others. Even

though some report a tribunal arrangement (with human-appearing

judges actually judging them for past indiscretions, errors, or mistakes),

most claim that it was “me judging me.” And many were also subjected to

fully experiencingthe endresults of deeds anddecisions, evenundergoingthe pain and suffering they caused others to endure, so they could learnfrom whatpreviously occurredandmake significant change for the future.

On the subject of judgment, then, the most prevalent manner ofdisclosure for children seems to be the instruction they are given; foradults, what they are shown or must relive. The impact of judgment, or thelack of it, strongly interweaves itself throughout whatever comes next in

theexperienced life.

CHARACTERISTICS TO BE ALERT FOR IN CHILDREN

* A powerfulneedtohave a "home/’ evenifit is only their own

bedroom.

* An equally important desiretohave an "altar" of somekindin their“home." Anythingon the altar is holy,

* An intensecuriosity about God, worship, andprayer.Many insisttheir parents attendchurch afterward—any church is fine.

•Anunusualsensitivity to whatever is hurtfulor to lies, especially as

reflectedin worldevents andthe “white lies" parents andsiblingsoften tell.

•Loss ofboundaries, as if they have“no skin." They may havetorelearn socialcourtesies andcommon rules andregulations,

•An ability tomerge intoorbecome one with animals,plants, orwhatever is focused on.Borders on self-identificationinmultiples.Can easebacktonormalself-image with age andincreasedsocialization.

•Heightened otherworldly activity andpsychic displays.Drawnto

mysticism andtheparanormal.

•A changein sleep patterns.May forgonaps entirely in favor ofincreased flow states.

•An awareness of the life continuum andanything“future," includingfuturememory episodes,

•A shift towardbeinga fast talker and fast thinker, with a drivingneedto create, invent, read, and learn.May bemisdiagnosed as havingattention deficit disorder (ADD),Explore alternatives firstbefore

consideringdrugs,ÿ

* Behavior changes in school.Just as many become disruptive as

withdrawn. This can carry over into family life, with authorityfigures merely tolerated.

According to Diane K. Corcoran, R.N., Ph.D., a former army nurse andleading proponent of educating medical professionals about the near¬

death experience andits aftereffects, especially inkidsÿ “Children may not

realize that thethings they are feeling are common aftereffects. They maybe able to seethings others don't, or they may at specialtimes knowthingsthat are going to happenbut find that nobody believes them. We need to

listen to children.And weneed to let them knowthey're okay.

"Just last week, in a workshop of nurses," Corcoran added, "a youngmother said she had a two-year-old who had a near-drowning incident.She emphasized that they were not a religious family and she and herhusband didnot teach about God or church; however, since the incident,she said, the childhas been talking about angels andwants tobe one whenshe grows up. She drags the family to church now, and is very involvedwith all that happens at Sunday School. 'It's as if her angels artpersonal

friends/ themother remarked. 'What do youthink is the matter with her?’Even after the lectureIgave on near-death states, shestillwas not sure thather daughter mightbe an experiencer."

HEALTH

For 73 percent of the child experiencers, aftereffects increased over theyears. Participants were emphatic about making that claim, stating thatthe older they became the more exactly they fit the profile ofcharacteristics, trait for trait Some became ambidextrous afterward or

switched handedness, A number of them showed me how theirhandwriting had altered as well. Changes could be that profound! Not

everyone was so affected, though, A few participants noted only slight

changes and tossed off their episodes to overactive imaginations whenthey were young.

Intriguingly, however, I found a correlation between those whoreported the fewest aftereffects and those who were the most challengedhealthwise as they aged. They were the same individuals.

I’m not indicating here that a lack of aftereffects means poor health.Rather, whatIhave observed is that there seems to be a link between a

childhood repression of aftereffects andthe profusion of health problemsthat can occur later.

Thechild who is expected tobe “the same as always" after a near-deathevent can block the experience as well as some of its aftereffects, even to

the point of denial that anything so ridiculous could ever have happened.Yet all too often there is a price to pay for such repression, not only in theincreased probability of health challenges when older, but also in theindividual's feeling strangely empty or lost, agitated that somethingimportant seems to be missing from his or her life that can’t quite beidentifiedor understood.

There are some experiences who are permanently crippled or

handicapped after their episodes, or are weakened to the extent that they

go on to endure severe or chronic illnesses once grown. Nevertheless, thepattern of aftereffects is still apparent in most of them. Dealing openlywith the impact of near-death states casts a decided advantage in howhappy and healthy an experiencer canbecome.

Like adult experiences, child experiences show a preference foralternative approaches to medicine as they mature. All of those in my

study whoclaimednowtohave excellent health (77 percent) creditedtheirgood fortune to a more spiritual reverence for life, along with havingturned to things like herbs, homeopathy, massage, and vitamin andmineral therapy for healing. As they aged, most found pharmaceuticalsdifficult to tolerate.

Oneparticular case worthnotingis that of CherylPottberg ofNew York,

who had her near-death episode at age thirteen during heart surgery. Inher late thirties she suffereda cardiac arrest, which damagedher liver.Shecould not metabolize normal doses of heart medication, and it poisonedher system, necessitating the insertion of a temporary pacemaker. Two

months later, whilehavingopen-heart surgery to correct theoriginalheartdefect, she had her second near-death experience: a reunion with hergrandmother, who had been dead for thirty-three years, and a sessioninvolving“God's Word" andpredictions for “theendof an age."

Millennial prophecies emerging from an adult scenario are rathercommon,but an experiencer as critically ill as Cheryl turning to a medicalphysician for help and receiving exactly what was needed via holisticmeans is nothing short of miraculous. Unable to endure further surgery,yet far from well, she discovered Gerald M. Lemole, M.D., one of the most

respected heart surgeons in the country, who had shifted his practice to

embrace a wide range of alternative healing techniques. Lemole is knownto send patients with complex heart conditions to localhealth food stores

before consideringsurgery. His success rateusing holistic treatments is so

high that it hasbecome an embarrassment tohis surgical colleagues.5

Part of the vitamin protocol he gave CherylPottberg was the herb milkthistle, which is known to benefit the liver. Six weeks later, blood tests

showed that she had near perfect liver function. Also, her heart conditionhas improved to the extent that she is back in college earning a degree insocial work, determined to complete her mission of committing to paper

“theprophecies of God."

SPECIAL HEALTH PRECAUTIONS FOR CHILD EXPERIENCERS

OOD PRESSURE: Although more adults than children exhibit a substantialdrop in blood pressure after their experience, all should be aware thatcurrent medical opinion considers long-term low blood pressure a majorcomponent of chronic fatigue syndrome and therefore a disease that

should be treated chemically. Experiences who continue to be hale andhearty andenergetic shouldlet their doctors know that lowblood pressure

is normalfor them.

3HT SENsrrivrrY: All well-meaningadults shove children outside.Fresh air ishealthy. Kids need it. But if the child is a near-death experiencer and theschoolteacher or coach or parent forces him or her to practice or play inbright sunshine for longperiods of time, day after day, the results couldbetroublesome. Because of their unusual sensitivity to light, they can besubject to allergic reactions tobright sunshine or unusual states of fatiguefollowedby a weakeningof thebody's immune system.

UKD SENSITIVITY: Peer pressure is hard for youngsters, and especially forteens, to contend with. Types of music listened to and decibel levelcomprise the mark of allegiance to whatever is "in." At dances, proms,parties and gatherings, even school-wide assemblies in the auditorium,sounds are blasted out, tuned "way up" or “far out." If the teenager is a

near-death experiencer, any type of loud music or noise can be painful-even injurious. Most prefer nature's sounds, classical music, or the broadrange ofNew Agemusic now available,

ICREASED TOLERANCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS: When a child is ill, he or she isrushed to a doctor or maybe the emergency room in a nearby hospital,where a shot is administered or pills are prescribed. This is standardprocedure, But if the little one is a near-death survivor and suddenly moresensitive, possibly even allergic, to the type of pharmaceuticals normallyadministered to a child of his or her weight and age, the treatment can bemore dangerous thantheillness, Alert thephysician,

The public, for the most part, is unaware that near-death states

engender aftereffects or that youngsters are often affected in special ways,

Thus, when childexperiencers complain of strangeheadaches or manifesta series of colds or flu-like symptoms when there seems to be no goodreason for such ills, they are told, “Toughen up, kid," or, “It's just your

imagination." Considering the range of their new sensitivities, the wisercourse of action may be to investigatetheir complaints.

PHASES OF INTEGRATING THE AFTEREFFECTS

The child you get back after a near-death episode is a remodeled, rewired,reconfigured, refinedversion of theoriginal.

Whereas it takes the average adult experiencer about seven years to

integrate the full range of aftereffects, it can take children two to threetimes that long. Why? Because of the extraordinary lengths they can useto

deny, ignore, or block the reality of what happened to them and iscontinuing to occur. Fitting back into the family of origin is a survivalnecessity for children. And, whatever the family suppresses the childrepresses, Comments such as these are typical:

ClaraLane,Belmont, Ohio.NDEatageten, appendicitis. T never felt free to

talk about this whenIwas younger. People didn’t and still don't believethings like this.ButIknowthe truth,andthat’s what’s important."

CarolJeanMorres, LongBeach, California. NDEat agefourteen, extreme

distressinepigastricarea. “Because others cannot accept my experience asreal,Ihave had to keep it locked up inside me for the most part, and thatcreates a feeling of isolation and loneliness and of 'being different,' all ofwhich is ultimately depressing, I guess the one word to describe others’lack ofbelief is anguish,"

Beverly A. Brodsky, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NDE when nearly eight,during a tonsillectomy. “I had no childhood after my near-deathexperience.Ifelt cheated,"

The process of integration, at least amongthoseIhave studied, takes placein four distinct phases. Some zip right through all four in rapid fashion,,and with few distractions. Others take many more years than might seem

reasonable.Each person responds tothephenomenon inunique ways. Thefollowingcharthighlights what is average for most.

BRAIN SHIFT PHASES OF INTEGRATION MOST EXPERIENCERS GOTHROUGH

Phase One—First three years

Impersonal|detached from ego identity/personality traits. Caught up in desire to expressunconditional love and oneness with all life. Fearless, knowing, vivid psychic displays,substantially more or less sexual, spontaneous surges of energy, a hunger to learn more anddo more. Childlike mannerisms in adult experiencers, adultlike behavior in childexperiencers, a heightened sense of curiosity and wonder, IQ enhancements, muchconfusion.

Phase TwO“—Next four years

Rediscovery of and concern with relationships, family, and community. Service andhealing oriented.Interested inproject development and work environment. Tend to realignor alter life roles; seek to reconnect with one's fellows, especially in a moral or spiritualmanner. Unusually more or less active/contemplative. Can resume former lifestyle, butmore desirous of carrying out “mission.”

Phase Three—After the seventh year

More practical and discerning, often back to work but with a broader worldview and aconfident attitude. Aware of self-worth and of “real” identity. Tend toward self-governanceand self-responsibility. Spiritual development an ongoing priority along with sharing one’sstory and its meaning.Dedicated,Strong sense of spiritual values,

Phase Fourÿ—Somewhere between twelfth and fifteenth year

Immense fluctuations inmood and hormonal levels. Often discouraged or depressed whilegoing through a period of grieving—reassessing gains and losses from the experience, whilefearful that aftereffects are fading.Many problems with relationships, money, and debts, Acrisis of “self If able to negotiate “the darkness light can bring," a depth of maturity andconfidence emerges that is unique to the long-term effects of a transformation ofconsciousness.

The seventh year is like a marker, a first birthday that celebrates theexperiencer's ability to “bringto earth the gifts of heaven" in practical andmeaningful ways. Somewhere between the twelfth and fifteenth years,,maybe up to the twentieth, there is another marker—a secondbirthday—and it catches most experiences unawares. It is a seconddrop, a second

shiftThe second drop is like a second death, in that it heralds a time of life

reversals and the need to ask some tough questions: Were the sacrificesIhave made since my experience worth it? AmIcapable of carryingout my

mission? Is it possible to live a spiritualLife in the earthplane? HaveIbeenhonest with myself? Are my aftereffects fading? If the experiencer cansuccessfully negotiate the challenges of this second drop, a second shift ispossible—a major advancement toward “the peace that passeth allunderstanding,"

Every one of the childexperiencers inmy study who ever had a seriousproblem with alcohol started drinking during phase two—a period whenrelationships of varied types become primary and the pressures ofpursuing further education or a job versus theneed to launch their missiontend to overwhelm. As to why they drank, the majority said it was to ease

thepain they felt or to escape theridicule of their families and friends.

Of those who attempted suicide after their episodes, almost all of themdid so during phase four. Also, most of those who had another near-deathexperience in adulthood had it in phase four. Example: a young boydrowned at the age of five, miraculously revived fifteenminutes later, andimmediately began to “see through" people and act in “odd" ways, As he

matured, what interested his agemates bored him. Behavior problemsresulted. Onceheturned eighteen,he joinedthe army,hopinghe woulddie.He did, in an accident. He had another near-death scenario duringresuscitation that explained the earlier one and gave him the courage heneededtotransformhis life.

The second drop that occurs is not always as perilous as it was for theyoungman just mentioned,but,unlikethe “firstbirthday,"this is a timeofreckoningand reassessment when experiences make major decisions thatrequire new commitments. The first shift can be linked to the originalnear-death state. The secondshift seems more dependent on choice, on theexperiencer’s willingness to surrender to a greater plan.Regardless of howintegrated andspiritual an experiencer may appear tobe after the seventhyear, allpalesby thepower unleashedif the secondshift occurs.

OUR TINIEST EXPERIENCER3

I want to emphasize that anyone at any age can have a near-deathexperience. That includes tiny ones still in the womb, babes beingborn,infants, and toddlers. Once they are verbal, our smallest experiencers dotheir best to convey what happened to them—through speech, drawings,words on paper, or actions. The way in which their attempts to share theirstory are received, determines, to a large extent, whether or not theirepisode has a positive influence on their life or is tucked aside, ignored, or

repressed, Although the pattern of aftereffects cannot be denied, theexperience canbe,

These tiny ones, via their expressions and language, show signs thatsuggest they may have identified with the otherworldly imagery andbehaviors they were once exposed to, rather than, or in addition to, that ofearth and their earthly human family, Their temporal lobes, as they form,seem to build their “libraries" of shape, size, sound, smell, color,movement, andtaste to accommodate the otherworldly modelsprovidedby

their near-death experience. (The temporal lobes function as "libraries" inhow they alter the input we receive—from the day we are born until wedie.) This imprinting is augmented by sensory response and intuitiveknowingto theextent that thechild can seem wisebeyondhis or her yearswhen, in fact, the youngster is simply respondingto what feels natural.

Frequently, family and friends cannot account for the childidentifyingin this manner, or in having models of life and living different from theirown; nor do psychologists have training in how to interpret what hashappened tothelittle one.

With this in mind, here is a summary of the differences Ihave seenbetween how adult andchild experiencers (especially the very young) tendtohandle the aftereffects ofnear-death states:

lults—deal with changes afterward, and the necessity of finding newreference points. They are challenged to redefine themselves and the lifethey live from another perspective. Before-and-after comparisons can bemade.

lildien—deal with the strangeness that what they encounter in the worldaround them does not match what they know and identify with. They are

challenged to recognize the source of their uniqueness and accept thevalidity of what they have gained from the experience. What happened to

them is thebasis of allthey know.

lultsintegrate. Children compensate.

Contrary to my work with adult experiencers—whereI found that ittook most of them up to seven years to integrate their episodediscovered that child experiencers can take twenty to thirty years or moretointegratetheirs, This is not necessarily a gloomy thing, as compensatingis the major way children have of adjusting to the changing conditions intheir lives. Once they make such accommodations, though,it usually takesuntil their middle years before they question "why," A child is perfectly

I

capable ofbalancingtwo differing worldviews in a healthy manner if theyhave supportive parents or relatives who are good listeners as well as

talented at creatingboundaries with an invisible "fence" around them, so

that the child can explore and experiment without ridicule or feeling"foreign" or bad. This is done by being open and encouraging while stillmaintaining basic disciplines so necessary for healthy growth. There are

gentle or thoughtful ways parents can hold their ground without"squashing" or inhibiting the child (much information is now available,

throughbooks andmagazines, toteach parents howto do this).

MUTUAL PARENT-CHILD EPISODES

Occasionally in my work,Ihave come across cases where both a parent

and that parent’s child were experiencers. Some of these parents readilyshared their accounts with their families and were especially sensitive to

the needs of their child experiences Most, however, were not thiscommunicative, nor did they attempt todetermine if any of their childrenmight have had near-death experiences, tooÿeven when it was obviousthat a child of theirs could have. Sons and daughters, then, were often leftto fend for themselves withoutbenefit of the guidance andunderstandingtheir parents couldhaveprovided. Two such cases follow.

L, S, Gordon hadher episode at the age of three during a tonsillectomy,Like typicalchild experiencers, hers was theInitial type. She never labeledher episode growing up because it wasn’t as detailed and experientiallycomplex as descriptions she had heard of her mother's. She and hermother never discussed this. Forty-seven years later, she was finally ableto re-experience her own scenario's radiance and allow all of theaftereffects to manifest—due to the manner in which her mother died. As

she tells it, "Bette Gordon, like an NDE Medicine Woman, with intent calm,

was reading Betty Eadie’s bookEmbracedby theLigh& when she suddenlypropped it up in the crook of her elbow, looked at the book, and exited,

Incredible! She diedwith thereassurancethat what shehadalways knownwas true." L. S. Gordon wrote a book-length manuscript ofpoetry as a waytoreconcile what hadhappenedtoher. An excerpt:

IfwecouldseeasGoddoes,wemightfindlegionsofangelssurroundingus,

legionsofsoulsupholdingus, learning

fromus, humbledandamazedby what wedare.Do welosehopesometimes,givein

tofears thatmake usmonstersIWedo:Tobearthedense,particulatefruitsofthis world,

wemustbecapableofanything.

The secondexample is that ofMichaelandRalphKelley of San Antonio,Texas. Ralph, Michael’s father, contracted typhoid fever at age thirteen.The illness was so bad that when his ordeal was over, he had to relearnhow to walk. During the high fever, he experienced, a scenario that so

overwhelmed him that it shaped the rest of his life. Although his legacywas the Light's Perfect Love, which he showed in the caring and forgivingway he treated people throughout his many years, he never discussed hisepisode until just before his death, when his son Michael insisted that he“fess up," It was important for Michael to hear his father’s story, since hehadalso experienced a near-death state when he was just two years old.He

had opened the car door during a family outing and had fallen out,

sufferingabrain concussion andother injuries,

According to Michael: “I distinctly remember watching from outside ofmybody as my father pickedme up from the street andput me in the car,Ialso remember a city bus stopped in traffic and seeing a brilliant whitelight that seemed to surround everything," Michael often revisited thescene in his mind, “My schoolgrades always sufferedbeeause themessage

from those replays was more profound than anything offered by my

teachers." Another car accident and brain concussion in adulthoodbrought on a second episode. Afterward, Michael was so shaken that helost control ofhis life. It wasn’t his father,but near-death research that heread, that finally made an important difference for him. Since hisconfrontation with his father, Michael has been more in touch with thetruth ofhis own experience.He says:

“Why life? We live to execute a properly conceived life plan wherebyeach humanbeing becomes an artistic genius. The light's knowledge andlove are thepaint andthe inspiration that we, God's littlebrushes, apply to

Earth's giant canvas, allowing each of us to add our few, unique brushstrokes to God's GrandPaintingofLife.”

Inboth of these examples, the children went through needless periodsof confusion because their parents, for whatever reason, never inviteddialogue about otherworldly journeys—neither their ownnor those of theirchildren. What happened in these two families underscores the fact thatjust because one has shifted to a more loving and spiritual way of livingdoes wtfttnean that new reality is translatedinto every aspect of one’s life.

Those who have undergone a brain shift/spirit shift still makemistakes andignore, withoutmeaningto, the very lovedones most inneedof their understanding and their care. This happened to me with my ownchildren, andI've seen the samethingoccur with ever somany others.

GOME ADVICE FOR PARENTS

•Sleep patterns for the youngalter abruptly afterward. Children may

experience less nap time, increased flow states (where they “blankout” intonothing, andendup feelingrefreshedandinvigoratedas aresult), andrestlessness, Somemay fear sleep andsuffer nightmares;others seem exhaustedon waking, as if they had“touredtheuniverse” or attended sometype of school while asleep,Relivingthenear-death episodein thedreamstate is commonplace.Encourage the

childto sharethis.Listen.

* Love changes for childexperiences.It isnormally them to losetheparent/childbonding. That doesn't mean they ceasetobelovingandthoughtful,but it does mean they tend to act moredistant thanbefore. Thechildswitches gears andbegins tomature faster,becomeIndependent.Interests change from those of the family, sometimesradically.

•After their experience,most kids have a markeddecreasein theirability to express themselves andsocialize. Since languageis themost

criticalskillanyonehas, stimulatethe child's speech with your own.Promote dialogue with question/answer games, group storytelling,readingout loud, andspeakingon “pretend" microphones.Encourage

thechildtoparticipatein community projects as a volunteer.

* Writinganddrawingare just as important as dialogue.Ask thechildtomake a specialbook about his or her near-death experience.Have

lots ofpaper handy for pages that cover: newspaper account of deathevent (if any), drawings of each aspect of near-death episode,description of what occurred, information about dreams afterward,sketches of any “beings" that continue to appear, poems, ideas,thoughts, andextra pages torecordmorethings later on. Choose atitleandbindbookwithribbon.Aprojectsuchasthisvalidates theexperience, ,. as wellas thechilesfeelings* Theparent(s) shouldkeepa journalof the wholeaffair, too. This helps to stimulateparent/childbondingandcan serve as an invaluable resource once the childmatures. Consider giving the journaltothechildwhen he or shebecomes an adult.Iwould encourage a childexperiencer of any age to

create such a book,AafkeH.Holm-Oostenhof ofHollanddid, andtheexercise changed her life.Iam lucky enough tohave a copy of Aafke's

book, Shemay yet haveit republished,-

* Withnewborns and infants, if thereis any chance their lifecouldhavebeen at risk or if there wasbirth trauma, dothis as soon as

possible: outlinethebaby’sbody with gentlehandor finger strokes.Repeat severaltimes each day untilthey can turn over andaremore

active.Practicebaby massage, gently exercisingtheir limbs andpelvis, alongwith gentleback andshoulder rubs. This willhelp to

bringthemback from “theotherworlds" in a healthy andpositiveway shouldthey havehada near-death experience.If they didnot,

well, it's a good exercise for any parent touse with “new arrivals" as itpromotes trust andself-confidence.

* Childexperiencers of any agetendto withdraw,can even reject hugsandcuddles.Recenter themintheirbodies usingtechniques such as:

pattingtheir shoulder whenyoupassby, touchingtheir handif youspeak tothem,nudging a knee from timetotime, or rubbingtheirback. Smile. Teach them topat andnudge youlike youdo with them.Pets are wonderful for touch therapy, as areplants andgardens,making things with clay,perhaps cloth andpaper sculpture.Makecookies that thechildcan help prepare, thenturnhim or her looseshapingthecookies byhctndirfi.0 imaginative designs.Do foodsculptures (youcan findmoreinspirations inbooks likePlay with

YourFoodby Joost Elffers)

* Speakingof food, watch sugar levels. Childexperiencers aremoresensitive than the average childtochemicals andexcessive sweets,

especially refinedsugars and"replacement" sweetners/products.Practice goodnutrition;use veggies andmaybe a piece of fruit or

cheese andcrackers for snacks.

•Sincemost near-death experiencers exhibit electricalsensitivity aftertheir episode, avoidover-exposureto electrical items (especiallyelectric blankets).Full-spectrum lights arepreferredto fluorescentones.Limit theuse of computers and television andmakecertainplenty of water and fresh air are available duringuse of technologicalequipment, andin general,

* Childexperiencers ofnear-death states are sensitivetotheir

environment.Here are somemore tips: cottons usually workbest forclothes andbedding. At meals,have aburningcandle for a

centerpiece, andsay thetypeof Grace where each person inturn can

offer his or her ownprayer. This is especially meaningfultothechild.Flowers put kids at ease. Let them pick andarrangethe flowers, ifpossible. Be carefulof toomuch exposuretobright sun

Cmidafternoon), andmusic turnedtoohigh (loudvolume is oftenpainfulto them).Recheck former medication as itmay nowbetoo

potent.

•Visualization techniques are a must for thechildto learn, as wellassomekindof focusingexercise, so they can revisit the ''other worlds"at will. Wherever onehas oncebeen in consciousness canbereturnedto andre-experienced. A childexperiencer does nothave toattempt

suicideto goback (nor does a teenager or adult). This canbe donethrough desire andintention andthe“magic" of visualization (there

are suggestions for this in appendix1at theback of thisbook).

Childexperiencers, even in the early years of grade school, areperfectcandidates for the study ofphilosophy, ofmorals andintegrity,especially ifusingthe Socratic method—where askingquestionsinspires deep probingresponses andcriticalthinking, They can

easily engage other students andpromote class discussions. Talk to

the teacher and/or schooladministrator to seeif such study canbedone as a part of class enrichment.

SIX

<s>Many Types,One Pattern

Probably adozen timessince theirdeathI'veheardmy motherorfather, in an ordinary, conversationaltoneofvoice, callmy

name, They had called my name often during my life withthem...itdoesn 'tseemstrange tome.

—CARL SAGAN

JUST AS THERE ARE many ways in which one can undergo atransformation of consciousness, numerous are the types of conditionsthat can trigger a near-death state. Whether the initial experience can berecalled or not, the pattern of aftereffects remains the same, and whatoccurred is recognizable more by thatpattern thanby any memory of theepisode. The reason is straightforward: the aftereffects validate thephenomenon,

Two particular aspects of this are rather curious: how a near-deathexperience can occur without the individual being clinically at risk ofdying, and how an experiencer can display the aftereffects pattern, yet

havenorecall of a near-death scenario. By takinga look at these factors, we

can gain a better sense of how truly widespread the incidence rate of thephenomenon hasbecome andhow dynamic its reach.

WHEN NOTHING THREATENS

It is possible to have a near-death experience that has as great an impactand the same patterning of aftereffects as the worldwide phenomenon,andnotbe in the throes of physically dying. No one can explain why thisoccurs; we just knowit does. Officially, the research term for theanomaly isnear-death-likeexperience*

How many people have had such an episode? Well, in 1992, theInternational Association for Near-Death Studies discovered that, of the229 experiencers attending their annual conference that year, 37 percent

had their episodes in settings unrelated to anything that could beconstrued as life-threatening.

Children have near-death-like experiences, too, especially after theyhave formed concepts of death that are meaningful to them and ponderedthe question "Can I die?" I've noticed that powerful shifts in theirawareness take place once they consider this. Many go on to dream aboutdying afterward; some have nightmares, Similar to mini-rehearsals, achild’s death dreams can actually be healthy explorations of mortality,There are times, though, and always without provocation or warning,when a simple death dream can suddenly escalate into a deeply involvedexperience resembling near-death, and with the same far-reachingconsequences, Thethree dreams that follow illustratethis,

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MargaretEvans,NDEthenightbeforeherseventhbirthday,

According to Margaret Evans of Roscoe, Illinois, the night before herseventh birthday was a life changer. She and her twin sister were soundasleep in the same room when, for no apparent reason, Margaret sat boltupright. Actually, only half of her did—the half that projected out of herbody, "Ilooked straight at this beingof light just a little off tomy leftbut inmy lineof vision. Thebeinggenerated the white-gold lightIwasbathed in—a very soothing, accepting, loving light It was very brightbut not hardon my eyes. The angel was neither male nor female and had no distinctfeatures, just the sense of them, Communication between us was

telepathic. My first thought was a remembrance that this moment hadbeen prearranged between us before my birth. It was an opportunity forme to leave this lifeifIso desired, andthe angel was there to offer me thatchoice. To my right, coming out of the light, were my dead grandparents.

They seemed tobe on the other side of a doorway,Iknew they were therebutIcouldn’t see them.Iwanted to go to them sobadly.Iwas happy aboutthe reunion waiting for us,but thenIturned and somehow saw my sisterand myself still asleep in bed,I thought of my parents in the other room

andhowIwould miss them ifIleft. They wouldbe very hurt.Idecided to

stay."

Margaret claims that as soon as she made the decision, the angel toldher she would live a long life and then disappeared, along with hergrandparents andthe light. Never once didshe regret her decision to stay,as “the angel and my deceased grandmother have protected me

throughout the years since."

Muriel E. Kelly of Chandler, Arizona,had rheumatic fever at age six andwas left with a serious heart murmur that necessitated a lot ofbedrest. Atthe age of twelve, still very sickly, she fell into an unusually deep sleepwhen suddenly “I found myself standing on a cobblestone road withpeople around me dressed inbright robes—red,blue,pink. Everything wasso bright and sunny. Birds were singing. Baby angels were smiling andflyingaround.Isaw alldifferent sizes of angels. The music was hauntinglybeautiful."

Hearing her name called, Muriel turned to see Jesusbeside her, dressedin a white-and-red robe. “He knelt down and gave me a hug andIhugged

himback. He toldme we were going somewhere to talk. When he held out

his hand,Inoticed the hole in the middle of it from the nail." As the two

walked along, people nodded and smiled, and children played, “When wearrived at the building, we went inside and walked on a red carpet to athrone where Jesus let me sit on his lap. We talked and he let me hug andkiss him. Hehad longbrown hair,brown eyes, a wonderful voice, andskindarker thanmine,"

Jesus told Muriel that someone was waiting for her, so the two walkedout the door to the street and over to an apartment with many doors,laughing all the way.He toldher she wouldknow which door to knock on,

As he watched approvingly, she found a door that seemed somehowspecial, A voice insidebeckoned her to enter. It was her mother, who haddied when Muriel was nine, leavingbehind five children, Their reunionwas love filled, “I asked Mama where Daddy was, and Cecil, Willie, John,

andPaul.Mother toldmethey weren’t here ’causeit wasn’t their time.Ihadno idea what she meant, so she took me to an area where we sat on a cloudand looked over the whole world.My mother locatedmy dad andbrothersriding in a car. We could see right through it. Dad was driving, and we

heardmybrothers andDadcrying, saying, ‘I wishMuriel was stillhere. We

miss her.If she werehere we wouldn'tbemeantoher.' My dadsaidIwas inheaven withMama andI'llneverbeback.Ididn't know what was goingon.

I started crying for my dad andbrothers.I remember really sobbing andwishingIwasback with them. Well,Igotmy wish.Iwokeup inbed.”

Muriel healed completely soon afterward and went on to live a normallife. She even passed the navy's physical when she enlisted—no heartmurmur was detected, nor has any trace of her early health traumas ever

reappeared.Her doctor was as surprisedabout this as she was.

Tom Meeres of New Jersey was fourteen when, on a summer night, hispeaceful sleep turned into a terrible fall through a spiral or tunnel (image1). He had had falling dreams before and had experienced a similarsensation under anesthesia, so the thought "hereIgo again” was of some

comfort—yet this "dream” was tobeunlike anythingbefore or since.

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TomMeeresofNewJersey,NDEatagefourteen. (1)First viewofthespiral(tunnel). (2)Perspective whilefalling. (3)Slowingdownnear the wallofthe

tunnel\ (4) Velvetyblack void.

Falling was fast; (image 2) he heard undulating noises and garbledvoices. He slowed enough to recognize that the tunnel walls were ribbed,(image 3) but the falling continued until he became nauseous. Just as hewished for death to stop the terror of it, he suddenly found himself in a

velvety dark void, feeling totally supported and cared for. He curled up inthe fetal position (image 4), but panicked with the thought that thisisolationmight last forever.No sooner didhe think that thanhe discoveredhe was in a dark cave.

“To the right is a beautiful light coming from a round opening aboveme. I am drawn in and through the light (image 5) untilI find myselflooking out over the sheer drop of an immense cliff, (image 6)." Fear struckonce more, but the light helped him float, then fly: “I'm high above a

strange landscape with a river valley that seems to stretch out forever(image 7), The light suffuses everythingso that forms are discernible onlyin shades of gray, All fear is gone andthere’s just a wonderful lightness ofbeing.Iam myself, yet there is no feelingof separateness from the light.”

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(8)Seeingmanyopeningsin thecliff.

Sensinga city andpeoplebeyondhis view,he wondered whothey wereand what they were doing. He noticed his arm as he flew toward them,expecting to see a shadow. There was none, for light shone everywhere,Before he could think of a question, his grandparents appearedbefore him."I can't tell you what they look like or howIhear them, but they say whothey are, that they care about me, that I must go back, that I have a

purpose,Idon’t want to go. They strongly urge me to, andIagree." As heturnedaround, he recognized thathehad gonetoo far. The openings inthecliff were too numerous to count, and he couldn't tell which one he hademerged from. Gettingback became a struggle, like swimming against thetide. He started topanic, Finally, he saw the right opening and fell through(images).

"The euphoria upon awakening," said Tom, "was greater thananythingIhave ever felt. Was it a dream? No, it was too real. Were thepeople my grandparents? They said they were, but what’s important isthat they care about me and thatIhave a purpose in life. Who canItellabout this? No one. That’s whyIsuppressedit for twenty-seven years,"

Other types of conditions can foster a near-death-like experience. Here

is one that involves a blow to the head during a rock fight; anotherconcerns a tumble down flights of stairs, as well as a “visitation" from a

ghostly dog.

At the age of ten, Timothy O'Reilly of New Jersey happened to get

caught m a rock fight between two groups of kids. The empty lot wherethefight occurred was longand like a bigpit, with swampy water about a footdeep at the bottom. To cross the swamp, Timothy had to negotiate a

walkway of wooden planks laid atop discarded tires that zigzaggedthrough high weeds. Three-fourths of the way across, the opposing group

began throwingrocks athim,

"I started to runback to my friends/' explained Timothy, "but whenIwas about ten feet from dry landI looked up and saw this kid holding a

hugerock over his head.Ithink the rock was about the size of my ten-year-old skull. As he let go of it,Iremember thinking, 'This thing is going to hitme.’Iturnedmy head to the right just before the rock hit me square in theback ofmy head."

He was knocked unconscious by the blow and fell into the swampywater. "AlthoughI felt likeIwas still standing, everything went black. Myarms were stretched out to either side andI heard a buzzing sound. Icouldn't see my body as it seemed transported elsewhere,butIhad one.Ibegan to flail back and forth as my legs started to sink or melt Theydisappeared, andIhadno torso andthere was no gravity,Iwasn't afraid.AllIthought of was thebuzzingsound. It remindedme of a science-fictionmovie about a dinosaur that I had seen on TV. A bird would send an

electrical charge from his long beak to destroy cities in Japan, andwhenever the bird sent out that charge, it made a buzzing sound like theoneIexperienced.Later,Ihadto go tothehospital for a few stitches,"

Round Trip, the touching forty-minute video that captures thetransformations undergone by people who have had near-death

experiences, is the creation of Timothy O'Reilly He never connected hisinterest in thephenomenon with what happened tohim as a childuntilheresearched the video. FilmingRoundTrip did more than assist him withrecall; it seemed to be the stimulus he needed to release long-suppressedaftereffects. “Ihad a spiritualgrowth spurt doing the project," he chuckled,"and all kinds of intuitive flashes and synchronicities occurred, Theyhaven’t quit,"

Laura Hanner of Redding, California, was at her wits’ end at age

thirteen. She had been repeatedly raped by a close family member, yet

when she askedher alcoholic mother for help, she wasbeaten andaccusedof lying,Upset, she felldown five flights of stairs intheapartmentbuildingwhere she lived. “I do not remember howIended up at the bottom of the

stairs. SomehowIdid. AsIwas sitting therecrying,Ibecame aware of thisclickingsound.ILookedin the direction of the soundandsaw a dogcomingtome. He wasbuilt Like a German shepherdbut as white as snow. That dogcameup to me, sat down, andspoke via mentaltelepathy,Hespoke tomeinmy head. It scared the heebie-jeebies out of me.I did not know what to

think, butI was spellbound. He told me thatIwould never again have to

feel fear, and thatIwas going tobe watched over from then on. Well,Iwasastonished.Dogsdon‘t talk But that one sure did!"

Afterward, Laura, who had been failing in school, suddenly excelled,with new and exciting ideas flooding into her mind day andnight. Peopleseemed to come out of the woodwork to protect her whenever she neededthem. The appearance of Space Dog, as she called her mysterious visitor,signaled a complete changein her life. “Iam just a little four-foot, ten-inchPuertoRican woman.Ever since Space Dog,I’vehad visions andthey come

true. I'm not trying to impress anyone, andI have nothing to gain bymakingthis up.It happened."

Laura's talking dog did not act like a mental projection or a

hallucination.Hebehaved as if he was a messenger ofhope from the OtherSide, who validatedher sense of worth whileinspiringher totranscend thepoverty ofher life,

Near-death-like experiences defy the reference points established innear-death research. But the fact that they do match the overall pattern ofthe near-death phenomenon, both in experience types and in theiraftereffects, demands that we entertain new possibilities of thought,

A particularly excitingpossibility is that perhaps death is auxiliary,not

causal to the phenomenon. Perhaps the real orchestrating force of near¬

death and near-death-like states is that of the soul as it journeys throughthe human condition, making course corrections along the way,revampingandrevitalizingitself whenever necessary,

TUCKING IT AWAY

"The incident is probably my most vividmemory, andIcan 'play' it backstep by step, without change, as I did when I was a young child. It isdoubtless the most profound and distinct experience of my life." LarrickStapleton ofWynnewood, Pennsylvania, spoke those words. He was onlyfour when death cametocall, and he’s in theminority.Not becausehe diedand had a near-death episode, but because he has never forgotten it¬children are six timesmore likely than adults totuck away their experience,lest it interfere with the demands andexpectations of growingup.

Because of this tendency, child experiencers are subject to recurringdreams or nightmares about what happened tothem, or suchbehaviors asan excessiveneed for attention or privacy, reckless activities as if they hada "death wish," or a hauntingsensethat something's missing.

Here is just such a case, andit involves a lifetimeof strange occurrences

until, at last, family secrets were revealed. Greg Smith of Kansas City,Missouri, speaks for himself:

"In the forefront of my consciousness has always been my earliestmemory.Idoubt most people think of their life in chronological order,butmy earliest awareness was the equivalent of an intense, wonderful,mystical, heavenly LSD trip, although LSD hadn’t been discovered yet. Itturned out not to have been caused by drugs, but something even moresinister,Ihad always assumed it was a vivid, intense childhood dreamthat for some odd reason just stuck with me throughout life, Whatconfused me, however, was the fact I remember little of my earlychildhoodexcept that 'dream,’

"I recall, without any type of incident or 'introduction,’ the feelof those‘footsy’ pajamasIwore as a toddler, slowly, in child-time and child-steps,climbing a marblelike, translucent stairway that gradually circled to theright.My left handreached up and slid along the smooth balustrade.In thesky were millions of twinkling light-stars emitting sounds similar to

thousands of wind chimes, underscoredby choirs of beautiful voices in

perfect harmony andunison. NormallyIwas a fearful kid,but this was a

journey of confidence.Ionly hazily rememberbeingguidedby someone on

my right, perhaps more of a force, or only a partially visiblebeing.IknowIwas theonly flesh-and-bloodhuman onthat lovely stairway.

"As the stairway curved around more tightly to the right,I came to a

landing. There, on a plain, but thronelike chair sat a feminine entity, a

'good fairy,’ as perceived in my child-mind. She was in a dress sort of likethe good witch in The Wizardof Oz [moviej but without any crown; and,rather than pink, she wore a shimmeringgown with abluish-white cast to

it. She also didn't carry any magic wand!

“The fairy/angel/being took me on her lap, andIrecallabout sixbeingsstanding in a half-circleto my side, her front. My attention was focused onher,however. They playedno conscious part inmy experience.

We talked for a few minutes—about what,Idon't thinkIever knew.Ijust knew it was a pleasant experience. Then, for a forgotten or never

known reason,Ihad to leave, Withher assistance,Islidoff her lap withno

urge of wanting to linger.I felt complete, wonderful, and loved. And withmy right hand on the railing, after a few steps down, I just seemed to

dissipate, this memory joining into the fragmented memories of a normalchildhood. And I remember nothing else of the strange, yet very realexperience.

“As 1 mentioned, I always believed it to be an intense, colorful,childhooddream that was continually in the forefront of my mind, kindoflike a song you can't get out of your head. AsIgrew up,Iwas drawn, moreso than any of my friends, to spiritual things, especially things to do withheaven,but never making a connection tomy always-conscious 'dream.'

"Years andyears later, as an adult,Iwas toldin the course of discussingfamily history, that my grandmother, who lived with us for the first fewyears of my life, had to be institutionalized after she began exhibitingbizarrebehaviors. She hadthreatened my mother (her daughter) out of theblue one day with a largeknife; onemorningmy dad foundher fryingeggs

still in the carton! And early one evening my mom heard a commotionfrom my room and foundher mother trying to suffocate me with a pillowin my crib. Fortunately, a pediatric resident (at the University of Kansas

Medical Center) lived across the street, happened to be home, was

summonedby my frantic mom, andrevivedme. Theblueness left my faceand was replaced with a healthy pink glow.

"My grandmother wasn’t so lucky. She no doubt had Alzheimer’sdisease, although theterm wasn't knownthen. She was deemed a threat toour safety and, still a Colorado resident, was sent to live the last two yearsofher life at theColorado StateHospitalinPueblo, where she died.

“The missing piece to my puzzle of what had happened to me was

finally solved. I'd had a brief, childhood near-death experience and havelonged to return to that wonderful place all of my life. Many times I’ve felt'homesick’ while sitting in my home! ButItake comfort in the knowledgethat whereIam is notmy realhome. Someday I’llbe abletoreach thetop ofthat beautiful staircase and step into theLand where Love has Its EternalDay,"

Amanda Csanady of Glenview,Illinois, also does not remember havinghad anything like a near-death episode when she was two and a half. Her

mother was informed six hours after she was rushed to the hospital thatshe had suffered a febrile convulsion caused by an ear infection. Her eartroubles necessitated numerous surgeries over the years that followed,finally reversingher 40 percent hearingloss. Today, she is an active young

woman who happens to exhibit the profile of brain shift/spirit shiftaftereffects.

Her mother sent me a collection of her childhood drawings, which are

full of rainbows with tunnels through them andmysterious yellow doorsleading to secret places.Ihave included a sampling ofher artwork to showhow effectively children can communicate the deeper truths of their liveswithout words.

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ii */Imandct Csanady,NDEatage threeandahalf, drew thispicture(1)ofherfamilyayearafter theexperience,

At the age of three and a half, a year after her brush with death,Amanda drew a picture of her family (image 1). Shown are Mom andDad,her older brother and herself, and a small, featureless, yellow nonentitycloseto a yellow door,bothbarely visible in themiddle to top placement,Acontemplative white sun, outlined in yellow, shines black rays from the

upper right and frowns sadly (its features are also black),ÿ Mom has a

broad streak of yellow drawn across the area of her uterus, as if Amandawas somehow acknowledgingthat her mother was pregnant

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(2)Amanda*sdrawingatagefourandahalf.

At four and a half, as a kindergarten assignment to make placemats,Amanda did another drawing(image 2). The faint, almost invisible door to

the spirit worlds is on the left this time, with a happy self-portrait in themiddle. On the right, there is a small rainbow with a tunnel through it, Allthree central figures are suspended in air and outlined in yellow, (Notice a

richness of detail, showingshe is adjustingtoher life,but still connected to

andpart of the otherworld readily available through the mysterious door.As is true with most near-death experiences, she is awash in feelings oflove andlovingthoughts,)

At age seven, she won a Fun-velope contest held by Mead Johnson(image 3). Her drawing was used for themonth of Junein their 19S7/19SS

Enfamil calendar,ÿ A tunnel leads into the large rainbow on the right; a

swimmingpool is below it (both are suspended), The train-track sidewalkgoes to the far right from a rainbow door on a happy red house filled withwindows. There are a canopy of hearts, much yellow, many details, andthe sun, finally full strength and at the upper left, (Note lavish, upliftingelements and a bright sun where most children draw it, upper left. Lots ofyellow, but only behind structured outlines. Although mysterious

openings abound, the picture illustrates a joyous return to family bondingandthe confines of Earth.)

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Amanda’s use of yellow and the imagery she drew is significantYoungsters who have undergone near-death scenarios often tend to

picturethemselves suspendedbetween worlds as Amanda first did, or as afeatureless yellow nonentity—and many times with a mysterious yellowdoor nearby—until parent-child bonding is re-established or at least ofmore importance. WhenIask those young ones who use yellow andtheseimages why they do this (not all child experiences do this, but themajority do), they usually shrug, smile, and say, "It’s a secret,”

Additionally,Ihavebeen privy many times to drawings doneby childrenshortly before they died. Not only didtheir artwork depict foreknowledge

of their coming deaths,but the majority drew the continuanceof their livesin yellow—as streamers, bubbles, circles, wispy clouds, or butterflies,winding upward to the left-hand corner of the paper, where theyhadtoldtheirparentsGodwas. (Remember Amanda’s sun?It was strongandbright

onlyat theupper left.)

The color yellow is an important aspect ofnear-death states in general.Of those experiencers who saw a light during their episode, kids andadultsalike usually describe it in terms of yellow-gold-white, with yellow

predominant initially, as if it were a kind of filter or lens.3- Interestingly,yellow, as a color in thelight spectrum, cannotbe seen or capturedon filmdirectly. Since there are no color cones for yellow on the human retina, to

us it is a product ofbrain chemistry. In photography, it emerges from thechemical processing of film images. One way or another, yellow resultsfrom chemicals. Considering the force of its light during near-death states

and transformations of consciousness, I suspect yellow usually heraldsextraordinary accelerations of chemical activity in the brain proper—

another cluetothe validity of thebrainshift/spirit shift theory.

Amanda Csanady’s drawings, then, along with her peculiar use ofyellow and the fact that she displays the aftereffects pattern, convince methat she had a near-death episode at the age of two and a half . . ,

irrespective of “missingmemory."

People like Amanda are nonexperience experiencers, those who claimnary a glimmer of memory about anything so exotic as a near-deathexperience, yet live out their lives as if that’s exactly what once happenedtothem. This situation is especially pronouncedamongthe very young.

Here is a brief presentation of four such cases of adults trying to makesense of why they have alwaysbeen oddly different from their fellows,

Debt Canon, Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas. "Died" at age ten months during

surgery on a tumorformation in the nervous system that had left herparalyzedfrom the waist down. Her death was expected; her survival

wasn't. "I grewup 'knowing' there was something special about my beingalive.IknewIhad a specific job to do( yetIresentedbeing here andbeingdeniedmy 'assignment.' People thoughtIwas weird. They wouldnod andchange the subject whenever I was around. I was unusually intuitive,couldreadminds and seeinto someone's soul.Ihada strongsense ofbeingguidedto whereIwas needed."

Debi's IQ tested out at the genius level. She has an abstract mind, a

master's degree in nursing, is proficient in science, and has “healinghands." Animals seek her out. She is like no one else in her family. Ahomeowner with a long-lasting marriage and no particular regard formoney, she is exceptionally healthy andtotally devoted to spiritualgrowthand learning. The older she gets, the more pronounced the characteristicsbecome that would identify her as a child experiencer. As her “mission,"she is actively integratingspiritualhealingintotraditionalmedicine.

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DebtCanon,,NDEat tenmantbsofage\

Randi,California.Serioushealthconditionatagesix weeks,notexpectedto

live. "Growing up I always knew that God was real. From my earliestmemoriesI felt very closeto God. As a child,Iwould talk to God frequently.WhenIneededcomfortIwouldpicture myself in God’s lap and feelsecure.

I have never had a good relationship with my mother. She has alwaystreated me coldly, as did my brothers. My father was distant but there ifIneededhim.Ifelt as ifIdidnotbelonginmy family.Untiltheninth grade,Istruggled academically in school.I couldn't seem to learn as fast as theother children. Then it was as if a light went off in my brain and learningbecame easy and ftin."

Randihada serious case of eczema until she was fifteen, whenit finallycleared up. Her mother used to say that she was allergic to her own skin.She has since begun using herbs and homeopathic remedies. Randi is a

homeowner with a long-lasting marriage and no interest in money. Shehas an unusuallybright, intuitivemind, with enhancements inmath and a

love of history. She had “trauma-memory" nightmares as a child. She is anatural at interpreting dreams and sensing the future. She looks muchyounger than her years, has a glow about her, and exhibits electricalsensitivity and what she calls “gifts of the spirit" (the spiritualextension ofpsychic abilities),

VirgilRinquest,Montana. "Died*atage sixmonths after beingsuffocatedby his older brother. “I started having psychic experiences as a youngchild, I remember loving to see rays of light coming through the doorwindow and imagining that the light took me to Jesus. My guardian angelwas always helping me.Ifelt connected to strangers and would walk downthe street 'sending' love to people I never met, A beautiful white dovelanded in front of me whileIwas praying once, That kind of thing oftenhappens tome."

Virgil was both religious and spiritual at a very early age andeventually became an ordained minister. There were more instances of

sibling abuse from his older brother, making life difficult for him. He

endured four decades of traumatic nightmares,all linkedtohis "death" as a

child. He is a homeowner with a long-lasting marriage. Money does not

motivate him; a deep desire to help others does. Missing any math andmusic enhancements, Virgildidreceive a Ph.D. inpsychology and is fluentin numerous languages. Hehas a quick and agile mind, is highly intuitive,and remains to this day in communication with angels. The etherealmessages heclaims that angels give him enablehim tobalancehis doublecareer ofminister andpsychologist.He looks younger thanhis years andiscurrently writing a book for African American men like himself,concerning how to handle conflict successfully and heal the wounds ofracialdiscrimination.

Sandra S.f Los Angeles, California. Received too much ether during a

tonsillectomy whenshe was nearlyfive and “died”of thepneumonia thatresultedfrom the surgery. “People commented on how smart I was. Ilearned to read right after my experience and was reading books beyond

my chronological age. I was a 'whiz' at math and spelling. Elementaryschool was lonely;I felt different, probably becauseI was too smart andoverweight Animals seek me out when they're injured and I can healelectrical things, too, except watches—they don't last,I love mythologyand had a facility for languages, but I gave up the idea of becoming a

mathematician or a linguist to study comparative religions. That satisfiedme for many years,"

Sandra involved herself in Christian doctrine when young butconverted to Judaism after experiencing Shabbat (the day of peace andcompleteness), She felt she had “come home," After one divorce, shemarried a child survivor of the Holocaust, and now teaches in a Jewishcommunity, A homeowner who has been married a long time, she findsmoney utterly distracting, Considered a genius with “tons of energy," shewonders if her eating disorder is the result of having blocked out whathappened toher duringthetonsillectomy,

Nonexperience experiencers such as those mentioned are a growingphenomenon. Considering the 70 percent experience rate estimated forchildren by Melvin Morse, M.D. (S5 percent with children who have a

cardiac arrest), andtoday's increasingly efficient resuscitation techniques,it is highly possible that near-death episodes in childhood far outnumberthose amongadults.

With this inmind,Ioffer the followingeight clues thatmightbehelpfulin identifying child experiencers, irrespective of what they do or do not

remember.

1. A life-threateningillness or accident sometime duringchildhood, or

anunusually stressfuldelivery atbirth.

2. Behavior changes immediately after this incident:becoming

appreciably more somber or gregarious; exhibitingincreasedintelligence or a hunger for knowledge; tendingtowardabstractionsanda maturity beyondone's age; havingan intimacy with Godor

otherworldly companions; actingaloof or estranged frommost

family members and friends; suddenly more sensitive or allergic;disinterestedin activities “normal" for one's age group while drawntotopics likehistory,mythology, andlanguage or math andscience;

infinitely morecreativeandinventive; vividpsychic andvisionarydisplays; an awareness of future.

3, If still young, doingnearly everythingearlier than agemates—

drawingor writingpoetry about other worlds, other realms, otherways of lookingat thingsbeyond what wouldbe expected for thechild’s age,

4, Evidence of a learningreversaloncein school;havingto go fromabstract thinkingon theconceptuallevelback to concrete,practicaldetails on thephysicallevel, This can confuse or threaten teachers,

5, Drawn to anything that feels like “Home," andwilltendtowardhomeownership even ifmoney is scarce,

6. Motivatedby service to others or somehowmakinga contribution to

the greater good, rather than gettingrich.Ifmarried, apt to staymarried.

7. Whilematuring,theprofile ofbrainshift/spirit shift characteristics(in chapter 2) fitsbetter andbetter, as if the aftereffects are on theincrease or expanding.

S. An inordinateattraction tomaterialabout near-death states andto

people whohavehadsuch experiences, combinedwith a sense or

feelingthat somethingimportant is missingintheir own lives or

somehow forgotten.

Morgan J. Blank of Pleasant Hill, California, is typical: "I have beensearching for thirty-three years to try andunderstand whyIam the wayI

am. There were many times whenI feltIwas crazy or delusional.Iknewthat the experienceIhad whenIdrowned in our family pool at the age oftwo affectedme. It has affectedthe wayIview the world.It has affectedtheway I view people, humanity, love, our purpose on this planet. It hasaffected me down to the core of my being and on the cellular level. It hasaffectedevery aspect of my lifeandInever knew why - .. /justknewf

Sooner or later, as in the case of nonexperience experiencers likeMorgan J. Blank, the power of the near-death phenomenon tends to

reassert itself. Spontaneous recall is common. One man was simplysurfing the Internet when he happened upon an account that caught hiseye. In an instant, a memory of his own experience returned to him,complete with those aftereffects he hadmanaged to repress, It happenedso fast and with somuch power thathe felloffhis chair,

As children age, full recovery of their episode (be it near-death,neardeath-like, or nonexperience), and the subsequent integration of themany aftereffects into their daily lives,becomes paramount, The majorityturn to God for the assistance they need, or ask their angel friends forguidance, Others initiate rigorous programs of study and selfanalysis,

while a few practice specific yoga breathing techniques that they claimhelp them to surfacethe dormant aspects of themselves. For those who go

to therapists, counselors, psychologists, or psychiatrists, benefits or lackthereof have a lottodo with theprofessionals’ sensitivity andtraining.

The difficulty both child and adult experiences have withprofessionals relates more to prevailing notions of what is culturallyacceptable than it does with the judgment factor of whether or not theexperiencer is mentally or emotionally fit. Lily Tomlin, the famouscomedian, used humor to focus on this disparity: “Why is it when we talkto God we're said to be praying, but when God talks to us, we'reschizophrenic?”

Sometimes an experiencer is lucky enough to find a therapist who isalso an experiencer. When this happens, there is instant rapport, andmiracles follow, To the extreme,Iknow of people who were involuntarilycommitted to psychiatric hospitals simply because they exhibited thenormal aftereffects of the average near-death survivor. A few were laterreleased when a new therapist assigned to their case, who happened to

have had such an episode, recognized “who" they were. Thoseprofessionals who consistently have the best record working withexperiencers arethe ones trainedintranspersonalpsychology.

Joseph Benedict Geraci, an adult experiencer who is now anadministrator of the New Britain School System in New Britain,Connecticut, wrote a Ph.D, dissertation titled "Students' Post Near-Death

Experience Attitude and Behavior Toward Education and Learning,’’- He

made some comments in his proposal that are pertinent: “Transpersonal

psychology addresses those human experiences that take consciousnessbeyond the ordinary ego boundaries of time and space. Experiencesinclude unitive consciousness, cosmic awareness, mystical experiences,andmaximum sensory awareness,”

Transpersonal psychology, as a legitimate field of understanding andexploring varied states of mind, is by its nature geared to experiencers,

Other ways to "touch" memory are also effective, including art therapy,vision quests,philosophicalcounseling, andconsciousness coaching(refer

to appendix 1 at the back of this book). Reconnecting the heart with themind,not just “remembering," is thetrue goal.

SEVEN

<§>

Cases fromHistory

Only those whocmsee theinvisible'> can do theimpossible,

—THOMAS JEFFERSON

POWERFUL SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES are the outworking of a forcecapable of causingLife-changingaftereffects. The strength and intensity ofthis force determines the experience. And this force is spirit and spirit isreal,How werespondconfers valueandmeaning.

When spirit intervenes, it is physically felt. Some describe thisintervention as a sudden “bolt of Light," akin toan electricalcharge. Othersreport a calmer energy Like a force field that glows with a brilliance uniqueunto itself. The energy is always powerfully present, and the associationmade is usually to that of a Light that is alive, intelligent, all-knowing, andaLL-Loving, The very young who encounter the Darkness That Knows use

similar terms—"sparkle," “shimmer," “pulsate," “radiate"—describing a

soft, inviting“bright dark,"

Thus, the presence of spirit is perceived as that of a force. What effect

might incidents like this havehad on thehistory of civilization? Have anyof these child experiences, once they matured, made a significant impacton society? My answer toboth questions is a resoundingj/£5.

While the near-death phenomenon has not been notedhistorically inthe phenomenon’s now-familiar vernacular, what is recorded does offertantalizing hints that many of our revered historical figures may indeedhave experiencednear-death episodes that presagedtheir greatness.

Use the following guidelines, as well as the eight clues suggestive ofhow to recognize a child experiencer given in the preceding chapter, to

identify such people.

•A seriousillnessoraccidentbetweenbirthandagefifteen thatnearlyclaimedtheindividualslife. Any recordof an otherworldly vision or

dream connected with the event willbehighlyunusual,unless he or

shelivedin a “primitive” socialstructurethathonoredspirit.

•Markeddifferencesinbehaviorafterward. The subject may be aheadofor different from agemates for thathistoricalperiod,becomingmore

so as the years advance, with a nontraditionalor nonconformistattitude.He or shemay bepossessedof a charm or charisma thatattracts people, animals, etc.He or she couldbeconsideredsociallyretarded when young, yet unusually creativeandbold;unafraidofdeath;highly intuitive; aware of things future.

•Presenceofthecascadeofaftereffects. A1though it is difficult to findexistingrecords that register such characteristics,personal letters,journals, andeven poetry can reveala great deal.Electricalsensitivityseldom applies,but a unique sensitivity to the sun, sound, andthetypes of medicationusedat thetimeare often noted, Be alert forexcessive complaints about stomach upsets,numerous colds, or

seriousbouts with the flu.Even though most areblessedwith robusthealth, increasedsensitivities, allergies, andoccasional fits ofdepression may havemadehealth issues a concern,

* Analmostobsessivedrive toaccomplishaparticular taskorprojectMost willhavebeen workaholics withno sense of timeor money, yetinclinedtohaveproperty orbe alignedwith distinctiveplaces or

groups, whether or not they ever married.

Using these indicators, it is possible to findhistorical personages whoso closely match the profile of aftereffects and behavior characteristicsthat it is extremely likely they underwent near-death experiences as

children.

Most of the saints in the Catholic Church had their first experiences ofGod as children, andmany conform with the indicators. Great visionariesandprophets of allpersuasions often match,as well.

For a specific example of perhaps a quintessential child experiencer,

consider Abraham Lincoln.1When he was a child of five, Lincoln fell in a

rain-swollen creek and drowned. His older friend Austin Gollaher grabbedhis body and, once ashore, "pounded on him in good earnest." Water

poured from Lincoln’s mouth as he thrashed back to consciousness.Although there is no record of the young boy's confiding an otherworldjourney to anyone, ample remarks were made by friends and family whoobserved his sudden craving for knowledge afterward, his insistence on

learning to read, and his going to exhaustive lengths to consume everybook hecould find.Five years later, just after his mother’s death andbeforehis father remarried, he was on a wagon driving a horse and yelled, "Gitup,” when the horse kicked him in the head. He hovered at death’s doorthroughout the night, with his sister Sarah in attendance, On reviving, hecompleted the epithet aimed at the horse: ", , , you old hussy,” Little morecan be gleaned about the incident until, as an adult, and referring to

himself in the third person, he is quoted as saying, “A mystery of thehuman mind, In his tenth year, he was kickedby a horse, and apparentlykilled for a time,”

Among the characteristics suggestive of a brain shift/spirit shift that

Lincoln came to exhibit: the loss of the fear of death, a love of music andsolitude, unusual sensitivity to sound and light and food, sensing inmultiples, wildly prolific psychic abilities, a preference for mysticism over

religion, absorption tendencies (merging), dissociation (detachment),

susceptibility to depression and moodiness, increased allergies, regularfuture memory episodes, hauntingly accurate visions, the ability to

abstract and concentrate intensely, clustered thinking, charisma, moralupliftment, a brilliant mind, perseverance in the face of problems andobstacles, and a drivingpassion about his life’s destiny.

Certainly the argument can be made that Lincoln's manyidiosyncrasies were the result of his extreme poverty as a youth coupledwith a relentless determination to succeed. Yet nothing during his earlyyears indicatedgenius; none ofhisunusual talents appeareduntil a/ft?rhehad survived two close brushes with death. As an adult he nearly diedagain, and once more he displayed signs that he might have had yet

another near-death episode—with additionalaftereffects.

The same couldbe said of Albert Einstein. At the age of five, he nearlydied of a serious illness. While still sick abed, his father showed him apocket compass. The fact that the iron needle always pointed in the samedirection no matter how turned, impressed upon him that somethingexistent in empty space must be influencing it. Although speech fluencydid not occur until around the age of ten (perhaps because of dyslexia),

family members recall how deeply he would reflect before answering anyquestion—a trait that made him appear subnormal. Interestingly, helearned to play the violin at six (later delighting with the mathematicalstructure of music), taught himself calculus at fourteen, and enrolled in aZurich university at fifteen, Like Lincoln, he was plagued withnervousness and stomach problems andnearly died from these afflictionsas an adult Also like Lincoln, the unusual characteristics of his

temperment andtalent traceback tothe age of five andafterward,2

J, Timothy Green, Ph.D., a fellow near-death researcher, has a

fascinatingnotion as tohow Einstein may havebeen inspiredto produce a

theory of relativity. He notes that Einstein was seventeen when he was a

student in Zurich, Switzerland, of Albert von St. Gallen Heim, a

distinguished professor of geology. Heim had once fallen while climbingthe Alps and described a most peculiar death experience. Following thisincident, he collected similar accounts over a twenty-five year period fromothers who had fallen or had similar accidents. He presented conclusionsto his research in 1S92 and published his findings that same year. In so

doing, Heim became the first person in modern history to publish a

collection of what would later be referred to as near-death experiences.ÿAccordingto Green,

It is of record that Einstein was a student of Heim in the years

immediately after the publication of this paper, and was privy to

comments like: "When people fall from a great height, they oftenreport that time seemed to slow down or stop completely—as itexpands/' Years later, when Einstein was interviewed as to how hecame to work on therelativity theory, "Hehadbeen triggered off .. .by seeing a man falling from a Berlin rooftop. The man hadsurvived with little injury. Einstein had run from his house. Theman said that he had not felt the effects of gravity—a

pronouncement that led to a new view of theuniverse."

There is no question inmy mindor in Green's (and he stated this tome)

that it is important that these two men knew each other, and that Heimhad an influenceon the youngEinstein, It is reasonableto suppose that theprofessor's near-death experience and his subsequent research paper onthe subject had a profound effect on his curious student, laying thegroundwork for Einstein's famous theory andmaybe even validatingwhathadpreviously happenedtohim when a ladof five,

Similar patterns can be observed in the lives of Queen Elizabeth I,

Edward de Vere the 17th Earl of Oxford (who may well havebeen the real

Shakespeare),-Mozart, Winston Churchill, andBlack Elk.

A Lakota Sioux, Black Elk witnessed the Battle of Little Bighorn andparticipated inthe Battle of WoundedKnee. But that’s not why weknow ofhim. He is famous because a white man by the name of John Neihardtinterviewedhiminl930andl931and forever capturedhis visions in the

singular triumphBlackElkSpeaksABlack Elk first began to hear voices and see spirit beings coming from

the clouds as early as age five, but this confused him and caused manycomplications. At agenine, however, he fell seriously ill, his legs and arms

swollen, his face puffedup. A disembodied voice spoke to him: "It is time.Now they are calling you." Two men appeared from out of the clouds,holding spears that flashed lightning. "Hurry," he was told, “theGrandfathers want you," With that,he left hisbody behindand flew awayintothecloudrealms, joinedby themenhe “knew" were Thunder Beings.

The imagery in this, a full-blown transcendent near-death experience,is among the most spectacular I have ever come across: flying horses,

flamingarrows, forests,mountain peaks, cloudrealms, explosions of color,beings of various types. Featured in his scenario are the Six Grandfathers(great powers), who taught him many things andboth told and showedhim his future, which would include hard times ahead for his people andspecial powers he would be given to help them. Then, his mission wasrevealed to him:he must save the worid(a pretty tallorder for a nine-year-old),Astride abay horse and from thehighest ofmountains,he gazedupon

the whole of the worldhe was to save andsaw more thanhe couldtell andknew more thanhecouldever say. Allknowledge was his,

Beings he "knew" as the Riders of the Four Directions came to him andhe saw in a sacred manner thespirit shapes of all things,andhe knew thatall people must live together as one people, "AndIsaw the sacred hoop ofmy people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylightand as starlight. And in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to

shelter allthe children of onemother and one father, andIsaw that it was

holy." A spotted eagle took him back to his home and became a lifelong"messenger" for him.

"I could see my people's village far ahead, andIwalked very fast, forIwas homesick now. ThenIsaw my own tipi, and insideIsaw my motherand my father bending over a sick boy that was myself. And asIenteredthe tipi someone was saying: ‘The boy is coming to. You had better givehim some water.' ThenIwas sitting up andIwas sadbecause my motherandmy father didn't seemtoknowIhadbeen so far away."

BlackElk remainedas if half-dead for twelve more days. His experiencereplayed repeatedly in his mind, but he could not share it. If he tried, “It

would be like a fog and get away from me." Too young to understand, hefelt like he no longer belonged to his people. Feeling himself to be a

stranger,hehardly ate andlongedtobeback inthe spirit world.

Black Elk began to hear voices and have visions on a regular basis,including warnings of troubling times in the future. A medicine man

recognised a powerful light coming from him.He seemed to levitate at age

thirteen as he was preparedby his father for the Battle ofLittle Bighorn,By

age seventeen,he was warnedin a visitation from the Thunder Beings thata penalty of death by lightning wouldbe meted out if he didn't share whathad happened to him when he was nine. He finally told his story to amedicine man, who arranged for the whole tribe to make costumes andthen act out each element of his story in ceremony, to benefit the wholetribe. Realizing that saving the world really meant healing people, hebecame a medicineman andbegan tohealthe sick,

BlackElk was very much awarethat it was not he who curedpeople,butthe Great Spirit, This humility lasted throughout his lifetime. He lived a

rather active and colorful life, but in the twilight of his years and nearlyblind, he became a recluse, His conversion to Christianity was a mere

convenience, for he knew that God was the God of all. Biographers werediscouraged from writing about him, as it was against federal law at that

time for Indians to discuss Old Ways or thereligion of their past

Nevertheless, John Neihardt, who was familiar with the Lakota Siouxand was accompaniedby his interpreter, Flying Hawk, went in search ofBlack Elk. Why the oldman was waiting for him as if he was expected, andthen broke federal law in trusting this white man and sharing with himhis greatest vision, is a mystery—until you know something aboutNeihardt. Atthe age of eleven,Neihardt had "died" of a high fever andhada dramatic near-death experience. Never the same again, he became asBlack Elk . . . one of those who know. The recognition and camaraderiebetween the two were instantaneous, and they became as family.Publishedinthethirties, thebook Neihardt wrote went out ofprintbut was

rediscoveredby CarlJung and republished in the sixties, It became a best¬seller and has sold well ever since, hailed, even by Native Americans, as

theRosetta Stone of authentic NativeAmerican spirituality.

A less familiar name, perhaps, is that of Walter Russell. Hehadhis firstnear-death experience at age seven, and it preparedhim in a strange wayfor the financial disaster his family wouldsoon suffer. In1SSI, at age ten,

Russell was pulled from school and sent to work, keeping "a good heart"because of the unfailing faith he had gained from his otherworld journey.

A musician since infancy,he secured a church organist position at thirteenandthereafter became entirely self-supporting and self-educated, earninghis way through five years of art school. When he was fourteen, his planswere interruptedby black diphtheria and another near-death episode, inwhich he was officially pronounced dead by an attending physician. He

claimed to have discovered the secret of healing during this event, as hefelt hehadenteredinto “at-one-ment" with God.

These two near-death experiences set the stage for dramatic periods ofillumination that would occur every seven years throughout Russell's life,

AccordingtoGlenn Clark inhisbiography ofRussell, entitled TheMan WhoTappedtheSecretsof the Universe, “He escaped encyclopedical educationalsystems of information-crammingandmemory-testingwhich filledother

children’s lives until they were twenty-five. He used his precious youth to

find out the secret mysteries of his inner Self. His whole life has been usedin the search of the realSelf andthe relation of this real Self to the selectiveuniverseof which heknows himself tobe a vitalpart."

Russell excelled in whatever he turned a hand to, and won lastingfriendships and lucrative art commissions. He had a studio in Carnegie

Hall in New York City, became a commissioned sculptor for President andMrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was a longtime friend of Mark Twain, andpainted and sculpted Thomas Edison. Walter Russell's motto was

“Mediocrity is self-inflicted. Genius is self-bestowed." At age forty-nine, hesuddenly was enveloped withinthe fullness of cosmic consciousness. Thisstate lasted for thirty-nine days andnights without abating. "My personalreaction to this great happening left me wholly Mind, with but slightawareness of my electric body. Duringpractically all of thetime,Ifelt thatmybody was not a part ofmebut attached to my Consciousnessby electricthreads of light. WhenIhad to use my body in such acts as writing inwords the essence of God's Message, it was extremely difficult tobringmy

body backunder control/'

Once he regained use of his faculties, he set about to record theexperience in The Divine Iliad and then spent six years penning TheUniversalOne, a text containingthe drawings andrevelations given tohimof the universe and how it worked, covering such subjects as chemistry,

physics, and electromagnetics.He later corresponded withAlbert Einsteinabouthis own theory that this is a “thought wave" universe created for thetransmission of thought His second and lasting marriage was to English-born Lao Russell, herself a visionary since childhood, who grew upknowingshe was here “tochangethethinkingof the world," Together theyestablishedthe University of Science andPhilosophy andpublishedmany

books, including a home-study course on spiritual principles. Althoughboth have long since passed on, the University continues their work in

offices located near Waynesboro, Virginia,ÿ

A final exampleis Valerie V. Hunt,Ph.D. Very much alive andvigorous,although retired, Dr. Hunt was the very first researcher to objectify

electronically the aura of light around people, places, and things, which,she showed, does indeed exist and has specific color frequencies thatregister consistent and measurable waveforms.Ihave seen some of thefilms taken of her experiments, especially those of the human aura,showing how it expands and contracts according to mood, attitude, andinteractions, andIcan attest to the impact these films have on peopbentire crowds have been moved to tears. To actually see theelectromagnetics of aural energy fields play out right in front of your eyesis an awe-inspiringprivilege.Her work is a scientific milestone,

Her early years were rather difficult, though. She was in a coma at theage of three, with dire predictions for her survival. Not until she was an

adult working in the field of psychotherapy was she able to revisit thatharrowing time and recover her childhood near-death experience,complete with the sensory world she had once known. Considered a

mysticalchildby her mother, she early onhada reputation for beingso farahead of other kids that most avoided her. She escaped by composingpoetry, drawing, singing, and thoroughly indulging in the spirit realmsaround her. Before the coma she had been an outgoing, exuberant child.Afterward, shebecame serious, quiet,

According to Hunt: "One day, quite by surprise, my parents took awaymy paints, my paper, my crayons, andmy books. No one wantedto hearabout the fun things my mind created. My frustration mounteddaily—my

worldhadrejected whatIfoundexciting.Imumbledtomyself angrily withlittle satisfaction. My parents didn't listen, Finally,I started 'multiplyingwords' with God, for real.I flashed back to my months in a coma whenIexperiencedbeing with God in a beautiful land of flowers, sweetness, andlove; quiet serenity.I wanted to stay forever, butI recalled that God hadsaidIwould goback to the world tobringitbeauty,IcomplainedbecauseIdidnot like the world, andbesidesIhadno talents for beauty,Iwas just a

little girl who sensed beauty but didn’t know how to create it, I

rememberedGodassuringmethatIwouldbe given ampletalents todomy'beauty work.’ It was then thatIbecame aware of people, the room, andthingsIhadknownbefore.Ihadreturned frommy distant journey.

"At first, adults praised my pictures and writings, expectingI wouldgrow tobe an artist. But alsoIsensed that despite my new gifts, the worldwanted me the old way—a little, ordinary girl, doing what normal littlegirls my age did.It was then thatIhidin a deep, dark hall closet. .. whereIsat feeling quite protected, so thatIcouldargue with God.Iknew it was allGod's fault. He hadpushed me out of Heaven, given me skills that no onewould let me use. In spite of my anger, God was kind and understandingwith a new solution—ifIcouldn’tbringbeauty,Icouldbringknowledge."

Hunt continued, "Tothis frightened, angry littlegirlin a dark closet, theanswer seemed strange, although also sustaining." Hunt expresses a

common lament of child near-death experiences when she says,"AlthoughIhad been enthralled at my post-coma skills, there was also a

haunting suddenness to my change that was scary, particularly whenadults said that it was not 'real.'”

Her full story, and her twenty-five years spent as one of the foremostresearchers in the science of human energy fields, is chronicled in her

book,InfiniteMind: Science of theHuman Vibrations ofConsciousness.- As

director of the electromyographic laboratory in the physiological sciencedepartment at the University of California, Los Angeles, and as aresearcher in the shielded “Mu” room of the physics department, she wasable to document scientifically the light, color, and sound of "invisible”energy networks and how they relate to human health, She evidencedwhat psychics see andhealers sense, as well as the common perceptions ofthose who have undergone a brain shift/spirit shift, She explored theenergy patterns of light andspirit, andproved them real,

History is replete with stories such as thoseIhave just relayed. Whathappens to children is significant, for it directly engages evolution's nod,

Our science, art, culture, our discoveries, and the multitude of decisions

andacts that makeup our history,all areprofoundly affectedby littleones

who flit aroundthe edge of death’s curtain, then return, forever different.

Raymond A. Moody Jr. believes that thenear-death phenomenon itselfis a primary factor in stimulating the growth of culture throughout theages. He bases his finding on the fact that the entire tradition ofintellectualisminthe West canbe tracedback to sixteenmen, amongthemsuch scholars as Pythagoras, Democritus, Socrates, andAristotle, and thateight of the sixteen had experienced a near-death or out-of-body state.

Records exist that suggest all sixteen used a single near-death experienceas a central model in their formulation of the concepts for matter, reason,

andtruth.

Hepublishes a newsletter that goes intodetailabout these sixteenmen,

as well as other aspects of near-death research, including what he calls

"the empathic death experience.’’ÿ He has foundthat bystanders,be theyloved ones or medical personnel, can "co-live" an individual’s death in thesense that they can subjectively join in consciousness with the dying to

help escort the individual into the light, perhaps experiencing elements ofdeparture that may mimic the classical pattern of a near-death state,and/or sharing in some indefinable way the power of forgiveness andlove,2

Moody feels that once people realize how easily they can participate inlife's fullness, and make a profound difference in their own lives and thelives of others by doing so, there willbe a spiritual revolution like nothingthe worldhas ever seen.

EIGHT

<§>

Evidence for aLife Continuum

Weareallislandsinacommon sea.

—ANNE MORROW LINDBERGH

WHEN DOES THE SOUL enter thebody?

Most traditions claim at firstbreath.But what if that’s wrong?

Challenging the age-old assumption that first breath heralds the entryof the soul areboth a recent medical discovery and an observationImadewhile interviewingchildexperiences ofnear-death states,

The medical discovery is that the fetus at twenty-six weeks, or sixmonths in gestation, can feel and respond to pain like an infant. Thismeans that surgery on fetuses and newborns or, for that matter, third-trimester abortions, can no longer be performed without consideration ofthepain thresholdand welfare of thenew life, not just those of themother.Nor can physicians and religious leaders continue to justify withholdinganesthesia for newborns during circumcision; the excuse "It's traditional”is now nulland void,

In my overall study,Iobserved that prebirth memories usually beganat aroundthe sixth or seventh month in the womb, with fully one-third ofmy participants havingsuch memories still intact years later.Recall of theactualbirth event was commonplace overall, although greater detail was

given by experiencers born prematurely or exposed to trauma or extreme

moodswings fromthemother within threemonths ofbirth.

Some had recall as a fetus earlier than month six, even of theirconception and of actively taking part as a spirit in choosing their own

DNA. Most of those who spoke of rememberingtheir conception, however,said they “floated" in and out of their mothers' wombs until finally“settlingin" when fetus formation was more complete.

Thus, medical research of fetal awareness and responses to paindirectly overlaps with the period when the majority of children in my

near-death research reportedthebeginnings of memory as a soul residentwithin a humanbody.

This unexpected link suggests thatby the third trimester the fetus hasa developed consciousness with faculties in place—that it is an inhabitedbody undergoing the final touches necessary beforebirthing from a water

world to one filled with air. How weregard and treat a fetus, therefore, hasless to do withmother or medicine than withhow we feel about the realityof spirit

Most birth and prebirth memories are clear and coherent, yet willquickly fade orberepressed if the child, once verbal, is ridiculed or silencedwhen expressing those memories. If child experiencers are allowed to bethemselves without pressure, doors totheir world swing wide open, Whatthey say may seem senseless unless we remember that, with kids, howtheyfeetabout what they perceive matters more to them than any logic,imagery, or detail. Most of what they report, though, is not only accurate

but startlingly mature, as if they, as souls, were comfortable with leavingand reentering a lifecontinuum existentbeyond that of the earthplane.

The idea of a life continuum, of life before birth and after death, has

been broached repeatedly. Here's what I noticed in a quarter century ofresearch about the variedaspects of this most important of allmysteries.

CHOOSING TO BE BORN

Not everyoneIinterviewed whohadbirth or prebirth memories claimedto

have had a choice in the process of leaving where they were to come intoform,but themajority did.Iexamined theadult case ofBerkley CarterMillsin Beyond the Light to establish a sense of how experiencers tend to

remember this. He was "killed" attempting to load compressed cardboardinto a truck at his job. His life review, conducted by Jesus, started at

conception. .An excerpt:

He relivedbeing a tiny spark of light traveling to earth as soon as

egg and sperm met and entering his mother’s womb. In mere

seconds he had to choose hair color and eyes out of the geneticmaterial available to him, and any genes that might give him thebody he wouldneed. Hebypassed the gene for clubfootedness, thenwatched from a soul's perspective as cells subdivided.Hecouldhearhis parents whenever they spoke, and feel their emotions, but any

knowledge ofhis past lives dissolved,ÿ

In the same book, I also spoke about Alice Morrison-Mays, who hasbecome something of a celebrity for giving public concerts in her homedespite dealing with the pain of emphysema and a collapsed adrenal

system (Addison’s disease),ÿ Besides near-death states, she could alsorecall prebirth memories, but chose to remain quiet about them untilrecently,

Alice remembers operating from the viewpoint of the soul in decidingwhich parents to choose before incarnating, A candidate for family thatresonated with her was a musically gifted couple who were eager to have

another child after having lost a baby son soon after his birth three yearsearlier. Feeling especially welcomed by them, she made the choice to betheir child andbasked in joy and anticipation for most of the ninemonths.“About the time of my birth, my peaceful andhappy gestational existencewas shattered.I found myself being 'hit' with and immersed in terribleshadow and darkmistlike clouds. The impact of this gave me sudden painanddespair.Iseemed tobe swimmingin agony.Ididn't want to go on withthebirthbutIcouldn't return to whereIhadcome from."

The death of Alice's maternal grandfather was the cause of theproblem. “The unexpected shock of it was a blow to my mother, whoabsolutely adored her father. She suppressed this shock, along with thedepths of her grief. What she 'held in' hit me with full force. She was

determined not to express her feelings because of her fear that doing so

would jeopardize the birth of her second child, now at full term. An

additionalimpact on me was themedication the doctor gave toholdoffmy

arrival. So, in effect, I received a 'double whammy' and was lost in thetrauma of it all.Four days later,birth was forcibly induced, and with great

reluctance,Iwasborn, apparently in good health."

Alice believes that her mother's decision to suppress grief directlyaffectedher inher unborn state, leading to, on thepositive side, anunusualemotional sensitivity that helped in her career as a symphony cellist and,on the negative side, a rare and severe form of emphysema that was

genetic in composition andslowly crippledher.

EMBRACING A BIRTH AFFLICTION

Arvin S. Gibson, in his paper entitled “Near-Death Experience Patterns

from Research in the Salt Lake City Region,"1 wrote about the case of a

young man named DeLynn who was told during his near-death episodethat he, as a soul, had chosen to be born with a debilitating disease,

Quoting DeLynn: “The specific choice of cystic fibrosis was to help me

learn dignity in suffering. My understanding in the eternal sense was

complete—Iknew thatIwas a powerful, spiritualbeing that chose to havea short,butmarvelous,mortalexistence."

But with Christina Moon of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the issue ofchoice differs. She had two near-death episodes: one stemming from theemergency cesarean section performed on her mother (she was too largefor a naturalbirth and “got stuck"), andthe other at three months of ageduring plastic surgery to correct a deformity (she was born with a harelipand cleft palate). “Ihad an angelaround me allthe time," Christina recalls."She passed her finger over my mouth beforeIwas born and left me withmy harelip. ButInever felt anger about it becauseIwas always aware ofher love for me/' Christina received the "gift" of a handicap withoutcomplaint but has no memory of actually choosing it. She harbors no

regrets about it, as the compassion she has gained from dealing with herdeformity has become a tremendous advantage for her in hospice workandmidwifery.

LETTING THE MOTHER KNOW

Expanding on the idea of the child remembering life before birth, it is a

well-known fact that women throughout the world who are about to

become pregnant typically either somehow meet their baby’s spirit inadvance of conception or dream about their child early on in what istermed an "announcing dream,” This phenomenon has been investigated

by numerous researchers over the years, among them Robert L. Van de

Castle, Ph.D,, an expert whoauthored OurDreamingMindÿ Theconsistentaccuracy of these announcements implies that thesoul is not only capablebut also interactive whenmakingitself known,

N.T,A, of Omaha, Nebraska, provides us with an example. Now anadult, she experienceda near-death scenario at agethirteen months whenshe bit an electrical cord, "With my first pregnancy,Iknew it was a girl,

She came to me in my dreams several months before conception, a totallywonderfulnature girl who loves theoutdoors. Withmy secondpregnancy,sunshine came shining through and a boy spirit appeared in my mind.Iheardhim say, ‘I’mhere.’”

A mother from Portland, Oregon, offered: “Before my last child (a

daughter) wasborn,Isaw her twice, oncein a smallchild’sbody, lookingat

me, and once right after her birth, as a wonderful sort ofbutterfly-shapedlight flash—extraordinarily beautiful and bright." She continued, “Thewhole mental state of pregnancy is onebig altered state of consciousness.It's like a 'near-lifeexperience —you get a littlepeekbehindthe veil."

REACTING TO A CHANGE OF PLANS

How does one explain toddlers who detail in graphic terms their mothers’attempts to abort them when they were still in the womb? Or little ones

who inform their parents that they chose to kill themselves while stillbabies because they didn't want to stay here? Yes, I have encounteredmany such cases.Here's onethat incorporatesboth extremes.

Dorothy M. Bernstein of North Olmsted, Ohio, had a total of four near¬death events, two in childhood and two as an adult Her childhoodaccounts centered aroundthe cessation of breath because of her choice to

die. Today, we would say that she was a victim of sudden infant deathsyndrome, or SIDS, But her understandingof what happened to her is quitedifferent from how we might interpret it She claims, “I knew the truthabout how my mother tried to abort me, and even again at five weeksbeforeI was born, me, the seed of an alcoholic, a rapist, an adulterer, an

abuser. Who couldblame her?" While still a virgin, her mother had beenraped. Dorothy, as a fetus in the womb, said she was aware andknew allthat had happened. “I never cried as a young child,I remember being wet

andhungry and thinking, 'Don't cry or she’llkill you,' My mother thoughtIwas such a goodbaby,butIrememberedthepain,"

Dorothy notedthat her crib was kept in her parents’ bedroom after hermother married. One day, at the age of ten months, she witnessed some

sexualbehavior she was not meant to see and was punishedby her father.She can vividly recall the painful confusion that preceded her decision to

“go home," and then knowing exactly how to kill herself: by expelling allthe air from her lungs and constricting her chest muscles to make herheart stop. Her last rememberedthought was, “Oh, God, how could hehurtme like that?" and God's mysterious reply, “Perhaps he was trying to

protect you." As she explains it,that “voice" so startledher that she gasped,which restarted the breathing process. Her account is filled withdescriptions of a brilliant light, focusing on the mirror’s reflection of an

angel picture, having a spirited dialogue with a tiny person perched at thehead of her crib, and promising God: “I will never forget from whenceIcame,nor willIever deny you."

Nonetheless, at the age of three and a half, badly traumatized by theneglect and abuse she received from her mother after the birth of hermother's “love child" (her half-sister), she recalled once again making thedecision to “go home." She used the same method, with the same results.Only this time,Dorothy said, feelings of warmth andlovecoming fromthecrown of her head convinced her that God wanted her to live and to helpher sister. Breath returned, but, sadly, the situation with her familyworsened. WhenI spoke with Dorothy about her two bouts with breathstoppage as a child, she mentioned reading a newspaper article aboutsudden infant death syndrome. “The doctors suspect the infants diebecausethey just forget how tobreathe.Not true!Ichosenot tobreathef'

Sally Dunn, a grandmother from Gila, New Mexico, gives us anotherway to view “a change of plans," “My daughter Jennifer's first child,Sashena, drowned at eleven and a half months, Jennifer ‘knew’ Sashenawould not be here long. Very unusual day when it happened. The soulreturned in her brother, Jasper, four years later," Sally noted that Jasper

seemed tobe in a hurry to grow up, yet he made strange sounds. “I puzzledover the sounds for months andthen,Aha!, realized what it was.It was the

noise a person would make when trying to close off passages to water

coming in through the nose and throatIknew Jasper would stop makingthose noises onceItoldhis mom, and that's what happened." When Sallyshared her revelation with Jennifer, she had one of her own. “Mom, whenyou had an abortion, that was the same soul that was in Sashena and isnow inJasper."

REMEMBERING PAST LIVES

Theplan of thesoulseems toencompass multiple dimensions of existence,as well as countless lifetimes. Children speak of this as casually andconfidently as they might inquire about dinner. What follows are a

number of accounts frommy files.

The father of five-year-old Gregory Buxton of Montreal, Quebec, tellsabout his son's close call atbirth, “Gregory did a loop loop in his mother’swomb and got the cord tied around his neck. Every time he would try to

come throughthebirth canal, thecord would tighten andhe would retreat

back into the womb. When he was finally delivered, he was blue andunmoving for quitesometime. Today, Gregory looks at people with a depthof love that is inexplicable. He claims to remember heaven and past lives,

He told me in detail how he had been a fighter pilot during World WarI

andhadbeen shot down in Europe.He went through his death, tellingme

how longit took him to diebecause ‘there weren’t any doctors around.' He

told me how he had lived in New York in an earlier life and that he hadhung around his present sister before her birth so, through her, he couldexperience where we were living in Brooklyn, He said he was disgusted to

see howNew York had gonedownhill sincethe day when he last had livedthere."

Margaret Evans, a near-death-like experiences explained: “I have nomemory of being inside my mother; neither does my twin sister, Justprevious to birth,Iwas very high up above the planet with other spirits,

There was quite a group ofus andalthough we couldn't 'see' each other, we

all knew we were together on a mission. A terrible thing was about to

happen on earth that could not be stopped and we were needed to helpout." Margaret described seeing a gigantic mushroom cloudcomingtowardthem in the sky, a cloud that meant instant death to many people, andrecalls how busy she and the other spirits were, assisting the dead in“crossing over." Years later, she finally learned whathad occurred—it was1945 and atomic bombs hadbeen dropped on several cities in Japan. Sheremembered dyingbefore the mushroom cloud incident, as a little girl ofabout five or six in a small village inEngland. "I was ridingin the front seat

of a car with [a manl who seemed tobemy uncle. He was speeding andlostcontrol. We slammed head-on into a stone wall. The split second beforeimpact,Ishot out ofmy body.Iwas very happy with the familyIhadthenand wasn't supposed to die as young asIdid." In her present life, she wasfrustrated as a childto discover that the father shehadnow looked similartoher previous father inEngland.

Rhona Alterman-Newman of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, who waspronounced dead at the age of six months after surgery for a strangulatedhernia,began having past-lifememories as a youngster.Feelings ofhorrorand fascination were often triggered, for instance, when she was drivenpast a large stone mansion that stood between her two grandparents’homes, “Icould ‘see’ kids playingoutside on swing sets and seesaws.I’d tellmy parents this and they would tell me to shut up, I knew it was an

orphanage.Iknew the layout of the house, andIcould ‘see’ a green tiledbathroom, Either my little brother, orImyself as a little boy, got hung inthere. My older sister in this life was there, too. I contacted one of my

grandmothers and asked her about the house. She said it wasn’t an

orphanage,butIinsisted. It took her a longtime to find out that in the late1300s ithadbeen a Jewish orphanage.None of us could haveknownthat,"

Denise Grover of Lansing,Michigan, recounted, as somany parents do,that “because of rather stifling religious limitations,Ihad no concept or

belief system to accommodate ideas about reincarnation, However, my

son Neil, at the age of three,began that introduction. While sharing a mealwith myself and his older siblings, Neil boldly announced, 'I was deadbefore, but nowIam alive again!’ We all found this amusing, to say theleast, since there appeared to be no context for it. But, for years, hemaintained that he had been here before. At about the age of eight, Neilwould wistfully express an interest in seeing pictures of how he lookedbefore. No, not the baby album photos, but he would voice his desire to

know what he looked likethe last timehe was here. By nine, Neilexplainedto me how the idea of parallel universes works. Additionally, he oftendreamed (and still does) of events that play themselves out in the near

future (future memory). He is an impeccable judge of a person’s character,seemingly ‘seeingthrough’ facades with ease."

One case that already has extensive verifications and is currently

undergoing clinical study is that of Rand Jameson Shields.-ÿ Rand speaksdirectly: “In August 1962, whenI was eight years old,I was wading in a

swimmingpool when a man dove on my head. Dazed,Iventured out intodeeper water and drowned. In the minute my face was underwater, mysoul joyfully left my body. The ceiling of the sky above me rolled back to

reveal an infinite light universe, the earth below me dissolvedaway, andIintuitively understood my soul’s purpose and the nature of the spiritualuniverse. Two wonderful light beings, long familiar to my soul, thenappeared before me. Just asI was about to leave with them, my soul was

snappedback intomy body, A womanhadpulledmy face from the water,

andIresuscitated.

“During the following year, however, my soul was again pulled awayfrommy body, about eighty times, each time going to a sky of loving whitelight. There I was made to physically ‘re-experience’ sixty-eight events

from previous past lives. Thirty-four of these experiences, it turned out,

were ofmy most recent past life, including the entire periodmy soul spent

between my last death andmybirthinthis life,

“My re-experiences were so many and so vividthatIhaveremembered

them allmy life,unchanged. They were sounique that whenIbecame an

adult, it was easy to Locate whereIhad livedin my past life, and identityand verify whoIhadbeen.Ieven discovered that peopleIhadknown andloved in my re-experiences actually lived—in the very same houses of my

memories! In the eight casual visitsIhave made to the town over the past

twenty-five years, I, and others, have uncovered 114 precise pieces ofevidence verifying that every one of my thirty-four unique childhood re¬experiences occurred to this man who died twenty-eight months prior to

my birth, to the day, 1 have not found one piece of evidence thatcontradicted any of my past-life memories. So far,Ihave identified thirty-six precise buildings and locations in the town that were part of my

memories, situated aroundeach other exactly as in my memories.Many ofthe verifications are one-of-a-kind, occurring to nobody else in the world.“Professionally,I am a medical writer. I have a fair sense of statistics-enough to know that the possibility of my past-life memories beingsomeone else's are astronomically small, Currently my case is beinganalyzedby Dr. Jim Tucker, in the Department of Psychiatric Medicine at

theUniversity of Virginia.

"For most of my life,because of my past-life memories inducedby mynear-death experience,Ihave known there is no death.Ido not fear theexperience of dying, asI already experienced it in this life, as well as re¬

experiencing it in previous lives. My past-life memories have helped me

come to understand the story of my soul, Even more important, in myexperiences ofbeing in pure soul,Igleaned an intuitive understanding ofthespiritualuniverse, andofheaven.Ultimately,my soul was permittedto

'see' heaven. My soul has been vibrating ever since, andIhave come to

understand exactly what it is my soul needs to do to move forward.Iachetotellthe world,”

ENCOUNTERING THE UNBORN

If the casesIhave submitted thus far seem beyond evidential credibility,here aretwothat demandserious attention.

Four-year-old Jimmy John drowned in his parents' backyardswimmingpool. He was an only child.His mother was inher latetwenties,his dadin his early thirties.Emergency crews arrivedwithin minutes. CPR

was administered.Nothing happened. Fifteen tension-filledminutes later,the professionals managed to resuscitate the boy. His distraught mother,beside herself with relief that her precious son was back amongthe living,suddenly turned chalk-white as Jimmy John blurted out for all to hear, "Imet my littlebrother. He's 'over there,' whereI just was, and hetoldme allabout Mommy having him pulled out of her tummy when she was

thirteen." Theboy went on to correctly detail his mother’s secret abortion,an event she hadnever discussed with anyone. In fact, she had long sinceforgotten about it. Jimmy John was absolutely elated to discover he had a

brother; their reunion had been laughter filled. Doth vowed to remain incontactnow that they had finally met. Neither parent could handleJimmy

John's report of his newfound sibling. Embarrassed, frustrated, confused,

and horrified, his mother nearly had a nervous breakdown. His father,feeling betrayedby his wife’s secret past, sued for divorce. Jimmy John’sjoy was lost in the shuffle, as was the communicationIhad establishedwith the family.Howthis incident resolveditself,Idonotknow.

Note, that in this case, what should have been a much older brotherwas described as being a 'Tittle" brother.Ihave encountered this type ofimagery “accommodation" countless times. It’s as if initial greeters on theOther Side of death’s curtain servetorelax or alert the experienceÿ andwillnot necessarily match any notion of what they ought to look like at thatmoment Sometimes this is uplifting (afflictions are healed, body appears

younger and healthier), and other times it is confusing or strange (as withJimmy John’s “little" brother who really should havebeen about sixteen),

It can be argued in this case that meeting a child appearing younger thanthe boy wouldbe much less disorienting thanbeing greeted by the larger

body-type of a teenager,

Still, children’s near-death scenarios that feature the youngster beinggreeted by an unborn sibling, as happened to Jimmy John, are not thatuncommon. In most cases the unborn were either miscarried or aborted,and the amount of time that passed seems to make no difference. But,

occasionally, the unborn arefuture siblings yet to be conceived. The next

story is one such episode.

Merla Ianello of Thetford, Vermont, recalls that as a child she saw a

guest in her home who was about three or four years old choke to deathtrying to eat a plastic-wrapped frozen juice treat called an Ice Pop. Sheinsisted on naming them “Death Pops" after that, and one day she askedher mother who the child was. Her mother, staring in disbelief, said, "It

was you." Merla remembers standing in the kitchen doorway looking intothe dining room when the incident occurred. “My mother was screamingand shaking a kidupside downby the ankles.My father was leaning over,

helpingher.My younger brother sat in a chair at the table, watching.Iwas

soscared!Boy, that kidmusthavebeen really naughty.Iwouldnever be sobad as to make Mom shake and scream like that! She yelled my name.Icringed and was upset that maybeIhad something to do with her anger.

BeforeIknew it, my mother took away my Ice Pop and my brother Lou

washedit down the drain.Iwanted toprotestbut was too scared to ask foritback, Shemight get madagain andthis time shakemeby wyankles,"

Merla witnessed this episode from several feet outsideofherbody. Guiltprevented her from associating “the kid" she saw with herself. The extra

childin her drawing (to theright ofher mother’s shoulder, indicatedby anarrow) she unmistakably identified by name as her brother Michael,whom she could clearly see, even though her mother insists that this wasimpossible, asMichael wasn‘tconceiveduntilthefollowingyear, norhadany

mention been made ofafuture childor what name any such childmight begiven,

1 *;V'.

J-}f,b

if

\n,

:-ddwfhp*r*'

Merlalanelio,NDEfromchokingona "DeathPop* “

(Remember, children personalize everything, and will tend to blamethemselves if incidents/behaviors donot correspond with what they weretaught It took Merla many years to accept that she was the child who"upset" her parents so much. Shehadmisinterpretedtheir panic and grieffor anger anddisapproval.)

SEARCHING FOR THE "MISSING” TWIN

From the very beginning of my work, experiences have pulled me asideand whispered things like, “I'm not all here, There's another one of me.Ihave a twin,but my twin doesn't have a body," This “missing" twin was

occasionally a participant in prebirth awareness states or during a near¬

death scenario at birth.Sometimes individuals didnot discover that a twinhad ever existeduntil years later when that twin appeared in a near-death

episode of theirs. Hardly anyone will speak openly about the subjectBecause several "twinless twins” filled out my questionnaire, in addition to

those who submittedto interviews,I feel thatImust tackle the subject ofthe“missingtwin” phenomenon.

Althoughit isunconnectedtonear-death research, the storyIam aboutto relate is typicalnot only of whatIkeep findingbut to the discoveries ofother researchers, as well. A woman (who requested anonymity) had an

abortion after discovering she was pregnant. Shortly afterward shelearnedthat she was stillpregnant. Unbeknownst toanyone, she hadbeencarrying twins—one was removed but the other remained. The womantookthis as a "sign” that she must keep the secondbaby andraiseit, so sherefusedanother abortion and later delivered a healthy baby girl, who grew

up a fast friend of her invisible twin sister. This camaraderie exacted a

heavy price for a number of years, as the mother, fearful that her daughterwas going insane, took her to onepsychiatrist after another for evaluation.Nothing abnormal was ever found. Currently, the two sisters enjoy eachother's company by communicating telepathically and through dreamstates, The mother has finally accepted that she has two very realdaughters: one with a physicalbody,andtheother with a spiritbody.

Perhaps the most famous case of a missingtwin is that of Elvis Presley,whose twin died at birth. Presley went on to communicate with his"bodiless" brother all his life. Maia C. M. Shamayyim, in her article “Elvis

and His Angelic Connection,"ÿ quoted at length from a conversation shehad with Mary L. Jones, a close friend of the Presley family: “I rememberElvis saying so seriously (in1966) , , , thathe thought he was instilled intohis mother’s womb alongwithher naturalson (Elvis’ twin,Jesse), and that

Jesse chose todie givingElvis a path toan earth life.He always hadvisionseven as a child.He felt that he was somehow different andnot of this earthand was held to earth to bring some new understanding and love to itspeople—to guide them to a higher realm of spiritual awareness throughmusic—and that he was doomed because he could not adjust to earth’sgravity and pressure; it was burning him up, (Elvis’ normal temperature

was over 100 degrees.)”

Regardless of how wemight choose to consider these stories, the fact isthat more and more late-term diagnosed twins are vanishing—some

within hours of birth. These are not just sonogram-pictured babies, butlittle ones whoseheartbeats andbody sizes werephysically monitoredandaccounted for throughout the entire gestational period. The absent twinsometimes disappeared without a trace, andsometimes an empty placentawas born along with the single survivor. The medical community has noexplanation tooffer mothers demandinganswers.

A contemporary theory is that the sudden disappearance of evidence ofa twin in an advanced pregnancy is proof that the fetus must have beenabductedby aliens (a counterpoint to Elvis's suspicion that he himself wassomehow "alien"). Amazingly, there exist toddlers much too young to

fancy such things who describe in detail the lives of their other halves as

they grow up aboardspaceships.

Caryl Dennis has explored this area for many years. She hasinterviewedsome 130 people involvedinmultiplebirths, themissingtwinphenomenon, and UFO contacts. Her self-publishedbook, TheMillennium

Children\p- delves into a broad range of issues that suggest the degree to

which today’s youngsters are changing in behavior, ability, andtemperament. Although Dennis's research protocol leaves much to bedesired, what she discovered is well worth considering; her conclusionsare similar tomy own about kids whohadnear-death episodes.

Inher book Dennis presents casehistories of twins who have vanishedearly in the mother's pregnancy as well as just before birth, and shedescribes the empty feeling of the woman after the disappearance of a

pregnancy. Of special relevance, though, is what happens tothe survivingtwin. Most goon to actively dialogue with their “other" (whether that twinis in spirit form or believed to be living among aliens), and, according to

Dennis, they display unusual talents, faculties, and intelligenceenhancements, andbecomecreativethinkers,

Just as near-death children (andoften the separation from and loss of a

twin is part of a near-death scenario), single twins deal with aftereffectsthat can confuse, disorient, or frighten them. Even in the most tolerant offamilies, the idea of an ongoing relationship between the dead and theliving can create schisms that result in the surviving twin’s beinginstitutionalizedas mentallyill

Dennis points out that some therapists are now specializing in thisfield, and that there is a magazine called Twins Worldtot twins in generaland a newsletter called Twinless Twins for singles who are attempting to

deal with thegrief of losingtheir twin andthedrivingneed they feel to find

him or her sothey canbe whole again.ÿ

Ihave found that missing twins occasionally befriend or function asspirit guides for relatives besides their surviving singles. One of theparticipants in my research experienced an incredible healing when thedead twin of her son returned in spirit form to help her. Robin H. Johnsonof Plymouth, New Hampshire, is the mother. She had three near-deathepisodes—the first at age two from drowning, then one during a healthcrisis at agetwenty-three, andthethirdduringsurgery at agethirty. Of thethree, the childhood incident had the greatest impact on her and set thestage for how she would facethe challenge of growingup.

Recalling the event, Robin winced. “I didn't talk about the pain ofalmost drowning, becauseI was too excited about having just seen Jesus.But whenIbegan to tellmy mother about seeingthemovie ofmy life goby,she froze like a statue. Then she said, 'That must have been some movie,

Robin, as young as you are,'Ithink she thoughtI was tryingto get out ofhaving been bad.Ishouldn’t have been near the drop-off, the part of theriver that abruptly became deep,Ihadmade a mistake,butIwasn't a liar,

"I suddenly felt so alone," Robin continued, “I could not communicateto her, She didn’t believe me. She actually seemed embarrassed thatsomeone would hear me, likeIreally had lost my mind,Ifelt abandoned,

For the second time that day,I felt terror, Who was I? Where was I? Her

sternness was a warning to me that I had better drop the idea of ever

sharingthatIthoughtIhadseen life from a different perspective."

Robin was assailed with guilt and fear after this experience and fellintoa habit of denial that would result in self-betrayal, the total distrust of herown inner knowing. "My journey out of denial and into my full awareness

of my connection with the Divine came after a spiritual awakening whenIwas thirty." And that awakening was her third near-death episode,precededby the “appearance" ofher son's deceasedtwin,Sarah.

“It wasn't untilImet my nonphysical daughter, Sarah, thatIlearnedthat her purpose for being in my life was to teach me to have unequivocaltrust in my intuition, my knowing." In this case, it was not the survivingtwin who formed a relationship withhis deceased sister, it was themother.By communicating with Sarah, Robin was able to reclaim what she hadlost at the age of two andhealherself,

EXPRESSING "SELF” IN MULTIPLES

What happened to Robin Johnson is an unusual twist to the missingtwinphenomenon, Here's another one. Frank Henniker, also of NewHampshire, has to this day a vivid prebirth memory involving his twinthat ledto "both of them" beinghitby a car and experiencinga near-deathscenario when four years old,

According to Frank: "Life for my sister Cynthia and I, though quiteunconfirmable, began as two eggs, notone. The outside world’s vibrationsmade my sister want to abort before we were recognized as existing, Our

parents didnot get alongandthe water welivedin was constantly invadedwith negative energy.Iwas told thatIcouldnot leave,by a voiceknown to

me as Eros Thor, Eros and Ihad been together before. Not having theoption my sister wanted,Ipulledher insideme. We literally became twinsin one egg. At six months in the water, we were hit by our daddy. This wasconfirmedbefore our mother died years later,"

Frank's memory is ofbeingborn as twobeings in onebody:he andhistwin sister, Cynthia (a name he has always called her). To please a violentand demanding father, the two created subpersonalities—twenty of themby the age of four. They were unsuccessful in their attempt to win theirfather’s approvalby appearing to be “other people," and their mother at

last intervened for them and kicked the man out. Even though only one

body existed, the twin duo of visible and invisible siblings referred to

themselves as “we"until that fateful day aroundthe time of their parents'

last fight.

“It was abright, sunny March day when Cynthia found an opportunitytoend what sheperceived as her own life. Shetook thebody into the street,

where a car ran over us with its rear tire, spinningus like a top. Witnessessaid we went the height of a telephone pole and landed on our back. Thebody remembers thepain that came from landingspread-eagle, thebonesshattering, andthe skullburstingon thepavement."

Frank describeda lengthy near-death scenario that includeda strugglebetween the two siblings. Cynthia remained long enough to help himrevive in “the body shell" and then disappeared. Cynthia was not a“created personality" in the sense of the subpersonalities they togethercreated, a psychological phenomenon known as dissociative identitydisorder (DID), formerly calledmultiple personality disorder (MPD). From

the beginning, the two existed as two and interacted in a manner now

recognized as typical for twins. They knew each other, even as cells were

dividinginthe womb to form thebody they would eventually cohabit.Andthey tookpart in the celldivisionprocess consciously, actively, andfrom theawarenesslevelofdevelopedminds.

This is congruent with the cases of near-death survivors who had fullknowledge and full memory of having chosen the life they were about to

have before conception—their parents, their genetics and characteristics,their actual birth, and the basic tendencies of the personality self—andwere participants in the act of their own creation, These experiencers

knew, absolutely knew, that the self they really were was the "higher self,"and that they as a soul were eternal and motivated to take on life in theworld of matter to learn certain lessons, experience contrast and change,and fulfill a mission of greater import—to help make the world a betterplace. Almost in chorus, they claimedthat thebiggest mistakepeoplemakeduringtheir sojourn on theearthplaneis tothink that they could ever existseparately from the Source of All Being. "Aloneness," they said, "is a jokeour Soulplays on us so we will fine-tunethegift of free will."

Frank Henniker's case adds a new dimension to our understanding oftwinning and the complexities of missing twins, not to mention thedynamics ofbirth andthemiracle of cocreation.It also introduces thetopicof multiple personalities and how the mind can defend itself through theprocess of dissociation. A research bulletin from the Institute of NoeticSciences featuring the article "Multiple Personality—Mirrors of a New

Model of Mind?"ÿ offers the intriguing idea that what has previously beentreated as a disorder could possibly be the emergence of new order. Ratherthan splitting off, the mind is becoming more adept at manipulatingconsciousness; it has learnedhowtoswitch intodifferent gears.

Tobe fair, DID child experiencers confront serious challenges, such asthe conflict between the love they find on the Other Side versus theabsence of love in their lives on this side, compounded by questions oftrust andtruth telling. (Like experiencers of any age, they tend to losebasicself-defense cautions until such time as they are able to reassess their lifeandits purpose.) Positives usually outweigh negatives, however, as in thecase of P. AnnBaillie, a DID fromMichigan,

Baillie had two bouts with death before her first birthday andexperienced a near-death scenario each time.Even thoughbeing sentbackto her mess of a family felt like a betrayal to her, she has this surprisingcommentary tooffer:

“Ibelieve that the near-death experiences had a profound effect on themultiplicity. The level of fragmentation thatIdeveloped may havebeen a

result of being unable to let go of my 'core self and let her sleep [while

another personality took over! the way many in my situation have done.Iwas unable to give up, even in times when surrender may have been a

good idea. I also think that the near-death experiences have madeconventionaltherapy largely ineffective for me. WhileIhavean enormous

capacity for anger, I have little for hatred and tend to pity those whoabusedme, muchto theconfusion of people aroundme.Ihave littleabilityor desire to relive the past, often a prerequisite with therapists who treat

DID. It feels like enough for me to acknowledge and honor it, but Idon’tseem to abreact [release psychic tension by acting outl the way manymultiples do."

Baillie speaks tenderly about theuniversal love she encounteredduringher near-death episode and how the memory of it has helped her breakthrough thebarriers she had to erect in order to survive her youth. Whatwas once a nightmare has given way to a sense of unity and innerstrength, with a steady decreaseinher personality fragmentation.

TAKING A SECOND LOOK

Can science tell us anything that might shed some light on prenatalawareness?

Well, we know that the recognition of language begins in the womb,not in the nursery, since sounds and voices register early on, andcontinuously, for the fetus, Geoffrey Cowley wrote about this research inhis article “The Language Explosion," He noted, “Babies just four days old

can distinguish one language from another,-ÿ7ft* SecretLifeofthe UnbornChilddetails the pioneering work doneby Thomas Verny, M.D., that led, inthe early eighties, to the breakthrough revelation that the fetus makesdecisions that require conscious thought, sucks its thumb, hiccups, andresponds appropriately to any given stimuli, especially the emotionalstate

of themother,ÿ

Add to this research the remarkable work of psychologist DavidChamberlain, Ph.D., author of Babies Remember Birth, who clinicallyhypnotized young children and discovered that they possessed pre- andperinatal awareness as newborns and were fully cognizant of theirinherent selfhood atbirth despite the lack of anatomicalmaturity—which

refutes the notion that birth memories are fabrications or guesswork.ÿDavid B, Cheek, M.D., a retired obstetrician and past president of theAmerican Society for ClinicalHypnosis, continued the quest to determineat what age a baby is aware, andhe found evidence to suggest thatby thetime a woman realizes she is pregnant, the embryo is already aware of herand her surroundings—indicating that awareness may begin at

conception,-3ÿ

Concerning reincarnation, the most notableauthority on the subject isIan Stevenson, M.D. His meticulous research on this topic is the world’s

best; his books Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation and WhereReincarnation and Biology Intersect are unparalleled as objectiveexaminations of the phenomenon—and what he has uncovered isstunning. Written from a skeptical reporter’s view of Dr. Stevenson’s workis the remarkable book by Tom Shroder entitled, OldSouls: The ScientificEvidencefor PastLives Many since Stevenson have also come forwardwith credible material underscoring the phenomenon's validity. Of thenewest offerings, the one most relevant to our discussion is CarolBowman’s book ChildrensPastLives:HowPastLifeMemories Affect Your

Chi/dM

Because there is such a high rate of pregnancies that have beendiagnosed as twinsbut resultedin only onebirth,most doctors dismiss thevanished "other" as having been claimed by nature’s efficient "waste

disposal system," The thinking is that fetuses that may have beendamaged, malformed, or incomplete are either absorbed by the healthytwin or reabsorbed by the mother, All of the obstetricians I interviewedabout this felt that the exceptional incidence of twin loss was “nobigdeal,"

Themothers who sufferedsuch a loss disagreed—many were distraught.

Twomajor nationaldebates havebrought the issue ofmissing twins to

the forefront. These are the abortion conflict and a growing concern, even

among the mainstream populace and credible researchers, about alienabductions. The questionImust ask differs from those addressedby eitherdebate: In cases where there is a verifiable death of one twin, why do so

many surviving twins report having an ongoing relationship via spiritwith their other half? This question deserves clinicalstudy.

The fact that people can remember their births, have awareness in thewomb, see the unborn and the missing, remember past lives, alterdestinies, and interact with the living or dead has inspired new fields ofresearchbesides thenear-death experience. They are:

NDA Nearing-Death Awareness-ÿ

ADC After-Death Communications-3ÿ

PDE PrebirthExperienceÿ

As research continues to become more sophisticated, the idea of a lifecontinuum is no longer relegated to the dustbin of sloppy interviews or

dismissedas wish fulfillment. We arecomingof age as we advance furtherinto the thirdmillennium, and we are seeing ourselves through a broaderandmore exactinglens. What we are discovering is what we'vepreviouslyoverlooked—that other dimensions of life, other realities, have alwaysexisted. We just didn't havetheright toolsbeforetoproperly identify them,

NINE

<§>

AlienExistences

Architects of thefuture are being brought ontoyourplanet

from their home civilizations\ They asked to come, andcome

they will Theyeachhaveamission,

—TAURI, OF THE OGATTA GROUP

BESIDES THE PHENOMENON of missing twins, we have the enigma ofmissing fetuses. This mystery occurs when women find themselvespregnant without having had sexual contact with a man and thensuddenly are not pregnant weeks or months later. This is termed the

"'missing fetus syndrome,"ÿ Seldom is there verification of these reports—a

fact that does nothingto quelltales of "spacenappings,” of aliens swoopingdown toreclaim “halfhuman/half alien"babies that will finish developingandbe raised aboard their spaceships (note the similarity to claims aboutsome missing twins). The purpose of these "hybrids,” a few women havebeen toldvia mentaltelepathy, is to seed a new race ofbeings,

Investigations into these strange pregnancies, as well as of

extraterrestrial contacts and UFO abductions, involve millions of peopleworldwide. Gone is the day when the subject of alien existences could betossed off as fodder for bad dreams or creepy fiction. Currently, enoughevidence exists to put the subject on the table for legitimate discussion.Since human genetics, fertility, and children are now considered centraltothe entire alien issue, and because so many kids report varied types ofcontacts with suchbeings, we are obligedtotalk about it too.

Ifirst began trackingotherworldly contacts in the sixties. Then as now,Inoticedthat experiences involving aliens often ran in families. It was thefive children of nurse-turned-psychic Pamela Williams of Mason,Michigan, for instance, who caused her to think twice about the reality ofextraterrestrial visitors, particularly when her son Leonard was four. "I gotup in the night to check on the boys in their upstairs room," rememberedPamela, "and to my surprise Len was sitting on the floor looking out thewindow.Iasked what he was doingout ofbed, 'I’vebeen talkingto the star

people.' He then pointed out the window andI saw a bright light in thenight sky. 'What arethey sayingto you?'Iasked. 'They'retellingmethat ismy home.' [When he got| a little older hebegan seeing UFOs almost daily,andbeing a typicalboy, thought it was fun to upset his father by pointingthem out." David, her youngest son, was even more emphatic, "Before hewas eighteen months old,he wouldgreet andtalk tobeingsIcouldnot see.

He had dramatic dreams very young, science-fiction dreams of otherplanets, other races, spaceships, etc. He was always waking me up in thenight totellme about them."

A successful psychotherapist (who prefers to remain nameless)

confided to me similar memories from her own childhood: “I was said to

have walked andtalked very early,but to havebeen adultlike and solemn,

At four or five I remember standing in our backyard looking at thesouthern sky, and thinking 'That is my home. My real mother and fatherleft me here and when I’ve sufferedenough they'll comeback and get me,’

Throughout the years Ihad waves of whatI called homesicknesses: an

overwhelming longingthat came and went periodically no matter whereI

was andhadnothingto do withmy earth family or where we lived."

While researching the near-death phenomenon, I routinelyencountered child experiences who would say things like, "I feel like an

alien" or i!a misfit" or <!a foreigner." Andthey’d admit tobeing homesickforwhat they had to leavebehindin order to come to earth. As compelling as

these stories are, and there are many of them, I question whether theclaims madeby kids really signify extraterrestrialorigination, or if,maybe,somethingelse is involved.

Numbers frommy research reveal:

Adult Near-Death Experiencers (based on 3,000 interviews)

Identified with being from another planet

Claimed to have been abducted by a UI:0

20%

9%

Gntd Near-Death Experiences (based on 277 interviews}

Identified with being from another planet

Identified with being from another dimensionClaimed to have been abducted by a UK)

9%

39%14%

Not as many adult experiencers said they hadbeen abductedby a UFO

as did child experiencers, although a few of them noted that theyoccasionally dreamedof seeing spaceships. Themost surprisingdifferenceI found between adults and children concerned "place of origin," Adultnear-death survivors who remembered either during or right after theirepisodes that they hadcome tothis planet from another onenumbered 20

percent, a figuredwarfedby the percentage of youngsters who recallednot

so much other planets as multidimensionalrealms, No adultIinterviewedever expressedhis or her origin in terms of multidimensionality;only kidsdidthis,

Before we explore this unusualvariance, it wouldbehelpful to first gaina sense of how child experiencers express themselves on the subject of

alien existences.

Larrick Stapleton, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. NDE at age four,tonsillectomy. "I was raised in a traditional southern Midwest, WASP

household, was confirmed as a Presbyterian in a somewhatfundamentalist church, and did extremely well in school and with allmatters academic.Isaw colors andlights as a smallchildandhavealwaysheard ‘music/ and was the subject (victim) of some form of abductionexperience when I was just an infant. Like most matters out of theordinary,none of this was ever discussedandit was in fact denied."

RobinH.Johnson, Plymouth, blewHampshire. NDEat age two, drowning.“The same spiritual being who I envisioned when 1 drowned laterappeared before me and two other women, this time in a prearrangedconscious state. After both encounters with this being,I was visited byextraterrestrials. Unlike other abductees, I love my abductors and missthem when they leave."

P.BradleyCarey, Burlington, Washington. NDEat age thirteen, chokedbyanother child. “My first alien encounter was at the age of ten. My fatherrealizedthat hehad left his wallet at the lake,buthe didn't want to gobackalone, soIwent along. We were about three-quarters of the way there, in a

very isolated area, when the lone streetlight went out, and the lights andcar engine suddenly stopped. My father shifted the car into park and was

about to turn the key, when weboth saw a strange glowingball in the skyabove and to the front of us. We watched this ball until it disappearedbetween the hills, |In] what seemed only moments later, the streetlightwas suddenly on, as were the car lights and engine. Never once did my

father touch the key, so there is no way he could have restarted the car,

Without saying anything to each other, we continued on our way, foundthe wallet, andheadedback home. Once we arrived, we discovered that the

entiretrip took nearly threehours longer thanit shouldhave.”

Diego Leon Valencia Lopez, Bogota Colombia. NDE at birth, duringemergencysurgery;severalmoreNDEs inadulthood. His wife, Dina, is thetranslator. "When Diego was five years old, a member of his family died.He walkedto a cornfield on the family ranch while waiting for the adultswho had gathered. There he saw a kind of robotic figure surroundedby a

luminous brilliance. Telepathically the figure called to Diego. It seemed to

him that the being picked up something, then the light disappeared, andDiego remembers having floated.

HStylizedcreationmadebyDiegoLopez todepicthisemotionalresponse to the

actualvisitationshesayshehas witnessed.

m

nfi'A

n

PortraitofDiegosketchedbyhis wife,Dina, whilehe wasmeditating;

"When|Diego|had chicken pox,his room in a verybigold house was inthecorridor andhadno windows. Suddenly, there was a yellow glow inthemiddleof theroomthat made him immensely happy.His brother also sawthelightbeforeit disappeared.

"At the age of seven, IDiegol went with hisbrother to the farm and sawa bright light. They both lost four hours and don't remember whathappened.

“At nine, he left school at 11:00 A.M. with a friend, Diego sat on thefootwalk and gazedbelow at lots of fruit and vegetable trees. Among veryhigh weeds he saw twobeings with casks. One of them inclinedtoward theother andhada kindof strainer,Diego couldsee them clearly, yet suddenlyand instantaneously, he found himself in a very different place withouthaving walked there, and was very tired. When he finally made it to hisfriend's house for lunch, he discovered that he was two and a half hourslateandhis friendhadalready left for school,

“Again that same year, he was hiding in thick bushes withhis brother.

Unexpectedly,he saw a splendorous light from which a voice spoketohim.His brother fell asleep in the grass, and Diego was lifted up. He flew to a

faraway place. He remembers saying good-bye, and then [hej returned to

findhisbrother stillsleeping. This splendorous lightbeingappearedmanytimes after that, with a specialmurmur [Diego] learnedtodistinguish.”

Francis Piekarski, New Martinsville, West Virginia. NDE at age five,drowning- at twelvefrom highfever andbone infection. "I feel called to

warn the world of impending danger. Chernobyl was an example cometrue. Shortly,I feel that the world will be in turmoil. UFOs will play a bigpart in the transition. The Blessed Mother (Marian devotions) will play an

equally large part.Ipersonally feelImust help after the disasters to start a

new lifestyle. We have formed a group here to investigate psychicrevelations andalien contacts.”

foe Ann Van Gelder, Newport, Vermont. Nine NDEs as a child, variedcauses. “I had a past-life regression to inquire into a recurring dream I’dhad over the years. In this regression, the dream was experienced as apartialmemory of a time whenI'd come from Venus tohelp those on Mu[a

lost continent' in the Pacific|. When the [regressionl facilitator toldme to

'Go home to Venus,’ my reply was, Til go to Venus,but it’s not home.’ Shethen instructed me to 'Go home,’ and my consciousness 'flew.’I left thisgalaxy far behind. When the sense of movement stopped, myconsciousness was suspended far out in the Universe in whatIdescribedas 'the plasma between the planets and the stars,’ When the facilitatorasked me for a description,I'saw' thatIwas one of a small group of Sparksof Light, When she asked me whatIwas doing, my consciousness mergedwith the Spark that was me, andIexperiencedit consciously,Itoldher, 'I'mnot doinganything;I’mbeing.. , waitingtobe sent out again,”’

Renditions of alien existences from child experiencers rarely match adult

accounts. Children, for the most part, are seldom impressed with the ideaof extraterrestrials or spinning spheres. For them, coming from Venus,

Mars, Sirius, or the sun is not so much an indicator of "home,” as Joe Ann

Van Gelder made clear, as it is recognition of a way station.Most regardthespecial lights they see as guides who accompany them through stages oflearning as their soul progresses along God's Eternal Spiral ofRemembrance. It is teen and adult experiences who are excited by theproposition that they are the aliens and that they came to earth fromanother world, or that they were abducted and taken aboard a spaceshipandthat they now have an ongoingrelationship with aliens—even thoughlittle ones ages three to five actually report more of this than doexperiencers who are older.

Children, especially the very young, strongly relate to something elseentirely ,. , lifeinotherdimensionsofexistence. Twodistinctiveexpressionsof this awareness were evident to meback in the sixties; this same pattern

emerged again in my near-death research, and I have encountered itregardless of country or culture throughout the millennial generation.Becausethis pattern of multidimensionality is so pervasive, it behooves ustotake a deeper look,

There aretwodistinctiveexpressions ofmultidimensionality,

MentationTo TheLifeContinuum.People with this orientation are concernedwith life embodiments and the progression of souls. Their memoriesembrace prebirth and after-death realms as exit and entrance points to a

single lifestream or lifecontinuum inhabitedby thetypeof spirit they once

were and will be again their true home. (The majority—about three-quarters of thetotal—recallthis,)

Mentation To The Cosmos. People with this orientation are concerned withthe universe's inner workings and the progression of Creation, Theyidentify with formlessness: gases, attractors, particle sparks, waves,energy pulses, plasma, and so forth, as if the substance of their being and

their place of residence were one and the same—part of the mechanismand structure that hold together and maintain Creation itself. (Fewer

respondents—about one-quarter—claim this orientation.)

In the following sectionsIinterpret these two types of multidimensionalawarenesses,basedon theresearchIhave conducted.

ORIENTATION TO THE LIFE CONTINUUM

The first three paragraphs of TheFamishedRoad,by Ben Okri, are thebestexampleIcan offer of what this orientation seems tobe like for youngstersandhowthey tend to reminisce fromthis perspective:

In thebeginning there was a river. The river became a roadandtheroadbranched out to the whole world. And because the road was

once a river it was always hungry.In that land ofbeginnings spirits mingled with the unborn. We

couldassume numerous forms. Many of us werebirds. We knewnoboundaries. There was much feasting, playing, and sorrowing. Wefeastedmuch because of thebeautifulterrors of eternity. Weplayedmuch because we were free. And we sorrowed much because therewere always those amongst us who had just returned from theworldof the Living, They had returned inconsolable for all the lovethey hadleft behind,all the suffering they hadn't redeemed, allthatthey hadn't understood, and for all that they hadbarely begun to

learnbefore they were drawnback to thelandof origins.

There was not one amongst us who looked forward to beingborn. We disliked the rigours of existence, the unfulfilled longings,the enshrined injustices of the world, the labyrinths of love, theignorance of parents, the fact of dying, and the amazingindifference of the Living in the midst of the simplebeauties of the

universe. We feared the heartlessness of human beings, all of

whom arebornblind, few of whom ever learn to see.ÿ

A multidimensional child oriented to the life continuum is similar to

other child experiences, except that he or she has a unique focus or sense

of self as spirit and as a resident of the realms of spirit. These childrenknow from their earliest years that their existence on earth is temporaryand for the purpose of fulfilling the progression of the soul, their own andothers'. Because “Home" is the luminous lifestream they came from andwill return to, many of them speak objectively about past lives andincarnations in life-forms one might consider alien. A higher level ofspirituality and truth is more important to them than parentalpreferences. As a result, they are open to and highly tolerant of diverseviewpoints. Attempts to make them fit society’s mold are usually a waste

of time. Service occupations andphilanthropic endeavors interest them.

ORIENTATION TO THE COSMOS

Youngsters who identify themselves this abstractly seem to be possessedof almost pure intellect. They spout advanced concepts about things likewaveforms, energy sources, and power grids in the samemanner in whichthe average child might quote football scores. And they are explicit abouttheir origins: “Not here, not there—elsewhere," Just because these childrenoccasionally mention other planets does not mean they considerthemselves to be from them. To make such an assumption completelymisses the scope of their panoramic worldview, “Home," for them, is theuniverse at large.

Multidimensional/cosmos children are unlike those who remembergoing back and forth through the life continuum, although most areknowledgeable about soulprogression, Thesekids act as if they haveneverbeen on this or any other planet before, and, frankly, they consider the

human body a useless, clumsy appendage. They seem utterlyunconcerned with family issues or personal relationships. What matters

to them is saving the earth and making repairs, which means they are

drawn to vocations in fields such as ecological sustainability (the "green"

movement), alternative power sources, leading-edge science, large-scaleeconomic andmedicalreforms, and photonics.

These children present us with an entirely new slant on the way “life"is defined. For them, each aspect of Creation has its own aliveness andconsciousness; for instance, they insist that the very gases webreathe are

living intelligences.Often they refer tothemselves as stewards, guardians,or "keepers" of that which enables cells andmolecules to exist, rather thanas evolving spirits. Although their memories could be interpreted as

awareness in the womb (plasma, waves), these youngsters are insistent on

beinghere for “the changes," andinsistent that theuniverse they refer to isthe larger one, the cosmos. Most state they were "called" here by a signaltheearth sent out for help,notby their parents' desires.

Ihave observed thatmultidimensional/cosmos children in general:

win theirownheadtotheextent that it’s almost as ifnothingelse exists fromtheir neck down. As a result, they tend to have body-coordinationproblems. Exercise and massage can alleviate this and help them connect

with their bodies. Tai chi, aikido, and mind-stretching games generallyappealmoretothemthan sports like football or wrestling,

e either unusuallyslowor/astto speak, walk, and learn basic tasks. They donot respond to injury, pain, or illness as other children do, since theydissociate easily,It often may seem as if they’re "not allthere,” when in factthey are actively engaged, These children readily “see” the soul level of a

person; hence, they tend toknow the truth of a given situationbeforethosearoundthem, andarenot easily fooled,

enotsocialbynature, nor are they distractedby sexuality, except to ponderwhy distinct genders exist. Large crowdsbother them,

e ultrasensitive to pollution emissions, heavy ozone levels, loudsounds/music, intense sunlight, temperature and pressure variations,unpleasant vibrations andodors.

t not understanddeath, nor the fact that they could lose their body if theydon't take care of it.Often they don’t even relate toprimary survivalneeds.Role-playing games help them identify with human selfhood and showthemhowtothrive andenjoy lifeon theearthplane.Experientialhands-onprojects enable them to appreciate the solidity of matter and itspurposefulness.

e very lovingbut emotionally "removed. u Caring for pets, creating gardens,and doing volunteer work are the kinds of activities that allow thesechildren to experience the give-and-take of relationships while learningabout emotions andthemyriad ways to express them.

The key to successfully raising multidimensional/cosmos children, at

least so far as Ihave seen, is to arrange opportunities whereby they can

relate one object to another, one feeling to the next, each action to itsconsequence. Once they catch on to the basic maneuvering of physicalmatter and human behavior—and it may take them longer than theaverage child to figure this out—they more than make up for lost time intheir rapid-firemanner of absorbinginformation,

Two examples of this unusual type of child are the Cabobiancobrothers, Flavio and Marcos, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Underpinningtheir story is what their parents, Alba and Nestor, both Freudianpsychologists, went through in trying to understand them. Raising theirunusual sons opened up vast spiritual realities unexplainable usingFreud’s limited analytical techniques, So, Alba andNestor switched to thefield of transpersonal psychology and were instrumental in introducingthis new field topsychology professionals in Argentina at a time whenthetotalitarian government there still squelched independent thought. Thatthey were successful is amazingin itself,

Alba hada near-death experience as an adult after succumbingto toxicgases. She feels that her episode prepared her for the sons she would have,by opening her consciousness to otherworldly realms and greater truths.Through correspondence translatedby Alejandra Warden, a close friendofthe Cabobianco family, Alba revealed that she kept a journal of her sons’

prescient disclosures, and noted the age at which each boy providedanother glimpse into their multidimensional/cosmos world. While stillquite young, Flavio began to write and called himself a "cosmicmessenger," here to speak about spiritual things. "Now that this world isstarting to be less physical, other children like me are going to come,” hepresaged. "Human beings are different now. They are going to be more

open.Iam here to calm people who are frightenedby the changing energyof Earth. ButI am also here to help the guardian souls, the nonphysicalbeings, who are involved in the changes." According to Flavio, theguardian souls keep the systems of creation going. They maintain thedifferent levels of universal integrity. He feels that his job as acommunicator is tobe a bridge that reaches inboth directions—tohumansabout the truth of spiritual worlds, and to the guardian souls about howpeople on earth are adjustingtoplanetary change.

At eight years of age, Flavio Cabobianco met Ama, a woman interestedin the notes his mother took, in his drawings, and in the little books hemade. She edited the material and was instrumental in writing out hisexplanations of the diagrams he and his brother, Marcos, made of theuniverse. As a book took shape, Ama suggested the order of the chaptersandthat family commentsbeincluded.BeforeFlavio was a teenager, Vengo

del Sol(1Comefrom the Sun) was published in Argentina and became abestseller-ÿ "WhenI wrote1Comefrom the Sun, I was very young andIknew few words,” Flavio admitted- “I want to make clear that it isn't thephysicalsunI’mtalkingabout,but thespiritual sun-’’

VengodelSolis themost astonishingbook writtenby a childthatIhaveever seen. The drawings, and Marcos’s andFlavio’s explanations of them,bespeak a consciousness far wiser than that of most adults; the tower

diagram, which shows how all of creation evolves and was done whenFlavio was seven (Marcos helped), is nothingshort of spectacular.

WhenImet thebrothers (thanks toAlejandra Warden we were able to

engagein spiriteddialogue),Iwas struckby whatIhadrecognizeddecadesbefore: there seems tobe a class of people who incarnate on earth andhavedetailed memories of having existed as bits and pieces of Creation beforehearing a call for help and agreeing to take on density of form so the callcouldbe answered. It's almost as if the universeiscapable ofusingpartsofitselftosaveitself

Iknow this idea is far-fetched,but consider a paper published in 199S

in Frontier Perspectives; a publication of the Institute for FrontierPerspectives then located at Temple University in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania. In “Is Dead Matter Aware of Its Environment?"ÿ the author,Peter Graneau, dissects physics and comes to theconclusion that either an

outside agency controls universal gravitation, or particles of matter haveknowledge of each other. Children have been telling me for decades whatGraneauarrives at through physics: theuniverseisalivel

There havebeen “bridges between worlds" such as Marcos and FlavioCabobianco throughout history; but now there are more of them. Theirbodies seem tohave a different density than those of “regular" people; theyare extraordinarily sensitive, especially to touch and to food; and many

findit imperative to wear nonallergenic clothing. Living around others or

being in a crowd can be difficult for them, as they have no “armor" fromprevious incarnations tohelp themhandlenegativity,

Certainly there are child experiencers of near-death states who report

interactions with extraterrestrials and. speak of worlds and races unlikethose associated with earth. Spaceships fascinate them and the abductiondrama becomes an almost routine part of their daily lives. Theseyoungsters,however, are intheminority,

Intriguing to our discussion of alien existences, though, is thebook TheOmegaProject:Near-DeathExperiences, UPOEncounters, andMindatLarge,

by Kenneth Ring.ÿ A retired psychology professor who has spent nearlythirty years (a few more than me) researching near-death states, he hascome to recognize similarities between people who experience abductionincidents andthose whohavenear-death episodes.

Ring posits the existence of an "encounter-prone personality" found inpeople who have distinctive, spiritually sensitive, and visionary psychesthat may, collectively, represent the next stage in human evolution. He

found that many of the people who report extraordinary encounters hadchildhoods marked by various patterns of trauma, stress, and/or childabuse. "They're more likely to dissociate from ordinary reality and thentune into other realities where they can feel safe," he explained.Andtheseother realities, or "imaginal realms/’ as Ring calls them, are not to beconfused with fantasy worlds. "Imaginal realities have a matrix or

structureto them, and youcan tunein tothem if youhavethe right facultyof perception. If you are already sensitized to these imaginal realms, thenyour imagination, acting like an organ of perception in its own right, can

simply detect these realities. When youtalk topeople whohave hadNDEs,they say things that imply that this is a hyperreality. Things like, 'Thisexperience was more real to me than life itself is real.' Here's an analogy:We cannot see the stars when the sun shines,but when sunlight is absentthe starry heavens are revealed. But, obviously, the stars havebeen thereall along.” Ring continues: "I think these people may possibly b>wordIcould use is edglings. They may be closer to a higher development ofhuman potential than most of us. What happened to them is exactly thesame thing that happens to a person being trained to be a shaman in atribalsociety ,. . [theyl develop a kindof spiritualsensitivity anda sense ofthe sacredness ofEarth/'

Ring's work relies heavily on child abuse issues to underscore histheory of encounter-prone personalities.Idid not findthis same degree ofcause/effect relationship in my own research, even though some of my

cases do fit his model.His ideas about the existence of imaginalrealms andthe sensitivity that can be achieved to access them does correspond with

-one

whatIhave seen. Having a near-death experience, regardless of how it iscaused, is sufficient to sensitize an individual to multiple dimensions ofreality. The link is not child abuse, but a brain shift/spirit shift. Manychildren are nowborn this way. It is a characteristic of what maybe a new

race emergingin our midst.

Unlike in previous years, recent newspaper headlines have foreverchanged how we regard the notion of life in outer space. One scientificfinding after another has heralded: “Mars was once warm and moist, andmay have supportedlife." “Discovery boosts odds for life on Jupiter moon."

“Black holes,neutron stars make space swirl like water." “Hubble telescopesnaps picture of undetected giant in Milky Way," "Massive pillars in Eaglenebula harbor a stellar nursery." "Evidence of anti-gravity force found."“Particle found tohavemass." “Extra-solar systemplanet photographed."

The arrogance of thinking we are the only life form in our universe isweakened not only by science, but by some of our astronauts, who are

breaking their code of silence about UFO-type craft accompanying theirspace flights. Some of their revelations were printed in the newsletterWcodrewUpdate,

Greta Woodrew, LL.D., and her husband, Dick Smolowe, LL.D., forseventeen years published the Woodrew Update, a newsletter devoted to

the exploration of alien contacts, health issues, and ecological

responsibility,ÿ Both are businesspeople with sterling credentials whoselives were turned upside-down when Greta was first contactedby Tauri,an extraterrestrialwho said she was from the “Ogatta Group." In WoodrewUpdate volume 17, number 3, Greta and Dick quoted statements made byAmerican astronauts, among them Gordon Cooper: “For many yearsIhavelived with a secret, in a secrecy imposed on all specialists in astronautics,I

can now revealthat every day, intheU,S,A,, our radar instruments capture

objects of form and composition unknown to us. Andthere are thousandsof witness reports anddocuments to provethis,butnobody wants tomakethem public," And from Scott Carpenter: "At no time, when the astronauts

werein space, were they alone: there was a constant surveillanceby UFOs."

Ihave no doubt that extraterrestrials exist in some form andthat theyare capable ofmakingcontact with humanbeings.Physicalevidence is too

great, sightings too numerous and confirmedby too many people, to betossed aside as group hypnosis or self-deception. But neither am I

convinced of the extent to which this phenomenon is organicallycomposed. Imaginal worlds, as definedby Kenneth Ring, are much more

powerful in their effects on experiencers who visit them and in their utter

realness than most of us can appreciate. And imaginal worlds aremultidimensional in appearance and are associated with the lifecontinuum in the sense of being like layers of luminous fabric enfoldedthroughout coherent worlds of structured form. People can be taught howto access these realms; some have a natural talent to do so, or accidentallyfind themselves there because of a sudden occurrence like a near-deathstate or a shamanistic vision quest. (Shamanistic-type consciousness isoften initiatedby some sort of near-death-likeritualor mind-alteringdrug,which is not to say that such states can be sustained for any periodwithout considerable training-)

Once an individual's perception is opened to the “bright worlds," thatindividualis never quitethe same again.

When traveling “behind the veil" we may find ourselves on an alienplanet, or in the life continuum, or as part of the plasma that fills the so-called vacuum of outer space, depending upon which layer or matrix we

have accessed. During our visit, we may experience our selfhood in waysthat wouldbe considered extraordinary in human terms, Tom Repasky ofPortland, Oregon, describes such a trip, labelinghimself a “walk-in,"

Tom fell off a cliff ledge when he was fourteen years old, andbouncedfor twelve feet after striking rocks. Although he does not remember a near¬

death episode, he does display the full range of aftereffects, including an

extremely high IQ. He is employed today as an expert in the computer

industry, is married, and has a daughter.According to Tom: “About twelve

days after the accident,I(the current occupant) foundmyself wanderingabout space.Iwas aware of my awareness and was able to examine myhistory. This history was many years Long (thirty-five thousand years).During that timeIhadbeen only an observer of life andthe planet earth.Ifelt a strong desire to experience life as a human and began my journeyinto a human form. The result of this journey was my entering the formInow animate, [which] is calledTom.Ibegan life within a fourteen-year-oldbody without any personal body memories. My first action was to causethe form to moveand in doing so,Isurprised the hospitalstaff, who saidIhadbeen in a coma.Of course, these words were just noisetome, andit was

notuntil several weeks later thatIbegan tounderstandandimitatehumanspeech,"

Ruth Montgomery, in her book Strangers Among Us,- coined the term

"walk-in" to accommodate situations in which one soul could exchangeplaces in a given body with another one; in other words, the resident or

birth soul could “walk out" or leave for whatever reason, and a new one

could“walk-in," Ostensibly, this exchange wouldtakeplace duringperiodsof unconsciousness or as a result of a near-death experience. In

Montgomery's view, the two souls must agreetothe exchange or it couldn'toccur, and the incoming soul was obligated to fulfill the duties of thebirthsoul before new goals could be initiated. Today, the term “walk-in" hasbecomein some circles a generic catchallto explain away the aftereffects ofa brain shift/spirit shift as evidenced by a transformation ofconsciousness. Curiously, all of the various indicators of a “soul exchange"that are generally cited by proponents of the walk in theory exactlycorrespond to aspects of a typical near-death scenario and the aftereffectsthat follow, So far, thebrain shift/spirit shift model has heldup torigorousscrutiny; the walk-in theory hasn’t,

Tom Repasky's experience matches the criteria for a walk-in as

currently espousedby an organization called Walk-ins for Evolution (WE)

International, with one important distinction, Tom remembers being

without form during a 3 5,000-year history as an aware intelligence. As hetells it, "There wasn’t one isoull to replace another.” Tom’s description ofhis former existence echoes the multidimensional/cosmos child’sexplanation of the formlessness with which he or she identifies. Couldbrain damage account for his inability to embrace selfhood in a personalmanner? Perhaps, but this ready explanation does not address why hissuperior intelligence and cascade of aftereffects can be traced directly to

his accident.Isuspect that Tom is brain shifted, not brain damaged, andmultidimensionally orientedtothecosmos rather than a "walk-in.”

Tom, like ever so many of the child experiencers quoted in this book,bears allthe marks of a new vanguard of children who havebeen enteringthe earthplane in large numbers since the sixties, and especially since19S2. These children regard themselves and the lives they lead quitedifferently than have their elders, and in terms that bespeak a more

quixotic viewpoint. They are tolerant of ambiguity, capable of parallel-thought processing, unusually creative, and at home with a complexity oflifestyles that would seem foreign to the generations before them. Andwith each decade that passes, their creative and intuitive intelligencesoars. They aretomorrow’s children, today.

TEN

<§>

ANew Race Aborning

Evolutionaryquantumleapsoccur when aspeciesisfacedwithpossible extinction. Now, at such a threshold, we are

discoveringtheneurologicalmethods thatmedicinepeopleandvisionarieshave masteredso elegantly andhave used tomakequantum leaps into the future. These capabilities of our

brains, once awakened, allow us to enter a transtemporalreality where we can hear the voicesof the ancientonesin thewind, healourplanet, andsummonourdestiny.

—ALBERTO VILLOLDO

THE SIGNS ARE EVIDENT, all of them, that a new race is emerging in themidst of as rightnow!

Child experiences of near-death states present as with the bestpossible model we can use to recognize this birthing. And the MillennialGeneration, children born from 19S2 to about 2001-2003, as named byWilliam Strauss and Neil Howe in their seminal achievement

Generationsy1 are "marked" in the sense that already many of them are

displaying characteristics typical of the psychological and physiologicalchanges that are indicativeof thebrain shift/spirit shift engenderedby thenear-death phenomenon.

Youngsters arebeing flung into this shift quite literally by the millionsworldwide, and a whole generation is beingborn this way, as if they were

somehow preprogrammed. One does nothavetobe a scientist or a psychicto know that something astonishingly spectacular is rising from the"knife's edge" ofbirth anddeath... a new force awakens.

Linda Silverman, Ph.D,, one of the leading authorities on giftedness,2contactedme after reading the original edition of thebook and said "Your

work supports mine andmy work supports yours." She went on to say thata remarkable number of exceptionally and profoundly gifted children(160-262 IQ) were the products of excessively long labors, precipitousbirths (beingborn too quickly), overdoses of a drug called pitocin, or otherbirth traumas that might have caused near-death experiences in theirbirthing. “They demonstrate characteristics that are very similar to thoseof child experiencers of near-death states." Her research does not addressthe near-death experience per se—therefore there is no data on anyone inher study reporting such an episode as an infant. However, much of thechildren's poetry and many of their drawings suggest that such anincident could have occurred, (This is reasonable to me, asI foundin myresearch of child experiencers, that they are six times more likely thanadults to forget, block, or repress their experience. It is possible that hergifted kids could have reacted to any episode they might have had in a

similar manner,) The Gifted Development Center has assessed eighthundred exceptionally gifted children in the last twenty-four years, with

IQ scores above 160,Nearly allof them exhibit “wholebrain development"(left and right brain hemispheres operating as if an integrated whole),

They are abstract conceptual learners, mature beyond their years, withstrong moral sensitivity, compassion, and intensity. Some are passionate

about their mission in life, and their mission has to do with spiritualityand projects dealing with human rights issues and protecting theenvironment.

Money does not motivate most of them and schools cannot handlethem. More andmore are dropping out and arebeinghomeschooled or are

teaching themselves via the internet. “Even more remarkable/' saidSilverman, “I’ve come across children who are so far evolved beyondanything I've seen in my four-decade career in this field that neitherheredity nor environment can explain their achievement. The onlyexplanation is evolution."

All cultures that have ever existed (and that can be traced) have hadlegends and stories that describe major evolutionary leaps inconsciousness and in genetic structure that have occurred and will yetoccur in the human family (comparable to the spread of change across

population groups that Dr, Silverman and I have been finding). Thepurpose of these leaps, it is said, is to quicken and refine our species in a

vast process of growth that will advance humankind from hardly more

than a probability at the dawn of time (or, some say, as mere dronesengineered for slave labor by an elitist class bent on mining the earth's

gold for their home planet),3- to thehighest andbest achievement levelandfrequency of vibration possible for us to attain in a quest tobecome moreintelligent and godlike. And each such advancement, we are furtherinstructed to know, is visibly marked—the people differ afterward andtheir differences show.

Since these ancient legends and stories exactly portray our current

situation, a synopsis of their message is in order. Visionary truth is just as

important as scientific findings. Weneedbothtogiveus perspective,

Various traditions of esoteric knowledge (loosely referred to as

“mystery school teachings”) mention the altering of the lifestreamwhereby new “waves” or "rays” or "worlds” can arise. Earlier in this

century, the famous seer Edgar Cayceÿ called these time frames “the

coming forth of root races.” He didnot mean "race” in thecontext of geneticsubgroups, but used the term "root races” to indicate species-wide,evolutionary mutations. He targeted 199S to 2010 as the years when thenext “advancement" wouldbe recognized.

Other, older teachings predicted that a total of seven root races wouldappear, each one fulfilling its potential,before the human species reachedascendancy. The first four races were essentially described as soul,amorphous thought forms, physical thought forms, and human beings.What was presaged for our current period is the emergence of the fifth root

race,ÿ those who have quickened in spiritual awareness and geneticmakeup. This collection of visionary knowledge holds that two more root

races will emerge before the development of "Hu-man" ("God-man") isover. The Christian Bible has in essence the same message—that we are

gods in the making and that we are ever growing in spirit. An example ofthis message is Psalm 32:6: “I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are

children of themost high."

By using the colors of the rainbow to depict the energy levels ofvibrational frequencies, it is possibletocombine esoteric teachings,betheyfrom psychics, mystics, prophets, or visionaries, into one comprehensivechart. This chart focuses on the soul's evolution through human form viathe stages of a mindawakeningtoits greater potential

ESOTERIC TEACHINGS OF SOUL EVOLUTION THROUGH THE

AWAKENING OF THE HUMAN MIND

Levete of States ofEnergy Awareness

Types of Consciousness

Red Physical Physical: the earthplane; survival issues andindividual power

Astral: invisible '‘blueprints''; inner guidance andheightened sensitivity

Mental Concrete Mental: the intellect; decision making andpersonal will

Mental Abstract Buddhlc: awakening to spirit; Initial enlightenment

and enlarged worldview

Higher Intuition Atmit: self as individual; enlightened knowingand wisdom

Monadic: fully Individuated; the indivisible whole

Divine: aligned with soul power; suTender toGodÿ will

Orange Astral

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet

Inspiration

Spiritual

If we take the concept of root races (for example, soul, amorphousthought forms, physical thought forms, human beings, and thosequickened in spiritual awareness and genetic makeup, as well as two more

higher forms of embodiment yet to come), and insert each type into thechartbeginning atthetop, we arrive at a broadpictureof what may indeedbe the evolutionary destiny of humankind—a growth progression referredto in esoteric traditions transculturally, Accordingto the diagram, the fifthroot race, which is aborning now, comes under the purview of the bluevibration,

And the “blue race" has specifically been mentioned in some

prophesies as the quantum leap that would evolve from within the midstof thehuman family during the final years of the Piscean age. Supposedly,

this “fifth race" wouldbe as unlike its predecessors as crystal is unlikeclay,Zodiacal cycles, or ages, are approximately 2,160 years long. We are now

living in the thirdmillennium.It has been predictedby many thatby theyear 2020, or soon after, we will enter the long-awaited age of Aquarius,presumably a time whenthe rigors of science will join with the wisdom ofinner knowing to produce societies dedicated to the economics of sharedprojects and international achievement, rather than to the wanton

violence andenslavement of dictatorships.

The current, or more "transcendent," representatives of the blue race,as the architects of the Aquarian age, are said to be exceptionally aware,

highly developedboth intuitively and intellectually, and comfortable withambiguity andcomplex challenges, thus madeto order for thedemands ofthe twenty-first century. Visionary traditions also refer to differences intheir biological structure—unusual digestive systems and allergies,differences in eyesight, heightened faculties, a noticeable sensitivity to

foods, light, sound, and energy fields, plus an amazing ability to functionwith the least amount of stress duringdifficult situations.

Descriptions of the blue race are resonant with the typical aftereffectcharacteristics of the average child experiencer of near-death states, as

well as with what pediatricians worldwide are reporting about the newest

crop of infants,

A contemporary voice on the subject of a new race aborningin our timeis Gordon-Michael Scallion, He is known as an intuitive futurist andmodern-day prophet, and is probably most famous for his “future maps"

of North America, as well as his predictions of globalearth changes.It was

he who several years ago affirmed that the fifth root race is the blue race

and linked it with the then soon-to-appear blue star, which he lateridentified as the comet HaleBopp. He associated the manifestation ofbothof these developments with Christian beliefs about the Second Coming ofChrist, and also with the Native American prophecy of the White Buffaloand the portentous 1994 birth, in Janesville, Wisconsin, of an all-whitefemale buffalo calf, since identifiedby tribal elders and medicine men asthe fulfillment of their prophecy and the signal that the New Age has

begun.ÿ

InhisbookNotesfromthe Cosmos:A FuturistsInsightsinto the WorldofDreamProphecy andIntuition,- Scallion discusses the blue star at length,

saying: “All children born after '9S shallbe telepathic at birth and manyborn prior shall exhibit such abilities. The physical body shall change to

reflect the vibrational changes of Earth

____All races of people shall have a

bluish tint to the skin as a result." Scallion also predicts changes in themakeup of the human eye and the way the new race will see, and claimsthat communication willbe possiblebetween these new humans andtheanimalandspiritual worlds.

By the age of two, Scallion says, many will have mastered multiplelanguages; by three or four, they'll be aware of their most recent past life.Blue race humans will also have a much longer lifespan, upward of abouttwo hundred years, according to Scallion, and they will put service to

others abovepersonalgratification.

If Gordon-Michael Scallion's predictions have any bearing, then bluerace people will be more spiritually inclined than their mothers andfathers. One such person ofbluish skin has already made an impact in hernativelandofIndia andinother countries where shehas traveled. As wordof her existence and her powerfulspiritual teachings spread,her influenceis fast becoming global. Her name is Mata Amritanandamayi, and herstory isboth a tear-jerker,because of the abuse she received as a child, andan inspiration, because she turned her own nightmare into a miracle,

enablingher tohelp transformthelives of thousands.

Mata Amritanandamayi: A Biography, written by one of her devotees,

SwamiAmritasvarupananda,ÿ tells of a poverty-stricken mother who hada wonderful dream about giving birth to Lord Krishna (one of the most

popular of the Hindu deities). The next morning, without a single clue thatshe mightbe about todeliver a realbaby, she intuitively realizedshe must

prepare to do just that Withhardly enough time to spreadout a mat and liedown, she gavebirth to a daughter.But this was noordinary daughter.Not

only werethe entirepregnancy andbirthpain free,but theinfant wasbornsmiling and without a cry; she lay in the lotus posture of hatha yoga, herfingers in the position symbolizing oneness of the individual self with theSupreme—and she had dark blue skin! The parents were panic-strickenand feared that the baby’s strange complexion might be a symptom ofdisease, the peculiar posture she assumed at birth perhaps a sign ofabnormal bone structure. Medical exams detected no abnormalities, norwas there anything in the family's genetic line to account for this. Thebaby they namedSudhamani was an anomaly.

As statedby Swami: "Eventually, over the course of time, this dark-bluechanged intoblack. Yet, when the little girl’s desire tobehold the vision ofLordKrishna intensified, her skin colour once again assumed its blue hue.Even today, especially during the Divine Moods of Krishna and Devi, one

can observe this dark blue skin tone. Ironically, it was due to this blue-black hue that inthe future, DamayanthijSudhamani’s mother! and otherfamily members would look upon the child with great disdain. Thisaversion for the dark child would eventually become the cause of herbecomingthedowntrodden servant of the family andrelatives.

“From the moment of the tiny girl's birth, the family began noticingunusual signs which would only be understood years later. . . , One day,after turning six months old, the little girl suddenly stood up andstraightaway walked across the verandah. Soon after this, she startedrunning which filled everyone’s heart with wonder and joy, Unlike most

other children her age, Sudhamani started speaking her mother tongue

Malayalam when she was barely six months old. Her passion to sing theDivine Names manifested as soon as shebegan to speak fairly well. At thetender age of two, without instruction from anybody, she began sayingprayers andsingingshort songs inpraise of SriKrishna,"

As a toddler, Sudhamani established a daily habit of melodiouslychanting the Divine Names aloud, a practice that continues to this day,and she would sing with devotional fervor compositions she created to

honor Lord Krishna. By the time she was five, her spiritual activities hadbecome extraordinary. In school she evidenced a brilliant intellect andmemory that so threatened her parents that they pulled her out of herclasses, assigning to her instead an ever-increasing load of chores. Thisonly served to intensify her ecstatic devotional moods. Yet the more

spiritualshebecame, themoredeterminedher family was inheapinghardwork and physical abuse upon her, convincing themselves that she must

be insane. That Sudhamani survived her childhood is a miracle in itself.She forgave all her tormentors, noting that they had committed theircrimes in ignorance.All laterbecameher students once she was recognizedas a teacher and servant of God. Today she is referred to as the Mother ofImmortalBliss,

Although having blue skin is not necessarily a condition of blue race

“membership/’ Mata Amritanandamayi has exhibited all the traits of a

brain shift/spirit shift since her birthin 1953. Her exceptionaldevotion to

Godand knowledge of a higher, morespiritualorder of life mark her as oneof those “blue ones" of the fifth root race.

The human race is adapting, mutating, altering, transforming. We arebecomingsomething else.

AsHomotiaMiswe werehardly more than fossils,

AsHomoereetuswe were active, social, andinventive.

AsHomosapienswe werehighly organized thinkers andcleverbuilders.

AsHomosapienssapienswe went tothemoon andcomputerized society,

John White, who has written extensively in the fields of consciousness

research and human development,2 classified our fifth speciesadvancement asHomonoeticus. This advancement willhave the ability to

access thehigher mind.Declares White: “There willneverbe a better worlduntil there are better people in it, and our potential for growth to higher

consciousness is what enables us to 'buildbetter people/ beginning withourselves/'

I wouldbe exaggerating here ifI claimed that all those born into theMillennial Generation are fifth root race types. What percentage willactually represent evolution’s quantum leap, or, perhaps, signal a

devolution into children incapable of caring or compassion, no one reallyknows. Today's headlines are crammed with ample stories of bothextremes. Still, it is possible to project ahead to surmise about whatIamcertain willbe the majority of our new citizens—the fourteenth generationof the UnitedStates. Few arebetter qualified for such a task than historicaldemographers William Strauss and Neil Howe and the respectedastrologicalresearcher E. Alan Meece.

Strauss and Howe remark that, even now, the larger number of theseyoungsters are provingtobe unusually civic minded, optimistic, collegial,competent, possessed of a powerful type of energy, and collective inpurpose, expecting praise and rewards while generously passing on thesame to others. And they save more money than they spend on

conveniences. “The Millennial show every sign of being a generation oftrend—toward improved education and health care, strengtheningfamilies, more adult affection and protection, and a rising sense that

youths need a nationalmission/'ÿ

E. Alan Meece, in his tour de force of astrological patterns in history

Horoscopefor the New Millennium further delineates what might beexpected from the Millennial by dividing them into four categories

accordingto year ofbirth, The early wave,born from 1982 to1983,he callsan exuberant yet mellow group, like children of the seventies, often lacking

in discipline and focus, yet definitely explorers who liketo liveon the edge.Thoseborn from 1984 to 1988 he terms “benevolent entrepreneurs" who,unlike the first group, are ambitious and disciplined, rather conservative,but with a sense of great duty to society and humankind. He notes that avery precocious bunch with outstanding potential checked in between

19SS and 1995. But he warns that while they possess great talents andleadership skills, they couldalsobe cold, calculating, andone-sidedin theirassessment of how the world should be changed. The final group, bornfrom 1996 to about 2001-2003, he claims will be "flame throwers" withexceptionally outgoing, irrepressible, freedom-loving, rebellious natures—

reformers quick to challenge authority.

Make no mistake, youngsters born before andduring the millennium’sturn are already and will continue tobe as demanding as they are curious,andthey are powerfully obsessed with a need to change things. Although

many of them come across as all heart, at least initially, that seemingcompassion can readily devolve into senseless acts—as already evidencedby kids who havekilled other kids inLittleton, Colorado;Pearl,Mississippi;Jonesboro, Arkansas;Edinboro, Pennsylvania; and Springfield, Oregon. As

Strauss and Howe pointed out, the Millennial Generation must have a

national mission, clear goals to aim for, and teachers unafraid of theirunusual abilities—or the awesome promise they carry within them couldbemisdirectedor squandered.

One woman keenly aware of theMillennial' collective drive and howto direct it is Linda Redford of Santa Monica, California. An adultexperiencer of a dramatic near-death episode, she was given instructionswhile "dead" on howto create a learning program for today’s children thatwould enable them to address their personal concerns, while discipliningtheir minds and restoring a sense of honor and value to their world,

Named The Adawee Teachings {Adawee is Cherokee for "guardians ofwisdom”), the learning program has already been tested in a number ofschools, One teacher said, "I have never experienced such unity in aclassroom lasIhave] since this pilot project ended.” The program, writtenin collaboration with Redford's daughter Anne Vorburger, consists ofcourse studies, a self-discovery book, and a T-shirt each student receives

that says, "1amimportant to the world The worldisimportant tome.

“My vision, insteadofhealingthe damage from childhood, is to stop the

damage from happeningin the first place," Redfordexplained.Just tallyingup the faxes and messages on her Web site from children participating inThe Adawee Teachings, and from teachers clamoring for more

information on how to continue the program, proves that her guidance to

do this was right on. WithRedford’s permission,Ioffer youthe honor codefrom The Adawee Teachings.

THE HONOR CODE

Principles for Planetary Citizenship.For each principle, the adult version is presented first,followed by the child’s perspective,

Humility

Iam aware thatIcan learn from all that was created,

IcaH teamfrom thesky, a clock, a tree, myfriends, and my mom and dad,

Responsibility

Iam aware that my words and actions are powerful and have a positive or negative impactonmy life, as well as on others and the environment.

When someone is sadlean sit quietly and faffc with them until their sadness leaves, orIcan tease them and make them sadder.

Respect

Iam aware that all that was created has purpose and value.

I'm teaming that even a tree has a living spirit thatIneed to honor.

Honesty

Iam aware that being truthful takes courage and is easier whenIam open to my feelings.

WhenI'm truthful with others they learn to trust me.

Generosity

Iam aware that sharingmy abundance creates harmony andbalance.

Whenlshare with others,Ifeelgood inside.

Forgiveness

Iam aware that mistakes can be opportunities for growth and understanding.

WhenIsayI'm sorryIunderstand thatIhavehurt you, and whenIhurt youIhurt myself.

Wisdom

Iam aware that there is an intuitive knowing within me that can guide me to make wisechoices.

Iam learning that inside meIhave a wisepart that knows what's best.

All children crave knowledge and hunger to learn. All children knowthat each thing is alive and can communicate. All children often flow intomind states that heighten knowing. All children are as much aware ofspirit realms as of the earthplane. Allchildren like to test their perceptionsfor usefulness. Allchildren are emissaries of divineloveand forgiveness.

A child's reality is thebasis of a child's truth. Deny the reality,and you

deny thechild.

ELEVEN

<§>

The Promise

The true doctrine ofomnipresenceis that Godreappears withall his parts in every moss and cobweb. The value of theuniversecontrives to throwitselfintoeverypointIfthegoodisthere, so is the evil; if the affinity, so the repulsion; if theforce, so thelimitation. Thusis the universealive.

—RALPH WALDO EMERSON

MAINSTREAMSOCIETY tends tomarginalizecreativeintuitives.

Individuals interested in consciousness transformations, those whohave been through one (such as experiences of near-death states), alongwith others of like mind, have for years been busily networking with eachother to counteract mainstream bias and create a subculture of their own

within society. Their preferences as a group include:

mmunity-basedeconomies andregional trade;

vitalizedmain streets, amateur theater, and open workspaces;

lall-scale, sustainable developments withInternet sales capacity;

jpreciating the uniqueness of place and history, the importance ofneighborhoods;

dividualknowingness andintuition inhealth andhealing;

indmade objects over mechanicalor plastic ones;

>mes that fit intonaturallandscapes,herbalgardens;

cycling, remodeling,andrestoration;

grimages to sacredandholy places, respect for the feminine;

mmitment tolifelonggrowth andlearningandthe exchange of ideas;

ving, committed relationships, a sense of global as well as nationalcitizenship;

blic service, volunteerism, civic responsibility;

iritual development, the personal experience of awakening to spirit realmsandcommunicating with Source.

Thanks to early prototypes of the fifth root race, the steadygroundswell towarda definable subculture that is more holistic in attitudehas exceeded expectations and is now recognizedas a force tobe reckonedwithby opinion pollsters.

Sociologist Paul H. Ray, vice president of the San Francisco-basedmarket research firm American Lives, Inc., labels this growing faction as

“cultural creatives." In his book The CulturalCreatives:HowFifty Million

PeopleAre Changing the Worlcf he estimates that one in four Americans fitthis category. He considers them to be a kind of integral culture thatmerges modernism with traditionalism. East with West, to create aRenaissance mindset. Ray warns that cultural creatives are almost angry

in their demand for authenticity, an observation underscoredby CharleneSpretnak inherbook TheResurgenceoftheReal:Body,Nature, andPlaceina

Hypermodern Worlds

At the current rate at which cultural creatives arebecoming politicallyactive, and to the degree to which fifth root race newcomers continue to

identify with them and support their agendas, a tippingpoint, or changethreshold, may soon be reached. Tipping points are endemic to history,always unpredictable as to exact timing,but ever fatefulin collapsing thatwhich has grown inefficient, top-heavy, or “out of touch" with thecitizenry (e.g., the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, and the fall of everydictatorship that has ever existed). There comes a time when sheernumbers are enough to trigger a massive shift in the prevailing order.(Sometimes other tyrannies arise,but the originalone does not andcannot

last.)

Societies everywhere are now in this position, vulnerable to a tippingpoint. Computerization has made it possible for any individual to

coparticipate in dissolving borders and outmaneuvering governments. A

sense that moral integrity and social justice should matter more thanglobal power relations and religious fundamentalism is gaining majoritystrength. Nothing less than the evolution of society itself is at hand; thesubculture is poised tobecomethedominant culture.

The twenty-first century will bear witness to the driving force of this"third wave," which is neither left nor right, liberal nor conservative,traditionalist nor modernist, but an integrated stream of consciousnessthat is intolerant of business as usual; it is more reformist thanrevolutionary, And, as this third wave moves deeper into the thirdmillennium, “thirdway" principles will emerge as the way to live and dobusiness,ÿ

1 devoted an entire chapter in both FutureMemory and Solstice Shift:MagicalBlend's Synergistic Guide to the Coming Age& to a discussion ofthird-way principles. Here is a summary of whatIhave discovered abouttheThirdWay:

Ihave noticed that when faced with life issues, we tend to react in

one of three ways: (1) we play ostrich and pretend the situationaway; (2) we label it an enemy or a devil and attack; or (3) we

confront the situation squarely and honestly, search for the truthbehind the appearance, and take decisive steps to initiate a

constructive solution. The first way creates victims, the secondvictors (conquerors), and the third responsive and responsibleparticipants in life, committedtogrowth andlearning.

This third way of dealing with life issues is the way we transcendduality, get beyond victors and victims, good and evil, darkness and light.The Third Way requires mediation and diplomacy skills, mindful

attention, and a willingness to consider what is appropriate as a greaterpriority than self-centered interests. It takes time to learn and patience to

initiate, andit necessitates cooperation and compromise,but it is the onlymodality that holds any promise for a worthwhile future. The Third Way

upholds dignity and authenticity and wholeness, and wholeness isspirituality mademanifest.

When we live in accordance with the Third Way, we decrease tension,

While a certain amount of tension is necessary for existence, too muchtension depletes initiative andrestricts growth. The fulcrum of Third Way

balance is forgiveness, as forgiveness releases tension and promotes

patience. When we resist forgiveness, the resulting tension keeps us fromtranscending, Weneedto let goto grow. Weneedto forgive,

Another individual who has written extensively on third-wayprinciples is Walter Starcke, a former Hollywoodluminary whounderwenta spiritual transformationmany years ago and has sincebecome a devoted

student of the Christian Bible and a mystic, In his new book,It'sAllGodf-he reveals that the ThirdWay (ascension consciousness) is reconciliation.

But he cautions: "As long as we believe that we must constantly andonly think beautiful, subjectively satisfying thoughts, we are creating thevery duality we claim to deny. WhatIam saying is, we can reconcile the

objective level [materiality] without denying its subjective nature

[spirituality] only if we simultaneously seeboth its infinite oneness anditslimited form. By doing this, we close the gap and experience the only true

absolute:Allinclusiveness."

Reconciliation and inclusiveness are the keys to understanding whatfuels millennial generation attitudes and the cultural creatives as a

subculture. For them, elitist thinking has lost the fashionable appeal itoncehad.

The “age of globally" arrived in 1993. With it came the realities ofphotonics (enhanced fiber optics for the information superhighway);inter-species communication (apes trained via sign language to conversewith humans); biochemistry “marking" (medication engineered to meet

the needs of each person as an individual); natural-systems agriculture

(high-yielding perennial grains grown together to cut waste and weeds);

weather pattern study (links between weather effects and sex repression,

warfare, and social violence), cloning issues (life-science companies

dominating seed and DNA sequence patents).- The third millennium isquickly becoming a science-fiction worldmade fact.

Curiously, the vast majority of children rescued from death’s finalityby advanced technology have near-death experiences that prepare themfor .. , advanced technology.

These kids aren't coming back as the dutiful fulfillments of theirparents’ dreams so much as, in their own unique way, the mountainmovers of the twenty-first century, And don't breathe a sigh of relief thatat last we have a generation of children who are courteous and civicminded, Theseyoungsters are instilledwith a sense ofmission, andthey are

powerfully obsessed with a need to change things, This is theirpromise andtheir destiny, And they will insist upon the spirit-led worship anduncommon lifestyles that arise from having a personal relationship withGod,

They are “imagineers," creative problem solvers rewired and recon-

figuredtomake significant contributions to a society desperately inneedoffresh new ideas. But it will take innovative and courageous adults to pointthe way.

The exceptional legacy of retired teacher Muriel Freifeld of Potomac,

Maryland, gives us such a model. She experienced a near-death episodewhile stuck in the birth canal that infused her with a lifelong mission to

educatechildren in ways that wouldempower them. She suffered frequentparental andsibling abuse as a youngster,but what hurt her themost washer inability to communicate her visions andher inner knowing. She wasbranded "stupid" and became suicidal. Her extremely high IQ wasn'trecognized in time to prevent her rebelliousness, low grades, and schooltruancy. She "knew" her subjects but fumbled over the technicalities ofhow to format what she knew (the same situation faced by Bill of Atlanta,in chapter 3).

OnceMuriel was an adult, shebegan the college track, didwell inmath,showed an unusual sensitivity to music, won many prizes in art, andexcelled in the double major of psychology and early childhooddevelopment. Her career as an innovative teacher and later as founder of

New Visions for Child Care, Inc,,ÿ a project endorsed by the governor ofMaryland, is exemplary. And, of her three children, two have becomepioneering physicians in new surgical techniques and treatment ofinfectious diseases, andthe other is a well-known southern artist. Muriel’slife is an example of what can happen when the potential enhancedby a

brain shift/spirit shift is unleashed, tothebenefit of themany.

According to my research statistics, child experiencers of near-deathstates, like Muriel Freifeld, are showing us how to have long-lasting,

healthy relationships and marriages; how to excel in work and succeed inspite of the stress from downsizing and layoffs; how to live simply, yet

more enjoyably; how to have a meaningful, satisfying, and active life,

Those who seemed socially retarded during their earliest years haveestablished that the learning reversals and faculty and intelligence

enhancements that may have seemed burdensome when they were

children and young adults can indeed be integrated, and in waysbordering on the miraculous. Some of the participants in my study, forexample, are now doing advanced DNA research, working on new healingtools for surgeons, producing significant patents and inventions,establishing compassionatebirthing and dying centers, and creating newmeasures to recycle waste materials, protect the environment, andbuildbetter homes for less cost. Not allare college graduates. They don't have to

be. Even as amateur scientists and social visionaries, their achievementsalready have astoundedandamazedus, andwillcontinuetodo so.

It is true that childexperiences donot process brain shifts/spirit shiftsin the same manner as do adult experiences, andtheir episodes are likelyto impact them in more powerful ways—as the cases discussed in thisbook illustrate. Aftereffects tend to overwhelm, because the context inwhich they must be integrated has yet tobe established in the lives of thechildren whomust grapple with them.A simple chart puts this situation inperspective.

EFFECTS OF A TRANSFORMATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

(BRAIN SHIFTySPIRIT SHIFT]

Adults renewalChildren rebirth

new life a growth event—"course correction"neft race an evolutionary evenl—"species advancement

,r

To transform the world,peoplemust transform..,and they are,

Those who were thrust into this transformational shift via the near¬

death phenomenon may be so changed that even before-and-afterphotographs may bear little resemblance to each other, to say nothing ofattitudes, personalities, and body functions; their lives are often turnedupside down, But even those who have been touched by the Holy Spiritduring church services, people who have gone on shamanic vision quests,

or those who have devoted themselves to lives of service and prayer may

exhibit the same aftereffects, the same shift.

While near-death states might be Creation's way of selecting helperswho might not otherwise volunteer, transformationsby choice enable one

to be more in control of any trauma or confusion the aftereffects may

foster. In other words, 'tis better to go willingly than to be shoved, for thespiritualwillnot foreverbe denied.

The brain shift/spirit shift that happens in such large numbers to

today’s youngsters offers the most compelling evidence yet that minditself, that collective "reservoir" of intelligence, is also evolving. It ispossible, for instance, to take the four types of near-death experiencesdiscussedin chapter 3 andreconsider theminthis manner.

* InitialExperience:an introduction for theindividualto other ways ofperceivingreality; stimulus.

•UnpleasantorHell-likeExperience:a confrontation with distortions inone’s own attitudes andbeliefs;healing.

* PleasantorHeayenlikeExperience:a realization ofhowimportant life

is andhow every effort that onemakes counts; validation.

* TranscendentExperience:an encounter with oneness andthecollective whole ofhumankind;enlightenment,

Rather than looking at these as four types of near-death experience, wemight more appropriately recognize in them four stages of awakeningconsciousness, These stages of awakeningbegin with the first stirring ofsomething greater, an initial awareness; then move to confrontation withthebias of perception, followedby opportunities tocleanse and start anew;

then to the bliss and the ecstasy of self-validation and the discovery oflife’s worth; until, at last, the moment comes when unlimited realms oftruth andwisdom areunveiled,

Since consciousness appears to have thecapacity to grow, change, andevolve, individually and en masse, one implication is the existence of

thought fields that allofus mustbe capable of drawing from and addingto

automatically or at will. This idea has been postulated,scientifically and iscurrently beingtestedat theurging ofRupert Sheldrake,best known for hisbreakthrough theory of “morphic resonance" (the existence of universalthought fields), detailedinhisbook A NewScienceofLife:TheHypothesisofFormativeCausationf

The fact that so many children experience near-death episodesindicates to me that the mechanism for stimulating a brain shift/spiritshift may be part of our “equipment" as human beings—our birthright-nature's assurance that, as individuals and as a species, we willcontinuously readjust as evolution readies itself for major advancements.

After decades of research and sessions with thousands of people,Iamconvinced that once we understand the import of brain shifts (which arevisible and canbe clinically tested andmeasured), and spiritshifts{whichare invisible and signify the movement of spirit forces and thedevelopment of true faith) ... we will solve the secret of how the humanfamily andminditself evolve and for what purpose.

Ican makethis extravagant statementbecausemy work has shown me

that brainshifts/spiritshiftsare theengine thatdrivesevolutionandthus thedestinyofhumankind.

Experiencers of this dual shift have described the “light" that theyencounteredin terms that suggest there may be three very different types

of light that exist beyond those we are consciously aware of andbeyondthelight knownintherealms of earth life,

THE THREE TtPES OF SUBJECTIVE LIGHT

Co/orType Function

Primary Light Colorless A pulsating presence or luminosity usuallyperceived as frighteningly awesome, a piercing

power, raw essence; the Origin of all origins,

Dart Light Pure black A shimmering peaceful depth usuallyyet often with perceived as "The Darkness That Knows," avelvety tinges source of strength and knowing, healingof dark purple sanctuary; the womb of Creation.

A brilliant radiance usually perceived as analmost blinding glcw that emanates

unconditional love, a warm inviting

Intelligence, union; the activity of Truth.

Bright Light The range of

yellow-gold-white

These three lights are consistently referred to, irrespective of person,

age, orbackground, as morerealthan themanifest light on earth andmore

powerful than any source humankind could harness—ineludingthe sun’s

rays and “zero-point" energy (the “stuff of the universe, untappedelectromagnetic energy).

Theselights seem torevealaspects of Creation in a manner that impliesthat they may represent the outworking of Divine Order, There is no

human connotation given to their functionby most experiences (such as

black as negative/evil, or white as positive/good), but, rather, anidentification is made with thehandiwork of God.

The main effects Ihave observed in the people who claimed to haveexperienced them were: from Primary Light, deep mystical knowings andmore radical changes in a sense of reality and life's purpose; from DarkLight, gentle reassurances ofbeing nurtured, healed, and supported whilelinked to larger evolutionary processes; from Bright Light, displays of a

broad range of visibly heightened abilities and sensitivities as if thephysicalbody was transmuting.

It is my belief from whatIhave seen that the“light" and light imagery

ofnear-death andother transformative andenlighteningstates arebut thereflection of a power surge as it registers upon or imprints theconsciousness of the one who experiences it. What is perceived as lightmay well be a “power punch," varying by degrees of charge. To dubtransformative episodes as mere “light experiences" misses the richcomplexity of their truenature.

Individuals who return to earthplane awareness after such an event

almost immediately gain a sense of future. Irrespective of the otheraftereffects and whether that sense of future can signal higher braindevelopment and the emergence of the higher mind, the futuristicrevelations that pour forth from experiencers are often literal. With childexperiencers, however, their futuristic visions differ somewhat from thoseof adults.

Kids seem only moderately interested in any kind of dire scenarionumerous prognosticators and prophets targeted for the years between199S and 2007. But, jump ahead to a time when they could be parents or

even grandparents,and their composureabruptly changes. “That’s whatIcame back for," they say, “to help the earth and prepare the people.Iamhere for thechanges,"

This message of theirs sounds similar to that of adults, until the mathis calculated as to how old each child would have to be to match thedescription they give of themselves duringthat cryptic time.Regardless ofthe child's age when interviewed, the same period emerges—between2013 and 2029.

This same time span was highlighted by Strauss and Howe in theirstudy of repetitious cycles in American history. To understand thesignificance of this period, Strauss andHowe ask that werecall theparalleleras of the Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution, the Civil War,

the Great Depression, and World War II. “How will this crisis end?" theywonder. They then offer this comment: “Three of the four antecedentsended in triumph, the fourth (the Civil War) in a mixture of moral fatigue,

vast human tragedy, and a weak and vengeful sense of victory. We can

foresee a full range of possible outcomes, from stirring achievement to

apocalyptic tragedy,"

Of interest is the fact that on December 21,2012, the Mayan calendarends—shortly before the "darkening skies" of the crisis projected byStrauss and Howe. The Mayans believed that time “as it currently isexperienced" will end when their calendar does. Strauss and Howe,although hopeful about the future, admit that all indicators do indeedpredict this period as one of unusual importance, and in all probabilityglobalin its repercussions.

Yet the endingof theMayan calendar does signify an endtohistory,just totime as weknowit, for their calculations werebasedon sun cycles ofapproximately 26,000 years each. What ends in 2012 is the span of theFourth Sun. The Fifth Sunbegins immediately after, with the fifth root race

at the ready to handle the possible acceleration of time and energy as theearth passes into a region of highly charged particles called the photonbelt. Slated to last for two thousand years, this photon immersion elicitscuriosity from scientists who remain unconvinced of its supposed effects,if any, and awe from the more mystical who see in this event a periodwhen the remaining sixth and seventh root races can emerge to completethe ascendancy of human evolution on this planet. We will have to waiteither way to see if the photon belt is a fizzle or a true phenomenon.Regardless ofhow things turn out, the years 2013 to 2029 can’t helpbutbemomentous as we enter a new timespan—that of theFifth Sun.

Right now, however, an extraordinary credo begs for attention—theintegration of science and religion, the reconnection of the head with theheart.Andthis affects near-death research, as well,

Ken Wilber, who almost single-handedly launched the transpersonalrevolution in psychology several decades ago with the publication of his

first book, The Spectrum ofConsciousnessÿ granted a rare interview withMark Matousek that was carried in the July /August 1993 issue of Utne

ReaderM In the article, Wilber confirmed that the relationship betweenscience and religion is the most critical issue facing society, a rift that hebelieves is tearing the planet apart. "When you take into account that 90

percent of the world's population has a religious outlook based on some

kind of mythology—God the Father and so on—and that the standardscientific view gives thesemyths as much credibility as they givethetoothfairy . . . you see the problem clearly. There's an enormous split betweenreason andmeaningthatmustbehealed."

Wilber builds a compelling case stating that prerational "messages"and "channeling" are all too often little more than New Age silliness whencompared to the mystical, esoteric core undergirding all of the world'sgreat religions—a truth based on direct experience that was thoroughlytested before it was offered to adherents as a reproducible experience.States Wilber, "Science has managed to reproduce itself for two to threehundred years, while mystical science has been doing it for at least two to

three thousand years. This is not insignificant,” In TheMarriageofSense

andSoul his newer work, he describes how art, ethics, and science can

be integrated without compromisingtheir important differences.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin13 has been my inspiration because of howhe managed to combine the intellectual with the spiritual. Even inconsideration of the numinous powerI experienced in death, it has beenthe quarter century I spent tempering revelation with careful fieldworkand analysis that showed me the real wonder of life's pulse. My discoverywas Teilhard de Chardin’s—research is the highest form of adoration—forme a marriage of science andspirituality as Wilber described.

THE BIG PICTURE

In Beyond theLight, and the chapter called "Revelations," I summarizedcomments made by thousands of adult experiencers of near-death states

regarding“The BigPicture," what they hadobserved from the Other Side of

death about Life and the Lives we Lead.I want to do the same thing withchiLdexperiences.

To a child, though, Truth with a capital "T” covers smaller ground andis simply put In honor of this,I now offer you a summary of comments

made to meby child experiences of near-death states. Bear in mind thatmost of these children have a more mature way of viewing reality thantheir agemates. Imagine as you read the children’s version of “The BigPicture" that one of these special youngsters is lecturing you about the realtruth of life based on what he or she learned through dying or throughcoming close to death. These kids do tend to lecture, as they are quiteconfident about what they know. And they often alternate languagingbetween childish phrases and more adult terms; this is normal for them.I'vetriedto convey this in inmy summary.

lere is no afterlife—just an ongoing lifestream we leave and return to as we

takepart in different experiences.

\d exists. It doesn't matter what God is called, God is still God. And we are

each part of God, always. We only think we can be separated from God,

Really, we can’t.

e each have a purpose in a Larger Plan, and we are important to that Plan,

We each have a job to do. Large or smalldoesn't matter.

doesn’t matter if you know what your job is, If you follow your heart andpray about it, you'llbe shown or nudged intheright direction.

orship is important, so is an altar of some kind in your home or in yourbedroom. And whatever is on your altar is holy. Church is important, too,

some kind of church or place of worship, inside or outside, forest or bigbuilding—beeause church is God's House.

.urch shouldn't put people down. Everyone has the right to ask questionsandto want to know more,If a church doesn't let people do this thenit isn'tGod's House anymore,

ayer is powerful. Youcan seeit and feelit.Prayer power travels inbeams andwhen a prayerbeam hits you, you feel warm andgoodallover.

od tastes better if you say Grace before you eat, and have candles andflowers on thetable. Most foods are okay to eat,but youneed to ask the foodfirst if it wants to be in your tummy. Sometimes the food says no. If we

would listen better, we would feel better. We should listen more to our

body, too.It tellsus morethan our headdoes, sometimes.

limals are our friends. They help us learn to share and to give. Rocks are our

friends, too, and so are fish and water andplants and all kinds of things.Everythingis alive—that's why weneedtorespect our world.

eneedtorespect each other, too, evenbabies who aren’tborn yet.

don’t need a body to see, hear, think, feel, touch, smell, and know things.

All that stuff is easy to do without abody. The only reason anyoneneeds a

body is to grow. You can't grow if you don't have one. That's what makes a

body important, and you need to take care of what you have—or it can't

take care of you,

e have the families we have because we need them. Sometimes we chooseour family, and sometimes we get what we get becauseit's our assignmentandwe get "browniepoints” for saying yes. Other times we’re just "booted”inbecause it’s our turn.

stakes can be corrected. We’re never stuck. We just forget how The Planworks until something happens to help us remember. We all know more

than wethink we do. That’s one of thosethings weneed toremember.

:e can get pretty scary. Getting in touch with the love that is inside of us can

make the scary things go away. If that doesn’t work, get help, None of us

ask for help like we should, We think we can do everythingby ourselves,but we can’t. There are always helpers around us ready to pitch in. Some

wearbodies andsome don't,

ork is important, so is learning.It’s okay tobuy things and earn money,butwhat's really special is helping someone, lending a hand, doing chores,

cleaning things, making a home, being a friend, getting ready fortomorrow, expressing love, forgiving people. What we do for othersmatters morethan what we do for ourselves.

u can't laugh enough, and play and create things andsing and write poems

and scrunch up your nose so your face tickles. Always be loyal andtruthful.Lyinghurts youor someone else, sooner or later.

) one ever dies. We just trade one body for another one. Sometimes that’s a

happy thing to do and sometimes it's not. Whatever we experiencebecomes God's experience, andGodnever forgets a thing.

erythingis made of light.Spirit is what holds light together soit canbecomeshapes and forms. Spirit is everywhere, likeair, andit breathes,butnot likeour nose does. That means everythingbreathes.Ido. You do. So does God.God'sbreath is what keeps theuniversealive.

e are stuffed fullof love 'causeGodis. So's everythingelse. It's a wonder howmany people forget that, and they forget about having a soul. We eachhave one, that's our perfect part. Our soulmakes certain weremember whowe are, so we can always make our way back tothe lifestream—our homeyhome—nomatter how far away fromit wetravel

The findings in this book address the next chapter in the humanfamily's mutual quest for knowledge and understanding. This final story

about a child of war illustrates the step weneed to take in the desire we allhave for wisdom:

A friendofmineand fellow near-death survivor participatedin some ofthe most gruesome and horrific battles of the Vietnam War, He was alsopart of the army contingent that was the first to arrive after the massacreof Vietnamese civilians by U.S, troops at My Lai in 1963, Picking his way

through the carnage, hehappened upon a little girl digginga gravetoburyher family. The task was hers, since she was the only family member left,

My friend spoke with the child and she told him she must now do as herfather had once asked of her: lookfor the light on the dark side of the

mountain, "I will make a garden over the graves of my family and plant

food/' she explained, "sopeople goingby willnever gohungry."

The"wisdom of angels" is inour children, for they knowwhat is true. ..thus is thepromise of childhood,now, andalways.

APPENDIX ONE

Tips for the ChildinAll ofUs

It takes a lotofcourage to release thefamiliar andseeminglysecure, to embrace the new; But there is no real security inwhat is no longer meaningful There is more security in theadventurousandexciting,forinmovement thereislife, andinchange thereispower

—ALAN COHEN

DATELINE—MAY 1997, Boca Raton, Florida: Beneath the headline, “DyingChildren Lead Atheist Doc to the Lord," Diane M. Komp, M.D. admits thatchildren inspired her to turn back to God, Komp, a pediatric cancer

specialist at Yale Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, tells story after storyof what dying youngsters say, in her book, A Window toHeaven—like thechild who saw Jesus driving a school bus and another who described themusic of a chorus of angels. Of interest here is the fact that there is littledifference between what she reports from a child's deathbed and what

children say whohave experienceda near-death episode,1

Books like A Window to Heaven that discuss these psychospiritualbiological events and our reactions tothem arebecomingmore popular aspeople feel free to discuss the topic of life after death more openly,Physicians, such as Komp, no longer fear being ostracizedby their peers,

since many of them are doing the same thing—taking a friendlier look at

things "paranormal." And they are greatly bolstered in their newfoundcourageby Dutch cardiologist, Pirn van Lommel and Associates, and theirclinical,prospective study ofnear-death experiences, conductedwithheartpatients, that was published in TheLancet (medical journal), Vol. 35S, No.

9298,12-15-01.

The landmark van Lommel study overturned objections tothe validityof near-death states (such as: it must have been a hallucination, oxygendeprivation, etc.) and established that even people who have flatlined (no

brain waves) can still “tour" environments outside the range of physicalperception—as if their faculties were fully functional, nonlocal, andencompassed 360 degrees of simultaneous awareness.My discovery that ittakes a minimum of seven years to integrate these experiences was borneout in their work;my firstbook is referencedin their study.

Scientific research is moving ever closer to establishing that the“paranormal" is not paranormal. Yet, the near-death phenomenon stilldefies any attempt to fully explain its cause or impact. The biggest

challenge we now face is the afteraffects—how people change. Althoughmuch hasbeen written about the aftereffects, littlenoticehasbeen given to

providingpracticaltips andsuggestions, especially for childexperiencers.

A MOTHER’S PUZZLE

Beth Williamson, the mother of Sophia Carmien whodrowned at the age offour, expresses the puzzle she faced in dealing with her very differentdaughter after the drowning:

“It does seem she is different from a lot of her classmates. She has herownmind(rather thanbeingswayedby peer pressure), and a strong sense

of ethics and justice. She is a talented writer andexpresses deep emotionalunderstanding in her poems and short stories. Also, Sophia andIhavevery spiritual talks sometimes andI feelI am talking to someone who

understands at an equal level. She has developed her own religion withvarious principles andbeliefs. She hatesscary, suspenseful, and/or violentmovies, and will simply go and read in another room at a friend’s house ifpeople are watching such a movie. This was trueback when she was six or

seven at the YMCA after-school program as well. Movies that most kids(and counselors) thought were fine, Sophia got very upset by. She doesn'treally seem to “fit in" generally with her schoolmates, and she says shewishes she hadmore friends. She's smart and clever and has a good senseof humor. But, at any rate, she does seem to have a hard time beingacceptedby many of the other kids."

Beth Williamson's words echo those from the typicalparent of a childnear-death experiencer. What do you do afterward with youngsters whoseem to have "changed," perhaps radically? What measures do you use?

How do youhelp them integratein a positive way what they experienced?

Appendix 1addresses thehuman sideto this puzzle—what to do aboutnear-death kids and the“child" In allofus, for we can allbenefit from whataids children.It is filled with helpfulhints to aid inunderstanding, copingwith, and integrating the aftereffects of near-death states, astransformations of consciousness—no matter how caused. Since theaftereffects of near-death states are the same or similar to those oftransformative events (like a vision quest, baptism of the Holy Spirit, riseof kundalini, an incident of enlightenment, or the result of a lifetime ofdevoted prayer and meditation), what makes a difference for near-deathexperiencers can indeed apply across the entire field of consciousnessstudies. Highlighted here, though, are how these episodes tend to affectchildren, their families, schoolteachers, and the professional communityof caregivers, I cannot guarantee the outcome of utilizing any of theservices or ideas or people so presented in this section.I simply offer thismaterialas a gesture of sharingsome of thebest resourcesIhave yet to findinthis field.Usethem at your own discretion,

TIPS ON INTEGRATION AND COlINSELING

Right off,Iwant to state that you don’t get back the child you "lost" to a

near-death experience.

Many parents have contacted me, most of them panic-stricken, as to

what they might do to help their suddenly remote or aloof child return to

"normal." They already havetried expensivemedical tests, counselor aftercounselor, psychotropic drugs, medical specialists, but to no avail. Theirunexplainably different childremained"different"

Parents are not prepared for the fact that child experiencers of near¬

death states have aftereffects just like adult experiencers. And, aftereffectsarenot something you “heal" from—you adjust tothem. What sets most ofthe children's cases apart is that the brain shift/spirit shift occurredduring critical junctures inbrain development. Beforethey could integrateinto this world,most were jerkedback to another, only tobe returned aftersuddenly reviving or being resuscitated. Literally, they underwent a

“secondbirth." And, as the secondborn,they truly areunique.

This can be a tremendousblessingif the family is willingto explorethepossible ramifications of what has happened. Such openness provides theperfect atmosphere for the youngto chatter away without embarrassmentor censure, or maybe act out the memory of their episode via a puppet

show, children's theater, or family funnight. Everyonebenefits when thisoccurs, not just the child, New ways of thinking, new modes of familybehavior andinteractions, a new reverence for lifeinvariably result,

Shouldthe family refuse to admit what happenedtotheir child, or denyor ignorethe aftereffects, alienation often follows and can leadtobehaviorproblems with the youngster,both at homeandat school,

Yet supportive parents, although important, are not enough, Childexperiencers need more than that—they need freedom "with a fencearound it" so they can safely test the multiple realities they know exist,

(Freedom “with a fence" around it" refers to an open, supportive

environment, where kids can exploreand experiment without criticism or

censure, yet rules are inplace—the"fence”—toinstilldisciplineandrespect

for self andothers.

Child experiencers don't have to feelas if they are "outcasts," nor must

they facetheprospect of losingtheir childhood.Parents canhelp kids:

* Owntheir experience

•Revisit their experience

* Adjust totheaftereffects

Of the child experiencers in my study who had attained adulthood, themajority didnot “own" or claim what happened to themuntil they were intheir late thirties—even though they perfectly fit the profile of aftereffectsas youngsters. Cherie Sutherland, Ph.D,, speaks about this, unfortunatesituation, at least with adult experiencers, in her book,Reborn in theLight:

LifeafterNear-DeathExperiences(Bantam Books,New York City, 1995),Bytracing “trajectories," she discovered that these people tend to take one offour routes in dealing with their experience: accelerated growth, steadyprogress, temporarily arrested, orblocked.

Linda A, Jacquin, who “tucked her experience away," made thisstatement once she finally faced what had happened to her when shedrowned at age four and a half: “AfterIrememberedmy childhood NDE,Ibecame more of an adult thanIever was before—stronger, more centered,more confident,more open,moreinsightful.It's likeIgrew up overnight,"

As children age, full recovery of their episode (be it near-death, near¬

death-like, or nonexperience types), and the subsequent integration of themany aftereffects into their daily lives,becomes increasingly paramount,

The majority turn to God for the assistance they need, or ask their angelfriends for guidance. Others initiate rigorous programs of study and self-analysis, while a few practice specific yogabreathing techniques that theyclaim help themto integrate the dormant aspects of themselves. For those

who go to therapists, counselors, psychologists, or psychiatrists, benefitsor lack thereof have most to do with the sensitivity and training of theprofessional.

This is so important, allowme torepeat a few quotes given earlier inthebook:

CarolJeanMorres, LongBeach, California;NDEatfourteen, extremepainin epigastric area "Professionals are generally trained to see things inways that do not allow for unusual experiences to be viewed as anythingother than anomalous or pathologic. Things are changing,butIhave yet to

meet any therapist' who will even listen whenIbring up my nighttimeexperiences, except to label them as products of anxiety or depression. Itend toput mentalhealth therapists inthe same category as car mechanicsandother rip-off specialists.”

Diana Schmidt, ElCerrito, California;NDEat nine, duringundiagnosedseizure. "First analyst said, ‘You’ve had a transcendent experience.' We

never discussed it or my psychic abilities, as he felt threatened. Secondanalyst said, 'I had one of those NDEs.' She treated me like an equal. Thisnurtured me andI felt very valuedby her. Nineteen years after my thirdnear-death experience, my new neurologist in with our HMO asked me fordetails and wrote my NDEs into the Medical Record. Prior to this, I'dbeentoldIhada mentalproblem andhadhada hallucination/’

ToneciaMaxineMcMillan, OxonHill,Maryland;NDEateleven, drowning. "Itold my therapist about the recurring nightmares. I told her about my

episode,but she really was helpfulin this area. She really didnothave a

clue! She wanted to know all about my near-death experience, butIthinkshe was just intriguedwith the whole idea/’

A rare success story with counseling is that of Beverly A, Brodsky,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who "died" when she was seven and a halfduring a tonsillectomy- "My mother said thatIwas a happy childbeforethe surgery. Shortly after, I was so depressedI spent most of my timethinking about the Holocaust, war, and suffering. I withdrew from theworld.Iremember wantingtobe a monk andlivein silence.Ihardly talkedtoanyone."

As an adult, she sought out the services of a healer/therapist who ledher through a visualization exercise. “I had been so terrified ofrememberingmy near-death episodethatIhad resistedgoing on, andhadto return for a second session. This time, I was sent back to a hall ofknowledgeIhadvisitedin my experience andsaw andfeltthat sameblackwave coming to cover the Earth—like in the Dylan song A HardRain's A

Gonna Fall’—the roar of the apocalyptic ocean. Within this wave (whichI

recognized as created by human thought) were fear, anger, pain, rage,injustic, despair, and all negative things. AndIsaw the same small whitecircle inside, like a bubble inthe wave, only nowIfelt it was an escape, likethe Yang circle within the Yin darkness.Ithink what happened after my

near-death experience was thatIdidn't understandthere was an alternateroute and got 'swallowedup’by the wave, hence thenegativity of my teen

andearly adult years.

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\BeverlyBrodsky \sfirstattempt torevisithernear-death episode thatofa

black wavecomingtocoverearth.

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BeverlyBrodskysentirenear-deathexperiencedchangedonceshe wasreadytoforgive thenegativepartsandemphasize thepositive.

"To change the ending,Itook my younger self through thebubble andInto the realm of beauty, love, and light, whereIhad been earlier in my

episodebefore the wave came. This is the realm of true power.Ithen saw

the sun move up next to the earth andbathe it in light. ThenI saw thatboth the dark wave and perfect Light exist simultaneously—it’s all a

matter of what you choose to focus on! SoI took the sun and smashedthrough the wave. The healer/therapist said that darkness is a part of ourexperience in life, with the body's limitations, our apparent separationfrom spirit, and instinctivebehaviors like fear and anger. At the endof thesession,Igavemyself a symbolto remember this truth."

Dy reconciling memories of the heaven andhell that had haunted hersince the surgery, Brodsky purposefully changed the outcome of herscenario during her second session and created a new symbol ofunderstanding. She foundgreat peacein doingthis.

The difficulty both child and adult experiencers have withprofessionals relates more to prevailing notions of what is culturallyaccepted than to the judgment factor of whether or not the experiencer ismentally andemotionally stable.

Sometimes an experiencer is lucky enough to find a therapist whois also an experiencer. When this occurs, there is instant rapport, andmiracles follow. To the extreme, I've actually seen people involuntarilycommitted to psychiatric hospitals simply because they displayed thetypical aftereffects of the average near-death experiencer, then laterreleased when a new therapist assigned to their case (who happened to

have had such an episode) recognized them as a near-death experiencesThose professionals who usually have thebest record, working with adultexperiencers arethe ones trainedintranspersonalpsychology.

Joseph Benedict Geraci, an adult experiencer, who is now an

administrator of the New Britain School System in New Britain,Connecticut, did his Ph.D, dissertation at the University of Connecticut onresearch that addressed “Students' Post Near-Death Experience Attitude

andBehavior TowardEducation andLearning.” Somepertinent comments

from his paper: "Transpersonal psychology addresses those humanexperiences that take consciousness beyondthe ordinary ego boundariesof time and space. . . . Emphasis is placed on the concept of consciousnesswhich is a most important variable in human development. Incomparison to the behaviorism psychoanalytic and humanistic forces oftraditionalpsychology, transpersonalpsychology describes three levels ofconsciousness: lower level, incapable of an ego-self and reflectiveconsciousness (infant); personal, having an ego-self (adolescent);

transpersonal, ego-self and beyond, and identity with the essence of lifethrough direct experience, not deduction. Experiences include unitiveconsciousness, cosmic awareness, mystical experiences, and maximumsensory awareness." Transpersonal psychology, as a legitimate field ofunderstanding andexploring varied states ofmind, is by its nature geared

toexperienced

Hypnosis can be a positive step in the therapeutic process,but far too

many times it's anythingbut beneficial. If the hypnotist is not careful tochoose his or her words with discrimination, the client can be led on, orsteered in the direction the professional wants the individual to go, ratherthan providing opportunities for authentic discovery. As a result, falsememories can be created or planted in the client's mind, memories thatseem so real the individual will swear that's what really happened, whennothing of the sort ever occurred. I've encountered this situation so oftenwhen interviewing experiencers, that I've learned to be cautious of any

retrieval of an individual's near-death scenario if a hypnotist wasinvolved,ÿ

An exciting new development in therapy today is the philosophicalcounselor. Numbers of practitioners are rising steadily to meet thedemand of people who want to use the lens philosophy provides, to

examine their lives from the broader scope of satisfaction and meaning.

This is part of an international movement that began in Germany in theearly 19S0s—the trend is catchingon. An interestingarticle on this subjectappeared in the Jan/Feb 1997 issue of UtneReader, pages 50-51, entitled“Thinking,Not Shrinking."It was writtenby Laura Wexler, and focusedon

a session she had with a philosophical counselor by the name of Dr.Kenneth Gust, an assistant professor of philosophy at Central MissouriStateUniversity, Warrensburg,Missouri.

Another route is that of a consciousness coach, usually an experiencedpersonal growth specialist, who inspires individual clients to identify andthen realize their fullest potential. At frequent intervals, they provide theinsight one can get from being coached. (Two consciousness coaches Iknow with a successful track record in working with people who haveundergone impactual transformative events, are Diane K. Pike and ArleenLorrance, both with the Teleos Institute. Query for more details: TeleosInstitute, 7119 East Shea Blvd., Suite 109, PMB 4IS, Scottsdale, AZS5254-

6107; (480) 94S-1S00; e-mail Teleosinstfa3aol.com: Web sitehttp://www,consciousnesswork.com,

CHILD EXPERIENCERS

But, what if theexperiencer is still a child?

As mentioned earlier, three key factors play a large role in the childintegrating their near-death experience into their living reality, When allthree factors are present, there exists the greatest likelihood of a healthyintegration process. Thethree factors are:

1, Thechildis willingandabletotalk about his or her experience.

2, Thechild's parents create a nurturingatmospherein which theexperience is validatedandinto whichit canbe integrated,

3, Adult andprofessionalresources such as counselors, therapists, and

doctors who are open tothe child’s experience andable to recognizecommon characteristic thathelp them assist thechildif needed.

It is rare, however, that all three factors are in place at the same time.Consider the following real-life scenario (for obvious reasons, no namescanbeused—thepsychologist is thenarrator).

“The four-year-old wasborn with a serious heart defect that demandedsurgery within the first few weeks of life. He underwent several more

surgeries in his short life, was on medication to control the rhythm of hisheart, had to be monitored constantly, and was rushed to emergencyrooms numerous times.Inspite of allthepain andsufferinghe endured,hewas cheerfulanduncomplaining.

“I asked him to draw a picture as an 'ice breaker’ and as a way to

establish rapport. He drew some parallel lines with scratches wobblingbetween, a circle or two, and a face. When queried about the content, hereplied, This is a person climbing a ladder to another dimension.’ Please, a

four-year-old? Hardly the language of the usual child, but his motherdeniedany chancehecouldhavepicked up such words from anyoneinthefamily. She was as puzzled as me, anda little spooked.

“Months later she reported that this child, while ridingin the car withher, hadinvitedher attentionby pattingher arm and saying, ‘Mom, mom,

remember whenIdied?’ 'Oh, no, no, you’ve never died.’ 'YesIhave, you

know,’ andheproceededto describe one emergency in a particular hospitalemergency room. His mother continued to quote his words, 'WhenIdiedthe light was so bright,I thoughtIshould have brought my sunglasses!And the angels wanted me tocome with them,butIsaidIcouldn’tbecauseIhad to stay and take care of you and daddy. ButImade them promisewhenIdid die, and you died and daddy died, we could all be together inGod's house andthey said yes.' She notedthat he seemed very proud andhappy, It was clear, however, that his mother was not pleased with my

statement that his report was typical of a genuine near-death experience,The family terminated treatment shortly thereafter,”

In this case the psychologist had experienced a near-death episodeherself during the first week after herbirth and displayed the full range ofaftereffects throughout her life. She was well informed about thephenomenon, as well, and was quite literally the perfect candidateto workwith this boy. The youngster was ready to talk about his otherworldlyjourney and willing to make it a part of his everyday life in whatevermanner his parents might approve. The parents shut the door to theopportunity.

Most likely, theparents were acting out of a desire toprotect their child.Perhaps they were scared (as is quite common) that their child would beconsidered "crazy.” It is only as our society becomes more informed aboutnear-death experiences and their impact on experiences that we will beable topenetrate ignorance-based fear. In the meantime,the resources I’ve

listedin this appendix shouldserve to assist thoseparents who arewillingto accept the near-death experience in discovering the tools they need to

help create abetter environment for their child's integration.

Since research about children's near-death states and their uniqueresponse tothe aftereffects is difficult to find,no psychologist or counselorat this writing has had specific training in how to handle the childexperiencer (unless that professional was once a child experienced. Thissituation willchange eventually;but, until then, a discussion of additionalor alternative approaches to counselingis appropriate.

TYPES OF THERAPIES FOR CHILDREN

Other therapies that seem to work the best for experiencers who are stillkids are touch based: things like creating scenes in sand trays or makingshadow boxes (analyzed by professional practitioners); and shapingpottery on a potter's wheel or learninghow to finger paint (monitoredbyart therapists). Actual method or medium doesn’t matter, as the idea is to

provide a way for the child to use hands or feet to express and receive

feelings.

NothingI have yet seen, however, works as well or is as effective forchildren as the child creating a book about his or her near-deathepisode. Encourage your child to do this, to make a book about whathappened.Here's a few suggestions to get things started: Have lots of paper

handy, maybe even colored sheets for the cover and back page and forspecialpages that need special colors.

•Have a holepunch for left side of paper or top (dependingonhowthechild wants tobindit).Ribbon torun through theholes, or securethepages in a regularbinder,

•Sit down with thechild,preferably at a table with the supplies spreadout, and just chatter awhile,maybe laugh, or daydream together. Set

themoodwherethechildcan cut loose whenever he or she is ready(even if that means leaving the supplies spreadout for another day).

•Giveto thechildany newspaper clippings or printeddata thatmentions in any manner what actually occurred. These items help to

establish the realness of theincident,andshouldbeinthebook, even

ifit's just a note from the doctor or nurse,

•Encouragethechildto writehis or her story, anddraw lots ofpicturesof theevent itself. Also include what thechild witnessedbeyonddeath's veil, any “visitors"before/during/after, what it was liketo

return tothebody he or she left, any messages given, whether or not

he or she wasbelieved or listened to afterward,how was it goingbackto schoolandlivingagain in the same family, sleepinginthe same

bed—allof this andmore.

•Invitethechildto writeabout "sincethen," andwhat it is likenow forhim or her. Any differences? Did friendships change? Is schoolharder or easier? What does thechild feelabout what happenedandis continuing tohappen?

•Suggest makingroominthebook for current andcontinued

drawings,morepictures,poetry, wonderings, questions, comments.

Remind the child to create a title for the book. This book should beprivate to thechild, unless he or she wants to shareit andtell others. Some

children make theirbook quickly as a special project, and that's that. Thenthey tuck it away for a special time in the future. Other children use it as a

diary, and add to it on an ongoing basis. Making their book validates theexperience in a way the children can respond to and understand. It opens

the ''magical door” to other worlds and makes it okay to talk about'‘experiences"—even those that may still be occurring. Children who dothis, and are taught the basic steps for revisiting their near-deathexperience (see visualization techniques on pages 210-211), seldom facethe type of challenges that are confusing or upsetting to child experiencersofnear-death states.

Never is it too late to make this book. Many child experiencers who arenow adults are doing it, and with surprising results. The exercise seems to

free them and enable them to rediscover the value of intimacy and oftrusting their own truth. It is a very healing and fun thing to do. You’llremember that in chapter 5, Imentioned Aafke H. Holm-Oosterhof andwhat she did in finally making her book (and she even self-publishedit—refer tonote 7, in chapter 5, for details),Imet Aafke whenIwas in Hollandseveral years ago, and I can personally attest to how happy, relaxed,creative, andspirit-filled shenow is, compared withbefore. She claims herturning point came after she published her book. (Those who know herconfirmedthe changes.)

Another incredibly clever and innovative approach to therapy andmaking your own book is an online journal on a personal Web site.Jet vander Heide, a thirty-year-old Dutch mother, wife, and artist is doing this,and with amazing results. She is revisiting her childhood near-deathexperience andallowing herself to express what she never couldbefore, as

shebegins to plumb the depths of her own psyche to discover and exploreher many "differences," She is doing all of this in an intimate, personal

way, an ongoing process of creatingher "book.” This act of "openingup,” ofexpressing herself in ways she never thought she could, has beenimmensely freeing for her—as if there had been some unknown obstacleblocking full disclosure. You can check out her evolving story athttp://www.preciousenterurise.makes.it: or reach her by email to visit or

share commentary atpreciousenterprisefSplanet.nl.

For older child experiencers andthose who arenow teenagers or adults,and for adult experiencers, too, there exists a new choice in therapies.Designed by near-death experiencer Robert Stefani, as part of earning hismaster's degree in counseling at California State University, Fresno,

California, theEclectic GroupIntervention covers a ten-session program.

AccordingtoStefani, "Group participants neednotbe limitedexclusively to

near-death experiencers. Family members and close friends ofexperiencers may need support, too, as well as people who are losing (or

have lost) a loved one, who have questions about death, or who are

themselves dying,”

Briefly, the goals of Stefani’s interventionprogram are:

1. Educate the experiencer tounderstandthat the intrapersonalchanges thatmay havetaken placein their attitudes andbeliefs are

not signs ofmentalinstability or psychotic disorder.Redefinenormality.

2, Help theNDErto integrate changes in attitudes,beliefs, values, andinterests with expectations of family and friends.

3, Alleviate interpersonal fears of separation andrejectionby assistingthe experiencer in learningtocommunicate with significant otherswhohavenot sharedthe experience,

4, Reconcile thenew spiritual transformation—based onuniversality,oneness, andunconditionallove—withprior religiousbeliefs,

5, Overcome the difficulty inmaintaining former life rules that no

longer seem significant, andreconstruct a purposeful lifebalanced

between theaftereffects andthe demands of everyday living.

6. Address thedissolution ofmajor relationships or careers, if theNDErfinds it impossibleto reconcile same with the changes he or shehasundergone.

7. Accept thelimitations of others inhumanrelationships, in spite ofone’s personal feelings ofunconditionallove gained through theNDE.

S. Utilize the gifts andinsights gained fromtheNDE tohelp comfortthose who are dying, grievingthe loss of a lovedone, or learningto

accepttheir ownNDE.

For more information about “An Eclectic Group Intervention for Near-

Death Experiences," write to: Robert Stefani, 2S03 Forist Lane, Merced, CA

95 3 4S; or contact California StateUniversity,Fresno, directly.

Another helpful approach was developedby G. Scott Sparrow,Ed.D., LPC, a

psychotherapist who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Inner LifeMentoring is the name he has given to a unique counseling style thatrecognizes the relationship between therapist and client as being one ofmentor (teacher) and initiate (student). “In order to arrive at the deeprealization that oneis an initiate," explainedSparrow, “theclient must firstexplore andhonor his or her wounds and grievances therapeutically as apart of healing and developing beyond them, The client's creativeresponse to life’s challenges becomes the single most important criterionof development and fulfillment

“Both mentor and client seek to create the conditions in therelationship for the descent or intervention of the spirit," he continued,

“Dream work, breath work, and.brief meditations during the session may

be used to enhance this potential. Because the mentoring processencourages personal empowerment and ongoing spiritual practice,appointments can potentially be scheduled infrequently, or on as-needed

or as-wanted basis." Sparrow offers an Inner Life Mentoring CertificateProgram for professionals who want to incorporate thetechniqueintotheirown practice. He also publishes the newsletter, "Psychotherapy and theInner Life." Contact him directly: Dr. G. Scott Sparrow, 1212 Barn BrookRoad, Virginia Beach, VA23454; (757) 496-2501.

An alternative approach is the ancient practice of soul retrievals. In thebody of knowledge known as shamanism, it is taught that parts of oursoul can split off fromus and go to other realms if we suffer physical,psychological, or spiritual loss of power. Such fragmentation is said to

prevent us from livinghealthy,happy lives. Sandra Ingerman, in herbookSoul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self (HarperSanFrancisco, San

Francisco, CA 1991), says: "Soul is our essence. It’s our vitality, our lifeforce. Basically, it’s what keeps us alive. What is traumatic for one person

may not be traumatic for another person. But if an event or situation isexperienced by a person's psyche as traumatic, then soul loss is likely to

occur. Soul loss happens sothatthebody can survivethetrauma."

Ingerman practices and teaches the art of “going into spirit" to

retrieve whatever is missing from a person's soulandreunify thepart withthe whole. To reachher, or inquireabout the soulretrievalprocess, or othershamanistic trainings, contact:Foundation for Shamanic Studies, P.O. Box

1939,MillValley, CA 94942, (415) 3S0-S2S2.

WilliamJ.Baldwin,D.D.S., Ph.D,, has created Spirit Releasement Therapy,a technique for professional counselors that is based on the art of soulretrievals. Through the Center for HumanRelations, he not only practicesandteaches spirit releasement,but is wellknown for his ability to facilitatepresent-lifeandpast-life recall,birth regression, and the clinicaltreatment

of negative spirit attachments. Spirit Releasement Therapy: A TechniqueManualis geared for professional therapists and, as such, is the best suchrenderingI have yet found, To obtain his travel schedule, list of Center

activities and conferences, or to procure the manual, contact: Center forHuman Relations, P.O. Box 4061,Enterprise, FL 32725, (407) 322-20S6, e-

maildoctorbillfSaolcom.

TIPS ON EDIICATION, MUSIC, AND THE ARTS

Rudolf Steiner—one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century,

founder of the Waldorf schools for children, a clairvoyant, andmystic-had an unusual way of understanding how individual consciousnessunfolds duringthe wonder years of childhood. He taught that,up to the age

of seven, little ones operate most from the limbic system of thebrain and,through imitation, develop the will. From seven to fourteen, they are

conscious more of their rhythmical systems, heart, and lungs, and,through the creation of a moral sense, develop feelings. From fourteen to

twenty-one, Steiner felt that young people center in their brain andnervous system and, through critical questioning, develop thinking. Ofthese three stages, he emphasized the first, saying that the strength ofone’s will determines the outcome of one's life. (For general informationabout Steiner’s teachings, contact: Sunbridge College, 260 Hungry HollowRoad, Chestnut Ridge,NY 10977, (914) 425-0055.)

Steiner’s teachings give us pause as we face the fact that today many

children lose their creative edge while still youngsters. Some of thefollowingelements may be contributing factors for this decline:

cialConditions:Medically, a child born in the 1990s can look forward to

reaching the age of100; socially, the trendis just the opposite,In1973,thesocial health index of our nation measured 77,5 out of a possible 100, a

high score showing that most kids can grow up healthy and have a goodlife, As of 1995, however, taking into account child abuse, teenage suicide,drug abuse, andhigh school dropout rates, the score had fallen to 3S, Theseverity of the social crisis for children has nullifiedmedical advances and

reducedlife success prospects.

falDrugs:In the fall of 1997, it was reported that one out of every twentykids was legally drugged, usually with Ritalin, for treatment of suchconditions as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention

Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder)—both virtually unknown in previousdecades. The number of children affected has risen significantly since the1997 accounting. Most of the requests for treatment come fromoverworked schoolteachers, not from parents or family physicians.Among these drugged, “disordered" children are not only thoseauthentically disturbed, but also many classified as overactive, highlycurious, creative, inventive, independent types who disrupt the class by

“askingtoomany questions.’’ÿ

ievision Viewing:The average child spends more time watching televisionthan going to school Aside from deplorable programming, televisionimagery robs the limbic system in thebrain of the emotional values andspatial reasoning it receives from imagination, creativity, intuition, andhands-on experience. The fragmented, inadequate brain patterning thatresults (along with the “startle" effect that heightens interest), is carriedover into adulthood, limiting the individual's ability to make valuejudgments, respondto committedrelationships, and recognize the context

of a whole—the“framework" that holds parts of a wholetogetherÿ

LIFESTYLE ISSUES

Daria Brezinski, Ph.D,, author of Education in the Twenty-first Century:Teaching the Whole Child (Prima, San Francisco, CA 1998), comments

further on the condition of today’s youth: "Children’s distorted perceptionof reality is our fault for condoning—either through silence, apathy, or

buying into the marketplace—all the unnatural ways we are living. Our

children have underdeveloped consciences, lack motivation to domeaningful work in life, and have lost their souls by the very fact that we

separate their spirits from everyday living. They flounder because theyfind no real life purpose. Adults spend their days telling children what to

do andhowto do if creating dependent,unmotivated, misdirected youthswhohave not a clue why they arehere on this planet." Brezinski points out

that, "Education, to be wholistic, must face the difference betweenintelligence andintellect One is right brain thinking and the other is left.Thesetwo are on a collision coursein thetraditionalschools.Intelligenceisof theheart andintellect is of themind."

Certainly, kids mature younger now than they did severaldecades ago,

andthey face serious challenges. Even so, childexperiences ofnear-deathstates and those of the new root race must deal with even greater

challenges. For instance, since they often appear tobe social misfits at theoutset, the current social decline can hit them doubly hard. In addition,they are by their very nature overactive, highly curious,creative/inventive/independent types who ask lots of questions and are

difficult to manage. This makes them obvious candidates for amisdiagnosis of ADD or ADHD, and couldput them on the very drugs theyare least able to tolerate and that may threaten the development of theirunusual minds. Seldom, though, do they slow down long enough fortelevision's imagery to substitute for their own. This can frustrate parents

who value the "baby-sitting" aspect of television over the type of personalattention their “strange" offspringdemand.

Regardless of how high their IQs, the majority of these special childrenare capable of focusing in multiple directions simultaneously and ofparallel thought processing. They are gifted creative problem solvers,

Unfortunately, the public school system is not set up to handle them,much less teach them how to best use their abilities. Because of this, itmight be helpful for us to take a look at what could work in the field ofeducation,

The ancient Greeks used the concept of “education" as a reference to theart of recollecting knowledge the soul forgot at the moment ofbirth into a

physicalbody. Transmigration of the soul was integralto their worldview.“Education," as we use the wordtoday, actually means "to draw fromthatwhich wasalreadyknown" (an extension of thesoulmemories idea).

Child experiencers resonate to this older concept. They often translate theidea into a hunger for knowledge about human history as if they were

exploring what they mighthave done or been before the life they havenow. Their interest is not in dry intellectual renderings of historical data,

but, rather, in the excitement of history's human drama-the intuitive,visceral, imaginativerealness of what occurred.

G. Howard Hunter, chairman of the History/Social Studies Department ofMetairie Park Country Day School in Louisiana, wrote an essay about thistype of history entitled, "Did YouHear the One about Plato? Students Need

Stories of thePast toExperience thePresent.”ÿIn his essay,he remindedus

thatif we are ever to be a part of the collective human race, we must

know history's story, for it is our story—who we were, where we went,what we did, and who we now are—exactly what child experiencers want

to learn,-

Very few grade schools in thenation offer philosophy as a subject of study,and that is a mistake as almost all children would benefit from such acourse. A program entitled "Philosophy in the Third Grade" has beentried. It involved an instructor at Piedmont College in Charlottesville,Virginia, traveling on a regular basis to schools in the central part of thestate, teaching this class, The program was geared to help kids tackleunanswerable questions in a format that encouraged critical thinking andrespect for opinions other than their own,It was highly successful,but was

canceleddue tobudget cuts,

Many childexperiencers, once grown,reach back to help the younginpowerful ways. Mary Cosgrove of San Francisco, California, is one such

individual. She ''died" at the age of thirteen from severe meningitis. "I am

now actively helpingto create the vision of a community-based educationcenter for middle andhigh school students, and assisting in community¬wide education in ecological fields and thearts."

Even adult experiences are inspired, like Linda Redford of Santa Monica,California (refer to chapter 10), to reachback andhelp others.The AdaweeTeachings that she andher daughter designed enable children to addresstheir personal concerns, while at the same time disciplining their mindsand restoring a sense of honor and value to their world. The program

consists of course studies, a self-discovery journal, plus students receive a

special T-shirt that says, **I am important to the world\ The world isimportant tome. “

Here is thepledge schoolchildren take when enrolledin the course:

HonorPledge

"I honor myself; I live by principles that benefit future generations; Icommunicate in a peaceful manner;Irespect all cultures and honor theirdifferences; I acknowledge that females and males are equal in theirimportance;Iunderstand whatIbelieve about myself and others creates

my world;Ifeelinmy heart thatIam connected with allcreation,"

Tlie Adawee Teachings are produced as part of “The Honor Series ofEntertainment/Educational Tools." For more information, contact: LindaRedford, 1034 9th Street, Apt, 9, Santa Monica, CA 90403, (310) 392-1200

or (310) 927-3623, Web site www.honorkids.com,

THE HEALING EFFECTS OF MUSIC

Evidence is growing that there is a direct connectionbetweenmusic andintelligence. Studies over the Last several decades show that listening to

classical music or learning how to play a musical instrument makes kidssmarter. Example: students with a background in music outperformedothers on the Scholastic Assessment Test. According to the CollegeEntrance Examination Board, 1997 test results have shown that studentswho studied music for at least four years scored 59 points higher thanothers on the verbaland 44 points higher on themath portion.Even shortperiods of exposure to music created by composers such as Mozart hadsuch a beneficial effect on intelligence that the phenomenon has beendubbed "The Mozart Effect." In the years since this report, it has beenfound that other types of music can be helpful, as well—the Link, though,between music and intelligence stillholds.

Music truly is a languagethat speaks directly to the subconscious.It’s tonalpoetry operates on the bodymind even deeper through the medium ofsuggestion. Robert Haig Coxon, a popular Canadian musician, has found away to "massage" the soul with “the sounds of light." The result isperfect for relaxing into higher states of consciousness. Check out hisalbum "The Silent Path" and his three-tape Cristal Silence Series of "TheSilence Within," "Beyond Dreaming,” and "The Inner Voyage." Histapes/compact discs are availablethrough Audio Alternatives, 300 QuakerRoad, Chappaqua,NY 10514; 1-S00-2S3-4655.

Near-death experiencer Ruth Rousseau, during her near-death episode,experienced therapture of Creation embracingher inaswirlof soundthattook the form of an angelic presence. As she stood in the midst of thesound's resonance, she was ableto see everythingunified within Creationitself "This was truly a gateway opening from Source,” she said. "WhenIreturned to life,I asked howIcould share this with the world. Within a

short period, the inspiration came to sing (me, a person with no priortraining or musical inclination). OnceIdid this, the mist of energy again

emerged and the magic of Creation put forth "TheKeys ofSound "From

this outpouring, Ruth Rousseau produced four individual cassettes (or a

72-minute compact disc) of the unique music she believes creates a

pathway for anyone to connect with inner wisdom.Her “Keys ofInternalWisdom" manual is a self-teaching,home-study course in awakening, co¬

creation, empowerment, and unity. To inquire about her work, contact:

Angel Touch Productions, P.O. Box 1394, Casper, WY 32602; (307) 235-

2577.

Life without creativity is devoidofmeaning andexcitement. The veryexistence of inner conflict is, at its core, a sign of repressedcreativity. Withchildren this is especially true, for art ishow the young touch their soul.Emotions and ideas fairly leap from their words, drawings, dances,sculptures, songs, or from a thousand other ways they might choose to

express the essenceof who they are. If children are to develop thepotentialof their mindandtheir spirit,be whole,healthy, andintelligent, they must

have ready and continual access to the arts, as well as open-ended andunstructuredtime for cultivating the wellspring of imagination that colorstheir life andensures their growth.

Excellent resources and classroom opportunities are now available on

any aspect of thearts no matter where you live.Among ''what’s out there”are two books that are so exceptional, they shouldbe incorporated intothe curriculum of school systems everywhere. Both volumes were writtenby Julia Cameron: The Artist's Way:A SpiritualPath toHigher Creativity (J,P, Tarcher, Los Angeles, CA 1992), and The Vein ofCold:AJourney to Your

CreativeHeart(Putnam,New York City,1996).

TIPS ON BEING IN SPIRIT

The world as experiencedby the young is fresh and new and exciting andawesome andhorrible andwonder-filled. Kids are clear-eyedandpossess a

true instinct for vision that supersedes the limitation of "can't/’"shouldn’t/' and "shame on you.” Although their reality balances on a

"razor’s edge” of joy and pain, magic andterror,kids really do see angelsandfairies.

It is commonplace, even necessary, that little ones engage with many-faceted beings in the "invisible” worlds, as doing so creates a context forthis world and the cultural expectations inherent in the maturationprocess. With older children,this engagements a form of reassurance andvalidation of their worth andreadiness to assumetheir life role.

What adults seem to have forgotten or refuse to admit, is that a child'smindinteracts andco-creates with spiritenergies that are absolutely andpositively real to the child's perception. Telling any young person at anyage, "Oh, it’s just your imagination/’ is the equivalent of lying tohim or her.The childknows better. And the child is right, for all things first begin as

an idea or image within the mind. When we teach kids to discern forthemselves the difference between what is helpful and what is not, we

accomplish far more than denying the natural progression of braindevelopment and hormonal fluctuations. Does identifying theseperceptions as related to physiological growth invalidate the invisiblecreatures and critters that a child “pretends with” or the spiritmanifestations they witness? Not at all!

Imagined realms are quite real and consistent cross-culturally.Shamanism, for instance, is based on the actuality of multiple worlds andthe ability of the shaman to transmigrate between them. Any form ofcreativity, mysticism, and spirituality ceases to exist if we are not

acceptingof thereality of thenonphysical, theintangible.

There have been numerous studies done on the inner life of children,andallhave revealed surprisingly active interactionsbetween thekids, therealms of spirit beings, and the life continuum. Frankly, the average

youngster is much more spiritually inclined and psychic than eitherparents or the professional community are willing to recognize. Several

books that detailsuch findings are:

sions of Innocence: Spiritual and Inspirational Experiences of Childhood,Edward Hoffman, Ph.D. (Shambhala, Boston, MA 1992). Hoffmancompiled accounts from around the world of people who, when young,were so deeply impacted by being 'touched” by spirit that they never

forgot what had occurred. The incidents he relates are not the kind ofimaginative fantasies one might associate withkids,but, rather, moments

of great clarity, depth,andmaturity.

e Wisdom ofFairy Tales, Rudolf Meyer (Anthroposophic Press, Hudson, NY19SS). Meyer gives compelling evidence that the wild and nonsensicalimaginings that kids loveto engageinmay wellbe picture-remnants of thesoul faculty of clairvoyance. He demonstrates how fairy tales as "teachingtools” help youngsters become more humane, handle relationships,overcome the lure of darkness and fear, gain respect for animals andnature, and adopt the refinements of good behavior. In other words, hefoundthat make-believe is important.

bert Coles, inhis book, TheSpiritualLifeofChildren(Houghton Mifflin,New

York City, 1990), quotes a nine-year-old who explained: "When you’re put

here, it's for a reason. The Lord wants you to do something. If you don'tknow what, then you've got to try hard to find out what. It may take time.You may make mistakes, But if youpray, He'll lead you to your direction,

He won't hand you a piece of paper with a map on it, no sir, He’ll whispersomething, andat first youmay not even hear,but if you have trust inHimandyoukeep turning toHim,it willbe allright,”

Having freedomto exploretheir creativenature, toquestion andinvent,to manifest an idea and then experiment to see if it works, builds a solidbasis for a child’s self-confidenceandrespect for others while emphasizinghonesty. Youngsters cannot grow up believing in themselves if theyaredeniedtheright tocommunicate their ownobservations,

Learning to test the truth of their experience, rather than negate it,enables the youngto retain their creative genius intoadulthood. Thus, the"trust factor" remains in tact, empowering them to feel good about theirown perception. We learn most by what we feel. And that feeling of whathappens tous is thetrigger we canuse for memory recall. This is importantto know, for it means anyone can revisit his or her near-deathexperience.

Wherever we have oncebeen in consciousness, we can return to... at

any age, at any time.

To revisit a near-death experience, we first need to re-create thefeeling response of that time in our life. We do that by giving ourselvespermission to, then: relax, affirm, visualize, sense, allow, and offer thanks.Consciousness easily slips in between our thoughts if we render themoment to Source.

BasicStepsforRevisitingaNear-DeathExperience

* Finda quiet place where youcanbe alone for a while withoutinterruption.Relax.

•Gently state your goal, affirm God’s protection. Close your eyes.

•Visualizebeingthere.Embrace allaspects of your experience—see,

feel, hear, sense, smell.Experience every detail, every emotion, fullyandcompletely. Involveallyour sensory faculties andyour

imagination. Surrender. Allow. Be there.

•Donot set limits, only direction,

•Adopt an attitudeof gratitude.Be thankful for the opportunity to

revisit your near-death experience,Recallit clearly,knowingthat it isallright for you to do so.

•Relax again as youaffirm that youarenowback to fullconsciousness

in yourbody at present time.Youare alert andawake, healedandwhole.

* Open your eyes andstretch your limbs.Drink some water.Breatheinsome fresh air.

Again, wherever you have once been in consciousness, you can return

to. You can revisit your near-death experience at will, go back there,regardless of how young or old you are or how long ago the episodeoccurred.Dobehonest about your intentions, though, in doingthis. “Goingback" shouldn’t become an excuse to escape your present life condition,but, rather, an opportunity touplift andenrich it.

Some peopleprefer to play specialmusic as an aidto attainingthe degree ofrelaxation necessary for journeying into inner landscapes. Modernrenditions of hoomi singing are made-to-order for achieving higher or

more awakened states of consciousness. Hoomi singing comes fromancient Mongolia, and it is a way to use vocal chords plus various otherparts of the body to refract sound and create overtones. This music isperformedby David Hykes and the Harmonic Choir; two of their albumsare HearingSolar Winds and HarmonicMeeting. There are many cases of

trancelike,ambient sounds tobe foundinpopular Western music as well,

A good example of this might be the song “Echoes" from the 1973 albumMeddlehy Pink Floyd, The composition is twenty-eight minutes long, andconsists of very distinct segments that correspond to being in spirit andjourneying to spirit worlds. Any musical outlet or metaphysicalbookstoreshouldbe able to obtain any of these audiocassettes for you,

Three books that address the subject of capturing the essence of near-death states and journeys out of the body are: Anyone Can See theLight:TheSevenKeys toaGuidedOut-qfBodyExperience, DianneMorrissey,Ph.D,

(Stillpoint Publishing, Walpole,NH1996); Out-of-BodyExperiences:Howto

Have Them and What to Expect, Bob Peterson (Hampton Roads,

Charlottesville, VA 1997); and Adventures Beyond the Body, WilliamBuhlman (HarperCollins,New York City,1996).

The organization internationally known for training people in how to

safely alter their consciousness and have out-of-body experiences isMonroeInstitute, R#l,Box175, Faber, VA 2293S; (434) 361-1252. Feel freeto inquireabout their programs andclasses.

Other ways to alter consciousness for the "inner journey" are flow states

andmeditation.Flow states are an important part of childhood, especiallyfor child experiencers who seem to “trade in" their nap time for states offree-flowing consciousness.Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, a psychologist at theUniversity of Chicago, and author of Flow: The Psychology of OptimalExperience (Harper and Row, New York City, 1990), defines an internalflow state as the state of being so absorbedin what you're doing that timeand space cease and a euphoric feeling of complete clarity and sense ofpurpose takes over. Being in this state of mindhe refers to as "goingwiththe flow." People lose a sense of self in this state. Onebecomes both actor

and observer, irrelevant stimuli are shut out, time and space distort, andthere comes a knowing.

Meditationisalotlike aflow state,onlyitisdeeper. Children canbetaught to meditateby learninghowto slow theirbreathing, relax, visualizetheir favorite place in nature, experience peace and thankfulness in thatplace, and return to waking consciousness feeling refreshed and happy,Although meditative sessions with kids need to be brief, the ability to

meditate can become a valued skill—helpful to use if the child is ever hurt(pain relief) or inneed of additionalguidance(clarity),

NextStepsforDealingwithSpirit

Child experiencers become creative intuitives. Kenny Loggins, themusician, once said: "Feelingis God's mirror; intuition is God’s telephone,”

Nothing could be truer for children as their point of awareness expands.For instance, everything is alive to them. Many can even "see" energy,humidity, pressure, sound, temperature. Stimuli come in multiples(synesthesia); spirit realms become as real as a fork and spoon. To helpparents appreciate this,Irecommend a sampler of different books: SubtleEnergy:A wakeningto theUnseenForcesinOurLives, William Collinge, Ph.D.(Warner Books, New York City, 1997); Hands ofLight:A Guide toHealingThrough the Human Energy Field, Barbara Ann Brennan (Bantam Books,New York City,1988);A Change ofHeart, Claire Sylvia with WilliamNovak(Little Brown, New York City, 1997);PracticalIntuition, Laura Day (Villard

Press,New York City, 1996);DivineRevelation, Susan G. Shumsky (Fireside,

New York City, 1996); and The Element IllustratedEncyclopedia ofMind,Body, Spirit Sc Earth: A Unique Exploration of Our Place in the Universe,

Joanna Crosse (Element Books, Rockport, MA 1998)—this book is geared to

ages ninethrough fourteen.

It is impossible to deny the non-ordinary states youngsters know are

true, nor can they be kept from experimenting with psychic abilitiesanddivinatory skills. Allkids flock to things "paranormal" because suchmindplay is one of themajor ways they have to test the value ofperceptionand sensation. Rather than admonish with fear tactics ("it's the work ofthe devil”), it is better to approach the topic as an opportunity to developinner wisdom and truth-sense ("gifts of the spirit”), Rumi, the great Sufipoet, put this in perspective when he said: "Do not be content with thestories of others, unfold your own myth,” Here are some positive andimmensely rewarding ways to validate the wonder-filled world of spiritfor yourself:

vrytelling: Communicating your near-death event to others through

storytelling is a profound experience. To learn more about the art ofstorytelling, contact: The National Storytelling Association, Box 309,

Jonesborough, TN 37659; (423) 75 3-2171, Also refer to: TheHealingArtof

Storytelling,RichardStone (Hyperion,New York City,1996); and The ThreeLearningStories (boxed set) and The WalkingPeople(an oralhistory put to

words)—both written in the Native American tradition of storytellingbyPaula Underwood and available from A Tribe of Two Press, P.O. Box 216,

San Anselmo, CA 94979; 1-S00-99S-3B20.

•earns: Over 40 percent of the Christian Bible is based on dreams, visions,and revelations. Likewise, child experiences also have an active dreamlife, with vivid imagery of almost photographic fidelity. Tips: recorddreams daily in a dream journal; write down the theme and exploreemotional content in conjunction with theme; learn to recognize

symbolism that applies to you and the current happenings in your life;actively solicit guidance.

For a historical overview of the study of dreams and differentapproaches to the dreaming process, refer to: OurDreamingMind,Robert L. Van de Castle, Ph.D. (Ballantine Books, New York City,1994), For individualpointers in dream recall, check out The Secret

Language of Signs, Denise Linn (Ballantine Books, New York City,1996); TheDreamDictionary, JoJean Geubtner (Pilgrim Books, New

York City, 19S3);and WherePeopleFlyandWaterPuns Uphill:UsingDreams to Tap the Wisdom of the Unconscious, Jeremy Taylor(Warner Books,New York City,1992).

Life As a WakingDream is not only the title of a book by DianeKennedy Pike (Berkley Publishing Group, New York City, 1997),butit is also the name of a workshop in The Theatre of LifeExperiential Program for people who want to transform theirconsciousness while deepening their experience of the spiritual.Contact: Teleos Institute, 7119 East Shea Blvd,, Suite 109, PMB 4IS,

Scottsdale, AZ S5154-6107; (4S0) 94S-1S00. Web site:http://www.consciousnesswork.com. Also refer to: There Are NoAccidents: Synchronicity and the Stories of Our Lives, Robert H.Hopcke(Riverhead Books,New York City,1997).

vination:After my thirdnear-death experience,Iwas privilegedto "happen"upon a set of true casting runes that traceback to glyphs used over twelvethousand years agonear the Black Sea, aroundwhat is nowthe Ukraine. At

the suggestion of another,Inamed them Goddess Runes because of theirconnection tothe ancient goddess cultures of OldEurope, andbecausetheywork together as a single unit (in relationship) for use in free-form casting.Easy and fun to use, they comprise the most dynamic divinatory systemIhave come across that fosters “whole-brained" development, not justright-brain. My orignaibook, GoddessRunes(Avon Books, New York City,1996), andnow out of print is being republished and in a better formatbyA. Merkiinger Publishing, P.O. Box 454S, Santa Fe, NM S7502; Web site:http://www.mysteriesofthemind.com. Announcements about this new

edition, abrief instruction booklet, andaudio cassette/CD are on my homepage athttp://www.cinemind.com/atwater.

Another divinatory system that deserves special mention isInner ChildCards, createdby Isha Lerner andMark Lerner (Bear &

Company, Santa Fe, NM 1992). These seventy-eight cards, adaptedfrom a traditional tarot deck, concern themselves with fairy tales,myth, and nature. Using the cards helps to reawaken our "innerchild" via theuniversalsymbols of otherworld journeys. Kids enjoythem as much as adults. Also to be considered is AngelBlessings:Cards of Sacred Guidance & Inspiration, created by KimberlyMarooney (Merrill-West Publishers, Carmel, CA 1995), These forty-

four cards are actually reproductions of paintings by the Masters.

Each is inscribed with an angel's name and mission, TheGuidebook illustrates nine different ways you can use the cards to

connect with angel wisdom,

%rdening:\ cannot speak highly enough of thespiritualaspects of gardening,whether it be a fairy garden complete with gazingballs andbirdbaths, anherb garden, or a vegetable garden. While tending to soil and plant, youcan merge into the essence of each and commune with their “deva" or

"spiritlight" (angelic presence). Organizations that have pioneered waysof communicating with "the intelligence of nature," are: The FindhornFoundation, The Park,FindhornBay, Forres IV 36 OTZ, Scotland; phone 44-

1309-673655; and Perelandra, P.O. Box 3603, Warrenton, VA 20188; 1-

800-960-8806 and (540) 937-2153, fax (540) 937-3360. Query both forlist of publications and services. For other viewpoints/ Listening to theGarden Grow: Finding Miracles in Daily Life\ Betty Sue Eaton (Stillpoint

Publishing, Walpole, NH 1996); and Bringing a Garden to Life, CarolWilliams (Bantam Books,New York City, 1998).

byrinths:Labyrinths are tools for journeying to the center of your being,cleansing the inner self, and then raising your consciousness to the next

highest level possible for you to reach at that moment. Where a maze ismeant to confuse, alabyrinth is designed tobringyouto thatpoint ofstillness andwisdom where healing can occur. The most famous of alllabyrinths is on the sanctuary floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. Anexact replica can be found at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, California.An individualdedicated to revivingthe sacred use of labyrinths is Rev. Dr.Lauren Artress. Her book is Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering theLabyrinth Asa SpiritualTool(Riverhead Books, New York City, 1995). Sheuses a canvas version inher travels givinglabyrinth workshops, as part ofThe World-Wide Labyrinth Project. To obtain the project newsletter andkeep abreast of numerous personal growth opportunities that are offered,contact: Veriditas, 1100 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108; (415)

749-6356; fax (415) 749-63 5 7. To build your own labyrinth, obtain thevideoBuildingLabyrinths on theEarth with Marty Cain, VHS 60-minutes,

Order from: The American Society of Dowsers Bookstore, 101 RailroadStreet, St Johnsbury, VT 05819; (802) 748-8565 or 1-800-711-9497,

Another good book on labyrinths is Exploring theLabyrinth: A GuideforHealing andSpiritual Growth, Melissa Gayle (Broadway Books, New YorkCity, 2000), Future Memory:How Those Who "See the Future" ShedNew

Light on the Workings of theHuman Mind(hardcover—Birch Lane Press,

New York City, 1996; softcover—Hampton Roads, Charlottesville, VA

1999) is abookIwrote that was mathematically patterned on the format ofa labyrinth. This was done so the reader could feel whatI was writingabout, not just read it. Thebook covers the inner workings of creation andconsciousness in a manner that "enfolds on itself’ (which is how a

labyrinth works). Read straight through for the labyrinth effect (no

skippingaroundor you'llmiss it),

TIPS ON COPING WITH SPIRIT

The "double whammy" that child experiences contend with after theirepisode necessitates that they quickly learn to tell the difference between"real" and"unreal." Take the puzzle of ghosts andinvisible spiritbeings,for instance.

A typical childis attunedtorealms beyondthat of earth andtorealitiesof existence beyond what most adults can readily access or appreciate.Brain shifts such as those that occur during anear-death state or otherspiritual awakening intensify what is natural to childhood; theyexpand, enlarge, and accelerate whatever potentialities were already

present. This overall effect seems to be consistent irrespective of theexperiencer’s age.

What follows are three stories, from Donna DeSoto, Gordon Overbo,and a book by a man named Fynn, These stories illustrate a child’s realityand demonstrate the kinds of effects a child’s special awareness can

manifest.

In 1997, when Donna DeSoto appeared as a guest with John Bradshaw on

his nationally televised TheBradshawShow,her adoptedson Ben, then sixyears old, rushed from his seat in the audience to the other side of thestudio duringthebreak andbeggedhis momtotellMr.Bradshaw about theangels who had touched him while he was in bed. Bradshaw was so

impressed with Ben’s story that he did his next program segment aboutthe boy. Not long after, mother and son were taking a drive when, withgreat excitement, Ben shouted: "Mom, Mom, look, there are angels allaround our car. Look quickly in your rearview mirror. They're holdinghands."

As Donna DeSoto was tellingme this, sherecalled that once on a familyvacation when they had stopped for refreshments, Ben headed for thesouvenir shop andbought a licenseplatethat said,"GodIsMy Co-Pilot."Itcurrently hangs on his bedroom wall, a treasured reminder to him of theTruthbehinda11truth.

Ben's relationship with angels has supported him in becoming a

healthy, well-adjusted youngster. Surprisingly, not only has this situationconvincedhis parents that they made theright choiceinbringinghimintotheir lives, but it gave them the "signal" they needed to proceed with a

special project. Ben, a Hispanic-Indian, was abandoned at birth by hisnatural mother and tossed aside in a paper bag. His parents (of European

ancestry), theDeSotos, adoptedhim as their second son; their first, Robert,hadbeen adopted via regular adoption proceedings. An adult near-deathexperiences Donna hadbeen told during her episode that if she wanted asecond chance on earth she must do something to help save God'schildren. She agreed. After what happened with Ben, she discovered the"discarded baby phenomenon." This experience, underscored by Ben's

close connection toGod, fueled her desireto help other people do what sheand her husband had done. With her husband's encouragement, Donna

DeSoto founded “SAV-BABY,” a nonprofit alternative to babyabandonment. Through “SAV-BABY" she has been able to locate lovinghomes for many such infants,

You can reach the office of “SAV-BABY" by calling (210) 270-4600 or(210) 710-6929, or by writing SAV-BABY of Texas, 301 S, Frio, Suite 4S0,

San Antonio, TX 7S207, Shehas an excellent track record for rescuingsuchinfants and. finding them good homes. The story of DeSoto’s near-death

experience is on pages S9-91 of the 1996 publication When Ego Dies: ACompilation ofNear-Death dt Mystical Conversion Experiences. This bookwas a group project of experiencers who attended the Houston, Texas,chapter of IANDS (International Association for Near-Death Studies). Ifyour favoritebookstore cannot findthisbook for you, order direct:EmeraldInk Publishing, 7141 Office City Drive, Suite 220, Houston, TX 770S7;,(713) 643-9945; fax(7l3) 643-19S6.

Not all children are as fortunate as Ben DeSoto. Gordon Overbo of Santa

Barbara, California, was supersensitive as a child.Heregularly ‘‘flew" tothestars, merged into nature, "lived" what he read inbooks, andhoundedhisschoolteachers with questions like: "What's light? Where is God? Why doyoumake me stay inthis room?" Says Overbo: "I was raised on a farm thathad a large house, and at timesI would find myself alone while otherfamily members went to visit neighbors or go to town.I was okay untildark. Then all hell broke loose. I could feel the presence of spirit beingsaround me, althoughIonly remember seeing one.Iwouldtry andhide,butwould eventually run out of the house. On one occasion,Iwas so scaredIclimbedthe windmillthat was next to our largebarn, jumped fromit tothebarn roof, andsat there alone in thedark until someone camehome,Iwas

told that there is no such thing as ghosts, it’s my imagination, but that’snot true."

By the age of thirteen, Overbo turned to alcohol, "There was no oneI

couldtalk to,not even God,Iwas all alonein the dark, allalonein the terror

ofknowingsomething was after me,Ifeel fortunatethatIdidnot go insaneandnow understand whyIstarted to drink so young. Drinkingmade meunconscious of the spirits that wouldhaunt me. It freed me to express

the love and joy and happiness I felt deep inside. People would say, ‘Oh,Gordy was just a little drunk.' As far as I was concerned, that was a lotbetter than saying, 'Gordy is crazy,’ For forty-seven yearsIhave beentrying to remember the first major lie thatIcame to believe. Being

told, ‘There'sno such thing as ghosts/ is it. The second lie was, 'People

will think you're crazy if youtalk about ghosts and spiritual experiences.’Believingthesetwolies, from thestandpoint of thechildIonce was, startedme on a life-long journey of denying my own truth. I can think of no

greater offense than to tell a child something that creates such pain andsuffering.”

Fynn (that's the only name he uses) was a strapping six-foot-two-inch,225pound Welshman when an abused and abandoned waifby the nameof Anna came into his life. He described himself at that time as a “myopicmaterialist" whose only interest was his next meal andhow much moneyjangled inhis pocket. Although Anna didnot live long, she invitedFynn to

share in the reality of her inner world during the time she continued to

survive. In doing this, Fynn discovered the brilliance of the child whocould see through any falsehood, forgive any aggressor, figure out theanswer to any puzzle, dispense advanced concepts of higher mathematics(which always proved correct), explain the principles of spiritual truth,andserve, in general, as a messenger of God's love toall she met.After herdeath, a very transformedFynn wrote a book about Anna as a way to

celebrate her life and the genius inherent in every child. His book, a

perennial masterpiece, is entitled Mister God, This Is Anna (Ballantine

Books,New York City, 1974—in continuous printings).

Theconnecting threadweaving together the stories of DeSoto, Overbo, andFynn is the validity of a child's inner world and how that can impact thechildandanyone else sotouched,

Listen to children as they chatter. Hear their songs. Read their poetry.

Watch their facial and body expressions. Study their drawings. Allchildren “speak" from their feeling center in a language as unfettered asthey are,

We now know, thanks to scientific research, that tiny ones can hearandremember words, that the first year of life is when language patterns

are established, and that any experience that overwhelms, especially ifrepeated, changes the child's brain structure. Refer to the outstandingissue ofNewsweekmagazine, dated Spring/Summer 1997, on "Your Child,from Birth to Three," and specifically to the article, “Howto Build a Baby’sBrain," by Sharon Begley, pages 2S-32. The PET scan maps of an

institutionalized child versus one raisedby parents are shocking to see inwhat they reveal about temporal lobe damage—the effects of extreme

touch deprivation and a lack ofpersonalattention ininfancy.

Our long and culturally revered custom of trouncing children whoreport seeing and hearing spirit beings and spirit realms can lead to

detrimental effects in other areas of their life, as with the case of GordonOverbo. The brain literally cannot distinguish "real" from "imagined."That’s why admonitions of “right" or "wrong" applied to a child’s realityconfuseinsteadof clarify.

An example of this occurred whileIwas investigating altered states ofconsciousness and spiritual transformations back in the sixties. I was

impressed then, andstill am, withhow consistently children responded to

certain “invisible beings."I remember one such being in particular . . .“the redman." From Germany to deepest Africa, to Brazil, to the state ofKansas, it didn't seem to matter where, a child who "saw" the red man

always acted in the same manner—he or she would start crying. It was

never a red woman they saw, always a man and always red, and always“he" was a harbinger of fever. His coming meant the youngster was

about to get sick, realsick, with a high temperature.Not once didany childof any age in any culture interpret the red man as being anything otherthanthemanifestation of illness, specifically fever.

Another type of "invisible being” most children see is demons, and ofevery possible shape and color, TCiese ominous “shadows" presentthemselves whenever youngsters are overly sensitive, fearful, ortimid. One possible interpretation of these entities is that they serve to

teach the young how to deal with situations or people that overpower

them. Solving the problem of pesky or threatening demons empowers thechild to stand up for him- or herself with courage and confidence. One

youngboy,harassedby a ghoul, toldme: “Ihadtopass thehallcloset everytimeIwent to the bathroom. The devil, or something like him, would pop

open the closet doors and jump at me and scare me. On the third night,Itookmy baseballbat withme andIwas going tohit him. That was thelasttime I ever saw that devil." Needless to say, the youngster benefitedtremendously from confrontinghis tormentor.

Whether “the red man" or “the demon" could be thought of as anapparition (a counterfeit or phantom image), or an accommodation (a

particular image that lasts only as long as it takes to relax or alert theexperienced, there may be yet another explanation. Such manifestationsmay actually be the “out-picturing" or "outworking" (from spirit intohuman consciousness) of universal archetypes (symbolic energy patterns

commontothehuman family).It wouldseem thatbesides the "blueprints"of shape and form storedin our temporallobes, there must exist sometype

of “etheric library" or “subconscious storehouse" of symbols and signs thelobes help us totap into anddraw from as needor desire arises.

Caution: When seeing a ghost or spirit being, always affirm God'sprotection andknow,positivelyknow, you are safe. Most such beingsare benign and will vanish if you assert your right to your own space

without any intrusion from them. Earlier, I had spoken of the little boywho decided to face the demon whohadbeen scaringhim. The minute hegrabbed that baseball bat and stood, his ground, the demon disappeared.

Confident,enthusiasticpeople,childor adult,rarelyhave anyproblemwiththemanifestationof spiritbeings.

Even so, it is stillwisetohave some way todiscriminatebetween thosebeings who are basically helpful and supportive (like a Guide or GuardianAngel), andthose who seek toconfuse or possess (like a mixed-up or angrydisincarnate). Hesitation is healthy, especially if “channeling" is involved(where voices or thoughts other than your own seek attention or try to

express themselves through you). "Gifts of the spirit" are not always whatthey seem, neither are they necessarily positive. The chart on page 221

highlights the real source of power behind spirit manifestations, andgives youcomparisons touse as an aidincross-checkingmotive.

Anunderstandingofmagic also enables you to cross-check yourself andyour own attitudes. That’s because, regardless of conflicting views on thesubject the word "magic" simply means "receptive." It comes from theBabylonian and Persian word for receptive, which was "magno"("magnet," "magnetic," and “magi" derive from the same term). Theseancient peoples knew that when someone was receptive, or displayedreceptivity (a willingness toreceive), thatperson couldthen drawtohim or

her all manner of unique or desirable happenings with little or no effort,almost as if "charmed" (possessed of magic). In modern parlance, theword “magic” is an indicator of “influential powers” recognizable bythe “color"ofhow they'reused:

hiteMagic:Spirit based, for the purpose of healing one's self and others;emphasizes growthandguardianship; enhances, charms,protects.

%ck Magic:Ego based, for the purpose of adding to one's self-importance;emphasizes possessions andstatus; indulges, exploits, enslaves,

'ayMagic:Beliefbased, for the purpose of acquiring attention or imposing apoint of view; emphasizes wishful thinking andcultural fixations; entices,

coerces,programs.

aiMagic (transparent): Feeling based, for the purpose of establishing anopen andacceptingmood; emphasizes receptivity andsensitivity; enables,readies, resonates,

ulMagic (luminous): Source based, for the purpose of learning throughexperience so the soul can evolve; emphasizes self-empowerment andpersonalresponsibility;uplifts, frees,brings together in wholeness.

SUBJECTIVE VOICES, SUBJECTIVE VISITORS-DISCERNINGTHEIR TRUE SOURCE

Lesser Mind Greater Mind

The Voice ofEgo The Fot'oe of Spirit

SoulLevel

informs

suggests

guides

nudges

leaves choice to you

empowers

promotes independence

respects

supports

includes

is free and open

encourages growth and development

often claims ultimate authority recognizes a greater power,or God

offers integration

affirms Divine Order along with the good of the whole

Personality Level

flatters

commands

demands

tests

chooses for you

imprisons

promotes dependency

intrudes

pushes

excludes

is status oriented

insists on obedience

offers shortcuts

seeks personal gratification

As you can see from this chart, which highlights the real power behind

spiritmanifestations, and from ourbrief examination ofmagic, thedegreeof vulnerability we feel is what determines how successful or

unsuccessful we are in coping with spirit. In other words, there’s no

substitute for the strength faith imparts or for the confidence that can begained from reasonedthought.

Right brain/left brain, intuition/logic ... we need them both to bewhole. It is important that child experiencers realize this (my child’scolorbook entitled TheFrostDiamondillustrates this concept of wholenessandis available onmy Web site).

Ingmar Bergman, the famous Swedish movie director and producer,defines the subject in this way: “I throw a spear into the dark—that isintuition. ThenIhaveto sendan expedition intothe jungleto findthe wayof the spear—that is logic."

Intuition, psychic ability, the wonderful world of spirit, are onlyvaluable to us if we remember to ask questions and reserve the right to

challenge answers, “Surrendering to God does not require blindobedience.”

Although the subsequent study seems unrelated to near-deathexperiencers,bethey child or adult, it does make a crucialstatement aboutintuition. Nursing educators Richard W. Paul, Ph.D., and Penelope Heaslip,RN, BScN, MEd, in writing forJournal0/AdvancedNursing, 1995, 22, 40-

47, show that critical thinking actually enhances intuition in how it helpsus discard the erroneous. “It's not what you don't know that hurts you,"they argue, “but what you think you know that's not so!" They claim thatan expert intuitive functions in harmony with his or her other well-developed faculties.

The secret of success in copingwith spirit, then, isbeing whole-brained., where intuition is theequalof intellect, and “theonly way out is in."

Children need extra help, as discernment skills take years for them to

develop. Many child experiencers, too many to my way of thinking,contend with tremendous amounts of confasion,not to mention repressed

guilt. That they often withdraw or act out, signals theextent to which theyare unable to process their emotions. Depression and loneliness can

become an issue.

RITUALS AND ROLE PLAYING

Rituals and role-playing games offer a solution because they bring peopletogether in mutually supportive ways. And that's exactly what childexperiencers need—social activities that promote creativity,experimentation, andcommitment ... thecommitment to use one'sgiftsfor the highestgoodof all concerned. (If you don't have a sense of whatyour mission in lifeis,using your gifts willeventually lead youthere.)

Rituals uplift, empower, and excite. They embrace non-ordinarystates of reality and altered states of consciousness in a manner thatfosters trust, bonding, release, reconciliation, and renewal. And theyenableparents andkids to reconnect with theearth, their community, andtheir sense of value andpurpose as individuals andas souls.Many familiesandreligious communities practice their owntime-honoredrituals,uniqueto holidays and certain"ritesofpassage." Yet anyone can create personaltimes of celebration andnot just for entertainment,but to instill a sense ofrespect and dignity and sacredness. Refer to: Rituals for Our Times:CelebratingHealing, andChangingOurLivesandRelationships, EvanImber-Black andJanine Roberts (HarperCollins, New York City,1992); andRitual:Power, Healing and Community, Malidoma Patrice Some, Ph.D, (PenguinBooks,New York City,1997),

Role playingor ritual games are equally dynamic, loads of fun to play,and unique in the way they can empower players, They are therapeuticwithout resortingto “preachiness" or self-righteous rules ofbehavior, “TheBone Game" is one of them. Developed by Michael H, Brown, Ed.S,, andbased on a Native American ritual, this weekend retreat teaches players

how to relax deeply, clarify values, listen with respect to others,communicate authentically, make decisions on the basis of consensus,

and enjoy an amazingly magical sense of community consciousness.ContactBrown directly at48S9A Finlay Street,Richmond, VA 23231; (304)

222-04S3. Although he works with people of all ages, Brown is especiallygood with teenagers, and is willing to travel to other locations to hold theretreat.

"The Journey" is a self-discovery program especially for teenagers thatwas created by David Oldfield, director of the Midway Center. Thisprogram combines the appeal of fantasy role-playing games with sharedgroup therapy to help today’s teens find positive solutions to "thenecessary crises of adolescence." Ask for program schedules: MidwayCenter for Creative Imaginaton, 2112 F Street NW, #404, Washington, DC

20037; (202) 296-4466,

Also named "The Journey” is a weekend retreat for spiritual self-discovery put together by staff member John Keathley as part of anoutreach program for teenagers through the Association for Research andEnlightenment (ARE). The ARE isbased on thepsychic readings of thelateEdgar Cayce, and is one of the most active and respected organizations ofits kindin the world. A holistic, spiritual approach is their strength, alongwith an emphasis on “testing the spirits" through extensive researchprograms and member services. They also offer summer camps for kidsand a large selection in their bookstore for children and their parents,

Inquire about book catalogue, activities, and services: ARE, 67th andAtlanta Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451; (75 7) 423-3583 or SOO-3 33-

4499.

“Adventure Camp," a challenge for teenagers, is run by the highlyrespected Rowe Camp and Conference Center, Their yearly activities

schedule is built around the very concerns, opportunities, and joys thatwould interest near-death experiences of any age and anyone elsepreferring a more creative, intuitive, andholistic lifestyle.Imention themherebecause of the uniqueprogramming they offer for children, as well as

teens, with "Junior High Camp," “Young People’s Camp," and“New Camp."

Contact:Rowe Conference Center,Kings Highway Road, Box 273,Rowe, MA01367: (413) 339-4216: fax(413) 339-5728: e-mailRoweCenterfSaol.com.

As an aside, here are a couple of books for a more positive approach to

anger and fear: Make Anger Your Ally: Harnessing Our Most BafflingEmotion,Neil C. Warren (Doubleday, Garden City, NY 1983); and The GiftofFear: Survival Signals ThatProtect Usfrom Violence, Gavin de Becker(LittleBrown,New York City, 1997).

For younger near-death experiences, here is a book just for them:Mountains, Meadows, andMoonbeams: A Child’s Spiritual Reader, Mary

Summer Rain (Hampton Roads, Charlottesville, VA 1984).

TIPS ON SOI JLMAKING

“Beingallthat youcanbe" means reconnectingwith your soul.

The soul evolves in the sense that, as we learn to be aware of ourspiritual nature, that font of guidance within us opens wide andbecomesever more available. We are “souhnaking” when we develop andrefine our

sensitivity to this divine guidance. Soulmaking can be tricky, though.That’s because, as we become more sensitive to and reconnected withhigher realms of spirit, we alsobecome more vulnerabletothepower of our

own ego and the wants and desires of the lesser mind. The result,invariably, is an exaggerated andoverblown sense of self-importance thaterodes the very reconnection wethought wehadachieved.

Since this is a major issue for near-death experiencers of all ages, andfor anyone else who has undergone a transformation of consciousness no

matter how, a few cautions are in order. Fresh new visions of thespiritual are always needed, but when they're based on “power over"instead of “power to,” gullibility reigns—blindingboth the visionaryandthose affectedby the visionary.

Let me tell you about one such case, 13y 183 7, HungHsiu-ch’uan, a peasant

farmer’s teenage son, had failed for the third time to pass the official state

examination in Canton, China. He fell into a prolonged delirium, his bodywastingaway as helay near death for forty days.Herevived after having amiraculous "vision" that portrayed him and an “elder brother" searchingout and slaying legions of evil demons in accordance with God’s will(scenarios involving "judgment/punishment" themes are reported withsome frequency in Asia). Six years later, Hsiu-ch’uan came across a

Christian missionary pamphlet. He used what he read in the pamphlet to

"substantiate" his conviction thathis “vision" was real, and that he, as theyounger brother of Jesus Christ and God's Divine Representative, was

ready and willing to overthrow the forces of evil that he saw as theManchus and Confucianism, With the help of converts to his cause heestablishedthe God Worshipers Society, a puritanical andabsolutist groupthat quickly swelled to theranks of a revolutionary army.Numerous power

struggles later, Hsiu-ch’uan declared war against the Manchus as part ofthe TaipingRebellion andhelpedlaunch a civiluprising—the bloodiestinallhistory—thatlastedfourteenyears andcost 20millionlives.

Hsiu-ch’uan, who changed his name to T’ien Wang, theHeavenly King,was transfigured and transformed by his near-death experience, andbecame zealous in his desireto “wakeup" the deludedofhis day, He felt theRealTruth hadbeen revealedto him and tohim alone, and thus it was hisduty to “save" the populace. Wholesale carnage followed, ripping asunderthe very fabric of China. The Heavenly Dynasty was established soon

after. Themovie TheLastEmperor\% about T’ien Wang’s grandson,

Just as some of the most enlightened figures in history have been near¬

death experiences, so, too,havebeen some of themost twisted. Among themany lessons we can learn from T’en Wang’s case is this one:anyone whoclaims tobe theonly source of a spiritualrevelationiseither a foolor a

fake.

Such a claim always creates a “false god."

Accordingto Rev. William T. Curtiss, a well-respectedminister: “A falsegod is something that we have to support; the real God is something thatsupports us. A false god has no power other than the power we give it; thereal God is all power, and it empowers us. Fear is a false god. It is not an

entity, it has no power, it makes no choices. When we withdraw oursupport, it simply disintegrates. How do we do this? Simply by refocusingour attention upontherealGod withinus, andallowingGod. to support andempower us,"

Elaine Pagels, in her book The Origin ofSatan (Random House, New YorkCity, 1995),posits how theconcept of thedevilbegan. From a little-usedterm in the OldTestament thathad severalmeanings, “devil” evolved intoa full-blown conspiracy theory in theNew Testament that served to “pass

on the blame” as to why Jesus was rejected, abandoned, and executed byhis own people.

Whether you agree withPagels's theory or not, the term “devil"isstillused today as an allegation of blame that overrides or avoids facts.Forinstance, near-death experiencers of all ages are routinely accused ofoperating as "agents of the devil” or being “possessed of the devil,” theLight they see, that of “Lucifer,” when people are frightened of them or donot takethetimeto investigatenear-death research,

One nine-year-oldboy, a near-death experiencerIhad a session with,was visited weekly over a period of several months by his family’sminister, who told him and his mother that the boy would be damned to

rot inhell if he didnot publicly recant what he claimedto have seen when

he "died." Needless to say, the mother was terrifiedby this, and her son,confused.

Sadly, some churches have gone to exceptional lengths to stem themigration away from their fold, even to the point of making falseaccusations. For example, a fellow researcher called my attention to one

Web site entitled "The Vine" which carried this announcement under theheading, “Counterfeit Angels" (dated November 1996, Vol. 1, Issue 4,

http://members.aol.com/polmin/html/vnov96'). The completetext:

Not all angels are of God. Jesus toldhis disciples that Satan has hisangels, also, and God has prepared a place of punishment for them,(Matthew 25:41). Paul tells us that the devil himself often appears

as an angel of light deceiving thosenot groundedin God’s Word, (II

Corinthians 11:12-15). There is a mighty battlebetween good andevil, between God and Satan, for the souls of mankind. Scripturestell of battles fought by warring angels, where satanic angels fightto keep God’s work from being performed. We must be able to

discern good from evil, right from wrong, satanic spirits from God’sspirit God’s angels will never say, do or suggest anything contrary

to God’s Word. Examples of counterfeit angels are those formerlycalled "spiritual guides" by the New Age movement, and "angels"described in accounts of people who have undergone near-deathexperiences. On the other hand, we can be assured that God sendshis angels to protect us, and even if we never physically encounter

an angel in our lifetime,it is certain that God, as the lovingFather ofthose whobelieve in God’s Son Jesus Christ, has dispatched angelsto assist us in our journey through this life,

As a footnote to the subject of “counterfeit angels," certainly,accommodations can and do occur in near-death imagery, Yet,accommodations arenotcounterfeit inthe sense ofbeing false; they’re like

a temporary overlay to relax the individual until he or she is able to

acclimate to new surroundings. (Refer back to chapter 3 and the case ofJimmy John and his "little" brother, a sibling who appeared in the boy’snear-death episode—yet he had been abortedby his mother many yearsbefore—an abortion themother hadtoldno one about. The appearance of a

"little"brother was obviously an accommodation: thebrother was real,hissize andlooks as younger thanJimmy John werenot.)

The irony to what was carried on "The Vine” Web site is that two

months later the London Observer released a “hot” news bulletin by JohnHooper that read, "Dialogue with the dead is feasible, Vatican spokesmansays.” Datelined from Rome, the news clip quoted the Reverend GinoConcetti, chief theological commentator for the Vaticannewspaper,inessence saying that dead relatives can and do communicate with thelivingandthat an afterlifeisreal.

It is necessary that any religious standard or spiritual tradition teachits adherents to become more discerning and responsible, but it’sunfortunate when “the faithful” resort to superstitution to bolster theirclaims. The body of near-death research, especially that concerning childexperiencers, provides ample evidence that the average near-deathscenario is hardly "counterfeit"

In hisbook, TheMeetingofScience andSpirit {Paragon House, St Paul, MN,

1990, pages 218-219), John White eloquently expresses why so manyspiritually transformed individuals feel compelled to follow a more

personalpath than that offeredby formalreligion. White, by the way,drowned at fourteen and experienced a near-death episode thattransformedhis life,

There is no way to enter the Kingdom except to ascend inconsciousness to the Father, to that unconditional love for allcreation which Jesus demonstrated. This is what the Christian

(and, indeed, every true religion) is allabout: a system of teachings,both theory and practice, about growth to higher consciousness.But each of us is required to take personal responsibility forfollowing Jesus on that way. That is the key to the Kingdom. Self¬transcendence requires honesty, commitment and spiritualpractice to cultivate awareness. The result of such discipline ispersonal, validating experience of the fact that alteration ofconsciousness can lead to a radical transformation ofconsciousness, traditionally called enlightenment But this,by andlarge, has been lost to the understanding of contemporaryChristendom. Instead, Jesus and the Bible are idolized, and heavenis said tobe located somewhere in outer space. Awareness of innerspace—of consciousness and the need to cultivate it—is sadly

lacking. Exoteric Judeo-Christianity must reawaken to the truthpreservedin its esoterictradition.

One such forgottentruth describedby White is

. . . the original form of baptism, whole-body immersion, waslimited to adults. It apparently was an initiatory practice in whichthe person, a convert who would have been an adult preparedthrough study of disciplines, was held under water to the point ofnearly drowning. This near-death experience was likely to producean out-of-body projection such as many near-death experiencersreport today. The baptized person would thereby directlyexperience resurrection—the transcendence of death, the reality ofmetaphysical worlds andthe supremacy of Spirit,He wouldreceivea dramatic and unmistakable demonstration of the reality of thespiritual body or celestial body of which St, Paul speaks in 1

Corinthians 15:40-44 (apparently referring to his own personalexperience with out-of-body projection),

For the sake of child and adult experiences alike,Iwant to share some

thoughts, using Christianity as a model, to help clarify the issues we’ve

been discussing—thereligious schismthatcandevelop andwhatcanbedone to healit. The following thoughts are quoted from Walter Starcke's“Quarterly Letter," Summer 1997. Starcke, a former Hollywood luminary,underwent a spiritual transformation many years ago and has sincebecome a devotedstudent of theBible:

All of us have at times been confused in our personal relationshipsbecause at one time or another, we have firmly believed thatsomeone we were talking to was disagreeing with us, when in factthey were saying the same thing we were, but, from a differentangle or viewpoint. In analyzing a situation, one of us was judgingthe situation from a left brain or masculine perspective, whichapproaches things in a logical or objective fashion, while the otherwas coming from the right brain which is the more feminine,feeling, intuitive or subjective perspective. Though we would swearit wasn't so, both of us were in complete agreement, but becauseeach of us was talking from a different level of awareness, we

thought we were being contradicted and opposed. The same hashappened down through history in what I call "the two

Christianities."

To clarify what took place, I'll oversimplify and call those earlyChristians who ended up organizing and institutionalizing theChurch and whose approach to theChristian message was more interms of the historical and objective foundation, "fundamentalist"or "traditionalist"—and those whose more impersonal approachwas internal and subjective rather than objective andorganizational,I'llrefer to as the "mystics" or Gnostics,

The paradox is that both the extreme fundamentalists and theextreme mystics or metaphysicians ended up in the same place,Both ended up denying the importance of the individual. The

fundamentalists did it by subordinating the individual to theorganization and by denouncing those who looked withinthemselves for God. The Gnostics denied human existence byadvocating the transcendence of one's humanity through a kind ofspiritual self-centeredness that didn't take others into account andby ignoringthe fact that there were other people with needs.

Although the Gnostic approach has reappeared and then beenput down a number of times over the last 1,300 years, nothing inconsciousness can ever be lost. It has reappeared in the lasthundred or so years with both its virtues and its faults in what isloosely calledthemetaphysicalmovement

For almost 2,000 years, Pauline Christianity has dominated thescene. If it had not been for Paul, his humanity, and his objectiveapproach as a bridge, Christianity might havebeen only a footnotein the annals of Jewish sectarianism. But, mainly due to the great

lights in the metaphysical movement who have relit Jesus’mysticism, we at last are ready to merge the virtues of the two

Christianities and experience THE THIRD REALITY—AscensionConsciousness.

Stareke goes on to explain that the third reality (Ascension

Consciousness) isreconciliation,

We can't achieve reconciliation andendcontradictionuntilanotherparadox is resolved: the apparent incongruity of "'double thinking,”As long as we believe that we must constantly and only thinkbeautiful subjectively satisfying thoughts, we are creating the very

duality weclaimtodeny.Unless wehavethe strength toincludetheobjective level iphysicalityl by looking right at it—recognizing evilfor what it is—reconcile the objective level without denying itssubjective nature |spirituality] only if we simultaneously see bothits infinite oneness and its limited form, By doing this, we close the

gap andexperiencetheonly trueabsolute: Allinclusiveness-

Walter Starcke’s many tapes and books, including his latest, It's AHGod, are available from Guadalupe Press, P.O. Box S77, Boerne, TX 7S006;(S30) 53 7-4S3 7; e-mailwstarcke@walterstarcke.com.

Reconciliation is theunderlyingthememost near-death experiencers giveto the effect their episode has had on their lives, and to why other peoplerespond as they do when an experiencer shares his or her story.

Reconciliation is the motive behind the growing movement in theRoman Catholic Church to have the Pope proclaim Mary the Mother ofChrist as Co-Redeemer. The male/female, objective/subjective split inChristianity will heal if this occurs. Because of the plethora of Mariansightings in recent years, many feel that the thirdmillennium we are nowin shouldbe called "The AgeofMary." Refer to: "Hail,Mary," an articlebyKenneth L. Woodward that appeared in the August 25, 1997, issue ofNewsweekmagazine, pages 49-55.

Reconciliation is the overall message that emerges from the bookAnatomyof theSpirit, by Caroline Myss, Ph,D. (Harmony Books, New YorkCity, 1996). By connecting the seven sacraments of Christianity with theseven chakras of Hinduism, andJudaism's Tree of Life, Myss has distilledthe seven sacred truths of the spiritual path: (1) all is one, (2) honor oneanother, (3) honor oneself, (4) love is divine power, (5) surrender personalwill to divine will, (6) seek only the truth, and (7) live in the present

moment

Doesn't what Myss uncoveredinher research seem like a description ofa typical message from a near-death experience as relayedby the average

experiencer?

It is as if the entire genre of consciousness transformations (of whichnear-death states are a part) was God's Global Grassroots Movement.

Children catch on tothis notion automatically,andsupport it fully,

What appeals themost to a childexperiencer as a way toparticipate inthis"Movement” is prayer and meditation. Since we’ve already discussedmeditation, let’s look again at the power of prayer, only this time fromseveral different vantage points. A six-tape audio program by Ron Roth,entitled *Prayer and the Five Stages ofHealing"examines how to healwith prayer, ways to transform consciousness, how to awaken the spiritwithin, as well as other aspects of prayer's power. Available from HayHouse,P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 9201S; 1-S00-654-5126.

The centuries-old tradition of trance dancing or “sweating your

prayers" is saidtoburn off negativity as it purifiesbody andsoul. Used theworld over for self-healing, trance dancing is also a passionate offering to

the Divine—whether done in a gym, sauna, or sweatlodge. Refer to Sweat

Your Prayers: Movement as Spiritual Practice, Grabrielle Roth(Tarcher/Putnam,New York City 1997).

Most child experiencers are modest and humble, and desirous of makingthe world a better place. They gravitate to whatever is authentic, and to

teachers who practice what they preach. Florence Shovel Shinn wassuch a person, andshetaught “the gameoflife andhow toplayit,” alongwith the power of the spoken word, and the secret of success. Her long,productive life proves that you don’t have to be a nun or a monk andwithdraw from the world to align with spirituality. Her four books, as

applicabletoday as when they were written,havebeen condensedinto one

volume, The WisdomofFlorenceShovelShinn(Simon & Schuster,New YorkCity,19S9—another classic that is stillinprint),

If given a chance, a child will always embrace amore holistic way ofliving. George Leonard and Michael Murphy have developed a programalong those lines andtalk about it in their book, TheLife We Are Given: ADaily Programfor Realizing the Potentialfor Body, Mind, Heart, andSoul(Putnam, New York City, 1995), Their program is “integral" in howit dealswith the body (diet, exercise, yoga), mind (reading and learning), heart

(group process, community activities), andsoul(meditation andimaging).

Let me say, though, that there is a tremendous difference betweenvisualization andvisioning.Rev.Dr.MichaelBeckwith explains:

Visualization involves having an idea of what we want to

accomplish or how we want to live our life, then imaging that goalas already achieved and establishing the necessary mental andemotional vibrations tobringit forth andmanifest it When we dovisioning, on the other hand, we align in consciousness with ourdivine purpose, which is to love andto express a greater degree oflife. Then we open ourselves to catch a sense of how that expressionis supposed to occur through us. (Condensed from an article entitled"Visioning” by Kathy Juline, and appearing in the December 1996

issue of Science ofMindMagazine, pages 3 7-49)

I regard visioning as the next step beyond prayer. As we vision, we

realign in the center of our heart of hearts and surrender fully to The One

True Source. There is no need for begging or supplication in thistranscendent state of awareness, and no goals of "spiritual materialism"(imaging ourselves rich and wealthy). There is only the Will of God andour willingness to allow A Greater Plan to have expression through us.Miracles followbeeause, intheembrace of God’s Love, only miracles exist.

As wethink in our heart, so are we,

Children knowthis,

They understand that before we can be whole, we must traverse theeighteen inches from our headto our heart, The perfect measurement fromwhich to judge all things, the spiritual equivalent of the mathematicalGolden Mean, is love,

Give our new children and those child experiences oftransformational otherworldly journeys, half a chance and they willchange the world.

Dee Eraker, a loving grandmother from Okemos, Michigan, sent me a

most interestingletter. Shegavemepermission to shareit with you:

"When my grandson, Josh, was three years old, he was told by hismother that he was goingto have a new cousin soon. Josh asked, ‘Whereishenow?' His mother replied, 'He is still in your Aunt Joanie’s tummy.’ Joshsaid, ‘I remember whenIwas in your tummy,’ ‘Oh, really, what was it like?’Margie asked. Josh said, ‘It was dark andIwas likethis.' (He demonstratedthe fetal position.) Icouldn't stand up.' ‘So,' Margie continued, ‘what didyoudo?' 'I just suckedmy thumb andwaitedto get out,' he replied."

Adults ask, ‘‘Where willIgo afterIdie?"

Children ask, “Where wasIbeforeIwasborn?"

Perhaps we can answer both by saying: Before birth, after death,unendinglife.

APPENDIX TWO

ResearchMethodology

Science, by definition, cannotexplainsubjective experience, soit can neither refute nor confirm the possibility that thesesubjective accounts do indeed suggest that some form ofpersonalexperiencemay continue duringthe unconsciousness

ofbraincatastropheorevenafterbraindeath.

-“PETEK FENWICK, M.D., F.R.C.PSYCH.

IN TRUTH,no one can validate a near-death experience except the one whoexperienced it, The thrust of near-death research, then, is to identifyelements and patterns of occurrence, aftereffects and implications, in an

attempt tounderstandhow and why the phenomenon happens and whatcanbelearned fromit—especially as concerns an examination of existenceandtheprospect of life after death,

Research on the phenomenon goes back over a century,but didn't takeroot as a scientific discipline of its own standing until after Raymond A,

Moody Jr,, M.D. coined the term "near-death experience"and published hisfirst book, Life After Life, in 1975. Kenneth Ring, Ph.D,, by verifyingMoody's work scientifically in 1980 with the book, Life atDeath, openedthe floodgates of inquiry for serious professionals,

I entered the picture in November 1978, after having visited with

Elisabeth Kiibler-Ross, M.D., and learning from her that what I hadexperienced the year before had an official name and description. Shenever mentionedRaymondMoody or hisbook,nor didIhear of either untilseveral years later when Kenneth Ring bought my self-publishedrendering,lDiedThree Timesin 1977, and located me via telephone. (This

self-publishedbook has sincebeen “resurrected" and is available over myWeb site athttp://www.cinemind.com/atwater.')

After an overnight stay, Ring was excited to discover that I hadindependently been researching the near-death experience and itsaftereffects andhad amassed a great deal of material. A few months later,at his invitation, I became a columnist for Vital Signs Magazine, a

publication of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, andbegan to share some of the observations Ihad made—observations thatlaterbecamethebook ComingBack toLife.

To understand my approach to research, you need to realize that my

“agenda" is a little different from most others in the field, My job, asIwas

shown during my third near-death experience, was to bring clarity andperspective to the phenomenon and to “test" the validity of its revelation.Never has it been my interest or intent to verify or challenge anyone else'swork. As “the fates" would have it, though, my findings have indeedbecome a challengetothe generally accepted “classical" model.

I am a field-worker whose primary specialty is interviews andobservation analysis; my protocol is police investigative techniques (I’m a

cop's kidandIwas raised in a police station).Icross-check everythingIdoat least five times with different experiencers in different parts of thecountry, and whenever possible with their significant others, as a way ofensuring that any bias Imay have as a near-death experiencer will not

“cloud" my perception. Questionnaires for me are auxiliary, used only to

further examine certain aspects of near-death states. All of my work isoriginal and first-hand. This effort has been a full-time profession for mesince 197S, in addition to employment that “paid for groceries." My

husband’s pet name for me is "the monk in themonastery/' as a referenceto my behavior when analyzing research; others simply throw up theirhands andsnicker, "She’s obsessed." To date,Ihavehadsessions with over

3,000 adult experiences and 277 child experiences, not countingsignificant others. This number doubles if you consider the research Iconducted between 1966 and 1976 in an attempt to understand alteredstates of consciousness, and mystical and spiritual transformationalexperiences.

Why allthis research for somany decades?

I'm curious.Inaddition, sincemy earliest memory,Ihave hada need to

discover the differencebetween what is true andwhat seems tobetrue.

My interview style is straightforward.Iask open-endedquestions, suchas "What happened to you?" IfIwant to know more,Isignal that intentwith forwardbody movement, a tilt of my head, a smile, and theincredibly

magical word "and." Know thatIwas trained to ask questionsby my policeofficer father. He was quite explicit about this, saying, "In a car accident,you cannot use the word ‘car’ until the witness does." Hence, wheninterviewing near-death experiences,I would never say “light" or "dark"or anythingelseunless they first used theterm. TheexperiencerdeterminedhowIusedlanguage by the way he or she responded to my questions, To

obtain greater detail,I learned to avoid telling anyoneI was a researcher,andto rely more on nonverbal facial expressions andbody postures thanon words. Never did I just listen—I "watched/' while keenly aware offeelings and sensations. The “dance" we humans engage in as we relateonetoanother is quite revealing,

My research, then, is not anecdotal-based, but, rather, an amalgam ofinterviews/observations/questionnaires—empirical in the sense that Imaintained a strict code of objectivity,Iwanted to examine the near-deathphenomenon from 360 degrees, positive and negative—to see what was

really there. Anything less, to my way of thinking, would run the risk ofselfdeception,

All research monies were out-of-pocket. The intuitive readings Igaveover the years raised enough extra funds to keep me going. Many of myresearch subjects were attendees at talksIgave. Others heard about whatIwas doingand calledor wrote and askedto takepart. A number respondedto ads or announcements I had placed in national newspapers andmagazines. But the bulk of thoseI researched simply “appeared." It wasalmost magical the way that happened. To get a sense of this, one of thejobsIheld required constant travel, and that meantI was exposed to allkinds of people in all manner of situations daily . . . taxi cab drivers,seatmates on airplanes, travelers at airports, customers, truck drivers at

way stops, folks in elevators. The majority of peopleImet turned out tobefellow experiencers. Either they’d say something or I would. That’s all ittook. It’s as if thesepeople were “waiting" for someone like me to appear so

they could “unload," share their episodes, and ask their questions in anenvironment that was safe.

I did alter my style somewhat with children, though, and in thismanner:

Noparents were allowedwhenIwas with thekids,

Same eye-level contact was maintained throughout interviewsession,

Changingbody postures wereused to elicit response.

Replacednote-takingwith a gentle sincerity andsteady focus.

Encouragedthemto sharetheirfeelingsas well as their memories,

Openedmyself to sensethe “wave" of consciousness they “ride" soIcould see throughtheir eyes.

Parents were interviewed, too, asIwanted to know their point of viewandwhether or not they mighthave appliedany pressure on their childby“making a big deal of it," This is important, as children are capable ofslanting their stories to fit the emotionalexpectations of theirparents. IfI

suspectedsuch a compromisehadbeen made,Iwouldretirethe account to

the "dust bin."Irejected about 15 percent of the interview opportunitiesIhadwith children for this reason. Fascination with "out-of-the-mouths-of-babes" reports can misleadmorereadily than enlighten.

Here is an example of whyImake such a statement: after telling me

about a long and involved interaction between herself and angels and

Jesus andGod, thelittlegirlIwas havinga session with went on toproudlystate that everything she experienced during her near-death episode wasexactly what the nun had taught her in the Catholic school she attended,and wasn't it wonderful that she was able toprove that the nun was right.Her parents then uttered “Amen," and marched her away. This sessionwas a "wake-up call" for me, andIpromptly changed howIworked withkidsbecause of it.

For my study of child experiences, I sought out individuals whorememberedhavinghada near-death episodebetweenbirth andthe age offifteen. Of the 277 who qualified, about half were children and the otherhalf were of teen or adult age at the time we met. The older childexperiencers enabled me to track the aftereffects throughout the variouslife stages. My overall racial mix was: 12 percent Blacks (American andCanadian), 23 percent Latinos (Hispanics, Argentines, andColombians), 5percent Asians (Malaysian and Chinese), and 60 percent Whites(American, Canadian,French,English, andUkrainian).

Of the older childexperiencers, fifty-two agreedto fillout a lengthy andintense questionnaire: forty-four of them had experienced a near-deathstateby their fifteenthbirthday (the majority beforethe age of seven), fourhad an unusually dramatic death dream, the remaining four met theprofile of a child near-death experiencer but could not recall ever

undergoing any such event As is typical for me, the questionnaire wassupplemental, enabling me to use a different “lens" for re-examining my

initial findings,

The most frequent cause of death in my overall study was drowning,

followedby suffocation, surgery (even minor surgery liketonsillectomies),accidents and high fevers. However, 42 percent of my cases canbe tracedto some form of parental or sibling abuse. The most common of the fourtypes of near-death states experienced by those who participated overallwas theInitialExperience (76 percent), which consists of only a few basicelements. Yet, irrespective ofbrevity, the full spread of aftereffects ensued.This suggests to me that complexity is no determinant of the intensity orimpact of a near-death state. In fact, intensity alone seems to be the majorfactor, rather than imagery or length of scenario.

In my previous books, I had stated that small children neverexperienced the extreme range of scenario types as do adults. This projectprovedme wrong: 3 percent wereUnpleasant and/or Hellish (the youngestonly nine days old);but of the 2 percent Transcendent, each had reachedpuberty beforethey "died.”

The youngest to experience an Unpleasant and/or Hellish near-deathepisode involved the case of Judith Werner, Bronx, New York. She "died"nine days after birth during surgery to remove an abscess from a severe

staph infection.Still vividin her mind, even as a grown woman, she offersus thedrawingof theevent on the facingpage.

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Judith Wernerdepictsherdeathninedaysafterbeingborn,

Werner’s drawing depicts: crib or incubator with plastic bubble top

where she lay, an overhanging large bright light fixture, and huge white-suited figures (most of them women), The images in the lower half are

from recurring dreams that haunted her afterward: this time showing thelight as a “goose-neck ray lamp," her as a younggirlbeingirradiatedby theray lamp, and a large powerful woman directing the process (sometimes

just a voice). She did indeed continue to receive radiation-type treatments

until she was older (about school age, although the number of treatments

she receivedis notknown).

At first glance one could concludethat her drawing simply shows howa typical surgical room, operating staff and equipment, and the kind ofongoing treatment one might expect, would look to a child so small. But

there is more to tell. First, though, a question that begs for an answer is:How could a nine-day-old infant register so precisely such a scene andrememberitlifelong?Kay attempt toanswer this question willnecessitate areconsideration of what we think we know about the brain, intelligence,and memory, and what newborns seem to already know or can readily"pickup" andrespondto.

Werner recalls being terrified of the surgery and threatened by the"light beings" who stood nearby and did nothing as a male-like voice,called "Inner Stranger," demanded that she either do his work or die. Sheagreed to cooperate out of fear but later repressed the whole episode afterbeing ignored or chastised every time she tried to talk about what hadhappened. Because of this, Werner's growing years were a confusingstruggle until, at the age of twenty-eight, she had a near-death-likeexperience that closely duplicated the imagery of her original scenario.This time she fully embraced "Inner Stranger," an act that improved herlife in a positive way. At thirty-two she became a professional psychicdedicated tohelping others help themselves. She has always exhibited theentireprofile ofnear-death aftereffects.

Judith Werner's case is a sobering reminder that not all near-deathscenarios are friendly and bathed in unconditional love. They can bejudgmental, some with an element of cruelty to them, especially those thatcome from Asia and various indigenous cultures (refer to the research ofTodd Murphy), WhatIhave found with childhood cases, however, is theunmistakable presence of a “critical or caring" parent-type image . , , onethat instructs, demands, informs, threatens, predicts, encourages, and, in

general, focuses on the dos and don’ts the child must respect in order to

fulfill his or her destiny. While adult experiencers face their "misdeeds’*during the life-review segment of their episode and make "course

corrections" later on because of what they were shown or relived, theyoungare sometimes lectured“for their own good"by a "being" who"givesorders or imparts guidance."

A surprise to me was the importance of “dark light" experiences withlittle ones under three, and more specifically from fifteen months andunder. Of these tiny tots who snuggled into "The Darkness That Knows,”

the majority wound up more likely to develop genius than those whoseepisode was filledwithbright light.In the questionnaire results,PSpercent

of the totalof those who had “dark light" scenarios reachedgenius levelofintelligence without genetic markers to account for it, whereas only 40

percentof those who experienced “brightlight"episodes did. After the age ofthree this disparity ceased.Ibelieve this finding necessitates that we re¬

examinehow we interpret themeaningand power of "darkness andlight,”as well as the effect a near-death state has on a baby's brain. Note inchapter 3 that IQ enhancements in math and science, along with those ofspatial abilities, were the same for both sexes inboth questionnaire talliesandoverall.

Of special interest here is the issue of spatial abilities. Most childexperiencers became spatial/nonverbal/sensory-dynamic thinkers aftertheir episode—whether male or female. Nonverbal intelligence includesskills such as running mazes, assembling puzzles, finding new ways to

solve a problem—allcharacteristics of "thespatialchild,”

JohnPhiloDixon,Ph.D,, inhisbook The SpatialChild, explains:

Spatial ability is not a simple matter. It is not just a picture-likememory for objects, places, and people. This kindof memory mightbe helpful in carrying out spatial tasks, but it is not at the core ofwhat is meant by spatial ability, Spatial-mechanical thinking

involves the capacity to put the world together inside one's headsuch that all things relate to all others in precisely understoodways. The distance and directional positioning between a wholehost of things is so well understood that all become part of an

interconnected whole.-1

There is a link between spatialreasoning andmathematics andmusic,in that all three are necessary to arrange schemes that encompass themany-sidedness or wholeness of a given design. For instance, musicimparts harmony, how things resonate or fit together; mathematicssupplies measurement, the specifics of physical manifestation. Yet it isspatial reasoning that, through creating an overall design, gives meaningandpurpose to thetask or item at hand, while ensuringthat all parts fit thewhole.

In the questionnaire, 85 percent of those who displayed mathenhancements to thepointofgenius also showedan unusualinterest inandsensitivity to music. The centers for math and music are located next to

each other in the brain, Implied here is that the “charge" of a near-deathstate tends to jumpstart both areas as if they were the same unit (Even

though 43 percent tested genius on IQ tests afterward, if the experienceoccurredbefore theageofsixthepercentage was a staggering81percent ,..suggesting that the younger the child, the greater the incidence of geniusthatcannotbeexplainedviageneticmarkers.)

The spatial qualities child experiencers of near-death states exhibit are

often sharedby quite a different group—those whohaveautism,

In her book, ThinkinginPictures, andOther ReportsfromMyLife withAutism (Doubleday, New York City, 1995), Temple Grandin, Ph.D.,describes her vivid three-dimensional picture-thoughts, which she is ableto fast forward and rewind at will as if they were on tape. Unable to

appreciate the aesthetic joy of a beautiful sunset, she keenly feels theanguish of suffering animals, Grandin suspects that since the brains of

autistic people often reveal immature neural development in the limbicsystem, there must be damage to that area of the brain that connects

emotion to reason.

While there is no known connection between near-death states andautism, there is an observation I can make that is worth considering:where abstract thought processing occurs in the autistic childbecause of a

damaged limbic system, I have consistently noticed among near-deathexperiences that this samephenomenon occursbecauseofan enhancedandexpandedlimbicsystem. (The limbic system seems tobe at thecore of near¬death states, not as the causal, but as the directive agent once theexperience is underway.)

Both autistic andnear-death states can produce similar abstractions inthinking modes; but, whereas autism disconnects normal emotionalresponses: near-death episodes strengthen andheighten them. Once again,the “lynchpin" is the limbic. When we can better identify andunderstandthe limbic system's role in transformations of consciousness, particularlynear-death states,Ibelieve we willhave a handle on how it may serve as

themediatorbetweenmanifestation andspirit in our species.

The majority of child experiences overall could remember their birth;one-third had prebirth memories. Yet, children were six times more likelythanadultexperiences toblockor “tuckaway“theirnear-deathepisock.

Spontaneous recall later in life was common; for most of them thatbegan after the age of thirty, usually because of nightmares or in dreams,somebecause of hypnotic regression, others from readingbooks about thephenomenon that triggered memory, A youngster having multipleexperiences is fairly common. Nearly a third of the overall numberIhadsessions with went on to describe additional near-death states inadulthood. Almost SO percent of this larger group were able to watch theirdeath from a viewpoint outsidetheirbody, either from above or to one side,

What they saw and heard, for the most part, couldnot havebeen knownby them in advance. If the near-death event occurred during surgery and

thechild spoke of it afterbeing revived, doctors would routinely tell thekidto "shut up" or "forget what you saw.” The medical community shouldaddress this, as infants, even newborns, can witness surgery performed on

them as if they were observers to the fact, and they can remember whatthey saw throughout their lives.

Certainly, adult and child experiences deal with similar challenges,but their responsepatterns canbe exactly the opposite.Examples: childrentendto close down after their episode—adults open up; kids aremore apt to

start attending church as soon as possible—adults leave in droves. On thetopic of religion, it is notable that adults generally return to some type ofchurch environment within seven to ten years of their episode. Yet

youngsters, if ever alienated, almost never revisit a religious setting again.Evidence of a life continuum is present in children’s scenarios; some not

only recall lifebeforebirth,but lifebeforeearth\

A sense of judgment is present in many cases of near-death states.

With teenagers and adults, it is more likely to be found during the lifereview; not with some heavenly "Saint Peter" assigning judgment, but,rather, through a review or a relivingof the life.Faults and weaknesses arerecognized along with any “error" committed, as are wrongdoings inwhich others or self were put at needless risk or hurt unnecessarily, (This

recognition is usually madeby "Self' or soul judging"self’or ego; althoughsometimes "authority" figures holdcourt or give verdicts.) Withthe young,

especially inAsian andNative societies, their near-death imagery can andon occasion does include a “parental" authority who demands or insiststhat certainbehaviors be followed, others eliminated, so that thechild can

grow up in a certain manner (sometimes an “animal" acts as a judge).

"One's fate" tends to dominate these scenarios as if it were the “theme" ofexperience,

THE QUESTIONNAIREIUSED FOR CHILD EXPERIENCERS (WHENOLDER)

Should youchoose toutilize the questionnaireIdesigned for this project inyour own studies, forewarn your participants that the process of filling itout could cause them some discomfort or grief. The questionnaire issupposed to be a tool for probing what might lie behind memory. For

instance, in the section where I ask about "work, money matters, andownership," comments can be cross-compared with earlier questionsabout current employment/home ownership versus how the individualinterpreted his or her scenario. Doing this enabled me to confirm aprevious observation—that child experiencers tend to have an unusualattachment to "home," not to possessions or money, but HOME in thesense of holding to themselves an earthly representation of what they"lost" in their otherworld journey. Their physical home, then, becomes a

type of assurance that they can someday progress from the lesser home to

the greater. (Ihavenoticedover the years that whileadult experiencers can

hardly wait to “toss" home mortgages, child experiencers can hardly waitto have one. And once they do, they tend to hold that mortgage, even ifbare-bones budgets preclude much in the way of furnishings, so mortgagepayments can alwaysbemet.)

Technically, the questionnaire functioned well and did its job, as youcan readily see. But maybe it functioned too well. Those who filled it out

took an inordinate length of time to do so. Why? More than 90 percent

found the questionnaire so upsetting that they were plagued with one

disaster after another as if they themselves, on some level of awareness,were trying to sabotage the thing. Computers broke down; light bulbspopped; an accident confined some to bed; or just looking at thequestionnaire angered others. Oneman was so disturbed that he threwthequestionnaire away and tried to forget ever having received it. Severalmonths later he "died" of food poisoning. Then, after reviving, he was

partially paralyzed for a week before he could begin to regain his health.During the crisis, he had another near-death experience that focusedentirelyon thecircumstancesinhischildhoodthathehadsteadfastlyrefusedtoface—which wasprecisely what the questionnaire covered. Nearly a year

passed before he couldbring himself to tellme this. (No, he never did fillthedarn thingout.)

Most of those who "survived" thequestionnaire, saidthat completingitwas as life changing as their near-death experiencehadbeen.Isuspectthereason for all this trauma is that child experiencers never "connect thedots" between what happened to them and what typically occurs after a

near-death state. In growing up, they accommodate, compromise, adjustto, and repress, as any child does with what cannot be understood or

changed, never realizing that their sense of being an "outsider," of "not

fitting in/' is perfectly normal considering the age when they had theirexperience. The amount of needless guilt a childexperiencer can tuck away

because of this confusion is disquieting.

I apologize to anyone who was upset by the questionnaire. Yet,I am

sincerely grateful to those who said they received a healing fromcompleting it.Apparently, thequestionnaire “worked" on levels above andbeyondits originaldesign.

The questionnaire follows. I’ve included the introduction sans mailinginstructions andcover letter.Addplenty of space for answers;mine spreadacross ten pages.

CHILDREN’S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES QUESTIONNAIRE

This questionnaire is the next step in_original observations about the near-death experiences of children,

Thepurpose is to recheck those findings, with an emphasis on aftereffects,

As a participant in this study, you have already undergone initialscreening. It is now time for the questionnaire, an aid for rememberingmore details, Donot hesitate to contact significant others should you needassistanceinmemory retrieval,

Please fill out all sections of this questionnaire to the best of yourability, even if some of the subjects were already covered in your initial

,'s project to revisit

screening. Do not be constrained by the amount of space available foranswers; simply use thebacks of pages or add additional sheets. Include a

blackandwhite drawingof your episode or of any particular scene in it—on

a separate page. (Drawings are incredibly important, whether or not youhaveany artistic talent.) Confidentiality respected.

PRESENT INFORMATION

Name andmailing address:

Phone number (indicate if anunlistednumber):

Highest grade level attained in school:

Major subjects or interests in school:

Present occupation:

Present religious affiliation and/or spiritualpractices:

Marital/co-partner status (state if divorced):

Give ages of any children (grandchildren too if applies):

Own home or rent?

Status of health:

Hobbies, extra activities,and interests (list specialprojects):

Present age:

NEAR-DEATH OR NEAR-DEATH-LIKE EXPERIENCE

Age when episode occurred:

Place where episode occurred:

Others present (list names andrelationship to you):

Physical circumstances of event:

Subjective experience of event (describe what you can remember):

Afterward, what was your initial reaction?

Did you tell anyone about your subjective experience?

If so, who andhow often?

Was any of your experience ever verified?

If so, state what was verified,how longit took to verify,and who verifiedit:

AFTEREFFECTS

Initially,how did this experience affect you?

If you told others|how did their reaction affect you?

Did manifestations from or because of your experience continue to occur afterward (likesudden or continued “visitations," unusual lights, voices, hauntings, vivid replays of theevent, etc.)?

If so,please detail:

If you can, compare your life “before" versus “after" the event-noting any differences:

If you can, compare other people’s reaction to you and your relationship to them—usingthe same before-and after-format:

SPECIFICS

Did your mind work differently afterward?Explainif yes,

Was there any difference in your faculties? Explain if yes,

Did your intelligence level change? Explainif yes,

Was there any difference in flavor of and preference for food and drink afterward? Explainif yes,

Did the effect of light change afterward? Sunshine? Explain if yes,

Did the effect of sound change afterward? Music? Explainif yes,

Did your energy affect electricity or electronic equipment? Explain if yes,

Was there any difference in your physical body and how it functions, or in yourappearance, afterward? Explain if yes,

Did your relationship to animals/nature change afterward?Explainif yes,

Did your relationship to your parents and siblings change? Explain if yes.

Did your relationship to friends and strangers change? Explain if yes.

Did your experience in school and with your teachers/coaches change afterward? Explainif yes,

If you had a counselor or therapist in the years following, was that helpful; did you tell thatperson about your episode? Please explain.

What was your health like afterward and in the years that followed?

What was your spiritual/religious experience like afterward?

What was the intuitive/psychic and dream world like for you afterward?

How have you dealt with any desire to return to where you once were?

Do youhave any regrets about what happened to you?

Do youhave a sense of “mission”?If so, explain what youhave done or are doing about it;

How do you now handle work,money matters, ownership?

How do you now handle stress, conflicts,negativity?

Did any changes you experienced fade with time? Remain as is? Or, increase over the

years? Explain.

Please share your present philosophy of life and the extent to which your episode shapedit:

PERMISSION-TO-USE LETTER

hereby give permission tomaterialsIhave supplied, as _ sees fit, in_ current study of children’s near¬death and near-death-like experiences, including the publication of same whether inarticles, scholarly papers, and/or a book,

to use whatIi

Iunderstand that this "permission-to-use” does not restrict me from using my ownmaterialto useinprojects of my own making, but simply secures the right for

my material without fees involved and without recrimination.

Signed:.

Date:.

CONCERNING YOUR IDENTITY IN THIS STUDY

May yoube referred to by your present name?

If not,give the pseudo-name you want used:

May your present city/state be used?

If not,give any other preference:

It is the custom of research participants a draftcopy of _ initial rendering of any quoted material from their case, so it can bechecked over for errors or misinterpretations. Projection for _ doing this is__

although no definite date can be set at the present time. Thus, it will beinformed should you move, so you can be certain to

to send to

advantageous for you to keepreceive that mailing.Return this form when completed,

Thank you!

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT RESEARCH

I do not use the standard double-blind/control group method most

professionals do in my research of near-death states,becauseIdon't trust

it during inital screening. This standard screening practice, whether inperson or by mail, is dependent upon questions that use terms in advanceof the experienced response and “lead" in the sense of how certainquestions tend to inspire certain answers. And most of the questionformats deemed''suitable" havethe same antecedent, geared toproving or

disproving a single "acceptable" model,

Certainly, when everyone uses the same basic research style andinstruments,better andmore accurate comparisons canbe made. And thisis desirable on one level. But, what if the original work was incomplete or

perhapsbiased in the sense of “preference"—either the researcher's £?rthatof the experiencer? consciously

No criticism is intended here, forIknow how sincereand diligentbothexperiencers and researchers are and how difficult it is to maintainobjectivity.Nevertheless, weneed toadmit that:

•No allowance was made duringthe early years in the fieldof near¬

death studies for inquires about unpleasant and/or hellishexperiences, or forbrief episodes thathadlittleif any imagery,

Experiencers whohadproblems acceptingor integrating their

episode were in essence "ignored."

* The full spreadofpsychologicalandphysiologicalaftereffects went

unrecognized for morethan a decade.

* Children's scenarios were assumedtobethe same as adults', theirresponses similar,untilmy study indicatedotherwise.

* Attemptedsuicides afterwardto getback tothe Other Side were

completely "missed."

* Correlationsbetween life experiences and what was met inthenear¬death scenario, the sensethat what happened was "needed," were

generally bypassed in favor of thenotion thatnear-death states were

a distinctly "separate" phenomenon.

* Negative aspects andresponses receivedshort shrift compared tothepositive ones.

•The three distinctly different types of subjective light were "lost" in a

rushto declarenear-death states as experiences ofbrilliantbright, ofttimes “white" or “golden-white" light.

•The“tunnel" component never was that common; even the“classical" model as establishedby early research was not andstillisn't allthat classical.

Both the "preference factor" (seeing in the experience what we want tosee) and the "pathological approach” (thinking it something we can

dissect, like heart disease) fail utterly to address the complex dynamicknown as "thenear-death experience,"

Today, in almost every discipline, previous studies are beingoverturned or revamped, notbecause past authors were inept,but becausetheir researchbase was notbroad enough to adequately cover their field ofinquiry. Since I’ve already mentioned heart disease, let me use it as an

example. We now know that the originalmodel for the treatment of heartdisease was faulted—its primary source came from work done on men,

When women were finally studied separately, vast differences were

uncovered in how each sex reacted—which led to the creation of a more

efficient andeffectivemodelof treatment.

Iam not suggesting that near-death states are in any way a pathology,butIam saying that the same premise applies ... we needto broaden our

research base. Few people realize that Sigmund Freud, the founder ofpsychoanalysis, formulated his theories while treating only twenty-two

people, That humankindis ennobledandspiritualby nature was lost inhisinvestigation of the dark, animalistic urges these twenty-two peopleexhibited. Exactly like the situation with heart disease, a model of limitedparameters was accepted as true for all. Over the years since, more peoplehavebeenhurt thanhelpedby the distortions inFreud’s theory.

Near-death studies have been caught up in the same situation, a

tendency to over-rely on a single approach based on singularmeasurements. Empiricalresearch canbe conductedutilizing a number ofdifferent approaches, andIcount mine as one of them. Past discoveries inthefieldofnear-death studies arepraiseworthy, but, observer/analysts likemyself are needed to track myriad details control-group studies cannot

address, If we are ever to understand the near-death phenomenon, wemust examineit from 360 degrees. Anythingless is unacceptable.

For instance, why do we keep relying on medical investigators insurgical wards for verification of the phenomenon when, neither withadults nor children,is theprinciple venue"death duringsurgery"?

This choice was a reasonable one duringthe early years of research,butmodern hospitals are turningmore and more to theuse of a new drug thatcauses amnesia in patients. Arenear-death cases on the decline, as arecent

but limitedstudy indicates, or are thepatients simply unable to rememberbecauseof thenewdruglli we are serious about seeking people within theconfines of a hospital, why aren’t we "hanging out” in emergency wards?The majority of cases, especially with children, come from drownings,suffocation, and accidents (minor surgery, not necessarily major

surgery)?"

To be fair, the control-group method of research developed about onehundred years ago is a reliable way to study the effect of a single agentacting upon a single illness that in all probability has a single cause. But

that methodbecomes ineffectual when exploringcomplex issues that have

variable causes—like transformations of consciousness (this includesnear-death states). A good reference for an illuminating discussion of thepitfalls inherent in standard research styles is ScientificLiteracy andtheMythof theScientificMethod, Henry H. Bauer (University of Illinois Press,

Urbana, IL 1992). Bauer makes the point that scientific accomplishmentsare often tied to the politics of "prevailing consensus," and that "textbookscience" cannot by its very nature convey either the value of the empiricalprocess or theappropriateattitudenecessary for such investigation.

Charles Tart, Ph.D., terms such abuse "scientism ” Tart, internationallyknown for his experiments that explored altered states of consciousness,and as one of the founders of transpersonal psychology, is the author oftwo classics in the field of consciousness studies: Altered States ofConsciousness (reissuedby HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA 1990);

and TranspersonalPsychologies (also reissued, only this one under Harper,

New York City, 1992). According to Tart, the job of science is togive us

information in order that we can make sense oflife experiences, Scientism,on the other hand, states in rigid and dogmatic terms what reality is andshould be. He identifies a true skeptic as one who searches for truth,withholding the temptation to establish finality, and “pseudo-skeptics" as

those who insist on only one path to truth and only one reality, Tart

reminds us that science evolved from philosophy and depends on open

inquiry,

Sensationalism teaches the public not to think To avoid this malaisewhile exposing yourself to thought-provoking theories on near-deathstates and related topics,I recommend that you subscribe toJournal ofNear-DeathStudies. All articles are subject to peer review,Iwould call your

attention to Volume 16, No. 2, Winter 1997, as it contains an in-depthreport from Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., and Sharon Cooper, M.A., on theirresearch of near-death experiences with theblind. Yes, they did findblindpeople who could see during their episode, but maybe not as a sightedperson sees with physical eyes. Their work suggests that a person’s

awareness can beomnidirectional andtranscendent. In the words of RingandCooper: "What wehave calledtranscendental awareness is at least thebeginning of thereversal of that processby which, even though the traces

of an everyday dualism remain, the individual is enabled, howevertemporarily, to experience the world from a perspective independent ofbrain functioning and the operation of the senses." Or, as one of theirsubjects put it, “Having no eyes,I 'saw' with whole consciousness." For

more information about theJournal\ contact: IANDS, P.O. Box 502, East

Iam gratifiedthat China, through the Xinhua news agency, has finally

released theresults of research conductedby psychiatrists of one hundredsurvivors of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which killed 242,000 peopleand injured thousands. The survivors, who had been seriously injured,reported about forty different experiences as they came close to death,including a “total recall of past events," Other common reactions were

extreme clarity of thought, a sense of calmness, a feeling of having no

emotions, a "strange sense about their bodies," and feeling a dreamlikestate. No mention was made of aftereffects or of any follow-upinvestigations with thesepeople.

I am also gratified that the research of Todd Murphy, San Francisco,California, has been recognized, including his investigations of children'snear-death episodes in Thailand,Ihavereadseveralofhis case studies andnoted the predominance of accusations andadmonishments as part of thechild’s scenario. The notion that experiencers always encounter heaven’sforgiveness and unconditional love in dying is a misnomer,I suspect, as

Murphy does, that cultural superstitions may have a lot to do with this,although not in all cases (refer to the previous discussion of Judith

Werner's case, and in chapter 7 the story of Black Elk). Obviously, more

research needs to be done in this area. (Murphy’s paper on this was

publishedinJournalofNear-DeathStudies, Vol. 19,No. 3, Spring2001.)

BeforeIclose,Iwant to share a most unique case with you—acollectivenear-death experience—where more than one person participated in thesame episode. Andit is one of themost evidential casesIhave encountered.It involves four adults (three men and one woman) on a climb to thesummit of Mt. Shivapuri in Kathmandu Valley, February 2, 1996. JulianRowe, M.D., was one of them. A condensed version of Rowe's account

follows:

“My trek in themountains of theKathmandu Valley was arrangedto go

somewhereand see something for four days with a guide,porter, andcook.At the timeIthoughtIwould feel like Eddie Murphy in [the moviel ComingtoAmerica.My royalaspirations were dashed whenIwas asked if anotherfrom the group, Brenda [a nursel, could join me.Ihad not met her but saidyes. Thenext day we were askedif twoAmerican men could joinus.AgainIsaid sure. A real party in the works; four people, having never met, goingwhoknows whereto see whoknows what.

“At dusk, after a difficult climb, we reached the summit. Scott and jhis

friend] Jeffrey Knapp arrived about ten minutes later and complained ofbeing very tired. Jeff appeared pale and required Brenda's help to removehisbackpack.Jeff complainedof nausea, andquickly chewed some gummy

bears. As we set up our tents and started to get settled, Jeff leaned over theside of the mountain, vomited, and fell backward to the ground. Brendanoted a lack of respirations; and, unable to obtain a pulse, we initiatedcardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Scott did mouth-to-mouth andIdidthechest compressions,Iknew Jeff was sick,butIthought we couldslowlyget fluids into him to stablilize him. This optimism fled as he sufferedanother arrest, CPR again initiated,I now received a wave of pure worry,and realized our predicament: three medical personnel on a mountainwithout any medical supplies. With each compression, I felt a greater

weight onmy heart. This was alltoo real.

“The Nepali troops, numbering about ten, refused to call Kathmandufor assistance or a helicopter for two hours. Meanwhile, Jeff againrecovered and we moved him into a tent, where we again piled him withsleepingbags and placed warm plates under his back. He suffered severalmore arrests. All seemed so hopeless. We stopped givinghim fluids as herepeatedly vomitedmorethan the fluids we gavehim. Scott lay tohis left,Ito his right, and Brenda gathered supplies and worked to get assistancefrom theNepalitroops.Around9:30 A.M., Brenda discoveredthat even withthe U.S. Embassy's assistance, we could not get a rescue helicopter untilmorning. Shortly thereafter, we decided to send our porters and guidedown themountain to obtain medicalsupplies,

“Jeff suffered several more arrests, although brief, butI just could not

believe he wouldnot survive. Hisbreathing changed, andhe slipped into a

coma.Ibriskly rubbed his chest with my knuckle, but no response. Hispupils fixed. So we watched, talked, and waited to see if he might be . . .dying. In this silence came the realities and images of the moment,

including the smell of vomit and burning coals in the tent, a mass ofsleepingbags. The temperature had fallen to around freezing. Scott yelledthat 'He could not go now.' Brenda andIchimed in, After approximatelythirty minutes,Jeff awoke, andsharedhis experience,

“Rosy red cheeks with a paleborder highlightedJeffs face, We staredat

him with concerned faces,not quite sure what couldpossibly happen next.

After writhing in cramps, and maybe anotherbout of vomiting, he told us

of an amazing near-death experience that included many of our deceasedrelatives. He told us all several very detailed messages from our deceasedrelatives andthen restedabit.He alsotold us that it was time for himtodieandhe wanted to die. We all could not believe this. He told us that he wastoldto tellus that we weretotakethe lesson of doingallthat we can do, andthat is what we must accept—that the decision of life or death is not reallydecidedby us,

"He suffered another episode or two of CPR, now totaling about ten forthe evening. In an attempt to connect with him andhelp him to hang on,weplacedthetapeplayer on his abdomen soothingly playing 'That's WhatFriends Are For.' We clung to each other in one of the most intense andmovingmoments ofmy life. We watched, listened, andcried."

Supplies finally arrived and an IV was set up to get fluids into Jeffsveins.He responded. "The sunrise approached andIhad an eerie feelinginmy gut. So much occurredonFebruary 2, GroundHog Day, why should wepresume this was over. Jeff remained on top of the mountain withouttransport and with the trauma of a night of arrests and comas.But he wassupposed to make it now.I kept these thoughts to myself; and with thewarmth of the sunrise, we transportedJeff out of the tent to a resting spot

underneath a Hindu shrine,his IVbottleshininginthe early morningsun.

News ofthehelicopter transport came a little after 6."

Jeffrey Knapp had a near-death experienceunder themost threateningof conditions, The tent where he lay became a war zone of three peoplefighting to save his life. The near-death scenarios he experienced lastedunabated throughout the entire night. His episodes involved the lives anddeceased relatives of everyone present, with specific messages deliveredprivately to eachperson whenJeff wasconsciousenough to doso. His episodewas a collective one in the sense that three people besides himselfparticipated together in the scenario "story form" as it occurred. Of thosepresent, the physician, Julian Rowe, documented the event Theinformation that was revealed from the Other Side couldnot have beenknown byJeffreyKnapp in advance, yet it was breathtakingly accurate andconsistedofintimatedetails thateachindividualregardedashighlypersonal

Although he is an adult experiencesIhave presented Jeffrey Knapp’s

case as a reminder to all of us how raw and sometimes violent themoments leading to death can be, andhow awe-inspiring is the ecstasy ofbeing able to pass through death and return. No skeptic can deny this, orargue away the impact of such an event with the arrogant claim of "it's just

a hallucination.” Equally deluded are "true believers/' for, just becausetelevision talk shows andbestselling books have legitimized the subject,does not mean everythingan experiencer says Is true or that the researcherhas done a proper job of investigation.

We seem to have forgotten something in our quest to understand thenear-death experience, andthat is thepower ofmystery.

Knapp's tussle with the aftereffects, what his wife and children havebeen subjected to, is both inspiring and disturbing. Any assessment ispremature at this writing.It can be said, however, that the lives of all fourpeople who trekked to that mountaintop in Kathmandu have beenradically and forever changed because of the near-death phenomenon.Sensationalizing this or any other near-death case serves no one.Experiencers andtheir loved ones need time to deal with what comes next

in fact. The greater challenge, however, is to society. Near-deathstates are capable of restructuring the brain and reawakening the heart,even for nonexperiencers who merely hear about the stories. Results are

oftenbeyond the reach of research to clarify, or of governments tocontain,or of rigidbelief systems tocontrol.

Unleashedby near-death states... is themajesty of the souL

TheFirstDecade

THETRUTHISBORN

The truthisbom

into the world

alwaysseekingexpression—

when weare taught

not tocommunicate;

not toexpress;

not tospeak;

andnot tobeheardsoearlyinlife,

We thenlearnata very, very earlyage,

toexpress

tospeak

tobeheardand

tocommunicateatahigher, deeperlevel;

welearn tocommunicate through theunspoken wordandthought

A t thislevelspiritsseekunion.At thislevelOnelearns tolisten;

at thislevelonelearns tolisten,feel,

speak, andbeatone withnatureanditsbeings.

—SUSAN FIRTH, FREEUNION, VA;NDE AT TWOIN AN ACCIDENT,

AND NDE AT SIX FROM DROWNING

APPENDIX THREE

Web Site ofP.M.H.Atwater,L.H.D.

www.cinemind.com/atwater

My Web site exists as a cyber-library of my research with near-deathstates, the spiritual approach to life, and the positive use of intuitiveabilities. Changes are made from time to time, especially regarding mytravel schedule, announcements, andnews.

When you visit the Web site, look up how to obtain my five self-publishedbooks:

tiedThree Times in1977. A compilation of articles written shortly after myexperiences—illustrated with thoughtform drawings.

eFrostDiamond: A true story about my first encounter as a child with hoarfrost—a colorbook.

ceSounds:Poetry and smalldrawings.

ain Shift/SpiritShift:PhaseIIof a theoretical modelusing near-death states

tounderstand transformations of consciousness.

e ChallengeofSeptember11:A mini-book, freetoall.

Other features include a section for actual near-death cases, referencelists for educational opportunities/holistic therapies/hospitals with a

heart, and The Marketplace. The Marketplace of NDE-Related Items of

Interest is a treasure trove of offerings from a host of near-deathexperiences or those like them. Offerings include such items as: videos,music, art,paintings, alltypes of inspiredproducts and services, a spiritualseminary, and so forth. It is operated as a public service. Products andservices are posted free of charge. The purpose is to help people connect

with inspired work, while enabling experiences to have a way ofpromoting what they do. The Marketplace exists no where else. Takeadvantageofit!

APPENDIX FOUR

Web Site ofInternational Association forNear-

Death Studies (IANDS)

www.iands.org

IANDS exists to impart knowledgeconcerning near-death experiences andtheir implications, to encourage and support research dealing with theexperience and related phenomena, and to aid people in starting localgroups to explore the subject. They have numerous publications, among

them the scholarly Journal of Near-Death Studies, a general-interestnewsletter VitalSigns, and various brochures and materials. Membershipin this nonprofit organization is open to anyone; dues are annual andinclude variousbenefits.

Donations to cover operating expenses are always needed and alwayswelcome, especially for the NDE Research Fund. Audiocassette tapes ofIANDS conference speakers are available. Ask for their list of national andinternational chapters (Friends of IANDS), should you be interested invisiting any of them. Individual reports about near-death episodes are

solicited for thearchives; tomake a report youwillneed to fillout a form, so

please ask for one.

Memberships, back issues of their publications, and conference tapes

can nowbe ordered,directly from their Web site. Check out their section on

actual experiencer episodes; it is growing as more and more people are

willingto share their stories, Do start an IANDS group in your area if there

isn’t one already; invite members from the group Compassionate Friendstocome, as those whohave lost a child findgreat comfort when exposedto

near-death experiences and materials. The annual IANDS Conference isheldin different cities each year; in 2004 it willbein Chicago.

InternationalAssociation for Near-Death Studies

2741Campus Walk AvenueBldg. 500

Durham,NC 27705

phone/fax (919) 3S3-7940

e-mail: officefSiands.org

website: www.iands.org

Footnotes

. With the majority, scores depicting genius were between 150 to 160. Theexception was those who had a dark Light experienceby 15 months of age.Scores for thesebegan at 1S6.

. Child experiencers in my study who turned to alcohol for solace (3 3%)

began drinkingduringthis phase.

.Childexperiencers who attemptedsuicide (21%) didsointhis phase.

. Always notice what young children do with the color yellow. They oftenuse yellow to depict spirit beings, new life from the womb, souls leavingbodies, and affirmations of spiritual truths. If engaged in frequent out-of-body episodes or feelingdetached fromtheirbody for whatever reason, it isnot unusual for kids to draw themselves as a featureless, yellow nonentity.InAmanda’s case, however, she depicts herselfhoveringmidway betweenher connection to the spirit being from the world behind the spirit doorand her livingbrother and parents. The sun is blackened, unable to helpher, and looks sad. Suggested here is a conflict Amanda could have beenfeelingat the timeabout which worldshe shouldinhabit

Endnotes

Donot wait/orleaders;doitalone,person toperson.

—MOTHER TERESA

Preface

P. M. H. Atwater, ComingBack toLife: The Aftereffects of the Near-DeathExperience (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 19SS; Ballandne Books, 19S9;

New York: CitadelPress, 2001),

P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D., futureMemory;Now Those Who "See theFuture"ShedNewLighton the Workingsof theHumanMind(New York: Birch Lane

Press, 1996; Charlottesville,Va.:Hampton Roads PublishingCo,, 1999).

One:EvolutionsNod

William Strauss and Neil Howe, Generations; The History of America'sFuture, 1SS4 toFOSS (New York: William Morrow, 1991), This is the bestreference I have found for identifying the distinctive agendas eachgeneration brings to the fore, and addressing the historical context of theyears in which they lived,

Sharon Begley "TheIQPuzzle,"Newsweek, May 6, 1996, 70-72.

Melvin Morse, M,D,, with Paul Perry, Closer to theLight;Learningfrom theNear-DeathExperiencesofChildren (New York: Villard Books, 1990),

"Is There LifeAfter Death?" US, News & WorldReport, March 31, 1997, 58-

64.

Michael Cremo andRichard Thompson,Forbidden Archaeology: TheHiddenHistoryoftheHumanRace(Alachua,Fla.: GovardhanHill,1993).

Richard Milton. Shattering the Myths ofDarwinism (Rochester, Vt.: ParkStreet Press, 1998).

Michael J. Behe. Ph.D., Darwin 's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to

Evolution(New York:Free Press, 1996).

Two:BrainShift/SpiritShiftP, M. H. Atwater. L.H.D., Phase II—Brain Shift/Spirit Shift: A TheoreticalModelUsingResearch onNear-DeathStates toExplore the TransformationofConsciousness, Available as a sixty-four-page, single-spaced cyberbookresearch report on my Web site: http://www.dnemmd.com/atwater

(various options for payment),

This findingof mine, that it takes at least seven years for adults to integratetheir near-death experience, has been verified in the clinical, prospectivestudy of cases in Holland, conductedby cardiologist Pirn van Lommei andassociates. This study was published in TheLancet(medical journal), Vol,

358,No. 9298, 12-15-01,

New Scientist magazine (January 8, 1994) cited the latest findings ofNicholas Humphrey, a senior research fellow at Cambridge Universitywho discovered that emotions are primary. His work concerns "sensoryconsciousness,” a term he coined for the brain's role in feeling. Otherresearchers have joined in, each adding more information about theimportance of emotion and how it influences the mind, A good book on

this subject is Antonio R.Damasio’s Descartes'Error:Emotion,Reason, andtheHumanBrain {New York: Grosset/Putnam, 1994).

Marianne FrostigandPhyllis Maslow, “NeuropsychologicalContributions to

Education."JournalofLearningDisabilities 12, no. 3 (October 1979): 538-

5 52. Also refer to thebook Evolution'sEnd, by Joseph Chilton Pearce (San

Francisco:Harper San Francisco, 1992).

Glen Rein is a senior researcher at the Institute of Heart Math, and can bereached through them at 14700 West Park Avenue, Boulder Creek, CA

95006; (403) 333-3700.

Refer to Richard E. Cytowic. M.D., The Man Who TastedShapes: A BizarreMedicalMystery Offers Revolutionary Insights into Emotions, Reasoning,andConsciousness(New York: Tarcher/Putnam,1993).

Howard Gardner, CreatingMinds {New York: Basic Books, 1993). HowardGardner, a psychologist and codirector of the Harvard Project on Human

Potential, profiled great minds of the twentieth century in an attempt to

characterize genius. He discovered: that discarding accepted ideas of whatis possible can make it easier to take new ideas seriously; that connectingthe unconnected leads to insight; and that a tolerance for ambiguity iscrucial to creativity, He points out that the word "intelligence" means "to

select among," indicating the importance of detail recognition. But geniusshakes together or clusters information,much as a child would, toarriveat

different or larger concepts.

Refer to Anna Wise,HighPerformanceMind(New York: Putnam, 1995), Thebrain normally operates at varying brainwave speeds. Wise createdaudiocassettes of music and sound frequencies so that anyone whowantedto couldhave an opportunity toachieve simultaneous “awakened"mind states, These tapes are available from: Kit Walker, Tools forExploration, 47 PaulDrive, San Rafael, CA 94903; (300) 456-9337.

Refer to the article “Brain Waves Move Computer Cursors," New York Times,March 7,1995,

jAtwater> FutureMemory, 20.

Jbid,169-170.

Murphy, "TheStructure andFunction of Near-Death Experiences: An

Algorithmic Reincarnation Hypothesis." Published in Journal of Near-

Death Studies, Vol. 20, No. 2, Winter 2001. Murphy’s paper "RecreatingNear-Death Experiences: A Cognitive Approach/' was published inJournalofNear-Death Studies, Vol. 17, No. 4, Summer 1999. His groundbreakingresearch of child experiences in Thailand, entitled “NDEs in Thailand/’appearedinJournalofNear-DeathStudies, Vol. 19,No.32, Spring2001,

*Arnold J. Mandell, "Toward a Psychobiology of Transcendence: God in theBrain," in Richard and Julian Davidson, eds., The Psychobiology ofConsciousness(New York:Plenum Press, 19S0),

j Michael A. Persinger, Ph.D., Neuropsychological Bases of Cod Beliefs(Westport, Conn.:Praeger, 19S7).

j Wilder Penfield, M.D., TheMystery of theMind{Princeton, N.J.: PrincetonUniversity Press, 1977).

j Raymond A. Moody Jr., M.D., with Paul Perry, Reunions: VisionaryEncounters with DepartedLoved Ones (New York: Villard Books, 1993).

Moody coined the term “near-death experience" and launched the entirefield withhis firstbook,LifeAfterLife,

,P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D, BeyondtheLight: WhatIsn'tBeingSaidabout theNear-Death Experience (New York: Birch Lane Press, 1994). The title was

altered in the paperback edition to Beyond the Light: The Mysteries andRevelationsofNear-DeathExperiences(New York: Avon Books, 1995).

,For more information about the imagery in otherworld journeys, peruse

the following: Joseph Campbell, with BillMoyers, ThePowerofMyth (New

York: Doubleday, 1933); loan Couliano, Out of This World: OtherworldJourneysfrom Gilgamesh to Albert Einstein (Boston: Shambhala, 1991);Manley P. Hall, The Secret Teachings ofAHAges{\x>$ Angeles:PhilosophicalResearch Society, 1973); Richard Heinberg, Memories and Visions ofParadise:Exploring the UniversalMyth ofaLost Golden Age (Los Angeles:Tarcher, 1939); Carl G, Jung, Man andHis Symbols (New York: Laureleaf,1997).

*For an enlightening discourse on this force, refer to Adolf Holl, TheLeftHandofGod:A BiographyoftheHolySpirit(New York:Doubleday 199S).

,James Hillman, The SouVs Code: Character, Calling andFate (New York:Random House, 1996).

,DavidSpangler, TheCall{New York:RiverheadBooks, 1996).

,Larry Dossey, M.D, Prayer Is GoodMedicine (New York: Harper Collins,1996).Also,Larry Dossey, M.D.,Healing Words:ThePowerofPrayerandthePracticeofMedicine(NewYork:HarperCollins,1997).

„ Kathleen Norris, The Cloister Walk (New York: Riverhead Books, 1996),

Also, Kathleen Norris, AmazingGrace(New York: Riverhead Books, 199S).

The quoteIusedcame from AmazingGrace,Ifindthe title ofher latest workintriguing,becausemany researchers attach thenotion of “amazinggrace"

tothenear-death phenomenon, andNorris herselfbehaves andwrites as ifshe oncehadsuch an experience (andshe couldhave when younger),

*Ken Wilber,ABriefHistoryof£verything(,Boston\ Shambhala, 1996),

*Kathleen J. Ford's TheDoor to theSecretCityis availableboth as a book andas an audiocassette dramatization, Contact her at 12401 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 306, Los Angeles, CA 90025; e-mail kifortiesaol.com, Althoughconsidered fiction, another excellent book about a child's near-deathexperience is Wenny Has Wings, Janet Lee Carey (New York: SimonSchuster/Atheneum Books, 2002),

j To obtain a copy of Henry Reed's paper “Intimacy and Psi: Explorations inPsychic Closeness," or to be notified of his workshops and speakingschedule, contact: Henry Reed, Ph.D., Creative Spirit Studios, Flying Goat

Ranch, 3 777 Fox Creek Road, Mouth of Wilson, VA 24363; 1-S00-39S-

Tkree:ANew ViewofNear-DeathStates

Raymond A, Moody Jr,, M,D., Life AfterLife (Covington, Ga,: Mockingbird

Books, 1975).

Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., Life at Death (New York: Coward, McCann &

Geoghegan, 1930).

International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), P.O. Box 502,East Windsor Hill, CT 06023-0502; (360) 644-5216; fax (360) 644-5 759;

"Active Support Groups.” Also, refer to page 257 for more informationabout theIANDS Web site.

Howard Gardner, Frames of Mind {New York: Basic Books, 1933). An

excellent review of this book appeared in UtneReader, September/October1990, 32-33.It was writtenby Thomas ArmstrongofMotheringmagazine.I would especially call your attention to Silverman's book, Upside Down

Brilliance: The Visual-Spacial Learner (Denver, Colo,: DeLeon Publishing,2002). Her findings in this study strongly suggest that visual-spatial kidsarethe forerunners ofnew generations of conscious children (who,Iwouldadd, areborn with thedistinct characteristics that near-death kids cometo

have).

Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D., and her assistant, Betty Maxwell, can bereached through the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development,1452 Marion Street, Denver, CO 30213; (303)337-3373, Silverman’s workin the field of gifted children is extensive and well documented.I wouldencourage anyone interestedto investigateher offerings,

To obtain Silverman’s monograph on Dabrowski, ask for a copy of “TheMoral Sensitivity of Gifted Children and the Evolution of Society" whenyou contact her. Also request her rendition of Dabrowski's theory, whichdiscusses his ideas about positive disintegration of psychologicalstructures in favor of compassion, integrity, and altruism. Refer to note 5

for address andphonenumber.

Five: TheImpactofAftereffects

Marlene Spencer, M.Ed., "Dissociation: Normal or AbnormalV JournalofNear-DeathStudies14,no. 3 (Spring1996):145-15 7.

To inquireabout thehospice work ofNadiaMcCaffrey, contact her directly at

3 34 Roosevelt Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 940S6; phones (40S) S36-472 7 and(40S) 733-S672; e-mailhttp://ww

These two books are excellent sources to explore: Mary Ann Block, D.O., No

More Ritalin (New York: Kensington, 1996); Judith Ullman, Ritalin Free

Kids:SafeandEffectiveHomeopathicMedicineforADD andOtherBehaviorandLearningProblems(Rockland, Calif:Prima, 1996).

Diane K. Corcoran, R.N., Ph.D., regularly travels across the nation andthrough other countries teaching thousands of nurses and health-careproviders about their role in supporting patients who have had a near¬death experience. As a two-term past president of the InternationalAssociation for Near-Death Studies, she has been privy to the latest inresearch and information on experiencer needs. As another adjunct to herwork, she has teamed up with Maggie Callanan, R.N., a hospice nurse andcoauthor of the book Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness,

Needs, andCommunications of the Dying (with Patricia Kelley; New York:Simon & Schuster, 1992), Together, these two dynamic speakers offerShades of the Rainbow, a full-day workshop on near-death states andnearing-death awareness, to any group willing to sponsor them, Todiscuss this further, contact Dr, Corcoran at 2705 Montcastle Court,

Durham, NC 27705; cell phone (919) 634-0547; e-maildiane.corcoran@kapa.net,

The entire story of Cheryl Pottberg’s amazing recovery and Dr. Gerald M.

Lemole's equally amazing conversion to holistic health measures ischronicledas a front-page feature articlein theLife & Leisure section of the(Wilmington, Delaware) Sunday NewsJournal (July 13, 1997, section J),

Contact Dr, Lemole through his office at the Medical Arts Pavilion, Suite205, 4745 Ogletown Road, Newark, DE 19713-2070; (302) 73S-044S. His

Web site.gthe:

title is Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, andhis trainingandcredentials are

impeccable. Teaming up with two other surgeons, he has established theM.D.’s MedicalHealthlineat (900) GETWELL ($1.99 per minute) toproviderecorded information on more than fifty diseases and problems, and to

give “the truth about natural remedies." Anyone can availhim- or herselfof this service. The average call lasts about fiveminutes.

Betty Eadie,Embracedby theLight(Placerville, Calif: GoldLeaf Press, 1992).

Aafke’s self-published book is truly a remarkable feat. It is by far the bestrendition of a child’s near-death experience that exists at this writing. No

English translation hasbeen made so far.It is my hopethat a publisher forit will soon be found. Should you wish to speak with Aafke directly, or ifyou have any ideas about getting her book published, contact: Aafke H.Holm-Oosterhof, Steenderkamp 26, 7921HE Zuidwolde, The Netherlands;phone 31-52S373103; fax 31-523-370364; e-mailaafke@holm.mvweb.nL

Play with YourFood, Joost Elffers. New York City; Stewart Tabori & Chang,1997.

Six:Many Types, OnePattern

The purpose as stated on Timothy O’Reilly’s forty-minute videoRoundTripis to "educate, enlighten, and heal/’ To obtain a copy, order fromWellspring Media, 65 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012; (800) 5 33-

5356.

Amanda Csanady, then seven, didthe drawing for the month of Junein the19S7-193S Mead Johnson Enfamil Calendar, publishedby Mead JohnsonNutritionals, 2400 West Expressway, Evansville, IN 47721-0001; (312)

429-5000, My thanks to Mead Johnson for allowing me to use Amanda'swinningentry,

I wrote extensively about correlations of significance between the coloryellow and the chemistry ofthebrain inBeyondtheLight(pages 180-132

in the paperback version). A further discussion can be found in myresearch reportBrain Shift/SpiritShift:A TheoreticalModelUsingResearchon Near-Death States toExplore the Transformation of Consciousness. Thereport canbepurchased throughmy Web site at

www.dnemind.com/atwater.

“Students’ Post Near-Death Experience Attitude and Behavior TowardEducation andLearning/’ a Ph.D. dissertationby Joseph Benedict Geraci, ison file at theUniversity of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.

Seven:CasesfromHistory

For more information about Lincoln, see: L. Pierce Clark,Lincoln: A Psycho-

Biography (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1933); Ida M. Tarbell, TheEarly Life of A. L. (New Brunswick, N.J.: A. S. Barnes and Co,, 1974);

EmanuelHertz, TheHidden Lincoln,from theLetters andPapersof Wm. H.Herndon (New York: Viking Press, 1938); Joseph E. Suppiger, TheIntimateLincoln (Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1985); Ward H.

Lamon, The Life of A. Lincoln, from His Birth to His Inauguration As

President (Boston: James R. Osgood & Co., 1872); Richard N. Current, TheLincolnNobody Knows (New York:McGrawHill,1958).

Einstein: TheLifeandTimes, RonaldW. Clark (New York: Thomas Y. CroweilCo,|WorldPublishing], 1971; andSubtleIs theLord. ..:TheScience andThe

Life ofA. Einstein, Abraham Pais (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press,1982),

Summarized from the paper “Did Near-Death Experiences Play a SeminalRole in the Formulation of Einstein's Theory of Relativity?" by J. “Joe"Timothy Green, Ph.D,,Journal ofNear-Death Studies, Vol, 20, No, 1, Fall2001.

The case for EdwarddeVere, the17thEarlof Oxford,having authored alltheworks accredited to Shakespeare is so compelling,I detailed it, complete

with references, in Appendix Five of my book FutureMemory (HamptonRoads Publishing, Charlottesville, VA 1999).

Refer toJohnNeihardt,BlackElkSpeaks(New York Pocket Books, 1972).Alsoobtain audiocassette #SU-6 from the 1995 IANDS conference on the near¬

death phenomenon. This is a tape of a talk by Steve Straight on theconnection between Black Elk and his biographer John Neihardt: bothhadhadchildhoodnear-death experiences andunderstoodeach otherperfectly.The tape is still available and can be ordered from: IANDS, P.O. Box 502,East Windsor Hill, CT 06028-0502; (860) 644-5216; Web site

Walter andLao Russell passed on years ago,but their University of Scienceand Philosophy is still active and growing. Their home-studycorrespondence course, all their books, plus Glenn Clark’s biography ofWalter Russell, titled TheMan Who Tappedthe Secrets of the Universev are

available to anyone interested. Contact: University of Science andPhilosophy, P.O. Box 520 Waynesboro, VA 22980; (800) 882-5683; VA;phone (540) 887-5030; fax (540) 553-1007; Web sitehttp://www.philosophv.org. Dr. Timothy Binder is the current directorandpresident of theBoard.

InfiniteMind: Science of theHuman Vibrations of Consciousness is a 1996

version of Valerie V, Hunt's original book, Infinite Mind: The Science ofHuman Vibrations (Malibu, Calif,: Malibu Publishing Co,, 1989). Littlechangedbetween the twoeditions except for thetitleand a few corrections,

Contact: Malibu Publishing Co,, P.O. Box 4234, Malibu, CA 90265. Many ofHunt’s music andsound audiocassette tapes are also available, as is a videoon the human energy field, (Details in theback of her book or through thepublisher,) My thanks toDr.Hunt for theright to quote from her material,

Inquire about newsletter subscriptions by contacting Raymond A. Moody

Jr,, M,D,, Ph,D., at Theater of the Mind, P,0. Box 417, Anniston, AL 36202;(205) 831-0199; fax (205) 831-9889. His Web site address is:http://www,lifeafterlife,com/bodv index.html,

My own work with "empathic experiences" is explained along withinstructions in how to engage in creating them, in my book The CompleteIdiot'sGuide toNear-DeathExperiences{with. DavidMorgan) (Indianapolis,

Ind.:Macmillan/Alpha Books/Pearson, 2000), pages 4S-51. Further detailsare coveredin another book of mine—its workingtitle isNotHere, Present

Elsewhere: TheRealTruth aboutDeath andDying(Virginia Beach, VA: ARE

Press, 2004).

Eight:EvidenceforaLifeContinuum

In thepaperback edition ofBeyondtheL/ght{Avon Books, 1997),Idiscussedthe case of Berkley Carter Mills as an example of the TranscendentExperience. The quote that appears here is from page 73 of the paperbackandisused withhiskindpermission,

The Pleasant and/or HeavenlikeExperience of Alice Morrison-Mays appears

on pages 56-60 of the paperback edition ofBeyondtheLight(Avon Books),

My thanks to Alice for givingmetheright to reuse some other materialandfor permission to quote from her additional comments. She has sincepassed away at the verymomenther physician daughter held inher handsa newborn she had just delivered. The synchronicity of this, of one soulleaving when another entered, deeply affected Alice's daughter,

transformingher grief to joy,

Arvin S. Gibson, “Near-Death Experience Patterns from Research in the SaltLake City Region,"JournalofNear-Death Studies 13, no, 2 (Winter 1994),

The specific quote used appears on page 125, Gibson wrote a series of threebooks, each a collection of accounts from the near-death survivors heinterviewed. These are: Glimpses ofEternity (1992), EchoesfromEternity(1993), and Journeys Beyond Life (1994), all published by HorizonPublishers inBountiful,Utah,

RobertL. Van de Castle, Ph,D,, OurDreamingMind:A SweepingExplorationoftheRole ThatDreamsHavePlayedinPolitics, Art, Religion, andPsychology

fromAncient Civilizations to thePresentDay (New York: Ballantine Books,1994).

Rand Jameson Shields is currently writing a book of his reincarnationmemories entitled ThereIsNoDeath. Publication date as yet unknown. He

canbereached via e-mailat riameson@vgernet.net

"Elvis and His Angelic Connection" by Maia C. M. Shamayyim, appears on

page 22 of Angel Times Magazine, Vol. 1, Issue 4 (no date declared). No

longer in print, the magazine was originally publishedby Angelic RealmsUnlimited, Inc., 4360 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA

30341.

CarylDennis, with Parker Whitman, TheMillennium Children: Tales of the

Shift Dennis self-published this book in 1997. The book is availablethrough: Rainbows Unlimited, 1415 Main St., #295 Dunedin, FL 3 4698; e-mailPrepare yourself, for the book is printed on lavender-colored paper. Thesection about vanishingtwins is on pages 138-166.

Raymond W. Brandt, Ph.D., publishes both Twins World magazine andTwinless Twins newsletter. To obtain these publications plus informationabout annualconferences, contact: Twinless Twins Support International,11220 St Joe Road,Fort Wayne,IN 4683 5; (219) 627-5414.

The research bulletin “Multiple Personality—Mirrors of a New Model ofMind?" vol 1, no. 3/4, is a double issue and is available from: Institute ofNoetic Sciences, 101 San Antonio Road, Petaluma, CA 94952-9524; 1-800383-1394 and in California (707) 775-3500; Web site

Web site http://www.rainbowsunlimited.com.

j Newsweek magazine, special edition, “From Birth to Three"(Spring/Summer 1997), The quote is from Geoffrey Cowley's article, “TheLanguageExplosion," on page17,

„ Thomas Verny, M.D., with John Kelly, The SecretLife of the Unborn Child(New York:Dell, 1981),

*David Chamberlain, Ph.D., Babies Remember Birth (Los Angeles: JeremyTarcher, 1988).

*David B. Cheek, M.D., "Are Telepathy, Clairvoyance, and 'Hearing' Possiblein Utero? Suggestive Evidence As Revealed During Hypnotic Age-Regression,” Journal ofPre- dt Peri-Natal Psychology 7, issue 2 (Winter

1992):125-137.

*Ian Stevenson, M.D., Twenty Cases Suggestive ofReincarnation (New York:American Society for Psychical Research, 1966), and WhereReincarnationandBiologyIntersect(Glenview,111.: Praeger, 1997).

j, Tom Shroder, OldSouls: The Scientific Evidencefor PastLives (New York,N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 1999).

j, Carol Bowman, ChildrensPast Lives:HowPastLife Memories Affect TourChi/d(New York:Bantam,1997).

j Two leaders in the field of NDA (nearing-death awareness) are MaggieCallanan and Patricia Kelley. Their book is Pinal Gifts: Understanding theSpecial Awareness; Needs, and Communication of the Dying (New York:Simon & Schuster, 1992).

j Two pioneers in ADC (after-death communication) are Bill Guggenheim

and Judy Guggenheim, authors of Hello from Heaven: A New Field ofResearch Confirms ThatLifeandLoveAreEternal(New York:Bantam Books,1996). Contact them directly if you wish to report an ADC or participate intheir research: The ADC Project, P.O. Box 916070, Longwood, FL 32791;(407)862-1260.

j Works by those spearheading research into PBEs (prebirth experiences)

are: Sarah Hinze, Comingfrom theLight:SpiritualAccounts ofLifeBeforeBirth (New York: Pocket Books, 1994), Hinze is actively seeking more

accounts of the PBE, Contact her through: Royal Child Studies, P.O, Box

31086, Mesa, AZ 85275-1086; (602) 898-3009, CraigLundahl andHaroldWiddison, TheEternalJourney:HowNear-DeathExperiencesilluminateOur

EarthlyLives(New York: Warner Books, 1997),Elisabeth Hallett> SoulTrek:

Meeting Our Children on the Way toBirth (Hamilton, Mont.: Light Hearts

Publishing, 1995). Elizabeth M. Carman and Neil J. Carman, Ph.D,, CosmicCradle: Souls Waiting in the Wings for Birth (Fairfield, IA: Sunstar

PublishingLtd., 1999).

Nine:AlienExistences

An intriguing collection of stories about the missing fetus syndrome isfound in Jenny Randles, Star Children: The True Story ofAlien OffspringamongUs{New York SterlingPublishing Co., 1995). Caution:Randies’s listof characteristics that she says distinguish “star children" is exactly thesame as the list that identifies average, typical childexperiencers of near¬death states, There is reason to question this “coincidence" and wonderwhat differences would emerge if research between the phenomena were

compared in a more thorough andcarefulmanner. The fact that a child fitsRandies's list doesnotmeanheorsheis ffalien. tf

Ben Okri, TheFamishedRoad(New York: Anchor Books, 1993). My thanks to

Doubleday for their generous permission in allowing me to quote fromOkri's work. My thanks also to Donald Riggs of Thorigne Sur Due, France,

for recommending Okri to me, Okri writes from a child’s perspective ofmodern Nigeria that is most extraordinary, and creates striking wordpictures.

Flavio M. Cabobianco, Vengo delSol (T Comefrom the Sun) (Buenos Aires,Argentina: Organization Zago S,R,L„ 1991), French and German

translations are available; anEnglish version does not exist at this writing.1 want to thank Flavio and Marcos Cabobianco for their many kindnesses,and Alejandra Warden for translatingour conversation andFlavio's book,

Thanks also go to Florin Lowndes for bringing along a German copy ofFlavio’s book when he stayed in our home. WhatIsaw as he translatedeach page convinced me thatIhad to locate the Cabobianco family, andIdidso with thehelp of Stephany Evans,

Peter Graneau, "Is Dead Matter Aware of Its Environment?” FrontierPerspectives 7, no. 1 (FaII/Winter 199S): 50-52. The Institute for FrontierSciences has since moved to: 6114 LaSalle Avenue, PMB 605, Oakland, CA

94611; (510) 531-5767; e-mail brubik@compuserve.com: Web sitehttp:/ /www.hea1thv-net/ frontierscience.

Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., The Omega Project: Near-Death Experiences, UFO

Encounters, andMindatLarge(New York: WilliamMorrow,1992).

Greta Woodrew, LL.D., and her husband, Dick Smolowe, LL.D., were

publishers of the newsletter Woodrew Updateuntil the fall of 1997, whenthey retired the periodical after seventeen years of “holding forth." Copiesof volume 17, number 3 are still available, as are other past issues,Woodrew's books On a SlideofLight andMemories ofTomorrow, andherstorybook for children, titled Near the ColorslSee the MusiclContact:

Woodrew and Smolowe, 122 Bayberry Place, Advance, NC 27006; (3 36)

940-2339; e-mailSTARFDN@PRODIGY.NET

Ruth Montgomery, Strangers among Us (New York: Coward, McCann,Geoghegan, 1979).

Proponents of the walk-in theory, or "soul switching,” have formed an

organization that sponsors regular conferences. Contact: WE

International, P.O. Box 120633, St Paul, MN 5 5112; e-mailWalkinsLiz@aol.com

Ten:ANewRaceAborning

Stauss andHowe, Generations. Refer tonote1, chapter 1.

Refer to note 5 in chapter 3 for contact information about Dr, Silverman,I

want to thank her for allowing me to quote from the material she sent me,

and from our phone calls,

This is an old Sumerian legend sculpted in relief on actual dated artifacts,thought to be symbolic by most archaeologists, but taken as factual by

researcher Zecharia Sitchen in many of his books. Refer to ZechariaSitehen, Genesis Revisited: Is Modern Science Catching Up with AncientKnowledÿ Fe, N.M.: Bear & Co., 1990).

For morethan forty years Edgar Cayce would closehis eyes, enter an alteredstate of consciousness, and speak to the very heart and spirit ofhumankindon subjects such as health, dreams,prophecy,meditation, andreincarnation. Dubbed the “sleepingprophet," he has since passed on,buthis work continues through the Association for Research andEnlightenment (ARE), 67th and Atlanta Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451;general information is available at (300) 3 3 3-4499; the bookstore phonenumber is (SSS) ARE-0050. Anyone can visit their extensive library.Membership is yearly; they offer a widerange of services andproducts andhaveactive study groups of theCaycematerial worldwide.

One interpretation of this is found in Kirk Nelson, The Second Coming(Virginia Beach, Va.: Wright PublishingCo., 1936).

An excellent reference for the legend of the White Buffalo is Robert B.

Pickering, Seeing the White Buffalo (Denver, Colo.: Denver Museum ofNaturalHistory Press, 1997).

Gordon-Michael Scallion, Notesfrom the Cosmos: A Futurist's Insights intothe WorldofDreamProphecy andIntuition—Includes GlobalPredicionsfor1998-2012, Originally published by his company in 1997, it should beavailable in any bookstore. If not, contact: Matrix Institute, Inc,, P.O. Box

367, West Chesterfield, N.H. 03466-0367; (603) 256-6520; fax (603) 256-

6614;http://www,IntuitiveFlash.com, Scallion publishes the monthly IntuitivePlash newsletter and a large map of what his visions have shown him theworld will be like after “the changes." All quotes are used with his kindpermission.

Swami Amritasvarupananda, Mata Amritanandamayi: A Biography (San

Ramon, Calif,: Mata Amritanandamayi Center, 1983), This book should beavailable through any bookstore. Or, order from: Mata Amritanandamayi

e-mail service@IntuitiveFlash,com: Web site:

Center, P.O. Box 613, San Ramon, CA 945S3-0613; (510) 537-9417; fax(510) SS9-S5S5; Web site www.ammachi.org. Quotes are excerpted frompages 14-16 and193. 1 want to thank SwamiParamatmananda for givingmepermission touse the quotes, andHelen Williams of Vancouver,BritishColumbia, for tellingme aboutMata AmritanandamayL

John White has written fifteenbooks, which havebeen translatedinto ninelanguages; among them is the classic The Meeting of Science and Spirit(New York:ParagonHouse, 1990).

*Stauss and Howe, Generations, p. 341. Also consider their latest book,

Miiiennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (New York: Vintage Books,2000).

j E. Alan Meece, Horoscope for the New Millennium (St. Paul, Minn.:Llewellyn, 1997). Meece excerpted parts of his book for the article “TheGenerations:An Overview," which was carriedin the May/June1997 issueof Welcome to Planet Earth magazine. Contact the publisher: The Great

Bear, P.O. Box 12007, Eugene, OR 97440; (541) 6S3-1760. Although thismagazine has been discontinued, back issues should still be available at

the address given,

j, The Adawee Teachings are produced as part of the Honor Series ofEntertainment/Educational Tools, For more information, contact: LindaRedford, 1034 Ninth Street, Apt. 9, Santa Monica, CA 90403; (310) 392-

Eleven:ThePromise

The CulturalCreatives:HowFiftyMillionPeopleAre Changing the World, PaulH. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson, (New York: Harmony Imprint Crown

PublishingGroup, 2000).

Charlene Spretnak, TheResurgenceof theReal:Body, Nature, andPlacein aHypermodern World{Reading,Mass,: Addison-Wesley, 1997),

Third-way principles are discussed in chapter 20 ofFutureMemory (NewYork: Birch Lane Press, 1996; Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton RoadsPublishingCo., 1999).Also, see chapter 3 in John Nelson, ed.. SolsticeShift:MagicalBlend's Synergistic Guide to the Coming Age (Charlottesville, Va.:

Hampton Roads PublishingCo., 1997).Ipennedboth chapters.

Walter Starcke, It's AllGW(Boerne, Tex.: Guadalupe Press, 1998). Shouldyou have any difficulty obtaining this book, or want to avail yourself ofStarcke's past works, contact: Guadalupe Press, P.O. Box 877, Boerne, TX

78006; 1-800460-2005 or(S30) 537-4837; e-mailwstarckefSiwalterstarcke.com.Iwant to thank Walter Starcke for his kindpermission in allowingme to quotehim.

The most documented of weather-pattern study andhuman-behavior linksis James DeMeo, Saharasia: The 4000 B.CB, Origins of ChildAbuse, Sex-

Repression, Warfare and Social Violence in the Deserts of the Old World(Greensprings, Ore.: Orgone Biophysical Research Lab, 1998). If you are

unable to locate this book, contact: Orgone Biophysical Research Lab, Inc,,Greensprings Center, P.O. Box 1148, Ashland, OR 97520; (541) 552-0118;

e-maildemeofSmind.net,

Refer to Jeremy Rifkin, The Biotech Century (New York: Tarcher/Putnam,1998).

New Visions for Child Care, Inc., focuses on preschool and after-schoollearning opportunities, as well as functioning as an umbrella for New

Global Visions for Children's Television. Muriel Freifeld's mission is to

tailor learning programs to meet children's individualneeds, "It's the kidswho tell me what they need," she explained, "not someone's theory,” To

avail yourself ofher expertise or to inquire about her innovativeprograms,

writetoher at 1073 7 Deborah Drive,Potomac,MD 20854,

Refer specifically to the work ofRupert Sheldrake inhisbooks,A NewScience

of Life: The Hypothesis of Formative Causation (Los Angeles: Tareher,1981), and The Presence of thePast:Morphic Resonance and theHabits ofNature(New York: Times Books, 1989),

Ken Wilber, The Spectrum of Consciousness (Wheaton, 111.: TheosophyPublishingHouse, 1993). This is thetwentieth-anniversary edition.

„ Mark Matousek, "Up Close and Transpersonal with Ken Wilber," Utne

Reader, July /August 199S, 50-5 5, 106-107.

,Ken Wilber, TheMarriageofSenseandSoul:IntegratingScienceandReligion(New York:Random House, 1993).

„ Ursula King, Spirit ofFire: The Life and Vision of Teilhard de Chardin(Maryknoll,N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1996).

AppendixOne: Tipsfor theChildinAllofUs

Newsclip submittedby L. A. Justice of TheNationalExaminer, 20 May, 1997

issue. A Window to Heaven: When Children See Life in Death, Diane M.

Komp,M.D. (GrandRapids,Mich.: Zondervan Books, 1992).

An excellent reference to psychiatry’s "disease labels" andhow they can bemisused, is Paula J. Caplan’s They Say you're Crazy:How the World'sMost

Powerful Psychiatrists Decide Who's Normal (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1995),

On the subject of false memories, refer to UnchainedMemories: True Stories

ofTraumaticMemories, LostandPound, LenoreTerr, M.D. (New York: BasicBooks, 1994). And, TheMythofRepressedMemory:FalseMemories andtheAccusations of Sexual Abuse, Elizabeth Loftus and Katherine Ketcham(New York: St Martin's Press, 1994).

Refer toRitalin-FreeKids: Safe andEffectiveHomeopathicMedicineforADDandOtherBehavior andLearningProblems, JudithUllman (Rockland, Calif:Prima,1996),Refer alsotoMary AnnBlock, D.O,NoMoreRitalin(New York:Kensington,1996),

Therealproblem with television is the element of "startle" necessary toholda person’s attention, and more specifically the effect that has on children.Investigate the work of Keith Buzzell, M,D, His research is containedin The

Children of Cyclops: TheInfluence of Television Viewingon theDevelopingHuman Drain. Available from Association of Waldorf Schools of NorthAmerica, 3911Bannister Road,Fair Oaks, CA 9562S.

Howard G. Hunter, "Did You Hear the One about Plato? Students NeedStories of the Past to Experience the Present,” Newsweek, 14 November,1994,20,

Time-Life Books published WhatLife WasLike: TheFirst WorldHistory ofEverydayLives (a series) to fill this need. Also get Zarafaby Michael Allin,about anunbelievable event in history that teaches all of us many lessonsabout life (New York: Walker Publishing, 199S). Memoirs andautobiographies are good sources as well. A gentle but enjoyable one Irecommend is Edgar Allen Imhoff s Always ofHome: A Southern IllinoisChildhood{Czrbon<idi\£\ SouthernIllinois University Press, 1993),

AppendixTwo:ResearchMethodology

fohnPhiloDixon,Ph.D., TheSpatialChildÿtm%fiÿ\ÿ 111,: Charles C. ThomasPublisher, 19S3), 9.

<§>

IambrilliantIamgolden. lamastarchildofGod.Iilluminemy worldwith thelightofthehighestheaven.

—THE REVEREND COCO STEWART

Index

abortion, 137, 138

encounters withunborn,142

missingtwin from, 144, ISO

abuse, 64-67, 69, 35, 110, 137-38,

147,163-64,236acceptance, 70accident,109-11,120, 124,126

Adawee Teachings,175-76, 206-7

adultsof alien (walk-in), 15 3-54, 15 7alien abduction, 15 3-54, 15 7, 163-64

brain shift/spirit shift as growthevent for,13-14, 1S2

child's aftereffects v., 81, 84-91,98-99,112,120

counselingof, 194-97,201-3

experiences helpingchild, 206

integration of NDEby, 96, 98-99,194-97

near-death experiences of, 6, 20,

40-41,47-48,81,146-47,153-54,161-62,175,250-53

as suicide deterrent, 70visualization techniques for,194-96

Adventure Camp," 224

AdventurersBeyondtheBody(Buhlman), 212

after-death communications (ADC), 151

aftereffects, 81-103. Seealsobrainshift; counseling;Light; spirit shift

advice for,101-3

alcoholand, 70, 36, 97, 213

of alien walk-ins, 165

bloodpressure and, 33, 94

cascade effect/imprintingofLimbicsystem on,18

characteristics of, 32-84, 91-92

in children v, adults, 31, 34-91,93-99,112,120

communication ability influencedin,81-82,33

dealing with,193

desiretoreturn to “home," 67-70,

34,36,39-90,91,94,96,103,113,138

of electricalsensitivity, 83,85,103,119

family/friendalienation, 70-72, 82,33,35-36,37,89,91,95,101-2

health and, S3, 92-95

increasein, overtime, 84

insanity-like, xv,146integratingphases of, 95-98integration, counselingand,190-91,192-99

intelligence and, 29, 51-61, 75judgment and, 73, 83-34, 39-90

ofLight sensitivity, 75,33,85,94,103,124,125,160

Long-term, 81-32marriage and, 83, 34, 113,119,131

money,mission,home and, 84,

89-90, 91, 94, 96,113,118, 119,120, 121, 124, 185,241-42

withnorecallofNDE, 104

"off course" feelingof, 29

pharmaceuticals decreasedtolerancewith,94(brain shift and) physiological,15, 5 7, 82

psychic abilities, 3 3-37, 52, 74-75,78-80,83,89,91,119,125,194,213(brain shift and) psychological, 16,

81-84

questionnaire on, 7-8, 236, 245repression of, 82-93, 95-96,120-22

social service and, 6, 30, 5 5, 62, 94,

121,124, 181,185of soundsensitivity, 75, S3, 94, 125

suicide and, 70, 86-89,97, 247

withoutmemory ofNDE,111-22

withoutphysically dying, 104-5

afterlife,alcohol, 70,86,97,218alien existence,152-66abduction, 145,153-56,157,163-64

astronauts and,164-65

missing fetuses and,145,150,152,

264nl

multidimensionalawareness, orientationto cosmos and,154, 15 7-58,

159-66

revealedinNDE, 15 3-54

twin abductedby,145

walk-in,153-54,157,165-66

AlteredStatesofConsciousness(Tart), 249

Alzheimer's disease, 113

AmazingGrace(Norris), 32, 25Sn23

amnesia, 248-49

Amritanandamayi,Mata,172-73Amritasvarupananda, Swami, 172AnatomyoftheSpiritifAyss), 230

AngelBlessings:CardsofSacredGudiance Scinspiration(Marooney),214-15

angels, 11-12, 26, 43-44, 49-50,78-79,92,106,112-13,121,136,193,208,209,216-17

counterfeit, 226-27anger, 64, 78, 224animals/pets, 50, 73, 75-76,91,102,

111,117,188Anyone Can See theLight:TheSeven

Keys toaGuidedOut-of-BodyExperience(Morrisey), 211Aquarius, age of,170TheArtist's Way:A SpiritualPath to

HigherCreativity(Cameron), 208

Aristotle, 132

Artress,Lauren, 215

artwork, 101, 113-17,120,130, 168,

208,222Ascension Consciousness, 229-30Association for Research and

Enlightenment (ARE), 223-25

astralplane, 170

attention deficit disorder (ADD), 91,204, 205

Atwater,P.M.H,

NDE of, xv-xvii, 2,23 3

research of, 6-S, 40,51,234-5 3

Web site of, 254

auras, 35, 78, 79, 130autism, 240

"awakened” mind, IS, 257nS

BabiesRememberBirth(Chamberlain)> 150

baby, 63-64,102

discarded,phenomenon, 217makingitself known tomother,136-37

sudden death syndrome(SIDS) for,

137-38

Baldwin, WilliamJ,, 203

Bauer,Henry H., 249

Becker, Gavin de, 224

Beck,Michael, 231-32

Begley, Sharon, 2,219

Behe,MichaelJ,, 5Bergman,Ingmar, 222betrayal, 70BeyondtheLight: Whatlsn 'tBeing

Saidabout theNear-DeathExperience(Atwater),25, 40, 5 7,

84, 135, 187, 261n3

Bible, SO, 169, ISO, 213, 226, 228-29

biochemicalmolecules, 5

biochemistry marking, ISO

birth. Seealsobabyaffiliations, 136

change ofplans and,13 7-39

choosing,134-36

fetal awarness, 134

NDE after, 64

NDE with,9-10prebirth memories, 64, 66, 13 3-36,

147-51,241second, 58-59,61-62,192

soulentry before,133,135,136,262n2

Black Elk,127-12S

BlackElkSpeaks(Neihardt), 127-128

black magic, 221

blackness,11

bloodpressure, 83,94

bluerace. See fifth race (bluerace)

body, exchange of,188-89

"TheBoneGame," 223

book of NDE,199-201Bowman, Carol, 150

TheBradshawShow, 216brain. Seealsotemporal lobesright v, left, 205

simultaneous, waves, IS

sound frequencies for "awakened,"waves, IS, 257nS

whole, development, 214, 222brain shift, 6, 192, 216, 219, Seealso

aftereffects; spirit shift

age clusters foundin, 20-21, 23,57-58

brain enhancement v.brain damage

for, 38

childhoodbrain development and, 23

consciousness's evolution of, 33,166, 1S2-37

as evolutionary event for children,14, 182-83

as evolution's quantum leap, 13, 37, 62

future and,19-24

as growth event for adults,13-14,182

growth spurs in, 19

imagery, temporallobes and, 24-26integration of experiences of, 16, 257n2integration phases with,96-97limbic system and,17-19

occurrence of, 14

organ andmind,15

physiologicalaftereffects of,15, 5 7, 166

psychologicalaftereffects of, 16,121, 166temporallobes, “things" future and,19-24

walk-in theory and,165-66

yellow and, 117BrainShift/SpiritShift(Atwater), 254

Brennan,Barbara Ann, 212

Brezinski,Daria, 205

A BriefHistoryofEverything(Wilber), 33

Brown,MichaelH., 223

Buhlman, William, 212

Cade, Max, IS

Cain,Marty, 215

The cTtf//(Spangler), 30

Cameron,Julia, 208

Campbell,Joseph, 26

cards, 214-15

career choices, 5 5-56,84, 89

Carpenter, Scott, 164Castle,RobertL. Van de, 136

Cayce,Edward,169, 223, 265n4

Center for HumanRelations, 203

The ChallengeofSeptember11(Atwater), 254

Chamberlain,David, xiv,150

chaos mathematics, 5

Cheek,DavidB., 150

children. See alsomillennialchildrenabuse of, 64-67, 69, 85,110,

137-38,147,163-64,236

actinglike adult as, 52, 67

adult aftereffects v., 81,84-91,

98-99,112,120adult experiencers helping, 206

advice for,101-4

aftereffect's characteristics with,32-84,91-92

age clustering for, 20,57

of alien (walk-in),154,157, 165-66

alien abduction,154-56

artworkby, 101, 113-17,120,130,

208,222behavior changes of, 91,120,124, 191

brain development andbrain shift, 23

brain shift/spirit shift as evolutionaryevent of, 14,182-83

compensationby,98-99

concepts of deathby,105

counselingof, 192-93,198-203

enhancedabilities/intelligence of, 51-62

feelings of, 70, 114, 199, 204

gifted, 59-61,168, 259n5integration ofNDE for,192-93,198-99

interview procedure of, 7language and,101,119, 120,149,160,191

with learningdifficulty, 52

learningreversalof, 120

multidimensional,154, 15 7-58,159-66

mutualNDE withparent, 99-101

near-death experiences of, 3-4, 6, 7,

8-12,19-20, 32, 40-50, 64-68,71-74, 78,81,86-89,92,93,106-20,127-29, 136-38,139-40,142-43,146,148-50, 181,191,198,216-19,224,236

parents' relationship with,68, 86,

99, 116, 191-93,198-99projectinginto futureby, 21sleep patterns of,101

supportiveenvironment for, 193

visualization techniques for, 103

visual-spatial, 259n4

Children *sPastLives:HowPastLifeMemoriesAffect YourChild(Bowman),150

A ChildsSpiritualReader(Rain), 224

China, 250

church,187,226Churchill, Winston,127

clairvoyance, 74

Clark, Glenn,129

The Cloister Walk(Norris), 32,25Sn23cloning, ISO

Closer to theLight:LearningfromtheNear-DeathExperiencesofChildren(Morse), 3

clusteredthinking, IS, 125

Cohen,Alan,190

Coles, Robert, 210

Collinge, William, 212colorenergy of levels of,170-71subjectivelight, 1S4

ComingEachtoLife:TheAftereffectoftheNear-DeathExperience(Atwater), xvi, 233

conception,134

Concetti, Gino, 227consciousness, 157. See alsobrain

shift; evolution; spirit shiftalternative/higher,173,228, 249

Ascension, 229-30

collectivetypes of,17

cosmic, 122,129,197

emerging v, enlarging, 23

evolution andtransformation of, 4,

5-6, 33,37,96,104,122,166,168-69,177-89,191-92,227-30

with feeling,17humanmindawakeningthroughsoulevolution,170-75

music for, 2Q7-S

sensory, 25 7n3

shamanistic,163, 165

singing, relaxation,meditation and,

203,211-12sub cultureand, 177-79

transcendental, 249-50

types of, 170, 132-33

visioningand, 30

consequences, of futurememory, 22Cooper, Gordon, 164

Cooper, Sharon, 249-50Corcoran,Diane, 92, 260n4Co-Redeemer, 230

cosmos, orientationto,153,159-66

Couliano, loan, 26

counseling, 30, 76, 34, S3, 121,192-97

adult,194-97, 201-3

child, 192-93,193-203

consciousness coach, 197

creatingbook ofNDEfor,199-201

Eclectic Group Intervention, 201-2

experiencer as therapist in, 194, 196

family/parents support and,192-93

193-99hypnosis and, 150, 197

Inner LifeMentoring, 202-3philosophical, 197

roleplayingand, 222-24

soulretrievals, 203

Spirit Releasement Therapy, 203

transpersonalpsychology,122,161,

196-97

visualization techniques/visioning,103,194-96

Counterfeit Angels, 226-27Cowley,Geoffrey, 149

Coxon,Robert Haig, 207-3

Creation, 160,162,132,134, 203

CreativeLivingInstitute, xvi-xviicreativethinking, 56-53,61,91,124,

145,203,212Cremo,Michael, 4crysta1/mirror gazing, 25

Csanady, Theresa, 60

Csikszentmihaly,Mihaly, 212

The CulturalCreatives:HowFiftyMillionPeopleAreChangingtheWorld(Ray), 173

culturalcreatives, 177-73Cust,Kenneth,197

Cytowic,RichardE.,13

Dabrowski,Kazimierz, 61darkness (that knows),11, 39, 42, 47,

53, 73,123,134,196,233-39Darwin, Charles, 4

Darwin fsBlackBox:TheBiochemicalChallenge toEvolution{Behe), 5

Day,Laura, 212

deathconcepts of, 105

cosmic/multidimensionalchildand,160-61

dreams of, 105-9empathic, experience, 132

wish,112deceasedpets, 50, 73, 75-76deceasedrelatives/friends, 50, 66,

73-75,93,106,109deja vu, 22

Democritus,132

Dennis, Caryl, 145-46depression, 70, 222DeSoto,Donna, 217deva, 215Devil/demons (Satan), 33, 34, 46, 73,

219-20,226

diabetes, 76-73

Diana,Princess, 17disappointment, 39 disassociation, 32, S3, 35-36, 37, 39,

91,101,125,146,160-61dissociate identity disorder (DID),

143-49divination, 213,214-15

Dixon,John Philo, 239

TheDoor to theSecretCity(Forti), 3 5

Dossey,Larry, 31

dreams, 9, 56, 63, 240

announcing,136-3 7of death and NDE,105-9nightmare,119

understanding, 213-14

drugs, 70,94, 165, 168, 248

legal,medicatingchildren, 204

Eadie, Bette, 99

earthplane, reluctancetoreturn to, 39

Eaton,Betty Sue, 215

Eclectic Group Intervention, 201-2

ecology, 160, 164, 168Edelman, Gerald, xivEdglings, 163

Edison, Thomas, 129

education. SeelearningEinstein,Albert, IS,125-26,129

electrical sensitivity,83, 85,103,119Elffers,Joost, 102

ElizabethI(queen),127"Elvis andHis Angelic Connection”

(Shamayyim), 144-45

Embracedby theLight(Eadie), 99

Emerson,Ralph Waldo,177

emotionslimbic system and,16-17, ISnegative, 24pent-up, 76

emphysema, 13 5-36enlightenment, 228

entropy, 5

ether, 48-49, 119

etherealpeople, 12

evil, 71-72, 78

evolution. Seealsobrain shift;millennial

children; spirit shiftcatastrophetheory of, 4-5

engine of, 13

evolutionary event of children and,14,62,132-83

humanmindawakeningthroughsoul,170-75

light sensitivity, intelligent designand, 5

quantum leap,brain/spirit shift and,13,37,62,163,174

of society /culture, 168-69,177-89

transformation of consciousness and,4, 5-6,33,37,96,104,122,166,170-75,177-89

uniformitarianism of, 4

falling,107-8false accusations, 226

family and friendsabuseby, 64-67, 69, 85, 110,137-33,147,163-64,236

alienation from, 70-72, 82, S3,

85-36,87,89,91,95,101-2deceased, 50, 66, 73-75, 93,106,109

dysfunctional, 72-73, 75-76relationship with, 68,192-97

TheFamishedRoad{Okri),153-59

Fenwick,Peter, 233

fetusesawareness, 134, 149-50disappearance of, 145,150, 152, 264nl

fifth race (blue race), 169-70,171-75,178

Fifth Sun,185-86

TheFirstDecade(Firth), 2 5 3

Firth, Susan, 253

Fitzgerald,F. Scott,1flowers, 103

Flow:ThePsychologyofOptimal

(Csikszentmihaly), 212

flying,109

FlyingHawk,128

food, 188

forgiveness, 175

Forti,Kathleen J., 3 5FramesofMindi.Gardner), 58

Freifeld,Muriel,180-81Freud, Sigmund, 248

FrontierPerspectives, 162

TheFrostDiamond{Atwater), 222, 254

futureknowledge of, 3 3, 34, 55, 62, 74,119, 124, 128, 142-43,157, 185

maps,171memory, 21-23, 35,91

projectinginto, 21

siblings,142-43

temporallobes and,19-24

FutureMemory(Forti), 35

FutureMemory:Mow Those Who ",See

theFuture"ShedNewlightonthe WorkingsoftheHumanMind(Atwater), xvi, 179, 215-16

Gandhi,Mahatma,13

gardening, 215

Gardner,Howard, IS, 5S, 25 7n7

Gayle,Melissa, 215

Generations{Strauss & Howe), 167

generosity, 175genius, 2, IS, 51, 57-59,117,120,

165, 23S-39, 257n7geographic location, 2S

Geraci,Joseph Benedict, 196-97

Geubtner,JoJean, 214

ghosts, 75, SO, 216, 21S, 220

Gibson, Arvin S., 136

globality, age of, ISO

Gnostics, 229God, 91, 92,100,101, 117, 12S, 177,

1S4, 1S6, 2IS. Seea/so]esusChrist;prayer

devotion to,173

existence of, IS7, 1S9

GlobalGrassroots Movement,230-32

-man,169

presenceinNDE, 46, 50, 69, 73,

130-31

turningto,121,129,190, 193, 220,

222, 225-26

voice of, xvi, 13S

willof, 232

GoddessRunes(Atwater), 214

Gollaher, Austin, 125good, andevil, 70-72

Gould, StephenJay, 4

grace,188

Grandin, Temple, 240

Graneau,Peter, 162gratitude, 78

Gray, Carroll, 64-67

gray magic, 221Great Spirit, 128

Green,J. Timothy,126

grief, 76,96,135,144

growth event,13-14,182growth spurts, 19

guilt, 146

“Hail,Mary" (Woodward), 230HaleBopp, 171

Hall,Manley P.,26handicapped,93,117HarmonicMeeting(Hykes), 211head,blow to,109-11

healing, 117

holistic, 93, 177,260n5

medicineman, 128ofmusic, 207-8spiritual,117-18

health,S3, 92-95

HearingSolar Winds(Hykes)t 211heartconditions, 72, 74, 93-94

intelligence, 18

mindconnectedto, 122Heaslip,Penelope, 222

heaven, 37, 113,141

heaven-like experience, 41, 43-45, 68,

131, 1S2

Heim, Albert von St Gallen, 126

Heinberg,Richard, 26

hell, 46

hell-like experience, 40, 42-43,1S2,236-38

TheHiddenHistoryoftheHumanRace{Cremo andThompson), 4

Hillman,James, 30

historycollectivehuman, 206Mayan's endof, 185

NDE in,123-32repetitious cycles in,185

tippingpoints in,178-79

TheHistoryofAmerica*sFuture(Strauss andHowe),1

Hoffman,Edward, 209

Holm-Oostenhof, Aafke, 102,203,

260n7

Holy Spirit, 27homeaftereffects anddesire toreturn,

67-70, 84, 86,89-90, 91, 94, 96,103, 113, 138

money,mission and, 84,89-90, 91,94, 96,113,118,119,120, 121,124, 241-42

honesty, 175

Honor Code, 175-76,207

hoomisinging, 211

Hooper,John, 227Hopcke,RobertH., 214

Horoscopefor theNewMillennium(Meece), 174

Howe,Neil, 1, 167,174,175, 1S5

Human,169

humility,175

Humphrey,Nicholas,17HungHsiu-ch'uan (Tien Wang), 225

Hunter, G.Howard, 206

Hunt,Valerie V., 130-31

Hykes,David, 211hyperreality, 163

hypnosis,150,197

1DiedThree Timesin1977(Atwater),233,254

illness, 120, 124imageryaccommodation,142

artwork,116

levels of, 26

innear-death experiences, 24-26, 47temporallobes and, 24-26

imaginalrealms,163-64, 209imagination,birth v.rebirth of, 23Imber-Black,Evan, 223

InfiniteMind:ScienceoftheHuman

VibrationsofConsciousness(Hunt),131

Ingerman, Sandra, 203

initialexperience, 40, 41-42, 47, 99,

182,236initiate, 202

Inner ChildCards (Lerner), 214

Inner Forum, xvi-xviiInstitute for Frontier Perspectives, 162

Institute of Noetic Sciences, 148

intelligence, 25 7n7aftereffects on, 29, 51-62, 75, 111,117, 119

clusteredthinkingand, IS,125

genius levelof, 2,18, 51, 5 7-61,117, 120, 165, 238-39, 257n7

growth, spurts of, 19

heart, ISintellect v., 205intution and, 59, 222light v. darkness and, 238-39

millennialchildren andglobalincreasein, 2-3

missingtwin and, 145

music and, 207spiritualdimension of, 59

types of, 59

InternationalAssociation for Near-DeathStudies (IANDS), 39, 105,

217, 233, 260n4

interview, 6-7, 234-35, Seealsoquestionnaire

"Intimacy and Psi:Explorations inPsychic Closeness" (Reed), 36-37

intuition, 37, 59, 110, 118,124,170, 222IntuitiveHeart, 36-3 7

invisiblebeing, 219-20

"TheIQPuzzle," 2

"Is DeadMatter Aware ofItsEnvironment?" (Graneau), 162

ft'sA/lGodiStavcke), 230

James, William, xiiiJefferson, Thomas, 123

Jesus Christ, 45, 50, 74, 73, 79,105-6,146,226-23

SecondComing, 171

Jones,Mary L,, 144

JournalofNear-DeathStudies, 249-50

"Thejourney," 223-24

joy, 70

Judaism,120judgment, 73, 33-34, 39-90

Jung, Carl, 26,123

Keathley,John, 223

"Keys ofInternalWisdom"(Rousseau), 203

"TheKeysofSound”(Rousseau), 203

King,MartinLuther,Jr,,17Komp,DianeM,, 190

Krishna,Lord,172-73Kubler-Ross,Elisabeth, 23 3

labyrinths, 215-16

LameDeer, 63TheLancet, 190

language, 101,119,120,149, 160,191,219

"TheLanguageExplosion" (Cowley), 149

learning, IS,61, 1SS

Adawee Teachings and, 175-76,

206-7conceptual, 16S

disability, 52

reversal, 120

Steiner’s Waldorf schoolsystem of, 203-4

styles of, 5S

for wholechild, 205-7

Lemole,Gerald, 93, 260n5

Leonard, George, 231Lerner, Isha andMark, 214

lies, 91

LifeafterLife(Moody), 38-39

LifeatDeath(Ring), 39

life continuum (lifebeforebirth andafter death), 91,133-51, 1S7

absorbedtwin and,147-49,150

baby makingitselfknown tomotherand, 136-3 7

birth afflictions and, 136change ofbirthplans and,13 7-39

choosingtobeborn and,134-36

encounters withunborn and,141-44

missingtwins and, 144-47,150

multidimensionality and, 15S

multiple expressions of self and,147-49,158

orientation to,158-59

prebirth memories and, 133-34,147-51,241

rememberingpast lives and,13S-41,

157,203soul,birth and,133, 13S, 262n2

life review, 11, 39, 43, 47, 71,134-35,233,250

LifeSounds(Atwater), 254TheLife WeAre Given(Leonard), 231

light,100,123. Seealsoauras

aliens and,154,155,156,157

beings of, 39, 49, 65, 67, 63, 36-37,106,127,140,134,237-33

goingtowards, 39, 46, 73, S3,

103-9,112,196intelligent design andsensitivity to,

5,57out-of-body visions, auras and, 35

sensitivity, 5, 57, 75,33,35,94,103, 124, 125, 160

spirit and,131,139

types of, 134, 247yellow,117, 261n3

limbic systemaccelerated, function of,17-13

brain changes and, 17-19

damaged, 240

emotions and, 16-17

shuttingdown of,17Lincoln, Abraham, 125-26Lindbergh, AnneMorrow, 13 3Linn,Denise, 214

Logging,Kenny, 212

loss, 70

love, 17, 41, 45, 70, 78,100,101,,113, 119, 132, 139,148,161,188, 189,218

magic, 220-21

Mandell,ArnoldJ., 24TheMan Who TappedtheSecretsoftheUniverse(Clark),129Marooney,Kimberly, 214-15

marriage, S3, 84, 118,119,165,181

Mary theMother, 230

massagebaby, 102

for cosmos multidimensionalchildren, 160

mass mind, 26MataAmritanandamayi

(Amritasvarupananda),172-73

math, 5,51, 55-56,118,119, 126,181,239

Matousek,Mark, 186Mayans, 185

Meddle(PinkFloyd), 211medicalmistakes, 48-49

meditation, 59,121,156, 212, 230.

SeealsoyogaMeece, E, Alan,174

TheMeetingofScienceandSpirit(White), 227-28

memory, 17, 24

archetypal, xivbiomythological, xivfalse, xiv,197

fields, 26

future, 21-23, 35,91long-term,20prebirth, 64, 66, 133-36,147-51, 241questionnaire forbehind, 241-42

mental illness, xv,144,146

mentor, 202

Messiaen, Olivier, ISMeyer,Rudolf, 209-10

milk thistle, 93

millennialchildren, 1, 166, 167-6S

aliens and, 145

classifications/characteristics of, 168,

170,174,180education of,175-76

fifth race(bluerace), 169-70,

171-75,178

IQ/intelligence of, 2-3,168

nationalmission of,175, ISO

near-death experiencers and, 3

social services,mission of, 168, 185TheMilleniumChildren(Dennis), 145

Mills,Berkley Carter, 134-35

Milton,Richard, 4

mind, 26

of futurememory, 22over matter, 18-19

mission, AsocialserviceMisterGod, This/sAnnaiÿlynn),!ÿ

Montgomery,Ruth,165-66

Moody,Raymond A.,Jr., 25, 38-39,

40,131-32,233Morrissey,Dianne, 211

Morrison-Mays, Alice, 135, 262n2

Morse,Melvin, 3, 4S-49,120

movies,191

Mozart Effect, 207Mozart, Wolfgang,127

multidimensionalawareness, 154, 157

characteristics of cosmos,160-61

orientation tocosmos in,158,

159-66

orientation tolifecontinuum in,158-59

multipleexpressions of self, 147-49multiplepersonality disorder (MPD),

148

"MultiplePersonality—Mirrors of a

New ModelofMind?”, 148

multiplesensing(synesthesia), 18, 56,

59,62, 74,125

Murphy,Michael, 231

Murphy, Todd, 24,238,250music, 57, 126, 129, 135,181, 239

healingof, 207-8

spiritual, 208, 211

MyPeace1GiveUnto You

(Mendenhall), 79

Myss, Caroline, xiv, 230

mystery schoolteachings,169

natural-systems agriculture, ISO

near-death experiences (NDE). Seealsoaftereffects; alien existences;brainshift/spirit shift

abilities/faculties enhancedby, 51-5 5of adults, 6, 20, 40-41, 47-4S,SI,146-47,161-62,175,250-53

age-cluster related,20,57

angels in,11-12, 26, 43-44, 49-50,

92,106,112-13,136of author, xv-xvii, 23 3,254author’s research on, 6-S, 40, 51,234-53

blowtoheadas,109-11

brain enhancement v.brain damage

for, 38causes of, 48-49,236of children, 3-4, 6, 7, 8-12,19-20,32, 40-50, 64-68, 71-74, 78, 81,86-89, 92, 93,106-20,127-29,136-38,139-40,142-43,146,148-50,181,191,198,216-19,224,236

components of, 39, 49-50definition of, 40

dreams as, 105-9

empathic death experience and,132goodandevilin, 70-71

historical cases of,123-32

inhistory,123-32

identifyingchild,120-21

imagery in, 24-26, 46,116

initialexperience of, 40, 41-42, 47,99, 182,236

integration of, 16, 96, 98-99,192-98, 25 7n2

life flashingbefore youin, 11, 39,

43,47,71,134-35,238,250love with, 17, 41, 45missingmemory (lack of recall) of,111-22,193,240-41

modern technology influence on, 3-4

multiple experiences of, 47-48

number of, 3

pleasant or heaven-like, 41, 43-45, 68

process of, 46

psychospiritualbiologicalevents

and, 190-91

rebuildingafter, xvrecognizing/claiming, in late 30’s, 193

research questionnaire of, 6-8, 236,241-46

as secondbirth, 58-59, 61-62,192

spontaneous recallof,121steps of revisiting, 210-12

storytellingof, 213transcendent, 41, 45-47, 127, 236

tunnelexperiencein, 39, 44, 47, 66,73,88,107-8, 247

types of, 40-41

unpleasant or hell-like, 40,42-43,182,236-38,247

“walk in" during,166

without dying,104-11

"Near-Death ExperiencePatterns fromReearch in the Salt LakeRegion”

(Gibson), 136

near-death-Like experienc e# 104-11

nearing-death awareness (NDA),151

Neihardt,John,127,128NeuropsychologicalBasesofGod

Beliefs(Persinger), 24new race, seedingof, 152

A NewScienceofLife:TheHypothesis

ofFormativeCausation(Sheldrake), 1S3

New Visions for ChildCare, Inc.,181

Norris,Kathleen, 32, 25Sn23

Notesfromthe Cosmos:AFuturist'sInsightsinto the WorldofDreamFrophecyandIntuition(Scallion),171

Novak, William, 212

Okri,Ben, 15S-59

Oldfield,David, 223

OldSouls:TheScientificEvidenceforPastLives(Shroder), 150

The OmegaProject:Near-DeathExperiences, UFOEncounters,

andMindatLarge(Ring), 163online journal, 201

O'Reilly, Timothy, 110

The OriginofSatan(Pagels), 226

other world/side,12,25,50,80,84,88-89,111,120,142,148,187

OurDreamingMind(Cast\e), 136

out-of-body experience, 8, 10, 30, 35,39, 41, 45, 48, 49, 65, 72-73, 82,86-87,88, 127, 139,143,211-12,240

Out-of-BodyExperiencesHowto

Have Themand What toExpect

(Peterson), 211

Pagels,Elaine, 226parallelprocessing,18, 56, 59, 205

parents

abuseby, 64-67, 69, 85, 110,137-38,147,163-64,236

advice for,101-3

baby makingitselfknown tomotherand, 136-3 7

childrelationship with, 68, 86, 99,

116,191-93,198-99child’s near-death episodes and,76-80,99-101

dysfunctional, 72-73, 75-76

interviewingof, 7, 23 3

inNDE with children, 99-101

past-life,19-20, 47remembering, 138-41,157, 203

pattern of occurrence, of futurememory, 22

Paul,Richard W,, 222

Peal,Norman Vincent, 38

Penfield, Wilder, 24-25

Persinger,Michael A., 24Peterson, Bob, 211

PET (positron-emission tomography)scans, 19

pets, deceased, 50, 73, 75-76

pharmaceuticals, 94

philosophicalcounseling,197

philosophy,103,131-32

Philosophy intheThirdGrade, 206photonbelt, 186

physical sensations, of futurememory, 22

Picasso,Pablo, ISPike,DianeKennedy, 214

Pink Floyd, 211

Pitocin, 168Play with YourFood(Elffers),102pleasant or heaven-like experience, 41,

43-45,68,131,182

Possibilities,, , LessonsfromtheSpirit(Mendenhall), 79

power, awareness ofof futurememory, 22

prayer,103,122, 187-88

power of, 30-31, 230-31

“Prayer andtheFive Stages ofHealing" (Roth), 230

pregnancy. Seealsoabortionbaby makingitselfknown tomotherin,136-37

disappearance of fetus during,145,

150,152,264nlPresley,Elvis,144-45Principles ofPlanetary Citizenship,

175-76

psychic abilities, 33-37, 52, 74-75,78-80,83,89,91,119,125,194,213

psychokinesis, 74

psychology, transpersonal, 122,161,196-97,249

psychometry, 74psychotherapy, 30,121-22, 248Pythagoras, 132

questionnaire, 7-8, 236, 241-46

Rain,Mary Summer, 224

Ray,PaulH., 178

realmagic, 221realmscollective/spiritual, 35-3 7, 127imaginal,163-64, 209

Rebornin theLight:LifeafterNear-DeathExperiences(Sutherland),

193

reconciliation, 180,229-30Redford,Linda,175, 206

Reed,Henry, 36-37

reincarnation, 47, 150rememberingpast lives,138-41

rejection, 59,67, 70-72, 75-76, 82, 95relativity, theory of,126religion, 92, 186. SeealsoBiblefigures from, 50, 124spiritualpath v., 31-32,83,119,

125,226-28

research, 6-7, 40, 51

author’s, 6-8, 40, 51, 234-53

interview andobservation,6-7, 234-3 5

issues/objectivity of, 247-48

procedure of, 235questionnaire, 7-8, 236, 241-46

scientific,190-91, 249

searching for truth with,234respect, 175

responsibility, 175

TheResurgenceoftheReal:Body;Nature, andPlaceinaHypermodernWorld(Spretnak), 178

right/wrong, 46

Ring,Kenneth, 39, 40, 163, 233, 249-50rituals, roleplayingand, 222-24Roberts,Janine, 223

Roethe, Theodore, 81

roleplaying,rituals and, 222-24Roosevelt,FranklinD., 129

root race. Seefifth race (blue race)

Roth,Ron, 230

RoundTrip(O'Reilly),110Rousseau,Ruth, 208Rowe,Julian, 250-52Russell,Lao, 130

Russell, Walter, 128-29

Sagan, Carl, 104

saints,124

Satan. SeeDevilSAV-BABY, 217

Scallion,Gordon-Michael, 171-72

science, 186-87,190-91, 249

ScientificLiteracyandtheMythofthe

ScientificMethod(Bauer), 249

scientific research,190-91,233scientism, 249

Second Coming, 62,171TheSecretLifeoftheUnborn Child(Verny),149

self,129,241multiple expressions of, 147-49

worth, 96

sensationalism, 249

senses, 188expansion of, 35-36, 54

Shades of theRainbow, 260n4

shaman,163,165, 203, 209

Shamayyim,Maia C,M.,144-45

ShatteringtheMythsofDarwinsim(Milton), 4

Sheldrake,Rupert, 183

Shinn,Florence Shovel, 231Shroder, Tom,150

Shumsky, Susan G., 213

siblingsabsorbedtwin,147-49,150

abuseby, 85

encounters withunborn,141-44

missingtwin,144-47, 150

Silverman,Linda, 60, 168-69sleep,101

Smolowe,Dick, 164

social justice, 6, 62

socialservice, 6, 30, 55, 62, 94, 121,124, 168, 175,180,185

society /culturedecline of, 204, 205

evolution of,168-69,177-89

Socrates, 132

soul, 140-41,159,161,189, 221, 241enterbeforebirth,133,135,136,

262n2

as eternal, 148

exchange of, 138,165-66, 262n2

exitingbody at death, 74

force, 13

formlessness of, 166

guardian,161-62humanmindawakeningthroughevolution of, 170-75

making, 224-32

psychic abilities of, 36

psychotherapy’s search for, 30

retrievals, 203

transmigration of, 205-6

soulmagic, 221SoulRetrieval:Mendingthe

FrogmentedSelf(Ingerman), 203

TheSoul's Code:Character, CallingandFate(Hillman), 30

sound sensitivity, 75, 83, 94, 125, 160Spangler,David, 30

Sparrow, G, Scott, 202-3spatialreasoning, 57, 239-40, 259n4

TheSpatialChild(Dixon), 239

TheSpectrumofConsciousness(Wilber), 186

spiritanatomy of, 203

art of goinginto, 203

awakeningof,170

beingin, 208-10

beings, 216, 219-20

coping with, 216-22

energies, 209

intervention of, 123

light and,131,189

orientation of life continuum with,158-59

steps for dealing with,212-16SpiritReleasement Therapy:A

TechniqueManual(Baldwin), 203

spirit shift, 6, 26, 192. Seealsoaftereffects;brain shiftchildren's near-death experience and, 32collective/spiritualrealms with, 3 5-37consciousness's evolution of, 33,

166, 182-87divine intervention of, 29-30

as evolutionary event, 14, 62,

182-83as evolution's quantum leap, 13

as growth event,13-14, 182

intelligent luminosity of, 27prayer's power with, 30-31psychic abilities with, 3 3-3 7

religious settings v. spiritualpath in, 31-32

service vocation from, 30,55social justice and, 6, 62

walk-in theory and,165-66

yellow and, 114-17spiritualawakening, 15

spirituality, 91,113,122,145,146,

178, 191, 202. Seealsospirit]transcendent experiences

of children, 208-10

divination and, 213, 214-15

dreams and, 213-14

gardening,devas and, 215gifts of spirit and,119, 213, 220healing,117-18labyrinths and, 215-16NativeAmerican,127-28power over v,power to, 225

religion v., 31-32, S3, 119,125, 226-28

roleplayingand, 223-24

science and, 186-87

soulmakingand, 224-32steps of revisitingNDE with, 210-12storytellingand, 213yellow and, 114-17

TheSpiritualLifeofChildren(Coles), 210

Spretnak, Charlene,178

Starcke, Walter, 179-80, 228-30

Stefani,Robert, 201-2

Steiner,Rudolf, 203-4

Stevenson,Ian,150Stone,Richard, 213

storytelling, 213

StrangersAmongUs(Montgomery)t

165-66

Strauss, William, 1,167,174, 175, 135

stress, 23-24,179

“The Structure andFunction ofNear

Death Experiences: AnAlgorithmic ReincarnationHypothesis" (Murphy), 24

“Student's Post Near-Death ExperienceAttitudeandBehavior TowardEducation andLearning" (Geraci), 196-97

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS),13 7-3S

sugar, 103

suicide, 70, 36-89, 97,13 7, 204, 247

Sutherland, Cherie,193

Sylvania, Claire, 212Symbolic Life, 28

synchronicity,110

synesthesia. Seemultiplesensing

Tart, Charles, 249

Tauri, of the Ogatta Group,152,164Taylor,Jeremy, 214Teilhardde Chardin,Pierre, xvii,136-87

Teleos Institute, 214telepathy,11,46, 152, 155

television, 204

temporallobesdamage, 219

development v. expansion, 23, 53, 61

future and,19-24

imagery and, 24-26

left, 24

as mediator within, 25-26

as patterningcenter, 21

right, 24Sylvian fissurein, 24

Theatre ofLifeExperientialProgram, 214therapy. counselingthinking, IS,125, 204. Seealso

intelligencecreative, 56-5S, 61, 91,124,145, 20S

ThinkinginPictures, andOtherReportsfromMyLife withAutismiGrzndin),239-240

“Thinking,Not Shrinking" (Wexler), 197

ThirdReality, 229ThirdWay, 179-SO

Thompson,Richard, 4

“thought wave"universe,130

time-spacecontinuum, 23, 62

different sense of, 39

Mayan, 1S6

tippingpoints, inhistory,178-79Tomlin,Lily,122

tonsillectomies, 4S-49, 119,154

touch therapy, 102

“Towarda Psychobiology ofTranscendence: God.in theBrain"(Mandell), 24

trance dancing, 231trancelike, ambient sounds, 211

transcendent experiences, 41,45-47,171, 179, 1S3, 194, 227-28, 236

transpersonalpsychology,122, 161,

196-97,249

truth, 26,169,137, 217, 225, 230,232,234

tunnel, 39, 44, 47, 66, 73, S3, 107-3,

115-16,247Twain,Mark,129

Twenty CasesSuggestiveofReincarnation(Stevenson), 150

Twenty-firstCentury:TeachingtheWholeCft;/ÿ(Brezinski),205

Twinless Twins, 146

twinsabsorbed, 147-49,150

missing,144-47,150

Twins World, 146

UFO, Seealien existenceuniformitariansim, 4University of Science andPhilosophy,130

TheDivine//ÿ(Russell),129

TheUniversalOne(Russell),129unpleasant or hell-like experience, 40,

42-43,182,236-33,247UtneReader, 136,197

Van de Castle,Robert L,, 213

vanLommel,Pim, 190

The VarietiesofReligiousExperiences(James), xiii

The VeinofGold:AJourney to Your

HigherCreativeHeart(Cameron), 203

Vere,Edwardde(Earlof Oxford), 127

Verny, Thomas, 149

Vietnam War,139

Villoldo, Alberto, 167VisionaryEncounters withDepartedLovedOnes{Moody), 25

visioning, 30, 231-32

visions. Seealsolightcollective/spiritualrealm with, 36, 127

out-of-body, 3, 10, 30, 3 5, 39, 41,45, 43, 49, 65, 72-73, 36-37, S3,

127,139,143,240ofRiders of theFour Directions,127of Thunder Beings,127-23VisionsofInnocence:SpiritualandInspirationalExperiencesofChildhoodQrioftm*n)t 209

visualization techniques, 30, 103,

194-96,210,231-32VitalSignsMagazine, 233voice(s)

of God, xvi,133hearing, 39, 44, S3,107,127-23

subjective, 221

VoiceLikeNone Other, xvivolunteer, 101

Vorburger, Anne, 175

Waldorf schools, 203-4

walk-ins, 15 3-54, 157,165-66

Walk-ins for Evolution (WE),166

Warren,NeilG., 224

Web sitesauthor, 254

Internationa1Association for Near-DeathStudies, 25 5

Wexler,Laura,197

WhenEgoDies:A CompilationofNear-Death dkMysticalConversionExperiences, 217

WhereReincarnationandBiologyIntersectÿStevenson), 150

White,John,173,227-28

whitemagic, 221Wilber,Ken, 33,186will, 204, 232

Williams, Carol, 215

A WindowtoNeaveniKomp), 190

wisdom, 175

The WisdomofFairy Tales(Meyer),

209-10

Wise, Anna, IS, 257nS

Woodrew, Greta, 164

WoodrewUpdate, 164Woodward,Kenneth L., 230

workaholics,124

World-WideLabyrinthProject, 215

woundology, xivwriting,101,120,191

yellow,114-17

yoga, 121, 193

Zodiacalcycles,170

OTHER BOOKS BY P.M.H. ATWATER

BeyondtheLight

ChildrenoftheNewMillenniumComingBack toLife

The CompleteIdiot'sGuide toNear-DeathExperiencesFutureMemory

GoddessRunesTheMagicalLanguageofRunes

WeLiveForever:TheRealTruthaboutDeath

About The Author

P. M. H, Atwater is one of the original researchers of the near-deathphenomenon, havingbegun her work in 197S. Today, her contribution to

the field ofnear-death studies is considered on a par withthat ofRaymond

Moody and Kenneth Ring. Her first two books, ComingBack to Life andBeyondtheLight(in-depth studies of what happens to adult experiences),

are considered the bibles of the near-death experience. With thepublication ofFutureMemory, she expanded her work into areas of braindevelopment that call for a reconsideration of what is presently knownabout transformations of consciousness.

Rune casting with the elder yin or Goddess Runes became therapy forher after she survived three death events that produced three differentnear-death experiences in 1977. Her investigation of these primordialrunic glyphs led to her books TheMagicalLanguageofRunes(out of print)

and Goddess Runes (now available through A. Merklinger Publishing),offered as thanks for what she has gained and also to pass on the skill ofrunecasting.

ChildrenoftheNewMillennium, an in-depth study of childexperiencersof near-death states (the original version of this book), has been greatlyexpandedinto TheNew ChildrenandNear-DeathExperiences.Her book, TheCompleteIdiot's Guide toNear-Death Experiences (with David Morgan), isan encyclopedia of the entire phenomenon, both the experience—itsaftereffects and implications, positive/negative—and the genre ofconsciousness transformations/otherworldly journeys.

We LiveForever: The Real Truth about Death, combines her research,her personal experiences and those of others, into an uncommon guide of

spirit realms and soulpower. She is currently working on a book about our

newest generations—bearers of light in a world of upheaveal. Check on herWeb site www.cinemind.com/atwater for announcements.

Also available on P. M. H.Atwater’s Web site areher publicationsIDiedThree Times in 1977, The Frost Diamond, Life Sounds, The Challenge ofSeptember 11, and Brain Shift/Spirit Shift: A Theoretical Model UsingResearch on Near-Death States to Explore the Transformation ofConsciousness, threenew research papers, and"A Book ofColumns."

Happily married, Atwater is the mother of three, grandmother of four(inbodies) andone nowin spirit. She has dedicated theremaining years ofher life to writing and speaking about the soul, spirit realms, the power ofprayer, andhelpingtodispelthe fear associated with death anddying.