The "light" in a near death experience.

Penguin · 07-01-2006, 01:45 PM

I was just sat in the garden mulling things over and it occured to me that you know when you have read all these experiences people have had when they have died and have felt out of their bodies and then are taken towards a tunnel of light etc In the bible it is mentioned alot things like "i am light" and "there was light" and "show the light" could this be the same type of "light" that these near death experiences are based. Could at the of this "light" be heaven ? Also, does anybody believe that once you are dead you actually see or communicate with your relatives that have passed before? Many thanks.

RubySera_Martin · 07-02-2006, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penguin

I was just sat in the garden mulling things over and it occured to me that you know when you have read all these experiences people have had when they have died and have felt out of their bodies and then are taken towards a tunnel of light etc In the bible it is mentioned alot things like "i am light" and "there was light" and "show the light" could this be the same type of "light" that these near death experiences are based. Could at the of this "light" be heaven ?

I don't think all of these different lights refer to the same thing. I think perhaps for people in near death experiences the light is heaven, or at least they seem to think it is.

In the "there was light" in Gen. 1 probably refers to light that can be seen. Maybe I'm wrong on this but it is what I have always thought.

When Jesus says "I am the light" I think he is talking about enlightenment or spiritual insight, that he is the guide for a spiritual life.

Quote:

Also, does anybody believe that once you are dead you actually see or communicate with your relatives that have passed before? Many thanks.

A lot of Christians do. I personally don't know, nor do I consider it important. I don't think I have any "loved ones" over there that I would especially want to see or talk to.

Pico · 07-02-2006, 06:58 AM

I think the light you see is God's light. From what I've read about near death experiences, and the Bible, once you die (well for the peopel who have heavenly near death experieces, from what I've read), you go to meet God, and God is always described as a being of light, much brigher than the sun.

I guess the light can be described as God's glory. Also in the Bible, heaven and God are refered to as "the light" and hell is darkness. Perhaps it's meant literaly.

Virtual_Cliff · 07-03-2006, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubySera_Martin

When Jesus says "I am the light" I think he is talking about enlightenment or spiritual insight, that he is the guide for a spiritual life.

Angels are bright (a "shining throng"), St Paul saw a light, Moses was bathed in light (IIRC), as was Jesus in the transfiguration. Visions of bright lights from heaven continue to the present. There does seem to be some link between close encounters with the divine and a visible bright light. Interesting that NDE's mostly refer to the light as golden. I wonder why that is.

Quahom1 · 07-04-2006, 06:49 AM

Some argue that the "light" seen by those in near death experiences is nothing more than "synapses" firing out of sequence as the brain shuts down. The irony here is that we know that hearing is one of the last senses to fail during death, yet no one speaks of hearing "choirs" or music (heavenly). Could this mean that "sight" is beyond the objective consciousness (that is the five senses)? If so, then the argument for consciousness beyond the physical brain could be quite real, yet not of this physical realm.

what a thought...

v/r

Q