Near Death Experiences: What we can learn from them
By Duane Hewitt
Here in 2020, it seems that the doors have been flung wide open regarding the topic of the Afterlife and the purpose of life on earth through the many accounts of Near Death Experiences. No longer just the domain of Near Death Experiencer Betty Eadie (based on her 1992 bestseller Embraced by the Light), there are literally thousands of accounts by those who are not afraid to come forward with what they experienced while transitioning to death. And even if one is skeptical, it can’t be denied that there are many shared similarities by those who have had a near death experience.
So what might we take from those experiences? In no particular order, it would seem that…
Life on this earth is like school: We come to learn. This includes what we might learn through the people who come into our lives as well as the many experiences we have, even if those experiences and associations are difficult.
Life is meant to be hard: The reason for our hardships is apparently for our growth. When that growth occurs, it’s better for us and the world around us. This all still raises a lot of questions about why life is so much harder for some than for others.
We are here to learn how to love: That’s right. Even some of your toughest experiences with people are meant to help open your heart, stop judging, and simply learn to love. And it must be noted that there are many types of love other than romantic love or the love we have for family and friends. So learn to love morning sky and evening sunsets, the feel of the wind on your face, your cuddly pets, and even yourself.
We are here to learn nonjudgmental compassion: As with love, we need to learn non-judgmental compassion for others. It isn’t our place to judge, mainly because we will never know the circumstances, the background, or the personal details of another. However, it should be fair to state that in many cases we would still be prudent to weigh and evaluate.
We’re here to experience life in the physical plane: If you feel drawn to having certain experiences like developing and enjoying wealth, riding a motorcycle, or seeing the world or whatever, there’s probably a reason for it. This is the place to do it – the physical plane. We stand to have entirely different perspectives of our physical experiences than on the other side. But here in this place you can have a great many physical experiences that can’t be felt any other way.
You have a special mission on this earth that is unique to you: We might have one major purpose or a number of purposes – and it can range from learning to love difficult siblings to helping others in some way. Sometimes you may find yourself in an unexpected situation, which is where you’re meant to be, whereas other times you’ll need to recognize what it is you’re supposed to do next.
Learning to “listen”: During our time here, we can all learn to listen to that quiet voice within us about what we should do based on our actions and decisions. Sometimes too, we’ll experience holding patterns, which can be part of feeling our way through situations and improving our inner connection with what we might refer to as “God” or the eternal.
Developing our connection to God and the Eternal: Those who experience a near death experience tend to speak about the profound love God has for each of us. It’s to our benefit to develop our love and ties to such a passionate loving God here and now, in this plane, in preparation for what happens next.
Looking at life here as both school and theme park: The bottom line is that life is very much like a school and a theme park. You will inevitably learn while having a variety of experiences. Hopefully, we’ll each play our part in helping others learn and grow while also enjoying the trip.
Copyright 2020 Duane Hewitt
