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"ANOTHER LOOK..." is an ongoing column I write for Vital Signs Newsletter, a quarterly publication of the International Association For Near-Death Studies. Each segment will appear here from now on, as well as in the Newsletter. This new feature gives me a format with which to explore varied issues about near-death states. Should you wish to make a comment or want to suggest future topics, please feel free to contact me. I may be able to use your suggestions directly. Thank you. P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D., Ph.D. (Hon.)
P.M.H.Atwater, L.H.D., Ph.D. (Hon.) P. O. Box 7691 Charlottesville, VA 22906-7691
© 1998 P.M.H.Atwater, L.H.D., Ph.D. (Hon.)
The proverbial wheel has turned and once again I find myself penning a column for IANDS - as I did back in 1981 when Ken Ring invited me aboard. That first column was entitled "Coming Back," and it was stuffed full of the discoveries I had made while researching the aftereffects of the near-death phenomenon. It was personal, sometimes confrontive, yet always true to the larger story of what really happens when someone encounters LIFE on The Other Side of death's curtain, and then returns to speak of it. I was newly back myself from surviving death and near-death thrice over, and was consumed with the need to fulfill the mission I had been given: "Test revelation. One book for each death." After nineteen years of "doing my job," that passion is still there. With that said, let's begin. It's time to take another look at THE EXPERIENCE / THE EXPERIENCER.
To inaugurate this second go-round I want to address some issues concerning the physiological aftereffects of near-death states (refer to Beyond the Light for detailed discussion). Overall characteristics follow:
Changes in thought-processing (switch from sequential/selective thinking to clustered thinking and an acceptance of ambiguity), insatiable curiosity, heightened intelligence, more creative and inventive, unusual sensitivity to light and sound, substantially more or less energy (even energy surges, ofttimes more sexual), reversal of body clock, lower blood pressure, accelerated metabolic and substance absorption rates (decreased tolerance of pharmaceuticals and chemically treated products), electrical sensitivity, synesthesia (multiple sensing), increased allergies or sensitivities, a preference for more vegetables and grains (less of meat), physically younger looking (before and after photos can differ).
LOW BLOOD PRESSURE ALERT
This year, early July, I was listening to a national health show carried where I live over radio station WINA, when I heard a physician discussing a change in how the medical community regards low blood pressure. It is now "labeled" a disease! The latest thinking on low blood pressure is that it is not normal and should be treated chemically, that it may be causal in some cases of chronic fatigue syndrome and depression. An example given was that of a woman with a reading of 112- over-60, who had registered at about that rate for several years, had no energy, and thought herself a failure. Pharmaceutical "treatments of choice" were described.
Caution: Just the opposite is true with near-death survivors.
What I noticed with the individuals I had sessions with, is that the drop in blood pressure usually occurred right after their experience and remained that way over time. A few developed high blood pressure in their later years, but only a few. The majority reported consistently more energy and a zest for living atypical to the circumstances of their lifestyle. Yes, it is true that near-death survivors go through long bouts of depression, but this despair can usually be traced to the utter frustration of trying to fit new ideas and revelations into the old "wineskin" of outmoded beliefs and attitudes. They have a basis of comparison unknown to them before - where they "went" does not equate with where they now "are." This situation is unique in its characteristics and its cause, and cannot be compared to the medical definition of "clinical depression." It would behoove caregivers to inquire of their patients if they might have had a near-death experience previously, or been in a situation where such an episode could have occurred, before rushing to judgment about treatment. Near-death survivors are challenged more by what they found in dying, than what they lost.
Let's face it, the average experiencer eventually becomes healthier, younger looking, more active/interested/curious that before, has a hunger for knowledge, contends with a broad array of new or enhanced sensitivities and abilities, is usually enthusiastic and upbeat, interested in spirituality and healing and service-oriented projects. . . and. . . THEY HAVE LOW BLOOD PRESSURE. This hardly constitutes "disease."
Educate your doctor or nurse practitioner about the difference between clinical depression and chronic fatigue with the typical aftereffects of the near-death phenomenon. The information you can share is invaluable.
LIVING WITH ELECTRICAL SENSITIVITY
Has your replacement bill for electrical equipment been as high as mine? The electrical sensitivity that follows a near-death experience is no laughing matter; it's expensive!
The final straw for me came when my energy field brought down an entire ten-block, electrical power grid and resulted in the loss of countless small appliances for people living in the area. Had I had the money to replace all that "fried" equipment I would have, but I was broke at the time. The studio owner, where I was recording the audio cassette tape "Coming Back to Life" (an update of my first book), witnessed the "pop" - that exact moment my excitement peaked as I spoke into a microphone. Newspaper copy the next day detailed the mysterious electrical surge, yet no mention was made about the power company having pinpointed the source of the surge - to the studio area I occupied. Overwhelmed with guilt, I immediately set about to find a way I could live with electrical sensitivity and not put anyone or anything at risk.
Here is what has worked for me thus far:
Whenever I'm around electrical equipment that is not used to my energy, I enter into a state of prayer and merge my essence with that of the equipment. In prayer I affirm the glory of God and the wonder of all creation, Thy Will, not mine, always and ever. I talk to the equipment as if it were a member of my family, assuring it all the while that the two of us are compatible and that our energies can mix without difficulty, injury, or breakdown, that I am there in love and will behave in the spirit of that love. I linger for a moment or two in silent respect, then I again affirm our mutual compatibility, stating that we can easily work together for as long as needed or wanted. I bless and praise the equipment in gratitude for all that it does and for what we are about to do together. In closing, I envision myself whole, healthy and happy, and ready to proceed.
I close my eyes to do this. When I open them again, I am filled with appreciation for the equipment and respect for the opportunity I have to share time and space with such a marvel of invention.
As long as I remember to merge in prayer with electrical equipment before I use it, I have no problem with power surges. When I forget this simple ritual, or when in haste I convince myself it's not necessary, that familiar snap/crackle/pop occurs once more and a piece of metal or a length of wiring melts.
How has it been for you?
If you've found another way to live with electrical sensitivity successfully, let me know and I'll pass it along to others.
Books mentioned can be ordered from any bookstore. Atwater will deliver the keynote address on the evening of October 30th at the San Antonio conference on her findings as concerns children's near-death experiences. "SECOND BIRTH," her book on the subject, is due out next year from Harmony Books (New York City).