Q & A with PMH Atwater

Race and Near-Death Experience

2012-05-05T16:23:00.001-04:00

QUESTION

“I have been searching the Internet trying to find information about black people having NDEs, but have had very little luck. I could only find 2 cases on YouTube that have featured a black person who had an NDE. I have been interested in the NDE phenomenon for about the past 25 years, but I have very, very rarely seen any cases involving a black person having an NDE (I am estimating less than 10 times over those 25 years). I then got into a discussion at an NDE forum about the very few accounts of black near-death experiences ( http://tinyurl.com/3motnds ). The discussion starts at the 2nd post from the top. The discussion continues intermittently throughout the thread from that point on. By the way, my name is “JS” at that forum.) I did a search on the Internet and managed to find an article you had written that stated 20% of all NDEs are from black people.

“My question is. . . why is it so very, very difficult to find an account of a black person that has had an NDE?

“Using your figure of 20% of all adult NDEs are from black people, that should mean that about 2 out of every 10 should be of black people. However, in all the books, movies, TV specials, and talk shows that I have watched over the past 25 years, I have not seen anywhere close to that figure (2 out of 10) of NDEs regarding black people. Please don’t take this as a complaint against your research, because it is not a complaint. I am just trying to figure out why I have not been able to find anywhere near 20% of black people having an NDE.

“I would be interested in your opinion about this, and also any info you have about how you conducted your research about the racial makeup of near-death experiences.”....Randy

ANSWER

The 20% applies only to my research base, not overall, although it easily could. In my books I have consistently covered cases of Black people who had near-death experiences. Seldom did I identify them as being Black, nor have I identified my Oriental cases as Yellow; Mexican/South American as Brown, Native American as Red, or anyone as White. I gave first names mostly as my identifier, and sometimes where they lived. That’s it. Go back to the story of Haisley Long in Beyond the Light (pages 93/94 in the original edition of the book). Haisley is an African Canadian. In the book, The New Children and Near-Death Experiences, Tonecia Maxine McMillan is an African American, so is Nathan Kyles III (although I did say he was Black because of the racial prejudice I believe was involved in aspects of his case), as well as Virgil Rinquest. There are others, although by now I have forgotten their names.

I have steered away from anything to do with race, as you can see, because I wanted my work to address the human story, all of us, as the people we are. I have also tried to steer clear of social issues, although a few were unavoidable in dealing with the aftereffects. This deletion of race/ethnicity may or may not have been a wise choice. I cannot judge that. I was puzzled, though, from the beginnings of my work, why I almost never heard of Blacks in any other researcher’s studies. This never made any sense to me and I can offer you nothing as a reason why. I do know that a few years ago there was a small study done of only Black experiencers. You might check with the office of IANDS (International Association for Near-Death Studies), as they may be able to locate it for you (services @iHands .org).

It would be good if a larger study was done of Blacks only (no matter the country) and published in book form for public distribution (maybe an e-book). I can see where this would fill a void that needs filling. I suspect what is holding any such study back is financial support. Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke, who wrote the incredibly powerful book Cosmic Consciousness (back in the late 1800s and early 1900s) was puzzled as to why intense spiritual transformations (similar to some NDEs) never happened to Blacks. I believe he never found any because of where and how he was looking. I can assure you Black people have just as many NDEs as do those of any other race, but such cases are harder to find.......because most Blacks will not talk about them!!! Fortunately, many did talk to me and for that I am grateful. PMH

Nothing Limits the Soul

2012-02-22T20:03:00.004-05:00

QUESTION:

"My name is Adam and I'm from the U.K. I've always been interested by the NDE idea and have read many books, etc., on the subject - your own among them. Maybe this is why I'm here. I have a problem that is making me question the existence of a soul and wondered what you'd say about this. Recently, we've been visiting a care home where my mother-in-law is, now after succumbing to a brain disorder called PSP (Dudley Moore died of this). I looked around me last week in the day room and saw all of these poor people whose minds have gone, slumped into chairs drooling. Nothing wrong with that necessarily, but when you try to talk to them, its hard! Many seem to make sense until you realise that they say the same stuff over and over. Some can't make sense at all, and it's not all to do with their voicebox. They can speak fine but what comes out is nonsensical. Now, what I wanted to know your view on was this: considering we base our whole idea or mortality on rational dialogue, understanding, and the ability to observe and make conclusions, what's the story as regards the souls of these old folk? Is the 'soul' our minds? And, if the mind goes, where's the soul?!! Hope you can comment. This is troubling me. Best wishes from across the pond." ...Adam.

ANSWER:

No one can say for certain what is going on here, but I can offer you something to think about. The soul of a person can leave long before that person's body dies. I've seen this happen again and again. You can usually tell if the soul is still "in residence" if you look deeply into the person's eyes. If there's no spark, no color, no personality, the soul is probably gone. Soul's can go in and out, as well. An individual can go on living for years and have the soul gone, or coming in once in a while tosee how things are, and then leave again.

Remember, nothing limits the soul. We are limited as personalities in human form, but our soul is not limited. Sometimes the soul enters at birth, sometimes at conception, sometimes not until months have passed after birth has occurred. I suggest that you read my book, WE LIVE FOREVER. I talk a lot about the soul in this book, and about soul cycles and soul families/groups.

It could be, though, that a person lingers in a vegetative or semi-vegetative state for a reason - either for their own growth, or to help another, or to be part of a given event that needs to occur. We cannot know for certain, nor can we judge. What we can do is pray for understanding and patience.

Blessings, PMH

REPLY TO A CRITIC:

In the last Friday Report from Victor Zammit (www.victorzammit.com/week100), an individual was highly critical of my "against the afterlife." I never said I was against "the afterlife." Yet, in a way, the individual was partially right. What I no longer support after 33 years of in-depth research of near-death states with nearly 4,000 adults and children.........is the term "afterlife."

Certainly in all my books and case studies are narratives about life after death. I do not "reinterpret" what experiencers say, or "mold" stories to fit an agenda. I offer the real thing as given. My job as a researcher, at least as I see it, is to look at the phenomenon from as many angles as possible, spread out through different areas, countries, ages, conditions, beliefs, racial groups, intelligence levels, and so forth. Most of my work is fieldwork - original - contrasted with views from significant others of the experiencer.

The one phrase most near-death experiencers say afterward is ALWAYS THERE IS LIFE. Four words, repeated around the world from thousands and thousands of people. Isn't anyone listening? "Always there is life" means...there is no afterlife, or before life, or now life. It means quite simply ALWAYS, IN SOME WAY, IN SOME PLACE, IN SOME DIMENSION OR STATE OF EXISTENCE, WE, ALL OF US, ARE ALIVE AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE. Those simple four words, in essence, confirm that life is eternal.

For an in-depth rendering of this finding, refer to my paper titled "Is the Afterlife What We Think It Is? A Challenge from Near-Death Studies." This can be found on my website in the Article Section (www.pmhatwater.com). Any claims that one researcher or another has verified Afterlife Cases more than others, are false. Existence after death emerges from all NDE cases across the board. There are no "special researchers" here. Just dedicated people, like myself, who seek a deeper view of what seems so obvious.

Thank you for your kindness in considering my viewpoint,

P. M. H. Atwater, L.H.D.

Sun Sign Astrology

2012-01-13T19:40:00.001-05:00

I usually carry questions and answers on my blog. This time it is an article about Sun Sign Astrology. Now, hold on, don’t be confused about this. Occasionally I do deviate, and the topic really concerns more than just one’s sun sign – whether you are a Taurus or a Leo or a Gemini. What the following article by Julie Loar looks at is why astrology works, even though the zodiacal belt of stars and stories slowly moves along, changing degree of arc. Because of this - the precession of the equinoxes - scientists claim that astrology is sheer bunk and has no place in the modern world. Yet, readings still fit. A Taurus still acts and looks like a Taurus, at least basically. What is missing in our understanding of astrology is that it is based on the seasons, as well as the stars, thus comprising the best archetypical arrangement of life’s passages and the psychology of those passages that has ever been developed. To use astrology to determine one’s actions and choices is the misuse of astrology. It’s main and best function is that of a map, a guide, showing one his or her assets and liabilities, stress points, skills, and so forth. It spells out the “territory” at hand. It does NOT tell you where you are going or who you will be. And like any good map, astrology provides the type of data that may make it easier for you to live a positive and constructive life. You do the deciding. Not astrology.

Julie Loar, who wrote this article, is pretty good at what she does and has a broad and expansive knowledge base to use. You’ll recognize that right away once you begin reading. If you want to reach her blog, you may do so at http://julieloar.wordpress.com. She has three websites you may want to look at. They are:

http://www.queenofcups.com/AR62article.htm
The Astrological Ages, which do indeed shift over time

http://www.queenofcups.com/AR70article.htm
The zodiac signs, which do NOT change with time, as they are based on the seasons

http://www.queenofcups.com/AR44article.htm
Ophiuchus, 13th zodiac sign

I hope you enjoy her article, which now follows:

Has your astrological sign changed?

I’ve had lots of questions since recent newspaper articles reported the sensational claim by Minnesota astronomer, Parke Kunkle that people’s astrological signs have changed. Well, that’s not true, but it does require a bit of technical explanation. Rest easy, your sign has not changed, and your identity is not at risk, but there is a bigger picture to consider.

The astrological signs are based on the seasons, and are divisions of time, beginning with spring equinox, which is the symbolic birth of the year. This is the point when the balance of light and dark achieves momentary equilibrium, before tilting toward increasing light. The opposite point is autumn equinox. Every year the Earth makes a full circle around the Sun, and every year without fail, the sign of Aries begins at spring equinox. Then, every month (or so), in thirty-degree segments of the yearly circle, a new sign begins.

However, what does change is Earth’s position relative to the stars over a very slow passage of time. Scientists believe it’s caused by the Earth’s wobble. Earth wobbles as she spins and is also inclined on her axis of rotation. This tilt creates the seasons, and the wobble creates the phenomenon called Precession of the Equinoxes. This movement goes “backward” through the zodiac instead of the annual direction that is more familiar. This slow motion causes two changes in the sky from our viewing perspective on Earth. Like a slowly spinning top, our planet’s axes trace imaginary circles in the heavens drawn by the Earth’s poles. As the orientation of the North Pole shifts relative to the circumpolar stars, a different North Star slowly moves into position over thousands of years. The same is true of the Earth’s south pole and the southern stars. This imaginary stylus moves at the rate of roughly one degree of arc in seventy-two years.

An additional byproduct of this wobble causes spring equinox sunrise (in the northern hemisphere), to occur due east against a backdrop of stars which slowly shifts. Because this event occurs on the ecliptic, (the apparent path of the sun through the year), the stellar backdrop is formed by the slowly moving starry curtain of the twelve zodiacal constellations. Astronomically, the zodiac constellations are in a circular band of sky, eight degrees above and below the ecliptic. This space contains the familiar star patterns from the Ram to the Fishes, as well as stars and deep sky objects.

Called the Great Year, and composed of twelve cosmic months, which are the astrological ages, this cycle lasts roughly 26,000 years. Because the sky shifts, the astrological signs are no longer aligned with the constellations that gave them their names. About 4,000 years ago the stars of Aries rose at spring equinox. Now it is the last of the stars of Pisces, but it is still the annual onset of spring in the northern hemisphere that heralds the sign of Aries.

In the past, different cultures have imagined the stars as different “pictures” and had different zodiacs, but since 1930 astronomers around the world have agreed on eighty-eight constellations. Zodiacal constellations are twelve of the eighty-eight divisions of space recognized by the International Astronomers Union. Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, also mentioned by Kunkle, is a thirteenth constellation that is also in the zodiac region, but is ordinarily not part of the traditional zodiac. However, the indigenous Maya have thirteen constellations in their zodiac.

For roughly two thousand years, spring equinox sunrise has occurred against the stars of Pisces, The Fishes, which rise in pre-dawn darkness before the Sun. Soon, as the backward march shifts, the "dawning of the Age of Aquarius" will be heralded as this constellation moves to center stage and defines the new world age. Three to four thousand years ago the stars of Aries provided the backdrop for spring equinox sunrise. Before that the stars of Taurus held the distinction. As the ages changed, sacrifices of bulls shifted when Moses chose the ram as the sacrificial animal of the new age of Aries. At the shift of the ages of Aries into Pisces, Jesus was both Lamb of God and Fisher of Men as the sacrificial symbol for the age of Pisces, the Fishes. Now, due to the gradual movement of precession, Aquarius has advanced to the springtime place in the northern hemisphere, and a new symbol for the Aquarian age will emerge. Perhaps the figure of the Waterbearer will be a galactic human?

Astrologically, the duration of an age is characterized and defined by the archetypal energies of the constellation whose stars rise before the sun at spring equinox dawn. Each phase of the Great Year is like a month, possessing a distinct and overarching quality of experience. The ages are like spokes of the cosmic wheel, presenting a phase shift of archetypal energy designed to provide an evolutionary schoolroom for developing humanity. Since the great cycle of the ages is a repeating pattern, perhaps we can learn about our present and future from a better understanding of the past.

As the zodiac presents an annual circle of archetypal experience, so too does the Great Year. The changing of ages has longs cusps or transitional periods, and there are no precise demarcations of the circle where one influence stops and a new one begins. We can only look back in time to sense approximately which archetype held sway and what experience humanity drew from to unfold our emerging pattern.

The signs of the zodiac are a function of the year, while the apparent shifting of the stars is a measure of an age. Like the larger cycle of the ages, the circle of the year also represents successive phases of experience. The zodiac signs have been described like stained glass windows that “color” the solar and planetary influences.Symbolically, the signs of the zodiac form a cycle of experience that provide the template of evolution through which Earth receives the influences of the Sun and planets.

So, while you are definitely still an Aries or Libra, Pisces or Gemini, it’s very worthwhile to go outside on a clear, dark night and contemplate the majesty of the stars and the vastness of the Universe of which we are a part. Humanity’s story is an ancient one, and contrary to apocalyptic notions at the current changing of the ages, the tale is far from over.

Julie Loar

January 2011

NDE Interpretations and Reaching Back to Source

2011-12-09T21:20:00.001-05:00

QUESTION

“In the cardiac situation, a person is dead until/unless he is resuscitated. Some who are resuscitated have had spiritual experiences; some have no memory of such. One interpretation of this fact is that everyone cannot remember, although having had an actual experience. Another interpretation is that not everyone who dies has such an experience. What is your interpretation?”....Larry

ANSWER

Both can be and often are true. We have no way of knowing as researchers why some people have near-death experiences and others do not. The global figure for the general population is between 4 to 5%. In the clinical or emergency setting, the figure is between 12 to 21%. That means a significant number of people do not have them. The way you can tell if a person did have such an experience but just doesn’t remember having had it, however, is the aftereffects. The pattern of physiological and psychological aftereffects holds true for both children and adults. It’s the aftereffects that validate the experience, not the other way around. And the aftereffects emerge based on the intensity of the episode. In my research base, 79% were significantly impacted by what happened to them - changes were lifelong. The other 21% claimed no such changes (aftereffects) occurred. These people said their experience was more like a fleeting dream, nothing to it. In those cases where I could have sessions with significant others of these experiencers, those folks winked at me and said the individual really had changed and was indeed showing some of the aftereffects pattern. This fact pointed out that few experiencers realize the extent to which they have changed. They don’t recognize it. Neither did I. It took years before I looked back and saw how much I had changed - people were telling me - but I didn’t believe them. Blessings, PMH

QUESTION

“Hello, I’m fairly new to the stories of people who have strayed just a little beyond the realm of consciousness we refer to as life. Although I have never had a near-death experience, I strongly believe in the existence of an afterlife and spiritual world. In my life, besides my earthly endeavors, I feel I have a strong need to find the source to which near-death experiences often refer. I know I have it within myself, and I strive to commune with it, but it always seems just beyond reach - though I can sense its beauty, power, and eternity. My question is whether one can reach that place within the soul while still alive? At times I’ve experienced hints of it through meditation and (I almost hesitate to admit) psylocybic mushrooms. Of course one hears of Jesus, Buddha, Paramahansa Yogananda, and the rest, but I fear that my path will be forever thwarted by my unstable life, my constant worry about finances, and a general lack of peace within my own mind. It seems it would take no less than death (not intentional death) to unleash the bonds which prevent me from moving into that place. It is my intuition that tells me that it would benefit myself and even humanity around me if only I had the strength and conviction to reach it. I am blessed that I happened to see your interview from what looks like a long ago on YouTube. It would be my luck to meet you in person someday. I would appreciate any advice you would have for me in the meantime deeply. And of course I send my thanks to you for inspiring words.”.....Darwin

ANSWER

The way my husband put it one day, answers your question best. We were having a discussion about enlightenment, reaching that state of higher mind and then being able to integrate the experience in a useful way in one’s life. My husband reached his through the martial arts (he at one time was a karate monk), and me by dying. I pounded on the table and said to him: “It’s not fair. You got there the easy way. I had to die to get there. I had to suffer, and there was all that pain and blood.” He patted my head as if I were a puppy dog, and said: “I have a theory about that. Only those people who need to be knocked around get it the way you did. The rest of us don’t need to go through that.” I threw a pillow at him. Chuckle.

But he’s right. In a way almost unfathomable, we get what we need in life and in the manner that best suits us. For those as stubborn as a concrete wall, it takes a tragedy or perhaps a series of blows in life that either wake us up or turn us around. For the rest, just the desire to be a better person does the job, or maybe a lifetime of prayer and meditation. And meditation certainly is an effective and wonderful way to begin one’s inner journey and to ensure both protection and completion. I meditate and pray every morning. That’s a must for me. No amount of interruptions interfere with that.

There are many paths to the God of Our Being, and, that’s where you go, deep within and through your heart of hearts. We all know the path; it’s just that most of us have forgotten it. What spiritual/religious commitment does is help us to remember what we already know. Unity Church offers some great classes in this. So does Science of Mind (also known as the United Centers of Spiritual Living or Church of Religious Science). Even just an A.R.E. Study Group is great. A.R.E. stands for the Association for Research and Enlightenment (based on the psychic readings of Edgar Cayce). Google for addresses in your area as all of these are global. there are a number of books out that offer tips for the inner journey and how-tos, so many, in fact, that I no longer remember their titles.

The longing to reach back to Source is within all of us. and that longing is wiggling around within you right now, or you would not have written to me. Read my latest book, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story. I am certain you will find information in that book that will apply to you, help you to better understand yourself and the process of the inner journey. Bon Voyage! Blessings, PMH

Post-NDE: Seeing Energy and a Future Memory

2011-11-19T16:05:00.001-05:00

Instead of a regular Question/Answer format this time, I am carrying an update from Tannis Prouten of Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Tannis was part of my original research base. Her case is in several of my books, one of them The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. I think you will find what has been happening to her since very interesting. Her story may be a lot like yours, in fact, as many of us have gone through similar phases in our aftereffects journey. Happy Thanksgiving, PMH

Tannis Prouten

I feel a need to tell you what has been happening with me since I sent you my story many years ago. I tried to send a message a few weeks ago but I think I messed it up, and it did not get to you, so here it goes.

Since my NDE many years ago, I have had some very unusual experiences, some of which I don’t always know the meaning of....they are....

On a daily basis seeing living energy.....most often robin’s egg blue and on a couple of occasions violet and more rarely the gold/white light I call the God light. The energy can be as small as a piece of confetti or a spray of these pieces of energy and much larger. On one occasion, I saw it expanding. Not long after my consciousness becomes aware of it, it disappears. I was reading a book one day and it suddenly came alive with a wonderful golden light. I knew every word in the book was pure TRUTH. I read this book more rapidly than normally possible - in heightened consciousness.

Seeing very fine wisps of energy (almost like cigarette smoke but finer) coming up from my computer key board on two occasions. I thought maybe something was wrong with my keyboard but no! One day I was writing on a lap tray when I caught sight of a small cloud of this mist off to the left side of my tray. On another occasion, one day at work while writing, a large cloud of the same mist appeared all across my desk. It was extremely fine, grey mist. I don’t know the meaning of this.

I saw a living, vivid, emerald green energy circulating in the mid-section of a lady’s body. It turned out she had had a health issue in this part of her body but was on the mend.

Also, on a holiday in the U. S. years ago, we made a day trip across the border to Mexico. I didn’t want to eat or drink anything until we crossed back into the U. S. to San Ysedro. We went to Macdonalds there for a bit to eat. Upon entering the Macdonalds, I instantly felt an awful, heavy but frenetic, dark, cold foreboding feeling. I could not wait to get out of there! It turned out a massacre was to occur there within the next few months which made the news. Many were killed by a gunman and the Macdonalds was torn down. A memorial park was created there. I believe I was experiencing the fear of the massacre prior to it happening. I didn’t know at that time what was to take place in the future.

One day at a meeting, I looked up at a friend and instantly had the knowing that he was going to die, which he did not long after. At the time, he was not ill, and we never discussed his health.

I was in a group meeting where a lady was having trouble trying to express her distress over a matter. Within a blink of an eye (so rapid I almost missed it), I saw a laser-like beam of energy shoot from the mid-section of her body across to mine. This energy conveyed information from her to me. I instantly was able to feed back to her what she was trying to express to us. She gasped and said that was exactly what she was trying to say.

I have the experience of “merging” with someone who was talking to me in a class at night school. I was able to help him clarify what he was trying to tell me after this.

I had the experience of viewing the essence of a man at work as he stood before me. It was like this reality moved back and his essence came forward for me to read, then moved back, and his “normal” state came forward again. I then knew who this man really was - not what he presented.

On and on it goes. Why and what to do about it, if anything, are the questions I ask myself. I sometimes feel God presents these things on a need to know basis.

I am now reading Pim’s book, Consciousness Beyond Life. I totally agree with him on consciousness being located outside of the body. In my NDE I became aware of this dimension which appeared as an infinite, flowing, field of living, golden energy which contains all knowledge/wisdom and from which all things are created/manifested - through the imprint of thought and the power of intent. I call on this dimension for help in my daily life. It is available to everyone as God offers us free choice to manifest good/bad. It is ours to learn from, so be very careful!

I WISH IANDS WOULD HAVE A CONFERENCE IN VANCOUVER/SEATTLE AND HAVE PIM AS A GUEST SPEAKER. WE NEED TO AWAKEN MORE PEOPLE IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, ETC., OUT WEST. My doctor does not seem to be receptive at all if I dare mention the words, “Near-Death Experience.” He probably thinks I am deluded! It is pretty lonely living “out of the box.”

Years after my NDE, I became conscious of no time or space. . . everything exists in the ETERNAL NOW. It seems things I learned/experienced in my NDE and may have forgotten when I returned to this world, filter out bit by bit over the years. I know so much more happened than I can remember. There are “shadow memories.” When I wrote my story for you (as you requested at the Salt Lake Conference), I only wrote about the things I CLEARLY remembered from my NDE, out of integrity, but like I just said, I know more happened. I think while there, I travelled to other places. I do remember moving rapidly through “space” to my right during my experience. This was a different experience from the initial experience of moving rapidly through space TO THE LIGHT.

Thank you for your time. It is wonderful to “talk” to someone who understands. PMH, you are God’s detective on earth.

_________________________________________________________________

A brief note to Tannis, that robin egg blue you were describing is the color of orgone energy - life energy. Wilhelm Reich did a great deal of work with orgone energy, including finding a way to “accumulate” it for healing. I was part of a group back in Idaho that experimented with making our own orgone accumulator following his instructions. We must of made a mistake, because the accumulator blew up in our faces. Rays of a silver blue shot out everywhere, like radiation.

Back in “those days” I was experimenting with all kind of things, including doing lab work.

I might add, while I’m at it, that emerald green is the color of healing. You mentioned the woman’s mid-section was that color, and that she had had health problems but was now healing. The color tells you that.

Most near-death experiencers come to be able to see and work with energy after their experience. It would behoove you to take some classes on this, read a few books, and experiment yourself. Having the experience, being introduced to the energy/spirit world is not enough. The next step is learning/training/being educated. We need that - to learn more. Knowing is fine, but there’s always more.................Many blessings, PMH

Walk-Ins and A Special Sharing

2011-10-12T12:46:00.001-04:00

SPECIAL SHARING

This is from Lance. “My Mother told me that on the day of my Dad’s passing she was in the bathroom washing her face when, suddenly, she heard footsteps of someone coming in the door. She thought it was I who had walked in, though I was across town at that moment. Mom was more than surprised to see Dad standing there, smiling at her. She says she couldn’t believe how he could have just walked in as he was quite ill in the nursing home. She told him that she was going to dry her face to greet him, and says he stared at her for a moment with his usual smile, and then his face suddenly started to turn serious. After that, he walked off and she could not find him. She called his name several times but he was gone. She was a bit shaken when I came back, and she told me about this incident, of that I’ll never forget. Later that evening the doctor called our home to tell us that Dad had passed away.”

QUESTION

“Have you written much about walk-ins? How do they remember the lives of the persons they are now? I don’t know if I dare to ask this: are you a walk-in? Is that why you don’t use your given name, but initials?”....Erna

ANSWER

Yes, I have written quite a bit about walk-ins. Please refer to my book, Beyond the Light. The current claim is that most walk-ins enter during a near-death experience. This claim does not stand up to scrutiny. In fact the whole theory is subject to challenge.

There is in esoteric literature dating back hundreds of years mention of real “walk-ins,” those beings who physically walk in to our dimension, stay as long as needed or desired, and then walk back through a portal of some kind or simply disappear when they leave. I have seen these and so has my son and a good friend. This is the more commonplace walk-in. What Ruth Montgomery called a “walk-in,” esoteric literature calls an “exchange” - where one soul exchanges places in a given body with another soul. Why she changed the terms I do not know. Most of the people claiming to be walk-ins under Montgomery’s definition went through the same years of integration that near-death experiencers go through (7 to 10 years), and do not in any way display anything that might validate taking a short-cut back into life for a mission. They might have just been born and have grown up in the regular way. Coming in, in mass, through the aegis of near-death experiences is not a short cut - no matter what anyone claims.

Of the many people I have met who said they were walk-ins, only three seemed to me as if they were the genuine article. The rest, no. Bear in mind that the typical near-death experiencer ( and we’re talking about millions of people worldwide) come back a different person - not because they are a walk-in, but because of the aftereffects of the near-death state - which is physiological as well as psychological. These people are “more” than they were before, expanded and accelerated beyond former capabilities. You can show that in research, how our faculties, brain, and body systems expand and alter because of near-death states. You cannot do this with the so-called “walk-ins.” I refer you here to two more of my books, The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences and Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story.

I am not a walk-in. I bear all of the characteristics and traits of a typical near-death experiencer and have gone through the same phases of integration. There is nothing about me that is exceptional in that regard, except that, during my third near-death experience, I was told to do the research I have spent 33 years doing. So far, I am the only experiencer to do this for the reason I have, and to initiate my work before ever having heard of Raymond Moody or his now famous book, Life After Life. My name is as it is because of a very powerful vision I had just before I was to be married. I went to Court and “made it so.” My legal and only name is PMH or P. M. H. Atwater (written either way). The full story of how I got my name appears in an article in the Article Section of my website at www.pmhatwater.com .

Thank you for your questions, Erna. Many blessings, PMH

Attending Their Own Funeral and NDE Family Inheritance

2011-09-16T11:40:00.001-04:00

QUESTION

“I recalled that one of the changes you described in yourself after your NDE’s was that you could no longer attend funerals because you could see the deceased actually attending his/her own funeral, and you couldn’t keep from giggling at this site.

“My questions is: did you know if these people had or had not had NDEs during their lifetime? Also, I wonder if attending one’s own funeral might be too depressing, seeing one’s spouse and other close friends and family going through the grieving process and worrying about if and how their loved ones would navigate the rest of their lives.

“My own father died at the age of 48 from heart disease and my mother lived to the age of 76. She became quite depressed after his death and was never able to recover.”. .....Jack

ANSWER

Thousands of near-death experiencers (maybe millions) are able to see the departed as I can. This includes child experiencers, too. As per those people like me who have seen “the departed” attending their own funerals, they see all kinds of people doing this after they die. I highly doubt that near-death experiencers just see experiencers.

About those we see who have left their bodies but come back to visit at their funerals, some of these people are happy to be able to do this, some are concerned about their loved ones, some are angry at what they see and hear, some make fun and act stupid. People are people, with or without a body. You encounter a wide range of emotions and responses with the departed.

As to the near-death experiencers themselves who see this, most have learned not to attend funerals out of respect to families and friends. It is difficult to hold back a response. You want to say something, maybe point out to the families what is really happening, yet you dare not. That might upset those in attendance. Now, if the funeral service is held in a metaphysical church, like Unity or Religious Science, that’s different. Comments from people like me are often asked for and welcomed in such places. Thank you, PMH

QUESTION

“I have been reading your book, The Idiot’s Guide to Near-Death Experiences, and I read about how to recognize child experiencers on page 67. I found this fascinating because I met six out of the eleven characteristics. I grew up very much a ‘God’ boy. I meditated regularly; always made sure there was an altar in my room; have a strong need to nest; fascinated by all things spiritual/otherworldly; tough time connecting to the ‘real’ world. I have not had an NDE, but my mother did before I was born.

“My question is: is there any research concerning the effects of NDE on other family members? Can a family member plug into the fruits of the NDE without knowing it? I started to exhibit these traits very early on, long before my mother ever told me about her experience. She did not share it openly. She told me about it when I was an adult.

“I would appreciate any feedback you can give me.”.....Bryan

ANSWER

Yes, there is research. . . showing that what a parent learns from experiences can be passed on genetically to the next generation (a challenge to Darwin’s theory about evolution). This is new research, and I discuss it at length in my new book, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story. It is causing quite a stir, as you can well imagine.

And, yes, children can pick up and learn from the behavior of their parents. Even if your mother said nothing to you when you were young, just being exposed to any differences she may have possessed would have been enough for you to emulate her, even without being aware you were doing it. This, really, is the main way children learn anyway - through modeling their parents.

There may be another link for you, though. You may be one of the “new children,” those born with different traits and characteristics than previous generations. The human race is changing; we are evolving as a species. Whole populations are changing, and not because of politics, religious beliefs, or what is currently popular within that culture. I first began to speak about the profile link between children who had a near-death experience and children who were born that way, in my book The New Children and Near-Death Experiences (Bear & Co.), which I followed up with Beyond the Indigo Children (also Bear & Co.). I am currently working on the last book in this trilogy that really digs deep into what is meant about the “new children,” then it examines evolution and time cycles. It should be on store shelves in the fall of 2012.

Regardless of how you picked up your particular traits, I am certain you went through many challenges while you were young in learning how to handle yourself and respect your differences. The two books about the new children I’ve already mentioned have large Resource Sections with many tips and ideas about how to integrate yourself into society in positive, productive ways. I hope you are able to read them.

Blessings, PMH

Epilepsy, NDE's, & Statistics

2011-08-06T21:08:00.001-04:00

QUESTION

“Although I don’t know how far your expertise extends beyond the field of NDEs, I still want to bring up this issue. I have come across various skeptical sources confidently claiming that lots (if not all) mystics like Edgar Cayce, Joan of Arc, Soren Kierkegaard, and Ralph Waldo Emerson were so-called ‘temporal lobe epileptics,’ e.g. their supposed visions and teachings were due to illness.

“However, is there really substantiated evidence for this claim, or is it just ‘theories being presented as facts’?”....Steffen

ANSWER

No, this is not true. Some may have been (such as Swedenborg), but the majority were not. By the way, the idea of temporal lobe epilepsy as an illness has yet to be proved. Certainly, many epilepics have visions during their seizures, and report experiences similar to near-death experiences and/or mystical illuminations. However, if you study what they are reporting, then take a look at aftereffects, well, the match is not there....not even close. Remember, it’s the pattern of physiological and psychological aftereffects that validates mystical and spiritual and near-death experiences, NOT the other way around. To better understand the significance of what I have just said, please read my latest book, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story. An excellent book that expands this subject is Subtle Worlds: An Explorer’s Field Notes, David Spangler (a modern mystic); Lorian Press, Everett, WA 2010.

P.S. Many times when you connect directly with spirit guidance, you feel a “seizure” in your brain as if you were switching brain levels to one not ordinarily used. This seizure feeling is brief, more of a wiggle, really - a reliable signal that you have reached another state of consciousness and are no longer focused in the everyday world. An illness? Goodness no. This feeling state is very positive, very practical, uplifting and energetic. It functions as a signal, only. Nothing more.

Anyone who connects this with the illness of epilepsy is either uninformed, or, in the habit of slapping labels to anything that appears to fit favorite theories.

QUESTION

“I have read some sections of your new book, and find it quite interesting. I have a question about your book. In Chapter One, in the section titled ‘statistics’ you write that....4-5% of the general population had a near-death experience. Global estimates jump to 12-21% when focused on those receiving critical care when the phenomenon occurs. What is the phenomenon? If the phenomenon is the near-death experience, then 100% should have the near-death experience when the near-death experience occurs. You should clarify what you mean in future editions of your book. Are you saying that 4-5% of people who die, and are revived have a near-death experience which they can recall? Then perhaps you are saying that 12-21% of those who die, and are revived in a critical care setting have recollections of a near-death experience.”....Brian

ANSWER

I thought I was clear. When I speak of the phenomenon of near-death, I am including the experience plus the aftereffects. In research, you cannot just focus on the near-death experience and establish any more than what you find out about “the light show” (the scenario). You must include the pattern of physiological and psychological aftereffects to gain a more thorough and complete picture of what you are talking about. Hardly any researchers in the field do this, though. When others speak of aftereffects, they usually list things like becoming more loving afterward, losing the fear of death, becoming more generous and service minded. I have objected about this for years, and still do, so in the book I made it clear (at least I thought I did) that it is now time for us (actually past time) to focus on the entire phenomenon, not just the parts of it that impress us the most.

Statistics about people who have had a near-death experience come from the large clinical studies that have been done in several countries, and for several years. Interestingly, these same statistics stack up with Chinese researchers, those in India and elsewhere, and are proving to be global. Therefore, in the general population, worldwide, it can be said that the estimated number of people who have had a near-death experience are between 4 to 5 percent. If you focus on on medical/clinical/accident/emergency figures, the overall percentages in this population are between 12 to 21%. There are some studies where the percentage jumps to 25 to 29%. These are smaller, more isolated studies. That’s why I stick with the figures that come from the larger studies.

The near-death experience, as an experience, comes from people who are close to death, nearly die, or are clinically dead but later revive or are resuscitated. The near-death experience comes from “fear deaths” too (from those who are afraid they are going to die but do not), and/or from any moment, any event, when suddenly the individual ceases function and has a full-blown near-death experience that completely changes their life, and that includes the pattern of aftereffects. Seldom are any of these people ill, most are in good health and remain so. Why this stoppage occurs and the phenomenon takes over, no one knows.

My book cannot be amended. What is in it, remains as is, nor will I be writing another on this subject. Sorry. PMH

The Soul's Existence

2011-07-16T18:52:00.001-04:00

QUESTION:

“So I know that you deal mainly with NDEs, but given your vast knowledge of what the soul experiences when detached from the body, I have a few questions regarding the soul.

1. What do you know about a soul’s contact with the human world? My mom and I are both fairly in touch with our psychic abilities by nature, though have not necessarily pursued these very deeply. My mom has told me that after her mom died, she came to her in a dream and told her I would be born and what my name would be (this is really just a side note to my actual question). My mom said that while talking to her mom, Pat, she seemed sick. Pat, while alive, had a heart condition, and Pat told my mom that it was at a cost and with great struggle that she returned to the earthplane to tell her this information - because whenever she returned, she was as ill as she was while alive. Is this true for other souls that return to our plane, or is this scenario specific to only a few souls?

2. What of contact do you know about souls that have passed on? My grandpa recently died, and we were very close. My mom and I experienced something at the same time a few hours before he passed: she felt like he was giving her a big hug, and I thought of him, and it felt like we were almost rising, and we felt very peaceful. It seems unusual that this would happen to us at the same time. Is this common of souls leaving the body to visit the living for a last goodbye or something?

3. Have you heard of astral projection? Or possibly you’ve heard of it by other names. From what I’ve read, it happens from a deep state of meditation where the soul consciously leaves the body, though the person is aware and in control of what happens. It’s kind of difficult to explain. I’m sure Google could do better on that. But it’s a meditation thing. Have you heard of this, or have you known this occurs or is possible? I’m very curious about this.

“Sorry about the barriage of questions. I’ve never found so much legitimate information regarding souls anywhere on the web, let along a chance to ask someone with such vast knowledge! Even just answering one of them would suffice. I’m sure you get a lot of e-mails, so I understand if you can’t.”.....Emily

ANSWER:

Emily, I do not admit what all I have seen, felt, and heard throughout my life or in my work, nor will I - until the time is right, and that time is beginning to draw nigh. Remember, I am a researcher and I follow a strict protocol. My work must stand on its own merits; even if challenging, it must still be in the realm of what other researchers can check - if they are willing to follow a similar protocol or something else like it. The only time I have deviated into the realm of soul is in my book, We Live Forever: The Real Truth About Death (A.R.E. Press). This book can still be ordered at any bookstore, on the web, or through my own online bookstore at http://www.pmhatwater.com . This particular book covers much of what you are questioning. I suggest that you read it. In my latest book, Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story, I finally admit that I can see energy. In doing so, I take the liberty to reveal what I never dared to before. Especially the second half should be quite a stretch. Nuff said about this.

Contrary to what psychics, mediums, and hypnotherapists claim, the soul seems to exist in numerous layers and forms within its own matrix. Thus, your grandmother’s claims about her own soul experiencing pain and discomfort in order to leave The Other Side and visit here makes sense in that that particular aspect of her soul might still be in need of refining and improvement. I encountered that sort of thing many times when I worked as a hypnotherapist - aspects of a soul still unfinished and in need of various types of incarnations in order to heal itself. Eventually, the soul matrix does congeal, bringing together all its many aspects for greater understanding of its own power and abilities. The soul, our soul, has a mind of its own and evolves according to the wave-stream of its own potential. The soul does not think like a person does, not your soul, not my soul. It evolves differently.

Souls that move on after leaving the body can be and are contacted on a fairly regular basis by those still embodied. All you need do is read the testimony of near-death experiencers, those on the deathbed, and from certain sessions with mediums, to find extensive evidence to this claim.

Astral traveling or astral projection is the “older” term most of us used for OBEs, or out-of-body experiences, “way back when.” Most children, especially if ill or in fever, and most adults, especially if exhausted, or ill, or drunk or on drugs, leave their bodies - sometimes accidently, sometimes on a fairly regular basis. Out-of-body experiences are not unusual. This has always been easy for me to do. I finally took some classes on refining the skill in the middle 1960s, and then taught others what I learned. I found the skill to be practical, reliable, usable while on the job, and a money-saver with transportation costs (as I did not have to bring my body along). I have many stories I can tell of how cost-effective and efficient this skill has been for me over the years. When I died in 1977, however, what I experienced then pales any other experience I ever had with astral traveling. That separation of my soul from my body was so intense, so totally and completely and utterly real and deeply involved, that I cannot compare it to regular astral traveling. You will note in many of my findings from near-death research, that I found this fact to be equally true with thousands of people, adults and children - almost negating my prior experiences with astral traveling before I died as something that would influence my research findings.

I hope this information is of help. Many blessings, PMH

Spiritual Progress -- Let your Heart be your Judge

2011-06-25T16:02:00.000-04:00

QUESTION:

        “I sit at my computer and listen to your interviews on YouTube. Thank God for YouTube! I am struggling with spiritual issues: particularly with my religious family and ‘friends.’ They claim to be Christians but refuse to help in any way if I ask. . . which I did several years ago after losing everything, going bankrupt. They had (and still have) plenty of money and turned their backs on me. . . recently did it again. . . then buying expensive homes by the river, etc. They hate me because I don’t like their religious view. I simply don’t buy it. But I also question whether I am spiritually progressing. . . where I stand and what will happen to me when I die. What these Christians do eats away at me and I know that somehow I have to forgive them. But they don’t seem to question themselves. They say that they ‘aren’t perfect - just forgiven.’ UGGHHH. They don’t question their motives, nor do they worry about what will happen to them, as I do.

        “I have problems with anger over this utter hypocrisy. If we do, in fact, wind up in realms with ‘like-minded people/souls,’ then maybe there is some cosmic justice. There’s nothing worse than hurting others and then asking God for forgiveness ad nauseum.

        “Any recommendations of which book I should read? I know you have written many books. Oh, I want to add one last comment. Christianity has a twisted view/version of forgiveness. By that I mean, people who claim to be Christians can and do things that they know are wrong, things they know will hurt others and then get forgiveness. At the same time, they will condemn those whom they feel aren’t Christians for doing the same. They have this arrogant smugness about them and don’t seem to worry about their fate. This is ONE of the reasons that I have developed this utter contempt for religion. Yet, at the same time, there are things about Buddhism that resonate with me. At least Buddhists hold people accountable. From what I have understood about the life review is that it is all-encompassing; nothing is hidden; not even those deeds you thought you were ‘off the hook’ for. You come face to face with it. That is my humble understanding. I do believe in Jesus and try to live by his teachings. I seldom see any Christians doing that.”....Linda

ANSWER:

        Sounds to me, Linda, like you are ready for “Science of Mind” by Ernest Holmes. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ernest took the best of all religions, philosophies, and traditions, put them together in a practical, organized way, and came up with what he called “Science of Mind.” He believed that the core teachings around the world all taught the same thing and they did so in what he recognized as a “scientific” manner, that is to say, in accordance with Universal Laws. A church developed around his work, formerly called the United Church of Religious Science - now called the United Centers of Spiritual Living. They have a lively website (google any of the names I have given you to find it). You can take their first year class online, or, at least by mail if there is not a study group or church in your area. Their magazine “Science of Mind” is a monthly, digest-sized, and absolutely wonderful to read. My husband and I subscribe to it and we read from it daily. I took that first year class soon after I died, at a small church in Boise, Idaho, where I lived at the time. Wisest move I ever made. I wrote about this several issues ago in the free newsletter I publish (now archived). If you’re not signed up yet for that newsletter, access www.pmhatwater.com, scroll over to the newsletter section, and sign up.

        In a nutshell, realize first and foremost that everyone is here on earth to learn, express, grow through, or enjoy what presents itself to us. Picture earth as a giant school. Some people are attending first grade; some are in high school; some are doing graduate work; some are here on recess or to enjoy time out. You cannot compare yourself with anyone else, because you do not know at what grade level they are or what they are working through or participating in. We are not challenged to like each other; we are challenged to love each other. To be certain there are some people, no matter how treated, are virtually impossible to even be around. And I am myself one who tussles with this. Still, I bless these people and honor them for they are just as much a child of God as I am. In my family of origin, I am the odd one out. The rest tolerate me, well, most of them do. Others I ‘m not so sure about. The same with my husband’s family. Actually, we are both the odd ones out. We are not wealthy like the others and we do not flaunt what we have. We make no demands and love and honor freely. Most of them look the other way when around us; some are profoundly embarrassed to have us in the family. This can hurt if allowed. We choose not to engage in this type of thinking and feeling. Serves no purpose. Going to a family member to ask for help, seldom helps anyone. So why bother. I respect myself too much to be a target for ill-will. I doubt the day will ever come, for instance, when my work will be recognized and appreciated for what it is. I am often attacked professionally and demeaned by others who simply disagree. Since my protocol for research is different, that makes me suspect, even though my findings, thus far, have held up in clinical trials.

        Spiritual progress? How can you judge that? How could I? My judge is my heart. If I feel I have done my best, been my best, and filled each day with smiles, how then could anyone consider me a failure? How could I? Spiritual progress is something you feel when you are authentically you, and remain true to the breath that breathes you. If you are in league with people who demean you, move out and find another group. Families are not really what you are born with. They are what we recognize in each other when open to those who smile back. Extended families (what we co-create with others) are often more loving and supportive than original families. Look around you. Find other groups of people and experiment, attend meetings, engage in discussions. One of the fastest moving trends today are Church Homes. That’s right. People who band together and start their own church, and take turns deciding which home the service will be in and on what day. They share worship, study, and ritual. Why not start a Church Home yourself? Do not belabor what you have lost. Rejoice in who you are and what you are becoming!

        Blessings, PMH

An "Oh, I get it" Moment

2011-06-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

COMMENTS FROM GARY

This is not a question, per se, but an interesting comment from a man becoming more spiritually aware. I’d like to share his letter with you.

“I’ve been reading stories on your website and it compelled me to write to you. Although I have not had an NDE, I did have an experience of enlightenment in November of 2007. The reason I am writing to you is that my experience has left me with very similar results that the stories, as those who have experienced NDEs, reveal.

“I was sitting in front of my computer one morning, thinking of life and what is really going on. Suddenly, I had an “Oh, I get it” moment. I understood the life cycle, how we got here, why we are here, what happens to us when we die, dreams, etc. I understood that all living things are here for the same reason. I could see the root of what drives us. After about two weeks of this rolling through my mind, I felt I had to start writing about it. I knew that it was the only way I could progress past the same whirlwind of thoughts that were going through my mind. As I was writing I was realizing that, I am not a writer, and how difficult it was to explain what I knew. Keeping it in coherent order was a challenge. The experience changed my life in much the same way as those that have had an NDE. Most notably, a lack of desire for material possessions, money and success, and an enhancement to help others. Although the quest for money was never much of a priority in my life, I gained a feeling that there would always be enough to survive.

“I noticed the explanation of life as a river, on a (your?) website. I had the same thoughts as I was trying to figure out how to explain my new understanding of life. I have been astounded to find the same analogies that I have come up with over the past two and a half years. I never thought that I would find anyone that thought the way I did. I didn’t get it from books or church. It just came to me. Now, I am beginning to find that there are others that have similar results, although they don’t seem to explain it the same. It’s been challenging, but rewarding in many ways. Rejection of my understanding seems to be the norm. I have had better results through application than explanation.

“I have spent much of my life thinking about this. Reading, wondering, thinking, observing. I realized at an early age, that all of the clues are right in front of us. I was raised in a Christian environment, going to Church and Sunday School regularly. I never really understood much of it. There seemed to be something to it, since so many believe in it. I read the Bible, from cover to cover, around the year 2000. I had no preconceived idea, other than to read every word and see what unfolded. I came away with a bit of a different understanding of it than what I had been taught. In my quest to understand life, I had been exposed to Buddhism, chanting, astral projection, and even looked into numerology, astrology, and quite a variety of other things that left me with as many questions as answers. It all gelled that morning. The outcome was quite different than what I had observed, but my new knowledge is indisputable in my mind. I have been finding corroborating evidence ever since.

One of the things that came to me was the purpose of dreams. I have come to the conclusion that there are three states of mind. Awake (awareness in the physical), dormant sleep (lack of awareness), and dreams (awareness outside of the physical). The purpose of dreams is to allow for the understanding that our souls are separate from our bodies, although fully integrated. That there is awareness outside of the physical experience. The level of awareness is diminished from the out-of-body experience and NDE. The vividness of the latter two is enhanced. Just before my father died, he expressed some very vivid dreams. I viewed them as out-of-body experiences in preparation for his passing. The doctors passed it off as hallucination. He also experienced things when he was awake. The doctors classify it as “sun downer syndrome.” It seems to be related to some of the things that people experience after their NDE. I will stop here.”....Gary

A NOTE ON GARY’S COMMENTS

We all wonder about life and how things work, at times. Some of us go through a “peak experience” when suddenly the puzzle pieces fall together - maybe because of a revelation or with a new understanding. Spiritual experiences, those revelatory moments that catch us off-guard, are rich with insight and meaningful upliftment. Sometimes “a special light” illuminates what was once invisible to us. Almost every adult who truly made a difference for the better in this world, had an illumination like this as a child. The near-death phenomenon feeds this desire in us to know more, to glimpse behind the visible world and see what else is there. I thank Gary for sharing with me. Near-death states touch into every aspect of life and its living. They challenge or inspire us in ways little else does. People were dead - no breath, no heartbeat, no brain wave or cortical activity - and now they’re back. . . and they have a story to tell. And we need to listen.

It is my hope that you will read my newest and last book about my research of the near-death phenomenon: Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story (Hampton Roads; Charlottesville, VA, 2011). There are many voices who speak through my findings. Don’t skip over or underestimate them. This is not “same old.” Slowly but surely I introduce new material until Chapter 16 when the whole book changes. It changes because our view of near-death experiences needs to change. The near-death experience is not some kind of anomaly; rather, it is part of the larger genre of transformations of consciousness. People like Gary touch into that higher reality. They take a step into light and are forever changed. Read about threshold experiences and the science of fluid dynamics in the book (this explains so much). Read about the real truth behind spiritual experiences - the biological imperative that they are. Read about the new Christology, what Christ Consciousness really is.

Spirituality is an important and necessary part of life. For those of you who discover that through stories about near-death episodes and the work people like me have done, thank you for opening your mind - to the awareness of your own soul. Blessings, PMH

What is the Purpose of Life? + Autopsy and the Afterlife

2011-03-17T09:18:00.001-04:00

QUESTION

“I have read many NDEs because of tragic circumstances which lead me to learn all I could. I, however, have never had one. I have talked to a man that says his NDE taught him we just are, and when we die our experience here is then joined into the river of life, so to speak. He says there is no deity that benefits our life one way or the other. That we are basically a random act. The end. I don’t know if this is so but I must tell you I have no reason to believe this or not. In other words, nothing in my life has lead me to believe there is a deity or not. My question is, if you would be so kind as to answer - do we reincarnate? Do we come back as humans to live on this earthplane? This man says no. I then have to ask myself, what is the purpose [of life] if there is no purpose?”....Michele

ANSWER

You need to talk with many other experiencers, Michele, not just with the man you did. The vast majority return head over heels in love with God (That Greater Intelligence) and know absolutely that God is real and no kind of fairy story. Many of them, however, stop using the term “God” and call That Greater Intelligence something else. . . like “Source” or “The All.”

There is a sense of progression with all the stories told by near-death experiencers; progression at the soul’s will, that we are a soul, a divine being, and that we progress from one level or dimension to another, as we learn and grow. All sacred texts essentially say the same thing. For instance, a Bible passage says “We are gods in the making.” The understanding with this passage is that we are becoming co-creators with The Creator. Yes, the “River of Life” is quite real and reported by many, yet I challenge the man’s interpretation you heard about that River. Experiencers do indeed come back speaking of Oneness, quoting almost word-for-word the Perennial Philosophy: One God, One People, One Family, One Existence, One Law - The Law of Love, One Commandment - Service, One Solution to Problems - Forgiveness. The Perennial Philosophy traces back to Plato and beyond. It is a commonality found in all religious and spiritual texts, in all narratives of transcendent episodes, in all transformative breakthroughs into higher consciousness.

The majority of near-death experiencers become interested in reincarnation after their episode. Some even experience past-life scenes during their near-death scenario. I speak of one of them in my book, Coming Back to Life (towards the back of the book - the woman who saw herself in this life marrying the same man she had previously married in a past life).

Obviously no one can prove reincarnation, but the theory does fit as an explanation for a whole lot of things. So does the concept of soul groups, soul cycles, and the soul’s will (I go into these subjects in my book We Live Forever).

Please, in listening to near-death narratives and reading experiencer books, keep the “view screen of your mind” wide open. No one experiencer, not even a group of experiencers, can even begin to define or describe what really exists on the “Other Side” of death, or how big it is, or how everything works. All anyone can do is glimpse what’s there, and sense where those images we experience might lead us.

Many blessings, PMH

QUESTION

“I have recently begun, after having a great Aunt who has passed away, questioning my own mortality. I read your article about the body being a jacket that we temporarily wear, and how we basically bounce from plane to plane until we reach the plane we are intended to be in. But my question is this: does an autopsy affect this state of being? My husband and I have a lot of concerns about having an autopsy performed, as we feel it may interrupt the eternal sleep process.”....Connie

ANSWER

No one knows for certain how we progress from life to life after we leave this one, or if we pursue or are guided to a different path altogether. There is ample evidence to suggest that we are drawn to or go through various levels in an “afterlife,” until we are ready to take on another round of physicality in the earthplane or elsewhere. What is consistent in mystical teachings and revelations, and in near-death studies, and in the visionary process, is that always there is life - whatever form, wherever, or under what circumstances - always there is life.

The condition of the body at death and what that might mean is controversial. Older and ancient traditions across the globe and across time, insist that there must be a waiting time after death has occurred before the body is “put away” - most say three days. And those three days are held sacred by numerous religions. There is no consistent reason for this. Some psychics, like Edgar Cayce, indicate that if the body is destroyed too quickly, the departing soul will bounce back or be drawn back into another life much too quickly - before it is ready to come back (an example used by some people is what happens in India where bodies are quickly burned; their birthrate is skyhigh; parents are ill-prepared to raise their babies). The idea here being that the soul, as it exits, draws energy and sustenance from the decaying body for a time, to aid in its healing and redirection. This is vividly depicted in Natalie Wood’s last movie, entitled “Brainstorm.” Another idea is that the soul may change its mind and desire to return or even be sent back (as in a near-death experience), and its vacant body needs to be available for such reanimation. Regardless of tradition, though, waiting for a while before disposing of the body was once held sacrosanct.

These traditions are being sorely challenged by today’s cultural needs: autopsies (as you pointed out), organ donations, public health issues. What difference these new realities will make for the departing soul can only be conjectured. From what I have seen both in this plane and in others, is that the dying process can be adjusted by the soul to fit its own needs. Certainly, dying conditions can interfere with soul growth. I will not argue this point. (Just look at what happens in wars and with murders - the abundance of ghosts or “the unquiet.”) Still, the soul is powerful enough to overcome obstacles. Plus, there are beings on The Other Side to help and people on this side more than willing to offer prayers of protection and healing.

Before I would “jump to judgment,” I would be in prayer, asking for guidance, understanding, and peace. Each person is different. Each need is unique. Each challenge to what we think is right or “should be done” is worth considering. I have found answers in prayer and meditation that fill my heart with a comfort that guides me in the decisions that must be made. I offer the same for you. Autopsies, organ donations, public health issues can aid or be aligned with the departing soul. Follow your heart as to your response. Blessings, PMH

Questioning the Afterlife

2011-02-16T22:14:00.001-05:00

QUESTION

“I started reading about near-death experiences last summer, after I had a crisis of faith that sent me into a deep and fearful depression. I have since gotten a little better, but I still struggle with doubt and fear. I’m finding it very difficult to live my life with the dread that hangs over me at the idea that there might not be a God or life after death.

“I find the reality of NDE’s very comforting, and I want to believe that they really do offer evidence of the afterlife. I was reading an article on your links page that appears to be a scientific paper claiming that NDE’s can be induced (and therefore explained away), through the use of the drug ketamine. I had heard briefly about this on the IANDS website but hadn’t looked into it. I wanted to know, how true is it that ketamine can replicate all the meaningful aspects of an NDE (including veridical perception? - the article did not mention this)?

“Also, how reliable are accounts of veridical perception during NDE’s?

“I know it is wrong to want proof, and that conclusive proof can, of course, not be obtained until I actually do die, but I can’t live my life with this kind of fear. I need something to hold onto.

“Wow, I realize how desperate I just sounded and I’m sorry. But I would really appreciate your help.”.....Jane

ANSWER

I am not a physician, but I can say no drug that we know of can duplicate the complete near-death phenomenon. The paper on ketamine was published in the Journal of Near-Death Studies. I read it, but I do not remember which issue it was in. You can certainly inquire by contacting the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) at services@iands.org. I have spoken several times with the physician who wrote that paper and with others knowledgeable on the subject. What claims like this emphasize and try to explain are certain near-death imagery and initial changes afterward. You virtually never hear from anyone who addresses the entire phenomenon.

The entire near-death phenomenon includes the global experience/scenario pattern, the pattern of physiological and psychological aftereffects, and the implications. You cannot understand the phenomenon simply on the basis of comparing a few images and symbols, and a few brain responses and behavior changes. If you are really going to examine near-death, you need to look at the whole phenomenon and what is currently known about it. What may help you here is to read of Near Death Experiences: ">The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. It updates the entire field worldwide with present research.

How reliable are third-party verifications of what experiencers see when out-of-body? The answer to that depends on whom you talk to. If you talk to fieldworkers like myself, I would say that such verifications occur so often they are commonplace, right-on, stunning. If you talk to skeptics, who come in years after an event occurred and demand to interview all significant parties, and refuse to accept verifications already received, then you run into a rail because, by then, many of the people involved are either dead or have moved away and cannot be contacted. Of course, the skeptic’s statement of “It can’t be proved” usually follows. So what do I do about this? I ignore the skeptics. I haven’t met one yet that was reasonable. They find what they find because that’s exactly what they want to find. Real skeptics, open skeptics, can be convinced of one thing and then turn around in their thinking when they find evidence to refute their original stance. Some of today’s best near-death researchers were once strident skeptics.

It is good to question. Add these to your questions: what is your protocol, how large is your study, does it address child experiencers as well as adults, do you depend only on questionnaires or do you do fieldwork, do you include in your investigation the feedback from significant others as well, did you do followups, how broad was your study, did you address cultural/regional/racial/religious differences or did you confine your study to one hospital in one part of the country one time? These questions are hugely important!!! So much of the work on either side of the “aisle” is incomplete or superficial. I am grateful that in 2010 some true scientists came forward with their work. But we need different and varied protocols. We need more people like me who say: let’s look again, there is more here than what appears at first glance or even beneath a microscope.

Near-death research does not answer the age-old question - is there life after death? It does, however, give startling, virtually overwhelming evidence to suggest. . . maybe there is.

Many blessings, PMH

Proof of the Afterlife in Spirit, Art, & Science

2011-01-30T12:23:00.010-05:00

Folks, there are so many wonderful things to let you know about, that this blog will be devoted entirely to announcements. We’ll get back to questions and answers next time. Blessings, PMH

THE AFTERLIFE INVESTIGATIONS

Yes, there really is a DVD by that name, and it covers in detail what is called “the Scole Experiment.” The DVD is narrated by Britain’s leading investigative journalist, Donal MacIntyre.

For five years, a group of researchers and mediums came together in the English village of Scole. Their aim was to obtain irrefutable evidence for life after death.

They tackled radio and tape recorder anomalies, such as what Italy’s medium, Marcello Bacci, has produced. They used cameras to record the reaction of parents when they appeared to hear their dead children emerge from his work. Known as the “Electronic Voice Phenomenon,” this particular protocol has been investigated quite broadly in the United States and Europe, as well as in other countries.

Allison Dubois also participated. She was the inspiration for the hit TV drama, “Medium.” They really put her to the test, especially concerning a leading researcher who tragically died during the production of this DVD.

This DVD is 86 minutes long. If this interests you, contact www.theafterlifeinvestigations.com. Tim Coleman is the director/producer.

A SCIENTIFIC PROBE - ARTICLE OF INTEREST

The article is called “Scientists probe brief brushes with the afterlife.” It is by G. Jeffrey MacDonald and is well worth reading. Should you be interested in reading this article, here is the website - the address is very long: www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-01/scientists-probe-brief-brushes-afterlife.

I CLOSE MY EYES TO SEE

I know I have already announced this book, but I want to do it again. That’s because of how simple and vibrant and powerful it is. Written by Dan Rhema, his near-death experience and what he went through with the aftereffects is told mostly through his colorful art. His story alone of surviving multiple brain infections from Dengue Fever and Spinal Meningitis is enough to convince anyone of the power of faith and courage and miracles. Death’s pathway led him to worlds beyond this one, opening up realities quite impossible to describe.

When you come back from a near-death experience, you don’t really come back - at least not as the “you” who left. You return different, and that difference can seem as near to a curse as a blessing. Healing body and mind is one thing, grappling with realms of soul and spirit and Source and Beingness and a Light bigger than light, well, that’s something else.

This book is an e-book, available through any Barnes & Noble bookstores, or, you can order it through this link: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/I-Close-My-Eyes-to-See/Dan-Rhema/e/9780615430423/?itm=2&USRI=rhema.

SPIRITUAL RETREAT FOR NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCERS

Held once a year, this very special spiritual retreat for those who have had a near-death experience occurs May 12-14, 2011, at a spiritual retreat center near St. Louis, Missouri (made special by the most loving Catholic nuns imaginable - I know because I attended the first one ever held and it was incredible and so were they). The spiritual aspects of the near-death experience are the least explored in near-death studies. We use a few words like God and angels and heaven, but we never really apply any of this to what experiencers really feel and how that affects their daily life. Issues like this are front and central to this retreat, plus the magic of creativity.

The three near-death experiencers who originated this project are still at the helm, doing all they can to keep prices low so the retreat is affordable to most people. To register (and you do need to do this right away as space is limited)...access http://neardeathexperiencers.org. To talk to any of the three who put this on, contact: Linda Jacquin - jacadv@centurytel.net; Bill Taylor - wmmtaylor@gmail.com; and/or Dave Bennett - dharmadb@mac.com.

PROOF OF THE AFTERLIFE

‘Tis another near-death book, this one written by experiencer Br. Gary Joseph. Gary died in September of 2005 of an out-of-control heart arrhythmia. The fact that he revived thirty minutes later, both confused and amazed his physician. Since his experience, he has had frequent “God-encounters” and visits from the Other Side by family and friends, on a mission to facilitate love, mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. He calls his book, “Proof of the Afterlife: The Conversation Continues.”

This book is published by Mercy Books - all proceeds go to the homeless in America. Contact for book sales: www.servantsofthefather.org/buy_proof_of_the_afterlife, or call 1-800-266-5564. Beginning in March it will be available at all Barnes & Noble Bookstores, as well as Amazon.com. To reach Gary: Info@ServantsoftheFather.org.

Is Going Back to God a Viable Answer?

2011-01-04T23:09:00.006-05:00

QUESTION

“I have read many of your books since my NDE two years ago. Being located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I have many resources available for reading. However, my question to you is - my life since the NDE has changed drastically due to the NDE and a controlling, abusive husband who only wanted dinner when I came home from the hospital via a friend after having had the NDE. I left him last December, only to be abused more and harassed to the point that all I want to do is return to the Presence of God, the place of unconditional love and peace. I reread your brief section on suicide in Coming Back to Life and do know that it may not be suicide, but a choice to return. After all, God is, death isn’t. The abusive situation, physical, mental, and verbal accelerated after the NDE, since he could not compete with it. He calls me delusional, when we all know different. I have always chosen my words carefully with him to describe what the NDE was. Mainly, I said the biggest difference is the fact that my belief systems are gone - I KNOW now. To a psychopath and not having the control over that knowledge, he planned, plotted, and illegally evicted me from my own house. It has only gone down hill since then. My spirituality is the only thing keeping me going; mentally and physically he disabled me. I am a wreck and feel as if going back to God is a viable answer.

“Discussing this with my counselor is not at the same level as an NDEr, and she seems as not to quite understand my knowledge of eternity.

“I know that we are not on this plane to be hurt, but to love; and the abuse from my ‘x’ is just so overwhelming!

“I also read the Trilogy of Conversations with God, and it leaves the choice to us, of sorts, since we as humans slowly kill ourselves by everyday acceptable means, anyway. Meditation is my refueling for the Spiritual-me, which gives me the motivation to breathe again. I know I am blessed, but the constant abuse is such a duality that I find it very hard to comprehend.

“Any suggestions? You have seen so many NDErs and have so much experience. Is this common, and what should an NDEr like me do?” ~Bev

ANSWER

Since you are in Virginia Beach, I recommend that you get in touch with Rev. Dick Dingus. He is the leader of the near-death group there. He is also a counselor and a deeply spiritual man who truly understands the many challenges faced by a near-death experiencer. Do contact him.

One of the things I tell experiencers, especially if I am giving a talk or workshop, is: Remember the first rule of discipleship.....don’t freak the natives!

We experiencers, in all our new-found innocence and joy, are too open too often. We want to share what happened to us; but we lose discernment. You’ll remember that if you read my first book Coming Back to Life. In losing discernment, we invite all manner of abuse and disasters. One experiencer I know killed himself last year after being unable to control his spending habits. He just wanted to help people, but ended up hurting and bankrupting his family. Discernment. It’s a big deal for us.

Your husband was a controller. Telling him anything was a mistake, then trying to be more diplomatic in the telling was an even bigger mistake. He used your innocence and joy against you. Right now going to a Woman’s Shelter is a must. Talk to their lawyers. I am certain Rev. Dingus can help you here. You may be able to get your house back if you look into the law, and you can at least get your health back if you are willing to work at it. I am thinking here of alternatives and wellness techniques - practitioners are all over Virginia Beach, readily available. The Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) would be a good contact for you in finding what you need and what you can afford. So would the church called “The Fellowship of Inner Light” (Rev. Dingus is a member).

What makes a tremendous difference for experiencers is finding others like you to talk with, share with, dialogue with, compare notes with. Doing everything alone without helpful advice is rough - that’s because we don’t recognize what could be troublesome when we see it. My dear, I could give you a big hug, for I know what it is like those first seven years after your episode. I certainly had my share of licks before I caught on. One of the wisest things I did for myself that first year afterward, was to enroll in the Science of Mind First Year Class. These are taught in the Church of Religious Science, now renamed United Centers of Spiritual Living - or you can get them via mail. For more information, access this website: www.UnitedCentersforSpiritualLiving.org. The Church of Religious Science is an outgrowth of the writings and teachings of Ernest Holmes (long since deceased). His motto: “To change your life, change your thinking.” Classes in his work emphasize demonstration: You have to do it, not just pray about it or think about it. God works. Prayer works. Love works. It all works if we learn how to apply the principles and then enable that power to work through us for the Greater Good. Some type of class, some type of spiritual learning that is practical will teach you how to live and joyfully with your new understanding of the world, with your knowing of Truth and the Power of God.

The near-death experience can be an incredible miracle or an eye-opener or a curse. It’s up to the experiencer and what he or she is willing to do with new found knowings and feelings. It isn’t magic, although at times you may feel as if you have discovered a new form of magic.

Suicide doesn’t cut it. Suicide doesn’t solve anything. All taking your own life does is get you another body at another time. But, you still have to face the same basic issues you did not solve before. Only through educating yourself, putting what you know to work in your life, and forgiving, can you find the peace you long for. ~PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*** Two more months before my new book comes out. It is possible to pre-order through www.amazon.com. The title is Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story (Hampton Roads). The description now shown for the book will be changed. To keep abreast of things, sign up for my free newsletter at www.pmhatwater.com. At the bottom of the Home Page is where you sign up. Issues are infrequent.

*** Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre has been asking this question: “Have you ever had a spiritual or religious experience or felt a presence or power, whether you call it God or not, which is different from, or more than, your everyday self?” to date, they have over 6,000 cases, including mystical experiences, out- of-body experiences, visionary experiences, near-death experiences, and after- death communications. Recently, their website address changed. Check them out now at: http://alisterhardysociety.org/.

*** Todd Murphy, a researcher of near-death states (some of his work published in the Journal of Near-Death Studies) has designed a computer screen saver that shows the point of light that appears in many Near-Death Experiences, unfolding into “The Light.” It’s compelling images evoke an otherworldly experience, sometimes also appearing in hallucinations. Its otherwordly images evoke feelings that don’t go into words. Contact Todd Murphy directly for price and installation instructions. . . brainsci@jps.net.

*** Pim van Lommel sent me this link to a short and very funny movie about a “near-death” experience. You may enjoy watching it: http://www.kuriositas.com/2010/07/lady-and-reaper.html.

*** Also, there are now links (Part I and Part II) to an interview done with Pim about his book and the research he and his associates conducted. Pim’s book, by the way, is Consciousness Beyond Life. His research is the best yet done about the near- death phenomenon. Find them both in my NDE News Blog: "A New Interview with NDE Researcher and Author Pim van Lommel."

*** There is a new TV series called “I Survived ...Beyond and Back” and it is on the Biography Channel each Sunday night at 10:00 pm Eastern Time. Each episode features interviews with three people who died, went to the other side, and came back. This show is well done, yet there is no reference to IANDS or the near-death experience, unless the one being interviewed brings it up. If a viewer wishes to learn more about the subject, no links or suggestions are provided (the only “downside” to the show).

*** Thanks to Katie Couric for her interview with Raymond Moody about his new book, Glimpses of Eternity, with excerpts from his “Life After Life” video. It's within this article: "Investigating the Afterlife." Date is October 31, 2010.

NDE'ers "Get What They Need"

2010-12-03T19:10:00.005-05:00

QUESTION:

“I was referred to you by David Turrel, author of “Science vs. Religion,” and also indirectly by reading Pim van Lommel’s article on his research in this same area on TowardtheLight website. Through these men and people like you, I have regained a faith in God that I had lost a few months ago.

“But I do have one question of you. Your writings and those of others like you seem to say that there is life after death for all of us, yet all of the studies done show that only 15-25% of those experiencing clinical death actually recall an NDE. I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or ideas you may have that would explain this” .....Jack

ANSWER:

No one can explain why some people have near-death experiences and others do not, under the same or similar conditions. By the way, the current stats are: 4 to 5% of the general population worldwide, and 12 to 21% in clinical or emergency settings. This involves hundreds of millions of people, adults and children. Thus, the near-death phenomenon is no small thing.

What I noticed in my work is that only those people who really needed such an impactful episode got it. I base that on thousands of comments afterwards, when experiencers say: “I got what I needed.” The idea of a need factor, then, must be factored in and I do so in my book, “The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences,” and in various of my other books.

Who or what determines “need”? You can do profiles of the experiencers’ lives up to that point (and I have), and recognize patterns that might indicate why. These patterns are also discussed in the book I mentioned. Yet, what really decides? I suspect it is our soul. The majority of experiencers talk about the soul and become more in relationship with soul afterwards, coming to realize that one’s soul is indeed the higher part of our nature - more in tune with the God of Our Being.

The deeper you search for answers in near-death studies, the more you come to understand that this phenomenon is really a spiritual experience that addresses not only life on the earthplane, but that in higher, finer levels to worlds beyond. ~PMH

NDE - A New-Age Scam?

2010-11-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

QUESTION:

"Hello, I have become interested in NDEs. Before I start I would like to ask you if you can just come out straight to tell me that near-death experience is not some new-age making scam. The reason I ask is because it seems from my over six months of constant NDE research, I have seen most people selling a book out on the Internet.

"Now that I have that down, I would to tell you a little about myself. My name is Seth and I'm 23 years old (an Aquarius). I have never had an NDE, but have had an experience involving humbling of myself and trying to find a closer relationship with God.

"(A Note On Atheists) Now that I have studied NDEs, you can't help but find tons of atheists speaking their mind about unbelief. Let me tell you that 80% of them seem to be more angry with 'God' than anything. They always have had some sort of issues in their life that have lead them to being in the position that they take towards God.

"(My thoughts of those who talk and report/research Near-Death Experience) After all the research I have made, I think I might of watched about 100 video/clips of different people who have had NDEs and report on them.

It bothers me a great deal they can never recall the knowledge they gathered in the experience that they cannot bring back.
Most of them seem to offer tons of information but they never seem to reply to contact.
From most of the videos I have watched, most were posted in the past 2-10 years.
Near-death experience seems to shake people to the core so that when they return they are enlightened.
The research seems to be open to all but I NEVER see researchers bringing it to public interest unless the news media wishes to cover it.

"Now, with those few things off the top of my head, I have watched most of the videos that are posted with you speaking to different people. The one that made me want to contact you the most is when I seen you being interviewed by Rene Jorgensen. That guy seems like the average joe doing NDE research. The way you speak about your experience makes me think there is something amazing in it. I am aware that the older you get the less chemicals are produced to take away depression. But you seem to be extremely bright and cheerful.

"Now, from everything I have learned so far, it seems the AWARE study by Dr. Parnia is the only thing that comes to mind that's important in helping make the big decision to fortify all NDE research. In the event in that its conclusion shows good NDE research. What can you suggest for me? Thank you for your time." ~Seth

ANSWER:

Get off the Internet for a while and read some books on the subject. Start with my "The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences" because it updates the entire field, worldwide. It's the only book at this point that does. If you want medical science, get "Consciousness Beyond Life" by cardiologist Pim van Lommel.

Yes, the near-death phenomenon is quite real and has always been a part of human history (the first writings of it were by Plato). And, yes, it changes lives. Please note: NOT ONE SKEPTIC HAS EVER RESEARCHED THE ENTIRE PHENOMENON. Various skeptics comment on bits and pieces and expect their opinions to mean something, but they make no attempt to do what I call real research - on the experience, the full pattern of aftereffects, and the implications. Some published research is not as thorough as claimed, either, so be alert to that. We know now that the classical model isn't that classical, thus, newer work tends to be more thorough and complete. I tend to be a little scruffy on this point, as I have never been impressed with the reliance in the field on questionnaires and double-blind studies. Maybe that's because I'm a field worker who uses police investigative techniques in my work, and double-check what experiencers say with significant others whenever possible. I have just finished my 10th and last book on my near-death research. It will be out March, 2011 from Hampton Roads and is called, "Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story." I guarantee it will be controversial, so look for it if you want to be challenged.

Videos and YouTubes are great; they get the emotions and feelings out. But, it takes hard research to get real data. You cannot talk about the near-death experience without also talking about the pattern of physiological and psychological aftereffects. It's those aftereffects (the pattern) that verifies the experience, not the other way around. You will not find this depth of material in most articles on the Internet.

You encounter the full gamut with experiencers. Some are open; some who believe their experience is the only true one; some who take off on missions and help people; some who become very introverted and monk-like; some who become healers and ministers; some who make such incredible strides afterward that they really do help to change the world; some just get lost and are unable to adjust to the changes they face. We have many heros amongst experiencers and on every level. We also have some where it is very difficult for me to sit back and keep my mouth shut. All in all, the aftereffects are mostly positive, uplifting, transforming, expansive, and spiritual. This is not true for everyone, but for the majority. Realize that both children and adults have these experiencers, even babes being born. These little ones start talking about what happened to them when they are old enough to speak or draw or act it out.

Why can't all experiencers remember what was revealed to them? Few do. The theory is that to remember all of it would deny growth and learning - for them and for the rest of us. A little bit is better than the whole thing. That way we can search and question. Sometimes it may be better that we don't know. Experiencers do bring back enough information, though, that the whole world is either tantalized by it or threatened. Truth is not always comforting or easy to take.

By the way, very few near-death experiencers have ever made much money in either their appearances or with the books they write. Yes, a few have written best sellers and are much sought-after for talks and workshops. But that's only a few. The majority simply share - because it is in their heart to do so. ~PMH

Knowing your Time + Homosexuality and NDE's

2010-10-10T14:40:00.003-04:00

QUESTION:

"I was not aware of afterlife till I lost my 18 year old son on February 14, 2007 in a fatal road accident. He was so full of life and there was so much love all around us. As time passed, I realized that he knew his date, place, and way of passing away. He had told many of his friends and they thought he was joking. I feel that his passing way 'awakened' me from my slumber and that he made a sacrifice, for he and his father, by going away like this. Earlier whatever we had read on spirituality looked all superfluous. Now, we were seeing and actually experiencing it. I learned about NDEs, ADCs, and continuity of life. Today we are at peace with his loss, but it still hurts. My question is how could he know and was aware of his passing away? He seemed to be fascinated by death when he was alive. He would tell me that he has already seen everything and there is nothing new to see for him in the world, and that he has no desire left. Was he conscious of his impending departure from earth plane? Please guide me. I have read your write up on 'Advanced behaviour syndrome' but am still unclear about this." ~Vandana

ANSWER:

Read "We Live Forever: The Real Truth About Death." The "advanced behavior syndrome" appears in the book but so does a lot of other information that will help to put this into perspective, especially about the soul and the will of the soul.

I am sorry for your loss, Vandana, yet I acknowledge that your son "knew" things in advance and seemed ready for his own passing. With my youngest daughter, the first sentence she ever said when hardly more than a toddler was: "Am I going to die now, Mommy?" She is still alive but has had many close calls, and walks the edge between life and death even today. Also, as a child, she had vivid memories of dying in a cave-in. She was a young woman in that life and was trapped when dirt walls and ceilings fell all around her and huge rocks crushed her chest. Perhaps memories of that death caused her to question what might happen to her in this life. One can never be certain, but it's a plausible reason. Because of what I went through with her, I understand what it is like for a parent to have such a child.

Being a daughter of a police officer myself, and growing up in a police station, I can say without exaggeration that I have been around a lot of deaths, sudden deaths of both adults and children; and in every case I was privy to, these people "knew" on some level that they were going to die before they actually did. How can we know? Our soul knows. Our higher self or soul appears to have a will of its own and full knowledge of its Source and Beingness; its purpose in its own evolution and growth. We are more inclined to merge with or move closer to our soul if we maintain spiritual disciplines (like meditation, contemplation, prayer, service to others), or through creativity - our own desire to bring more beauty to the world and help to make the world a better place because we were here. We are not our body. We are not our personality. We are bigger and better than that. We are a child of God/Allah/Deity with the right to be here and to grow and learn and experience all that we can, then pass what we've gained on to others. When it's time to move on, we do, even if that means the death of the physical body. The real us, the "we" that we are, does not die. You cannot destroy energy. It just changes shape and form and frequency of vibration for its next "go-round" within the great wheel of life eternal. ~Blessings, PMH

QUESTION:

"Hello, I think I may have e-mailed you before. My name is Michael. I am 38. I am gay, and am in a committed relationship. I unfortunately am living in a state of fear about the Bible and homosexuality. I have been studying it very carefully. I have even been going into the Early Church Fathers' writings on homosexuality. I am really lost on what to do here. I have talked to several people, and have prayed a lot about my fear. Still, I have the fear. I really hope and pray it is not a sin in God's eyes. Eternal life is so important to me. My mom passed away in August of 2004, and I miss her terribly, and my dream is to be with her again someday. It seems like I would need Jesus to come to my face and tell me not to worry about it." ~Michael

ANSWER:

Homosexuals have near-death experiences just like everyone else. Studies have been done that were exclusive to them - a special look to see if they are different when faced with death, clinically dead but later resuscitated. No real differences appeared. Some interpret their episode with a little more hesitancy than others, hesitant because they find it a challenge to speak in public about what happened to them, who they met on the Other Side, what the Light was like, and how they felt. It's as if they were afraid of that joy, that love they found there. Once they are able to attend near-death group meetings or read books about the phenomenon, or attend conferences on the subject, they loosen up immediately. They are family. They merge with the others, because they are one of us, children of the same God/Allah/Deity, part of the same Light, bathed in the same Love as everyone else. They are one with The One.

Declarations against homosexuality are based, as near as I can tell, on health matters and personal behavior, on what the various cultures feel is moral and ethical conduct. Two people who really love each other, care for each other, and live a moral, ethical life are just as good and just as wonderful and just as blessed as anyone else. And even if you don't measure up in your mind, God/Allah/Deity makes no exceptions in love, for the love of God/Allah/Deity is unconditional. Jesus, our elder brother, our role model, never cursed or condemned or demeaned homosexuals. What is in your heart and how you express that, counts more than anyone's opinion of what is right and what is wrong. We are told to judge not, lest we be judged, and to forgive each other and ourselves for being less than than we could be or might be. A good life is a loving life.

The choice or instinct for same sex unions is a difficult role to assume. If you feel good about your life and live it with honor, who could possibly judge you? Certainly not Jesus. There are many churches now whose doors are open to all types of people - Unity, Religious Science, Unitarians, Episcopal, Methodist, and so forth. Go for spiritual guidance and comfort where you are welcomed, and be at peace. Fear shuts doors. Go where doors are open. ~Blessings, PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Allow me to clarify the two small books that are available about my own three near-death experiences:

"I Died Three Times in 1977" is on my website for $4.95. It is a compilation of four articles I wrote for "Many Smokes Magazine" at the request of Wabun and Sun Bear. The Magazine was published by The Bear Tribe. Wabun's mother had just died, so she asked me to write about death and what had happened to me. This compilation of articles became a self-published book. Only 50 copies were ever printed. What exists at www.pmhatwater.com is a copy of that earlier piece that can be downloaded.

"I Died Three Times in 1977 - The Complete Story" is new. It came out this summer as an electronic book which can be read with an electronic reader, such as a Kindle. Some people have software on their computers which enable them to access these electronic books. The cost is only $3.95 through www.amazon.com. After I finished my last book on near-death research (which comes out March, 2011), my Guidance directed me to finally combine all the bits and pieces of my own story that have been "floating" around, add the rest that is untold, and complete it. The book is not a memoir. It is just a small book that tells "the rest of my story." The only publisher to bring it out so far as a printed book will be Stigmarion in the Russian language. Their pub date will be Wintertime, 2010. This book has been reviewed and does have endorsements.

Suicide and Spirituality

2010-10-10T14:04:00.004-04:00

QUESTION:

"I have read your book on Near-Death Experiences. I have a question about suicide and the soul.

"Is it possible that a soul really cannot live on earth anymore, and is called to leave?

"Is there a spiritual aspect to suicide, one that is not desperate, but that is rational, and one in which the spirit requests to leave?

"Especially for those who are sensitive, if there really is not a way to live on the earth comfortably, both for spiritual reason, and even lower level reasons like health or physical body, etc., is euthanasia or suicide acceptable?

"What is the answer from a spiritual perspective? This would be apart from the societal perspective, and especially modern western society view that tends to discourage suicide for societal reasons." ~"M"

ANSWER:

You are asking questions that can only be answered using "the voice of the many." Please look up the chapter on suicides in "The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences." That chapter will tell you more than I can in a simple e-mail. Also, read the book, "Suicide: What Really Happens in the Afterlife" by Pamela Rae Heath and Jon Kimo (the best book I've ever read on this subject!).

Of the 3,000 adult near-death experiencers in my original research base, I asked if there were any non-nos, any "sins" that really crippled a person spiritually. The majority named two: abortion and suicide. All were quick to say that forgiveness is real, but that we must also face everything we ever did on earth. . . every single thing (a rather daunting thought). There was never a sense from anyone, including child experiencers, that we would be punished "for" our sins, but, rather "by" them. To understand "by" them, it would be helpful to have an understanding of karma or the idea of cause and effect - the concept of setting ourselves up by the actions or lack of them we make. My mother used to say: "We make our beds and then we lie in them." It's the same idea.

If you are a student of reincarnation - the idea of life after life - then karma makes sense, and so does a lot of other heavies that are difficult for us to understand if all we consider as real is one lifetime apiece. However, if we spread that viewpoint - include reincarnation or exceptional incarnations or the influence of angelic/demonic hosts or dis-incarnate interference - we then have a larger canvas on which to consider or judge possibilities.

Are there situations where suicide is appropriate or allowable or acceptable in the greater scheme of things? The answer to that question depends on the individual and his or her relationship with God/Allah/Deity. I believe the answer is yes, but, I also know in my heart of hearts that I cannot be the judge or jury here. When governments and societies legislate this, they do so with the community in mind and what is best for the greater good of all. The major religions of the world pretty much agree - they are against suicide in general but are willing to "allow exceptions" under certain conditions.

Near-death experiencers "just say no." Even experiencers who've had their episode as part of a suicide attempt - everyone of them I've yet to hear of - said, absolutely no, never to suicide under any conditions. Still, there are near-death experiencers who do indeed attempt suicide AFTER their episode anyway to get back to the Other Side. In my research base, the figure is less than 5% with adults, 21% with children (why the rate with children is so high is discussed in-depth in "The New Children and Near-Death Experiences").

As you can see, there are strong feelings and passions against suicide over all, yet it remains a temptation to the few who are troubled, want a way out, or are convinced hurrying back to the Other Side is okay. ~PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

I'm doing some bookshows! Yup. I've never done anything like this before. Apparently there is a circuit authors can travel, whereby they buy table space, set up their books, sell them, and visit with people. I suppose every part of the country has something like this, but it is a first for me here in Virginia. So, see ya at:

October 16th, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, Waynesboro, Virginia
Book'Em Event, put on by the local police department.
Kate Collins Middle School, 1625 Ivy Street
Public Welcome, no cost
I will be giving a talk about my work at 2 pm, and
participating in a panel discussion about writing

November 19, 11 am to 6 pm, Charlottesville, Virginia
Meet the Authors, put on by Jayne Cox
Holiday Inn University Area, 1901 Emmet Street
Public Welcome, no cost

December 4, 11 am to 6 pm, Elkton, Virginia
Authors' Book Sales & Signing, put on by Welcome Center
Elkton Welcome Center, 306 West Spotswood Trail
Public Welcome, no cost.

Seems like I'm always working on some kind of deadline and can never schedule such travels. Well, I'm doing it this time. Hope to see you at one of these, maybe all three. Let's get acquainted. ~PMH

**** Just a little reminder for 2011. The big near-death conference will be held in Durham, North Carolina in 2011. Details later.

A Question I Can't Answer?

2010-09-20T09:48:00.006-04:00

QUESTION:

"With the explosion of information over the Internet, we are exposed to so many self-professed or spiritual masters who claim they know the true nature of Reality. On one hand, it is exciting to come across so many new perspectives. On the other hand, I doubt whether Reality could be that complex and bizarre. Without giving names, I followed some of the links on your website, and came across people that proclaim they discovered the true Da Vinci Code (which is the love frequency); and someone who claimed to be the only psi lord on earth who can change your energy field to see Reality, even to the extent of casting your enemy to hell.

"Having read some of your books, I think you have lived life so fully as a mother/wife/teacher/career woman and also as someone who had sought understanding of spiritual worlds so fervently, I am interested to know from your perspective - what is really worth knowing? If you are asked to give up all your psychic abilities and just keep one, which one would you choose."....Victor

ANSWER:

Victor, if any of the links on my website lead to "know-it-all spiritual masters," let me know and I'll eliminate that link. I really try to only mention those who are more mature and ethical in their dealings. One of the things that catches folks, especially near-death experiencers and those like them, is in presenting their experience, their interpretation of it, the meaning it had in their life, without clarifying upfront that "this is what happened to me." Or, maybe, "What I'm about to share with you, is simply my story and what it meant to me." Most people claim the opposite - "this is how it is for everyone." True, it is a real challenge for any of us to offer what changed our lives in a way that doesn't sound like we're know-it-alls. Many of us were given powerful messages to convey to the world. So, how do you do this? I guess that is for each one to decide. I cannot judge others. But I certainly can and do cringe sometimes, and urge listeners/readers to check any claims made to the best of their ability.

My life has indeed been full, far more than what people know. Some time in the future I want to write two memoirs. I haven't done anything like this before because I was convinced no one would believe me. Maybe there's something about age, now that I'm 73, or maybe it's because some of my findings have now been verified in clinical studies and I "don't want to rock the boat." Maybe it's both. Whatever my hesitation, I have almost reached a point when I no longer care who believes me. The peace of mind I have you will "hear" in the book I have just finished - the one that comes out in March of 2011, hardcover through Hampton Roads/Red Wheel. It is called "Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story." My life is joyful. Even challenges and turn-arounds are joyful in what they reveal to me. This joy comes from recognizing how things work, who we are, why we're here, and where we're going. There is tremendous peace in this.

More to your question. First, I do not consider "psychic" abilities to be extra or unusual. All of them are simply extensions of faculties normal to us. If you're breathing, you're psychic. That simple. What we see, the otherworlds we contact, the "extras" in our life fom hypersensitivity (that often occurs after our episodes), again, all of this is simply from the spread of the electromagnetic spectrum. We're now interacting with what was previously either infra or altra to our senses. It was always there. We just didn't know that. Since I do not recognize "psychic abilities" as being different or extraordinary, I cannot answer your question.

What I can say to you, that I truly find of deep and lasting value, is the ability to see through all that is manifested, to see what is really there, and move with that pulsebeat of a love far greater than I could ever describe. Blessings, PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

.. . . For the best study via medical science of the near-death experience, read "Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience" by Pim van Lommel, M.D. and published by HarperOne. I've been talking about this book for some time. It is here! And it will change minds!

.. . . I now have several new YouTube films.
They are as follows:

http://youtu.be/MmOj7UrwF3E
http://youtu.be/mtUJJAMX400

.. . . My website is changing. There is now a "Personals" drop-down menu toward the top of the Home Page (www.pmhatwater.com). In Personals, so far, there are two sections: one for memorials of those people who deeply touched us in the field of near-death studies; and the other personal photographs. Eventually, there will be other changes as we seek to find easier ways for people to find what they want. My website is now quite large and encompasses a great deal of information, referrals, case studies, and, of course, The Marketplace for products and services offered by near-death experiencers and those like them. The Marketplace exists as a public service.

SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING THE EDGE OF DEATH

2010-08-29T11:27:00.005-04:00

This blog is mostly dedicated to questions and answers as concerns the near-death phenomenon and related subjects. I am deeply concerned with sustainability, eco-gardens, real seeds (not the Monsanto kind), and how to protect our food and farms. So, occasionally, I'll carry something about those subjects, too. This time, though, I received two stories about the coming of death and manifestations after death, that are so touching I want very much to share them with you. ~PMH

The first is an e-mail from Oswald, and the second is an article Eben wrote.

THE E-MAIL FROM OSWALD:

Dear Dr. Atwater:

In March of this year, I sent the following three e-mails to my children about my wife Joan, who died on February 24, 2008, after a marriage of 55 years. She appeared in my bedroom at 4:00 am on March 3, 2010 looking her natural self and bathed in light. Is this unusual?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010: "I spoke to Sheila today and told her about seeing Joan around 4 this morning. I woke up, opened my eyes, and there she was - standing in full view by the standard lamp near the wardrobe, bathed in light, looking at a notebook not unlike our little phone book, solidly three-dimensional, not at all ethereal, intent on what she was doing, her body moving in keeping with what she was doing. I stared for a moment, thought I would not like to disturb her, or be caught staring at her, so I closed my eyes for a few seconds. When I opened them again, she was gone and the room was in darkness, except for the glow from pilot lights and modem."

Sunday, March 14, 2010: "It will not surprise you to hear that not a day passes without my thinking about March 3rd. Nothing remotely like this has ever happened to me before. Quite frankly I never thought it ever could, though there have been days during Quaker meetings for worship when I would open my eyes and wonder whether I would see Joan there, just as Dorrett had seen Helen in meeting for worship, standing beside her, completely herself, after she died. With me, too, it just seemed perfectly natural that Joan should be there; and since she was always such a caring, loving person, her presence was as reassuring and comforting as it has always been."

Tuesday, March 30, 2010: "I have to tell you that I continue to reflect on what I saw on March 3rd. It was not a dream. It was not an "out-of-body" experience - since I remained firmly rooted to my bed throughout. It was an external event with a clearly defined series of observations. I woke up, opened my eyes, saw what I did, had a few thoughts about it, closed my eyes, then opened them again. A very ordinary sequence of movements and an extraordinary glimpse into another dimension of time and space. Why I was privileged to see this I do not know, but it has been a truly humbling experience. The prevailing memory is that there was so much light. Joan bathed in light. It brings to mind the countless stories of people who have had near-death experiences, about which there are numerous websites. What it says for me is that Joan is alive and well and enjoying what she now does. Perhaps even an angel?"

I would be grateful for your views on this episode. Your "The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences" has been very helpful. Thank you, Oswald

***

If you're wondering what I said to Oswald, please know that I assured him that his sighting of his beloved wife is fairly normal. These types of sightings and other related "visitations" are far more common than we are told. I suggested that he read "Hello from Heaven," a wonderful book about this type of thing based on careful, objective interviews by Bill Guggenheim and Judith Guggenheim.

AN ARTICLE FROM EBEN, ENTITLED "MY MONDAY MIRACLE:"

(Explanation: Eben is in his eighties and has had a series of heart attacks, so many that his doctors are puzzled as to why he is still alive. Eben has always been a visionary: as a city planner he designed a green belt walkway around Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Rivanna River, during a time when nobody did anything like that for city residents. His goal is to write a book, "little stories" as he calls them, about his long life. His book is almost finished. Here is an article he wrote about it.)

For the last three years I have enjoyed writing little stories of my family and personal adventures in my life as a gift to my family. As a mound of manuscripts piled up from my computer, with stories that have been generated by the thoughts and recollections of events I have enjoyed from the past, I have been encouraged by my three children to put them together in a small book that will preserve them for future readers, family, and friends.

Yesterday (Monday, March 29, 2010) my three dear children had nearly finished preparing my manuscript for publication. My daughter, a professor who teaches advanced English composition at a university near Richmond, had led the challenge of preparing my nearly 100 stories (a lifetime of adventures!) for taking it to the printers. Teamed up with her two brothers, Gary and Greg, they had put the finishing touches necessary to get it ready for printing as a polished, finished work. She has had years of experience as a teacher, English professor, and editor who has gotten her own works published in distinguished journals.

Her brother Gary was similarly experienced in the latest technologies in publishing electronic manuscripts on the Internet. Their younger brother, Greg, was "in the loop" for local sources of the technologies necessary to make our plans come to reality: 20 printed, bound copies for family and local friends, and unlimited access to free copies on the Internet. Gary had, the day before, completed the electronic scanning of my 100+page manuscript with the scanner available here at the Jefferson Heights office.

Gayla, over the last week, led a last-minute search of our voluminous collection of family photographs for an attractive addition of color and black and white photos to spice up the text. All week we had given sysyphean efforts to get everything ready for the "printing." Gayla took the entire text with improvements to Richmond, after making final changes to the electronically-stored text! (These changes should greatly improve the professional appearance of the text.)

About 12:00 noon, Monday, I finally called Gayla with my two pages of new text on Gary. I fumbled an attempt to send it to her as an e-mail enclosure. We switched to a verbatim transmission by phone, with Gayla writing it down word-for-word.

I realized that, in a very real sense, we were racing to beat my possible passing! The Hospice nurses were, almost literally, waiting outside my door. They would be here tomorrow.

I looked up and saw that my grandfather clock had just stopped:

The pendulum now hung inert. Fragments of the nursey rhyme about the Grandfather's clock sprang instantly to mind:

"My grandfather's clock, where it stood on the shelf,
Tick, tock, tick, tock.

90 years without stumbling,
Tick, tock, tick, tock.

90 years without fumbling,
Tick, tock, tick, tock.

But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died."

This failure of my grandfather clock, a precious inheritance from my dear "Uncle" Dimick," I had never experienced before.

With stunned surprise, I instinctively checked my pulse to make sure I was still alive and conscious, rose from my chair, walked over to the clock, opened the glass door, and started the pendulum back into its familiar swing.

I WAS STILL IN CONTROL.

I want to live to be 100, I thought, and returned to my work in progress.

Tears of gratitude flowed for those three heroes I call "my kids." How proud their mother would have been of them this day!

(I encourage every senior citizen, if at all possible, to either write a book about their life, or at least record on paper or CD some of their stories. This is so important. Even if family is gone, those stories are still history, contributions to the life of community as it passes to the next generation. Our histories, our thoughts, what we did or didn't do, all of it matters. . . because we matter. Hear me when I say: write your book! Thank you, PMH)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Take Action for better food and farm policy

Please sign this petition. I did, and I hope you will, too. ~PMH

If you're interested in better food & farm policy, consider taking 30 seconds to sign the petition to the US Department of Justice asking them to fully enforce pro-competition laws already on the books and break up the corporate monopolies that have hijacked our food system-- destroying the livelihoods of farmers across the country, bringing us the monstrosities that we know as factory farms (or CAFOs), and making our food supply less safe and more prone to price spikes like those that sparked the 2008 global Food Crisis. This is only one part of a large problem, but it is a significant part.

Lives Transformed and 'Brain Shifts'

2010-08-03T21:25:00.011-04:00

QUESTION:

"I am a 51-year-old Dutch male from the town of Beilen in the north of the Netherlands. For 36 years I have been reading and talking and philosophizing about NDEs, OBEs, and other spiritual subjects. Currently, I am in the process of reading your very interesting and rewarding book, 'The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences.'

"I am writing you this e-mail to ask you a remarkable question: Did you ever in your research of the phenomenon of the near-death experience come across the story (or stories) of psychopaths, who had one? Do you think that the very intense, telepathic and loving communion with The Light of Love could have a life long healing effect on a psychopath and turn him into a respectful and responsible citizen?

"Of course he would have to go through a very intense and highly emotional life review to experience all the hurt, the terror, and the fear he had inflicted on his victims. I am looking forward to your reply." ....Robert

ANSWER:

Well, Robert, that's a question I have not considered before. Psychopaths, no; but those with multiple personalities, various other forms of mental illness, manic depressives, hired killers, and those who were suicidal - yes, many of them. You could argue that a hired killer must be a psychopath, but I do not know that for certain in those cases that I did investigate.

In my book, "Beyond the Light," I talk about several cases of those who were suicidal or who had mental problems, and also in "The New Children and Near-Death Experiences" (especially with those children who were diagnosed with multiple personalities).

What was stunning to me, as per cases with hired hit-men and other such criminals, was how uplifting their episodes were...yet...how incredibly, even horrific, their life reviews were. You would think they would have had a hellish scenario. No. (Maybe one or two did, but the vast majority did not.) That was surprise number one.

Surprise number two was the extensiveness of their life review. Now, that part was hell in the sense of what they had to live through (yes, I said "live") - everything they ever did to another that was hurtful, and then be that person to feel that person's pain and what that person went through, and then be that person's significant others and live what they went through. I mean every pain, blow, betrayal, torture, confusion, depression, despair, and so forth. Life reviews can be like that, but for the criminal element, they can be exceptionally horrible.

Before everyone nods "ah, justice at last," let me add an important observation: as horrific as life reviews can be, the individual viewing/living through one is able to handle this experience in a somewhat detached, objective way. Yes, they suffer. Yes, they feel the pain quite literally. Still, it's as if some part of them, maybe their soul, knows that whatever happened during that lifetime can be used for the greater good, that something beneficial can come out, that nothing (good or bad, large or small) is ever wasted. We can change. We can grow. We can benefit in some manner and use that benefit to fuel a determination to do things better or different next time. And, yes, there is a strong sense of "next time." And for those criminal types I was able to revisit, they did indeed transform their lives afterward, very much for the better, and in remarkable ways that would inspire anyone.

If nothing else, the near-death phenomenon shows us that there is no such thing as a life that is lost. There is redemption, but not always in the manner our traditions and religions teach. Blessings, PMH

QUESTION:

"I read with great interest the information on brain shift that appears on your website. I know you've associated it with near-death experiences and other events, but there is one instance/situation I didn't see and I'd like to ask if my circumstances could apply.

"I lost both of my parents in an automobile accident two years ago. They were in Intensive Care for a few days until they passed; my father one day, my mother the next. I was with both of them and, needless to say, it was surreal.

"I must say that ever since I could remember, I feared death (especially my parents'). I truly lost my fear after I witnessed their passing. I wanted to let you know that so many of the characteristics of 'brain shift' that you listed are things I've experienced in the past two years. I have told some close friends that I've experienced a type of 'detachment' (not completely here, not elsewhere). I had almost completely given up meat (it has no appeal) and create meals with vegetables and grains. My creative output (I do market research) has definitely improved. I'm less timid and able to share my thoughts, writings, and ideas.

"Dr. Atwater, do you think that 'brain shift' could be a result of this experience? Have you heard of anything similar?"....Margaret

ANSWER:

I am now finishing off Phase III of the Brain Shift/Spirit Shift Model, by writing my 10th and last book about my near-death findings. The book comes out late January, 2011, in hardcover, from Hampton/Red Wheel and is called "Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of the Story."

What most people do not realize is that I did this type of research long before I ever died or heard anything about "near-death experiences." In this previous work done in the sixties and early seventies, I found the same or virtually the same pattern true then for anyone who had undergone an impactual transformation of consciousness, be it from a spiritual awakening or from a vision quest or kundalini breakthrough, or Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or whatever. The important thing here is intensity, and how the intensity of our experiences in life affect the limbic system, frontal lobes, brain structure and function, our digestive and nervous systems, our heart and skin sensitivity. There is no way anyone can undergo a spiritual transformation without it affecting one's body. Not possible. One can also understand this by understanding colloidal conditions in water, the stirring of water and reversal of that stirring, and how that creates colloids. (Yes, I explain this in-depth in the book.) Should this intrigue you, you might read my book "Future Memory," as it broaches these topics in a deeper way than I can do with this e-mail. I might warn you, however, that "Future Memory" is really not a book - it is a labyrinth. In order for the book to make sense, once you start reading it, stay on the path (don't skip around). A labyrinth is meant to be walked as it winds. The book is no exception to that. You may find the material in the book quite helpful. Did your parent's death begin the process of a brain shift/spirit shift for you? Sounds to me like it did. Now would be a good time for you to study the aftereffects pattern and where that might lead you. Enjoy your journey. It will take you to places you never dreamed of before. Blessings, PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

******* Sign up now for my free newsletters. Just go to the bottom of the Home Page of my website at www.pmhatwater.com, and fill out name and e-mail address. Addresses are kept confidential and not shared with anyone. I will be doing more and more newsletters - sometimes articles or book suggestions or tips, or...........just personal sharings. Come aboard!

******* Don't miss the terrific conference on near-death experiences September 2-4 in Denver, Colorado. Put on by the International Association For Near-Death Studies (IANDS), it will feature some of the best researchers in the field, including Dr. Pim van Lommel from the Netherlands, all manner of talks and sharings, experiencer panels, timely material on the aftereffects and how that affects experiencers and their families, special talks by Mellen-Thomas Benedict, Maggie Callanan, Dr. Melvin Morse, Dr. Jeffrey Long, myself, Kimberly Clark-Sharp, and many others. The theme this year is "Mysteries of Near-Death Experiences." Register today at www.iands.org. It will be held at the Red Lion Hotel, Denver Central. See you there!!!!!!!!!!

Not a question so much as not understanding

2010-07-19T18:34:00.003-04:00

A SPECIAL LETTER FROM AN ADULT WHO HAD A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE AS A TEENAGER:

Instead of the usual question and answer format, this time I want to carry a letter written to me by Anthony. He’s an adult now, having had a near-death experience as a teenager. His letter is really a musing about things, yet his thoughts echo what he went through years ago and how that has changed how he views reality today. I think you will find his letter most interesting. ~PMH

Subject: Not a question so much as not understanding.

Dear Dr. Atwater,

My name is Anthony. I consider myself a humble, simple man. I have been reading different areas of your website, particularly the Q&A area. So much of what I read in your replies to the questions of others are things which I have come to understand myself over the years since my own Near Death type experience in my teens. That was over 25 years ago. I have come to understand much through my experiences of life through both common, physical channels as well as spiritual ones. I have had far more than my share of what many regard as psychic experiences.

I enjoy the views and insights on your site tremendously, but outside of places such as your site I have much difficulty understanding the general view of society and why there is so much emphasis on the body. Our bodies are merely the physical aspect of our being. To my understanding it seems clear that there are four fundamental facets to our total being. Body (Physical), Mind (Intellect), Heart (Emotion) and Soul (Spirit). But it seems to me that the general emphasis for the majority overall is on the physical and emotional aspects of our being. Many even doubt the existence of a soul or spirit altogether.

I wonder if those who believe themselves to be merely the body and brain truly realize how much it changes. Every single breath, every meal digested, and the various other bodily functions exchange the physical matter of their bodies with the environment. I have read that every minute around three hundred thousand cells die in the average person. If this is what they define themselves as, physical matter, then they are never the same person from one moment to the next. If a person loses an arm, leg or some other appendage they don't generally consider themselves any less of a person. And they don't look at the dust around their house (which is at least partly dead human skin cells) to be who they are.

I find myself wondering why they don't see themselves equally as the various forms of energy that their bodies produce or are 'within' them. I believe the typical mindset is that energy is something that we use, not something that we indeed are. And logic itself seems to dictate (at least to my mind) that we are just as much that energy as we are the physical matter, perhaps even more so. After all, what is a thought? It is not physical by any means we can detect. We can not set aside a thought or put it on a shelf and say, "here is my thought", now can we? We can write it down, certainly, but that is not the thought itself, merely the expression of it. The thought itself is a state of energy.

But even beyond cognitive thought there is life. Plants, microbes and various higher lifeforms have no brains and yet all these forms of life are aware on some level. If they weren't then how could they react and respond to environmental conditions? A plant moves toward the sun, works to overcome damage to it, spreads it's roots toward moisture. Microbes and those higher lifeforms which have no brains still seek out nourishment, flee from destructive influences and work to repair damage to them. And then you might look at a rock. It has matter, physical form, and yet it does none of the above. There is indeed energy at work within it or from the environment which affects it's density or state of erosion/radioactive decay, but as an entity itself it does not appear to take any form of action. It just sits there and 'takes it'. But even so, several cultures throughout history still consider such inanimate things to contain a 'spirit'.

So how is it, I wonder, that so many people question whether they are more than just this body and brain or not? Even quantum physics shows us that there is a basic 'awareness', 'knowledge' or 'connection' between 'physical' particles and light quanta or electromagnetic energy. QP even shows that these connections are non-local and not dependent upon time or distance. I don't get it. Isn't it obvious or is it just me?

~Anthony

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

You all know how keenly interested I am in food, farming, crops, and seeds. The techniques of Permaculture and Biological Farming I believe are the ways to go for the future of our world, to ensure good food and plenty of it. With Permaculture in mind, I highly recommend Mollison and Holmgren’s “The Permaculture Designer’s Manual.”

There is an important opportunity very soon you can take advantage of. Big Bend Ecovillage is sponsoring “Permaculture Design Certification Course,” July 27-August 13 at Big Bend Hot Springs in Shasta County, Northern California. They have an intergenerational ecovillage development there which is outstanding. The contacts I have for this are: www.LivingMandala.com; education@livingmandala.com; (707) 634-1461

ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT:

The official title of my new book is NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES: THE REST OF THE STORY. It comes out late January, 2011, hardcover, from Hampton/Red Wheel. I promise you the book will be controversial. More about this later.

Not Everyone's Mission

2010-06-27T10:34:00.003-04:00

QUESTION:

"Time and time again experiencers like yourself keep on repeating the most central and most important message they received on the other side: We are sent to this material world to learn to love each other and to grow spiritually. Someone may be a selfish so-and-so, but, hopefully, he will, during his stay on earth, learn to love or at least respect someone.

"Such an incarnation can only be successful if the person in question has an innate ability to learn.

"If I would have a son who was mentally retarded, I would not send him to college and force him to become a professor specializing in the quantum mechanical interaction of subatomic particles. In a similar vein, it is no use sending a psychopathic personality to earth on a mission to learn to establish deep, loving, and intimate relationships with other people. The problem with psychopaths is not that they do not love or care for people, or that they do not have a conscience. Those flaws of character could be cured and correced if a psychopath had the ability to learn to love and care for people; if he had the ability (and the motivation) to learn to develop a conscience. But the real problem with psychopaths is simply, that they cannot learn these things. No matter how kind you are; no matter how much energy and time, love or goodwill, you would invest, you would never be able to make a loving person with a conscience out of a psychopath. Some journalist once asked Richard Kuklinsky (psychopath and former Mafia hitman): 'Did you ever have a friend you did not kill?' Kuklinsky answered: 'Yes, I had a friend I wanted to kill, but I didn't.' Short period of silence............ 'But then I changed my mind and I killed him anyway.......'

"Dr. Atwater, what are we to make of all this? The Light will know that a psychopath will not learn anything during his earthly incarnation. He will only kill and wreak havoc on innocent victims. The only mind boggling and mind bending reason for a serial killer to incarnate on this material plane is, that his mission is to kill as many prostitutes in a red light district as he can.

"But why does The Light let all these things happen? Or, do we have to assume (hold your nose cause here goes the cold water!!!) that the prostitutes chose an incarnation at the end of which they were to be killed by 'our' serial killer?

"Dr. Atwater, no matter how you look at the psychopath problem, it remains baffling and mind bending. You could even say that the psychopath was himself the victim of the cruel and violent fantasies that he could not control and deal with." ~Robert

ANSWER:

Robert, I don't recall saying that we are sent to earth to learn to love each other and grow spiritually. Nor do I recall putting such a phrase in any of my books. Certainly, many experiencers do indeed say that very thing, and my job as a researcher would be to convey such a conviction. In that sense, then, I could have written something similar as a way of reporting on the claims of experiencers. But I would have been careful how I worded that. Just because many experiencers make such a claim does not make it true for all.

What is true, and what holds up in thousands of cases, is that we all have a mission, a job to do, during our stay on earth (maybe several), and that the greatest power we find here or anywhere else is love. Still, do we all come here to be loving? No. Not everyone's mission is to be loving.

We come for different reasons, and all of them support to some degree, somehow, the idea of growth, that we come here to learn and grow. Lives, then, and our living of them, seem geared toward the "progressive," moving forward and upward, and eventually to the spiritual. Some of us take longer to get to the spiritual than others. Experiences like near-death, kundalini breakthroughs, Baptism by the Holy Spirit, mountain-top experiences, unitive experiences, vision quests, impactual spiritual awakenings - are all breakthrough events - geared, to my way of thinking, to short-circuit the process and get us to where we can operate beyond the limits of ego and ego-based beliefs, disorders, and contortions. Once we awaken, get beyond that which limits us, it's absolutely amazing how quickly life begins to make sense and we become happier, healthier AND more loving.

The Eastern idea of karma, that we harvest whatever we sow, that whatever we have done in one life will come back to us in another, offers us a way to consider people who harm others - from a different vantage point. A question often asked in regards to karma is: who made the error, the victim or the perpetrator, and what is the judgment? Where ideas about karma get sticky is. . . that karma is really a reference to balance, rather than revenge. There's good karma and there's bad karma. That's the sticky part. When we look at karma in the sense of balance, we encounter a real truth: the power of forgiveness (where things are out-of-balance to the negative), and the power of acceptance, especially self-acceptance (when things are out-of-balance to the positive). Karma can take us either way, sometimes both.

Why are we here? What is our true mission? Only our heart knows, and only our soul can determine if our heart is in the right place or not. This is a matter for meditation and prayer, and deep contemplation, not just for the claims of the excited who were privileged to view life from another angle. ~Blessings, PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

RESERVE SPACE NOW!!!!!!!!! The first week of September is the big Near-Death Conference in Denver, Colorado. The roster of speakers this year is incredibly outstanding. Our keynoter is Pim van Lommel, M.D., the cardiologist who did the largest clinical study of near-death states to date, the one that was published in "Lancet" medical journal. His book, ENDLESS CONSCIOUSNESS, is now out through HarperCollins. Contact IANDS for more information: services@iands.org, or call themat (919) 383-7940. Their website: www.iands.org.

NEW TITLE FOR BOOK - I find out later next week what title my publisher will chose for my newest and last book on my near-death research. They did tell me that this new book will be a hard-cover (the ultimate compliment for an author) and that it will sell for $23.95. Save your pennies, folks, the book will be worth that price!!!

ATTENTION ANYONE INTERESTED IN GARDENS AND FARMS:

Lutie Larson will be one of the speakers at the USPA (United States Psychotronics Association) conference July 17-19 at Inn Place Hotel, 9700 Bluegrass Parkway, Louisville, KY.

Lutie is busy amazing the world with how easy and efficiently one can use psychotronics (simple gadgets/methods that operate with mind-over-matter) to raise better, healthier food in less time. Her talk is on Saturday, July 17, 10:15 – 11:45 am; Farmers Workshop Sunday, July 18, 7 to 10 pm; Gardners Workshop Monday, July 19, 9 am to 12 noon.

Why she is so important……… not only is Lutie internationally known, her focus is bio-energetic treatment (psychotronic) of soil and plants which produces organic grade vegetables. The quality of her food is actually defined at bio-dynamic (a higher form of organic). She is a leader in sustainable farming. In Utah, Robert Redford’s Sundance Restaurant buy her lettuce crops – which are normally grown and harvested in as little as 22 days. She has a summer apprentice program, teaching others to do what she does.

If you are interested at all in the quality of the food you eat, please attend this conference. There will be other speakers there as well, including myself, talking about my latest research on near-death states and including material that takes the subject of near-death to the next level – the larger genre of transformative states – and why we have them.

The big USPA conference is a conference of leading-edge inventors, scientists, and researchers, who are showing the world a better way of living – here and now – and a more enriching version of the true reality. I hope I will see you there.

Contact: USPA (502) 429-6600 or go online at http://www.psychotronics.org

Money and the Spiritual Path

2010-05-03T21:32:00.004-04:00

QUESTION:

"Someone wrote this in the NDE Yahoo group, and I wondered how you might counter this notion - because I get this all the time, too. I don't understand what's wrong with earning a living like everyone else with what we've chosen to do. Just because we're 'spiritual,' we're not suppose to get paid and we should live in poverty? Or, as some in my family have often said to me, 'Why don't you just get a job?'

"It seems that there are many who try to use spirituality as a means to make money. But there are also many, many others that are reaching out to help others with spiritual growth the best way they can. You offered to visit our local IANDS group if we paid your airfare and found someone's house you could stay in. Linda has been doing this message board for years, without making a dime from it as far as I can tell." ....Dana

ANSWER:

One of the biggest misunderstandings that exist on the spiritual path concerns the issue of money. There have been many fine books written on this subject, classes taught, speakers who tackle the subject. . . still, superstitution remains. Money is just green energy. That's all it is. Problems come when we let money use us, instead of us using it. Control issues can become enormous problems, to where we become little more than a common addict, tied to a monster that will suck out our spirit. Money should serve, never control. Yet, in that service we forget about the Law of Circulation, a universal Law that still applies, and to all of us. The Law of Circulation says that receiving is just as important as giving. If we give/give/give, always giving, we deny the equal need to receive, and become as if an "overlord" in how our piety becomes simply another way to stiffle the creativity and spirit of others, not to mention their good will and their love. Giving and receiving goes both ways, says the Law, else what we think of as our generosity, our desire to help and uplift, turns into another way our ego can get the best of us.

Since my actions are in question here, allow me to speak on my behalf. Like any near-death experiencer, I gave away or sold almost everything I had within a year of my three episodes in 1977. I moved East (my home was in Idaho) with only $1,000 to my name. Yes, I had a cousin and his family in Reston, Virginia, and, yes, I was able to live in their camper for about a month. But that was it. I was turned out and quite forcefully, when I could not accept all of their narrow beliefs. That I found work in Washington, D.C. and an apartment was truly as act of God - nothing less could have explained the miracle. I began my search of near-death experiencers a month later, never having heard of Raymond Moody nor his book, and having no idea anyone else was researching the phenomenon besides me. I did what I did because of a Voice that spoke to me during my third episode. To date, I have written ten books on my findings (the latest one to be published by Hampton Roads in January, 2011). During these three-plus decades (I began in 1978), I have held to a schedule averaging a six-day week, 8 to 10 hours per day (sometimes longer) each and every year. Terry and I were married in 1980, so his paychecks have helped some. Mostly, though, the money that paid for my work came from first a salaried position, then part-time jobs, then giving readings via visionary abilities that I had and rune-casting sessions I gave using the ancient casting glyphs that trace back to the Crimea, Danube, Ukraine, and Black Sea ("Runes of the Goddess"). In case you haven't guessed, we have lived on the cheap. Like the average near-death experiencer, I was challenged with how to understand, train, redefine, and use my enhanced abilities in ways that would serve the greater good. God/Diety/Source comes first in my life.

It took me a very long time to charge for anything I did. We were brought to our knees (my husband and myself) with disaster after disaster with my books, including a near-bankruptcy. I have often said, and it is true, if I had become a clerk at Wal-Mart instead of a researcher of near-death states, I would be rich today. As of 2007, my total earnings from all that I have done since 1978 in the way of books royalties, engagements, classes, talks, on my near-death work, has been $30,000. That's it. If you've ever read "The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences," you noticed that I gave away 50% of all my royalties on the book to the International Association For Near-Death Studies (IANDS) - that means all Friends of IANDS groups can order the book directly from Hampton Roads, the book's publisher, for half price, sell them themselves, keep the profit to help out their group - until the Spring of 2012. After that time, the ownership of the book passes to IANDS. I'm out. I am very clear about this. Yes, I did all the work, all of it, still, the book belongs to experiencers and those like them who read the book, not to me. IANDS is the perfect custodian of this fact.

In the last several years I have finally learned how to speak up for myself, especially where engagements are concerned. My charge now is a minimum of $500 per talk, all expenses paid. With IANDS groups, I will come and help them out for only the cost of expenses. I do ask that a donation plate be put out to help pay for my time. Whatever is collected, I am grateful to receive. Other researchers AND near-death experiencers (especially those who have made a lot of money with their books) charge in the thousands for each appearance. Now, there's nothing wrong with this, and someday my price may go up too. Depends on what I am guided to do during prayer and meditation. All of my work, though, as a Prayer Chaplain is done without charge.

The question about money has been a source of deep grief for near-death experiencers. We say free and give away what we have or gain without question. We are generous and open-hearted to our core. The result? Years later many suffer from serious poverty issues, confused when comparing the outcome of their piety to what they felt guided to do. Examples: the money did not come to pay for the Centers they were guided to build; the result of their healing work helped many, only to deplete them later-on; their "soul mates" were a mixed bag and relationships suffered. I know of one near-death experiencer, a man by the name of Steve, who went on a spending spree after his near-death experience, to help out his family. This led to serious financial distress and his death by suicide, because he was so ashamed of what he had done to his family - when all he wanted to do was spread love. The last thing Steve requested was that near-death experiencers be taught how to handle money, what it's for, and how to use it. The magic of compound interest was the first thing he forgot. So did I. So do most of us. Even those who were able to ply the waters of spirituality with a good head and some degree of common sense, tussled with the shift in feelings and attitudes they had about money and possessions and ownership afterward. I am grateful there is a movement afoot to assist experiencers with the timely information they need to successfully integrate their near-death states.

Most of the work I do is a labor of love. It always has been so and always will be. Make no mistake about this point, however. I intend to pay off our mortgage and all our bills, and then some. There is nothing unspiritual about paying off your debts and being a good custodian of the gifts you have been given in life. None of us "owns" anything, anyway, so the question of ownership/possessions is moot. ~PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

---- In case you didn't already know, there was a special TV broadcast to the People's Republic of China and Surrounding Areas, on April 23 (Episode 1) and on April 30 (Episode 2). This broadcast featured a number of near-death experiencers, and centered entirely around the near-death phenomenon. Credits go to Beverly Brodsky, in the San Diego area, as one of the organizers, and New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV). Denis Purcell of IANDS-Los Angeles was also a major organizer, who worked with Qing Ma, the local producer for New Tang Dynasty TV. This cooperative project was successfully launched and carried out. Many credits and pats on the back to all involved.

---- Hospice Nurse Maggie Callanan, the author of "Final Gifts/Final Journeys," will be presenting some programs in North Carolina. The first is in the Winston-Salem area (June 17th, 1 to 4 pm), and the second is in Durham (June 18th, 1 to 4 pm). To register for either or both of these programs, get ahold of IANDS (International Association For Near-Death Studies) at services@iands.org or call (919) 383-7940.

---- There are once again excessive claims being made about near-death experiencers and their stories. I understand the need to do this, because of media and publishing pressures, but I want to set the record straight:

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE NDE BOOK OF THE YEAR. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE BEST NDE STORY OF THEM ALL. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE MOST GRIPPING OR UNUSUAL OR MOST LOVING.

Sorry, none of this applies, and no one can make such a statement without exaggeration or lying. There are millions of cases; thousands are now published on the Internet, in various books, or websites. Some of the most evidential cases have never been published, and probably never will. So please keep this in mind as you visit your favorite bookstore, or search online for whatever you can find. ~PMH