Quote:


Scott and Nikki,

Actually, I was not stating my belief, I was stating what evidence has established based on hundreds of testimonies of near-death experiences.  First of all, virtually all NDEs report some kind of encounter with higher powers who have more control over things (including the nature of our afterlife) than we do, whether that be spirit guides, or angels, or Jesus, or the Light itself, which most people would call God.

Secondly, as for my statement that people can often receive the opposite of their own beliefs and expectations when they get to the afterlife, there is also a lot of evidence for this, so it's not just my belief.  Numerous NDEs establish that atheists can encounter God, non-Christians can encounter Jesus, fundamentalist Christians can be told that some doctrines they believe in are false, people who expect annihilation can still continue to be conscious, people who are fearful and depressed can suddenly feel peace and joy when they leave their body, people who worry about going to hell can find themselves in heaven, people who think they know they're going to heaven can find themselves in hell, people who don't believe in reincarnation can be shown past lives, people who do believe in reincarnation can be told it doesn't exist, etc.

Third, I would recommend not basing one's beliefs about the afterlife on only one's own personal experiences or the experiences of a few people who claim to know the truth.  In my opinion, it is better to look at as many spiritual testimonies as possible and try to figure out what resonates with your heart and mind, and generally to keep an open-mind rather than being quick to decide that any particular idea about spirituality and metaphysics is definitely right or wrong.

I have based many of my own beliefs, which I hold rather tentatively, on reading about a lot of people's near-death experiences.  The best website about this phenomenon I have found is http://www.near-death.com .  Many of the NDEs profiled on that site contain elements that were contradictory to the experiencer's own expectations or mental preconditioning.  And virtually all of them encountered a Higher Power or powers who are primarily in control over what happens to them in their afterlife experience.

So, I stand by my statement that Scott found so surprising:

"people can in fact receive the exact opposite of what their beliefs, attitudes, and mental condition would seem to dictate, because God is in control, not us."

Peace,
Freebird

Freebird,

It's funny that you mentioned about dreams because I had some sort of weird, lucid dream lastnight...I could hear myself laughing in my subconscious (dream) and also in my conscious...it was like I was awake and asleep at the same time.

I know he was there but I really can't recall what was going on in it. I wish I could.

The reason I know he was there is because that was "our thing"---lots of that type of laughing (heartfelt) and so far, I haven't felt the desire to truly laugh like that since he's been gone.  

I pray that means we've made a connection and he's telling me he's happy, still has his sense of humor and wants me to be as well????

I hope it's so.

~Nikki

Hi Marilyn,

I'm so glad you responded to what I wrote about my dream.

I've been wondering all day about whether or not it was what they call a "connection". In my heart I thought it was, but to hear you say it was helps me believe it even more.

I will try tonight to meditate on the dream to see if I can remember anything.

Thank you for your encouragement

Love to you too,
Nikki

Brendan, God didn't invent depression. Whatever gave you that idea? Man created depression, wars, murder, molestations..............need I go on? 

I have been in depression most of my life since age 25 (am not now). God didn't create this. I created it myself. My having an abusive husband and feeling I had no way out is what caused it. And my husband and I planned our lives before coming into this earth life for lessons to be learned. The major lesson that I have learned is to not be a victim.

God is a loving mystery. You are a God-spark just as I am and every other person in the world.

It's so easy for so many to blame God for everything that goes wrong in their lives. Good grief, people need to wake up and take responsibility for their lives and what comes into them.

With Love and Concern,
Mairlyn

Brendan, God didn't invent depression. Whatever gave you that idea? Man created depression, wars, murder, molestations..............need I go on? 

I have been in depression most of my life since age 25 (am not now). God didn't create this. I created it myself. My having an abusive husband and feeling I had no way out is what caused it. And my husband and I planned our lives before coming into this earth life for lessons to be learned. The major lesson that I have learned is to not be a victim.

God is a loving mystery. You are a God-spark just as I am and every other person in the world.

It's so easy for so many to blame God for everything that goes wrong in their lives. Good grief, people need to wake up and take responsibility for their lives and what comes into them.

With Love and Concern,
Mairlyn
*******************************
I guess I was referring to the J.D. Howes conception of "God", Mairlyn...
Freebird comes dangerously close to the J.D. Howes god, or so it seems. He's speculating that there is even a POSSIBILITY that a suicide will be punished.
Any being that would use something as vile as depression as a "test" or whatever (and then stomps on those who "fail" the test by killing themselves) meets my definition of a foul, evil, disgusting monster worthy of nothing but curses from "His" creations.
Now what YOU'RE describing - a non-anthropomorphic, non-judgemental "creative Force" if you will... I can perhaps stomach.

B-man

Hi Brendan,

I didn't mean to 'stomp' on you. I felt bad after I'd written that last night. I was just trying to get the point across that God is a loving being/force/mystery. I know you understand and I'm happy to hear that you can go with that.

With Love, Mairlyn