An introduction to religious and spiritual experience

Near Death Experiences (NDE)
Some kind of survival of death seems to be indicated by the NDE. Mod-
ern resuscitation techniques have given many people the opportunity to 
‘return from the dead’. Accounts abound in the popular press and are 
investigated in television documentaries of people who have miraculously 
survived clinical death. 
A typical NDE begins with an OBE, viewing one’s own body from 
above, seeing and hearing what is going on, but being unable to commu-
nicate. Realization that one has died is followed by entry into a dark tun-
nel with a bright, welcoming light at the end. There the person seems to 
be met by a being of light and love, and often deceased relatives as well. 
As the person does not in fact die, it is often at this point that it is made 
clear that the time is not yet ripe, and a return to the body takes place, 
often against the person’s will, and occasionally into pain. Some people 
however, go on to experience a life-review, where they themselves feel the 
suffering they have caused others, judging themselves and their behav-
iour. On their return to life on earth these people frequently live com-
pletely transformed lives. The NDE leads them to greater compassion for 
their fellows and a more spiritual, less materialistic attitude. Many change 
to more caring professions, some become religious, but almost all report 
that they no longer have any fear of death.
This is not merely a modern phenomenon, however. There are myths in 
different parts of the world, and reports across the centuries which have 
a similar pattern, including Plato’s account of Er in 
The Republic
. How-
ever, these days there is an increasing amount of reporting, recording and 
analysis of NDEs and they are no longer seen as something one does not 
mention. They are discussed openly and are frequently the subject of 

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articles in the media. They give people hope of life after death and are 
often the cause of a change in attitudes and way of life. In their investiga-
tion of NDEs, in 
The Truth in the Light, 
Dr Peter Fenwick and Elizabeth 
Fenwick found that people were transformed in many ways after their 
NDE, primarily in their attitudes to death. 82% reported that they no 
longer feared death, for example:
I suppose this experience moulded something in my life. I was only a 
child when it happened, only ten, but now, my entire life through, I am 
thoroughly convinced that there is life after death, without a shadow 
of a doubt, and I am not afraid to die. I am not. Some people I have 
known are so afraid, so scared. I always smile to myself when I hear 
people doubt that there is an afterlife, or say, ‘When you’re dead, you’re 
gone.’ I think to myself, ‘They really don’t know.’
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Another example of an NDE from the same book is that of Derek 
Skull, a retired Major, who described himself as a very down-to-earth sort 
of person. He would be the very last person to make up anything as 
strange as an NDE. In fact he had not been able to make sense of his 
experience and had told no-one, not even his wife about it. Some time 
later he heard a radio programme about NDEs and realized what had 
happened to him. At the time of his experience Major Skull was in inten-
sive care after a heart attack. His room had windows too high for him to 
see out of and the door was closed.
I was lying there feeling terrible – absolutely at my lowest point, 
I’d never felt so low. Then these women just descended on me like three 
witches. They had to insert a catheter. I’d never had anything done like 
that and they gave me no warning, nothing. I didn’t know what they 
were up to. I can remember shouting, ‘Who’s that dreadful woman in 
the white coat?’ and someone saying, ‘That’s the doctor.’
I felt this enormous tension, as though I knew something was going 
to happen. Then I felt absolutely airy-fairy – as if I was levitating, quite 
serene, withdrawn from my body. I floated up into the top left-hand 
corner of the room. I looked back and saw my own body, lying there 
with its eyes closed. It didn’t seem at all surprising for me to be up 
there. I could see through the windows at the top of the room to the 
reception area outside the ward. Suddenly I was conscious of my wife 
waiting at the reception desk, talking to someone who was sitting 
down behind the desk so I couldn’t see them properly. She was wearing 
her red trouser suit. I thought, my God, what an inappropriate time to 

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arrive. It’s not visiting hours, I haven’t shaved, I’m looking dreadful, 
and anyway, I’m up here and she’s down there, and here’s the body. 
What’s going to happen?
The next thing I was conscious of was being back in my bed, 
I opened my eyes and there sitting beside me was Joan in her red trou-
ser suit. I wasn’t a bit surprised, because I knew she’s arrived, 
I’d already seen her.
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Derek Skull interpreted his experience to mean that something, a soul 
perhaps can become detached from the body and if that is what happens 
at death, he is no longer worried about it.
Mellen-Thomas Benedict refers to his death, rather than a NDE, 
which took place in 1982. He had inoperable cancer, knew there was 
no hope and had explored various spiritual teachings while preparing 
himself for death. One day he knew that he would die. He had arranged 
with his carer to leave his body unattended for six hours after his 
death, as he had read that this was a time when things might happen. 
He died for an hour and a half, during which time his heart was moni-
tored and all the physical symptoms of death were apparent. His body 
had even begun to stiffen. Benedict recounts that his experience began 
with the usual NDE pattern of events, being outside his body. Then he 
met the Light.
As I began to move toward the Light, I knew intuitively that if I went 
to the Light, I would be dead. So as I was moving toward the Light 
I said, ‘Please wait a minute, just hold on a second here. I want to think 
about this; I would like to talk to you before I go.’ To my surprise, the 
entire experience halted at that point. You are indeed in control of your 
near-death experience. The Light kept changing into different figures, 
like Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, mandalas, archetypal images and signs. 
I asked the Light, ‘What is going on here? Please Light, clarify yourself 
for me. I want to know the reality of the situation.’ I cannot say the 
exact words, because it was a sort of telepathy. The Light responded. 
The information transferred to me was that your beliefs shape the kind 
of feedback you are getting before the Light. If you were a Buddhist or 
Catholic or Fundamentalist, you get a feedback loop of your own stuff. 
You have the chance to look at it and examine it, but most people do 
not. As the Light revealed itself to me, I became aware that what I was 
really seeing was our higher Self matrix. . . . I was not committed to 
one particular religion. So that was what was being fed back to me.

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. . .
Then the Light turned into the most beautiful thing I have ever seen: a 
mandala of human souls on the planet. . . . I said, ‘Oh, God, I did not 
know how beautiful we are.’
He realized that the whole of humanity would be saved.
The Great Light spoke, saying, ‘Remember this and never forget; you 
save, redeem and heal yourself. You always have. You always will. You 
were created with the power to do so from the beginning of the 
world.’
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Benedict then wanted to discover more about the universe and he 
was able to see a subtle energy around the earth, created by humans, a 
spiritual level. He travelled out beyond our universe, before the Big 
Bang and into the Void. This is full of an energy, which is also all 
around and within us as Absolute Consciousness.
I saw that the Big Bang is only one of an infinite number of Big 
Bangs creating Universes endlessly and simultaneously.
The Ancients knew of this. They say Godhead periodically created new 
Universes by breathing out, and de-created other Universes by breathing 
in. These epochs were called Yugas.
I discovered that creation is about Absolute Pure Consciousness, or 
God, coming into the Experience of Life as we know it.
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He understood that creation is God exploring God’s self and the 
uniqueness of each person enhances this. Benedict found that there are 
many heavens (of different kinds, reflecting our own expectations) and 
that the end of all religions is the same God, but not God ‘out there’, God 
within everything.
I asked God, ‘What is the best religion on the planet? Which one is 
right?’ And Godhead said, with great love: ‘I don’t care.’ That was 
incredible grace. . . . I immediately understood that it is for 
us
to care 
about. It is important because we are the caring beings. . . . Each has 
a different view. And it all adds up to the big picture; it is all 
important.
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After his experience Benedict was completely cured and his insights 
have enabled him to contribute to research into cellular communication 

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and quantum biology. He is able to access the Light through meditation 
and now works as a healer.
Black Elk, a Wichasha Wakau or Holy Man of the Oglala Lakota 
Oyate (Oglala Sioux Tribe) of North America shared his experiences with 
John Neihardt in