It's life after life, NDE research shows

Will we die only to be reborn again in this endless re-cycling of samsara? Yes, but not today.

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I've studied more than 5,000 near-death experiences (NDEs), and my research has convinced me without a doubt that there's life after what we call death. (WQ) The dying process seems final, until we ourselves die and reunite with those who passed before us.

• UNDERSTANDING NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES (The Hearty Soul) Dr. Long’s exploration was based on an encounter while in medical residency. He stumbled across an article describing NDEs (near-death experiences) in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The article stirred his curiosity so much so that he eventually founded the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation. With incredibly meticulous scientific collection techniques and analyzing firsthand accounts, Dr. Long was able to uncover a collection of experiences that defy today's conventional understanding. These experiences, whether taking place during clinical death or in life-threatening situations, share common threads that hint at an existence beyond the physical realm: a life [lives] after death.

Raise the dead with this mantra: "Kuchi kuchi koo!"

(WQ) But it is not like this. What we call death is not oblivion, not the end of everything. It would be nice if it were and we could look forward to eternal peace and rest, unconsciousness and a closing of all things. But it isn't that way at all.

The rebirth (relinking, reappearance) process is immediate. We are not dead for more than a moment because the very next moment is the relinking consciousness. Therefore, it is an unbroken chain of mind moments (cittas) between lives.

In fact, it really should be called life after life not after death. There was this life, and before, there were countless others lived in this cycling chain. Hereafter, there is much more to come, for good and ill. People crassly say, "Karma is a b*tch," not seeming to realize that nearly everything good that happens to us is due to karma. The bad, too.

We have a choice, if we only knew it. We can steer the ship of our lives if only we regained the wisdom to know that. Even faith can help right away. If one but have faith (saddha, confidence) that karma really happens -- that our deeds really do beget appropriate results -- we would not be so timid.

The brain proceeds after the last breath

We might step up and begin to live. Belief in "fate," called fatalism, is very harmful. It absolutely seems true, that things just happen out of the blue. But that is only because we do not see the whole picture or even the big picture, but only a tiny fragment of it.

We only see that we did something good and nothing came of it, or even harm came to us. But we are blind to the fact that IT (the deed) has not yet come to fruition. Ripening is not immediate. It takes a variable length of time, which is why John Lennon's threat "Instant karma's going to get you" is so harmful.

Instant karma is unreal or very rare. If we do something and get an immediate result, it is not because that karma (that seed) suddenly sprouted and bloomed. It is far more likely because similar seeds were waiting in line to bloom. People do not usually suddenly turn over a new leaf and begin acting out of character. They (we) very much stick to character.

• PATTERNS OF LIFE AFTER DEATH (The Hearty Soul) Dr. Long’s research has revealed that approximately 45% of individuals report an out-of-body experience when near death. This experience detaches consciousness from the physical body and provides vivid details of one's surroundings. These consistent accounts have often included details confirmed by witnesses which, of course, is great for accuracy and authenticity for Dr. Long. On top of this initial separation, individuals describe "going into" another realm, feeling a profound sense of peace, and reunion with departed loved ones. With such vivid descriptions and consistency of accounts across age groups and cultural backgrounds, it's hard to dismiss it all as mere hallucinations.
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Those past deeds come to fruition when we're still doing the thing we habitually did in the past, and it comes to seem like the deed we just did is producing its result when it is much more likely to be a deed from the distant past catching up with us.

[See the Abhidhamma for the unbelievably complex way in which this works with impulsions (javanas), volitions (cetanas), and the many kinds of karma (kammas) so named based on their function. All of these things, unbelievably, are directly observable to a mind that is temporarily purified and utterly obscured to defiled minds. That purification (vissudhi) is accomplished by meditative absorptions (jhanas), refined states of stillness and concentration. It is not really a DIY project but one that needs a teacher with experience in these matters. We can suggest form British Buddhist nun Beth Upton.]

• I've studied more than 5,000 near-death experiences (NDEs), and my research has convinced me without a doubt that there's life after what we call death
• More: You can meditate yourself into a near-death experience (and if you practice, you can get better at it)
• Sean Cate, The Hearty Soul via MSN, May 2024; TEXT by Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly