Near-Death Experiences and Universalism (Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad)

Do Muslims see Muhammad, Christians see Jesus, and Hindus see Krishna? People often claim that near-death experiences confirm universalism, but the data might surprise you. Dr. Steve Miller is leading researcher on near-death experiences (he has written 3 books on it). While he has been on my show multiple times, the most common objection we have received against NDEs is that they promote universalism. Is this objection legitimate? Join us for an in-depth look at whether NDEs confirm all religions or uniquely support Christianity.
READ: Is Christianity Compatible with Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences? (amzn.to/44NFMzq)
WATCH: Near-Death Experiences Point to God and Heaven: ( • Near-Death Experiences... )
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[@OldThingsPassAway]

I had an experience like Patric Stewart. Except it was someone I have never met in my life. I was awake and alive. I saw him, heard him, touched him, and even fed him. I have no idea who the man is, but he was someone I can only describe as a prophet. At one point in our conversation, I was literally about to ask him if he was an angel, and he looked straight at me and said, "I'm not an angel" BEFORE I could ask him if he was an angel. I debated with myself vigorously whether it was Jesus in the flesh or not. I still have no idea what I experienced, but it was THE event in my life that gave me the resolution of my faith. I am more committed to orthodox Christianity today than I have ever been.

[@marcustrebonius3410]

Do you remember what the man looked like?

[@OldThingsPassAway]

@@marcustrebonius3410 Of course I remember what he looked like. Why do you ask?

[@marcustrebonius3410]

Just curious. There are some people who can astral travel, when they are asleep, to other realms. I once astral travelled to a realm where there were people who were in comas, I think.

[@OldThingsPassAway]

@@marcustrebonius3410 I was not asleep or astral traveling. This took place in the neighborhood I was living at the time.

[@matthewmacarthur9556]

lol I think he was trying to say, Tell us more, don’t leave us hanging!

[@HappyHermit322]

I'm sooo tired of everyone treating us Catholics as if we're not Christians. WE ARE CHRISTIANS ✝️. Let's love each other instead of judging one Christian Church against the other. We must be united to face the oppression toward US.

[@StarCrystal9]

Leave the judgement to the Almighty...

[@leofarrell2966]

❤

[@markmcflounder15]

Yes! We are Christians (Catholics & protestants) & our differences are in-house differences debates. There are some things that Catholics do far better than us protestants.

[@MrSeedi76]

What oppression? Last time I checked there was no oppression of Christianity in Western countries.

[@4486johnboy]

My personal opinion I’m gun shy to tell anyone that I’m Christian by how many of them act and treat others. When asked I tell people I’m a follower of Jesus. The true question would be are you born again. The Bible teaches you must have a physical birth and be born of the spirit to enter the kingdom. Did you know the Christian title came from a Roman leader mocking and making fun of the followers of Jesus. Followers of the first century church called them self The Way. Like I explain to others I don’t follow a religion. I follow a man that was 100% man and 100% God that died the death I deserved and rose again. Take care and be blessed

[@wzupppp]

Im from a muslim background and I have seen jesus. I dont know what to make of it.

[@SeanMcDowell]

Wow. Send me a note at seanmcdowell.org. I’d love to maybe offer some thoughts.

[@calliegal235]

Have you asked Jesus what to make of it?

[@justanotherperson9529]

Most people no matter what their religion is ,see Jesus when they die, thats the reality,and some people are confused about it ,thats normal,since they are raised differently, thats fine.. its never too late to accept Jesus,God in your heart He showed you the truth.Jesus is only God there is.He found you for a reason,and show you the Truth,the path, Hes path because He love you so much..He is your friend,your father,and he loves you no matter what.Maybe you need to find Him now, and give Him a chance,talk to Him..its up to you ..

[@stevemiller6368]

Some people from other religions do indeed, to their surprise, see Jesus in their NDEs. I found three Jews reporting seeing Jesus, in both Nancy Evans Bush's study and Barbara Rommer's study. As for Muslims seeing Jesus, I'm not sure how many see them in NDEs (I've never seen a study on this), but I know that some books speak of many Muslims reporting seeing Jesus in visions, causing them to learn more about Jesus. One such book is Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World, by Tom Doyle. Since the Quran describes Jesus as being a miracle working Messiah, surely Muslims should be open to learning more about Jesus from the earliest documents describing his life and teaching, especially the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

[@sheilawilson8691]

Jesus wants a relationship with you and He wants to help you realize the plan God has for your life. Jesus loves you more than you can ever know. The Bible is His love letter to you. I recommend that you look for good teachers of the Bible who believe that spiritual gifts are for today. Andrew Womack, Joseph Prince are names that pop into my mind. Welcome to our family 💞

[@Jesus_is_King144]

I was studying the “new age” as an agnostic when God spoke to me and told me to read the Bible. I ignored the thought and continued studying. God spoke to me again and asked me “where is Jesus?” so I reluctantly began researching to find out who Jesus is and came across Christian KZbin. After reading the Bible and watching Sid Roth,Perry Stone, Kevin Zadai , I had many encounters with Holy Spirit and I now KNOW Jesus is the only answer.

[@margueriteoosthuizen6006]

My husband had a death experience (he died in an operation and was raised to life again) and experienced God during that. It's the reason he believes in and follows and fears Him today 🙌

[@Ragnar-Lothbrok967]

Follows and fears? Not loves? Was your husband’s encounter with this being not exactly a loving one?

[@margueriteoosthuizen6006]

@@Ragnar-Lothbrok967 Perhaps I did not express myself clearly enough, he absolutely loves Him to bits. When I say "fears" I mean that in the sense of respect, but it might be a little "christianese" as I realise the rest of the world only has a bad connotation to the word. It's more akin to "honor" and "respect" and "willing to obey out of love for Him". Like the same way you treat a friend with kindness and your boss with respect in order to protect your relationship above all else. I do realise it's a touchy point for a lot of people but frankly I think it's touchy because of their own relational experiences not necesarily having been healthy and life giving. His experience with God was, in fact, nothing but experiencing pure love 🤍 Hope that clarifies things :)

[@stevemiller6368]

Thanks for sharing your husband's life-changing experience!

[@lapetitemoma]

Here's a thought. What if the people that experienced seeing Jesus, and Jesus knowing that they are not going to die yet, is giving them a second chance to believe in Him. Near death is not absolute death. The end game is ultimately Judgement day.

[@janiceeiler782]

You took the words out of my mouth! Lol! I kept thinking the folks almost dying haven’t reached judgment yet! And the Lord is giving some perhaps unsaved people a reprieve.

[@AM-xj4bd]

Amen! Thank you!

[@thehighwayman78]

I was thinking the same. That also goes for reincarnation. I doubt that would be on the immediate agenda. Just inside the doorstep of coming home you generally don't start planning your next trip... Just logically thinking

[@Marabarra94]

i had a near death experience. i didn't see Jesus and i was very welcome in heaven. there is no judgement there. the godlike being that i saw loves everybody. that judgement story is to scare people.

[@janiceeiler782]

@@Marabarra94 I’d be a bit hesitant with your claim. People have had nd experiences in a hellish location too. And the Bible does indicate there is a time where everyone does come before a throne for judgment. Jesus followers go before Him at the “bema seat” judgment and those who didn’t choose to follow Him are judged at the great white throne of God the Father. It sounds like you only experienced a part of the hereafter before you came back.

[@Anabee3]

WOW! What a blessing to be introduced to Dr. Steven Miller. I could listen to him all day!

[@Zmasterflash]

Disclaimer: I have been a Christian since 1973 and read Moody’s book, “Life After Life” in 1975. What I recall is almost all NDE experiences whether Christian or not, whether they went through a tunnel or not, experienced a tremendous light full of liquid love. I don’t recall anyone going through the judgement or entering into the gates of heaven. Had they gone through the gates, they never could have come back. For those non-Christians, they never went through the judgement. That’s a big deal! Now they met a loving God, and hopefully afterwards they sought out who He truly is. Only Jesus died for us, and gave His life for our salvation. To understand what I mean, read the gospel of John and it explains it all. Jesus loves you ❤

[@billgates3699]

‼️I saw Jesus myself. I can never doubt or pretend to not know that Jesus loves us and is waiting for us to know Him. That love was unimaginable.

[@eirecoleen]

Just wondering, why billgates3699?

[@Marabarra94]

where did you see him and how do you know that is was Jesus?

[@billgates3699]

@@Marabarra94 I was near self inflicted deáth when I prayed desperately to God. I said "If you're real, just prove it". The next day I met a pastor and he and some others prayed for me. While my eyes were closed he asked me "what do you see" and then i realized that I was witnessing a movie playing in front of me. I couldn't open my eyes or turn my head. Then, there was Jesus and he smiled at me. And I said "I see...Jesus?" and then Jesus nodded his head and placed his fingers on my shoulders and I physically felt the touch and the electricity and the pressure like an unimaginable force behind the touch. He was smiling so big, all He could do was smile. I couldn't even see His eyes and He was just laughing and smiling because I asked to see Him and His message to me was how proud He is and that in spite of everything else in the world WE are loved completely and perfectly and nothing will make Him love us less. He told me that something unbelievable would happen and I...didn't want to believe it but the next day it came true exactly as he said and that event completely ripped me out of my old life and gave me a completely new start. His forgiveness and love is greater than ANY power anybody can imagine.

[@GregS4Jesus]

No doubt, the question is does God love us all, or just some of us? Why should God ever quit loving anyone, if He has all eternity to teach us the truth?

[@ByDesign333]

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I saw what I am convinced was Jesus Christ. Good friends rightly are going to warn that visions can be from Satan. But when you know you know it's a genuine revelation. It was in the early 70s, when many were reading Josh McDowells book. But I'm weak in faith when reality hits hardest. "STRIVE to enter in", for....many shall seek to enter and will not be able. I've also been let to be dipped into hell a few seconds. Seeing Christ and tasting hell; I'm still working on overcoming, with fear and trembling. WHY Sean, do you put out the bat emblem?

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

There needs to be a clear distinction between 'Universalism' ( the belief that all or many roads lead to God/salvation) and Christian Universalism which teaches that salvation is only through The LORD Jesus Christ.

[@commonsensebeliever6723]

Universalism means all will be saved in the end, whether they came to accept Christ as Savior or not, which violates foundational Christian doctrine.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@commonsensebeliever6723 The belief that all will be saved in the end is seemingly what the majority of the early church believed IE Christ died for all and He succeeded in saving all .

[@londen3547]

@@TheHumbuckerboy Predestination is a tough one. No matter what we say or do to witness, some people are fitted for destruction. It's something that God chooses to do, and I accept it. However God doesn't tell us who is predestined, so we should be kind and civil to all men.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@londen3547 The book of Romans doesn't end at chapter 9 we need to keep reading .

[@londen3547]

@@TheHumbuckerboy @commonsensebeliever6723 made the point that unilateralism violates Christian doctrine. You pointed out the doctrine of predestination, and I was seeking to clarify. How does that relate to the book of Romans?

[@sarah-annchaddick4908]

I so appreciate you having Dr. Miller on your channel and willing to discuss NDE’s! ❤️

[@KrisRinger]

I was one of those people that went on KZbin to listen to NDE. I was shocked to find that especially on this one particular channel. They were definitely talking about Universalism. Fortunately, I’m a strong Christian and I found those stories to be twisted or untrue. So I stopped listening to them. There are other channels on KZbin that I now listen to. They are strong Christian experiences. those are the ones I choose to listen to now. And like you suggested, I am a seeker. I have read the studies. This is a very interesting topic and I thank you for being on Sean McDowell‘s channel.

[@KM-zn3lx]

@KrisRinger...I wonder if those Universal NDEs are actually lies from Satan to calm ppl into sin when they hear those stories? What better hell than to torture someone into thinking they're going to Heaven and then turn the tables on them .

[@docsspellingcontest592]

Yes, you went on KZbin and found videos on there that went against what you already believe so you dismissed it and stopped watching it. Then you found videos that do align with what you already believe so you watch those instead. Literally the opposite of being a seeker of truth.

[@paulfeifert3607]

Not fair docs...She read the studies and compared them to You Tube accounts and found scientific studies more credible . A true seeker is discerning and avoids embellished accounts.

[@docsspellingcontest592]

@@paulfeifert3607 “They are strong Christian experiences”. Sure, very scientific evaluation

[@bigwhisky6136]

Which channels were aligned/not aligned in your experience?

[@superckn7]

Steve Miller is one of your BEST 'guests'!

[@SeanMcDowell]

I agree, he’s GREAT!

[@robertvann7349]

​@@SeanMcDowellp is non p, is the law of contradiction. And, p isn't non p is the law of non contradiction. Edit your book bro.

[@robertvann7349]

​@@SeanMcDowellp is non p 1>, non p is, non knowledge caused the p is non p impossible contradiction effect of 2>, p, knowledge in the universe This is p is non p, a false scientific hypothesis

[@robertvann7349]

p is non p 1>, non p is, non pacifist is moral just and legal 2>, p, pacifist is moral just and legal This is p is non p, impossible contradiction. You better get this bro.🎉🎉🎉

[@robertvann7349]

How to verify morality? p is non p and p is p. 1>, p is, liars are moral 2>, non p, non liars are moral This is p is non p, only one can be moral and one immoral. You understand this but refuse to apply this knowledge concerning pacifists and non pacifists. You're one step away from hell bro and don't have a clue. 🎉🎉🎉

[@plangjidakum6431]

I've absolutely LOVED these NDE interviews! One of my favorite subjects and Sean is a great interviewer👌🏾

[@MicheMoffatt]

It’s an impossibility for every religion to be true. If Christianity is true, Jesus is the way, truth and life - no one can come to the father but through him. My thoughts on NDE are pretty unsure. I had a cardiac arrest and had an experience, but I never saw lights or anything grandiose that people I’ve heard speak of…… and although I did have an experience I am still so skeptical as the people who tend to write books and be vocal are obviously with a motive.

[@jorgeb555]

I’m going with Christianity. I definitely believe in those NDE’s more than the others. I guess I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. ✝️❤️✝️

[@mrsq117]

May I please ask what did you experience

[@jorgeb555]

“obviously with a motive” sounds like you are reading the minds and/or the hearts of every person is written a book. that seems pretty presumptuous to me. What if the motive of many of these authors is to inspire faith? That’s not to say there may be some or many who seek and fame through their experience, real or otherwise. But I don’t think it’s great to throw everybody into that same boat.

[@avitalsheva]

It is not impossible. It is impossible from our recent perspective as we live in dualism . But it can be that everybody has own reality

[@dbz5808]

I'm entirely convinced that no man comes to the Father except through Jesus. On the morning of June 29, 2019, the day my wife died of cancer, we experienced the presence of God together. As we were praying the Holy Spirit descended upon us. I don't mean God was nearby, or somewhere in the vicinity, but *upon us*, like *right there on top of us* In the Bible Jesus says "In my Father's house are many rooms... Have I not told you that I will take you there myself, so that where I am you may be also." He was letting us know that when my wife passed, he'd be right there waiting on the other side for her. That beautiful man does that for all of us. I know this to be true. I also suspect that he welcomes home good people from all Faiths.

[@MariaKneas]

Thank you for this interview.

[@Kristy_not_Kristine]

This was a great conversation! I really enjoy listening to NDEs. It's amazing how many are in harmony with each other and the scriptures. I do not believe in reincarnation, however, I have been studying universalism more lately (new concept to me) due to a channel on KZbin that popped up one day. Looking at the scriptures, it does appear that God has a plan in place to save the majority of His creations. I believe very few will actually not receive salvation eventually. The key word being "eventually". There is an "easy" way and a hard way. The "easy" way is to believe in Christ, follow Him, keep His commandments, and basically allow what He did for us in the Garden and on the Cross (His Atonement) to cleanse us. Verses the suffering others who deny Him and do not allow His blood to cleanse them. Anyway, it is fascinating to consider all these things. Repent and follow God.

[@stevemiller6368]

Glad you enjoyed the conversation! While I'm not widely read on universalism, the best book I've read, which very objectively defends and critiques various views, is Les Bridgeman, Surprised by Hell. Bridgeman helped me to see how those holding different positions attempt to justify their positions.

[@markb3786]

Sure is great that this guy is providing scientific information and not trying to sell books.........

[@maryannerenee2241]

When I was eighteen years old, I attempted to suicide for my logic was: if there is no God, then there is no righteousness and suffering does not have a sense. But I was saved and then I slowly started to think about live after death. That was in 1977 and the book of Dr. Moody was just translated into German and sold in Switzerland, so I bought the book. Moody mentioned in his preface that he, believed, that the light that comes to people must be Jesus, for Jesus said, he was the light of the world. I prayed. „God if you really exist can’t you show me that, let me die and see you.“
I did not die, after that prayer a invisible person entered the room. I was first afraid but asked: „Is that you God?“ Having asked this question immediately I was immerged into a cloud of love. I hardly could stand this. For I experienced much rejection in my life. In that moment I realized: God exists, Jesus is his son and all what I have heard about Jesus in the Roman Catholic church was right. And in that moment I realized not my sins would have brought me into hell - but my rejection of Christ. That book of Moody let me to Christ. I asked then Jesus three questions. one was: „Jesus I believe now, because I was socialized in a christian environment, but what ist, when a person has no contact to christianity and he meets a light as in the near death experiences, what happens to such one, if he has not heard from you. He would have no concept of salvation. The answer came immediately into my mind: „if you follow me, I can send you wherever it is needed, so you can explain this experience“ I understood, that we need like Paul an Hananias to explain us, the Gospel.

[@MarkCelio]

Satan can be transformed into an angel of light. You must be born again. Catholics are not born again.

[@GregS4Jesus]

But billions have already passed away without ever hearing of Jesus. The Bible says Jesus can preach to those who have died - 1 Peter 4:6 Because of this, is the gospel preached to them who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live in the spirit according to the will of God.

[@MarkCelio]

@@GregS4Jesus DEAD in sin. We are all dead until we come to Christ.

[@MarkCelio]

@@GregS4Jesus Read the 1st chapter of Romans.

[@GregS4Jesus]

@@MarkCelio God is not the god of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him. Paul used this as a metaphor one time. It does not apply to every single time we see the word "dead" in the Bible. The context will make it obvious, like when Paul clearly says "dead in sin." In 1 Peter the previous verses are clearly referring to the actually literally "dead." 5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit

[@EmpoweredByHisGrace]

Pride is the biggest obstacle to a person experiencing the peace, presence, and love of Jesus Christ. People want to be right more than they want truth, so they reject truth in order to silence their conscience.

[@christinejohnson5888]

True ❤

[@christinejohnson5888]

Yes. I have seen Jesus ❤❤❤he's alive and well.

[@horsewithnoname5264]

But not the pride of those who say my way or the highway?

[@EmpoweredByHisGrace]

@@horsewithnoname5264 Whatever path you take in life in your personal decision. I would love for you to know and experience God personally for yourself, just as I have. I have no desire to argue or debate, I just want you to know that Jesus Christ loves you. He can give you real peace, joy, and fill the void you have. Without Him life is and always will be empty.

[@horsewithnoname5264]

@EmpoweredByHisGrace Thank you for your blessing. I love and respect Jesus and often walk and talk with Him. He is a powerful instantiation of the Christ, which is not a corporeal being, but rather the Spirit we know as Love. Love, I.e., the Christ, comes in many forms, including Jesus of Nazareth, Guatama Buddha, and Lord Krishna. I am not speaking religion here, because religions practice idolotry, including Christianity with its divisive insistance on reducing the entirety of our eternal lives on a particular representation of Love. God is echoed in cultures and worlds according to the prevailing imagery and mythology and, though reflected in physical form, is NOT that form. I hope that all people come to appreciate the universality of Spirit and the infinite roads of culture, history, and experience that lead to It. Thank u for your reply, and thank u for your blessing!

[@markbarry8351]

These are "near" death experiences, God is loving and kind and can only be who he is ,but it says after death is the judgement so one has to actually die first, judgement comes later on that's why it seems for some to be universalism because they came back😮

[@josephturner7569]

There is no judgement. Just a review. A debriefing. You are playing a character. You are the actor. Your review will influence your next part.

[@cathyr.5360]

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27

[@GregS4Jesus]

@@cathyr.5360 But many, including these NDE people die more than once. Some in the Bible never died. And the verse you quoted does not say what the judgement is at all. Does not refute Christian Universalism at all.

[@cathyr.5360]

@GregS4Jesus So do you not believe the words that Jesus spoke when he said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Also, when he stated that to some, he will say, "Depart from me, I never knew you." I believe those statements clearly refute universalism.

[@josephturner7569]

@@cathyr.5360 Made up by people. JC was right, but you have no idea what he was going on about. Everything he is supposed to have said has been corrupted by Jewish belief. He was more aligned with Plato .

[@sandrapowell9615]

We are seeing Bible prophecies play out daily. To me, this proves that my Bible is true. And my Bible says God cannot lie. When Jesus tells me that He is the way, the truth and the life, and that He is the only way to the Father, then that proves all this is just bunk.

[@MrSeedi76]

What prophecies? People have been claiming that the world will end for 2,000 years now.

[@calliegal235]

Not clear what you think is bunk; this interview covered so much.

[@johnrockwell5834]

I saw a study of Japanese NDEs that don't quite feature a light at the tunnel. But rather a dark river they descend into.

[@PuddinMinistries]

Good the hear this. I hadnt considered that I was was getting a balanced overview of ndes by simply using KZbin as my source. Thank you for bringing on Dr Miller

[@LouRao]

Love your videos, but I wish your guests were those who have actually experienced near-death experiences (NDE) instead of always having Steve Miller, Ph.D. I don’t mind seeing Steve Miller once in a while, but it is usually more about his or other books. The best would be to have guests who have actually experienced NDEs and not just read or promoting books.

[@harlanlang6556]

It's much more authentic and powerful to hear from the person who had the experience, but it's also educational to study NDE's as a whole.

[@3asyrider75]

My mom had an NDE and the being she experience did not say his name it was like a communication without a voice that gave her the choice to continue to the light or live to raise her family. No doubt its God, but it doesn't reveal his name.

[@sumanghosh-pb3dw]

0:00 - did research on NDEs by 1:46 - research by professionals and found they r real. Also from death bed talks they r real. 2:45 - comparing....found 47 areas of overlaps. Personal God that loves us. 3:56 - 18-20% of NDEs c Jesus. 6:44 - ovr 5000, saw Muslim NDEs or were in Muslim majority nations. None saw Mohommad. 7:25 - Hundus, 3 saw Krishnas. 2 didn't no if it was an NDE. Mayb a vision. 8:04 - 0.6% said they saw aliens 👽. 10:22 - data now doesn't show peopl c the person they believed in. 11:41 - very few talkd about reincarnation. 14:28 - athiests say they're no longer materialists. But if u don't do anything wrong, it's OK. 16:19 - peopl from very legalistic churches ⛪️ that saw God say he isn't like what religion say's. 19:49 - a few said reincarnation's a choice. So they c the aftrlife 1st. They c dead relatives. 21:40 - did scientific research of NDEs. (22:28) - most were more dedicated 2 their churches.... 23:28 - distressing NDEs...books..typical response..they seek God. 24:34 - hellish NDEs r about 20%. Some say it's more than that. 25:20 - in 1688 Emanuel Swedenborg was born. At 50 he used psychic powers 2 tak 2 soul guides. 2 of 6 things he said that peopl who've had current NDEs hav said is: 1. You're drawn 2 heavn n hell. God doesn't send. Mayb bein good n havin a good state of mind draws u 2 heavn. Mayb bein bad draws u 2 hell. Also killin yourself with a bad state of mind draws u 2 hell. Mayb mental illness at least sometimes draws u 2 hell. 2. Christians n non-Christians go 2 heavn. 28:08 - 47 accounts has strong evidence about Christianity. 34:29 - y r wickd peopl seein God? If you're bad n u don't know it, mayb it draws u 2 heavn. Then u r taught not 2 do those bad things. Like I read when we were primitiv n died we were taught what we shouldn't do wrong. When we reincarnated some remembered, some didn't. 38:46 - thinks in the mid E., she was beatn. In NDE nevr b4 did she c a bein that lovd her. 44:11 - in life reviews a lot felt they were judged. Lot of it was self judgement. Some were horrified at what they said n did 2 othrs. They c how the othrs felt. 45:44 - some c peopl who r in emotional n physical distress. 46:28 - y doesn't God show evryone the gospel? A few peopl who've had NDEs hav said God gives us free will. 46:44 - someone who had an NDE askd God y he doesn't show that he's real. God said it would scare peopl. I think with today's tech some peopl would think or wonder if it was a trick someone's playin. 47:10 - Emanuel Swedenborg said the Old Testiment's stories r fiction based on fact. The only true ones r the buildin of a cathedral n the rule of a king. Then someone who had a NDE said they saw things that it talkd about like I think the followin...Adam n Eve n the ark. I hav 2 c his whole story 2c what I think. Emanuel said God wanted Jesus 2 teach peopl right n since he doesn't communicate with us directly he sent Jesus. He also new he'd end up dead like the New Testiment say's. 50:43 - religion doesn't mattr. At least on who'se had an NDE said "it's not about religion, it's about lov." It may also b about knowing about the things I put b4. 57:49 - good u don't pay 4 interviews. What if there was somethin about the NDE u didn't believe?

[@coolhandphilip]

I would have liked a more structured and objective account of what people experience in NDEs. You jumped into apologetics too quickly.

[@mandwandwe73]

Maybe he would share his dissertation if you asked

[@stevemiller6368]

Good point. What people remember are the actual accounts, so that we could have laid out some NDEs, found in reputable studies, of people actually experiencing Jesus, etc. It's just that interviews are so short, and when we're trying to deal with a very specific point, it's easy to just summarize the data and try to make the most salient points. Thanks for the observation...that's good to remember.

[@mfonumoh6055]

Toooooo quickly... I was a bit disappointed...in some way they turned a blind eye on other non typical Christian like NDE's

[@stevemiller6368]

@@mfonumoh6055 Regarding "non typical Christian like NDE's," I purposely try to stay away from anomalous, low-percentage reports, since they can be the Wild Wild West of visionary reports. I think we're much safer to stay with the core elements that are reported by many, especially since within the anomalous reports we find many who were not actually near death, some that have mental issues, some that may be demonically impacted, some who were on drugs but didn't report it, etc.

[@AM-xj4bd]

I listen to a lot of NDE testimonies, and most seem to come out of it as universalists and new age thinking. Almost 100% of those who say they have a life review say there is zero judgement. But often they later have depression because they experienced God’s love, and then it doesn’t change the hardship of life. They don’t give their lives to Jesus or see their sin, just like all those who saw Jesus’ miracles on earth. Encountering Jesus does not automatically lead to repentance. Also, why don’t I hear more discussion about how the day of judgement hasn’t happened yet, that’s maybe why there is no judgement during all those reported life reviews.

[@calliegal235]

Have you seen all the NDE testimonies on Randy Kay Ministries? None of them come out universalists.

[@justanotherperson9529]

yes,demons can appear as an angel of lights.

[@AM-xj4bd]

No, I haven’t, thanks. I’ve heard some in which people encountered beautiful beings that turn out to be demons. Very creepy and a reminder for this world.

[@stevemiller6368]

Pay close attention to your source of NDEs. When you say that almost 100% who have a life review say there's zero judgment, I suspect what they mean by that is that God was nice in their review, not yelling at them. This doesn't imply that God doesn't care about their sin. Jesus seemed to calmly assess the woman at the well's sinful life, without yelling at her. But that doesn't imply zero judgment. According to lifetime NDE researcher Bruce Greyson, "Half of those who had a life review experienced a sense of judgment," although they were most often judging themselves. Good point about encountering Jeus not automatically leading to repentance. I think people still have a choice.

[@eirecoleen]

Online I watched an NDE hell experience, where the man had a tour,& part of it was where some just entering are tricked into thinking they went to heaven,bc the scene is of grandma's house, etc, only for it to to turn into demons/hellish scene, which was reality -

[@SavedByGrace-oe1ts]

Could you share that link with me? I'd love to watch that, actually. If you remember where it is, that is?

[@dragonore2009]

I get that objection all the time when I mention near death exeriences to people that see Jesus. They tell me all the time, "It's a culture thing, Muslims see Muhammed, Buddhist see Buddha, Hindus see Krishna, etc.." I tell them, that they would surprise how lacking those experiences are and that allot of those folks in those countries seen Jesus.

[@Mairiain]

Does Dr. Miller have a scholarly conclusion about people who report being another person in a past life as a child, and these reports are sometimes verified by further research or by relatives of this person who are still alive?

[@stevemiller6368]

As I said above, Ian Stevenson, at the University of Virginia, did extensive studies of such testimonies and wrote extensively on them. I did not study Dr. Stevenson's research, but restricted myself to discovering if NDEs testified to reincarnation. I found such NDEs to be quite anomalous. Theologically, I don't believe in reincarnation, since "It is appointed for man once to die, then comes judgment." Neither do I see reincarnation as a part of the core NDE experience, since it's reported so infrequently. Plus, since people in NDEs often see long-deceased relatives, that would be inconsistent with the belief of some--that people soon after death re-incarnate as an entirely different person or as an animal. I would tend to think that sometimes children are confused about such things or have false memories. But others disagree.

[@Metarig]

I've realized that these experiences align well with Christian Universalism, but not the kind that denies Jesus as God and the only savior. Also, there are a lot of lies and scams out there that one needs to watch out for.

[@elisebelcher3727]

If Universalism is true then we have to reject most of the Bible. This is a different religion.

[@tonydangelo778]

@@elisebelcher3727That’s simply not true. You need only reject your translations. And you should - they are incorrect. Jesus said “Change your mind - the Kingdom of Heaven is upon us.”

[@elisebelcher3727]

I would have a conversation but not one with texting. I have studied the origins of our Bible and I trust God to provide both justice and mercy. We need to respectfully leave the texting here.

[@Metarig]

@@elisebelcher3727 I want our conversations to have a broader impact, not just between us. I prefer talking on a platform where others can also benefit from our discussion.

[@chillizora]

@@elisebelcher3727 what is universalism

[@nicolapicola4502]

This interview is SOOOOO important in light of NDEs. Especially the idea that yes, God is light and love, and yes, he is just and a righteous judge. Soooo important! The two are not mutually exclusive.

[@Reynier239]

I also looked for similarities between NDEs. Many even atheist were flooded with love they could not contain.

[@warrenroby6907]

Good interview with a credible guest.

[@lesleypatoncox1569]

Good man, Steve Miller!

[@MarianHannah]

A BIG Thank you to both gentlemen for a most informative prestation on the above topic, I've listened to thousands and have read many books since Raymond Moody's "Life After Life", your podcast was beyond EXCELLENT. You answered many questions which have plagued me for decades esp. the Hindu related ones. I need to point out that Muslims believe in Our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ therefore, it should not be a surprise if a Muslim experiences meeting Jesus in a NDE .... ONE QUESTION ... Who does a Jew meet or experiences in a NDE? I must also point out that Catholics are also Christians therefore, why the need to constantly discredit us? Major difference is that Protestants don't honour Mary, The Mother of Jesus, and Catholics do .. PLEASE NOTE: We do not pray to Mary, it's a false assumptions that non Catholics love to hang on to for whatever reason suits them. Again, A BIG, BIG Thank you for this enlightening, thoroughly researched presentation, God Bless

[@stevemiller6368]

I am not familiar with a study of what Jews experience in an NDE, so I can't say what most experience. Individual accounts may be anomalous, but I documented three Jewish NDErs who reported seeing Jesus on the other side, on p. 145 of my Is Christianity Compatible... book. They came from the studies of Nancy Evans Bush and Barbara R. Rommer.

[@MarianHannah]

@@stevemiller6368 Thank you so much for your prompt response, very appreciated and interesting. All the Best

[@pondfish_]

`

[@williambourbeau4374]

Sean McDowell is the best interviewer out there........change my mind! 😁

[@GregS4Jesus]

He seems completely ignorant of Christian Universalism, they both do, which is completely the missing piece in this puzzle they are tangling with.

[@MuhammadAmin-yy9bj]

“Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the AllMighty, the OftForgiving” [Quran 67:2]

[@imikewillrockyou]

By definition these are "near death" experiences. There is a historical account of someone who was actually dead for three days and came back, ask him.

[@raimondspadaro8211]

Hey Mike, you are an Ass!!

[@harlanlang6556]

Dr. Raymond Moody coined the words "Near Death", and later regretted it. When a person is clinically dead, no heart beat, no brain waves, no breathing, then he's "dead". If the brain isn't functioning, then there's no thinking, unless the mind is not dependent on the brain, and that is what we find with NDE's. There is a limit to how long you can be dead and still be revived. Temperature makes a difference. It's a matter of hours and not days.

[@raimondspadaro8211]

@@harlanlang6556 Well said

[@ramigilneas9274]

⁠​⁠@@harlanlang6556 Well… there is a difference between "clinically dead“ and "biologically dead“ aka actually dead. And clinically dead only means that the functions of your body stopped working or are so weak that the instruments can no longer measure them. But again that’s not really dead. It’s like saying that you are temporarily dead when you hold your breath for a minute… if you do that for a few hours then that’s a different thing.😂

[@MarshAgobert]

I Am so grateful for Dr Miller! He's a breath of fresh air…even while talking of death. (😅 just joking) I've shared this with my close friend, who’s Buddhist. She's quite wise and a joy for me to share deeper things with.

[@clarekuehn4372]

Some are false apparitions. There is always an indication it is not of God, if so. As to preconditions toward God in non-Christian societies, look up "Flower World Prophecy and Guadalupe".

[@FPVMike]

What fantastic insights from Dr Steve Miller around seeking. I am laying here waiting for back surgery in incredible pain. Is this the tool God is using to force me to seek him more ?

[@stevemiller6368]

I'm so sorry for your pain! I think that God allows us to experience pain and difficulties for many different reasons, so I don't think that in every case pain is a sign that we're doing something wrong or need extra motivation to seek. I lost my first wife to cancer. Was God punishing me? Was He trying to build some positive character? I think those suggestions are typically simplistic and that the reasons are often much deeper and varied. My favorite book on the subject is Philip Yancey's Where Is God When It Hurts. Praying for your recovery from your surgery!

[@davidmcintyre7908]

Has his book been published? Can't find it on Amazon UK...

[@stevemiller6368]

My most recent book, to which I was typically referring here, is indeed on Amazon. I go by J. Steve Miller. The book is: Is Christianity Compatible with Near-Death and Deathbed Experiences?

[@davidmcintyre7908]

@@stevemiller6368 thank you very much.

[@anubis0217]

Thinking about reincarnation and NDE’s we have to stop thinking about linear time. Just because people saw deceased loved ones doesn’t mean they can’t have reincarnated. I guess that’s the really hard part about studying Christianity and Buddhism, they are so very different. A Buddhist wouldn’t really see Buddha in the afterlife because he’s not a worshipped god, he’s someone who achieved enlightenment, a human. I appreciate Dr. Miller’s research stance, but I feel more questions outside of the box are needed for this research.

[@newtonfinn164]

No one alive since the turn of the first century knows what Jesus looked like. How can there subsequently be any credible claim to have seen him in visions, NDEs, or otherwise? Same goes for Mary. The most that could be said was that someone saw an entity that looked like an imagined portrait of one of these figures or saw an entity that claimed to be one of them.

[@agnetamalmqvist3776]

Exactly!!!!

[@christiroseify]

Because when you "see" Jesus, you see Him spiritually... When I saw Him, I "saw" light in the form of man... People ask me all the time to "describe" what He looks like, they want size shape and density, but although you "see" Him, this is not the way...

[@melaniehughes8909]

They said some actually saw the nail holes

[@newtonfinn164]

Seeing a luminous man, even one with nail holes, is not tantamount to seeing a given historical person whose appearance is totally forgotten and can never be recovered, only imagined. I'll bet that many here, so eager to accept visions of Jesus, are also eager to reject visions of Mary.

[@christiroseify]

@@newtonfinn164 Honey, I have no control or influence over your disbelief. This is for you to deal with. You want size, shape, and depth for your visualization because you are stuck in the physical world. Jesus will not return in the physical until He returns to gather His flock and take His throne. Until then, He does come spiritually to those who are in need and believe, no matter how small that seed of belief is. When Jesus healed a man's son, Jesus asked the man if he believed in "the Son of man" and the man responded with, "Lord, I believe help my unbelief". I pray that you will take this request into your heart and ask Jesus to help your unbelief because it is holding you back from the greatest thing you will ever know. God be with you in the days ahead dear.

[@michaelnewsham1412]

-I have lived in Asia for forty years - India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan- and have met many people who have claimed to have NDEs or met people who have had them, and read about many more. Those who claim to see Christian symbols have invariably been Christians or have had their experiences 'interpreted' for them by missionaries. Muslims recount Islamic experiences which can include Jesus the Prophet or his mother Miriam. Other than that, it is Hindu symbols for Hindus, Buddhism for Buddhists, Taoism for Taoists- but then I wasn't looking for evidence to fit my beliefs.

[@calliegal235]

Have you seen the testimonies on Randy Kay Ministries? Have you seen the testimonies of NDEs of those who were not Christians, but were Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu and saw Jesus as savior?

[@stevemiller6368]

Thanks for telling us your experience. I didn't find this outcome in either the studies done in non-Christian culture, nor in my study of Hindu and Muslim NDEs on the NDERF site.

[@markbarry8351]

I wonder if Steve still plays that song, fly like an eagle, 😊 seems perfectly appropriate for the subject matter, just kidding Steve's really cool hey really knowledgeable, Jesus is Lord!

[@darrenscrowston9386]

Thank God this is being discussed. It’s so important. There are people here that are not evident in Heaven. If you have Jesus as your saviour, you don’t know how lucky you are. You simply don’t. You have the total jackpot made out of solid gold. Imagine an airport with different queues. If you have Jesus on your side, you’re in the queue that is the fast lane, going to a very, very special destination. You have no idea how lucky you are.

[@ladypeppercar5197]

I don’t know what to make of this - as a Catholic we are told re-incarnation is not a thing. - but when my niece, who was born 12 years after our grandmother (her great grandmother) died, when sitting at the kitchen table in her aunt’s house that used to belong to our Grandmom, said this: “I know this table, it used to be mine when I was big, but I am little again. “ How does one explain that? She apparently spoke about having been her mom’s granny very often until she was about 5 and told her mom she was not going to talk like that anymore.

[@brandonwellington3547]

I believe it happens on rare occasions on a case by case basis. This doesn't contradict the bible. It's not a thing for everyone or at all for all I know. I know the word says it's appointmented once for man to die and then judgement. What if that's the verdict?

[@thehighwayman78]

​@@brandonwellington3547well if it says "for man" that means here in this existence where our role is humans. And here yes we die once. Generally. We are more than man in my opinion. It's like a computer game where the character has x amount of lives. When the character dies and it's game over, you don't throw the game away and never play another round ;)

[@KKKaTTT123]

A lot in Catholicism is totally off the mark. Catholocism is the religion of constantine mixing hebrew religion and pagain religion and putting Jesus at the head of it

[@stevemiller6368]

Ian Stevenson, at the University of Virginia, did extensive studies of such testimonies. Theologically, I don't believe in reincarnation, since "It is appointed for man once to die, then comes judgment." Neither do I see reincarnation as a part of the core NDE experience, since it's reported so infrequently. Plus, since people in NDEs often see long-deceased relatives, that would be inconsistent with the belief of some--that people soon after death re-incarnate as an entirely different person or as an animal. I would tend to think that sometimes children are confused about such things or have false memories. But others disagree.

[@HappyHermit322]

@@KKKaTTT123 so you're saying I can't be a Christian?

[@ptt3975]

I have seen and read many many many near death experiences, and never once has anyone encountered a proclaimed deity other than Jesus.

[@Metarig]

The funniest thing I often hear against Universalism is that yes, God is loving, but He's also just, as if He can't be both at the same time. We say God is just and He punishes people for their sins, but this punishment isn't about venting anger. It’s meant to improve the person; it’s constructive because God is good and everything He does is meant to be good for everyone. How does that make God unjust? For some people, if God doesn’t torment people forever, then He’s not just. They think He needs to torment them forever just because they weren’t Christians, and regardless of their sins according to Christian theology. It doesn’t matter to them how much good someone has done; they believe God should torment them in hell forever unless He’s being unjust. Isn’t that ridiculous?

[@melaniehughes8909]

I believe the Bible. Period

[@calliegal235]

I've been a Christian for quite a while but am not familiar with the picture you describe as being the picture God describes. Hell wasn't even made for people.

[@stevemiller6368]

Where I am on this issue is that God is indeed both just and loving, and His character poses limits as to what He can do and allow. Thus, the Scriptures speak of "God, who cannot lie." Interesting. God "can't" do something? Well, it seems that He can't act outside His character. Thus, we hear Christians say, "God couldn't just forgive people for no reason; He had to send His Son to pay the price, so that He could justly forgive them." If you think about that statement, it's admitting that God has limits, because of His character, as to what He can and cannot do. To me, this helps to make sense of the problem of evil: Why would a good God allow bad things to happen? Well, perhaps there are not an infinite amount of ways God could accomplish His good ultimate purposes. He had to allow for the entrance of evil and suffering into the world, perhaps to allow for free will, perhaps to allow for character building, perhaps for a million reasons we have no idea of. The same for afterlife suffering. Distressing NDEs find some people suffering on the other side. Is it eternal, as in forever? Or will those suffering one day find relief in eventual annihilation, after a just period of time? Or, will they have some chance to be finally redeemed? I don't think that NDEs tell us those specifics. It could be everlasting or could be temporary, when you look exclusively at the NDE data. But to me, whichever it is, this data is evidence against everyone immediately going to heaven immediately after death, which is how some think of universalism. Looking at the data from the Christian Scriptures, some take "eternal" to be more qualitative than quantitative, thus, not necessarily everlasting. I'm not so sure of that theologically and biblically, but I'm still learning. I do think that Isaiah's point: that His ways are not our ways and his thoughts not our thoughts needs to be taken into account. His love and justice may indeed be expressed in different ways that we see fit. I also think it's comforting to realize that I've never seen anyone come back from either a distressing or heavenly NDE saying, "I met God, and He was so unjust and wrong in His ways!" Even those who may have blamed God for injustices before their experience, often come out saying that on the other side, it all made sense. Just some thoughts. Thanks for candidly sharing about these important issues.

[@Metarig]

@@stevemiller6368 I need to correct a big mistake you made. You suggested that God has limits and referenced the Bible? That's completely incorrect. If God had limits, He wouldn't be all-powerful-these two ideas contradict each other. When we say God cannot lie, it means He chooses not to lie because it’s against His nature, not because He’s incapable of lying. Moreover, I’d argue that God cannot be evil because He is inherently good, and concepts like eternal damnation or annihilation don't align with this, as they are inherently negative. Is there any scripture or idea that even hints that God wants something but can’t achieve it? Remember, the Bible repeatedly states that God's desire is to save everyone.

[@Rasheed-nz3rf]

I really appreciate your wisely effort, Although I am Muslim but I have deep faith in Jesus, and personally experienced many miracles, yes, its true that Christian people non stop saying that God loved us so much that he gave his begotten so to die for us,,,, So what about other people, were they not Humanbeing,, then , where was god when israelites were in Pharaoh's captivity for 400 year ( As they claims themselves, The Chosen one)

[@hazelbutler9573]

Dr Miler mentioned that he thought in experiencing Jesus' love in NDEs many turned to God. I can find nothing in scripture that indicates that this couldn't happen after permanent death. People may suffer the pain and anguish of confronting their sin, and seeing the holiness of God. There may well be judgement, but not condemnation and not for eternity. This is not general universalism which says all religions lead to God, but Christian universalism that says it is only the death and Resurrection of Jesus that make reconciliation with God possible. There seem to be a lot of verses in scripture that indicate that God will eventually triumph over sin, evil and death and that all will eventually bow the knee to him. Hell itself will be destroyed. Please can you comment on this.

[@megb6820]

You say you see nothing in Scripture that suggests that there isn’t an opportunity after death. While I would love for that to be true for the sake of some unrepentant loved ones, I would encourage you to go read the Bible again. Specifically much of what Jesus said. The one that came immediately to mind is Luke 16:19-31 NASB-especially verses 26 and 31 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day. [20] And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, [21] and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores. [22] Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. [23] And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. [24] And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ [25] But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ [27] And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house- [28] for I have five brothers-in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’ [29] But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ [30] But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ [31] But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

[@user-sx7wx7gm5p]

If you are catholic you must read your bible and believe what Jesus said. Not your pastor or your priest. That goes for everyone. Its Jesus plus nothing.

[@kimberlindeman1064]

Even demons can appear as an angel of light

[@ramigilneas9274]

They can even appear as the Messiah.😉

[@davehenderson418]

I find it very interesting what people are NOT seeing. They are not experiencing things that are in dreams (school, work, the cares of this world). That tells me that these are not dreams “on steroids” as some say. Every single one is meaningful.

[@stevemiller6368]

Very astute observation. If these were dreams or hallucinations, you'd expect almost infinite variety. If the ethics conveyed were merely mirroring what we're taught, more people would come back saying, "God told me to bring my grades up," or "I need to be more diligent in making a living!" Also, when I track my dreams, they seem to have no beginning or end, but are stream of conscious, with one thought leading to another. I wake up mid-story. Yet, NDEs have a beginning and end. I've never heard of one ending mid-sentence. Also, when you look back at dreams or hallucinations people overwhelmingly, when awake, know they were dreams of hallucinations. Yet, experiencers of NDEs are adamant that they were real, if not "realer than real."

[@particube]

This was just endless ad hoc just so stories. Jesus is the most famous religious savior figure in the west so of course many NDE experiencers see him, that would be expected under a new age or naturalistic worldview as well. The fact that it’s only a mere 20% is also pretty damning for the fundamentalist Christian position. If I took that position, I would expect it to be much higher. Even as a Buddhist I thought it would be higher. It’s curious that NDE’s of non-Christians were mentioned but very little about their actual content was described. Japanese, Thai and Indian NDE reports, for example, do have clear features that correspond with their cultural beliefs. A personal divine figure is so often reported because those reports are coming out of places where that idea is baked into people’s subconscious. It is very deceptive to just mention a lack of seeing specific figures like Krishna and act like there isn’t significant variation. For example, in the Japanese NDE’s tunnels and life reviews are completely absent, and the light/presence they experience is seen as impersonal. It’s also bizarre how at some points Steve Miller talks about how hellish NDE’s support his Christian view, but at the same explains away non believers having pleasant experiences by saying god is patient and gentle. Trying to have your cake and eat it.

[@foodforthought8308]

My friend, you are wrong. Read about Muslim visions of Christ. Look up Sadhu Sundar Singh. Jesus Christ is alive and the One universal Savior

[@particube]

@@foodforthought8308 Jesus is an extremely important figure in Islam, the entire religion sprung out of the Abrahamic zeitgeist. It’s 100% expected that Muslims would have such visions. An Indian guy who had prior exposure to the faith converting also doesn’t demonstrate what you want it to. If your god were the one universal savior then every single person who ever had an NDE would see him with no ambiguity.

[@thomasdillon777]

Which sources are you using for assertions? I have actually read Dr Millers books on this and he addresses this. He also describes his methodology and sources. So I am curious as to your methodology and resources.

[@particube]

@@thomasdillon777 most of what I said doesn’t require citing sources because it’s just critiques of his reasoning. As far as the eastern NDE’s the paper “a comparative analysis of Japanese and Western NDE’s” is a good starting point.

[@particube]

@@thomasdillon777 “he addresses this”. Tell me then.

[@michaelreed4752]

The Aposstle Paul wrote that Jesus Christ dwells in UNAPPROACHABLE light, who NO man hath seen, Nor CAN see. Paul also stated that Jesus appeared after his resurrection to the 12 about 500 believers and LASTLY was seen by Paul. So according to the Word, Paul was the last person to see Christ and it completely blinded him to the point that Christ had to heal him.

[@stevemiller6368]

Surely such passages as I Timothy 6:16, "whom no man has seen or can see" are speaking of God in His true, pure essence. But God the Father and the Son can manifest themselves in ways that can be seen by people, such as we see at Stephen's death, when he "gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56) Note also John reporting seeing Jesus as "like a son of man" (Rev. 1:13-18) or as "The Lamb" in Revelation 14:1.

[@Cassim125]

They pretty much do once you look at it objectively

[@moomin8251]

After his NDE a non Christian friend of my late father told him that there was nothing to worry about in dying because everyone goes to Heaven. So yes, it does happen. It seems obvious that when one is at their weakest point, if they are not saved, the devil will deceive them and they will come back and deceive others.

[@Ragnar-Lothbrok967]

Both Christians (the saved) and non-Christians (the unsaved) have reported similar NDE experiences. Encounters describing a similar if not the same loving being, with feelings of indescribable peace. So you think Christians are experiencing God, and the non-Christians are experiencing the Devil mimicking God? This makes the Devil quite powerful indeed, if he can simulate God’s infinite love and peace (what chance do mere humans have to not get deceived). It also makes the Devil quite a contradictory character, as he is apparently evil and yet capable of the same level of unconditional love as God. This isn’t really the smartest strategy though, because former atheists would come back believing that there definitely is a God (and sometimes Jesus), and many have reported turning back to Christianity after losing faith. Seems a smarter strategy would be to give the atheist no experience at all, to validate their lack of belief in anything beyond this life. And it also doesn’t explain hellish NDEs.

[@thatguy3468]

I’ve studied NDES now for over 5 years, including meeting with members of IANDS and my conclusion is that NDES are tailored to the experiencer. If you have been indoctrinated into Christianity, chances are you’ll see Jesus. Christianity absolutely has a conflict with 99.9 % of all NDES. Example when you have your life review, you judge yourself, there is no punishment of hell, because the Christian hell does not exist. Atheist making it to heaven is another, since in Christianity you have to accept Jesus. For the majority of NDES, universal consciousness is the central focus, we are all part of the Creator, and we come to earth to learn, and may come multiple times which means that reincarnations are real, and reincarnations are also in conflict with Christianity.

[@Faith-Central]

100% agree with you. I just hate how when someone has an nde that doesn’t line up with another’s beliefs they automatically call it a fake nde or it’s the devil trying to trick you

[@thatguy3468]

@@Faith-Central the jesus that Christians believe in today, is not the jesus that taught in biblical times. The early Jews knew him as a rabbi (teacher) nothing more. This is why there’s so much conflict within Christianity. One wrote that he did not come to change the laws while another wrote that he fulfilled the laws and thus you can now do away with them which goes totally against what the jesus that taught in biblical days stood for. The Christianity that is worshipped today is a combination of Greek Roman folklore, it’s why Christianity is plagued with so many pagan rituals, it all stems from Greek Roman ideas, it’s no wonder that original Christian writing were made using Greek which later had to be translated. Early Followers of the man referred today as jesus definitely believed in reincarnation, as they were actually Jews. Constantine and later the council of Nicaea created the Christianity that is worshipped today. Modern Christianity continues to evolve as different sects continue to change the original narrative. The concept of the trinity was a later creation, and the rapture concept was created in the 1830’s. Christian owe it to themselves to actually research the history of that which they worship today. Most won’t because their belief system is based on fear. Fear based beliefs is yet another contradiction with near death experiences.

[@masterjose8483]

@equinoxgames6558 I'm a christian and I do agree its baised to say it was jesus but I don't think nde are real proof of jesus, becuse your mind can see different things so its hard to verify, for all we now what you see is just a illusion

[@masterjose8483]

@thatguy3468 were did you get your theology from to think we are part of the creator like some new age/ occult stuff?

[@Faith-Central]

@@masterjose8483 yeah but there are many consistencies in NDEs like the life review where u can feel every emotion at every single moment in your life as well as the emotions you caused other people to feel is the one reason I think ndes are more than just hallucinations in the brain and there’s also reports of seeing a full 360 degree view. There’s just way too many things that are common in ndes for me to believe that it’s just the brain acting up but who knows

[@311baca]

I watch a lot of nde testimonies and have read a few books. I've heard a couple folks say we can live several different lives because we are eternal. I've heard of children remembering past lives...I don't really think that's the majority that say this.

[@Dream99972]

In east that concept is very open so ppl share that often in west cuz of Christianity teachings (i love jesus I started recently alto not a Christian) bout bible words so ppl are scared to share and often dismiss the topic by saying devil is puttin such fake memories or its demon possession Have u heard of tunnel of light? Its said those who pass through that comes back here recarnated

[@darlenedavis2256]

I make this comment in a spirit of goodwill. It seems to me that Sean is doing his best (he's an excellent interviewer) to open up open every avenue so that there's leeway to hopefully come to the conclusion that christianity is "the way, the truth and the life". I believe it's also helpful and more honest to go to those researchers who are not apologists such as Dr. Jeffery Long who is one of the first, very respected, has a comprehensive database and who is a medical doctor and who thought the whole idea of NDE's was nonsense till he finally had to research it. Well, so 18% mention the name Jesus, that means that 82% don't. Please check out other reliable researchers. I believe in universalism myself. I believe that the Christ, speaking through the man Jesus, said "I am the way, the truth and the life." I believe Jesus would say "Don't worship the man, Jesus, rather the ideal I present to you. Worship the Christ which is within you".

[@LambsGrace]

Universalism is nowhere taught in the Bible. Quite the opposite! GotQuestions has an excellent YT channel and website that has biblical answers with scriptures answering a great many Bible questions. They have an article called “Is Universalism Biblical?.” Also, read John 1:1-5 describing the Deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Living Word of God! 2 Corinthians 11:4 warns that there is no salvation In following a false Jesus and a false gospel. I hope you will read the entire Gospel of John praying to God for understanding! Grace & peace! ✝️🙏✝️

[@nikkilengyel]

I'm sorry, but this is New Thought/New Age mumbo jumbo.

[@Let_there_be_light22]

New age mumbo jumbo.

[@Metarig]

@@Let_there_be_light22 New age nonsense usually comes from people who aren’t serious scholars or Christian apologists. Christian Universalism actually has deep roots in early Christianity, and even the Catholic and Orthodox churches acknowledge the possibility that everyone could be saved.

[@MrSeedi76]

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Romans:14:11

[@issamelias1747]

I remember once Shabir Ali ( or was it Zakir Nike?) in an interview with his daughter saying that most people with NDE‘s see Jesus ( he did not mention Mohammad) as a devoted Moslem apologist.

[@SeanMcDowell]

Interesting!

[@NikosNikos-dr7wv]

They don't see Muhammad because he is dead and he is waiting to go to hell

[@JBurtonPCExpress]

Don’t even need to watch the video to tell you, No! Nothing someone sees while they are considered dead is proof of anything ever… jeez come on

[@ElsieLyn]

What's your proof?

[@JBurtonPCExpress]

@@ElsieLyn for the pure fact anything someone tells you about their near death is only their words you can’t see it nor test it. Nobody else can support it’s just believe one persons dream

[@user-ug5rb6qi4r]

I don’t know, the fact that they can see anything seems pretty compelling to me.

[@forresthawkins6621]

Totally disagree

[@CollyCollz]

That is a horrible conclusion to draw considering all near death experiences have the same experiences such as: out of body experience, life reviews, see divine entities in heaven or some see hellish experiences, they see loved ones (some even see loved ones who have been miscarried)… so this comment shows the ignorance you have in the research done on NDEs

[@GregS4Jesus]

The question is does God love us all, or just some of us? Why should God ever quit loving anyone, if He has all eternity to teach us the truth? Why should death stop Gods’ love? These guys don’t seem to have any knowledge of Christian Universalism, which teaches that God uses even afterlife correction to correct and redeem us all! Like the good shepherd Jesus spoke of, who will never stop seeking even one single lost sheep ‘until He finds it.’

[@stevemiller6368]

Good clarification. We were only responding to a certain brand of universalism that says there is no afterlife suffering. The question we were dealing with was not the duration of afterlife suffering, but rather "Is there a place of afterlife suffering?" So, true, some universalists believe in afterlife suffering that is not everlasting in duration, and may end with eventual annihilation or redemption. That kind of universal belief might be consistent with the hell described in many distressing NDEs, since I've never seen anyone return saying that they were told that the state of the suffering was indeed an everlasting state. (Yet, I recall at least one reporting it as a timeless state, which may be the same as everlasting.) As to whether that view of universalism agrees with the Biblical teaching of the duration of hell (such as definitions of the term "eternal") is another question.

[@kermitzforg]

Bryan Melvin's experience does help explain some of anomalies. He saw demons deceiving folks in the afterlife in hell, putting on a type of "show". It does make sense as the Bible does describes the fact that God will give us over to a strong delusions if we so choose that.

[@randydickinson4864]

The problem with studies is that they find what they are looking for, and if they don't, they call it inconclusive. I follow YHWH and His word and not what people believe or think they saw. I see this as a distraction from the word, and YHWH's only one that calls use and will do this but would like to really not add things.

[@stevemiller6368]

Since the Bible itself encourages us to seek wisdom and knowledge and get wise counsel, surely we can learn from well-done studies. Sure, we must use discernment and look for bias in any study.

[@veronicamanangdang655]

as long as we receive our lord Jesus as our savor even what kind of faith we believe we are christian

[@gardenladyjimenez1257]

Why doesn't God just give everyone a clear-cut message of His existence? Possibly...that would eliminate the linkage between God and us humans built on love. Also, how could a "clear-cut message" really transcend the distance between the truth of God and our understanding of God? I suggest that to truly entertain a relationship with God, we must live with the knowledge that He is so much greater than anything we can know or understand in our present human form. Knowing God requires tremendous humility and the ability to wonder about the magnitude of the universe and our life in it...a sense of AWE. Thanks for the question. I continue to ponder it.

[@harlanlang6556]

The clear-cut message is the universe! Whatever Power created the limitless universe exists. Something can't come from nothing. The universe is something.

[@guitaraflamenco]

When they saw jesus, was he a small middle eastern man speaking Aramaic, with dark brown hair? No? Then they saw a comforting image of a wise safe and kind chaperone, with infinite compassion, etc.... who they said was jesus.

[@stevemiller6368]

That's been the approach of some NDE researchers: assuming that since the experiencers had a biblical worldview from the start, they simply saw a being of light and assumed it was Jesus. Thus, that's the hypothesis I always held as well, until I did my own research and saw 1) that the percentage of NDEs claiming to have seen Jesus was equal to other core NDE elements, showing that they're not anomalous, and 2) that the "they were confused about the identity" hypothesis didn't seem to fit the details of the cases. First, I suspect that, while researchers tend to trust NDErs' observations regarding their life reviews, meeting angels, seeing God, and other core elements, why would we suddenly waffle on a Jesus sighting and assume they misidentified Him. I mean, the entire event tends to come unexpected, so why should we assume that the Jesus element was different in that their expectations informed only this part. Surely an objective researcher should look seriously at the reports rather than whisk them away with an alternate theory before a closer look. As someone said, "An ounce of observation is worth a ton of theory." Second, they often express certainty that it was Jesus, although their reason expressed about the certainty varies. For some, it was seeing the nail-prints. For others, He seemed to appear as popular art makes Him appear. (This doesn't imply that modern art/depictions are accurate. Since people on the other side can apparently appear as they wish, much as God appeared in different ways in biblical visions, so it makes sense that Jesus might appear in a robe and sandals and with a face like they have been led to expect. Regarding conversation, it's often mind-to-mind in the language spoken by the NDEr.) Still others said it wasn't about the appearance, but they "just knew." Two people I personally interviewed--both of whom I personally know and have no reason to doubt their integrity--told me of their visions of Jesus, of which they had absolutely no doubt as to His identity. One was a vision. One was in His NDE. The one in his NDE, when I inquired how he knew it was Jesus, he honestly responded with something like, "I've often thought about that. Why was so sure it was Jesus? Yet, I was absolutely sure." (We agreed that it was probably a mind-to-mind awareness, that people often report in their NDEs. It's like children who report for certain that they saw angels, but that the angels didn't have wings. So how did they know they were angels?) Both of them were so impacted by their experiences that their voices faultered, coming close to tears, although the experiences were not recent. Third, some of those testifying to meeting Jesus were not especially spiritually committed, or came from non-Christian backgrounds. I cite several Jews in my book who were surprised to see Jesus. Many Muslims report visionary experiences with Jesus. Thanks for your candid comments!

[@AM-xj4bd]

I love the discussion of why God doesn’t make the gospel blatant, and didn’t even state it to Paul! Sean, you are one of the best interviewers I’ve seen on KZbin.

[@MrSeedi76]

Despite the fact that Sean constantly pushes his guest to say what he wants to hear?

[@AM-xj4bd]

I see him clarifying and summarizing what his guests say, because the interviewees don’t tend to explain their points as concisely as SM.

[@lukelance540]

I found buddhism through my coma when i was in a car wrek my life now is more fulfilling than ever.

[@user-ru3qp1ns2r]

I have been listening to a couple of NDE. Those who were been interviewed by Randy Kay made references to God, Jesus and Angels. Those interviewed by Heather Tesch never made references to God, Jrsus etc. I wonder why.

[@calliegal235]

I think it's because some people are not actually in the "hell" of great torment, (not the lake of fire, where Satan will be etc) but are in the 2nd heaven which is a demonic realm. We are told in the New Testament, Satan, or the devil (I believe any demon) can appear as an angel of light. They are lying deceivers and illusionists. They can appear as your dead grandmother. They mimic dead family members through mediums. In this interview, I didn't even hear this suggested. Yes, I think NDEs are real, but they are not all holy nor are the beings encountered all good, benevolent spirits; some are malevolent! Those spirits need to be tested and if they deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, they are antichrists. I heard one woman claim the spirits she met, "source" informed her there wasn't any historical person that fits the Jesus described in the New Testament. I'm sure the spirit(s) who told her this were lying to her. There is plenty of historical evidence for the person of Jesus Christ which agrees with New Testament writers. Basically, she returned having been willingly brainwashed by demons who taught her gnosticism! If one is not familiar with the message Eve received from the serpent in the garden of Eden, they don't recognize that old lie in its new age form. Just because a human has a spiritual experience while clinically dead, does not mean they had a good spiritual experience. As C. S. Lewis' character Ransom explained, we don't worship God because he's a spirit; we worship him because he is good. People like the woman I referenced, return without any fear of death, believing they don't need Jesus, have been terribly deceived into complacency, and drawn away from any idea that they need salvation through anyone, especially that they don't need Jesus Christ. That is not from the Most High God creator of heaven and earth. I think it's very important to hear people like Howard Storm and Ian McCormack.

[@coolhandphilip]

Also, A. J. Ayer's account has no Christian overtones whatsoever. It's about colored lights and the need to order the universe.

[@jasonc.n.4842]

Jesus spoke in Aramaic. His fishermen disciples could not read, write or understand Greek. There are no Gospel writings in Aramaic, only Greek. Question Biblical Fundamentalism and literalism and its claims of its full authority and infallibility. Be critical thinkers, not blind followers of fear indoctrination.

[@user-sx7wx7gm5p]

Jesus is the only way. Otherwise you will go to hell. Dont be late in believing in Jesus or you will find out the hard way. Heaven is real and so is hell.

[@ATRestoration]

If you really search for the truth, then you need to let go all your beliefs and taboos first. There is no other way to find the truth. If your faith can't deal with reality and facts, then it is worthless.

[@1BrknHrtdRomeo]

I came here thinking I was going to hear support for Universalism…Honestly, this felt terribly biased towards Christianity…and he’s a Ph.D. =( Like the point on reincarnation…He then goes on to blame KZbin and Google and the algorithm and says there isn’t any evidence? What about Jim Tucker and past life experiences? So these kids who’ve barely wandered out of their homes or can’t even use the computer somehow have accurate recall and memory of complete strangers who have passed away but are also miles away from where they are? Would Steve Miller just brush that off as coincidence? I’m Catholic…but I don’t go preaching that it’s the be all end all of religions. I was just born into it and I respect my family’s beliefs. But I see value in other religions too. Nobody should discredit other’s beliefs as long as they have love in their heart. I believe heaven awaits us all, no matter who you are…and I don’t think there is a “punishment” for being sinful. Rather, just be good, for goodness sake. We are all in this journey together. There is no competition.

[@stevemiller6368]

I'm sorry if something about the presentation came across biased, since my intent in both my research and my presentation was to present an accurate account of the evidence. Regarding reincarnation, the question I was trying to answer was, "Does the best evidence from NDE research support reincarnation?" Now you may look at other studies, outside of NDE research, that you believe supports reincarnation, but that's not the question I was addressing. From my study, people claiming to have found confirmation of reincarnation in NDEs are so rare as to be anomalous, although you can pull together many anomalous NDE testimonies (cherry-picking) and make it look like a core feature.

[@davenwajiuba5199]

@1BrknHrtdRomeo it is quite funny that your comment seems like you're angry because you're calling for justice in that Dr Miller is using the research to support the Christian world view. But in a sense you're doing the exact same thing-you want the research to support universalism. And stop the patronizing, "I'm Roman Catholic..." No, you're not-say, you were born Roman Catholic. To shift the tenets they hold (I'm not one) and still trying to claim to be one is fraudulent. It is true that NDEs many times don't appear to align 100% with any faith system but try not to use it to push universalism seeing that, it is on record, some people have had distressing, hellish NDEs.

[@billbogamer4389]

Modern advances in the speed of communications has helped spread these experiences which have been with us for centuries. Also, I believe we are living in the end times or as Jesus did say "as in the days of Noah" but by fire this time. It is a profound act of God's love and mercy for Him to proliferate these experiences as to gain as many souls as possible before the end in these evil time.

[@Ragnar-Lothbrok967]

I think the main reason is the advancement in modern medicine, resuscitation, etc, that we are getting so many more NDEs (in the past most people simply died, nowadays more people get resuscitated). And people have believed they were living in the end times and that Jesus was coming any day now for the last 2,000 years. It was supposed to happen to the people in Jesus’ generation, and yet here we are 2,000 years later and nada. And if the purpose of NDEs is to save as many souls as possible, it seems a better approach would be to suddenly stop the world and give every last person an experience at the same time, a direct communion with God’s infinite unconditional love and peace that is undeniable, a spiritual “knowing” that goes beyond physical reality, an experience that is “realer than real” that makes this life feel like a dream in comparison, as many NDErs have described. If God truly wanted to save everyone, or at least give everyone very strong evidence of his existence, this seems like a good approach. The fact that this doesn’t happen means either that everyone is already saved, believers and unbelievers alike, or that God has chosen some to be saved and not others, or that God is very different from the God of Christian beliefs, or it simply means there is no God at all and NDEs have a wholly naturalist explanation.

[@stevemiller6368]

@@Ragnar-Lothbrok967 You give several hypotheses. Another is that God does indeed give everyone strong evidence of His existence. Although NDEs are reported by only 4% to 6% of the population, deathbed visions are reported (when patients in a New York hospice unit were interviewed daily) in up to 88% of the dying. So perhaps deathbed visions are practically intrinsic to the dying process and almost all will have some type of powerful visionary experience at some point in life.

[@user-le1zl8uh1k]

How are NDEs of hell compatible with the parable of the rich man who wasn’t allowed to warn his brothers??

[@gagaaga3294]

Christ died for all but most people in this life that don't have the opportunity to hear the real gospel, meet real christians living by the spririt of Christ (not only church goers, not religious claims). So wouldn’t it be surprising that such people would meet the Light - Christ while in transition to the other world, so they too have the opportunity to make their choice. But actually they were only in the treshold, of heaven (didn't cross the line of no return). „One day in Your threshold is worth much more that a thousand here” - (sorry cite from memory). That may give the impression of universalism And the distressing NDE are kind of a warning.

[@thehumancondition111]

Exactly. So Dr.Miller, when you say people's experience depends on which church they went to, not a legalistic church, not a cult church. It clearly says that people who have seen jesus might have had personal relationship and love for him. And the reason you couldn't find Muhammad in Muslim subjects is because he's a prophet and not a personal god to have relationship. And if Hindus did not report of krishna, it means they didn't not have a relationship with krishna, and they were practice based Hindus. However it does not in any way say that God appears only as Jesus. It'd be really appreciated if conformation bias to prove the bible right is set aside and do research objectively. And Prof McDowell, @SeanMcDowell when you discuss such "Universal" subjects, it's only fair to bring another pov into the discussion rather than one researcher with Christian apologetic background. Thanks for reading my views.

[@stevemiller6368]

You said, "So Dr.Miller, when you say people's experience depends on which church they went to, not a legalistic church, not a cult church." I'm saying something a bit different from that. I'm saying that "people's interpretation of the experience" often differs according to their background. For example, if a person grew up in a very legalistic church that consistently presented God as a cosmic meanie who constantly looked at everyone with a frown, looking for opportunities to blast them, then it's quite understandable that if they encounter, in an NDE, a God who loves them with an overwhelming love, that they may exclaim, "I discovered that God is nothing like we're taught in churches...He loves us even though we're imperfect!" Yet, that's actually what the Bible teaches. Thus, I'm saying that a part of getting to the truth of NDEs is that we must often distinguish between a person's interpretation and what they actually experienced on the other side. Thus my study of what people actually reported on the other side: did large numbers report that they were told on the other side, "all religions are wrong" or "all religions are right." No. I found it to be quite rare. Surely that's the way to do objective science: we try to make accurate observations and use methods that keep us from making biased observations. You imply that all apologists are biased and thus should be accompanied by a person with an opposing view when doing an interview. But an apologist is simply someone who defends a position. In my case, I went through much doubting and questioning and reading many sides and studying under people on many sides of religious issues to come to my conclusion that Christianity is the best fit for the data I've found in my research. I'm not a professional apologist; I'm a college professor. People call me an apologist because I came to the conclusion that Christianity best fits the evidence and I thus defend that position. A New Age researcher who concluded that New Age teachings best fit the data, and defends New Age teachings, could be called an apologist for New Age. It doesn't necessarily mean he's biased. What I'm trying to do is to use objective methods to see what the core NDE teaches. So I'm eager to see if people think I should refine my methodology, or if my methodology of studying NDEs should be refined, in order to draw more precise conclusions. Don't you think?

[@rollerskeezer3325]

Gen.32-30, Matt.6-22, Lk.11-34. Earth is the only place one can meet God face to face. Silence Is the sound of light absent pace. Let them united Be, In nirvikalpa samadhi.

[@Godswill247always]

My pastor said quoting the Bible, “Enoch walked with God and God Took him,” “he had a son called Methuselah, who lived the longest years in the Bible; maybe God was saying Methuselah repent for Grace is available, Methuselah repent for God is available.” That is the case of all those fake death experiences, who are giving us things not found in the Bible.

[@OathKeeper1506]

What does that have to do with NDEs? I’m missing the connection here…

[@Godswill247always]

@@OathKeeper1506 Telling people what the Bible doesn’t say. Even if Holy Spirit is telling you something, you will surely find it in the Bible. Even it is so written. So grace is telling all those people, “Repent.”

[@Diane-i5f]

Can you combine your studies with your counterpart in India or an Arabic country to see what their results in NDE are to compare?

[@stevemiller6368]

So in two of my studies (appendix one of my book on near-death experiences and chapters 7-9 of my book comparing Christianity to NDE research) I looked at international studies of NDEs and did my own research of these on the NDERF site. For example, to look for sightings of Muhammad among Muslims, for example, I looked at the NDERF site at experiences from countries that were primarily Muslim, and from those who claimed to be Muslims. I found 80 cases. The closest experience I found to seeing Muhammad was one who stated rather tentatively: "I saw a light, which I believe may have been Muhammad."

[@rickmorris433]

As I read the post, I find it funny that the protestants are fighting the Catholics on whose doctrine is correct specially when you all claim to have the same Holy Spirit to teach and guide you. I asked you what is the real truth? Is your God even real?

[@User-9x52q23-d]

One reason there is no proof of NDE Reincarnation is obvious---NDE's don't stay dead. They are forced to return to their current body, which is usually in a state of others doing medical intervention. It is possible, someone might experience this "love" or beautiful world, but then be offered a choice to return in a new birth, after a substantial time spent in "heaven" with ancestors, loved ones, & Jesus. In the Nag Hammadi texts, Jesus speaks to James on "the Wheel of Rebirth." Early writings had rebirth.

[@Lemarcus03]

There is a Huge amt of evidence of Reincarnation at the University of VA.

[@JyoKaPa]

Hindus also have personal gods: Sri Ram, Ganesh, Krishna, Durga, Laxmi, kali, et al....None of them took anyone's sin on themselves.

[@harlanlang6556]

Or maybe they didn't have a Paul to tell that story.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

44:42 that sounds a bit like what this rabbi described at a lecture about reincarnation in the Torah. As I understand it, the Jewish afterlife has no concept of hell, but we do have a sort of cleansing of the soul. So basically the soul is like a dirty shirt that you throw into a washing machine and it comes out clean, and the experience of being cleansed is so terrible, you are basically forced to rewitness all the terrible things you've done in your life and feel the pain of those you've hurt and the pain is so terrible, it's equated to living hell. Now, it differs in length for every soul, but at the end of the day your soul is cleansed and you are given another life as a chance to redeem yourself. I wonder if it can be the same way with near death experiences and instead of being incarnated God just tosses you back into your own body sometimes.

[@truthhearit1471]

That's Kaballah, Jewish mysticism. Not regular Judisim.

[@stevemiller6368]

From my study of Judaism (it's not my area of expertise!) there are many different views of the afterlife in various branches of Judaism, so what you say may indeed be the case for certain Jew's beliefs.

[@stpdncr]

I’ve seen a decent amount of troubling NDEs where Christian’s go to hell or have a negative experience, and they are all shocked! They claim the once saved always saved is not true, that you always have to repent for your sins, a lot of these “Christians” had secret sins or un-forgiveness those ones were common.

[@harlanlang6556]

Steve is a good man. A good study might be to ask people of all religions whether they think that NDE's are consistent with their religion, and do they promote universalism. It would be interesting to compare and contrast their understandings. My take is that NDE's do promote universalism as reality. You don't hear of people being told by their deceased mother, grandmother to go back and follow Jesus or Buddha. You'd think that they would consider this as important....if it is. Concerning Steve's mention of evaluating religions by how much they encourage love and discourage violence. He specifically mentions some Muslim sects who promote terrorism. But I remember the story of Joshua being told by God in the Jewish Bible to kill all men, women, children and animals in a particular city. Christians believe that this was actually the will of God. How do Christians explain this as being from the same God as taught by Jesus? As Sean mentions, NDE's are usually experienced as more real than the physical world. An analogy might be the difference between reading a book about a country, and actually living in that country for a year. I lived in Malaysia for two years, and reading about Malaysia in a book, or even seeing a film about it, would not come close to experiencing it. So quoting the Bible to NDE experiencers about how their experiences are not correct will not be effective in changing their minds. Jesus teaches love for others. The opposite of love is fear. My experience is that churches tend to emphasize fear as a way to get people to follow a theology, to come to church. NDE's really emphasize the experience of love beyond description, even for atheists who don't remain atheists. This seems to be consistent with Jesus' teachings to love God and to love others. NDE experiencers probably have some experience with churches which are more about fear, about hell, about being judged. People will usually go where the love is. Steve is so right about the diversity of religion in India and belief in a personal God. My experience is that Jesus is the personal experience of God for Christians and even some non-Christians. Mos religions has a person like Jesus who is looked at as a manifestation of the qualities of God in some way. I can remember being taught in church that when we die, our bodies will eventually be resurrected on Judgement Day. NDE's don't support this idea....at all.

[@stevemiller6368]

Thanks for sharing a lot of good, substantive insights. Some thoughts on a few of your statements: 1) On it being a good idea to ask NDErs if the experiences are consistent with their religion, I think that's a good idea and would like to see that asked of a large number of experiencers. My take is that most people, at least before NDEs became so widely reported and known, was that most people were surprised by many aspects of the experience, and some of the surprises came because aspects didn't jibe with their theology. For example, one of my students spoke of a relative (I believe it was his grandfather), who was a staunch Jehovah's Witness, who, in his deathbed vision, reported visiting with deceased relatives. Yet, JWs believe in soul sleep in the intermediate period (before the final resurrection). Some Buddhists (certainly not all!) are atheists, yet, we know of many atheists who meet God in their NDEs and change their theological views. Those who believe that, at death, we lose our identities and meld into the Cosmic Consciousness are probably surprised to converse with deceased relatives who still seem to be distinctly themselves. Yet, as you suggest, I'd like to hear more NDErs routinely asked if their NDE reinforced their own worldview. 2) You said, "My take is that NDE's do promote universalism as reality." While I do see a lot of people coming out of an NDE proclaiming "death is nothing to fear...everybody goes to heaven," I think it's very rare for someone to report that they actually heard that taught on the other side. We do know that, in life reviews, people are often shocked to learn that they've been living life all wrong, so when people say it doesn't matter how you live, it's just about learning, I don't see that taught as a part of the core experience. Also, if researchers like Bush and Rawlings and Rommer are on target, then at least 20% of experiences are hellish/distressing, sometimes including seeing some deceased suffering on the other side. Thus, if by "Universalism" a person means that there is no afterlife punishment, I don't see that as consistent with such experiences. If they mean by universalism that "all paths lead to God and are thus equally good," I have a hard time believing seemingly irreconcilable truth claims, such as that Christians saying that Jesus was the Son of God and died for our sins and so many Muslims saying that you must believe that God is One in such a way as to exlude the possibility of a Trinity, in order to be saved. 3) You said, "I can remember being taught in church that when we die, our bodies will eventually be resurrected on Judgement Day. NDE's don't support this idea....at all." Well, if your church taught that we experience soul sleep after death, awaiting a future resurrection, then I agree with the data from NDEs indeed contradict with this, since NDErs often report seeing the deceased alive and conscious and well on the other side. But I believe that the Scriptures teach that the soul separates from the body at death, which makes sense of the thief on the cross being told my Jesus, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." So those are some clarifications of some areas we see differently, but I do want to say how much I appreciate your sharing your wisdom and heart on these important issues. It's by authentically sharing that we can all grow closer to the truth.

[@4486johnboy]

I have listened and not exaggerating 100s of NDE testimony’s. My suggestion would be if you don’t know your Bible I would not suggest it. You can not exceed what is written

[@JENNIFERKILLEEN-kj8gf]

The truth of the matter is there is only one God, and he understands that 4 thousands years, people are going to believe in a spiritual being. Which makes them want to be compassionate and loving. If you experience an NDE you will probably see the vision of God that you believe in. This God is neither any particular religion, colour, male, or female he just is, even when you are dealing with cults, the followers are good people, the bad ones are leaders who plan to gain from the innocent❤

[@stevemiller6368]

Thanks for your candid opinion. I'm just saying that from my research, the God seen is not compatible with all religions, since he appears as personal, loving all, etc. In some religions God is impersonal, if not non-existent. In other religions He loves some, but not all. So surely for all who are seeking the truth, it makes sense to see what the data of 50 years of NDE studies may support and not support concerning religious truth.

[@jaggedstarrPI]

Sean! I'm so disappointed to hear you imply, unintentionally I am sure, that Catholics are part of a different religion, as opposed to a different denomination. You see the comment threads and know how sadly prevalent anti-Catholic prejudice remains in popular American evangelicalism. I've always appreciated that you did NOT participate in that nonsense...So...was it a slip of the tongue? If you happen to read this, I'd be grateful to know. Love the show. This was a single comment. Not the end of the world. Peace.

[@JyoKaPa]

Christianity is not "western." Jesus was from the Middle East.

[@harlanlang6556]

That means that Jesus was Asian.

[@deborahnewton8785]

There's no other God than the Lord Jesus Christ who rose from the dead. He is the only living God there is no other.

[@LawrenceKennard]

I've listened to an audio books from Moody to Burke and now I have to see this study!