Should We Fear Death?
Death is not something that many people want to think about.
However, death is a part of living a human life. At least, our
current level of science and technology acknowledges that death
is inevitable.
Is death something to be afraid of or is death something to look
forward too? The answer may depend on who you talk to.
Aside from the obvious religious answers, what body of
information exists that can help us to approach this question
with some degree of logical thinking? When exacting scientific
evidence is lacking, our only option is to consider the
anecdotal or subjective experiences that others have had.
Fortunately, there is a body of information that leads to the
formation of some interesting thoughts on the subject of death
and what it is or what it might lead too. You can find this
resource at near-death.com.
Each person is encouraged to draw their own conclusions. Yet, I
would like to share some of my thoughts and opinions on the
matter.
Many people who have a near-death experience have strikingly
similar experiences. There are some who report a horrible
experience but the majority report more positive experiences.
Some may have gone to a terrible place, while others seem to
leave the pain of the mortal body behind and experience an
interesting journey before they revive. Both kinds of
experiences have been recorded.
One striking similarity is the 'life review' process. This has
been reported as a review of one's entire life where each event
is played out before your eyes. People that have experienced
this process say that you suddenly become aware of how you
affected the people you interacted with during your life.
If you did something that caused them pain, you may become
cognizant of those feelings as if you were experiencing them
yourself. People report that they feel regretful. The experience
doesn't just extend to that one person, but the effects are like
a ripple in a pond and you see how that ripple affects multiple
people.
On the other hand, if you did something good you experience that
as well. It does appear that the good things involve acting from
compassion. For example, one lady said the most significant act
of her entire life occurred when she was a little girl. She
cupped a flower in her hand and gave it 'unconditional love'.
Others don't experience an in depth life review, theirs lasts a
few seconds and doesn't seem to have much impact. Experiences
vary someowhat. However, the fundamental similarities remain.
Can a person change as a result of a near-death experience? I
was struck by the example of one person who was a self described
atheist and hateful person. After his near-death experience he
became a minister and a kinder, gentler soul. The change was not
only noted by himself, but also by his family members.
Wouldn't it be fascinating to actually talk to a person who has
had a near-death experience? I remember listening to a gentleman
named Dannion Brinkley talk about his NDEs (near death
experiences). He actually had more than one in his life due to
an unfortunate propensity to attract lightning. I found his
insights to be very interesting.
If you want to read more about NDEs, visit near-death.com
Although it is hard to classify the information there as
anything more than subjective, there is a large body of recorded
experiences there. Perhaps it will provide you with more insight
as to whether death should be feared or not.