The all-important Why

43 But I have certainly also come across reports on the internet from people that say that they had a terrible, gruesome near-death experience. It had simply been only awful. We are supposed to be dealing with people here that had committed a murder or had somehow acted unscrupulously. One man reported on line that he had turned his life around after such a terrible near-death experience. He had become a different person. All he wanted to do is to act and think philanthropically ever since. - Abominable near-death experiences happen rather seldom. I only mention them to complete the picture. Dear reader, please allow me to include a small report here, one that I heard about a few days ago. I had approached an 82 years old friend about his “neardeath experience” that he had once briefly mentioned. And so, he told me the details. It was in 1998. He had been laying in the intensive care unit at H. suffering from severe blood poisoning and he had been in a very critical state. He said that it has not been something spectacular. He did not want to peddle his near-death experience. His case had been as follows: He initially experienced a review of his life, as he called it. He saw all the good things and all the bad things that he had done. It had been akin to giving account for his actions. But the good and the bad had balanced themselves and he had been relieved. He had not gone through a tunnel as others often report. He had simply found himself in what he thought was heaven from one moment to the next. Bright, warm and beautiful. He suddenly felt very happy. He wandered through an olive glove, it was so warm and he felt infinitely well. He then saw a white house that had green stripes on its doors and windows. You know, as decorations. I thought, there must be people here. I walked towards the house… and I was suddenly brought back.” Dear reader, you can take a somewhat longer pause at this point of my exposition and say to yourself: “This is enough for now.” You can put this script aside for a while to allow what you have read “to sink in” as it were. I write this because I know from experience that one cannot deal with so many new things all at once. One might also find it difficult to leave one’s existing religious beliefs and views behind. One doesn’t have to do this. But one can acknowledge the new and contemplate it. If you like you can call me!

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