No Religion in Heaven
Is heaven only a gated community for a chosen few?
Since we all die physically what is our destination beyond the grave?
I’ve now been exposed to dozens of reports of those who have returned to this life after near-death experiences (NDEs), defined by Bruce Greyson, a prominent researcher of NDE, as follows:
“Near-death experiences are intensely vivid and often life-transforming experiences, many of which occur under extreme physiological conditions such as trauma, ceasing of brain activity, deep general anesthesia or cardiac arrest in which no awareness or sensory experiences of any kind should be possible according to the prevailing views in neuroscience.”
Based on reports, returnees say there is no religion on the “other side.”
Two questions I seek to answer in this posting are
What really goes on in heaven?
What impact do these data have on my life today? (This subject will be explored more fully in a later posting titled “My Near Life Experience.”)
No Apartheid
Folks who cross to the other side report no sign of religious affiliation.
The cartoon image of St. Peter at heaven’s gate allowing some (The born again) to enter and sending the rest of humankind to another place (Hell no!) simply is not the experience of NDE’s.
Yes, the temporarily departed may encounter a life source that aligns with the religion from their bodily life, like Jesus, Krishna, or Allah.
That’s because heaven gives us a peg to hang our hat of understanding on.
It’s an adaptation to our human limitations that reduces all possibility of cognitive dissonance if we encounter an energy force unfamiliar to us.
In my books, that’s pure grace.
The oneness theme challenges me to find common ground with all, to stay with folks with different political, personal, or religious perspectives, and to love my neighbor as myself (The theme in the parable of the Good Samaritan).
No Judgment, Only Love
Returnees (NDEs) never report a ‘theological exam’ that they must pass to qualify for heavenly residency (Much like the exam I had to pass to become a US citizen).
Judgment is a dualistic earthly value.
Our egotistic penchant is to divide the world into good and evil, right and wrong, and assign folks to heaven or hell depending on their beliefs. (If you don’t subscribe to the Nicene Creed, you are not a Christian).
NDEs routinely report going through a life review. Here, their lives flash before their eyes. In this self-assessment, they get a sense (sometimes painful) of how well they have loved (the impact of their lives on others).
As a result of this ‘knowing,’ I’ve become more attentive to asking myself, “Who have I hurt and how?” And much like the 12-step program in AA, I have, wherever possible, sought to make amends with those I’ve hurt.
The review, on the other side, is always conducted in a context of infinite and exquisite love. This fact alone challenges me not to beat myself up for past mistakes and transgressions but to bestow them on my self-compassion.
There’s no time, just eternity.
When Jesus referred to the concept of time in the afterlife, he stated, “A day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day.”
This view aligns with the experience of those who have penetrated the veil. When one thinks of a grandfather, he appears. When Jesus crosses their consciousness, he shows up.
Such boundless time makes me realize that our sense of time here on earth is an illusion.
In heaven, my nickname will not be “Big Ben” (the clock in London). This nickname is playfully given to me by my wife who finds my preoccupation with time challenging (and irritating).
My goal is not to be obsessed with time but to peacefully live in the eternal now.
Conclusion
Since everyone is heading for the realm of eternal consciousness beyond this physical life, I am challenged to reflect on,
How can I live the life of the soul (My Near Life Experience) in the here and now?
How can the fact that religion is a human construct inform my quest to be a more soul-driven person?