I haven't personally had a near death experience; however, a good friend of mine did about 20 years ago. He has a difficult time talking about. He was in a car accident and rushed to the ER. While in the hospital, he suffered a heart attack. He said he died, and he could look down, as if floating above his body, and see the Drs working on him.

He said it had an extremely profound effect on him. And that it was difficult to put the experience into actual words. Before the car accident, he was on the wild side. Had been married 4 times, loved to party, and was more than a little selfish.

Since his near death experience, he has totally turned his life around. He said it scared him so bad, he knew he had many changes to make. He became a very devout Christian and focuses his time helping others.

He's a very intelligent man - a doctor. And, he's done a lot of good with his life since his nde. Definitely a life altering experience for him. He absolutely believes in heaven and hell.

I used to believe in a lot of things as a child.

I was raised in a fundamentalist Southern Baptist household. There were a lot of things that I was either taught or led to believe that carried me for many years.

But, with the living and observation of life, there finally came a day when I seriously questioned what I believed and why I believed it and my faith no longer withstood the test.

With that said, I'm at a place where I'd much rather meet my end with unanswered questions than with unquestioned answers.

But, that's just me.

tigertales, I have many, many unanswered questions, too. My faith has been tested numerous times. While I'm not a big church-goer, I read my Bible quite a lot. When I've been at my lowest, I've been able to continue on by reaching out to God.

There have been many incidents in my life that I believe were "of God". Miracles that were specific and amazing. No way they were mere coincidences in my circumstances and needs. Other people witnessed many of these incidents, and were also intrigued.

There's so much I don't understand, yet I seem to have the desire to seek knowledge and facts. Not just read some scriptures. Last night, I was watching Biblical Mysteries Explained. It was most informative and gave verification of many of the Bible's readings. I will definitely be watching that program more. Very interesting how scientists, archaeologists, and theologists have been able to not only prove certain Biblical mysteries, but to even add details and give more knowledge and understanding.

I think we each have our own beliefs and thoughts in spiritual contexts regarding heaven and hell, God and the Bible. Our personal backgrounds and experiences can mold us into the individuals we become. For me, I do consider myself a Christian. I desire to have a closer relationship with God. It's given me personal growth, and yet, I think I have a long, long ways to go before reaching my potential and getting to where I need to be.

That's wonderful...and, please understand...I'm not grinding an axe with God or anyone else.

Everyone should have the power of their own beliefs.

Be it far from me to undermine one's faith and beliefs. These can be the most personal of things and everyone should have that core autonomy.

I prefer 'the come back as something else' theory myself.
Don't like humans generally!...
But, on the other hand, I don't really care....but... it would be nice to catch up with all my dogs again, what a happy thought!

I have not valued my life for sometime. I have not ended it because of a sense of obligation to my cats .I don't have anyone else and never will again, so leaving them to the tender mercies of fate is more cruelty than I can manage .
So I am here for awhile.
That said.. it occurred to me some time ago that one might not get to the nothingness I am so anxious to embrace. What if it is worse somehow to be inanimate? How do I know the same suffering won't follow me wherever I go? Seem once pain rules it rules absolutely in the absence of any hope. I am afraid that ending life only means ending what few comforts are left.
That thought absolutely terrifies me. My life experience has disabled me from beliefs that are comforting. All that is left is fear and pain. And regrets. Massive painful regrets.

this is always a fascinating subject for me - the problem is there is no proof of someone who was all the way dead - every cell in their body and brain had died - coming back to tell us what happened.

Even the after-death experiences, those peoples' hearts had stopped beating, but their brains are still alive and well - or otherwise they would be brain damaged when the Doctors got their heart started again.

So I have resigned myself to having to wait until I die to find out :)

I had this bizarre dream of my father who passed away in October last night. I asked him if heaven was real and he told me no. It was a little disturbing.

I believe in good and evil. I believe the universe and the free will we were given to love or hate is the only important decision I make as a human being. I believe my spirit go somewhere and it all depends on my soul. If I love much I will be loved much in heaven. If I hate much I will not be loved in heaven. Everything in the universe is yang yang. good and evil, light and dark, positive and negative, him and her, love and hate. It seems everything has an opposite. So why would heaven not.