ddd wrote:First, an experience like that would be hard to write off. If it was me, perhaps I would have tried nevertheless

But, I believe you - and I can see how something of that nature (apart from saving your life) would have a great effect on your beliefs and viewpoints.
fuzoid wrote:I did try to write it off as an overactive imagination. I had 7 days hooked up to an antibiotic IV to think about nothing but! And the more I thought about it, the more I was forced to accept it for what it was. Not knowing where to turn, I spoke with some born again co-workers. They convinced me it was
Jesus. This is how I became involved in the church. I came to believe
Jesus saved me for a reason and threw myself into it whole heartedly. I eventually studied to be a pastor. But as luck would have it my inquisitive and scientific inclinations forced me to look outside of the
Christian mainstream. I figured if
Christianity was for real, then science would support it. It didn't. So I was forced to look elsewhere and I have never looked back.
ddd wrote:Right, now I'm getting the picture. I'd often wondered how someone like yourself could have been practicing to be a pastor. It all seemed at odds to me.
Actually, it's not all that unusual. I believe I once mentioned a fire and brimstone pastor who experienced an NDE and returned from it with a more universal outlook. He is still a
Christian pastor but he no longer believes in hell, the devil, or eternal punishment, just to name a few dogmas. His teachings became more akin to Unitarian Universalist.
Were you an atheist or agnostic before your experience if you don't mind my asking?
Spirituality has always been important to me so I would say it's safe to assume I've always had some form of belief. It was religion I never believed in. So it came as a big surprise to me that I became involved with religion after my experience. The only thing I can think of is I was searching for answers, any answers, and I was susceptible to religion at that time. Fortunately I regained my senses. LOL!!!
I'm thinking Texas must be a part of the bible belt.
Yeah, I live in the Bible belt...now. But I'm originally from Connecticut and was living in Rhode Island at the time.
Oh, I'm an Aussie by the way.
Thanks for the clarification. For some reason I thought I saw your location as the UK.
Your comments on evolution, religion as a motivator for a soul, and OBE's not working within the entanglement idea make sense. You've been thinking on this for a while hey.

Yeah, something like that. Although Gerald Scroeder's
Genesis and the Big Bang was a real eye opener for me, it was Gary Zucav's
The Dancing Wu Li Masters that gave me the push in the right direction, to my satisfaction. And it was also kind of hard ignoring all the anecdotal evidence of the NDE. I've read far too many books on the subject to write it off as the workings of the brain. The verified evidence just didn't support such a naturalistic explanation.
It really doesn't lend itself to current ideas of what is and isn't natural.
Current ideas, yes. But if this is all true, it can't be anything but natural!
This could be the sort of thing I was talking about when I said how shocking it would be to jump forward to the world in another thousand years. Hey, maybe even a hundred. Say a world where we have proven the existence of a spirit, or perhaps utilize the holographic principle to jump spacecraft to any point in the universe!

Sorry - sci-fi nut coming through, I'm really pissed we won't be doing that in my lifetime. But perhaps it won't matter if I can do it for myself one day. Or go beyond it altogether.
No problem, I'm a sci-fi nut myself! My all time favorite book is Isaac Asimov's
The Foundation Trilogy. It's a long read but very well worth it. I also enjoy fantasy. My favorite books in this genre are Stephen R. Donaldson's
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever. Another very long read (6 books total) but well worth it. Anyway, jumping to any point in the universe may be considered as sci-fi now. But if it's true we live in a non-local universe, which all the evidence seems to point at, then we're already there! We just need to recognize this fact! And before you ask, no, I have no idea how to do this. LOL!!!
About the book. I'm expecting a little boredom, but it's exactly the kind of thing I want to be reading on this subject. A good analytical scientific approach. I must admit I never thought I'd come to question my convictions on a site like this! Especially my views on death. Cheers for sticking with me whilst I tried to lever my mind open a little to have a look around.
Then you're in for a very interesting and informative read. And fortunately Dr. Ring answers emails if you have any questions for him. Or at least he used to. And no problem regarding sticking with it. I enjoy talking about the topic and if I can be of assistance, I will. I guess you can say I traded
Christian proselytizing for spiritual proselytizing, with one huge difference. I no longer believe my path is the only path and those that don't travel it are going to hell.
Won't be around too much for a while, I'm back to some full time work with a contractor diverting a creek (involving a lot of wire cages and a lot of rock handling...yay.) But it's great because sometimes I think a little too much for my own good. Anyways, I'll be around here and there.
Cheers
Ha ha ha!!! Nothing like some honest hard work to occupy your mind. Well, I'm just glad to hear you're working. I know cash is a bit tight for you right now and any work is a blessing. So here's to work! We'll talk again when you have the time.
fuzoid
http://www.live365.com/stations/fuzoid