Near Death Experiences: Blissful and Distressing

Near Death Experiences: Blissful and Distressing

Raymond Moody, the author of Life After Life, who coined the phrase near death experience, and the first medical doctor to compile hundreds of shared near death experiences in Life after Life, gives us this succinct definition of what he believes about the afterlife, “What I think happens, when we die is that we enter into an extraordinarily different from the spatial temporal frame of reality in which we exist in the physical world that the language we have is not yet adequate to describe this other state of existence or consciousness. Watch the documentary Life After LIfe.

Thanks to the donation of a friend and supporter of Circle Community, I will attend the International Association of Near Death Studies Conference. See more about International Association for Near Death Studies The organization rose from its humble beginnings to an international association that attracts the best researchers and supporting staff. See IANDS history

In the past few years, more people have come forward to talk about their extraordinary experiences. Many wrote books, appeared on talk shows and wowed audiences in lecture halls. There are too many authors to name here but more information is available here, Information about NDEs
The universality and characteristics of near death experiences entices one to consider their implications for our life in the physical existence. Before NDEs entered popular culture, Emanuel Swedenborg wrote extensively about experiencing another dimension of life. Raymond Moody noticed unmistakable parallels between Emanuel Swedenborg's near-death experiences the afterlife as described in Swedenborg’s writings and those of NDE experiencers.

Well-known NDE researcher and experiencer, , P.M.H. Atwater, calls near death experiences “a brain shift”, a transformation of consciousness. In Heaven and Hell, in his most popular book, Swedenborg writes, “We are only separated from physical nature that was useful to us in the world. The essential person is actually still alive. I say that the essential person is still alive because we are not people because of our bodies but because of our spirits. After all, it is the spirit within us that thinks, and thought and affection together make us the people we are.” Many experiencers would agree with Swedenborg, that death is merely a passing from one world into another or moving into a new state of consciousness.

I am privileged to attend the International Association for Near Death Studies (IANDS), IANDS 2012 Conference beginning August 31st in Scottsdale AZ, a mere 2 and half hour drive from my home.

Circle Community will host a two part discussion on Near Death Experiences: Blissful and Distressing will focus on recent studies of NDEs and the “myths” perpetuated in the media surrounding NDES. Experiencers are welcome. A question and answer session will follow each meeting.
Part One, on Sunday August 26 will be at the Murphy-Wilmot Public Library, 530 N Wilmot in Tucson. Join us for refreshments at the Paradise Bakery, 6129 E Broadway, just West of Wilmot.
Part Two, September 9 will be at the Kirk-Bear Canyon Public Library at 8959 E Tanque Verde Rd in Tucson, 3 PM – 4:30PM. Join us for refreshments Le Buz, Caffe/Espresso 9121 E Tanque Verde Rd, around the corner from the Library. This meeting will focus on the integration of NDEs, from the perspective of researchers and experiencers. I plan to share new knowledge I gained from the speakers at the Conference. It is not too late to for you to register.

Written by

Gabriella was born in Budapest Hungary. Some of her family still resides in Hungary. After escaping the Communist regime in the aftermath of the 1956 Revolution, Gabriella's family settled in Cleveland OH. She graduated from Cleveland Heights High School and attended college but did not earn a degree. She met her husband in Devon PA, and soon they were married and began family life in PA. Only a few years married, John and Gabriella moved to FL to be with Gabriella's aging parents. Two o their three children were born Florida. After the children began school, Gabriella volunteered in schools and libraries. Her love for swimming drew her into the world of aquatics. Part time coaching jobs evolved into career aquatic management. Her children out of the home, Gabriella worked full time as an aquatic manger, coach and swim instructor. In 2001, John and Gabriella's plans to ease into retirement in Tucson changed drastically when John suffered a heart attack in 2002. John’s amazing recovery after bypass surgery allowed Gabriella to seek a new career. It was a life changing experience for both of them. Gabriella returned to school at the University of AZ and John took over household responsibilities. A shift occurred in their lives. Gabriella felt called to become a spiritual care provider. Preparing for seminary, she chose interdisciplinary program, combining Psychology, Family and Religious Studies. She graduated with honors in 2006. Gabriella and John moved to Berkeley for her to begin seminary at the Pacific School of Religion. Gabriella was accepted on the ordination track in the Swedenborgian Church of North America. Her goal was to becoming a chaplain. John's health crisis necessitated a move from Berkeley back to Tucson in 2008. Gabriella transferred to Earlham School of Religion to complete the Master’s program. In her senior year, working in required Supervised Ministry, Gabriella created a dual ministry; Circle Community, a sharing, praying and studying support group and worked as a crisis advocate in Tucson area hospitals. Most of her family was present in Cincinnati OH when Gabriella was ordained in July 2012. In July of 2011 she was ordained in the Swedeborgian Church and accepted a call to be the pastor of the New Church of Southwest FL. Soon after her ordination Gabriella accepted a call to become the pastor to the New Church of Southwest FL in 2011. John, a VA patient needed comprehensive medical care unavailable in Fort Myers. For Gabriella ministry begins at home. Once again new a health crisis changed their life. They moved back to Tucson AZ. Back in Tucson, Gabriella found ministry opportunities with Circle Community, did workshops and conducted weekly Prayer Meditations at Rincon U.C.C. She completed a course in Spiritual Direction at the Hesychia School for Spiritual Direction. In mid October 2012, Gabriella began to work as a Chaplain for Harmony Hospice. The job all she had expected. She found great satisfaction working with patients and their families. Gabriella left the per diem position with Harmony for a full time job with Valor HospiceCare. Here too, she worked with grieving families, conducted grief support groups and lead Community Memorial services during the same time that her husband's health was spiraling downwards. Gabriella resigned her job to care for John in the last months of his life. John died in April 2014. Life became chaotic. An intense search a chaplain position in Tucson and other parts of the country was unsuccessful. Peers suggested Gabriella look into open churches with the Swedenborgian Church. She candidated in Kansas with two churches. She was called to pastor the Pretty Prairie and Pawnee Rock churches in July 2014. A new life began with the move to rural Kansas. In August 2014, Gabriella began to serve as the Pastor of the two churches.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *