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Out of Body & Near Death Experiences

There are some interesting facts about OBEs & NDEs that should raise a flag of warning.

1) Not everyone on the verge of death has an out of body experience. Jesus resurrected Jairus's daughter, the widow of Nain's son, and Lazarus. Not one of them reported any experience of consciousness after death or of mystically heightened consciousness in the moments between life and death. It would seem that if during a NDE the spirit separates from the physical body, all who come that close to death should experience this phenomenon, and have something to report if they are revived.

2) Science demonstrates that the use of certain hallucinogenic drugs is highly conducive to the perception of out of body experiences.

3) When the brain is deprived of oxygen, a much higher incidence of OBEs and NDEs is reported. Medical laboratory experiments demonstrate that many people who are given elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide to breathe have a definite feeling of detachment from their bodies. This feeling disappears completely when normal oxygen levels are restored. Mountains climbers who have gone above 15,000 feet, where the atmosphere is thinner, have reported sensations of detachment from the body.

4) Electrical stimulation of the fissure of Sylvius in the cerebral cortex, can readily cause a vivid feeling of "spiritual" disconnection from the body. If all OBEs and NDEs constitute a divinely originated separation of body and soul, then why would it be so easy to induce these experiences simply by altering the brain's chemistry or oxygen level?

5) In some cases, the dying communicate with God or angels. However, a truly heaven sent experience will never involve messages from the dead, or other revelations that deviate from Scripture, which guards us against misinterpreting the origin or import of extraordinary experiences. See 2 Cor. 11:13-15.

6) Those who report having bad OBEs or NDEs often regard their souls as immortal and eternally secure. irrespective of their chosen way of life They do not generally demonstrate a greater love for God, or desire to study and obey His word. By generating mystical experiences, Satan comforts people in their lost condition until it is too late. If the ultimate result of an; experience does not draw one closer to God and a love for Bible truth, it should be rejected as false.

God does not invite us to interpret the Bible by our experience, but our experience by the Bible. 2 Tim. 3:15, 16; Heb. 4:13.

"Miserable and longing for enlightenment, I reached eagerly for the peyote pouch. No small dose would do for this San Francisco hippie. Before long a warm feeling enveloped me and I began to experience 'memories' of 'former lifetimes.' It was fascinating, meshing perfectly with my Hindu belief in reincarnation and universal immortality. As I slipped deeper into this psychedelic voyage, I began to feel my spirit taking flight and saw myself as a disembodied wisp of blue light emerging from my navel. Eventually I fell into a stupor, arousing the next day with a headache-still mired in my own body. Mercifully, the truths of the Bible rescued me from deception. Recognizing that my mystical beliefs had fashioned the content of this drug-induced hallucination, I never had another out of body experience." —a former hippie.



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Created: 8/1/01 Updated: 08/12/04