How to manage 10 powerful after-effects of near-death & out-of-body experiences
Has a spiritual experience got you mystified and tongue-tied?
Not sure how to describe what happened to you?
Or even who to talk to?
You need a safe, non-judgemental space, to explore, process and make sense of your experience.
There is a large body of research, many supports, online and in-person, to help you unpack your spiritually transformative experiences (STE). I am here to help you navigate your previously uncharted territory!
For the purpose of this blog I am using STE as a catch-all acronym for near-death experiences (NDEs), out-of-body experiences (OBEs), and other unusual phenomena.
According to International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS), there is often resistance to sharing occurrences with healthcare providers, family members, and others. The main reason: people feel they are alone in their experience. They also feel they will not be believed or taken seriously.
The reality is that STEs happen to millions of people all over the world.
You are not alone.
You are not losing your sanity!
NDERF, the Near-Death Research Foundation estimates the prevalence of a near-death experience is approximately 4 – 5% of the population. Their research, which is consistent with that of IANDS, has found that 10 – 20% of people who are resuscitated after nearly dying, report after-affects.
If you are feel profoundly changed, you are not alone.
If you feel your life is forever altered, you are in the company with millions of others.
If you feel psychological and physiological after-effects, you are not alone.
How do you come to understand your experience and integrate it into your life?
Let’s start by exploring what you may be experiencing. The experience of an NDE can be similar, in some cases, to an out-of-body experience or other STE.
Often, there is a sense of disembodiment. The sense of having a physical body, it’s senses and any pain associated with it is gone. People refer to this as their soul leaving or expanding out of their bodies, floating, being detached from the physical plane.
Another common feeling is being lifted or dissolving into oneness, to “all that is”. This can feel overwhelming. It is often described as being part of pure and divine love. Some may experience a god-like presence. In the case of my grandmother, she was so disappointed to come back to the physical realm after her NDE because she felt eternally embraced and loved beyond measure in that timeless space.
There are many reports of having interaction with other beings of light, sometimes knowing those beings as passed relatives from your current life. You may not “talk” to them, but telepathically or through some otherworldly sensory input, you communicate. This often includes a welcome, sometimes a tour, and in some cases, a full explanation of life, the many lives you have lived, and information regarding your divine purpose.
Specific to the NDE, life reviews are common, but not as a judgement or condition to entering the after-life. Experiencers say they felt what the people felt about them. They felt how that person felt in the moment of their joint interaction: loved, betrayed, saddened, etc. They were given the gift of a glimpse into someone else’s heart. When they returned from their NDE, they were motivated to treat people better, with more compassion.
A long list of experiences can be found through Spiritual Awakenings International, as well as IANDS and NDERF. The important thing to remember is that they are commonly shared by STErs (NDErs, OBErs, SNDErs, etc.). Of the hundreds of thousands of accounts, over centuries, across all age groups, cultures and religions, there are a dozen or so common experiences.
STErs also say the occurrence cannot be adequately described by language.
The beauty, colours, and unusual senses the experiencer has access to in the other realm is so real, so clear, and so amazing, they describe their human existence as dull or fuzzy in comparison. Despite employing varying media there simply is no way to capture and describe the feeling of an STE. But experiencers are able to describe changes in how they feel. If you are an STEr, you will likely share some of the following common effects.
5 common psychological effects of STEs are:
- loss of the fear of death,
- more spiritual and less religious,
- more generous and charitable than before,
- less competitive,
- convinced of a life purpose.
5 common physiological effects of STEs are:
- more creative and inventive,
- unusual sensitivity to light and sound,
- lower blood pressure,
- electrical sensitivity,
- synesthesia (multiple sensing).
There are many other effects, some negative, all of which can be found on SAI, IANDS and NDERF websites.
You may be asking yourself, how will I live with these after-effects?
You will find the resources and supports to redefine your life based on your new awareness at wisdomofus.ca. You will assimilate aftereffects in a way that makes sense to you. You are encouraged to explore, process, and integrate your profoundly altered life-view in a safe, non-judgemental space.
You will find peace of mind.
Now that we’ve touched on the “feeling” and the measurable “effects” of STEs, let’s explore how you can process the experience in a way that makes sense to you. This is called integration.
Integration can be defined as incorporating or assimilating new experiences and learning into your life in an effective way.
The truth about integrating any kind of personal or spiritual growth is that we never stop. We will never come to a place in our lives where we can declare our learning complete. We will never declare ourselves fully enlightened beings. There will always be challenges for teaching and myriad responses to learning opportunities. In short, we are always interconnected with wisdom, and we are always exercising choice to embrace it or reject it.
This moment is yours to embrace wisdom, to share wisdom, and to expand your experience in this lifetime.
Integration is the key.
Embrace, share and expand to find the peace you’ve been searching for. For an in-depth look at the four phases of integration and the tools needed to get there, check out my 4 Phases of Integration blog!
Click here for an Integration Workshop tailored to your needs!
For further exploration:
Spiritual Awakenings International: www.spiritualawakeningsinternational.org
International Association of Near-Death Studies: www.iands.org
Near-Death Research Foundation: www.nderf.org
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