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What 3 Near-Death Experiences Taught Me About Heaven, by Robert Kopecky

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Is it possible to venture into "the great beyond" without having to pay "the ultimate price" to get there? As a survivor of multiple Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), there is one big piece of advice I can give you about it: Try to avoid having multiple near-death experiences! The lessons you get from them about the afterlife are truly amazing, but the circumstances you go through to get there are definitely best avoided.

There are easier ways—take my word for it—that can lead you to discover that the place "beyond" you’re so curious about; it isn't so far away after all, especially if you look within—as with this example.

What do you see when you close your eyes? Try it right now for ten or twenty seconds: Close your eyes and really look into the darkness inside your eyelids and notice…it's not really complete darkness in there, is it? There's a kind of life unfolding inside of your eyelids—undulating waves of slightly effervescent energy—vibrations and pulsations, arising and receding. I know it all can be explained in a neurological way, but still, there is a lot going on in there—a lot of very mysterious stuff. Just stay there for a minute and take it in. Then, when you open your eyes and look around, see how the light energy floods in from everywhere, bouncing off of everything. There's that vivid, radiating life-energy penetrating every iota, every instant of our being—just as there always has been, and just as there always will be! That experience never changes. We have always—and will always—live in this miraculous, illuminative now. Those inward vibrations are the introductory inklings of the great beyond alive within us all. Those curious vibrating fields of energetic effervescence are a lot like the atmosphere alive in "Heaven"…and that is something I can tell you a little about.

In my new book, How to Get to Heaven (Without Really Dying): Wisdom From a Near Death Survivor, I take the opportunity to explore each of my NDEs, and to pass along to you all of the attitudes, atmospheres, sensations, and possibilities that define my experiences of the "heavenly" realm I visited, as well as the "normal" life experiences I've had of it ever since. You see, as a result of my accidental excursions into a couple completely different afterworlds, I've come back with this one big message: Heaven isn't a single, predictable place that you'll go to someday. Instead, it's a kind of custom-made, eternal state-of-being that can be reached and experienced everyday, through all of Life. You can get there from here, and in easier, more empowering ways than by having to experience any kind of physical death (so let's just hold off on that, for now). I'd be remiss without a respectful nod to the skeptics, because it goes without saying that I didn't actually die—or I wouldn't be here to talk about it. Obviously, no NDE survivor has actually died and stayed that way—a simple truth that justifies all the skepticism and conjecture surrounding the subject. But it's also pretty fascinating how NDEs are a growing worldwide phenomenon that transcend ages, races, and cultures, and describe an apparent continuation of our consciousness beyond (and I'd suggest within) this world to which we open our eyes every morning.

Despite any similarities about which you've heard, NDEs come in many different forms and motifs, and describe a kind of "custom-made afterlife," a kind of Heaven—or Hell—that all survivors report on. As you might expect, the bottom line for me (and almost all NDE survivors) is that I know life doesn't end here. It continues in an extra-dimensional fashion, but exactly how I'm not sure. Having had the three of them myself, I don't believe that NDEs are a visit to any definitive "next world" that many may wish for. I believe these experiences aren't so much a reliable description of what will come next after this life, but simply more evidence about how richly complex a thing that all of Life really is.

Even though each of my experiences was very different from the others, they all described my life; and though their main features were different, there was always that energetic, effervescent life alive in this miraculous now that didn't change from trip to trip to trip—in fact, that's what may have been the most important part of them all: The powerful sense of a total loving connection to everything. It's the common prerequisite for any "Heaven" we'll ever find.

Having the three trips under my belt, and having learned about many, many more in my travels, one unavoidable characteristic that all these experiences share in common is how perfectly their specifics fit each survivor's life. They almost always involve other critical spirits, places, and events that speak directly to each of us. We know how many NDE events adhere to a set of common motifs—as in my three experiences, I had an "out-of-body" perspective on my own death, a reassessment or "life review," and a forced "return back" into this life (against my will). Along with other scenarios commonly spoken of, such as "the light at the end of the tunnel," visiting an "Elysian" field and meeting up with your dearly departed, experiencing a view of the Earth from deep outer space, and others. Yet, even these similar passages are uniquely suited to us (in fact, they're even specific to the religion and culture of the experiencer).

My NDEs seemed to be just what I needed at the time of each of my "deaths." They were as simple or as elaborate as they needed to be to move me closer into alignment with a greater reality—into a place in my life where I could experience those attitudes, atmospheres, and potential, that state-of-being that I associate with Heaven. That was the powerfully unavoidable sensation that each experience had in common: the enveloping aspect of this miraculous now that each event gave me. In each experience, I was enfolded within a penetrating field of intelligence—an experience of the continuing connection and expansion into what I call the field of "Divine Consciousness."

I lost track of everything material—I don't even remember having a body, or knowing exactly where I was, but the truth that I've brought back with more empowering urgency than any other detail of "the afterlife" is that I never stopped experiencing an all-encompassing Consciousness (which you’ll notice I now capitalize, indicating it as a force of Divinity). Like many NDE survivors, I realized a complete merging into a greater field of intuitive, omniscient intelligence, accompanied by an indescribable non-physical sensation of loving wholeness and belonging-to. It's this continuation into a greater, unified "mind," and expansion into a magical, spiritual dimension—full of every possibility that you can possibly imagine—that now informs my understanding of every life I'll ever live.

It's an experience that I've discovered can (nearly…) be experienced in this crazy human form, and that can be fostered in my everyday-to-day life in this crazy human world. It's an experience of Life that in a variety of very interesting ways, I'd like to share with you.

God bless those overly scientific, "materialist" skeptics, many of whom base their doubts in current explorations of neuroscience. I believe that they're absolutely right in their assertion that NDEs are abstract perceptual phenomenon resulting from the brain not being completely dead. After all, this is a pretty abstract Universe (floating around out here in outer space is already miraculous enough, isn't it?). Like me, I don't think any NDE survivor would ever insist that their brain had completely died—we'd simply acknowledge that we went on "thinking" and "seeing" in what we remember as the afterlife. I think it's simply because (despite even the physiological "death" of our human brains) our mind does not die; instead, it's incorporated into a greater mind. We're folded into an expansive, organizing, Consciousness-based intelligence—a kind of loving matrix of limitless potential experience.

And here's the really good news: That very same experience is definitely available here and now—it's just more of a challenge because we're in these doggone bodies all the time. We don't have to escape them per se, but we do have to elude their materialistic tendencies, so there are what I call "rungs on the ladder to Heaven" that we can make use of—principles to live by that allow us to actually witness Heaven-on-Earth. There's meditation and mindfulness, and teachings from amazing ancient texts that are direct doorways to the kind of Paradise that we may only imagine as being "extra-dimensional." And there are perceptions and practices that can actually help us to restore whatever parts of that Garden we may feel we've lost, or even to create an entirely new one!

But it is true, in couple ways, that you'll have to let go of this world, to let go of "who you're supposed to be," if you want to explore those extra-dimensions. If you want to find out exactly how you can get to Heaven…without really dying, that is.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018. All rights reserved.

I have been having strange experiences in my apartment. In fact, I've had some ghost hunters and two pastors out to visit me. It all began when I attended the funeral of my husband's friend who committed suicide. Since then, I've been hearing things like Talk! Can you hear me? Hey! and a lot of other things. I hear this audibly. I'm wondering if I have some sort of gift because I can sense spirits; I seem to be clairaudient because I can clearly hear them talking to me. They also send images into my head. I'm not mentally ill. I don't feel afraid of these spirits but I'm not sure what to do about all of this.

Tara

Susyn:

It appears your friendís husband has awakened an important gift within you. Because he sensed your ability to hear and sense spirits, he has chosen you as his medium to connect with people on the physical plane. Now that he knows he can actually get through to you, you will become quite popular in the spirit world as other souls attempt to communicate through you as well.

These spirits mean you no harm; they are simply excited to be able to communicate. It's as if they have discovered a telephone they can use to call the other side. As the operator connecting these calls, your challenge will be to set good boundaries with these spirits and ask them to be more direct.

When I first began to channel, I experienced similar confusion. I was forever wondering who was talking to me, who were they trying to reach, and how I could help. You must ask these spirits to be direct.

It would also be helpful to ask them to find a way to connect with you one at a time. I have a client who has many loved ones and spirit guides on the other side. Each time we do a reading, they all gather and begin trying to talk at once. I often have to stop and direct them to take a number. Then I ask them to identify themselves and present their messages one at a time.

When you start to hear these voices, ask them to identify themselves, and then ask them how you can help. Let's take for example your friendís husband talking with you. It's likely that he is trying to get a message to someone. You may wonder why he doesnít talk directly to them, but we must keep in mind that anyone who is grieving will have a very difficult time hearing him and trusting that he is actually speaking to them. In my first channeling experience, the spirit who came to me was the partner of one of my best friends; he figured the best way to let my friend know he was fine was through me.

As you develop this gift and create boundaries around when you are open to using it, you'll become more comfortable with channeling. I've found that one of the best ways to encourage and direct these clairaudient sessions is via the use of Tarot, for Tarot cards can open up a connection to other realms, confirm the messages we receive, and identify their sources.

You may want to perform a reading with the person who was closest to this man if they are open to it. Call him in and see what messages you get. This will affirm your gift and build trust in your perceptions, and may even encourage a new career. Once others discover you have this gift (just as the spirits have), they will seek you out in hopes of connecting with their loved ones.

*****

If I am understanding you correctly, you have always had the ability to sense spirits, and it is this auditory phenomena that is new.

What you're describing here actually happens quite often. When someone who is psychically sensitive or a natural medium encounters an earthbound spirit, and that spirit both senses that this person can perceive them and may be able to help them in some way, the spirit will start to make a great effort to get that natural medium's attention.

Spirit once explained to me that mediums have a special light or glow around them when viewed from the other side, and because of this, they become like beacons for lost spirits. This man had to be very lost in darkness to take his own life. Unfortunately, that darkness doesn't disappear when we leave this world; we carry the state of our minds, hearts and souls over.

For this reason, this man is probably earthbound and doesn't know what to do next. When you attended his funeral, he no doubt noticed that special glow around you and sensed that you may be able to perceive him. I'm sure he can also sense that you are aware of all his efforts, and thus he is continuing to do whatever he can to get you to respond to him.

It may be that he wants you to communicate something to someone living who can't perceive him as you can. It may also be that he simply doesn't know what to do or where to go next.

It is amazing to me how many people experience clairaudient phenomena like you describe yet never think to engage whoever is speaking to them in an actual conversation. So far, you've been a passive receiver of his attempts to communicate with you; now it's time to start talking back and asking him questions so you can figure out what he wants.

Usually people who commit suicide immediately realize that they've made a terrible mistake. Because they are so heavy with remorse and because their loved ones are in so much pain, these spirits tend to linger close to those who are grieving for them. Most of the time, these spirits want more than anything to apologize for committing suicide and let their loved ones know that they are in no way responsible for this. Only after these messages have been delivered and their loved ones are on their way to healing from this tragedy do these spirits feel free to move on.

Other spirits are simply fumbling around in the dark when they are drawn to the light of spiritual people who may be able to help them. If this is the case, you might study up on how to help spirits cross over. Also, pray for this man daily by visualizing him turning toward the light and divine helpers guiding him onward.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.