Are You Afraid of Dying? Do You Need Comfort After the Loss of a Loved One? Find insight and peace about the mysterious process of transitioning to the Other Side.
Light on the Water is an Near-death experience support and interest group for people who've had related experiences, researchers, caregivers, seekers, media and more.
Since Samhain or Halloween is coming soon, I thought it would be nice to offer something for those who have loved ones on the other side. The veil between the physical and non-physical worlds is thought to be very thin this time of year and many of us allow the spirit of our deceased loved ones to join us for the evening. It’s like a family reunion of departed souls.
Think of some way you can honor your deceased loved ones this week. Maybe light a candle and send them love and light, or create a list of things you love about the person, or set a plate at the table one night at dinner to show that you have not forgotten them.
There are times when a person has an out-of-body or near-death experience and doesn’t talk about it until later. October 21, 1976 was a beautiful fall day as my friend, my brother and I rode home from school together. We were hungry and after browsing the pantry for snacks, my brother decided to cook French fries while Kathy and I played duets on the piano.
We settled down to munch out and were engrossed in the TV when we smelled smoke. I ran to the kitchen and noticed the electric eye of the range was still on high and the pan was smoking badly. I turned off the burner and without thinking I picked up the heavy pan to remove it from the heat. As I did, the grease ignited and flames whooshed up the cabinets and flashed toward me, singeing my hair and face. I panicked and lost all common sense. I foolishly picked up the skillet of flaming grease and started walking slowly across the kitchen toward the back door. My hand literally caught on fire, so I set the pan down to extinguish my skin. The table cloth caught fire so I picked up the skillet again and threw it through the screen door. As the pan left my hands, grease and flames scattered everywhere and I fell into a slippery puddle of what I thought would be my death. The tablecloth was on fire, Kathy’s coat hanging on the back of the dining chair was engulfed in flames and I lay on the floor kicking helplessly trying to stand or crawl out of the circle of death.
I saw my life flash before me and even read my obituary in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. My spirit was outside my body, even though I was aware of what was happening to me. It was like being in two places at once. Although I knew I had been burned, I felt no pain. Not knowing whether I would live, I was totally unafraid of dying. I was in total peace when Kathy pulled me out of the flames. As my spirit came back into my body, the pain hit me with a horrible jolt. I knew I was seriously burned. My brother was unable to reach our mother at work so he ran across the street to get a neighbor. The neighbor called the fire department, and rushed me to the emergency room in her car. The pain was so excruciating that I begged God to let me go back to that etheric state where I did not feel my body. All I could do was groan and suffer as the pain of third degree burns overwhelmed me.
Some fundamental Christians believe that an “unsaved” soul will go to hell when the body dies. Since a person’s consciousness and karma remains after death, hell could be considered the state of mind we create for ourselves while on earth. African Shaman, Tommy Mueller says that karma can be worked out in the Afterlife. I suppose that is why some people are concerned about a judgment of souls after death.
In every NDE I’ve researched where the individual experienced any type of judgment, it was the higher consciousness of that person judging themselves. It was more of a life review to reveal areas that needed improvement. To me, this would be a helpful evaluation, not something to be dreaded or feared. In fact, it is somewhat common for us to assess our decisions and actions to determine whether they are helpful or harmful to our soul’s development. For some people this is a daily exercise. For others, it is practiced at least once a year when they make New Year’s resolutions.
We come to this planet with amnesia about our soul’s identity and live behind a veil in order to function as a human being. The brain does not consciously remember where the soul came from, but it seems as though a part of the soul remains on the other side and is able to subconsciously participate in both worlds simultaneously; whether through dreams, meditation, hypnosis, inner guidance, or psychic abilities.
There are accounts where the veil has been momentarily lifted or pierced and one has clear vision of the Other Side. People, who have clinically died and returned to their body, give remarkable accounts about life after death. The stories that many of them tell about the hereafter are consistent with one another and may include:
• Someone to welcome the soul • A guide to lead the way • A review of the life the soul has lived • A visit to a library or hall of records • Periods of study or recreation • A reporting to a council of wise elders • An overwhelming sense of love and acceptance • Other realms of the universe • Heavenly gardens • Sparkling cities • Hellish surroundings
Suppose you are alone and sense the presence of someone else in the room. Could it be a deceased loved one?
Yvonne Perry has revealed the grave truth about death, dying and Afterlife in her new book, More Than Meets the Eye. She has collected true stories from people across the country who have either died and come back to tell about it, or who have communicated with loved ones on the Other Side. These stories reveal why we should not be afraid of dying and how to actually look forward to the Afterlife. Perry addresses the known and the unknown fears about death and offers insight to help a soul prepare for transition.
Perry has had a few “close calls” of her own. She shares her near-death experiences and tells about her frequent communication with deceased loved ones, angels and spirit guides. “Crossing over and communicating with the spirit realm doesn’t have to be frightening,” says Perry.
Interviews with experts such as multiple near-death experiencer Rev. Juliet Nightingale, African Shaman Tommy Mueller, and Aaron Milstone, M.D. at Vanderbilt University, lend credibility and intrigue to this non-religious but very sound presentation for proof of an Afterlife.
Perry has been intrigued by the mystery of crossing over since she was a small child when she questioned, "If Heaven is so wonderful, why are people so sad when someone dies and goes there?" The curiosity continues, not just for Perry, but for more and more people who are interested in books about death, spirit, and angels.
Perry, now 49, address topics that many people are not comfortable talking about—such as suicide, the near-death experience, end of life decisions, the experience of grief and other emotions regarding the passing of a loved one. Her chapter on euthanasia comes straight from her own experience with her beloved uncle who was kept alive on machines against his will for almost a year. In the chapter entitled, “Let Go of my Toe” she gives a heart-rending account of her uncle’s plight and his spirit visits to her in his final days. Imagine her surprise when a year after his death she encountered his spirit at a 7-11 store smoking a cigarette and drinking Coke!
Perry addresses the touchy subject of suicide head on and shares some alternative viewpoints. For those who enjoy the TV show, CSI, Perry offers surprisingly true but graphic information about postmortem procedures and choices about body disposal.
Regardless of religious background, the reader may find comfort in knowing that this life on Earth is not all there is—that there truly is more than meets the eye!
Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and public speaker, who has authored and published several books on spiritual and scientific topics. She is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics.
Carol Denbow will interview Yvonne Perry about her book More Than Meets the Eye, which covers many aspects of the dying and grieving process and sheds light on near-death experience, suicide, euthanasia, and spirit visits after the passing of a loved one.
Carol has experience with South Coast Hospice & Palliative Care in Coos Bay, Oregon. “Hospice care is one of the topics in my book,” says Perry, “and one I believe is a concern for many people who have aging loved ones they need to care for in their final days.”
The book covers many aspects of the dying and grieving process and sheds light on near-death experience, suicide, euthanasia, and spirit visits after the passing of a loved one. Carol has experience with South Coast Hospice & Palliative Care in Coos Bay, Oregon. “Hospice care is one of the topics in my book,” says Perry, “and one I believe is a concern for many people who have aging loved ones they need to care for in their final days.”
In 1988, my grandfather died. He began coming to me in my dreams and sharing his experience in the Afterlife. He even gave me helpful advice regarding a problem I was having with my daughter. I followed his advice and the problem was quickly solved. In 2000, my life fell apart and I began to challenge the belief system I had held. I began researching church history and other religions. I explored other spiritual paths to see what they had to say about spirits, angels and afterlife. Slowly, I learned to trust my inner guidance and as a result, I embraced a more compassionate approach to dealing with the deceased spirits who kept finding their way to me. Many were afraid and confused souls. Now I know they wanted help in finding the Light of God and crossing over to the Other Side.
After having a near-death experience (NDE), many people report that their fear of death is gone. That was certainly true for me after being so close to death during the fire. In fact, there have been numerous times since then when I have wanted to leave my body and go Home. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t react with panic if someone grabbed me in a dark parking lot and shoved a gun in my face. It means that when I think about dying, I have no worry about what is to come.
If we really believe that what exists on the other side is peace, joy, a reuniting with loved ones, and the absence of distress of any kind, we would not fear death. Near-death experiences give us insight on the Afterlife. Those who have visited the “Other Side” have amazing and comforting stories about what they experienced.
Many people are puzzled by "beyond and back experiences" and are afraid to talk about them, even with their closest friends or relatives. Anita Ketchum Cooper shares her story:
I was nineteen and living in a cheap walk-up apartment I had rented with my 18-year-old girlfriend. We thought the place was a mansion. The two of us had just graduated from Business School and landed a job.
I invited my 12-year-old sister to spend the weekend with us. We were sitting around the table laughing and acting as silly as teenagers and a twelve-year-old can, when I got very tickled and the fish I was chewing got sucked down my windpipe. I tried to stay calm. I got up and walked around trying to get my breath. When I couldn't, I panicked and began running frantically around the apartment in a wild and crazy last claw for life. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I was going to die...and ...I did!
I traveled very swiftly down a black tunnel and toward a small round dot of light. I was totally unafraid to go to that light. The round circle got larger and larger and larger and just as I began to enter, a figure came between me and the light. I knew him! I knew him! I perceived that he was Jesus. He turned me back toward my body on earth.
Meanwhile my roommate was trying to call an ambulance and my baby sister had tackled me. She got me into a sitting position on the floor pressing my midriff hard onto my knees, forcing the fish to dislodge. I could finally get a breath. When I became aware of what was going on in the room, my roommate was still thumbing through the phone book to call someone. I told her I could breathe and to not call anyone. That night I cried and cried and cried and couldn't tell anyone what I was feeling. I could not go to work for a few days because my lungs, my sinuses, my nostrils, my muscles and everything else hurt so badly from my struggle to breathe.
The awesome experience of seeing something I could not explain or understand was more overwhelming than the fact that I almost choked to death. I had never heard anyone speak of any of these things so I kept it locked away in my heart like a precious secret. Thirty years later my sister and I were discussing the incident and I left out the part about going down a tunnel to the light and seeing Jesus. Then I asked her, "How did you know what to do? The Heimlich maneuver was not even invented then and you did a rendition of that move."
She replied, "A voice told me what to do."
That’s when I told her the rest of my story. My sister became a nurse and I believe she was called to the occupation when, as a twelve-year-old, she saved my life. However, I floundered around until I finally found MY true calling—one that has taken me on a wonderful path to spirituality.
This is a compelling question that plagues everyone throughout ones life. Juliet Nightingale has been on multiple deathbeds and have actually died a few times—having flatlined and lost all vital signs—commonly known as a near-death experience (NDE). In her article, she shares what one goes through as one dies, and everything involved with the dying process, from an experiencer’s perspective.
This information differs widely from what one learned in medical or nursing school, because it comes from one who’s actually been there. It is about the reality of death, and will remove the air of mystery behind the dying process. Hopefully, this will also help change people’s perspective about the individual who is dying and what he or she is actually going through.
Many children who are too young to know the difference between earth reality and other dimensions also report having out-of-body and near-death experiences. Many well-meaning parents who are afraid of the paranormal may discourage or even punish their children for speaking of such things. Some children who have had an NDE end up with IQs that exceed 180! Medical science, which attempts to separate the physical body from its spiritual counterpart, tends to rationalize and invalidate these experiences. However, those who have had a near brush with death, come back with a better understanding or appreciation of life.
The consistent message of NDE accounts is that God loves us unconditionally. Many report life-changing and long-lasting effects from their encounter with this unconditional love—some seem to exude or embody this love. Some NDEs are not pleasant or comforting. Some are downright frightening and negative. However, each person’s brush with death is unique and includes what they were ready to see and hear. By coming back to us, they become great teachers who want to share what they have learned.
Researchers are finding that supernatural knowledge may be obtained through near-death experiences. Before his NDE in 1995 Mark Wray had little knowledge or background in physics or science; however, when he returned from the brink of death he possessed incredible knowledge about the law of octaves, plasma technology, the structure of harmonics, the table of elements, thermal technology, the string theory and other scientific/mathematical theories that are now being released and discussed by physicists and quantum mathematicians in scientific forums.
During his encounter he was taken on a guided tour to the sixth dimension—the outer edge or threshold of the veil of creation. There he was shown how the acceleration of the frequency of tones becomes viewable as a color of light on a quantum octave level. If the frequency continues to accelerate beyond the cosmic ray, there exists a vibratory rate that is known as human thought. Mark’s theory brings a new understanding of the New Testament book of Revelation. The book is not a prophecy of gloom and doom that many religions have made it out to be. The revelation has to do with quantum physics, the chakra system, the twelve steps in the chromatic scale and 144,000 tones or colors and the acceleration of consciousness in crystalline form.
During his NDE, Mark was given a choice. He could stay in the sixth dimension and continue his soul’s evolution or he could come back to earth and help others with the knowledge he had obtained. No matter what his choice, he would be loved unconditionally. There would be no condemnation or judgment if he decided to stay. Mark did NOT want to return to the body, but he felt that the greatest good of humanity could be served if he did. He made his choice and is still looking for ways to share, explain and incorporate the supernatural knowledge he gained. The first seven years back were hell for Mark and changed him forever. The way he understood relationships after the event completely changed his family dynamics. His wife no longer recognized him as the man she had married. Mark wanted to move forward spiritually, but his wife wanted him to be the same person he was before the experience. This incompatibility resulted in divorce. Mark says that humans make things unnecessarily complicated. He is learning to keep life simple by not resisting the experiences that come his way, but rather to just go with the flow. He reminds himself constantly that he must be patient and allow individuals to each find their own path back to Source.
In our modern age of medical technology many people, who would have died, have literally been brought back from the brink of death. Some have been revived even with no pulse or heartbeat. Some were pronounced dead for hours. In years past, people were discouraged from talking about such phenomenon and those who did were considered crazy or mentally ill. Some even ended up in institutions where they were given shock treatments. But, times are changing.
With the spiritual awakening that has occurred in our society in the past couple of decades, it seems to be more commonplace to talk about near-death experiences. The subject of NDEs has always been met with controversy, but they are not a new “trend” as some might suppose. Jackie Marten, a woman who is now 88 years old, shares an experience that occurred in 1952:
When my youngest son was six I had a spell that nearly killed me. The doctor told my family that if I lived until morning I might have a chance to make it. He said that there were only two cases in Georgia of this condition and the other woman did not survive. During the night I had what I thought was a dream. The angels lifted me from my body and took me out of the house and laid me down in a sandy spot in my front yard. Two white doves came and stayed with me all night. They were talking to me in a language I couldn’t understand. I could hear voices far away, and I saw a crowd of people wearing white robes who all looked the same. Without using words I asked the doves, “Where is my white robe?”
One dove told me that I couldn’t have mine yet. “You have to wait a while,” he said, “You need to go back and finish raising your children.” I was disappointed. I didn’t want to go back. I wanted to join the people with the white robes. I came back but I had no desire to be here and didn’t want to live. It took a while for me to adjust to being here again. I knew there was a better place waiting for me on the other side. An experience like that never leaves you, and I have never been afraid of dying since then.
As with Jackie, many people who have near death experiences say that they did not want to come back. Many spoke telepathically with heavenly guides and understood that their journey on earth was not finished—that they had work left to do for the growth of their own soul and for other people. So they came back willingly, though often reluctantly. During a close brush with death people report seeing angels, former pets and deceased loved ones. Many times near-death experiencers return with their lifelong beliefs and their outlook on life radically changed.
Want to talk with others about your spiritual experience? Have you been visited by the spirit of deceased loved ones? Do you have a hospice story? An unusual experience at a funeral or wake?
Click the link below that reads "post a comment" and type in your story. Or you may contact the author to share your experience. The author will add your story as an entry on this blog.
Coming Soon--an interview with hospice volunteer Carol Denbow and the author of More Than Meets the Eye Yvonne Perry. This will be posted on Friday, October 24, so be sure to bookmark this page and come back. Or you may sign up for the RSS feed to get an email notification whenever new material is posted to this blog.
Considering the subject of your book and the wonderful things you have included...giving many people hope and a new perspective on their own belief system....I'm seeing for you ...wearing the "White Collar" , so to speak. Yes, people are going to want to talk to you about things they haven't been able to discuss with anyone! — A.K.
Your book makes it clear that you know how to provide that comfort and to help people not be afraid for loved ones who have passed. —A.G.
Have started reading your book--loving it. Yours is the next step after Betty Jean Eadie's "Embraced by the Light." The world is ready for your book, now. —J. M.
Oh My God, THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS!!!!! I received your book yesterday and have not been able to put it down. I got to the part about suicide and "walk-ins". I have never heard about that before. However, something recently happened to me and I thought that I was going crazing or having a breakdown. Now I understand clearly what happened. Thanks for writing such a great book. I will post my 10 star review on Amazon today. —DT
I read your book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Your book will be a tremendous success and will be a transition handbook that everyone will want to own. I have always been fascinated with NDE's and as an avid reader can't get enough of it. — L.T.
I just finished reading MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE. My original intention was to read a few pages tonight. However, I couldn't stop. My father passed last June and I had a NDE several years ago. Thank you for writing your book and sharing. —GH
Finished reading your book yesterday! Enjoyed it very much – I feel that I’m beginning to understand a lot more now. Thanks so much! —M. P.
It was nice to talk with you at the meeting on Monday. I am fascinated with your book. —M. L. I just now finished listening to your program! …it was wonderful -- even made me cry! Of course, this stuff is so close to my heart and it means so much to me that more and more material is getting out there for people to see/hear. —J.N.
Thanks for sending More Than Meets the Eye. I received it yesterday and finished reading your work this morning. Interesting book. As one who had a NDE as a teenager and other spiritual happenings, later in life, many of the experiences you write about were similar to my own, which gives me great comfort knowing I am not alone in these experiences. —C.B.
When Terry Schiavo's story hit the news, many people were speaking out for both sides of euthanasia; both the pros and cons, passive and active. The phrase "persistent vegetative state" became a household term and many people were urged to consider the benefit of having a living will. For that reason, More Than Meets the Eye contains a legal copy of a Living Will, or you may download it from the link below. Don't let others decide for you; state your wishes now.
You may DOWNLOAD YOUR LIVING WILL HERE, and then print it and sign with two witnesses to legally secure your desires concerning life-sustaining treatment and end-of-life procedures.
You are not alone! Yvonne's compassionate views about euthanasia come from her first-hand experience when her uncle was kept alive by machines for almost a year while his doctors allowed his wife to cling to false hope about his ability to survive. His doctors knew he was dying, but would not take action to free him from his suffering. Her uncle's spirit came to her while he was in coma asking her to help his wife understand that he wanted to be released from his body despite what his living will stated. What a relief it was for her and her uncle when his body was unplugged from life support and his spirit was finally freed to soar.
Doctors are not typically trained in medical school to deal with the spiritual side of dying and therefore many of them do not have the ability to address end-of-life decisions with families. Many have no idea how to comfort or prepare a patient or his/her family when the soul is transitioning to the Afterlife. More Than Meets the Eye includes a commentary by Dr. Aaron Milstone, Director for the Lung Transplant Department of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, to bring comforting light to issues such as euthanasia, end of life decisions and other topics we don't normally talk openly about. Dr. Milstone's unique and intuitive method of helping families cope with the impending death of their loved one is shared in this book and will be of great assistance to any doctor or hospice care worker who deals with a high patient mortality rate.
Many families face similar situations, and this book can be a tremendous encouragement to them.
Psychic ability is an advanced state of spiritual awareness, and many people are acknowledging and developing their ability to tune in to higher vibratory realms and communicate with those on the other side. Channeling through mediums and psychics has become an acceptable method of gaining spiritual information. Additionally, thanks to modern medical equipment, those who have been pronounced clinically dead have been resurrected to tell us what they experienced on the Other Side.
More Than Meets the Eye records several of these near-death experiences including her own, but the account given by Rev. Juliet Nightingale tops them all. She has died and come back to the same body three times! Rev. Juliet Nightingale is the International Relations Coordinator for IANDS (International Association of Near-Death Studies) and former director to the Friends of IANDS Nashville - a discussion/support group for those who have had near-death, out-of-body or spiritually transforming experiences.
She has written the book’s foreword and says of Yvonne’s book:
Perry has done a splendid job in bringing forth vital and pertinent information covering all facets of death, dying and the Afterlife—a subject that must be faced squarely in order to release us from the illusions and fear that have plagued us throughout human history.
Coping with the death of a loved one is saddening enough, but the grief associated with death by suicide is often compounded by shock, guilt and confusion. The stigma associated with suicide may cause people to fear that their loved one may be punished in the afterlife, but this is not true. One reader reported that her son, who had committed suicide, came to her in a dream after she read More Than Meets the Eye. He was not being punished for ending his life; instead he was preparing to reincarnate in order to finish the mission he had aborted.
She expresses her gratitude:
You are so brave to have written this book, but I'm so glad you did. I cannot begin to express the healing power it gave me to go on after the suicide of my son. I've sent the book to my father who is still grieving for the son he lost almost three years ago. Cheers to you, Yvonne.
Earthly life presents many challenges that allow us to grow spiritually, but there are those who become so disillusioned with the process that they feel they no longer want to live. When someone feels suicidal, they have allowed the ego and negative aspects of life to cloud the true aspect of who they are. The ego can make us feel ugly, unworthy, unappreciated, unlovable, unkind and undeserving. By controlling the ego through the higher aspect of the mind, we are more able to face and conquer life's challenges. When we consistently remember that we a spirit being having a human experience, we can bring about desired changes in life's situations.
Suicide is never the best option for escaping the drama of painful or unpleasant situations one has experienced in life. Ending a life via suicide will not put an end to the emotional pain because emotions continue in the Afterlife. While the soul does NOT have to endure hardship in order to learn its lessons, these experiences are sometimes created by the soul to help it evolve. We can learn to evolve in more positive and gentler ways. If we "skip class" and depart prematurely by our own devises, we will still need to learn the intended lessons in another lifetime.
Understanding that you have the power to create your life as you want it, and taking steps toward making positive changes will allow you to enjoy life on earth and then go peacefully into the Afterlife once your mission here is complete.
Through this book, you will begin to see yourself as an empowered spirit being with a purpose on earth. The author hopes that the encouragement you find here will allow you to continue your journey while peacefully perfecting the virtues you came here to improve.
I read an article about scientist trying to prove whether or not near-death experience (NDE) and out-of-body (OBE) experiences are real. They are putting photos on the tops of light fixtures near the ceiling and then asking the patient what they saw while out of body. I just thought I would warn you in case you have a NDE or OBE so you will pay attention to the photos. Otherwise, science will not believe you! LOL!
My question is: what if someone doesn’t “go” that high to the ceiling or doesn’t pay any attention to the photos since their concern is on getting back into their body or moving toward the light. It doesn’t mean they didn’t have an NDE or OBE. This is definitely not going to prove anything.
Yes, spirit communication with someone who has passed is not only possible, it is very likely that you will have some type of visitation from your deceased loved one, especially in the first few months. Have you noticed a bird that seems to be trying to get your attention? Have you been hearing the deceased person's favorite song over and over? Are you having dreams about the person that seem "too" real to just be a dream?
If you have lost someone you love, you can be assured that they are near you and want to communicate with you, if you will allow it. Communicating with deceased loved ones is much easier and more common than you might think. This book will show you how to tune in and teach you what to watch for. More and more people are beginning to talk about their experiences and as a result, this book is enhanced with true stories about those who have communicated with the spirits of deceased loved ones. These visitors always have a message--many simply want their family to know that they are alive and doing well, and that it is okay to move on without them. Some souls report that they have missions to accomplish in the Afterlife.
Linda Woods, host of the Nashville radio series, Windows to Wellness (98.9 WRFN-LPFM) says that Perry’s book is:
A delightful exploration into the unknown by an author who openly shares her soul. If you have any doubts, fears or concerns about the dying process or the existence of an afterlife, this book is for you. A welcome blend of intrigue, courage and adventure, that will open your mind, calm your spirit and lighten your heart.
