Friday, May 12, 2023

Near Death Experiences (Part Two)

If Christianity is true, then some reported, diverse kinds of near-death experiences are false, either hallucinations originating from the mind (or from the brain despite being experienced by the conscious mind) or deceptive perceptions projected by something external to the mind and body.  Others are perfectly consistent with the Bible's highly nuanced details of an afterlife even if many people who believe the Bible to be consistent with them do not really understand the Bible.  For example, while these comments come from stories or reflections, unlike clear statements from prophets (Ezekiel 18:4), Jesus (Matthew 10:28, John 3:16), or apostles (Romans 6:23, 2 Peter 2:6) that at least almost every fallen being ceases to exist in hell (Revelation 14:9-11 and 20:10 might describe exceptions), Job (Job 3:1-19), the author of Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 9:5-10), and Jesus (Mark 5:35-40) all describe the dead as being asleep and devoid of experience.

That the moment of death and the moment of bodily resurrection to face God would seem back to back to a nonexistent or dreamlessly sleeping consciousness would mean that a person still could "immediately" perceive an afterlife without the Bible's seeming affirmation of soul sleep before the resurrection being false.  Moreover, people could have legitimate glimpses of an afterlife in their near-death experiences and simply forget or misunderstand certain aspects of them that would make them all consistent with the Biblical afterlife and the lack of one between the first death and the resurrection of the dead (Daniel 12:2).  Many people are not rationalists, and thus they would be prone to make assumptions even if they really experienced an afterlife and were returned to bodily life to speak of what they perceived.  A great number of people would avoidably allow emotionalism or something else besides logical proof determine what they believe happened unless they become strict rationalists.

Still, a supposed experience of the/an afterlife could motivate people to turn from selfishness and violence, recant of greed and materialism, and maybe for the first time live out an interest in morality, spirituality, and theology.  To have either a peaceful or agonizing experience, whether it is only within one's mind or it is one's mind in an actual afterlife, could be incredibly penetrating no matter how much or little it would overlap with the true Biblical doctrines of eternal bliss for the saved, annihilation potentially preceded by torment, and probable sleep in the interim.  All the same, the Bible does not teach a dull heaven or eternal conscious torment for all of hell's inhabitants, and anything that would not contradict what it does say could be simultaneously true.

Perhaps Yahweh and Christ will give at least certain people an additional chance after the first death to escape the second death.  Nothing about the Biblical doctrines of biological death, resurrection to judgment, and the process of dying in hell as the wicked, unsaved soul ceases to exist logically contradicts the offer of another opportunity to choose redemption, to repent and commit to God and Christ.  The Bible does not have to mention this for it to be true, and it would be something that any genuinely merciful person would actively hope for if they have thought about this possibility.  It could be the case that Christianity is true, as legions of various evidences strongly suggest, and that at a minimum some peaceful near-death experiences of non-Christians are true because God has offered them a "second" chance in his deep mercy.

The specific metaphysical relationship of many near-death experiences to Christian philosophy aside, as unverifiable as hearsay of any kind is (spiritual or scientific), near-death experiences have a great relevance to the condition of living without knowing wit absolute certainty what exactly the afterlife will be like or if there is one at all.  It is significant that whether or not there is a bodily resurrection accompanying it and whether or not it is the same for everyone, if even a single near-death experience is more than a dream or hallucination as the body dies, then there is consciousness after biological death, and anyone who loves truth or even self-interest would almost inevitably be desperately devoted to knowing what possibilities and evidences can be known regarding it--as well as choosing the worldview and lifestyle that would result in a moralistic, blissful afterlife.

No comments:

Post a Comment