Neurosurgeon Describes Heaven He Saw While in Coma

[skydiveaddict]

The wager proposes that there may or may not be a god, and that is the object of the bet. Heaven and hell are only introduced later to evaluate the gain/loss of either decision.

 

True. A poor choice of words on my part. But really the gain/loss is what matters. God= heaven; rejection of God= hell.

 

I don't understand this reasoning at all. You are knowingly basing your decision on faulty logic? *shrugs*

 

The logic is not faulty. It comes down to a wager of even odds. The prospect of hell is unacceptable to me. But I'm such a poor practitioner of Christianity I may very well end up there anyway.

[skydiveaddict]

Well, that's the one gain/loss criteria that Pascal considered. There are others.

 

Perhaps, but like I said, the heaven/hell paradigm is the only one I'm familiar with.

 

 

 

My point is that, at least from what I can gather, you're willingly only considering one god for the purposes of the cost/benefit analysis, even though you are fully aware that many others are claimed to exist. Why?

 

Because The Christian God is my only reference point. I am totally ignorant of the others.

 

Simply because your own experience is limited to that one god. Why not explore others? You will quickly find that Pascal's wager falls apart very quickly because it's all framed around a completely faulty premise: namely that there is only one god and one version of heaven/hell to consider.

 

Precisely. It's based purely on a Christian God/devil/heaven/hell possibility; and since that is all I know, (and all Pascal was willing to wager on) that is why I adhere to the wager.

 

The argument is contrived against reality to present a false dichotomy, and it breaks down the moment that you consider that accepting one god may simply anger another god and if you wagered all on the horse that didn't win, then the debt collecters come calling.

 

But it does not break down. Pascal, just like me and other Christian skeptics, are only concerned with the one true Christian god. The premise of the whole wager is based on that. Other so called gods never enter the equation.

[pie2]

Which tools did they use? If it was an fMRI, this only takes a surface view of the human brain.

 

I don't know, specifically, which tools were used. I think I once read that they used CT Scans, but this article only mentions "brain scans".

 

The article also mentions that, due to the meningitis, the sugars in his brain were so high that, based on scientific understanding, no thoughts, hallucinations, or dreams could have been feasible.

[BetheButterfly]

I don't know, specifically, which tools were used. I think I once read that they used CT Scans, but this article only mentions "brain scans".

 

The article also mentions that, due to the meningitis, the sugars in his brain were so high that, based on scientific understanding, no thoughts, hallucinations, or dreams could have been feasible.

 

The human brain is amazing.

 

I'm not sure what to think of Near Death Experiences. I've never had one, though I have felt rescued by an angel before. It was a really cool experience which has left me not as afraid about the fact that I will die someday.

 

I see death as a door that leads to another dimension of life, another stage in human development. I do enjoy hearing about NDE because it is interesting and because many of those who experience it lose much of their fear of death and become much more in tune with their purpose for living. Many also seem to become closer to their loved ones and grow to enjoy each second of life more, which is a great blessing!

 

Life is short, so we need to live it with as much Love and Joy as possible, and we need to fulfill our purpose. I personally believe that the purpose of every person is to bless and help other people, as well as to bless and take good care of the earth, the animals, and plant life.

 

Everybody has talents and strengths. Everybody can make a positive difference while living, if they so desire.

 

As a Christian, living for God and following Jesus' commands is very important to me. Because Jesus' commands are centered on loving God and loving others, I believe that this helps bless others and the earth, because when people love others, they don't want to hurt them. Instead, they want to help and bless them, no matter their nationality, ethnicity, social status, language, sexual lifestyle, and gender.

[pie2]

I'm not sure what to think of Near Death Experiences.

 

I am unsure, as well.

 

Much of the experiences people recount seem easily explainable. The white light due to a flood of chemicals in the "dying brain". The images people see due to the same process that creates dreams.

 

But I guess there are stories that definitely make me wonder:confused:! Especially when they come from little kids, who seem much less able to create such detailed fabrications . Or, for example, blind people 'seeing' things during a NDE .

 

There is a story about an ex-atheist turned pastor, Howard Storm, who had a NDE. I remember hearing about this story a while back. I guess he died and was attacked by demons until he cried out for Jesus to save him. Since his experience, he has dedicated his life to knowning God and spreading love.

 

...I have felt rescued by an angel before. It was a really cool experience which has left me not as afraid about the fact that I will die someday.

 

Wow! Care to elaborate? If it's private, no problem!!!

[FitChick]

Dannion Brinkley has had two or maybe three near death experiences over the years. The first time he was struck by lightning. He's written several best selling books about his experiences and how they totally changed him from a mean, shiftless drunk to a loving, caring man who visits dying veterans all over the country to comfort them and tell them not to fear going to the other side. If you have ever listened to Coast to Coast AM radio over the years, you will have heard him many times.

 

I can only assume the skeptics have never heard other stories about how these disembodied spirits could report back on the conversations in other parts of the hospital or not even in the building. How all the medical equipment said they were dead, how they were sent to the morgue, often for hours, in a body bag. How they described dead relatives they never knew about or that their own relatives never knew about until they did some research.

 

People can be so close minded but then they always have been throughout time as science made more and more discoveries once thought to be impossible.

[BetheButterfly]

I am unsure, as well.

 

Much of the experiences people recount seem easily explainable. The white light due to a flood of chemicals in the "dying brain". The images people see due to the same process that creates dreams.

 

But I guess there are stories that definitely make me wonder:confused:! Especially when they come from little kids, who seem much less able to create such detailed fabrications . Or, for example, blind people 'seeing' things during a NDE .

 

There is a story about an ex-atheist turned pastor, Howard Storm, who had a NDE. I remember hearing about this story a while back. I guess he died and was attacked by demons until he cried out for Jesus to save him. Since his experience, he has dedicated his life to knowning God and spreading love.

 

Testimonies about how NDE's have radically transformed people are amazing to me. Actually, how they have changed impacts me more than what they actually have seen in their experiences, because what they do/how they act differently shows that they have been impacted in a life-changing way.

 

Wow! Care to elaborate? If it's private, no problem!!!

I was a teen, swimming in a pool with friends and my sisters. One friend, who was a heavy girl, got on top of me while I was in the deepend. She is a sweet girl and didn't mean anything by it; she was just playing, just horsing around (which wasn't allowed).

 

I had been swimming underwater (was still underwater) and ran out of air. I was trying to pop up to breathe but she held me down. I started panicking, struggling to come up but I guess she assumed she was playing cowgirl lol. I don't really know what she was thinking. I then tried to swim deeper into the water but she had her legs around me and wouldn't let me go. I was NOT happy and was basically stuck - couldn't come to the surface to breathe and couldn't untangle myself from her legs in order to get away. I desperately needed air and was squirming but she didn't get it. Then, I felt something in the water... it was spirit - not human. I felt "it" lifting me, which was weird because I was still in the same place, but I was being lifted... it's a hard feeling to describe. I was at peace I didn't struggle anymore because I felt so happy and not at all scared. I don't know how long this was... It seemed that time had stopped.

 

Then, the girl got off of me (my youngest sister asked her where I was, and she said "under me" and my sister told her to get off of me and horseplaying wasn't allowed.) I rose to the surface, breathed, and was fine. Later on, I told my youngest sister, and she said that she got worried about me and felt something strange. (She was around 6 or 7 years old at that time.) I truly believe some kids are more in tune with the spirit world, and I think she realized an angel was in the water with us, that and she looked around and realized she hadn't seen me in a while. She knew I love swimming underwater, but she had never felt responsible for me before, not until that day. Normally, I was the one watching out for her, cause I'm her big sister.

[BetheButterfly]

Dannion Brinkley has had two or maybe three near death experiences over the years. The first time he was struck by lightning. He's written several best selling books about his experiences and how they totally changed him from a mean, shiftless drunk to a loving, caring man who visits dying veterans all over the country to comfort them and tell them not to fear going to the other side. If you have ever listened to Coast to Coast AM radio over the years, you will have heard him many times.

 

Wow. I'd like to learn more about him. I'm so glad he's a loving, caring man now!!!

 

 

I can only assume the skeptics have never heard other stories about how these disembodied spirits could report back on the conversations in other parts of the hospital or not even in the building. How all the medical equipment said they were dead, how they were sent to the morgue, often for hours, in a body bag. How they described dead relatives they never knew about or that their own relatives never knew about until they did some research.

 

There's much about life that science can't explain yet.

People can be so close minded but then they always have been throughout time as science made more and more discoveries once thought to be impossible.

 

Personally, I think all the discoveries scientists have made before are merely just scratching the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more to learn!!!

[pie2]

I was a teen, swimming in a pool with friends and my sisters...

 

Goodness! That must have been so scary, but I'm glad everything turned out alright.

 

Do you have a fear of the water now ? I hope not!

[TheFinalWord]

Testimonies about how NDE's have radically transformed people are amazing to me. Actually, how they have changed impacts me more than what they actually have seen in their experiences, because what they do/how they act differently shows that they have been impacted in a life-changing way.

 

I was a teen, swimming in a pool with friends and my sisters. One friend, who was a heavy girl, got on top of me while I was in the deepend. She is a sweet girl and didn't mean anything by it; she was just playing, just horsing around (which wasn't allowed).

 

I had been swimming underwater (was still underwater) and ran out of air. I was trying to pop up to breathe but she held me down. I started panicking, struggling to come up but I guess she assumed she was playing cowgirl lol. I don't really know what she was thinking. I then tried to swim deeper into the water but she had her legs around me and wouldn't let me go. I was NOT happy and was basically stuck - couldn't come to the surface to breathe and couldn't untangle myself from her legs in order to get away. I desperately needed air and was squirming but she didn't get it. Then, I felt something in the water... it was spirit - not human. I felt "it" lifting me, which was weird because I was still in the same place, but I was being lifted... it's a hard feeling to describe. I was at peace I didn't struggle anymore because I felt so happy and not at all scared. I don't know how long this was... It seemed that time had stopped.

 

Then, the girl got off of me (my youngest sister asked her where I was, and she said "under me" and my sister told her to get off of me and horseplaying wasn't allowed.) I rose to the surface, breathed, and was fine. Later on, I told my youngest sister, and she said that she got worried about me and felt something strange. (She was around 6 or 7 years old at that time.) I truly believe some kids are more in tune with the spirit world, and I think she realized an angel was in the water with us, that and she looked around and realized she hadn't seen me in a while. She knew I love swimming underwater, but she had never felt responsible for me before, not until that day. Normally, I was the one watching out for her, cause I'm her big sister.

 

Awesome story

 

I've had a few supernatural things happen to me. Maybe I'll share some sometime...one quick one...

 

At youth ministry group, we were hiking in the woods. Youth pastor took us to a groove to stop, reflect, and pray. There was about 20 of us standing in this clearing. We all stopped, and the youth pastor began to pray "Dear Lord, shower us with your blessings", literally as soon as he said that, thunder cracked and it poured rain on us for about 3 seconds. Then stopped immediately. I mean, it poured...we were still wet after the 2 hour hike! We all talked about it for days

[pie2]

... the youth pastor began to pray "Dear Lord, shower us with your blessings", literally as soon as he said that, thunder cracked and it poured rain on us for about 3 seconds. Then stopped immediately. I mean, it poured...we were still wet after the 2 hour hike! We all talked about it for days

 

How funny! :D:D And amazing!

[TheFinalWord]

How funny! :D:D And amazing!

 

God has a sense of humor

 

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

[BetheButterfly]

At youth ministry group, we were hiking in the woods. Youth pastor took us to a groove to stop, reflect, and pray. There was about 20 of us standing in this clearing. We all stopped, and the youth pastor began to pray "Dear Lord, shower us with your blessings", literally as soon as he said that, thunder cracked and it poured rain on us for about 3 seconds. Then stopped immediately. I mean, it poured...we were still wet after the 2 hour hike! We all talked about it for days

 

Lol that's so funny!!!

 

I would love to read about the other supernatural events you have experienced, as well as how God rescued you from drugs. (I don't remember if you shared that yet or not.)

[BetheButterfly]

Goodness! That must have been so scary, but I'm glad everything turned out alright.

 

Sorry, I forgot to reply.

 

It was at first. Yeah me too!

 

Do you have a fear of the water now ? I hope not!

 

Oh no! I don't have any fear at all of the water!!! I LOVE swimming!

 

I do get after kids at the pool if they are horsing around though. It makes me angry when I see that because I know it's dangerous.

 

I do have a fear of swallowing big gel pills though... I almost choked to death on a fish gel pill but thank God my husband is AWESOME and knows the Heimlich maneuver and saved my life. :love: I don't even try to swallow big gel pills anymore.

[pie2]

I don't have any fear at all of the water!!! I LOVE swimming!

 

Oh, good!! I LOVE swimming too! Seriously, I get sooo sad at near-drowning stories that turn people off of the water.

 

...thank God my husband is AWESOME and knows the Heimlich maneuver and saved my life. :love:

 

OMG!!! What a hero! Well, in any case, God certainly has mighty plans for you yet around here.

[BetheButterfly]

Oh, good!! I LOVE swimming too! Seriously, I get sooo sad at near-drowning stories that turn people off of the water.

 

Yeah me too. I know though that it wasn't the water's fault.

 

 

 

OMG!!! What a hero!

 

Yes my husband is my hero!!! :love: I am very grateful for him, and I love him so much!!!