Light at the End of the Tunnel: Stories of Near-Death Experiences

From a video released in the UK called ''Visions of Hope,'' documenting authentic testimonies of people who approached death and then returned to life. These are people who were ''there.'' The tape records accounts of people who experienced a near-death condition, where the heart stopped beating, but the brain remained functional. Joel Fried, a retired captain, shares:

 ''Above me was the brightest light I had ever seen. Then a being appeared, signaling me without words to look down. There I saw a sphere, about the size of a tennis ball, slowly spinning in space. I knew I would have to go back to this place. As I moved toward it, it became larger and larger. I didn't want to return, I wanted to stay in the space I was in and move further on. Now I realize it was Earth.

I saw it in all its colors. This was long before space photography existed.'' Fried's story began when a doctor was summoned to his home and pronounced him dead. He continues: ''My father told me they were about to take me to the hospital for an autopsy, but my mother, being a religious Jewish woman, did not allow it until Shabbat ended. Early Sunday morning, I 'woke up' and started making noises that seriously frightened the person standing by my body.'' Fried sums up his experience: ''I've learned to love this earth, but I know it's not the final stop.'' His testimony, as a serious and reliable person, is just one of dozens on the tape.

Another witness, Trudy Lays, sums up her experience: ''Now I know beyond any doubt, I am not this body.'' Another witness named Susie Holda recounts: ''I was rushed to the hospital in my fifth month of pregnancy for an abortion. The pregnancy wasn't progressing well because I was very sick. The doctors were anxious and decided on an emergency cesarean, but I was unconcerned. I think at that point I had already decided in my heart to leave... Then I remember losing consciousness.

The next thing I remember is looking down at my body with people leaning over it. Then I saw a circle emitting white light, with a blue light within, and found myself being drawn into the blue light. Absolute peace, calm, and beauty surrounded me. It felt like floating. I was absorbed deep into a tunnel, at the end of which was light, and within it, I heard a voice speaking to me: 'Do you really think you did what you were supposed to do? Are you going to leave your three-year-old son Simon alone?' This voice repeated itself softly over and over. I thought to myself:

'If people really knew what death means, they wouldn't be afraid, because no matter what happens to your body, you are not in it. You are a free consciousness filled with light.' I realized it was a moment of choice. I could continue into the light, but found myself being drawn back. There was this noise, and suddenly I found myself inside my body, surrounded by IVs and great commotion.''

Scientist Shirley Pearsall, who participated in a conference of scientists in the UK at St. David's University, centered around the question: ''Is the phenomenon of near-death experience a subject justifying serious and advanced research,'' explains that for many, this experience was an absolute surprise. According to her, the ''near-death'' phenomenon is something real that needs to be thoroughly investigated. She dismisses the possibility that these are wishful thoughts or visions, as these do not bring about significant life changes.

Findings show that those who have experienced clinical death undergo a fundamental change in their approach to life. Psychiatrist Dr. Joyce Storm Fakin supports her words and adds: ''Visions and imaginations can only temporarily change a person's life path, but when the imagination ceases, the person returns to what they were. The evidence shows that those who experience the phenomenon never return to being the person they were.'' Noted American psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who has been seriously researching the topic for over twenty years, says: ''I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that life continues after physical death.

By nature, I am very skeptical, and therefore, I diligently examined every aspect of this experience. I discovered, for instance, that people from whom limbs were amputated reported that when they left their body as souls, they were once again whole. Furthermore, blind people who hadn't seen light for years told me they saw. Blind from birth described, with incredible accuracy, what the people in the room with their body were wearing, what jewelry they wore, and what they did. This is impossible! How could they know this?''

She sees no need to convince others of the phenomenon's truth. As she says: ''Those who are open to hear - will hear, and those who are not - will be surprised!'' To date, around 30 million witnesses worldwide who have experienced near-death experiences have been studied. The common descriptions among them include: floating above and around the physical body, with clear knowledge of everything happening around them. Most describe being in a bright and beautiful environment and passing towards a bright light through a dark tunnel. Many witnesses report a voice speaking to them. Also, many said they felt so good, they didn't want to return to earthly life.

Disabled individuals spoke of a sense of release from shackles, and almost all noted the disappearance of human fear. Researchers of the phenomenon point first and foremost to the fact that identical elements could not repeatedly appear in the testimonies of millions unless all experienced something real. A fascinating and captivating book for young and older readers alike, called ''Life,'' released in Germany, claims that modern people indeed ask themselves questions such as:
''Where did I come from'' and ''Where am I going,'' but since their outlook on life is purely materialistic, they tend to avoid the topic of death and even develop fears and anxieties about it. The book ''Life'' further states that earthly life is only part of true life - a stopover in the soul's journey. It's a period of learning for the soul. Earth is a school. The soul enters the physical body at birth and is attached to it until death, which is simply like removing clothing from the body. Occasionally, the soul exits the body, particularly during deep sleep and unconsciousness. However, unlike death, in these states, it remains connected to the body by a thin energetic cord. The soul resembles our physical body and is made up of trillions of tiny energy particles.

It supplies the body with life energy, thus enabling its existence. Life energy emerges from seven energy centers located in the body. A deficiency in energy at a particular center causes disturbances in the energy uptake of the organs adjacent to it. If the deficiency persists for a long time, a disease may appear. Nowadays, using a method developed by Dr. Paul, the energy level in different body organs can be measured. Johaa Schnell, a therapist from Germany, tells how she witnessed, over twenty years, many death processes,

and was always able to discern the energetic replica of the human structure taking shape above the physical body in which life already ceased. Psychiatrist-researcher Kubler-Ross herself experienced a clinical death: ''There is a big difference between researching testimonies of others and personal experience. My case was more beautiful than all those 20,000 cases I researched. After being once inside this light and experiencing calm and love, it changes your entire values and the quality of your life. Even if they hang you by your fingertips, you'll nonetheless know that death isn't real.''