Reading more of the article I see he renounced the story but it is interesting in that I saw a very similar story but told by someone far later in life. Yes my wife died 3-1/2 months ago and someone sent me a link and I have watched many since. As far as I am concerned I see no need of a god and were there one she/he would be incomprehensible so it doesn't matter. I much rather that everything is an illusion and I'd hope that there is a continuance in growth after death, preferably in different dimensions. Anyway everyone who has had this experience pretty well describe it as very pleasant.

@rogerbenham

I oft wonder of what one person I read had said, that is when the body is shutting down, the brain creates these scenes to calm us to take control and make the passing less frightening. If they get saved, they may or may not remember it. But some people who get saved see nothing.

Oddly it could be our brains are wired to believe, as some people who have had MRI's "see god". A researcher invented, "the god helmut" which was a motorcycle helmut with solenoids over certain areas. They then "play" a series of sinewave into them and essentially "Play" the brain. A small % see god, and smaller subset of "the sighted ones" get a feeling of something greater, and very peacefulness. Those people were atheists.

We are electrochemical bags of salt water, we can be influenced so everytime I get an MRI I look forward to it.

I wish I could find plans for the helmut and the electronics with parameters, as I would build one. Who knows maybe I see god, maybe I get brain cancer.

Life is short, and after age 24 or so gets shorter every day.

ciao

@praytothemilkjug Well that is certainly one interpretation. Most of the out of body and near death experiences I have heard recounted seem to involve dead people telling one to go back. Even if it is all a peaceful, warm, loving, accepting place I still find it a bit depressing. Even if one assumes the form one had when most beautiful (could be as one year olds for some) the idea of that for eternity is depressing. OK if it is just a transition stage but just being happy for the rest of time is pointless to me.

@rogerbenham I must concur to me it all seems depressing. Robert Heinlein wrote a great book, (many if you like Sci Fi) JOB Comedy of Justice. Made me think of how royally screwed up Heaven must be if it exists. But as I remember descriptions of it from "ligion class, you are profoundly rapt as you praise the lord.

Now why the most powerful entity that exists would need a bunch of humans to beatify him/her/it/they is beyond me.

If you have never read Stranger in a Strange Land and like SCI FI give it a whirl. Also the JOB book.

But perhaps you already "Grok" in fullness.

ciao

Yes I read Stranger in a Strange Land though it has been many years since I indulged in Science Fiction. My favourite author was A.C. Clarke. I always felt that Azimov wrote sociology.

I remember a book where hell was depicted as eternal pleasure with the Devil fucking everyone he fancied and thunder rolling when he did. The point was pleasure for eternity is hell.

Hell as today's Christians depict it was invented somewhere around 1200 AD.

@rogerbenham One of my favorite tag lines is
Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic...... AC Clark

Azimov wrote to make money and was a very smart fellow. I read an article on the future in Grampa's copy of the VFW magazine back in the very early 70's , (has in "the Big One, WWI" ). Then I read virtually the same piece by him but the diff was he slanted it so Liberals would like it. He truly wrote to the audience and what they wanted to hear. I felt that duplicitous so I stopped buying his books. They needed to be "Pre-Read" or as we used to say USED, or free at the Library.

His foundation series was sociology, pulp fiction type soup stock. Made from bones but little if any, meat. But they were very entertaining.

hey a number of things came to pass that were never in it.

Homosexuality? Well the torah says big fat no. But it was only around the year 900 that being homosexual was bad. The punishment for it was stupid to painful, but gays simply went onto Abbeys and became monks. They did good works, they prayed a lot and bothered no one.

Abortion, well they did just take a newborn in a swaddle and would leave it in the woods for "god" to look after. After all god was all loving and forgiving. There were also abortifants, if you knew the right herbalist, not near 100% but pretty good.

This took an abrupt end when the pope and the king of france teamed up. The pope said "this was evil and illegal as it robs the church of another soul to save" the king of France espoused abortion/babies in the woods was illegal, AS IT ROBS FRANCE OF FUTURE SOLDIERS.

As France and the rest were busy murdering raping and slaughtering, he made a point. But like Chichesku, (someone please correct my spelling), made abortion illegal, (in a communist state), but provided not a cent, not a grain of rice to feed/cloth/house the baby boom after the war(II). Starving children were everywhere I was taught. (so eat your liver)

Do read JOB by Heinlein if you can find it, it was great!

ciao

@praytothemilkjug I listened to the foundation series on an audio tape diving a very long way. I guess I read them in the sixties. The audio version was OK but I knew never again.
AC Clarke and Heinlein had this idea that the other was the best Sci Fi writer.
I now read serious novels. Reading Atwood presently.
Ceaușescu became a hated leader. Executed in 1989.
The early peoples here had I believe 5 different genders. One was not bad for being one of the three not recognised today.