Apologies that this isn't exactly on topic of the article. But there are no other comments so far, so perhaps something is better than nothing? And I don't see where else to share this.
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As you know, the leading theories for explaining NDEs so far seem to be: 1) the spiritual realm is real, and 2) NDEs are brain hallucinations. Here's another theory.
PREMISES: The Milky Way galaxy is about 10 billion years older than Earth, and is estimated to contain 100 billion or more stars. Point being, our galaxy contains vast potential for generating life, and any other intelligent life in the galaxy could have been evolving a BILLION YEARS or more longer than humans. If such advanced life forms exist, they wouldn't be supernatural, but they would likely appear supernatural to us.
FACTS: The possible existence of such "aliens" is often discussed, but has never come close to being proven. However, what has been proven is that there are highly advanced craft of unknown origin routinely navigating our atmosphere.
SPECULATION: The UFO theory. What if near death experiences are being generated and shared by a highly advanced alien species concerned with our welfare?
I came to this theory by reflecting on the theological claims that arise out of near death experiences. They feel to me like they are our own theologies being mirrored back to us, with the best possible spin. The darkness contained in some of our theologies is gone, as are most details, with only an uplifting bottom line preserved. It just feels like the kind of simple happy story a compassionate parent would tell a dying child.
I realize that this isn't the spiritual realm story that most people want, and that any mention of UFOs will sound like wacko land to many readers. But please consider...
1) There's nothing about the above theory which rules out a God and spiritual realm.
2) The spiritual realm explanation for NDEs is actually far more speculative than a UFO theory, as the spiritual realm explanations makes the most sweeping possible claims about the ultimate nature of everything everywhere, with no hard evidence. UFOs have been tracked on radar. The same can not be said for spiritual beings.
My real argument is that perhaps we should be wary of getting locked in to any particular explanation for NDEs, given the current state of our ignorance.
As example, we shouldn't get locked in to the "brain hallucination" theory just because the science community is putting their cultural authority behind that explanation. In the same way, we might be wary of getting locked in to spiritual realm theory just because that's an explanation that many other people want.
Whatever the truth of NDEs might be, it could just be something far stranger than any theory yet offered.
Many NDErs tell of being incarnated on other planets or in other galaxies ect. In 2012 I found a theory that answers most all of my decades of questions and it's Tom Campbell's 'My Big TOE-Theory of Everything'. He is a NASA astrophysicist who helped set up the Monroe Institute lab. He says we live in a virtual reality. We are an avatar in a simulation. I love the Ram Dass quote "It's ALL God in drag!"! I think our tiny human brains would explode if we knew the actual goings on behind the curtain!
Apologies that this isn't exactly on topic of the article. But there are no other comments so far, so perhaps something is better than nothing? And I don't see where else to share this.
=======
As you know, the leading theories for explaining NDEs so far seem to be: 1) the spiritual realm is real, and 2) NDEs are brain hallucinations. Here's another theory.
PREMISES: The Milky Way galaxy is about 10 billion years older than Earth, and is estimated to contain 100 billion or more stars. Point being, our galaxy contains vast potential for generating life, and any other intelligent life in the galaxy could have been evolving a BILLION YEARS or more longer than humans. If such advanced life forms exist, they wouldn't be supernatural, but they would likely appear supernatural to us.
FACTS: The possible existence of such "aliens" is often discussed, but has never come close to being proven. However, what has been proven is that there are highly advanced craft of unknown origin routinely navigating our atmosphere.
SPECULATION: The UFO theory. What if near death experiences are being generated and shared by a highly advanced alien species concerned with our welfare?
I came to this theory by reflecting on the theological claims that arise out of near death experiences. They feel to me like they are our own theologies being mirrored back to us, with the best possible spin. The darkness contained in some of our theologies is gone, as are most details, with only an uplifting bottom line preserved. It just feels like the kind of simple happy story a compassionate parent would tell a dying child.
I realize that this isn't the spiritual realm story that most people want, and that any mention of UFOs will sound like wacko land to many readers. But please consider...
1) There's nothing about the above theory which rules out a God and spiritual realm.
2) The spiritual realm explanation for NDEs is actually far more speculative than a UFO theory, as the spiritual realm explanations makes the most sweeping possible claims about the ultimate nature of everything everywhere, with no hard evidence. UFOs have been tracked on radar. The same can not be said for spiritual beings.
My real argument is that perhaps we should be wary of getting locked in to any particular explanation for NDEs, given the current state of our ignorance.
As example, we shouldn't get locked in to the "brain hallucination" theory just because the science community is putting their cultural authority behind that explanation. In the same way, we might be wary of getting locked in to spiritual realm theory just because that's an explanation that many other people want.
Whatever the truth of NDEs might be, it could just be something far stranger than any theory yet offered.
Many NDErs tell of being incarnated on other planets or in other galaxies ect. In 2012 I found a theory that answers most all of my decades of questions and it's Tom Campbell's 'My Big TOE-Theory of Everything'. He is a NASA astrophysicist who helped set up the Monroe Institute lab. He says we live in a virtual reality. We are an avatar in a simulation. I love the Ram Dass quote "It's ALL God in drag!"! I think our tiny human brains would explode if we knew the actual goings on behind the curtain!