Nancy Rynes had a particularly rich Near-Death Experience. She had many exchanges on the meaning of life – the present and the next – with the spiritual being who accompanied her throughout her NDE. Here are some extracts from his book Awakenings from the Light.
Love is the very structure of the universe.
I didn’t know it was possible to feel love as if it were a physical presence. And yet it was. My being vibrated with love to the core. Every molecule of me was bathed in love. I felt the energy of love circulate around me like a gentle current, flowing through me and finally grabbing me by the heart. I felt sustained by a kind of loving presence so powerful, yet so gentle, that I cried again.
When I was in this “pre-paradise”, what struck me deep down was how much love permeated everything. Love was everywhere. It formed the structure of everything around me. Who could believe that an energy of love could form the structure of things? And yet that’s what happened. I could feel its power radiating through everything: the landscape, the sky, the flowers, the clouds and even me.
I’ve never experienced such unconditional love and acceptance. I had the impression that this place had been built from love on a very large cosmic scale.
My guide explained that spiritual beings rejoice at the death of a human being: for them, the soul is finally coming home. On the other hand, they feel sad when they see us hating and hurting each other. Or when we feel separated from the Spirit and from each other, or convinced that we’re not worthy of happiness and joy.
Love is all that matters. Starting today.
The messages I have received also concern our life on Earth. Integrating them into our daily lives can help us bring depth, meaning, happiness and, above all, love, to every aspect of our existence.
The Spirit invites us to live and express love now. Let’s not wait for the death of our physical body to do it. These messages have been part of spiritual teachings for thousands of years.
Why write them again? My guide told me that many of us seem to have forgotten the basics. It’s easy to become absorbed in our daily lives and forget that deep down we are all truly spiritual and loving beings. Sometimes we learn best when we hear or see things in a new way. The Spirit “simply” wants us to live more lovingly and lightly.
We’re not on earth simply to learn, but to love.
We’re here on Earth to love everyone and everything that exists. Spiritual love is at the heart of both universes – Heaven and Earth. It’s the link between the two. That’s the nature of both.
When we love, we live fully. Spiritual love is not about loving only those who love you. You are invited to love everyone and everything that exists. Each person is an expression of divine love. This is true for everyone, whatever their skin color, religious affiliation, political opinions or financial situation.
Practicing love every day is a choice. It doesn’t depend on whether or not you feel emotion. You can choose to extend love, compassion and kindness to everyone in your life.
Loving extends to you too. Be kind to yourself. Love yourself as you are. Be grateful for who you are. Love both your light and dark sides.
You’re a spiritual being – start treating yourself like one.
I’ve learned that one of the main reasons we’re here on Earth is simple: to love. And that’s all there is to it. If that’s all you take away from this book, you’ve understood its main message. Yes, we’re here to be happy and to learn. But the heart of our raison d’être is love.
When we love ourselves, we love the spark that the Spirit has put in each of us.
I felt God’s love for me. I was loved simply because I was me. The Spirit loves us all equally. There is no one who is not included in this love. We are loved beyond what we can imagine.
You’re a miracle.
Each of us is a beautiful, glorious, Spirit-filled person. We’re here to enjoy life, experience and give love, and help each other.
You don’t have to run a country or be a billionaire to be “great”. Being “great” in the eyes of the Spirit means living with love, joy and compassion.
Admire your surroundings.
One very important thing you can do right now, and it won’t cost you a thing, is to try to look at the world around you with a new perspective. That’s what I did spontaneously when I came back to the world. Think of all nature as spiritual love taking physical form. Mountains, beaches, rivers, meadows, deserts are all the love of the Divine made physical. Take a walk and try to see nature from this angle.
You are creators.
Each of us is more creative and powerful than we can imagine. We have almost unlimited power to love, to create, to live in harmony and to live in a spiritual way.
Every person on Earth possesses extraordinary power and creativity. Deep down, we are brilliant beings of light, love and energy, living as humans in this time and place. Inside each of us is a spiritual spark, a being filled with light capable of creating almost anything.
By using your creativity, you have the power to bring something to life. A painting, a piece of music, a beautiful building, an idea that brings peace – it all starts with a spark of creativity or imagination.
The power we have to create is immense. We shouldn’t take it or ourselves lightly, even if we often do. We’re all amazing, powerful people, buried behind our fears and insecurities.
Live in alignment with your energy of love.
Your real power does not lie in directing or controlling those around you. It comes from your creative sparks, your thoughts, what’s in your heart, the decisions you make and the interactions you have with others.
When all these factors work together in harmony and love, you can accomplish almost anything that feels right or good to you, and you live aligned with your true self. This means you make decisions and take actions that allow you to follow the “map” you have in your heart. Any action or decision that brings you closer to a positive life of love and joy is in line with the Spirit.
At the end of the day, look back and reflect on the following question: “If this were my last day on Earth, would I be happy with the person I am today? If not, what could I do differently tomorrow to be happy with the person I am?
We are all connected to the infinite energy of love that makes up the universe.
Each and every one of us, and all of creation, is connected to this Energy and passes through it. In paradise, I revelled in the feeling of being deeply connected to everyone and everything. I could feel the Divine and its love flowing through me. Thanks to this divine connection, I felt threads of contact with other beings. I felt like I was part of a larger, loving whole, while at the same time sensing my own being. I was part of an immense network of love and light that sustained me and gave me the warmth of a thousand suns inside.
Do you want to see God? Look at those around you.
In heaven, I learned that when I looked into the eyes of another human being, I was looking into a part of God. This divine presence is part of the person on the other side of the aisle when we take the plane or the bus. Spiritual love lives in her heart. The joy of the spirit permeates his soul.
It’s hard for us on Earth to hear or see this spiritual spark within others because of our busyness, distractions and the noise of life. We find it hard to notice that someone who annoys or angers us also possesses a core of the Spirit’s presence, just like ourselves. But try to remember that, in a very real way, we are all connected to each other through our links with the Spirit.
We all have the same aspirations.
Basically, people are pretty much the same all over the world. We have differences on the surface, like skin color, political leanings or culture, but underneath it all, we’re more alike than we are different. We want to love and be loved. We want to raise our children to have a better life than ours. We feel compassion for those who are hurt or in difficulty. We want to help those who need help. We feel the pain and sorrow of loss, and rejoice in the birth of our children. And most of us follow a spiritual or philosophical path that often emphasizes love, compassion and service to others. Deep down, we’re bound by these needs, desires, beliefs and motivations.
Do you want to see God? Look around you.
Realizing that all life is interconnected allows us to look at others and the world around us in a new way. We begin to see the world as a great web of God’s energy.
Where can you find these links with the Creator? Everywhere. All around you. Take a look. Stay calm. Just listen. Above all, listen to your own heart. That’s where God sings the joy of your life – right there, inside you.
Train yourself to see Spirit all around you, because everything, everyone, is ultimately connected by this spiritual energy. Everything is part of this creation. The Spirit is the inventor and artist par excellence! Every tree contains a bit of the Creator, every person, every animal, every flower, the rocks, the Earth. All are connected to God and pass through him.
Let Love lead your life.
Let go of the need to control every little thing. Make room for God to work in your life and see what amazing experiences you’ll have.
For a few moments, I felt what it was like to be a spiritual being. My mind has expanded beyond anything I can describe. I felt a deep connection with many other spiritual beings, and I could see these connections on an energetic level: little threads of loving energy, of connection, coming from many invisible souls.
I felt the deep connection with divine love and the constant communication with the Spirit that permeates the sky. And I experienced something else, something that astonished me. I felt that my guide was letting Spirit take care of everything. She didn’t fight the flow of love and wisdom from the Divine. She simply relaxed spiritually and allowed the divine energy to flow into her and work through her.
My guide and the beings who communicated through her allowed the Divine to flow through them, to become part of them, peacefully and fully. They didn’t fight, they just allowed it.
This level of permission I experienced in Heaven seemed superior to what I was capable of. But at the same time, I witnessed first-hand the power and freedom of my Guide as she surrendered to this loving presence. She didn’t struggle, she simply allowed the Spirit to work through her.
Stop trying to control everything.
Your struggles and stubbornness can get in the way of spiritual grace in your life! Let yourself go. Let God do some of the work. You don’t need to control everything. Step back mentally and emotionally.
Ask aloud for help and advice. Ask for light to be shed on the situation, for what is really happening or what you should be doing to be clear and obvious. Dialogue with the Spirit. Let go, ask and put your faith in this core of the Divine. I’ve learned that letting go and allowing the Spirit to work in our lives is vitally important. In Heaven, it’s normal to allow the Spirit to act. Letting go is an integral part of connecting with God.
The Spirit is simply asking us to let go a little more of our tight control. If things aren’t working the way you want them to in one area of your life, try something different. Let go of the need to control every aspect of the situation. Let go of your attachment to a specific result. If you let go a little, something even better than you expected may come into your life!
Let yourself be driven, and you’ll find new horizons.
Giving up the need to control every little thing can also free your mind and make it open to ideas, intuitions or options you couldn’t see before. When you try to force a particular outcome, you prevent your mind from accessing other options that might work better for you. So try not to control everything with an iron fist – let go a little and see what other avenues present themselves to you.
Learn to trust.
At the end of the day, it’s all about trust. Do we trust the Spirit to show us the way? Do we trust ourselves, our intuition, our heart and our mind? By trying to control every little thing, we indicate that we don’t trust the spiritual flow of life. Let go, ask for clarity. Then trust and listen. The Divine will clarify things if you take a step back mentally and pay attention to your inner wisdom.
When the answer comes, be ready to make a decision and take action.
This life is yours. You can experience it with or without spiritual guidance. Ask for and accept this guidance and things will get a little easier. Ignore these tips and you’ll feel like you’re swimming against the current of a rushing river.
Let others help you.
Show your love for others by allowing them to show you love. Let them help you when you need it. Allow them to be compassionate, to make their own decisions and choices, and to be responsible for their own lives. We’re all on different paths. Love and respect each other’s paths, just as you’d like them to love and respect yours.
Part of our connection with others is how we come together to help each other. And just as we all have a desire to help others in need, others may want to help us when we need it.
The kindest, most loving thing we can do is let them do it. We can show our love or care to others by allowing them to show us love, kindness or compassion.
Many of us push others away when all they want to do is help us. Why? Pride, ego, fear of being considered “incapable”, perhaps. In most situations, the best thing to do is to let go and let it happen.
There’s nothing wrong with not being strong and in control all the time. Allowing others to be strong, to lend a hand and let their light shine is a gesture full of love and compassion.
By letting us help you, you create and strengthen a community.
By helping each other, we begin the process of building a community around us, in the Spirit. Allow others to show love and support. Letting others have the opportunity to help and be generous is a supreme act of love and trust.
By allowing others to help us, we help them to live in the light, to love as Jesus, Buddha and St. Francis loved. How wonderful! Yes, it’s important to take responsibility and have a certain level of independence, but it’s just as important to come together to build community in the Spirit. Allowing others to help us strengthens the bonds of our communities.
Building alliances is good for you.
Work on building alliances of support, whether it’s a community of friends, family, neighbors, spiritual groups or co-workers. Coming together in this way, in love and mutual support, will be good for everyone.
In a healthy community, we allow other adults to follow their own path in life. It’s a very delicate dance. It’s not our responsibility to dictate the life path of other adults. We can help them if they need it, but the path they take is up to them. Trying to control another’s path in life is disrespectful and undermines the true meaning of community.
Learn to listen to your inner wisdom.
Follow his advice. Your purpose and vocation are there. Follow that still, small voice, for it is the true voice of the Spirit in your life. When you have doubts, when you need guidance, your inner wisdom is there to give you direction.
Your inner voice is sometimes just a whisper. She doesn’t want to impose herself on you. Be quiet and still to listen. Practice inner silence. Sometimes this peace of mind can arise spontaneously while you’re doing something else: walking, sitting by a lake, taking the train or working on a craft.
Have you ever had an experience where the world seemed to fade away and your whole being was captivated by the task at hand? What were you doing when it happened? Try to recreate it. It’s a way of practicing the silence you’ll need to connect with that little voice inside your heart.
Try to “pray” by remaining silent, simply listening. You’ll open up to loving guidance. You can also simply open a dialogue with Spirit. Talk to God. Yes, really talk. Out loud.
Don’t let yourself be distracted.
We can begin to calm our minds through prayer, meditation, contemplation, playing a musical instrument, a hike without music or noisy cell phones, a walk in a meadow or forest, or even sitting and enjoying a sacred or special place in some way. If we remove ourselves a little each day from the distractions of modern life, we can more easily learn to reconnect with our divine source.
When you’re on the right track, you feel a sense of rightness, calm and inner peace. This feeling is your guide. When you’re not on the right track, you may feel anxious or simply know that something is wrong in your life. Use these feelings to readjust your trajectory on the path of your life.
Cultivate calm.
Cultivate calm at home. I’ve noticed that my inner voice amplifies when I make my home a zone of silence. I turn off all noisy media and simply let my mind wander in this quiet space. I know it’s not easy for some people, but give it a try.
I feel that the media’s constant assault on my senses drowns out my unique inner voice, my creativity, and can increase my stress levels, further stifling that inner wisdom.
We’re never alone. Never.
We are constantly surrounded by love and divinity. Every second of every day, even in our darkest hours, we are connected to Spirit.
During my IME, I understood that the Spirit universe is not a separate place where we go when we die. For the most part, it’s simply a change of “state”. This other universe is here, all around us, right now. We can connect with him at any time. That’s why we’re never alone.
Spiritual love is constantly circulating around us. God is beside us, behind us and in front of us. He supports us. Spirit exists in our hearts and all around us, always. We just need to be still, mentally and emotionally, to feel this presence, to experience this love within us.
Sometimes, this loving voice makes itself discreet in our lives, but “discreet” doesn’t mean “gone”. Spirit’s methods of communication can be subtle, even hidden or indirect. But He speaks to us all the time. Slow down. Pay attention and you can experience this loving presence everywhere.
We have great power over the way we live.
We often have no control over the events of our lives. But our most powerful tool is the ability to choose our thoughts, words and actions. Used wisely and compassionately, choice is our gift and our most incredible tool for living the way we want.
You can choose how you think and act. You can choose the words you use. You can decide to follow the light or turn to the darkness. It’s up to you.
Our thoughts influence our lives and those of others.
Constantly emitting negative thoughts, words, feelings and actions perpetuates negativity, which can then be passed on to others. The same applies, in reverse, to positive words and actions. They are transmitted and propagated from one to the other.
What you think is the driving force behind the words and actions that emanate from you. It’s a very direct way for thoughts to become “real” in our world.
When we think positive thoughts and feel good inside, our words and actions are bound to align, and we’ll have a positive impact on the world around us. The scope of our thoughts may be small, it may only be our family, friends and work colleagues, but any positive impact is significant. Our colleagues in turn have an impact on those around them, and so on, so that our small initial positive impact can radiate outwards and spread to a wider area. Our positive thoughts and actions can cross a population, little by little, and reinforce each other.
Live life to the full.
You only have one chance to live with who you are today. Live each day to the full, use your time wisely. Don’t waste this gift. Live your life to the full as an expression of gratitude and love. Our lives are immense gifts to be appreciated, savored and lived to the full. Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs, you only have one chance to live the beautiful person you are today.
Create a corner of paradise now.
We don’t have to wait for death to experience love and beauty. We can create our own piece of paradise in our lives right now. And we’ll bring a little bit of that paradise into other people’s lives too.
We have been given a unique set of gifts that make each of us and each of our lives unique. Use these gifts to the full to express your gratitude and love. Live joyfully, lovingly, energetically and creatively. Create beauty in your relationships. Use your gifts to grow in wisdom and love. You’ll be happy and contribute to a more beautiful and harmonious world.
Live in gratitude.
Everything in our world is a gift. Gratitude for the things we have and experience is our way of loving our spiritual source. Live your gratitude for the little things and the big things. Show your gratitude to others for what they bring you.
In heaven, gratitude and love are two sides of the same coin. My guide showed me that it’s the same on Earth. Gratitude is a form of deep love and appreciation.
What’s more, gratitude makes us feel good. Feeling deep gratitude bathes us in the warmth of love. Gratitude is also our way of expressing our love and gratitude to the Divine for what we have.
Gratitude is a deep feeling of love and appreciation for what we have, for what we have been given and for what we experience every day of our lives, no matter how small or insignificant. The purpose of gratitude is not to get more things. His only aim is to show his love and appreciation. That’s all there is to it. It all comes back to love.
Gratitude brings everything we love and appreciate closer to our hearts. It creates a safe, soft, warm place for them in our souls, and makes us feel good too. If we express our gratitude to others, they feel good too. This can help them to open up and want to establish a closer bond with us. But this only happens if the love and appreciation are genuine.
Also develop gratitude towards yourself.
After all, you deserve to be loved as much as anyone else! Be grateful to yourself for working to achieve or maintain a healthy body, mind and soul. Be grateful to yourself for having the perseverance to achieve a goal or emotionally support a friend in need. Find ways to feel gratitude for yourself every day.
Try to find gratitude for painful events too.
This can be difficult, especially if we’re talking about the illness or death of a loved one. But these negative aspects are part of life. They can teach us a lot about life, the world, spirituality and ourselves. It makes us grow in wisdom, love and strength. Imagine you’ve never experienced a painful or even difficult event. What would you be today?
Try to learn or feel gratitude from every negative event. Are you closer to your father because of his illness? Is your heart more open to love now that you’ve experienced the death of someone you cherished? Has a terrible accident enabled you to reorganize your life in a positive direction? Have you learned a valuable lesson from a negative interaction with a work colleague?
How we handle the experience and what we take away from it are often more important than the event itself. Send love and appreciation to all the events in your life, whether they’re easy or difficult. Difficulties make us stronger and deeper in faith, and easy moments are gifts to be appreciated and savored.
Fill yourself with a double idea, each harmoniously complementing the other:
- There is more to life than this, so be confident about what awaits you after you die;
- Your life on Earth is precious and wonderful. Live it to the full, as if it were all you had.
To find out more, visit Nancy Rynes’ website: https: //www.nancyrynes.com/
