2,000 years apart, testimonies of near-death experiences sometimes strongly echo certain New Testament teachings[1]. Here are just a few examples.
Life review
1. People who have undergone a life review say they have understood, thanks to this, that love is the only thing that matters in our lives: “one of the most important lessons that has been passed on to me by the light is that love is all that matters”, said one of them.
This is also Jesus’ answer when asked how he would sum up all spiritual teaching: ” You shall love God and you shall love your neighbor as yourself “. For him too, love is everything.
Unconditional love
2. The non-judgmental, unconditional love felt by experiencers during the life review recalls the words of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew (chapter 5): ” Love your enemies and pray for those who hate you and seek to harm you. In this way, you will act like your heavenly Father. For he gives his sunshine to the wicked as well as to the good. He sends rain on those who do his will as well as on others. If you only love those who love you, what’s the point? Even the bad guys do it. Be perfect, then, as your heavenly Father is perfect. “.
We can’t hide anything
3. The life review highlights not only a person’s actions, but also their thoughts and motivations. She can’t hide anything about her life. Raymond Moody points out that people felt “unveiled”. It was as if all the masks and labels behind which they had hidden their lives had been removed.
This echoes what is said in the Gospel according to Luke (chapter 12): ” There is nothing hidden that should not be discovered, nor anything secret that should not be known. Therefore, whatever you say in the darkness will be heard in the light.. What you say in the bedrooms will be preached from the rooftops.
We are One
4. Chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel tells a parable in which God says: “Whatever you did toone ofyou [en bien ou en mal], youdidto me“.
This is a point that frequently emerges from EMI testimonies: we are One with all living beings and with the loving, intelligent Light that animates all life.
So everything we say and do has consequences for this Unity. “I realized that to love one another is to love ourselves and the divine, of which we are all atoms”. “I was in awe when I learned that we are all one. I knew that our oneness is connected by love. I experienced the feeling of love for all existence as interconnected oneness and divine manifestation.”
The experimenters and Matthew say the same thing: we contribute to the collective good or misfortune with all our lives, even in the smallest things. We do ourselves good every time we do good for others. And we hurt ourselves every time we close in on ourselves, out of fear, suffering or unconsciousness.
Transformed by Love
5. It is the encounter with the unconditional, unlimited love of the Being of Light that leaves the deepest impression on those who experience it. It encourages them most strongly to change their lives to love more and more.
This is what the apostle Paul describes in his letter to the Romans: “It is God’s goodness that moves us to conversion. “
Our “why” is essential
6. Experiencers often specify that what was asked of them in the life review was not what they had done. It was more a question of “why” they had done it, what their motivations had been.
This corresponds to chapter 13 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians: ” even if I strip myself bare to feed the hungry, if I give away all my possessions for them, if I get burned for my beliefs, if I don’t do it out of love, it’s worthless “.
We’re here to grow
7. Experiencers often say that the life review was intended to help them understand what they had done with their lives. It served to help them grow in experience and wisdom.
“I started to rethink my life. I felt what others had experienced as a result of my actions, from their own perspective. It was hard to live with. But I knew that the goal was to learn from my time on earth and to grow. I remember hearing others crying, laughing and so on. because of what I had done on earth.
My spiritual guide told me that everything was fine, that we’re all loved, that it wasn’t a judgment. He told me that we learn best by experiencing things ourselves. God doesn’t judge us. We are all learning beings.
This is also the meaning of the parable of the talents in chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel. In this story, a master asks his servants what they did with the money he left them before leaving on a trip. He congratulates those who have made it bear fruit, but reprimands those who have done nothing with it, because they were afraid of failing and losing what they had.
It’s the same idea in both cases: we’re on earth to use our gifts to love, grow in wisdom and help make the world a wonderful place. The important thing is to try. If we’re afraid even to try, if we spend our time just protecting ourselves, we’re missing out on life. It’s like a waste.
No judgement
Remembering, of course, that this message is not a judgment: there will be no condemnation. It’s an invitation to trust in ourselves and in life to do what we can. It’s not a question of announcing a penalty. Only to prevent us from having too many regrets when our life is over.
[1] I’m talking about New Testament because that’s what I know best. Readers may draw parallels between IME stories and the teachings of other religious traditions. In that case, I’d be delighted if they’d write to me and let me know. This will allow me to usefully complete this article.
