Re: "Dying to Be Me"

In my association with those who have gone through the Near Death Experience, it is striking that some can recognize those who have had NDE experiences. Yet it is always a surprise when one says something like "You know what I'm talking about." I do not recall such an experience of actually dying in this life, although when very young I "drowned" and soon thereafter  began having dreams of falling. When I hit bottom I would find myself floating and upon reaching the ceiling of my bedroom, I would awaken as I snapped back into my body awareness fully awake. In time the dream details became clear and many memories of my immediate past death returned. In many ways I see this life as a continuation of the intentions of the last. Yet for me, most of what NDE'rs talk about is from continuing contemplative practice, beginning with the base practices begun in my past life of Za-zen, and involvement with the outlawed practice of Tachikawa-ryu ("secret" practices) of Japan.

I recently began reading the book:  Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing by Anita Moorjani.

Of the radical ideas I promote, I found some confirmation of two in the book and would like to quote a couple of excerpts  which speak of the unity of our living Universe. [italics mine]

"During my near-death experience, it felt as if I were connected to the entire universe and everything contained within it; and it seemed that the cosmos was alive, dynamic, and conscious. I found that every thought, emotion, or action I made while expressing through the physical body had an effect on the Whole. In fact, in that realm of Oneness, it felt as though the whole universe were an extension of me. This realization has, of course, dramatically changed the way I view things. We’re all co-creating this world and our lives within it through our emotions, thoughts, and actions."

And...

"I suddenly realized that both my getting cancer and my healing were actually for the planet. If we’re all One, what happens to me, happens to all. And what happens for me also happens for the whole universe. I understood that the reason I even got sick and then chose to come back was to serve as an instrument for healing to take place in others—not just physical healing, but more important, emotional healing, since our feelings are actually what drive our physical reality."

The entire book (available on Kindle) is well worth a read.