What is a NDE? According to Buddhist scriptures Near Death Experience is as follows: There happens the real death of that person, and they become a spontaneous invisible being for a short time. Then, after a while, due to the strong desire for the previous human life and belongings and powerful karma yet available for a human life, they die again from the spontaneous invisible spirit life, and their consciousness re-enters the human body. The ancient Buddhist scriptures mention that when most of the spontaneous beings, such as ghosts, die, their body vanishes instantly without a remainder.
[Here are some cases mentioned in the book “Scientific Evidence for Reincarnation, NDEs and Karma with Personal Stories.” These are selected cases only. To read all the cases, please download and read the book titled “Scientific Evidence for Reincarnation, NDEs and Karma with Personal Stories.” It is free.]
Thailand Near Death Experiences:
Researcher T. Suwannathat, (Independent researcher and scholar, Thailand)
Researcher Todd Murphy, Neuro Scientist, (United States of America)
Researcher Dr. Debhanom Muangman, (Director of the Rangsit-Harvard Medical International Program)
Kodien’s Near-Death Experience:
[Kodien]… “came upon a group of his friends who had died six or seven years ago. He realized that these were people who had died but had not yet been cremated. Now he understood that he was really dead. He came to a lawn in front of an office building where there were many groups of people with sad, pale faces… He noticed that some of the groups had food and water, while others had only piles of ash. He wanted to ask for some water, but he didn’t know anyone whom he could ask. He kept on walking until he saw one group where there was someone he knew. A friend who had died recently. His friend greeted him with a smile. He asked for something to eat. Kodien asked, “Is this your food?” His friend said, “Yes, but you can’t eat any of it, because it doesn’t belong to you. We cannot give any of it to anyone else. Your food is over there.” Kodien’s friend pointed to a pile of ash. Kodien said, “How can I eat that?” His friend only laughed in response. Kodien said, “You’re just teasing me,” and reached to take a drink of water without waiting for permission [as is the custom in Thailand where hospitality is often taken for granted, especially in rural areas]. He found that the water was scalding. He asked his friend: “How can you drink it when it is so hot?” With a smile, Kodien’s friend took the glass and drank it, saying that it didn’t belong to Kodien. His friend said that those who made merit by donating food to the monks during their lives would have food, while those who only helped their own ancestors (by burning joss-paper replicas of food according to Chinese tradition) would only have piles of ash. Kodien realized that his friend was suggesting that he create merit according to the Thai custom, but during his life, he had not believed in the practice. He had thought that the Chinese forms of religious observance were better, and had only made joss-paper offerings. Then someone came and asked Kodien’s friend to come inside the building. Kodien sat down for a while, still thinking about food. Soon, someone came to lead him into the building as well. There were many people in the building. He was led to the right, and into a room with a large table in the center.” “Someone came to lead him into a building… There were many people in the building. He was led to the right, and into a room with a large table in the center. There were three men sitting at the table, which had several stacks of books on it. The man sitting in the middle seemed to be the boss. The other two were looking into books opened before them. After Kodien sat down, the one in the middle asked for his name and age. The boss asked the one on the right to check to see if it was correct. They found that it was not correct. The boss told the one on the left to take him back quickly.” A man dressed in black clothing came and told Kodien to walk with him. The man walked in front, with Kodien walking behind. He led Kodien down a different road than the one he had taken on his way in. This one was lined with trees and was partly overgrown with grass. It was deserted. After a while, they came upon an old, sun-bleached water buffalo skeleton with a puddle of water next to it. Kodien was still thirsty and sat down, intending to drink. Just as his hand was about to reach the water, he felt the man in black pushing him into the water from behind. At that instant, he blacked out. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in his coffin and heard the sound of his own funeral.
Anonymous Thailand Individual 1:
“I thought of my family, but I could not see any way to get back to them. The voice told me that I would not see them. It said that I could cry if I wanted. At these words, I burst out crying. Then I saw a woman wearing green clothes. She had long hair and spoke so sweetly. She said to me: ‘This is your food. Please eat it. We have a long walk ahead of us.’ I ate all of the food. There were fried eggs, an omelette, beef curry, chicken curry, and candied eggs. These were all my favorite foods, prepared just as my mother had made them for me. I was full after this, and I became thirsty. I told this woman that I wanted some water. She said that there was no water for me here, because I had never donated anything to drink to the monks or to a temple. I was very thirsty, and I thought that if I could regain my life, I would never forget to donate cool drinks to the monks I went to visit. After a long walk with this angelic woman, I came home, where I revived. I was so thirsty.”
Anonymous Thailand Individual 3:
He then found himself in front of Yama, the lord of the underworld. Yama looked into a book in which his actions were written. Before the judgment could begin, Yama said that he was the wrong person and had to be taken back. The patient “sneaked” a look into the book, and he saw that it was written in Thai. Surprised, (possibly because he expected it to be written in Pali) he took a closer look, and saw the name of a person he knew from his village, with the date of his death written as three days after his own NDE. The man named in Yama’s book did, in fact, die on the date named.
Anonymous Thailand Individual 4:
“Yama told me that I had committed a number of sins, especially in having butchered a number of chickens. I denied it and said that I had not done that, not even once. Yama was surprised and asked his records-keeper, ‘How old is he?’ ‘Thirteen years, lord,’ came the answer. ‘What’s his name?’ My name was read out. Yama said, ‘You’ve taken the wrong man. Take him back.’”
Anonymous Thailand Individual 6:
“I asked the Yamatoots to wait a while, because I had to tell my family that I was dead. I told them: ‘Nobody knows I’m here.’ I walked to my house, stood in front of it for a minute, and then went inside. I saw there were a number of people there, and all of them were crying. I saw my husband and daughter sitting together. I tried to run to them, but I tripped on something. I fell. As I hit the floor, I revived.”
Anonymous Thailand Individual 7:
“I… found myself in the judgment hall of Yama’s palace. I knew that they were ready to judge me for my sins. A giant rooster appeared who told Yama that I had killed him. He emphasized that I had tried to kill him again and again. The rooster also said that he remembered me exactly. An entire flock of roosters also appeared and testified that I had killed them, as well. I remembered my actions, and I had to admit that the roosters had told the truth. Yama said that I had committed many sins and sentenced me to many rebirths both as a chicken and many other types of birds as well… But, quite suddenly, an enormous turtle appeared. It screamed at Yama, saying, ‘Don’t take him, he is a good human, and should be allowed to live.’ Yama answered the turtle: ‘What did he do to help you?’ The turtle answered: ‘Long ago, I almost died because another of these humans wanted to eat me. This man prevented him, and so I was able to live out my life.’ Yama asked the turtle if he had any evidence. The turtle asked to be turned upside down and told Yama to look at his underside where he would see where the man had carved his name so many years ago. Yama saw the man’s name was there just as the turtle had said, and he believed the turtle’s story. Yama announced that he was canceling the sentence and told me that when I revived, I was to take a vow not to kill any living thing.”
Anonymous Thailand Individual 8:
“The Yamatoot asked me if I really wanted to see heaven. ‘If so, then you must contemplate the three treasures of The Lord Buddha, His Teachings, and the community of monks who follow his teachings. Concentrate your mind, pray, and you will go to heaven.’ After I closed my eyes and put my hands in the prayerful gesture, the Yamatoot disappeared and I was no longer in hell. I found myself in another place which was very pleasant. The weather was nice; I was no longer hungry. I saw a garden with trees all in rows. It was very beautiful, like the garden of a king or a millionaire. As I walked into the garden, I smelled some flowers. They were so very fragrant, with a scent I had never known before. Next, I saw some angels, both male and female. They glided through the air. They were dressed beautifully and wore exquisite jewelry. Some had flowers in their hair. I kept walking and saw a pavilion with a roof like that of a palace. There was an angelic man sitting inside. His body was surrounded by a green halo. I approached the angel, sat down and made obeisances. I asked: ‘Who are you? Where am I?’ He answered: ‘I am the lord of the angels, and this is the angelic world.’ I then recognized that this was none other than Indra, the King of Heaven. He said to me: ‘When you go back to your world, you should teach your fellow men not to commit sins, as it causes them to go to hell. If they do good and behave in a moral manner, they will be reborn in my heaven. I will show you the mercy of teaching you the Dharma, the sacred law.’ He imparted this knowledge by opening my wisdom eye. I then saw all the truths of the universe. The future, the past, and the present. After six earthly days, Indra told me that he would take me to another level of heaven, The World of Brahma. I saw Brahma, the creator of the universe. His face was similar to Indra’s, with a fresh, clean look about it that indicated mercy, compassion, loving kindness, and equanimity. He had a golden halo. Brahma explained that the angels in his level of heaven were all on their way to take new births in the ordinary world. Therefore, there were many houses that were empty. He was waiting for those who had created much merit during their lives to take rebirth there, but they were very few. Those who were there had mostly been monks who had been strict in their observance of the monastic rule. ‘You have been separated from your body for 7 days,’ he said. ‘If you don’t return soon, you will not be able to.’”
(Note: This individual personally believed the brahma was the creator. It was his religion. But he is wrong as there is no almighty creator of the universe. Brahmas are not almighty creatures.)
Anonymous Thailand Individual 11:
“The Yamatoots guided me to a torture chamber; one for those who had committed murder. I saw guards hitting the prisoners on the head with an iron hammer. People were being chopped into pieces. They reassembled themselves and were then chopped up again and again, until the karma acquired by killing people was exhausted. After this process was finished, their pieces were fed to dogs and vultures with iron beaks. The Yamatoot explained that these prisoners were not afraid of making bad karmas; that they actually liked killing people. This torture, he said, was the result of their murderous karmas. After these karmas were extinguished, they would be reborn as animals in the earthly plane of existence. In that life, they would have to die by being killed. They would not be allowed to live out their natural life-span. The Yamatoot then took me to another torture chamber. I saw a path made of hot coals. The guard was forcing people to walk this path. If someone could not bear the pain and stopped walking, the guards would stab them with spears and thus force them to continue. This process was repeated until the person was burned up completely. First their feet, then their calves, then their knees, and so forth. Their bodies then returned to their previous state, and the whole process was repeated. The Yamatoot explained that this path of hot coals was for those who had too many defilements (Kilesa) and desires (Tanha). We came to another torture area. These prisoners were punished by having their tongues put between red hot pincers. I thought: ‘This is so horrible.’ They could not bear their punishment, and some tried to escape. They would run to get a drink of water. As they tried to scoop it into their mouths, it was turned into scalding hot oil. In pain, they rolled around on the ground, but even as they did so, nails grew under them. The Yamatoot explained that they were being punished like this because, during their lives, they were liars and slanderers. I then saw a grove of Niew trees. There were many of them. They had large trunks. At the bases of these trees there were naked people trying to climb up. Anyone who would not climb was stabbed by the spears the Yamatoots held. I then came to the hell for those who drank, took heroin, or opium. There were more people in this hell than any other I had witnessed so far. Some were being boiled in a copper pot. Others had been set on fire, while still others were being forced to drink acid. They tried to escape to find water, but when they did so, it turned into boiling oil. Some were able to escape, but those who succeeded found themselves harassed by vultures with iron beaks. The Yamatoot said that this was the last place we would visit in hell.”
Anonymous Thailand Individual 12:
“I asked [the Yamatoot] to take me to see the Lord Buddha. I told him I needed to see The Buddha. The Yamatoot looked at the sky and pointed. ‘That big star,’ he said, 'is The Buddha. And those little stars are the other enlightened ones; those who have followed the Dharma [the Buddhist teachings] to the end. ‘I’m afraid you won’t be able to see them in any other form. You are not pure enough.’" (Note: Here’ Yamadooth has shown a sign by using his supernatural powers. It is not the actual Buddha)
Canada Near Death Experiences:
Researcher Irving Hallowell, anthropologist, (Canada)
Anonymous Canada Individual 1:
“But even daylight here is not as bright as it is in the country (divine world) I had visited. I had been lying there for two days. But I had traveled a long distance in that length of time. It is not right to cry too much for our friends, because they are in a good place. They are well off there. So I’m going to tell everybody not to be scared about dying.”
Netherlands Near Death Experiences:
Researcher Titus Rivas, Psychologist and Philosopher, (Athanasia Foundation, Netherlands and International Centre for Reincarnation and Survival Researches)
Netherlands Anny Dirven’s Near-Death Experience:
16 years ago, I had a hemorrhage and was already in a black hole (tunnel), which felt very pleasant. I arrived at the hospital just in time and heard the specialist say: ‘There lies a corpse in bed, but now that she is here, little can happen to her’. After the operation I had to undergo, I immediately regained consciousness in the operating room. I couldn’t say anything myself yet. But I was standing in a huge field full of flowers of all colors. And I was standing right in the middle of that field, with a large bouquet of flowers in my arms. When I could speak, I said: ‘I am reborn’. I can still vividly recall standing there with those flowers in my arms. It was beautiful and felt wonderful. I can’t describe it.
Indian Near Death Experiences:
Dr. Ian Stevenson, Professor and Scientist, (University of Virginia, United States of America)
Dr. Satwant Pasricha, Professor, (University of Virginia, United States of America and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India)
Indian Bir Sahai’s Near-Death Experience:
In about 1970, Bir Sahai almost died from a serious illness. He lost consciousness and died temporarily. During the period when he was unconscious, he found himself taken in hand by two men and brought to a paradisal place. At the place to which he was taken, he was told by a stout man that his time had not yet come, and he was sent back to continue his human life. He then recovered and became awake. However, on a visit to Nardauli in December 1980, Dr. Pasricha learned that Bir Sahai had died soon after Dr. Ian Stevenson’s meeting with him in April 1979.
American Near Death Experiences:
Magis Centre, (California, United States of America)
Dr. Brian Weiss, Psychiatrist, (United States of America)
Anonymous American Individual 2:
One man who had an NDE as a child recalled the experience of meeting dead relatives: “There were some presences there. There were some ladies… I didn’t know them at the time… They were so loving and so wonderful, and I just didn’t want to come back… I didn’t see any pictures of them until I was an adult, but then I said, ‘Oh, yeah.’… They were my great-grandmothers who had died years before I was born.”
Anonymous American Individual 5:
“[She] suffered a cardiac arrest during her stay in the hospital where I [Weiss] was the chairman of the psychiatry department. She was unconscious as the resuscitation team tried to revive her. According to her later report, she floated out of her body and stood near the window, watching [the resuscitation]. She observed, without any pain whatsoever, as they thumped on her chest and pumped air into her lungs. During the resuscitation, a pen fell out of her doctor’s pocket and rolled near the same window where her out-of-body spirit was standing and watching. The doctor eventually walked over, picked up the pen, and put it back in his pocket. He then rejoined the frantic effort to save her. They succeeded. “A few days later, she told her doctor that she had observed the resuscitation team at work during her cardiac arrest. ‘No,’ he soothingly reassured her. ‘You were probably hallucinating because of the anoxia [lack of oxygen to the brain]. This can happen when the heart stops beating. ’But I saw your pen roll over to the window,’ she replied. Then she described the pen and other details of the resuscitation. The doctor was shocked. His patient had not only been comatose during the resuscitation, but she had also been blind for many years.”
Various Other Near Death Experiences:
Anonymous Individual 1:
“I’ve never had a Near Death Experience myself, but my grandmother once shared with me that she saw fire during her own Near Death Experience.”
Anonymous Individual 2:
“I was undergoing an operation in the operating theater. The doctors administered anesthesia, and after a while, I found myself passing through a dark tunnel or cave. I traveled a long distance at an incredible speed. It was extremely fast. Then, suddenly, I arrived at a place filled with fire, where flames were blazing intensely. There were no living beings present. Immediately after, I heard a loud noise, followed by a voice saying, ‘Abandon that one, his brother is performing an offering to the Buddha at a peepal tree for him. Let him go back.’ I heard the voice, but I didn’t see anyone. After that, I immediately regained my sanity. I was unaware that my brother was making an offering to a peepal tree for me at that time. When I shared my experience with him, he was shocked, and it was only then that I learned about the offering from him.”
(From the free e-book named “Scientific Evidence for Reincarnation, NDEs and Karma with Personal Stories.”)