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1. Introduction to Love and the NDE
Many NDErs describe an overwhelming sense of love that transcends human understanding. They often report meeting a “Being of Light” or a divine figure, which they interpret as God or a higher power, radiating unconditional love. This love is described not just as feeling loved but as an intrinsic part of the entity’s nature, suggesting that at the core, unconditional love is God. People from different religious backgrounds — Christians, atheists, Hindus, Muslims, and others — who have had NDEs often return with the same core insight: that love is the most important truth. This points to love as a universal spiritual principle, rather than a doctrine specific to any one religion.
2. Unconditional Love is God
Many who have had NDEs report encountering a divine presence that radiates an overwhelming sense of love. They describe it as all-encompassing, non-judgmental, and beyond human comprehension. This presence is often associated with God, and experiencers frequently say they felt completely accepted, regardless of their past mistakes.
“God is love in its purest form… To be in His presence and share His love, we must become as He is and learn to love without judgments or conditions.” (Betty Eadie)
“Love is qualified as an attribute of that force, power or influence known as God. Thus as man makes application of love in his daily experience, he finds God a personal God.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The closer one gets to God, the closer one comes to all the light, love and knowledge in the universe… The joy of being in the light of God can be so intense, we may think we are going to shatter. But God will not let us shatter. We are not permitted to take in more of this bliss and joy than we are able to handle at a time.” (Jayne Smith)
“If you insist upon searching for God, you will do this for awhile until you get the idea that you are following an illusion. God is love in all religions, so the more we live love, the closer we are to God.” (Betty Bethards)
“Life is love is God. If you add anymore to this definition then you are not making it any better.” (Chuck Griswold)
“What is truth? Law. What is law? Love. What is love? God. What is God? Law and love.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The only reality is God and God is love. God loves without limit. God is everything.” (Linda Stewart)
“I believe that there is one God – whom is that light of love. I believe that the light could be the Christian God, the Muslim God, the Hindu God, the Jewish God, the Buddhist God and I believe that does not matter.” (Melanie E.)
“I looked around myself and I saw an incredibly beautiful bright loving white light above me. I wanted to go to that white light more than anything. I’ve never wanted anything more. I know there was love, real love, on the other side of the light which was attracting me so much. It was kind and loving and I remember thinking ‘That’s God.” (Peter Sellers)
“The bright white light was complete and total unconditional perfect love.” (Veronica M.)
“[Love is] what God is all about and not about religion or rituals. No human can ever love with the love I felt in that light. It is all consuming, all forgiving. Nothing matches it. It is like the day you looked into the eyes of your child for the first time magnified a million times. Indescribable.” (Paula S.)
“Love is like an Energy that runs through all things. That it is connected to Light. That it goes beyond Time and Space. That it is universal and there is a wisdom to Love.” (Evelyn D.)
“It is love, not religion, which creates spiritual growth. Where religion teaches love, there is growth. Where religion impedes love, there is stagnation.” (Nora Spurgin)
“There is an Energy which holds every atom together, every solar system and galaxy together, a Force which holds everything together. This universal Force is unconditional love. So to sum it all up: Life is God: everything that exists. Light is God: what everything is made of. Love is God: what holds everything together.” (Kevin Williams)
For more information about God and the NDE see this article: https://near-death.com/god/
3. About Unconditional Love
“Love is, without a doubt, the basis of everything. Not some abstract, hard- to-fathom kind of love but the day-to-day kind that everyone knows – the kind of love we feel when we look at our spouse and our children, or even our animals. In its purest and most powerful form, this love is not jealous or selfish, but unconditional.” (Dr. Eben Alexander)
“The drama of creation is unbounded and is neither limited by our perception of it, nor by our ability or inability to comprehend it. This drama is as stupendous as it is terrifying, as awesome as it is wonderful, as miraculous as it is mysterious, as beautiful as it is the ultimate act of all-consuming love. To witness even a glimpse of such glory, to know the Real Truth of it, leaves a mark so deep and so profound you are forever uplifted and transformed.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“God has a vantage point we can never perceive. He sees into our eternal pasts and futures and knows our eternal needs. In his great love he answers prayers according to this eternal and omniscient perspective. He answers all prayers perfectly.” (Betty Eadie)
“I left my body and watched the surgeon operating on me… The closer I approached the light I became aware of a fundamental sense of purity. I could feel my pain falling away. I became aware of PURE LOVE, peace, tranquility.” (Chris Taylor)
“I was shown that love is supreme. I saw that truly without love we are nothing.” (Betty Eadie)
“It is God’s love for us that sends us on our journey and it is our love for God that allows us to return to God’s loving arms again.” (David Goines)
“[The light] showed me that God is love. By spreading love, you make God stronger. By making God stronger, He can, in return, help you. He told me your love has to be unconditional. That is the only rule He really has.” (Joseph Kerrick)
“The White Light in front of me was sorta like a white light bulb only it was so strong… God was love and love was light, and it was warm and it permeated every molecule of me. This was so delicious, I was crying with tears that didn’t exist. It was so enormous. I was loved.” (Jeanie Dicus)
“The highest purpose of our earthly connections is love.” (Lynnclaire Dennis)
“When we leave ourselves open to God to learn more about unconditional love, he readily sends us the people we need to learn to love without judgment. Put to the test, our spirits expand with greater love, God’s pure love, and it shines brighter within us.” (Betty Eadie)
“Standing in front of Jesus, it was communicated to me that he had unconditional love for me and total acceptance. Jesus then reached out and gave me a hug… Jesus then said, ‘Go and hug others.”” (John P.)
“Those religions which claim some singular relationship with God, claim superiority over others, or exclude people for various reasons, go against God’s law that we love one another as we love ourselves.” (Sandra Rogers)
“My consciousness began to expand until it encompassed the entire universe. I was filled with the most amazing, unconditional love, and I knew this love was God… It was pure bliss. I was all at once, everywhere and a part of everything in existence. I was filled with all the knowledge that existed and knew everything there was to know.” (Val C.)
“The very core of our essence is love, nothing else. Our core is perfect love, loving perfection.” (Jayne Smith)
“God never uses his love to hurt us. To do so would countermand his own law of judgment: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ So he will never let us down, will never forsake us. His love is extended to all, and he knows exactly how to reach each person.” (Betty Eadie)
“Love is unconditional. The love I felt was totally amazing. We are often hindered in this life with fear of not being accepted, limited by our own thoughts and frailties. But there, you were free to be totally you and you were accepted and loved that way.” (Brenda R.)
“Love is the message that God said that I must bring back. We need to love one another, help one another. It felt like a blanket of love was wrapped around me when I stepped through the light.” (Wendy G.)
“I felt like we were all made out of ‘Love’ and our purpose is likely to express this unconditional love.” (Erin K.)
“I learned that I was loved so infinitely much, that we all are, no matter what we believe or what we do.” (Joseph S.)
“Love is a word we use on earth. The ‘love’ during the experience cannot be explained with earthly words.” (Wendy S.)
“The entire experience was one of unfathomable love.” (Herman V.)
“This love that I felt, was unique. I felt completely safe that nothing could happen. I was no longer in pain and all my worries that I had, fears ect was left behind with my body. This love is something a few can even get an idea what it is like. This love is so powerful, it could make the strongest cry and the weak become the strongest.” (Lacy)
“Love is what it’s all about. Love can move mountains. Love can cure disease. Love can change an entire world beyond the imagination.” (Jeff S.)
“Love is what it’s all about. It’s why we exist.” (Gail A.)
“The earth is the ideal place for spiritual growth because of the influence of our physical body. Opportunities to experience a full range of love is ideally available on earth. The lessons we need to learn are difficult to learn without having a physical body.” (Nora Spurgin)
The Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead teaches that once awareness is freed from the body at death, it creates its own reality as one would experience in a dream. The Clear Light of Ultimate Reality appears and the deceased can then embrace this supreme experience with love and compassion for everyone. (Tibetan Book of the Dead)
For more information about the application of love see this article: https://near-death.com/spirituality/
4. Experiencing Unconditional Love
NDEs often lead individuals to return with a mission to live more lovingly, indicating that love is not just the way to heaven but also the purpose of life itself. This aligns with many spiritual teachings that advocate for love, compassion, and forgiveness as the means to spiritual elevation. P.M.H. Atwater in her research on NDEs, noted that many NDErs feel compelled to change their life to one of service and love, seeing this transformation as a direct path to the spiritual realms they experienced.
In my own NDE research, intense feelings of unconditional love is the number one most common characteristic found in NDEs. The highest percentage of NDEs that reported overwhelming love was those categorized as Christians (75%) and atheists (75%)… Overwhelming love was experienced in (69%) of all NDES.
“How do you explain this intense happiness? Your thoughts are vibrations which are controlled by the Master-Vibration (God). It neutralizes all negative thoughts and lets you think only good thoughts, such as love, freedom and happiness.” (Arthur Yensen)
“I can’t find words to explain how I felt. The amount of joy I felt. The amount of love I knew I was being given. I felt as if I had come home. I knew this is where I actually belonged. Even though I love earth and I love living here. But when I was encountered by that being, I knew I had come home.” (Barbara Springer)
“Oh, there is such love… Oh, there is such peace… I’m engulfed in light and blending into that light. Oh!… Oh, this is everything, everything, everything… I cannot explain the wonder and beauty and love and peace.” (Betty Andreasson)
“Love is really the only thing that matters. Love is joy! It all seemed so simple. If we’re kind, we’ll have joy.” (Betty Eadie)
“There was only love; nothing but love. It was warm love, overwhelming love, precious love, expanding, embracing, accepting, nourishing, and arms-wide-open big hug love! My self expanded. I knew I was in the presence of God. I breathed His love into my perfect soul.” (Bobbie K.)
“Within the Light of God, we realize that everyone and everything is connected to God… Within the Light was the cure for all diseases; within the Light was all the knowledge of every planet, every galaxy, every universe. Indeed, the Light was Wisdom and Love beyond all comprehension.” (Dr. Dianne Morrissey)
“As the light got closer to me I realized that it had a personality to it. Love and understanding were emanating from the light. It was the most intense amount of love that you can imagine. It was as though you were in the presence of the one person in your life who had loved you beyond anything, despite what you might have done, and that love was magnified many times.” (Elane Durham)
“Then something happened that I will never, never forget. Love, pure, utter love came pouring down on me along with incredible warmth. My soul or being was immersed in this love.” (Guenter Wagner)
“Then I simply remember I became more blissful, more rapturous, more ecstatic. I was just filling and filling with this light and love that was in the light. The dynamics of this light are not static at all. They are so dynamic and so much going on in there of love and joy and knowledge.” (Jayne Smith)
“I feel compassion beyond words. I understand everything, but I have no feeling of attachment to anyone. I look at each person standing at the bedside and feel tremendous love. I want to say to them, ‘I’m all right. You don’t have to worry. I’m all right. Look at me! I’m fine.” (Josiane Antonette)
“Immediately after death, the connection to our humanity begins to wear off and an experience of being light as air, extremely happy and in love begins to happen.” (Karen Schaeffer)
“As I admired the beauty of the light, I was drawn closer, feeling the radiant warmth, infinite love and lasting peace. I felt as if I were home in the light.” (Laurelynn Martin)
“There is a sense of benefit here, as if one has found their true home. In heaven, we have the opportunity to assess our progress as a soul, to evaluate pros and cons and outcomes, to remember all truths including our real identity. We experience the glory of love and the power of forgiveness.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“I was surrounded by love and it was unconditional and never ending and it was the origin, or like the fabric of everything, that everything is made of it totally enveloped me and held me.” (Alice U.)
“I was immediately aware that this group (spirit guides) knew me better than I would ever know myself, accepted me totally, and loved me completely. The love that came out from them washed over me in waves and was so pure and strong I could not hardly bear it. I was one of them and always had been. They knew it and I knew it.” (Jean)
“I felt the most perfect level of love imaginable during my NDE. It was intense and given without condition or expectation. It was as though they radiated adoration and love from their eyes and directed it at me. It was as if they knew every cell of my being.” (Laurie L.)
“I have never felt such peace. There was no pain, and the love I felt there was so great. There are not enough words in the world to tell you how great it was!!!” (Jerry B.)
“There was nothing that was not love. It is not the love that we know on earth. It doesn’t have to do anything with feelings. It is like when you cannot breathe and now everything is air. It is the essence of everything. It is what we are. I don’t know if I would call it love, or bliss, or peace, or oneness. It is simply an indescribable sense of belonging to everything, of being everything, of being at home.” (Ingrid H.)
“Love realized in ‘the experience’ is beyond human comprehension! As humans we would probably explode if love was experienced without filters.” (Carol V.)
“During the experience everything was love. I was love. The whiteness was love. The feeling of flying was love. It was awesome!” (Mindy T.)
“I felt as if I had found the eternal fountain of love and I was splashing around in it. The overwhelming ‘vibe’ from the light beings was love. It almost felt like love was the glue holding everything together including myself.” (Gary M.)
“Many NDEs reveal there is no love in this physical world comparable to the love attainable on the Other Side. One experiencer, Reverend Ken Martin, returned from his NDE only to discover that his life on Earth, his ministry, his calling, his wife and family, everything – was insignificant compared to what he had just experienced in his NDE.” (Kevin Williams)
“The absolutely only thing that matters is love. Everything else, our achievements, degrees, the money we made, how many mink coats we had, is totally irrelevant… And the only thing that matters is that we do what we do with love.” (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross)
“Since love is supreme, opportunities for the practice of love will continue after death.” (Nora Spurgin)
“The whole spirit world is a reflection of the qualities of the people who live there. Where love reigns, there is no distance between people. The spirit world is thus not like our three-dimensional world, but is more like a symbolic reflection of the inner quality of the people.” (Nora Spurgin)
5. The Importance of Unconditional Love
“There is only one truly significant work in life, and that is love; to love nature, to love people, to love animals, to love creation itself, just because it is. To serve God’s creation with a warm and loving hand of generosity and compassion – that is the only meaningful existence.” (Dr. George Rodonaia)
“Love in action is what lasts. After death, a person is his love. This is the person’s life.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
“The only thing we take with us is the love we have given away while on Earth.” (Laurelynn Martin)
“The Being of Light can be called Jesus, Buddha, Yahweh, the Great Spirit, our Higher Self. etc. which can be a feedback of our own religious perspective. The name of the Light Being does not matter. Only the recognition of absolute love and truth is important.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“That’s how I came back – because of love. Love saved my life and that’s how I got back to what everyone else calls reality.” (Naina)
“Love is the power of life. I know that love between people here can be eternal. The key is love.” (RaNelle Wallace)
“To know about love is not enough. We must express that knowing. How we do that is up to us.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“There are only two things we can take with us at death: love and knowledge. This is why it is best to learn about both as much as possible.” (Virginia Rivers)
“I knew without being told what is important in life. Love yourself, because that is an indication on how well you can love others. The Spirit only wanted to know how well I loved myself, because that plays a major part in how well I love others.” (Peter R.)
“It was definitely the most important thing I took away from this is to love people and most of all love God with all my heart! We are meant to worship and love one another!” (Seth C.)
“I was given the awareness that love is the most important thing and what it is all about. I understood that we need to love everyone unconditionally. I also came back with the understanding that we aren’t just to love people but love life.” (Val C.)
“Above all things we are here on earth to love and be loved. I learned that a simple smile, a kind word or acknowledgement can change the course of the life of a person.” (Anne)
“I was enveloped with unconditional love, and knew from the experience on, that that was to be how I should live. It is our essence.” (Kathi S.)
“Unconditional love and forgiveness is what the universe and life are all about.” (Kate D.)
“I gained an awareness of the totality of unconditional love or rather that there was no end to it. It did not have to be earned, as it was already offered to all if they would just accept it.” (Diana H.)
“Love, at the very essence of existence, is what everything is about. It all comes to love.” (Peter N.)
“I felt a message that clearly said telepathically… love means everything.” (Zenaida)
“It is love, not religion, which creates spiritual growth. Where religion teaches love, there is growth. Where religion impedes love, there is stagnation.” (Nora Spurgin)
“While the ideal place to grow spiritually is on earth (this is the reason for life on earth), growth in the spirit world remains a possibility. There, however, in the absence of a physical body, growth is more difficult. The opportunity for the full range of love (child’s love, martial love, and parental love) is ideally available while on earth. Love which has been misused or misdirected, is best corrected in a physical life.” (Nora Spurgin)
“A central aspect of our eternal existence is continued spiritual growth through love and service. We can spend what seems like an eternity before incarnating in the flesh. During that period in the spirit world, soul growth can be attained there as well.” (Nora Spurgin)
“Love is the answer. Now what is your question?” (Kevin Williams)
6. Unconditional Love in Humanity
“I knew with total certainty that everything was evolving exactly the way it should and that the ultimate destiny for every living being is to return to the Source, the Light, Pure Love.” (Juliet Nightingale)
“Love, being God, is too immense and profound to ever be fully understood or experienced in the physical world. To have an abundance, do what you do with Love, and Love what you do. In search for truth and understanding, all paths lead to Love. The only thing that lives forever is Love. God’s paradise for us is Love. We can create paradise again if we learn to Love another as ourselves. Life is a road full of lessons teaching Love. When Love is learned, you will forever be home.” (Sandra Rogers)
“When we love unselfishly, our vibrations are so high that the only place we’ll fit into is heaven. There is no other place we can go if we want to. This is divine justice because it gives everyone an equal chance to eventually attain the harmony to fit into some kind of heaven – regardless of their intelligence, education, indoctrination, ignorance, wealth or poverty.” (Arthur Yensen)
“We were conceived in love spiritually, and love is the center of our beings. It is the energy of our souls, the spark of our divine nature. Being made of love, we cleave to it and seek it in all that we do… Its presence or absence colors our every action. It is life. It is happiness. It is salvation itself.” (Betty Eadie)
“God is within us and we are an inseparable part of God. We are perfect love as a creation of God. We and God are one – Creator and created.” (Linda Stewart)
“The quickest way to change the world is to be of service to others. Show that your love can make a difference in the lives of people and thereby someone else’s love can make a difference in your life. By each of us doing that and working together we change the world one inner person at a time.” (Dannion Brinkley)
“This is the simple secret to improving humanity. The amount of love you received during your life is equal to the love you gave. It is just that simple.” (Dannion Brinkley)
“Life is a joyful game to be played and everything works out perfectly. Sooner, if played joyfully with love. Later, if not.” (Dee Rohe)
“Bring humankind nearer to us. We wish to come closer to them, but their fears place us at a distance. One tiny step towards our dimension gives us the permission we need to work miracles in their lives. We long to embrace them with love; we yearn to guide them and whisper into their mind’s ear the words they need to hear.” (Donna Gotti’s angel)
“Life is, in all its manifestations in every animate force, Creative Force in action; and is the love of expression – or expressing that life – truth becoming a result of life’s love expressed. For, these are but names – unless experienced in the consciousness of each soul.” (Edgar Cayce)
“They want every person to consider every other person greater than their own flesh. They want everyone to love everyone else, completely; more, even, than they love themselves. If someone, someplace else in the world hurts, then we should feel their pain. And we should help them.” (Howard Storm)
“I heard the words, ‘Remember, pray without ceasing. Play, love, laugh, live for the joy of it. Have fun. Happiness is holy. The purpose of life is joy. Savor fully the loveliness of each experience… Let go of obligation and duty. Live for the pure joy of being.”” (Jan Price)
“If we live true to the spirit we came to Earth with, we can progress more quickly. We do that by expressing the love of God that is within us, and we do that by loving God, ourselves, and each other. It is that simple.” (Betty Eadie)
“We are all one. I comprehended that our oneness is interconnected by love and is available at a much higher level and means of communication than we normally use but to which we have access. This love is available to anyone who is willing to do the hard spiritual work that will allow us to open our hearts and minds and eyes to Spirit.” (Linda Stewart)
“And I asked him (Jesus), ‘Do I really have to go back?’ And his answer was that I was a part of God’s divine plan, as is every person, and that my ultimate purpose is to love and serve God and all sentient beings.” (Liz Dale’s research subject)
“They never gave me a direct mission or purpose. Could I build a shrine or cathedral for God? They said those monuments were for humanity. They wanted me to live my life to love people not things.” (Howard Storm)
“Jesus said that I would never quite be the same as I was before I visited heaven… He told me to let the love that I would feel in my heart express itself to all people… ‘One day,’ Jesus said, ‘everyone will come to see for themselves what you have seen.”” (Randy Gehling)
“I kept pulling up and up and up to a point where I could observe the whole earth. This was wonderful! The earth was alive and the earth was singing. It was a singing a single song and in that song everyone had a voice… It was a song of love and every living being had something to add to the song of earth.” (Reinee Pasarow)
“God is love, Light, and energy in all. God is the source of perfect Love and all life. Everything is a part of God. Just as the smallest atom of your physical body is a part of you, you are a part of God. God is in all places at all times. Our soul is a part of God and God is a part of us; therefore, our souls are immortal and eternal.” (Sandra Rogers)
“When I asked what a person should do while on earth to make it better for him when he dies, he answered, ‘All you can do is to develop along the lines of unselfish love. People don’t come here because of their good deeds, or because they believe in this or that, but because they fit in and belong. Good deeds are the natural result of being goods, and bad deeds are the natural result of being bad. Each carries its own reward and punishment. It’s what you are that counts!” (Arthur Yensen)
“We are all collectively bonded to each other while on Earth, united in this one supreme purpose: to learn to love one another.” (Betty Eadie)
“Within every human being is perfect love. That is our core – this love, this perfection, this God-ness.” (Jayne Smith)
“Life is, in all its manifestations in every animate force, Creative Force in action; and is the love of expression – or expressing that life – truth becoming a result of life’s love expressed. For, these are but names – unless experienced in the consciousness of each soul.” (Edgar Cayce)
“There is no evil in any human soul. It is the lack of love that distorts people. We are designed by God to self-correct, just like the rest of the universe. No one is lost because everyone is already saved.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“When we leave ourselves open to God to learn more about unconditional love, He readily sends us the people we need to learn love without judgment. Put to the test, our spirits expand with greater love, God’s pure love, and it shines brighter within us.” (Betty Eadie)
“My mission, I later found out, was to come back and love, to help people not fear death. I was told ‘you haven’t loved enough.'” (JoAnn M.)
“The Being of Light reminded me that my purpose was to learn more about love, compassion, and how to express them on earth, and that my work was to help other people in any way I could.” (Lisa M.)
“I felt the love of God is in each of us and that its love is unconditional.” (Samuel C.)
“All I know is the love on the other side is pure with no strings attached. We on earth love nothing like I felt over there. I felt totally loved and accepted when I came into the light. On earth there are always conditions to love.” (Barbara S.)
“Love is such a shallow word. The experience is so vast to me, that I can barely speak of love in colloquial terms. When I am forced to do do, I feel I am talking about a kindergarten definition of love. What most people call love, on the other side to me was a sense of complete safety, acceptance, happiness, peacefulness, ease.” (Shara G.)
“I experienced an acceptance and love unparalleled by anything on earth.” (Jennifer)
“We are loved… not in the human love definition… in a Universal way. The Divine, the Universe is in all and we are one with it. There is no need to search for God. The Divine or the Source, Universe, whatever we call it, it is within us. All of us… especially those that bug us. They’re here to move us to a new path of growth.” (Steve L.)
“Love was the most powerful, permeating feeling. I feel that I learned that love is everything; the oneness that binds us all together. If you have this then you are very thankful, whole, and living in gratitude with peace. God is in every one of us as love.” (Tara S.)
“Love is connection to all things.” (Doug F.)
7. Unconditional Love is the Way to Heaven
Many NDErs report that their experience in the afterlife was directly influenced by their capacity to love. Those who lived with love and compassion often describe entering realms of light, peace, and joy — what many interpret as “heaven.” Conversely, those who lived selfishly or harmfully sometimes experience temporary darkness or isolation, until they realize that love is the way forward.
Many NDErs suggest that the path to what is described as heaven involves transcending personal ego and embracing a universal love. The concept here isn’t necessarily religious but more spiritual, where heaven is seen as a state or place of pure love.
Dr. Eben Alexander in his book “Proof of Heaven” describes his NDE where he felt a profound, all-encompassing love, which he associated with entering heaven. He discusses how love was the essence of this experience, suggesting that love in our lives can align us with this divine state.
Here are more NDE insights about unconditional love as the way to heaven:
“How are we saved? By unselfish love. If we do only good things we will eventually run out of bad karma and only good things will happen to us, and vice versa. The purpose of karma is to force us to learn life’s lessons whether we want to or not. The only way to bypass karma is to develop so much unselfish love that paying for bad karma will serve no purpose – much like a college student challenging a course he already knows. We evolve faster through unselfish love.” (Arthur Yensen)
“Life is a road full of lessons teaching Love. When Love is learned, you will forever be home.” (Sandra Rogers)
In her research on NDEs, P.M.H. Atwater noted that many NDErs feel compelled to change their life to one of service and love, seeing this transformation as a direct path to the spiritual realms they experienced. (P.M.H. Atwater)
“God is the source of all love and love expressed to others on earth is our greatest earthly accomplishment.” (Karen T.)
“Simply put, it (love) is the central theme for everything. It is the core principle that we are all supposed to follow. It is what will allow us all to become one with God in this world and the next.” (Martin J.)
“The Golden Rule is the governing principle in the spirit world: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. People who truly practice the religion of love will find themselves in a universal sphere where everyone understands that true religion is to love others as ourselves.” (Nora Spurgin)
“A life of piety without a life of love (which occurs only in this world) is not a spiritual life. Rather, it is a life of love, a life of behaving honesty and fairly in every task, from a more inward source that leads to a heavenly life. Such a life is not hard.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
“The key to entering the higher afterlife realms is to realize only perfect love and happiness for everyone and yourself. It’s as simple, and profound, as that.” (Kevin Williams)
For more information about Heaven and the NDE see this article: https://near-death.com/heaven/
8. Unconditional Love in the Afterlife Realms
a. Unconditional Love in the Tunnel
“Then I found myself in what appeared to be a large tunnel with a small white light at the other end. I was moving toward this light pretty fast. I was surrounded by a feeling of absolute peace and what I can only describe as unconditional love.” (Enigma, anonymous)
“I was then suddenly sucked into a luminous tunnel. I saw an immense light. I moved toward the light, feeling intense happiness and a fullness and peace I had never known. I felt my soul expand… It felt like it encompassed the whole universe. It was wonderful as I bathed in universal love.” (Estelle D.)
“A dot of light appeared far off in front of me… Emanating from it was a love and hope and peace that my soul hungered for… The black tube took the shape of a tunnel now, opening up as I neared its end. The light burst forth before me, filling everything with brightness, and I was coming upon it impossibly fast.” (RaNelle Wallace)
“But what moved me through this place (the tunnel) was love. It was the love of God and the love of all things sacred and all things beautiful and all things just.” (Reinee Pasarow)
“I finally came to the end (of the tunnel) and floated into a place which was overwhelmed by a radiant white light that seemed to embody all the concepts of love. A love which was unconditional and like a mother has for a child… I knew in my heart that this was God. Words can’t describe my awe in this presence.” (Mary)
For more information about the Tunnel and the NDE see this article: https://near-death.com/tunnel/
b. Unconditional Love in the Void
Many NDEs involve the experiencer entering a realm commonly known in NDE literature as “the Void.” It is a realm of complete and profound darkness – empty of everything except for the thought and emotional patterns of those who enter it. The Void is a perfect place for experiencers to examine themselves, contemplate their recent earth experience, and decide where they want to go next.
Leaving the Void was very easy for some experiencers and difficult for others. Various NDE accounts provide a wealth of information on how to escape from the Void. Here is a list of them: (1) love, (2) light, (3) faith, (4) Beings of Light, (5) reincarnation, all sets you free from the Void.
The only love that exists in the Void is the love you bring into it. The Void itself has no love or light in it. Because of this, the only way to leave the Void and enter higher realms is by following the love within you. The moment love is desired, the light appears as if summoned.
“To protect yourself from the unspiritual souls in the darkness, whether on earth or in the Void, chose to focus on love.” (David Oakford)
Laurelynn Martin floated up through blackness where there existed no fear, no pain, and no misunderstandings. There was also a sense of well-being. She was enveloped by total bliss in an atmosphere of unconditional love and acceptance. The darkness was warm and soft, a blanket of velvety love, stretching endlessly.” (Laurelynn Martin)
“I was now alone in this non-place and there was nothing… Within that nothingness I had become, I simply existed, ecstatic in perfect bliss and peace, like perfection itself and perfect love.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
While in the Void, Howard Pittman felt an overwhelming oppressive feeling and wondered what was causing it. He was told by a spirit guide that it is because there is no love there. (Rev. Howard Pittman)
During Lynnclaire Dennis’ NDE, she entered the Void which she described as a vacuum, a sacred space that was exceedingly real and where her grief disappeared. The love within her saved her from oblivion. We only have to remember to make love real. (Lynnclaire Dennis)
During Joni Maggi’s NDE, she entered the Void which she described as a dark outer space and where she felt total bliss. It was there she learned that the universe is upheld by love. (Joni Maggi)
Ray Meir was in a very dark, vast, peaceful area. It was much like floating through outer space and total darkness. He felt extremely peaceful and very comfortable. Ahead he could see an extremely bright light attracting him. He felt a great love emanating from the light and he moved toward the light much like a child walking to its father. (Ray Meir)
For more information about the Void and the NDE see this article: https://near-death.com/void/
c. Unconditional Love in the Life Review
During the life review, individuals instantly relive their past actions. The key lesson from these reviews is that acts of love, kindness, and compassion are what truly matter. This suggests that love is the central force guiding the soul toward spiritual growth. Individuals revisit their life’s actions but from a perspective of love and understanding rather than judgment. This process often teaches that the essence of one’s true self and the divine is pure love, suggesting that God’s judgment is not about punishment but about understanding and learning through love. Many NDErs report that there was no judgment, only an overwhelming acceptance and love. This contrasts with traditional religious views where judgment is central, emphasizing that God, in this context, embodies unconditional love.
In Dr. Raymond Moody‘s book, The Light Beyond, he mentions that during life reviews, people see their actions not just from their own perspective but also from how it affected others, fostering an understanding of love’s role in human interactions.
“The Being of Light presents the dying with as panoramic review of everything they have ever done. That is, they relive every act they have ever done to other people and come away feeling that love is the most important thing in life.” (Dr. Raymond Moody)
During Laurelynn Martin’s NDE life review, she relived an event when she was five years old and teased another girl to the point of tears. Laurelynn then felt exactly what the other girl was feeling. Laurelynn realized how the girl needed love, nurturing and forgiveness. Laurelynn then felt a love for this child that was so deep and tender, it was like the love between a mother and child. (Laurelynn Martin)
During Sherry Gideons’ NDE life review, she was shown her future as if in a movie. Then she was told why we are all here in this world which is “to have a human experience” and “to help each other rise to a higher level of love.” (Sherry Gideons)
“The good that we have done for others, all of our good deeds and kind words, will come back to us and bless us a hundred fold after this life. Our strength will be found in love.” (Virginia Rivers)
“God’s standard is pure love. Our lives will be compared to this standard in the light of God. Pure love is serving God and others without any self-centered motives. Self-centered motives are what makes our acts (as the scriptures say) ‘dirty rags’ before God.” (Daniel Rosenblit)
For more information about the Life Review and the NDE see this article: https://near-death.com/life-review/
d. Unconditional Love in Heaven
“The people in heaven are like uninhibited, carefree children. Heaven is where all people really love each other. There are no inhibitions, or need for them. Everyone does exactly as they please, which works out well because only the best in each person survives, and good is all anyone ever wants to do. This allows a freedom and happiness that people on earth can’t imagine.” (Arthur Yensen)
“Everyone has a light connection to their Higher Self which is an extension of our lives. Everyone is interconnected, forming a light grid. We are all one. Our oneness is interconnected by love and this love is connected to the grid. Our love connection to each other is available for us to access.” (Linda Stewart)
“After death each person lives in the kind of heaven or hell that they have prepared for themselves while on earth. It is the same principle as putting a coin into the slot of a coin counter. The coin goes into the slot and ends up in the right container, not because it was good or bad, but because it is the proper size for where it belongs. No one sends us anywhere after death. We are sorted by the vibration of our soul. Everyone goes where they fit in! High vibrations indicate love and spiritual development. Low vibrations indicate debasement and evil.” (Arthur Yensen)
“If you loved someone who is on a lower vibration than you are, you are allowed to visit anytime you choose by simply lowering your rate of vibration. This may help the entity greatly by encouraging self-love and growth. However, the entity will need to incarnate again on the earth plane to test out these new lessons, because it is the earth experience that determines your stage of evolution.” (Betty Bethards)
“We came into this world to have trouble and to learn from it. Unfortunately many people don’t realize this and complain about their bad luck and spend their lives chasing pleasure, fame and money. Then they die without making any spiritual progress. And so they waste life after life. It should be obvious that all we’ll take with us is our character, our karma and our abilities, and that we’ll have to live with people like ourselves. Therefore, our highest success would be to rise into the highest heaven through unselfish love.” (Arthur Yensen)
“You will be with those you love, and there is a total merger which is a much higher experience and a deeper love bond than anything you can know on the Earth plane. This total merger is like stepping inside one another’s auras, a total blending of energies. It’s a way of expressing love and sharing. What you know on Earth as a sexual relationship takes the form of a higher merger of souls.” (Betty Bethards)
“As the two beings approached us, I could also feel the love flowing from them toward us. The complete joy they showed at seeing the Christ was unmistakable. Seeing these beings and feeling the joy, peace and happiness which swelled up from them made me feel that here was the place of all places, the top realm of all realms. The beings who inhabited it were full of love. This, I was and am convinced, is heaven.” (Dr. George Ritchie)
“He (Being of Light) spoke to me without words, without a voice, and yet I had clearly heard and understood every unspoken word! He said to me that I was In a different ‘place,’ one in which communication was purely exchanged through the LANGUAGE OF LOVE.” (Laura M.)
“There is a sense of benefit here, as if one has found their true home. In heaven, we have the opportunity to assess our progress as a soul, to evaluate pros and cons and outcomes, to remember all truths including our real identity. We experience the glory of love and the power of forgiveness.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“It was all pure love. God is love and everything exists because of the pure unconditional love. I was surrounded by pure love.” (Julia O.)
“I felt so loved, greater than is possible in our earthly life.” (Lisa K.)
“Another large [NDE] category is that participants use descriptive words such as empathy, feelings, emotions, intuition, expanded awareness, and love. The expanded awareness of being able to feel other peoples’ feelings helps the person to be able to say the right thing for healing to occur.” (Jody Long)
“If one is in the highest realms, love reigns. And where there is love, there is happiness. Where there is happiness, there is no awareness of time. Therefore, there is no time as we know it here. However, in the lower realms, because one is very unhappy, time seems interminable.” (Nora Spurgin)
“The higher realms are a world of inexpressible beauty… They are realms of endless possibilities for creativity and full realization of self; and they are where the love of God is like the air we breathe.” (Nora Spurgin)
“The whole spirit world is a reflection of the qualities of the people who live there. Where love reigns, there is no distance between people. The spirit world is thus not like our three-dimensional world, but is more like a symbolic reflection of the inner quality of the people.” (Nora Spurgin)
“Heaven is about deeds, not creeds. Therefore, persons of many cultures and religions form the societies of heaven.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
“After death, people do not keep their religious faith if it does not come from a heavenly love.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
For more information about Heaven and the NDE see this article: https://near-death.com/heaven/
e. The Absence of Love is Hell
From a psychological perspective, the absence of love in one’s life can lead to states akin to what might be described as hell — depression, anxiety, despair. In spiritual terms, many traditions equate hell with the separation from God or from love itself. NDEs reveal the spiritual truth that the absence of love is equated with hellish experiences. These hell realms are not for judgment nor punishment, nor are they eternal. They are spiritual conditions meant for reflection, education and the purification of negative thought patterns.
“Hell is a state of being we create by being away from God until we choose to return to him. It is a state totally devoid of love.” (Sandra Rogers)
“There is no evil in any human soul. It is the lack of love that distorts people. We are designed by God to self-correct, just like the rest of the universe. No one is lost because everyone is already saved… What all people seek, what sustains them, is love, the light told me.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“Those in the dark realm can progress, but their progress is limited. The key is love.” (RaNelle Wallace)
“Fear is merely a response of an ultimately illusory ego. When love breaks through the illusion, fear vanishes and only the Light exists. Frightening NDEs, therefore, though they are by definition scary, aren’t real. Only the Light of the NDE is. In fact, the only thing that is keeping you from the Light right now are your illusions about what’s real.” (Dr. Kenneth Ring)
“You are love and love is God’s vibrational energy. Without God you have no love. It cannot exist in lower vibrational frequencies.” (Renee M.)
“To overcome our fears. we need to love and accept ourselves and each other. The actions and choices we make can either be from love or fear — love is golden light, fear is darkness.” (Trisha S.)
“Love is all there is. Love will overcome everything. There is only love and fear. Fear is simply the absence of love. In the end there is only love and it is wonderful.” (Jeffery O.)
“People who have spiritual love will enter heaven. People who do not have spiritual love will enter hell.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
“God loves and suffers for those in spiritual darkness, ignorance and misery. Based on their desire and willingness, such souls are given opportunities for advancement.” (Nora Spurgin)
For more information about Hell and the NDE see this article: https://near-death.com/hell/
9. Other Sources About Love
“Your religion is where your love is.” (Henry David Thoreau)
“To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.” (Karen Sunde)
“Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
“The bonds of love are what connects us to the Other Side.” (John Edward)
“Death is nothing but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.” (Mother Teresa)
“In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.” (Robert G. Ingersoll)
“Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.” (Rossiter W. Raymond)
“Jesus taught people in 1 John 4:16 that God is love, and in Luke 10:25-28 that loving others is how to get to heaven. Jesus also taught that love for God and others is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-40), aligning with the NDE insight that love is the key to spiritual fulfillment and heaven. Jesus taught people that this heaven of love is within us (Luke 17:20-21). And because love is God (1 John 3:7-8), we manifest this heaven on earth when we love others. When you give love, you are already in heaven.” (Kevin Williams)
10. Conclusion
NDEs strongly support the idea that God is unconditional love. The way to heaven is through unconditional love — both in this life and the next. The profound, transformative experiences of those who have temporarily crossed over suggest that divine love is real, infinite, and available to all.
A significant number of NDEs converge on the idea that living a life aligned with love and compassion is the way to experience what people describe as heaven. This perspective offers a more inclusive and compassionate view of spirituality, emphasizing love over legalistic interpretations of religious teachings.
