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1. Introduction to the Earth and NDEs
As spirit beings, all humans participated in the creation of the universe. Everything in the universe was first created in spirit and then recreated in the physical. The earth is a great created being and manifestation of God which is an expression of the Divine Mind. We come to earth for the opportunity to advance our souls to be the ideal and complete companions with God. The earth exists in a realm where free will is completely dominant. For this reason, the earth is a kind of laboratory for souls from other afterlife realms to come for soul growth. The earth is a kind of “boot camp” where we come to meet and overcome the temptations of the earth upon our bodies for the purpose of perfecting our soul. The earth is also like a college in a university where souls bring their ideals in order to be tested by applying these ideals in a physical like so that we can know for sure whether we have really changed and do possess these ideals. This article contains insights about earth from many NDEs profiled on this website.
2. A brief summary of the Earth and NDEs
Although our goal is to eventually earn the opportunity to learn in higher afterlife schools, our greatest goal on earth is to bring heaven to earth. Earth is in the process of domesticating itself and humans are playing a key role. Earth is a living system that recycles itself endlessly toward the goal of attaining complete oneness with God at the physical and soul level. Earth is also a teaching ground for those in spirit who observe the living to learn important lessons.
Everything on earth is evolving exactly the way it should. When the harmonic balance on the earth becomes unstable, such as when humans transgress against other humans and nature, love is the way to restore the peace and harmony on earth.
3. Earth in the beginning
The following are insights from experiencers concerning the earth and its inhabitant’s relationship to it.
“The earth is an expression of the divine mind with its own laws, its own plan, and its own evolution.” (Edgar Cayce)
“Everyone participated as spirits in the creation of the earth which we created for the purpose of our spiritual growth. We participated in planning the conditions on earth including the laws of physics and mortality which would govern us and the spiritual powers we would be able to access.” (Betty Eadie)
“Every one of us is a blessing to the earth. We are legendary throughout the universe for our ability to dream. We came up with the best answer to the meaning of life. We dreamed it up.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“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)
“Everything in the universe was first created in spirit and then recreated in the physical.” (Betty Eadie)
“All of creation originated from essence to thought, progressing to thought into thought-form, and from thought-form into particle-form or atomic-form; in other words, three-dimensional matter.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The earth was fashioned from the ideas and discoveries which originated in the spirit world. Everything on earth came from the spirit world. Everything on earth possesses a soul.” (Jerry Gross)
4. Earth and its evolution
“Souls often have misgivings about even temporarily leaving the spirit realms of self-understanding, comradeship, and compassion to go to the earth where there exists uncertainty and fear brought about by aggressive, competing humans. Our experience in the spirit realms rejuvenates us and helps motivate us toward another earth experience. We remember the physical pleasures of life on earth with fondness and even nostalgia. When the wounds of a past life are healed in the spirit realms and we are again totally at one with ourselves, we begin to feel the pull of having a physical expression for our identity.” (Dr. Michael Newton)
“The earth cycle of souls is finished when our attractions to earth are overcome to the extent that our soul is as free within our body as outside our body. This is the condition when our body is no longer a hindrance to the free expression of our soul. It is when the conscious mind merges with the subconscious mind.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The earth is a great processor of energy, and individual consciousness evolves out of that into each one of us. The center of the earth is this great transmuter of energy, just as you see in pictures of our earth’s magnetic field. That’s our cycle, pulling reincarnated souls back in and through it again.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“We come to earth for the evolution of our soul into conscious awareness.” (Edgar Cayce)
“Reincarnation is a universal process that occurs all throughout nature. Not only do bodies evolve, but the consciousness within bodies evolve as well.” (Amber Wells)
“If we choose to clean up the mess we create on earth, we will not contribute to the mess of others and this will contribute to the healing of the earth. Reincarnation is the process which allows us to return to earth to “clean up our mess.” (David Oakford)
“[Spiritual] evolution (reincarnation) is not restricted to linear progression. It only appears that way.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“Everything is evolving exactly the way it should and the ultimate destiny for every living being is to return to the Source, the Light, Pure Love.” (Juliet Nightingale)
“As soon as the earth experience has been thoroughly comprehended -either through reincarnation or through the exchange of experience with others on other realms – the candidate may proceed to realms beyond the reach of the earth mind.” (Frederick W. H. Myers)
“Environmentalists often refuse to interfere with nature so that evolution can continue unabated. This is the same reason why God does not interfere with our evolution.” (Dannion Brinkley)
5. Earth as the “school of hard knocks”
“The earth is like a college in a university where souls come for soul growth.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The earth is a tough boot camp and school for us to attain soul growth.” (Karen Brannon)
“The earth is a difficult school where we must meet and overcome the temptations that exist here.” (Ruth Montgomery)
“The earth is like a rigged roulette wheel in a casino. As much we one try, we can never fully satisfy our worldly desires. It’s virtually impossible.” (Daniel Rosenblit)
“The earth realm is like a laboratory for other afterlife realms. This is because only in the physical realm is free will completely dominant. In the other realms, some measure of control is kept over the soul to see that it learns the proper lessons.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The earth has a theme for learning and we choose to come here to experience it. We practice on other planetary realms to be ready to live on the earth. The earth is the ultimate experience for a soul because it can evolve faster here than anywhere else. The lessons we need to learn are difficult to learn without having a physical body.” (David Oakford)
“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. Love which has been misused or misdirected, is also best corrected on earth.” (Nora Spurgin)
“If a soul has a spiritual ideal and desires to know if it actually possesses that ideal, the soul can come to earth to be tested after applying this ideal in a physical life. The earth is a good school for overcoming certain weaknesses in ways that only a body of flesh can. We apply ourselves here on earth to see if those weaknesses are truly overcome. Here we can learn for sure whether we have really changed.” (Edgar Cayce)
“Souls who enter the earth have to learn their final lessons on earth, where free will is called into play in a fashion different from existence on other realms.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The earth exists for us to test our ideals and learn from them.” (David Oakford)
According to Sandra Rogers who attempted suicide: “Life in the physical world is a struggle to find true happiness. Pleasure is of the physical world. Happiness is of the spiritual world. If an addiction isn’t conquered before your physical death, it could keep your spirit earthbound. Moderation during physical life is the key to a successful transition to the spirit world. The forbidden fruit symbolizes the spiritual body entering the physical body and starting the spiritual body’s desire for things of the physical world. God wants us to have abundance. You will have physical abundance if what you are doing is spiritually fulfilling. The greatest desire of your heart, when granted, can become a burden. The greatest burden of your heart can become a blessing. Hardships are necessary for the growth of our soul. Obstacles are opportunities in disguise. Those born with mental or physical afflictions are more spiritually advanced than others, born to help others evolve spiritually. The physical body that the soul enters into is chosen prior to birth. Souls choose to be born to parents who will help their spiritual advancement as well as the spiritual advancements of the parents. Souls who choose lives which end in childhood deaths often feel the need to comfort the parents with after-death visits. Most younger children have memories of their life before their birth, but those memories are dismissed as imagination by parents and others. From the point of view of our conscious mind, life’s not fair, but our spirit being knows there’s a purpose to our dilemmas: to experience in order to gain knowledge. Knowledge is more valuable than gold. It is something of value you can take with you to the spiritual world. Using knowledge is far better than having knowledge. In our physical life we continually search for answers to the “whys” of life. When we die we will know the “whys.” A society that asks, “What’s in it for me?” instead of “How can I contribute?” is a society that is doomed. Earth is just one realm of learning; there are many.” (Sandra Rogers)
“The earth is not our natural home and we did not originate here. Earth is only a temporary place for our schooling and everyone has cultivated a certain degree of light here.” (Betty Eadie)
“The most and only important reason for souls to come to earth is for either learning or teaching. Most times both.” (Darlene Holman)
“The earth is a manifestation of God. For us to benefit from our experience here, we must rediscover our oneness with God on earth.” (John Star)
“We are to leave the world a little better than we found it.” (David Oakford)
“The earth experience is an opportunity for our soul to advance toward the ideal of complete companionship with God – the position of co-creator in the vast system of Universal Mind.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The earth is unique because it was designed for humans to forever play, learn, and grow on it. Nature was designed for us as physical entities to access spiritual energy to help us advance.” (David Oakford)
Howard Storm was given the following insights from beings of light after his life review when he was fearful of returning to earth life and afraid he would make mistakes again:
“Mistakes are an acceptable part of being human. We are here to make all the mistakes we want because it is through our mistakes that we learn. As long as we try to do what we know to be right, we will be on the right path. If we make a mistake, we should fully recognize it as a mistake, then put it behind us and simply try not to make the same mistake again. The important thing is to try our best, keep our standards of goodness and truth, and not compromise them to win people’s approval. God loves us just the way we are, mistakes and all. When we make a mistake, we should ask for forgiveness. After that, it would be an insult if we don’t accept that we are forgiven. We shouldn’t continue going around with a sense of guilt, and we should try not to repeat our mistakes. We should learn from our mistakes. God wants us to do what we want to do. That means making choices – and there isn’t necessarily any right choice. There is a spectrum of possibilities, and we should make the best choice from those possibilities. If we do that, we will receive help from the Other Side.” (Howard Storm)
6. Earth as our larger self
“Every act of destruction of God’s environment on earth multiplies into destructive forces of nature – earthquakes, floods, pestilence, nuclear destruction and nuclear waste.” (Archangel Michael to Ned Dougherty)
“Destructive earth changes are a reflection of all the social upheaval and violence happening all over the world at the moment.” (Margot Grey)
“Everything on earth was designed to live forever. Death came when humanity fell away from the balance of nature and allowed themselves to be affected by their creations that violate the natural laws of the universe. Loving one another is the way to restore peace and harmony on earth. We must once again be in harmonic balance with the earth if we want to survive as a race and live forever on earth. It is not too late.” (David Oakford)
“Those who understand nature walk close with God.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The freedom of one person is enough to change the whole world.” (Guenter Wagner)
“If we are willing to suppress our self-centered nature so that our higher spiritual nature can gain control, it will bring about a resurrection and ascension of the transformed self, which can create heaven on earth.” (Dr. George Ritchie)
“Although our goal is to leave earth and go to heaven, our greatest goal is to leave heaven and bring heaven to earth.” (Anne Horne)
“The spirit creation can be compared to a sharp, brilliant photograph, and the physical creation can be compared to its dark negative. The earth is only a shadow of the beauty and glory of its corresponding spirit creation, but it is what we need for our growth.” (Betty Eadie)
“The earth is in the process of domesticating itself. It is never again going to be as wild a place as it once was. There will be great wild places, reserves where nature thrives. Gardening and reserves will be the thing in the future.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
The planets in our solar system are physical representations of spirit realms. The physical realm is the third realm in the hierarchy of spirit realms. It represents three-dimensional consciousness. (Edgar Cayce)
“We affect each other because we are all part of each other. We affect all parts of creation because all parts of creation interweave and interrelate with all other parts.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
7. Earth and its divinity
“Nature is God exploring Self through every way imaginable, including through every one of us. It is about Pure Consciousness entering into the experience of life.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“God is aware of every leaf that falls.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“Everything on earth, including consciousness, is living light energy existing as a wave and/or particle. Everything is made from the light of God and everything is very intelligent.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“The Pattern is life itself, light, time and space, the energy of all matter, the heart of all that matters, the very essence of all being which emanates from the Source behind the sun which moves in perfect harmony with the entire universe.” (Lynnclaire Dennis)
“The earth is a living system that recycles itself endlessly. It comes from an unending stream of life, going back to the Big Bang.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“Life tries out different shapes on earth and then returns from where it came.” (John Star)
8. Earth as the matrix
“Extended above the earth, is a cosmic axis of rainbow light that is connected like a matrix all around the earth which can only be seen in spirit.” (Plato’s Er)
“An invisible matrix exists around the earth. This matrix is a sacred circle of human souls that exists within everyone. The earth is a great created being and we are the part of it that is aware of itself.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“The Pattern is knotted light – a matrix that connects two structures and is literally the language between two different structures. The light continues around the earth until it reconnects with Itself and forms a continuum, the Pattern.” (Lynnclaire Dennis)
“A network or grid of light and love exists on earth that connects everyone’s Higher Self through love to each other and to beings of light.” (Linda Stewart)
“A tremendous web of light connects all the planets together. These streams of light energy continuously pulsate back and forth between planets. The earth absorbs invisible streams of light energy that originates from other planets.” (Margaret Tweddell)
“Everything is united by a transparent net, or web, and each thread shines with great radiance. Everything pulses with the same luminosity – a magnificent light of unparalleled brilliance.” (Josiane Antonette)
“There exists a great spirit environment just above the earth that appears to have no boundaries.” (David Oakford)
“According to some near-death accounts, scientific inspiration comes to us from higher sources. Such inspiration, I believe, led to the creation of the Internet. In the future, I believe the Internet will become a physical representation of this invisible matrix of light that exists around the earth. It will someday connect everyone to each other in ways that we can only imagine today. Spiritual reality will become virtual reality.” (Kevin Williams)
“Everything on earth has its purpose. It all fits into a pattern which will, in the end, work out for justice and good.” (Arthur Yensen)
“Each creation on earth is imbued with the pattern for its perfect manifestation.” (Edgar Cayce)
“All parts of nature interweave and interrelate with all other parts. What we do affects all the other parts of nature.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“We are all divinely connected with everything – the earth, the planets, our solar system, our galaxy, etc.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The center of earth is on an axis that stretches from the sky and back to earth. Around the earth is a circular hoop, a classic Native American sacred circle involving four directions.” (Black Elk)
“The earth, the planets, solar systems, and universes are like cells within the body of God. The body of God is similar to the human body. When a thought is formed in the mind of God, it flows easily to the rest of the body and vice versa.” (Lauren Zimmerman)
“Our desires and what we do about them sends waves of life resonating from the earth to all the afterlife realms. From afterlife realms, we draw life as well as send it.” (Edgar Cayce)
“Humans are globally linked and this makes each of us a part of a whole entity.” (Howard Storm)
9. Earth as the stairway to heaven
“The doors to various afterlife realms must first be unlocked here on earth through soul growth.” (Edgar Cayce)
“The difference between life on earth and life in the spirit realm is that the environment in the spirit realm corresponds to one’s internal nature. If, during our lifetime on earth, we matured in a spiritually rich and beautiful way, when we die we will come to dwell in an environment that corresponds with these qualities. These environments possess a beauty that is beyond anything seen on earth.” (Nora Spurgin)
“As we live on earth, we are building conditions in afterlife realms at the same time. After death, we enter these afterlife realms and into the conditions we built. The quality of our conditions within these realms corresponds to the earthly knowledge gained and our activities with respect to universal spiritual laws. Life on earth is a gradual metamorphosis and so is our metamorphosis into afterlife realms. As we grow in stages from infancy to maturity, we likewise grow into afterlife realms at the same time. We do not go to heaven. We grow to heaven here on earth.” (Edgar Cayce)
“It was as if I had come home. I had come home to the beginning of not just me but the beginning of all eternity. This is so hard to explain but it seems so important. The only thing this compares to in a way is the way it feels when it is a beautiful warm night and you look up into the clear starry sky. When you look at the stars, there is an awe of the glimpse at the beginning of infinite space. It was like that feeling as I savored my experience.” (Grace Bubulka)
“Because our consciousness expands toward the planets and stars after death, it’s no wonder we look at the night sky in awe with feelings of reverence and maybe even memories.” (Rudolf Steiner)
“Once all our lessons have been learned on earth, we are free to choose other realms to explore and learn.” (Edgar Cayce)
“While we live on earth, we live simultaneously in various afterlife realms. Although we are not aware of our presence in other realms while on earth, we really are multi-dimensional beings.” (Edgar Cayce)
“When we are not active on earth, such as during deep sleep, meditation, hypnosis or any other method that creates and altered state that frees our subconscious mind from its normal physical constraints, we can explore the afterlife realms.” (Edgar Cayce)
“Our soul has actually had experiences in the afterlife realms that are represented physically by the planets in our solar system. Our experience in these realms is an energy that our soul can draw on while on earth. During sleep, we enter into these afterlife realms again. We are truly citizens of the cosmos even as we live on earth.” (Edgar Cayce)
10. Earth as viewed from spirit realms
Reinee Pasarow: “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 singing a single song and in that song everyone had a voice. Every human being had a very important note to add to this precious song of the earth. It was a song of love and every living being had something to add to the song of earth. Every one of these essences was very much connected. I was seeing it not like we see normally. I was seeing it both from a macroscopic (from the point of view of the spaceship) and from a microscopic vantage point. It was microscopic in that I could see that an amoeba in the ocean was connected to the song of the heart of all humanity and that this world was responding to the song in our hearts in a miraculous, unified, and beautiful way. I too began too sing. I was so overcome with joy. It wasn’t a song obviously with the mouth. I had no mouth. I had no body. I simply was. I became a part of that song and very full of joy that I could have something to contribute to this sacred beauty of our earth and of all people. I became very aware that we as people have a unique influence on the world even if we are not actively doing something. We influence this planet by our state of being. We influence this planet very positively if we are filled with love and respect for others or negatively if our hearts are negative.” (Reinee Pasarow — Watch her video online).
According to Carl Jung: “It seemed to me that I was high up in space. Far below I saw the globe of the earth, bathed in a gloriously blue light. I saw the deep blue sea and the continents. Far below my feet lay Ceylon, and in the distance ahead of me the subcontinent of India. My field of vision did not include the whole earth, but its global shape was plainly distinguishable and its outlines shone with a silvery gleam through that wonderful blue light. In many places the globe seemed colored, or spotted dark green like oxidized silver. Far away to the left lay a broad expanse – the reddish-yellow desert of Arabia; it was as though the silver of the earth had there assumed a reddish-gold hue. Then came the Red Sea, and far, far back – as if in the upper left of a map – I could just make out a bit of the Mediterranean. My gaze was directed chiefly toward that. Everything else appeared indistinct. I could also see the snow-covered Himalayas, but in that direction it was foggy or cloudy.” (Carl Jung, in 1944).
“After Carl Jung’s NDE, his view of reality changed concerning the earth. He now viewed the earth as an artificially built three-dimensional world where each person sits by himself in a little box in that is part of a whole system of boxes. He felt that he had to convince himself all over again that this “box system” was important and this bothered him beyond measure. He felt that living on earth is like living in prison. Jung’s experience is unique in that he saw the earth from a vantage point of about a thousand miles above it. His incredibly accurate view of the earth from outer space was described decades before astronauts in space first described it. Jung saw the earth as representing the mother archetype. Carl Jung, who founded analytical psychology, centered on the archetypes of the collective unconscious. His NDE was certainly a great influence on the development of his theory of psychology.” (Kevin Williams)
“In space, your soul can observe the aura around the earth. You can hear the sound of the energy flowing in and out from it.” (David Oakford)
“After death, we can literally travel at the speed of light and see all of the people on earth simultaneously in one moment. We can also see God sending multitudes of angels to earth to assist in answering all of the countless, millions of prayers being offered up at that single moment.” (Dr. Liz Dale)
“From space, one can see that the earth vibrates and pulsates, as though it was a living, breathing entity and not just some physical mass. Mother Earth is our Divine Mother. But there are terrible wounds and sores on different parts of her body, and she is gasping for breath, and calling out to God and to her children to stop the killing and destruction and hatefulness. She is dying and praying for all of humans to help her to heal and regenerate.” (Dr. Liz Dale)
“All of creation groans in pain over its separation from God.” (Daniel Rosenblit)
During Jan Price’s NDE, she was led to an overhang on a high cliff where the view was intensely magnified. She could view the earth as though peering into a monitor. She was told that no one spends a lot of time at the lookout but some occasionally stop by to see what’s happening on earth. (Jan Price)
“After death, we can choose to observe people on earth to see how they deal with situations. Our behavior on earth provides a teaching ground for those in spirit.” (Betty Bethards)
“From the vantage point of the spirit world, there is no problem or disharmony on earth that will not be corrected.” (Margaret Tweddell)
“Near-death experiencers sometimes are aware of seeing the entirety of the earth’s evolution and history, from the beginning to the end of time.” (Dr. Kenneth Ring)
During Dannion Brinkley’s NDE, he watched his wife and friend try to revive his dead body. He could see their auras and the aura of a large plant nearby. While this was happening, Dannion noticed an unusual phenomenon. Before his wife and friend would say something to each other, their auras would first join together. At the same time, Dannion noticed that the plant’s aura would also join with them. It was as if the plant was connecting with their thoughts. Ever since this experience, Dannion viewed plants differently. (Dannion Brinkley)
“One level of hell exists right here on earth where the souls of extreme drug addicts, alcoholics and sexual deviants attempt to satisfy their desires by haunting living drug addicts, alcoholics and sexual deviants. However, it is impossible for such earthbound souls to satisfy their cravings which were developed on earth and which grew well beyond the physical. Earthbound souls remain around the earth until they learn to accept the greater power around them and let go of the earth and its desires.” (Dr. George Ritchie)
11. Earth as the animal planet
“The human race originated on earth when souls, longing to feel the beauty of the seas, the winds, the forest, the flowers, mixed with them and expressed themselves through them. Souls then mingled with and possessed the bodies of a particular species of ape-man. This eventually resulted in souls becoming entangled in flesh; thus, the human race was born.” (Edgar Cayce)
“Animals have a group soul and they reincarnate in groups. A deer is pretty much going to be a deer forever.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“Animals have dwelling places in the spiritual world.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
“Animals that became extinct on earth live in the astral realms.” (Jerry Gross)
Animals can be found in the Void of the NDE. (Sharon Wood)
“Instead of a Being of Light, some people are initially greeted by an animal(s) during their NDE. Most often it is a beloved pet. But there are many non-pets that are initial greeters, such as horses, lions, or even chickens. These animals come as guides or to deliver a message.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
Jan Price had an NDE and was initially greeted by her beloved dog, Maggi, who died about a month before. Jan discovered she could communicate telepathically with Maggi and feel her love. Maggi appeared as she did in life only younger and more vital. Maggie taught Jan how to create forms out of energy by pressing with the mind. Maggi then led Jan to where she lived which was mostly patterned by the homes she used to live in with Jan. Maggi held these images in her mind, pressed, and created a beautiful place of residence. Without spoken words they shared memories and deep feelings. (Jan Price)
“Children who had an NDE sometimes describe an animal heaven they must visit before they can go to the heaven where people are.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“Children who have an NDE are often met by a being who judges their progress concerning their mission. If a tribunal is present, it is not unusual for the judges to be animals rather than people.” (P.M.H. Atwater)
“All animals on earth help teach humans what is important in life. If a person has no love or respect for animals, they have no respect or love for God.” (Beth Hammond)
“Those who abuse animals are likely to reincarnate into a situation where they are abused to make them realize the misery they caused them.” (Arthur Yensen)
“When merging with the light during an NDE, it feels like your body explodes in a pleasant way into millions of different atoms that can think its own thoughts and have its own feelings. All at once you feel like a boy, a girl, a dog, a cat, a fish, then an old man, an old woman, and then a little tiny baby.” (Randy Gehling)
“There is only one truly significant work to do on earth, and that is love; to love nature, to love people, to love animals, to love creation itself, just because it is.” (George Rodonaia)
12. Earth and its future
See this article: The Future and the Near-Death Experience.
