War exists everywhere in nature. The world is a literal combat zone where the survival of the fittest is law. Viruses invade our bodies and antibodies kill them. We are constantly at war against insects destroying our crops and invade our homes. Because we, as humans, are at the top of the food chain, we slaughter all kinds of plants and animals for food and clothes. Law enforcement is fighting a war against crime and drugs. The federal government declared war on poverty and illiteracy. At times, our country declares war against other countries which threaten our national interests. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural catastrophes unmercifully kills multitudes of people and destroys billions of dollars worth of property. Some day in the future, the world will be in danger of being destroyed by a killer asteroid or comet. Ultimately, the whole universe might end the same way it began – with a violent explosion of unimaginable destruction. This article deals with the problem of “evil” viewed through the prism of NDE research.
1. Introduction
In New York City, terrorists flew airplanes into the Twin Towers and killed thousands of innocent people in the name of religion. What should our response be to this? Should we love our enemies – the terrorists – and pray for them in the hope that more of them don’t do it again? Or should we kill them all to prevent them from ever killing our children? In the light of the NDE and unconditional love, should we kill our enemies or should we love them? This is not an easy question for us to answer. Fortunately, we can find some answers by analyzing history, nature, and science in light of the NDE. For sure, what the terrorists did to their victims, they did to themselves and to God. In the West, this dilemma is called the “Problem of Evil“. Why do evil things happen to good people? In the East, it’s the same problem framed differently: the “Problem of Suffering.” Why do good people suffer bad things. This article will attempt to solve these problems.
2. God’s big bomb
NDE testimonies describe an incredibly violent act by God resulted in the creation of the universe and all the acts of violence that followed. An infinitely massive explosion unleashed by God led to unimaginable chaos, destruction and fireballs of incredible proportions. After eons of time, the chaos began to subside and harmony began – the heavenly bodies were born.
“I saw that the Big Bang is only one of an infinite number of Big Bangs creating Universes endlessly and simultaneously. The only images that even come close in human terms would be those created by supercomputers using fractal geometry equations.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
3. The war for the survival of the fittest
From the very beginning, the survival of the fittest became the struggle for life through domination, submission, killing, and being killed. The evolution of all living things came about through war and aggression. The fight or flight mechanism within animals and humans is a critical component of evolution. Animals and humans kill plants and animals for survival. This is not a moral decision, but a matter of life and death. According to Edgar Cayce, a man who had many out-of-body sojourns, revealed how the human body descended from apes, the human mind was created with the stars, and the human spirit existed before the universe began as the Biblical “fallen angels” who became “imprisoned” in bodies of flesh when the “Sons of God” mated with the “daughters of men” as mentioned in Genesis 6:1-3:
A way became available for souls to enter the earth and experience it as part of their evolutionary – reincarnation cycle. Of the physical forms already existing on earth, a species of anthropoid ape most nearly approached the necessary pattern. Souls descended on these apes – hovering above and about them rather than inhabiting them – and influenced them to move toward a different goal from the simple one they had been pursuing. They came down out of the trees, built fires, made tools, lived in communities, and began to communicate with each other. Eventually they lost their animal look, shed bodily hair, and took on refinements of manner and habit. The evolution of the human body occurred partly through the soul’s influence on the endocrine glands until the ape-man was a three-dimensional objectification of the soul that hovered above it. Then the soul fully descended into the body and earth had a new inhabitant: the homo sapien. (Edgar Cayce)
4. Natural born killers
Evolution and reincarnation has put humans at the top of the food chain. Humans succeeded in conquering the animal kingdom and ruling the planet through violence and killing. Science is beginning to understand how humans are genetically natural born killers. Medical researchers have discovered how people born with dysfunctional frontal cortexes of the brain are highly prone to be serial killers. In our courts of law, criminal defense attorneys have used the criminal defense of “my brain made me kill.” FBI profilers know young, white men are more prone to be serial killers. NDE testimonies show how people chose their disabilities and many other aspects of life before they are born. For example, the Greek philosopher Plato, in his account of the near-death experience of a soldier named Er, wrote how Er observed the reincarnation process where souls must decide their destiny or “fate” before incarnating:
“One of these fates casts before the crowd to be reincarnated a number of earthly destinies from which they may choose to be, for example, a tyrant, an animal, an artist, or, as Odysseus carefully chose, an ordinary citizen who minds his own business.” (Plato)
5. The planet of the apes
The history of humanity is the history of warfare. Modern civilization is the product of a tremendous number of devastating wars and man’s inhumanity to man. History teaches us how humanity in general learns little from history. However, NDE testimonies show how some people are learning from history by traveling back into time during their life review to experience the entire history of the world. Perhaps the reason such near-death experiencers journey through history is to teach us the lessons of history. There is no doubt that many great spiritual insights are being learned from NDEs. One such time traveler was George Rodonaia:
“I went back and lived in the minds of Jesus and his disciples. I heard their conversations, experienced eating, passing wine, smells, tastes – yet I had no body. I was pure consciousness. If I didn’t understand what was happening, an explanation would come. But no teacher spoke. I explored the Roman Empire, Babylon, the times of Noah and Abraham. Any era you can name, I went there.” (George Rodonaia)
6. Holy war? Smart bombs? Friendly fire? Military intelligence?
In modern times, humans became capable of completely destroying the world and everyone in it with weapons of mass destruction. NDE experiencers reveal how war exists, not only in the physical realm, but in the spirit realm as well in the form of hell. The inner nature of man responsible for committing atrocities against others becomes manifested in spirit realms.
“I had always thought of hell, when I thought of it at all, as a fiery place somewhere beneath the earth where evil people like Hitler would burn forever. But what if one level of hell existed right here on the surface – unseen and unsuspected by the living people occupying the same space.” (Dr. George Ritchie)
7. The war against death
Today, doctors are beginning to win the war against death. Modern medical technology can now be used by doctors to literally bring people back from death. From this war against death comes the NDE which has yielded much spiritual insights.
During her NDE, Laura experienced a heated battle between the doctors who were trying to save her and the angels who were trying to bring her over to spirit. During the struggle, an angel finally said, “They’re stronger than we are,” and she was sucked back into her body. (Laura)
8. Learning from war
While it is true that love is always the best teacher, war can also result in divine revelations for the learning and soul growth of humanity. Near-death insights reveal how our greatest mistakes can be our greatest teachers.
The oldest near-death account ever recorded in western civilization was the result of war. Plato described the NDE of a soldier who was killed in battle and who came back to life on his funeral pyre. Er was told he must be a messenger to humanity to tell them of the other world. (Plato)
Lynn saw soldiers who died during the Vietnam War hiding in the near-death tunnel. They were afraid to come into the light or who were disoriented about where they were. Lynn was told there was no need to worry about them because a guide would eventually help them along. (Lynn)
Ned Dougherty once lived an unspiritual and hedonistic life. While trying to murder his business partner, Ned had a heart attack and an NDE. He saw the light of God and felt God’s embrace and love – a love greater than any love he had ever known. Spiritual beings began cheering him and conveying their loving encouragement and support. They cheered: “You are doing wonderfully. We are here to support you. Continue to do good work, and we will help you. You are part of us, and we are part of you. We stand ready to come to your aid when you need us, and you will. Call us. Beckon us. We will flock to you when the time comes!” Ned was confused by all the attention because there wasn’t anything wonderful about the way he had conducted his life. He thought, “How can I be doing wonderfully? I almost killed someone tonight. Could I be justified in what I tried to do?” Ned’s deceased friend appears and says, “You were spiritually rescued from a negative event that was taking place in your life.” (Ned Dougherty)
After a man’s son was murdered, it angered him so much he decided to kill the person responsible. One day, the spirit of his son appeared to him and said, “No hatred, no anger, Dad,” and he repeated it, “No hatred, no anger.” This amazing spiritual experience changed his heart so much he no longer felt the anger and hatred. He even began to feel sorry for the man who murdered his son because he will have to live every waking minute of his life knowing he is a murderer. (Bill Guggenheim)
During the Apostle Paul‘s NDE, he witnessed the judgment and punishment of a soul who murdered three people. Paul saw angels whipping the murderer. The soul wonders what sin he has committed. The “gatekeeper” brings forth three of his murder victims. The soul was then cast down to the world to be reincarnated. (Apocalypse of Paul)
A woman consulted Edgar Cayce on a critical health matter. She was about to undergo a very risky surgery and came to Cayce to get a reading from him on whether or not she should have the surgery done. Cayce went into a self-induced trance allowing him to have an out-of-body NDE to read the woman’s “Book of Life” record in heaven. Upon returning to his body, Cayce advised the woman to have the surgery and that it would be a complete success. He explained the surgeons who were to perform the surgery were once Inquisitors in a past life who tortured and killed her because of her religious beliefs. By going ahead with the surgery, she would be allowing the surgeons to pay a karmic debt they owed her. Because of this advice, the woman underwent the surgery. It was successful just as Cayce foretold. (Edgar Cayce)
9. The armies of heaven
Some near-death testimonies describe the unseen spiritual warfare occurring all around us and the warring angels involved. These angels are often described as extensions of God’s desire to bring peace to the world.
“God is in the process of recruiting an army in which God will shake the world. Working through his soldiers, God will produce great miracles that will shake the established hierarchy of organized religion.” (Rev. Howard Pittman)
“The archangels Michael and Gabriel are two gigantic, magnificent and mighty beings dressed in brilliant garb. Michael’s role is to choose souls to be soldiers for God. Gabriel teaches souls the ways of the soldier for God.” (Lou Famoso)
According to the archangel Michael, God’s army of angels is visiting us with a life force of energy, a spiritual energy radiated by the Creator to all humankind. (Ned Dougherty)
“I was told that the war between darkness and light upon the earth has grown so intense that if we are not continually seeking light, the darkness will consume us and we will be lost. I was not told when it would happen, but I understood that the earth is being prepared for the second coming of Christ.” (Angie Fenimore)
“Souls preparing themselves for birth are like battle-hardened veterans girding themselves for combat.” (Dr. Michael Newton)
During her NDE, Kerry Kirk witnessed a battle between a Being of Light and a force of darkness during which the dark force was defeated. (Kerry Kirk)
“Everything in the spirit realm is controlled by the all-pervading vibration of God. This divine vibration controls all thoughts by destroying negative thoughts and allowing only good thoughts of love and happiness.” (Arthur Yensen)
10. No pain, no gain.
Near-death testimonies reveal how God’s love for us is not a passive love that would sit by and watch humanity destroy the world and themselves. The evidence shows that although God does not want people to kill each other, but God permits it for a higher purpose. Such evidence shows God’s love can be a tough love.
“God does not wish to see us suffer. Our adversities are of our own creation. Just as a parent punishes a child in order to correct it, so the laws of God prove immovable when we try to resist them. The more we struggle to resist, the more hopelessly do we entangle ourselves at the mental or physical or material or emotional level, and sometimes on all four levels simultaneously.” (Edgar Cayce)
“God’s overriding desire is to purify the darkness of our souls, irrespective of the suffering it puts us through to achieve that end. If we learn to accept our situations in life, instead of fighting it, then our suffering is greatly minimized.” (Daniel Rosenblit)
“All the suffering in our lives is actually for our own good. Out of the most tragic of circumstances springs human growth.” (Angie Fenimore)
Howard Storm was given the following insights from beings of light after his life review when he was fearful of returning to 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 are 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)
“Our suffering is not a cross from God for us to bear. It is a challenge to help us grow and stay compassionate.” (Lynn)
“Life is supposed to be hard. We can’t skip over the hard parts. We must earn what we receive.” (Angie Fenimore)
“An acceptance of suffering as a needed lesson can bring instantaneous healing.” (Edgar Cayce)
The Bible is very clear how human suffering is necessary to attain spiritual perfection in this world and in hell.
The scriptures show God giving us suffering in order to create character and perseverance, and to cause us to rely more on him and not in our own strength (or weakness). Suffering should never be viewed as a curse from God, but rather a blessing in disguise. The same should be viewed of the suffering in hell. It is God’s will for us to suffer in this world and in hell in order to bring about spiritual perfection. The following scriptures prove it:
Bible: “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author [Jesus] of their salvation perfect through suffering.” (Hebrews 2:10)
Bible: “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him [the Messiah] and cause him to suffer.” (Isaiah 53:10)
Bible: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” (Philippians 1:29)
Bible: “For this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
Bible: “To keep from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,’ for my power is made perfect in weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
Bible: “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” (Romans 5:3)
Bible: “Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (James 5:10-11)
Bible: “As he [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life.'” (John 9:1-3)
Bible: “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation, if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort… But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:5, 9)
Bible: “These (sufferings) have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor…” (1 Peter 1:7)
Bible: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted … Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-4; 10)
We can conclude from the verses above that the reason for suffering in this world is for purposes of purification and education. It is a small step to attribute the same reasons to the sufferings in hell. Using this attribution, it is easy to conclude that universal salvation is the goal and the reason for the suffering in hell and in this world.
It should be noted at this point that the concept of purgatory did not originate with the early Church. It came directly from Jewish sources as discussed in the Torah, the Talmud and other Jewish texts. In these texts, hell is called “Gehinnom” (in Yiddish, “Gehenna“) and it is a place of intense punishment and cleansing. This place is also known as “Sheol” and other names. Gehennom takes its name from the Valley of Hennom, where pagans once sacrificed children.
One line of Jewish thought argues that after death the soul has to be purified before it can go on the rest of its journey. The amount of time needed for purification depends on how the soul dealt with life. One Jewish tradition mentions a soul needing a maximum of 11 months for purification, which is why, when a parent dies, the kaddish (memorial prayer) is recited for 11 months.
From all that has been presented thus far from the Bible, from NDEs, from extra-Biblical references, from Jewish tradition, from early Christian tradition, and from common sense, one can conclude the following: God has a plan to save everyone in hell and eventually everyone will go to heaven. Can man continue forever to defy his Creator? Common sense tells us the answer is “no.” Common sense tells us a God of infinite in love and mercy would be willing and able to save those in hell. Any other view is dishonoring to God.
11. The meek will inherit the earth?
Jesus said the meek will inherit the Earth (Matthew 5:5). The question arises concerning the identity of the meek and the identity of the strong? Are the so-called strong actually weak? Are the so-called weak actually strong? Near-death insights reveal how people who appear to be very physically weak are often very spiritually strong and how these people chose to assume their physical weaknesses before they were born for the purpose of advancing the spiritual growth of themselves and others.
“There are many divine rewards from struggling and overcoming a handicap from birth.” (Mary Ellen)
“The mentally retarded are special people who know much more than they are able to express. They are actually more spiritually advanced and come to earth to teach the rest of us.” (Sandra Rogers)
“Life is a cycle leading humanity toward perfection. Most people have this secret revealed to them when they die, but handicapped children often know this and endure their problems without complaining because they know that their burdens will pass. Some of these children have even been given the challenge of teaching the rest of us how to love.” (Dr. Frank Oski)
“Hardships are necessary for the growth of our soul.” (Sandra Rogers)
Some people have an NDE because of losing a battle against a fatal disease. During their NDE, while they are out-of-body, a Being of Light has miraculously destroyed the fatal disease that destroyed their body. They return to their body and return cured. This shows God actually does destroy diseases in NDEs – possibly as a testimony of the supremacy of the spirit over the body. (Anecdotal evidence of NDE healings)
A firefighter lost a battle against a fire he was fighting. During his NDE, he was told if he chose to return, he would miraculously not suffer the ill affects from the fire. He was told this would happen so that: “God’s power over the elements would be made manifest.” (John Hernandez)
Sarah Powell was beaten to death by an intruder in her home resulting in an NDE. In heaven, she was told by her guardian angel that she was brought to heaven to rest and gain the courage and energy to go on and finish her mission. (Sarah Powell)
12. Give me liberty or give me death
The evidence from NDE testimonies show how free will is one of God’s greatest gifts given to humanity. This means we are free to war and kill each other at will. Although God’s gift has led us to war and murder, free will is the only vehicle which permits us to truly love God and others. A robot with no free will can only do what it is programmed to do and has no choice to do otherwise. It is clear God does not want robots to love. Perhaps divine love is something which cannot programmed and can only be attained through trial and error. Perhaps this explains all the injustices existing in the world.
“War exists in the world because humans come here and make free choices to learn and evolve. Unfortunately, this creates a mess and war is a part of that mess. But the same free choice principle is instrumental in cleaning it up.” (David Oakford)
“All the misery that happens in this world is our fault. God gave us the tools to live by including free will. It is our free will that is responsible for war and hatred.” (Berkley Carter Mills)
“Some scientific discoveries were divine gifts that humanity perverted to use for war.” (Howard Storm)
“Humanity’s general inability to believe that life is everlasting is responsible for millions of people being killed by war. Human life has been held very cheaply. But humans are progressing up the spiral of evolution to a place where we know that there is no problem, no pain, no ill, no disharmony in the entire universe that will eventually not be made into harmony.” (Margaret Tweddell)
13. The perfect love of Adolf Hitler
It’s hard to comprehend how one man can have such a horrible impact on the world. But Adolf Hitler was responsible for unleashing a global war and Holocaust never before witnessed in history. We think of Hitler as the personification of evil, the devil incarnate, a monster of hideous proportions, and we assume he is now burning in hell for eternity. We believe we are incapable of doing what Hitler did and we’re mystified how anyone could do such things. For these reasons, we practically deny his humanity and demonize him. But this is one of the characteristics that makes Hitler so horrifying – he was a human being. He certainly knew love. He obviously loved his mother. Millions of Germans loved him. But the question concerning Hitler’s Holocaust is not, “Where was God?” but “Where was man?” So we cannot blame God for such actions, even though NDE testimonies reveal all human beings are a part of God:
These NDE testimonies reveal how every human being is a part of God with the “spark” of divinity within:
“Within every human being is perfect love. That is our core – this love, this perfection, this God-ness.” (Jayne Smith)
“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)
“We must stop trying to become God because God is becoming us.. We are the human part of God.. God is expanding through us.. God is exploring Self through us in an infinite Dance of Life by every way imaginable, in an ongoing exploration through every one of us, through every piece of hair on our head, through every leaf on every tree, through every atom.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“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. When we do not have it, or when we have lost it, we grieve. Its presence or absence colors our every action. It is life. It is happiness. It is salvation itself.” (Betty Eadie)
Try to imagine what Hitler’s life review must have been like. In the light of complete love and understanding, Hitler would suddenly realize his higher nature to be perfect love. He would then become every victim of his atrocities and feel all their spiritual pain. He would see perfectly how all his thoughts and actions had a profound impact on the world, indeed, the entire universe. He would see all his monumental errors, and learned monumental lessons from his life review. One might even wonder if Hitler learned more from his life review than any other human being. We can only speculate how horrible the negative aspects of his life review must have been. It may have been too unbearable for one man to endure. He may not have withstood the negative side of his life review before seeing the positive side of his life review.
14. The perfect teacher Adolf Hitler
From big mistakes come big lessons; and it is clear that Hitler made very big mistakes leading to big lessons – not just for himself – but for all of humanity. It should be clear to us how God permitted Hitler to make these mistakes for the purpose of instructing humanity. Near-death testimonies reveal how God loves everyone unconditionally including Hitler. So we too must love Hitler unconditionally although not what he has done. We know God’s infinite mercy extends even to him and that someday Hitler will join the choir in heaven just like the rest of us.
The following NDE testimonies reveal God allows big mistakes to occur for the sake of learning big lessons:
“Everyone goes to the same place. This includes Billy Graham, Hitler, and Jeffery Dahmer.” (Mac Wright)
“Mistakes are an acceptable part of being human. We are to make all the mistakes we want. It is how we learn.” (Howard Storm)
“There really is no sin as it is known in the world. The only thing that has any meaning in the spirit world is what we think. The very core of our being is perfect love and light.” (Jayne Smith)
“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)
“I’m sure that I asked the question that had been plaguing me since childhood about the sufferings of my (Jewish) people. I do remember this: There was a reason for everything that happened, no matter how awful it appeared in the physical realm. And within myself, as I was given the answer, my own awakening mind now responded in the same manner: ‘Of course,’ I would think, ‘I already know that. How could I ever have forgotten!'” (Beverly Brodsky)
From these NDE insights, we should conclude that Hitler was not an “evil” man per se; any more than an insane man is who kills and eats a child. This is because evil does not exist — only spiritual ignorance exists. There should be no doubt that Hitler was very spiritually ignorant. He was so spiritually ignorant, we might even consider him uniquely “challenged” spiritually. It’s possible Hitler’s spiritual deficit was the result of a dysfunctional frontal cortex of his brain. Who is to say? Viewing Hitler as severely handicapped (who but “by the grace of God goes us”) makes it easier to love him unconditionally. How can we blame someone with a severe disability? It is much easier to sympathize with them.
15. The perfect lessons From Adolf Hitler
Assuming Hitler was able to enter into the Light immediately after his death, and assuming he was able to endure the tremendous negative impact of his life review and not flee into darkness because of it, he would have seen whatever positive impact he may have had on the world. A person’s life review reveals both the positive and negative impacts of a person’s life from God’s perspective. The positive impact resulting from Hitler’s atrocities would certainly include lessons which God gives to humanity for the purpose of “higher” instruction. Perhaps just one example of a positive impact from Hitler’s atrocities is how, never before in history, have so many people turned to heaven at the same time.
Hitler was probably unaware of how his homicidal actions would ultimately result in having an opposite effect of uniting the world toward a new heightened level of spiritual awareness. His atrocities have taught humanity in a very fierce way how such things must never be allowed to happen again. The world now has enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth and thus far, another world war has not happened. A higher reality of “mutually assured destruction” has helped prevent a nuclear world war. Mutually assured destruction is similar to the principle of karma and “eye for an eye”: should any county be dumb enough to launch nuclear weapons, the result would only be their own destruction. In fact, World War II resulted in the creation of the United Nations. The following are other lessons to be drawn:
“Hitler was the catalyst that led to the development of the atom bomb, another factor that brought a new level of spiritual awareness to humanity. We now have the ability to destroy the planet many times over and everyone in it. This helped bring humanity together to prevent this from happening. The full extent of the horror of war is now realized. One act of aggression can now result in the complete oblivion of earth. Ironically, the atom bomb is actually contributing to the deterrence of complete oblivion.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
“Hitler gave humanity a yardstick for which to measure the extent of the need for people to change for the better. The spiritual darkness that Hitler unleashed into the world greatly increased the need for spiritual light. Unbridled bigotry, hatred, and spiritual ignorance on such a massive scale are greater threats to the world than ever known before. Spiritual ignorance now has the power to bring humanity to the very brink of extinction.” (Kevin Williams)
“The legacy of Hitler demonstrates the folly of appeasing murderous dictators. It is too costly to allow them to threaten the world with impunity. Their murderous intent must be nipped in the bud early on before it takes a devastating world war to stop it. As stated earlier, God does not desire war but God will allow it to happen for the purpose of instruction leading to perfection.” (Kevin Williams)
“Hitler’s attempt to rule the world ultimately led to a shift in the balance of the world’s power. Colonialism dissolved all around the world and people began to be free to govern themselves. America became the Arsenal of Democracy to counter the threat of political oppression that breeds dictators such as Hitler. The legacy of Hitler and World War II is ultimately resulting in the victory of democracy all over the world.” (Kevin Williams)
“The NDE principle of how our greatest mistakes become our greatest lessons can certainly be applied to Hitler. Hitler and Nazism was such a colossal mistake that it resulted in a colossal lesson. A similar situation on the other side of the spectrum can be made concerning Jesus. The colossal mistake of executing Jesus led to an even greater good – the proliferation of his teachings.” (Kevin Williams)
“Humanity is designed to self-correct itself.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
16. Apocalypse now
Near-death experiencers are given glimpses of the future. They see into a future as it would exist if current trends and probabilities continue. Near-death testimonies reveal the earth to be a single organism for which every human being is a part. We are not only God’s human awareness, we are the earth’s human awareness. Our wars and transgressions not only cause us to suffer; but they also cause the earth to suffer as well.
“The earth has terrible wounds on her body. She is gasping for breath and calling out to God and to her children to stop the killing and hatefulness. The world is dying and praying for all of us to help her to heal and regenerate.” (Dr. Liz Dale’s research)
“Humans have fallen away from living in balance with nature. Great damage will be inflicted on the earth before this harmonic balance is finally restored.” (David Oakford)
“Humans are out of harmony with the world and all its creatures, including our own brothers and sisters, with whom we are constantly at war.” (Norman Paulsen)
“Humanity is in the final moments before Jesus returns. The earth is being prepared for this event. The war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness are growing so intense on earth that humanity is in danger of being consumed by the forces of darkness.” (Angie Fenimore)
“He who understands nature walks close with God.” (Edgar Cayce)
17. The enemy within
Near-death testimonies reveal how everyone has within them a divine nature and an animal nature which wars against each other. At a higher divine level of consciousness (spirit), everyone is connected and there is no separation between things. This “Universal Consciousness” connecting us all is what people refer to as “God.” But our lower animal nature tends to believe in a delusion that somehow we are separate from other people and God and that we are not connected. This creates a spiritual struggle within us between our lower nature and our higher nature. (Edgar Cayce)
The Biblical “war in heaven” between God and “the devil” is a symbolic religious description of this real spiritual struggle within all humans between our lower animal nature and our higher spirit nature. Our higher self – our spirit – is one with (or “a part of” but also “is”) the “Universal Consciousness” which people think of as “God.” The lower self is symbolized as “the beast within” which Jesus taught to put to death by “taking up our cross” and following him in practicing unconditional love through self-sacrifice, self-deprecation, and self-denial in devotion to others. By “crucifying the flesh,” we allow our higher selves to manifest itself more and our lower unevolved animal nature to recede. The nature of the beast within humanity is manifested as self-gratification, self-indulgence, self-centeredness, selfishness, self-consciousness, self-importance, self-righteousness, self-delusion, self-condemnation, self, self, SELF (the “ego,” the “false god,” “Satan“) This spiritual condition of a “conscious self” deluding itself into thinking it is separate from the “Conscious Whole” is what the Bible symbolically refers to as the “fall” of spirit in man at the “Garden of Eden” – or the “fall” of one third of the “angels” from heaven (both Biblical analogies refer to the same spiritual event). (Edgar Cayce)
This struggle between our animal nature and our divine nature ultimately created a gulf in our consciousness which must be overcome. Self is the greatest enemy you will ever have to face. This desire for self constantly wars against our higher self – the Whole. The collective human desire for self and materialism (symbolically described in the Bible as “Babylon”) is the source of every war and atrocity committed by human beings. Only the painful processes of “crucifying self” and the “purification” of the earth will restore everything to its original glory. For humans to fully evolve from their animal nature and overcome self, it is not enough to merely believe in these things or know about them. It must be experienced and put into practice. The higher self – the spirit – must be brought into conscious awareness. (Edgar Cayce)
It is not enough to merely focus on the cross of Jesus and the divinity within him. Jesus taught people to “take up their own crosses” and follow his example and way. A person whose higher self has overcome his lower self will then become spiritually “awakened” and a spiritual “resurrection” will take place. The person will then begin to manifest the human-divine unity that Jesus, Buddha, and other avatars did. Once our spirit “comes alive” in our conscious mind through the spiritual practice of unconditional love for others, we become liberated from the cycle of evolution and rebirth. This process of spiritual awakening within an individual and within humanity at large is described in the Book of Revelation in dream symbols – the language of the soul. The liberation of humanity is when the “devil” (the delusion of separation and self-will) is then “cast into the abyss” (self-will is suppressed from consciousness by the divine will). The result will be “heaven on earth” (divine awareness within humanity). So, in conclusion, this describes in a nutshell the entire story of human evolution. It is the story of the struggle of the human spirit in overcoming the animal flesh. It is the Bible story, from Genesis to Revelation, concerning the fall and rise of the human spirit. It is paradise lost and paradise found again. The rest of the Bible is mostly commentary. (Edgar Cayce)
“The struggle between our higher and lower selves grows until finally the destructive elements are completely overcome.” (Betty Bethards)
“Humans are educated at a higher level by spirit beings who bring us into heaven. We grow and increase, and grow and increase, and shed the concerns, desires, and base animal stuff that we have been fighting much of our life. Bodily appetites melt away. It is no longer a struggle to fight them. We become who we truly are, which is part of the divine.” (Howard Storm)
“God’s love looks at all of us throughout the eyes of eternity. God’s overriding desire is to purify the darkness of our souls, irrespective of the suffering God has to put us through to achieve that end. However, it will greatly minimize our suffering if we learn to accept instead of fighting against our situation in life. (Daniel Rosenblit)
“Jesus knew he had to die on the cross to fulfill his mission. His mission was to demonstrate to humanity how to practice unconditional love through self-sacrifice in devotion to others and by overcoming self so that our divine nature can be manifested.” (Edgar Cayce)
18. War is hell
Since war is so prevalent in this world, it should be no surprise that there exists a spirit realm where the human desire to kill can be fully expressed. At death, a person’s inner nature is expressed outwardly in the spirit realm. People take their inner hellish natures with them after death. The result is what people refer to as “hell”.
“Hell is a great battlefield where thoughts are not private and where hordes of angry souls are locked in fights to the death where no death is possible. They are locked into destructive habits of mind, emotion, hatred, lust, addictions, and thought-patterns which cannot be satisfied. Angry souls have been observed arguing over some religious point and trying to kill those who do not agree with them.” (Dr. George Ritchie)
“Hell is a psychological condition which represents the hellish inner thoughts and desires within some souls. Here they become uninhibited and their hellish condition is fully manifested. No demons are there to inflict punishment. Each soul acts out their own anger and hatred by warring and tormenting others.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
“Hell is a state where a wild orgy of frenzied taunting, screaming and fighting occurs. These souls are completely ignorant of any higher spiritual realities. They are a mob driven by unbridled cruelty and passions.” (Howard Storm)
“Murderers in hell do not see a devil. Instead they see visions of their own face distorted by hatred, greed, anger, and other defeating emotions. Souls such as these will stay in torment for a long, long time, until they believe themselves to be totally lost. At this point, they may at last cry out to God to rescue them. This wail of despair is heard by God and they are rescued. They are then given opportunities to make amends through the process of reincarnation.” (Ruth Montgomery)
19. Farewell to arms
Although the world has a long history of war and murder, near-death accounts reveal that someday all war will end and heaven will be established on earth. This will happen when humanity learns its lessons, renounces war, and changes for the better.
“There will be no nuclear war in the world because God loves the world.” (Howard Storm)
“If humanity changes for the better, a horrible world war will be averted.” (Dannion Brinkley)
“Out of all the wars that humans tried to create, God allowed only a few, to bring people to their senses and to stop them.” (Howard Storm)
“If people turn more to spirituality and less to materiality, these wars will not happen.” (Ned Dougherty)
“God is going to rescind some of humanity’s free will in favor of more divine control over human events in order to bring peace and harmony to the world.” (Howard Storm)
“Man will prey on man until man will pray for man.” (Lou Famoso)
