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1. Introduction to the Void
Many near-death experiences (NDEs) involve the experiencer entering a realm commonly known in the NDE literature as “the Void.” This article discusses the nature of this realm to give the reader a good understanding of its purpose and how to deal with it after death. The general consensus among near-death testimonies is that the Void 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.
For some experiencers, the Void is a beautiful and heavenly realm because, in the absence of all else, they are able to perfectly see the love and light within themselves. For other experiencers, the Void is a terrifying, confusing, horrible hell because, in the absence of everything, they are temporarily unable to see the love and light within themselves. For this reason, the Void also acts as a heavenly “Time Out” where the experiencer is forced to look within themselves. There is no judgment in the Void except the possibility of self-condemnation – a harsher form of self-understanding. The Void has also been understood as a process of “ego death” where the “mask” of the personality is dissolved to allow the individuality of the soul to be experienced in relation to the Whole that is God. For these reasons and more, this article may be the most important article you may read on this website.
2. Summary of Insights Concerning the Void
Some NDErs travel very quickly through the Void by means of the tunnel and on to higher realms. Other NDErs, particularly those who have developed a strong attraction for some earthly desire, may instead enter a lower realm called the earthbound realm in a vain attempt to re-enter Earth. But many NDErs, as you will see, enter the Void immediately after death. From there, they may then enter the tunnel toward the light in the next heavenly realm. Other NDErs remain in the Void for one reason or another until they are ready to leave it.
For some souls, the time spent in the Void may feel like only a moment. For others, it may seem like eternity. This is because the nature of the Void is for contemplation. Once the soul is ready, the light appears and the tunnel takes them into higher realms. For souls who either refuse the light or have spent a lifetime ignoring the light within themselves, it may take what seems like an “eternity” before they are ready to move on. The problem for some souls is they prefer darkness rather than the light for one reason or another. For some of these souls, their only hope is reincarnation. This is because it is not possible for any soul to be confined in the earthbound and Void realms forever. God is infinitely merciful and would never abandon anyone to their own spiritual agony for too long; however, God allows souls to remain there only as long as it suits their spiritual growth.
The Void is not punishment. It is the perfect place for all souls to see themselves and to purge themselves from all illusions. For those souls who are too self-absorbed in their own misery to see the light, there are a multitude of Beings of Light nearby to help them when they freely chose to seek them. The nature of love and light is such that it cannot be forced upon people who don’t want it. Choosing love and light over darkness is the key to being freed from the Void. The moment the choice is made, the light and tunnel appears and the soul is drawn into higher realms.
3. The Nature of the Void
As mentioned earlier, nothing exists in the Void except your own thought and emotional patterns. Within this dark emptiness, ego is stripped away.
The following is P.M.H. Atwater‘s explanation of the nature of the Void:
“My dining room below was slowly but surely merging into another kind of space coming down from a source past my ceiling. These two spaces or dimensions of space were merging into each other, but I was not moving. I did not change position in any way. I was where I was, but the world around me was changing and shifting and becoming something else. My dining room faded from sight as this new space became more visible and more real. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. It encompassed me. The new space was both totally bright and totally dark at the same time yet without shape, form, sound, color, mass, or movement. It was aglow but there was no light source. It was dark but there was no darkness. Somehow within this strange environment was the presence of all shapes, all forms, all sound, all color, all mass, and all movement. Everything that ever was, is, or will be was there, yet there was nothing there at all. It was everything and it was nothing, yet within it was a feeling, a pulse, a sensation of energy “winking” off and on — a sparkling potential which “shimmered,” just as Jell-O does before it responds to touch. I called it “The Void” for lack of a better term or idea. It was comfortable enough, so within its crammed nothingness I proceeded with my experiments (At this point, Atwater experiments in the Void by creating images, such as a house, with her mind. She is then visited by deceased relatives and Jesus. Afterward, she finds herself back in the Void). I was now alone in this non-place and there was nothing. For the first time I looked upon myself to see what possible form or shape I might have, and to my surprise and joy I had no shape or form at all. I was naught but a sparkle of pure consciousness, the tiniest, most minuscule spark of light imaginable. And that is all I was. I was content that way, without ego or identity, pure, whole, and uncomplicated. Within that nothingness I had become, I simply existed, ecstatic in perfect bliss and peace, like perfection itself and perfect love. Everywhere around me were sparkles like myself, billions and trillions of them, winking and blinking like on / off lights, pulsating from some unknown source. I would have existed in that state of bliss forever had an irritation not made itself known, like an old sore deep within me; then energy waves burst forth from that deep old sore, and with them came the life of Phyllis, playing itself out from birth to death. (At this point, Atwater experiences a life review) (P.M.H. Atwater)
The rest of this section will focus on important characteristics of the Void such as:
(a) There is no love there.
(b) There is no light there.
(c) Beings of light are nearby to help tormented souls.
(d) Religious references to the Void.
(e) Profound examples of people who experienced the Void.
4. Love Does Not Exist in 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 and because of this, the only way to leave the Void and enter the higher realms is by choosing love. The moment love is desired, the light appears as if summoned. Most near-death accounts describe very brief encounters with the Void, if any at all. It is probably true that most people choose love over darkness, much like most people choose to remain out of prison. God does not force anyone out of the Void. The way to heaven must be earned through cultivating and bearing the fruits of love and light. This is the key to getting out of the Void and into heaven. The following near-death accounts describe the loveless nature of the Void.
While in the second heaven (the Void) Howard Pittman felt an overwhelming oppressive feeling and wondered what was causing it. He was told that it is because there is no love there. (Rev. Howard Pittman)
“In the Void, your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts.” (Robert Monroe)
An interesting thing that Mellen-Thomas Benedict learned while in the Void was that God was not there. God is here on Earth. That’s what it is all about. Humanity‘s constant search for God outside of this world doesn’t need to happen. Everything is here. We are God’s exploration of God through us. People are so busy trying to become God that they ought to realize that we are already God and God is becoming us. That’s what it is really about. (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
5. Light Does Not Exist in the Void
Light and love is God. Because of this, God’s influence in the Void is limited because darkness rules in the Void. In the same manner, the influence of darkness (spiritual ignorance) on Earth is limited because light rules on Earth. And light cannot be forced upon people. But once light/love is chosen by the soul, the soul’s stay in the Void is ended. The problem is that many souls have not realized divine love and light within themselves while on Earth. This makes it difficult to leave the Void.
The following description of the second stage after death by Emanuel Swedenborg is a remarkable description of the Void:
“Immediately following death, there is a period of self-discovery in which the social masks worn on Earth dissolve away and the true self is revealed. Each soul then shapes their own situation to correspond with their real inner nature. The second stage after death is where people learn the inward things that belong to their mind and their true selves. Everyone is directed into this stage after death because it is the actual state of the spirit. If a soul was inwardly involved in goodness while in the physical world, they will behave rationally and wisely at this stage. If a soul was inwardly involved in evil while in the physical world, they will behave senselessly and crazily. Once their outward matters are taken away from them, their madness is unveiled. People who are thinking about divine matters while they are active on Earth are in touch with angels of heaven. It is a life of love, a life of behaving honestly and fairly in every task, that leads to a heavenly life. This life is not hard.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
The following is a description of the Void from the revelations of Edgar Cayce who referred to the Void as outer darkness – a term that can be found in the Bible.
After death, we may enter a region that is Void of love, life, and light, Void of everything. For some, this region is approximately their wish come true. Here they are truly alone with themselves. For some souls, this is a pain that is unbearable. In the absence of truth, love, gentleness, and kindness, some souls fill the Void with an irrational and unbelievable amount of pain and fear. It is so dark in the realm of outer darkness that the darkness hurts and panic grips them without knowing why. There are various degrees of darkness to this realm, and it is darker and denser at the center than at its outer fringes. The closer we are to the outer edges, the more interaction there is with others in the realm. The closer to the center, the darker and more painful is the solitude. Those who find themselves in outer darkness cannot travel across this dimension. They must grow through the levels of this realm. After death, one may find themselves in a particular degree of darkness that most closely corresponds to the degree of the absence of love in one’s life. Outer darkness is not a punishment. It is a region which operates lawfully for the benefit of those who are there. This region is not a realm which was created for any soul to experience, but one which came about as a consequence of the negative activity of souls in creation. So great has been the desire for self, so monumental across time and space has been the selfishness of some of God’s creatures, that this realm is the creation or manifestation of their own collective activities. Outer darkness and the reality with which it is associated were created and are held in place by collective self-interest. (Edgar Cayce)
The following are more NDEs involving the lightless Void.
“I found myself in an open expanse of darkness. Oddly, it surrounded me and even odder was I could seemingly see 360 degrees without turning my head. I just knew it was endless… As I peered over my toes, there was no end below. Nor was there an end to the lip or the darkness around me. It was a Void.” (Robert T.)
“I have been bothered by the Void since I went there, when I was 25, while I was extremely sick. Nothing I read about the Void made any sense other than expressing how it feels. This is my experience. In the Void, there isn’t any light. It is completely dark but you know while you are there that you are being held by a very loving (seemed like) hand of the creator. There was also a great many souls in there; each of them suspended and silent, although I felt we could communicate if we wanted but we choose not to. It is a very peaceful place. No other place that I’ve ever been has been that calming. I was sent away from the Void, not by anyone, but because I began to hear a sound. The sound grew to become my name and I knew should I listen to the voice calling my name; I would have to return to my body. I did not want to do this and fought it with all my might.” (Lisa B.)
“I found myself in a Void; I can only describe it as an endless plain of nothingness as if space without the stars or planets. I had no physical body and saw through something other than a set of eyes…. I was immediately bombarded with information that came to me from all directions, through multiple dimensions (as so it seemed). The information rushed at me like the last stages of some type of completion. It was perfecting the harmony in which I was part of now. It was as if my being had become a vacuum, opening up, allowing everything that ever was, or was to ever be, inside. Within what seemed to be a blink of an eye, the information retention was over.” (Burke)
“Everything had gone blank. I then had a feeling of absolutely, positively, waking up, very quickly and sufficiently. I had the sensation of normalcy; I had all my five senses, and they were extremely acute. All pain and pressure was gone. I felt I could see very clearly, but the problem was I saw nothing but absolute, total blackness. In this capacity, though, I was looking at absolute nothingness or darkness but my eyes were not straining. I had the desire to look around inquisitively. What is this place? Where am I? Well, again instantaneously, this darkness took the shape of a tunnel.” Sawyer’s NDE began with one of the hallmark characteristics of NDEs: awakening in a state of heightened consciousness while separated from his physical body. Rather than experiencing confusion or diminished awareness, he described possessing extraordinarily vivid perception despite existing within complete darkness. This paradox – seeing perfectly while surrounded by absolute blackness – is frequently reported in NDE literature and suggests that consciousness during an NDE is experienced independently of ordinary physical vision. The darkness of the Void soon transformed into a vast tunnel through which he moved effortlessly toward an indescribably brilliant light. (Thomas Sawyer)
6. Beings of Light Near the Void
Near-death accounts involve the experiencer observing Beings of Light near the Void ready to help, or helping, souls in the Void. Souls in the Void are unaware that Beings of Light are all around them, until they decide they need God’s help.
“I was pulled out of my body and instantly into a black Void. My spirit body was floating in the darkness and it was a lonely place… For a long time I was alone in this darkness. Then a speck of light became visible in the distance… The light came to me in a zigzag, erratic pattern and at great speed. It was at that moment that I realized the light was a Being. The Being of light was pure white and about 8 to 9 feet tall. I had a peaceful, loving feeling being in this Being’s beautiful presence. I believe that Being was an angel.” (Katrina)
“In the Void, I was very alert to what was happening there… The beings were in the Void with me. I do not know them from this life but seemed to have known them forever. It was like a best friends/teacher reunion.” (Sandra H.)
Asher Elmekiess was in a place where darkness was everywhere. Yet there were sparkles all around like little stars. It was a place of so much love, peace and joy. Asher did not want to move or come back from there. (Asher Elmekiess)
“There are souls called the shining ones who dedicate themselves to going into this dark realm and bringing spiritual light. The souls who are dedicated to this work of rehabilitation are clothed in protective garments so that they are not harmed or pierced by the dagger-like thoughts of hatred which those in the dark realms are throwing out. The shining ones are not allowed to go and talk to these people, but they stand nearby and call to them through thought – prayer, if you like. The moment the souls in this dark area respond in a positive way, the ones who have come to help are able to bring them out into a less dense, foggy world and eventually out into the realm of light.” (Margaret Tweddell)
7. Metaphysical Traditions and the Void
The Void is known by many religious traditions by many different names. Some of them are: purgatory, hell, outer darkness, prison, Gehennom, Sheol, pit, abyss, an-nar, and Preta-Loka. The following is a brief description of some of these traditions.
Hell and the Void
“A 1992 study found three different types of distressing NDEs (Greyson, B.; Bush, N. (1992). Distressing near-death experiences. Psychiatry, 55, 95-110.). These three types of distressing NDEs could be classified as (1) typical NDEs that were interpreted by the NDEr as frightening, (2) NDEs with a sense of nonexistence or a frightening Void, and (3) NDEs with graphic hellish imagery. Most NDErs encountering a Void often feel a sense of pleasantness or connection, and find the experience pleasant. However, some NDErs encounter a Void that they find frightening. The Void may be experienced as empty, unconnected, and unpleasant.” (Dr. Jeffrey Long)
“I was in hell. The realization swept over me like an ocean wave, unstoppable though I tried desperately to dismiss it. Hell! I didn’t even believe in hell! And here I was? This was it? I had only the briefest moment to react to the thought when a deep, comfortable voice echoed through the tunnel. ‘Have no fear, my son,’ the voice said with a certain resounding nobility, ‘for I am with you. I have chosen you to write about the experiences you will go through.’ It was too unreal. I had never been given to believe in ‘missions from God’ and the like anyway. And yet here was a voice that I knew was God‘s telling me I had been selected for this nightmare! But if this is God, why is God here, in this darkness? Again, the voice responded to my unspoken doubts: ‘You’ll first experience hell,’ God said evenly, with a tone of complete control, ‘to prove to you the reality of evil. You’ve only believed that there was goodness. You must see for yourself that hell is real. And then you can tell others about the awful reality of hell, and about the beautiful glory of heaven.'” (Don Brubaker)
Ego Death and the Void
According to Wikipedia, ego death is a “complete loss of subjective self-identity“. The term is used in various intertwined contexts, with related meanings. The 19th-century philosopher and psychologist William James uses the synonymous term “self-surrender”, and Jungian psychology uses the synonymous term psychic death, referring to a fundamental transformation of the psyche. In death and rebirth mythology, ego death is a phase of self-surrender and transition, as described later by Joseph Campbell in his research on the mythology of the Hero’s Journey. The following NDEs involve ego death while in the Void.
“I found myself in a black Void completely at peace. I had no self-awareness, no memory of who I was but I somehow knew that I was separate from the Void. I cannot describe the feeling of completely peace: no pain, no worries, no sense of self, it was fantastic… At the time, I really would have preferred to stay in the Void.” (Bonnie W.)
“I experienced something more real than Earth, Heaven or Hell, and something beyond any religion. ‘Anna’ ceased to exist. I experienced the Void that is the Mind of the Infinite Creator; the Void from which the Light was created. I then experienced the Light that is the eternal Love of the Infinite Creator. The Mind of God is devastating. The Light of God is pure bliss. We are both. We are pure loving awareness. Anything else is a distortion. I was the Void. Imagine floating alone in pitch black empty space, for all eternity, no stars, no body, just pure consciousness, never ceasing to exist in the infinitely vast eternal solitude that you are.” (Anna E.)
“A kind of darkness came over me and I experienced a grayish dark Void of infinite nothingness. I had no fear at this point. I had no concept of time or relationships to time or of moments passing. It was a very unusual feeling to say the least, not what we normally experience in the everyday reality of our lives. I felt myself becoming more and more aware, self-aware. I had feelings of expanding awareness, becoming everything known, experiencing everything yet to be known. As this was happening, everything I had been taught, everything I believed in, everything I ever learned or thought throughout the course of my lifetime, fell away from me as if they never held meaning in the first place. This felt okay to me, I had no fear.” (Curtis K.)
“I found myself in a black, silent Void. I strained to see any light but there was none. There was no sound, no touch, no smell, nothing. I felt totally alone with just my thoughts. I remember thinking ‘So this is what it’s like to be dead!’ I felt that I was still me, but not who I was in life. But rather the core essence of who I really am without any ego identity. After a short time, I began to feel so lonely that I began to call out. ‘Is anybody there? Please help me!’ I then began to pray to God, ‘Hello! God! Jesus! Please help me!’ Almost immediately, I began to sense that I was now moving through the black Void instead of just hanging in place there.” (Kenneth N.)
“Immediately following death, there is a period of self-discovery in which the social masks worn on Earth dissolve away and the true self is revealed. Each soul then shapes their own situation to correspond with their real inner nature.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)
Meditation and the Void
“I then felt myself being pulled up out of my body and out of the hospital into this vast Void that was both dark and light. It was silent and still, strange but peaceful. Then I felt myself yanked down and I was back in my body with two nurses looking over me… Since that day I have had a heightened awareness of things and during deep meditation I can go back to that Void I experienced but stay in my body.” (Jen C.)
“[During deep meditation] I lost all sense of individualness and only after attempting to regain a sense of myself did I realize that I had lost individual consciousness … It was as if my consciousness turned off a gravitational force that somehow maintained selfness, allowing my mind to slip into an infinite vacuum much like the difference between a contained planetary atmosphere and infinite, airless outer space. I assume this is what the Eastern seekers mean by entering the Void.” (John Van Auken)
“[During deep meditation] I immediately found myself in a beautiful place, right next to the Light and Presence of God, where we are all living traces of His movement, yet still Him in essence. We are ourselves, yet also Him. I could feel it! All unique, but still Him. We all were open both to God and to connecting with each other, and there was nothing else except this! This was prior to inner and outer worlds, prior to space and time, prior to existence itself! This is the place where there are no limits, where peace is not yet disturbed, where surrender is natural, and where our life is wholly our relatedness to each other and to God.” (Stuart Dean)
The Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Void
The Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead teaches that once awareness is freed from the body, it creates its own reality as one would experience in a dream. The Clear Light of the Ultimate Reality appears and the deceased must embrace this supreme experience not in a selfish and egoistic way but rather with love and compassion for everyone. The deceased must then realize that his own self is one with this light in order to attain Nirvana. If the deceased responds with fear, it is still not liberated and will descend into the second phase [the Void] where peaceful deities appear. If liberation is not attained at this time, then the peaceful deities turn into wrathful deities. It is important in this realm to recognize the Void-ness of all these beings as a projection of their own mind. (Tibetan Buddhism)
The Bible and the Void
The writers of the New Testament referred to the Void more than they did heaven. Here is just one of these references:
Bible: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:19-21)
8. A Profound Experience of the Void
There are many very interesting near-death accounts that involve an extended experience in the Void. From such accounts, much information concerning the Void can be gleaned. The following profound NDE with the Void is the best I have come across.
Mellen-Thomas Benedict’s Void Experience
“At this point of my NDE, I found myself in a profound stillness, beyond all silence. I could see or perceive FOREVER, beyond Infinity. I was in the Void.
“I was in pre-creation, before the Big Bang. I had crossed over the beginning of time / the First Word / the First vibration. I was in the Eye of Creation. I felt as if I was touching the Face of God. It was not a religious feeling. Simply, I was at one with Absolute Life and Consciousness. When I say that I could see or perceive forever, I mean that I could experience all of creation generating itself. It was without beginning and without end. That’s a mind-expanding thought, isn’t it? Scientists perceive the Big Bang as a single event that created the Universe. I saw during my life after death experience 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 super computers using fractal geometry equations.
“The ancients knew of this. They said God had periodically created new Universes by breathing out, and recreated other Universes by breathing in. These epochs were called Yugas. Modern science called this the Big Bang. I was in absolute, pure consciousness. I could see or perceive all the Big Bangs or Yugas creating and recreating themselves. Instantly I entered into them all simultaneously. I saw that each and every little piece of creation has the power to create. It is very difficult to try to explain this. I am still speechless about this.
“It took me years after I returned from my NDE to assimilate any words at all for the Void experience. I can tell you this now: the Void is less than nothing, yet more than everything that is! The Void is absolute zero; chaos forming all possibilities. It is Absolute Consciousness; much more than even Universal Intelligence. The Void is the vacuum or nothingness between all physical manifestations. The SPACE between atoms and their components. Modern science has begun to study this space between everything. They call it Zero point. Whenever they try to measure it, their instruments go off the scale, or to infinity, so to speak. They have no way, as of yet, to measure infinity accurately. There is more of the zero space in your own body and the Universe than anything else!
“What mystics call the Void is not a void. It is so full of energy, a different kind of energy that has created everything that we are. Everything since the Big Bang is vibration, from the first Word, which is the first vibration. The biblical “I am” really has a question mark after it. “I am — What am I?” So creation is God exploring God’s Self through every way imaginable, in an ongoing, infinite exploration through every one of us. I began to see during my NDE that everything that is, is the Self, literally, your Self, my Self. Everything is the great Self. That is why God knows even when a leaf falls. That is possible because wherever you are is the center of the universe. Wherever any atom is, that is the center of the universe. There is God in that, and God in the Void.
“As I was exploring the Void during my life after death experience and all the Yugas or creations, I was completely out of time and space as we know it. In this expanded state, I discovered that creation is about Absolute Pure Consciousness, or God, coming into the Experience of Life as we know it. The Void itself is devoid of experience. It is pre life, before the first vibration. Godhead is about more than Life and Death. Therefore there is even more than Life and Death to experience in the Universe!
“When I realized this I was finished with the Void, and wanted to return to this creation, or Yuga. It just seemed like the natural thing to do. Then I suddenly came back through the second light, or the Big Bang, hearing several more velvet booms.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
9. The Reasons For the Existence of the Void
a. Self-Reflection
Examining your inner spiritual nature is an important part of soul growth and there is no better place to do this than in the Void. Those who have learned to ignore their inner spiritual nature have the most difficulty in the Void because they have the most to learn. This is why it is important to examine your inner spirituality on Earth before you get to the Void. In fact, that is one of the important reasons why we come to Earth in the first place.
“Then, I entered into a spiritual realm. It was a dark Void and carried the most pain I ever felt in my natural life. It can really only be explained as a ‘dark Void’; no relief but a constant yearning. At that moment, I saw my life flash before me. Instead of seeing what I’d consider to be major good events, I only saw what later became known to me as my sin; the bad things I had done and the burdens that I carried. It seemed like hours had passed as I was in this Void.” (Ana R.)
“The next thing I know I am in a black Void. Completely conscious and more aware than I have ever been. I was not in my body. I was in a Void. It was completely black and I had never felt so alone. There was no floor, walls, or light of any kind. It felt like I was falling but without wind or any other senses. I reflected on my life but in a way without any images in my mind. It was self-reflection with a sort of inner dialog with myself. I have never felt so alone or disconnected.” (Carl S.)
“Then I knew I was somewhere else. It was frightening and I didn’t understand. I was in a Void, no sensation whatsoever and though it scared me, it also felt safe. No cold, no heat, no sound, no beginning and no end. I knew it. Yet how I could know that scared me more… I think I thought I was condemned and maybe hell was being locked in this Void for all eternity. No matter how I tried, there was nothing. I became anxious and then maybe resigned a little but then I saw a tiny light… I peered in and saw a movie, for lack of a better description, playing across with the Void above, below, and behind and it came from nowhere and disappeared into nowhere. It was life, on this Earth, and I knew these people yet had forgotten them or hadn’t previously known of their connections to me and my life.” (Ally D.)
“I suddenly awoke in a dark Void, composed of the purest and richest color of black, which was accompanied by the most paradoxically deafening silence… The first thought I had upon awaking in this Void was ‘How long have I been here for?’ And I couldn’t answer that question. It felt like I had just gotten there a moment ago, but it also felt like I had been there for thousands of years… So there was this concern I had that I was going to remain there forever with No escape. The stillness of the Void and its silence was overwhelming and gave me the greatest sense of ‘boredom’ imaginable. I wanted some sort of change to happen, like a person to speak to or a bird to fly by, anything but the Void. This problem, along with the hopelessness of being able to leave, left me terrified… The next thing I noticed was that I could sense two angels had been observing me the entire time… They were observing me inwardly in my soul, and they were examining my thoughts and intentions as well as the quality of my soul itself. I was scared of this examination because I was afraid that I would be ‘found out’ or exposed for being of poor quality.” (Random H.)
“I turned to my right and found myself in utter blackness… I wondered what to do next. I wanted to make sure that this really was the Void. I went to the left and then to the right. Then I went up farther, but everywhere I went I was just there. There was no way to reference where I was. I could only see darkness in 360 degrees… I started to think of everything I knew about the Void and that it was all things potentially, but nothing materially. As I thought that, the view exploded around me with little windows in 360 degrees into infinity. I was overwhelmed.” (Daphne B.)
Lynnclaire Dennis entered a vacuum, a sacred space that was exceedingly real and where her grief disappeared. The love within her saved her from oblivion. (Lynnclaire Dennis)
“All you may know of heaven or hell is within your own self.” (Edgar Cayce)
b. Decision-Making
The ultimate purpose of the Void is for us to look perfectly within ourselves. If a person looks deep enough within themselves, they will find the light that can bring them from the darkness. The problem is that many people choose not to do this for one reason or another. The following near-death accounts involve making decisions in the Void.
“I was in a total black, lightless, and noiseless Void. Somehow, I was given a choice. I don’t know who or what gave me the choice, it was more like I just knew it to be a choice. If I chose to go to the right, I knew there was peace and serenity. I could feel it. On the left was my life, which was like a road of broken glass. I thought of my wife and made the decision that I wasn’t ready to go to the right yet. As soon as I thought of my family, I felt a physical jolt, that was a very physical sensation…. The jolt, I instantly knew, was the touch of God.” (James M.)
“I was in an endless black Void or space. There was nothing to see. Even though it was totally black, it wasn’t dark. In other words, if there had been something to see, I would have been able to see it. It was just very empty. I remember thinking, ‘This is weird,’ but I wasn’t afraid. Instead, I was completely relaxed and pain free. I felt filled with love and peace, as if I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I also noticed that my thoughts were extremely clear, very unlike my usual self. I wasn’t floating long before I noticed a field of stars below me. They formed a sort of curtain that divided where I was from somewhere else. I knew I would be able to go to them if I just thought about doing it, but right after I had that thought, a male voice spoke to me in my head. He told me that if I went past the stars I wouldn’t be able to come back.” (Jennifer B.)
“Suddenly I was floating in this black Void, totally conscious of myself and my identity. I was curious, but not afraid. There was nothing to see, just blackness. I had no idea what was going on, but I had the feeling of moving forward and going somewhere. I was extremely excited and happy. As I moved along, the happiness became intense joy. Then it changed. I had reached some sort of barrier and something indicated to me that I had to ‘go back.’ I have not, to this day, ever experienced such bitter disappointment as I felt when I was ‘told’ to return.” (Linda D.)
c. Purification
The suffering that souls experience in the Void serves a purpose for good. Many religious traditions teach that God gives us suffering in order to create character, perseverance, and to cause us to rely more on God and not in our own strength (or weakness). Suffering should never be viewed as a curse from God, but rather a blessing in disguise. It is God’s will for us to suffer in this world and in the Void in order to bring forth goodness. In fact, this is the symbolism behind the crucifixion of Jesus.
“I was in a Void that was total blackness. My mind was working perfectly. I remember thinking that if this was death it really sucked, because I was totally alone, in silence… At some point, I felt a hand in the middle of my back and it seemed to push me forward toward a tiny pinhole of a light. Suddenly, I was being moved at a faster and faster speed towards the light and the closer I got to it the bigger it got… I have kind of figured that the Void was some sort of purgatory, a place I could end up in if I had kept doing drugs or overdosed again.” (Lori C.)
Betty Bethards learned that the Void is a realm of total darkness where we must confront the fears we have built within our own minds. As soon as we are able to meet them directly, to face them, they dissipate. It provides the opportunity for people to confront and move beyond the negativity they have created. Souls do not enter the Void unless they need to experience it for their growth. Hell is a level of consciousness which can be experienced in or out of the body. It is a lonely place where one is not allowed to be in communication with anyone other than one’s own negativity. (Betty Bethards)
The type of NDE that P.M.H. Atwater categorizes as the initial experience, involves elements such as a loving nothingness, the living dark, a friendly voice, or a brief out-of-body episode. Unpleasant or hell-like experiences involve inner cleansing and self-confrontation. (P.M.H. Atwater)
“Upon death, most souls go through a heavenly process before entering into heaven. Some souls, instead of experiencing the tunnel and bright light upon death, find themselves in an abyss of empty, joyless, nothingness for a brief period of time.” (Sylvia Browne)
10. How to Escape From the Void
Escaping from the Void is very easy for some souls and difficult for others. Various near-death accounts provide a wealth of information on how to escape from the Void. Here is a list of them:
a. Love sets you free from the Void.
b. The light sets you free from the Void.
c. Your faith sets you free from the Void.
d. Beings of Light set you free from the Void.
e. Reincarnation sets you free from the Void.
The following information is a more detailed discussion of these ways to escape from the Void:
a. Love Sets You Free From the Void
The Void is a spiritual dimension that exists within us. During our lives, we may fill this Void with many things such as: love, hatred, happiness, sadness, knowledge, ignorance, family, just to name a few. And when we die, we actually step into this spiritual dimension we have filled. Whatever we fill the Void within us with, at death, we enter into it. Perhaps this is one good reason why the most important aspect of our mission in life have to do with love. Realizing, filling and cultivating divine love within our Void and sharing this love with others during our life will create a heavenly paradise that will be manifested in death. The following near-death insights deal with love and its relationship to the Void.
“After death, many people find themselves in the Void. The way out of the Void is simple. You must think of love. Those who you love might show up to tell you to go back to your body or to think of love. To recognize love as a reality is the key to getting out of the Void.” (Brian Krebs)
Lynnclaire Dennis’ love redeemed her from oblivion. We only have to remember to make love real. (Lynnclaire Dennis)
“Ignorance of the need to seek spiritual growth may keep some souls in the Void for a long period of time.” (Nora Spurgin)
“Those in the dark realm can progress, but their progress is limited. The key is love.” (RaNelle Wallace)
“To protect yourself from the unspiritual souls in the darkness, whether on Earth or in the Void, chose to focus on love.” (David Oakford)
Joni Maggi was in a dark outer space and feeling total bliss. It was there she learned that the universe is upheld by love. (Joni Maggi)
“Frightening NDEs represent about fifteen percent of all NDEs we receive. Most frightening NDEs also contain pleasant elements, and the pleasant elements of the NDE are often the majority of the experience. The most common type of frightening NDE we encounter is a ‘Void’ experience, where the NDEr feels emptiness or isolation, which is perceived as frightening. The majority of ‘Void’ NDEs we encounter are actually pleasant, with the NDEr sensing safety, love, and other positive feelings in association with the Void.” (Dr. Jeffrey Long)
“What I remembered was that I had completely merged again with God. It was a Void, darkness, but unconditional love. I was no longer a separate being. I was where I belonged, where I came from. It was perfect. When it was time to return I had to again differentiate from God and become a separate soul again. Yet I was still a part of God. Then I was back on Earth in this physical body.” (Gwen J.)
“I found myself in the black Void. The best way I can explain it, is that I was back in my mother’s womb. It took me a long time to come up with that explanation. Either way, I was incomplete blackness; pure velvet black. I came to the realization that I was in the company of God himself. I couldn’t see him. I couldn’t see myself. I just knew who he was and I could feel everything about him. The amount of love that poured into me was more than my body could handle. I felt like I was a balloon and I was going to blow up at any moment.” (Scott S.)
“I existed in pure awareness, in a peaceful darkness often called ‘the Void.’ I felt bodiless, like pure consciousness. This state seemed to be my fundamental essence before any mind-created manifestations. I describe it as my default condition before the universe existed. It was a place of absolute peace and love, where my ‘soul’ could rest and recharge; comforted as if wrapped in a warm blanket. I was my true self, or higher self. Also present was God, the creator/ source, yet it also felt as though we were one and the same. This sensation is difficult to comprehend or describe. I was in bliss and did not want to leave.” (Jeff F.)
“I remember being in a pitch-black Void, with me glowing softly within it. I felt complete relief, love, warmth, security, acceptance and many other things that I can’t really describe. I was able to surrender to this darkness without fear. Since I don’t have family or children, I had a feeling that it was okay that I stay in that Void forever; everything would have gone on without me just fine.” (Karen H.)
“I faded to black into what I call a Void. It was dark, black, empty and wide open. It was the most peaceful and calm feeling I ever had. I knew with just one thought I could travel through the Void and I was about to shoot myself into it when I heard a voice say, ‘Stop, don’t go, it’s not your time,’ and ‘You still have a job to do.’ When I turned to see who was talking it was my mother, she died when I was 6 months old.” (Justin M.)
“I was in a deep Void of empty space… The moment my heart stopped, the Void became deeper and deeper, until it felt like it expanded forever. I sensed that the darkness was about to part and reveal a marvelous light. Then I felt the presence of my deceased grandfather. I don’t remember everything that was said, but basically it was revealed that I could move on if I wanted to, but once I reached the light I would not be able to return to my body. He did not want my life to end though, because I still had some important lessons to be learned in this lifetime. He said that after I learned what I needed to about love that it would be my time to go.” (Cate)
b. Light Sets You Free From the Void
While some people describe leaving the Void through love, others describe leaving the Void through light. They are both describing the same thing and the same God. One NDEr put it so nicely, “God is the light that loves.”
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. The freedom of total peace was intensified beyond any ecstatic feeling she had ever felt on Earth. In the distance, a glorious white, golden light beckoned her forward. (Laurelynn Martin)
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)
Barbara Springer entered a black space where there existed no light; but she wasn’t frightened at all. The space was totally comfortable. Ahead of her she noticed a bright light. (Barbara Springer)
Darlene Holman approached the blackness. Then see saw a light in the distance with souls around the edge of it. (Darlene Holman)
Hal was in the darkness and could neither see nor feel himself nor anything else. He wondered if the blackness was all there was and if he’d have to make do with his memories and imagination until they ran out. He was absorbed in thought when a faint glimmer of light appeared; but it quickly vanished. He tried to summon the light and another brief burst of light appeared. He wondered if he could attract its attention. The light appeared again and the nearer it came, the brighter it was. In the light, he could dimly see himself. The light grew very bright and he tried to look away. It was so bright that he feared its intensity. He yelled for it to stop and the light replied, “I will not harm you.” (Hal)
“I was pure consciousness. As I looked around, but not through my eyes, I just had vision and consciousness. I saw a black Void endless in depth. I remember just thinking, ‘Humm, okay, big black Void?’ As I was floating in the Void, I turned to see what was pulling me forward slowly. I didn’t feel any force on me just the sensation of being pulled towards something. I looked forward, if you call it forward, and saw a light in the Void.” (Michael AS)
“I was traveling through a great black Void, like outer space, at a tremendous speed. I had no sense of body, just the essence of my being hurling through this velvety Void. In the very far distance, I could see a single speck of light, like a very bright star. There was no other light in this Void. I was speeding towards that light through the deep blackness of this Void. This blackness was enfolding me, comforting me, offering me complete safety as I hurled through it. I knew that the light I was speeding towards contained every good, beautiful and pure thing. I had nothing to fear, I was safe and cared for. The light, although it looked only like a star in the night sky, was beautiful and I knew that was where I belonged and longed to be.” (Mandy C.)
“Then I see what I expect, a point of light in the sky, a star. I lock onto it, and immediately start flying, not through the sky, but through this kind of dark Void… I am hovering in a Void, suspended in midair. I turn towards the ‘star’ or the light again, and the message is clear. I wonder if I’m supposed to turn around, and I get an answer in my head. ‘Yes.'” (Diane K.)
“I found myself in a dark Void. The next thing I noticed was that there was no sense of anything; it was like I was just a naked mind. I missed the feel and sound of a heartbeat, and the familiar feel and sound of a regular breath. There was nothing. There were no sensations at all. That’s when someone called out to me. It was not a sound, it was like a sound but it was more as if I felt it in my mind just like it bypassed my ears and went straight to my brain. He sounded very much like I should know him. What he said was most unusual. I realized I had just died. That is a traumatic occasion. I find myself with no sensation in a black Void, and someone calls out to me. How did I know it was to me? I don’t know, but I knew it was to me. He said, ‘Are you back, already?’ That was when I saw the light.” (David J.)
“I was surrounded by dark nothingness. I wasn’t particularly stressed; rather, I was quite calm and at peace. I don’t remember clearly if I saw anything, but there might have been a type of purple energy standing across from me in the Void…. I don’t know how long I spent floating in the peaceful darkness.” (Natalia Th)
c. Faith Sets You free From the Void
By reflecting on positive thoughts instead of negative thoughts, and feeling the love and light within yourself, you will be able to progress from the Void. The following information demonstrates how faith can set you free.
“I was in a Void-like place, watching a silent but colorful, ‘film-strip’ like, event of past occasions of my life… Next, I was in the presence of who I believe to be Jesus. I did not visually see Him, but knew very clearly that He was present. I was in a Void-like place with Him.” (Annamarie F.)
George Rodonaia was surrounded by a profound darkness which shocked and horrified him. He wondered why he was in darkness and what he was supposed to do. He realized that because he could still think, this meant he still existed. Then he reasoned that since he existed, he should think only positive thoughts. He wondered how to define what is positive in the darkness. When he thought of light, he was instantly in the light. (George Rodonaia)
“As soon as we are able to confront our fears directly, to face them, they dissipate.” (Betty Bethards)
Mrs. Walters tumbled in the blackness and felt frightened because she didn’t know where she was going. She thought, “I have to get back inside my body.” Immediately, she was back inside her body without knowing how. (Mrs. Walters)
d. Beings of Light Set You Free from the Void
Beings of Light are near and ready to help anyone in the Void out of their predicament. All it takes is but a desire or a cry for help, no matter how large or small the desire. Some experiencers, such as Linda Stewart, didn’t belong in the Void at all and were automatically rescued from the Void. The following is a summary of her rescue from the Void.
Linda Stewart was irresistibly draw toward a vast, endless black Void or black hole. Gradually, she felt herself sinking into it. It appeared that she would simply disappear into the dark nothingness. As her new awareness waned, she yielded to the heaviness overtaking her as darkness filled her mind. Her vision became obscured as she began to merge into the blackness. Offering no resistance, she released her hold on any remaining shred of consciousness and personal identity. As she felt the last of herself disappearing into nothingness, she was suddenly buffeted by a powerful, energetic force that swooped beneath and lifted her, carrying her upward. She was barely conscious. Her only awareness was the sensation of rising. Vast distances seemed to fly by her and the higher she rose, the more her head cleared. She felt peaceful and loved immeasurably. She knew that she was in the arms of a Being who cherished her with perfect love. This Being was Jesus and he carried her from the Void into a new reality. (Linda Stewart)
“Higher beings know what to do to help a soul in the Void advance themselves if they so choose to do so.” (David Oakford)
“The next thing I recall is a sensation of floating in a Void in a grey like substance. I experienced incredible peace and the absolute absence of any kind of fear… I felt no discomfort, only peace and Love. I became aware of the ‘now’… I suddenly became aware of ‘People, beings’ if you like who were talking with me and asking me to ‘tell people things’… My last words I said in the ‘Void’ were, ‘I’m not ready to have these eternal conversations just now,’ and I awoke to ‘now’.” (Terry M.)
“I saw only darkness. Absolute darkness, and from a basic knowledge of different cultures, I quickly realized that it was the ‘Void,’ or the ‘abyss.’ As I came to that conclusion, several hooded beings of an ethereal-looking faded sepia color appeared.” (Trevor O.)
e. Reincarnation Sets You Free From the Void
God never abandons anyone to the Void or anywhere. Those who are either unwilling or ignorant about entering the light may have only one choice and that is to return to Earth through reincarnation. Again, this is not punishment; it is a way for such souls to return to the Earth-School for more lessons and learn how to progress.
“For some souls, the only hope out of the Void is through reincarnation.” (Arthur Yensen)
“I was then taken into a tunnel by an individual made of light… Then, I was inside a Void with the mysterious being… I felt more at ease then. I was given a life review while inside the Void… The life review did not last long because I asked the being something that surprised it. ‘Can I plan my next reincarnation?’ I asked. The being said, ‘Usually people wait until their actual death to choose their reincarnation.’ (Niels W.)
11. Conclusion
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