First of all, I believe that "near death experiences" are real and that our souls actually leave our bodies and travel to heaven or a higher plain during the moments that our earthly bodies cease to function properly and are temporarily considered to be dead. I don’t discredit the claims of those that have had "near death experiences" at all and believe that what they report actually happened. I also believe that prior to our births, the manner and day of our deaths is predetermined. Which brings me to the conclusion that a "near death experience" is something that gives us a glimpse of the after-life but does not give us a the complete picture of what happens during the final death of our earthly bodies.

It is comforting to think that in death, our souls will be instantly whisked away to heaven, but if this is the case, then why do we find ghost of children? The Bible teaches us that children are special in the eyes of God and if anyone were to be whisked to heaven, I believe that children would be at the top of that list. The concept of children ghosts has bothered me based upon my religious teachings and has caused me to think long and hard about this subject.

So this is what I personally believe concerning "near death experiences" and what I believe we can expect at the time of our actual death:

· I believe that as we are given free will and choices in life, we are also given free will and choices in death.

· I believe that the light of Christ is visible when we die and that we must make a conscientious choice to enter that light. The Bible states that absence from the body is presence with the Lord. If the light is there, then this statement of the Bible still holds true in this theory. I believe that the light is a doorway to Christ's kingdom that we must enter upon our own free will.

· I don't believe that we have a choice of when we die, only of when we enter the light.

· When we speak of earthbound ghosts as having unfinished business, perhaps this is a conscious decision to remain earthbound by that soul and not one designated by God. For example, a murder victim may choose to remain until his/her murderer is caught or to comfort their family during the grieving process. Many religions (including mine) teach that once a soul enters into heaven it cannot return. Perhaps this is why they stay around, trying to finish up what’s been left undone before they enter into the eternal light or they are not ready to leave their loved ones. I strongly believe that a soul can return as a spirit to visit their loved ones after death but for those that believe differently, this may delay their decision to enter the light.

· I believe that "near death experiences" occur in order to deliver messages about the assurance of life after death to the living or to cause one to change their life for the better.

· I believe that during a "near death experience" one is whisked up and shown what they are meant to see and returned back to their bodies as soon as possible. I believe it happens this way because the angels don't have time for us to mull around thinking about when to enter the light. Since it is not our designated time to die, they must hurry about the task and return the soul to the body before any physical or permanent damage is done to the earthly body. I think that decision is made before the "near death" occurs.

· I believe that those who are fully prepared and know they are going to die will enter the light more quickly than those that die suddenly without prior warning. Those that are expecting death are usually seeking relief and have finished their business and have said their good-byes.

Most earthbound souls claim to be afraid to enter the light because they fear judgment. They claim they can see a light but have chosen not to enter it. Many of these souls claim to be Christians, believing in God and Jesus Christ. Do they remain because they weren’t whisked away and their perception of what happens after death was not what they expected, causing them to question their final destiny and fear the light? They may choose to stay earthbound because they know they are not in hell and earth seems to be a better alternative than chancing a judgment of eternal damnation. Or do they remain because they simply aren't ready to leave and believe that entering the light will mean a final separation? We have also encountered ghosts who say they cannot see a light. Are these the souls that are actually destined to hell with the choice of entering the light removed?

Perhaps the message intended in "near death experiences" is not a message that we should expect to be whisked away instantly, but instead a message designed to take away our fears of the light so that we will enter of our own free will. This theory seems to make the most sense to me and may help explain why we find children ghosts.

We will not actually ever know the entire experience of a final earthly death until that time comes for us. I think "near death experiences" give us a peek of what to expect but we should not limit our expectations to what actually happens based upon these experiences. We have to keep in mind that these people were chosen to deliver a message and did not experience the finality of death itself, they only received a glimpse of the after life. The angels did not have time to allow them to make choices because they had to accomplish a task within a time frame that would still allow the re-entry of the soul back into the body.

As I stated in the beginning, this is just my own personal theory. It's one that makes the most sense to me. It is a theory that seems to embrace all the reasons that would cause some souls to remain earthbound and others to make the crossing with ease. I think we must look at the whole picture when trying to determine what happens to us after death and not limit the possibilities.

Brenda Marble

Co-Founder Millers Paranormal Research

This article is copyrighted - © Miller's Paranormal Research 2001