War exists everywhere in nature. The world is a literal combat zone where survival of the fittest is law. Viruses invade our bodies and antibodies kill them. We are constantly at war against insects that destroy 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 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.

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 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.

God's Big Bomb

  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.

The War of 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.

Natural Born Killers

  Evolution and reincarnation put humans at the top of the food chain of command. Humans succeeded in conquering the animal kingdom and ruling the planet through violence and killing. Science is beginning to understand that humans are genetically natural born killers. Medical researchers discovered that 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 that white men are more prone to be serial killers.

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 man that man learns little from history. However, some people are learning from history by traveling back into time during their NDEs to experience the entire history of the world. Perhaps the reason experiencers journey through history is to teach humanity the lessons of history.

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. Experiencers reveal that war not only exists in the physical realm, but in the spirit realm as well. The inner nature of man that is responsible for committing atrocities against others becomes manifested in spirit realms.

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.

Learning From War

  While it is true that love is always the best teacher, even war can result in divine revelations for the learning and soul growth of humanity in general. Near-death insights reveal that 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 that 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 that 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 a 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 that 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 that 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 that 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 she wanted to know whether or not to have it done. Cayce induced himself into having a NDE using hypnosis in order to read the woman's life record in heaven. Afterward, he advised the woman to have the surgery because it would be a success. He explained that 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)

The Armies of Heaven

Some near-death accounts 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)

  Kerry 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)

No Pain.  No Gain.

Near-death accounts reveal that God's love for us is not a passive love that would sit by and watch humans destroy the world and everyone in it. The evidence suggests that although God does not want people to kill each other, God permits it for the purpose of instruction. Such evidence suggests that God's love is 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 Earth life and afraid he would make mistakes again: Mistakes are an acceptable part of being human. We are here to make all the mistakes we want because it is through our mistakes that we learn. As long as we try to do what we know to be right, we will be on the right path. If we make a mistake, we should fully recognize it as a mistake, then put it behind us and simply try not to make the same mistake again. The important thing is to try our best, keep our standards of goodness and truth, and not compromise them to win people's approval. God loves us just the way we are, mistakes and all. When we make a mistake, we should ask for forgiveness. After that, it would be an insult if we don't accept that we are forgiven. We shouldn't continue going around with a sense of guilt, and we should try not to repeat our mistakes. We should learn from our mistakes. God wants us to do what we want to do. That means making choices - and there isn't necessarily any right choice. There 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. (Rev. 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 Meek Will Conquer the World?

Jesus taught that the meek will inherit the Earth. 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 suggests that people who appear to be very physically weak are often very spiritually strong and these people chose to assume this physical weakness 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 a NDE because of losing a battle against a fatal disease. During their NDE, a Being of Light miraculously destroys the disease in their body. They are then returned to their body and returned to life. This suggests that God 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 that if he chose to return, he would miraculously not suffer the ill affects from the fire. He was told that this will happen so that: "God's power over the elements would be made manifest." (Jake)

  Sarah was beaten to death by an intruder in her home which resulted in a NDE. In heaven, she was told by her guardian that she was brought to heaven to rest and gain the courage and energy to go on and finish her mission. (Sarah Powell)

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

The NDE evidence suggests that 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 lead 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 that God does not want robots to love. Perhaps divine love is something that cannot programmed and can only be attained through trial and error. Perhaps this explains all the injustices that exist 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.(Carter Mills)

  Some scientific discoveries were divine gifts that humanity perverted to use for war. (Rev. 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)

The Perfect Love of Adolf Hitler

Its hard to comprehend how one man can have such a horrible influence on the world. Adolf Hitler was responsible for unleashing a global war that was never before known in history. We think of Hitler as the personification of evil and we believe he is now somewhere burning in hell for eternity. We believe we are incapable of doing the things that he did. It horrifies us that any human being could do these things. We practically deny his humanity in order to demonize him. But this is one of the things that makes Hitler so horrifying - he was human.

  Try to imagine what Hitler's life review must have been like. In the light of complete understanding, he would suddenly realize his true nature as perfect love. He would then become every victim of his atrocities and feel all their pain. He would see perfectly how all his thoughts and actions had an impact on the entire universe. Although he made such monumental mistakes, he probably learned monumental lessons from his life review. One might even wonder if Hitler learned more from a life review than anyone else. We can only speculate how horrible the negative aspect of his life review must have been. It may even be too unbearable for one man to take. (Kevin Williams)

The Perfect Teacher Adolf Hitler

From big mistakes come big lessons. It is clear that Hitler made very big mistakes which led to big lessons not only for himself, but for humanity. It should be clear to us that God permitted Hitler to make these mistakes for the purpose of instructing humanity. Near-death accounts reveal that God loves everyone unconditionally and this includes Hitler. So, we too must love everyone unconditionally, including Hitler. We know that God's infinite mercy extends to him and someday Hitler will join the choir in heaven just like the rest of us.

  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)

  Everyone goes to the same place. This includes Billy Graham, Hitler, and Jeffery Dahmer. (Mac Wright)

  Mistakes are an acceptable part of beinghuman. We are to make all the mistakes we want.It is how we learn. (Rev. Howard Storm)

  There really is no sin as it is known in the world. The only thing that has any meaning in the spirit worldis 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)

  From these NDE insights, we should conclude that Hitler was not an evil man because evil does not exist - only ignorance exists. Hitler was very spiritually ignorant. He was so spiritually ignorant that we might even consider him spiritually retarded. It is even possible that this spiritual retardation was the result of a dysfunctional frontal cortex of the brain. Who is to say? Thinking of Hitler as a mentally handicapped person (who but by the grace of God goes us) makes it a little easier to love him unconditionally. How can we hate retarded people? It is much easier to sympathize with them. (Kevin Williams)

The Perfect Lessons From Adolf Hitler

Assuming that Hitler was able to stand up through the negative aspect of his life review and assuming he did not condemn himself to hell because of it, he would have seen the tremendously positive influences he had on the world. These positive influences are positive lessons that God gives to humanity for the purpose of instruction and perfection.

  Hitler brought the world together, all of a sudden, to a new level of spiritual awareness. War, such as that started by Hitler, must never be allowed to happen again. For over the last fifty years and going strong, such a war has not happened. This increased level of spiritual awareness concerning the utter horror that spiritual ignorance can bring, helped make the idea of the oneness of humanity realized such as the creation of the United Nations. (Kevin Williams)

  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).

Apocalypse Now

Near-death experiencers are given glimpses of the future. They see the future as it would exist if current trends continue. Near-death accounts reveal that the Earth as a single organism for which we are all a part. We are the Earth's human awareness. Our wars and transgressions not only cause us to suffer but causes 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)

  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)

The Enemy Within 

Near-death accounts reveal that everyone has within them a divine nature and an animal nature that 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" that connects 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.

  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. Earthly appetites melt away. It is no longer a struggle to fight them. We become who we truly are, which is part of the divine. (Rev. 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)

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 like a great battlefield that is jammed with hordes of angry souls who are locked in fights to the death where no death is possible. They are locked into habits of mind and emotion, into hatred, lust, destructive thought-patterns that cannot be satisfied. Souls can even be found arguing over some religious point, 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. (Rev. 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)

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. (Rev. 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. (Rev. 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. (Rev. Howard Storm)

  Man will prey on man until man will pray for man. (Lou Famoso)