Living Well - Jan - Feb 2017

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 1 7
3 1
Near-Death Experiences
Bring People Into New
Way of Being
Perceptions, behaviors,
lives are changed
by Charles Sebastian, Staff Writer
The subject of near-death
experiences (NDEs) has long
fascinated the public. It has made
its way into many books and movies.
These occurrences vary, from
the classic “I saw a bright light”
to “My life flashed before me” to
“I had a visitation from a family
member who passed on.” Are these
simply light-and-shadow plays of
the mind or actual experiences
on some level yet unknown to us?
Whether NDEs could one day be
proven real or not is irrelevant to
the fact that they can turn people’s
lives around and drastically change
their behaviors and perceptions.
Dr. Jim Roach, who helms
The Midway Center for Integrative
Health in Midway, has heard
numerous NDE accounts over his
many years in practice. He is the
author of the spiritual near-death
book, “God’s House Calls,” in
which he cites 45 patients who had
spiritual NDEs.
“One [patient], an alcoholic,
had a negative near-death experience,”
Roach said. “He didn’t share
details, but it shook him up. The
next two years he did everything
he could to make amends, then
had a blissful near-death experience.
Maybe it matters if we are
making the world a better place.”
Because of the different experiences
in the near-death category,
not only is there the “was it real
or only in my imagination” effect,
but the truth of some experiences
seems more or less plausible than
that of others.
“Maybe Einstein had it right: E
= mc2,” Roach said. “We look at
each other and see solid mass; in
reality, we are just an energy field.
Almost every week I encounter
someone who has been out
of body. Famous psychiatrist
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, author of
‘Death and Dying’ and many other
books, interviewed 2,000 people
with NDEs, including blind people
who, while their doctor did CPR,
from up above could see every
detail and describe every color.”
While NDEs vary in form,
fashion and delivery, they all have
the common thread of taking the
subject out of his or her comfort
zone and somehow showing the
person something new. The experiences
bring the person into a new
way of being and dealing with the
world.
“[I have] hundreds [of patients]
with premonitions, intuitions, outof-body
experiences or [who have]
heard voices or seen visions with
positive, transformative messages,”
Roach said. “Half of my serene,
upbeat female patients have had
these experiences; they are incredibly
common but so personal they
are rarely shared.”
Until the day comes when we
can somehow prove these experiences
are real in the minds and
bodies of those who report them,
we continue to wonder about their
place in the human drama. Even if
one day NDEs are proved, tested
and accepted, naysayers would still
be naysaying. What is important
is the undeniable role NDEs play
in the human experience and how
they have shaped lives, nations and
the world.
For more information about
Roach and The Midway Center
for Integrative Health, visit www.
themidwaycenter.com.
There’s no place like Home!
Personal Care
Respite Care
Light Housekeeping
Errands / Transportation
Medication Reminders
Meal Preparation
Companionship
ALLIANCE
Medical Home Care 3716 Willow Ridge Rd. Lexington KY 859-296-9525