Life after death: Man was 'inside the mind of GOD' in bizarre near-death experience
LIFE after death is real, at least according to a man who claims to have become at one with God during a near-death experience (NDE).
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A man who only introduced himself as Stanley believes he caught a glimpse of the afterlife nearly 50 years ago. Stanley was US soldier stationed in Germany in 1973, during a bitterly cold November when he experienced his NDE. The incident occurred during the 1973 oil crisis and soldiers had a limited amount to burn at night to keep themselves warm.
Instead, Stanley chose to completely wrap himself in blankets and zipped his sleeping bag over his head one night.
As a result, he was unable to breathe and believes he came to the very edge of death.
During this time, he has vivid memories of entering a cathedral in what he described as a "clearly mystical or unearthly realm".
Stanley said: "The atmosphere was permeated with quietness, and I had the distinct feeling that there was much sorrow in the air.
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"I found myself entering a pew and I, likewise, stayed standing, following what the others were doing.
"There was no singing, just quietness and a feeling that all present were repenting for past deeds."
Stanley then followed a group of people towards the back of the cathedral where he climbed a flight of stairs towards a confessional.
At this point, he was certain this was his opportunity to confess all of his sins in life.
However, as he knelt down at the confessional, a hand reacher out to him.
Stanley said: "As I placed my hand into His, I immediately found myself in a world of unconditional love.
"Today, I feel that the hand was the hand of Jesus the Christ, Son of God.
"While my hand was in His, I discovered, felt, or believed that I was inside the mind of God.
"Although there was complete darkness, I felt that there was never a need for forgiveness here, that only unconditional Love existed."
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Stanley eventually woke up in his sleeping bag gasping for air.
He eventually freed himself from the self-imposed trap and cries.
He said: "It was Sunday morning November 18, 1973, and I cried on and on that day, pouring forth my desire to return to where I had just been - my true home."
And although extraordinary, most medical experts do not consider NDEs like this to be true instances of a person dying.
Instead, there are many plausible explanations, such as hallucinations caused by a lack of oxygen flowing to the brain.
Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) researchers Neil Dagnall and Ken Drinkwater said: "Currently, there is no definitive explanation for why near-death experiences happen.
"But ongoing research still strives to understand this enigmatic phenomenon.
"Whether paranormal or not, near-death experiences are extremely important.
"They provide meaning, hope, and purpose for many people, while offering an appreciation of the human desire to survive beyond death."