The Dead Saints Chronicles: A Zen Journey Through the Christian Afterlife

by David Solomon

  The moment was electric. It was almost as if our meeting were set up so his mother could let him know she was okay. In tears, he placed a candy cane on the Christmas tree, the last one of many placed there by friends and family. It was then he turned to me and said he had a farm in Nashville, Tennessee, called Zenbilly. The obvious divine message to each of us almost shook the room; how strange the Chronicles subtitle, A Zen Journey through the Christian Afterlife, would reflect his farm, ‘Zenbilly.’ He was an angel sent from God who took the perfect photograph to be used for my book. ~Chronicle 911

  The litmus test for both ancient and contemporary saintly near-death transformations is the absolute KNOWLEDGE of the immortality of the soul and the loss of the fear of death that occurs when the consciousness of the personality separates from the human body.

  The transforming effects after a near-death rebirth of the Dead Saint include a far greater capacity to unconditionally love self and others, resulting in an increase in self-confidence. Material gains no longer are a concern. Anxiety levels are reduced as well as suicidal tendencies. There is a greater appreciation for nature and profound sense of connection to all things. The pursuit of knowledge often becomes a central focus in their lives. There is a new feeling of control over their lives because their NDE taught them the power and responsibility of free will. However, the knowledge comes with a sense of urgency to complete their Mission—that they have much to do and so little time to do it in. Dead Saints may acquire spiritual gifts and even become interested in the paranormal. Finally, there is often a newfound love for the Being of Light they discovered while out of the body.

  Differences apart, my research strongly suggests all life transforming experiences are characterized by exposure to a dazzling, unearthly Light, a Light perceived in varying degrees of brilliance and varying exposures that can be divided into four main categories.

  #1: Born-Again Transformations: Old Life to New Life

  #2: New Faith: Atheist to God-Believer

  #3: Spiritual Upgrades & Supernatural Events

  #4: Meta-Human1

  #1: Born-Again Transformations: Old Life to New Life

  ~MRI at the Hampton VA Medical Center. 45 minutes of boredom. Hope the MRI shows my tumor continues to shrink. We have to a send a copy of the MRI disk to Duke University for the neuro-oncologist to review. And inspirational thought came up while my brain was being irradiated. The Apostle Paul wrote: “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”2 A statement which means to me: To truly live, I must die daily. I must be born-again daily. Why? As the Apostle said, “The good that I would, I do not, and the evil which I would not, I do.3 ~Chronicle 197

  There are two types of born-again transformations. One is triggered by an encounter with Christ while conscious and “in the body” and the other by a near-death experience. Both involve the transformation of the heart and a dramatic change in life and lifestyle. The traditional Christian born-again experience is described in John 3:1-7:

  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

  My wife, Delynn, describes a traditional Christian born-again experience she had on October 19, 1986, at the Hilltop Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma:

  I was 21 when my daughter, Leah, was born I had felt a love like no other and felt helpless to know how to raise this newborn and knew I needed someone bigger and higher than myself. The only way I knew to find more about God was to find a church to go. I was not brought up in church so I began my search going to different denominational churches, including Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, and non-denominational.

  One Sunday, I decided to attend a small country Baptist church in Oklahoma that was just down the road from my house. Toting my daughter along was difficult sometimes. I was nursing and she was needy. I was a new mom and felt scared to leave her with someone I didn’t know. But I still wanted to go. So I took her to the nursery and wanted to nurse her before I went to the service, which I sensed the nursery workers were not happy with me. I felt awkward, but finally decided to leave her with them.

  Of course, by then I knew the worship service must be over, but I would at least go for a few minutes. When I walked in, there was a thick warm feeling of love in the room. People were singing and the evangelist, Bill Fitzhugh, was preaching. I couldn’t hear exactly what people were singing or what he was saying, but my whole being was drawn to the front of the church where there was an altar to pray at. I wanted to KNOW Jesus. I wanted to know this love, this joy that was so full in the room. I went to the front and prayed. No one prayed with me, no one said a word. I felt a warmth and a love spread throughout my body like I had never felt before. It was very different from my love experience I had when my daughter was born or any other love.

  There was no explaining it. I was changed. I wanted to sing of love, of hope, of strength. I wanted to rejoice constantly. I loved the love I felt. I loved everyone and wanted everyone to know the feeling I was feeling. Of course, my spirit was changed. I knew within myself that I was different. However, my habits were not all changed. I still wanted to do some of the things I knew were not productive for me. I struggled not to cuss. But daily, I wanted to know more about this God of love. Daily, I wanted to sing praises to the God who “set me free.” I felt set free. What does that exactly mean? I only know I did not feel judged. I wasn’t feeling confused. I wasn’t feeling lost. I felt love for everyone around me. I wanted to make all things right with everything and everyone. I felt born-again. I felt NEW. I felt ALIVE. I felt joy unspeakable.

  Though not brought up in church I did have a few encounters of sensing God, going to a church, and knowing of Jesus, but what was so different about this than how I felt when I was 7 or 12 or 15 or 20? I only know it was different. I only know it was not a fleeting moment of emotion, or remorse, or searching —it was FOUND. There is Scripture that states, ‘It is the Holy Spirit that draws man unto Himself.’ I believe this to be true. I believe He was drawing me for years, but until my spirit was totally ready to accept the beautiful gift of Love and Life everlasting, it would not hold.

  When I read stories about people who have had NDEs, and how their lives were changed by their encounters with Love and Life, I recognize I felt the same way they did after they returned to life. I felt the whole world was a new place. I felt there was a great hope, and that there was beauty unspeakable. I didn’t see Heaven or angels, but I wanted to sing and find more answers about my experience.

  And I KNEW… I KNOW… Jesus is LOVE! He brought love to me and woke me up—my true BORN- AGAIN / near-death experience.

  Is the NDE a Born-Again Experience?

  After a NDE, Dead Saints report after returning to the body, they feel like a newborn child:

  Again I had thought, ‘Is this what it is like to die? I thought I was going to see myself at my own funeral and actually be buried while I was in this state. Once again, I slipped into the darkness and felt so at peace with the darkness around me and actually saw the image of a hand through the darkness come at me and my soul turned around and I felt this hand push me away from behind. I truly believe this was my guardian angel. As I was turned away, I found I was falling back at the speed of light. I had re-entered my body and felt as if I was reborn again. My body was ta
king its first breath and I woke up in a state of shock gasping for air and kicking the paramedics around me. I felt as if my soul had given my body life once again.4

  Stephanie also felt like a newborn child after her NDE:

  All I knew was I know we have the knowledge we don’t die and that there is a wonderful peace and knowing when we do. I was distraught and it took me nearly two years to want to live as all I wanted to do was die and couldn’t understand why they had sent me back. When I left the hospital, it was amazing I was like a newborn child I could see and feel colors in everything (and even see molecular structures of plants and things). Everything seemed to be vibrating on a different frequency. 5

  Diane who died from cardiac arrest describes death itself as a born-again experience:

  I understood death was really a transitional birth. As a baby is born from the mother’s womb, it actually has died to its previous life in her womb—the life of water into the life of air. When we die to Earth, we are born-again, this time into the life from whence we originally came. I have a peace most humans do not over death, because I know that is what Christ meant by the words: ‘Unless you are born again, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’ It has nothing to do with the meaning religion has given it at all. It means it is something we all must do.6

  From both Christian and Dead Saint experiences, we can easily interpret three meanings to the born-again parable. The first is a spiritual transformation of the heart by the love of Christ. The second is the birth process into the Afterlife when we die. The third is the process of returning to the physical body, after death.

  Near-death experiences create a change of the heart and life as well, and are identical in many ways to the traditional Christian born-again experience. Dan, who died in jail of heart failure, describes his life transforming NDE:

  How does a guy go from a hopeless drug addict to managing a retirement residence, often sitting with and comforting the dying? From being nearly homeless and broke, to running one of God’s Homes? I still cannot fathom the amazing transforming power of my NDE. I have not desired drugs or drink since. I do not desire to lie, cheat, or steal. I only desire to live a life of surrender and service to God. I once thought all these things were hogwash. I now spend countless hours reading the word, spiritual books, and meditating. I don’t fully understand the implications of this event. I do know my life is defined as-before and after my NDE. It is a mystery.7

  Theresa was living with a man who she says was extremely evil. She felt her relationships and her addiction to drugs were killing her. She prayed for God to help her change and give her direction:

  I admitted myself into St. Joseph Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin for medical help withdrawing off Vicodin. Almost immediately, as the Doctor was going to inject some medication to start the withdrawal, I felt a rectangular pain form across my chest. For about a second I thought, wow does pneumonia show up this fast. At that same moment, I said aloud, ‘I can’t breathe out.’ Then, total blackness. I died.

  I have no recollection of what occurred in that room when I went unconscious. All of the sudden I was surrounded by pure, bright, brilliant, Heaven white. It was white, but not earthly white. Seriously, there are no words that can explain the beauty of colors in Heaven…It was amazing and beautiful. My Savior answered and gave me knowledge that gave me peace about every single thing that had happened to me. Everything. However, He didn’t allow me to come back with all of what He revealed to me. What He did is He sent me back with peace in my spirit.

  Bondages gone. I am a brand new person on the inside. I have been set completely free of my past. I truly believe He knew I was on a one-way ticket to Hell, and because of me crying out to Him, he answered my prayers! That is how much He loves us.

  I do remember when I woke up. I had scabs under my nose from oxygen. There was a nurse in there that acted surprised that I woke up. The first words she said was, ‘You had quite a rough time. You were a very sick girl.’

  …I did eventually leave the hospital with what I believe a second chance on life. I felt like a brand new baby. Everything felt brand new. My insides were as clean as a whistle.

  When I was with Jesus, I felt more alive than I ever, ever felt on Earth. I remember thinking, I wonder if we are in a sleepwalking awareness level on Earth. Once again, I don’t have the correct words to tell you of the alert level...it’s simply amazing. The communication between my Savior and myself was all telepathic. I was shooting off questions about my childhood and every bad thing that happened to me. The Lord was coming back with answers that I fully understood and was at complete and utter peace with what He was telling me.8

  Delynn and I can attest that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, whether caused by the Spirit of Christ within or the presence of Jesus, can strike like lightning anytime. The prevailing Christian belief is you have to be “saved” to experience the movement of the Holy Spirit. Atheists, agnostics, the “unbaptized” and “unsaved” Dead Saints have experienced the Holy Spirit during their near-death encounters with the Being of Light.

  The Dead Saints, regardless of their faith, return to life feeling born-again.

  #2 New Faith: Atheist to God-Believer

  The transformation of an atheist or agnostic into a believer in God, Christ, or a higher power takes more than words or debate. I know. I’ve tried. In early September 1999, my friend Keith and I were winding our way down coastal highway 101 on the Oregon Coast in our green Altima, enjoying the smell of sea spray from the Pacific Ocean and the majestic view of vertical dolmen rocks rising out of foamy surf. We rolled slowly through every small town looking for antique shops. Keith loved to carefully and painfully investigate them. Our “sideways” trip gave us the opportunity to get to know each other a little better.

  He came down to visit us every year from Canada, usually to visit Anna and the kids, because he was their official godfather—a term a bit misplaced for him since he was an avid atheist who did not believe in God or the Afterlife. He was a good-hearted man, but also a man filled with the fear of death. Our conversations inevitably turned spiritual because I was always trying to ‘convert’ him over to the God side of life.

  He would constantly grin at me as if I were the crazy one that having a belief in God was irrational and delusional. I said, “What about those who have come back from the Afterlife?”

  He asked, “What proof?”

  At that time, I had only casually read a few books about near-death experiences. I brought up several NDEs I could remember that suggested out-of-body experiences were proof of the separation of consciousness. He rejected these too. To him, they were brain-hallucinations, part of the dying process, a gimmick, a trick of the dying mind. We actually got into a big argument, yelling back and forth. It was clear he would never consider the evidence. After the heated exchange, I realized even an Atheist believes in his Atheist faith 100%.

  Keith, I have you in mind. I hope years of research and my own experiences, along with convincing testimonies from the Dead Saints, will offer a preponderance of evidence and a glimmer of light that you may perceive in order to lead you to consider the existence of God and reality of Christ. The following Dead Saint testimonials are for you.

  Atheist & Agnostic NDEs

  Michael Joseph was an atheist who, in his youth, rejected Jesus and all religion. When a 500-pound boulder fell on him and crushed his “biological unit,” he found himself in Heaven having a frank conversation with Jesus:

  Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was DEAD and yet here I was, still alive and fully conscious. How could that be? In that instance, my atheism was wiped away and now I didn’t know what to expect. I panicked. I WAS DEAD! Dad was REALLY going to get pissed at me for killing myself. And then the panic went out of the roof when I realized I WAS DEAD!!!!! Dad isn’t going to get pissed at me. I’m DEAD! DEEEAAAADDDD!!!! Oh my God, what is going to happen to me?!!! Because I
’ve rejected Jesus, I’m going to Hell! I’m in DEEP DOO DOO! Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hasty in rejecting religion. Maybe I should have listened more. Then all that panic was pushed out of me. I can only use the analogy of being bone shivering cold and standing in front of a nice warm fire. All that shivering and cold slowly gets pushed out of you and all your muscles relax as the fire’s warmth fills you. I felt this “fire” coming from behind me and I whirled around to see a man with black wavy hair and a black beard, all short cropped and dark well-tanned skin. His eyes were like diamonds sparkling under Light and his robe was like a monk’s robe except it was bright white and glowing. I could see it flowing around him with visible eddies and currents. This Being smiled at me and I was instantly filled with love, so much love I felt I would explode from it. I could not contain it. I’ve never felt so adored. This Being communicated directly with me with thoughts, no words were ever used.

  I ended up with a Life Review, and was escorted around “the other side” by a being who was my guardian angel/teacher whom I came to call “professor” but he had an incredible sense of humor. I say “he” with tongue in cheek because “he” was neither a he or a she. I saw what happened to true atheists (apparently I was opened minded enough that I didn’t qualify). I got to see various “heavens” and asked to see what “Hell” was like if there was one (and there was, but it was nothing like I expected). I even asked to meet Jesus and apologize only to meet a Man who was nothing like I expected, and was given interesting historical facts I was later able to verify. 9