Welcome to Realm-2: Chapter 2 Part 4

As I said earlier there are many thousands of NDE accounts available to consult. The recent book, Impressions of Near-Death Experiences by Robert Coppes does this brilliantly, instead I wanted to discuss three long, intense and life-changing experiences. We will begin with…

Erica’s Story 

Erica  Mackenzie was severely bullied as a young girl. A sensitive child, she had a constant connection with God. Unfortunately about the age of twelve she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that was to prove extremely painful. In addition she was later diagnosed with ADD and dyslexia. As a teen she began to worry intensely about her weight as it ballooned out of control as a result of the endometriosis medication she was on. Bulimia was an almost inevitable consequence.

In 1993 she married Derek, her life-long partner. The marriage meant she could no longer pursue her own dream of becoming a TV journalist, and she completed a nursing degree instead. She began working for a dermatologist where she was introduced to her first weight-loss drugs. This would develop over the years into an uncontrollable need. She also tried just about every diet on the market.
After about twelve years of constant prescription drugs, liposuction, diuretics and bulimia, Erica’s body begins to shut down. She ends up fleeing from the motel she had booked into so that her children wouldn’t get a shock at how ill their mother looked, and ends up in the office of a church pastor. With the last energy she has in her body she cries out, “I believe in God”. Her Near Death Experience now commences.

Erica finds herself watching the scene from the ceiling as the paramedics come in, put an oxygen mask over her and wheel her out on a stretcher. Then she enters the tunnel.

“One moment, I was hovering near the ceiling with an angel; the next moment, I was pulled with incredible force into a tunnel by what felt proportionate to an enormous hook, similar to the kind they hang a carcass on in a meat locker. This force was substantial enough to separate my soul, which I now distinguish as my true self, from my physical body. It felt as if the hook had penetrated my chest. I know that sounds horribly painful imagining it happening to our human body or shell, but in my new state pain was nonexistent. Rather, I sensed the physical mass which had once contained me was now instantly removed and replaced with access to an exhilarating consciousness.”

Dying to Fit In: A near-death experience to Heaven, Hell and the in-between

Erica McKenzie

Erica enters into a realm of all-encompassing light and a profound experience of love. In the midst of this love she distinguishes a presence. The presence is God. God communicates with Erica and shows her a review of her old life. To her amazement, Erica discovers that “…it wasn’t material things, or money, or degrees” that mattered to God. “…the loving things I had done from the goodness of my heart” were the most important. 

In this time Erica is shown that everyone is a unique individual and that the words and the actions of one person produce ripples that expand and affect the whole of humanity. God explains that every being who comes into incarnation comes with gifts of God.

“God said, “When you are born I give each of you gifts. When you were born, Erica, I gave you the gift of patience and the gift of beauty.”

Erica argues with God, because she has never experienced herself as beautiful, but God is firm. She has the gift of beauty. Then comes the realisation that this beauty is not a physical condition, it comes from within the heart. Erica’s lesson is that every single person is unique, and that this uniqueness is our value. It is our uniqueness that determines our work within this world. It is love however that must come first. God tells her firmly,

“Erica, until you learn to love yourself, you will be unable to fulfill your earthly mission. You will be unable to heal and grow the gifts I have given you.”

Finally God explains that he is going to send her back with two more gifts, the gift of knowledge and the gift of wisdom. Erica does not want to return to the old world. She hovers above her body and knows she is not that body.

“I was limitless, powerful, filled with God's love and light. I carried the knowledge of the Universe. I carried God's message and lessons. I was a spiritual being, not that limp, worn out, abused body on the gurney. It was too confining and claustrophobic to even consider trying to stuff myself inside it. There must be another solution, but I couldn't think of one.”

She returns to her physical body. It is an excruciating experience to try and fit back into this small, confining prison, but she does.

The next day the supervising physician comes into her room. 

 ““Mrs. McKenzie, how are you this morning? I'm Dr. Imanass."

My stomach cramped. Oh God, here it comes! Like a gushing unexpected wave, I was going to throw up. I reached for the pink bedpan to catch my vomit. But then I realized it wasn't vomit coming up. It was my voice. I was throwing up my voice.

"Doctor, Doctor, Oh my God! I have to tell you where I just came from!"

It was God who gave me the words as they flew out of my mouth. I had no control over what came out of me. I felt as if I were watching a movie and observing the unfolding drama. "I've just been to Heaven. I talked with God and He showed me so many things."

Dr. Imanass cut me off immediately, turned and hurried out of the room. He didn't acknowledge one word I said. He didn't even complete my needed health assessment. It was as if I had the plague and he couldn't risk another minute in my presence for fear he would either catch what I had or, worse yet, perish.”

The doctor commits her to the psych ward.

Now begins an excruciating period where Erica is treated as insane. She again is placed on a regimen of powerful drugs, this time psychoactive agents which dull her thinking and confuse her understanding. This is another journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Derek her husband, is committed to the doctors’ opinions which diagnose her trip to Planet Heaven as psychosis, and so he supports the treatment plan.

It turns out that God has a job for Erica even in these dark hours. The connection with God actually becomes stronger and she is able to help other patients. She is able to tell them what the doctors can’t: that God loves them and they could learn to embrace their uniqueness and love themselves. Finally Erica arrives home. Gradually she weans herself off all the drugs. The right people who can help heal and support her come into her life, and she herself becomes a powerful agent for healing in the lives of others.

Today Erica is a respected inspirational speaker, advocate and author. She shares her work and experience with many others. The NDE for her was powerfully transformative, empowering and healing.