NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES AND THE OLD BALL GAME

The great Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, was the one who coined the term SYNCHRONICITY.
When there does not seem to be a “cause and effect” trail between two events or things — and yet there seems to be a very significant relationship between the two events or things— we call it: synchronicity.

I recently experienced a strong case of synchronicity while driving home from Unity in the Seven Hills in Lynchburg to my home in Salem, Virginia. During these commutes, I am a voracious listener of recorded books.
That afternoon, the U7H Mystical and Metaphysical Group, which is so wonderfully led by Pamela Smith, held a session on Near Death Experiences (NDE) and Out of Body Experiences (OBE). At most churches, if such a session was held the speaker probably would have been somebody from outside of the congregation.
However, that afternoon our group heard about actual NDE and OBE experiences from five members of our congregation. it makes such a difference to hear about NDEs and OBEs from people that you know on such a personal level. Their stories were so moving.

I have never had an NDE or an OBE, yet I strongly believe in the reality of such experiences. At the same time, I have never been to Australia or New Zealand, yet I also strongly believe in the reality of these two countries that are so far away from my home. You can believe in things that you yourself have not experienced.
I further think that NDEs and OBEs are very telling evidence for believing that the material world is not the end all and be all. They are like the views of old sailing ships heading into port.
There was a time when we didn’t have satellites and spaceships that can view the curvature of the earth. If you look out at the Earth‘s surface from a ground level, our planet does appear to be flat. However, hundreds of years ago skillful observers noticed that when ships were out at sea you first saw the top of the mast. When it was nearer to land, you could see all of the entire mast and ship. A round earth could explain this, while a flat earth could not.

NDEs and OBEs are very much like this in terms of the material world and other dimensions, I believe. NDEs and ODEs have increased my faith in a spiritual realm.

Let me suggest two excellent books on NDEs and OBEs. The first is a real classic in this field. It is Life After Life by Dr. Raymond Moody. This study explores the stages that many people have experienced during their NDEs and OBEs. The second book is Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eban Alexander who for many years was a member of St. John Episcopal Church in Lynchburg. Dr. Alexander is a Harvard educated brain surgeon who went through has own NDE.
Both authors report that people who have experienced NDEs and ODEs most often have an increased sense about the importance and meaning of their current life experience. They feel a transcendence which is often beyond words.

So I was driving home after the fabulous NDE and OBE meeting held by U7H’s Mystical and Metaphysical group. I was listening to an audiobook entitled Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Broadcasting Legend. The book was authored by Judith Hiltner and James Walker.
As I’m sure some of you remember, Red Barber was one of the greatest sport broadcasters of all time. For many years, he was the voice of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and then he became a leading voice for the New York Yankees. He was also the head of sports for CBS. He was the lead broadcaster for many football games. In his later. years, he did a Friday segment on National Public Radio with Bob Edwards, which looked at everything from sports, to current trends, to gardening.
Barber was known as the “Old red head,” and he was famous for such phrases as “sitting in the catbird seat,” and “Oh Doctor, he just hit another homer.” He was the voice when Jackie Robinson entered into Major League Baseball, and he was the voice when Babe Ruth’s Home-run record was broken by Roger Maris. I so remember listening to the Old Red Head when I was a boy.

I wasn’t listening to this book because I wanted a spiritual experience, but synchronicity came in. The Mystical and Metaphysical group had just finished their session on NDEs and OBEs, when I started listening to the Barber book again.
Guess what the book started talking about?… The Old Red Head started bleeding in his mouth. Red was losing a ton of blood, and he was rushed to the ER and then the operating room. Doctors said that he was close to death. At that point Red had a NDE and an OBE. He said that there was a pure and loving white light surrounding him. And a loving presence was there with him.
The experience jolted Red and changed his life. He remained a sportscaster and author, but he felt that he had to do more. Red became very active in the Episcopal Church. He became not only a lay reader, but he was also sanctioned by the archbishop of New York to be able to give sermons and do many of the activities of an Episcopal priest.
Red became a legend for his work in philanthropy and for several beautiful spiritual books that he authored. He also became a much more active husband and father. Red always said that his NDE and OBE played a large role in this transformation.

So here are my suggestions for all of us who have never directly experienced an NDE or OBE:

—First, we can start believing in the reality of NDEs and OBEs. This is not a radical proposal since we already believe in so many things that we ourselves have not directly experienced.

—Second, we can learn from people who have experienced these things. We can indirectly sense their increased connection with the spiritual side of life. We too can let these experiences heighten our unity with the Divine.

—Third, we can seek to live more of our lives in union with this transcendence.

As Red Barber used to say, we too can live in the “catbird seat!”