Does the thought of death ever freak you out? It used to terrify me! Fears of death were an undercurrent to my anxiety issues in the past. But learning about near death experiences (NDE’s) turned that around. In this episode, I interview Robert Perry, founder of the Circle of Atonement, who is just as obsessed with NDE’s as I am. You’ll learn some incredible stories that cannot be explained by science, and we’ll dive into the parallels between and A Course in Miracles and NDE’s.
Tune in here:
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ABOUT ROBERT PERRY:
Robert Perry is the lead editor of the new Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles (which is based on the original handwritten notes of Helen Schucman). Robert is one of the Course’s most respected teachers. He is the founder of the Circle of Atonement, has authored or co-authored over 20 books and booklets on the Course, as well as hundreds of articles, and has lectured throughout the U.S. and internationally.
CORINNE’S TAKEAWAYS:
- People all over the world, from different cultures, and different countries, report similar features in NDE’s that science cannot explain. For instance, some people learn information that they shouldn’t know when they are out of there bodies (like the serial number and license plate number examples we spoke about).
- Reality is NOT BORING!! A consistent theme in NDE’s is LOVE and intense love that is greater than any love we know here in the world of form. There’s no “cosmic oatmeal, that is bland and boring” out there.
- There are SO many parallels between NDE’s and ACIM! God is a personal God and LOVES YOU DEEPLY. This world is not our home (NDErs consistently don’t want to come back to this world!). This world is, to borrow Roger Ebert’s words, “an “elaborate hoax.” We are here to learn and to love. Check out Robert’s article for more parallels.
- This is a big one: You do not lose your sense of being. I know that many of us who have struggled with anxiety might fear being swept away into an ocean of oneness. Not so! And we only experience what we are ready for. At the highest level, we are both ONE and many, something we simply cannot wrap our heads around with our limited perception.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- Circle of Atonement Website.
- The NDE of the woman who almost drowned.
- Robert’s 30-page article on Near Death Experiences and A Course in Miracles.
- Near Death Experience Research Foundation.
- Beverly Brodsky’s near death experience.
- Video accounts of NDE’s.
- The Presenter Series (the program Robert and I are both teaching in)
Let us know your takeaways from this episode! Please leave your comment below or in our Facebook Group.
Omg this is exactly what I’m experiencing now and although I know the Real Me can’t die the feelings of fear in the body ate so overwhelming and intense it feels like if I allow them I could die. I look forward to listening to the interview. Thankyou
This is extremely interesting. It answers a lot of my own secret questions. Thank you.
This was an insightful, helpful interview, Very sincere and searching. Thank You Very Much!
What an “elaborate hoax” we’re experiencing! Let’s forgive it all, and come Home.
Regarding “annihilation anxiety” (such a perfect way of putting that, btw), just yesterday, I was reading the book and came across this one sentence; “When Atonement has been completed, all talents will be shared by all the Sons of God.” (1:V.3)– which reminded me of this one by Edgar Allen Poe from the footnotes to his prose poem, “Eureka” where he further explains the meaning of his poem: “The pain of the consideration that we shall lose our individual identity ceases at once when we further reflect that the process…in neither more or less than the absorption by each individual intelligence of all other intelligences (that is, of the Universe) into its own. That God will be all in all, each must become God.” And further, on my commonplace book, where I record such quotes, I found this one, also from ACIM: “Every mind contains all minds…” Lesson 161, 4:2
We do not like those water analogies from the Eastern traditions, the wave in the ocean, the river merging into the ocean, etc. as they suggest annihilation of identity. But I have found another water analogy that more truly explain the idea of absorption or union with retention of personal identity:
From Rumi: “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”
I also love the synchronicity of finding this specific podcast, just the day after reading that quote in ACIM. I was looking though Insight Meditation app’s daily offerings and found #17. So now you have a new subscriber to your podcast. I also love to follow the NDE research and am amazed at the wonderfully consistent reports the experiencers bring back to us. Thanks for a great podcast. It also reminded me that I still want to buy the unedited version that Robert published.
I Listened to a talk by David Hoffmeister today where in he said something to the effect of “God does not know of this world at all.” I was searching for some spiritual calming by listening to ACIM meditations and his discourse came on among them, unfortunately, as this idea made me feel more lost and confused and of course the “annihilation anxiety” came up as well.. Being that he is considered to be a top authority on ACIM made it even more ominous for me. This eve, I was lead to search your podcasts and found this one on NDE’s and it helped me to dispel the negativity I was feeling from David’s statement and to know there are other advanced ACIM students that see it differently..in a very good way from my perspective. I am very thankful to Holy Spirit for leading me to you (and Henrietta 😉 as a teacher of ACIM to help me sort things out. Much Love and much appreciation, brother Bear P.S. I apologize if I seem down on brother David, I have also found some of his “meditative ACIM teachings” to have been very helpful.
Hi Bear!
I’m so glad you found your way back to peace! If you think about it this way it may help… Truth has remained totally unchanged despite our dreaming. So God is happily being God! However, the Course DOES say that He is aware some of his “communication channels” have been closed off to him. That is why he gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is referred to as the “Voice of God” and the “Voice for God” in ACIM, and the Holy Spirit VERY MUCH knows the specifics of what is happening here. But the Holy Spirit KNOWS they are not true. So we are most certainly not alone here!!! xoxo
Hi Corrine: Thanks so much for this. I am in a COA ‘Purple Book’ study group out here in L A. I have enjoyed it so much, I loved this podcast. I had never really heard Robert speak in a focused presentation, back and forth dialogue, like this before. I am so impressed with the concept of ultimate oneness and also remaining a Son of God. I guess that other camps don’t see it that way. I saw the link to this on FB. Very helpful.
I have been a Course student going on 6 years. I love being able to take course concepts and put them to tangible use. I will be following you in the future. You are a terrific host and contributor. Thanks for organizing the follow-up references so nicely!