Atheists: What do you think of this email?

Question

I received an interesting email the other day. I looked at a question for near death experiences and there was someone that said they had one but the didn't give details. I emailed them and asked them if they could tell me more, here is their email:

Subject: Re: near death experience

Message: When I died I was Atheist. After a long sickness of Lupus, I think I brought on myself, I thought I would pray to God, if he existed, surely he would end my pain. Right? After a year of 24/7 pain. He did not take me and I gave up. I slipped into in the limbo and is was dark nothingness. No bright lights or anything like what you hear about. Just darkness. I could see but not with my eyes as we know it. It was with my spirit. But for me I knew Jesus and Satan were there with me. The presence of them both was suffocating me. I knew I was not where I thought I was but I still held onto what I thought I knew. I thought I was going to suffocate. I could hardly breathe. I finally realized I was in fact on my way to h**l and the most intense horror set in. Thank God He did not kill me or I would be in h**l right now. I don't know why Jesus had mercy on me but He did. With His help I made it back and it was a long recovery. 3 years following I tried to figure it out studying the Bible. I am Christian. I follow Christ. Nothing else.

Answer 1

Hunh? Gave up how? I do not slip into limbos every time I give up on something. It sounds like a suicide attempt, so what was the method and how did she survive?

NDEs are caused by oxygen deprivation and a specific chemical. We've been able to simulate them with astronaut training equipment. Unsaved people have had positive ones; people have had them and promptly converted to Bhuddhism.  

Answer 2

i'd like to reply with another person's experience, paraphrased for your convenience:

"When I was 16, I was still very much a christian.Then one evening, I was involved in a car accident that cracked my skull and sent me to the hospital in a race to save my life.  During the two minutes when I was legally dead, there was nothing.  No heaven, no h**l, nothing.  After I awoke, I wondered why I had not seen what others described.  I studied reports on NDEs and came to understand that they were nothing more than a physiological response in the brain colored by our own cultural heritage.  This led to more questions and more unsatisfactory answers from religion.  I am now an Atheist."

Every generalized, propaganda-tainted account of a near death conversion can be met with an equally generalized account of near death disenchantment.  All this proves is that people have these experiences.

Answer 3

I think it's ridiculous.  

Answer 4

Maybe a sufferer of sleep paralysis or depression? Without more detail it's hard to know. The person is clearly not talking about a bodily near death experience. Sounds most like a dramatized description of depression to me or a dream. The descriptions of the feeling of suffocation and helpnessless would also fit with sleep paralysis.

It does neither sound like a paranormal experience nor like a near death experience.

I would agree with the others that the religious aspects come from that persons upbringing.

Answer 5

Cool One,

I had a Near-Death Experience that was nothing like this one and I decided that it was time to begin searching for my GOD and FATHER.  I spent several years reading, studying, and truly searching for GOD.  I did become a Christian and I would be willing to share why but it was nothing like the story you were told.  I do not push others to become Christians from my experiences.  I believe that we must all have our own and make our own decisions based on them.  Have a great week.

Thanks,

Eds

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Answer 6

Don't even try to convince an atheist. They are stubborn,ignorant of the truth. Why cast pearls before swine?

Answer 7

Idiot. I don't convert to a religion EVERY TIME I get thrashed.

Answer 8

That is nice, but completely ignore the near death experiences of the Japanese and other cultures.

Turns out that near death experiences vary dependent on cultural belief.  Which clearly indicates that it is a human experience, not supernatural at all.

The problem with this argument, is that it is completely reliant on this persons stress filled experience, you and I both know that human experience is not at all reliable.

Answer 9

Personal experience is not valid proof of anything except personal experience.  This person's story cannot be corroborated and is fantastic, it would require an equal caliber of evidence.  It would be best to dismiss this.

Answer 10

I would ask what drugs they take and how long they've been off their meds.

Answer 11

I don't blame them for not giving any details.

Did they give you permission to post this?

Answer 12

There's a part of the brain that if stimulated, can simulate that experience.  He was still semi-conscious and the suffocation was probably from the fact that he probably did stop breathing.  As for a presence, *shrug* i've felt presences before, and neither of them were Jesus nor Satan.  In fact, it was one of my Gods. So ultimately, this means nothing.  Subconscious works in very mysteries ways, doesn't it?

Answer 13

I think you're doing the wrong thing with posting a personal email like this.  I'm assuming you didn't tell the person your were going to post it, and if they wanted it posted they would have done it themselves.  Posting funny hateful emails is one thing, this is another.  Very very poor manners on your part.

<edit>

"Yes, I have permission." - I don't believe you for a second.  Yet another bad choice on your part.  Seriously, learn some respect.

Answer 14

Okay cool.

This is what pain does to people.

Answer 15

I think she's a product of her culture.  If she were in an Islamic culture, she would have dreamt of a Muslim h**l.

I think it's sad that anyone would think that fear of punishment would motivate anyone to believe in anything.  Fear is a poor motivator.

Answer 16

the dead dont talk.

OK the rest is interesting..

Protestant..

why do you post this? Just to mock others? dont mock just cuz you dont understand their experience...

Answer 17

LMAO! Why do they always used some kinda crappy cure from illness as a way to convert ppl. haha So dumb!!!