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MONEY AND EHErs
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how about some
type of unification that speaks to EHErs, like a 'union' of lightworkers?
A foundation, a uniting of funding that can help with a more unified vision
that also allows for and gets attention to individual 'missions' of these
people?
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how about
something like 'the projects' that need funding -- these largely by EHErs
themselves or those who have a deep respect for and empathy, who live as if
EHErs themselves
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[From PMH Atwater's
website, one of her articles on money and EHErs:] As a result of
trial and error, Dougherty has learned a few things he'd like to pass on:
"Don't give up your day job especially if you have recently returned from
your experience. For most of us, it takes years of physical,
mental, and emotional recovery from a profound NDE to integrate the
experience into our earthly lives. Those of us who have returned
with a sense of mission have to realize that it may take a long, long time
for that mission to become reality. In the meantime, we have to
earn an income, pay our bills, file income tax returns, do the laundry, mow
the lawn, etc., etc. However, watch for the 'quickening', that
future point in your life when you know 'it is time!' to begin your mission.
The most difficult part of this process of growing into our mission is
keeping one foot firmly grounded on terra firma while trying to soar to the
Other Side."
These are people who, because they have lost
their interest in materialistic gain, monetary gain, often do not do well in the
materialistic market place, yet whose ideas and motivation literally could be of
untold benefit to others and to the world. These are some of our
mystics or visionaries who, if they were in some of the older, more spiritually
mature cultures, would be perceived in a very different light. In
many of the Native American or the Australian Aborigines or other shamanic-type
cultures, their ideas would be taken very seriously indeed. These
people [EHErs] would be perceived as the true dreamers for their societies, and
every effort would be made to bring these mission-type visions into physical
being.
Below are part or all of 2 articles by PMH
Atwater that speak forcefully to this and offer LOTS of fascinating ideas about
NDErs and lack of interest in material gain, and what grief this has caused --
and continued destitution for these who, she says, need to reassess themselves
within the context of living in this society and the workaday world currently
dominant.
----------------------from her website
http://www.cinemind.com/atwater/col21.html
Please feel free to print out or "Save as... Text"
this article to your hard drive. (Microsoft Explorer browsers may lose spacing
between paragraphs.)
"ANOTHER LOOK..." is an ongoing column
I write for Vital Signs Newsletter, a quarterly publication of the
International
Association For Near-Death Studies. Each segment will appear here from now
on, as well as in the Newsletter. This new feature gives me a format with which
to explore varied issues about near-death states. Should you wish to make a
comment or want to suggest future topics, please feel free to contact me. I may
be able to use your suggestions directly. Thank you. P.M.H. Atwater, Lh.D.
ANOTHER
LOOK...
"THE
EXPERIENCE/THE EXPERIENCER"
Column
#20
© 2002 P. M. H. Atwater, Lh.D.
P. M. H. Atwater, Lh.D. P. O. Box 7691
Charlottesville, VA 22906-7691
I addressed the touchy subject of "heavenly justice" with
Near-Death episodes last time. Now I'm tackling another difficult topic. . .
money. And I'll do this in two installments: the first directed toward the
research community, the second concerning Near-Death experiencers.
With the exception of yours truly, researchers in the field of Near-Death
studies usually hold or are retired from full time, salaried positions most
often in academia or the medical profession. Others are students, fulfilling
thesis requirements for advanced degrees through some type of Near-Death
research.
Did you ever wonder why this is so?
Money.
Only a small handful ever received grants or donations to help them do their
work, and none of those moneys were that substantial. Fascination with the
subject, curiosity, even passion may fuel interest, but it's that separate and
steady paycheck that pays the bills. There were a few who negotiated large
advances and royalties on book sales; but, contrary to what you might think,
they later told "sob stories" on how they lost the money or were
nearly forced into bankruptcy because of illness, divorce, problems with
publishers, or the like.
As an example of how discouraging things can get, my April 2002 Statement of
Royalties for The Complete Idiot's Guide to Near-Death Experiences, shows
total sales of 8,180 copies in two years with a net payment to me of $376.41.
The one for Children of the New Millennium covers a three-year span of
sales totaling 5,205 copies not enough to count. When you factor in the income
from all five of the books I wrote about the research I did, that raises my
total earnings for almost 24 years of work to just shy of $30,000. That's it. If
I had spent those years clerking at a KMart, I would have earned a fortune by
comparison. And my story is by no means unique.
So, why does anyone bother doing Near-Death research?
A quick look at the roster of those who have published papers or books on the
subject is rather revealing. Several of the researchers were so deeply affected
by the death of loved ones and dear friends, that they were driven to learn what
they could about the existence of an afterlife and what better venue to
investigate than the stories of Near-Death experiencers. A number were diehard
skeptics who were trying to disprove any such "nonsense," but wound up
believers after confronting facts they could not disprove. Some were on an ego
trip and craved the sensationalism they managed to achieve. Many, like myself,
were motivated by a sense of "mission," the idea that what they
learned from their studies could uplift and inspire others perhaps make a
positive difference in society itself. Although none expressed a desire to
"make a million," most were on the lookout for funding.
Thanks to Pim van Lommel, M.D. and the Dutch Study that was published in Lancet
last December, the Near-Death experience is once again a popular subject.
Only this time participants are truly global; cases, cross-cultural. What was
once a dominate viewpoint is now a potpourri of different voices and ideas. And
among the new voices are sounds of frustration and impatience, and statements
such as:
"We cannot be expected to work for free. There must be a way to earn a
decent living from the research we do."
Prepare yourself, folks. An influx of research entrepreneurs is headed our
way and it is timely that they are.
No one should have to sacrifice to the degree that I and so many others have.
It is reasonable and proper that fees be charged, that a market for products and
services flourishes, that grant moneys open up, and that paid employment be a
possibility not only in the research field but within the organization of IANDS.
We once had an office staff on payroll at IANDS and we need to have one again.
Profit is not a dirty
word. It can be a motivator for the kind of enthusiasm and creativity that
reaches across boundaries to spark new growth and understanding. That's not
greed, it's green energy and we're the stewards of "best use."
....the above is only part of the first of the 2
articles
ANOTHER
LOOK...
"THE
EXPERIENCE/THE EXPERIENCER"
Column
#21
© 2002 P. M. H. Atwater, Lh.D.
P. M. H. Atwater, Lh.D. P. O. Box 7691
Charlottesville, VA 22906-7691
A brief announcement:
I have just completed three lists of interest to near-death experiencers
and those like them. They are: Alternative Schools and Universities Offering
Excellent Degree/Certificate Programs; Patient-Centered Hospitals; and
Suggestions Regarding Various Health Issues. Access my website at
www.cinemind.com/atwater to obtain these lists (check the Menu). IANDS also has
them for further use and distribution. If you do not have a computer, send a
stamped, self-addressed, letter sized envelope, plus a note as to which one you
want, to me at P. O. Box 7691, Charlottesville, VA 22906-7691. These lists are 3
to 5 pages long, so keep that in mind when buying stamps. If you want 2 of them,
or all 3, send a larger, manila envelope with appropriate postage. No other
costs are involved.
The touchy subject of money needs more discussion. In the last installment of
this column, I focused on researchers of near-death states; the arrogance of
some, the sacrifices of many, and a research proposal submitted by a team of
Russian scientists. Now the spotlight turns to the near-death experiencers
themselves. Unquestionably, near-death experiencers resume life routines with a
different mindset after their episode. Gone for the majority is the drive for
money, position, status, fame, possessions replaced generally by a sense of
mission and a need to serve others or in some manner make the world a better
place. Prayer replaces the paycheck as a chief motivator. This change of
attitude and commitment is both confusing and inspiring to families and friends,
not to mention employers. Although many find creative ways to "fit back
in," the majority switch careers within 7
to 10 years of their experience (during that fabled "seven years" that
it takes the average individual to integrate the phenomenon child experiencers
can take longer). New careers, new lives, new relationships. . . once an
experiencer embraces the full impact of what happened to him/her and what that
might mean, worship and worthship take on equal significance. Spirituality
blossoms. Only in a minority of cases does this pattern falter.
But, what about that second 7 to 10-year timeframe (maybe 20 years later)
when experiencers often find themselves reassessing their experience? Were the
choices they made worth the results they achieved? Can they still live what was
once new to them, on a daily basis, year after year after year? Five near-death
experiencers have something to say in this regard; their comments follow. Linda
Redford, creator of the Adawee Teachings (a school curriculum for children that
teaches honor and honesty), featured in my book Children of the New Millennium.
"This is an issue I've been struggling with for about a year. I became very
suicidal again last year, when reality set in. So much sacrifice. So much
regret. I have persevered for 20 years and have not been successful. What I once
interpreted as a 'mission,' I now interpret as possibly a memory from a life
that was a connection to the past I experienced when there were no mental
institutions, no jails, women were honored and children were sacred before the
white man came to America. I've questioned it ad nauseum the past year. I kept
going because I wanted to help make a safe world for children. What I
experienced was the greed and selfishness, the arrogance and ignorance of those
'with money' in charge of the 'media.' Whoever controls the media controls the
minds of the world.
How sad. I have a great sadness that at 54 I have no money for my older age.
I have no money to buy a home. I have no money for my grandchildren. I have
spent my money on other peoples' children, to stop violence. The will that began
this project is gone. Those with power and money have beat it out of me, just as
the whites did to my Indian ancestors. I teach 'history repeats itself' because
consciousness repeats itself. As long as our children continue to be educated as
their parents were, the results will be the same. Separation, judgments, and
violence. Perhaps if I had a husband or wealth or connections with someone who
could have interacted with these people on their level. . . I tried. They stole
from me, betrayed me, and never looked back. I prayed for 20 years and nothing
seemed to work. I now accept the hand dealt to me." Louis Mayer, a
partially-disabled survivor of a fatal car accident who lives in Tennessee.
"I had a near-death experience and saw the cure for AIDS and a lot of other
things. But, first things first. I'm trying to get the cure made for all those
infected. It involves an ozone blood wash, and the FDA doesn't acknowledge ozone
in medicine in this country, although it has been used safely in Europe for over
40 years. No big drug company cares about a cure. They just want to continue
getting billions every year off the infected. The blood wash kills the virus and
cleans out all impurities in the blood, and helps the damaged organs repair
themselves. I only need 4 things to get the process started all very legal. I
feel I could have a working, curing, prototype made in under 6 months. But I'm
partially disabled from the bad car accident that I died in; 2 of my good
friends also died in the accident. I know I'll see them again, though. I move
very slow but my mind is clear as glass.
I also am able to see bits and pieces of the future. I don't judge anyone.
That's God's job. I just try to do good, but I need some help with that cure for
AIDS." He has asked that if anyone wants to pursue the AIDS cure, contact
him via e-mail at lugotz2@aol.com. George Rodonia, M.D., also a Methodist
minister, co-creator of an online university, his case in my book Beyond the
Light as well as other publications. "My online university went bankrupt
because of 9-11. We were doing very well, starting to make a profit, when
suddenly people weren't interested anymore. My church turned me aside because of
the bankruptcy. I have no place to live, no house, no pulpit, no money for
retirement. I never copyrighted anything. I gave all my work away, inventions in
medicine, all of it, given to others. I never got a penny for any of it. I don't
want to preach anymore. Publishers, all they want to do is sensationalize my
story. I have ideas for healthy products, healthy soft drinks, good books,
another university over the Internet. Why has all this happened to me? I keep
trying. I will not quit, but I'm getting older and things are getting harder to
do." Ned Dougherty, former nightclub owner, now seeking to build a holistic
healing center and health spa in northeastern Pennsylvania, author of Fast Lane
to Heaven. "Currently, I survive financially week by week with just enough
money to get by. My few sources of income are primarily from speaking
engagements and book sales. While doing hospice volunteer work, I saw the
necessity for homecare patients to have better beds than the 'torture beds' that
were being provided by Medicare/Medicaid, so I became involved as a distributor
of home health care products and quality homecare hospital beds with comfortable
mattresses, heating pads, and built-in massage systems. When I realize that my
clients cannot really afford the suggested prices, which happens to be in most
cases, I provide these products at or close to my cost. I am not profiting
financially from this venture, but I believe that is what I am supposed to do.
My payday comes from knowing that I am helping my clients to become more
comfortable and secure in their homecare. It would be self-serving and dishonest
of me to attempt to say that I don't miss the comfortable lifestyle to which I
had become accustomed. At times, I can chose to beat myself up over what I had
lost, but I find for the most part that I have learned 'acceptance.' All I have
to do is to meditate and go back to my first NDE experience when I was shown
that 'all things that were important to me were going to be taken away.' I
remember the sense of peace, calmness, and serenity that had come over me at
that point, because I realized that all the material things that are important
to us in this realm are meaningless and non-existent on the Other Side. Whatever
we claim to own or possess in this life is really only borrowed and temporary.
Although I'm not being rewarded financially, like I was with my successful
nightclub and real estate businesses, I'm being rewarded in more meaningful
ways, like when readers tell me my book changed their lives or helped a relative
die peacefully or returned them to their faith in God, or helped them cope with
a loss. Those times are my payday."
Nadia McCaffrey, hospice care, executive director/founder of "Angelstaff"
(a volunteer organization), and "Changing the Face of Death" (has been
given land to build a volunteer-run, hospice-type center near Mt. Shasta in
California); her near-death experience is in Children of the New Millennium.
"I have enough money to survive. Sometimes things are pretty tight, but
it's always there when needed. So far, the money hasn't come through to build
the center, but I know it will. I have the land. The money will follow. Here is
what I have learned in handling money issues: I stay silent, don't panic, wait,
the way always comes as well as the guidance that is the most helpful. I keep
trust alive and I talk with God. Then, I release the situation completely,
knowing, absolutely knowing, that God will take care of my needs. I have been
handling my finances this way for many years and it has always worked for me.
What I am doing is what I should be doing. I trust God. The rest I let go
of." Some near-death experiencers, like Rev. Carol Parrish-Harra of
Tahlequah, Oklahoma, have been very successful in solving the money puzzle as
they fulfill what they believe is their life's mission. As founder of Light of
Christ Community Church, Sparrow Hawk Village, and the accredited,
degree-granting Sancta Sophia Seminary, she has achieved international
recognition for reviving the ancient "Mystery Schools" (mystical
teachings) while staying true to the Christian tradition. She readily affirms
that God comes first; "elbow grease" and long hours a close second.
And there are other success stories - actually more than you might think. Each
one, though, covers times of great inner turmoil when doubt, fear, and anger
threatened to overwhelm the experiencer and derail what he/she felt led to
accomplish. We are still human after all, have needs, and get discouraged.
Near-death states do not "save" us from ourselves nor do they shield
us from the world we live in. They give us a boost, expand, inspire, and
transform us, yet seldom are shortcuts found as to how we might apply our
passion and direct the guidance we receive and the knowledge we suddenly
"know." It is frustrating to be in a position like Louis when you
believe you were given information that will help people in his case, AIDS
patients and you are not taken seriously or obstacles block you from contacting
those who could act. Whether or not he has something to offer that is truly
usable, the urge to reach out and make a difference keeps right on pushing.
That's why Linda Redford is back at it, trying to find a way to interest
educators in her material. That's why Georgia Rodonia is determined to create an
online university of stature, while searching for investor sources. That's why
Nadia McCaffrey and Ned Dougherty are giving more talks than ever as they set up
networks of people who want to get involved. And that's why I keep doing what I
do. As a result of trial and error, Dougherty has learned a few things he'd like
to pass on: "Don't give up your day job especially if you have recently
returned from your experience. For most of us, it takes years of physical,
mental, and emotional recovery from a profound NDE to integrate the experience
into our earthly lives. Those of us who have returned with a sense of mission
have to realize that it may take a long, long time for that mission to become
reality. In the meantime, we have to earn an income, pay our bills, file income
tax returns, do the laundry, mow the lawn, etc., etc. However, watch for the
'quickening' that future point in your life when you know 'it is time!' to begin
your mission. The most difficult part of this process of growing into our
mission is keeping one foot firmly grounded on terra firma while trying to soar
to the Other Side."
_____________________________________________________
P. M. H. Atwater, Lh.D. Is the author of many books concerning near-death
states, the latest being FUTURE MEMORY, CHILDREN OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM, and THE
COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE. Check out her website at
www.cinemind.com/atwater for more information about her other books, the
Subtext, and her "Brain Shift/ Spirit Shift" model for exploring
transformations of consciousness.
EHErs and Money
EHEr Projects
EHEr Resources Think-tank
Brass Tacks Safeguards
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