There may be vastly different ways of exploring a new paradigm that honors the best of Western thinking, yet, goes beyond its limitations, such as those mentioned above. How do near-death experiences (NDEs) offer us a new worldview that transcends and includes the Western paradigm? The purpose of this discussion is not to argue the validity of NDEs, but instead to articulate a worldview that emerges from the beliefs collectively expressed by so many near-death experiencers (NDErs).

This new paradigm does not claim to represent an "NDEr worldview" because even within NDE circles there are differences of opinion and interpretation. However, it is safe to say that NDErs as a whole do not embrace a materialist paradigm, and that their individual differences are small compared to their departure from materialism.

Research has identified an overwhelming consistency in the beliefs and values held by NDErs. Among others, these include a lack of fear of death, a belief in life after death, a belief in the importance of love over all things, care and concern for others, heightened spirituality and a sense of life purpose (Moody, 1975; Ring, 1984; Morse, 1992; Atwater, 1994; Sutherland, 1995; Ring & Valarino, 1998).

While elucidating a new paradigm, this discussion serves to provide a contrast between the four materialist beliefs and implied values previously identified, and the corresponding beliefs and values commonly found in NDErs. The beliefs will not necessarily be addressed in the order in which they appeared in the previous section, but rather in an order that facilitates a more streamlined discussion of the new paradigm. Furthermore, some of the aspects of NDEs that will be presented may address more than one materialist belief. We will begin by addressing the basis of materialism, the belief that reality is fundamentally physical.

Rather than viewing physical reality as the only reality, NDErs tend to see physical reality as part of a larger reality. From an NDEr perspective, for example, there is no doubt that there is life after death (Potts, 2002). For NDErs, the experience of being fully conscious after the point of death, with mental capacities enhanced well beyond the capabilities known to the physical body, already points to a world beyond this one. Thus, even the initial stages of an NDE, namely, the out-of-body-experience (OBE), point to a reality beyond the purely physical.

The farther stages of an NDE point perhaps even more cogently to a reality beyond this one, a greater reality which is often experienced fully, but articulated with great difficulty. Many NDErs describe the Light they encountered as a presence of pure, unconditional love and Divine intelligence. NDErs often report that it is hard to describe the profundity of being in the Light, and according to Atwater (1994, p.70), "To be in this Light, even for a second, is so overwhelming…. it leaves a "mark" on your soul, deep and profound."

While in the midst of the Light, or having merged with the Light, many NDErs report the experience of being completely at one with the universe and of knowing everything that there is to know. Vexing, lifelong questions are answered fully and profoundly, and their truth is self-evident. But it is notably in the context of this larger reality that it all makes sense – an understandng that is necessarily precluded within materialism.

To illustrate the experience of being in this otherwordly reality, here is an excerpt from a woman named Peggy, describing her encounter with the Light (Ring & Valarino, 1998):

I vividly recall the … pure, undiluted, concentrated unconditional LOVE. This love I experienced can’t be compared to earthly love, even though earthly love is a much milder version. It’s like knowing that the very best love you feel on earth is diluted to about one part per million of the real thing…. It was like being bathed in energy particles of pure love. And while this radiant and energizing love was streaming through me, I KNEW, if only for a few seconds, I was totally one with the light…. I wasn’t just with the light. I became the light. I became everything at the same time!! (p.47)

The experience of omnipresence points to a realm beyond the limits of this world, as many NDErs have attested. But how does physical reality feature in this grander scheme of things? To illustrate, here is another excerpt quoted from Peggy (Ring & Valarino, 1998, p. 45):

The light showed me the world is an illusion. All I remember about this is looking down [at what she took to be the earth]… and thinking, "My God, it’s not real, it’s not real!" It was like all material things were just "props" for our souls, including our bodies. Heavier things we can see are of a lower reality and are real, but not like we think they are. There are invisible things to us now from higher levels that are far, far, far more real. I thought, "I’ve GOT to remember this!"

Peggy’s view of the world as "an illusion" does not necessarily imply that the physical world is somehow not real, as in a "mere illusion". To use an analogy, some NDErs have referred to this world, in the manner of Shakespeare, as a stage and we are the actors playing our various parts. Other NDErs speak of our physical reality on earth as a school designed for our growth and development.

As Peggy implies, physical reality is real on some level, but it is not the ultimate reality we tend to think it is; it occurs within a much larger, subtler reality. Her view is not at all unique, and reflects not only the views of many NDErs, but also views commonly associated with Eastern philosophy. The latter view is that everything in physical reality is a manifestation of a subtler reality, for example, our body is a manifestation of (in Peggy’s words, a "prop" for) our soul. This is not to suggest that an NDE paradigm is necessarily the same as an Eastern paradigm, but it appears to include elements of Eastern thinking.

Of course, the notion of physical reality being a derivitive of a subtler reality may seem strange to materialists, but again, we must remember that we are viewing the world from our particular paradigm – which I am suggesting is particularly accurate in some ways, and particularly limited in other ways.

In the previous section it was pointed out that materialism does not support the belief that there is any inherent meaning to life. Yet there is much to say about the meaning of life from an NDEr perspective. Quite simply, Moody (1975) has noted that many NDErs see love and learning as the point of life. And of the two, love is the most important, as will be illustrated later. In the context of life as a vehicle for learning, Eadie (1992) writes:

We are sent here to live life fully, to live it abundantly, to find joy in our own creations, whether they are new thoughts or things or emotions or experience. We are to create our own lives, to exercise our gifts and experience both failure and success. We are to use our free will to expand and magnify our lives (p. 59).

Clearly, our learning is not just that which comes from making mistakes, but also that which comes from the joy of learning to tap into our own creativity. Yet struggles, and even failures, are important too. Experiences that we may view as negative may in fact be valuable for our growth. Eadie writes, "All experience is for our good, and sometimes it takes what we would consider negative experience to help develop our spirits" (p. 67). Thus, according to many NDErs, life is about learning and all experience is valuable.

To illustrate the concept that everything is valuable and nothing is wasted, here is the story of Amy, who attempted to commit suicide and subsequently had an NDE. Having left her body, she found herself in very peaceful surroundings with her favorite stepgrandmother present before her. Amy’s suicide attempt was brought on because of severe, longterm depression she had experienced as a childhood survivor of abuse. However, her stepgrandmother informed her that she had to go back, explaining: "If you don’t go back now, all the pain that you experienced … will have been wasted. You must go back. Your purpose will be to show others how to work with pain."

This is exactly what happened; Amy came back to her life and she has now been working with abuse and suicide survivors for twenty years. In the context of her new understanding, her suffering had contributed towards her own growth and the work she was subsequently to do -- which she has been very successful at.

No experience is ever wasted – whether in relationships or career choices, etc., but as one NDEr put it, the question is ultimately, "Did you learn what you could from your experience?" Viewing life in this way, NDErs tend to have a greater tolerance for difficult times than people of a materialist persuasion because everything has meaning – even suffering. The gift in suffering is that we may grow, and quite possibly transcend an issue previously grappled with. This view opens the way to a far richer understanding of life and its inherent meaning, compared to a materialist view.

This brings us to that part of the NDE known as the life review, which provides insights that address several materialist beliefs. Here is an excerpt from Eadie’s life review (1992, p. 112).

My life appeared before me … at tremendous speed. I was astonished that I could understand so much information at such a speed. My comprehension included much more than what I remember happening during each event of my life. I not only experienced my own emotions at each moment, but also what others around me had felt. I experienced their thoughts and feelings about me…. I understood all the suffering I had caused, and I felt it…. I [also] saw myself perform an act of kindness, just a simple act of unselfishness, and I saw the ripples go out again…. I saw love and happiness increase in others’ lives because of that one simple act on my part.

Not surprisingly, the life review tends to have a profound impact on NDErs, and of any component of an NDE, it is probably the most accessible to people who have not had an NDE. Upon reflecting on his own life review, an NDEr named Neev stated, "This life review was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and at the same time, the most horrifying thing I was ever to experience" (Ring & Valarino, 1998, p. 22).

Imagine that our every thought, word and deed has importance. As these stories, and countless others imply, everything we say and do counts, and one day it will all have to be accounted for. This is a far cry from the materialist notion that we can get away with things as long as we aren’t caught.

Instead of the materialist belief that "there is nobody watching," NDEs show that we relive and review every moment of our lives as if it were all on candid camera. Even those parts we were unaware of at the time are fully revealed to us in the life review. Thus, there is somebody watching -- and it seems to be we ourselves, that part of ourselves which we might call our "higher self" or wise self.

It is well known that in the life review, the events are not merely observed as a spectator; they are relived as well. In addition, the emotions and feelings of other people with whom we have interacted are directly experienced. In this manner, we viscerally feel the consequences of all our thoughts, words and deeds. Therefore, it becomes clear that the materialist notion, "take what you can get -- even at the expense of others" is wholly misguided. Everything we say and do comes back to us, full circle. Imagine how different the world would be if this understanding became firmly established in our paradigm. At the very least, we would think twice before waging war or engaging in even subtle forms of careless aggression, for example, visibly displaying our impatience at the slow motorist in front of us.

Note, however, that this is not about morals. This is about simply understanding a bigger picture, and using our understanding to guide our actions in the world. From a materialist perspective this larger understanding has not been available because the paradigm precluded it – therefore morals had to be drummed in from external authorities. However, when we open to a bigger picture, we are guided by our innate understanding and we find these truths, which may appear to others as morals, to be self-evident.

Furthermore, the life review also addresses the materialist belief that we are ontologically separate – a belief that is conducive to fear and disregard of others. Yet, as clearly shown above, when we commit acts of carelessness, violence or war against others, sooner or later we will be made to feel, and be held accountable for the effects of our actions on others. Therefore a belief in our fundamental separateness also becomes questionable in light of what NDErs consistently report about the life review. The issue of our separation will be dealt with later in greater detail.

Returning briefly to the question of meaning, the life review illustrates the importance of every moment and of the profound impact we have on others, whether we are aware of it or not. Given the impact we may truly have on others, we may simply choose to live with greater awareness. We could approach a personal challenge with another person, for example, from the perspective that one day we will have a life review, and we will have to account for our actions and be made to feel the other person’s feelings. Greater awareness not only implies fostering more loving relations – it means bringing love into the world in whatever ways we can, including through our work, as will be discussed below. Besides these ways, it is often said that the simplest acts of kindness are of major importance (Atwater, 1994).

The benefits of living with greater awareness and compassion are notable. A study of fifty NDErs undertaken by Sutherland (1995) shows that on the whole they described their post-NDE life as "more meaningful, peaceful, purposeful and fulfilling" (p. 191). So far, the discussion on the meaning of life has focused on the general meaning. What about our individual purpose for being? In terms of our individual purpose, here is another insightful comment by Peggy (Ring & Valarino, 1998):

One thing I [learned] was that we are ALL here to do an "assignment of love." We don’t have to do it at all, or we can do as many as we like. It’s up to us. Our "assignment" is programmed in at birth and it is the very thing or things we love most. I was such a bozo. I always thought doing what you loved most was selfish. I can remember how amazed and happy I was when this information "came into my mind." This other source of energy, using my voice, said, "That is the most unselfish and constructive thing you can do for the world because that is your assigned energy and you will be happiest doing it, best at it, and more respected for it!!"

How liberating to know that we are meant to pursue our life’s passion, and indeed, not settle for a career or lifestyle that doesn’t feel right. Our innate calling far outstrips and outweighs the benefits of choices that aim chiefly to satisfy our own or others’ expectations of wealth, security and status. The cost to our physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing is simply enormous when we doggedly follow a path that has lost its meaning for us.

Furthermore, the meaning of life can hardly be separated from death itself; indeed life and death are seen as a natural continuum by NDErs. Rather than the end of life, death is often described as a transition into a different kind of life. Death, it seems, is neither an annihilation of our consciousness nor does it entail a fearsome judgment by a wrathful God, as many Westerners have been led to believe. If life is a school, then death could be thought of as the equivalent of summer break. Indeed, NDErs often consider death to be a welcome respite from the vicissitudes of life. Studies have shown that a loss of fear of death dramatically improves the quality of life, for example Flynn (cited in Sutherland, 1995, p. 42), states:

Psychologists and sociologists have traced many of our individual, as well as societal, problems to anxieties related to death…. Such freedom from fear leads to indifference to negative kinds of immortality striving.

Westerners tend to be preoccupied with the fear of our mortality and our striving for immortality, and yet as NDEr Sandra Rogers (1995) points out, "when you fully understand yourself, nothing can destroy you" (p. 48). Who are we, then, if we’re not the purely biological beings we once thought we were?

The next section points to the question of our essential nature according to NDErs, as well as our connectedness to to all things, in stark contrast to materialist beliefs. Here is an excerpt from an NDE account given by Mellen-Thomas Benedict (Ring & Valarino, 1998, p. 289). During his NDE in 1982, Benedict found that he was able to interact with the Light and to ask it questions:

And so the next thing I know is I am heading up into this Light. It is sort of like a tunnel. And I go to this Light and again I say, "Stop!" and it stopped. And I said – I don’t remember the exact words but it was to the effect of – "I think I understand what you are but I really want to know what you really are. Like, reveal yourself, what is this Light? I have heard it’s Jesus, I have heard it’s this, I have heard it’s that.

And at that time, the Light revealed itself to me on a level that I had never been to before. I can’t say it’s words; it was a telepathic understanding more than anything else, very vivid. I could feel it, I could feel this light. And the Light just reacted and revealed itself on another level, and the message was, "Yes, [for] most people, depending on where you are coming from, it could be Jesus, it could be Buddha, it could be Krishna, whatever."

But I said, "But what is it really?" And the Light then changed into – the only thing I can tell you [is that] it turned into a matrix, a mandala of human souls. It’s also a conduit to the source; each one of us comes directly, as a direct experience [from] the source. And it became very clear to me that all the higher selves are connected as one being, all humans are connected as one being, we are actually the same being, different aspects of the same being. And I saw this mandala of human souls. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, just [voice trembles], I just went into it and [voice falters], it was just overwhelming [he chokes], it was like all the love you’ve ever wanted, and it was the kind of love that cures, heals, regenerates.

Benedict’s profound experience illustrates not only our essential nature as spiritual beings, but also our deep connectedness with one another and our innate connection with the Divine. In terms of our essential nature, we are not limited to our physical body or personality. Our essence is the deepest part of ourself, which Benedict calls our "higher self," which is also a connection to the Divine source. Again, this this is reminscent of the words of Jesus when he declared, "The kingdom of heaven is within you." The understanding that we are spiritual beings having a physical existence, not just physical beings wired to exist temporarily, brings a different perspective on life. Suddenly there is meaning and purpose in our existence and, indeed, in all existence. It is suddenly not "all about me," yet the understanding is that each one of us is very important in the scheme of things; as one NDEr put it, we are all part of God getting to know God through our experiences.

Furthermore we are connected with one another by virtue of our shared source in the Divine. Indeed, we are more closely interconnected than we ever dreamed in our materialist philosophy. With reference to the materialist belief in separation, it is ironic that we tend to seek pleasure and avoid pain, because as NDEr, Sandra Rogers (1995) points out, "suffering is caused by the illusion that we are separate from others, that the deeds of the self will not cause harm to others." Therefore, it could be said that materialism, with its emphasis on separation, is conducive toward suffering. To further illustrate our connectedness to all things, here is a brief anecdote from a 62 year-old, toughminded businessman, after his NDE (Moody, 1988, p. 42):

The first thing I saw when I awoke was a flower, and I cried. Believe it or not, I had never really seen a flower until I came back from death. One big thing I learned when I died was that we are all part of one big, living universe. If we think we can hurt another person or another living thing without hurting ourselves, we are sadly mistaken. I look at a forest, or a flower, or a bird now, and say, "That is me, part of me." We are connected to all things and if we send love along those connections, then we are happy.

The emphasis on our connectedness with one another does not suggest that there are no separations in our world, because indeed, there are. For example, we are individually responsible for our actions and for what we make of our lives. We are responsible for our happiness, our growth and our achievements. These are issues that emphasize our perceived separateness and our autonomy. The separation we have come to believe as part of materialist thinking has its place in the scheme of things; the point here is that we have taken it too far.

Finally, this brings us to the implication of the belief that reality is physical, namely that an outward-focus on reality renders us inwardly challenged both in terms of our internal connection and our spiritual connection. Benedict’s story, in particular, illustrates why it would be important to maintain our internal connection, and why an internal connection is essential to our spiritual connection. Our internal connection is no less than our gateway to the Divine.

Yet, as a society we have lost our inner connection and in an attempt to compensate we have resorted to perpetual busyness and various forms of addiction and escapism in order to deal with the void inside. Yet, in her book The Thirst For Wholeness, Christina Grof (1993) postulates that addictions are our way of coping with the pain which ultimately emanates from a loss of connection with the Divine. The pain we experience is subsumed and redirected toward quick fix solutions, which of course, can never quench the deep and quintessential thirst inside.

The point is not that we have become "bad people" but we should become aware that our materialist paradigm with its strong outward focus is conducive toward this lost connection and the suffering that goes with it.

So far we have explored the outlines of a new paradigm that challenges some of the basic tenets of materialism. But a closer look reveals that this new paradigm is not so much diametrically opposed to the Western paradigm as much as it is a broader perspective. Being broader, however, it is inclusive of the reality of this world and the necessities of daily living such as driving to work, tending to our relationships, going shopping, etc. The new paradigm is also inclusive of scientific research and the continuation of technological progress. The difference perhaps, is that research would become guided by priorities born of a greater understanding of the meaning of life.

The outer world may, for all intents and purposes, seem the same, yet the inner world, wherein paradigms reside, has the power to change our relationship to the world around us. This understanding inspired T.S. Eliot when he wrote that at the end of our explorations we would "arrive where we started and know the place for the first time".

In conclusion, the new paradigm based on the views of NDErs not only challenges the philosophical basis of materialism, namely that reality is purely physical, but also the values that emerge from that paradigm. The connections pointed out between a materialist worldview and the discernible values that emerge from it serve to challenge materialism as a sustainable worldview for our society.

It has been shown that materialism is conducive toward a sense of meaninglessness, to a sense of our separateness from one another, to our fear-based and self-centered tendencies, as well as a loss of connection with ourselves and with the Divine. It has been demonstrated, in more than one way, that materialism is conducive towards suffering. Indeed, materialism has been conducive to impressive technological advancement, but without the perspective born of a larger understanding, we do not guide our advancement with sufficient wisdom.

NDEs offer us a new understanding of reality, not one that refutes the existence of physical reality, but in the words of Ken Wilber, one that transcends and includes it as part of a broader and subtler reality. According to this broader understanding, life on earth becomes imbued with unmitigated meaning. Life is no longer the meaningless, competitive and materialistic game we have felt resigned to play. Instead, life can be viewed as the playground in which we are invited to discover ourselves and bring forth our own particular talents and to use them to create a better world. The knowledge of facts alone is no longer sufficient; we must now combine knowledge and love, head and heart, strength and wisdom.

The broader understanding that we gain may not necessarily have been born in death, as with NDErs, but we may benefit from the knowledge that NDErs consistently share, which they insist is already inside us. To foster this understanding, we must begin by loosening the materialist ties that bind. For in the new paradigm, our challenge is, while living in the material world, to become open to a greater reality, and in that context, to be guided toward realizing and embodying our true nature.

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