SoulMates: New Understandings From Near Death Experiences

1. Jody Jovanovich, J.D.Jeffrey Long, M.D. SoulMates: New Understandings From Near Death Experiences “Pass it On”

2. “Pillar of Faith” IntroductionHow NDE and SoulMates Happened My personal experience 6 months later 4 years later The search for that “Spiritual” Discovering NDE Hearing my first NDE Desire to learn about NDE Web site

3. “Spiritual Sky” MethodsNear Death Experience Research Foundation (www.nderf.org) Experience contributions: e-mail web form August 1998 Things happened fast IANDS National media presentations Many accounts contributed My big NDE question answered

4. MethodsLearning About NDE IANDS service Reading experience contributions (Listening)NetworkingLearning About ExperiencesRelated to NDEOut of Body Experience Research Foundationwww.oberf.orgAfter Death Communication Research Foundationwww.adcrf.org

5. MethodsNDERF Account Archives NDEs from web form: 200 NDEs via e-mail: 40 NDEs via Ken Ring: over 200 Archiving ongoing ADCs: 150 Other experiences: Over 100 Experience contribution every other day How this has affected me

6. Ethical considerations 128 questions Demographic information (IANDS form) NDE elements (over 30) Format: Y/N/U/NR and narrative “Guardian Angel” MethodsNDEs from web form

7. Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes 119 80.4% Uncertain 16 10.8% No 13 8.8% Results

8. Understanding the NDE Message About Relationships #1 word used: Love Life review accounts suggest inter-connectedness Common reference to ‘oneness’, interconnection of all Decision to return to earth Meeting deceased loved ones “Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?” N= 150Yes: 84 56.0%Uncertain: 18 12.0%No: 48 32.0% Importance of relationships after experience Results

9. Common reference to ‘oneness’, interconnection of all “The whole depends upon all of its parts just as each part depends upon the Whole. The purpose of it? To be, of course.” “It was the whole universe that was communicating with me. The whole universe is One.” “He was (and is) within me, but He is also within all things.” “I suddenly was ‘plugged in’ to God, and this is no exaggeration. I KNEW, on the deepest possible level, that I had never been really connected to God before this.” “Everything: every quark, charm, neutrino, atom, spirit and entity everywhere and every time is One. All is part of everything. Nothing and no one is separate.” Results

10. Understanding the NDE Message About Relationships #1 word used: Love Life review accounts suggest inter-connectedness Common reference to ‘oneness’, interconnection of all Decision to return to earth Meeting deceased loved ones “Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?” N= 150Yes: 84 56.0%Uncertain: 18 12.0%No: 48 32.0% Importance of relationships after experience Results

11. Communication With the Deceased After Death Communication www.adcrf.org 85 First person single ADC accounts Results: Eperiencer gender: Male 13 15% Female 71 85% Relation description: Almost uniformly close or loving Relation of experiencer and deceased: Genetically related: 25 29% Not genetically related: 60 71% Results

12. SoulMate Definition Results "A Loving Relationship Manifesting Spiritual Growth"."loving": means the SoulMate relation is a life-enhancing, positive union."relationship" means a distinctly and unusually positive interaction marked by: both 1) working toward removing the barriers to a SoulMate relation, and 2) working toward manifesting spiritual growth and enhancing the relation. The relationship may be 1) past or present, 2) romantic or non-romantic as appropriate, and 3) brief in time, though more likely prolonged."spiritual growth" means progression in growing closer to what has been variably described as: God, Higher Power, Higher Self, or our Highest Purpose. “The fish and the Bird”

13. Results John & Ellen's SMR “Our meeting was chance (outward appearance) and I knew the moment I laid eyes on her that I was falling hard. . . . I owe so much of the improvements in my personality and lifestyle to my relationship with my soulmate, Ellen.” Jennifer’s SMR “When I walked in and saw his eyes, I knew him from long before. We were inseparable each day at the lake and have become the best friends in this life.”

14. Results Julie's SMR “I have many times wanted to leave him because of his negative attitude. But with all my heart, I know that I would only have to repeat these lessons with him. I KNOW that we are together by preplan. He has grown a great deal and so have I because of our conflicting relationship. Somewhere between us is the right balance.” Rich's SMR “The concepts of interacting with karmic and dharmic helpers seem to be an instinctive part of my life since my Near Death Experience.” Robin's SMR

15. Results Robin's SMR “Each soulmate is unique. You really cannot compare one to another. Each is special within their own frame. . . . I love her unconditionally and have freed her from my heart to fly and experience and to continue her own path. We have been and will continue to be spiritually connected forever.” “Presentation of Creation”

16. Results- 120 NDEs Reviewed EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IS CONNECTED HOME UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SUPPORT LESSONS ON RECONNECTION SOULMATES “Presentation of Creation”

17. Results- Theme for Incarnation NDE EMOTIONAL COMPONENT - 82% DESCRIPTION OF LIGHT INTENSITY OF FEELINGS CONNECTION GENETIC SOULMATES PURPOSE GREETERS

18. Results- Further Observations FAMILIAR BEINGS Religious (27%) Genetic (33%) Significant others, only 4% Familiar unnamed others, 18% RELATIONSHIPS REASONS/PURPOSE

19. Out of 120 NDE’s, the following are principals derived from the strongest accounts and majority consensus of what happened during their NDE. What we found led to the unifying theory of spirit defined as the development of the soul in the process of returning to our natural spiritual state. Soulmates is a necessary component of soul development. • EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IS CONNECTED • HOME - Many people recognize the other side as “home” suggesting that there is a subconscious remembrance of home. Earth is not home. Home is where the soul resides which is mostly on the other side. • UNCONDITIONAL LOVE - Unconditional love is the closest in earth emotion and terms to explaining the feelings of home. In actuality, unconditional love is only one component of home. Home is also described as being connected to all, a medium of communication, universal knowledge, place of healing, all knowing, all loving. This is our natural state of being. • SUPPORT - Home has many individuals that support each other in the process of soul development. • LESSONS ON RECONNECTION - We come here to learn lessons of interactions with others that reconnect us with the other side while living on earth. • SOULMATES - Soulmates is one small aspect of individuals feeling connections with God.

20. Future Directions Proof of veridical perception would be more significant to humanity than the discovery of life on other worlds Required: Prospective StudyImportance of further study “Pass it On”

21. Future Directions Propose: Pilot StudySeek funding Relatively small study may be all needed May require heavy volunteer support “Presentation of Creation” “Guardian Angel”

22. Future Directions