Through the Light
by Mellen-Thomas Benedict
Reprinted with permission by the author.
From our book
Bypassing Bypass, published in 2002 |
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Editor’s Preface: Though many
call this a near death experience, it is actually a death
experience. The circumstances surrounding this experience have all
been documented, it’s subject has been interviewed a good number of
times, and Dr P.M.H. Atwater has posted this entire story at her web
site on Near Death Experiences for all to read and ponder. It is the
most remarkable and wondrous story ever told.
Why did we publish this in
our book Bypassing Bypass? What does it have to do with
cardiovascular wellness?
Well, all we know, is that
reading this does the heart good.
Mellen-Thomas Benedict died
of cancer, came back to life an hour and a half later, and upon
examination, his cancer was gone. He is willing to talk about this
and give lectures. In fact this is a transcript from one of his
talks and can be reached at, P. O. Box 1898, Soquel, CA 95073; (831)
427-5554.
Through the Light
In 1982 I died from terminal
cancer. The condition I had was inoperable, and any kind of
chemotherapy they could give me would just have made me more of a
vegetable. I was given six to eight months to live. I had been an
information freak in the 1970’s, and I had become increasingly
despondent over the nuclear crisis, the ecology crisis, and so
forth. So, since I did not have a spiritual basis, I began to
believe that nature had made a mistake, and that we were probably a
cancerous organism on the planet. I saw no way that we could get out
from all the problems we had created for ourselves and the planet. I
perceived all humans as cancer, and that is what I got. That is what
killed me. Be careful what your world view is. It can feed back on
you, especially if it is a negative world view. I had a seriously
negative one. That is what led me into my death. I tried all sorts
of alternative healing methods, but nothing helped.
So I determined that this was
really just between me and God. I had never really faced God before,
or even dealt with God. I was not into any kind of spirituality at
the time, but I began a journey into learning about spirituality and
alternative healing. I set out to do all the reading I could and
bone up on the subject, because I did not want to be surprised on
the other side. So I started reading on various religions and
philosophies. They were all very interesting, and gave hope that
there was something on the other side.
On the other hand, as a
self-employed stained-glass artist at the time, I had no medical
insurance whatsoever. So my life savings went overnight into
testing. Then I was facing the medical profession without any kind
of insurance. I did not want to have my family dragged down
financially, so I determined to handle this myself. There was not
constant pain, but there were black-outs. I got so that I would not
dare to drive, and eventually I ended up in hospice care.
I had my own personal hospice
caretaker. I was very blessed by this angel who went through the
last part of this with me. I lasted about eighteen months. I did not
want to take a lot of drugs, since I wanted to be as conscious as
possible. Then I experienced such pain that I had nothing but pain
in my consciousness, luckily only for a few days at a time.
The Light of God
I remember waking up one morning
at home about 4:30 am, and I just knew that this was it. This was
the day I was going to die. So I called a few friends and said
goodbye. I woke up my hospice caretaker and told her. I had a
private agreement with her that she would leave my dead body alone
for six hours, since I had read that all kinds of interesting things
happen when you die. I went back to sleep.
The next thing I remember is the
beginning of a typical near-death experience. Suddenly I was fully
aware and I was standing up, but my body was in the bed. There was
this darkness around me. Being out of my body was even more vivid
than ordinary experience. It was so vivid that I could see every
room in the house, I could see the top of the house, I could see
around the house, I could see under the house.
There was this Light shining. I
turned toward the Light. The Light was very similar to what many
other people have described in their near-death experiences. It was
so magnificent. It is tangible; you can feel it. It is alluring; you
want to go to it like you would want to go to your ideal mother’s or
father’s arms. As I began to move toward the Light, I knew
intuitively that if I went to the Light, I would be dead. So as I
was moving toward the Light I said, “Please wait a minute, just hold
on a second here. I want to think about this; I would like to talk
to you before I go.”
To my surprise, the entire
experience halted at that point. You are indeed in control of your
near-death experience. You are not on a roller coaster ride. So my
request was honored and I had some conversations with the Light. The
Light kept changing into different figures, like Jesus, Buddha,
Krishna, mandalas, archetypal images and signs. I asked the Light,
“What is going on here? Please, Light, clarify yourself for me. I
really want to know the reality of the situation.” I cannot really
say the exact words, because it was sort of telepathy.
The Light responded. The
information transferred to me was that your beliefs shape the kind
of feedback you are getting before the Light. If you were a Buddhist
or Catholic or Fundamentalist, you get a feedback loop of your own
stuff. You have a chance to look at it and examine it, but most
people do not. As the Light revealed itself to me, I became aware
that what I was really seeing was our Higher Self matrix.
The only thing I can tell you is
that it turned into a matrix, a mandala of human souls, and what I
saw was that what we call our Higher Self in each of us is a matrix.
It’s also a conduit to the Source; each one of us comes directly, as
a direct experience from the Source. We all have a Higher Self, or
an oversoul part of our being. It revealed itself to me in its
truest energy form. The only way I can really describe it is that
the being of the Higher Self is more like a conduit. It did not look
like that, but it is a direct connection to the Source that each and
every one of us has. We are directly connected to the Source.
So the Light was showing me the
Higher Self matrix. 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. It was not committed to one particular religion. So
that is what was being fed back to me. And I saw this mandala of
human souls. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I
just went into it and, it was just over-whelming. It was like all
the love you’ve every wanted, and it was the kind of love that
cures, heals, regenerates.
As I asked the Light to keep
explaining, I understood what the Higher Self matrix is. We have a
grid around the planet where all the Higher Selves are connected.
This is like a great company, a next subtle level of energy around
us, the spirit level, you might say. Then, after a couple of
minutes, I asked for more clarification. I really wanted to know
what the universe is about, and I was ready to go at that time. I
said “I am ready, take me.” Then the Light turned into the most
beautiful thing that I have ever seen: a mandala of human souls on
this planet.
Now I came to this with my
negative view of what has happen on the planet. So as I asked the
light to keep clarifying for me, I saw in this magnificent mandala
how beautiful we all are in our essence, our core. We are the most
beautiful creations. The human soul, the human matrix that we all
make together is absolutely fantastic, elegant, exotic, every-
thing. I just cannot say enough about how it changed my opinion of
human beings in that instant.
I said, “Oh, God, I did not know
how beautiful we are.” At any level, high or low, in whatever shape
you are in, you are the most beautiful creation, you are. I was
astonished to find that there was no evil in any soul. I said “How
can this be?” The answer was that no soul was inherently evil. The
terrible things that happened to people might make them do evil
things, but their souls were not evil. What all people seek, what
sustains them, is love, the Light told me. What distorts people is a
lack of love.
The revelations coming from the
Light seemed to go on and on, then I asked the Light, “Does this
mean that humankind will be saved?” Then, like a trumpet blast with
a shower of spiraling lights, the Great Light spoke, saying,
“Remember this and never forget; you save, redeem and heal yourself.
You always have. You always will. You were created with the power to
do so from before the beginning of the world.”
In that instant I realized even
more. I realized that WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAVED, and we saved
ourselves because we were designed to self-correct like the rest of
God’s universe. This is what the second coming is about. I thanked
the Light of God with all my heart. The best thing I could come up
with was these simple words of totally appreciation: “Oh dear God,
dear Universe, dear Great Self, I love my Life.”
The Light seemed to breathe me
in even more deeply. It was as if the Light was completely absorbing
me. The Love Light is, to this day, indescribable. I entered into
another realm, more profound than the last, and became aware of
something more, much more. It was an enormous stream of Light, vast
and full, deep in the Heart of Life. I asked what this was.
The Light responded, “This is
the RIVER OF LIFE. Drink of this manna water to your heart’s
content.” So I did. I took one big drink and then another. To drink
of Life Itself! I was in ecstasy. Then the Light said, “You have a
desire.” The Light knew all about me, everything past, present and
future. “Yes!” I whispered.
I asked to see the rest of the
Universe; beyond our solar system, beyond all human illusion. The
Light then told me that I could go with the Stream. I did, and was
carried through the Light at the end of the tunnel. I felt and heard
a series of very soft sonic booms. What a rush! THE VOID OF
NOTHINGNESS
Suddenly I seemed to be
rocketing away from the planet on this stream of Life. I saw the
earth fly away. The solar system, in all its splendor, whizzed by
and disappeared. At faster than light speed, I flew through the
center of the galaxy, absorbing more knowledge as I went. I learned
that this galaxy, and all of the Universe, is bursting with many
different varieties of LIFE. I saw many worlds. The good news is
that we are not alone in this Universe!
As I rode this stream of
consciousness through the center of the galaxy, the stream was
expanding in awesome fractal waves of energy. The super clusters of
galaxies with all their ancient wisdom flew by. At first I thought I
was going somewhere; actually traveling. But then I realized that,
as the stream was expanding, my own consciousness was also expanding
to take in everything in the Universe! All creation passed by me. It
was an unimaginable wonder! I truly was a Wonder Child; a babe in
Wonderland!
It seemed as if all the
creations in the Universe soared by me and vanished in a speck of
Light. Almost immediately, a second Light appeared. It came from all
sides, and was so different; a Light made up of more than every
frequency in the Universe. I felt and heard several velvety sonic
booms again. My consciousness, or being, was expanding to interface
with the entire Holographic Universe and more.
As I passed into the second
Light, the awareness came to me that I had just transcended the
Truth. Those are the best words I have for it, but I will try to
explain. As I passed into the second Light, I expanded beyond the
First Light. I found myself in a profound stillness, beyond all
silence. I could see or perceive FOREVER, beyond Infinity.
I was in the Void.
I was in pre-creation, before
the Big Bang. I had crossed over the beginning of time - the First
Word - the First vibration. I was in the Eye of Creation. I felt as
if I was touching the Face of God. It was not a religious feeling.
Simply I was at one with Absolute Life and Consciousness.
When I say that I could see or
perceive forever, I mean that I could experience all of creation
generating itself. It was without beginning and without end. That’s
a mind-expanding thought, isn’t it? Scientists perceive the Big Bang
as a single event which created the Universe. I saw that the Big
Bang is only one of an infinite number of Big Bangs creating
Universes endlessly and simultaneously. The only images that even
come close in human terms would be those created by supercomputers
using fractal geometry equations.
The ancients knew of this. They
said Godhead periodically created new Universes by breathing out,
and de-creating other Universes by breathing in. These epochs were
called Yugas. Modern science called this the Big Bang. I was in
absolute, pure consciousness. I could see or perceive all the Big
Bangs or Yugas creating and de-creating themselves. Instantly I
entered into them all simultaneously. I saw that each and every
little piece of creation has the power to create. It is very
difficult to try to explain this. I am still speechless about this.
It took me years after I
returned to assimilate any words at all for the Void experience. I
can tell you this now; the Void is less than nothing, yet more than
everything that is! The Void is absolute zero; chaos forming all
possibilities. It is Absolute Consciousness; much more than even
Universal Intelligence.
Where is the Void? I know. The
Void is inside and outside everything. You, right now even while you
live, are always inside and outside the Void simultaneously. You
don’t have to go anywhere or die to get there. The Void is the
vacuum or nothingness between all physical manifestations. The SPACE
between atoms and their components.
Modern science has begun to
study this space between everything. They call it Zero-point.
Whenever they try to measure it, their instruments go off the scale,
or to infinity, so to speak. They have no way, as of yet, to measure
infinity accurately. There is more of the zero space in your own
body and the Universe than anything else! What mystics call the Void
is not a void. It is so full of energy, a different kind of energy
that has created everything that we are. Everything since the Big
Bang is vibration, from the first Word, which is the first
vibration. The biblical “I am” really has a question mark after it.
“I am - What am I?”
So creation is God exploring
God’s Self through every way imaginable, in an ongoing, infinite
exploration through every one of us. Through every piece of hair on
your head, through every leaf on every tree, through every atom, God
is exploring God’s Self, the great “I am”. I began to see that
everything that is, is the Self, literally, your Self, my Self.
Everything is the great Self. That is why God knows even when a leaf
falls. That is possible because wherever you are is the center of
the universe. Wherever any atom is, that is the center of the
universe. There is God in that, and God in the Void.
As I was exploring the Void and
all the Yugas or creations, I was completely out of time and space
as we know it. In this expanded state, I discovered that creation is
about Absolute Pure Consciousness, or God, coming into the
Experience of Life as we know it. The Void itself is devoid of
experience. It is pre-life, before the first vibration. Godhead is
about more than Life and Death. Therefore there is even more than
Life and Death to experience in the Universe!
I was in the Void and I was
aware of everything that had ever been created. It was like I was
looking out of God’s eyes. I had become God. Suddenly I wasn’t me
anymore. The only thing I can say, I was looking out of God’s eyes.
And suddenly I knew why every atom was, and I could see everything.
The interesting point was that I went into the Void, I came back
with this understanding that God is not there. God is here. That’s
what it is all about.
So this constant search of the
human race to go out and find God ... God gave everything to us,
everything is here - this is where it’s at. And what we are into now
is God’s exploration of God through us. People are so busy trying to
become God that they ought to realize that we are already God and
God is becoming us. That’s what it is really about.
When I realized this, I was
finished with the Void, and wanted to return to this creation, or
Yuga. It just seemed like the natural thing to do. Then I suddenly
came back through the second Light, or the Big Bang, hearing several
more velvet booms. I rode the stream of consciousness back through
all of creation, and what a ride it was! The super clusters of
galaxies came through me with even more insights.
I passed through the center of
our galaxy, which is a black hole. Black holes are the great
processors or recyclers of the Universe. Do you know what is on the
other side of a Black Hole? We are; our galaxy; which has been
reprocessed from another Universe. In its total energy
configuration, the galaxy looked like a fantastic city of lights.
All energy this side of the Big Bang is light. Every sub-atom, atom,
star, planet, even consciousness itself is made of light and has a
frequency and/or particle. Light is living stuff. Everything is made
of light, even stones. So everything is alive. Everything is made
from the Light of God; everything is very intelligent.
The Light of Love
As I rode the stream on and on,
I could eventually see a huge Light coming. I knew it was the First
Light; the Higher Self Light Matrix of our solar system. Then the
entire solar system appeared in the Light, accompanied by one of
those velvet booms.
I saw that the solar system we
live in is our larger, local body. This is our local body and we are
much bigger than we imagine. I saw that the solar system is our
body. I am a part of this, and the earth is this great created being
that we are, and we are the part of it that knows that it is. But we
are only that part of it. We are not everything, but we are that
part of it that knows that it is.
I could see all the energy that
this solar system generates, and it is an incredible light show! I
could hear the Music of the Spheres. Our solar system, as do all
celestial bodies, generates a unique matrix of light, sound and
vibratory energies. Advanced civilizations from other star systems
can spot life as we know it in the universe by the vibratory or
energy matrix imprint. It is child’s play. The earth’s Wonder Child
(human beings) make an abundance of sound right now, like children
playing in the backyard of the universe.
I rode the stream directly into
the center of the Light. I felt embraced by the Light as it took me
in with its breath again, followed by another soft sonic boom.
I was in this great Light of
Love with the stream of life flowing through me. I have to say
again, it is the most loving, non-judgmental Light. It is the ideal
parent for this Wonder Child. “What now?” I wondered.
The Light explained to me that
there is no death; we are immortal beings. We have already been
alive forever! I realized that we are part of a natural living
system that recycles itself endlessly. I was never told that I had
to come back. I just knew that I would. It was only natural, from
what I had seen.
I don’t know how long I was with
the Light, in human time. But there came a moment when I realized
that all my questions had been answered and my return was near. When
I say that all my questions were answered on the other side, I mean
to say just that. All my questions have been answered. Every human
has a different life and set of questions to explore. Some of our
questions are Universal, but each of us is exploring this thing we
call Life in our own unique way. So is every other form of life,
from mountains to every leaf on every tree.
And that is very important to
the rest of us in this Universe. Because it all contributes to the
Big Picture, the fullness of Life. We are literally God exploring
God’s Self in an infinite Dance of Life. Your uniqueness enhances
all of Life.
His Return to Earth
As I began my return to the life
cycle, it never crossed my mind, nor was I told, that I would return
to the same body. It just did not matter. I had complete trust in
the Light and the Life process. As the stream merged with the great
Light, I asked never to forget the revelations and the feelings of
what I had learned on the other side.
There was a “Yes”. It felt like
a kiss to my soul.
Then I was taken back through
the Light into the vibratory realm again. The whole process
reversed, with even more information being given to me. I came back
home, and I was given lessons on the mechanics of reincarnation. I
was given answers to all those little questions I had: “How does
this work? How does that work?” I knew that I would be reincarnated.
The earth is a great processor of energy, and individual
consciousness evolves out of that into each one of us.
I thought of myself as a human
for the first time, and I was happy to be that. From what I have
seen, I would be happy to be an atom in this universe. An atom. So
to be the human part of God ... this is the most fantastic blessing.
It is a blessing beyond our wildest estimation of what blessing can
be. For each and every one of us to be the human part of this
experience is awesome, and magnificent. Each and every one of us, no
matter where we are, screwed up or not, is a blessing to the planet,
right where we are.
So I went through the
reincarnation process expecting to be a baby somewhere. But I was
given a lesson on how individual identity and consciousness evolve.
So I reincarnated back into this body. I was so surprised when I
opened my eyes. I do not know why, because I understood it, but it
was still such a surprise to be back in this body, back in my room
with someone looking over me crying her eyes out. It was my hospice
caretaker. She had given up an hour and a half after finding me
dead. She was sure I was dead; all the signs of death were there - I
was getting stiff.
We do not know how long I was
dead, but we do know that it was an hour and a half since I was
found. She honored my wish to have my newly dead body left alone for
a few hours as much as she could. We had an amplified stethoscope
and many ways of checking out the vital functions of the body to see
what was happening. She can verify that I really was dead. It was
not a near-death experience. I experienced death itself for at least
an hour and a half. She found me dead and checked the stethoscope,
blood pressure and heart rate monitor for an hour and a half. Then I
awakened and saw the light outside. I tried to get up to go to it,
but I fell out of the bed. She heard a loud “clunk”, ran in and
found me on the floor.
When I recovered, I was very
surprised and yet very awed about what had happened to me. At first
all the memory of the trip that I have now was not there. I kept
slipping out of this world and kept asking, “Am I alive?” This world
seemed more like a dream than that one. Within three days, I was
feeling normal again, clearer, yet different than I had ever felt in
my life. My memory of the journey came back later. I could see
nothing wrong with any human being I had ever seen. Before that I
was really judgmental. I thought a lot of people were really screwed
up, in fact I thought that everybody was screwed up but me. But I
got clear on all that.
About three months later a
friend said I should get tested, so I went and got the scans and so
forth. I really felt good, so I was afraid of getting bad news. I
remember the doctor at the clinic looking at the before and after
scans, saying, “Well, there is nothing here now.” I said, “Really,
it must be a miracle?” He said “No, these things happen, they are
called spontaneous remission.” He acted very unimpressed. But here
was a miracle, and I was impressed, even if no one else was.
Lessons He Learned
The mystery of life has very
little to do with intelligence. The universe is not an intellectual
process at all. The intellect is helpful; it is brilliant, but right
now that is all we process with, instead of our hearts and the wiser
part of ourselves.
The center of the earth is this
great transmuter of energy, just as you see in pictures of our
earth’s magnetic field. That’s our cycle, pulling reincarnated souls
back in and through it again. A sign that you are reaching human
level is that you are beginning to evolve an individual
consciousness.
The animals have a group soul,
and they reincarnate in group souls. A deer is pretty much going to
be a deer forever. But just being born a human, whether deformed or
genius, shows that you are on the path to developing an individual
consciousness. That is in itself part of the group consciousness
called humanity.
I saw that races are personality
clusters. Nations like France, Germany and China each have their own
personality. Cities have personalities, they are local group souls
that attract certain people. Families have group souls. Individual
identity is evolving like branches of a fractal; the group soul
explores in our individuality. The different questions that each of
us has are very, very important. This is how Godhead is exploring
God’s Self - through you. So ask your questions, do your searching.
You will find your Self and you will find God in that Self, because
it is only the Self.
More than that, I began to see
that each one of us humans are soulmates. We are part of the same
soul fractaling out in many creative directions, but still the same.
Now I look at every human being that I ever see, and I see a soul
mate, my soulmate, the one I have always been looking for. Beyond
that, the greatest soul mate that you will ever have is yourself.
We are each both male and
female. We experience this in the womb and we experience this in
reincarnation states. If you are looking for that ultimate soul mate
outside of yourself, you may never find it; it is not there. Just as
God is not “there”. God is here. Don’t look “out there” for God.
Look here for God. Look through your Self. Start having the greatest
love affair you ever had ... with your Self. You will love
everything out of that.
I had a descent into what you
might call Hell, and it was very surprising. I did not see Satan or
evil. My descent into Hell was a descent into each person’s
customized human misery, ignorance, and darkness of not-knowing. It
seemed like a miserable eternity. But each of the millions of souls
around me had a little star of light always available. But no one
seemed to pay attention to it. They were so consumed with their own
grief, trauma and misery. But, after what seemed an eternity, I
started calling out to that Light, like a child calling to a parent
for help.
Then the Light opened up and
formed a tunnel that came right to me an insulated me from all that
fear and pain. That is what Hell really is. So what we are doing is
learning to hold hands, to come together. The doors of Hell are open
now. We are going to link up, hold hands, and walk out of Hell
together. The Light came to me and turned into a huge golden angel.
I said, “Are you the angel of death?” It expressed to me that it was
my oversoul, my Higher Self matrix, a super-ancient part of
ourselves. Then I was taken to the Light.
Soon our science will quantify
spirit. Isn’t that going to be wonderful? We are coming up with
devices now that are sensitive to subtle energy or spirit energy.
Physicists use these atomic colliders to smash atoms to see what
they are made of. They have got it down to quarks and charm, and all
that. Well, one day they are going to come down to the little thing
that holds it all together, and they are going to have to call that
... God.
With atomic colliders they are
not only seeing what is in here, but they are creating particles.
Thank God most of them are short-lived milliseconds and nanoseconds.
We are just beginning to understand that we are creating too, as we
go along. As I saw forever, I came to a realm in which there is a
point where we pass all knowledge and begin creating the next
fractal, the next level. We have that power to create as we explore.
And that is God expanding itself through us.
Since my return I have
experienced the Light spontaneously, and I have learned how to get
to that space almost any time in my meditation. Each one of you can
do this. You do not have to die to do this. It is within your
equipment; you are wired for it already. The body is the most
magnificent Light being there is. The body is a universe of
incredible Light. Spirit is not pushing us to dissolve this body.
That is not what is happening. Stop trying to become God; God is
becoming you. Here.
The mind is like a child running
around the universe, demanding this and thinking it created the
world. But I ask the mind: “What did your mother have to do with
this?” That is the next level of spiritual awareness. Oh! my mother!
All of a sudden you give up the ego, because you are not the only
soul in the universe.
One of my questions to the Light
was, “What is Heaven?” I was given a tour of all the heavens that
have been created: the Nirvanas, the Happy Hunting Grounds, all of
them. I went through them. These are thought-form creations that we
have created. We don’t really go to heaven; we are reprocessed.
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