Reader Question: What Is It Like After We Die? by John Cali

Reader’s Question:

I often watch a television show in which they interview people who have died due to various circumstances, have seen the other side in their Spirit form, only to be brought back to life.

The majority of those people who have seen the other side have a very similar story/experience about being in pure bliss, being there in non-physical form, etc. However, once in a while, there are those people who see something they perceive to be a glimpse of “hell” or someplace that elicits feelings of fear.

Those stories confuse me. I am a firm believer that we are all One and transition into non-physical form when we die, all winding up in the same beautiful place regardless of our life circumstances or how we die.

That being the case, why do some of these people experience something quite different when they catch a glimpse of the other side? This is something I would very much like to understand from Spirit’s perspective. Thank you for all you do for our world and each other.

Spirit’s Response:

We agree with you — you are all one, and all end up in the same “place” when you die. There is no real hell, despite what some of your religions teach. In fact, the only hell that exists is the one you create for yourselves.

Those who believe in hell when they die (whether they return to “life” or not) often have an experience they describe as hell. But it’s only their own creation, their perception. After all, you do create your own realities, whether “dead” or “alive.”

You all come from Spirit or, if you prefer, God. You come from that “place” many of you call heaven. That divine part of you — your greater or higher self — lives forever in the realms of Spirit. You’ve had many physical lifetimes, but you always return to Spirit. In fact, you’ve never left the realms of Spirit.

Any experience you would describe as hell is only temporary, whether it’s hell on earth or hell after death. As we said, hell is not real. It’s only a “figment of your imagination,” as you say. You created it.

While you may experience hell after death, your guides and angels will be there for you. Then you will realize there is no hell. There is no death. There is only eternal life.

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What do you think life after death is like? Have you ever had a near-death experience? Please share with us below.

We welcome your comments and thoughtful opinions. Please keep them kind and compassionate. If needed, we’ll edit for clarity. Also, we’ll delete anything we consider inappropriate.

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16 Responses

  1. anny

    Hello John,

    I have been away for a while so now I have a lot of posts to read through but this one appealed to me first.

    As far as my idea about life after death is concerned, I think that we create that ourselves just as much as we create our lives on earth. There really is not so much difference, we only pass through a door as it were in order to return where we came from. I think that the vision on dying, or being born for that matter, becomes much simpler when we get clear who we really are. As long as you think you are your body, then death becomes a threat and life after death might be wishful thinking. But once you know that we are spirit, consciousness, then dying is really nothing more or less that taking off your coat, or putting one on when you are born.

    As far as an NDE is concerned, I do not know if I ever had one. It might have been an OBE, but that does not really make any difference to my experience. It was in 1960 and I was 13 years old. I attended a grammar school and was in my second year. During lunch break I went out for a walk, as did almost all of the students. I wanted to cross a road and looked carefully to the right and to the left. To the left a car was approaching but it was still very far away so I stepped off the curb. That is my last memory. Immediately afterwards I found myself in shimmering light, impossible to describe. I could not see anyone or anything as there was no form or shape or anything. No sound either. It was all just energy, very high energy and Love. I experienced love of such a magnitude that it cannot be described. Love and total acceptance. I kind of felt I was floating in a sea of love and I never, ever, wanted to leave again. I knew exactly what must have happened. The car I had seen in the distance must have been driving much too fast and had hit me and I had died. It did not shock me in the least, on the contrary, I could not imagine anything better happening to me. It also did not shock me to find that I did not have a body any more, not even an etheric one although I had never heard about those yet. And it also did not disturb me that I did not see any angels or Jesus or God. I just basked in that incredible love. I do not know how long it lasted.

    Nobody asked me whether I wanted to return or not (which I did not) but all of a sudden I felt myself back on earth again, lying on the street a few meters in front of the car that had hit and thrown me, with the driver bending over me and just about half of the school population crowding around me. I was very dizzy and sore all over and awfully disappointed to be back on earth again. As soon as the driver saw that I had come round he picked me up and put me in his car. He must have asked someone my address because he drove me straight home and more or less dumped me there. As soon as my mother had opened the door he told her that I had crossed the road without looking out and then he immediately made a run for it. He was gone before she had grasped what had happed and of course she wanted to take care of me first.

    Fortunately and miraculously I turned out not to be seriously wounded, although I was black and blue and bleeding all over the place. I was back in school in a couple of weeks. I never told anyone about my experience for decades, not because I was afraid that no one would believe me (near death experiences were not at all known then) but because I did not want my parents to know that I had not wanted to come back. But I never forgot it and it always remained my most precious experience.

    Thinking back about it decades later, I came to the conclusion that I must already have left or been taken from my body before the accident happened, because the car indeed was still very far away during my last conscious splitsecond and as a city girl I was very adept at judging the traffic and always careful.

    Love,

    Anny

    • John Cali

      Thank you very much, Anny, for your comments, and sharing your experiences.

      Love,
      John

  2. Marilyn

    Hello, John! Thank you so much for this beautiful and enlightening discussion. I believe I have mentioned this before, but given the discussion, I can’t resist repeating it. I can’t recommend highly enough the book by Irene Kendig titled “Conversations with Jerry and Other People I Thought Were Dead.” It supports all that has been said here by you, by Spirit, and by other readers, and does so in great detail, with much joy and beauty. I found it the most inspiring book I’ve read, as it encouraged me to live my best life today and every day. Do let me know if you get a chance to look at it! Love and blessings to all.

    • John Cali

      Hi Marilyn,

      Thank you very much. I remember when you first told me about the book, “Conversations with Jerry and Other People I Thought Were Dead.” I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. But now that you’re reminded me of it again, I’ll put it on my to-do list.

      Hugs,
      John

  3. Anne

    For anyone interested there is a video on you tube , Raymond Moody life after death, he interviews people who have had a NDE it goes forabout an hour. In my heart i knew what they were saying to be true ,this video would help anyone who has lost someone and is finding it hard to cope.

    • Chieko

      Dear Anne,

      Thank you very much for letting us know about this video. The overall message was great! I loved the movie. Out of so many touching messages, there was one thing I didn’t know before. That is, it is those little things we do to each other out of love that counts but not our great accomplishments, nor those “big” things we think as important to do. I was amazed to hear that those things we think have value or we have achieved in our lives do not even count. (Well, I think they still count as long as they’re done out of love.) It’s those little things we do from our heart, unknown to anybody, uncalculated, just out of goodness of our heart that counts. Those simple acts of kindness we may even have forgotten we’ve done count or matter more.

      I think this makes every one of us feel we’re truly worthy beings. Whatever our job or social status may be, it’s only those very little things we do every day in our lives that heralds through the universe, as they say in this movie. How worthy we feel when we know every little thing we do for others just because we want to do matters so much! Also it’s nice to know every feeling, every thought, every intention, every deed, etc. will be known to everyone at the end. So, as they say, there is nothing hidden in your life. This means even if we do things unknown to others out of love/kindness, every single action and love will be revealed to them at the end. They’ll all know at the end, for better or worse. At that time, there won’t be any judgement so only our little unconditional acts of love/compassion will be appreciated infinitely. Even now, we appreciate others doing so many “unknown” deeds behind us. Just by knowing that, our love/appreciation reaches to every human being on this planet. When I remember so many “little” things those people I don’t even know have done for me, although I’ve seen them only once in my life and will never see them again, I feel utter appreciation for their unconditional love, compassion, and affection for other fellow human beings. How much will we appreciate others when we finally see the entire picture of the webs of compassion for each other? That’ll be overwhelming for sure.

      Thank you, Anne, for letting me know about all this. Your action of letting me know is greatly appreciated and has mattered to me greatly. That’s how you change others’ lives. You’ve certainly changed my view of life. You’ve also changed my view of others and myself. It started from John and Spirit but this chain reaction or ripple effect of acts of love expands to the very edge of this universe, if there’s any edge to it. Thank you again, Anne. Lots of appreciation and love to you and your loved ones.

      Lots of love and appreciation to all!
      Chieko

    • Barbara

      Beautiful film, Anne, thank you so much for mentioning it. I’m sure it will help many people feel better about “death”.

      Love,
      Barbara

  4. Shirl

    Another wonderful topic, Jon. My understandings are the same as yours and as Spirit has related. In my many travels “off planet” I have come to understand that what we (any of us) believe and believe very strongly is what we might create as our first experience when passing through the door from this experience to our next.

    I certainly feel that we do choose if, when and how we may have that experience.

    I know in my own NDE I was “traveling” with an Angelic presence who asked me very specifically on three different occasions if I wished to continue on “home.” Twice I answered yes, of course, because the further away from the physical earth plane we seemed to be moving the more intensely divine was the love/Source energy that enveloped me. In fact I thought it odd that this being would even ask. . .I couldn’t imagine any not wanting to go further into that love energy.

    However, I did the Lott’s Wife thing. . .I looked back over my shoulder at the now very small blue ball that was earth and had a very magical experience of have some sort of super magnification vision. . .what I saw was a man struggling, heavy burdened and struggling mightily. . .This was a generic version of a human man, not anyone I personally knew or know. . .But I was caught up at once in my deep desire to assist this person, or any person who might likewise be in such a struggle. It was then I knew that IF I could possibly be of any help I really could not choose to leave and go home at this time.

    Immediately I was “slammed” back into my body with the extremely vivid memory and vision of what I had just experienced.

    That was 1994. . .I am so very glad that I chose to stay and have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful, beautiful people whom I consider soul family. It has been a joyous and life altering experience to be here all these years later.

    I have changed whatever previous agreement I may have had in this regard to say that I will stay here in this 3D place as long as I can be of any service to others.

    Keep up the great discussions.
    Blessings and hugs to all,
    Shirl

    • John Cali

      Thank you very much, Shirl. That was certainly an amazing experience you had. I think when folks like you share their experiences, it teaches others there is nothing to fear, in life or death.

      Hugs,
      John

  5. Mike

    Hello John,

    I sincerely appreciate you having Spirit answer my question. The response resonates with me as I do know that we create our own realities, even in death apparently! That’s quite fascinating really. Your response puts my mind at ease though. It is also interesting to note that the people on this television show who do see some sort of hell after death are eventually pulled out of it by their angels and guides per their own accounts of what happened! Aren’t we so loved?

    This reminds me how truly powerful each and every one of us is in creating our own reality, whether for better or for worse. I will continue to focus my energies on making the best reality possible while I am here in this beautiful lifetime. Thank-you again for all you do John.

    • John Cali

      Thank you very much, Mike, for your comments and kind words. I’m delighted you found Spirit’s wisdom helpful.

      Blessings,
      John

  6. Marlene

    I’ve had a near death experience while in labor (undrugged). Three unidentified beings appeared in a bright light. They communicated with me, and I with them, instantaneously and in depth without actually speaking.

    I was given a choice whether I wanted to go or to stay. There was no fear in the thought of leaving but I was shocked that they had come sooner than I had expected, and I wanted to stay! It’s hard to express in words, but I felt I had a plan/contract/agreement/responsibility/commitment or something along that lines, and I did not want to let my husband down, or abandon him that way. There was a feeling that he and I were in this together and I couldn’t imagine leaving him. I also specifically mentioned wanting to raise the child I was giving birth to.

    The beings said that that was fine, they would come for me at a later date, and that I would have an important role to play in the life of my, soon to be born, son.

    That was nearly 29 years ago. My son is grown and I have no idea what my influence might be/ have been. I sometimes wonder when “a later date” might be too! I am no more inclined to leave now than I was back then. I still feel I have unfinished business.

    Even though I believe we have some say (maybe complete say?) in when and how we end this life, I admit I was still concerned while being prepped for a recent surgery. I am not ready to leave and I was afraid I might be extended “an offer I couldn’t refuse”, nervous that the beings might return and say “time’s up!” whether I liked it or not.

    • John Cali

      Thank you, Marlene, for sharing your fascinating experiences. I believe we decide when and how we will “leave.” If that’s true, then we have nothing to fear.

        • John Cali

          Thank you, Barbara, very much. I think anyone interested in out-of-body and near-death experiences will enjoy Raymond Moody’s film. He’s one of the pioneers in this area.

          Love,
          John

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