[seicslybearee]

Not really realting to Buddhist cosmolgy but RLP's mention of near death experience made me think that perhaps an experience in my life might be relevant. Not going into the full whys and wherefores I had a self inflicted overdose of very powerful tranquilisers, I know from someone who was in the ambulance with me that the paramedics had to get my heart going again a couple of times on the way to accident and emergency.

I spent a good five or six hours under the resucitation team in A+E and have been told I died a couple of times while I was in there, spent the next 24 hours in an ICU and about two days longer in a general medical ward as I was showing signs of brain damage (can't remember the medical term for it but in head I was speaking clearly what I wanted to say but it was just coming out as a nonsensical word salad - this passed after a few hours).

I should point out that for a good portion of my life I was very interested in Pagan mysticism and Shamanic practice (I took a fair amount of hallucinogenic mushrooms and had a lot of classic Shamanic experiences - though I speculate that this may have been heavily influenced by a lot of the literature I was reading).

Anyway this is the only memory I have from while I was out of it - I found myself on a stone staircase that free standing in space, I began to climb upwards and when I reached the top I found myself on a plain with a large stone circle made of dolmen arches, inside the circle were figures from Celtic myth - Gods and Heroes waiting to welcome me). I think they shocked my heart then as I seemed to suddenly drop back. After that everything was black.

This kind of relates to RLP's statement that these things are seen through the lens of ones spiritual tradition, I spoke to an acquaintance who had flatlined after a serious car accident who had no spiritual beliefs, he told me all he could remember was that he felt a profound sense of peace.

One thing however I do not discount is that this was some kind of trick my dying brain played on me to reassure me.

I did however feel a very profound sense of calm and tranquility for several days after I came out of hospital. I wondered if it was an effect of the tranquilisers but taking a look at the plasma half life of the drug it would have been metabolised fully a long time before that.

But as several others have said this seems irrelevant to me now. In meditation however briefly to feel a respite from the turmoil of the monkey mind is a wonderful experience. All that matters to me these days is to try and wake up to the here and now.

Right back to your scheduled programme.

Edit: I should point out that I am in no way advocating the use of drugs in my post I've known many people who have been damaged seriously mentally and physically by drugs (including permanent psychosis beyond psychiatric treatment and death). As I said on another Buddhist board I have no need for devas, ascended masters or mushroom spirits to change my conciousness - I have a human life and have been fortunate enough to encounter the skilfull means of the Buddha - that is all I need.