Journal of Near-Death Studies, volume 10, issue 1
Amazing Grace: The Near-Death Experience as a Compensatory Gift
Ring, K.
This paper illustrates the apparently providential timing and the healing character of near-death experiences (NDEs) and NDE-like episodes, through four case histories of persons whose lives, prior to their experiences, were marked by deep anguish and a sense of hopelessness. Spiritually, such case histories suggest the intervention of a guiding intelligence that confers a form of an amazing grace¯ on the recipient. Methodologically, these reports point to the importance of taking into account the persons life history as a context for understanding the full significance of NDEs and similar awakening experiences. The article ends with a retrospective account of a childhood NDE in which "the big secret"¯ of these experiences is disclosed.
