Wars, Veterans, NDEs, Reality Re-adjustments and PTSD

[Hervé]

Combat veterans and near death experiences

Daily Grail
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 09:02 UTC

Surveys of military veterans have shown that more than a third report having had a near-death experience (NDE). And yet many of them don't even know that NDEs are a recognized phenomenon, and so they often don't mention their experience to others, and when they do it is often misdiagnosed as PTSD or mental illness.

In response to this sad situation, Diane Corcoran - a past President of the International Association for Near Death Studies (IANDS), and a veteran herself - has worked to raise awareness of NDEs with both veterans and care-givers. In recent years she had the idea to create a video to train veterans and their care providers about NDEs and their aftereffects.

You can find out more at a special page at the IANDS website devoted to the topic, "Impact of the Near-Death Experience on Combat Veterans":

I came to believe that many soldiers were having near-death experiences as bombs exploded and gunfire nearly took their lives. But many were uncomfortable sharing what happened, and felt they had no one to talk to. But I knew they needed an outlet - someone to share their life-transforming experience with, who wouldn't be dismissive or think they were crazy.

While clinicians in most healthcare environments may have little knowledge of the NDE and its consequence, additional barriers exist in the military setting because the NDE and its consequences run counter to military culture.

There are many issues, and one of them relates to privacy and fear of disclosing the NDE to military commanders or health care providers. You may be asked to talk to your psychiatrist or psychologist in strict confidentiality, yet they may interpret the NDE as a mental health issue and put that into your record. When providers do not know about NDEs, they may think you have a mental illness and treat it with medication or other inappropriate intervention.

Commanders have great authority in the military and if you go to your commander and say, I need to talk to you privately about this experience I had, that could be the end of your career. It's a culture in which consequences can happen quickly, and because of a lack of knowledge about NDEs, it may end a soldier's career. One soldier told me that the minute he told his nurse about his experience, he was sedated for three days and then sent to see a psychiatrist immediately. They thought he was crazy. In fact, people with NDEs are not mentally ill, but may benefit from supportive counseling to help them integrate the experience. Currently, providers are not prepared to offer such counseling.

The military depends on structure and discipline, and this often runs counter to common aftereffects of NDEs. Common effects include changed attitudes and beliefs, such as a philosophy of nonviolence, extreme appreciation of nature, high empathy and affection, and different priorities for time management.

The aftereffects of an NDE aren't always conducive to staying in the military, as NDErs may become altruistic and less rule based. The commander of a unit, a West Point graduate with a lot of experience, told me that since his NDE, he was having trouble with command and discipline issues.

All I really want to do is put my arm around these young soldiers, and say we're going to work it out. And I have to tell them that it may not work out for them in the military, so they may need to find another place that will value their change in attitude.

You can also hear more about the topic from both Corcoran, and near-death experiencer Tony Woody, in the following video of a discussion group titled "NDEs, Military Issues and Veteran's Video", recorded at the 2016 IANDS Conference:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vAe2PSmYQ7Y

IANDSvideos Published on Dec 5, 2016

Discussion Group: NDEs, Military Issues and Veteran’s Video, 2016 IANDS Conference with near-death experiencer Tony Woody; IANDS President & retired Army Colonel, Diane Corcoran; and producer of Near-Death Experience: What Veterans Need To Know, Roberta Moore.

Diane Corcoran, currently President of IANDS Board and a retired Army Colonel, was a young Army nurse in Vietnam when she treated a soldier whose leg had been amputated. One night he called her over to tell her about his very unusual battlefield experience of coming out of his body and seeing other fellow soldiers leaving their bodies as well. He then described a transcendent experience into another realm.

Through the years, Diane became more and more aware of a hidden problem for veteran NDErs. Their care providers have virtually no training to distinguish the after effects of NDEs from other conditions such as PTSD or brain injuries.

Veteran NDErs are getting little support and are sometimes being misdiagnosed and over-medicated, and they are left with nowhere to turn. Thousands of our vets have had NDES and they don’t even know what has happened to them. In response to this lamentable situation, several years ago Diane conceived the idea of a video to train veterans and their care providers about NDEs and their aftereffects. Veterans NDE Video Project: Veterans NDE Video Project: http://iands.org/vetvideo


Related:
The startling psychological and physiological after-effects of near death experiences

Near death experience reports include timeless review of life and other perspectives

Glimpses of the after-life: Life-changing near-death experiences

[Joe Akulis]

One of my favorite subjects, Herve. Thanks for the post and the links.

You can never learn too much about NDE's, if you ask me. :-)

[Alpha141]

One of the real first explorations on what is out there that i don't know. Which was alot at that early triggering to my journey several years ago. Was as a result of a suicidal girlfriend at the time. I had given everything up to follow her to a different city. And, she has a very bad fall resulting in a couple of surgeries and rehab. The pain drove her literally nuts. I came across Dannion Brinkley's 'Saved By the Light' book when i wanted to know more about death. As, i wasn't sure what would happen to her if she was serious.

Dannion was a sniper in the Vietnam War and was electrocuted while on the phone in US. He had this extensive and vivid out of body experience from a near death experience as a result. I won't get too long. It is a very worth while book. After his out of body and life review. Of which has always stuck with me he reliving. He describes a mission he was a part of that resulted in the killing of a Nt Korean General. But, the reliving he experienced being killed by the bullet being shot and the consequence to his wife and children of loosing their husband/father. Plus the entire life's cost to them. There is no time outside the reality we live in so it was very compelling to me. The review allowed him to feel the consequence (karma) from his actions.

He changed enormously from this experience. He has offered he has helped cross over over 10000 veterans. It is an enormously bold statement to make if not true. There is a powerful shaman healer i know who does the same thing with people close to the edge in my city. You would never lie about being in such a humbling situation on so many levels. Dannion as a result, had a massive shift in life to confirm his actions. You have experiences like that and being able in the moment to feel the consequence etc. I could feel they authenticity.

For me it was a very powerful ally in a pretty dark time of my life. And, some founding components to the being i was to become. I highly recommend the book. He is out there a bit. I am sure even been shared here a few time.

Enjoy