Module One
FEELING MISUNDERSTOOD AND ISOLATED: FINDING SUPPORT
life concern: feeling alone and alienated by the experience.
A. Western scientific community dismissing accounts as superstitious or crazy. Most NDErs are steeped in this culture since birth. Thus, some may partially buy into the notion that their experience should be impossible. They also fear rejection from people at large.
B. Skepticism by family and friends contribute to feeling misunderstood. This may feel like a betrayal. The NDEr may respond by becoming distrustful and secretive about their experience.
C. Resistance by family and friends of changes in values and lifestyle. For instance, the NDEr may not want to drink and party, engage in mean teasing, or watch violent movies. The NDEr responds by isolating him/herself from group activities leading to feelings of loneliness.
D. Rejection from family, friends, and culture creates a disconnect between the experiencer. On the one hand, they want to connect with others very deeply. On the other hand, they cannot relate well to their current relationships. This divergence between their desires and their reality creates inner dissonance, or conflicted sadness, for the experiencer. This can be alleviated by creating new relationships.
E. Due to so many voices speaking against their reality, the experiencer may become afraid of discussing their NDE experience with anyone. This leads to a stage of fundamental distrust between the experiencer and the world.
F. Some begin to doubt their own experience and wonder if they indeed have gone “crazy”. Self-doubt can make an NDEr even more hesitant to share their NDE and make life/mission-consistent choices. What they actually need is greater confidence. Support During Transition: Some NDErs may stay in a state of despair for years because they do not know about the supportive help available. There is a substantial support system for the NDE community. These include other NDErs validating their experience and normalizing their struggles. Support come in a variety of forms.