Knowledge and the near-death experience (1)
Introduction to Knowledge and the NDE
People having near-death experiences (NDEs) consistently portray the “light” they see in those moments as being all-knowing, all-compassionate, and all-encompassing. NDErs (people who have experienced NDEs) often describe entering a realm in which knowledge is instantaneous, complete, and far beyond anything the common human consciousness can imagine. In this expanded state, questions are answered before they are fully formed. Life suddenly makes sense as a purposeful journey of the Immortal Self. The deepest truths about God, existence, and our own identity are “remembered” rather than learned. Yet when NDErs return, they do so with only fragments of that vast awareness – just enough to transform their priorities, values, and view of life.
NDEs reveal a universe in which knowledge is sacred, love is primary, and life on Earth is a school for spiritual transformation. NDE testimonies and research describe a remarkable range of encounters with spiritual knowledge including the discovery that gaining wisdom and learning to love are the true purposes of life. They describe receiving wisdom from the light as overwhelming “downloads” of knowledge that arrive in telepathic streams, blocks, or bursts. They reveal access to the great cosmic Akashic Records where the story of every life – and all God’s creation – is stored. In the life review, this knowledge becomes deeply personal. NDErs relive their lives with total insight into their motives, experience the feelings of others who had interactions with them, and receive the spiritual consequences of each choice they made during their life.
At the same time, NDEs challenge purely materialistic views and memory. Some NDErs bring back verifiable paranormal knowledge, complex scientific or mathematical insights, or new healing abilities they did not possess before. Others recall pre-birth awareness, soul planning, and encounters with councils of wise beings who help them understand their life mission. Many describe realms of light, temples of learning, heavenly libraries, and living fields of information – suggesting that human consciousness can tap into a vast, nonlocal reservoir of knowledge that transcends the physical brain.
Yet a recurring lesson in these testimonies is that forgetting is part of the design. NDErs often report being told they cannot take all of this knowledge back with them, because Earthly experience is meant to be lived from within limitation, not from the vantage point of total omniscience. The “veil” that hides our full spiritual memory is portrayed as a necessary condition for personal spiritual growth, free will, and genuine learning. What returns, instead, is a deep conviction: that we are more than our bodies, that love and knowledge are the only treasures we can take with us after death, and that every life is threaded with purpose in a universe far more intelligent and compassionate than we ever imagined.
This article presents research findings, NDE testimonies, and emerging theories of consciousness to trace this overarching pattern. From the primacy of knowledge and love to the Light of total understanding, from downloads and life reviews to pre-existence, afterlife realms, and verified paranormal insight, they invite us to reconsider what it means to “know” and why we are here to learn.
The Primacy of Knowledge and Love
NDEs reveal a profound spiritual revelation that the true purpose of human life centres on the growth of knowledge and love. Across decades of research, NDE investigators and NDErs alike report that these two qualities – our understanding and our capacity to love – are what ultimately endure beyond physical life. Rather than emphasizing material success, status, or achievement, NDEs point toward an inner education of the soul. NDErs often return transformed, convinced that loving others more fully and seeking deeper, spiritual knowledge are the ultimate reasons we are here. The testimonies and insights that follow affirm a universal message: life here in earth is a “school” for becoming wiser and more loving, and every experience is an opportunity to grow in both ways.
NDE researcher Dr. Craig Lundahl reports that one of the important transformations NDErs undergo is the understanding that gaining knowledge and love are the most important aspects in life.
NDE researcher Dr. Joel Ibrahim Kreps states that humans are on Earth to gain knowledge and learn about love: “A hypothesis that came to me after long reflection is based on the view of life as essentially a learning experience. This is a consistent conclusion from the NDE literature: We are here to gain knowledge and to learn about love (Ring & Valarino, 1998). The NDE is thus also a teaching, one specifically prescribed for each NDEr. God has sent NDEs to remind us humans why we are here and what our ultimate destination is. Several NDEs, such as those of Ritchie (1991) and Eadie (Eadie & Taylor, 1992), contained the specific message to inform people about the existence of God and the model He sent for us, Jesus.”
Barbara S. learned humans are on Earth to learn about love and gain knowledge: “The light then told me, ‘You are here to learn how to love and to gain knowledge.’ When I was told this, all the implications of the word love and knowledge were imparted to me. With the word ‘love‘, it wasn’t just about physical love but the love of nature, accepting all people, everything that pertained to love. The same was with knowledge. It wasn’t just about book knowledge but about learning about different cultures, histories of the world. I felt when I was told this that it wasn’t just my reason for being on Earth but all of our reason for being here: mankind.”
Dr. Raymond Moody described the importance of seeking love and knowledge of the spiritual world: “Almost everyone has stressed the importance in this life of aiming to cultivate love for others, a love of a unique and profound kind.” Dr. Moody adds that a second characteristic is a realization of the importance of seeking knowledge, of not confining one’s horizon to the material.
Kathryn H. learned that knowledge of humanity’s oneness is the most important knowledge of her NDE: “I felt an emotional sense of well-being and acceptance, a knowledge that we are all connected and not separate at all. I did not receive any other special knowledge, but this was the most important of all, anyway.”
Martin W. received the knowledge that love is important: “I received the knowledge that we need to learn to love ourselves and others, give and receive such love, forgive ourselves and others, and be able to understand each other and come to agreement.”
David Goines learned that all human beings promised to return to God with the knowledge and experience gained in life: “We made a promise to God to accept the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities of a physical life, to make the most of this opportunity for ourselves and God, to return to God with the knowledge and experience gained such that likewise, God could be enhanced by the experience. By doing good, improving our consciousness, and learning to cope with physical reality, our love for God will bring us back to Him.”
The Light of Knowledge
Encounters with the radiant Light during NDEs are often described as overwhelming revelations of absolute knowledge. NDErs consistently report that the Light communicates answers instantaneously – before questions are fully formed – and that its wisdom encompasses everything from the origins of the macrocosmos to the intimate details of one’s own life. Many describe this Light as a presence in which all truth is interconnected, where understanding unfolds effortlessly and comprehensively, as if the very fabric of reality were being revealed. Other NDErs describe the Light as containing the knowledge of all worlds, all beings, and all purposes, conveying that nothing in creation is random and that everything has meaning. Some encounter this Light as an orb of love and intelligence that knows them completely, while others interpret it as the macrocosmic embodiment of wisdom itself. The following testimonies illustrate how NDEs portray the Light as the ultimate source of knowledge – a universal, omniscient consciousness that both surrounds and permeates the soul.
Thomas Sawyer experienced the Light as having total knowledge: “The light emanated to me (without words): ‘Before you is the light. You have the opportunity to ask any series of questions. Any question that you can conceive of will be absolutely, unequivocally answered. If it’s a series of questions about something that you would require some kind of knowledgeable background to intelligently formulate your questions, you will instantly have that background.’ In other words, as I thought of and formulated a desire or a question, it would already have been recognized, acknowledged, and therefore answered. And the dialogue that took place, took place in no time. It didn’t require a fifteen-minute duration in time; it simply occurred.”
Betty Eadie experienced the light of God as total knowledge: “His light now began to fill my consciousness, and my questions were answered even before I fully asked them. His light was knowledge. It had power to fill me with all truth. As I gained confidence and let the light flow into me, my questions came faster than I thought possible, and they were just as quickly answered. And the answers were absolute and complete. All in an instant. As I comprehended one aspect, more questions and answers would come to me, all building on each other, and interacting as if all truth were intrinsically connected. The word ‘omniscient’ had never been more meaningful to me. Knowledge permeated me. In a sense it became me, and I was amazed at my ability to comprehend the mysteries of the universe simply by reflecting on them.”
Dr. Dianne Morrissey learned that the Light contains total knowledge: “Within the Light was the cure for all diseases; within the Light was all the knowledge of every planet, every galaxy, every universe. Indeed, the Light was Wisdom and Love beyond all comprehension. Being one with the Light was like suddenly knowing every grain of sand on every planet, in every galaxy, in every universe, and at the same time knowing why God had put each grain of sand in its particular place. The Light held within it the knowledge of every book in every language, from the beginning of creation to the end of time. The Light knew why every author had put every word exactly where it was. The Light conveyed the message that each gain of sand, each plant, rock, animal, and human being has a purpose and that nothing ever dies because after death, there is a new life on the Other Side.”
Jayne Smith learned that the Light contains all knowledge: “The closer one gets to God, the closer one comes to all the light, love and knowledge in the universe.”
Howard Storm received from Jesus a tremendous sense of knowledge: “The luminous entity (Jesus) that embraced me knew me intimately and began to communicate a tremendous sense of knowledge. I knew that he knew everything about me and I was being unconditionally loved and accepted.”
Brad K. encountered an orb of love and knowledge: “There with this orb of glowing love and understanding. It didn’t seem foreign to me. It was not frightening, it was totally assuring, and there was no feeling of anything but my awe, and the love and knowledge and wisdom that this orb projected.”
During Sylvia Browne‘s NDE, she experienced infinite knowledge in the light: “The legendary white light appeared ahead of me, with sacred brilliance and infinite knowledge.”
The “Download” of Universal Knowledge
Many NDErs describe entering a state of awareness in which knowledge is no longer learned but received. Instead of unfolding through thought, language, or step-by-step reasoning, information arrives fully formed – instantaneous, complete, and often overwhelming in its scope. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as a “download,” is portrayed as a direct infusion of knowledge into the soul, bypassing the limitations of the physical brain. These downloads may include telepathic communication, panoramic understanding of one’s life, insight into universal laws, or even a sense of knowing “everything at once.” Whether experienced as a gentle transmission, a sudden rush, or a vast merging with macrocosmic truth, the effect is the same: comprehension that is effortless, rapid, and carried with perfect clarity. The testimonies that follow reveal how NDErs describe receiving knowledge not through hearing or thinking, but through an immediate, inner absorption – an encounter with universal knowledge that feels remembered rather than learned, and transformative in effect. Most NDErs say the knowledge was too expansive to bring back fully. After returning to their bodies, they can only remember fragments – like a dream that slips away, but with life-transforming aftereffects.
Telepathic Downloading
NDErs often describe having a pure, instantaneous transfer of knowledge that transcends language, sound, and even thought as we know it. Instead of hearing messages or forming ideas step by step, many NDErs report receiving vast amounts of knowledge in a single moment, as if wisdom itself were infused directly into their being. This phenomenon is frequently described as a telepathic download that bypasses the physical brain and is absorbed by the soul and into the subconscious. These downloads can include personal insights, profound truths about existence, memories of past or future events, or knowledge of macrocosmic principles far beyond previous understanding. In this expanded NDE state, learning requires no effort, communication flows without words, and comprehension is revealed with complete clarity. The following testimonies illustrate this remarkable aspect of the NDE – the direct infusion of universal knowledge into the soul.
Bruce Budden downloaded knowledge into his consciousness and not his physical memory: “I was having a conversation with this spirit in a telepathic sense. I can’t recall the conversation because in the spiritual form, the type of downloading of knowledge and insight I received is like an energetic strengthening of my soul. It’s difficult to explain this but I hope you can understand. My soul is the one that received the knowledge and insight, not my physical brain. The knowledge is stored in my consciousness, not in my physical memory.”
Tasha L. downloaded knowledge through telepathy: “I experienced a form of telepathic communication that filled me with reassurance and peace. Although I didn’t physically hear any words, it felt as if I was downloading their communication directly into my being.”
Seth Cowan received an instant telepathic download of information: “I then had a whoosh of sudden information like an instant download of knowledge. The information was about all my loved ones and so much more that I can’t remember it all. All the information and communication we had was telepathic and instantaneous.”
Annie P. downloaded and absorbed information without effort: “I wound up in a room where I remember studying a system of quantum physics and geometric shapes which would allow us to evolve an ability to quickly attract, and be filled with, only one energy – that of Light. Sitting in the [heavenly] classroom, I felt no strain in retaining new information. It was as if all the information was ‘downloaded’ into me without effort. Another way I learned was by leaning over a book while ‘absorbing’ the information in it.”
Jeff F. experienced a download of information without words: “I felt unconditional, healing love from these Beings. I sensed a Christlike presence as well. I vaguely became aware of time and realized that I had died and previously lived a physical life. No words were exchanged, only feelings and a ‘download’ of information.”
Travis S. felt telepathic information was downloaded without words: “I was able to comprehend conversations without words and I was able to comprehend feeling, past actions, and care almost as if the information had been downloaded to me.”
Heather V. downloaded information through telepathy: “Then I began getting an information download. There was no talking, just information going into me with absolute love. It was very clear, very loud, and very certain, that we are all very important to God.”
Riley H. downloaded knowledge with spiritual understanding: “I started receiving knowledge – aspects I had never studied, truths I never asked for (and some I did). So much wisdom was downloaded into me as the veil was lifting. In that realm, I didn’t just gain insight, it was as if I was downloaded with layers of spiritual understanding.”
Howard Storm received visions of the future including a time when humans will receive all knowledge through prayer: “People, in this best of all worlds, weren’t interested in knowledge; they were interested in wisdom. This was because they were in a position where anything they needed to know, in the knowledge category, they could receive simply through prayer. Everything, to them, was solvable. They could do anything they wanted to do because they were doing the Will of God.”
Downloading Universal Knowledge
Many NDErs describe downloading an overwhelming amount of knowledge that transcends anything available through ordinary human learning. This phenomenon is often portrayed as an instantaneous download in which answers to profound questions about life, the universe, and existence are received in a single, transformative event. Rather than learning step-by-step, NDErs report a sudden merging with knowledge itself – an immersion into a limitless field of understanding where nothing is hidden and every question is met with an immediate, complete response. These testimonies describe the reception of insight arriving faster than thought and expanding consciousness beyond physical limits. The following testimonies illustrate the extraordinary breadth and intensity of these downloads, where NDErs momentarily become knowers, and the boundaries of human comprehension give way while in the all-encompassing Light.
Rachel F. downloaded a tremendous amount of knowledge: “I knew I had become one with all of existence because at the time I felt like I knew everything there was to know. I think in a way, it may have been somewhat similar to a ‘download’. I don’t remember specifically how that occurred, but my understanding of my life and our planet and existence greatly and rapidly transformed. It felt more like a ‘merging’, like a re-connecting, a re-becoming. It seemed the answer to all of creation was so simple, almost as if, if I could have, I would have kicked myself at forgetting it.”
Tonja BB downloaded the answers to everything he could think of: “I experienced more consciousness and alertness than normal knowledge was given. I guess that is why I felt more alert. It was like a flash drive with my entire life and family was plugged into me and downloaded. The knowledge I gained was answers to everything I could think of. So in that sense I think I was enlightened. It all came downloading in to me and it all made sense. Like the puzzle pieces all fit.”
Carol V. downloaded knowledge beyond human comprehension: “I was shown (it was downloaded into me) knowledge beyond our human comprehension and also given a special assignment to carry out here on Earth.”
Kyah received a download about everything in the universe: “I understood everything about the universe The download was so intense. When I returned I had to process this download in bits but I eventually got the message.”
Elle D. downloaded all the answers to everything: “The experience at the end, in the clear light, was an enlightenment, whereby, I understood everything about reality, the universe, life, as if all of the answers were downloaded so I experienced completeness.”
Brent S. downloaded instant knowledge on every subject like the Internet: “Understanding of almost every event in my life up to that point came flooding into me. It was like being connected to the internet of God where knowledge on every subject became instantaneously available. It was also like having an expanded processor that could process information on hundreds of different tangents in parallel. The information downloaded, was understood, and then all the tangential questions on each line of new information were immediately answered in the same fashion all in parallel in a single moment in time.”
Maria P. downloaded all knowledge: “I felt like I was injected with all there is of Knowing. As if, all knowledge was downloaded to me.”
Carmie S. downloaded all the answers to life: “All of a sudden, I was pulled up and out of the darkness and into another realm where I felt like a super, high-speed computer being downloaded with all of the answers to life, including the ability to understand complex mathematics. It was as if I had a filter blocking me from the realm where all knowledge exists, and that filter had been removed.”
Michael M. downloaded a burst of universal truths: “I was hit with a burst of information and understandings. It felt like I just finished downloading the most amazing universal truths and my purpose.”
Edward C. had a download of information leading to total knowledge: “I also had a download of information so there was nothing for me to ask the God because I felt all-knowing.”
Martin J. received an endless download of knowledge: “I understood everything about the universe. It was as if I was a computer and was receiving an endless download of knowledge. I asked questions and received answers immediately. It was at the same time without delay. Anytime I posed a question, the answer was presented.”
Joseph S. understood everything about life from download: “Everything about the universe and why we are here was downloaded or imprinted upon me. I understood everything about life.”
Kathy VB downloaded all the answers to everything: “It was as if I was aware of everything and knew everything, like a download of all the answers.”
Robert RB downloaded everything about the universe: “I understood everything about the universe. The information was slowly coming to me, like a download. I hadn’t learned everything but was slowly becoming aware of aspects I had always had questions about in life. The universe was slowly opening up to me.”
Instantaneous Download
In many NDEs, knowledge does not through ordinary thought – it appears in a single, explosive moment of understanding. NDErs often describe this as an instantaneous download, a sudden infusion of knowledge that bypasses the senses and overwhelms the consciousness. Answers to lifelong questions, and even vast truths about existence are received not through dialogue, but all at once – as if an entire library of information is placed directly into awareness in a fraction of a second. These moments feel more like remembering something deeply familiar, as though the soul is briefly reconnected to a reservoir of knowledge that far exceeds earthly comprehension. The following testimonies reveal how profoundly and completely this instantaneous download of knowledge can transform those who experience it.
Sandi T. instantly downloaded answers to questions allowed having on Earth: “I did a LOT of fighting against what I was told, taught, or had downloaded during these NDEs. I received the download that answered my questions of ‘why’ as far as I am allowed to have those answers while here on Earth. NDErs often use the very accurate word of ‘a download’ because you are given information that is not there one second, and is there completely in the next instant. Full information that would take years to write out into a library of books, there in an instant in its entirety.”
Bryan D. instantly downloaded answers from the Being of Light: “Aspects that I thought of, I had learned, I was corrected on. Paragraphs of questions emanated from me, and as fast as I could ask, I was being answered or even downloaded the answers. I’m pretty sure that this was the whole ‘life flashing before your eyes’ moment that others have spoken of during these occasions.”
Brian T. instantly downloaded knowledge about his life: “I could see every part of my life, every event and incident all at once. Although it seemed instantaneous, I knew that every moment was there. These days, I might say that I downloaded my whole hard drive.”
Seth Cowan experienced an instant download of information: “I then had like a whoosh of sudden information like an instant download of information. The information was about all my loved ones and so much more that I can’t remember it all. It was an instant download of all information at once. It felt like I already knew the information but was finally able to access it again.”
Fred R. downloaded knowledge all at once: “Moving through space, he (Being of Light) explained everything to me and wanted to show me everything he had ever created. He was downloading information to me regarding how it was made, how much time it took etc. This was all at an amazing pace that it was hard to quantify. There was so much information it was hard to download and describe, yet I knew everything all at once.”
Stephanie A. felt like she downloaded a year’s worth of information in seconds: “It might have been 37 seconds, but I felt like I downloaded a year’s worth of information in that time.”
Receiving Instant Knowledge In “Blocks” or “Chunks”
Many NDErs describe receiving knowledge in concentrated “blocks,” “chunks,” or “packets” that appear fully formed in a single instant. These transmissions are not processed like ordinary thoughts; they are absorbed as complete understandings, containing layers of meaning that unfold effortlessly within the consciousness. Some NDErs describe this as remembering something ancient and familiar, others as downloading vast stores of knowledge that were always available but dormant. Whether experienced as holographic bursts, fields of insight, or blossoms of knowing, this mode of learning transcends the limits of linear thought. In this expanded state, consciousness seems to widen to accommodate entire structures of understanding – macrocosmic truths, personal insights, answers to existential questions – delivered all at once with overwhelming clarity. The following NDE testimonies illustrate how, in the presence of transcendent light or higher intelligence, knowledge is not taught but transferred – not built piece by piece, but received whole.
Virginia Rivers received knowledge as whole idea blocks: “The farther forward a person is propelled through the tunnel, the more knowledge can be received. The consciousness can feel like a sponge, growing and expanding in size with each addition. This knowledge may come in single words and in whole idea blocks. Everything can be understood as it is being soaked up or absorbed. The consciousness expands and absorbs as each new piece of information comes in. It is receiving knowledge that was already known but forgotten or mislaid, as if it were waiting to be picked up on the way by.”
Jayne Smith described receiving “blocks of knowledge” while expanding in God’s light: “My consciousness began to expand with the bliss of it all. Suddenly there came into my field of consciousness an entire field of knowledge. It was like a whole block of knowledge that just simply came in and settled itself on me. I knew, what takes several sentences to tell, but it didn’t come in several sentences – it came all in one piece. What I knew was that I was immortal, that I was eternal, that I was indestructible, that I always had been, that I always will be, and that there was no way in this world I could ever be lost. When that block of knowledge was digested by me, as it were, another block of knowledge came in.”
(to be continued)
Note: The extraordinary revelation of Godly Attributes can help us, if we practice in a proper and constant manner, to “download” in our being the subtle, sublime, endless, eternal, free energy of Godly Attributes such as those of: Godly Consciousness, Godly Omnipotence, Godly Omnipresence, Godly Omniscience, Godly Instantaneity, Godly Synthesis, Godly Love, Godly Life, Godly “Home”, and hundreds more.
yogaesoteric
February 15, 2026