For the past 200 years, The Virgin Mary has appeared to many individuals with messages of love and compassion and also predictions of future events (SEE APPENDICES G, and I). These apparitions have increased dramatically in the past few decades. While the Catholic Church has only officially recognized 7 visitations, there have been literally hundreds of multiple visits all over the world, many unreported by the media.
Medjugorje
Since June 25, 1981, Mother Mary is reported to visit daily with several young adults in the Croatian village Medjugorje in Bosnia-Hercegovina, bringing messages on how to achieve peace in our hearts, homes and world. Medjugorje has become an international center of prayer, devotion and conversion of the heart. Our Lady has told the visionaries that these are her last appearances on earth and it is for this reason her visits are so long and frequent. She has come to tell us "God exists". Before her last appearance she has promised to leave a visible sign on the mountain where the first apparition occurred so that all will believe. In Appendix G you can read more about the Mother Mary apparitions in Medjugorje.
Zeitun
While all in America were watching the the Chicago riots at the Democratic Convention, or viewing live war zone broadcasts from Vietnam or were being mesmerized by the Watergate hearings on television, the Mother of God was appearing for tens of thousands to see in the land of the pyramids at a Coptic church constructed to commemorate the area in Egypt where she had come with Joseph and Jesus when they all fled from Herod. Starting in April, 1968, her apparitions of light changed the lives of thousands. Her appearances at Zeitun were astounding. She was seen by more than a million people. The apparitions were broadcast by Egyptian TV, photographed by hundreds of professional photographers and personally witnessed by Egyptian President Abdul Nasser, an avowed Marxist.
A digitally-enhanced, negative image of one television frame is shown at the top of this page to enable you a see an outline of what was seen by hundreds of thousands in Egypt.
The apparitions lasted for three years with numerous unaccountable healings recorded by various medical professionals. The local police, who initially thought the apparitions were an elaborate hoax, searched a 15-mile radius surrounding the site to uncover any type of device that could be used to project such images. They were completely unsuccessful. For more information about the Zeitun apparition of Mother Mary see Appendix I.
Here a drawing of a child who had a near-death experience. The child is lying on the hospital bed with the parents and doctor next to it. The out of body experience is depicted by the drawing of the child above the table. Heavenly figures are also drawn in the sky above the clouds. This drawing was made by a child who was participating in a study of Dr. Morse, an expert in the near-death experience field.
The near-death experience (NDE) is among the most powerful experiences that a person can have, one of a family of experiences which may occur with or without being close to death. It may permanently alter a person's perceptions of what is real and important. One most extraordinary aspect of NDEs is that the underlying pattern seems unaffected by a person's culture or belief system, religion, race, education, or any other known variable, although the way in which the NDE is described varies according to the person's background and vocabulary. There is no evidence that the type of experience is related to whether the person is conventionally religious or not, or has lived a "good" or "bad" life according to his/her society's standards (although an NDE often strongly affects how life is lived after the experience). An experience may include the feeling of being out of the physical body, moving through a darkness or tunnel, encountering the presence’s of deceased loved ones and other entities, and an indescribable light or menacing darkness. Many people say they have glimpsed the pattern and meaning of life and the universe, or have been given information beyond ordinary human capacities. For most people the experience is joyful beyond words, although others tell of unpleasant or terrifying experiences. When adequately understood every type of NDE reveals issues of deep significance to the life of the individual and to humankind in general.
Medical technology may bring survivors, but science is not able to explain what happened in the process. Like all human experiences, the NDE no doubt has a biologically-based trigger; yet its impact is most often felt as a psychological or spiritual event. For people who believe that only physical events can be real, the NDE - or even the idea of such a thing - may be disturbing or seem ludicrous. Yet the phenomenon cannot be dismissed just because we cannot explain it. A 1982 Gallup Poll estimated that at least eight million adults in the US alone have had an NDE; the figure is now believed to be closer to thirteen million. Experiences have been reported through the centuries, from many cultures and religious traditions. Whatever the near-death experience is, it is neither recent nor local. Something happens, and it changes people’s lives. Many people believe that the NDE proves there is life after death in a literal sense. To others, more cautious, the experience is not "proof," but it suggests that some aspect of human consciousness may be independent of the body and may survive physical death. To others, the NDE defines a value system based on care for others, knowledge, and service. Whether one sees the meaning of the NDE as religious or secular, there is much to learn. Two near-death experiences can be read in Appendices J and K; one contains visions of the future given to Dannion Brinkley during his NDE, many of the visions have already come true; the other is a NDE of a three-year-old child.
Ancient monuments to inform us
The Giza PlateauEdgar Cayce predicted in 1934 that a Hall of Records (which contained details about earlier high technology civilizations such as Atlantis & Limuria) would be unearthed in Asia, South America, and Egypt. He specifically predicted that in 1996, chambers buried beneath the left paw of the Sphinx would be discovered and would eventually reveal such a Hall of Records. These chambers were indeed discovered in 1996, but the Egyptian director in charge of the Giza plateau, Zahi Hawass, prefers the world to accept the orthodox view that the Sphinx was built by human slaves in 1250 B.C. and that the Great Pyramid was a tomb/monument built by the Pharaoh Khufu. Hawass is now denying access to the Sphinx and Great Pyramid to the very archaeological groups (the Shore Group, John Anthony West, Robert Bauvall and who were responsible for the discovery of the buried chambers. Richard Hoagland has presented credible evidence on the radio that Zahi is in bed with NASA and other New World Order people who want to keep the lid on information about the revelations of former advanced civilizations.
Recent scientific research performed by different scientific groups has clearly demonstrated the presence of numerous undiscovered chambers inside the big pyramid of Giza. For example, a Japanese team analyzed the pyramid with X-rays and their conclusion was that that is a labyrinth of undiscovered tunnels and chambers in the pyramid. The authorities in charge of the Giza pyramids responded as follows: " The Japanese are only trying to promote their electronical equipment to the world". Another example, in the nineties Rudolf Gantenbrink designed a remote controlled robot and received permission to explore a small tunnel leading out of the Queen’s Chamber of the big pyramid of Giza. His discoveries on the 22nd of March 1993 were extraordinary! At the end of the tunnel he found a door with two bars of metal. One of the bars wars partially broken and a piece was lying on the floor in the tunnel. In the lower right corner there is a triangular piece of stone missing and in front of this opening black dust was found, which must have come from behind the door, and not from the broken piece of metal as the Egyptians say. The Egyptians told Gantenbrink to not tell anyone about his discovery and that they would do more investigations. Somehow the press got to know about this brilliant discovery and since then the Egyptians have been saying that there is absolutely nothing behind the door and that further investigation is not necessary. How can they know that there is nothing behind the door if they did not investigate it? The information that is possibly present behind this door or in one of the other numerous undiscovered chambers might be of great importance to mankind, but the authorities prefer to keep us in the dark.
A documentary shown on public TV in the early 90's called The Mystery of The Sphinx with Charlton Heston, demonstrated that long-term water erosion evidence on the Sphinx pushed the date of its construction to beyond 11,000BC; when the Egyptian climate permitted long periods of rain. That date matches up closely to the time of the Great Flood. To put the achievement of the Egyptian Great Pyramid into perspective, keep in mind that modern man does not possess the structural genius required to build the Great Pyramid even today. Volumes of research have been compiled debating how the structure may have been built, yet the answers to this puzzle remain elusive as does the identity of it's builders (Ibid., p. 8). Even if man today could arrange limestone blocks weighing the equivalent of modern locomotives, polish them to an exactness of 1/100th of an inch, (equaling contemporary optical standards) and place them within 1/50th of an inch together without damaging them, as the casing stones were placed, the symbolic significance of the pyramid could never be duplicated. The Great pyramid is set on the geographical center of all the land mass of the whole world. More about the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx can be read in 'Return of the Gods' by Erich von Daniken.
The face on Mars
More than twenty years ago, NASA released photos of the Cydonia Region of Mars (right picture). One of the ground formations looked like a rectangular face, and caused a stir of controversy, the flames of which were fanned by people such as Art Bell and Richard Hoagland (who also claims to have found ancient structures on the moon, and eroding machinery at the Mars Pathfinder landing site). On April 5, 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor re-photographed the Cydonia Region (left picture). Decide for yourself, does it look like a face? As I was viewing the picture, a passing co-worker remarked, "What is that, a footprint?" A few words are sometimes worth a thousand pictures.
On the Internet some people claim to have entered the NASA computer systems and obtained the real pictures from the Mars Global Surveyor. We don’t know who is telling the truth here, but see for yourself how different the pictures are; this proves that nowadays it’s very easy to manipulate information to present it as you want the people to see it. The picture on the right shows more lines and could be an indication of non-natural structures designed by intelligent beings.
The Pyramids of Egypt and Mars
On the south, south west corner of the Cydonia "triangle" exactly 1/360th of the martian polar diameter from the "face" is a edifice so magnificent that it's size can scarcely be comprehended. Known as the D & M pyramid, after it's discoverers, Vincent Dipietro and Gregory Molenaar, this structure looms above the martian terrain half a mile. Roughly 1.6 by 2 miles across, the pentagonal pyramid has sides piled up to 30 degree angles. It appears to be composed of at least one cubic mile of martian terrain. This pyramid is oriented over the southern point of Cydonia's implied equilateral triangle. The pyramid of Cydonia has much in common with the Great Pyramid of the Earth. The colossal martian pyramid also demonstrates a redundant geometry which, according to Richard Hoagland, holds the key for understanding high level quantum mechanics. These redundant geometrical messages encoded in the Cydonia monuments have continued to stand up under meticulous scrutiny from the scientific world (Richard C. Hoagland, The Monuments of Mars, p. 355).
Here follows parts of a detailed investigation of the D&M pyramid from the web site: http://www.well.com/user/etorun/pyramid.html
Viking orbiter frames 35A72, 70A11, and 70A13 show the D&M Pyramid, located at 40.65N 9.55W. All three frames were taken close to periapsis and yield a pixel resolution of ~50 m. The frame selected for the examination of the D&M Pyramid's geometry is 70A13. (The nomenclature indicates the 70th orbit, 13th frame of the "A" orbiter.) This frame was taken at a higher sun angle than 35A72 and thus shows more of the object's structure. Images of 70A13 used later for angle measurements include an enhanced closeup of the D&M Pyramid prepared by Carlotto, and an NGF filtered orthographic rectification of the entire frame obtained from the National Space Science Data Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
The hypothesis that the D&M Pyramid is the result of geomorphological processes requires that some mechanism be proposed to account for its formation. The processes discussed below are evaluated in terms of their ability to produce landforms with the same general morphology as the object under study. Processes meeting this requirement are then discussed with respect to the specific morphology of the D&M Pyramid. Read the detailed study about this hypothesis on the previously mentioned web site. Here are the conclusions.
The Geomorphic Hypothesis is thus left with no mechanism that can explain the formation of the D&M Pyramid. This object's 5-sided shape and bilateral symmetry is unlike any landform seen to date in this solar system, and even small-scale phenomena such as crystal growth cannot explain its morphology. All observations to date of the geophysics of Mars, its gravity, meteorology, geomorphology, etc., indicate that Mars is a place where the laws of physics and principles of geomorphology as we understand them apply, with minor variations due to gravity and atmospheric density and content. It is illogical to assume that there is one small place on the surface of Mars where these same principles are being violated. Being thus faced with no known natural mechanism to account for the D&M Pyramid's formation, we will explore the possibility that it is the product of intelligent design.
Evaluation of geometry
The reconstructed geometry of the D&M Pyramid shows a five-sided object having facets with differing angles. The object has bilateral symmetry, with a pair of congruent angles forming the front, and another pair of congruent angles forming the sides. In the illustration below, the arrow points along the axis of bilateral symmetry.
The D&M Pyramid appears to be positioned with architectural alignment to other enigmatic objects nearby that have also been studied as possibly artificial. The main axis of the D&M as illustrated above points at the Face in Cydonia. Henceforth we will refer to this direction as the "front" of the pyramid.
The front of the D&M Pyramid has three edges, spaced 60 degrees apart. As noted above, the center axis points to the Face. The edge on the left of this axis points toward the center of a feature that has been nicknamed the "City" by the Cydonia investigators. The edge on the right of the center axis points toward the apex of a dome-like structure known as the "Tholus".
The five-sidedness, bilateral symmetry, and primary alignments were first observed by Richard Hoagland after studying quality digital enlargements prepared in 1984 by SRI International from negatives of images processed by DiPietro and Molenaar. These events are documented in detail by Hoagland and Pozos. Turning back to the reconstructed geometry, we will now consider the internal symmetries of this object.
The D&M Pyramid displays a complex interplay between five-fold and six-fold symmetry. Both symmetries are present simultaneously, with the front of the pyramid exhibiting six-fold symmetry, and the "ground level" of the pyramid yielding a 36 degree angle that is characteristic of five-fold symmetry.
It is worth noting that the practice of combining symmetries was widely practiced by the architects of antiquity. It was believed that geometry and certain mathematical relationships were crucial building blocks of the Cosmos, and that architecture should reflect these symmetries. These practices were later revived in the Islamic world and especially in Renaissance Europe.
The angles formed by the D&M Pyramid when viewed from above differ from each other. Consequently, they can form various ratios. These angle ratios were studied to see if the values were significant, or merely random.
The angle ratios display significant values, with a preponderance of square roots and fractions involving square roots. Once again, we have a theme used by Classical architects, who used the square roots of two, three, and five in laying out the proportions of their buildings.
For clarity, three of these angle ratios are illustrated on the right. The ratios of the shaded angles are equivalent to the indicated values. In the right hand illustration, the ratio of the shaded angles is equivalent to the ratio of e (the base of the natural logarithms) and pi (the relationship between a circle's diameter and circumference). (This ratio of e/pi is nearly equal to the square root of three divided by two, and the precision of measurement, +/- 0.2 deg, is insufficient to distinguish between these two possible values.)
A table has been prepared displaying a list of the measured angles, and the results of the analysis. The square roots of three and five, and the values of e and pi predominate. The identity of these values is strengthened by the numerous combinations in which they occur. Note that the radian measure and trigonometric functions of some angles yield the same values produced by the angle ratios. The geometry thus has a common contextual thread. As mentioned earlier in the section on criteria, all of this geometry is "dimensionless", i.e. it is not dependent on such cultural conventions as counting by tens, or measuring angles in the 360 system. This geometry will "work" in any number system.
Conclusions
This investigation of the D&M Pyramid reveals a morphology that is inconsistent with the surrounding geology. The geomorphological processes observed to exist on Mars not only fail to provide a potential mechanism for the D&M Pyramid's formation, but seem to preclude its very existence. Analysis of the object's geometry, and its alignment with other anomalous landforms, reveal intricate relationships that are numerous and logical, and are suggestive of highly sophisticated design.
This object has been compared with the elaborate symbolic architecture of antiquity. While much of the geometry is the same utilized by Classical architects, it is important to note that the implementation is totally different. Nowhere in Earth history is this exact type of geometric symbolism to be found.
The same techniques used for most of this century in air photo interpretation show that the D&M Pyramid may be artificial, or may be a natural landform modified by intelligence. The true nature of this object can be resolved by re-imaging the Cydonia region to obtain high-resolution imagery of the D&M Pyramid and the other enigmatic landforms nearby. The issue of possible ruins at Cydonia is thus the only question involving extraterrestrial intelligence that can be easily resolved with known scientific means.
The author wishes to acknowledge Dr. Mark J. Carlotto, The Analytic Sciences Corporation, the National Space Science Data Center for the imagery and coordinate information, and Mr. Richard C. Hoagland for background information and collaboration on the research described herein.
Asian Hall of Records
Tibetan monk, physician, and writer T. Lobsang Rampa, reports on pages 88-97 in his 1963 book The Cave of The Ancients that while still a young boy and trainee, he was taken by a group of monks to a highly concealed crevice entrance far up in the Tibetan mountains. The entrance led to a huge, cavernous interior. The interior was illuminated with artificial lighting in which the "bulbs" were ice cold to the touch. Spread throughout the smooth-walled rooms were many strange machines that seemed to be in working condition, but the monks could not understand their function or purpose. One oval shaped device allowed the viewer to place his head within its shell, whereby he could both hear and see different animals, music, etc.; a sort of visual encyclopedia of Earthly life (some alien contactees have reported being taken into such cavernous locations deep within the Earth and shown similar Halls of Remembrances). Later, they entered another room with a machine that allowed them to view a holographic "movie" with sound and narration explaining that the machines were working models left as part of a time capsule/hall of records explaining the history of these pre-diluvian advanced civilization which spiritually declined, misused their technology and brought about their demise. The holograph revealed cities and forests disappearing in a twinkling of an eye due to massive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, atmospheric fire storms, tidal waves, etc. Cayce also wrote of other Halls of Records and of a Golden City , yet to be unearthed (or perhaps undisclosed by the Chinese), in the Gobi Desert.
In Rampa's first book, The Third Eye (1956), he describes being taken down into a chamber deep below the Lamasery in Lhasa, Tibet. There, at the beginning of a 3 day long initiate ritual in which Rampa was expected to travel out of body and "walk among the dead", Rampa was first shown 3 uncovered black stone coffins. When he peered into the coffins, Rampa was startled to see the bodies of 2 men and one woman; nude, and completely covered in gold leaf (the final step in the Tibetan mummification process). The woman was 10 feet tall and the larger of the 2 men was 15 feet. The elderly monk who escorted Rampa to this location said: "My son, look upon these. They were gods in our land in the days before the mountains came. They walked our country when seas washed our shores., and when different stars were in the sky. Look, for none but initiates have seen these."
APPENDIX D:GIZEA PYRAMIDS
Bauval, a construction engineer born in Alexandria, Egypt, was familiar enough with the ancient monuments of his country to know that they were works of precision. Why, in heaven's name, would the early architects break the straight line begun by the two larger pyramids in the group? While ruminating on that question, Bauval experienced a life-changing leap of the imagination. In his mind's eye, he saw the three stars in the belt of Orion -- which he had been studying for related reasons -- and noted the uncanny resemblance of their arrangement to that of the Giza pyramids. Later, after checking the Cairo Museum photograph against a good image of Orion in the night sky, Bauval began to utilize SkyGlobe computer software to explore the ramifications of the idea that the pyramids of Giza were intentionally built to mimic the pattern of Orion's belt. According to the theory by Robert Bauval, the positions of the Giza pyramids on the ground are a reflection of the positions of the stars in the constellation Orion circa 10,500 B.C.(Graham Hancock, Keeper Of Genesis pp. 354-355 ) Five of the 7 brightest stars have pyramid equivalents: The 3 great pyramids of Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura for the belt of Orion, the pyramid of Nebka at Abu Rawash corresponds to the star Saiph and the pyramid at Zawat al Aryan corresponds to the star Bellatrix. The Nile river corresponds to the Milky Way. The principal Giza monuments formed an accurate terrestrial map of the stars of Orion and Sirius as these constellations appeared in 10,500 BC.
To put the achievement of the Egyptian Great Pyramid into perspective, keep in mind that modern man does not possess the structural genius required to build the Great Pyramid even today. Volumes of research have been compiled debating how the structure may have been built, yet the answers to this puzzle remain elusive as does the identity of it's builders. Even if man today could arrange limestone blocks weighing the equivalent of modern locomotives, polish them to an exactness of 1/100th of an inch, (equaling contemporary optical standards) and place them within 1/50th of an inch together without damaging them, as the casing stones were placed, the symbolic significance of the pyramid could never be duplicated. The Great pyramid is set on the geographical center of all the land mass of the whole world. Who could have been observing the skies over Giza in 10,500 BC and who, at that date, would have had the technical capacity to realize such monumental works as the Sphinx and the pyramids? Egyptologists assert there was no civilization on Earth at that time, let alone one capable of planning and building such immense, well engineered structures. If they are right, why do the alignments of Giza so plainly and repetitively mirror the skies of the 11th millennium BC? There is an answer in Scripture: Jer.32:20: God has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day.
APPENDIX G: The Mother Mary apparitions at Medjugorje
Taken from the Medjugorje Web Page:
Statement of intent: This Medjugorje Web Page was first put on line in the Fall of 1994. The sole intent of this page is to make the events of this phenomenon known to the world, and to share the messages that have touched the hearts of millions. It was my own personal experience at this place that converted me from a spectator Catholic Christian to a true believer in Christ and the truth that His blessed mother continues to echo from the gospels. She spreads this message through 6 human vessels in the heart of what was a Communist country in 1981. I invite you to read her messages with an open mind and an open heart, for her messages have such great love, as she sees each one of us as her children who are in so much need of her care and guidance to help us to know her son and to return to God. As she repeatedly points out - we need to pray, pray, pray!
Since June 25, 1981, Mary the Mother of God is reported to visit daily with several young adults in this Croatian village in Bosnia-Hercegovina, bringing messages on how to achieve peace in our hearts, homes and world.
Medjugorje has become an international center of prayer, devotion and conversion of the heart. Our Lady has told the visionaries that these are her last appearances on earth and it is for this reason her visits are so long and frequent. She has come to tell us "God exists". Before her last appearance she has promised to leave a visible sign on the mountain where the first apparition occurred so that all will believe.
While the Catholic Church has yet to approve any of the modern day apparitions, in 1986, The Holy Father said, "Let the people go to Medjugorje if they convert, pray, confess, do penance and fast." Some 30 million laity and clergy have visited and returned home spiritually renewed.
Despite the recent war in Bosnia, Medjugorje remains a center of peace and of profound spirituality.
More information can be found on several Internet web sites; simply use Medjugorje and Mother Mary as keywords in a search with for example Yahoo (www.yahoo.com).
APPENDIX I: Mother Mary apparition in Zeitun, egypt.
"Official investigations have been carried out with the result that it has been considered an undeniable fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing on Zeitun Church in a clear and bright luminous body seen by all present in front of the church, whether Christian or Moslem"
Report of General Information and Complaints Department, Zeitun, Egypt 1968
While all in America were watching the Chicago riots at the Democratic Convention, or viewing live war zone broadcasts from Vietnam or were being mesmerized by the Watergate hearings on television, the Mother of God was appearing for tens of thousands to see in the land of the pyramids at a Coptic church constructed to commemorate the area in Egypt where she had come with Joseph and Jesus when they all fled from Herod. Starting in April, 1968, her apparitions of light changed the lives of thousands. Her appearances at Zeitun were astounding. She was seen by more than a million people. The apparitions were broadcast by Egyptian TV, photographed by hundreds of professional photographers and personally witnessed by Egyptian President Abdul Nasser, an avowed Marxist. The apparitions lasted for three years with numerous unaccountable healings recorded by various medical professionals. The local police, who initially thought the apparitions were an elaborate hoax, searched a 15-mile radius surrounding the site to uncover any type of device that could be used to project such images. They were completely unsuccessful.
Moslems who saw the apparitions chanted from the Koran, "Mary, God has chosen thee. And purified thee; He has chosen thee. Above all women." She was seen accompanied by doves of light in apparitions that lasted from a few minutes to as long as nine hours. Kyrillos VI, the Orthodox patriarch, formed a commission to investigate the apparitions. A number of the commissioners observed plumes of fragrant purple smoke rising from the church at the time of the apparitions and the figure of a woman surrounded by a very bright globe of light accompanied by doves of light. A digitally-enhanced, negative image of one television frame is shown at the top of this page to enable you a see an outline of what was seen by hundreds of thousands in Egypt.
While the appearances at Zeitun were silent, the silence spoke volumes to those who came to see and strengthen their faith. The local Coptic Patriarch, Kyrillos VI, publicly announced a year after the apparitions started that he had no doubt that the Mother of God was appearing above the roof of St. Mary's Coptic Church.
For those who, like Thomas, needed to see for themselves, Mary offered an unequivocal televised demonstration at Zeitun. Yet, because of an unresponsive media and an indifferent world, very few outside of Egypt learned of her astonishing appearances there until well after they had ended.
More recently, the appearance of a woman clothed in light has been observed above the roof of the Church of St. Damian in Shoubra, Egypt, a suburb of Cairo. Starting in 1983 and seen with increasing frequency in the mid-1980's, the woman was seen by thousands walking above the church bathed in light in apparitions lasting up to five hours. Shenouda III, the head of the Coptic Church at the time, established a commission to investigate the beautiful lady of light. In 1987, the commission concluded:
"Let us thank the Lord for this blessing on the people of Egypt and for the repetition of this phenomenon. We should also like to thank the police and the Department of the Interior for their untiring efforts at maintaining safety and good order among the thousands of people who have spent day and night at prayer. We ask all the people to remain calm. Thus they may worthily receive the blessing of the Virgin, of St. Damian and of all the saints. May God save our country. We pray that he may guide Egypt and all her children to every success. May this phenomenon be a pledge of well-being for them and for all nations."
As in Zeitun, the silent witness of the Mother of God renewed the faith of tens of thousands and brought both Moslem and Christian to a place of peace where all could pray to the God who loved them enough to remind them of his love by sending His Mother.
For more information search the Internet with Zeitun and Mother Mary as keywords.
APPENDIX J: Dannion Brinkley's near death experience
Introduction
On September 17, 1975, Dannion Brinkley was talking on the phone during a thunderstorm. A bolt of lightning hit the phone line, sending thousands of volts of electricity into his head and down his body. His heart stopped, and he died, but in the process, he had a near death experience. When Brinkley revived in the morgue after twenty-eight minutes of death, he had an incredible story to tell. After the lightning strike, Brinkley watched from above as loved ones and medics tried to start his heart. When doctors pronounced him dead he was already traveling through a dark tunnel toward a spirit being, who led him into a crystal city awash in light and tranquillity. Brought before thirteen angelic instructors in what he describes as "a cathedral of knowledge," Brinkley was told of events that would shake the world before the year 2000 - including the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Persian Gulf War, and a coming economic crisis. Of the 117 revelations that he recalls, 95 have already come to pass. The following are excepts reprinted by permission from Dannion Brinkley's book ‘Saved by the Light’ which describes his near death experience and his revelations of the future.
His death by a lightning bolt
The next sound I heard was like a freight train coming into my ear at the speed of light. Jolts of electricity coursed through my body, and every cell of my being felt as if it were bathed in battery acid. The nails of my shoes were welded to the nails in the floor so that when I was thrown into the air, my feet were pulled out of them. I saw the ceiling in front of my face, and for a moment I couldn't imagine what power it was that could cause such searing pain and hold me in its grip, dangling over my own bed. What must have been a split second seemed like an hour.
From immense pain I found myself engulfed by peace and tranquility. It was a feeling I had never known before and have not had since. It was like bathing in a glorious calmness. I had no idea what had happened, but even in this moment of peacefulness I wanted to know where I was.
I began to look around, to roll over in midair. Below me was my own body, thrown across the bed. My shoes were smoking and the telephone was melted in my hand. I could see Sandy run into the room. She stood over the bed and looked at me with a dazed expression, the kind you might find on the parent of a child found floating facedown in a swimming pool.
Tommy showed up in less than ten minutes. He knew something was wrong because he had heard the explosion over the telephone. I watched as Tommy held me and cursed the slowness of the ambulance, which we could hear approaching in the distance. I hovered above the three of them - Sandy, Tommy, and myself - as the medical technicians loaded me onto the stretcher and wheeled me to the ambulance.
From where I hovered, about fifteen feet above everyone, I could see the pouring rain hitting my face and drenching the backs of the ambulance crew. The perspective I had was that of a television camera. Without passion or pain, I watched as the person on the stretcher began to twitch and jump. I looked toward the front of the ambulance to a spot over my dead body. A tunnel was forming, opening like the eye of a hurricane and coming toward me. I actually didn't move at all; the tunnel came to me.
There was the sound of chimes as the tunnel spiraled toward and then around me. Soon there was nothing to be seen - no crying Sandy, no ambulance attendants trying to jump-start my dead body, no desperate chatter with the hospital over the radio - only a tunnel that engulfed me completely and the intensely beautiful sound of seven chimes ringing in rhythmic succession.
I looked ahead into the darkness. There was a light up there, and I began to move toward it as quickly as possible. I was moving without legs at a high rate of speed. Ahead the light became brighter and brighter until it overtook the darkness and left me standing in a paradise of brilliant light. This was the brightest light I had ever seen, but in spite of that, it didn't hurt my eyes in the least. Unlike the pain one might feel when walking into sunlight from a dark room, this light was soothing to my eyes.
His encounter with a Being of Light
I looked to my right and could see a silver form appearing like a silhouette through mist. As it approached I began to feel a deep sense of love that encompassed all of the meanings of the word. It was as though I were seeing a lover, mother, and best friend, multiplied a thousandfold. As the Being of Light came closer, these feelings of love intensified until they became almost too pleasurable to withstand.
The Being of Light stood directly in front of me. As I gazed into its essence I could see prisms of color, as thought it were composed of thousands of tiny diamonds, each emitting the colors of the rainbow.
I felt comfortable in his presence, a familiarity that made me believe he had felt every feeling I had ever had, from the time I took my first breath to the instant I was sizzled by lightning. Looking at this Being I had the feeling that no one could love me better, no one could have more empathy, sympathy, encouragement, and nonjudgmental compassion for me than this Being.
The Being of Light engulfed me, and as it did I began to experience my whole life, feeling and seeing everything that had ever happened to me. It was as though a dam had burst and every memory stored in my brain flowed out.
When I finished the life review, I arrived at a point of reflection in which I was able to look back on what I had just witnessed and come to a conclusion. I was ashamed. I realized I had led a very selfish life, rarely reaching out to help anyone. Almost never had I smiled as an act of brotherly love or just handed somebody a dollar because he was down and needed a boost. No, my life had been for me and me alone. I hadn't given a damn about my fellow humans.
I looked at the Being of Light and felt a deep sense of sorrow and shame. I expected a rebuke, some kind of cosmic shaking of my soul. I had reviewed my life and what I had seen was a truly worthless person. What did I deserve if not a rebuke?
As I gazed at the Being of Light I felt as though he was touching me. From that contact I felt a love and joy that could only be compared to the nonjudgmental compassion that a grandfather has for a grandchild. "Who you are is the difference that God makes," said the Being. "And that difference is love." There were no actual words spoken, but this thought was communicated to me through some form of telepathy. To this day, I am not sure of the exact meaning of this cryptic phrase. That is what was said, however.
Again I was allowed a period of reflection. How much love had I given people? How much love had I taken from them? From the review I had just had, I could see that for every good event in my life, there were twenty bad ones to weigh against it. If guilt were fat, I would have weighed five hundred pounds.
As the Being of Light moved away, I felt the burden of this guilt being removed. I had felt the pain and anguish of reflection, but from that I had gained the knowledge that I could use to correct my life. I could hear the Being's message in my head, again as if through telepathy; "Humans are powerful spiritual beings meant to create good on the earth. This good isn't usually accomplished in bold actions, but in singular acts of kindness between people. It's the little things that count, because they are more spontaneous and show who you truly are."
I was elated. I now knew the simple secret to improving mankind. The amount of love and good feelings you have at the end of your life is equal to the love and good feelings you put out during your life. It was just that simple.
"My life will be better now that I have the secret," I said to the Being of Light.
It was then that I realized that I wouldn't be going back. I had no more life to live. I had been struck by lightning. I was dead.
His visit to the crystal city in heaven
Like wingless birds, we swept into a city of cathedrals. These cathedrals were made entirely of a crystalline substance that glowed with a light that shone powerfully from within. I was awestruck. This place had a power that seemed to pulsate through the air. I knew that I was in a place of learning. I wasn't there to witness my life or to see what value it had had, I was there to be instructed.
When we entered the structure, the Being of Light was with me no more. I looked around for him and saw no one. Rows of benches were lined up across the room, and that radiant light made everything glow and feel like love. I sat on one of the benches and looked around the room for my spiritual guide.
In the next moment the space behind the podium was filled with Beings of Light. They faced the benches where I was sitting and radiated a glow that was both kindly and wise.
I sat back on the bench and waited. What happened next was the most amazing part of my spiritual journey.
I was able to count the Beings as they stood behind the podium. There were thirteen of them, standing shoulder to shoulder and stretched across the stage. I was aware of other things about them, too, probably through some form of telepathy. Each one of them represented a different emotional and psychological characteristic that all humans have. For example, one of these Beings was intense and passionate, while another was artistic and emotional. One was bold and energetic, yet another possessive and loyal. In human terms, it was as thought each one represented a different sign of the zodiac. In spiritual terms, these Beings went far beyond the signs of the zodiac. They emanated these emotions in such a way that I could feel them.
Now more than ever I knew that this was a place of learning. I would be steeped in knowledge, taught in a way that I had never been taught before. There would be no books and no memorization. In the presence of these Beings of Light, I would become knowledge and know everything that was important to know. I could ask any question and know the answer. It was like being a drop of water bathed in the knowledge of the ocean, or a beam of light knowing what all light knows.
The Beings came at me one at a time. As each one approached, a box the size of a videotape came from its chest and zoomed right at my face.
The first time this happened I flinched, thinking I was going to be hit. But a moment before impact, the box opened to reveal what appeared to be a tiny television picture of a world event that was yet to happen. As I watched, I felt myself drawn right into the picture, where I was able to live the event. This happened twelve times, and twelve times I stood in the midst of many events that would shake the world in the future.
At the time I didn't know these were future events. All I knew was that I was seeing things of great significance and that they were coming to me as clearly as the nightly news, with one great difference: I was being pulled into the screen.
Much later, when I returned to life, I wrote down 117 events that I witnessed in the boxes. For three years nothing happened. Then in 1978, events that I had seen in the boxes began to come true. In the eighteen years since I died and went to this place, ninety-five of these events have taken place.
On this day, September 17, 1975, the future came to me a box at a time.
His revelations of the future
BOXES ONE THROUGH THREE: Visions of a demoralized country
Boxes one, two, and three showed the mood of America in the aftermath of the war in Southeast Asia.
BOXES FOUR AND FIVE: Strife and hatred in the holy lands
Boxes four and five were scenes from the Middle East, showing how this area of eternal strife would reach a boiling point.
BOX SIX: Visions of nuclear destruction
Number six was terrifying. I was drawn into the box and found myself in a cool, forested area beside a river. Next to the river was a massive cement structure, square and foreboding. I was fearful and didn't know why. Suddenly the earth shook and the top of this cement structure exploded. I knew it was a nuclear explosion and could sense hundreds of people dying around me as it took place. The year 1986 was given to me through telepathy, as was the word "wormwood". It wasn't until a decade later, when the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded near Kiev in the Soviet Union, that I was able to associate these pictures with an event. It was then that I made another connection between the vision in this box and the nuclear disaster in the USSR. The word Chernobyl means "wormwood" in Russian.
BOX SEVEN: The environmental religion
The seventh box held powerful images of environmental destruction. I could see areas of the world radiating energy, glowing like a radium watch face in the dark. Telepathically I could hear voices speaking of the need to clean up the environment. These voices came out of Russia at first, but then the accents changed and I could tell that they were emanating from South America, probably from Uruguay or Paraguay. I saw the speaker from Russia as he talked with zeal about our need to heal the environment. People rallied around him quickly, and he soon became so powerful that he was elected one of the leaders of the United Nations. I saw this Russian riding on a white horse, and I knew that his rise would come before the year 2000.
BOXES EIGHT AND NINE: China battles Russia
In boxes eight and nine were visions of China's growing anger toward the Soviet Union. The main battle was over a railroad, which the Chinese took in heavy fighting. They then pushed deep into the Soviet Union, cutting the country in half and taking over the oil fields of Siberia.
BOXES TEN AND ELEVEN: Economic earthquakes, Desert Storm
Boxes ten and eleven came in rapid succession. They revealed scenes of the economic collapse of the world. In general terms, these visions showed a world in horrible turmoil by the turn of the century, one that resulted in a new world order that was truly one of feudalism and strife. The voice that accompanied the visions told me that this would take place in the nineties and would be the beginning of an economic strife that would lead to the bankruptcy of America by the year 2000. At the tail end of box ten came images of warfare in the desert, a massive show of military might. I saw armies racing toward one another in the desert, with great clouds of dust illowing from the treads of tanks as they crossed the barren ground. There was cannon fire and explosions that looked like lightning. The earth shook and then there was silence. Like a bird, I flew over acres of destroyed army equipment. As I left the box, the date 1990 came into my head. That was the year of Desert Storm.
BOX TWELVE: Technology and virus
The twelfth box addressed an important event in the distant future, the decade of the nineties when many of the great changes would take place. In this box I watched as a biological engineer from the Middle East found a way to alter DNA and create a biological virus that would be used in the manufacture of computer chips. Before the turn of the century, this man was among the richest in the world, so rich that he had a stranglehold on the world economy. Still the world welcomed him, since the computer chips he had designed somehow put the world on an even keel. Gradually he succumbed to his own power. He began to think of himself as a deity and insisted on greater control of the world. With that extra control, he began to rule the world. His method of rule was unique. Everyone in the world was mandated by law to have one of his computer chips inserted underneath his or her skin. This chip contained all of an individual's personal information. People who refused to have chips implanted in their bodies roamed as outcasts. They could not be employed and were denied government services.
[In Nature magazine (VOL. 391, February 1998, page 775-778) an article describes the invention of the use of a silver-templated DNA strand (from virus origin) in micro electronics. The research was done in the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology by Israelien scientists.]
THE FINAL VISIONS
At the very end came a thirteenth vision. I don't know where it came from. I didn't see a Being of Light bring it forward in a box, nor did I see one take it away. This vision was in many ways the most important of all because it summed up everything I had seen in the twelve boxes. Through telepathy I could hear a Being say, "If you follow what you have been taught and keep living the same way you have lived the last thirty years, all of this will surely be upon you. If you change, you can avoid the coming war."
Scenes from a horrible world war accompanied this message. As the visions appeared on the screen, the Being told me that the years 1994 through 1996 were critical ones in determining whether this war would break out. "If you follow this dogma, the world by the year 2004 will not be the same one you now know," said the Being. "But it can still be changed and you can help change it."
Scenes from World War III came to life before me. I was in a hundred places at once, from deserts to forests, and saw a world filled with fighting and chaos. Somehow it was clear that this final war, an Armageddon if you will, was caused by fear.
I also saw scenes that were not of war, including many visions of natural disasters. In parts of the world that had once been fertile with wheat and corn, I saw parched desert and furrowed fields that farmers had given up on. People were starving in this vision.
As these visions ended, I had the amazing realization that these Beings were desperately trying to help us, not because we were such good guys, but because without us advancing spiritually here on earth, they could not become successful in their world. "You humans are truly the heroes," a Being told me. "Those who go to earth are heroes and heroines, because you are doing something that no other spiritual beings have the courage to do. You have gone to earth to co-create with God." Without words, he told me that everything I had just seen was in the future, but not necessarily cast in stone. "The flow of human events can be changed, but first people have to know what they are," said the Being. He communicated to me again their belief that humans were great, powerful, and mighty spiritual Beings. "We here see everyone who goes to the earth as great adventurers," he said. "You had the courage to go and expand your life and take your place in the great adventure that God created known as the world. Humans are mighty spiritual beings. All they need to realize is that love is treating others the way they themselves want to be treated."
(Dannion Brinkley then revives in the morgue after twenty-eight minutes of being in the afterlife.)
For more descriptions of near death experiences visit the following web site: www.near-death.com.
APPENDIX K: The Birdies: a child's near-death experience
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak today regarding the topic assigned to me, the importance of Temple attendance. Brothers and Sisters, throughout our lives we are blessed with spiritual experiences, some of which are very sacred and confidential, and others, although just as sacred, are meant to be shared.
"Last summer my family had a spiritual experience that has had a lasting and profound impact on us, one we feel must be shared. It's a message of love. It's a message of regaining perspective, and restoring proper balance and renewing priorities. "In humility, I pray that I might, in relating this story, give you a gift my little son, Brian, gave our family one warm summer day last year.
"On July 22nd I was en route to Washington, D.C. for a business trip. It was all so very ordinary until we landed in Denver for a plane change. As I collected my belongings from the overhead bin, an announcement was made for Mr. Lloyd Glenn to see the United customer service representative immediately. I thought nothing of this until I reached the door to leave the plane and I heard a gentleman asking every male if they were Mr. Glenn. At this point I knew something was wrong and my heart sunk. "When I got off the plane a solemn-faced young man came toward me and said, 'Mr. Glenn, there has been an emergency at your home. I do not know what the emergency is, or who is involved, but I will take you to a phone so you can call the hospital.
"My heart was now pounding, but the will to be calm took over. Woodenly, I followed this stranger to a distant telephone where I called the number he gave me for the Mission Hospital. My call was put through to the trauma center where I learned that my three-year-old son had been trapped underneath the automatic garage door for several minutes, and that when my wife had found him, he was dead. CPR had been performed by a neighbor, who is a doctor, and the paramedics had continued that treatment as Brian was transported to the hospital. By the time of my call, Brian was revived and they believed he would live, but they did not know how much damage had been done to his brain, nor to his heart. They explained that the door had completely closed on his little sternum right over his heart. He had been severely crushed. "After speaking with the medical staff, my wife informed me that our Bishop and home teacher were there and were waiting for the doctors to give them the go ahead to administer to Brian. She sounded worried, but not hysterical, and I took comfort in her calmness.
"The return flight seemed to last forever, but finally I arrived at the hospital six hours after the garage door had come down. When I walked into the intensive care unit, nothing could have prepared me to see my little son laying so still on a great big bed with tubes and monitors everywhere. He was on a respirator. I glanced at my wife who stood and tried to give me a reassuring smile. It all seemed like a terrible dream. "I was filled in on all the details and given the guarded prognosis. Brian was going to live, and the preliminary tests indicated that his heart was okay - two miracles, in and of themselves. But, only time would tell if his brain received any damage. "Throughout these seemingly endless hours, my wife was calm. She told me that the Bishop had given a blessing so powerful and so reassuring that she felt that Brian would eventually be all right. I hung on to her words and faith like a lifeline. "All that night and all the next day Brian remained unconscious. It seemed like forever since I had left for my business trip the day before. Finally, at two o'clock that afternoon, our son regained consciousness and sat up uttering the most beautiful words I have ever heard spoken. He said, 'Daddy, hold me,' as he reached for me with his little tiny arms.
"By the next day he was pronounced as having no neurological or physical deficits, and the story of his miraculous survival spread throughout the hospital. You cannot imagine our gratitude and joy. As we took Brian home we felt the unique reverence for life and love of our Heavenly Father that comes to those who brush death so closely. In the days that followed there was a special spirit about our home. Our two older children were much closer to their little brother. My wife and I were closer to each other, and all of us were very close as a whole family. Life took on a less stressful pace. Perspective seemed to be much more focused, and balance much easier to gain and maintain. We felt deeply blessed. Our gratitude was truly profound.
"Almost a month later to the day of the accident, Brian awoke from his afternoon nap and said, 'Sit down, Mommy. I have something to tell you.' At that time in his life, Brian usually spoke in small phrases, so to say such a large sentence surprised my wife. She sat down with him on the bed and he began this sacred and remarkable story. "'Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage door? Well, it was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I called to you, but you couldn't hear me. I started to cry, but then it hurt too bad. And then the 'birdies' came.' "'The 'birdies'?' my wife asked puzzled. 'Yes,' he replied. 'The 'birdies' made a whooshing sound and flew into the garage. They took care of me.' 'They did?' she asked. 'Yes,' he said. 'One of the birdies came and got you. She came to tell you I got stuck under the door.'
"A sweet and reverent feeling filled the room. The spirit was so strong and yet lighter than air. My wife realized that a three-year-old has no concept of death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings who came to help him from beyond the veil as 'birdies' because they were up in the air like birds that fly. "'What did the 'birdies' look like?' she asked. Brian answered, 'They were so beautiful. They were dressed in white, all white. Some of them had on green and white, but some of them had on just white.' My wife thought this was intriguing because Brian had no clue what the color green was.
"'Did they say anything?' 'Yes,' he answered. 'They told me the baby would be all right.' 'The baby?' my wife asked, confused. And Brian answered, 'Yes, the baby laying on the garage floor.' He went on, 'You came out and opened the garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby to stay and not leave.' "My wife nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she had indeed gone and knelt beside Brian's body, and seeing his crushed chest and unrecognizable features, and knowing he was already dead, she looked up around her and whispered, 'Don't leave us, Brian; please stay if you can.' "As she listened to Brian telling her the words she had spoken, she realized that his spirit had left his body and was looking down from above on this little lifeless form. 'Then what happened?' she asked.
"'We went on a trip,' he said, 'far, far away.' He grew agitated trying to say things he didn't seem to have words for. My wife tried to calm and comfort him, and let him know it would be okay. He struggled with wanting to tell something that obviously was very important to him, but finding the words was so difficult. Finally, his eyes alighted on the picture of the Oakland temple that hangs in the room and he ran to it. 'I went there!' he shouted. 'There, Mommy,' he pointed to the temple. 'And I went to other ones like this. There are lots of them. They are everywhere, and I went to some of them with the 'birdies'. We flew so fast up in the air.' "To which my wife said, 'That's one of the temples.' 'YES! YES!' he shouted. 'I went to the temples.'
"'They're so pretty, Mommy,' he added. 'And there are lots and lots of 'birdies' in the temple. Lots of them are in cages and they want to get out, but they can't by themselves. They need us to let them out of the cages. Mommy, I have to go to the temple and let them out. They are so sad and they need me to let them out. Mommy, you have to go there now and let them out. And Daddy too. And everyone. We have to let them out of their cages.' "My wife was stunned. Into her mind the sweet spirit enveloped her more soundly, but with an urgency she had never before known. She thought of the spirit world, the spirit prison to those who have not had saving ordinances done, and she knew that such spirits were relying on us to do these ordinances for them. She thought of how Brian had said some of the 'birdies' were wearing green and white, and the significance of that swept her with longing and understanding.
"Brian went on to tell her that the 'birdies' told him that he had to come back and tell everyone about the temples and the 'birdies' in their cages. He said they brought him back to the house and that a big fire truck, a little fire truck, and an ambulance were there. A man was bringing the baby out on a white bed and he tried to tell the man that the baby would be okay, but the man couldn't hear him. He said the 'birdies' told him he had to go with the ambulance, but they would be near him. He said it was so pretty there and so peaceful, and he didn't want to come back.
"And then the bright light came. He said the light was so bright and so warm, and he loved the bright light very much. Someone was in the bright light and put their arms around him and told him, 'I love you, but you have to go back. You have to play baseball, tell everyone about the temples, and slay the alligators.' Then the person in the bright light kissed him and waved bye-bye. Brian got in the ambulance with two of the 'birdies'. The ambulance doors closed after the people got in, and he said, 'Then I saw my beautiful, beautiful 'birdies' waving bye-bye. Then whoosh, the big sound came and they went into the clouds.'
"The story went on for over an hour. He taught us that the 'birdies' are always with us, but we don't see them because we look with our eyes, and we don't hear them because we listen with our ears. But, they are there, and you can only see them in here (he put his hand over his heart). They whisper the things to help us do what's right because they love us so much. Brian continued, stating, 'I have a plan, Mommy. You have a plan. Daddy has a plan. Everyone has a plan. We all must live our plan and keep our promises. And the 'birdies' help us do that 'cause they love us so, so much.'
"In the weeks that followed, he often came to us and told all, or part it again and again. Always the story remained the same. The details were never changed or out of order. A few time he added further bits of information that clarified the message he had already delivered. It never ceased to amaze us how he could tell such detail and speak beyond his ability when he spoke of his 'birdies.'
"Everywhere he went, he told total strangers that they had to go to the temple. Surprisingly, no one ever looked at him strangely when he did this. Rather, they always got a softened look on their face and smiled.
"Needless to say, we have not been the same ever since that day, and I pray that we never will be. My wife and I have gone to the temple repeatedly since then, and always Brian is waiting to hear how many 'birdies' we set free each time we go. "Brothers and Sisters, of all the messages Brian could have brought back, he brought this one -- We must go to the temple and free the 'birdies.' I testify that the things I have shared with you today are true. They are of sacred worth. They are of eternal consequence to us all and to the spirits who await the work only we can do for them. "May we all go to the temple and free the 'birdies' -- for this truly is the Lord's work and His glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I leave you with this message in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
Read more near-death experiences on www.near-death.com.
