He Had Many Spiritual Experiences as a Child, Leading up to his Near Death Experience!
What Researchers Found
The Story
Ishtar Howell was a 13-year-old boy when he had a near-death experience in an accident that killed his mother. During the NDE, he entered a state of bliss, joy, and deep silence connected to a vast presence. He felt high empathy for others without getting pulled into their emotions and lost all fear. This awareness lasted two to three months, during which a usual inner voice seemed distant. After the NDE, the state faded when he returned to school, causing distress. He tried dangerous acts to recapture it but then discovered meditation books. He adopted effortless meditation practices that reduced neurotic thoughts, released repressed anger, and increased love and wholeness. These changes led him to become a meditation teacher, gardener, writer, and astrologer living in Portugal.
“would go to you know God knows God knows where all sorts of places but as a kid I”
The transcript describes a specific childhood apparition of an unknown great-grandmother whose appearance and attire precisely matched a later-seen family photo, providing moderate specificity and unpredictability. However, this occurred in a normal waking state without medical severity, impossible sensory access, detailed third-party verification, or timely pre-verification reporting, and no veridical perceptions from the referenced NDE itself are detailed.
Score reflects verifiable perceptions reported. A low score indicates the experience was primarily spiritual or subjective, not that it didn't occur.
Score reflects transformation as described. Domains scored 0 indicate the topic was not discussed, not that no change occurred.
Are you here because someone you love has died?
These accounts were gathered because death may not be the end. Thousands of people have experienced something beyond — and come back to tell us about it.
What Researchers Found
The transcript describes a specific childhood apparition of an unknown great-grandmother whose appearance and attire precisely matched a later-seen family photo, providing moderate specificity and unpredictability. However, this occurred in a normal waking state without medical severity, impossible sensory access, detailed third-party verification, or timely pre-verification reporting, and no veridical perceptions from the referenced NDE itself are detailed.
Score reflects verifiable perceptions reported. A low score indicates the experience was primarily spiritual or subjective, not that it didn't occur.
Score reflects transformation as described. Domains scored 0 indicate the topic was not discussed, not that no change occurred.