Susan Schoenbeck - The Language of Grief
What Researchers Found
The Story
Susan Shanebeck, a nurse, experienced out-of-body events due to polio pain starting in infancy. As a child, severe pain caused her spirit to leave her body instantly. She floated above her bed, conscious in spirit form without pain, and looked down at her physical body in a steel brace. In one event as a Girl Scout, she heard a pleasant ringing aura before leaving her body while carrying a heavy wicker basket home. She saw an angel floating with her, was carried to her porch, and then returned to her body with the gift intact. These experiences showed her she has both body and spirit forms. Afterward, she integrated this knowledge into her nursing, researched near-death experiences, counseled the grieving using NDE facts, and wrote 'Good Grief Daily Meditation' to help people find comfort and spiritual growth after loss.
The strongest evidence comes from a cardiac arrest patient's accurate description of the CPR scene, personnel, and conversations from an elevated out-of-body position, as verified by the nurse herself. Scores are limited by the absence of highly precise or unique details (e.g., no specific objects or exact quotes provided), lack of documentation on reporting timing, and only one such verified case amid many general anecdotes.
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.
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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 strongest evidence comes from a cardiac arrest patient's accurate description of the CPR scene, personnel, and conversations from an elevated out-of-body position, as verified by the nurse herself. Scores are limited by the absence of highly precise or unique details (e.g., no specific objects or exact quotes provided), lack of documentation on reporting timing, and only one such verified case amid many general anecdotes.
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.