How strong is your will to believe?

Years ago, when I was a hard-line sceptic and materialist, I read a couple of books about near-death experiences, including Raymond Moody's classic "Life after life". I didn't believe them, of course. Still, I was intrigued. The out-of-body experience reported by many patients close to death, in which the subject "sees" himself from the outside, struck me as difficult to explain. Could this be the smoking gun evidence against the materialist worldview...?

Then, I read Dannion Brinkley's "Saved by the Light" and was repelled. Indeed, it had the same effect as a thunderbolt! It would be an exaggeration to claim that Dannion Brinkley scared me from taking the spiritual worldview seriously, but it would not be far from the truth. It's all your fault, Dannion! :-O

I recently re-read the book. "Saved by the Light" is extreme, no doubt about it. The book really challenges the reader's credulity. However, it no longer repelled me as much as it did about 12 years ago, when I read it the first time. These days, my initial reaction to the book amuses me. But do I believe in it? Frankly, I have no idea what to believe. Raymond Moody, who actually hired Dannion Brinkley as his assistant, don't know what on earth to make of him either. He has my sympathy!

The problem with this book is not Brinkley's supposed lie about his time in Vietnam. The problem, of course, are his extravagant claims about having paranormal abilities. Brinkley claims that he can read other people's minds. He also claims to have met spirits or angels during his first near-death experience who gave him detailed prophecies about the future. All of the prophecies have proven to be false, except three: the fall of the Communist bloc, the war against Iraq and a visit by Moody and Brinkley to Moscow.

Cold readings? Co-incidences? Perhaps. Still, the book is a fascinating read. Equally fascinating is the fact that Moody seems to believe in some of Brinkley's claims.

After "Saved by the Light" was published, Brinkley seems to have become a fellow traveller to The Summit Lighthouse (TLS), a controversial new religious movement often accused of being a cult. TSL's leader Elizabeth Clare Prophet mentions Brinkley in her book "Saint Germain's prophecies for the new millennium". Brinkley apparently claimed to have seen the Violet Flame during his near-death experience, something not mentioned in "Saved by the Light". The Violet Flame is a supposed cosmic energy that plays a central role in the religious worldview of TLS.

"You are going to make the Ascension in this life, Dannion".

I'm not sure what to make of Dannion Brinkely and "Saved by the Light", but if you want to test how strong your will to believe really is, there is no better book than this one...