Dr. PMH Atwater uses a good analogy when describing death and the various afterlife realms. Here it is:

  There is a step-up of energy at the moment of death, an increase in speed as if you are suddenly vibrating faster than before. Using radio as an analogy, this speed-up is comparable to having lived all your life at a certain radio frequency when all of a sudden someone or something comes along and flips the dial. That flip shifts you to another, higher wavelength. The original frequency where you once existed is still there. It did not change. Everything is still just the same as it was. Only you changed, only you speeded up to allow entry into the next radio frequency on the dial. You fit your particular spot on the dial by your speed of vibration. You cannot coexist forever where you do not belong. You shift frequencies in dying. You switch over to life on another wavelength. You are still a spot on the dial but you move up or down a notch or two. You don't die when you die. You shift your consciousness and speed of vibration. That's all death is ... a shift. (Dr. PMH Atwater)

  The graph below represents a roadmap through the various afterlife realms that experiencers have encountered in near-death experiencers. Looking at the map below, you can see that the journey to heaven begins, of course, with the Earth which exists within the realm of the physical universe (level 0). You can see that from level 0 we travel through the earthbound realm (level 1), then through the void (level 2) and then to heaven (level 3). For a detailed description of these realms, click on the links just given.

  There is one particular aspect to near-death accounts that varies greatly and that is the path by which experiencers travel to reach the various afterlife realms. By analyzing the various NDE accounts on this website, a map of the various paths to heaven can be created.

  There are very likely other paths but these are the ones I have encountered most often. Lets go through each path one at a time.

(Path A)   Earth to earthbound realm

  The journey to the earthbound realm is so subtle that many souls who travel there are not even aware they have died. Several cases in point is Dr. George Ritchie and Dr. Dianne Morrissey. Both of them didn't realize they were dead until they saw their dead body. Any near-death experience where the dead body is seen from a distance is an experience in the earthbound realm.

One of the best descriptions concerning the transition between the Earth and the earthbound realm is the near-death account of Dr. George Ritchie. Ritchie's experience and some of the NDEs below actually go much farther than the earthbound realm, but these experiences are the best description of the earthbound realm. Ritchie's NDE is the one that inspired Dr. Raymond Moody to initiate scientific research into NDEs. Other earthbound descriptions are from: Dr. Dianne Morrissey (the complete account in her book), Josiane Antonette, Rev. Howard Pittman, Emanuel Swedenborg and Ruth Montgomery.

(Path B)   Earth to void

  Some people report entering the void immediately after death without having to go through the tunnel. Others do report entering the void through the tunnel. Some people, such as Dr. George Ritchie, do not go through a tunnel but are led from one realm to the other by a Being of Light.

One of the best descriptions of the void comes from the near-death account of Mellen-Thomas Benedict. It is also one of the best and profound near-death accounts you will read. Other excellent void descriptions can be found in the NDEs of: Guenter Wagner, Dr. George Ritchie, Rev. Howard Storm, Angie Fenimore, RaNelle Wallace, and Don Brubaker.

(Path C)   Earth to void to heaven

  Some people describe entering the void either through the tunnel or not through the tunnel. Once in the void, some people immediately return to their body and their NDE is over. Other people, such as Guenter Wagner, have an extended experience in the void and then return to their bodies. But in the map above, you can see that some people leave the void then enter heaven. Once in the void, the only way out of it is through the love you have cultivated within you during life. In the void, once a person begins to think, remember, feel and realize love, the tunnel opens and you enter toward the light. Some people, such as Linda Stewart, leave the void with the help of a Being of Light. The void is totally devoid of love and light and the only way you can be attracted to the light is by realizing the love within you.

One of the best descriptions concerning the transition from the Earth to void to heaven is the near-death account of Rev. Howard Storm. Another near-death account involving a trip through the void on the way to heaven is the near-death account of Linda Stewart.

(Path D)   Earth to heaven

  Some people do not report an experience with the earthbound realm or the void. The travel to heaven directly my means of the tunnel. For example, Edgar Cayce traveled through the tunnel literally thousands of times and during each time, he would be able to see all the levels of the afterlife passing by him as he went straight to heaven to get his information. Why some people enter heaven by different methods is anyone's guess. Perhaps people travel to afterlife realms according to how much they have earned it in life and in past lives. This would explain some children have experiences in heaven without having to earn it in their current life and this suggests to me that they have earned it in a previous life. That is just my 2 cents worth.

One of the best descriptions concerning the transition from the Earth directly to heaven is the near-death account of Betty Eadie. Other NDEs involving a direct trip to heaven are from: Dannion Brinkley, Jayne Smith, David Goines, Jan Price, May Eulitt, Carl Jung, Edgar Cayce, and John Star.

(Path E)   Earth to earthbound realm to void to heaven

  An interesting aspect of near-death accounts is that if one reads enough of them, one begins to understand the various transitions from the Earth to heaven. The map above represents near-death accounts that involve all the first three levels (earthbound, void, heaven). Some of these reports, such as Dr. George Ritchie's, are virtually guided tours by a Being of Light. Often, these kind of experiences are the most transcendental.

  Those cases who came closest to death, or were clinically dead, just as Moody's cases reported, told of being outside of their bodies, of moving through a void or dark tunnel toward a luminous light, of meeting with departed relatives and friends, of having a feeling of great comfort and bliss and of being surrounded by compassionate love, a feeling so beautiful they longed to remain, and when they returned to the earthly realm, they were affected by this feeling the rest of their lives. (Dr. Ken Ring)

  Edgar Cayce would leave his body and become oppressed by the darkness. He would then experience a tremendous feeling of loneliness. He would then see a white beam of light and know that he must follow it or be lost. Whenever he would move through the tunnel toward the light, he would travel through various afterlife levels where unusual beings dwelled. On the first afterlife level, there were vague, horrible, grotesque forms such as one would see in a nightmare. Moving on, he would see on either side of the tunnel, misshapen forms of human beings with some part of the body magnified. He would also see people on both sides of the tunnel calling out to him for help and trying to get his attention. But Cayce knew that any deviation from the tunnel would mean that he wouldn't be able to return to his body. As he moved farther up the tunnel, the darkness would become lighter and the realm more colorful. At the end of the tunnel, he would then enter the Hall of Records, the heavenly source for the information he obtains. (Edgar Cayce)

  Howard Pittman entered the second realm (the void) where no love existed and where demons there were participating in their area of expertise in tormenting souls. Pittman was then taken to the first realm (the earthbound realm) which he learned was in a spirit realm near the Earth where demons stalk the living. It was in this realm that he saw demons in all shapes and forms. He was then led back to the second realm and to the entrance to a tunnel where angels were leading souls to the third realm (identified as one of the heavenly realms). (Rev. Howard Pittman)

  Jan Price saw the skyline of a great city with three different dimensions. The first had a dinginess pervading the atmosphere. There was a gloominess, and everything was gray, even the inhabitants, but she sensed that somewhere beneath the discoloration pulsed life and beauty. It brought to her mind the lowest levels of existence in the world from which she came. Evil walked the squalid streets with malevolent bearing. No one there was up to, or expected, any good. From that dark dimension, each succeeding higher dimension became more colorful and more light. (Jan Price)

  After death we work our way up through the various levels of consciousness. We go through the tunnel and are able to go through the darker levels, which can represent a form of hell or purgatory, because these are the two negative levels, or the darker ones. But if we've been a good person, we generally just seem to pass through them very quickly and then we go on through the third and fourth levels of consciousness. When we go through these levels we meet our relatives and friends greeting us at the end of the tunnel where they're waiting and lead us into the light. (George Anderson)

  As Mellen-Thomas Benedict passed into the second light [the void], he expanded beyond the first light. He found himself in a profound stillness, beyond all silence. He could see or perceive FOREVER, beyond Infinity. He realized that he was in the void. He realized he was in pre-creation, before the Big Bang. He had crossed over the beginning of time and into the Eye of Creation. He felt as if he was touching the Face of God and was at one with Absolute Life and Consciousness. Mellen-Thomas described the void this way:

"The void is less than nothing, yet more than everything that is! The void is absolute zero; chaos forming all possibilities. It is much more than even Universal Intelligence. The void is inside and outside everything. You, right now even while you live, are always inside and outside the void simultaneously. You don't have to go anywhere or die to get there. The void is the vacuum or nothingness between all physical manifestations. The SPACE between atoms and their components. Modern science calls it zero-point. The void is completely out of time and space as we know it. The void itself is devoid of experience. It is pre-life, before the first vibration. While Mellen-Thomas was in the void, he was aware of everything that had ever been created. It was like he was looking through the eyes of God. Suddenly he wasn't him anymore; he had become God." (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

(F)   From Earth to void to receiving station to heaven

  Some people on the way to heaven first enter a heavenly receiving station where other souls are seen entering into as well. This receiving station is a place where people can meet deceased relatives and friends, have a life review, and/or move on to other structures within heaven. Some of these other structures that have been seen is a heavenly temple, a heavenly library, or a temple of knowledge. At this point, there are other higher heavens to go and it is my opinion that these are beyond the reach of people having a NDE. Often, it is in this first heavenly realm where people are told they must return. The following are experiences with this heavenly receiving stations.

  Diego Valencia entered a dim, colorless, train station-like realm where grayish entities were being helped by guides from a foggy realm near Earth. He was then given the decision to either return to his body or stay. (Diego Valencia)

  George Ritchie entered the earthbound realm where he observed souls stalking the living because of some earthly desire. In the second realm (the void), he observed angry spirits locked into hand to hand combat, trying in vain to hurt each other. In the third realm, he observes souls being led into a heavenly weigh station. After visiting a heavenly library, he is shown a distant city made of brilliant light. Its description resembled the city described in the Book of Revelation. (Dr. George Ritchie)

  Dr. Michael Newton's research of afterlife experiencers yielded the following conclusions: All souls, regardless of experience, eventually arrive at a central port in the spirit world that is like a staging area for orientation. Once past this station there seems to be no further detour. A large number of returning souls are transported in a kind of spiritual form of mass transit. Souls are brought in, collected, and then projected out to their proper final destinations similar to a central terminal of a metropolitan airport that has the capacity to fly people out in any direction. The most outstanding characteristic of this place is a continuous feeling of a powerful mental force directing everything in uncanny harmony. Some have said that this is a realm of pure thought. (Dr. Michael Newton)

  David Oakford was taken to a great city in the shadow and clouds above Earth which he discovered was heaven. He observed the souls of humans and animals flying to and from the great city and back to the Earth. He observed many souls coming to the city with guides. Some of the souls were sad, beaten and scared. In the city, David entered a large building where he had a life review. (David Oakford)

  Ned Dougherty was in the deepest void of space feeling comfortable and at home. Ned then entered into a magnificent ethereal structure. This heavenly structure resembled an amphitheater made of a brilliant, crystal-like substance. The amphitheater was suspended in the void of space in the same fashion that a space station might hover in space. The amphitheater was similar in size to a sports stadium and conveyed a great majesty. It was here that Ned experienced a life review. (Ned Dougherty)

  One woman went through a black tunnel and entered a black void of absolute nothingness. She discovered that the darkness existed in every direction. She sensed an entity in the darkness with her and she asked it, "What happened?" Through telepathy, the entity replied, "You're dead." The entities reply was as if it enjoyed telling her this. As soon as she realized this, a clear white bright light brought her into a huge, wonderful, stadium or amphitheater where love and music emanated from it. (P. A.)

  As we walked along together to find Jesus, I noticed there was one building larger than all the others. It looked like a football stadium with an open end to the building where a blinding light radiated from it. I tried to look up at the light but I couldn't. It was too brilliant. Many people seemed to be bowed in front of this building in adoration and prayer. I said to my parents, "What is that?" They said, "In there is God." (An accountant)

  There was no tunnel or light. I "awoke" standing upright in the back of what looked like a large auditorium-type place, without the chairs. The wall were gold and had jewels embedded in them. I was far in the back at first and couldn't figure out where I was. There were horns playing loud classical-type music and it was a very formal-type ceremony. There were dancers with beautifully colored flags dancing in a supernatural sort of way. I felt my presence coming in closer, but I didn't feel legs moving underneath me. (Lisa)

  In luxuriant warmth we moved on, drawn higher into the valley, moving toward the Source of the light. I made a single turn, and the meadow suddenly became an amphitheater. On a stage that seemed to be suspended in front of me, I witnessed, with my grandmother, what seemed to be an encore performance of my life. (Lynnclaire Dennis)

  There exists a kind of weigh station in the spirit realm which is a transient place where souls decide their next destination. This transient place is the junction between various cosmic realms. It is both a usual and an unusual place related to the soul's evolution. (Edgar Cayce)

  Carter Mills was taken to a suspended platform where he met a being so powerful that he thought it was God. The angels bowed and took their places with two others at the platform's four corners. Carter learned that the powerful being was Jesus. Carter is then led through a life review. (Carter Mills)

NDE Insights Concerning the Various Afterlife Realms

  In the afterlife, our thoughts are no longer private, but become known to all around us. People of the same kind of thoughts are drawn to each other because it is too threatening to be with others with whom we disagree when they know it. (Dr. George Ritchie)

  After death, people gravitate into homogenous groups according to the rate of their soul's vibrations. If the percentage of discord in a person is small, it can be eliminated by the Master-Vibration of God; then the remaining good can live there. However, if there is more discord within a soul's vibrations than good, this cannot be done and the person must gravitate to a lower afterlife level and live with people of their kind. Each person lives in the kind of a heaven or hell which they prepared for themselves while on Earth. Nobody sends us anywhere. We are sorted by the high or low vibrations of our soul. Everyone goes where they fit in. (Arthur Yensen)

  After death, the dimension of the afterlife we travel to is determined by the level of spiritual development we have attained while on Earth. (Edgar Cayce)

  In the afterlife, everyone is free to visit the various afterlife realms and nothing is restricted. The only governor is the state of the conscious mind. Deeply held beliefs come into visible expression there. Not everyone has the same experience because everyone creates his or her own experience. Subtle energies slowly open restrictive, closed minds in order to accept greater understanding. (Jan Price)

  We can not dwell in the higher spiritual realms until we have perfectly qualified for it by a change of heart and mind, a significant amount of preparation, and by completing our mission. (Dr. Craig Lundahl)

  Those living in the higher realms radiate the brightest light and their glory must be cloaked when people in the lower realms look at them. It is possible for people in the lower realms to visit higher realms, but they must be prepared or covered so they can stand in the presence of greater glory. (Dr. Craig Lundahl)

  Our Earth experience determines our afterlife destiny, but no one is locked there, and each can progress to higher and higher levels of being. (Jan Price)

  How does a person get ahead of others in the afterlife? They don't. There is no place in heaven for discontent or personal ambition. Some people may not be able to change at all after they arrive in the afterlife. On Earth, we can change ourselves quite easily and should use this life to make ourselves into the kind of people we want to be in the afterlife. (Arthur Yensen)

  Death is merely the doorway to the next level of soul growth and evolution. (Edgar Cayce)

  In the afterlife, death on Earth is considered a graduation. (Rev. Howard Storm)

  Infants who die are taken in spirit to a place where they are nurtured, taught and mature. (Dr. Craig Lundahl)

  There are heavenly hospitals full of injured and crippled souls - the result of their hard faring on Earth - who are nursed back to health so that they can begin their work in heaven. (Dr. Craig Lundahl)

  To travel from one point to another in the afterlife, all one has to do is think about it. (Dr. Dianne Morrissey)

  Those on the other side can observe what is happening on Earth whenever they choose to do so. (Jan Price)

  Each afterlife realm has a theme for learning. The physical realm exists for us to test our ideals and learn from them. (David Oakford)

  How we lived our life on Earth determines which heavenly realm we have earned and travel to after death. We choose our own pace through the afterlife realms. (Betty Bethards)

  The afterlife realms are experiences of enjoyment and recreation. People do things they enjoy and keep company with people they enjoy in a realm of joyful activity. The skills, interests, and abilities developed on Earth may be reflected in the roles chosen in eternity. We contribute uniquely toward the goodness and beauty in the realm we inhabit which is vast and of transcendent beauty. Our quality of life in spirit is directly affected by our heart and activities on Earth. Opportunities for practicing love continues. (Nora Spurgin)

  The most difficult thing for a person who has been deeply steeped in a particular religious tradition is to realize that the form alone is not what elevates a person; it is the heart. Still, those who cling to an external form of religion will be most comfortable with others who practice the same rituals, whatever they may be. In this sense, congregations may continue centered around the particular religious traditions they practiced while on Earth. (Nora Spurgin)

  Our moral obligation to help others continues after death. Death does not eliminate our obligations. We are still given opportunities in spirit realms to freely serve others. (Margaret Tweddell)

  In heaven, we can remember our real identity and know what possibilities exist for soul growth. We do not move forward until we choose to. (Dr. PMH Atwater)

  After death, we can choose to observe people on Earth to see how they deal with situations. Our behavior on Earth provides a teaching ground for those in spirit. (Betty Bethards)

  When a soul incarnates to Earth, they will be more influenced by the afterlife realm they just came from, the planet it represents, and the astrological configuration at the time of their birth. These planetary influences allow us to receive certain lessons and tests related to our karma. Our free will has absolute power over any planetary or heavenly realm - even God. (Edgar Cayce)

  A heavenly computer exists in the spirit realm that is designed to help us choose our destiny. (Dr. Allen Kellehear's research)