Ned Dougherty's Near-Death Experience 

[After Dougherty's heart attack, he has an out-of-body experience while in the ambulance rushing him to the hospital.]

As a massive field of energy began to form in the sky directly in front of me, I heard a loud, grinding mechanical noise as the mass of energy shaped itself into a cylinder funneling upwards. It seemed as if the darkness of the sky turned into liquid as the mass of energy curled like an ocean wave and formed a perfect tunnel that stretched into the heavens.

As I stared into the large and imposing tunnel of energy, a shimmering, luminescent-blue field of energy began to float down the tunnel toward me. As it rapidly approached, I watched the luminescent-blue field mass into a form and begin to materialize into an image of a human being. As the image composed itself, I found myself face to face with an old friend. His name was Dan McCampbell, but I had never expected to see him again. After all, he had been killed in Vietnam.

As Dan and I communicated, I realized that we did not speak to each other as we had communicated in our earthly lives. As soon as I thought, "Dan, I recognize you," it was communicated to him. We were communicating telepathically, which connotes a communication of words between minds by means other than by vocal communication, but such a description falls short of the spiritual communication we were experiencing. We were not only communicating with words; we were communicating with feelings and emotions. As we thought, we also emoted our thoughts. Both thoughts and emotions were being communicated telepathically and spiritually in a manner that far surpassed normal human communication. Dan communicated to me:

Suddenly, I was enveloped in this brilliant golden light. The light was more brilliant than the light emanating from the sun, many times more powerful and radiant than the sun itself. Yet, I was not blinded by it nor was I burned by it. Instead, the light was a source of energy that embraced my being.
 
I was alone in the glow of this light and suspended before a magnificent presence. I immediately believed that I was in the presence of God, my Creator. I felt that God was embracing me, and he had love for me, a love greater than any love I had ever known on Earth. I realized that God was bestowing his light of love on me, as his light transformed from a brilliant golden light to a pure white light. As I became more accepting of God's love, the light of God became brighter, of a pure whiteness beyond description. When I sensed that my spiritual being had received God's love to the point of overflowing, I became aware that God was stabilizing and energizing my being in preparation for my mission. I realized that I would be returning to earthly life and that God was preparing and orienting me for that return.
 
God began to imbue me with universal knowledge. I realized that I had always thirsted for this knowledge and I wanted to absorb as much as I could. As I remained suspended in God's light, I felt this knowledge penetrate and absorbed by my spiritual being. This knowledge was flowing through me in the same manner as God's love, pulsating through my being. Dan was back at my side again. We descended together from God's light into a universe of bright stars. We were again in the deepest void of space, but now I felt comfortable in this environment as well as in my spirit body, and I felt at home in this celestial location. As Dan and I continued to descend, I was startled by the magnificent ethereal structure directly below us. The heavenly structure resembled an amphitheater similar to those found in ancient civilizations. This amphitheater was made of a brilliant, crystal-like substance that radiated multi-colored waves of energy throughout its form. 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.

As Dan and I descended closer to the amphitheater, I realized that it was filled with thousands of spiritual beings. We hovered directly over the structure, and I felt a vibrant energy envelop me. The energy seemed to come from the crystalline structure of the amphitheater. The lower we descended, the more I was drawn to the energy.

I sensed that the thousands of spiritual beings there were also absorbing this energy. They were sending out waves of energy to one another as well as to Dan and me. We were now descending onto the celestial field, which was surrounded by the large arc of the amphitheater. Although I first felt it as energy, I recognized that the energy emanating from the crystalline structure was also a symphonic sound.

Soon Dan and I were suspended in the center of the celestial field which meant that we were the focus of attention for the thousands of spiritual beings positioned throughout the amphitheater. Above, below, and behind us was the deep void of space. In front of us, thousands of spiritual beings were communicating, by musical sounds, feelings of goodwill to me. Their sounds of greeting were in harmony with the symphonic sounds of energy emanating from the amphitheater. Once I settled onto the celestial field, I could look directly into the crystalline surface of the amphitheater and watch as multi-colored prisms of light pulsated through the structure.

I was overwhelmed by the awesome sight before me, but the feelings of love that were conveyed to me by the spiritual beings were even more overwhelming. The spiritual beings were cheering me, conveying loving encouragement and support:

Frankly, I was confused by all the attention. There wasn't anything wonderful about the way I had conducted my life. Perhaps the spiritual beings were speaking of what was yet to come. They certainly could not have been speaking of earlier events in my life. I thought, "How can I be doing wonderfully? I almost killed someone tonight. Could I be justified in what I tried to do?" Dan interceded:

I turned to my right, realizing that a group of spiritual beings had joined us on the celestial field. This event was indeed a homecoming for me. Among the group of spiritual beings, I recognized deceased friends and relatives from my life. I also recognized other friends from my spiritual life prior to my birth on Earth. I was filled with joy when I recognized my grandparents, aunts, and uncles who had died during my life. However, I was disappointed because I did not see my Dad among the group. I then recognized other friends from my life, including a girl from high school. I did not know she had died. The feelings of love and joy that I shared with these relatives and friends were far beyond the emotions I had shared with them during my life. As the child of an alcoholic and broken home, I did not communicate feelings to relatives or friends very well. In fact, I wasn't aware that I had many feelings. Most of my feelings were hidden inside.

Now that I was at my homecoming as a spiritual being, the greetings were the kind that I had imagined took place in a healthy family. It seemed as if we were celebrating every major holiday, every birth and birthday, every wonderful event in all of our lives in a manner that we could never celebrate as mortal human beings. I wanted this celebration and homecoming to continue forever, but a silence suddenly fell across the crowded amphitheater.

[Dougherty then experiences a life review in which he finds himself being the sole judge. Afterwards, a being whom Dougherty identifies as "the Lady of Light" reveals to him his own personal future of creating a "Mission of Angels" as well as prophecies regarding the future of the world.]

As the movie-like scenes of my future life ended, I found myself in a building, which became known to me as the Hall of Records. I was sitting on a marble bench and waiting. From there I could look outdoors through a large opening at the side of the room. I could see columns of large pillars supporting an archway of the building in which I sat. In front of the columns, there was a long stairway leading to a large open courtyard. I sensed that I was in this great and magnificent structure on Earth, only during another time period. The architecture and design of the building led me to conclude that this place was probably in ancient Egypt. However, as I did not see any other beings or human activity I concluded I was still in the celestial realm.

The Lady of Light appeared in the room before me. She stood next to a large globe of Earth, which was suspended in a large circular frame attached to the marble floor. The Lady of Light began to speak to me about the future of the world as she pointed to the globe. I watched as she pointed to the Middle East, and I saw a flashpoint of light. She then pointed to Italy, and I saw another flashpoint. Then flashpoints broke out rapidly throughout the Middle East and Europe representing major incidents, world events caused by mankind: acts of aggression, terrorism, and war. Fanatical, self-proclaimed religious groups supposedly acting in the name of God performed many of these acts, but I was told that acts of war and aggression were not part of God's plan.

I was shown a vision of a large plateau in the Middle East. The plateau was surrounded by a dusty, dry, and barren region that seemed to be deserted and devoid of any life. I was told that future events at this location in the Middle East would start a chain reaction of man-made catastrophic events, first in the Middle East, then in Africa and Europe, followed by events in Russia and China.

The Lady of Light showed me another scene of Earth suspended in space. I watched as the axis of Earth's rotation began to shift significantly. I could not tell how much time the shift took, nor was I shown a time or date when it would take place. I could tell that significant geophysical changes to the Earth's surface would take place as a result of the shifting of Earth's axis. Great earthquakes erupted throughout the world, significantly changing the major continents. There were volcanic eruptions of great magnitude spewing clouds of billowing smoke and ash throughout the atmosphere, sending the Earth into a period of darkness. Great floods resulted from melting and shifting polar ice caps. Many low-lying land areas were engulfed by huge tidal waves. I watched scenes of these events taking place, depicted like black and white movies. I watched one scene from a hilltop location on the coastline of Long Island, New York, as rows of massive tidal waves descended on the coastline, burying the land under the water. I saw another scene from a street corner in New York City. A wall of water rushed down the wide street as surrounding office buildings began to collapse. In another scene, I watched as a massive wall of water hit the coastline of Miami Beach. In its wake, I watched as an entirely new land mass rose up out of the ocean.

The Lady of Light told me that none of these future events would have to take place if mankind began to recognize and work with God's plan. The Lady of Light told me:

I was told that the world could be saved, not by its leaders, but by prayer groups throughout the world. I was told that the prayers of a group of twenty could save a nation from war. I was told that the fate of mankind rested on our ability, individually and collectively, to change the direction of mankind in accordance with God's plan.

[At this point, Dougherty meets an incredible-looking being he refers to as "The Magnificent Man" who fits the description of Jesus Christ wearing a white flowing robe, having long-flowing and slightly curling auburn hair and a closely trimmed beard, and is preoccupied with little children.]

A flood of questions raced through my mind as I was shown events that I understood were to take place on Earth in the future, during the "End Times." I was aware of the presence of the Lady of Light, visible to my right, viewing the scenes that were before me. I realized that the Lady of Light was also influencing my viewing of the scenes of the End Times. As I focused on her, I recognized her place and prominence in the sequence of events that were to take place during the End Times. I was aware that the earthly landscape of mountainside and valley was visible beyond the vastness of space that represented the End Times. In other words, I was being shown an earthly landscape that would exist following the End Times. I recognized that the End Times did not mean the end of the world. It meant the end of the world as we know it, but it also meant the beginning of a new world. I perceived that the earthly landscape in the distance was part of the new world, but it seemed so far away - barely discernible, almost mystical, like a dream world.

[The Lady of Light then shows Dougherty the wonderful future paradise that Earth will become after these great traumatic geophysical changes occur to Earth and its inhabitance. After this, Ned Dougherty's NDE ends and his new mission in life begins.]

During his NDE, Dougherty received many visions (prophecies) of the future from the Lady of Light - one of which came true six months after his book Fast Lane to Heaven was published in March of 2001. The prophecy revealed to Dougherty is as follows:

This prophecy no doubt refers to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York and Washington D.C. This is just one of the prophecies given to Dougherty during his NDE. Other prophecies he received are included further down this article. Other near-death experiencers, such as Dannion Brinkley, were also given visions of a terrorist attack in New York and Washington. It is not uncommon for near-death experiencers to receive visions of the future. One experiencer, P.M.H. Atwater received a vision of the September 11th terrorist attacks the day after it occurred which is documented in her free downloadable PDF file entitled The Challenge of September 11: A Memorial. In this short e-book, she describes her vision of the "wave of souls" that left the planet at the time it occurred:

a.  Religious fanatics will ignite wars around the globe (Fast Lane to Heaven, pages 77, 251-252)

As mentioned earlier in his NDE, Dougherty sees a future vision of "Fanatical, self-proclaimed religious groups supposedly acting in the name of God performed many of these acts, but I was told that acts of war and aggression were not part of God’s plan." He was shown a vision of a dry, dusty, barren region of the Middle East that would give rise to a chain reaction of man-made catastrophic events, first in the Middle East, then in Africa and Europe, followed by events in Russia and China. This is obviously related to the ISIS war in Syria.

b.  The Earth's axis will shift causing severe natural disasters (Fast Lane to Heaven, page 254)

The Lady of Light then showed Dougherty a vision of the Earth suspended in space. He watched as Earth’s axis shifted and could not tell when it began or how long it took. But he clearly observed the geophysical changes: great earthquakes erupting throughout the world changing the shapes of the major continents, and volcanic smoke and ash billowing into the atmosphere. He watched black and white movies of these events. Edgar Cayce, the so-called "Sleeping Prophet," also predicted a shift in the Earth's magnetic field. According to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in 1998 something changed the Earth's gravitational field which moved the magnetic poles closer together. The NASA article explained that as the ice on the poles melted, ocean currents moved water toward the equator, which factors researchers believe to be partly responsible, in conjunction with shifts in atmospheric patterns, for this ongoing shift in the Earth's magnetic field. This NASA finding affirms both Dougherty's and Cayce's prediction of a pole shift.

c.  A massive tidal wave will hit the coastline of Long Island and New York City, then Miami Beach (Fast Lane to Heaven, page 78, 253-254)

It is very possible that the massive tidal wave predicted in Dougherty's vision of the future might be related to the threat posed by the collapse of Cumbre Vieja in the Cabary Islands. This prophecy closely parallels a hypothesis connecting the eruption of Cumbre Vieja to an eschatological earthquake described in various places throughout the Bible associated with the Second Coming of Christ. After his NDE, Dougherty learned of this threat posed by Cumbre Vieja, and travelled to La Palma in the Canary Islands to investigate the area for himself. He is now convinced that the prophecy he witnessed during his NDE is directly related to the threat posed by the collapse of Cumbre Vieja in the Canary Islands. See this related article about a mega-tsunami which shows how this event appears to be the "huge mountain, burning with fire" being thrown into the sea, as described in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 8:8). In his book, Dougherty also discusses the apparitions at Turzovka in 1958 which also appear to predict massive tidal waves generated by a volcanic collapse. See also this article entitled The Casting Down of Mountains, which acts as a hub-page for the various passages in the Bible which may foretell this future event.

d.  A new land mass will arise out of the ocean (Fast Lane to Heaven, page 78)

The Lady of Light revealed to Dougherty during his NDE that when massive tidal waves hit both the eastern and western coastlines of the U.S. "an entirely new land mass rose up out of the ocean." This prophecy agrees with those of Edgar Cayce who predicted that the ancient continent of Atlantis will rise someday in the future.

e.  China will become a threat to global peace (Fast Lane to Heaven, page 252)

"The greatest threat to global peace and preservation will come from China, which is preparing itself for global war and domination by building the largest army in the world, prophetically referred to in the book of Revelation as the army of "two hundred million." Under the guise of population control, China has been systematically exterminating unborn female babies in favor of males in order to breed an army capable of dominating the world. The Lady of Light specifically told me, "Pray for the conversion of China. The conversion of China to God is necessary for the salvation of the world." (Fast Lane to Heaven, page 252)

The greatest threat, he was shown, would come from China and a "two hundred million army" (see Revelation 9:13-18). The Lady of Light specifically told him to: "Pray for the conversion of China. The conversion of China to God is necessary for the salvation of the world." He says the phenomena he has seen is similar to what he later learned about the apparitions of Mary at Zeitoun, Egypt, where was also called "the Lady of Light." This also brings to mind the apparitions of Mary at Fatima, Portugal, where nearly a hundred years ago she expressed an almost identical concern about a similar threat from Communist Russia.

f.  The U.S. government will collapse leaving the country vulnerable to attack by China (Fast Lane to Heaven, page 253)

"The United States government will fail to meet its financial obligations as a result of its staggering national debt and will collapse. As a result of the destruction of U.S. military bases from natural disasters, the United States will lose its ability to wage war or defend itself, leaving the country vulnerable to invasion by foreign troops, particularly by China's "army of two hundred million." (Fast Lane to Heaven, page 253)

  Watch Ned Dougherty on YouTube about the future of the United States: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvaxFg1NIvE