Face­to­Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience

An
Interview
With
Nadia
Ballas‐Ruta
from
HappyLotus.com

Brought
to
you
by
Dayne
from
TheHappySelf.com

Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
About
this
report
and
interview...

There
is
ONE
thing
we
all
have
to
face
at
some
point
in
our
lives.
It
could
happen
later
today.
It

could
happen
in
the
next
moment.
It
could
happen
in
60
years
or
longer
from
now.

It's
the
BIG
UNKNOWN
we
all
know
(and
fear)
very
well...DYING.

Just
a
few
weeks
ago
I
was
reading
the
fantasIc
book
called
"On
Life
ANer
Death"
by
Elisabeth

Kübler‐Ross.
In
this
book,
Elisabeth
explains
what
happens
to
us
aNer
we
die.
How
did
she
learn

this?
She
did
extensive
research
and
case
studies
on
the
subject
(this
included
thousands
of

interviews
of
people
who
have
had
near
death
experiences).
In
any
case,
I
was
simply
blown

away
by
what
I
read
and
I
would
recommend
it
to
anyone.


About
this
same
Ime,
I
stumbled
upon
a
blog
post
on
TinyBuddha.com
about
a
lovely
woman

named
Nadia
Ballas‐Ruta
who
had
also
had
a
near
death
experience
as
a
teenager
and
I
was

very
moved
by
it.
Needless
to
say,
I
just
had
to
reach
out
and
make
contact
with
her.
I
had
a
few

quesIons
I
wanted
to
ask
her
myself
about
her
experience
and
also,
I
figured
many
of
you
(the

readers)
would
really
enjoy
what
she
had
to
say.

Below
are
eight
quesIons
I
asked
Nadia
followed
by
her
in
depth
answers.
She
covers
all
areas
in

regards
to
her
experience
that
touch
on
subjects
like
the
power
of
love,
what
happens
when
we

die,
and
facing
God.

I
hope
you
enjoy!


Thank
you
Nadia!

Dayne
from
TheHappySelf.com

Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
1.
Can
you
briefly
explain
your
near
death
experience?
I
was
fiNeen
years
old
and
had
a
very
severe
case
of
bronchiIs
along
with
an

allergic
reacIon
to
a
medicaIon
that
I
was
given.
My
system
was
so
ill
that

something
caused
me
to
“die”
for
a
couple
of
minutes.


I
remember
seeing
a
bright
light
and
found
myself
in
a
place
that
was
u^erly

peaceful,
beauIful
and
full
of
love.
The
colors
were
unlike
any
colors
I
had
ever

seen
or
have
seen
since.
It
was
paradise
and
the
love
that
I
felt
was
unlike

anything
I
have
ever
experienced.
I
was
also
told
a
few
things
about
myself
and
my

life
which
did
eventually
come
true.


It
was
a
perfect
place
and
I
did
not
want
to
leave.

I
was
told
that
my
Ime
was
not
up
and
I
tried
to
negoIate
so
that
I
could
stay

forever
but
it
was
not
meant
to
be.
The
next
thing
that
happened
was
that
I
was

pulled
from
behind
and
saw
myself
in
my
bed
and
watched
what
was
happening.

It
was
weird
to
see
myself
and
yet
not
being
inside
my
body.
I
was
then
pulled
back

into
my
body
and
opened
my
eyes.


2.
Do
you
feel
you
had
direct
contact
with
God?

Most
definitely.


The
person
who
was
talking
to
me
or
rather
the
voice
that
was
talking
to
me
was

God.
The
love
that
was
present
was
definitely
divine
for
it
was
uncondiIonal
and

extremely
powerful.
Plus,
the
voice
that
talked
to
me
told
me
things
about
my

future
which
did
come
true.
There
is
no
way
I
could
have
known
all
that

informaIon
that
eventually
did
occur.


Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
3.
What
do
you
feel
are
people's
biggest
misconcepRons
about
death?

I
think
people
feel
that
death
is
an
end
when
in
reality
it
is
a
conInuaIon
of
your

true
self.
In
many
world
religions
it
is
believed
that
when
we
“die”
our
lives
truly

begin
for
that
side
ma^ers
more
than
this
side.


It
reminds
me
of
one
of
my
favorite
quotes
by
Teilhard
de
Chardin:
“we
are
not

human
beings
having
a
spiritual
experience.
We
are
spiritual
beings
having
a

human
experience”.
We
are
not
our
bodies
or
our
jobs
or
our
bank
accounts.
We

are
souls
created
to
spread
love
and
kindness.
Our
birthright
is
divine
but
we
get

so
caught
up
in
the
illusions,
we
forget
our
inherent
power.


4.
What
are
the
biggest
lessons
you
learned
from
your
near
death

experience?

Wow…well,
I
learned
a
lot
of
things
which
truly
did
change
how
I
saw
life.
As
a

result
of
the
experience,
I
do
know
that
there
is
a
soul
that
lives
on
aNer
we
“die”.

Death
is
not
to
be
feared.
Life
is
about
love
and
reincarnaIon
is
real.
Every
li^le

act
that
we
do
is
known
and
recorded.
There
is
a
God
who
loves
us
and
loves
us

without
condiIon.

And
our
acIons
here
determine
what
happens
to
us
when
we

die.
What
goes
around
definitely
does
come
around.


Another
important
thing
that
I
learned
is
that
we
have
to
make
the
most
out
of

being
here.


We
are
here
to
learn
and
to
grow.
We
are
not
here
to
just
accumulate
stuff.
We
are

here
to
spread
love
and
to
be
love.
So
what
ma^ers
is
our
acIons
and
how
we

choose
to
play
our
part.
For
as
Shakespeare
said,
“life
is
a
stage
and
each
must

play
a
part”.
So
we
need
to
play
our
part
to
the
best
of
our
ability
and
that
has

nothing
to
do
with
what
we
have
but
rather
with
how
we
are.


Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
5.
What
do
you
think
is
the
true
source
of
real
happiness
that
many

people
overlook?
It
took
me
years
to
figure
that
one
out
even
though
I
did
have
a
near
death

experience.
I
think
many
people
feel
that
happiness
is
external
or
can
be
found
in

external
things.
For
years,
I
thought
if
I
had
the
right
educaIon,
the
right
job
and

the
right
home,
I
would
be
in
bliss.


It
was
not
unIl
I
had
all
those
things
that
I
realized
how
empty
I
felt.
Happiness
is

our
inherent
state
of
being
when
we
are
born
but
as
we
grow
older,
we
forget
our

true
nature
and
start
looking
for
the
answers
outside
of
ourselves.
Look
at
babies,

they
have
no
fear
and
always
look
so
full
of
love.
But
as
they
get
older,
they
start

to
learn
fear.
So
fear
is
what
prevents
us
from
being
our
true
happy
selves.


Plus,
the
mere
fact
we
get
to
experience
a
human
birth
is
really
profound.
In

Buddhism,
it
is
believed
that
to
be
born
as
a
human
being
is
a
rare
giN
that
should

be
treasured.
However,
we
take
what
we
have
for
granted.
Human
beings
always

tend
to
focus
on
what
they
do
not
have
instead
of
being
grateful
for
what
they
do

have.
There
are
many
parts
in
the
world
where
running
water
from
a
faucet
is
a

rarity.
But
in
the
West,
we
have
that
giN
without
really
being
appreciaIve
of
it.


I
guess
to
sum
it
up,
I
would
say
that
happiness
is
truly
a
ma^er
of
percepIon
and

it
is
our
inherent
state
of
being.
It
has
nothing
to
do
with
how
rich
you
are
or
how

you
look
or
where
you
live
or
what
degree
you
have.


Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
6.
What
is
your
personal
view
on
organized
religions?
I
am
a
product
of
a
mixed
religious
background.
When
I
was
a
kid,
my
dad
told
me

that
all
religions
were
one
and
that
everyone
was
equal.
He
said
that
I
was
free
to

pick
whichever
religion
I
wanted
to
follow.
So
I
grew
up
with
no
formal
religious

upbringing,
which
did
cause
some
problems
for
me
because
I
did
not
have
any

sense
of
idenIty.

That
said,
it
was
a
blessing
in
disguise
because
eventually,
I
went
on
a
journey
to

figure
out
this
whole
religion
issue
and
as
a
result,
I
would
call
myself
a
very

spiritual
person.
I
almost
became
a
Buddhist/Vedanta
nun
and
have
studied
all
the

major
religions
as
part
of
my
journey
and
training.
As
a
result,
I
know
with
all
my

being
that
all
religions
are
one.
All
religions
teach
the
same
thing
but
go
about
it

in
different
ways.


It
is
interesIng
because
the
LaIn
word
for
religion
is
“religare”
which
means
to

bind.
While
the
LaIn
word
for
spirituality
is
“spiritus”
which
means
to
breathe
or

give
life
to.
In
my
mind,
that
beauIfully
defines
the
difference
between
religion

and
spirituality.

Organized
religion
blinds
people
to
the
fact
that
we
are
all
one.
We
are
all

connected
to
one
another
and
that
we
all
are
in
this
boat
together.
The
concept
of

duality…meaning
that
w
are
separate
from
another
is
an
illusion.
We
are
all

brothers
and
sisters.


Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
7.
What
is
the
best
way
to
connect
with
God
in
your
view?
When
I
first
started
on
my
spiritual
journey,
I
thought
God
was
external
and

separate
from
me.
I
used
to
think
He
was
some
old
dude
in
the
sky
with
a
long

white
beard
who
played
with
my
life
without
any
regard
to
how
I
felt.
However,

aNer
all
my
travels
and
studies,
I
have
come
to
see
that
God
resides
inside
of
us.

We
are
made
in
the
image
of
God
and
we
each
have
a
spark
of
the
Divine
within

us.
Some
people
are
aware
of
this
spark
and
act
according
to
it.
Many
are

unaware
and
are
taken
with
the
ego
so
they
lose
sight
of
their
inherent
divinity

and
perfecIon.

In
my
opinion,
the
best
way
to
connect
with
God,
is
to
connect
with
that
spark
that

resides
in
each
one
of
us.
How
we
treat
the
cashier
at
the
supermarket
is
an

indicaIon
of
how
we
view
God.
For
God,
loves
everyone
and
everything.
We
must

do
the
same.


None
of
us
are
perfect.
We
are
here
to
learn
and
grow.
When
we
act
from
a
place

of
love
and
compassion,
then
we
are
acIng
in
a
manner
that
is
Divine
and
that
is

what
connects
us
to
the
God
who
is
within
us.


MeditaIon
is
really
helpful
in
silencing
the
ego
so
that
you
can
access
that
inner

voice.
We
all
have
one
and
that
inner
voice,
in
my
opinion,
is
God.
When
we
act
in

accordance
with
that
voice,
then
we
are
connecIng
with
God.

When
we
act
from
the
mind
or
the
ego,
then
that
is
when
we
are
connecIng
with

the
Devil.
For
the
Devil
is
the
ego
mind
run
amuck.


Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
8.
What
makes
you
the
most
happy
in
life
Nadia?

There
are
so
many
things
that
make
me
really
happy.
For
starters,
I
just
love
the

sunshine
and
the
ocean.
Both
bring
a
great
amount
of
joy
and
peace.
Actually,

sihng
or
walking
along
the
beach
is
like
a
meditaIon
for
me.
Something
about
the

sun
and
the
ocean
reminds
me
of
what
life
is
all
about
and
how
everything
here
is

truly
very
small
and
insignificant.


Love
also
makes
me
very
happy.
I
am
blessed
to
be
married
to
a
man
who
loves

me
as
I
am
and
supports
all
my
dreams
and
goals.
To
be
able
to
share
my
life
with

my
best
friend
is
a
giN
that
I
am
thankful
for
every
day.

I
guess
if
I
could
sum
it
up,
I
would
say
that
what
makes
me
happy
is
when
I
am
in

alignment
with
that
inner
voice
that
resides
within
me
and
when
I
am
acIng
from

a
constant
source
of
love.
There
are
days
when
I
feel
so
connected
to
God,
I
could

just
hug
everyone
I
meet.
I
love
it
when
I
feel
such
love
for
everyone.
The
feeling
is

so
immense,
I
could
explode
from
the
power
of
such
love.


So
many
people
are
hurIng
and
there
is
no
need
for
them
to
be
paralyzed
by
their

pain.
We
all
have
suffered
and
we
all
have
had
our
share
of
struggle.
The
key
is
to

realize
that
that
pain
does
not
define
who
we
are.
So
what
makes
me
the
most

happy
is
when
I
can
go
out
into
the
world
and
love
everything
and
everyone
I
see.

So
I
guess
in
a
word
it
would
be
love.


***********************

Nadia
Ballas‐Ruta
writes
and
runs
her
own
blog,
www.HappyLotus.com.
In
addiJon
to
her

blog,
she
is
a
regular
contributor
at
Elephant
Journal
and
Tiny
Buddha.
She
is
a
free
spirit
who

believes
in
being
happy,
green
and
eaJng
as
natural
and
healthy
as
possible.

You
can
also
follow
her
on
TwiNer.

Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009
 This
report
brought
to
you
by...

hNp:///www.TheHappySelf.com

Face‐to‐Face
With
God:
A
Near
Death
Experience
|
Copyright
©
TheHappySelf.com
|
2009