[Age of Reason]

If I remember, Saul’s experience when struck by lightning resembles a near death experience, too.

[BlueDragon]

"...Saul’s experience when struck by lightning..."

The divine isn't real, so there must be some other, natural explanation?

Oh, and since only natural observable phenomena are allowed, then of course, that proves that only natural phenomena {in this case, lightning] occur! Is that what you are trying to say or mean?

Nowhere in Paul's own, personally written account, did he equate it with what we know today as "lightning".

[epow]

Some bible scholars and theologians believe the man who Paul tells about in 2nd Cor: 1-5 being caught up to paradise, shown unspeakably wonderful sights, and then returned to his physical body was Paul himself. They believe Paul actually died after he was stoned at Lystra, and his spirit was taken to heaven where he saw wonderful things which he was told not to reveal when he was sent back into his body on earth.

I suppose they could be right, but it seems to me that if it was Paul he would have said so when he told the Corinthians about the unidentified man. OTOH if it was Paul, maybe he was told not to identify the man as himself as well as to not describe what he was shown in paradise.

I would like to believe that these near death stories we hear about are really experiences that are intended to inspire confidence in Christians that they will be taken directly to heaven when they die, but I don't know if they are that or just the mental impressions of people who are in the process of dying and then recover. I'm not Catholic, but if Christians go directly to heaven after death that would contradict the Catholic teachings about purgatory wouldn't it?