Touching the Edge of Life_Near Death Experiences

This posting is inspired from my recent Viewing of the TV Documentary, Beyond the Grave by Serena DC in the Gaia Channel.   

Touching the Edge of Life: Reflections on Near-Death Experiences

In recent weeks, I found myself absorbed in watching and reading about near-death experiences, or NDEs those mysterious moments when a person is clinically near death yet returns with vivid memories of what they felt, heard, or saw. These accounts come from people of different cultures, ages, and beliefs, yet the themes are surprisingly similar: a sense of peace, a tunnel or pathway of light, presence of loved ones, life reviews, or an overwhelming feeling of love and clarity.

For someone in the later chapters of life as I am now, these stories naturally resonate more deeply. They invite not fear, but reflection. They remind us that death is not only an ending, but also part of a much larger journey we rarely pause to contemplate.

A Moment Outside of Time

One of the most common elements in NDE stories is a feeling of leaving the body and observing the scene below. People describe it not as frightening, but oddly serene, like stepping out of a heavy garment. They speak of timelessness, as though they had entered a realm where clocks no longer mattered. Some recount hearing music unlike anything on earth, or encountering a warm, loving presence.

What struck me most is how impossible these experiences are to capture with ordinary language. Many say, “I don’t have the right words,” or “It was real, but not in the way this world is real.” It reminds me that the spiritual truths we seek do not always fit neatly into the vocabulary we use for daily life.

The Life Review: A Mirror of the Heart

Another recurring feature is the “life review,” a kind of panoramic replay of one's life. But instead of a judgment, people describe it as an understanding, a chance to see the meaning of choices, relationships, kindnesses offered, and hurts inflicted.

What stands out in these accounts is that the most important moments are rarely the grand achievements. Instead, they highlight small acts of compassion, a comforting word, an apology given, a meal shared. In short, the pieces of life that reveal who we truly are.

This aligns with what I have come to believe: our lives are measured not by what we accumulate, but by the love and connections we cultivate.

A Sense of Purpose on Returning

Nearly everyone who returns after an NDE does so with a changed outlook. They become less afraid of death and more appreciative of life. They speak of a renewed sense of purpose whether caring for others, living with integrity, or simply being present in each moment.

For some, it becomes a spiritual awakening. For others, a reminder of unfinished work. And for many, it leads to a deeper understanding that every day we wake up is another chance to shape the legacy we leave behind.

What NDEs Teach Us About Living

Whether one sees NDEs as spiritual truth, neurological phenomena, or something in between, they offer valuable lessons:

• Life is brief, but meaning is abundant.

• Our connections with others matter more than anything else.

• There is more to existence than what we can measure or prove.

• Death, when it comes, may be far gentler than we imagine.

In my own reading, I found comfort in the idea that the transition from life to whatever lies beyond is not a cliff but a doorway, one that many describe as filled with peace, love, and light.

A Personal Reflection

At this stage of my own journey, living with a serious illness and looking back on almost nine decades, I find that NDE stories do not frighten me. Instead, they bring a quiet reassurance. They echo the belief I’ve carried for years: that when our time comes, we will be welcomed, not abandoned; embraced, not forgotten.

And perhaps, in that great moment of release, we will understand what truly mattered all along.

Here's the AI Overview on the above Topic:

"Touching the Edge of Life" 

likely refers to the profound, transformative experiences known as Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), characterized by out-of-body sensations, tunnels of light, encounters with divine beings, and intense feelings of peace, often leading survivors to lose fear of death, gain spiritual insight, value love, and focus on purpose, as explored in books, scientific studies (like those by Bruce Greyson and the National Institutes of Health), and personal accounts on platforms like YouTube and Quora. These reflections suggest NDEs reveal a common spiritual narrative, challenging materialistic views and offering hope for a conscious afterlife, say researchers like Dr. Bruce Greyson and the author of a psychology today article. 

Common Themes in NDE Reflections:

• Out-of-Body Experiences (OBE): Feeling separated from the physical body, sometimes observing events from above.
• Tunnel & Light: Moving through a dark tunnel towards an intense, loving light or divine presence.
• Life Review: A panoramic review of one's life, often with insights into consequences of actions.
• Cosmic Unity & Peace: A profound sense of oneness with the universe and overwhelming feelings of love and peace, transcending ego.
• Spiritual Encounters: Meeting deceased relatives or divine/spiritual beings, as noted by researchers at the University of Virginia.
• Ineffability: Difficulty in describing the experience using ordinary language. 

Impact on Survivors:

• Fear of Death Loss: Many lose their fear of dying, believing in an afterlife.
• Spiritual Growth: Increased spirituality, focus on love, service, and purpose.
• Life Transformation: Renewed appreciation for life, leading to changed priorities. 

Perspectives on NDEs:

• Spiritual/Religious: Viewed as evidence for soul survival and an afterlife, often aligning with faith.
• Scientific/Neuroscientific: Explored through neuroscience (e.g., brain activity during hypoxia), but still debated, with some researchers seeing parallels to mystical experiences described by William James, say experts at the National Institutes of Health. 

In essence, "Touching the Edge of Life" captures the essence of these experiences as profound bridges between life and death, offering deep lessons about existence and consciousness, as seen in various online discussions and videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFJqsXHtslY, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSDQWuTqDFQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94DiIktpYV8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1490859233, and forums like Quora and Facebook www.quora.com

https://www.freejupiter.com/researchers-studied-life-after-death-and-what-they-found-could-change-everything/

Tonight, the Moon Meets Saturn and Neptune

Tonight - January 23 | Moon Meets Saturn & Neptune

Look up tomorrow evening for a beautiful triple conjunction in the sky! The Moon, Saturn, and distant Neptune will appear close together, creating a peaceful and eye-catching celestial scene.

What to look for: • The Moon and Saturn will be easy to spot with the naked eye

• Neptune will be very faint, binoculars or a telescope needed

• Best viewed just after sunset, low in the western sky

This rare alignment is perfect for skywatchers, photographers, and anyone who loves the night sky. Don’t miss this cosmic smile in the heavens!

My Reflection: When the Sky Smiled Back at Us

Tonight, January 23, 2026, the night sky offers something rare and quietly profound: a slender crescent Moon rising beneath Saturn and Neptune, forming what many have already dubbed a celestial smiley face. Astronomers call it a triple conjunction. Most of us, instinctively, call it something else entirely, a moment.

At my age, I’ve learned that moments matter more than milestones.

From a strictly scientific standpoint, there is nothing mystical here. The Moon, Saturn, and Neptune are not truly close; they only appear aligned from our earthly vantage point. Saturn shines brightly enough to catch the naked eye, while Neptune, distant and faint, requires binoculars or a telescope. This alignment is geometry, gravity, and orbital mechanics doing what they have always done.

And yet.  There is something deeply human about looking up and seeing a smile written across the heavens.

I have spent much of my life around institutions, government agencies, regulatory frameworks, systems designed to impose order on chaos. Science itself is one of those great institutions, built on rigor, evidence, and repeatability. I respect that deeply. But even the most disciplined scientific mind eventually encounters something it cannot fully quantify: awe.

This event does not change the course of history. It will not alter markets, elections, or wars. It will not trend for long. Tomorrow, the Moon will move on, the smile will fade, and the sky will return to its usual indifference.

But tonight, or that early morning hour when the world is quiet, it offers us a pause.

For older readers especially, the sky has a way of collapsing time. I remember looking up as a child, long before LED lights and twenty-four-hour news cycles, when the stars felt closer and the universe felt slower. Back then, we didn’t need an apps to tell us what we were seeing. We just stood there, necks craned, sharing silence.

This “smiley face” in the sky feels like a gentle echo of that era, a reminder that the universe does not rush, does not shout, and does not demand. It simply is.

In a world that feels increasingly brittle, divided, and anxious, I find comfort in the predictability of celestial mechanics. Planets keep their appointments. The Moon keeps its phases. Long after our arguments fade, Saturn will still be tracing its patient path around the Sun.

Perhaps that is the quiet lesson here. Not everything meaningful has to be loud. Not everything rare has to be disruptive. Sometimes wonder arrives softly, curved like a smile, asking nothing more of us than to look up.

And maybe, just maybe the universe is reminding us that even in dark times, it still knows how to smile.

A Benediction Beneath the Stars

May this small alignment in the vastness of space remind us to slow our steps and soften our hearts.

May the patience of the planets teach us endurance, and the quiet glow of the Moon grant us peace.

May those of us who have lived long enough to see the world change again and again find comfort in what endures.

And may we, when we look up into the night sky, remember that wonder is still available to us, freely given, asking only that we notice.

Good night My Dear Readers, and may the heavens smile upon you, always and forever.

My Reels of the Day: Light Scape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

https://www.facebook.com/reel/717812738063579

The Aurora Borealis in Hawaii. 

https://fb.watch/EPpMQz2RNE/

Antonio Concepcion Delgado- Geni.com Relationship

Antonio Concepcion Delgado (December 21, 1917 – December 7, 1992) was a Filipino industrialist and civic leader who served as the Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican and acting president of the Philippine Chamber of Industries.

Early life

Antonio Delgado was born in San Pablo, Laguna, and was the fourth of eight children of physician Jose Maria Delgado (the first Philippine ambassador to the Vatican) and Felisa Concepcion.

Delgado graduated as valedictorian from San Beda College in 1933 and received his Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering, magna cum laude, from the University of Santo Tomas in 1937. He served in the Philippine Army and was a guerrilla fighter during World War II. In 1945, he married Nellie Chuidian, and they had four children: Jose Roberto, Lolita, Jose Antonio, and Jose Eduardo.

On July 28, 1963, Jose Antonio died along with the rest of the Philippine contingent to the 11th World Scout Jamboree in Marathon, Greece, 19 other Boy Scouts, three Scoutmasters, and a Chaplain, when their plane crashed in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Bombay, India. His parents established the Jose Antonio Delgado Memorial Foundation, Inc., known as the Ala-Ala Foundation, with the insurance money.

Business

In 1946, Delgado founded ACD, Inc., and in 1949, he established Delgado Brothers, Inc., which became the largest fully integrated transportation company in the Philippines. He founded nine other companies:

• Caltex Floating Station (CFS)
• Delgado Stevedoring (DelSteve)
• Delgado Overland Corporation (DelLand)
• Delgado Brokerage Corporation (DelBroCO)
• Delgado Air Cargo (DelAir)
• Delgado Shipyard Corporation (DelYard)
• United Services Corporation (DelTrade)
• Wood-Mosaic (Phil), Inc.
• Delgado Brothers Hotel Corporation, (DBHC) which owned the Manila Hilton. It was the first 5-star hotel in the Philippines and the tallest building in the country from the late 1960s into the 1970s.

In the 1950s, Delgado became director of the Private Development Corporation of the Philippines (PDCP), Meralco, First United Bank and the Philippine Radio Educational and Information Center (Radio Veritas).

In the 1960s, Delgado was elected to the Philippine Chamber of Industries as President, to the Industrial Finance Committee as Chairman and to the Chamber of Commerce as a Member.

Recognitions

Delgado received awards from various organizations:

• Silver Buffalo Award, Boy Scouts of America, 1970
• Bronze Wolf Award, World Organization of the Scout Movement, 1971, conferred at the 22nd World Scout Conference in Otaniemi, Finland
• Golden Pheasant Award, Scout Association of Japan, 1973
• Silver Tamaraw for Scouting volunteers, Boy Scouts of the Philippines
• Silver Fir Medal of Merit, Boy Scouts of Austria
• Bronze Usa and Gold Medal of Merit, Boy Scouts of the Philippines
• Presidential Gold Plaque, for services rendered for the 10th World Scout Jamboree
• Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
• Grand Cross "Pro Melitense," Sovereign Military Order of Malta
• Pilgrim Medal (Jerusalem) of Pope Leo XII
• Doctorate in Canon Law and Civil Law, Honoris Causa, Pontifical Lateran University

Scouting

At 15 years old, Delgado was a member of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines contingent to the 4th World Scout Jamboree in Gödöllő, Hungary in 1933. Thirty-five years later, he became President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. At the 1971 World Scout Conference in Tokyo, Japan, he became the first Asian to be elected Chairman of the World Scout Committee.

The Boy Scouts of the Philippines state that Delgado conceived the World Scout Emblem as the first Asian World Scout Committee Chairman (from 1971 to 1973). However, the design was introduced at the 8th World Scout Jamboree in 1955, based on a 1939 earlier design by J. S. Wilson.

His son, industrialist Jose Eduardo Delgado, was a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

Faith

Antonio Delgado served as Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See from 1975 to 1982, just as his father, Jose Maria Delgado, did from 1957 to 1961. Delgado searched for a possible first Filipino Saint. He believed in the cause of Lorenzo Ruiz, who was executed in Japan in the 17th century and worked for the beatification of Ruiz and his companions by Pope John Paul II in Manila on February 18, 1981. This was the first time in centuries that such rites were held outside Rome. Delgado retired in 1982 and subsequently served as Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the Philippines from 1982 to 1988. He authored The Making of the First Filipino Saint in 1982, which was published in 1987. Delgado commissioned the Vatican Mosaic Studio to create an image of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz that is now installed at the Altar of the Martyrdom, St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Meanwhile, Did you know that .....

The Philippines is the world’s leading exporter of "human capital," with nearly 10% of our population working abroad? This isn't a badge of honor, but a symptom of a "Brain Drain" where our most educated citizens—nurses, engineers, and teachers—are forced to build the infrastructure of other nations because our own economy hasn't industrialized enough to absorb them.

This exodus creates a "fiscal gift" to wealthy nations; for every professional who leaves, the Philippines effectively donates the cost of their 20-year education to a foreign economy, losing out on the taxes and innovation those individuals would have generated at home.

Finally, THE TRAVEL TAX SHOULD BE LISTED AS A FILIPINO INVENTION

While our Southeast Asian neighbors make it easier and more affordable for their citizens to see the world, Filipinos are still met with a ₱1,620 "exit fee" at the departure gate.

In 2002, the Philippines signed the ASEAN Tourism Agreement, pledging to phase out travel levies for ASEAN nationals. Yet, over two decades later, we are still paying one of the highest "citizen-only" taxes in the region.

Our neighbors have streamlined travel costs by embedding minimal fees directly into ticket prices. Filipinos, however, are hit twice: first through the travel tax, and again through terminal fees.

But where exactly does that money go?

According to TIEZA, it goes toward "nation-building." But asking Filipino travelers to subsidize local tourism as they head abroad is like charging someone a maintenance fee for a house they are currently leaving.

Why should a Filipino budget traveler be taxed for the basic right to travel? Amidst record-high inflation and soaring airfares, it feels contradictory to be one of the few nations charging its own citizens a premium just to cross its own borders.

While funding local heritage is a noble cause, we shouldn't be forced to choose between supporting our country and experiencing the world. We would much rather spend our ₱1,620 on several days' worth of meals abroad.

Finally, here's the top five news of the Day:

🗞️ 1. Intensified Ukraine conflict & emergency power outages

Ukraine is experiencing widespread emergency power outages after Russian airstrikes hit energy infrastructure. Trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are also underway in Abu Dhabi, but key disagreements remain unresolved. 

🌍 2. Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative shapes global diplomacy

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, former U.S. President Donald Trump launched a new geopolitical project called the Board of Peace. While intended to address conflicts like Gaza’s rebuilding, several allied nations declined to join, raising diplomatic tensions. 

🇻🇳 3. Vietnam leader To Lam consolidates power

Vietnam’s Communist Party has reelected To Lam as General Secretary, positioning him to become the country’s most powerful leader in decades with ambitious economic growth goals. 

🇪🇺 4. European Union & Mercosur trade deal dispute

The European Commission signaled readiness to implement the Mercosur trade agreement with South America, despite the European Parliament delaying it and referring aspects to the EU’s top court. 

🌾 5. International agriculture initiative launched

A global team led by U.S. universities and international partners has begun a major effort to map sulfur deficiencies in the world’s crop systems — key for understanding soil health and improving food production.

The Watsonville Riots, 1930

#TodayInphilippinesHistory

January 19, 1930 marks the start of the Watsonville Riots, a wave of white supremacist violence in California that targeted Filipino farmworkers through beatings, raids, expulsions, and mob terror.

For days, Filipinos were hunted through the streets, attacked at labor camps, and thrown from bridges. On January 23, 22-year-old Fermin Tobera was murdered in his sleep when white rioters fired into a labor camp. His killer was never held accountable.

The violence spread across California and throughout the West Coast and triggered protests in the Philippines, where Tobera was mourned as a martyr. These attacks helped justify racist laws banning interracial marriage, restricting Filipino immigration, and dividing workers to protect white power and profit.

What happened in Watsonville did not end with the mobs. It was absorbed into the legal and political order that followed. Many of those structures remain intact today.

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview on the Above Topic:

Ninety-six years ago, around January 1930, the 

Watsonville Race Riotserupted in Watsonville, California, where white mobs violently attacked Filipino farmworkers, fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment, racial prejudice, and fear over Filipino men associating with white women, leading to violence, destruction of property, and highlighting severe racial discrimination against Filipinos in early 20th-century America. These riots were part of broader anti-Filipino violence across California, culminating in stricter anti-miscegenation laws. 

Key Details:

• When: January 1930 (approximately 96 years ago from 2026).
• Where: Watsonville, California, a major agricultural area.
• Who: White mobs targeting Filipino farm laborers (Manongs).
• Why: Deep-seated racism, economic competition, and opposition to relationships between Filipino men and white women, which challenged racial norms and laws.
• What Happened: White residents assaulted Filipinos, vandalized Filipino-owned businesses, and attacked labor camps, causing significant harm and fear.
• Impact: The riots and similar incidents led California to amend its anti-miscegenation law to specifically bar marriages between white people and "members of the Malay race" (Filipinos), further restricting Filipino rights. 

These events underscore the intense racial discrimination faced by Filipino immigrants in the U.S. during this period, a critical part of Filipino-American history. 

Finally the top Five News of the Day 

1. Global markets rise as U.S. eases Greenland tensions at Davos
Stock markets rebounded sharply after President Trump’s reversal on threatened tariffs on European allies tied to Greenland negotiations at the World Economic Forum, following a framework deal with NATO on Arctic cooperation. Investor sentiment improved and volatility measures eased. 

2. European leaders highlight unity after U.S.–Greenland dispute
At an emergency EU summit, leaders including France’s Emmanuel Macron stressed European unity in response to recent U.S. diplomatic pressure over Greenland. Debate continues on Arctic security and sovereignty. 

3. Trump prosecutor tells Congress former president willfully broke laws
Former Special Counsel Jack Smith criticized Trump’s actions and narratives before a House panel, asserting that Trump “willfully” violated laws during his prosecutions. 

4. Homicide rates in U.S. cities decline sharply
A new report shows a significant 21% drop in homicide rates across dozens of major U.S. cities, marking one of the most notable decreases in recent crime statistics. 

5. U.S. Vice President heads to Minnesota amid immigration tensions
Vice President J.D. Vance traveled to Minnesota to address high tensions over controversial immigration operations and enforcement actions, reflecting ongoing domestic policy disputes.