Whispers of the Soul Books by

Josiane Antonette's near-death Josiane

experience Antonette

Born in France and trained as a

nurse, Josiane Antonette had a
near-death experience in 1966
when she became aware of her
ability to "communicate with the
other side." For over 30 years, she
has worked with the dying and the
living, in hospitals as a chaplain,
universities as a teacher, as a
spiritual counselor, healer and
ceremonial leader. Her
understanding of living, dying and
the spiritual realms has touched many people.
The following are short excepts from her most excellent
book, Whispers Of The Soul. It is a book I highly
recommend. Whispers of
The Realm of Restless Spirits
My near-death experience shattered my world. It shook me the Soul
into remembering spirit and other dimensions of life, which
I had known as a child but had forgotten so that I could fit by Josiane
into society. I feel the jerking of the ambulance as it rushes
me through the dark streets of Marseille to the hospital. Antonette
Twenty-four hours have passed since my underground
abortion with a feuseuse d'anges, an "angel maker." Journeys to the Other
Abortion is illegal in France now, and many women die Side of Life
because of the unsanitary conditions of the procedure. I
am only twenty-four years old, a young nurse. Am I dying?
Am I outside myself observing? I see my body and its pain.
I look at my feet; they are pale and lifeless. My legs cannot
move. My face is white and drawn.

I watch as the walls of the ambulance dissolve. I see the

lights of the city speed toward me. I can see the stars!
What am I doing up so high? Why does everything look so
small all of a sudden?

Memories pass before my eyes as in a movie.

(She momentarily returns to her body)

I see family members at the foot of my bed through a haze.
Suddenly they disappear. From where they stood I see
faces rushing toward me with incredible speed. They race
toward my face, expanding then dissolving. Face after face
washes over me! I am terrified. I'm drifting. I'm unable to
keep my eyes open.
Who are these people? Some I recognize as people I've
known who have died. Others I do not recognize.

"Stay away! Where is my family?"

Now the whole room is filled with spirits! They hover near
me and look into my eyes. I try to push them away. I fight
them. The experience seems to go on forever. These are
spirits who are restless. Their faces are twisted with pain.
They seem lost. It's frightening to see them walking back
Matters of
and forth around my bed. And now – spirits with glowing
faces come close to me. They reflect a gentle and powerful
light, reminding me of the pictures of beautiful angels that I Spirit
love so much. I feel nurtured and loved by them, and
enveloped by their luminescence. These beings are made
of light, and even though their brilliance is intense, I am not
by Josiane
blinded. Tremendous compassionate love surrounds me! Antonette
Now – I am filled with the essence of love and compassion.
This magnetic power is filling every atom of me. I have Practical exercises for
never before experienced such depth and power of love. I developing your
am the power of love! Merging into an intimate dance connection with the
wherein all boundaries have disappeared, I feel myself one world of the unseen
with these beings of compassion.

No words or sounds are being exchanged, and yet

communication is happening.
A strong presence assures me, "Yes, you are dying to the
world of men. But to us you are being born. Do not be Contact
afraid. You have always been with us; we have always
been with you. We know you. You just fell asleep during
your time on Earth and forgot who you are. Now you are Rev. Josiane
remembering."
Antonette
Revelation fills my awareness – of course, yes! I am of the
Beings of Light and they are of me! What is this new surge
of energy? It begins as a very gentle vibration rising
through the length of my body, from my feet to the top of
The Bernadette
my head, but now my whole self is vibrating. I hear Foundation
buzzing. It is growing louder, and now the vibration and the
buzzing are becoming one. P.O. Box 213
I feel such a wonderful release! I'm free! I can't resist this
new and wonderful tide of energy sweeping my body Mt. Shasta, CA
upward. Now I'm on the hospital room ceiling gazing down! 96067
Everything appears so small: I see my bed; my body looks
small and colorless; the people around the bed are tiny. (530) 926-6871
Overwhelming grief and sorrow fill the room, and yet I feel
completely disconnected from the scene below me. I hover
nearer and look at the strange form lying on the bed. I feel or (916) 448-4348
compassion beyond words. I understand everything, but I
have no feeling of attachment to anyone. I look at each www.mattersofspirit.co
person standing at the bedside and feel tremendous love. m
I want to say to them, "I'm all right. You don't have to worry.
I'm all right. Look at me! I'm fine!" josiane@mattersofspirit
.com
I am love; I am understanding; I am compassion!
My presence fills the room. And now I feel my presence in
every room in the hospital. Even the tiniest space in the
hospital is filled with this presence that is me. I sense
myself beyond the hospital, above the city, even
encompassing Earth. I am melting into the universe. I am
everywhere at once. I see pulsing light everywhere. Such a
loving presence envelops me!

I hear a voice say, "Life is a precious gift: to love, to care,

to share."

Seeing a World of Darkness

Questions race through my awareness: Why is there so
much pain in the world? Why are humans made of different
colors? Why with different creeds? Why with different
languages?

A vision appears. I see our world from the vantage point of

a star, or another planet. Earth appears as a sphere cut in
half. The surface of the planet is flat and colorless. The
ground is bare. No living plant grows from the Earth. Tree
branches are naked. There are no fruits, no flowers, no
leaves. The barren hills are obscured behind a gray veil. It
is a passionless place where no one rejoices at the
sunrise, and no one knows when night comes. Naked
phantom-like people stand on what seems to be a stage.
All the actors are puppets animated by an invisible force.
They move in unison and stop all at once.
On one side of half of the sphere, a sun attempts to shine
upon the stage, but no one pays attention or makes a
sound. Even the birds in the dead trees are silent and
motionless. The other side of the half sphere is in
darkness. I watch as the darkness grows with frightening
speed and covers the whole planet. No one pays attention.
Now the darkness covers the sunlight, and now it covers all
the bright planets in the universe.

"This is the world with the absence of light, love, and free
will," the voice states. "It is the people's choices that
created the world you have just seen."
With these words, the nightmarish world begins to dissolve
and is replaced by the other half of the planet – a place of
vibrant, breathtaking beauty. I perceive how the Earth, the
sun, the moon, the darkness, the light, the planets, and all
forms of life – plants, rocks, animals, people – are
interconnected; they come from the same source of light.
Everything is united by a transparent net, or web, and each
thread shines with great radiance. Everything pulses with
the same luminosity – a magnificent light of unparalleled
brilliance.

"From the light we have come, and to the light we all shall
return," continues the voice.

I realize now I have been standing in the middle of the two

worlds. And with this understanding, an image of the path I
have been walking appears. It is narrow and rocky; I have
the sensation of losing my balance. I grow afraid of falling
into the darkened planet. Free will! With the remembering, I
gaze at my invisible feet. The narrow path changes into a
wide road. The darkness is replaced by light.

"Never, never forget." I hear the voice say.

Merging with the light, I am so overcome with gratitude and

overwhelmed by the love that fills me that I cry.

Suddenly, time and space are different again, and I am

momentarily aware of my body.

I am aware that the window to the left of my bed is filled

with vibrant, powerful light. It seems to be calling me and
pulling me toward it like a magnet. I hear the buzzing
again, and ... Whoosh! I'm zooming through the window! I
merge with the light! I am the light, and the light is me.

"From the light we have come, and to the light we shall all
return," repeats the voice.

What a joy to bathe in this incredible all-knowing, all-

loving...

I can travel through walls, ceilings, and space at amazing

speed! I visit my son, Philippe, who is only four.

A tremendous power moves me. I am boundless, formless,

no longer controlled by my emotions. I am everything.
Everything is me!

I'm back in the hospital room. A mist coming from the door
facing my bed attracts my attention. In the middle of the
vapor is a being with the most heavenly smile. Jean Pierre!
It is my cousin, Jean Pierre! I am overwhelmed with joy. As
I gaze at Jean Pierre, the hospital room disappears. We
are suspended in midair. There are no windows or doors,
no ceiling or ground. A brilliant radiance fills all space. He
slowly approaches my bed and bends to kiss me. I feel the
moisture of his lips on my face, the weight of his body
against mine, the gentle touch of his hands on me.

Jean Pierre is the brother I never had. After a long and

painful battle with lung cancer, he died two years ago when
he was only twenty-two. I am still grieving his passing. How
wonderful to see him again! And what is this? He is
wearing his butterscotch jacket. This jacket has been the
subject of many discussions. He loves it; I hate it.

"How did you know I was here?"

My question is a thought not yet put into words as Jean

Pierre answers, "We know everything about you, and we
welcome you."

Such a warm feeling of peace! I am complete – whole! I am

free of pain and fear. There is no past or future –
everything is! There is no need to speak to be understood
or to communicate. I feel serenity beyond anything I have
ever known. And joy of joys: I can fly! I swirl easily and with
great speed around my cousin in a playful way, expressing
the ultimate joy that is me. Everything is the way it should
be. Never have I felt so clear, so complete, so loved. I gaze
at myself: I am whole and healed! I can interact and play
with Jean Pierre with my natural vigor. Familiar Beings of
Light are here, too. I immerse myself in their loving
presence. It's as if they are protecting me and carrying me.
We are all interconnected. I relax into the timeless joy.
What a glorious feeling! I want to be here forever. Jean
Pierre is gazing at me now as the other beings begin to
depart. His dark eyes are filled with great tenderness and
purity. He turns to leave with the others, and I plead with
him to take me with him. His eyes fill with sadness.

"Not now," he responds. "There is much, much work for

you. You have to go back and tell them. Life is a precious
gift. Each moment is filled with great opportunities. Don't
waste your time on Earth. Spread love and understanding.
We will always be with you – guiding you, protecting you,
awaiting the time when we will be reunited – when your
work on Earth is over."

I watch as Jean Pierre dissolves into the same brilliant light

with which he had entered. The light is fading away, too.

The room is empty now. My grief is intense. I start to cry

out of desperation and loneliness.

Suddenly, I'm back in the hospital in bed. I am fully aware

of my surroundings and my physical state of being. Tubes
are implanted in my body. The pain is overwhelming. My
sadness is intense. I am so weak I cannot speak. I have
lost my voice, and the doctors are alarmed by the tears
which are using up the strength I need to recuperate.
Crying is all I want to do! My body feels like a suit that is
too tight; the room is confining; the smell of sickness
surprises my senses; the human condition saddens me.

"Josianne, you're back!" I recognize my sister's voice. I see

her careful gaze. "You've been in a coma for three days.
We didn't know if you were coming back."

"From the light we have

come and to the light we
shall return." - Josiane
Antonette

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