Nonsense is neither true nor false but new truths emerge from it.
Raymond Moody, M.D. Philosopher, psychologist, physician
coined the term near-death experiences in 1975
in his best-selling book Life After Life.
“Raymond Moody, M.D. is well known for the near-death experience but what people don’t know is he spent 40 years studying nonsensical language. For example, I may have a dream, a monkey holding an apple in a tree, which is nonsensical and you may have a dream about a monkey holding an apple in a tree. Our versions of what those symbols means may be completely different. This quote has inspired me because it’s opened up the door to realize that there are things in life when we first look at them may not be literal language or a literal experience but they’re not true or false. This quote tells me to not judge them either way but to hold the awareness that the nonsense in our lives can often take us to new insights and truths. Raymond Moody loves nonsense. When he became a medical student and had patients who died and came back they would report these nonsensical things. They talked about tunnels and light and leaving their bodies. As he wrote them down he noticed that what he was hearing was like Alice in Wonderland, nonsensical statements, and he didn’t judge them as true or false. He just captured them and as he wrote down these statements suddenly a new truth emerged that became the near death experience because he found the patterns in the nonsense. So, this quote inspires me because nonsense is not true or false but if we keep our eyes open new revelations may emerge from them.”
Lisa Smartt, founder of the Final Words Project
and author of Words at the Threshold:
What We Say as We’re Nearing Death
