---

NDEr’s Vision: Create a Village for War Veterans

---

As a woman who experienced three near-death experiences (NDEs), Nadia McCaffrey was inspired to lead the San Francisco chapter of the International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and create a hospice program. Now, as a mother who lost her only son in Iraq , Nadia is working to end the war and establish Veterans’ Village, a place where veterans can heal their inner wounds.

     Chicago-area folks will get a chance to hear about Nadia’s NDEs and her Veterans’ Village plans at the next meeting of the Chicago IANDS (www.chicagoiands.org) on Saturday, March 8, 2008, 2-5 p.m., at the Frank Auditorium, Evanston Hospital , 2650 Ridge Ave. This is your chance to see first hand how the NDE experience can have a ripple effect that reaches beyond the individual experiencer to positively impact society as a whole.

     To get a preview of Nadia and this impact, check out the following websites:

Nadia’s NDEs (www.north-ca-iands.org/NDES.html):

     This section of the site, created by northern California chapters of IANDS, has the story of Nadia’s NDEs. Like most NDE stories, these are both fascinating and inspiring. Here are a couple of highlights:

     Nadia’s first NDE occurred at age seven while spending the summer with her grandparents on their estate in central France . She was bitten by a red asp, a deadly snake. Floating above her body, Nadia suddenly became aware of a feminine presence—a being of light who introduced herself to Nadia as: “Je suis ta petite Maman du ciel,” (I am your little mother of the sky). Nadia recalls: “She was so beautiful. She was everything ... you just can’t really ... describe the peace, the love, the well being .... She opened her arms ... and I just wanted to curl up and touch her. She made me understand that I couldn’t do that, I couldn’t come any closer, that she had things to communicate to me, so I stopped. I stayed there floating in mid-air.” Nadia was told that she was going to be all right, and would recover. She was told she had work to do in the world and, although its nature would unfold only over time, she would eventually come to represent hope for people.

     For most NDErs, suicide is not an option. But NDE research shows that this is not necessarily the case for child NDErs who don’t have a clear understanding of the boundaries between life and death. Therefore, it is not surprising that Nadia experienced her second NDE during a suicide attempt at the age of seventeen. During this NDE, Nadia entered the light, but then heard this huge man’s voice say: “You can’t stay, you have to go back, you have a lot of work to do. You haven’t even begun yet.” Although accustomed to arguing her way through most situations, Nadia states unequivocally, “You don’t argue with that voice.”

     On December 22, 1999, more than thirty years after her second NDE, Nadia had a third NDE—this time of the “empathic” variety. An empathic NDE is said to occur when the experiencer “feels” another person’s death experience as if it were one’s own experience. By now, Nadia had been working with the dying for many years. Her life was filled with purpose. Yet this NDE would change her life and lead her to her present Veterans’ Village project. During this NDE, Nadia was shown that, if she chose, she would build a self-sustainable center. It would be built according to very specific plans involving sacred geometry and natural resources. The center would serve as a haven providing home-like palliative care, assistance for the dying, healing, and education to show people how to reconnect with the earth and thereby regain lost values. The center would be run by volunteers, and services would be free to all who came there. Nadia was shown that the center would be a model for many more to come, and would benefit thousands in many ways. She has no doubt of the support being provided to get the center up and running. The flashing pictures also showed Nadia that the future of our planet depends on our own actions, individually and collectively. She feels the future scenarios were a warning that there is not much time left in which to choose our future.

PatrickSpirit (www.patrickspirit.net):

     On June 22, 2004, Nadia’s son, Patrick McCaffrey, became the first California National Guardsman since WWII to lose his life in combat. This site is a memorial to Patrick and to others who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan .

Veteran’s Village (www.veteransvillage.org):

     This is the site for the Patrick Ryan McCaffrey Foundation for War Veterans. The foundation’s mission is to “promote mental and holistic wellness and palliative care among veterans returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by providing a live-in retreat village, wherein with the help of trained professional staff and volunteers, veterans will find inner healing and an eventual re-entry into society.” This will be “a place of peace, a place to heal, a place to renew ... a place built by gratitude.” In addition to outlining this vision, the site contains some chilling information. Click on the “About Us” link and get the low-down on these statistics:

     • The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs estimates there are 275,000 homeless veterans, about a quarter of the nation’s homeless population.

     • Nineteen percent of troops returning from Iraq suffer from such mental health issues as major depression, generalized anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. These conditions frequently lead to substance abuse. This population is the most susceptible to homelessness and suicide.

     • As of July 2006, 18,490 U.S. Servicemen and women have returned with severe injuries suffered in Iraq .

     • Almost half of America ’s 2.7 million disabled veterans receive $337 or less a month in benefits.

Interview with Nadia (www.democracynew.org):

     The striking thing here is Nadia’s gutsy bravery. She defied U.S. military policy by inviting the press to Sacramento I nternational Airport to record images of his flag-draped coffin returning home and she is one of the Gold Star mothers who support the efforts of Cindy Sheehan.

My advice:

     Whether you explore Nadia’s story via the Internet or not, make sure you attend her presentation at the March 8th Chicago IANDS meeting. It’s sure to be an inspiring and spirit-filled experience. Who knows, maybe this will be one of your life-changing experiences.

---

Mary Montgomery is a certified web author and developer. Her company, Montgomery Media Enterprises (“Freelancing with Finesse!”), specializes in public relations, writing projects and web authoring, development and publicity, especially in the non-profit sector. Ms. Montgomery has a Master’s Degree in religious studies from Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) and is working on a Ph.D. with a focus on the new scholarship of Unlimited Love and the Other Regarding Virtues. Contact her via e-mail at monty764@sbcglobal.net.

---

Next Article

Return to This Month's Index

Go to the Home Page