Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were three of the most famous of the ancient Greek philosophers. "The Republic" has ten chapters (called: books) within it. Each is an intellectual exercise in reality and philosophy. Plato refers back to Socrates in this ancient book. It is over 2,000 years old. What is the world and universe around us? What may exist but that we do not perceive? How smart are we? Are there beings out there who are smarter? Deception is a major theme in the Holy Bible. The fallen angels want to deceive us and steer us in the wrong directions. Many fall for money or power. We have weaknesses like gambling, sex, alcohol, anger and fears.

"Plato's Cave" (Book 7 in "The Republic") has an allegory of prisoners chained in a cave. They cannot escape. They cannot turn around. The only reality they see are flickering images of objects on the wall in front of them. A tree, a rabbit, a bird, etc. Behind them is a tall wall with a fire behind it. The flames in the back provide the light. And wooden images are on top of the center wall. The prisoners can only see the shadows of the images. (Not even the images, just their shadows.) This is their reality. It is where they've spent their entire lives. Seeing only shadows - can they image what real trees, rabbits, and birds may look like?

In "Plato's Cave" the prisoners are below, left. They are chained and can only see forward. They see shadows on the wall. They have never seen the real objects, only the shadows. This is the only "reality" for their eyes.

We are in four dimensions. But modern mathematics theorizes that there may be more, possibly ten dimensions. What is in the other six dimensions? We are smarter than animals, but angels are probably smarter than us! We may be in a "cave" of some sort.

Do we have souls, spirits, or karma? Is there a purpose to life? Why did God(s) make us anyway? Will we be judged for our thoughts, words, and actions in this life? Evolution says "no" - but we are more than just material beings, aren't we? Ghosts. Premonitions. Irrational fears. Amazing "coincidences" in life. Please pray! In the Bible read "The Gospel of John".

NDEs (Near Death Experiences) claim that our souls (or spirits or karmas) may be able to separate from our bodies upon death. "The Myth of Er" (Book 10 in "The Republic") tells of a man killed in battle. They send his body back to his village. 12 days later he comes back to life. He tells them that he went to a place of judgment, one that all persons must go to when they die. Some go on to rewards. Some perish, sent into punishment. In this, the spiritual world appears to be just as real as our material universe. Each generation must ponder these questions. Who are we? What are we? Why are we? Genesis tells us that God made the Earth, all life, and the stars of the universe in six days, about 6,000 years ago. This is consistent with NDEs. We are in a war for souls. You and I are players in this war, whether we like it or not. Asian NDE experiences (RIGHT SIDE) from China, Japan and Korea. (Go to Jstor or to archive.org)

There are over 5,000 modern NDEs recorded! Visit the NDERF (Near Death Experience Research Foundation).

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