I’ve been following some interesting threads related to early baptismal practices and there is some speculation that it was originally a technique used to induce NDE’s. One source claims:

NDEs have been linked to a number of ancient traditions, many of which were not only religious or philosophical systems, but actual methods of inducing direct spiritual experience. For example, Grosso has argued that the ancient Greek and Egyptian initiation rituals were actually highly developed methods of inducing NDEs in young priests-in-training. John White has discussed the belief that the original form of baptism, full body immersion, was one in which the initiate was held under water until near drowning, thereby inducing an NDE.

See also Rudolf Steiner’s work, Deeper Secrets of Human History: In the Light of the Gospel of St. Matthew, in which he describes:

In the desert the Nazarene John was baptizing all comers in water. Steiner points out that near drowning, the etheric body is loosened from the physical body, where it has been confined since the advent of rational thinking in the person of Abraham. Thus the cry of John the Baptist, “Repent Ye!” may be understood as “Change the tenor of your minds!” That admonition, followed by a loosening of the etheric body, produced a powerful change in the lives of those baptized. John attacked the Pharisees, descendants of Ishmael, and warned them that in a true baptism, they will experience their etheric body as the “Lamb of God” and not as the “Serpent,” as their ancestors had always done.

Also, if you’ve ever seen the movie Constantine, you may remember this scene:

In which Keanu holds co-star Rachel Weisz (who also features in The Fountain, incidentally) under water for an intolerably long period of time. If I recall correctly, that ritual has something to do with him being able to open a doorway to go to hell or something? Not sure. Interesting chain of connections regardless…

See also this link with more thoughts.

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