In a recent post, I speculated about what might happen to Osama bin Laden, assuming that there is life after death. The only book I know of that addresses this general question is Suicide: What Really Happens in the Afterlife?, by Pamela Rae Heath and Jon Klimo (2006). Written in the aftermath of 9/11, the book contains a long section on suicide bombers and other terrorists, including the 9/11 terrorists. Since very few mediums had attempted to get in touch with such people, the authors enlisted a few mediums to try. Naturally, I have no way of judging whether the resulting allegedly channeled information is accurate. But it's pretty much the only channeled information on this subject, as far as I know.
Part II of the book, titled "Murder-Suicide and Suicide Bombers," is 125 pages long. I've excerpted only about one and a half pages, which consists of part of a reading by medium Nevada Shaw. The questioner was Pamela Rae Heath. Some of the answers are rather obscurely worded, but the gist is fairly clear. I'm not sure if this material, or even the entirety of Part II, clearly addresses all of the questions we've been discussing, but at least it's food for thought.
Q: Now that they have crossed over, do they [i.e., terrorists] still believe that they acted according to God's wishes?
A: Some do. Most are still very confused….
Q: Do they, now that they have crossed over, still think that God wanted them to be a martyr?
A: They are not sure.
Q: Do they feel it was God who was responsible for killing the victims?
A: Some do. Some are now confused as to what they consider God. Some have been confused in thinking we [i.e., the spirit guides] are God. The explanations we give to them is [that] God is part of all of it, and in a sense we are God, which confuses them more.
Q: Did dying let them escape their problems?
A: No. Though there is more neutrality for them. They can observe the opportunity to learn, without having the pain as attached. Initially the pain was very much there. That's part of the learning process if they are still attached to the story. It helps them to recognize what their part in behavior toward others can reflect in, and around, themselves. Ultimately, it is their own reflection they have always come to see. That is what I am meaning about no good or bad. Regardless, they are going to have to deal with whatever this is and their stories. And if they are responsible for the death of someone else, they will have to reflect upon that story, as well.
Q: Many are confused, but do some feel misled or lied to about what would happen if they died?
A: Yes. Though now, they are not as emotional about it. Most of that has burnt away. They are simply looking at it now. It's another story they could attach to by being annoyed.
Q: Is annoyance a defense they are using?
A: Yes. It doesn't matter who sent them.
Q: Had you been using sleep to help them recover?
A: They do not sleep….
Q: I should also ask if, in some ways, they felt lied to, were there ways in which they felt like they were told the truth and still feel that way?
A: Seventy percent. But that's fading. That's part of the confusion. There's some uncertainty now. It takes, if we are speaking in linear terms (and it varies), four to six days in your linear time terms to accommodate past initial emotions and any sensation, physicality, confusion. Some may be confused whether they have a body or not. It takes two to four weeks to deal with the emotion of the story. Beyond that, they may move into a more neutral place. It varies.
Q: Is that the holding zone you spoke up before?
A: That is part of it. The holding pattern is a much more complex and long-term position. In linear terms it could be anywhere from a month to thousands of years. It could also be a resting place for some. But essentially it's a place that those that are still confused, but neutral, stay. There is no point for them going to the next level until they adjust.
Q: What about those who are confused but not neutral? Where do they stay?
A: It is the same place from our perspective — [that of] the guides. It appears to them as a different place for they would not witness the other souls. They would think they are by themselves.
Q: What do they see?
A: They see themselves as they knew themselves before. They may reflect upon the individuals they came in contact with. The flashes of this go back and forth as if it were a channel. Sometimes this confuses them. Sometimes they find in a way to move through their thoughts quickly. It is a technique we use with them to help them move past the attachment. [pp. 331-332]
For another perspective on terrorists in the afterlife, see this classic article from The Onion.