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But a person's religious beliefs prior to death do not always influence the outcome of the individual's NDE. Read about the neurosurgeon, Dr. Eben Alexander, an academic scientist, who suffered a brain infection (ironically), died and then went to a heavenly realm, escorted by an angel. Prior to this NDE he could not reconcile science with the idea of a God or a heaven. Since his near-death experience he has become a firm believer in Heaven and life after death. Here's a link if you want to read more: HOME | Life Beyond Death
I read that book, and found it quite interesting.
I got rid of the books after I read it. I can't remember if it was in his website or his text, but some references to some New Age music that was really profound to him, but sounded so hokey and unlistenable to me. But I liked the book, but I enjoyed listening to some of the audio on him even more. Can't recall the links though.
I'm still unsure my belief on NDE though. I mean, I believe the experience was real for him. But there are just so many 'hokey' experiences out there. Particularly the 'went to hell' ones, etc. In short, there is a lot to apply to some serious 'deciphering skills' to weed out the many stories that seem quite fabricated on this topic.
With Dr. Eben Alexander though, I don't know what purposes he'd have to fabricate the experience though. He also runs an organization on the topic. But, being a neurosurgeon, I'd imagine that if it was all about the money or fame, he'd stick with neurosurgeon than peddling his NDE. So, it's eaiser to conclude that it very well could have been true for him.
Some experience the tunnel of light and relive past memories.
Some are taught lessons by divine angelic-like beings.
Some are shown future events yet to happen.
Some are taught that they're reincarnated multiple times.
It's not so easy to write these off as purely physical reactions in the brain when you consider that some near death experiencers can provide actual evidence of being conscious while outside their body; e.g. they can accurately recall conversations between doctors while they were lying dead on the operating table -- and then later the doctors confirm the accuracy of what the patient said, and many other such experiences.
Yeah, so what? The brain does not shut down during an NDE just like it doesn't shut down when undergoing a physical trauma. That people can hear things is hardly extraordinary.
NDEs are suspect because there is no control group and to create a control group would violate any number of ethics whether that was medical ethics, bio ethics, or legal ethics.
There are multiple aspects to an NDE: (1) the "more real than real" otherworldly aspect that experiencers typically describe; (2) whatever cultural influences may affect the experience or the experiencer's interpretation of it; and (3) whatever influence may occur as a result of the fact that the brain is not completely dead and the experiencer may have some awareness of the immediate surroundings (although, in the Pam Reynolds case and a few others, the brain was dead by all medical criteria). So the fact that NDEs are all over the map doesn't trouble me.
There have been something akin to control group studies, such as the AWARE study, and certainly serious medical/scientific studies.
To me, the strongest argument against a mundane explanation for NDEs is the overwhelming preponderance of dead people who are encountered. Distant relatives, friends and acquaintances but not loved ones the experiencer might have been expected to encounter if these were hallucinations; people the experiencer didn't even know were dead; dead people the experiencer didn't even recognize until later seeing a photo. I have known several experiencers, and they all encountered people who were actually dead. This is very difficult to explain in mundane terms.
Memories are stored in our brain. We remember things our brain experienced. When one dies, passes on, has an NDE, etc, the brain never left the body. It never entered some nether realm, or spirit world, or whatever. It stayed put inside your head, on the table, on the side of road, or where ever you nearly died. So how would people remember an NDE, which implies their spirit leaving their body? The brain never experienced it; it stayed put in the 'temporarily' dead body. This is a huge reason why I think NDE's are nothing more than the brain itself reacting to oxygen deprivation and/or dmt release. You cannot remember something your brain did not experience therefore never stored as a memory.
The brain =/= consciousness. Consciousness is independent of the brain, or rather, isn't limited to the brain. NDE's and other types of OBE's (out-of-body experiences not involving death or near death) are about consciousness, not the physical tissue and neurons.
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To me, the strongest argument against a mundane explanation for NDEs is the overwhelming preponderance of dead people who are encountered. Distant relatives, friends and acquaintances but not loved ones the experiencer might have been expected to encounter if these were hallucinations; people the experiencer didn't even know were dead; dead people the experiencer didn't even recognize until later seeing a photo. I have known several experiencers, and they all encountered people who were actually dead. This is very difficult to explain in mundane terms.
Yes, and some of them encounter deceased relatives they never knew in life; a grandparent or great-grandparent who passed away when the experiencer was in their first years of life, and never had the opportunity to see the infant or toddler before passing away, for example. Or a relative who died before the baby was born.
You always hear about the "good" NDEs. I'm still skeptical
Would you be less skeptical if you heard or read about the bad NDE's? If so, why? What difference does it make if they're positive or negative? There are stories about the hellish ones available; you just haven't looked into the topic enough to find them. I think the IANDS site has some; it's an organization for the study of NDE's.
The brain =/= consciousness. Consciousness is independent of the brain, or rather, isn't limited to the brain. NDE's and other types of OBE's (out-of-body experiences not involving death or near death) are about consciousness, not the physical tissue and neurons.
You are correct
And let me point out again, from a psychological/medical point of view, NDES are NEAR death experiences...not DEATH Experiences. NO ONE Has returned from cellular death.
Maybe some day when they reanimate Walt Disney we can find out
The Brain is still firing in the NDE which can explain the hallucination of a tunnel or a light.....(Ocular nerve ) Also most people report some NDE based on a cultural experience
We do not have Hindus seeing Jesus but we have Hindus seeing Rama......and Muslims see Allah, not Jesus...while People in America who have been exposed to Christian ideas (even if they do not believe in it) will report an angel , demon, or Jesus vision of some type....indicating that the cultural influence is present to some degree......
in a NDE the brain is still firing, even if cells are dying, so NDEs are in no way any proof of life after death....
And let me point out again, from a psychological/medical point of view, NDES are NEAR death experiences...not DEATH Experiences. NO ONE Has returned from cellular death.
Maybe some day when they reanimate Walt Disney we can find out
The Brain is still firing in the NDE which can explain the hallucination of a tunnel or a light.....(Ocular nerve ) Also most people report some NDE based on a cultural experience
We do not have Hindus seeing Jesus but we have Hindus seeing Rama......and Muslims see Allah, not Jesus...while People in America who have been exposed to Christian ideas (even if they do not believe in it) will report an angel , demon, or Jesus vision of some type....indicating that the cultural influence is present to some degree......
in a NDE the brain is still firing, even if cells are dying, so NDEs are in no way any proof of life after death....
Definitely cultural influence can be seen in NDE stories from around the world. But those coming from the US (which studies done in the US have the largest number of) don't all contain Christian-related imagery. Not even most, I don't think. There are plenty of NDE stories, in which people report seeing a bright light, which some describe as "love". They don't call it Jesus or God. Others will say they saw a light that seemed to have a divine quality (generically), but they don't associate a figure with it.
Cardiac surgeons say, the heart has completely stopped in their patients who later report an NDE, as registered by their EKG. If the brain can continue firing,if minimally, after the heart has stopped for 10-20 minutes, then you're right.
And let me point out again, from a psychological/medical point of view, NDES are NEAR death experiences...not DEATH Experiences. NO ONE Has returned from cellular death.
Maybe some day when they reanimate Walt Disney we can find out
The Brain is still firing in the NDE which can explain the hallucination of a tunnel or a light.....(Ocular nerve ) Also most people report some NDE based on a cultural experience
We do not have Hindus seeing Jesus but we have Hindus seeing Rama......and Muslims see Allah, not Jesus...while People in America who have been exposed to Christian ideas (even if they do not believe in it) will report an angel , demon, or Jesus vision of some type....indicating that the cultural influence is present to some degree......
in a NDE the brain is still firing, even if cells are dying, so NDEs are in no way any proof of life after death....
In the Pam Reynolds case, she had no brain-wave activity and no blood flowing in her brain, which rendered her clinically dead. Cases such as hers are the "nearest" we're going to get to a "death" experience. The key finding is that in circumstances where there is no or minimal brain activity and thus should be only the barest level of consciousness, experiencers report vastly heightened consciousness ("more real than real").
If consciousness is independent of the brain, or at least not dependent on the brain, then this of course greatly increases the likelihood of it surviving bodily death.
NDEs aren't proof of life after death but they are strongly suggestive of it. When combined with the best incidents of apparitions, mediumistic communications and whatnot, the body of anecdotal evidence is pretty compelling.
Diehard skeptics, of course, can always find some loophole. I actually think this is inherent in all paranormal phenomena. I don't believe we are meant to have ironclad proof.
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