Near Death Experiences

[WillBrink]

So f-ing powerful:

[1168]

I’ve had quite a few, but no light or pearly gates or anything like that.

[WillBrink]

I’ve had quite a few, but no light or pearly gates or anything like that.

You died and were brought back to life? It does not seem like most have the NDE some report. Why/how we don't know.

[Alex V]

There's way more similarities than differences, which is one aspect that blows people's and doctors minds.

How much of that is just a pre-programed response do you think? We all hear the stories, right? White light, etc, so when it happens, how can you tell that this isn't your mind just regurgitating what you have always heard others describe it as?

[1168]

You died and were brought back to life? It does not seem like most have the NDE some report. Why/how we don't know.

When I was a child, *yes. I have no recollection of that, though.

I did wake up in an ICU once, as an adult. That was a hell of an experience. My idea of a NDE is a near miss, or surviving something that should kill you.

*we have to define “died”. There is a disparity of definitions here.

[WillBrink]

How much of that is just a pre-programed response do you think? We all hear the stories, right? White light, etc, so when it happens, how can you tell that this isn't your mind just regurgitating what you have always heard others describe it as?

No one has the answer to that, and that's of course part of the debate of the one side that says it's all physical/biological, and the other that says there's more to it then that. I think the evidence strongly favors the latter. There are things that happen that simply can't be explained as purely biological at this point, at least not with current level of knowledge.

[WillBrink]

When I was a child, *yes. I have no recollection of that, though.

I did wake up in an ICU once, as an adult. That was a hell of an experience. My idea of a NDE is a near miss, or surviving something that should kill you.

*we have to define “died”. There is a disparity of definitions here.

Doc in post #4 researches the topic and worth a view. Hos books are also quite good.

[JimmyB62]

To me the fascinating part of these types of reports are when the person has an out of body experience and reports what they saw from a perspective that they were not in a position to see or when they report hearing a conversation that occurred outside of the room they were in. I draw no conclusions of my own either way and certainly don’t understand it, but admit the phenomenon is very interesting. No personal story other than my first marriage being a prolonged near death experience.

[SteyrAUG]

How much of that is just a pre-programed response do you think? We all hear the stories, right? White light, etc, so when it happens, how can you tell that this isn't your mind just regurgitating what you have always heard others describe it as?

I'd say it is what your body does when you are dying, kind of like a symptom of shock, to help ease some of your suffering. I don't want to get too deep into the subject because if people believe good things happen when they die, I wouldn't want to be the one to even try and take any of that away from them.

I'd hope there is something else, something nicer, but as has been pointed out, we have no way to know for sure.

[Alex V]

No one has the answer to that, and that's of course part of the debate of the one side that says it's all physical/biological, and the other that says there's more to it then that. I think the evidence strongly favors the latter. There are things that happen that simply can't be explained as purely biological at this point, at least not with current level of knowledge.

That's kinds what I am thinking. We are so conditioned to expect a white light by all these stories that I feel like it may just be self induced confirmation bias.

I'd say it is what your body does when you are dying, kind of like a symptom of shock, to help ease some of your suffering. I don't want to get too deep into the subject because if people believe good things happen when they die, I wouldn't want to be the one to even try and take any of that away from them.

I'd hope there is something else, something nicer, but as has been pointed out, we have no way to know for sure.

Another good point, it may very well be just random firing of neurons as your body shuts down.

All I am saying is that there are more than one reason why the story is often the same.