Anybody here ever had a Near Death Experience? (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

Like the whole, leaving your body, light at the end of the tunnel kind of thing? I'm not overly interested in th the religious element (as per forum rules)-- rather I'm doing a piece for school and looking for someone who might be willing to be interviewed on the topic.

-Vince

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Vince, hit me on AIM, I've got something for you

 

[Patrick Sun]

Penn and Teller did an interesting piece on NDEs on their weekly Showtime show (BullSh!t) last week.

The scientific explanation was that oxygen-deprived brains hallucinate/dream in weird ways, and that is supposed to explain people's NDEs. They showed footage of NASA test pilots being subjected to many many G's in the centrifuge, and many reported NDEs as they passed out from the lack of oxygen to the brain. Some "experts" surmised that it was the brain's way to coping with the traumatic experience.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Patrick,

I saw it- actually inspired me to do this piece. I would love to find someone in the medical community that I could get soundbites from.

No one happened to tape that episode?

-Vince

 

[MarkHastings]

The scientific explanation was that oxygen-deprived brains hallucinate/dream in weird ways

I saw a program on the Discovery channel that talked about that.

The lack of oxygen produces flashes of light, so it's not like people are seeing heaven, their brain is just suffocating.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Unfortunately, I've already deleted that episode on NDEs off my ReplayTV.

 

[Rob Gillespie]

My mother said she experienced something similar when I was born. Apparently I was a 'difficult' birth (nothing changes then!) and both mom and me almost died during it. She said she had a definite feeling of floating near the top of the room, looking down at everything going on below, but with an absolute state of calm. No flashing lights or tunnels, just this impression of leaving the body and watching what is going on. After a few moments of this, everything went black and she became conscious again (obviously with the 'normal' view) and back came the pain and noise of the room. Apparently her heart stopped for a few seconds during the procedure.

My best friend Tish, who died last October, also mentioned she'd had this 'floating' feeling around the time she first fell ill and ended up in the crash room having her heart stopped and restarted. Again, nothing was said about tunnels or lights, just an awareness that the point of view had changed and that the body was now something separate to consciousness.

 

[Jack Briggs]

In that same Discovery Channel presentation it was interesting that one of the scientists explained that the term "near death experience" might be misleading; these semi-psychedelic experiences are, in his words, actual death experiences. It just so happens some people were fortunate enough to be revived and lived to tell about what sounds to me for all the world like a DMT trip (read about dimethyltryptamine sometime). What's the most traumatic experience a human brain can ever undergo but to have the lights turned off for good?

 

[Ike]

Jack,

Didn't I read in another of your posts that DMT is actually produced in the brain?

 

[Jack Briggs]

It is known that DMT is secreted in small amounts in the human brain, but the primary sources of DMT occur in Latin- and South American jungle roots and vines. The substance can also be synthesized. But, of course, it is listed as a Schedule I controlled substance by the DEA. However, at least three university-research groups have successfully applied for research protocols to experiment with DMT on human subjects (thus picking up where such research was left off in 1966).

Many of the reports associated with so-called "near-death experiences" are amazingly similar to the experiences reported by people who have access to clandestine DMT (tunnels, explosions of colorful light, encounters with sentient presences/entities, a fondness of Pink Floyd's music, etc., etc.).

 

[RobertR]

near death experience" might be misleading; these semi-psychedelic experiences are, in his words, actual death experiences...What's the most traumatic experience a human brain can ever undergo but to have the lights turned off for good?

I disagree with his description. If you're dead, the lights are indeed, as you aptly put it, off for good. It's a logical contradiction to talk about turning lights back on again when you just said they were off for good. They weren't off for good. They may have been very, very dim, but that's as far as it goes. It's an either/or situation.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

quote:
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near death experience" might be misleading; these semi-psychedelic experiences are, in his words, actual death experiences...What's the most traumatic experience a human brain can ever undergo but to have the lights turned off for good?
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I disagree with his description. If you're dead, the lights are indeed, as you aptly put it, off for good. It's a logical contradiction to talk about turning lights back on again when you just said they were off for good. They weren't off for good. They may have been very, very dim, but that's as far as it goes. It's an either/or situation.

i guess it all depends on what your definition of 'death' is. if you can temporarily die and then come back to life, then jack is right. if your definition of death is never being revived, then robert is right. i think...

CJ

 

[MarkHastings]

Christ,

You said what I was going to say. Isn't there also the term "Clinically Dead"? Isn't that where you're technically dead but there's a chance you can be revived, as opposed to just being dead where there's no turning back?

Or something like that.

 

[RobertR]

i guess it all depends on what your definition of 'death' is.

I think that's the crux of it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but in the case of these "near death" experiences, the person's heart may have stopped beating, but the EEG still showed brain activity. I don't think the temporary cessation of a heartbeat means that the person is "dead".

 

[Scott_lb]

Vince,
You might find this interesting: Awhile back, I was looking around the New Age section at Barnes and Noble. While there, I came across a book (can't remember the title) that was a relatively new hardcover that was the first "scientific/empirical" published book on the topic. All I remember was that they took James Van Praagh (sp?), John Edwards, and someone else and put them in three different rooms and did some sort of test. I know the lack of details aren't helping, but you might find it interesting next time you go to a bookstore.

 

[Chris Souders]

I was near death today.
Responded to a construction worker who had 15000 pounds of steel girders fall onto him.
Dead.

Nevertheless, a college professor of mine thought that the light at the end of the hallway thing was really your first memory in life coming back to you.. The process of birth. It would be interesting to see what near death experiences in people born by C-section would say. God's knife cut the sky and he reached down and grabbed me...

Chris

 

[Jon_Are]

Vince - I worked at a hospice for three years (RN) and have seen many, many people die. Not once, though, have I heard someone tell me first-hand about a so-called near-death experience.

I did, however, see a man "come back to life". All his vital signs had ceased and it looked for all the world like he was gone. The physician came in and pronounced him, then went back into his office. I stayed with the man and his family and, after 10 minutes or so, he drew a deep breath, then resumed breathing again (not normal breathing, but definitely breathing). He breathed for another 15 minutes until he expired for good.

I walked down the hall to alert the physician, who was at his desk typing the death certificate. I said, "is that Mr. Smith's certificate?". He replied, "Yes". I responded, "his respirations are eight and shallow."

That's really the only weird thing I've seen.

Jon