A curious aspect of Near Death Experiences

squatting dog said:
When I got burned and while in intensive care, I was clinically dead and brought back 3 seperate times. Didn't see a thing, didn't float... nothing.
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That is an important point, and I am glad you shared it. Not having an experience is also an experience, and it deserves the same respect as those who describe something vivid.

What interests me about near death accounts is not the claim that everyone must see something, but that some do, and that those experiences show patterns across very different people. The absence of an experience does not invalidate the presence of one any more than dreaming every night is required for dreams to exist. Some say they don't dream at all or don't remember dreams.

It may also be that consciousness under extreme trauma is not one single thing. Shock, medication, brain injury, or the speed of the event itself could all play a role. Even people who survive cardiac arrest under similar conditions report very different things.

These accounts taken together raise questions rather than settle them. And your experience is part of that picture, too.
 
Maybe someone here is knowledgeable about this topic, and can explain and/or tell me the correct words:

A few years ago, one of those true crime/unsolved mysteries/etc. shows featured a guy who was said to be psychic.. it was said his abilities developed as a result of a childhood illness that included a very high fever.
If this sounds reasonable, compare it to mine:

My first illness with very high fever occurred when I was still a baby.
The second was shortly after I turned 5 years old.

Is 'sensitized' the correct word???
First, when I was still a young child, I experienced and mentally processed incidents, situations, etc., as if I were an adult- adult-level comprehension, etc. of the events.

Second, something I could not explain til I read it on a website: 'The past never passes.'

Can anyone shed a light on this?
 
I'm not sure what you're asking in the first part.

As to the second, Eckhart Tolle has observed that nothing happened in the past. It happened in the present. Nothing happens in the future. It happens in the present.
So, "The past never passes" may refer to the fact that the past can't pass because it was in the present.
 
Science explains why people experience euphoria and a light in the distance when they're near death, which is why both religious and non-religious people have the same experiences.

In the moments just before death, the brain releases high levels of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. This "neurochemical storm" is a likely biological basis for the feelings of peace, euphoria, and tranquility reported in near-death experiences. These naturally occurring chemicals act as intense pain and stress relievers. A person's perception of pain often declines significantly during the final stages of life.

People often report seeing a light in the distance during near-death experiences due to oxygen deprivation and tunnel vision. The retina and visual cortex are highly sensitive to oxygen levels. As oxygen flow decreases, peripheral vision typically fails first, while central vision is maintained longer. The "tunnel" effect creates a narrowing of the visual field similar to looking through a tunnel, where only a bright spot in the center remains visible before sight fades entirely.

The "unconditional love" some people feel when they're near death is probably just a massive surge of endorphins released by the brain. People can get the same "unconditional love" when they shoot heroin into their veins, which is why it's so additive -- especially for those who don't have people to provide that love.
 
I highly recommend the book The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain: A Neurologist's Search for the God Experience by Kevin Nelson. He goes through a bunch of physiological conditions that can reproduce near death experience examples without a person nearing death. It appears the experiences are part of our brains and are shared even without common religious backgrounds. When I looked for the book I saw copies online for as low as $1.99.
 
asp3 said:
I highly recommend the book The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain: A Neurologist's Search for the God Experience by Kevin Nelson. He goes through a bunch of physiological conditions that can reproduce near death experience examples without a person nearing death. It appears the experiences are part of our brains and are shared even without common religious backgrounds. When I looked for the book I saw copies online for as low as $1.99.
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I wouldn't know about it being part of our brains, but I'm wondering how the experience might tie in with Rupert Sheldrake's explanation of morphic resonance.
Morphic Resonance: Research and Papers
 
ChiroDoc said:
I'm not sure what you're asking in the first part.

As to the second, Eckhart Tolle has observed that nothing happened in the past. It happened in the present. Nothing happens in the future. It happens in the present.
So, "The past never passes" may refer to the fact that the past can't pass because it was in the present.
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No, I wasn't talking about philosophy..
 
RambleTamble said:
Science explains why people experience euphoria and a light in the distance when they're near death, which is why both religious and non-religious people have the same experiences.

In the moments just before death, the brain releases high levels of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. This "neurochemical storm" is a likely biological basis for the feelings of peace, euphoria, and tranquility reported in near-death experiences. These naturally occurring chemicals act as intense pain and stress relievers. A person's perception of pain often declines significantly during the final stages of life.

People often report seeing a light in the distance during near-death experiences due to oxygen deprivation and tunnel vision. The retina and visual cortex are highly sensitive to oxygen levels. As oxygen flow decreases, peripheral vision typically fails first, while central vision is maintained longer. The "tunnel" effect creates a narrowing of the visual field similar to looking through a tunnel, where only a bright spot in the center remains visible before sight fades entirely.

The "unconditional love" some people feel when they're near death is probably just a massive surge of endorphins released by the brain. People can get the same "unconditional love" when they shoot heroin into their veins, which is why it's so additive -- especially for those who don't have people to provide that love.
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That is a very interesting and logical answer.
 
Rose65 said:
I am reading a lot of these, as I am curious.
One thing that strikes me is that all types of people, from all walks of life have very much the similar experiences. Both religious and atheists - this seems to me very important.

That all are met by a bright light, unconditional love and no harsh judgement. Invariably most people want to stay there but are told it is not yet their time. All the ones I have read about DO feel changed, but not necessarily into going to church or into organised religion.

I am a believing Christian and yet I don't dare to put this matter onto a Christian group, because they argue so much. What would they think if they found out atheists are as welcomed by God as they are!

Personally I am delighted. I do believe God is all about love and definitely does not judge us as we do each other. I have friends of all kinds, some who are atheist, some believers. I like the thought that God looks at our hearts and loves us all.
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This is a great post!
 
Rose65 said:
I am a believing Christian and yet I don't dare to put this matter onto a Christian group, because they argue so much. What would they think if they found out atheists are as welcomed by God as they are!
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I don't know if these near-death-experiences are bursting brain chemicals or real trips to Heaven and back, but if they are and if everyone is filled with love, then Christians would all be overjoyed to see their atheist friends were there, and the atheists wouldn't be jeering, "Ha ha! We made it and we didn't even have to go to church!"
 
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