The Near Death Experience

Mankind has several mysteries, each in it’s own right as mysterious and intriguing as the other, but few manage to catch our attention like that of the near death experience (NDE). Perhaps it is our obsession with life or even with death. I have often said that the wonders and mysteries of life are far outnumbered by those of death, only because we know little of it. What I hope to accomplish with this article is to present you with some reference on this topic and give you some theories and ideas that may aid you in deciding were you stand on this topic and allow you to make your own opinion on NDEs.

First off let me say that I am no stranger to death. In fact I am very familiar with it. I was intentionally dropped on my head by an ego driven wrestler during a pro wrestling training session. The result was a broken skull and a hemitoba on the right side of my brain. I was flown to UK hospital in a coma and during an extensive surgery to repair my skull and brain I died not once but twice. I wish I could tell you stories of beautiful gold lights and peaceful feelings but I cannot do so. I did not have one of these experiences whatsoever.

Many reasons exist to explain the lack of NDE in my case. Perhaps I did have one but for any number of unknown reasons suppressed the memory of the event. Maybe I did not remain dead long enough for the event to take place. The most controversial theory is that maybe those of us who die and do not have these experiences are not meant to come back. One common NDE occurrences is the being told it was not your time to pass on and to return to the living. Maybe those of us who do not have that are not meant to return.

Let’s move on now to the amazing world of this mystery. A NDE can be, to some extent, described as the clinical dying of the physical body but an extension to the life of the metaphysical body eventually resulting in the return to the full state of living both physically and mentally.

That being said how do we accomplish this and even more important why does it happen? Are there historical accounts of NDEs? These questions and countless more I would presume, plague both those who research the phenomena and those who have them. I myself cannot answer these questions with 100% accuracy, as no one really can. I can however try to answer a few and give you some facts to think on.

Plato, the world famous philosopher told the story of the warrior Er, who while lying on his funeral pyre awoke to the world of the living. He told of many glorious things he viewed in the afterlife. He relayed that he had returned to tell people of death and what it was like to go through it. He saw souls in preparation to return to the world of the living.

Another historical text and often called the greatest story ever told, The Bible details what may have been a NDE. In the accounting of the stoning of the apostle Stephen which can be found in Acts 7:54-58, before the mob stoned him to death he had this vision; “When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth, but he being full of the holy ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of god, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and came upon him with one accord. And cast him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.”

While this could be assumed a NDE it may also be viewed as a precognitive dream predicting the future. As interesting as these accounts are we need to view the more modern accounts as the key to our study. While getting into detailed accounts would be beneficial to this study, it would also be very time consuming. For the sake of my sanity, lol, and the lack of time I will only detail what is most commonly experienced in accounts of NDEs. While this is in no way a complete listing it should suffice to aid you in this study. (All of these accounts are from NDEs experienced in a hospital)

One of the most common and frequent reports given after a NDE occurrence is that of learning. This falls into two separate categories, the first is that of “supreme learning” and the second is that of “supreme knowing”. In the case of supreme learning the subject finds themselves in a classroom setting of some sorts, surrounded by fellow students in a place of higher learning. An all-knowing being resides at the head of the class instructing the people. Sometimes this being communicates without words. The subject feels as though they have encountered pure calm and the peacefulness of the place showers them with good vibes. Every minute they spend in this atmosphere they learn all there is to know, about time, space, life and even death. In this state no topic is mysterious but fully known and understood. Upon waking from this NDE the subject does not retain the knowledge learned but does look at their life a little differently. They begin to pursue it with more abundance and make the most of what they have. This is a very rewarding experience it seems.

The other category while similar does have its differences. Supreme knowing NDEs do not have classrooms filled with students eager to learn the wonders of the universe. Instead those wonders are already known. The teacher, and the university setting are absent, but somehow the knowledge is still gained. They find their selves feeling ultimate peace and serenity as well as a feeling of inner peace that grows the more they stay. As with the other learning scenario this NDE is rewarding as well. Often from waking the subject seeks to do good by themselves and for others.

Why are knowledge and the seeking of said knowledge so commonly reported? While that question cannot be answered entirely we can look at some suggestions. One vital one is that of an old saying: “Knowledge is Power”. If that is true than supreme learning of knowledge will grant the subject supreme learning of power. The same exist with supreme knowing. Tolkien stated in his famous Lord of the Rings trilogy that men seek power above all else.

While having knowledge and seeking it appears quite often the most common report made by NDE experiencers is that of the golden light at the end of the tunnel or the city of light. Many who awaken from a clinical death report a golden light. Upon approaching the light they often see loved ones who have died. A voice than usually tells them to go back it is not their time to die. These accounts are rooted very heavily in the Christian faith. The light represents the golden light of Christ. The tunnel is the journey up to heaven. It is often stated that the people who experience this NDE situation have feelings of peace and they do not wish to come back to the world of the living.

One theory while displeasing to a great deal of people, namely those who have had the experience is that the light is a result of not fully being under the effects of the anesthetic. The person drifts in and out of a sleep like state often referred to as a dreamlike state of being. The loved ones are merely doctors and nurses who are standing around the subject trying to revive them. This also explains the voices. They are not the voices of loved ones but of the people trying to revive the person. The light at the end of the long tunnel is simply tunnel vision with the lights of the hospital bearing down.

Perhaps this is true and all of these NDEs are merely an illusion but maybe they really are a second chance at life given by a supreme being. We really have no way of knowing.

Two types of beings are most commonly reported in NDE accounts. The first is the glowing entity, covered in a sheet of golden light. These heavenly figures could represent loved ones or even the disciples of god themselves; we really have no way of knowing. The beings seem content and full of an inner peace that cannot be achieved here on earth. Once again the theory of semi conscience could be the culprit and what is really being seen is the doctors and nurses in the light of the hospital room.

The other type of being is that of the gloomy, gray washed entity that drifts as if stunned by the sudden loss of it's own life. This depressed being almost embodies the catholic belief of limbo in which a soul must stay until it is cleared of its transgressions. As with most cases this to could merely be the subject half awake seeing the gray and light blue clad doctors, distraught over a dying patient.

While we still have very little knowledge of this occurrence we still pursue it. While we can explain away some accounts in the manner I mentioned above not all can be so easily summed up. Are NDEs brought about by drug-induced illusions, lack of proper anesthetic, religious wants or even dreams themselves? We may never really know. We have no real way to prove or disprove the NDE occurrence. I myself feel as if we are looking at something that is not meant to be fully comprehended. I feel at least 40% of these cases that are reported to have some truth, at least for the subject experiencing them and the positive effects they have on the subject are more then enough to tell me that we need not try to hard to persuade those who have had these marvelous experiences in the direction of scientific thought. For now I will leave you to your own opinion.

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