Near Death Experience

Brain Science: Her body temperature had lowered to 60 degrees..... well below the accepted 98.6. The blood had drained from her head. She was going through an emergency operation for a brain issue. For all the practical reasons she had and was, passing away. But she hadn't felt that way at all. She was at ease. She began to hear music as though it was popping out of her head. Then she started seeing a bright light and she started feeling as though she was moving toward it. She felt like she had left her body! She felt as though she was hovering over her body on the operating table. She could see everyone in the room from above.

She was later able to describe the surgery as she was going through it. She recalled correctly the music in the operating room. She was able to describe the surgery saw and how it was used. She could recall nurses comments during her surgery. She recalled the nurse was having problems because her veins were so small.

She was distracted by the light again and felt her body moving toward the light. She then encountered her Aunt and Uncle who had passed away. Her Uncle then told her to go back. It was not her time yet. She resisted and she insisted that he pushed her. He pushed her just as the song "Hotel California" in the operating room rang out on the operating room speakers. But Just when just when the song said " You can Check out any time but you can never leave" She woke up.

So goes the story of Pam Reynolds in 1991. She became a popular person on talk shows for years before her death in 2010.

You may recall we last wrote about reincarnation and said we we were going to follow with near death experiences. Obviously this is it. For this topic we are going to use material again from the University of Virginia Medical School Division of Perceptual Studies, Time publication,Time- "Heaven and the Afterlife" and also a couple of papers written by Becky Upham (writer) and Dr. Jeffrey Long, MD, founder of the nonprofit Near Death Experience Research Foundation.

We have studied in the past about some sort of energy remaining after death. A study published on May 1,2023 presented the strongest evidence yet that some sort of covert consciousness remains after a person's heart stops beating. Brain activity is usually measured by what is called electroencephalograms (EEGs). EEGs measure activity called gamma rays. Gamma rays are the way brains retrieve and recall memory. New studies show that after death there are increased gamma rays in the part of the brain that correlates with consciousness in the brain. (junction between the temporal,parietal,and occipital lobes in the back of brain). This is noteworthy because this area across the world is the place in the brain where people who think of God or who have religious or spiritual experiences have brain activity. The question posed here is why? The brain is dying for lack of oxygen to the brain. At the very least brain activity should have been inhibited. Why is there a sudden burst of gamma rays in this part of the brain? How long does it last? In monkeys it lasts for over four hours. We don't know in humans

Papers by a number of scholars including Kelly,Stevenson and Greyson (University of Virginia Medical School) list several consistent features of near death experience that indicate possible survival after death. They are :

• Enhanced mentation: The brain activity in the conscience area of brain when that part of the brain should be shut down.

• The experience and ability to see the physical body from another location in space.

• Perceptions of events that the patient could not have perceived or guessed normally.

• Encounter of near death person with deceased persons during the the near death experience.
  

There are a host of alternate explanations for the NDE experience. Among those most credible are the studies at the University of Virginia Medical School. According to these studies a person's conscious mind can actually leave a person's physical body. As far as their studies go there are several common characteristics. They include; a perception of seeing and hearing apart from body,passing through a tunnel,encountering a mystical light, intense and generally positive emotions,a review of part or all of their life experiences, encountering deceased loved ones,and a choice to return to their early life.

Dr. Bruce Greyson, a past chair of the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies, concludes; "There are alternates explanations to NDEs visions, but there are too many stories with unexplained details for the NDE experience to be nothing."

Brain Facts:

• Near death experiences are reported by about 17% of those who nearly die. Retrospective studies have estimated that between 43 and 48% of adults, and 85% of children who have been affected by life-threatening illnesses may have experienced the NDE phenomenon (Ring, 1980; Sabom, 1982; Morse, 2013).Apr 20, 2023

• In a study of 89 case reports 92% were considered completely accurate recollections with no inaccuracy whatsoever when the out of body observations were later investigated. (The high percentage of out-of- body observations during near-death experiences does not seem to be explainable by any possible brain function that is currently known.)

• In the U.S., an estimated nine million people have reported a NDE according to a 2011 study in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

• The occurrence of these experiences leads to positive consequences in some NDE patients such as a more altruistic life, higher spiritual growth, having interest in the meaning of life, fewer materialistic values, or a reduction in the fear of death (Noyes, 1980; Groth-Marnat and Summers, 1998; Knoblauch et al., 2001

• .According to a new study, (Nov.7, 2023), people who go into cardiac arrest, near-death experiences are more common, with nearly 40% reporting vivid recollections of their brush with death.

• Dr. Jeffrey Long, (the founder and head of the Near Death Experience Research Foundation) proposes what he calls lines of evidence to support the reality of reports of NDE experiences. They are:

  • Considering NDEs from both a medical perspective and logically, it should not be possible for unconscious people to report highly lucid experiences that are clear and logically structured.

  • The high percentage of accurate out-of-body observations during near-death experiences does not seem explainable by any possible physical brain function as it is currently known.

  • People who are blind even from birth describe their ability to have detailed super vision in the experience. They describe in detail what is going on around them.

  • Under general anesthesia it should not be possible to have a lucid organized memory. Research interviews of people who were under and had near death experiences, explain that they remember and even experience more consciousness and alertness than normal.

  • Some people who endure near death experiences see there life fold out before them. These people not only see their life as a third person experience, they also sense the feelings of persons they are encountering. The consistent accuracy of life reviews, including the awareness of long forgotten events and awareness of the thoughts and feelings of others in past interactions, suggests the reality of NDEs.

  • Encountering persons during the NDE experience usually involves someone who has past. Only 4% report encountering a live person. This is an indication the recollection is coming from the from deep in the brain. Normal dreams and hallucinations normally come from the recent memory part of brain.

  • If near death experiences were influenced by pre-existing cultural or religious beliefs you would expect difference in NDE experiences. It does not happen. Indicating that something else is happening here.
    

So What :

It is so interesting that the near death experience results in a better life for people. Most all surveyed say that. Quoting from the time publication: Bruce Greyson a top researcher into near death experience indicates."Most of the lessons from NDEs are things that have been taught by all of our major religions" he also says. "That death is not to be feared. That life doesn't end at death. That there's meaning and purpose to life. That love is more important than material possessions."

As a side note; It is interesting that religious principles appear all over the NDE experience and brain science. NDEs come from the same area as religion in the brain and that is deep within the brain.

I have only known one person who has related a NDE to me. It was a friend who was a priest. Father was deathly ill and his heart had stopped for some time. Father's experience with a NDE was similar to all of them in the light at the end of a tunnel, the warmth of feeling and not wanting to come back. Father, though, had a twist. In his experience, as he was moving upward toward the light demons where pressing for him. Yes demons! Obviously that was scary. But as he continued on the demons faded away. What does that mean!!! Why would father see demons? Father passed away a few years ago. I wonder if he had the same experience again. Why would a man of God go through this experience? No answer here. Father told me once we weren't destined to know everything.

Brain Science: Her body temperature had lowered to 60 degrees..... well below the accepted 98.6. The blood had drained from her head. She was going through an emergency operation for a brain issue. For all the practical reasons she had and was, passing away. But she hadn't felt that way at all. She was at ease. She began to hear music as though it was popping out of her head. Then she started seeing a bright light and she started feeling as though she was moving toward it. She felt like she had left her body! She felt as though she was hovering over her body on the operating table. She could see everyone in the room from above.

She was later able to describe the surgery as she was going through it. She recalled correctly the music in the operating room. She was able to describe the surgery saw and how it was used. She could recall nurses comments during her surgery. She recalled the nurse was having problems because the her veins were so small.

She was distracted by the light again and felt her body moving toward the light. She then encountered her Aunt and Uncle who had passed away. Her Uncle then told her to go back. It was not her time yet. She resisted and she insisted that he pushed her. He pushed her just as the song "Hotel California" in the operating room rang out on the operating room speakers. But Just when just when the song said " You can Check out any time but you can never leave" She woke up.

So goes the story of Pam Reynolds in 1991. She became a popular person on talk shows for years before her death in 2010.

You may recall we last wrote about reincarnation and said we we were going to follow with near death experiences. Obviously this is it. For this topic we are going to use material again from the University of Virginia Medical School Division of Perceptual Studies, Time publication,Time- "Heaven and the Afterlife" and also a couple of papers written by Becky Upham (writer) and Dr. Jeffrey Long, MD, founder of the nonprofit Near Death Experience Research Foundation.

We have studied in the past about some sort of energy remaining after death. A study published on May 1,2023 presented the strongest evidence yet that some sort of covert consciousness remains after a person's heart stops beating. Brain activity is usually measured by what is called electroencephalograms (EEGs). EEGs measure activity called gamma rays. Gamma rays are the way brains retrieve and recall memory. New studies show that after death there are increased gamma rays in the part of the brain that correlates with consciousness in the brain. (junction between the temporal,parietal,and occipital lobes in the back of brain). This is noteworthy because this area across the world is the place in the brain where people who think of God or who have religious or spiritual experiences have brain activity. The question posed here is why? The brain is dying for lack of oxygen to the brain. At the very least brain activity should have been inhibited. Why is there a sudden burst of gamma rays in this part of the brain? How long does it last? In monkeys it lasts for over four hours. we don't know in humans

Papers by a number of scholars including Kelly,Stevenson and Greyson (University of Virginia Medical School) list several consistent features of near death experience that indicate possible survival after death. They are :

• Enhanced mentation: The brain activity in the conscience area of brain when that part of the brain should be shut down.

• The experience and ability to see the physical body from another location in space.

• Perceptions of events that the patient could not have perceived or guessed normally.

• Encounter of near death person with deceased persons during the the near death experience.
  

There are a host of alternate explanations for the NDE experience. Among those most credible are the studies at the University of Virginia Medical School. According to these studies a person's conscious mind can actually leave a person's physical body. As far as their studies go there are several common characteristics. They include; a perception of seeing and hearing apart from body,passing through a tunnel,encountering a mystical light, intense and generally positive emotions,a review of part or all of their life experiences, encountering deceased loved ones,and a choice to return to their early life.

Dr. Bruce Greyson, a past chair of the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies, concludes; there are alternates explanations to NDEs visions, but there are too many stories with unexplained details for the NDE experience to be nothing.

Brain Facts:

• Near death experiences are reported by about 17% of those who nearly die. Retrospective studies have estimated that between 43 and 48% of adults, and 85% of children who have been affected by life-threatening illnesses may have experienced the NDE phenomenon (Ring, 1980; Sabom, 1982; Morse, 2013).Apr 20, 2023

• In a study of 89 case reports 92% were considered completely accurate recollections with no inaccuracy whatsoever when the out of body observations were later investigated. (The high percentage of out-of- body observations during near-death experiences does not seem to be explainable by any possible brain function that is currently known.)

• In the U.S., an estimated nine million people have reported a NDE according to a 2011 study in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

• The occurrence of these experiences leads to positive consequences in some NDErs such as a more altruistic life, higher spiritual growth, having interest in the meaning of life, fewer materialistic values, or a reduction in the fear of death (Noyes, 1980; Groth-Marnat and Summers, 1998; Knoblauch et al., 2001

• .According to a new study, (Nov.7, 2023), people who go into cardiac arrest, near-death experiences are more common, with nearly 40% reporting vivid recollections of their brush with death.

• Dr. Jeffrey Long, (the founder and head of the Near Death Experience Research Foundation) proposes what he calls lines of evidence to support the reality of reports of NDE experiences. They are:

  • Considering NDEs from both a medical perspective and logically, it should not be possible for unconscious people to report highly lucid experiences that are clear and logically structured.

  • The high percentage of accurate out-of-body observations during near-death experiences does not seem explainable by any possible physical brain function as it is currently known.

  • People who are blind even from birth describe their ability to have detailed super vision in the experience. They describe in detail what is going on around them.

  • Under general anesthesia it should not be possible to have a lucid organized memory. Research interviews of people where under, yet had near death experiences, explain that they remember and even experience more consciousness and alertness than normal.

  • Some people who endure near death experiences see there life fold out before them. These people not only see their life as a third person experience, they also sense the feelings of persons they are encountering. The consistent accuracy of life reviews, including the awareness of long forgotten events and awareness of the thoughts and feelings of others in past interactions, suggests the reality of NDEs.

  • Encountering persons during the NDE experience usually involves someone who has past. Only 4% report encountering a live person. This is an indication the recollection coming from the brain comes from deep in the brain. Normal dreams and hallucinations normally come from the recent memory part of brain.

  • If near death experiences were influenced by pre-existing cultural or religious beliefs you would expect difference in NDE experiences. It does not happen. Indicating that something else is happening here.
    

So What :

It is so interesting that the near death experience results in a better life for people. Most all surveyed say that. Quoting from the time publication: Bruce Greyson a top researcher into near death experience indicates."Most of the lessons from NDEs are things that have been taught by all our major religions" he also says. "That death is not to be feared. That life doesn't end at death. That there's meaning and purpose to life. That love is more important than material possessions."

As a side note; It is interesting that religious principles appear all over the NDE experience and brain science. NDEs come from the same area as religion in the brain and that is deep within the brain.

I have only known one person who has related a NDE to me. It was a friend who was a priest. Father was deathly ill and his heart was stopped for some time. Father's experience with a NDE was similar to all of them in the light at the end of a tunnel, the warmth of feeling and not wanting to come back. Father, though, had a twist. In his experience, as he was moving upward toward the light demons where pressing for him. Yes demons. Obviously that was scary. But as he continued on the demons faded away. What does that mean!!! Why would father see demons? Father passed away a few years ago. I wonder if he had the same experience again. Why would a man of God go through this experience? No answer here. Father told me once we weren't destined to know everything.