Quote:
Originally Posted by Lune
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However, I've found what I believe to be some evidence for some form of existence beyond this dimension in the scholarly study of near death experiences. While the field and the discussion on this topic are rife with hucksters and Christians, I have a doctorate and am good at parsing the quality of evidence, and there is nonetheless some intriguing evidence that people who have a near death experience (NDE) are experiencing something unique and profound. Here are the highlights:
1. Near death experiences are similar across cultures. People tend to report roughly the same basic phenomena, with different individualistic interpretations (such as Christians reporting seeing angels or Jesus, Hindu's seeing the messenger of the Gods, and atheists seeing an "entity" or "force". This archetypal near death experience is also seen in writings dating as far back as thousands of years.
2. Common features of an NDE include the sensation of traveling through a tunnel towards light, extremely intense and typically positive emotions, meeting deceased loved ones, perceiving a 'border' or 'threshold' between life and death, and having an out of body experience in which the person perceives their surroundings. NDE's may have all, some, or none of these features, but these are by far the most common. Panoramic life-review, or "life flashing before your eyes", is also common, with a sensation of increased acuity or resolution, with people reporting the ability to experience the memories of their life, all at once, in great detail that far exceeds their normal memory.
3. NDE's matching this archetype have been experienced by children, the blind, atheists, etc, who all overwhelmingly report the experience to be immensely positive, significantly lessening their fear of death and often having positive effects on their outlook for the remainder of their lives. Interestingly, even the congenitally blind have reported the tunnel of light and other visual phenomena with individual corroboration by researchers.
4. Studies have examined chemical and electrical (EEG) hallmarks of memory formation in the hippocampus and elsewhere and compared it to known configurations associated with both real memories and memories associated with dreams, hallucinations, and abstract experiences, and found that NDE's bear all the hallmarks of a real memory of an experience rather than a hallucination.
TL;DR: Lune learns about near death experiences and begins to think there's a warm, euphoric light waiting for him when he dies.
So... anyone ever had or known someone who has had a near death experience? What do you think happens?
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To add a bit to this thread as I do stuff between long spawns and work, have you watched this small series on NDEs and life after death and other death related experiences on Netflix?
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This small series has some AMAZING chapters ... some are plain bad, but the 1st one, the one with the MD that has dedicated his life to interview elderly people dying and the one with the guy at a University that studies children that still have previous lives memories are simply the best.
Please watch it
These are the chapters you have to watch, the others are not worth it. 1 , 4, 5 and 6.
1. Near-Death Experiences
51m
A doctor is found lifeless after going over a waterfall. Now she and others share their near-death experiences. Does consciousness expand after death?
4. Signs from the Dead
49m
A bird, a dancing light or a caress: Signs and messages from the dead happen all the time, mediums say. So the grieving look for ways to communicate.
I add this on my small movie and show list to watch to newcomers to the group.
5. Seeing Dead People
53m
Can consciousness survive a body's demise? An investigator records eerie sounds at a historic spot, and a doctor discusses encounters with the dying.
6. Reincarnation
52m
Vivid details and unshakable confidence — from a 5-year-old. A child psychiatrist studies cases of past-life memories, which occur around the world.
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These are very good, straightforward and easy to digest. Like a very brief 101 on NDEs and what might lie beyond.
I enjoyed it on my first watch.