Near-Death Experiences: 30 Years of Research - A neurosurgeon’s perspective

The Epoch Times ^ | October 16, 2011 | Stephanie Lam

[NYer]

Eben Alexander talked during the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) conference about his near-death experience and his interpretation of the phenomenon. (Stephanie Lam/The Epoch Times)

[NYer]

In the Nicene Creed, we pray:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

Fopr many scientists, it is too difficult to make that leap of faith.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

It depends how one’s brain is wired.

[FlingWingFlyer]

"There is an element of our consciousness that is not dependent on the brain and that is what was set free, for me, and went on that journey.”

I agree.

[HangnJudge]

I’ve met ~25 people who have had Lazarus Syndromes

Two things are common between them

They are much more at peace with themselves and
They are NEVER afraid of dying again

[Marie]

In 1970 my mother died for 20 minutes.

Her experience is just as real for her today as it was on the day that it happened.

No longer was she running on faith. Now she *knows*.

She does not fear death or grieve the dead. (She misses them, but doesn’t grieve them. She know they’re alright.)

[Kipp]

There's a guy who had a head injury diving into the shallow end of the pool. He was a drug salesman. He had no musical training. After his injury, he could sit down at a piano and play music. He says he sees shapes flowing across his field of vision that is the music. The show Ingenious Minds did an episode on him: Derek Amato is one of the world's only acquired savants after a brain injury left him with the amazing ability to play piano, an instrument he had never played before. But now the music never stops and he sees it constantly streaming in front of his eyes. That sounds very much like what the doctor described.

[RnMomof7]

If this man is not a believer in Christ then his experience was not heaven..

[WilliamofCarmichael]

All matter reduces to electromagnetic waves. May not be the correct and current term but waves nonetheless.

We are electromagnetic waves. Holograms some say. Characters in our Creator's video game, I say.

Right now some little punk in a video arcade somewhere beyond our imagination has unleashed Islamists (political Islam, sharia law advocates) on us. I just hope he's not very skilled. . . .

Besides if there is no life after death none of us will ever know it. Why does it matter except to make us behave just in case?

[oldbrowser]

There is an element of our consciousness that is not dependent on the brain and that is what was set free, for me, and went on that journey.”

Some people think that the body has a soul.
Others think that the soul has a body.
If you believe the latter, then NDE are much more understandable.

[Melian]

Thank you for that post. My dad died recently and he was very afraid. He refused to face it. I’ve been so sad about it and so upset that he approached it with fear. I hope, in those last moments, he felt the wonder and peace you describe and that this writer felt.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Christ? How about God the parent of us all and creator of the universe?

[farmguy]

If this man is not a believer in Christ

What does that mean exactly?

[Revolting cat!]

Let’s be a bit more specific. So, are we saying that in these NDE experiences (of redundancy) the soul left the earthly carcass, went to party on with the angels and their heavenly music (Yanni, John Tesh, Kenny G?) and then returned to the body and related the story to the physical brain?

[Gadsden1st]

I just watched a movie on cable called “DMT, Spirit Molecule” that explores this issue. I understand some Doctors are giving their late stage Cancer patients the drug Psilocybin to aid in their anxiety. Johns Hopkins is conducting a study: http://www.bpru.org/cancer-studies/

[goat granny]

I remember about 30 years back there was a guy that had a severe accident and was in coma for a while...when he came out of the coma, he was psychic to a large degree and could tell people things about themselves...he didn't have that ability before the accident and brain injury that he received...I don't believe in the so called psychics but he was very good and attributed his ability to brain injury and some parts of his brain were different after the accident...he was the only one I ever found credible in that area and I don't remember his name...The brain is an incredible organ, much can go wrong with it but we are capable of things we cannot ever know we are capable of. Such as someone lifting a car off a person, or I saw one film of a guy picking up a helicopter off a person trapped in the thing after it crashed...it was a news helicopter, not a big army one. But adrenalin can give you super human strength in some circumstances....Its all very interesting to contemplate....

[behzinlea]

They are much more at peace with themselves and They are NEVER afraid of dying again

My uncle was that way. Suffered a stroke that left him crippled and unable to speak clearly for the final 11 years of his life. But he had an extraordinary experience when they thought he was dead, and it left him completely unafraid of death. He spent the last 11 years of his life wishing the day of his death would hasten so he could back to wherever it was he went.

[240B]

They indicate that consciousness is crucial in the determination of physical reality,” Alexander said.

---

Cogito ergo sum

Wow, he just ‘discovered’ Descart

[Krankor]

Those “walking towards the bright light” phenomenon are going to end once the incandescent bulb ban takes effect. Heck, so are “good idea” bubbles.

[goat granny]

Didn’t Jesus say in His fathers house are many mansions. Perhaps not being a believer doesn’t mean you cannot go to other mansions that he created..Some NDE involved Jesus or ones sensing of God and light, some do not....Its a big universe....jmho others have had hellish experiences in NDE and it changed their lives...