NDE's are fascinating to me also. I'm very glad to see all the research on the subject and hope to see useful results in the near future.
One curious application is in transplants. If one of our brains was transplanted into the other, then who will wake up you or me?
I like your idea of not offering to be a test subject for ketamine. I recall reading that you have a daughter, so I imagine she wouldnt want you at risk --- however remote the risk or fascinating the endeavor.