ER Doctor: Paranormal Experience

Near-Death Experiences are intensely vivid and often life-transforming experiences, many of which occur under extreme physiological conditions such as trauma, ceasing of brain activity, deep general anesthesia or cardiac arrest in which no awareness or sensory experiences of any kind should be possible according to the prevailing views in neuroscience.

A near-death experience, or NDE, is a common pattern of events that many people experience when they are experiencing intense threat, are seriously ill or come close to death.

Although NDEs vary from one person to another, they often include such features as the following:

feeling very comfortable and free of pain
a sensation of leaving the body, sometimes being able to see the physical body while floating above it
the mind functioning more clearly and more rapidly than usual
a sensation of being drawn into a tunnel or darkness
a brilliant light, sometimes at the end of the tunnel
a sense of overwhelming peace, well-being, or absolute, unconditional love
a sense of having access to unlimited knowledge
a “life review,” or recall of important events in the past
a preview of future events yet to come
encounters with deceased loved ones, or with other beings that may be identified as religious figures
While these features are commonly reported, many NDEs differ from this pattern and include other elements. For example, some near-death experiences may be frightening or distressing rather than peaceful. We are interested in hearing about all kinds of near-death and similar experiences, and in studying their effect upon persons who have them.