Near-death experience  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -
View original article  Jump to: navigation, search  A near-death
experience (NDE) refers to a personal experience associated with
impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations
including detachment from the body, feelings of levitation,
total serenity, security, warmth, the experience of absolute
dissolution, and the presence of a light. These phenomena are
usually reported after an individual has been pronounced
clinically dead or has been very close to death. With recent
developments in cardiac resuscitation techniques, the number of
reported NDEs has increased.  Popular interest in near-death
experiences was initially sparked by Raymond Moody's 1975 book
Life After Life[1] and the founding of the International
Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) in 1981.[2] According
to a Gallup poll, approximately eight million Americans claim to
have had a near-death experience.[3] Some commentators, such as
Simpson,[4] claim that the numbe