Death and the Near-Death Experience 

Out-of-Body woman.

Near-death experiencers unanimously report losing their fear of death upon return. Many actually look forward to their own death, a time when they can return to the beautiful realm they experienced. The NDE changes people's ideas of death forever. This is true even for many people who only read about the NDE. Some experiencers were not even aware they died at the time of their NDE. This demonstrates how insignificant death is really is. It reveals that death is only a very brief transition from the physical to the spiritual - like walking through a door. It has also been described by some experiencers to be similar to the process of waking up from a dream the dream being the physical world. 

 Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. When is death really death?
3. The classifications of death
4. Perhaps the best case of a person surviving death
6. Common aspects found in NDEs
7. Unusual facts about NDEs
8. NDE researchers' comment on the NDE
9. Near-death experiencers comment on death
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 1. Introduction

One unanimous aspect involving people who have NDEs is that they know absolutely there is life after death. They no longer believe in an afterlife. They know there is an afterlife. The idea that near-death accounts provide this knowledge has nothing to do with faith. Faith implies the possibility of doubt. Knowledge implies certainty. NDEs are based on solid knowledge and facts - not faith. If a million astronauts go to Mars and return to Earth saying that there's Martians living there, it is then that I would know for sure that there's Martians living on Mars. In the same way, millions of people have returned from death saying that there is life after death. Can millions of people experiencing the same thing all be wrong? Isn't it easier to believe they are right? For this reason, the only rational conclusion is that there is life after death. Faith and skepticism then becomes irrational.

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 2. When is death really death?
The term "near-death" is a misnomer because the evidence suggests that people actually journey beyond death during near-death experiences. Philosophically, to say that such experiences are "near-death" is like saying a woman is "near-pregnant." Either a woman is pregnant or they are not. Philosophically, it would seem that a person is either dead or they aren't.

The medical definition of "death" has been debated for centuries depending on the culture, social conditions, and the role of the medical profession. The newest definition (i.e., "brain death") may not yet be adequate for encompassing all of death's meanings. There is no consensus within the scientific community concerning when conscious life begins. In the same way, there is no consensus within the scientific community concerning when physical life ends. Determining the precise time of death is, in fact, medically and scientifically impossible according to cardiologist
Dr. Michael Sabom who states, It used to be thought that the point of death was a single moment in time. But it is now thought that death is a process, not a single moment.

But because doctors need something to go by, they have come up with various legal and social definitions over the years for the sake of finality. Here are the terms we're most familiar with:
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 3. The classifications of death

The Classifications of Death




Clinical Death: The patient's breathing and heartbeat stops but they might still be able to be resuscitated with CPR or other means, depending on why the vital signs ceased and under what conditions it occurred




Higher Brain Death: The brain stem still functions, keeping the heart, lungs and digestive system working, but the sensing, thinking part of the brain has shut down. When such a "person" is dead, the body might still be functioning. But for all practical intents and purposes, there is no ethical reason to keep the body alive.






Metaphysical Death: This occurs when the silver cord breaks during an NDE. The silver cord is the "umbilical" which connects the physical body to the spirit body. Once this cord is broken, returning to the physical body is impossible.


Whichever definition science ultimately agrees on will influence how people are treated in hospitals, how people get organs for transplant, whether women have abortions, and when doctors perform stem-cell research - not to mention the implications within religious, philosophical and metaphysical circles.

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 4. Perhaps the best case of a person surviving death

Pam Reynolds photo. Pam Reynolds met all the criteria for surviving whole brain death. While in this state, she experienced an extraordinary NDE. Because her death was not final, it cannot be said that she survived "biological" death. However, her case provides an excellent example of how there is nothing "near" about the so-called "near-death" experience.

Pam's extraordinary NDE occurred while undergoing a rare surgical procedure to remove a brain
aneurysm. The procedure required her to be:

1. Put unconscious using an anesthetic.
2. Her body temperature lowered to 60 degrees.
3. Her heart and breathing stopped.
4. Her brain waves allowed to flatten
5. The blood drained from her head.


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Some skeptics claim NDEs are not real afterlife experiences because they are not identical. On the other hand, other skeptics claim NDEs are not real afterlife experiences because they are "hard-wired" in the brain which explains the similarities. Which is true? In my opinion, neither. Here is why:

1. No Experience on Earth is Exactly Identical:
Think of the near-death experience as you would any Earth experience. Everyone's perspective is unique from everyone else. Yet, there are similarities to Earthly experiences. People go to work, go to school, live in homes, have sex, eat, sleep, practice religion, travel, visit family and friends, etc. Despite these similarities, no two Earth experiences are identical.

No Near-Death Experience is Exactly Identical:

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 6. Common aspects found in NDEs

Within a number of NDEs a pattern becomes evident. This pattern can be found in children's NDEs as well. The pattern (and any single experience) includes one or more of these things:

1. Feeling that the "self" has left the body and is hovering overhead. Sometimes a "silver cord" is seen connected to the body. Sometimes the person may later be able to describe who was where and what happened, sometimes in detail. Some people who were born blind can see while out of their body.
3. Experiencing intensely powerful emotions, ranging from bliss to terror. Sometimes heavenly music is heard.
5. Receiving some variant of the message, "It is not yet your time" from a heavenly being by means of mental telepathy.
6. Meeting others; may be deceased loved ones, recognized from life or not; sacred beings; pets; guides; angels; orbs; unidentified entities and/or "Beings of Light"; sometimes symbols from one's own or other religious traditions.
7. A life review, seeing and re-experiencing major and trivial events of one's life, sometimes from the perspective of the other people involved, and coming to some conclusion about the adequacy of that life and what changes are needed.
8. Having a sense of understanding everything, of knowing how the universe works.
10. In some cases, entering a city or library or receiving station.
11. Rarely, receiving previously unknown information about one's life – i.e., adoption or hidden parentage, deceased siblings. Some bring back scientific discoveries. Some bring back knowledge concerning the future. Some bring back knowledge of past lives. Some bring back information concerning astrology.
12. Decision to return may be voluntary or involuntary. If voluntary, it usually associated with unfinished responsibilities.
14. Some interesting facts concerning NDEs are: A group of people can die together and share the same NDE. Some NDEs have occurred when the brain is verified to be dead. NDEs have been occurring for thousands of years. They happen to people of all backgrounds (see below).
15. Most near-death experiences are pleasant, but others are deeply frightening. For additional information about frightening near-death experiences, contact IANDS (International Association for Near-Death Studies) for a special publication.
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 7. Unusual facts about NDEs
1. Many Hollywood stars have reported experiencing an NDE.
2. A group of people can die together and share the same NDE.
3. A woman born blind was able to see during her NDE.
4. Many people see deceased pets in heaven and communicate with them telepathically.
5. One man in particular had thousands of NDEs.
6. A man observed events on Earth occurring hundreds of miles away from his body.
7. Infants and children have NDEs that are similar to adult NDEs.
8. Scientific discoveries are brought back from NDEs.
8. One man was dead for three days and returned to life.
10. A man traveled back into time and lived in the past.
11. Some people discover reincarnation during an NDE.
12. One woman had an NDE due to a sexual orgasm.
13. One woman saw all three of her bodies: physical, soul, spirit.
14. A woman saw her children's' future.
15. One woman met a man during her NDE who was her future son yet unborn.
16. A woman saw her baby in heaven during her NDE - a baby that was previously miscarried.
17. A woman saw the "Angel of Death" during her NDE.
18. One particular child saw an angel turn into a mermaid during her NDE.
21. NDEs happen to people of all backgrounds:
Accountants Business people Fighter pilots Jewish people Pastors
Africans Catholics French Medieval people Policemen
Alien abductees Children Gays/Lesbians Meditators Professors
Apostles Christians Geologists Mentally ill Psychics
Atheists Comatose Germans Movie stars Psychologists
Australians Doctors Greek Musicians Russians
Blind people Dreamers Group of firefighters Muslims Soldiers
British Drug users Hindu Native Americans Suicides
Buddhists Epileptics Housewives Nurses  
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 8. NDE researchers' comment on the NDE

Multi-colored icon.   "One of the near-death experience truths is that each person integrates their near-death experience into their own pre-existing belief system." (Jody Long)

Multi-colored icon.   "There are so many different descriptions of NDEs because there are so many different perceptions, perspectives, beliefs, biases, backgrounds, and afterlife realms to fit them." (Kevin Williams)

Multi-colored icon.   "Childhood NDEs are similar to adult NDEs." (P.M.H. Atwater)

Multi-colored icon.   People born blind have NDEs which are similar to sighted people. However, people born blind see for the first time in their lives during their NDEs. But they do not retain their sight when they return to their bodies. (Dr. Kenneth Ring)

Multi-colored icon.   "Our life on Earth can be thought of as one channel on a radio. At death, it is as if someone spins the dial on the radio to a different channel. The previous channel is still there, but we are now experiencing a different channel. That is all death is - a change to another channel. We go to that particular channel where our speed of vibration fits a particular channel on the radio dial." (P.M.H. Atwater)

Multi-colored icon.   "There exists a point of no return during the NDE and once this barrier is crossed, returning to our body is impossible." (Dr. Kenneth Ring)

Multi-colored icon.   "All physical and mental handicaps are corrected immediately after death." (Dr. Kenneth Ring)

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 9. Near-death experiencers comment on death

Multi-colored icon.   "If I lived a billion years more, in my body or yours, there's not a single experience on Earth that could ever be as good as being dead. Nothing." (Dr. Dianne Morrissey)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death makes us more alive. We are more dead now while alive on Earth than we are when we are physically dead." (P.M.H. Atwater)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death is just a body problem." (Chuck Griswold)

Multi-colored icon.   "Life does not end when we die. Death is a rebirth into a spirit world of light and love, a transition from the physical to the spiritual that is no more frightening or painful than passing between rooms through an open doorway. It is a joyful homecoming to our natural home." (Betty Eadie)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death means losing your physical body. Nothing else is lost." (P.M.H. Atwater)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death is leaving your physical body and facing God. We then become pure Mind. Our minds become naked in that our thoughts are there for all to understand perfectly." (Dr. George Ritchie)

Multi-colored icon.   "Birth is a sleep and a forgetting. Death is an awakening and a remembering." (Josiane Antonette)

Multi-colored icon.   "Birth in the physical is death in the spiritual. Death in the physical is the birth in the spiritual." (Edgar Cayce)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death is a process similar to waking up from a dream." (John Star)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death is like falling asleep or like waking up. We leave one state of consciousness and enter another." (Joni Maggi)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death means dying to the physical world. It also means being born into the spirit world.  When we are born into this physical world, we fall asleep and forget who we really are. When we are born into the spirit world, we awaken and remember who we really are." (Edgar Cayce)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death is actually a rebirth into a greater life of understanding and knowledge that stretches forward and backward in time." (John Star)

Multi-colored icon.   "Life and death are one, and only those who will consider the experience as one may come to understand or comprehend what peace indeed means." (Edgar Cayce)

Multi-colored icon.   "The memory of an NDE is more real than the memory of what one did yesterday." (Dr. Rene Turner)

Multi-colored icon.   "I knew with total certainty that everything was evolving exactly the way it should and that the ultimate destiny for every living being is to return to the Source, the Light, Pure Love." (Juliet Nightingale)

Multi-colored icon.   "Immediately after death, the connection to our humanity begins to wear off and an experience of being light as air, extremely happy and in love begins to happen." (Karen Schaeffer)

Multi-colored icon.   "The Being of Light can be called Jesus, Buddha, Yahweh, the Great Spirit, our Higher Self, etc. which can be a feedback of our own religious perspective. The name of the Light Being does not matter.  Only the recognition of absolute love and truth is important." (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

Multi-colored icon.   "In the light of God, there are no opinions, conclusions or beliefs - only being. It is being in a state of total harmonic perfection." (John Star)

Multi-colored icon.   "From the light we come to Earth and to the light we will return." (Josiane Antonette)

Multi-colored icon.   "The only thing we take with us at death is the love we have given away while on Earth." (Laurelynn Martin)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death means breaking through the barrier of space and time." (Beverly Brodsky)

Multi-colored icon.   "Our senses and our sense of awareness are tremendously greater when we are outside of our physical body." (Thomas Sawyer)

Multi-colored icon.   "The last to be overcome is death, and the knowledge of life is the knowledge of death." (Edgar Cayce)

Multi-colored icon.   "You grow to heaven. You don't go to heaven." (Edgar Cayce)

Multi-colored icon.   "Time stops when we die. Past, present and future become the eternal now." (Dr. Gerard Landry)

Multi-colored icon.   "When children die, they are not children after death. They appear to be as they would in the prime of their life." (Ruth Montgomery)

Multi-colored icon.   "There is nothing worth worrying about - not even death." (Joni Maggi)

Multi-colored icon.   "Getting back into your body from an NDE is like jumping into a swimming pool." (Pam Reynolds)

Multi-colored icon.   "Death is one of the most important lessons that must be learned by those who are affected by it." (Karen Schaeffer)

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"Death is just a body problem." - Chuck Griswold

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