Near Death Experiences

[Atlas]

I want a community focus on this common phenomenon.

What do you feel is the explanation of many people claiming experiences of floating above their bodies, surrounding areas and phenomenon, and hearing it as well; while being clinically dead? What's the explanation for the common tunnel of light effect that's experienced shortly after an out-of-body experience?

Some say it's the dying brain waves producing hallucinations but why would the hallucinations be so common and consistent?

[majorddf]

This was my accepted explanation for NDE:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php

In a nutshell, when in a near death state parts of the brain usually only active when sleeping in a dream state are activated, creating a blurred dream/reality state.

[Atlas]

This was my accepted explanation for NDE:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41428.php

In a nutshell, when in a near death state parts of the brain usually only active when sleeping in a dream state are activated, creating a blurred dream/reality state.

Dreams aren't usually consistent since they rely on the subconscious and memories. Why are these so consistent in a specific scenario (death)?

[JoelKatz]

Dreams aren't usually consistent since they rely on the subconscious and memories. Why are these so consistent in a specific scenario (death)?

It doesn't seem that unusual that the same physiological conditions would cause the same hallucinations. However, one very common factor in the descriptions of near death experiences is that the people who have them say they are unable to describe them. So this makes the commonality of the rest of the description suspect. They're often of the form, "I can't really describe it but it was kind of like ..." and then you get a textbook description. They also seem very similar to descriptions from people who took LSD.

[Atlas]

http://near-death.com/experiences/paranormal12.html

Ketamine.

[hashman]

What's the big deal man, you don't know anyone who died?
I know several people who died and every time it happens guess what: life goes on.  Look around.
What makes you think it will be different for you? 

[Akka]

Near death experience. Only one way to find out. 

Who volunteers?

And why is this in Politics & Society? Atlas by the huge amount of threads you create you should now that 99.9% of them belong into off-topic.

If you are not sure you are always save by just posting them there.

[DannyHamilton]

It is a combination of suggestion (People's experience being influenced by the stories they've heard in the past and the general experience they expect to have) and selective sampling (The stories that get repeated are the ones that are similar to the expected story, those that vary tend to be disregarded and not repeated).

I only personally know 2 people who were told that during surgery they had to be revived after cessation of heartbeat and breathing.  In neither case does their experience resemble the traditional Near Death Experience.  So, given my personal sample set, I'd say that 100% of Near Death Experiences are absolutely nothing like the Fairy Tale that is often repeated in movies and television shows.

[dancupid]

I want a community focus on this common phenomenon.

What do you feel is the explanation of many people claiming experiences of floating above their bodies, surrounding areas and phenomenon, and hearing it as well; while being clinically dead? What's the explanation for the common tunnel of light effect that's experienced shortly after an out-of-body experience?

Some say it's the dying brain waves producing hallucinations but why would the hallucinations be so common and consistent?

It's very easy to train yourself to experience the same sort of thing. Lucid dreaming or astral projection.
I've done it for many years - lucid dreaming (being conscious within the dream) is very easy. Just wake up at 4 in the morning - stay up for an hour, wander around, have a smoke or a cup of tea and then go back to bed, and then as you drift off to sleep remind yourself to remain conscious as you dream (try to look out at the blackness beyond your closed eyelids, as if it were a black empty space, as you fall asleep again).
It works about 70% of the time (there is real research that produced the same results) - once you are conscious within the dream you will feel like you are about to wake up every few minutes - so you need to look at your hands within the dream to stay in the lucid state (not sure why it works but it does).
Astral projection requires the same state, but you actively attempt to move you bodily perception into an imagined body floating outside of your actual body. It takes a lot of effort and practice to achieve this. But ultimately if you do it, you realize that you are just dreaming with a modicum of consciousness. The experience is real, but it is also as forgettable as a dream.
I suspect the people who experience this out of body state are just dreaming in the same way. My experience of this state suggests that it is not actually real - it's just a form of dreaming with some consciousness still present.

[Akka]

I want a community focus on this common phenomenon.

What do you feel is the explanation of many people claiming experiences of floating above their bodies, surrounding areas and phenomenon, and hearing it as well; while being clinically dead? What's the explanation for the common tunnel of light effect that's experienced shortly after an out-of-body experience?

Some say it's the dying brain waves producing hallucinations but why would the hallucinations be so common and consistent?

It's very easy to train yourself to experience the same sort of thing. Lucid dreaming or astral projection.
I've done it for many years - lucid dreaming (being conscious within the dream) is very easy. Just wake up at 4 in the morning - stay up for an hour, wander around, have a smoke or a cup of tea and then go back to bed, and then as you drift off to sleep remind yourself to remain conscious as you dream (try to look out at the blackness beyond your closed eyelids, as if it were a black empty space, as you fall asleep again).
It works about 70% of the time (there is real research that produced the same results) - once you are conscious within the dream you will feel like you are about to wake up every few minutes - so you need to look at your hands within the dream to stay in the lucid state (not sure why it works but it does).
Astral projection requires the same state, but you actively attempt to move you bodily perception into an imagined body floating outside of your actual body. It takes a lot of effort and practice to achieve this. But ultimately if you do it, you realize that you are just dreaming with a modicum of consciousness. The experience is real, but it is also as forgettable as a dream.
I suspect the people who experience this out of body state are just dreaming in the same way. My experience of this state suggests that it is not actually real - it's just a form of dreaming with some consciousness still present.

I don't belief in things like astral projections, there is absolutely no evidence backing this. Most people where probably just hallucinating.

As for lucid dreaming, that really works and is so awesome. Most people remember from their childhood that they where dreaming and somehow know they where dreaming and that just what it is. You can really train it, for me I'm not good at it and only got it working a couple of times.

[dancupid]

I want a community focus on this common phenomenon.

What do you feel is the explanation of many people claiming experiences of floating above their bodies, surrounding areas and phenomenon, and hearing it as well; while being clinically dead? What's the explanation for the common tunnel of light effect that's experienced shortly after an out-of-body experience?

Some say it's the dying brain waves producing hallucinations but why would the hallucinations be so common and consistent?

It's very easy to train yourself to experience the same sort of thing. Lucid dreaming or astral projection.
I've done it for many years - lucid dreaming (being conscious within the dream) is very easy. Just wake up at 4 in the morning - stay up for an hour, wander around, have a smoke or a cup of tea and then go back to bed, and then as you drift off to sleep remind yourself to remain conscious as you dream (try to look out at the blackness beyond your closed eyelids, as if it were a black empty space, as you fall asleep again).
It works about 70% of the time (there is real research that produced the same results) - once you are conscious within the dream you will feel like you are about to wake up every few minutes - so you need to look at your hands within the dream to stay in the lucid state (not sure why it works but it does).
Astral projection requires the same state, but you actively attempt to move you bodily perception into an imagined body floating outside of your actual body. It takes a lot of effort and practice to achieve this. But ultimately if you do it, you realize that you are just dreaming with a modicum of consciousness. The experience is real, but it is also as forgettable as a dream.
I suspect the people who experience this out of body state are just dreaming in the same way. My experience of this state suggests that it is not actually real - it's just a form of dreaming with some consciousness still present.

I don't belief in things like astral projections, there is absolutely no evidence backing this. Most people where probably just hallucinating.

As for lucid dreaming, that really works and is so awesome. Most people remember from their childhood that they where dreaming and somehow know they where dreaming and that just what it is. You can really train it, for me I'm not good at it and only got it working a couple of times.

Astral projection is just lucid dreaming but within the context of the position you are in - ie you are forcing the dream to conform to the space you are sleeping in. Of course it's not real - it's just a lucid dream.

[conspirosphere.tk]

I think I am having one now, due to most of my coins vanished in the air with GLBSE.
edit: but that's fine, since they were my pension fund, so now I don't have to worry about old age.

[asdf]

DMT is released in the brain. NDE is just a DMT trip.

[Come-from-Beyond]

It's very easy to train yourself to experience the same sort of thing.

Not really easy. Fear of the unknown makes to interrupt such a state.

[dancupid]

It's very easy to train yourself to experience the same sort of thing.

Not really easy. Fear of the unknown makes to interrupt such a state.

It really is very easy - try it over a week and you should achieve it 4 or 5 times (after which you'll get bored).
The first time I achieved it I just looked at blades of grass and flowers and was amazed - after that I got used to it and realized I was in a pointless virtual world where I could do anything I wanted. It was boring.
I rarely try it these days.

[Come-from-Beyond]

It really is very easy - try it over a week and you should achieve it 4 or 5 times (after which you'll get bored).

Perhaps we are talking about different phenomena. Or u just more brave than me.

[dank]

Death is ego death and rebirth of your spirit, into the universe.

[nlovlyn]

Death is ego death and rebirth of your spirit, into the universe.

This be true, mateyyyy