Near Death Experience

[dospirit]

Hello everyone,

A few years back, I was in a hypoglycemic coma, and it was like I was having an out-of-body thing. I could see myself from up above, just floating there looking down. Then, all of a sudden, I was somewhere that looked just like the Swiss Alps or Northern Scandinavia. The whole experience was really peaceful until I got pulled back into my body. Interestingly, I could see my three cats had passed away years prior to that experience on "the other side." I spent a lot of time after thinking about what happened and questioning if I was losing it.

Since then, I've watched tons of videos on YouTube about what other people go through when they have a near-death experience. A lot of them talk about meeting Jesus, God, or some other spiritual figure. That wasn't my experience, though. I'm not a religious person, my whole family is atheist actually. But I've always felt there's more to it all, somehow. Anyone else have a similar kind of experience? What do you think about NDE?

 

[George-ananda]

I lost consciousness once from blood loss and experienced that after the initial nauseous agony I flipped into an experience of the greatest peaceful bliss.

I have spent decades interested in Near Death Experiences and all things spiritual/paranormal. I have come to be certain that we are more than a physical body but also an astral/soul body that separates at times of death-like trauma. Being an atheist or not is really unimportant at that point.

 

[dospirit]

I lost consciousness once from blood loss and experienced that after the initial nauseous agony I flipped into an experience of the greatest peaceful bliss.

I have spent decades interested in Near Death Experiences and all things spiritual/paranormal. I have come to be certain that we are more than a physical body but also an astral/soul body that separates at times of death-like trauma. Being an atheist or not is really unimportant at that point.

I appreciate you opening up about your experience. That's exactly how I see it, too. Only a handful of people know what I went through, and a couple of the religious people said atheists don't go to heaven. But just as you said, the other side seemed like such a calm, peaceful place..or heaven..and I'm not at all shocked that lots of people who experienced NDE say they didn't want to come back here to deal with pain again.

I also remember that the time seemed just to stop when I was there. One minute, I was at the bottom looking at the top of the mountain, thinking I want go up there. The next thing I knew, I was standing at the top. It really made me realize how powerful our thoughts can be..

 

[Audie]

I was in the hospital

Hello everyone,

A few years back, I was in a hypoglycemic coma, and it was like I was having an out-of-body thing. I could see myself from up above, just floating there looking down. Then, all of a sudden, I was somewhere that looked just like the Swiss Alps or Northern Scandinavia. The whole experience was really peaceful until I got pulled back into my body. Interestingly, I could see my three cats had passed away years prior to that experience on "the other side." I spent a lot of time after thinking about what happened and questioning if I was losing it.

Since then, I've watched tons of videos on YouTube about what other people go through when they have a near-death experience. A lot of them talk about meeting Jesus, God, or some other spiritual figure. That wasn't my experience, though. I'm not a religious person, my whole family is atheist actually. But I've always felt there's more to it all, somehow. Anyone else have a similar kind of experience? What do you think about NDE?

Not by any means to make light- of, but-

My own near - death event(s), ss with those
others have had, were quite far from funny.

However, and all...and take into account me
being small in stature ( I can get shoes
from kids' section )...
My out of body did not involve seeing Jesus,
instead it was Mohammrd Ali!
I sort of floated over to him and sat on
him, which forced him to the floor, as I was
so heavy.

I cannot say what religious / metapnysical
conclusion I might draw from that, nor
what Mr. Ali may have conclucrd about the
advisability of trying to comfort ill mannered
Asian girls.

 

[sun rise]

I was in the hospital

Not by any means to make light- of, but-

My own near - death event(s), ss with those
others have had, were quite far from funny.

However, and all...and take into account me
being small in stature ( I can get shoes
from kids' section )...
My out of body did not involve seeing Jesus,
instead it was Mohammrd Ali!
I sort of floated over to him and sat on
him, which forced him to the floor, as I was
so heavy.

I cannot say what religious / metapnysical
conclusion I might draw from that, nor
what Mr. Ali may have conclucrd about the
advisability of trying to comfort ill mannered
Asian girls.

Of course I don't have any idea but I'd speculate a sense-of-humor was involved.

 

[ChristineM]

I don't believe OOB experience, I've never had one despite suffering high stress and have been told i died on the operating table 4 times. However, i will related my fathers story..

...He was mugged, hit across the head with half a brick that broke his skull in several places, he was in a coma for over a month and died 3 times, each time revived by dedicated nursing staff and doctors

Each time he died the eeg showed an increase in brain activity for a few seconds just before all brain activity ceased, then there was no brain activity for a few moments until he was revived.

To this day he says the only reason he is here now is because god is a lousy poker player.

 

[dospirit]

I was in the hospital

Not by any means to make light- of, but-

My own near - death event(s), ss with those
others have had, were quite far from funny.

However, and all...and take into account me
being small in stature ( I can get shoes
from kids' section )...
My out of body did not involve seeing Jesus,
instead it was Mohammrd Ali!
I sort of floated over to him and sat on
him, which forced him to the floor, as I was
so heavy.

I cannot say what religious / metapnysical
conclusion I might draw from that, nor
what Mr. Ali may have conclucrd about the
advisability of trying to comfort ill mannered
Asian girls.

I'm confused and don't know what to say

 

[HonestJoe]

Please don't take any of this personally. I am not doubting or belittling you or your experience, I am just challenging some of the common assumptions about this kind of thing you've inevitably been influenced by.

What do you think about NDE?

I go in to a mild coma pretty much every night and sometimes have "near death experiences" as a result.

Seriously, I think there is literally zero basis to suggest such experiences are anything other than internal products of the brain, very much like dreams, in both cause and effect. Some people want to see them as validation for some sort of religious or supernatural ideas or beliefs, but there aren't even any solid hypotheses for any of those, let alone evidence supporting any specific one. And even without a religious background, I can understand your desire for there to be some form of more meaningful explanation for such an experience.

... I was somewhere that looked just like the Swiss Alps or Northern Scandinavia...

I appreciate you're not going to be able to answer this question (even if you think you can), but consider this; Did it actually look exactly like the Alps or Scandinavia (and note that it can't be both) or did it look how you'd imagine such places would look?

Also, did you record the details of your experience as soon as you regained consciousness or are you currently reporting your memory of a memory?

 

[Audie]

I'm confused and don't know what to say

It was a hallucinatory experience when
I was hospitalized in very serious condition.

As is typical with these NDE

 

[Twilight Hue]

Hello everyone,

A few years back, I was in a hypoglycemic coma, and it was like I was having an out-of-body thing. I could see myself from up above, just floating there looking down. Then, all of a sudden, I was somewhere that looked just like the Swiss Alps or Northern Scandinavia. The whole experience was really peaceful until I got pulled back into my body. Interestingly, I could see my three cats had passed away years prior to that experience on "the other side." I spent a lot of time after thinking about what happened and questioning if I was losing it.

Since then, I've watched tons of videos on YouTube about what other people go through when they have a near-death experience. A lot of them talk about meeting Jesus, God, or some other spiritual figure. That wasn't my experience, though. I'm not a religious person, my whole family is atheist actually. But I've always felt there's more to it all, somehow. Anyone else have a similar kind of experience? What do you think about NDE?

I would just stick with the science on the findings of NDEs and the relationship of the effects of deprivation involving the brain and those experiences as a result.

In the end I think distinguishing the lucid realms within one's mind , and the reality of the waking world would settle what near death experiences actually and really are.

There's no doubt mixing the two realms will effectively distort one's perception of reality making near death experiences much more than what it actually is.

I would say both realms are effectively real but only in its proper context by not mixing one in with the other, but rather noting how one thing triggers something else such as physical trauma leading to the experience and vice versa, where such experiences are lost once the physical body has been stabilized enough where a person returns to the waking world to find the mental realm they just experienced is to be no longer found.

 

[dospirit]

Please don't take any of this personally. I am not doubting or belittling you or your experience, I am just challenging some of the common assumptions about this kind of thing you've inevitably been influenced by.

I go in to a mild coma pretty much every night and sometimes have "near death experiences" as a result.

Seriously, I think there is literally zero basis to suggest such experiences are anything other than internal products of the brain, very much like dreams, in both cause and effect. Some people want to see them as validation for some sort of religious or supernatural ideas or beliefs, but there aren't even any solid hypotheses for any of those, let alone evidence supporting any specific one. And even without a religious background, I can understand your desire for there to be some form of more meaningful explanation for such an experience.

I appreciate you're not going to be able to answer this question (even if you think you can), but consider this; Did it actually look exactly like the Alps or Scandinavia (and note that it can't be both) or did it look how you'd imagine such places would look?

Also, did you record the details of your experience as soon as you regained consciousness or are you currently reporting your memory of a memory?

I agree with you. And it's possible that it was all just in my head, something like a dream. I don't think there's any way to totally prove that a near death experience is real. But it did feel different than a regular dream. Plus, it only happened when I was out during my coma.

I'm definitely interested in spiritual and paranormal things, but I always take everything with a grain of salt. It's just not something I can really talk to people about, though, so that's why I signed up on this forum - hoping to find others who've had similar experiences or are open-minded about this type of thing.

When I became conscious, I jotted down every detail fresh in my mind because I was stuck in the hospital for over 3 weeks. Writing it all down helped pass the time while I was recovering.

About those mountains I mentioned, I was just using them as examples to make a point. I've been to both the Swiss Alps and northern Norway before. Since the landscape was all green hills and mountains with snow on the peaks, it reminded me of those places.

 

[Marwan]

I take refuge with God, the Supreme and Glorious, from the accursed devil, and I bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except God.

Life after death is a fact. So are real hell dimensions. NDE points to it, so does many other things. Its actually possible to know that there is life after death. I do, but to explain how, I don't have the energy or time for that now, but its a certain fact.

So I ask and pray for forgiveness from God for my sins, and that He save me from the hellfire, and to protect me from the ugly and filthy devils and demons trying to take my soul to them.

 

[sun rise]

It was a hallucinatory experience when
I was hospitalized in very serious condition.

As is typical with these NDE

The difference is discussed in this NIH paper


With one exception, near-death experiences (NDEs) may be interpreted as unusual forms of hallucinations associated with the injured or dying brain. The exception involves perceptions described from vantage points outside the body that are later confirmed to be correct and could not have been inferred. Over a century of laboratory studies have investigated whether it is possible in principle for the mind to transcend the physical boundaries of the brain. The cumulative experimental database strongly indicates that it can. It is not clear that this implies the mind is separate from the brain, but it does suggest that a comprehensive explanation for NDEs will require revisions to present scientific assumptions about the brain-mind relationship.

Getting Comfortable With Near Death Experiences: Out of One’s Mind or Beyond the Brain? The Challenge of Interpreting Near-Death Experiences

With one exception, near-death experiences (NDEs) may be interpreted as unusual forms of hallucinations associated with the injured or dying brain. The exception involves perceptions described from vantage points outside the body that are later confirmed ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Audie]

The difference is discussed in this NIH paper


With one exception, near-death experiences (NDEs) may be interpreted as unusual forms of hallucinations associated with the injured or dying brain. The exception involves perceptions described from vantage points outside the body that are later confirmed to be correct and could not have been inferred. Over a century of laboratory studies have investigated whether it is possible in principle for the mind to transcend the physical boundaries of the brain. The cumulative experimental database strongly indicates that it can. It is not clear that this implies the mind is separate from the brain, but it does suggest that a comprehensive explanation for NDEs will require revisions to present scientific assumptions about the brain-mind relationship.

Getting Comfortable With Near Death Experiences: Out of One’s Mind or Beyond the Brain? The Challenge of Interpreting Near-Death Experiences

With one exception, near-death experiences (NDEs) may be interpreted as unusual forms of hallucinations associated with the injured or dying brain. The exception involves perceptions described from vantage points outside the body that are later confirmed ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I believe that is bs

 

[sun rise]

I believe that is bs

Fine. Then cite studies to refute the ones that led to that scientific paper. Or are you just using non-scientific belief to refute those studies? Science is about applying various scientific tools not personal belief.

 

[HonestJoe]

I agree with you. And it's possible that it was all just in my head, something like a dream. I don't think there's any way to totally prove that a near death experience is real. But it did feel different than a regular dream. Plus, it only happened when I was out during my coma.

What do you mean by "real" exactly? I mean, we know you were in a hospital bed, in a coma (and presumably medicated) and awoke with memories of some weird events. All of that is "real".

It wouldn't feel like a regular dream because a coma is not like regular sleep, though there are biological similarities. There is still literally zero reason to even suspect your memories came from anywhere other than the inside of your own brain in a similar way to dreams. We know the brain can and does generate exactly that kind of imagery but we know of no way in which they could actually occur in any way.

It's obviously not impossible (nothing is) but if you're proposing a different specific possible explanation for those memories, you'd need a heck of a lot more than "we can't prove it's not real". That's what really frustrates me about this whole area. People hint at all sorts of "paranormal" or "supernatural" events and effects but are never willing (or able) to put any kind of meaningful structure to their ideas, yet still expect those ideas to be accepted as plausible, if not definitive fact.

It's just not something I can really talk to people about, though, so that's why I signed up on this forum - hoping to find others who've had similar experiences or are open-minded about this type of thing.

Sorry, but that sounds like what you're actually hoping for is validation and comfort about something you're not sure about. I'm sure you'll get it here (it looks like you already have) but that doesn't mean any of it is right or healthy.

 

[Audie]

Fine. Then cite studies to refute the ones that led to that scientific paper. Or are you just using non-scientific belief to refute those studies? Science is about applying various scientific tools not personal belief.

Couneter evidence to flying saucer and bigfoot anecdotes
too?

We' ve seen no sign you are well qualified
to offer lessons on science. Still, I am
always charmed to be accused of intellectual
dishonesty for such as not just accepting that
something so momentous as say, disproof of
ToE or proof of the existence of this disembodied
consciousness.

It has great appeal to the religious,
those generally into woo woo.

Others, such as myself, dont just
believe things.

I go with skepticism, and. " wait and see".

Especially with anecdotal evidence for the
extraordinary / earth shaking.

 

[sun rise]

Couneter evidence to flying saucer and bigfoot anecdotes
too?

We' ve seen no sign you are well qualified
to offer lessons on science. Still, I am
always charmed to be accused of intellectual
dishonesty for such as not just accepting that
something so momentous as say, disproof of
ToE or proof of the existence of this disembodied
consciousness.

It has great appeal to the religious,
those generally into woo woo.

Others, such as myself, dont just
believe things.

I go with skepticism, and. " wait and see".

Especially with anecdotal evidence for the
extraordinary / earth shaking.

I'm not going to take the "no sign" bait.

Skepticism I have no problem with. Bringing up bigfoot etc is not skepticism but outright rejection of the NIH paper I linked to with no justification for doing so. Skepticism is about "wait and see" as you pointed out but at some point it turns into rejection no matter what evidence is produced. It's not clear from your post where you truly "sit".

 

[Audie]

I'm not going to take the "no sign" bait.

Skepticism I have no problem with. Bringing up bigfoot etc is not skepticism but outright rejection of the NIH paper I linked to with no justification for doing so. Skepticism is about "wait and see" as you pointed out but at some point it turns into rejection no matter what evidence is produced. It's not clear from your post where you truly "sit".

I'm not going to take the "no sign" bait.

Skepticism I have no problem with. Bringing up bigfoot etc is not skepticism but outright rejection of the NIH paper I linked to with no justification for doing so. Skepticism is about "wait and see" as you pointed out but at some point it turns into rejection no matter what evidence is produced. It's not clear from your post where you truly "sit".

Back to calling my skepticism
Intellectual dishonesty.

 

[sun rise]

Back to calling my skepticism
Intellectual dishonesty.

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I (wrote), but I’m not sure you realize that what you (read) is not what I meant”