Explanatory models for near-death experiences

Journal of Near-Death Studies, 1990

In a retrospective study contrasting the near-death encounters of 183 persons who reported near-death experiences and 63 persons who re ported no near-death experience, the two groups did not differ in age, gender, or time elapsed since the near-death encounter. Near-death experiencers re ported all 16 items of the NDE Scale significantly more often than did nonexperiencers. Near-death experiences (NDEs), profound subjective events often experienced on the threshold of death, have received increased atten tion from scientists and clinicians in recent years (Lundahl, 1982; Greyson and Flynn, 1984; Rogo, 1989). While their frequent occurrence and their significance for the individual experiencer are no longer in question, controversy remains over the causes of these experiences and their ultimate meaning. In order to establish reliable criteria for the occurrence and ampli tude of NDEs, I developed a quantitative NDE Scale (Greyson, 1983). That 16-item scale can be used by researchers to explore the associa tion between NDEs and hypothesized causal factors and aftereffects;

The notion that death represents a passing to an afterlife, where we are reunited with loved ones and live eternally in a utopian paradise, is common in the anecdotal reports of people who have encountered a " near-death experience " (NDE). These experiences are usually portrayed as being extremely pleasant including features such as a feeling of peacefulness, the vision of a dark tunnel leading to a brilliant light, the sensation of leaving the body, or the experience of a life review. NDEs are increasingly being reported as a clearly identifiable physiological and psychological reality of clinical and scientific significance. The definition and causes of the phenomenon as well as the identification of NDE experiencers are still matters of debate. The phenomenon has been thoroughly portrayed by the media, but the science of NDEs is rather recent and still lacking of rigorous experimental data and reproducible controlled experiments. It seems that the most appropriate theories to explain the phenomenon tend to integrate both psychological and neuro-biological mechanisms. The paradoxical dissociation between the richness and intensity of the memory, probably occurring during a moment of brain dysfunction, offers a unique opportunity to better understand the neural correlates of consciousness. In this chapter, we will attempt to describe NDEs and the methods to identify them. We will also briefly discuss the NDE experiencers' characteristics. We will then address the main current explicative models and the science of NDEs.

Missouri medicine

2013

Springer eBooks, 2023

The notion that death represents a passing to an afterlife, where we are reunited with loved ones and live eternally in a utopian paradise, is common in the anecdotal reports of people who have encountered a "near-death experience" (NDE). These experiences are usually portrayed as being extremely pleasant including features such as a feeling of peacefulness, the vision of a tunnel leading to a brilliant light, the sensation of leaving the body, or the experience of a life review. NDEs are increasingly being reported as a clearly identifiable physiological and psychological reality of clinical and scientific significance. The definition and causes of the phenomenon as well as the identification of NDE experiencers are still matters of debate. The phenomenon has been thoroughly portrayed by the media, but the science of NDEs is rather recent and still lacking rigorous experimental data and reproducible, controlled experiments. It seems that the most appropriate theories to explain the phenomenon tend to integrate both psychological and neurobiological mechanisms. It is remarkable to observe the richness and intensity of the memory despite a critical cerebral context. This challenges our conception of consciousness and offers a unique opportunity to better understand the neural correlates of consciousness. In this chapter, we will attempt to describe NDEs and how to

Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2010

Journal of Near-Death Studies, 1981

Anthropology of Consciousness, 2019

2018

Throughout human history, there have been numerous reports of a baffling process when individuals have come to the brink of death. This process, referred to as near death experiences (NDEs), cause an individual to experience events that even the most advanced science can still not answer. This review serves as a reference for the factors, phenomenology, and measurement techniques for near death experiences as well as summarizing these experiences in certain conditions, such as cardiac arrest and admission of anesthetics. Discussed are the theories, effects, analyses of specific processes involved pertaining to experiences of those who walked along the edge of death.