Just to correct a misconception I saw above, in many (but not all) cases, the NDE occurs where there is medically reversed brain death. This is not just a stopped heart or stopped breathing, but actual cessation of brain activity, reversed by medical treatment before decay could set in and make death irreversible. So by any reasonable medical standard, some of these people actually were dead, and death isn't necessarily permanent, except that eventually, of course, it always is. However, NDEs also occur sometimes when people don't die but just come close to dying. This is pretty important to know, as I'll explain in a moment.
If we could somehow show that the NDE occurs during the time the brain is dead, rather than the time leading up to it, this would go a long way towards demonstrating the existence of a vehicle of consciousness that can operate in the absence of brain activity, and that in turn, while it wouldn't establish that life after death actually happens, would show that it was theoretically possible. Unfortunately, it's impossible to do that, or at least I can see no way. The experience itself gives no information on the question. Medical instruments show only that the brain has ceased all activity, and so provide no indication of any experience happening during the brain-dead period. What's more, as noted above, the NDE happens sometimes when the brain never actually dies, so in at least some of the cases, the NDE occurs in conjunction with a living, active brain. It might be worth examining reports of NDEs in cases of actual brain death to see whether they show consistent differences from the NDEs of those whose brains never quite die. Does anyone know whether this has been done? Regardless, it would be tenuous evidence at best, but it's the only thing that comes to mind at present.
Completely distinct from the question of the NDE as evidence of post-mortem survival is the significance and meaning of the experience and its capacity to change behavior and outlook, which is well documented. If we could figure out what causes it physiologically or psychologically or both, deliberate induction of NDE might become a very useful spiritual technique or means of personal development.Statistics: Posted by Brian Rush — 05 May 2014, 02:46
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