Near Death Experiences
Por Jorge Bordenve MD FACP
Al Rojo Vivo” dec. 3, 2008
Dr. Raymond Moody coined the term "near-death experience" in his 1975 book, "Life After Life," and many credit Moody's work with bringing the concept of the near-death experience to the public's attention. However, reports of such near death experiences have occurred throughout history and as early as 360 B.C., in Plato's "Republic," there is a tale of a soldier named Er who had an NDE after being killed in battle.
A near-death experience can be defined as any experience in which someone close to death or suffering from some trauma or disease that might lead to death perceives events that seem to be impossible, unusual or supernatural. While there are many questions about NDEs, one thing is certain, they do exist, as thousands of people have actually perceived similar sensations while close to death. The debate is over whether or not they actually experienced what they perceived.
First, there are a number of possible medical explanations which range from the effects of neuro chemicals such as endorphins and lack of oxygen in the brain or hypoxia.
The medical and scientific communities, by and large however discount
the claims that near-death experiences indicate that there is life
after death. Although their explanations of NDEs are quite diverse,
most are skeptical of the out-of-body experiences and visions that
have been associated with NDEs.
Some medical professionals attribute the NDE phenomenon to anesthetic agents that are given to victims or patients. Halothane, surital, nitrous oxide, and Nembutal are themost commonly used and mentioned. The problem with this explanation, however, is that these
anesthetic agents are not known to trigger hallucinations.
Endorphin Model._* When a person suffers great pain or
extreme stress, the brain sometimes releases natural chemicals to
relieve the pain or stress. These substances are known as
endorphins, and they affect people in the same way morphine or
heroin does. Some critics of NDEs argue that the sudden stress
and/or pain of dying produces a large amount of these endorphins,
which then create a pleasurable and mystical high that some people
interpret as a near-death experience.
A problem with this theory is that there is no medical proof
that the brain creates a greater quantity of endorphins because of
the stress of dying.
Hypoxia is an abnormal physical condition in which
a deficiency of oxygen reaches the tissues of the body. In the case
of NDEs, some critics attribute the hallucinations involved in NDEs
to hypoxia. They say that since the brain is deprived of oxygen, a
person who is near death experiences pleasurable feelings and a
natural high in which NDE episodes are imagined.
According to NDE advocates, however, there is a problem with
this explanation. In medical studies that have examined two groups
of patients who were thought to be dead but recovered, it was found
that those who reported a near-death experience did not have any
less oxygen in their blood gases than those who did not have an
NDE.
Two competing hypotheses are advanced in Dying to Live: The Afterlife Hypothesis and The Dying Brain Hypothesis. The Afterlife Hypothesis states spirit survives body death. The NDE is the result of spirit separating from the body. The Dying Brain Hypothesis states the NDE is an artifact of brain chemistry. According to the dying brain hypothesis, there is no spirit which survives body death.
Tibetan Buddhism endorses the Afterlife Hypothesis. Readers with only passing familiarity with Tibetan Buddhism are aware they search for reincarnated leaders and reinstate them to their position in the monastery. Buddhists take life beyond death quite literally.
Most NDEs share certain common traits, but not all NDEs have every trait and some NDEs don't follow a pattern at all.
Feelings of calmness
Out-of-body experiences (OBE)
Intense, pure bright light
Entering into another realm or dimension
Spirit beings
The tunnel
Life review
Near-death experiences and out-of-body experiences are sometimes grouped together, but there are key differences. An OBE can be a component of an NDE, but some people experience OBEs in circumstances that have nothing to do with death or dying. They may still have spiritual elements or feelings of calm. OBEs can happen spontaneously, or drugs or meditation can induce them.
Theories explaining near-death experiences fall into two basic categories: scientific explanations (including medical, physiological and psychological) and supernatural explanations (including spiritual and religious). Of course, these explanations can be neither proven nor disproven. Acceptance of supernatural explanations is based on faith and spiritual and cultural background.
Science cannot ultimately explain why some people have near-death experiences. That's not to say that current scientific explanations are incorrect, but NDEs are complex, subjective and emotionally charged. Further, many aspects of NDEs cannot be tested.
The mechanism behind some of these strange experiences is in the way our brains process sensory information. What we see as "reality" around us is only the sum of all the sensory information our brain is receiving at any given moment.
Presently what is perceived by the individual who experience one of these NDE, remains a personal experience and whose meaning will mainly depend on that individuals culture, customs and religious beliefs.