In 1976, a Georgian dissident, Grigorievich Rodonaia, was assassinated by the KGB. They ran over him in a car twice! His corpse was quick-frozen at a morgue until they could complete an autopsy. Three days later, the pathologist began cutting into the body. Rodonaia's eyes opened. This was not unusual, so the pathologist closed them and carried on cutting. Rodonaia's eyes opened again. Unbelievably Rodonaia was alive. Even more remarkable was the story he told when he recovered.
It took him three days to regain his speech. He told hospital staff, while he was dead he journeyed around the world. He could see through walls. He could read people's minds and travel through time. They would have laughed it off, except he then told the staff about a newborn baby he'd heard crying in a nearby hospital. He had scanned the baby with his powers, to find the infant had a broken hip that the doctors were unaware of. Rodonaia could not have known of the child, let alone its injury. But X-rays proved he was right.
Grigorievich Rodonaia went on to live as a Methodist minister in Texas, and is one of many who claim to have had a near-death experience (NDE).
But are these experiences real? Are these people lying? The stories are unbelievable, yet everybody wants to believe it.
THE EVIDENCE
Over 60 years of research shows growing evidence that suggests there may be some truth to these experiences. NDEs are reported by around 17% of those who nearly die, and they have been reported all over the world, by the young, the old, people from a range of backgrounds and those in various jobs and religions. Search Google scholar for some interesting reads.
According to a 2011 study by the New York Academy of Sciences, in the U.S., an estimated 9 million people have reported an NDE.
While NDEs are not all the same, they contain striking similarities.
COMMON EXPERIENCE
The dying person leaves their body and sees the world from a bird's-eye view. They then enter a dark tunnel with a bright light at the end. If they enter the light they feel positive emotions and often meet loved ones. Some feel they came back because they still have much to accomplish in life. They often return with no fear of death and a caring, spiritual attitude. This experience is often attributed to a surge of endorpohins in the brain; a way for our brain to help us in our final moments.
However, while this explanation would make sense for those with a positive experience, some experience something wholly different.
VISIONS OF HELL
If the brain really is trying to help us in our final moments, why would some NDEs be horrendous?
Some experiencers talk of being forced into a dark place where they were being watched by unseen eyes. Some have visions of Hell and later live in fear of dying. However, despite the positive and negative experiences, the similarities suggest that something real is going on. The question is: is this a spiritual experience or the result of physical changes in the brain?
THE EFFECTS OF A DYING BRAIN
Scientists claim that many NDEs can be explained by the effects of asphyxia or anoxia, the deprivation of oxygen to the brain and the release of endorphins that can prevent us feeling immediate pain when we break bones in accidents. When we are close to death, our brain ignores the senses and will keep building models of the world from our memories and imagination like a dream. And we all know how vivid dreams can be.
On the other hand, some scientists point out that many individuals who experience an NDE are able to recount events which are not known to them - the more intriguing being those describing specific medical techniques that could not be produced from memory or imagination.
A recent study made a link between hypercarbia in heart-attack patients NDEs. Scientists experimented on rats, stopping their hearts, observing the rats EEG brain signals flatline within 30 seconds. However, brain activity spiked right before it flatlines. This suggests communication between different parts of the brain are more active than when the rats were awake. In humans, it may mean that the brain goes in to a hyperactive spasm when its oxygen supply is cut as it tries to figure out what is happening
Experiments carried out on volunteers showed physical and mental impairment (including memory) where their oxygen supply has been greatly reduced. While some experienced hallucinations, none had the clarity of an NDE.
Moreover, hallucinations triggered by the brain's reaction to drugs, or blood poisoning from kidney failure is a logical explanation for NDEs. Particularly considering drugs like morphine are administered to alleviate the pain of dying. The phenomenon of anesthesia awareness has also been considered to explain experiencers new knowledge. However, drugs do not have a part in most NDE cases. Between 1973 and 1984, a drug user, Steven Ridenhour, tried to replicate his NDE with every illegal substance he could obtain, but none of the drugs worked.
A key feature of the NDE is that in almost every case, those experiencing it are physically and mentally different afterwards.
A MIRACLE
A very unique event occured in 1982, when Mellen-Thomas Benedict, a film cameraman, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. When he died from the cancer, he had a NDE and when he came back to life, his cancer had completely vanished.
His recovery shows that NDEs can cause physical changes. SImilarly, two independent research studies concluded there were a wide variety of physical after-effects in 80 to 90 per cent of respondents, including increased allergies, lowered blood pressure, sensitivities to loud noises, bright lights, household chemicals and electrical interference. 35% of respondents reported lightbulbs blowing, 20% reported computer malfunctions, 54% reported TV disturbances and a variety of other issues, including watches stopping and telephones cutting off.
CONCLUSION
Science can explain anoxia, the effects of drugs and endorphins, but cannot explain the paranormal aspects; how did Rodonaia know about the baby's hip? What became of Benedict's terminal cancer?
Not every case can be explained away neatly.
Evidence suggests that NDEs are very similar regardless of the religion or background. Is an NDE the result of the mind letting go of the body as it approaches death? And what exactly does that mean for our understanding of the consciousness?
There remains nothing conclusive about life after death. However, NDEs reveal something fascinating about life itself. But what is the truth? All we know for certain is that the answer will be revealed on the day we die.
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