Thanks to all replies, Jenny A, Simon Moon, Fake Messiah, Hammy, Grandizer, Lutrinae, Napoleon, etc. It will take a while to try and overcome this battle of fear (I may never fully beat it), but it is nice to know that some people don't take these claims as seriously as people in my circles. I have a really hard time explaining NDEs away. I don't think lack of oxygen cuts it, as people who have perfect levels of oxygen in their brains can have NDEs under different circumstances ex: jumping off buildings, almost getting into a car accident, etc. I also think some of the current scientific theories are not adequate enough to explain why they feel so real to people, and so vivid when the brain is in such a bind. People report organized thinking, the kind that even dreams doesn't usually have. That said, I also cannot agree with NDE researchers who claim it is a preview of afterlife either. Even if we don't have a completely coherent argument for what causes NDEs, we cannot conclude that it is a soul leaving a body that hasn't died, and then coming back with lucid thoughts. I think more experiments need to be done. However this is kind of a question I also had I would love some opinions on:
Many NDE researchers who believe NDEs are supernatural, claim that in some cases, NDEs differ slightly from person to person, because each person has a unique soul, and each experience makes sense differently to each person. Therefore, a Hindu person living in India will likely not report seeing Jesus in an NDE, while a Christian person living in USA will. They have noticed that Jesus' appearance in NDEs tends to fluctuate to, sometimes he is said to have dark hair, olive skin, sometimes he looks like traditional paintings, other times not. They say, each person sees him differently, as that is how they imagine him, and they wouldn't be able to recognize him portrayed any other way. My question is: would you say it is more likely that differences in NDEs point to people hallucinating slightly differently, or is it actually some supernatural experience that is customized for each person?
Recently, a study was done on 150 NDEs in Belgium, and found that out of 10 potential common phenomena in NDEs ex: a bright light, meeting deities, life review, seeing a tunnel, out of body experience etc, about 4 were mentioned per average NDE, and the order of them differed. So for example, only around 35% had the order of: OBE, tunnel, bright light, feeling of peace, returning to body, while another percentage had another order etc. Do these inconsistencies make the whole phenomenon seem less reliable? Researchers say no, that again, each person has a unique experience specifically for them the way they understand it, like for example: going to Africa: you could go to North Africa, or South Africa, and see different things, yet both locations are in Africa. However, is this assuming too much for NDEs?
Many NDE researchers who believe NDEs are supernatural, claim that in some cases, NDEs differ slightly from person to person, because each person has a unique soul, and each experience makes sense differently to each person. Therefore, a Hindu person living in India will likely not report seeing Jesus in an NDE, while a Christian person living in USA will. They have noticed that Jesus' appearance in NDEs tends to fluctuate to, sometimes he is said to have dark hair, olive skin, sometimes he looks like traditional paintings, other times not. They say, each person sees him differently, as that is how they imagine him, and they wouldn't be able to recognize him portrayed any other way. My question is: would you say it is more likely that differences in NDEs point to people hallucinating slightly differently, or is it actually some supernatural experience that is customized for each person?
Recently, a study was done on 150 NDEs in Belgium, and found that out of 10 potential common phenomena in NDEs ex: a bright light, meeting deities, life review, seeing a tunnel, out of body experience etc, about 4 were mentioned per average NDE, and the order of them differed. So for example, only around 35% had the order of: OBE, tunnel, bright light, feeling of peace, returning to body, while another percentage had another order etc. Do these inconsistencies make the whole phenomenon seem less reliable? Researchers say no, that again, each person has a unique experience specifically for them the way they understand it, like for example: going to Africa: you could go to North Africa, or South Africa, and see different things, yet both locations are in Africa. However, is this assuming too much for NDEs?
