Memories of Near Death Experiences: More Real Than Reality?

Mar. 27, 2013 — University of Liège researchers have demonstrated that the physiological mechanisms triggered during NDE lead to a more vivid perception not only of imagined events in the history of an individual but also of real events which have taken place in their lives! These surprising results - obtained using an original method which now requires further investigation - are published in PLOS ONE. Seeing a bright light, going through a tunnel, having the feeling of ending up in another 'reality' or leaving one's own body are very well known features of the complex phenomena known as 'Near-Death Experiences ' (NDE), which people who are close to death can experience in particular. Products of the mind? Psychological defence mechanisms? Hallucinations? These phenomena have been widely documented in the media and have generated numerous beliefs and theories of every kind. From a scientific point of view, these experiences are all the more difficult to understand in that they come into being in chaotic conditions, which make studying them in real time almost impossible. The University of Liège's researchers have thus tried a different approach.

Working together, researchers at the Coma Science Group (Directed by Steven Laureys) and the University of Liège's Cognitive Psychology Research (Professor Serge Brédart and Hedwige Dehon), have looked into the memories of NDE with the hypothesis that if the memories of NDE were pure products of the imagination, their phenomenological characteristics (e.g., sensorial, self referential, emotional, etc. details) should be closer to those of imagined memories. Conversely, if the NDE are experienced in a way similar to that of reality, their characteristics would be closer to the memories of real events.

The researchers compared the responses provided by three groups of patients, each of which had survived (in a different manner) a coma, and a group of healthy volunteers. They studied the memories of NDE and the memories of real events and imagined events with the help of a questionnaire which evaluated the phenomenological characteristics of the memories. The results were surprising. From the perspective being studied, not only were the NDEs not similar to the memories of imagined events, but the phenomenological characteristics inherent to the memories of real events (e.g. memories of sensorial details) are even more numerous in the memories of NDE than in the memories of real events.

The brain, in conditions conducive to such phenomena occurring, is prey to chaos. Physiological and pharmacological mechanisms are completely disturbed, exacerbated or, conversely, diminished. Certain studies have put forward a physiological explanation for certain components of NDE, such as Out-of-Body Experiences, which could be explained by dysfunctions of the temporo-parietal lobe. In this context the study published in PLOS ONE suggests that these same mechanisms could also could also 'create' a perception - which would thus be processed by the individual as coming from the exterior - of reality. In a kind of way their brain is lying to them, like in a hallucination. These events being particularly surprising and especially important from an emotional and personal perspective, the conditions are ripe for the memory of this event being extremely detailed, precise and durable. read more at link

2nd hour Dave Schrader welcomed Mark Anthony, the 'Psychic Lawyer,' who talked about the nature of consciousness and how it relates to death and the afterlife.

In the first hour, author Jeff Mudgett discussed his book, Bloodstains, about Mudgett's great-great-grandfather and notorious serial killer H.H. Holmes.

my first NDE occurred in 1966, when i was 7

THEeXchanger wrote:my first NDE occurred in 1966, when i was 7

I think I was around the same age. Near drowning.

yes, we also drown
in Little Lake at 2;02pm est - ironically, a very good friend
was born 7/29/1966 at 7;02pm GMT (+5)
which is exactly the same time (7;02pm gmt = 2;02pm est)
and, we saw him being born

- when we were between the worlds
also had 2 birds beat the life back into us
and, sat outside our body
and, watched the water being pumped out
and, we looked like a fountain spouting water

- the two birds, were an eagle,
and, it wasn't until a trip to peru
when we were in our 20's, that we realized it was a condor

-those are the iniations of cosmic healer & cosmic exchanger
one being male, the other female
-we also saw, our safe place, etc.,
it was a very interesting occurance

do you remember, any of your drowning carol ?

Yes. This was before I knew how to swim and we were at a reservoir. I had gone out to where there was a sink hole, which I stepped into and down I went to the bottom.. water way over my head. It was one of those experiences where time slows down. (I've had this happen with all the NDE experiences, about 4) As I was underwater an incredible sense of peace filled me and I saw the different events of my very short life rush by like watching a movie unwind in fast motion. Then I saw this book with the pages flipping - all blank. The life not yet lived. In that brief moment - I was curious. I wanted to fill the pages up. Instantly, I knew what to do to save myself... so I let myself become dead weight and dropped to the bottom. There I could put my feet underneath me onto the muddy bottom and push up towards the surface. I just kept sinking to the bottom and pushing back up to the surface like a grasshopper moving toward the shallow area. Fortunately, I didn't inhale the water but was left with a complete different perception of reality. I also realized that I would have to depend upon inner self and whomever it was watching over me, if I were to survive. All these years later the experience is as fresh as if it happened yesterday. The reason I consider this a NDE because of the life review.

In the auto accident I popped out of body behind my head just prior to impact. Didn't hurt until back in the body later. I just recall being astonished at being out of body watching everything happen in slow motion.

When doing yoga I also popped out hovering over my body doing the sun salutation. I watched my body go from a standing position to folding down onto the ground into a fetal position and thinking how on earth do I get back in - not a NDE but an OBE - just like in the auto accident. Then I knew what to do. To get back into my body I had to make myself inhale. I actually knew someone who was having OBE experiences and eventually did die. I don't think he knew how to get back in and panicked. We had talked about his situation and how scary it was for him before he died. At that time I don't think I knew yet about the inhalation bit.

Two other NDE's were the result of someone else over-medicating me. One time the dentist left the nitrous oxide on, left the room and forgot about me. By the time he remembered me, I was already heading out through the wall - but could hear him faintly calling my name over and over in the distance. The other time was an over dose of morphine for herniated discs... my breathing had slowed down so much that I was also heading out through the wall when my husband came into the room. His energy was an anchor. With all that pain, death would have been a welcome relief.

It's like we have this homing beacon inside when it's time to pass over that just takes us off to where we need to go next.

Even now I do have a bit of anxiety about the 'how of death' when it's the last time, but dying is easy. It's living that's the challenge. I do admit, OBEs are great fun. I did teach myself how to do this years back but don't indulge anymore. Life is short enough as it is. Might as well enjoy it to the fullest while here.

Electrocuted at age 13.
I still carry the scar.

By a fluke, I was saved.

What was the fluke e-monkey?

Carol wrote:What was the fluke e-monkey?

My uncle returning early because the man he went to see was not there - luckily.
He yanked the cable from out of my hand just in time, which also melted itsef into my skin.
8-10 seconds of 220v seemed like a lifetime, then I went unconcious... It stopped my heart, so dunno how much longer afterwards he returned.
Some heart massage brought me back.

Not a nice experience. Shocking - yes - I thought I would say that first to avert others with the pun.

Strangely enough, undeterred I went into electronics after that.. know thy enemy..

eMonkey wrote:
Strangely enough, undeterred I went into electronics after that.. know thy enemy..

Love from me
mudra