near death experiences

• a near death experience is  an out of body experience which occurs when the subject comes close to death. It is known about by reports made by the subject on his or her return from the experience.
• Near death experiences were popularized in 1973 by dr Raymond Moody who was impressed by the similarities between stories of people who had survived death. Moody wrote the book 'life after life' in 1977.
• Moody investigated the similar characteristics of peoples near death experiences and found that the most common feature is the feeling of being drawn down a tunnel of light.
• The percentage occurance of some elements of NDEs are as follows;

    -feelings of peace, life review and being in another world (32%)

    -out of body(26%)

    -encountering other beings(23%)

    -hearing voices/music(17%)

    -sensation of light(14%)

    -tunnel experience(9%)

• 1983- Professor Greyson devised a measurement scale to differentiate between near death experiences and other experiences. To be classified as a near death experience there must be a score of 7 out of a maximum of 32. According to the scale the features of a NDE are that the person experiences;

     -an altered state of time

     -accelerated thought processes

     -a life review

     -a sense of sudden understanding

     -feelings of peace

     -feelings of joy

     -feelings of cosmic oneness

     -feeling/seeing that they are surrounded by light

     -vivid sensations

     -extrasensory perception

     -a vision of some future event

     -a sense of being out of the physical body

     -a sense of an 'other-worldly' environment

     -a sense of mystical entity

     -a sense of deceased or religious figures

     -a sense of a border or no point of return

Raymond Moody lists 15 characteristics which coincide with his elements on NDEs above. The 15 are:

• ineffability (not being able to speak about experience in spoken words)- Theresa of Avila
• hearing of ones death
• peace and tranquility
• a variety of noises
• a dark tunnel
• an out of body experience
• - example of Pam Reynolds (Pam Reynolds had undergone brain surgery and whilst it was taking place she experienced an NDE. She saw a light and had an O.B.E where she was looking down on her own body. She sees a being of light and her dead uncle. After the operation doctors were stunned when she managed to describe details of the utensils that were used whilst she was…