Toward the Light
Written accounts of NDEs go back more than two thousand years and have been reported all over the world. Most include a point of no return, a going "toward-the-light," that if crossed or reached will lead to death, and a person who turns you away from it. The identity of the person seems to depend on your religion. Christians, for example, often meet Jesus or a dead relative while Hindus may see Yamraj, god of the dead.
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A Common Experience
The experience is surprisingly common. Nearly 20 per cent of heart attack survivors recall at least some elements of an NDE, which can include out-of-body sensations, euphoria, tunnels or a bright light. Half of these people experience full-on NDEs that include several such phenomena. Although they are fairly common, near-death experiences have never been adequately explained. Most rational suggestions trace them back to falling levels of oxygen in the brain, and several explanations have been offered for how this hypoxia might trigger vivid experiences. But all of the explanations of possible causes for an NDE fail to account for the whole experience and are impossible to test scientifically.
The experience is usually along these lines:
A person faces some life-threatening event, be it an illness, accident, etc. From this point, all the agony and limitations of being mortal seem to cease and the individual experiences a related phenomenon to the NDE--something called the "out of body experience" (OBE). The experiencer usually reports leaving his or her corporeal form in what often defined as his or her "true form," which may actually be shapeless. The individual is sometimes confused since he or she has not yet adjusted to being in such a state. One often notes feeling as though his or her senses are enhanced as reports claim the experiencer seems to be able to see over vast distances and can hear even the slightest sound. Before the individual has too much of a chance to get used to the state, a dark tunnel is often reported to close about the form of the individual. He or she then travels at what is described as remarkable speeds through the tunnel towards a bright light at what appears to be the tunnel's end. This light is often described as being extremely bright, but since one lacks physical optical sensors in this state, there is no discomfort to look; in fact, NDErs often note they have no desire to turn their attention away from it. A feeling of serenity, peace, and an extreme sensation of love seems to emanate from the light, which is often described as being a functional entity of some sort--many make it out to be what is referred to by the religious as God. The light communicates telepathically with the experiencer and calms him or her. NDErs often reiterate how much it feels like they have returned somewhere they have been before instead of emigrating to a new location. The light may then bring to the individual's attention his or her life review, which is kind of like a re-cap of his or her entire history from every viewpoint. In other words, everything the person did or said that may have had an impact on another being for good or ill becomes subject to a kind of role reversal. The experiencer feels the effects of his or her own actions. This life review seems to be the catalyst for many experiencers changing their attitudes and behaviour once they resume a physical state. After the life review, unless the light explains to the individual that "their time has not yet come" (in such cases, there are no choices offered--the person gets sent back to the physical realm), it generally asks the experiencer if he or she would rather stay in this home-like realm or return to their physical existence. The individual may notice a barrier between his or her present location and what is often referred to as "the other side," just like the recent Aerosmith song title. The simplest thought about one's friends, pets, siblings, parents, children, etc. seems to give the light all the answer it needs. Before the experiencer may even be able to realize that he or she has responded with an answer, a physical sensation may be felt for the first time since before the experience started as they enter their body and resume consciousness (albeit briefly, depending on the situation).
