Near Death Experiences Might Prove the Existence of an Afterlife?

Dying seems like such an important area of research, however, we know so little about it. It was not until recent years that scientists began to dive deeply into it.

In 2014, there was a case involving a 24 year old woman who demonstrated high-frequency electrical activity in her brain after life support was withdrawn. This challenged the previous belief that brain activity immediately stops after death. This finding led some researchers to believe that this could possibly explain why people who have had near death experiences have vivid memories of it or sensations of detachment from the body. This finding led researchers to dive into the unknown territory of what comes after death. 

Approximately 17% of people who almost die report some sort of near death experience (NDE). No two NDEs are the same but people often report similar experiences which usually consist of “perception of seeing and hearing apart from the physical body, passing into or through a tunnel, encountering a mystical light, intense and generally positive emotions, a review of part or all of their prior life experiences, encountering deceased loved ones, and a choice to return to their earthly life.” The mere fact that there is consistency among these experiences leads me to think there could be some reality to them. 

Evidence and Research on Near Death Experiences:

1. Lucidity in the Face of Death: Considering the extent to which patients are physically and mentally compromised in this state it should NOT be possible for them to have highly lucid experiences. 

2. Accurate Out of Body Perception: There is a high percentage of accurate out of body experiences during NDEs, which is currently unexplained by science.

3. Visual Perception in the Blind: There are some blind people who have had near death experiences, yet reported seeing visuals during their NDE. 

4. NDEs Under Anesthesia: Under anesthesia, several people have reported near death experiences. It should not be possible to have a lucid organized memory under anesthesia. 

5. Life Reviews and Forgotten Memories: Approximately 15% of people who have an NDE experience a “life review”, which means they see part or all of their life. Most reported life reviews have realistic content, and some actually reveal long lost details.

6. Encounters With Deceased Loved Ones: Many people report seeing deceased loved ones, but in dreams it is far more likely that people would witness a living person. This shows that these NDEs are not consistent with dreams. 

7. Consistent Reports from Children: Young children, who likely have no prior knowledge of NDEs or a bias towards any religion, still report similar experiences to adults and each other. 

Near Death Experiences challenge what we know about life, death, and consciousness. Science has clearly made much progress in the understanding of these seemingly impossible experiences, but they still do not have a full explanation as to why and how they happen. Whether these experiences point to deeper spirituality or reveal an unknown aspect of the human mind, it is clear that NDEs should be taken seriously and explored further. Until then, the mystery of near death experiences remains.