Near Death Experiences (NDEs) have been reported since the beginning of time. Recently, scientisits have begun studying the phenomenon to determine whether an NDE is evidence of an afterlife or simply physiological change.

In January 1991, at the age of 54, Ken Mullens was in hospital recovering from a cardiac arrest. While eating his lunch, he was overcome with a strange sensation and promptly died.

Ken, a music teacher from Queensland, later reported that while dead he could see all that went on in the room, later recounting the events to those present. He experienced no pain and no fear. He entered a timeless darkness in which he drifted at a rapid speed without a body toward a vast, impossibly bright and all-loving light.

In ecstasy, Ken had a sense of having come home. But then the light communicated, without speaking, that he was to return to his body with a mission — to help people overcome their fear of death and to reassure them death was not the end.

Ken was dead for 20 minutes. Rigor mortis was setting in and hospital staff had called the morgue when he coughed and came back to life. Already a Christian, Ken said the experience nevertheless changed his outlook on life and he had to, “die to learn how to live.” He did as directed and wrote two books — Visions from the Other Side and Returned from the Other Side — for which he declined to receive payment as instructed.

So, did this seemingly decent and sane man meet God or could there be a more mundane explanation? Debate, even among scientists, continues.

In 2000 ABCs Radio National program PM hosted a show about a study into NDE that suggested consciousness can exist after the brain has stopped functioning. If this is ever categorically proven the case for life after death will be won. But though the research made a believer of at least one previously sceptical researcher, other scientists were unconvinced.

They countered that some brain function likely remained active, even if at reduced levels not recordable on EEGs, and pointed out that similar experiences have been reported by mystics in transcendental states and by those under the influence of drugs or hypnosis. To them, this indicated the research subjects had “not really died” and were experiencing nothing more than a state of altered consciousness.

The specific characteristics of a given NDE vary according to the cultural and religious background of the subject. And not everyone experiences the bliss described by Ken Mullens — it seems some get a taste of hell rather than heaven.

But we don’t have to look as far as the extremes of the NDE to see that a similar heightening of faith occurs when people have spiritual awakenings of any kind. It’s not uncommon to hear non-believers recount stories where some crisis brings them to prayer, and it is this moment of surrender that gets them through the night, turns their life around or grants relief from overbearing fear. I imagine the sceptical scientists have an explanation for that too.

Discussion points

• Have you ever had a near death experience?
  
• Does it matter if near death experiences have a rational scientific explanation?

Further reading

• Article concerning scientific discovery to do with NDEs: ‘Near-death experiences confuse the brain’

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment