Near Death/Death Experiences

[debraran]

I’ve always been facinated with near-death and death experiences when someone would come back to life after being “dead” for 1 minute or 10 or more. I know some “intellectuals” say that the light etc. is brain chemicals, part of dying, but there is much more in stories that can’t be explained. I remember one doctor saying when a patient talked of seeing a child that died at birth, a child he never knew his mother had,they never spoke about, that somehow he heard about it and forgot and it came out then when he died for 2 minutes. (I almost felt sorry for him, sputtering on). Others have said beauty can’t be explained…there is nothing on earth to say, “It’s like that”.

I also realize that some people (like Fr. Groechel for example) have died, he for a record 20 minutes!!) and remember nothing. Just his living without damage to his brain is a miracle. But I wondered, has anyone looked at who has these visions, are they mostly Christian or young, or practicing, non-practicing? I’ve read about all types, but wondered if one dominates over the other.
I know doubters would say Christians see what they are taught, but unbelievers have had experiences too…just wondered what you thought and what you might have read.
On a side note, I also realize there are a lot of books by people who do lie, stretch the truth for buck, but sometimes, especially with books by doctors about children, it hits a different spot in your soul, and you know there is truth there.

 

[thistle]

I’ve always been facinated with near-death and death experiences when someone would come back to life after being “dead” for 1 minute or 10 or more. I know some “intellectuals” say that the light etc. is brain chemicals, part of dying, but there is much more in stories that can’t be explained. I remember one doctor saying when a patient talked of seeing a child that died at birth, a child he never knew his mother had,they never spoke about, that somehow he heard about it and forgot and it came out then when he died for 2 minutes. (I almost felt sorry for him, sputtering on). Others have said beauty can’t be explained…there is nothing on earth to say, “It’s like that”.

I also realize that some people (like Fr. Groechel for example) have died, he for a record 20 minutes!!) and remember nothing. Just his living without damage to his brain is a miracle. But I wondered, has anyone looked at who has these visions, are they mostly Christian or young, or practicing, non-practicing? I’ve read about all types, but wondered if one dominates over the other.
I know doubters would say Christians see what they are taught, but unbelievers have had experiences too…just wondered what you thought and what you might have read.
On a side note, I also realize there are a lot of books by people who do lie, stretch the truth for buck, but sometimes, especially with books by doctors about children, it hits a different spot in your soul, and you know there is truth there.

The bottom line is they are not dead. Technically dead does not mean dead. Their soul has not left the body so whatever they say they have seen (and I think most people just make it up) probably has nothing to do with the afterlife.

 

[debraran]

I don’t believe books like Betty Edie ( I think that was the name) but I do believe some, especially children, by what they saw. Maybe they didn’t see “heaven proper”, but they did see people they knew or didn’t know. Fr. Groechel had no heartbeat for 20 minutes, he was “dead”. Others have seen their soul lifted and watched others in the room, saw things they never could have seen before or at their angle. You can’t explain that in any other terms. Working in a hosptal for many years, even the most cynical doctors would be amazed at what some would experience.
The ones that effect me the most are the unbelievers, the ones that hadn’t convinced themselves things were a certain way…sure, they weren’t “dead” the way they would be permanently, but they were as far as humans can see or understand.
I feel you don’t have to believe them anymore than you believe someones seeing Mary or having a stigmata (that could be psychological) but if it increases your faith, can’t be all bad.