Researchers Study Near Death Experiences

by Martha Jette
(Hamilton, Ontario)

Researchers who have studied cases of near-death experiences, say there is a common thread that runs through most of them.
"It is an experience for them of another reality," says Jan Helton. "The vast majority will describe a experience that was dominated by pleasurable experiences like peace, joy and love."
Ms. Helton, who studies near-death experiences at the University of North Texas added that most people also see a "a light that is a being, that emanates absolute knowing of the person and absolute loving of them."
Well, this was certainly true for my own near-death experience, as I saw Jesus. However, I have written several stories of other people's experiences and they differ greatly. And I'm glad that she didn't mention a tunnel because I never experienced that. However, I realize that many people have.
Debbie James is an emergency room and intensive care nurse who was never really interested in near-death experiences before it occurred to some of her patients. Then 20 years ago, she was stunned to find that some patients who were revived after defibrillation were very upset.
"One man said 'I hate you. How could you do this to me?' That doesn't make any sense because I thought that if you would help them come back - that you would resuscitate them from fibrillation - that they would thank you and they'd be appreciative, and some of them weren't," she says.
I can certainly identify with the feelings of anxiety and anger at realizing one is back in the painful physical world again.
Ms. James is now the Interim Director of Nursing Education at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where 300 doctors, nurses, researchers and those who have had near-death experiences gathered in October 2007 to compare notes, descriptions and accounts. One of the doctors was oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Long, who never believed in such a thing as a near death experience before. However, after operating an online forum for those who say they've had near death, out-of-body experiences, he changed his mind.
"Is what they saw reasonable? Does it look like reality? And the answer is 98-99 percent, yes, including things they see which are astonishing," he says.
All postings on the forum were done anonymously and many said they saw themselves from above, while doctors tried to bring them back from the dead.
"That is the point in time when people are seeing and hearing things about them during their resuscitation. That is absolutely medically inexplicable," Dr. Long says.
Ms. James concurred saying a man, clinically dead, heard every voice and even recalled the power settings that shocked him back to life.
"This man was in fibrillation - no pulse, no breathing - but he can remember 200, 300, 360 Joules in the exact order... foul language and all the paramedics. You have to pay attention to that - someone who's dead, clinically dead, can all of a sudden tell you what happened in the resuscitation."
Some people experience floating above a lifeless body, while others say they're taken to another world - what they believe is the doorstep of heaven.
"I've had it described as love, but love times a billion, times a billion - unlike anything that we could possibly experience here on Earth," says Dr. Long.
That is so true!
"They know what it's like to die. They know from their own personal experience that there's an after-life and it's wonderful," says Dr. Long.
As to my own experience, I can now say that I no longer fear death and in fact, when the time comes I will be more than ready to embrace it. I can’t wait to see Jesus again, as well as all of my loved ones. While I will undoubtedly miss those I care dearly for that are still in physical form on Earth, my passing will be a time of great joy because I know we will all be together again one day. Until that time comes, I’ve instructed my daughters to throw a party for my passing, dance, laugh, remember me fondly and in the meantime, enjoy the rest of their Earthly lives.