October 23, 2000 - BBC

Scientists investigating 'near-death' experiences say they have found evidence to suggest that consciousness can continue to exist after the brain has ceased to function.

However, the claim has been challenged by neurological experts.

The researchers interviewed 63 patients who had survived heart attacks within a week of the experience.

Of these 56 had no recollection of the period of unconsciousness they experienced whilst, effectively, clinically dead.

However, seven had memories, four of which counted as near-death experiences.

They told of feelings of peace and joy, time speeded up, heightened senses, lost awareness of body, seeing a bright light, entering another world, encountering a mystical being and coming to "a point of no return".

None of the patients were found to be receiving low oxygen levels - which some scientists believe may be responsible for so-called "near-death" experiences.

Lead researcher Dr Sam Parnia, of Southampton General Hospital, said nobody fully understands how brain cells generate thoughts.

He said it might be that the mind or consciousness is independent of the brain.

He said: "When we examine brain cells we see that brain cells are like any other cells, they can produce proteins and chemicals, but they are not really capable of producing the subjective phenomenon of thought that we have.

"The brain is definitely needed to manifest the mind, a bit like how a television set can take what essentially are waves in the air and translate them into picture and sound."

Dr Chris Freeman, consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Royal Edinburgh Hospital, said there was no proof that the experiences reported by the patients actually occurred when the brain was shut down.

"We know that memories are extremely fallible. We are quite good at knowing that something happened, but we are very poor at knowing when it happened.

"It is quite possible that these experiences happened during the recovery, or just before the cardiac arrest. To say that they happened when the brain was shut down, I think there is little evidence for that at all."

 

---

February 4, 2000 - BBC News

From the corner of the room, Christine Ellingham says she could see emergency medical staff crowding around an unconscious body.

They were desperately trying to revive the woman, and to save her unborn baby.

"I knew that it was me lying on the table. But I was outside of my body, floating in the corner of the room. I was very calm and it made perfect sense to me that I should be watching what I understood to be the final moments of my life.

 

"Then I felt an amazing sensation of rushing forwards through the light, or rather that the light was rushing back over me. I couldn't see him, but I knew that my father, who had died four years previously, was there with me, and I felt totally, totally safe."

"I felt that my father was almost carrying me, like I was a child again, and then the light slowed and stopped and my father told me that my baby needed me. I felt very sad that I had to leave, but I wanted to be with my baby.

"There was another instant where I was still surrounded by light, and then, bang! I slammed backwards."

She said that the next thing she experienced was "excruciating pain" - and her eyes opened and she saw the nurses she said she had seen from behind just moments ago.

"I cried and cried. I was in so much pain, but I felt an elation and a certainty that both me and my baby were going to live."

Christine underwent an emergency Caesarian operation, and her son Liam, her first child, was born six weeks early. She said that she had been planning to go back to work as soon as possible, but instead decided to look after Liam full-time.

he said: "I was spared, and I was spared to look after Liam. I have never been a religious person, but the experience has made me feel secure that there is an afterlife, and the people that I love and have passed away are still there, watching over me and my family."

Professor Paul Badham of Lampeter University - who studies the philosophical implications of near death experiences - said that despite media hype, the phenomenon is quite rare.

However, he says the reports of people who have had near death experiences tend to contain similar elements.

"It is very common for people to report going out of their body and looking down on their body," he said

"Going through a tunnel is also a common experience, as is being surrounded by light. The meeting of deceased relatives or friends is also commonly reported.

"People will also say that they feel they are in the presence of a spiritual reality. A Christian may interpret this as Jesus. One atheist who had an out of body experience said that he later realized that this presence was responsible for the governance of the universe."

Prof Badham said that the numbers of people experiencing the phenomena are rising, as medicine improves and pulls more people back from the brink.

He says that people who report near death experience sometimes "see" things that it would have been impossible for them to see if they had been unconscious on an operating table.

He said: "Not everyone who is near death has this experience - it just does not follow that it is a last physical response to death.

"This is an experience which transcends cultures, religions and classes - I believe this experience is probably the base for our belief in an afterlife."

TRUE NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

I was traveling in Central America during my Junior year in College and became violently ill with a bacterial infection. I was also allergic to the sulfa drugs that I was given for this serious illness. Exhausted and dehydrated, I went to bed in a blanket full of ice cubes to try to bring down the dangerously high fever. I fell asleep and then suddenly had the sensation that the wind was knocked out of me. I rushed up through a tunnel toward a dark open place where above me was a brilliant blue white light source. Suddenly a figure appeared over me and held my arms out to my sides and began to breathe for me through my mouth. He was dark and had huge wings. I could not see his face. Light surrounded him. I felt breath entering my body and realized that I had been dead. Then I was catapulted back down the tunnel and jolted awake on the bed. I was soaking wet and the fever was broken. As I turned my head to the room, I saw a fleeting glimpse of large brown and red and gold wings leaving the open window. Twelve years have passed and that experience has remained as clear and awesome as the day it happened. My whole life has changed from it and I have become spiritually stronger. I believe that it was the healing angel, Raphael.

I've had this happen to me quit a few times before. i'd say the closest time came when one day i was feeling tired so i decided to lay down , and when i did supposely i fell asleep. I don't know if this was a dream or not, but i'm just gonna say it was a dream... i had dreamed i was in labor and everything was so real , when i really started to feel pain i started to cry and i thought "is this real pain"? . I was gonna there labor when i felt myself dying , cause then all of the sudden i couldnt' feel the pain . i can feel my body rising and i noticed i was up in the air and my body was on the hospital bed and i could hear the nurses saying "we lost her". after that i seen a big ray of light and some guy who looked like jesus tell me to walk in . So i did , and when i did we went for a walk in beatiful garden and i thought "could this be heaven"? after a few minutes of walking he said"you must go back". I said "but it is so beatiful" , all of the sudden my voice was fading and i could feel myself falling really fast and back to the emergency room i was. then i just kept falling and it got black ..... then there i was laying right on my bed in a hospital gown. I don't know if it was real or my fiancee, or friends playing a joke on me since i woke up in a hospital gown but i'm not afaird of death now.

O,Brien.

About two years ago, on June, 20,1998, I was in a very bad car accident. I was the passenger in a small pickup. The driver of the truck was drunk and I was unknowing as to the extenet of his drunkenness. We were going 80, or faster when we hit a tree head on. I was not wearing a seat belt.I had braced myself for the impact because I had seen it coming, and screamed out, "OH, GOD"! After the impact was over I looked down at my mangled body, and realized that I was in deep trouble. I had no clue that my aorta (the main artery in your heart) had torn.My left (femue) leg, was badly broken,and so was alot of the rest of my body. The left side of my face was gone as well. I sat helpless pinned in the truck for more than 8 hours, (I should have already been dead by then.)By the time the ambulance arrived I was slipping away. The EMT kept trying to talk to me about my children to keep my "with him". He later told me that I died with my face in his hands. This was a difficult thing to hear, and is still very hard for me to tell! I arrived at the hospital here. The police had already contacted my family. I was refusing treatment, I was in so much pain. My mother grabbed my face and told me "Angie you are knocking at deaths door, please, let them help you." The next thing I rememeber was being airlifted to a bigger hospitol for heart surgery. I was now 11 hours with a torn aorta, and dieing. I was afraid to be alone. That was my worst fear was that I was going to die alone.I made it through only by the grace of God! The doctors had told my family that I had little to no chance, 3% they were told. I later found out 3% was of a million. I consider myself a miracle as well do my family and doctors. I don't recall a bright light, however I can tell you that there was an angel with me in that truck. I truely beleive it was my gaurdian angel. I have since recovered only to now realize I can see ghost. I am very scared and in need of some help with this. I know nothing about this. I've tried to tell people but noone believes me! My doctor had put me on so much medication and called them dillusions. I just recently got a visit from an aaaunt that passed away, and she left me a message for my mother, but I am afraid to tell her. I hope that whoever reads this may in some way be able to help me. I am no longer on meds, and this is no dillusion! Please help me, but only if you think you can. Serious inquiries only please. I feel as though I'm still trapped....Angela.

One night, I stepped out on the landing outside the back entrance to have a cigarette while waiting for my technicians to close their patients charts. I sat down on the first step and lit the cigarette, when I heard my Dad say in a very loud voice, "If you don't do something to change your life, you will never see another Christmas!" Without thinking, I leapt completely off the flight of stairs to the sidewalk below and ran out of the parking lot to the street. Then I spun around and looked behind me, my father had died 13 months before, hearing his voice was a tremendous shock. The was no sign of anyone on the landing, the stairs or in the parking lot which was very brightly lighted. It wasn't until I got home that I calmed down enough to get over hearing his voice and realized what he had said. My response was to make an appointment with my doctor for a complete physical, but all the results were very normal.

I dont know if I am right when I say that the tunnel is not there. Just un aperence, but here is my story. In the year of 2000 in december at crhistmass I woke up in morning at 6.00 am. At this time of year (winter) I usually dont use to wake up that sudden. I was ill... My mom tryed to get a doctor but there was no time for me to come to the nerest hospital. We tryed to get some medecin becuase of my fever, but I did not get better. After several houres I went back to bed and I was very tierd. I fell a sleep and I started dreaming about the santa telling me: yesterday was 3 days of your life and tommorow will be your desteny. suddenly I woke upp again and as fast I opend my eyes I saw something in the end of the room. Something bigg and bright was standing there looking at me. He told me to take his hand, I was so afraid of him so I closed my eyes in hope I would not see him again. I opend my eyes and he was gone. The illness of mine began to fade away and it was al gone at new year. I belive that the time he was in my room he tried to help me. I looked at the clook and saw it was 6.00 am again. I belive he took me back in time wile he was healing me.
Written by: Broin | 23/10/2006 4:06 am