# Near-death experiences
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/31344
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [August 30, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/31344 "2000-08-30T15:42:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@misterbuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterbuster)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/31344/1 "2000-08-30T15:42:46Z")
In a listing of possible explanations for NDE’s, the following was given:
“(3) Just a hallucination. Fine, but why does everybody have the same hallucination?”
Here is a thought I had a few years ago (when I was still deciding if I believed in God) that has stuck with me ever since.
All my life I have been told that when I die, I’m going to go through a dark tunnel towards a light. I’ll experience happiness, feel like I’m floating over my body, etc…
I think chances are good that I will know (at least on some level) when my body is dying. Similar to the way some animals realize they are dying and prepare for it. I think it’s possible that my mind, knowing it is dying, will create the “death experience” that I have been expecting my whole life.
Ever _almost_ hurt yourself, any yelled “Ouch!” because you expected to be hurt? Same idea.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/31344/2 "2000-08-30T17:06:27Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).
Cecil’s column can be found on-line at this link:
[Do near-death experiences prove there is life after death?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_030.html)
* * *
moderator, [Comments on Cecil’s Columns](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)
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### Author:  [@misterbuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterbuster)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/31344/3 "2000-08-30T17:10:02Z")
Looks like I was busted in under 2 hours. 🙂
Thank you for finding the page I was refering to. I promise it won’t happen again. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/31344/4 "2000-08-30T20:26:30Z")
Two hours? Sheesh, Arnold, you’re slowing down…
Don’t worry, misterbunny… He does this to everyone. 🙂