# Near death experiences **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 15, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591 "2012-01-15T12:36:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/101 "2012-01-17T20:28:41Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Negative NDEs are a whole 15% of all NDEs. No, they constitute 15% of NDEs reported to a single, so-called research foundation. And the author feels the need to offer additional explanation because: > [@](#): > > The hellish NDE is so… atypical ---
**Author:** ![Galty\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7c8e57/32.png) [@Galty\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galty_Boy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/102 "2012-01-17T20:29:13Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > How does a feather landing on you equate to a message from your dead sister? It comes from Superstition, and Emotional persons, with some religious tricks. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/103 "2012-01-17T20:29:15Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > I think you just proved my point. Negative NDEs are a whole 15% of all NDEs. So slightly more common than an African-American in America. Like **LP** and I said…all over the place. I’m not sure a cite from that particular website can be counted on to be accurate…and it seems to contradict your own book cite, which seems to claim that 50% of NDEs are about Hell(although his claim that a lot of supposedly Heavenly NDEs is the Devil trying to fool people into going his way puts some doubt as to his veracity in my mind.) ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/104 "2012-01-17T20:29:22Z")
And just to head off Czarcasm at the pass before he backpedals any further with “Yeah, but what _credible_ cites are there?”, the assertion was > [@Theophane](#): > > There are stories of people who died and saw hell, if you care to look for them. to which he objected, to which LP and I both said they’re common reports: > [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > The subject of hellish NDEs is covered pretty thoroughly in the literature and is common knowledge. Resolved: There are, indeed, stories of people who died and saw hell…about 1/6 of all NDE reports. It’s also covered in the literature and common knowledge (among people who have looked into it). **Czar** , let’s make this easy: Are there, or are there not, stories of people who have died and seen hell? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/105 "2012-01-17T20:37:54Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > And just to head off Czarcasm at the pass before he backpedals any further with “Yeah, but what _credible_ cites are there?”, the assertion was > > to which he objected, to which LP and I both said they’re common reports: > > Resolved: There are, indeed, stories of people who died and saw hell…about 1/6 of all NDE reports. It’s also covered in the literature and common knowledge (among people who have looked into it). > **Czar** , let’s make this easy: Are there, or are there not, stories of people who have died and seen hell? Yep-there are _stories_ of people who claim that they saw something that they think is related to Hell during a _Near_-Death Experience to be found in pastel-colored true believer websites. Excuse me for trying to find out what is actually happening in these cases. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/106 "2012-01-17T20:38:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The big hole in this is of course the fact that we cannot know if she had whatever experience she had _during_ the time she was brain dead. Well, that’s why I think that it’s interesting to note that she recounted conversations between the doctors that took place _during_ the time she was dead. Another interesting facet of NDE’s are the accounts of persons who were _blind since birth_ yet who claim to have been able to see during their experiences. [Here’s an example.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbtoX3Q5OI) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/107 "2012-01-17T20:41:29Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Yep-there are _stories_ of people who claim that they saw something that they think is related to Hell during a _Near_-Death Experience to be found in pastel-colored true believer websites. > Excuse me for trying to find out what is actually happening in these cases. edited to add: Apparently the reports aren’t all that common, and the two cites provided so far contradict each other as to the frequency of their occurrence. But I do concede that there _are_ stories. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/108 "2012-01-17T20:48:51Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Resolved: There are, indeed, stories of people who died and saw hell…about 1/6 of all NDE reports. Please note that that 1/6th number is not at all accurate. 15% represents the percentage of stories received by that particular group. It is NOT indicative of anything other than a break-down of stories received by Meg and her self-styled research foundation. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > …_Near_-Death Experience to be found in pastel-colored true believer websites. Don’t forget the sophomoric flashing banner, now _that’s_ science. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/109 "2012-01-17T20:54:15Z")
Wiki has a pretty accurate timeline for what happened to [Pam Reynolds.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Reynolds_(singer)#NDE_part_1)I’m trying to track down where I read that the doctors and nurses on her case admitted that that probably discussed her case, including the part where her arteries and veins were very small, while she was in recovery. It seems very likely to me that this may have happened. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/110 "2012-01-17T21:07:53Z")
I was just outside and a feather fell on me and I instantly knew, “_Jessica Alba wants to have sex with me._” Spooky. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/111 "2012-01-17T21:11:13Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > I was just outside and a feather fell on me and I instantly knew, “_Jessica Alba wants to have sex with me._” > > Spooky. Damn it-that was _my_ feather! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/112 "2012-01-17T22:33:05Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > And just to head off Czarcasm at the pass before he backpedals any further with “Yeah, but what _credible_ cites are there?”, the assertion was > > to which he objected, to which LP and I both said they’re common reports: This thread has been kind of ridiculous so far. Theophane made a claim about hellish NDEs. Czarcasm asked for cites, which is SOP for Great Debates. As far as I could tell, he wasn’t asserting that hellish NDEs never happen; he was just asking for cites from a believer, so that we can then have a further discussion. LonesomePolecat, or anyone else, do you have any credible cites that we can have a discussion around? I don’t care to debate the question of whether negative NDEs ever occur - that’s completely uninteresting. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/113 "2012-01-18T00:31:46Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Damn it-that was _my_ feather! :mad: Then you shouldn’t have dropped it on **Lobohan**! ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/114 "2012-01-18T01:27:42Z")
My dad has epilepsy. He says that just before he has a seizure, he gets this overwhelming sense of horror and terror and it feels like demons are in the room with him, coming to kill him. He knows these are just hallucinations though. I’ve often wondered if Hellish NDE’s come from the same part of the brain that’s affecting him when he has the seizure. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/115 "2012-01-18T03:24:49Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Go back to my first point: the CNS disconnecting from the PNS, and disregard the tropes white lights and white bison or whatever, or the lyriccs to "Comfortably Numb. > > here’s the crux of the issue: do you _live in_ your body, or _are you_ your body? This post seems to suggest that you though my post was made to challenge or contradict yours. I don’t know why you would think that. You posited a physiological source of the floating and commented on the cultural underpinning of the barrier and light vision. I though you would find a description of the experience from a person so young, almost ‘pre-cultural’ (at least as far as expectations of visions) germane. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/116 "2012-01-18T11:15:01Z")
The thrust of your post was “but it happened to me.” This is a debate forum: posts either support one side or another. Even if the post is “but here is an aspect of the issue that has not been considered,” it will either support one argument or the counter-argument. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/117 "2012-01-18T11:40:28Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:37, topic:609591”] It probably means you were driving a red van. I’ve noticed that most people who notice confirmation bias seem to be driving red vans. [/QUOTE] Oohh that is spooky. I have a red 4WD (SUV to 'mericans) and I just noticed the steering is off. Tyre bias I thought but now you hit me with this other explanation… Its just like the voices told me ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/118 "2012-01-18T12:04:12Z")
It’s strange to have a discussion about NDEs, especially with a mention of Pam Reynolds, without **Lekatt.** Anyone know where he is? His profile says he hasn’t been to SDMB since last October. ---
**Author:** ![Mgalindo13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea5d25/32.png) [@Mgalindo13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mgalindo13)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/119 "2012-01-18T21:55:44Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > No one seriously disputes that NDEs actually happen. **Raises hand** I do. If you are defining a NDE as some type of religious/supernatural experience by those who are dead (or nearly dead) then revived. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591/120 "2012-01-18T22:03:37Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > It’s strange to have a discussion about NDEs, especially with a mention of Pam Reynolds, without **Lekatt.** Anyone know where he is? His profile says he hasn’t been to SDMB since last October. You’re the wiseass that thinks it’s funny to turn the lights down low and say “Bloody Mary” over and over again, aren’t you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/near-death-experiences/609591.md?page=7)