# Those "Near Death Experiences" Do Surgey patients get them?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-near-death-experiences-do-surgey-patients-get-them/382467
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 1, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-near-death-experiences-do-surgey-patients-get-them/382467 "2006-12-01T14:09:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-near-death-experiences-do-surgey-patients-get-them/382467/1 "2006-12-01T14:09:20Z")
Those “NDEs”-that people seem to experience mini trips to heaven (meeting long-dead relatives, meet God/being of light, etc.). My question; people who have very extended surgery 9where they are , essentially clinically "dead’ for several hours ( heart stopped, boy chilled, brain function stopped); do these people report having NDE’s? And, have any intrepid researchers actually experimented with this? what were the results?
i seem to recall that Dr. Ratmond moody mada a careful study of NDEs-he reported that most people who experienced them had very positive experiences-has anyone had a really BAD NDE (visions of hell, devils, eternal flames, etc.)?
What’s the current concensus on NDES/ Are they real?
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### Author:  [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-near-death-experiences-do-surgey-patients-get-them/382467/2 "2006-12-01T15:18:36Z")
There really is no way to tell if they’re real. I don’t have a cite, but there was something on TLC about this a few years ago and they did have a few people on who had them during long surgeries.
There was also one lady who had one and said she went to “hell” and it was a very unpleasant experience.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-near-death-experiences-do-surgey-patients-get-them/382467/3 "2006-12-01T15:44:07Z")
SHHHHHHH! **lekatt** might hear you! He’s been gone almost a year, but you never know…
> **[Near Death Experience : science vs. spirituality](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=308196)**
>
> This is my first thread in Great Debates, so please don’t shoot me for not supplying cites or anything. There have been several discussions about Near Death Experience the last time LeKat was visiting this board. Most of these got split into two...
> **[Has anyone on the boards have a Near Death Experience?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=356843)**
>
> Inspired, naturally, by this column that’s currently featured on the Straight Dope Homepage. Has anyone on the boards actually experienced this? Just curious.
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### Author:  [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-near-death-experiences-do-surgey-patients-get-them/382467/4 "2006-12-01T15:54:25Z")
My father, when he had open heart surgery in the early 80s, believed he saw his father who told him it was not his time to die yet. Dad lived for 15 years after the operation.
As for an explanation – Heck, I’d be amazed if they have an explanation for the dream themes (while asleep) we can come up with. What I can remember of most of my dreams, they have plots that I could never come up while awake. What I’m saying is that if normal dreams can’t be explained (and please correct me if there is a full explanation out there), what is the hope of having an explanation during operations or near-death experiences.