Re-enacted a number of times on the big screen and described in many books, near-death experiences (NDEs) are events that involve the sensations felt by people who are declared clinically dead before they come back to life. NDEs are still a mystery. What exactly are they? The Aeterna Funeral Complex explains them to you!

The main characteristics of NDEs
A near-death experience usually occurs in some people who have been declared clinically dead for a few minutes. (Clinical death occurs when the patient's tests indicate that there is no longer any cardiac, respiratory or brain activity.) One of the characteristics of clinical death is a feeling of being separated from one's body, while remaining aware of what is going on around oneself. Moreover, caregivers and other witnesses can confirm that the words that the person heard at that moment were real.

In 1983, based on the testimonies of people who had reported having a NDE, Bruce Greyson, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, developed a detailed questionnaire called the Greyson Near-Death Experience Scale, which assesses 16 common symptoms of NDEs.

One of the main symptoms common to people who have experienced an NDE is a feeling of peace. Other very common symptoms include decorporation (a feeling of floating above their body), the presence of a bright light or glowing being, an altered sense of time, an impression of being in a unearthly environment, the presence of a border or gateway than can be crossed through, and their senses being more vivid than usual.

According to this scale, people with a score of 7 or more are considered to have experienced a significant NDE.

What does the research say?
There are reports of NDEs as far back as the 5th century AD, but researchers began to investigate such occurrences primarily in the late 19th century. The term "near-death experience" was first proposed in 1896 by Victor Egger, a French psychologist and epistemologist, in his book Le moi des mourants, as philosophers and psychologists debated the causes of the visions and the floating sensation experienced by mountain climbers following a near-fatal fall.

Improved resuscitation procedures have contributed to the further study of NDEs, which became more widespread among the general public with the publication of psychiatrist Raymond Moody's book in 1975, entitled Life After Life.

In a 2019 European study that included Dr. Daniel Kondziella, a team of European neurologists looked at a few previous studies to establish a link between NDEs and REM sleep. This phase of sleep is characterized by such phenomena as increased brain activity (dreams), rapid eye movement and temporary paralysis of the limbs. Upon awakening, if REM sleep is not completed, some people have reported visual and auditory hallucinations and sleep paralysis.

According to the data analysis, this phenomenon of REM sleep encroachment on wakefulness was present in 47% of people scoring 7 or higher on the Greyson scale, but in only 26% of people with a score of 6 or lower. This is an interesting avenue to begin to understand the physical phenomena behind near-death experiences!

Real experience or creation of the mind?
Some scientists claim that NDEs are physiological and psychological manifestations that occur as a result of problems that alter the functioning of the brain, such as cardiac arrest, post-traumatic shock, electrocution or brain hemorrhage.

On the other hand, for more spiritual people, it is proof of life after death and of the presence of a non-material component within our being. The NDE is also related to the concepts of karma or reincarnation found in a number of sacred texts. Meetings with deceased people during NDEs are also a source of great comfort.

However, there is still a long way to go before we fully understand the near-death experience! At the Aeterna Funeral Complex, our advisors are very open-minded, so don't hesitate to tell them your story if you have experienced or witnessed such an occurrence.

Sources:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exp%C3%A9rience_de_mort_imminente
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1212201/experiences-mort-imminente-statistiques-etude
https://www.quebechebdo.com/local/lactuel/195887/survivre-a-lexperience-de-mort-imminente/
https://iands.org/research/nde-research/important-research-articles/698-greyson-nde-scale.html