tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post116179316040009877..comments2023-10-14T23:56:22.016-10:00Comments on Reflecting Light: Shedding a (very dim) light on NDEsRick Darbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371910140619422820noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post-1161969033214099792006-10-27T07:10:00.000-10:002006-10-27T07:10:00.000-10:00VA,You make an interesting point when you ask why,...VA,<BR/>You make an interesting point when you ask why, if NDEs are just some kind of physiologically induced hallucination, there is so much similarity among them? You would expect them to be as varied as different individuals' dreams.<BR/><BR/>One could argue — although it seems to me quite a reach — that by now the characteristics of NDEs (tunnel, bright light, spiritual figure emanating great love, etc.) are so well known that they're "expected," hence experienced subjectively. The same has been said about alleged UFO abductions or sightings of aliens, i.e., the image of the saucer-like object with pulsating lights or the gray figure with huge eyes has wedged itself into everyone's unconscious.<BR/><BR/>By the way (I just discovered this myself when researching my posting), IANDS has local groups meeting in many cities. You can look them up on the organization's web site. Presumably people talk about their NDE experiences there, so direct testimony is available for those interested in the phenomenon.Rick Darbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02371910140619422820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post-1161924310732451882006-10-26T18:45:00.000-10:002006-10-26T18:45:00.000-10:00NDEs are a fascinating subject; I have done a lot ...NDEs are a fascinating subject; I have done a lot of reading about them, although I am not a 'science person' myself. <BR/>If these NDEs are simply hallucinations, a physiological response to 'oxygen deprivation' or whatever, would there not be more variation in the experiences? Instead there seems to be a consistent pattern to the experience. Even those who lack a spiritual belief system often have experiences which have a spiritual content to them. <BR/>You've probably also heard of the negative or scary NDEs some have reported; even they usually follow a pattern from what I have read.<BR/>I think part of the resistance on the part of the medical/scientific establishment to these things is that most of those in the science field tend to have a certain personality tendency; in studying the Jungian typing systems and the MBTI personality types, many scientists are 'judging' types who prefer closure and order; they can't accept or tolerate the open-ended, the mysterious, or the unknown. For many such people (my father is this type) they have a need to know and explain everything logically; anything which doesn't lend itself to empirical proof is dismissed. Not everyone is able to accept mystery, or the fact that there are things beyond human ken, or beyond our present understanding.Vanishing Americanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07723746944036650219noreply@blogger.com