What is a near-death experience?

What is a near-death experience?

Canadian psychotherapist Mark Shelvock wrote an article on the Psychology Today website that Monika Mandoki is a philosopher who specializes in philosophical issues related to near-death experiences. University professor of psychology. According to her, there is no agreed-upon definition of a near-death experience. Mandocki pointed out that near-death experiences can be described as unusual, very realistic and lifelike experiences that occur when people are close to death, either physically or psychologically.

Physically, the person may have a sudden heart attack, be seriously injured, or experience a life-threatening event. Psychologically, the person may be close to death and believe that death is imminent. A classic example of this situation is when a climber accidentally falls to the ground from a height.

Near-death experiences usually involve the soul leaving the body. The person will see his or her body, enter a dark space, travel through a tunnel, see life in another space or deceased relatives, or enter another world. Why are near-death experiences important?

Mandocki said that not only are near-death experiences fascinating, they can also be life-changing. After a near-death experience, many people change jobs or adopt new lifestyles, and they gain a new understanding of life and death.

In the beginning, they will have mixed emotions. They may feel excited, ecstatic, and humbled by the experience, but they may also feel angry, disappointed, and frustrated that they must return to earth.

In the long term, they often forget their fear of death, believe in life after death, desire more knowledge, and are more grateful to nature and other people. These life-changing experiences should not be ignored and should be studied.

Although some people say that near-death experiences are just hallucinations or imagination of the people involved, Mandoki believes that people still have consciousness after death. In her doctoral thesis, she defended the authenticity of near-death experiences and the idea of ​​life after death. Jeffrey Long, a doctor from Kentucky, USA, founded the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation in 1998. He said that after studying about 5,000 cases of near-death experiences, he believed in an afterlife after death, and that these studies would also allow him to better help patients fight cancer.

The oncologist told Business Insider that among the many cases he has studied, each one is different, but he sees a consistent pattern.

He said that about 45% of people who have experienced near-death experiences say they have experienced an out-of-body experience. When this happens, their consciousness is separated from their physical body, often floating above it, and they can see and hear things around them.

After the soul leaves the body, people usually enter another space. Many people will travel through the tunnel and see bright lights. Then, they meet their loved ones who have passed away, including their pets. Most people say they feel an overwhelming amount of love and peace. They feel that is their true home.

He mentioned that his research on near-death experiences has made him a more compassionate and caring doctor who can help his patients bravely face the threat of death from cancer. He firmly believed that if they passed away, they would do so peacefully.

The Near-Death Experience Research Foundation has collected near-death experience cases from all over the world on its website, including near-death experiences experienced by people in Asian countries such as Taiwan and South Korea. People can see different types and cultural backgrounds. case.

For example, a Korean man who called himself Byun shared on the website a near-death experience he had when he was young due to an accident at a construction site. Not only did his soul leave his body and fly around, but he also developed special powers such as telepathy.

A man surnamed Bian said that when he was young, he carried bricks at a construction site to support his family. Once he accidentally fell from the fourth floor of the building on the construction site to the ground, and his soul immediately left his body. He saw his body lying on the bed with his sister wailing beside him.

He then flew into the sky and saw the city of Seoul (formerly known as Seoul), and also saw a plane in the distance preparing to land at the airport. He also saw world-famous sights such as the Eiffel Tower in France, as well as some areas in Hong Kong.

Suddenly he saw everything he had ever done in his life play out before him like a movie. When he saw the wrong things he had done, he felt deep regret.

He said that when he traveled to other dimensions, he felt very peaceful and could communicate telepathically with a being that he could not see. He knew there was a life in the distance, but he couldn't see it.

He later woke up in the morgue, was sent to the hospital for treatment and was discharged. While he was recuperating at home, he developed supernatural powers. He can know what is going on in other people's minds and what pain they are feeling.

He said he had retired. He lectured on issues of life and death and worked to encourage public discussion about the afterlife and the meaning of a good death.