The issue of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) is a fascinating topic in parapsychology that has been extensively discussed and analyzed. Various material and non-material interpretations of this phenomenon have been presented. However, what has increasingly highlighted this issue in our country’s context is the question: Do Near-Death Experiences provide evidence for life after death?
The background of this discussion dates back to the 1970s and the publication of the book ‘Life After Life’ by Dr. Raymond Moody. This book, which is a compilation of experiences, describes the events that happened to 90 of Dr. Moody’s patients, all of whom have experienced this state. In our country, too, over the past year, the topic of Near-Death Experiences has somewhat lost its scientific aspect and has become a general subject.
Bruce Greyson, a prominent psychologist in Near-Death Experiences, defines them as: ‘Profound psychological events with mysterious, spiritual, and transcendent components that occur to people who are on the verge of death or in a severe physical injury situation.’
In simpler terms, a Near-Death Experience is a state where a person momentarily leaves their body, perceives certain things, and then returns to their physical form.
Regarding the possible causes of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), many material and non-material reasons have been mentioned
- Temporal Lobe Activation: Some believe that NDEs are caused by temporal lobe epilepsy seizures.
- Brain Oxygen Deprivation: Critics argue that a lack of oxygen or high levels of carbon dioxide in brain metabolism can cause hallucinatory experiences. People in a state of oxygen deficiency to the brain observe unusual perceptions and thoughts similar to those experienced by individuals who have had NDEs.
- Psychological Defense Mechanism: Blackmore defines this phenomenon, especially the life review aspect, as a psychological defense mechanism.
Alongside these reasons, a variety of explanations have been proposed, including ‘seeing what one expects.’ However, some critics view NDEs as mere illusions or even deceptions.
It should be noted that the above analyses are mainly presented by materialist thinkers, whether scientific materialism or otherwise, and in one analysis, this phenomenon could be defined as the soul leaving the body and entering a non-material realm.
Two elements in NDEs make it difficult to easily dismiss them or even attribute their roots to material causes:
A: The presence of meaningful similarities among people of different ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and cultures.
B: The provision of information corresponding to reality by those who have experienced this phenomenon.
Therefore, it seems that NDEs have roots in external reality and cannot be easily dismissed as deception, illusion, the product of material interactions, etc. However, the extent to which these experiences reflect reality seems to require further research.
If this topic piques your interest, please let us know in the comments below, and we will delve into it more thoroughly in future discussions.