Jeremy Renner and the Science of Extraordinary Near-Death Experiences – The New York Times

The general public may be familiar with these events through a genre of memoirs that present near-death experiences as proof of a Christian afterlife. But they have been reported across countries, demographics and religions, as well as by atheists, and have been a subject of scientific research for decades.

There is no scientific consensus on what causes near-death experiences. But whatever their cause, they can change people s lives. Some lose all fear of death; others change careers or leave relationships. The reactions to near-death experiences seem to outstrip what researchers have seen in people who nearly die but don t have such an experience.

For those people, usually it s like, yeah, you almost died, so you become more appreciative of life, said Marieta Pehlivanova, a research assistant professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine s Division of Perceptual Studies, which researches near-death experiences.

But, Dr. Pehlivanova said, the changes we see in these people who almost died but didn t have an N.D.E. are much more subtle and do not continue over such a long period of time.

via www.nytimes.com

Maggie Astor.

I’m looking forward to my NDE or just my DE.