What do you say about near death experiences where the person claims they've seen heaven or hell?
Near death isn't death and hallucinations aren't to be taken seriously.
According to those who study such phenomena, it is the random firing of neurons as the brain dies. I tend to believe this explanation, personally. There's a lot of science, and many decades of knowledge backing it.
My late wife had many near death experiences before her brain tumour finally won, and she said it was just pleasant and peaceful with memories of loved ones including her cats who had passed, but also some people who were still around.
She/we believe it is just the delusions of a brain under those conditions.
If you hit two people hard in the back of the head, they will both claim to see stars, this does not mean they are astronauts, simply that they have had the same experience and experienced the same result.
Like wise when people come close to dying they see a tunnel of light and have a feeling of levitation, their brain calms them to face the inevitable before shut down.
Almost dying produces the so called near death experience, it is nothing supernatural, it is a natural reaction to a natural situation.
It;s electrical activity in the brain, thats what I've heard from the experts , scientists,theres also books
I've read about the two sides of the brain, they communicate with each other, like when people say that they are communicating with a god, interesting stuff.
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I have had 2 such experiences and never saw/felt any such thing, not even close.
Nor did I "return" with a burning desire to "help humankind" by raking in the big bucks on the lecture/book tour showboat!
3 times I've been, medically speaking, " At Death's Door" and never once have had any memories, etc, remotely resembling anything that could classed as a bright light, heaven or hell.
It's all in their minds. If you're atheist you'll never have that experience.
So if it is the brains response to stress that generates these images/hallucinations then I would think being an Atheist would have no bearing on this happening to you. You would likely have a greater understanding of its reasoned explanation as to why its happening. But it would still happen, like dreaming.
@Quarm , Maybe I'd see my parents, a great event in my life, a time when I was drowning but NEVER religious stuff, I don't care about religion in the slightest so why would it come up in my death moment? That happens to people that has religion as part of their lives. if I see a "light" maybe it's the truck about to hit me! So, I'll rephrase my statement... "if you're an athist like me, You'll never have such an experience" But anyway, I'll let you know when it happens!
That there's a scientific explanation for that. Please refer to this website: [scientificamerican.com]
Their brain trying to make sense of the event, a coping mechanism. Much like sleep paralysis.
I think the brain is not completely understood and as a result folks do try to translate something unknown into familiar images or reasonable scenarios. The brain is electrical impulses and firing synapses. If bits and pieces are not getting required nutrients during shut down (near death/oxygen deficiency), there is a still a need to reason out the experience. (Go toward the light... Trauma centers are VERY bright. ?)
I have a friend who had a near death experience (heart attack). His description of the experience: "totally blank nothing, there's just nothing out there". Confirms my belief that this is all there is and when you're dead, your dead.
I know a guy who was dead for 5 minutes.he described it as a calm glowing warmth that made him feel completely at peace.
I'm not a shrink or have any credentials but I think that may occur as your Brain shuts down that may occur because being near the threshold of death and then you recover and you do not actually die. We won't know what happens till we really pass on and no coming back.