A Glimpse at the Reality Existing After Ours through Near-Death Experiences

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Title: A Glimpse at the Reality Existing After Ours through Near-Death Experiences
Description: This chapter from the student-written book “Emerging Perspectives on Religion and Environmental Values in America” explores the phenomenon of near death experiences through several first-hand accounts. The author explores the spiritual aspect of these experiences and compares and contrasts each instance. Below is the first paragraph of the chapter to introduce the discussion.

"Near-death experiences (NDEs) are gateways for the soul—a profound, transformative experience that has taken place for some who have kissed death and returned. It is estimated that NDEs affect 1 in 10 people (The European Academy of Neurology, 2019). At best, these experiences are dismissed as wild dreams or hallucinations, but we struggle to make sense of what they are. One way some scientists have been trying to explain the reality of near-death experiences is in the connection between psychedelics and psychology. Dr. Rick Strassman (2001), a psychologist who has done extensive research on the topic, is one among many hypothesizing that NDEs are a result of the hallucinogenic chemical dimethyltryptamine, or DMT for short. He suspects that DMT is produced in the pineal gland of the brain, which is an area of the brain we still know little about. Because of the pineal gland’s connection to light (what we do know is that it produces melatonin, a hormone that regulates both the reproductive system and the circadian rhythm), it has been spiritually associated with many ideas of a higher conscious and enlightenment such as the third-eye, crown chakra, and the seat of the soul. Strassman infers that DMT is produced in times of birth, near-death, death, and intense pain."
Date Created: 09/01/2021
Creator(s): Mackenzie Shelton
Audience: All audiences/General public
Rights: This photo and text were accessed on 06/09/2023 at https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/enr3470studentbook/chapter/a-glimpse-at-the-reality-existing-after-ours-through-near-death-experiences-2/.
Issues: Human Health and Well-Being
Relation: Emerging Perspectives on Religion and Environmental Values in America

Item sets: Written/Textual Resource

Media: Shelton.png; [Untitled]