Hi everyone,
This is probably the wrong thread to elaborate on this subject...but what the heck..!
Most NDE features are common across cultures, age, gender and class. When a person meets with an accident or has a heart attack or something...the following usually happen.
1. Out of body experience...they see their own body lying down there. They realize they are 'dead'.
2. Often they cannot recognize their own body except through some object like a ring. Seems alien to them.
3. They feel happy and peaceful.
4. Sometimes they feel a sense of lose for leaving behind some one like their children.
5. Some people see dead relatives who come to help them.
6. Some of them have a rapid life review. They see all the harm and pain they have caused.
7. Some of them have a sense of absolute knowledge. All questions are answered or seem irrelevant.
8. Some of them see dead people waiting to be reincarnated.
9. Some of them float through a dark tunnel or a staircase.
10. They see a bright light that they identify with God or Jesus or Ram or Allah. Some people think of it as their Higher Self.
11. They are asked to go back and finish their duties.
12. Some people see a Silver Cord that seems to attached them to their body.
13. They then feel themselves being pulled back into their body.
14. They feel heavy and uncomfortable back in their body. Most of them want to stay 'dead'.
15. They are able to recount the events that transpired at the hospital/accident site when they were lying dead. They can identify objects, medical instruments and people who were involved.
16. It is life changing and the people become more loving and selfless. Life begins to have a meaning and purpose.
17. Some people (a minority) have negative NDE's where they feel fear. They see suffering and pain.
Broadly these are the experiences that most people have during NDE's. they are common across cultures except that the bright light is identified with different deities in different cultures. Reincarnation is mentioned even by people who do not believe in reincarnation( Christians, muslims).
If there is anything to take away...it is that religion is not important and that secular spiritual development, love and good deeds are more important.
Cheers.
Sriram
Anyone can say can state that most NDE features are common across cultures, age, gender and class, and then enumerate them with the vague decription as 'some of them'. Why not look at a real study on, for instance, non western cultures and experiences of NDEs.
For instance the following study:
http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc799379/m2/1/high_res_d/vol26-no4.pdf#page=9finds the following:
No instances of OBEs in Africa or Aboriginal Australia
No instances of the tunnel effect in India, Tibet, Guam, Aboriginal Australia or Native America
No instances of a life review in Guam, Hawaii, Maori new Zealand, Aboriginal Australia, native America or Africa
The only two NDE experience strands from this study that do seem cross cultural are encountering other beings and moving into another realm, and, even here, there is great variation on who/what is encountered.
Not exactly a massive endorsement for your statement that 'Most NDE features are common across cultures, age, gender and class.' is it?
Also, I find it interesting that in the years following Moody's 'Life after Death'(1975), there was scant reference given to distressing and frightening NDE experiences, possibly because the overarching influence was firmly put on radiant experiences, dominated by pleasurable emotions, and also possibly because people were more reluctant to talk about their distressing experiences. Now, we have many more accounts, and it seems likely a minority, as you say(but possibly as much as 20%), do experience NDEs with distressing/frightening elements.
