Death
and near death
experience
Chong Ho Yu
Bering’s view of afterlife
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Opposed to the “comfort hypothesis”: people
have religions because we want to reduce
death anxiety.
The concpet of afterlife is a natural tendency.
Bering’s studies
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Children’s play with puppet rats and alligators.
Student favorable ratings for the dead.
Content analysis of obituaries
Students tend not to cheat when they heard
ghost stories.
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In the Chinese culture the topic of “death” is a taboo.
There are many alternate words for “death.”
You should never mention the word “death” in front of
old people.
There is a Chinese “ghost” festival as a memorial for the
dead, but the atmosphere is sad and terrifying. There is
nothing like “the Day of the Dead.” No one will make
fun of death.
Day of the Dead
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Unlike the Chinese culture
that regards death as a
taboo, Mexicans celebrate
the Day of the Dead by
focusing on remembering
the positive sides of their
deceased family members
and friends. The
decorations are colorful
and even humorous.
Day of the Dead
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The origin of the Day
of the Dead can be
traced back to the
Aztec tribe. At first it
was banned the
Spanish Catholic
Church Later this
tradition was merged
with the Catholic AllSaints Day.
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Some beautiful women
painted half of their face or
their whole face like a
"sugar skull". No matter
how gorgeous these girls
are, someday they would
turn into corpses.
This reminds me that all of
us are nothing but a living
dead. As Existentialism
states, death is the absolute
threat that forces us to
acknowledge the limit of
our existence.
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Sugar skulls, as the name
implies, are skull-shaped
sugar. The tradition of
making skull-like sugar
started from the 17th
century. At that time
Mexicans pressed sugar into
sugar skulls to represent
their family members or
friends who passed away.
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Cemetery
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Consider this scenario: A Chinese friend visits
you and you invite him to visit some museums
and art galleries. He is very excited and asks,
“Where shall we go?” You reply, “Forest
Lawn!” Could you imagine his reaction?
Assignment
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Choose a non-Western culture or religion (not
China) and discuss how their religious beliefs
influence their attitude towards death and vice
versa.
Near Death Experience (NDE)
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One explanation of
religion: Fear of death
Paul Tillich: existential
threat of non-being
Is it possible that “afterlife” results from a
wishful-thinking?
Is there life after death?
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Colton is the son of a
part-time pastor and a
businessman in
Nebraska who owns a
garage door company.
Before Colton was very
sick, his father was also
ill and the family go into
financial problems.
Is there life after death?
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During emergency
surgery Colton slips
from consciousness. He
survives and begins
talking about being able
to look down and see the
doctor operating and his
dad praying in the
waiting room.
Is there life after death?
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When his father helped
him to re-collect what
Colton experienced in
Heaven, his father tried
NOT to ask any leading
questions.
Rather, he let Colton use
his own words.
Is there life after death?
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Colton said he met his miscarried
sister, whom no one had told him
about,
He talked about his great
grandfather who died 30 years
before Colton was born, then
shared impossible-to-know
details about each.
He could recognize his great
grandfather from an old photo.
Is there life after death?
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Another child did many
drawings and paintings
about what he saw in heaven
and Jesus.
Colton said that all the
portraits of Jesus in church
does not resemble Jesus,
except the one drawn by
another child.
Near death experience
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NED
Coined by Dr. Raymond
Moody in 1975
NDE is estimated to occur to a
third of people who come close
to death.
Near death experience
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feelings of peace
hearing unusual noises
seeing a dark tunnel
being out of the body
meeting spiritual beings
encountering a bright light or “being
of light,”
panoramic life review
a realm where all knowledge exists
coming back into the body
Andrew Newberg
Andrew Newberg
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“Some hallucinogenic drugs produce experiences
that have many characteristics of near-death
experiences. However, NED also appear to have
some other elements that are not typically found
with drug states—such as the life review or the
notion that it is time to go back. Furthermore,
most NEDs result in powerful consequences for
the individual in terms of how he or she thinks
about death and life, which are not common with
drug-induced states.”
Andrew Newberg
Near death experience
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Bruce Greyson is the Chester F.
Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and
Director of the Division of
Perceptual Studies at the University
of Virginia Health System
Children’s NDEs are similar to those
of adults, but usually they didn’t
have a life review or meetings with
dead friends and relatives.
Colton is an exception.
Arguments against NDE
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No variables, such as age, gender, race, or
history of mental illness, could predict
NDE.
Popular explanation: Oxygen deprivation,
fatigue
Oxygen deprivation usually leads to
frightening hallucinations, but NDE is
peaceful and joyful.
Michael Shermer saw “aliens” in a bike
marathon
Military trainees saw a sea monster due to
lack of sleep
Arguments against NDE
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Drug effects?
UCLA psychologist Dr. Ronald Siegel
claimed that he could reproduce NDEs
by giving LSD to participants. But
drug induced hallucinations often
result in fearful and paranoid
experiences
Although some drugs may create
quasi-NDE experiments, prior studies
show that patients who receive drugs
report fewer NDEs than do patients
who receive no drug.
From Skeptic to Believer
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At first Sabom approached the study of
NDEs as a skeptic, expecting to find
that NDE results from misfirings of a
dying brain
Sabom studied 116 NDEs and found
that NDEs produced a stronger faith
and a higher level of commitment to
religion.
These powerful spiritual experiences
was consistent with divine revelation.
After NDE
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Those who experienced an
NDE due to a suicide attempt
rarely attempted kill
themselves again.
They obtained a sense of
purpose and appreciation for
life.
After NDE
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ego-centric to other-centered
consciousness
tendency to love unconditionally
and increased empathy
decreased interest in status symbols
and materialistic lifestyles
reduced fear of death
deepened spiritual consciousness
believe that everything happens for a
reason.
Jeffrey Long
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Only 20% experienced NDEs. Why?
Long: For spiritual growth
Some people saw Jesus and knew it
i.e. The person didn’t say “I am
Jesus”
Contrary to the popular image: the
wounds are on the wrist, not the
palm
A cross-cultural and trans-religious
phenomenon: NDE study didn’t
invalidate any religion
Nine pieces of evidence claimed
by Jeffrey Long
1.
Crystal clear consciousness
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2.
Cardiac arrest
EG Flat in 10-20 seconds
No blood bumped to the brain
Realistic Out of Body experience (OED)
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Sabbom and Sartori’s study: 92% OBE without
any apparent inaccuracy
Long’s NEDRF study: 97.6%
Nine pieces of evidence claimed
by Jeffrey Long
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Visual NDE (totally blind from birth)
NDEs during general aesthesia
Life review
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No external judge
Reviewed forgotten memories and validated later
Family reunion
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96% are dead relatives
Surprise encounter of relatives that they never met
and late validated
Nine pieces of evidence claimed
by Jeffrey Long
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Children NDE
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Long’s study: 26 young kids, aged 5 or less
Worldwide consistency
Transform life
Arguments against NDE
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Studies found no relationships between
religious beliefs and NDE.
Non-religious people, including atheists,
were just as likely to have NDE.
Contradiction with some Christian
doctrine: Some theologians assert that
the concept of heaven did not exist in
OT. Believers will “sleep” after death
and consciousness stops; they will
resurrect at the second coming of Christ.
Wishful thinking?
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Why did most people go to
Heaven, but very few one went
to Hell? Harris Poll: 79%
respondents believed they
would go to heaven, only 2%
thought they would go to Hell.
Many NDE research were done
by Westerners. Colton and
others who experienced NDE
talked about seeing Jesus. Did
Muslims meet Allah and
Buddhists meet Buddha?