Okay, I don't know if there are 10 myths, or if there's any particular order...just wanted a catchy title. :)
I started this thread to talk about some of the persistent ideas people have about the content of auditory and visual experiences some people have around the time of medical crises, some of which have been labelled "NDE". Because elements of the experiences which may have something to say about transcendence or survival of consciousness have been selected post hoc for discussion, it may give the impression that these are the only elements which take place. Some people even call elements which don't relate to the NDE categories "anomalous" and regard them as rare. However, if you look at non-selected samples of these experiences, you discover that the majority are not of the NDE-type. Most published research on non-selected samples confirms that the number of experiences which fit the NDE label are the minority. But most do not provide details of all experiences. Penny Sartori is an exception and published this information in book form, so I am using the details provided in her book.
So Myth number 1 is:
NDEers meet dead family/friends.
Of the 16 NDEers in Sartori's study, 7 met people who were not dead friends or family. Some were family members who were alive (3 examples) and some were people or figures who were unknown to the subject. And this doesn't include the numerous auditory and visual experiences which included living hospital personnel.
Of the people whose auditory and visual experiences didn't qualify for the NDE label, many people known and unknown who were alive were met (far too many to enumerate).
Linda
I started this thread to talk about some of the persistent ideas people have about the content of auditory and visual experiences some people have around the time of medical crises, some of which have been labelled "NDE". Because elements of the experiences which may have something to say about transcendence or survival of consciousness have been selected post hoc for discussion, it may give the impression that these are the only elements which take place. Some people even call elements which don't relate to the NDE categories "anomalous" and regard them as rare. However, if you look at non-selected samples of these experiences, you discover that the majority are not of the NDE-type. Most published research on non-selected samples confirms that the number of experiences which fit the NDE label are the minority. But most do not provide details of all experiences. Penny Sartori is an exception and published this information in book form, so I am using the details provided in her book.
So Myth number 1 is:
NDEers meet dead family/friends.
Of the 16 NDEers in Sartori's study, 7 met people who were not dead friends or family. Some were family members who were alive (3 examples) and some were people or figures who were unknown to the subject. And this doesn't include the numerous auditory and visual experiences which included living hospital personnel.
Of the people whose auditory and visual experiences didn't qualify for the NDE label, many people known and unknown who were alive were met (far too many to enumerate).
Linda