Near Death Experiences.

A few years ago I was unfortunate enough to find myself lying on a hospital bed, in great pain, surrounded by doctors and nurses (I will spare you the graphic details).

As I slipped into unconsciousness I began to experience something very strange indeed. The pain simply melted away and my mind became sharper and clearer than it had ever been before.

I suddenly realised I was moving at great speed as if the race against time had begun. My body was hurtling through dark, twisting tunnels but I wasn't in the least bit frightened. In fact I felt immense happiness, excitement and an overwhelming feeling of love. There was a distinct feeling that something incredible was about to happen to me.

A soft female voice whispered to me, "Don't worry, everything will be alright". The next thing I remember was waking up in intensive care with a tube down my throat helping me to breathe.

The doctor told me that my heart had stopped but they had "jump started" me back to life. I was in fact lucky to have survived my ordeal.

I believe I had a near death experience. Though uncommon, an NDE is not rare. There are many, many accounts throughout human history and in all cultures. It is an amazing experience which is becoming more prevalent because, as in my case, medical technology is capable of bringing people back - even when they have "flatlined".

My experience is quite similar to the majority of others. Some people embark on profoundly spiritual and timeless journeys which takes them right up to the point of no return.

The classic NDE differs from person to person, but a pattern seems to be evident. As the body and brain begin the dying process, a person seems to have an out - of - body - experience.

A well known American musician called Pam Reynolds "died" during brain surgery. She felt herself "pop" outside her head and found herself looking down on her lifeless body. Pam later astonished doctors by describing complex surgical instruments being used and recalling the actions and conversations the surgeons had while working on her body.

The next stage seems to be floating or travelling at great speed down a long, dark tunnel (s) towards a pin prick of light which gradually grows bigger and brighter. As they travel along the tunnel some people report undergoing a "life review". They watch their whole lives pass before them in incredible detail. (Time does not exist in an NDE, at least not as we understand it). Every pleasure and every pain is re-experienced in vivid Technicolor. Every action and every decision is re-examined. People feel as if they are being made to pass judgement on themselves.

As a person moves closer to the light an overwhelming sense of love envelopes them. At this point people become aware that they are not alone.

Spiritual / religious beings are encountered and the presence of a god - like entity shines through everything.

However, for those who will return, the near death experience is about to end. The final stage is some sort of impassable boundary which can take many forms. In the case of Pam Reynolds she was stopped by several deceased relatives led by her grandmother. She was told it was not her time and that she had to go back. Reluctantly, she allowed a favourite uncle to escort her back down the tunnel. Re-entering her body was like "diving into a pool of icy water".

Other barriers are encountered such as fast flowing rivers that have no bridges to be found, or beautiful gardens cut off by never ending fences.

People are always reluctant to return to their physical bodies but, once back, they find that their lives have greatly improved.

Appreciation of life is massively increased and so is compassion for others. There is a heightened sense of self esteem and a voracious appetite for learning and knowledge. Problems become easy to solve.

After my experience I became much more spiritually aware than I ever was before.

Not all near death experiences are positive. Some people report having travelled to a frightening place of utter blackness. They felt as if they were in a massive crowd of tormented souls, but were unable to see, feel or speak to anybody else. Sometimes the presence of a demonic entity is felt to hover nearby.

However, even with such "hellish" experiences, people who return to life also seem to develop a more positive attitude to their lives.

One woman had a negative NDE after attempting suicide. She reported that she had been trapped in a cold, dark room. Black, hooded figures circled around her and she felt an overwhelming sense of fear and loneliness.

After returning to her body she decided to work hard at improving her life which had been beset by drug problems. She eventually found love and happiness.

One particularly interesting NDE I remember reading about concerned a young man involved in a terrible accident. He suddenly found himself walking through a baking, red desert. He eventually came across an uncle who had died a few years previously. The uncle was a picture of abject misery, sitting crossed - legged on the hot sand, head in hands, sobbing. Yet nearby was a beautiful oasis full of cool water and delicious fruit.

The young man was about to help his uncle when suddenly he felt himself being pulled back into his body. He later realised that this strange experience was some sort of lesson or, perhaps, a warning.

He remembered that his uncle had been an unpleasant and selfish man. He took no pleasure in life and was often the cause of distress and misery in others. He had taken these horrible characteristics with him to the afterlife and was now suffering as a consequence.

Like the woman who attempted suicide, the young man, not wishing to end up like his uncle, developed a more positive attitude to life.

Now, some scientists and sceptics will say that the NDE is nothing more than a hallucination brought about by chemicals flooding the dying brain. The afterlife, they say, does not exist...how can they be so certain?

For those who have experienced near death, it is all too real. We should never dismiss the possibility that when the brain begins to die that we embark on a different kind of journey.

Life is much more mysterious and complex than we are able to imagine and I think the NDE could be proof that our consciousness (or soul?) can exist outside of our physical selves.

There is no more compelling question than "what happens when we die?"

Every single one of us will eventually find the answer.