Most people who have near-death experiences say they have changed their lives in many positive ways. Blackmore notes, "Again and again NDErs describe how different are their priorities, hopes and fears, after their experience" (Blackmore, 1993, p. l25). Most people say their lives change very positively after they have a near-death experience. One woman said, "Before my experience, I guess I was like most people struggling with a better self-image. But I really experienced how precious and how loved I am by God -- the light -- and I am constantly reminded of that in my daily life" (Ring & Valarino, 1998, p. 189). For those who live through near-death experiences, they are meaningful, and many point to a time during the experience when they made the choice to turn back and go on living. In addition, while other memories fade with time, the near-death experience remains vivid and quite real, even after many years have passed. This seems to be another argument that the experiences are real. They are so memorable because they were life changing and unlike any other experience in life.
While many researchers believe in the validity of near-death experiences, many others believe the phenomena can be explained by many other causes. Many people believe these experiences are simply hallucinations brought on by severe stress, as writer Blackmore notes, "At the other extreme are those who dismiss the visions as meaningless hallucinations. Californian psychologist Ron Siegel shows how the descriptions given by dying persons are virtually identical to descriptions given by persons experiencing drug-induced hallucinations" (Blackmore, 1993, p. 3). Other researchers have found they can actually simulate the near-death visions in many people by stimulating a specific area of the brain. Another researcher reports, "What Penfield found was that stimulation of the right temporal lobe in the area of the anterior Sylvian fissure led to typical, reproducible images of near-death states, angels, the Virgin Mary, and other archetypal forms of images with significant physiological and theological aspects attached to them" (Peters, 1994, p. 5). Thus, near-death...
NDEs A near death experience is a collection of cognitive and emotional responses to an encounter with death, whether that encounter is related to a sudden accident or to an illness. The phenomenon has been recorded throughout history, and in various cultures around the world. "Although the term near-death experience…was not coined until 1975, accounts of similar events can be found in the folklore and writings of European, Middle Eastern, African,
Viewing -- the "viewing" is not exclusively a Catholic rite, but is more traditional with Catholic services. It is also called a reviewal or funeral visitation. This is the time in which friends and the family come to see the deceased after the body has been prepared by a funeral home. A viewing may take place at a funeral parlor, in a family home, or Church/Chapel prior to the actual
Death Chamber Indeed, the death penalty is one of the most divisive issues in the entirety of the criminal justice system as it currently exists within the United States of America. Although many polls do suggest that a majority of Americans ultimately do support the employment of the death penalty, it faces stern and strong opposition from a violent minority that radically opposes the death penalty for a variety of reasons,
myth in Daniel Wallace's Big Fish is particularly what allows Edward Bloom to keep other people in his life at a distance. By stretching the events of his life into tall tales, Edward was able to create an identity for himself that was more noteworthy or memorable than the objective facts that typified his existence. However, Edward's son, Will, is called home to reconcile with his father has he
Abstract This paper examines the death penalty as a deterrent and argues that states have not only the right but the duty to apply the death penalty to criminal cases because it is incumbent upon states to back the law with force. The death penalty acts as a forceful and compelling consequence for those who should choose to violate the law and commit murder. For that reason it can be said
Critic Heyen says, "There is no question but that the play is elusive. As Miller himself has said, 'Death of a Salesman is a slippery play to categorize because nobody in it stops to make a speech objectively stating the great issues which I believe it embodies'" (Heyen 47). Therefore, many critics look at the play in different ways, attempting to categorize it and reference it according to their
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