In the lexicon of eye care providers
there has been very little reference to “Near Death
Visions.” The abbreviation is NDV and the term was coined
by an American physician, Dr. Raymond Moody. It is also
known in the field of paranormal studies as “Near Death
Experiences.” A vacuum exists within the eyecare community
regarding this extraordinary phenomenon.
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We will attempt to break the barrier.
Simply stated, death bed visions are apparitions. These
appearances are usually from deceased family members or
friends of the one who is dying. Nevertheless, seeing living
people or well known religious figures has also been
reported. Some remarkable cases record that caretakers
attending the dying have also witnessed the apparitions. The
latter assume the role of escorts as they presumably help
the dying to pass from this life to the next.
But first, consider some history. The
interest in paranormal vision goes back to antiquity.
Accounts of reincarnation and the journey through this life,
then death and on to another form of existence are commonly
found in many cultures and religions from time immemorial.
Views of afterlife exist for Christians, New Age, Jewish,
Hindu, Atheist, Buddhist and Muslim peoples.
In 1961, physician Karles Osis analyzed
over 35,000 deaths reported by nurses and physicians. He
claimed that death bed visions are hallucinations since they
were not verifiable. (Even UFO sightings require at least
two witnesses.) Near death experiences frequently provided
details of color, size, shape, distances and movement
visualized in a particular episode. It included not only
people but landscape scenes, as well. About 97% of those
surveyed by investigators said that it was a positive and
affirming experience. Most lose their fear of death and come
to a belief in survival after death. Many become religious
or develop a stronger belief in God.
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Scientists say that NDV are but delusions
due to lack of oxygen to the brain, along with
psychological, pharmaceutical or neurological reasons.
Science has proved that there is no aspect of personality
within a human being that could travel anywhere without a
physical body to propel it. Dr. Susan Blackmore, of Bristol
University, U.K., declares that a NDV is a manifestation of
a” winding down” of brain functioning as a person nears
death. She explains that the oft time mentioned “Tunnel of
Light” seen by the dying is a result of the turmoil
occurring in the vision center of the brain. Dr. Sam Parnia,
a research fellow at Southampton Hospital in London,
explains, “Our studies must hold an answer to the question
of whether mind or consciousness is actually produced by the
brain or whether the brain is a kind of intermediary which
exists independently.” It proves that vision is part of a
mysterious process that involves the field of paranormal
investigations.
Insofar as visual manifestations are
concerned, there are reports of stunning visual sightings by
users of the hallucinatory drugs back in the ‘60s. Some
artists depended on the drugs for inspiration. The images
resulting from this type of stimulation were clear and
reproducible. Of course now we know the harm that continued
use of such drugs could cause. Many who have experienced an
NDV share the same sights such as white lights and the
ubiquitous long tunnel with a bright light at its end.
Scenes of life flashing before them is another NDV view
commonly reported. Our main problem is that none have
returned from the dead to verify these episodes. It is still
an unsolvable mystery.
Numerous instances have been recorded in
which those seated beside the death bed report seeing
spectral entities, as well. Some bizarre reports exist
wherein the dying “see” people who have died prior to
their knowledge of the incident. Scientists continue to try
to detect, measure and communicate with the dead. Until this
very moment, they have been unsuccessful.
Here is living proof of the NDV in living
color. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross worked in a Chicago
hospital in 1968. She reports that a turning point in her
career occurred when a deceased patient appeared before her
in fully materialized form. Dr. Kubler-Ross had been
discouraged about her research with the dying because of
cynics and opposition which she encountered there. But the
apparition of this particular patient, Mary Schwartz,
appeared to tell her not to abandon her work because life
after death was a reality.
Dr. Carl Jung describes his NDV after he
suffered a broken foot and a heart attack. “It seemed that
I was high in space. Far below I saw the globe of the earth
bathed in a gloriously blue light. Below my feet lay Ceylon
and the subcontinent of India, My field of vision did not
include the entire earth but its global shape was plainly
distinguishable.” He added that he felt that his visions
were real and not the products of imagination or a fevered
brain.
Famous author Ernest Hemingway has
written of his NDV while serving in the trenches near
Fossatta, Italy. It was about midnight on July 9, 1918, when
a mortar shell exploded near him, badly wounding his legs.
He later stated that he experienced death at that moment and
his soul departed from his body. He wrote about this in his
famous book, A Farewell to Arms. “A blast furnace door is
swung open and a roar that started white and went red, in a
rushing wind.” The hero later feels himself sliding back
to life and breathing once again.
Dr. Melvin Morse of the University of
Washington reports on a patient who suffered a heart
stoppage and was rushed to the hospital for emergency
treatment. Her name was Kathy and she stated that she
experienced an NVD vision. “I was high on top of a
beautiful ridge overlooking a beautiful valley. The colors
were extremely vivid and I was filled with joy. I felt that
my entire essence was filled with light.”
The newest research reported in the New
England Journal of Medicine suggests that standard tests may
overlook patients who have some kind of consciousness with
the possibility of communication. A 29 year old patient was
considered to be in a vegetable state but was able to answer
yes or no questions by visualizing specific scenes the
doctors asked him to imagine. The imaginations sparked
different brain activity viewed through a scanning machine.
Researchers were stunned and found this to be amazing. Other
experts said this research tool needs more study before the
specialized scans could be used routinely.
This article is meant for your amazement
and curiosity. It is, in no way, meant to trivialize the
seriousness of near death experiences. I do not deny or
support any particular concept put forward by any of the
researchers mentioned heretofore. I will be glad to receive
any communication expressing the reader’s outlook on these
matters.
