ABSTRACT
The upsurge of interest in Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) is no doubt precipitated by the fact that more than ever before, people can be "brought back from death's door." NDEs are somewhat like the out-of-body experiences (OBEs) that are commonly encountered and do not occur in near-death situations. It is reported that during OBEs a similar sense of separation from one's body, even a hovering sensation or "bird's-eye view" is encountered. The bright light that some NDEers report is similar to the light encountered in hallucinatory experiences, and may be caused when people become aware of optical peculiarities, such as phosphenes, that arise during such an altered state of consciousness. Russell Noyes and Roy Kletti have suggested that a kind of "depersonalization" process is at work. This would mean that the NDE is a common psychological reaction to imminent death, a coping mechanism that intervenes as a person struggles with a distressing, traumatic situation.
