The near-death phenomenon

In the early 1970s, resuscitation technology had advanced to the point where more people were being brought back from the brink of death than ever before in history. A small minority of about one in five reported seeing a narrow, dark tunnel with light at the end, which the individual interpreted as a glimpse of "heaven." Some said they met with Jesus (Buddhists met Buddha) and departed loved ones. No doubt, those having these experiences were deeply moved and many said it changed their lives. The near-death phenomenon began to get the attention of nurses and physicians who attempted systematic studies. However, the thousands of reports published over four decades are virtually all anecdotal. Let me mention one notorious example that received considerable media attention. In the 1980s, a Seattle woman named Maria reported a near-death-experience after a heart attack. She told social worker Kimberly Clark that she had separated from her body and floated outside the hospital. There she saw a tennis shoe with a worn patch on the third floor ledge near her room. Social worker Clark checked the ledge and retrieved the shoe.