jw - would you mind giving a brief outline of Moody & Kubler-Ross? The only book I've ever read on NDE's is Tom Harpur's, so I"m not sure how to comment.
They're certainly a fascinating phenomenon.

OK

Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote the manual on death and dying. Her concepts and practices are still the way things are done. Her book "On Death and Dying" New York: MacMillan, 1969 is the gold standard for understanding death, the book is well worth the read.

Raymond Moody Jr. M.D. did the first true study of near death experiences. His results were published in his two books:

"Life after life" New York: Mockingbird, 1975
"Reflections on Life after Life" New York: Mockingbird, 1977

Moody used interviews and takes a "I'll report what I see and what I hear. Other than that, I will offer my own opinion, clearly stated as my opinion" approach. This is fairly close to good science, at least as close to good science as it is possible to get with testimonial works. Kubler-Ross and Moody supported each other and worked hard at reporting what they saw and their personal opinion of what they saw, clearly stated as their opinion.

Moody set the 15 points of the NDE experience based on what he saw. Some of the points are set out here: http://www.mikepettigrew.com/afterlife/html/near_death.html
Here is a recent interview with Moody: http://www.healthy.net/scr/interview.asp?Id=209

My problem with Dr. Maurice Rawling's "Beyond Death's Door" New York: Thomas Nelson, 1978 is that he seems to put too much effort into MAKING things fit the classic Christian theology. No amount of effort can make a testimonial work perfect science, yet, one must put every available effort into getting as close as is possible. To me, Rawlings fails in this.

The new age works, such as Cherie Sutherland's "Within the Light" New York: William Schmidt, 1993 put too much effort into making everything rosy sweet. Everyone is saved, everyone is loved, everything is wonderful, everyone will be reborn. That is not good thinking. Reading her and others is like trying to eat the sugar bowl ...

Also check out "Where God Lives," by Melvin Morse, MD, based on his study of near-death experiences in children. He argues "that there is a God Spot in our brains that allows us to interact with the spiritual universe" (from the back cover). Very interesting and thought-provoking read, not written from a religious viewpoint.

Cancer as a 'gift':

Oncologist: You have cancer.

Patient: Will I be able to play piano?

Oncologist: I do not see why not?

Patient: That is really neat because I could
not play it before!!

Thanks, jw. I am familiar with Dr. Kubler-Ross' work on dying - stages of grief, etc. I didn't realize her work went further.

I have read that there is a certain drug that can produce the same experience as a NDE. Skeptics say that this proves that the NDE is a manifestation of the trauma of a dying brain.

What do you think of that perspective, jw? Personally, I'm not sure it proves anything beyond the fact that there is more to our brains than we know.

Diana: My gut reaction is that the skeptics are too sure of themselves. I've never trusted people who are THAT sure of themselves without good reason to be that sure.

Drugs that can cause the same thing? Yes, I'm sure there are such drugs that doesn't mean the NDE experience is not true.

The skeptics are too sure that the NDE experience is a function of the dying brain. As we see the NDE experience elsewhere, including in people who are not dying, but only close to death and in rare occasions in people who are only extremely frightened ... I tend to discount the skeptics.

What exactly does it all mean? I don't know. I think there is something there and it is worth careful consideration.

I agree, jw. Do you know of anyone who's had a NDE experience themselves?

What I've been struck by in reading accounts of NDE's is that the people who experience them emerge often completely transformed, with a renewed purpose in a living, and no fear of death.

Imagine a life with no fear of death. What a gift.

And there seems to be no way of convincing these people that their experiences may have been hallucinations or dreams; they consistently say that the NDE was a far more real experience than their real lives.

I do try not to read too much into it, but it sure is fascinating. What would you recommend as the best sort of all-round book on the subject?

Sorry jw - no edit post function, darn it - I had forgotten that you had listed Moody's books in a previous post. Thanks for that. I think I will see if I can find them. D.

I should add in Scott Peck's "In heaven as on Earth." This book is Peck's fictionalisation of what HE thinks the death and heaven experience is. I think it is very well done and worth the read.

Check out the web site:
www.near-death.com
for a whole pile of stories, theories, book title, etc.