So called 'Near-Death Experiences' (NDEs) are supposed by many to be proof that there is life after death. For a person experiencing all the classical elements of a NDE, it must be psychologically near impossible to draw that conclusion. In a situation where they nearly died, they will have had an out of body experience, appeared to pass through a tunnel towards a bright light, met with supernatural beings and/or their beloved dead, felt cognitively enhanced and a profound experience of peace; only to be yanked back into this mundane world of pain and sorrow. From the outside, the conclusion is far from convincing. When near death, an implement noted for its ability to find meaning where none exists (eg, to see shapes in clouds, or faces in rock formations) is subject to extraordinary stress, and hence unusual sensations. Prima facie, the implement will attempt to make sense of such unusual sensations, and that the result should be something like NDEs is entirely plausible. Does science give any support to either of these intuitive interpretations?
