Paper Summary:

This paper focuses on the phenomenon of near death experiences, including its history, psychological theories, and research findings. The paper's definition of a near death experience is when someone dies clinically, but does not remain that way; instead, the heart starts to beat again, the lungs start to function, and the person remains in existence on this planet. After examining various psychological theories and research findings, the paper concludes that near-death experiences constitute an anomalous area of research that continues to fascinate us.

Outline:
Historical Perspectives and Psychology - The Work of John Haught
NDE Research and Study Findings
Conclusion
References

From the Paper:

"Doctors and others have said that the white light people say they see when they die is merely the brain activity shutting down, and is no proof that all that that person was headed to Heaven (Ring & Cooper, 1999). This may be true, but while it cannot be proven that the person saw the bright light of Heaven, the doctors can also not prove that it was the brain's response to death. This leaves many people stuck between what they can prove and what they believe. This can be a very difficult place to be stuck because it causes a conundrum (Ring & Cooper, 1999). Their heart tells them that belief is enough, but their mind tells them that they have no proof so they must not believe. Only a few people manage to come to terms with this completely and totally, and accept either one or the other of these paths. If they stick with the lack of proof they are often called atheists. If they deal only with belief, many others think that they are just a little too religious, and that they need to live 'in the real world' with the rest of society (Ring & Cooper, 1999)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Atwater, P. M. H. 2007. The big book of near death experiences: The ultimate guide to what happens when we die. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads.
• Bailey, L. W. & Yates, J. (Eds.). 1996. The near-death experience: A reader. New York: Routledge.
• Freud, Sigmund. 2007. The Interpretation of Dreams. New York, NY: NuVision Publications.
• Glossary of Paranormal Terms. 2008. MysticalBlaze. http://www.mysticalblaze.com/Glossary Paranormal.htm
• Greyson, Bruce. 1998. The incidence of near-death experiences. Medicine and Psychiatry, 1, 92-99.

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