See Also: near-death experience(encyclopedia)
experience(2)(dictionary)
experience(1)(dictionary)
Experience(money)
Experience(medicine)
FHA prepayment experience(money)
Experience rating(finance)
experience 1, noun(dictionary)
experience 2, verb(dictionary)
Experience rating(money)

near-death experience (sh)




Mystical or transcendent experience reported by people who have been on the threshold of death.

The near-death experience varies with each individual, but characteristics frequently include hearing oneself declared dead, feelings of peacefulness, the sense of leaving one's body, the sense of moving through a dark tunnel toward a bright light, a life review, the crossing of a border, and meetings with other spiritual beings, often deceased friends and relatives. Near-death experiences are reported by about one-third of those who come close to death. Cultural and physiological explanations have been offered, but the causes remain uncertain. Typical aftereffects include greater spirituality and decreased fear of death.