What Happens When We Die? (Pt 1)

Death is something we don't like to think about- it's mysterious, and it awaits us all.

But we have questions: Does death mean the end of this life or the beginning of another? Does anyone know what happens after death? 
Has anyone been there? 
What does it feel like?

Does life continue after death?

• 83% of Americans say they believe in heaven.
• Most cultures have predicted life after death.
•  Egyptians, Orientals, Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks believed that death was only the mortal end of man and that the soul remained immortal.
•  Plato and Socrates wrote about the death experience.
• Jewish and Christian theologians believed in an eternal soul, judgment, heaven and hell.

But is there any scientific evidence to support the idea of life after death?

One of the leading experts in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, Dr. Maurice S. Rawlings, affirms there is indeed scientific evidence of life after death. In his book, "Beyond Death's Door", the heart specialist recounts the experiences of many who have survived clinical death. As an expert in CPR, Dr. Rawlings resuscitates those who have no pulse, have quit breathing, and are flat-lining.

And what do so they say after they return? From thousands of interviews here is a summary of the "typical" out of the body experience...

1. The injured or seriously ill struggles to survive while medical personnel try to revive them.
2. They watch themselves leave their body, float around the room, and observe all that is said and done.
3. There is a sense of incredible clarity of thought and presence of mind.
4.  A loud noise often signals the beginning of a fast journey through a long dark tunnel with a light at the end.
5. At the end, they emerge into a brightly lit area where they are greeted by a "being of light".
6. Usually the deceased is turned back at this point, but not always.
7. Some go on to greet loved ones who have died and find they are in an extraordinary place of peace and joy.
8. Others find themselves in a dark, dreary place of extreme torment, described as a dungeon or cave where they encounter grotesque people who may be lurking to the shadows or along a burning lake of fire.
9. Finally they find themselves back in his body where he may feel the shock of an applied electric current or chest pains from someone pushing on his chest.

Unusual accounts, common among medical experts, have prompted a scientific study in the Netherlands of "Near-Death Experiences".

The Dutch researchers tracked 344 patients who had been resuscitated, ages 26 to 92. Three-quarters were men. Most were interviewed within five days of being resuscitated, and researchers followed up with interviews two years and eight years later to test the reliability of the patients' memories. Most patients had excellent recall of the events.

• About 18 percent of the patients in the study reported some memory of the time when they were clinically dead.
• 8 percent to 12 percent reported going through near- death experiences, such as seeing lights at the end of tunnels or "crossing over" and speaking with dead relatives and friends.

The people who had such experiences reported marked changes in their personalities. They seemed to lose fear of death, and they became more compassionate, caring and loving.

The researchers say the evidence supports the validity of near-death experiences and suggests scientists should rethink theories on one of the ultimate medical mysteries: the nature of human consciousness. One scientist suggested that when investigating consciousness, we "should not look in the cells and molecules alone." This research might be the first solid scientific evidence for the existence of a human "soul" and it's existence beyond death's door.