Dream a Little Dream
My grandmother always said, “you cannot choose between life or death while
sleeping”. When you are sleeping, your body practically doesn’t belong to you. Its
almost as though you have no control over anything that might happen to you in your
dreams, especially if it is something dangerous. When I ask people why this happens,
they theorize that a powerful force or being has entrapped your body. You could end up
dying in your dreams, thus leading to your death or illness in reality. It’s possible for
someone to suffer a heart attack from what they dreamt, depending on how frightening
the situation was. I’ve heard of people going to bed one night and, the next morning,
waking up not remembering who they are or actually becoming insane. It is with these
mysterious beliefs that one becomes afraid to dream anymore.
I had never actually experienced a life and death situation while sleeping, at least
not until recently. It was in early November of 2001, if I remember correctly, on a
Thursday night, when I was just closing my eyes to enjoy a nice peaceful sleep. I could
feel myself floating almost like someone was taking me from my room. I couldn’t feel
anything, since I was literally out cold. Suddenly, I was awake with my eyes closed and
my body unmoved. I tried to open my eyes, but they could not open, I tried to move my
body, but I would not stir. My efforts were futile; I eventuall...
December 4, 1980, stating that the band could not go on in its present state.
and soon I was sleeping. I spent a great deal of time asleep over the
It had been reported that, “Numerous people have told of hearing their doctors or other spectators in effect pronounce them dead” (Moody Jr, MD, 2015, p. 17). This is an out of body experience. Each reported feelings of peace and quiet, which transitioned into a bad buzzing noise. After proceeding through a tunnel, they have an “encounter with a very bright light” (Moody Jr, MD, 2015, p. 51). Questions resound around a reflection of their life, what they had learned during it, and if it was worth it. Invariably, each of the subjects’ encounter a border at which they are told they need to go back. “Considering the skepticism and lack of understanding that greet the attempt of a person to discuss his near-death experience, it is not surprising that almost everyone in this situation comes to feel that he is unique, that no one else has ever undergone what he has” (Moody Jr, MD, 2015, p. 83). Naturally, the outcome of this experience has an effect on the lives of those experiencing it.
The victim goes in and out of consciousness, aware of some things, totally unaware of
Catherine Valente remembers clearly about her terrifying experience. It was around 3 in the morning when she woke up in the middle of the night, she saw an old woman figure with long white dress, long black hair, and awfully long nails sitting on her chest. She felt like as if she’s paralyzed. She couldn’t move a muscle or even open her mouth to scream. She laid there unable to move for at least 15 minutes. Have you ever had the same experience like Catherine, felt like you were awake but had some difficulty to move your body? You might have even felt petrified but could not call for help? This weird phenomenon is called Sleep Paralysis.
Crying, I recall when I said to myself, “I will die!” I couldn’t think of anything else. I was locked in a small and dark room for two consecutive days, I was starving, and there was no one there to help me. Simply, I was frightened and worried about how I am going to get out of this room alive, although there was a war going around the whole city.
There are many phenomena present in today’s world concerning both life and death. An extraordinary incorporation of these prominent values is a Near Death Experience (NDE). Near Death Experiences empower and affect the psyche of many, changing their lives forever and altering their perception of death. Many questions arise from this particular topic simply because you have to experience it to fully understand its meaning. Questions such as, What is it, What happens, and how do they occur are familiar to experts in this field or to the people who have first hand experience.
Research suggests that there is nothing paranormal about having a near death experience. Instead, researchers feel that these experiences are manifestations of normal brain functions gone wrong, during a traumatic or sometimes harmless event (Mobbs, D., & Watt, C. 2011). Research has shown that the main parts of the brain being affected during these events may be linked to malfunctions in the temporal lobe, and the basic arousal systems may be responsible for several of the components of the near death experience (Mobbs, D., & Watt, C. 2011).
own need to control specific life events and the difficulty in the reality of act...
I stepped out of the vehicle and I fell to the ground and I felt
Before studies of near-death experiences begin, scientists and doctors first have to understand what they are. So, what are they? A near-death experience is an unusual experience that takes place on the brink of death and usually involves a variety of components including an out-of-body experience (OBE) or a vision of a tunnel of light. These “out-of-bo...
Arousal disorders are the most common type of parasomnia. These disorders include: confusional arousals, sleepwalking, sleep terrors and nightmares. Experts believe that each is related and share some symptoms. Essentially, they occur because a person is in a mixed state of being both asleep and awake, generally coming from the deepest stage of non-dreaming sleep. The individual is awake enough to act out complex behaviors, but asleep enough not to be aware of or remember them.
My father passed away in 1991, two weeks before Christmas. I was 25 at the time but until then I had not grown up. I was still an ignorant youth that only cared about finding the next party. My role model was now gone, forcing me to reevaluate the direction my life was heading. I needed to reexamine some of the lessons he taught me through the years.
Near death experiences (NDE) can take place to anyone anytime anywhere at the time when he or she comes in close contact with death. It is an altered condition of consciousness resultant from harsh trauma or any other life threatening situation in which a sequence of specific characteristics are there although the occurrence is highly individualized. A Gallup poll revealed that 35% of patients who have had a close brush with death have had a Near Death Experience. In some studies the percentage has ranged from 11% to 40%. Near-death experiences may vary in intensity. Some patients have a mild experience and remember little or none about it afterwards. But for others, a Near Death Experience (NDE) is a profound and life changing experience. Someone who's had a Near Death Experience (NDE) may be reluctant to talk about it because he's afraid people will think he's "crazy" Or, if his a Near Death Experience (NDE) was disturbing, he may want to forget about it. But assessing for a a Near Death Experience (NDE) and supporting the patient who's had one are important because having a Near Death Experience (NDE) may have a profound effect on his life and relationships.1
To begin, I would like to define a near-death experience. It is a time when the body shuts down. The lungs stop breathing, the heart stops beating, and blood ceases to reach the brain and other parts of the body. It’s when your body is physically dead. This can occur from numerous things. It can occur during surgery, cardiac arrest, anaphylactic shock, coma, fever, anesthesia, seizures, unconsciousness, severe allergic reactions, suicide attempts or other physical trauma caused to the body (Morrissey, Journey into Consciousness). During this time of death, many people claim be passing through a tunnel toward a bright light and meeting people who have died earlier in time (Mosby, The Mosby Medical Encyclopedia 100). Upon awakening from the near-death experience, the subject may return with unusual abilities previously unknown to them. Some people find themselves seeing auras and other related paranormal abilities, awareness of science and other technologies regarding time and space, and transformations in spirit and personality (Morrissey, Journey into Consciousness).