The near-death experience (NDE) is a phenomenon of considerable importance to medicine, neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, philosophy and religon.
Unfortunately, some scientists have been deterred from conducting research upon the NDE by claims that NDE's are evidence for life after death, and sensationalist media reports which impart the air of a pseudoscience to NDE studies. Irrespective of religous beliefs, NDE's are not evidence for life after death on simple logical grounds: death is defined as the final, irreversible end. Anyone who 'returned' did not, by definition, die - although their mind, brain and body may have been in a very unusual state.
There is overwhelming evidence that 'mind' results from neuronal activity. The dramatic effects on the mind of adding hallucinogenic drugs to the brain, and the religous experiences which sometimes result, provide further evidence for this. One of the many contradictions which 'after-lifers' can not resolve is that "the spirit rises out of the body leaving the brain behind, but somehow still incorporating neuronal functions such as sight, hearing, and proprioception" (Morse, 1989, original italics).
Dr. Karl Jansen
I think there is no sin in searching and asking. I can agree with the scientists if they can convince me. But the problem is science is changing everyday and sill there are lots of things beyond our knowledge and we know our limitations. Also another problem is, I may agree with non-believer scientists today, also I may disagree with them after 5 or 15 years. Then who will give me the compensation of my wasted time??
Anyway, there are many drugs that may cause The near-death experience if those are administrated in excess amount such as excess dose of potassium salt. If its concentration in blood exceeds a certain threshold point then we die, otherwise, we may experience near-death. Now the question is why death point is irreversible. As far I know, in any case if our brain cells do not get blood supply or the get toxic blood supply then the brain cells die in few moments. And if some how the major brain cell die, then, no matter, how much we try to activate those cell they never reverse back. And ultimately we fail to activate our body system. That is why death is irreversible.
We know prayer alter our mood and we also know that the pharmacological effects of some drugs can alter our mood as like:
-Amphetamines can make people feel alert, energetic and confident, and less bored or tired.
-Anabolic steroids may cause aggression, called 'roid rage', in the most extreme cases. Men may lose their sex drive and become depressed, until they stop taking them.
-Regular Cocaine users are often nervous, excitable and paranoid, and can be confused because of lack of sleep.
-Ecstasy, or MDMA, was first used in the USA to help improve empathy between couples in marital therapy. Most users report good experiences. The unpleasant ones appear to be connected with taking repeated, high doses, over a period of time, which provokes anxiety, panic, confusion, insomnia and psychosis.
-Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants,also 'Poppers' (alkyl nitrites) are mainly used by gay men to enhance sexual activity.
-Tranquillisers can relieve tension and anxiety, making users feel calm and relaxed, without affecting alertness and clarity of thought.
-Alcohol is the most widely used depressant. Also it lowers people's inhibitions and encourages them to express their inner feelings, which may be aggression and frustration that emerge in violence.
-Solvents like glues, gases and aerosols cause effects like getting drunk, and include feeling dizzy, unreal, euphorically happy, and less inhibited.
-The effects can also include 'pseudo-hallucinations', which the user knows are not real.
-Analgesics like Heroin can makes people drowsy and contented.
-Cannabis effects are like a pleasurable state of relaxation, talkativeness, bouts of hilarity and a greater appreciation of sensory experience.
-LSD users report of seeing colours as more intense, things around them looking distorted in shape and size, and stationary objects appearing to move. They may hear distorted sounds and experience changes of time and place, although they usually know that these aren t real. Emotionally, they may have a heightened sense of self-awareness, go through mystical or ecstatic experiences, or feel disconnected from their body.
-Temporary elevation of dopamine levels often leads to an improvement in mood, alertness, libido, and perhaps even an enhancement in verbal fluency and creativity.
-Laughing gas causes us to laugh
So like those drugs, as an anesthesia Ketamine may causes hallucinations or the near-death experience. And these all are pharmacological effects on brain, specifically on our mind.
But I do not know how Ketamine gives religious experiences as scientists claim. If any drug creates convulsion or epilepsy in us that does not mean those are as like religious/prayer/Zikr effects.
Pharmacological effects (like calmness or convulsion) of drugs and the religious effects ( like calmness/peace due to prayer or convulsion due to zikr) still can be different. Both types of effects may not be happened following the same pathway.
*Upsss I made a big post, but don't know I whether I made people understood or not what I understand.
