Is the meaning of near-death-experience religious or neurological?

While we’re on the subject of dying, let’s talk about near-death-experience (NDE), a subject popularized after the publication of Life After Life, by Dr. Moody, in 1975. 

The strange aspects of NDE accounts are not new, though, as they have been heard for centuries. Generally, after an NDE, there’s a surge in spirituality in individuals characterized with a reduction of fear of death. 

Explanations range from scientific to religious; neuroscience believes that an NDE is a subjective phenomenon resulting from "disturbed bodily multi-sensory integration" that occurs during life-threatening events. It is also true that Patients of theistic religions (Christianity, Islam and Hinduism) reported significantly more NDEs compared to patients from the non-theistic religious group lie Buddhism. 

At any rate, new research shows that these seemingly otherworldly sensations may actually be rooted in brain activity associated with psychedelics. A study conducted at Imperial College London, shows that the potent psychedelic, N,N-Dimethyltriptamine – commonly known as DMT – can elicit experiences rooted in physical brain processes, that strongly overlap with those described as NDE. DMT produces its psychedelic effects largely via neural pathways involving the neurotransmitter serotonin. 

In a manner similar to near-death experiences, DMT elicits mystical happenings described as “realer than real”. Generally speaking, science defines the time of death as a chain reaction to existential changes, in order to maintain a balance in times of crisis, as we all have an implicit need for stability. As we get closer to death, scientists say that our brain may process sensory information (hearing, smell, etc.) differently from the way we used to. 

For instance, a sound that once seemed normal may seem scary or threatening. It’s possible mistake one person for another or to perceive things that people around don’t seem to notice. These differences in perception may be more noticeable at night than during the day. Some studies have shown that the brain releases a surge of chemicals as death approaches that may heighten senses into a state of awareness or even hyper-reality. 

People who are dying, often speak of seeing that famous bright light at the end of a tunnel. They may see themselves going on a journey where they’ll reunite with a deceased loved one. When all is said and done, that phenomenon might be an ultimate bodily reaction that ease dying people into the end of their existence in a pleasant, instead of a traumatic way, and barring the possibility of an eternal life, it’s a good way to end it all!

The best way to die?

I’ve a friend who always says that the best way to die is to do it why we are in full health, and I agree with him with this caveat: “As late as possible, without suffering and ideally doing something we enjoy doing”. 

This is exactly what happened to someone I know, who was my age, and went skiing on Wednesday in my Alpine home valley of Morzine, France, in the company of his 9 year old grand son. He was struck by a massive heart attack and died on the spot.

While this must have been traumatic for the little boy and the entire family, the death happened fast, unexpectedly (he apparently had no clue he had a potentially lethal health problem), doing something he truly enjoyed and without much suffering. 

In theory, dying on skis might be ideal for a skier, as long as the cause of death is natural and not accidental, but I don’t know if I’m quite ready for such an abrupt and cold exit.

Learning from (original) mistakes

As we grow older and if our lives are active and interesting enough, we’ll continue to accumulate errors and mistakes. 

I’m hopefully talking about new ones and not a repeat performance the ones we’ve made previously, but this would be a totally different topic of conversation. 

While new errors or mistakes generally bring their share of hurt and pain, they also get our attention and, in the process, teach us an additional lesson that, with the emotions they carry, will hopefully make a permanent imprint on our memory. 

Painful stuff often get our full attention and when provoked by self-errors are part of our continued education. 

So in spite of all the suffering they involve, I welcome mistakes because they’re also my teachers and the importance of the new knowledge they impart on me is often enough to soften or totally eliminate the blow!

Biden’s state of the Union

I had no great expectations before our President’s speech on Tuesday night, but at the end, after listening to his entire presentation, I was nicely surprised and quite pleased with its content and delivery.

 

Joe Biden was able to make it lively, energetic, fun and didn’t hesitate to ad lib when he had to, with positive results. He also offered a plan and real solutions to real problems. 

I don’t like the fact he’s eighty years old, but he still sounds much better than Trump, DeSantis and Pence, and if I had to make a choice for 2024 among these players, I’d still vote for him. 

As for the Republican response by Arkansas’ new minted governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, it was bitchy, dystopian, heavy on ideology but devoid of solutions. She’d be a perfect running mate for the demented Trump if he ever get to be a candidate this time around. 

I hope the GOP realizes, before it’s too late for them, that Americans want practical solutions and not a ban on Woke and CRT ideas...

Dick Cutler, 1929-2023

Dick was among the first “ski industry people” I met when I came to America, more than 46 years ago. 

He was the advertising salesman for Skiing Magazine. Back then, both Skiing and Ski were battling hard for ad monies and while Harry Kaiser, Cutler’s boss was a bit aloof, the ball was clearly in the camp of George Bauer, his counterpart at Ski that also had a hold on the ski business with its yearly “Ski Industry Ski Week” convention at Vail. 

So, Dick Cutler’s quintessential good salesmanship was making up for that. He knew how to naturally take interest in other people lives. The man was a true bridge-builder among people and was also the de facto job placement guru for industry executives, and helped me immeasurably when I needed help. Many years ago, he taught me the meaning of “serendipity.” I never forgot that word. 

The success of his business and personal life got measured by his numerous friends across the country. Dick would pepper any correspondence with a cheeky New Yorker comic (he kept files of these). He’d also save pages of notes with friends anniversaries, birthdays, special events and leave 5-second voice messages starting with, “Cutler here…” 

Later, he worked for Warren Miller Entertainment and we always stayed in touch until then, sharing jokes, wishes, and keeping in touch regularly. He passed away on January 30, at age 93. We will all miss him.

Our wildlife's existential quandary

This winter our local wildlife has a very tough time with feeding itself, as snow keeps on accumulating. On Monday, my wife counted 12 deer in our neighbor's yard, over the 3 foot wooden fence, and these guys seem to have established their winter quarters between our two homes munching on pine tree branches, the only “edible” stuff left for them. 

It’s not that as a community, Park City disregards the welfare of our four-legged friends. In late 2018, a $5 million overpass was completed, crossing over the Interstate 80 at Parleys summit, about 10 miles from our home, to let wildlife through the busy highway and limit vehicle collisions. 

Its camera went viral in 2020 when footage from the bridge was viewed over 3 million times. The clip below highlights just some of the animals that crossed in front of the cameras including moose, pumas, bobcats, bears, porcupines, mule deer, and coyotes. 

This of course is more variety than we see from our window that’s limited to moose, deer, squirrels, rabbit and the occasional grouse, but who know really which critter roams there? 

Checking out the Grammy’s…

Since we are a bit out of the loop when it comes to popular music, we decided to take a peek at the 65th Grammy Awards on Sunday night. 

We watched the ceremony for a little over one hour and after being served with a wide variety of demented Mardi-Gras or Halloween (?) costumes, a retrospective on Hip-Hop to marked its fiftieth anniversary we had enough of fancy celebrities competing for the evening’s limelight but not much good music that could sooth our hearts and souls and decided to call it a night. 

It’s incredible how the public has become attracted to the celebrity status over what it can produce and what the real needs and problems are on the planet. I even thought that instead of parading in a Los Angeles arena, all of these beautiful people should be sent for a full week to Ukraine, Somalia, Afghanistan or anywhere they could help out, clean up and make themselves useful! 

Well, thinking that way probably shows that I’m now too old for watching the people and the Grammy’s when there is so little good music to hear...