Near Death Experience: Personal Stories

Lecture by Willoughby Britton given at Brown University on November 13, 2007. Introduction by Professor Harold Roth, the head of the Contemplative Studies Initiative. ----- While visions of angels and white lights may not seem like a necessary part of a medical school curriculum, any palliative care doctor or hospice nurse will tell you that these reports are not uncommon amongst very ill patients. Whether medication-induced hallucinations, wishful thinking or actual visits to another realm, these experiences are extremely real and meaningful to the people who have them. In many cases, these experiences produce long-lasting changes in personality, values and behavior.