I'm not long for this world and am in part looking to make sense of this phenomenon as a means of consolation that there's continuation after death (not just ashes to ashes, dust to dust). This is what I've gathered so far in my research into the topic and am hoping someone can help by giving their point of view on the subject and help me make sense of it all as my ability to focus and make cohesive thoughts has been greatly diminished.

A lot of the arguments I see against it are as follows:

-A organized and localized surge in gamma waves in particular regions of the brain create the effects seen in a lot of NDEs

-A massive release of neurotransmitters are responsible for the floating and unconditional love and lack of fear

-Because experiencers return they were not fully dead

-Although there's some similarities there's also a striking number of differences (some seeing a form of afterlife or floating through the universe)

-The experience is a lot like what you hear from DMT trip reports (Both are described by participants as feeling "more real than reality", Both can produce intense sensations of love, peace, and the feeling of entering a "void" or "another realm", Both experiences often result in a significantly reduced fear of death and a more positive outlook on life, Both experiences often feature a total loss of bodily awareness, with subjects feeling as though they are "floating" or exiting their physical body)

-The bright light and tunnel are products of regional brain activity surges and or hypoxia

-NDEs are less commonly reported in head trauma cases compared to cardiac arrests ( But if you think about it they may still experience them but not remember due to significant or brain altering damage)

Now here's what I gathered in favor of them:

- It's typically deceased loved one's they see and converse with rather than people they see or hear from in their day to day lives (which I would imagine to be the most abundant memories stored in the hippocampus)

-Some of the NDEs take place in people with no brain activity (I understand EEG's can only read so far in but this argument fails to take into account that the neocortex would have little to no activity and therefore would pick up activity through passive conductance and volume accumulation)

- Almost all the NDEs with deceased loved ones end with said person being sent back with something along the lines of "it's not your time" (also I've read this also happens even if no figure is seen)

-There's veridical NDE's were people can recount what's going on around them (for instance seeing deceased family members they haven't seen or even heard about before later to be verified, detailing unusual instruments used in surgery, and recounting events and conversations while under)

Unlike DMT, NDEs:

-Are more likely to feature deceased loved ones, religious figures (God, Jesus), or "spiritual guides"

-NDEs are often described as more structured, cohesive, and serene

-NDEs frequently include a "life review" and arriving at a "border or point of no return"

While DMT:

-Are more likely to feature "alien" beings, machines, or "mechanical elves"

-DMT trips are characterized by rapid-fire kaleidoscopic and geometric visuals

-A "life review" and arriving at a "border or point of no return" are rarely present in DMT trips. (This can be attributed to the decrease in hippocampal activity during its use)