From Blindness to Panoramic Vision: Insights from 4,000 Near-Death Experiences
Vicki Umipeg, born prematurely at 22 weeks and weighing only 3 pounds, suffered damage to her optic nerve due to high oxygen levels in the incubator. This resulted in her being completely blind, with no awareness of light. However, after a near-death experience (NDE) at the age of 22, she reported having panoramic vision.
Umipeg's Near-Death Experience
Umipeg was severely injured after being thrown out of a car in Seattle, suffering skull fractures, a concussion, and injuries to her neck, back, and leg. While being treated in the hospital, she found herself floating to the ceiling. She saw a woman's body on a metal operating table, with a male and a female medical staff working to save her. She realized that the woman was her when she noticed the distinct wedding ring on the woman's hand. This was significant as she had never seen that ring or her body due to her blindness.
Research on Near-Death Experiences
Umipeg was part of a study conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Long, a practicing radiation oncologist in Kentucky. Dr. Long has spent over 25 years studying near-death experiences and has researched and reviewed more than 4,000 unique NDE cases. He has identified common experiences among NDEs, including out-of-body experiences, absence of pain, passage through a tunnel towards a bright light, encountering deceased loved ones in a heavenly realm, undergoing a profound life review, and feeling overwhelming love and peace.
360-Degree Vision
In a conversation with The Epoch Times, Dr. Long recalled his discussion with Umipeg. He stated that she had a 360-degree vision during her near-death experience, being aware of and processing vision in front of her, behind her, right, left, up, and down. Additionally, Umipeg, who was initially unfamiliar with math and science, intuitively grasped calculus and understood how planets are formed after her NDE. She also gained answers to questions about science, math, life, planets, and God, and began understanding languages she didn’t know before.
Shift in Perception of Near-Death Experiences
Previously, people who reported near-death experiences were often dismissed by the scientific community as delusional or religiously influenced. However, there has been a significant shift in perspective over the past few decades. In 1978, five independent medical doctors and scientists co-established the International Association for Near-Death Studies, paving the way for exploring these extraordinary experiences through scientific lenses.
Reality of Near-Death Experiences
Dr. Long has built a database of 4,000 NDE cases, which he claims is the largest publicly accessible collection of near-death experiences in the world. In a survey, he asked people directly about the reality of their experience, and nearly 95 percent of respondents said their experience was “definitely real.”
Failed Hypotheses
Despite the compelling evidence, skeptics have proposed more than 30 different explanations for these experiences. Hypotheses of hallucinations induced by hypoxia (decreased oxygen levels) and hypercarbia (increased carbon dioxide) have been raised, but these have been dismissed as they result in confusion and diminished consciousness, not increased. Other theories such as endorphins or seizures as explanations for NDEs have also been ruled out.
Near-Death Experiences Under Anesthesia
Interestingly, NDEs have even been documented under general anesthesia. Despite the fact that under general anesthesia, it should be impossible to have any conscious experience, people have reported having hyper-lucid, hyper-alert, hyper-conscious experiences.
Near-Death Experiences Across Cultures, Religions, and Ages
Other hypotheses suggest that NDEs are caused by imaginations based on personal, religious, or cultural background. However, individuals often report NDEs that are inconsistent with their life experiences or beliefs regarding death. Dr. Long found that the experiences are “remarkably similar wherever in the world they occur.”
Encounters with God
Many near-death experiencers describe encountering a radiant being of light known as “The Being of Light,” often perceived as God. Umipeg also reported that in her NDE, she saw a figure with extraordinary radiance; she recognized this being to be Jesus. Dr. Long conducted research about God between 2011 and 2014, based on 420 cases of NDEs from people of various professions and walks of life. He found a significant consistency in their descriptions—an all-loving and all-gracious supreme being radiating love and grace.
Bottom Line
Near-death experiences provide overwhelming evidence for the existence of a consciousness apart from the body—a more eternal existence, according to Dr. Long. This is a powerful message for all humanity. What are your thoughts on this fascinating phenomenon? Share this article with your friends and join the conversation. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
