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NEAR-DEATH experiences are often reported by patients who have been exposed to severe trauma, such as cardiac arrest, and who have been close to death but subsequently resuscitated. Features of the NDE include buzzing noises, a deep sense of peace, passing through a tunnel into a bright light and meeting people who have died combined with a strong sense of the validity of the experience.

Many explanations have been posited for the NDE, but it is still not fully understood. For many it is an indication of the reality of an afterlife, and those who have had the experience often report an increased appreciation for life and a decreased fear of death.