Near-Death Experiences of Children

NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES (nudes) arei spiritual events primarily reported by sur-vivors of cardiac arrests, profound comas, and near fatal accidents. Their importance lies in documenting that the process of dying is spiri-tual and emotionally dynamic, even if patients appear to be unconscious. These experiences can be invaluable in empowering dying patients and their families to understand death and heal grief. If society can institutionalize the concept that the processes of dying are often joyous and spiritual, irrational use of medical technology for dying patients may be reduced, leading to sub-stantial savings in health care costs. The current debate over whether NDEs imply an-objectively real heaven or soul obscures the fact that they