Near-death Experiences Of The Military - Alternative View

Near-death Experiences Of The Military - Alternative View
Near-death Experiences Of The Military - Alternative View

Video: Near-death Experiences Of The Military - Alternative View

Video: Near-death Experiences Of The Military - Alternative View
Video: Near-Death Experiences: A New Interpretation 2024, March
Anonim

Diane Corcoran, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, first heard about the near-death experience in 1969 from a soldier in Vietnam.

“I have to tell you about this,” he said hastily. "Please believe this is true." He described what is known as near-death experiences - mystical experiences that occur in people who have experienced clinical death or were on the verge of death.

Near-death experiences vary greatly, but they share characteristics. People see dead relatives, meet angels or other supernatural beings, feel lightness, euphoria, and see their physical body from the outside. Some NDEs are shocking and highly traumatic.

Studies in the United States, Germany and Australia have shown that 4-15% of the population has gone through a near-death experience. Soldiers who, by virtue of their profession, are more likely to be injured and have a greater risk of being on the verge of death, are more likely to face this phenomenon. Corcoran believes that over 15% of the military experienced near-death experiences, their number may even go up to 50%.

“I believe they could get rid of a lot of psychological problems if someone could support them, listen to their experience,” Corcoran said during the IANDS conference on near-death experiences.

Corcoran is the President of IANDS. She believes that for many people, near-death experiences are positive, they provide a sense of hope and a purpose in life. On the other hand, this experience is often traumatic for soldiers, because they perceive it as a manifestation of their psychological instability. They are ashamed of what they have experienced and feel they must deal with the problem on their own.

When a young man in Vietnam told her about his experience, she realized that "it was very important to him."

“I intuitively knew that a lot of people who were discharged from military hospitals every day went through a near-death experience, but they didn't dare tell anyone about it,” says Corcoran. “My task was to change this situation.”

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She openly raised the topic of near-death experiences during her military service and even received the nickname "Mistress of Death and the Dying." Corcoran has spoken about this issue at meetings of veterans, in hospitals and similar forums. As the issue of near-death experiences among soldiers has only recently begun to be raised openly, many medical professionals who treat military personnel do not know how to distinguish near-death experiences from mental disorders.

People fear that if they start talking about their near-death experiences, they will be mistaken for insane, Corcoran says. She tried to find military personnel who would agree to share this experience on camera in order to shoot a film, but they all refused. They worried that they might be considered unreliable and emotionally unstable.

Collecting data on near-death experiences among the military is difficult because they don't want to share, Corcoran said. She continues to work in this direction, because many military are more inclined to talk about something like a retired colonel, rather than a person far from military service.

She worked as a military nurse for 25 years. In many cases, she did not try to specifically raise this topic among her patients, but simply listened to what they told her. “It is necessary to devote time to people, you must have the ability to sit next to you, look into your eyes and say:“I am here, I am interested in your experiences. Tell us about them. You can tell everything, I'm here to support you."

During Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s, she worked in a hospital for 300 patients. In a few days, if necessary, it could be converted into a hospital for 1000 wounded. She spoke to the medical staff and told them to be prepared for the possibility that some soldiers might start talking about near-death experiences.

She gave them advice on how to help such soldiers. Her conversations with military personnel showed that the military believe in near-death experiments and are ready to discuss this topic.