Week 1: Near-Death Experiences

Week 1: Near-Death Experiences 
ASA 189B
Franchesca Flores

spiritrealmstudies@gmail.com

spiritrealmstudies@gmail.com

Photo from Science Focus, "Are near-death experiences just hallucinations?" by Sam Shead

Near death experiences are something I have only read about in books or seen on TV, like in the show on Netflix, The OA. Whenever I think about the topic it leaves me speechless and amazed with the person I am reading and watching. In the reading, A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia, by Kieu-Linh C. Valverde, I am more than grateful to be taught by the professor and author themself. It really does change the tone and perspective of the reading for me, because it is someone I have interacted with. Valverde goes into analysis of what lead up to the day of incident, they discuss how the university institution expects 210% of us all the time under any circumstances, to the point where one is practically willing to risk it all. 

This explanation by Valverde left me in chills, especially because it is something I do to myself and my body, and something that I witness my own peers and friends do to themselves too. The scary part is that academic torture, as Valerdere describes it, bullying and mobbing to the body and mind, is real, and what is even scarier is that people won’t believe it until it actually happens, and it really shouldn’t have to lead up to that. This piece written by Valverde, is extremely powerful and I honor them in this writing because they emphasize on the women of color in the academic institution and the unfair treatment and wages they face. It is important that this is talked about because the university system fails to mention the mental and physical toll that studying all night and the stress that it can do to ones body. As for the question, I want to ask, what are the signs that one’s body gives when a near-death experience may potentially happen? Are their coincidences that happen to the person before? 

Personally, I have never really encountered anything with the supernatural, my closest experience would be when I was going out for a walk with my grandmother when I was about five. She took me on walks around the neighborhood, it was something I loved doing with her, until one day when we were walking a big dog comes running towards us without a leash or their owner. I was terrified because I thought we were both going to get attacked and bit. It was until my grandma walked forward a little and stuck her hand out and I saw the dog bounce back, as if it hit a wall, then it began to run away from us. I was in complete shock, till this day I cannot explain it, but all I know is that it happened before my eyes.