Since man has become aware of their mortality, they have been intrigued with death.
Near death experiences have intrigued the mind not only from a religious standpoint, but also from the scientific realm. In order for one to concede the possibility of near death experiences, you have to be willing to acknowledge that life after death exists. One must look past the notion that near death experiences are explainable by science or that they are isolated beliefs of various religious groups.
There are very few people; even skeptics that dispute that near death experiences exist. What is in dispute is what causes it, be it psychological or physiological. Accompanied with the determination to figure it all out, there have been several theories conjured up to explain near death experiences. The web site Near-Death Experiences.com gives several theories of near death experiences from noted author Jean Ritchie. In her book, Beyond Death, she describes The Dying Brain Theory, Darwin's Theory, The Hallucination Theory, and The After Life Theory.
The Dying Brain Theory concedes that the whole experience is a profound spiritual journey. Given that all who experience near death travel down a familiar path being drawn into a brilliant white light. This makes a strong case that the near death experiences are spiritual .
journeys into the after life. However, skeptics argue that this experience is too similar. The "sameness" evidence proving that near death experiences are not spiritual but rather a function of the dying brain. It simply comes down to asking, are we unique individuals with minds, bodies, and spirits exclusive to us? Or are complex computer programs controlling us zombies. Yet even the most complex computer has a mastermind behind it.
Darwin's Theory consists of survival of the fittest. Darwin believed that every species struggles to increase its stronghold on life and guarantee the survival of its descendants.