Consciousness and NDE

Consciousness is here defined as a state of being in which mind and living matter are associated and in contact with each other; this contact may be temporarily broken, in which case the entity (mind / matter association) is said to be unconscious (non-functioning). When this contact is permanently severed, the entity is said to be dead or comatose. In a comatose state, the mind / matter association that comprises the entity may continue until the living matter can no longer support life, at which point the entity enters a state of death; the previous mind / matter association dissolves and contact is permanently severed.

Living Matter.
Inert matter becomes living matter through an organization of individual parts (cells) into a subsequent or simultaneous integration of (biological) function.

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At some point in the creation of an entity, an association is formed between mind and living matter (mind in this context is not to be confused with intellect, nor is it to be confused with consciousness). Near Death Experience (NDE) may be the subjective observation of this process working in a somewhat diverse way. Consider: With NDE the physical body is empty of life yet still capable of sustaining life. The living matter of the body is in between life and permanent death - not yet irreversibly dead. The display of light, promise of contentment and expressions of love and peace may be how living matter attracts a mind in the formation of an entity. The living matter romances the mind and if successful, captures it (or recaptures it in the case of NDE). The resulting association becomes a condition I presently call the persistent dream, a state of being in which mind and living matter remain intimately connected for as long as the living matter is capable of sustaining life. (the mind may travel to other dimensions during trances or dream states yet always returns to the associated body upon awakening, thus the persistent dream)

In order for the living matter to become an entity, it must first attract an element of consciousness (mind*) and form an association with it. When living matter becomes capable of sustaining life, this process of attraction begins. In the case of Near Death Experience, the entity is already formed and the process of recapture is integrated into its memory as subjective experience.

* mind and living matter are here both considered to be separate elements of consciousness.