I take the position that Dr. Jeffrey Long, if I'm remembering correctly, points out: a number of ppl have commented that over a long period of studying NDEs, like himself, they lost any fear of death. This is a common attitude of those who have actually had them. Yet, not all do. This strange lack of uniformity is the mystery that the Creator includes in practically everything. It's even there in reincarnation studies. Since so many of the children who tell of their past lives died violently, abruptly, w/o warning, are we to assume only a harsh end enables you to recall past live(s)? Also, males more commonly recall a past existence, but is that only related to men being more commonly involved in dangerous, risky behavior? Many of the children reincarnate relatively close to where they lived in the past & time between incarnations appears dependent on cultural factors, like a strong belief in rebirth. Like so much investigation, scientific or otherwise, the more you learn, the more questions there are.I am aware of the many anecdotal claims out there. People here might not recognize who I am, but I cohosted another well known paranormal podcast for a couple of years and have several thousand posts on that site. I do my homework.
One of the first things I learned when examining NDEs is that there is a huge difference between clinical death and brain death, and the criteria range from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In many cases brain death was simply assumed rather than tested. I know for a fact that it is rarely ( if ever ) actually measured with full spectrum EEGs during operations, because doing so requires special equipment and procedures that are expensive and not necessary. The other thing is that our audio perception is one of the last things to fail before brain death, so a person can appear to be clinically dead and still receiving audio input.
Another facet to consider is that prior to these operations, most patients ( unless they are victims of some unexpected emergency ) have made plans to have the operation done, and been to the hospital for several pre-screening and preparatory meetings. They are then assigned to rooms and are immersed in the hospital environment. From there their minds pick-up all sorts of cues and memories that are stored in the subconscious. By combining these variables with unconsciously acquired audio input, a mistakenly assumed to be be dead brain will naturally start to subconsciously filter it all into something that makes sense.
Our dream worlds are often fully 3D photorealistic places. I have had dreams so real I thought I was awake until I actually woke up and realized it was all a dream. The human brain is amazingly powerful. So combine all these things with the uncertainty about what the actual circumstances were in an uncontrolled situation relayed through hearsay and it's entirely plausible that these amazing stories aren't as reliable as the believers want them to be. That being said, like the article says, people still have the "experience", and I do believe many are completely sincere. Certainly not all are fabrications, just like not all UFO cases are fabrications.
The bottom line is that something unexplained is going on, and we don't know what it is, but some critical thinking skills combined with the best available evidence eliminates afterlives ( as most people have come to think of them ). That is not to say that it isn't possible that some "version" of a person might not pick-up in another realm where the one in this realm has left-off. That is possible. But at the same time that "version" is at best only a copy. It is not "you". It can't be, because the "you" in this realm is either in the morgue, a coffin, or reduced to ashes in some urn.
I haven't gotten into evidential mediumship, but here again is a great source of healing for untold numbers of ppl whether it's believed or not by many others. The All One has given us many ways of relieving our suffering if we try to do so. I find it hard to stomach that falsehoods heal while the truth doesn't. The truth shall set you free is a very simple, powerful expression of that. Ultimately, how you feel in re: to information of any kind & its effect on how you behave is your best guide.