Researchers Study Near-Death Experiences
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Researchers study near-death experiences FARMINGTON (AP)—Gregg Nome was drowning or tunnel, encountering a radiant light having a sense " We expect to find that those who have had an NDE and decided to give up the fight He never thought of understanding of everything and meeting others, (while trying to commit suicide) look on their lives he'd see his life pass before his eyes and then live to possibly deceased family. differently...with a sense of purpose," Greyson said talk about it He said he is expanding the research to study any- "We may find that those who haven't had an NDE Experts say few people talked about near-death one who has had a near-death experience, not just have more of a tendency to try suicide again" experiences until recently. The UConn Health Center victims of attempted suicides Greyson and his research team hope their studies is researching NDEs and and trying to find out how an Nome 28, who nearly drowned four years ago said will help the medical profession understand the near NDE affects someone's life his NDE "makes me appreciate each day." death experience "We want to awaken health professionals to the Nome who graduated from UConn in December, Joe Geraci, 44, a former police officer and now fact that these things exist and if s not just a few peo- said thousands of scenes from his life passed before public school administrator in New Britain, almost ple hallucinating - there are eight million people out his eyes during his NDE then he felt a tingling sensa- died from hemorrhaging internally after surgery nine there who have experienced an NDE and if you're a tion and his body seemed to shrink. He said he felt like years ago health professional, you better know how to treat he was floating through a dark tunnel toward a white "I stopped fighting and turned to my wife to say them," Dr. Bruce Greyson, associate professor of dot When he floated into the light he said he "felt good-bye" Geraci said psychiatry and director of inpatient psychiatric ser- wonderful" He said he was immediately immersed in light and vices at the University of Connecticut Health Center, "This is what people refer to as God" Nome said "nothing could have been more perfect" said Monday. "I've never been religious... but this white light was the Today, he has no fear of dying but said he dis- Greyson and a research team were given a one- supreme being and I had a total understanding of covered the reason for living is simply to love and year $20,000 grant last April from the UConn Re- everything" Nome said care search Foundation to study the differences between He said a voice told him he still had a choice of liv- people who attempted suicide and had a near-death ing or dying and he chose to fight his way to the sur- "I had a difficult time adjusting to everday life The experience and those who attempted suicide and face and live struggle to get to the top had suddenly lost meaning" didn't have a near-death experience Greyson has just started one of tne few support he said "There was a point in my life when I didn't Greyson said no near- death experiences are exac- groups in the country for those who have had an really believe in God I was a policeman and after tly alike But a typical NDE includes feeling that the NDE family and friends and those who are curious what I saw, I couldn't believe there was a God Now I " self has left the body, moving through a dark space about the experience know everything happens for a reason" The Daily Campus Serving the Storrs Community Since 1896 VoL LXXXIXNo. 93 The University of Connecticut Tuesday, March 4, 1986 IWAapproves Rosal's parking lot By John Ruddy the proposed expansion is within 150 feet of a Daily Campus Staff wetland The owner's of RosaTs Restaurant came one The problem began in October, when the PZC step closer to expanding their parking lot last learned that Riquier had made alterations to the night when the Mansfield Inland Wetland Thumper's night club portion of RosaTs without Agency granted a license for the expansion the commission's approval. The agency voted 6-4 to allow a hardtop park- The PZC was initially concerned that the ing lot at the restaurant and nightclub alterations would change the nature of the use complex. of Thumper's, which was originally zoned as a The owners, Bob Riquier and Phil Pavone, banquet halL The alterations were eventually must present a plan for the expansion to the approved but their effect on the building's Planning and Zoning Commission for final capacity, and hence its parking and sewage approval. capabilities, is still of concern to the Riquier and Pavone requested approval for commission the expansion because the lot at RosaTs was not The license granted by the Inland Wetland big enough on several occasions, including Agency says the new parking area must be Parents' Weekend and Homecoming paved The owners apparently did not want to Weekend pave the area, since it is only designed to handle The PZC referred the request to the Inland the overflow. § page 3 Wetland Agency last month because the area of ee Connecticut students may receive more financial aid next year By Kim Nauer Johnson, three USG committee members and Daily Campus Staff VeronicaODette, UConn's director of financial It seems likely that Connecticut students will aid receive an extra 15 percent in financial aid from "I got a good background of the problems the state next year, state Rep. Geraldine Elliot 'hey see coming up for students," Elliott said said Monday. "Then we talked about different ways students Elliot, who visited campus to talk to students could attack those problems" and university officials about UConn's 1986-87 Johnson said they talked for the most part, budget said that she has not heard much about the possible effects of the Gramm-Rud- opposition of the proposed student aid in- man budget cuts on financial aid Students for crease example who currently receive $850 from the "If that 15 percent is in the governor1 s budget, federal Pell grant program will get no money I don't believe at this time that any significant next year under federal proposals, he said cuts have been recommended" Elliot said Students who receive $1,150 will get only As co-chairman of the Higher Education Sub- $588. committee of the Appropriations Committee, "The cuts will affect 700 to 800 UConn Elliott oversees state schools' budget requests. students, leaving a gap of $600,000," Johnson She was invited to UConn to discuss the budget said by Geoff Johnson and members of USGs Exter- Johnson said that he is cautiously optimistic nal Affairs Committee SPRING SPRINGETH— Students took time out to enjoy about getting additional aid from the state He the warm day yesterday. Arthur CTKeefe (top left) and After a meeting with other university officials said he felt Elliott understood the arguments for about their budget needs, Elliott met with Harris S u garni an toss a fri s bee, and Byron Amaya ( bottom the funds. See page 4 left) and John Ryan play hackey sack (Bob Ptrrie photos). "XA" Inside Today: Weather Forecast: Catch a Cup OSun on page 5. Put away those shades! Today will be mostly cloudy, highs in the upper For weird skiing see page 7. 30* s Tonight chance of flurries, lows in the 20s Page2 The Daly Campus, Tuesday. March 4, 1986 ALMANAC "1 STATE NATION WORLD Professor says U.S. in Drug testing suggested Seven black guerrillas new age of temperance for work place killed in shootout NEW HAVEN (AP)—A half century after the repeal WASHINGTON( AP)— Drug trafficking is organized JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP)—Police of Prohibition, a temperance movement is surfacing crime's most lucrative enterprise and constitutes a stopped a van Monday that they said was carrying in the United States riding a wave of renewed anti- national emergency that should be met with work- seven black guerrillas and killed all seven in the alcohol sentiment, a Yale University professor sug- place drug testing and aggressive intervention by the resulting shootout in Guguletu township near Cape gested Monday. US military, a presidential panel concluded Mon- Town The formation of vocal groups opposing drunken day. Official reports said the men were sent by the driving, the raising of states' legal minimum drinking In a report to President Reagan, the Commission I outlawed African National Congress to attack ages and changes in the population's alcohol con- on Organized Crime said law enforcement agencies j policemen sumption habits are indications of a trend toward can do little more than hold the line against illicit nar- Four bodies lay in the street and three more in the temperance said Dr. David F. Musto, a professor of cotics traffic generating an estimated $110 billion a surrounding bush where they were shot by pursuing psychiatry and the history of medicine at the Yale year. police Spent cartridges littered the streets and win- school of Medicine The solution is to bolster police interception of dows of surrounding buildings were shattered by "Look at business lunches in New York," Musto narcotics with ant> drug programs aimed at reduc- gunfire said in a telephone interview. "Before it was very ing the demand for illicit substances, the report ( The official reports said police lay in wait for more common to have a couple of martinis.