What fundies & alien-abductee believers have in common

This article provides an interesting scientific explanation for the phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDE's). The gist of it is that NDE's may best be explained by a phenomenon called REM intrusion, which is a mid-way state between dreaming and being awake. During this state the muscles of your body may be disengaged as during sleep, while your visual cortex is highly active. This may lead to a sensation of paralysis, or of leaving your body. As hearing may not be affected too much, this could explain how some people can recognize or "know" who is around them during the NDE. The visual part is essentially hallucination, albeit a fairly convincing one.

The article didn't mention alien-abductees, but I couldn't help but notice the strong similarity in the description of symptoms. Many who claim to be "visited" by aliens during the night also report feeling paralyzed and/or detached from their bodies. The only real difference would seem to be the type of visual experience, seeing aliens instead of a bright light. The aliens could easily be the result of their dreaming mind, while the bright light is quite likely the result of the end-stage hyperactivity, randomization of neuronal firings, and decreasing oxygen supply of a dying brain.

I highly doubt this new research will change anyone's mind, though. Those who believe strongly in an afterlife, or in alien abductions, are not the type to be swayed by contrary scientific evidence or explanations. Personal convictions, especially when bolstered by personal experiences or sensory perceptions, will very often override one's objectivity and rational judgement on the issue at hand.