Many of Heim’s subjects reported these profoundly altered states without being in actual jeopardy—they only thought they were in life-threatening situations. This was a key detail. These experiences seemed mystical. If they only arose solely in dire straights, then perhaps they really were communiqués from beyond the beyond. Yet if perception and psychology were the triggers, then the puzzle was more physiological than paranormal—and that opened the door to considerably more interesting possibilities.
