Editorial lens selected for Marshall, St. John's
A stopped heart, active resuscitation, restored circulation, and irreversible biological death describe different clinical states. Accounts that collapse them into a single phrase can sound more conclusive than the underlying record supports.
When reading near-death research, look for the monitored interval, the quality of physiological data, the timing of the interview, and whether a reported perception was independently tested. Precise language is more illuminating than dramatic language.