The article was interesting. Highly speculative, as one would expect on this topic, but interesting. It raises many more questions than it answers. The answers will never be known because NDEs, their causes, and consciousness itself belong more to the realm of metaphysics (not the supernatural, as the author called it). Metaphysics are for the philosophers and non-materialist scientists, not conventional science. I'm still not convinced that an ordinary materialist answer will be the final word. We still no know so precious little about why the brain does anything (remember: "how" is for scientists, "why" is for philosophers). Above all, why evolution would choose to wire our brains for such an experience at the point of death is a big question; it would seem to serve no evolutionary advantage to our species propagation. Also, again, why does the brain seem to reach elevated conscious experiences when it is oxygen-starved and nearly dead for good? What exactly is the singular region of the brain sucking up all the remaining dregs of energy to produce such pleasurable point of death experiences, and why in hell would evolution favor such a development? Unless it's common in all creatures, which begs the question of WHY? I'm glad science is studying this issue and taking it more seriously now, however.