A subject that will be discussed on TV tomorrow is: Is There Life After Death? This suddenly brought to mind the following statement made by none other than actor Donald Sutherland who had acute meningitis in 1979 and was on the brink of death: "Suddenly the pain, fever and acute distress seemed to evaporate. I was floating above my body surrounded by soft, blue light. I began to glide down a long tunnel, away from the bed..."

He is one of many who have had a brush with death and came back with an overwhelming experience.

There is growing evidence by people from different strata, all reporting similar phenomena in near-death experience, who appear to testify to the existence of something else beyond life.

Such possibilities were in the past looked upon with suspicion and contempt by the medical profession. It seems that, over the past two decades, medical opinion has changed as not only are medical advances making it possible for more people to "come back from the dead" than ever before but sophisticated treatments for heart disease may also sometimes mimic these same near-death conditions, giving scientists a unique opportunity to probe and understand the complete processes at work.

In the past, some of the techniques used to explore these phenomena were disgusting, like the experiment carried out by Hitler's medical "research team" with hypothermia where body temperature is reduced to extremely low levels, thereby prolonging the time the brain can survive without oxygen. Some of them, like those of 40 years ago, when heart surgery was in its embryonic stage and cold baths were used to slow heart rhythms, were, to say the least, primitive.

But now sophisticated life-saving procedures are giving the best clues we have ever had as to the possibility of anything beyond.

I remember reading about an incident of a near-death experience that happened years ago. A driver was pulled out of an icy river after more than half an hour. He had no signs of brain or heart function and his temperature had dropped below 85°F. A machine was used to warm his blood to 98.4° and he was brought back to life.

His reports of strange sensations, in keeping with records kept of people who had "died and came back", have been explained in terms of residual electrical activity in the brain that may be last gasp hormonal changes that underpin the spiritual sensations.

This explanation is on a scientific level. But, I ask, does that really explain everything?

Despite the fact that doctors have monitored out-of-the-body feelings during falling blood pressure, the uniformity of the experience - as told by thousands of people around the world - remains a mystery.

There were ceases where people have actually recounted situations they could not possibly have known about.

A senior lecturer in theology at a UK University collected medical research on what happens near-death from all over the world. He has specialised in studying different religions and found descriptions centuries old that are recognisable as near-death experiences.

"A general feeling of weightlessness, followed by travel through a grey tunnel towards warm or bright lights, often accompanied by music and sensations of pleasure and peace is the common experience," he says.

For those with religious beliefs, the light is interpreted as Christ, Mohammed. For those without, it remains a beacon.

The reality of the experience is of paramount importance. Those who underwent this experience scorn the assumption that it was a dream. "I've had dreams but this was for real," they say.

Dreams fade but research has shown that a near-death experience remains vivid throughout life. Many people report meeting friends and relatives who have died.

According to the theology lecturer, there have been cases where someone brought back from the dead describes encountering someone who, unknown to them, had died.

The most common experience is its life-enhancing potential.

Although the numbers of near-death experiences have been growing due to modern resuscitation techniques, very few of these are ready to talk about their experience.

Certainly, the more the experience is shared, the more chance we have of finding clues to the question most of us in our heart of hearts want answered: Is there anything after death?

Scientists are beginning to think there might be.