“In the longer-lasting visions induced by the 1944 infarct, he could not see the entire globe of the earth, only its contours, but his most vivid impression was the intensity of color. The earth shimmered as if outlined in silver. The Red Sea lived up to its name, the desert of Saudi Arabia was red-yellow, and dotted on the rest of land masses were various spots of dark green—like oxidized silver, very colorful. When he glanced left he saw the Mediterranean Sea, and when he turned right he saw the snow-covered Himalayas. In his delirium he thought how extraordinary and yet how “naive” it was to use the expressions “left” and “right” when he was floating in space. He remembered thinking, “I was on my way of taking my leave from earth.” The thought of impending death was not frightening because he was experiencing “the most wonderful magical view of his entire life.” He was grateful for such a vision and concentrated on enjoying it. (

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The health benefits of reducing …