The number interviewed was not enough to be statistically significant, but their experiences did not appear different from near-deaths from other causes. Other authors say the experiences are negative. That research has not been forth-coming. To believe in NDEs as real at this time is not a scientifically legitimate perspective. NDEs can at least open experiencers to the realities of their own emotions.
Emotions are very real and very important.
They may be the single most important difference between humans and machines. Nearly dying can be very effective at getting in tune with your emotions. The importance of the NDE could be that they are a window into the core of our emotions. The message from NDEs appears to be that the animal being at our core does not want to die. Evolution theory would agree.