Matt Dillahunty and NDEs

Thought this was an interesting video that got a little mention on Skeptiko but I'd like to bring it up again. Apparently the NDE part starts around 11:20 into the video. It seems he's trying to toss NDEs up to evolution  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5CkXf92VJs

Thoughts?

Only made about it about ten minutes in. It became apparent that the host wasn't going to concede an inch. As for your question about an nde having some sort of evolutionary role. That strikes me as indulging in the same sort of dross that the host is accusing the caller of.
I just don't see the logic of a hallucination having evolutionary advantages

Only made about it about ten minutes in. It became apparent  that the host wasn't  going to concede an inch. As for your question about an nde having some sort of evolutionary role. That strikes me as indulging  in the same sort of dross that the host is accusing the caller of.
I just don't  see the logic of a hallucination having evolutionary  advantages

I guess my question is, what do proponents say to the idea that NDEs are a cause of a random adaptation in evolution rather then a purposeful one, and so forth

Im not sure how much can or needs to be said. If the nde experience is random in its totality. Then its seeming ability to alter the course of a life, time and again is the strangest kind of random I've heard of.

I think the transformative effect of the NDE is the elephant in the room. It is on the one hand the reason why they are important. On the other, it could be a cause for dismay among those who would like to believe that this is a purely mechanical and random universe. (Just what is random anyway? That could be a whole topic in its own right).

It has been suggested for example that the ritual of baptism which may nowadays involve the sprinkling of a few drops of water, was originally a full immersion with the aim of inducing an NDE, and this as well as other varied traditions involving various initiations aiming at some visionary or spiritually transformative experience may be the historical basis of many religions.*

I'm not promoting religion, I have none, but at the same time, we'd have to be wearing blinkers (I think that's blinders for our US cousins) to not have noticed that most of the world has some sort of belief. The idea that if spirituality is ignored it will go away seems to have outlived its usefulness. Like life itself, spiritual and mystical experiences are resilient and keep on appearing whether we want them or not.

* For example, Rupert Sheldrake talks about some of these initiation rituals including baptism in this video, starting at about 22 minutes.