Yes they happen, but the difference is that a "Road To Damascus" experience came from God. The Bible warns about the other kooky stuff. Hell, LSD will give you an experience you never thought possible and you will see walls move and breath and you will not just have a holy graph experience, but will see a holy graph in front of your eyes. Does that make it real? Yes, in your mind. Does that make it from God? No.

I think it's possible to have a near death experience. The problem I see with Art's numerous references to them is the absence of NDEs that aren't beautiful and awe-inspiring, yet there are PLENTY of those on YouTube.