Near Death vs Nearly Died

My friends and I are having an argument over the term "near-death experience." -- Nearly Died in Denver

Dear Nearly Died,

Argue no more. Life is too short. I've heard "near-death experience" used incorrectly in reference to someone having come close to dying. For example: "Oh, my god. My car skidded off the road, and I had a near-death experience."

No you didn't. You had an "almost-died experience."

A near-death experience refers to an interlude reported by people who have, in fact, temporarily "died"; that is, their heart stopped beating for a period of a minute or more, and during that time, they believe they've stepped across a threshold into the afterlife—even saying hi to long-dead relatives and feeling the soothing warmth of bright lights—only to be revived and transported back among the living. I have no idea what threshold these people have really entered, but, whatever it is, it's called a near-death experience.

Source: Oxford English Dictionary