Near-death experiences between science and prejudice

Abstract

Science exists to refute dogmas; nevertheless, dogmas may be introduced when undemonstrated scientific axioms lead us to reject facts incompatible with them. Several studies have proposed psychobiological interpretations of near-death experiences (NDEs), claiming that NDEs are a mere byproduct of brain functions gone awry; however, relevant facts incompatible with the ruling physicalist and reductionist stance have been often neglected. The awkward transcendent look of NDEs has deep epistemological implications, which call for: (a) keeping a rigorously neutral position, neither accepting nor refusing anything a priori; and (b) distinguishing facts from speculations and fallacies. Most available psychobiological interpretations remain so far speculations to be demonstrated, while brain disorders and/or drug administration in critical patients yield a well-known delirium in intensive care and anesthesia, the phenomenology of which is different from NDEs. Facts can be only true or false, never paranormal. In this sense, they cannot be refused a priori even when they appear implausible with respect to our current knowledge: any other stance implies the risk of turning knowledge into dogma and the adopted paradigm into a sort of theology.

Surge of neurophysiological coherence and connectivity in the dying brain

“…Use of these unique experimental paradigms will allow detailed mechanistic dissection of neurophysiology of the dying brain in animal models, which could provide guidance for research on NDE after cardiac arrest in humans. NDE represents a biological paradox that challenges our understanding of the brain and has been advocated as evidence for life after death and for a noncorporeal basis of human consciousness (39)(40)(41)(42), based on the unsupported belief that the brain cannot possibly be the source of highly vivid and lucid conscious experiences during clinical death (9,12). By presenting evidence of highly organized brain activity and neurophysiologic features consistent with conscious processing at near-death, we now provide a scientific framework to begin to explain the highly lucid and realer-than-real mental experiences reported by near-death survivors.…”

“…These near-death experiences (NDE) (8), reported worldwide across cultures (9), are described to be highly lucid and vivid, and are perceived to be "realer than real" (10). Whether and how the brain is capable of generating conscious activity during cardiac arrest has been vigorously debated (11)(12)(13). We reasoned that if NDE stems from brain activity, neural correlates of consciousness should be identifiable in humans or animals after cessation of cerebral blood flow.…”

Epistemological implications of near-death experiences and other non-ordinary mental expressions: Moving beyond the concept of altered state of consciousness

“…In recent years several psychobiological interpretations have been proposed, but none of them has been proved so far, while some of them are contradicted by the available data (see (11), as a review). For instance, it was suggested that retinal ischemia might explain the tunnel-like vision (12).…”

Secrets of the Extraordinary Ordinary: The Revelations of Folklore and Anthropology

“…It seems that there are thousands, indeed millions, of people worldwide with stories to tell, communicating what they had of themselves seen, heard and felt, and thousands of credible death-and-return reports, as apparently there have been since the beginning of time. These returns are well attested from ancient times: from Plato himself, great philosopher and observer of antiquity, to the evidence of a hardnosed and previously strongly skeptic neurological surgeon, Eben Alexander (2012), supported by numerous others (Anon 2017a;Facco and Agrillo 2012;Van Lommel 2011;Worrall 2014 are only a few examples among the many scholarly-scientific not speculative-studies).…”