Near‐death experiences: the experience of the self as real and not as an illusion

Abstract

Because the publication of several prospective studies on near-death experience (NDE) in survivors of cardiac arrest have shown strikingly similar results and conclusions, the phenomenon of the NDE can no longer be scientifically ignored. The NDE is an authentic experience that cannot be simply reduced to imagination, fear of death, hallucination, psychosis, the use of drugs, or oxygen deficiency. Patients appear to be permanently changed by an NDE during a cardiac arrest of only some minutes' duration. It is a scientific challenge to discuss new hypotheses that could explain the possibility of a clear and enhanced consciousness--with memories, self-identity, cognition, and emotions--during a period of apparent coma. The current materialistic view of the relationship between consciousness and the brain, as held by most physicians, philosophers, and psychologists, seems to be too restricted for a proper understanding of this phenomenon. There are good reasons to assume that our consciousness, with the continuous experience of self, does not always coincide with the functioning of our brain: enhanced or nonlocal consciousness, with unaltered self-identity, apparently can be experienced independently from the lifeless body. People are convinced that the self they experienced during their NDE is a reality and not an illusion.

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.…”

“…Internally generated visions and perceptions are also reported by ∼20% of cardiac arrest survivors during clinical death (5-7). 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).…”

Western Scientific Approaches to Near-Death Experiences

“…However, this electrical surge was only a tiny fraction of the rat brain's electrical power prior to cardiac arrest and was completely eliminated by anesthesia, which does not eliminate NDEs [94]. Furthermore, this surge in brain electrical activity has not been seen in humans, in whom brain activity decreases and stops within 6-7 seconds of cardiac arrest without any surge [95].…”

Experiências de quase morte em parada cardíaca: implicações para o conceito de mente não local

“…it not generated by the brain, and it is not confined to the brain and the body. Rather, the brain appears to act as an interface for mind and consciousness 10,20,[55][56][57] . Another implication of NDEs in cardiac arrest is that the brain normally prevents the perception of other levels of reality that are non-physical.…”