What Happens When You Die?

Parnia S, Spearpoint K, de Vos G, et al.

2014-12-01

A prospective multicenter study examining consciousness and awareness in cardiac arrest survivors. Results showed that CA survivors commonly experience a broad range of cognitive themes, with 2% exhibiting full awareness, supporting other recent studies that have found consciousness may persist during the early stages of death.

Parnia S, et al.

2023-07-01

Of 567 in-hospital cardiac arrests, 53 (9.3%) survived, 28 completed interviews, and 11 (39.3%) reported memories or perceptions suggestive of consciousness during cardiac arrest. The study extensively characterized near-death experiences, discerning five thematic categories of emergence from coma.

van Lommel P, van Wees R, Meyers V, Elfferich I.

2001-12-15

A landmark prospective study of 344 cardiac arrest survivors. 11.1% reported memories of the period of unconsciousness, the majority featuring NDE elements. No physiological parameters differentiated those who had NDEs from those who did not, suggesting the experience is not explained by oxygen deprivation alone.

Hashemi A, et al.

2023-01-01

A systematic analysis reviewing proposed explanations for near-death experiences across physiological, psychological, and transcendental frameworks. The study examines the interplay of brain chemistry, oxygen levels, and consciousness models in understanding NDE phenomenology.

Charland-Verville V, et al.

2023-04-10

This systematic review examines proposed explanations for near-death experiences (NDEs) across physiological, psychological, and transcendental models. The authors analyze the frequency and features of NDEs reported in the literature and evaluate the evidence for each explanatory framework, concluding that no single model fully accounts for the phenomenon.

van Lommel P

2018-09-01

This paper reviews the Dutch prospective study on near-death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors, led by Pim van Lommel. It discusses the finding that a small percentage of clinically dead patients reported enhanced consciousness with lucid thoughts, emotions, and out-of-body perceptions during resuscitation, and examines the implications for our understanding of consciousness.

Nelson KR, Mattingly M, Lee SA, Schmitt FA

2018-09-01

A comprehensive review examining near-death experiences from a neuroscience perspective, covering the role of the arousal system, temporal lobe activity, REM sleep intrusion, and other neurobiological mechanisms that may contribute to NDE phenomenology. The paper discusses out-of-body experiences of neurological origin and syncope-related phenomena.

Masmoudi S, et al.

2024-04-01

This article reviews the epidemiology and neurobiology of near-death experiences, focusing on clinical and laboratory evidence for altered states of consciousness during the dying process. It examines surges in brain activity recorded during cardiac arrest and their potential relationship to NDE phenomenology, discussing implications for the study of consciousness.

Mallampalli A, et al.

2020-05-01

This article provides an overview of the history and complexities of brain death determination, examining legal cases that have challenged the concept and the ethical dilemmas that arise when families or practitioners disagree with neurological criteria for death. The authors discuss the need for standardized protocols and transparent communication.

Parnia S, Fenwick P

2002-02-01

This review examines published research on brain physiology and function during cardiac arrest and its potential relationship with near-death experiences. The authors discuss whether NDEs can be explained by known neurochemical and neurophysiological processes occurring during the dying process, or whether they suggest something beyond current scientific understanding.

Parnia S, Waller DG, Yeates R, Fenwick P

2001-02-01

A prospective study examining the incidence and characteristics of near-death experiences among cardiac arrest survivors. The authors found that approximately 10-20% of survivors reported NDEs, and analyzed the phenomenological features and potential physiological triggers, finding no correlation with medication, hypoxia, or psychological factors alone.

Nelson KR, Mattingly M, Lee SA, Schmitt FA

2006-03-01

This study investigates whether the brain's arousal system (REM sleep intrusion, temporal lobe epilepsy, and related mechanisms) may contribute to near-death experiences. The authors found a significant association between NDEs and REM sleep intrusion, suggesting that the arousal system plays a role in generating NDE phenomenology.

Blanke O, Landis T, Spinelli L, Seeck M

2004-02-01

This seminal paper describes out-of-body experiences (OBEs) produced by electrical stimulation of the angular gyrus in a patient undergoing presurgical evaluation for epilepsy. The authors demonstrate that OBEs — a core feature of many NDEs — can be induced by specific brain stimulation, linking them to temporo-parietal junction dysfunction.

Owens JE, Cook EW, Stevenson I

1990-11-01

This study compares NDE-like experiences reported by patients who were genuinely near death with those reported by patients who were not, finding that some features (tunnel, light, enhanced cognition) were more common in truly near-death patients, while others were shared, challenging the idea that all NDEs are identical regardless of proximity to death.

Lempert T, Bauer M, Schmidt D

1994-09-01

This brief report describes how syncope (fainting) can produce experiences phenomenologically similar to near-death experiences, including light, tunnels, and out-of-body sensations. The authors induced syncope in healthy volunteers and documented NDE-like features, suggesting cerebral hypoxia may contribute to some NDE elements.