People who have had a near-death experience (NDE) are more likely to have previously experienced REM sleep intrusion—such as sleep paralysis or sleep-related hallucinations—than those who have not. This supports the hypothesis that REM intrusion, which can occur during wakefulness, contributes to the subjective aspects of NDEs. In a study of 55 individuals with NDEs and matched controls, sleep paralysis and visual or auditory hallucinations during sleep were substantially more common in the NDE group. The findings suggest that under life-threatening circumstances, an NDE is more likely in those predisposed to REM intrusion, possibly involving suppression of the locus ceruleus.
Among 55 people who had a near-death experience (NDE), those who also reported an out-of-body experience (OBE) during the NDE showed more signs of REM sleep intrusion—such as sleep paralysis or hallucinations—during the transition between wakefulness and sleep, compared to matched controls. The findings suggest that OBE in the context of NDE may be linked to a predisposition of the arousal system to allow REM-related phenomena to intrude into waking or sleep-transition states. This connection is supported by similar OBE reports in narcolepsy, a disorder of state boundary control, where OBE diminishes with treatment.