Near-death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors
Progress in brain research January 1, 2005 Christopher C. French 70 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) occur when individuals are objectively near death or believe themselves to be. They typically include feelings of peace, out-of-body experiences, seeing a brilliant light, and entering another realm, and have lasting transformational effects. Spiritual theories propose consciousness can detach from the brain, offering a glimpse of an afterlife. Psychological theories suggest NDEs are dissociative defense mechanisms or, less plausibly, birth memories. Organic theories involve cerebral hypoxia, anoxia, hypercarbia, endorphins, and temporal lobe activity. Studies of cardiac arrest survivors are reviewed for implications on mind-brain relationships.