The idea that near-death experience (NDE) is proof of an afterlife remains surprisingly tenacious despite numerous claims by scientists to the contrary. Another review of this topic has recently been presented by the scientific journal Nautilus. According to its author, Kristen French, the earliest known description of NDE appeared in the fifth century B.C. However, this phenomenon gained popularity only in the 1970s, when the American physician and philosopher Raymond Moody published his bestseller Life After Life.
Recent discussions on the topic of NDE were initiated by a group of scientists led by Sam Parnia. “The [big] question that we’re trying to explore is, ‘What happens to consciousness when you die, does it die or continue?’ And the evidence so far is that it doesn’t die when you and I cross over into death.” The authors identified 51 main features of NDE, including separation from the body, realization of having died, and lack of fear of death.
It is often thought that out-of-body experience (OBE) is a key feature of NDE: 80% of survivors talk about leaving the body. However, medical researchers have repeatedly described how experiences like OBE can be caused by brain damage, epilepsy or migraines. The sensation of leaving the body can also arise as a result of stimulation of the temporal-parietal junction—the part of the brain responsible for our ability to distinguish ourselves and others and to process information about the position of our body.
Experiences like NDE can also be caused by intaking various substances, for example, DMT or ketamine. London researcher Karl Jansen, an expert on the hallucinogen ketamine, suggested in the 1990s that ketamine may play a role in the occurrence of near-death experiences in patients with life-threatening injuries or diseases of the brain or spinal cord. As the scientist noted, this substance can reproduce all aspects of NDE: exiting the body, vivid hallucinations, flying through a tunnel to the light, etc.
Do you consider NDE to be proof of the afterlife?
Drugs and plants may have side effects and should only be used in consultation with a doctor. This article does not call for independent experiments.
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