One popular hypothesis regarding the nature of near-death experiences explains them as follows: at the moment of clinical death, bursts of brain activity occur, causing a person to experience vivid visions. However, Estonian scientists Roland Karo and Annabel Parts analyzed several large studies and expressed doubts about this claim. Yes, the brain exhibits some activity after the heart stops, but brain waves associated with consciousness are extremely rare. So, near-death experiences are not the hallucinations of a dying brain but something else entirely.
Between clinical and biological death, there exists a “gray zone” where the brain remains active for some time. The authors suggest that near-death “adventures” may be related to an expansion of consciousness when it essentially “switches off” the usual filters of perception that form our ordinary “self.” This explains the vividness and extraordinary meaningfulness of near-death experiences: it’s as if the person’s entire life flashes before their eyes, and they draw important conclusions. Similar, albeit less pronounced, states occur during moments of mystical ecstasy or orgasm.
These filters, which are formed by culture, society, and personal experience, are created throughout life and help us survive. But they also prevent us from seeing the full picture of reality. Having a near-death experience is like removing the filters, allowing one to look at life and oneself from the outside.
Have you noticed the disengagement of these filters in phase states (lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, etc.)?
The article was published in April 2025 in the Usuteaduslik Ajakiri.
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