In ancient Greek philosophy, there was a concept of “revenants” – people who returned after death to become a kind of bridge between the living and the dead. Plato, Heraclitus, and Democritus are the most famous philosophers who addressed the topic of near-death experiences (NDE). In modern times, advances in medicine and technology have led to procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, resulting in a significant number of NDE reports.
A group of scientists from the USA, Thailand and Sweden (Kerna, Holets, Carsrud, Hafid, Flores, Anderson, Waugh, Albadri, and Pruitt) published a review article on this topic. As the researchers noted, the first description of a near-death experience was made in 1740 by a military physician from France, Pierre-Jean du Monchaux, who suggested that increased blood flow in the brain could be the cause of various metaphysical sensations.
A common hypothesis is that near-death experiences are linked with the patient’s religion, education, and upbringing. Most often, the memories of survivors include stories about leaving the body, reuniting with ancestors and deceased friends, seeing light, and experiencing feelings of joy and peace. At the same time, NDEs seem to be more common in countries such as China, India, regions of South America, as well as in the Middle East.
Among the physical causes of NDE, the scientists note increased activity in the temporal lobe, which probably leads to the retention of mystical memories. In turn, stimulation of the right posterior temporal lobe and the temporoparietal region entails an out-of-body experience. Nevertheless, the researchers add, NDEs have also been reported by patients with complete loss of brain functions. Such experiences can also be a consequence of taking psychoactive drugs.
Thus, according to the authors, there remains a huge and possibly insurmountable gap between the scientific world and the spiritual sphere in relation to near-death experience.
The article was published in June 2021 in the journal EC Psychology and Psychiatry.
