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Mobbs, D., & Watt, C. (2011). There is nothing paranormal about near-death experiences: how neuroscience can explain seeing bright lights, meeting the dead, or being convinced you are one of them. Trends In Cognitive Science, 15, 10, 447-449.
@Article{MobbsWatt2011,
author = {Dean Mobbs and Caroline Watt},
title = {There is nothing paranormal about near-death experiences},
journal = {Trends In Cognitive Science},
year = {2011},
volume = {15},
number = {10},
pages = {447--449}
}
Author of the summary: Felix Yisa, 2012, fyisa@connect.carleton.ca
Cite this paper for:
1- Contrary to popular belief, studies show there is nothing paranormal about near-death experiences [p. 447]
2- Rapid Eye-Movement (REM) - this is a general indication of dreaming and thought; catering to the combining of memories [p. 447]
3- There are a number of basic features of near-death experiences [p. 447]
4- One of the most often reported characteristics of near-death experiences is an awareness of being dead. [p. 447]
5- Out of body experiences are commonly described as feelings that you are floating outside of your body [p. 447]
6- A Tunnel of light - Near-death experiences are associated with the idea that one is passing through a dark tunnel and at the end is a 'world of light'. [p. 448]
7- Meeting deceased people - upon death, we are surrounded by the souls of dead people, angels or a religious figure in a peaceful place. [p. 448]
8- Positive emotions - a general characteristic of near-death experiences is a feeling of pure bliss, euphoria and an acceptance of death[p. 449]
9- "The near-death experience is a complex set of phenomena and a single account will not capture all its components" [p. 449]
Summary:
1. Contrary to popular belief, studies show there is nothing paranormal about near-death experiences. Rather, near-death experiences are the characteristics of negative aspects of the brain during a traumatic, and sometimes harmless, event. [p. 447]
2. Rapid Eye-Movement (REM) - this is a general indication of dreaming and thought; catering the combining of memories, "a process that may explain life reviews during near-death experiences." [p. 447]
3. In a study conducted by van Lommel et al. (2001), it was recorded that the basic features of near-death experiences are , 1) awareness of being dead, 2) an out-of-body experience, 3) moving through a tunnel, 4) meeting with deceased people & 5) feelings of euphoria and bliss. [p. 447]
4. One of the most frequently reported features of near-death experiences is an awareness of being dead (van Lommel, P. et al., 2001). An interesting syndrome, which can possibly explain the sensations relating to near-death experiences, is 'Cotard' or 'walking corpse' syndrome. Cotard syndrome is associated with the parietal and prefrontal cortex, and described following trauma, during advanced stages of typhoid and multiple sclerosis. [p. 447]
5. Out-of-body experiences are usually explained as feelings that one is floating outside of the body and sometimes as 'autoscopy' or seeing one's body from above. [p. 447]
Olaf Blanke and S. Arzy (2004), showed that out-of-body experiences can be artificially induced by stimulating the right temporoparietal area. This study implied that out-of-body experiences come from a communication failure of multisensory information from one's body, resulting in the disruption of the phenomenological components of how one perceives themself. [p. 448]
6. Near-death experiences are associated with the idea that one is passing through a dark tunnel and at the end is a 'world of light'. [p. 448]
A review by Nelson and colleagues (2007) suggested that the light at the end of the tunnel can be explained by visual activity during retinal schema. Retinal schema happens when the blood and oxygen supply to the eye are cut off. The tunnel vision is linked to intense fear and hypoxia (oxygen loss); two processes usually seen in dying. [p. 448]
7. Upon death, we are surrounded by the souls of dead people, angels or a religious figure in a peaceful place. [p. 448]
Patients with Alzheimer's or progressive Parkinson's disease sometimes display vivid hallucinations of ghosts or monsters. Patients have documented seeing headless corpses and dead relatives in their houses, which can be associated with pallidotomy lesions, arguing that this stems from abnormal dopamine functioning, a neurochemical that can cause hallucinations (Mamford & Andermann, 1998). "Electrical stimulation of the adjacent region of the angular gyrus can result in a sense of presence." (Blanke et. al, 2002). [p. 448]
8. Another commonly documented component of near-death experiences is a feeling of pure bliss, euphoria and an acceptance of death. [.p 449]
The neurochemical processes that ketamine causes can be linked to some of the positive emotional experiences and visions during near-death experiences. "...through evoking the rewarding properties of the opioid system and misattribution of events due to disruption of the prefrontal cortex" (Blackmore, 1993). [p. 449]
9. "The near-death experience is a complex set of phenomena and a single account will not capture all its components." [p. 449]
When looked at as a whole, all the scientific evidence presented suggests that all parts of the near-death experience contain some sort of neurophysiological and/or psychological basis. [p. 449]
Finally, there are a priori expectations, in which individuals make sense of situations by believing they will experience the stereotypical near-death experiences which may very well play an important role (Blackmore, 1993). [p.449]
Summary author’s notes:
The page numbers from this summary are from Trends In Cognitive Science, October 2011, Vol. 15, No. 10
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