Groundbreaking Study Explores Near-Death Experiences and Their Universal Traits

A groundbreaking study on near-death experiences was recently published in the New York Academy of Sciences review. This first-of-its-kind research argues that the characteristics of near-death experiences are not hallucinations and are categorized entirely differently in the brain.

Researchers note that when the heart stops beating and a person is medically declared dead, the brain continues to function for several more hours. Sam Parnia, a leading author of the study and director of intensive care and resuscitation at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine, explains that "brain cells do not suffer irreversible damage after a few minutes of oxygen deprivation due to heart failure. They die over hours, which allows scientists to objectively study the mental and psychological processes related to death."

The researchers discuss near-death experiences reported by individuals who have recovered from clinical death, emphasizing that these are not hallucinations. The study found that the features of hallucinations and delusions are entirely different from those of near-death experiences. The researchers highlight that near-death experiences have recurring narratives reported consistently by people from vastly different cultures worldwide.

People who undergo "near-death experiences" describe five similar characteristics they encounter:

1. An out-of-body experience with heightened awareness and recognition of their death.

2. An intense, purposeful review of their life and past actions. Simply put: their life flashes before their eyes.

3. A sensation of traveling to another place.

4. A feeling of arriving somewhere that seems like their "home."

5. The moment they come back to life.

Researchers further note that "near-death experiences" often have a positive long-term psychological effect on the individuals who experience them.

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