Semiology and Mechanisms of Near-Death Experiences
Costanza Peinkhofer, Jens P Dreier, Daniel Kondziella
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports July 27, 2019 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-019-0983-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 45 |
| Key findings | A comprehensive pathophysiological model that includes all aspects of near-death experiences is still lacking, though recent advances confirm their semiology and identify ketamine as capable of producing similar experiences. |
Abstract
Purpose of reviewNear-death experiences (NDEs) are conscious perceptual experiences, including self-related emotional, spiritual, and mystical experiences, occurring in close encounters with death or in non-life-threatening situations. The origin of NDEs remains unknown. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of NDE semiology and pathophysiology.Recent findingsRecent prospective studies confirm that NDEs reflect a spectrum of highly distinctive memories which are associated with negative or positive emotions and can be influenced by the nature of the causal event, but the temporal sequence with which these images unfold is variable. Some drugs, notably ketamine, may lead to experiences that are similar or even identical to NDEs. New models extend previous neural network theories and include aspects of evolutionary and quantum theories. Although the factual existence of NDEs is no longer doubted and the semiology well-described, a pathophysiological model that includes all aspects of NDEs is still lacking.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distressing Near-Death Experiences | 1992 | Review | |
| Attitude Change Following Near-Death Experiences Individuals who have had near-death experiences | 1980 | Review | n = 21 |
| Near-death experiences. | 2004 | Review | |
| The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences | 2009 | Review | |
| Near-death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 20
- Near-Death Experience as a Probe to Explore (Disconnected) Consciousness Trends in Cognitive Sciences January 22, 2020
- The evolutionary origin of near-death experiences: a systematic investigation Brain Communications June 22, 2021
- Losing the Self in Near-Death Experiences: The Experience of Ego-Dissolution. Brain Sciences July 14, 2021
- Prevalence of near-death experiences in people with and without REM sleep intrusion. PeerJ 2019
- Incidence of near-death experiences in patients surviving a prolonged critical illness and their long-term impact: a prospective observational study Critical Care February 27, 2023
and 15 more in the library
Cites 56
- Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands The Lancet December 1, 2001
- The Near-Death Experience Scale The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease June 1, 1983
- Out-of-body experience, heautoscopy, and autoscopic hallucination of neurological origin Brain Research Reviews July 13, 2005
- DMT Models the Near-Death Experience Frontiers in Psychology August 15, 2018
- Distressing Near-Death Experiences Psychiatry February 1, 1992
and 51 more in the library