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Brain activity in near-death experiencers during a meditative state

Mario Beauregard, Jérôme Courtemanche, Vincent Paquette

Resuscitation July 2, 2009 DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.05.006 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Within-subjects experimental design with Meditation and Control conditions Peer reviewed
Population Near-death experiencers
Topics Meditation Near-death experience
Keywords Electroencephalography Audiology Orbitofrontal cortex Prefrontal cortex Insula Magnetoencephalography Temporal cortex Cognition
Citations 65
Key findings Meditation on the 'being of light' elicited significant hemodynamic and neuroelectric changes in brain regions associated with positive emotions, visual mental imagery, attention, and spiritual experiences.

Abstract

AimTo measure brain activity in near-death experiencers during a meditative state.MethodsIn two separate experiments, brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) during a Meditation condition and a Control condition. In the Meditation condition, participants were asked to mentally visualize and emotionally connect with the "being of light" allegedly encountered during their "near-death experience". In the Control condition, participants were instructed to mentally visualize the light emitted by a lamp.ResultsIn the fMRI experiment, significant loci of activation were found during the Meditation condition (compared to the Control condition) in the right brainstem, right lateral orbitofrontal cortex, right medial prefrontal cortex, right superior parietal lobule, left superior occipital gyrus, left anterior temporal pole, left inferior temporal gyrus, left anterior insula, left parahippocampal gyrus and left substantia nigra. In the EEG experiment, electrode sites showed greater theta power in the Meditation condition relative to the Control condition at FP1, F7, F3, T5, P3, O1, FP2, F4, F8, P4, Fz, Cz and Pz. In addition, higher alpha power was detected at FP1, F7, T3 and FP2, whereas higher gamma power was found at FP2, F7, T4 and T5.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the meditative state was associated with marked hemodynamic and neuroelectric changes in brain regions known to be involved either in positive emotions, visual mental imagery, attention or spiritual experiences.

Comparable studies

Other experimental studies on near-death experience, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Meditation-Induced Near-Death Experiences: a 3-Year Longitudinal Study Advanced Buddhist meditators 2018 Longitudinal within-subjects comparison with control conditions and embedded qualitative analysis n = 12
EEG signature of near-death-like experiences during syncope-induced periods of unresponsiveness. Healthy volunteers 2024 Experimental study n = 22
Designing a "Near-Death Experience" Reality Testing System. 2021 Experimental design
COMPARING THE DIFFERENCE IN NURSES' KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES (NDES) BEFORE AND AFTER RECEIVING NDE EDUCATION Registered nurses employed in Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities 2026 Quasi-experimental study n = 41
Teaching about near-death experiences: the effectiveness of using The Day I Died. Advanced undergraduates at a southwestern university (66 in the experimental group; 39... 2011 Quasi-experimental study n = 105

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Meditation Near-death experience