A note on anesthetically-induced frightening "near-death experiences".
Journal of Near-Death Studies 1996 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-1996-15-1-p17-23 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key points | Argues that the "meaningless void" type of frightening NDE is best regarded as a drug-induced emergence reaction, not a true NDE, based on corroborating evidence from medical studies of nitrous oxide reactions. |
Abstract
Previously (Ring, 1994a, 1994b) I had speculated that the "meaningless void" type of frightening near-death experience (NDE), in which the individual finds him- or herself in a situation of existential nullity in which life itself is understood to be an illusion or a cruel joke, indicating that nothing has any inherent meaning or reality, tends to occur following the use of anesthetics, and is more likely to be reported by women. I present here empirical evidence from medical studies of reactions to nitrous oxide, which corroborate both of those speculations. In light of these findings, I believe that this type of experience is best regarded, despite its subjective reality and long-lasting effects, as an emergence reaction triggered by drugs, and not as a true NDE.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experience in Medieval and Modern Times | 1987 | Historical analysis | |
| Neuroscience and the Near-Death Experience: Roles for the NMSA-PCP receptor, the sigma receptor and the endopsychosins | 1990 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Implications of near-death experiences for a postmaterialist psychology. | 2010 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-Death Experience as a Probe to Explore (Disconnected) Consciousness | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-death experiences between science and prejudice | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |