Near-Death Experiences and World-Model Collapse: A Multimodal Cognitive and Narrative Framework
By Student
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) February 14, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18639776 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Cognition Conceptual framework Conceptual blending Narrative inquiry Narratology Cognitive systems Core optical fiber Cognitive science Cognitive psychology Epistemology Narrative criticism |
| Key points | Argues that near-death experiences can be interpreted as systematic reorganizations of the brain's perceptual, bodily, temporal, and autobiographical structures under extreme physiological stress. |
Abstract
This work proposes a unified, multimodal framework for understanding near-death experiences (NDEs) as structured transformations of the human world-model under extreme physiological stress. Drawing on findings from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, phenomenology, and developmental research, the paper argues that core NDE features—such as tunnel-like vision, out-of-body experiences, altered time perception, and life review phenomena—can be interpreted as systematic reorganizations of perceptual, bodily, temporal, and autobiographical structures. The framework distinguishes correlational from causal neural evidence, addresses individual and cultural variability, and clarifies how NDEs differ from dreaming, psychedelic states, and dissociation. It further examines why fictional and narrative media often converge on similar structural motifs, without relying on specific examples, and outlines how these cognitive transformations can inform narrative design. The result is an integrative account that links extreme conscious states with broader theories of world-model construction, collapse, and reconfiguration.
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 |