Near-Death Experiences and the Possibility of Disembodied Consciousness Challenges to Prevailing Neurobiological and Psychosocial Theories
Cheryl L. Fracasso, H. Friedman
March 3, 2011 DOI: 10.14704/nq.2011.9.1.389 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key points | Argues that extant neurobiological and psychosocial theories cannot adequately account for the full range of NDE reports, and that quantum physics-based theories may offer more promise, though the 'hard problem' of consciousness remains unsolved. |
Abstract
Claims from those having near-death experiences (NDEs), as well as those sympathetic to such claims, challenge the prevailing assumption that consciousness is dependent on a functioning brain. Extant theories, both neurobiological and psychosocial, that attempt to explain NDEs are examined and found unable to adequately account for the full range of NDE reports, especially electromagnetic after-effects and out-of-body experiences with veridical perception. As a result, many leading NDE researchers have proposed that a new model is needed to explain how consciousness could possibly exist independently of the brain, mainly relying on theories from quantum physics. Our paper critically evaluates a range of extant neurobiological and psychosocial theories of NDEs, as well as examines theories that might offer more promise in fully explaining NDEs, especially those using insights derived from quantum physics. We conclude that the “hard problem” of consciousness is not yet solved, but that NDEs provide an important avenue for exploring the relationship between consciousness and brain, as well as possibly understanding a disembodied concept of consciousness.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- A conceptual clarification of the experience of awe: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. The Humanistic Psychologist July 1, 2011
- Almost 40 Years Investigating Near-Death Experiences The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease October 29, 2014
- Psychoactive Substances and Paranormal Phenomena: A Comprehensive Review International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2012
- Making Sense of Near-Death Experience Research: Circumstance Specific Alterations of Consciousness Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2019
- Destiny or Free Will Decision? A Life Overview from the Perspective of an Informational Modeling of ConsciousnessPart II: Attitude and Decision Criteria, Free Will and Destiny Gerontology & Geriatrics Studies October 25, 2018
and 8 more in the library
Cites 26
- 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
- What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us about the Visual Cortex Neural Computation March 1, 2002
- Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit General Hospital Psychiatry July 1, 2003
- Near-Death Experiences and the Temporal Lobe Psychological Science March 24, 2004
and 21 more in the library