Near-death experience during cardiac arrest and consciousness beyond the brain: a narrative review.
Bruno Angeli-Faez, Bruce Greyson, Pim van Lommel
International Review of Psychiatry 2025 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2025.2503729 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Cardiac arrest Cortical electrical activity Unresponsiveness Profound experiences Subjective experience Persistence of consciousness Non-local consciousness Brain states |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Near-death experiences during cardiac arrest likely occur when the brain is severely compromised, which may be evidence for consciousness continuing beyond the brain. |
Abstract
In this narrative review, we will critically assess whether the occurrence of near-death experience (NDE) associated with cardiac arrest (CA) may be explained by brain electrical activity or whether this empirical evidence supports an alternative theory, namely, that consciousness may persist and function beyond the brain. Empirical evidence suggests that NDEs associated with CA likely arise during the patient's unresponsiveness, rather than in the early CA phases or after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), when the brain may still be functional or later recover. There has been no evidence that cortical electrical activations recorded in dying patients and during CPR may be involved in NDEs, since no reports of subjective experience have been associated with such brain recordings. Alternatively, these findings may be interpreted as a result of muscular artifacts or circulatory disturbances in such contexts. CA leads to the interruption of oxygenated blood flow to the brain and loss of cortical electrical activity within 10-30 seconds. During CPR, brain electrical activity may remain absent or severely disturbed. Given that NDEs appear to occur at the very moment in CA when the brain is severely compromised, this can be assumed as evidence for the continuity of consciousness beyond the brain.
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 3
- Does Science Reveal the Truth Behind Near-Death Experiences?: A Methodological Enquiry Journal of Consciousness Studies June 1, 2026
- Self-reported near-death and near-death-like experiences in a Chinese online sample: an exploratory mixed-methods study Frontiers in Psychology September 21, 2026
- Life after death and mind beyond the brain: Reflections and implications for aging. International Psychogeriatrics March 1, 2026
Cites 32
- Neural correlates of consciousness: progress and problems Nature Reviews Neuroscience April 20, 2016
- Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands The Lancet December 1, 2001
- Are the Neural Correlates of Consciousness in the Front or in the Back of the Cerebral Cortex? Clinical and Neuroimaging Evidence Journal of Neuroscience October 4, 2017
- Consciousness among delta waves: a paradox? Brain March 6, 2021
- Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit General Hospital Psychiatry July 1, 2003
and 27 more in the library