Insights into Near-Death Experiences from Brain Monitoring Studies

A new study shows that there is a surge of neurophysiological activity in the dying human brain, including in regions associated with conscious processing. The observed brain activity pattern may account for subjective reports of near-death experiences. The study demonstrates that withdrawal of ventilatory life support triggers a transient surge of electrical activity throughout the brain. The researchers suggest that the pattern of brain activity they observed may account for subjective reports of vivid perceptions during near-death experiences.