Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine conducted a study involving 567 men and women “whose hearts stopped beating while hospitalized and who received CPR…in the United States and United Kingdom.” [i]
Among those who survived, reports of “unique lucid experiences” included,
- “A perception of separation from the body,
- Observing events without pain or distress, and
- A meaningful evaluation of life, including of their actions, intentions, and thoughts toward others.” [ii]
The researchers concluded that the experiences of these individuals differed from “hallucinations, delusions, illusions, dreams or CPR-induced consciousness.” By analyzing the individuals’ brain activity, researchers discovered spikes of brain activity, including delta, alpha, theta, and beta waves, for up to an hour into CPR. [iii]
Photo by Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock
Researchers emphasized that these brain waves are observed while a person is conscious and “performing higher mental functions,” such as remembering events, thinking, or conscious perception. They theorize that the experiences of detachment from one’s body and brain wave changes could indicate “the first signs of the so-called near-death experience.” [iv]
With the identification of “measurable electrical signs of lucid and heightened brain activity,” combined with the researcher’s study eliciting people’s stories of recalled death experiences, researchers assert that “the human sense of self and consciousness, much like other biological body functions, may not stop completely around the time of death.” [iv]
They describe the lucid experience as “a unique human experience that emerges on the brink of death.” According to the research results, disinhibition occurs when the brain begins shutting down. Researchers contend that this “provides access to the depths of a person’s consciousness, including stored memories, thoughts from early childhood to death, and other aspects of reality.” [v]
This new research parallels that of experimenters in a Feb. 2022 study researching ‘The Lazarus Phenomenon.’ This phenomenon is “described as delayed return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cessation of CPR.” [vi]
The study cites a patient who underwent 73 minutes of CPR, during which no responses were observed. The individual was pronounced dead. Fifty minutes later, the decedent’s family noticed that the individual’s eyes were moving, so staff recommenced resuscitation efforts. The patient survived and was discharged following a ten-week stay in the hospital. [vii]
References
[i] David March, Lucid dying: Patients recall death experiences during CPR (Nov. 6, 2022)
[ii] Id.
[iii] Id.
[iv] Id.
[v] Waqar Gaba, Shahad El Hag, Shaima Bashir, Risen Alive: The Lazarus Phenomenon (Feb. 15, 2022)
[vi] Id.
[vii] Id.
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[Article Note: This piece was originally published on NewsBreak and has been archived and transferred to DOPE Quick Reads to preserve its informational value. Original publication date: 2022-12-20]
