New Near-Death Experience Research Reported in Today’s Daily Mail

There is an interesting article in today’s Daily Mail.

The article describes how researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge reviewed studies into changes in the brain which are associated with near-death experiences. Researcher Dr Caroline Watt reported:

‘If you put on a virtual reality headset showing an image of  yourself three feet in front, you  can trick your brain into thinking that is you over there, and get  the sense you are outside your body,’

Yes, this is possible but it is not the same experience as a veridical out of body perception that has been reported by patients who have been deeply unconscious and later reported accurate events that occurred while they were unconscious and when their brains were not functioning optimally. See Dr Pim Van Lommel et al’s report in The Lancet 2001 and the case of Patient 10 in my prospective research.

Dr Watt also suggests the involvement of the hormone noradrenaline which is released in the body at times of stress. Many patients in my prospective study had the drug noradrenaline administered but they did not report a NDE or OBE.

The conclusion of Dr Caroline Watt is that “The scientific evidence suggests that all aspects of near-death experiences have a biological basis”.

Undoubtedly, biological processes occur during NDEs but this does not explain all aspects of the NDE which is a highly complex phenomenon. Many NDErs are profoundly transformed, may gain information while unconscious in ways other than through the senses (see Patient 11 in my prospective study), may experience a huge ‘psychological boost’ which motivates them to push their physical body to extremes (see my forthcoming book for a great example of this) and in some cases there are inexplicable healings of physical ailments (see the case of Patient 10 in my prospective research) – none of which are adequately explained by mere physiological responses as the brain is shutting down.

As more interesting research is being published on the subject of the powerful influence the mind has over the body, scientists are realising that human experience consists of both the physical body and the non-physical mind. It is unfortunate that the predominant mode of thought only considers physical aspects when to be human we can’t deny that we must also have a mind as well as a body. To have a greater understanding of what it is to be human then we must embrace both the body and the mind. At this moment in time there are no known physiological processes that explain how consciousness or the mind arises from the brain.

 To read more online click the link below:

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2055499/An-body-experience-brain-playing-tricks-you.html

NDE Film Clips on IANDS Website

Thanks to Tim for emailing the link to the new film clips from The Dr Oz Show which have been posted on the IANDS website. In the short clips there are interviews with people who have had NDEs. They describe their NDE and how the experience has affected their life.

 There is also an interview with DrSam Parnia giving an update of the AWARE study.

 The most interesting clip is an interview with physician Dr Mary Neal who herself had a NDE. It was fascinating to hear Dr Neal describe her NDE and then talk about how her experience has changed her understanding of NDEs and death. From being very sceptical of NDEs her own experience has totally changed her mind. Not only has her experience affected the way in which she cares for her patients but it also enabled her to be very strong for her whole family when her son was tragically killed in an accident which is testimony to how powerful NDEs can be for those who experience them.

It will be interesting to hear what people have to think about the film clips.

To watch the film clips click onto the link below:

 http://iands.org/news/news/front-page-news/795-dr-oz-program-asks-ndes-are-they-real.html