Can Science Verify Near-Death Experiences?

Peter Fenwick, Sam Parnia, and Kevin Nelson discuss whether or not science can explain near-death experiences, and what kind of studies would be necessary to do so.

An excerpt from "Experiencing Death: An Insider's Perspective" featuring Steve Paulson, Sam Parnia, Mary Neal, Kevin Nelson, and Peter Fenwick.

The New York Academy of Sciences
Wednesday, December 11, 2013

[MrAdal]

If NDE’s are hallucinations of the brain coming back online then why does everyone have the same general visions of seeing family members and life reviews. No dream or hallucination can be the same can they?

[igspal]

Several years ago, I'd read about a hospital in England that had planned to place a shelf high up on a wall (close to the ceiling) in a room where patients who are close to dying are, & on that shelf, was to be placed, some very eclectic items (which only a couple of people would know of)...then, when someone there DID pass away & says he/she saw his/her own body while looking down (on the bed), THEN that person would be asked to describe the items on that shelf! Wonder if this was ever done!

[arantzasousa]

ok I get it that the afterlife part of it all could be hallucinations. Some spiritualist also argue is just the "dream plane" that's why they get to a point of no return which could be the actual afterlife, but what about when they have an obe right before the tunnel when they are supposed to be dead and can describe things they SAW even thought they where suppose to be under general anesthesia and well... dead..

[ISS]

NDEs do not need scientific proof for the one who experiences it. It is itself it's own proof. Typically they will say: "It is more real than real." That alone should end the argument at least from their point of view. The nature of the experiences are unlike those of mere hallucinations. The subjects typically remember the experiences vividly when they return as real events and not dream-like phenomena. Too many people have had these experiences for anyone to glibly dismiss them as imaginary.

[jasonfedder]

I can't believe more work hasn't been done in this important field! Do the "higher-ups" just refuse to fund any Near death experience research? I'd have felt better listening to non-religious accounts of NDE's from REAL survivors!

[QMTOGR]

3:30 ..there's another fundamental issue with this scenario proving consciousness. Even if you were to simulate the brain during those specific incidents, there still would be no proof that the memories that formed took place during their NDE. How could a patience possible recall the stimuli the doctors induced at that time? (I mean the process of recalling explaining that experience - not whether it is physically possible) i.e. how can someone distinguish their last seizure from a current one?

[peterford]

I understand and appreciate the comments from such an establish group of researchers into nde, s. But ultimately the real answer still awaits us

[Felineblood]

This is completely stupid . They don’t address people who are able to go into different rooms and recount conversations and things that happened in other places! Science and God are Not separate. God made science. These people just don’t want to face this.

[thomasgill]

"Experience syncopy" ? What the hell is that. I have a doctorate and I love words, but I don't know what he meant, so his whole comment was a waste of air.

[laidir]

Do culturally influencable experiences not suggest subjectivity, detracting from objectivity of such experiences. Is there not a danger that NDE's may be recapitulations of our pre/neonatal 'near birth'(?) experiences.

[poopoopdarkmarksonthefloor]

I've had a NDE. From hanging. 3-4 minutes. I saw white light. Nothing else. It wasen't a pleasant feeling at all. I can't tell what happens to the brain without oxygene but I know that the panic kicks in immediately and last quite a long time. Luckily the panic goes away finally and no feeling of pain remained for me. It was still a bit scary. No tunnel. Just bright white. Scary. I was trying to think about mohammed and elijah and hidu gods and stuff. The last thing was an attempt to picture jesus. At the same moment a nurse kicked in the door to the toilet and cut me loose with a scissor. It was a psycosis.
3 month later a saw a man with 4 inch long thorns on his forehead as I closed my eyes on the bed for a moment. It was a sunny april day outside.

[robertpreston]

Science has already explained how this is all in the mind and my own experienced proved it to me which is all that matters for myself

[fl]

yes, it was done many time (few hundreds) and the result this far negative.

[gregswamp]

Who is this "WE" that you speak of who used to believe the Earth was flat or the center of the Universe? It appears that you think this "WE" you speak of somehow represented all of humanity and all of the different beliefs/cultures/religions on Earth. You have been fed much propaganda to have those thoughts. You have turned a few Catholic Bishops into all of humanity (aka WE) with that propaganda.

[nakedgunmusic]

I'm sure a lot of logical and intelligent people would get behind your idea. Sarcasm.

[yourdissapointeddaddy]

Easy the brain will create a dream of what the person expects to see in the afterlife because the brain thinks it's dead, but is in deep hibernation that you can barely tell the corpse is still alive.