Abstract
Over the past few years there has been a steady increase in publications claiming that research on near-death experiences (NDEs), especially during cardiac arrest, is challenging received views on consciousness in the neurosciences as well as traditional views on the soul. Some scholars even claim that such research is providing scientific proof of life after death. The central claim is that NDEs during cardiac arrest are showing that consciousness (the “soul”) can exist independently of a functioning brain. Thus the idea of non-local consciousness is receiving scientific support from research on NDEs, while one of the central features of the neurosciences is fundamentally challenged.
Three features of NDEs are considered as background to the discussion. One is that the termNDE refers to a spectrum of composite experiences and not to a clearly identifiable entity. Despite the fact that these experiences occur under life-threatening conditions, there is not such a thing as an NDE because the same experiences also occur under many other conditions. Therefore, secondly, the term is used for experiences close to death as well as to similar experiences that have nothing to do with life-threatening conditions. Thirdly, the term near-deathis not clinically precise; one can be close to death in the sense of narrowly escaping danger but without any physical trauma. Since claims exist that NDEs support the notion of non-local consciousness, it is important to ensure that data about experiences close to death are separated from those that have nothing to do with life-threatening conditions.
Three research strategies supporting the notion of non-local consciousness are critically analysed. The first, and most important, line of argument is that hundreds of verified reports of veridical perception at a time when there is no brain function (or brain function possible) due to cardiac arrest (and similar life-threatening situations) have been made available by NDE research. The assumption is that through veridical perception when there is no brain activity or brain activity possible, the case for non-local consciousness has been made.
There are two parts to this claim: one is that hundreds of verified reports about veridical perception are available and the second is that such reports are linked to cases of cardiac arrest. The research creates the impression that sufficient data exists about NDEs during cardiac arrest to substantiate the claim that verified accounts of veridical perceptions when no brain activity was possible have been recorded. A critical analysis of the evidence shows that despite numerous publications claiming such evidence, the actual evidence does not exist. Instead, it is pointed out that the same flawed publication is quoted by many scholars claiming such evidence. At this stage not a single uncontroversial case of veridical perception when there allegedly is no brain activity has been documented. However, scholarship on NDEs is promoting the unfounded conclusion that hundreds of verified out-of-body perceptions have, in fact, been published. Consequently, the rhetorical repetition of doubtful evidence characterises NDE research.
The second strategy is based on prospective studies in cardiac arrest units where it is expected that patients may have NDEs due to cardiac arrest. The existing prospective studies contain very few cases of a recorded NDE, and in fact not a single case of a verified veridical perception during the NDE. The two most promising cases, that of Pam Reynolds and the patient with the lost dentures, which are widely promoted as instances of veridical perception, turn out to be “not perfect”. Essential elements in the reports that could indicate veridical perception are missing or flawed.
Furthermore, the experiment in prospective studies set in cardiac arrest units for patients who have NDEs to identify hidden targets that would be visible only from a position close to the ceiling has to date not yielded a single instance of veridical perception.
The third research strategy is to claim that although not a single convincing case of veridical perception during cardiac arrest and other life-threatening situations exists, the cumulative weight of the numerous anecdotes of out-of-body perceptions contributes additional evidence for the existence of non-local consciousness. The flaw in this research strategy is that unverified reports are not evidence for non-local consciousness, but data to be analysed in order to better understand the experiences.
At this stage the conclusion seems inevitable that NDEs during cardiac arrest do not confirm that consciousness can exist or function independently of an embodied brain. Despite claims to that effect, critical analysis of the research shows that such evidence does not exist. Therefore, at this stage NDEs do not provide evidence to question basic assumptions in the neurosciences and cannot be used as evidence for the reality of a “soul” or for life after death.
Keywords: brain; cardiac arrest; consciousness; life after death; near-death experiences; non-local consciousness; out-of-body experiences; soul; veridical perception