PLoS ONE
March 27, 2013
Marie Thonnard, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Serge Brédart et al.
140 citations
Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) are not well explained. Because NDEs are sometimes considered imagined, researchers compared the phenomenological characteristics of NDE memories with memories of real and imagined events. Coma survivors with NDEs (8), with coma memories but no NDE (6), and without coma memories (7), plus 18 healthy volunteers, completed the Memory Characteristics Questionnaire. NDE memories had more characteristics than memories of imagined or real events, and more self-referential and emotional information and better clarity than coma memories. These findings suggest NDE memories cannot be considered imagined events; they may be perceived as real despite not being lived in physical reality.
PLoS ONE
February 14, 2018
Héléna Cassol, Benoît Pétré, Sophie Degrange et al.
131 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound psychological events that can significantly affect experiencers' lives. Previous research shows NDE memories are phenomenologically rich. This study analyzed the narratives of 34 cardiac arrest survivors to extract common themes. A qualitative thematic analysis identified 10 'time-bounded' themes—isolated events during the NDE—and 1 'transversal' theme that characterizes the entire narrative, often as a retrospective self-reflective comment. The division into themes provides detailed vocabulary used by experiencers and enables a rigorous description of the phenomenon, ensuring all self-reported manifestations are included.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
May 27, 2014
Vanessa Charland-Verville, Jean-Pierre Jourdan, Marie Thonnard et al.
116 citations
Near death experiences (NDEs) reported after a non-life-threatening event (NDE-like) are similar in intensity and content to those occurring after a pathological coma (real NDE). In a retrospective analysis of 190 reports meeting the Greyson NDE scale threshold (score >7/32), the most common feature was peacefulness (89-93%), and only 1% recounted a negative experience. The intensity and features did not differ between NDE-like and real NDE groups, nor among coma causes (anoxic, traumatic, other). However, the core features were more frequently reported in this retrospective anoxic cohort compared to historical prospective data, suggesting that retrospective recall may shape the experience's content.
Consciousness and cognition
March 1, 2019
Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Vanessa Charland-Verville et al.
98 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) share consistent features across cultures, suggesting a common neurobiological basis. Analyzing semantic similarity between about 15,000 reports from 165 psychoactive substances and 625 NDE narratives, the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine produced reports most similar to NDEs, followed by Salvia divinorum and serotonergic psychedelics like DMT. The similarity was driven by concepts of self and environmental consciousness, as well as therapeutic, ceremonial, and religious aspects of drug use. Ketamine may serve as a safe experimental model for NDE phenomenology, and endogenous NMDA antagonists might be released near death.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
June 13, 2017
Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Georgios Antonopoulos et al.
85 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) often follow a common sequence: an out-of-body experience, moving through a tunnel, seeing a bright light, then feeling peace. However, this sequence occurred in only a small number of experiencers, suggesting that the order of NDE features varies widely among individuals. The study analyzed 154 written NDE narratives from French speakers, using text analysis to infer the timing and frequency of core features. The findings indicate that while a typical pattern exists, it is not universal, and understanding the relationships between features may improve scientific definitions of NDEs.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
June 7, 2018
Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Vanessa Charland-Verville et al.
70 citations
People who report near-death experiences (NDEs) without facing a life-threatening situation score higher on fantasy proneness than those who have NDEs during actual danger, those whose experiences do not meet NDE criteria, and healthy controls. In contrast, individuals who have classical NDEs (during a life-threatening event) show no difference in fantasy proneness compared to matched controls. The intensity of the reported experience correlates positively with engagement in fantasy. These findings suggest that strong fantasy proneness may make some individuals more likely to report NDE-like experiences under suitable physiological or psychological conditions, such as meditation or syncope.
Consciousness and Cognition
November 1, 2020
Charlotte Martial, Jessica Simon, Ninon Puttaert et al.
69 citations
Two scales for measuring near-death experiences (NDEs) were evaluated. The original NDE scale showed several weaknesses. A new 20-item Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale was developed and validated, revealing a five-factor structure covering relevant dimensions. The NDE-C scale demonstrated very good internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.85) and concurrent validity (correlations above 0.76). This new reliable scale should facilitate future research on NDEs.
Scientific reports
October 1, 2019
Charlotte Martial, Armand Mensen, Vanessa Charland-Verville et al.
36 citations
A proof-of-concept study induced near-death experience (NDE)-like features in five volunteers who had previously had a pleasant NDE by having them recall the memory under hypnosis while their brain activity was recorded with high-density EEG. The hypnosis protocol recreated NDE-like features without adverse effects and increased absorption and dissociation compared to normal consciousness recall. Recalling the NDE phenomenology was associated with increased alpha brain activity in frontal and posterior regions. The methodology offers a controlled way to prospectively study NDE-like features and their EEG correlates.
Consciousness and Cognition
July 8, 2017
Charlotte Martial, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Héléna Cassol et al.
24 citations
Memories of near-death experiences (NDEs) are detailed and stable over time, yet their rich phenomenology lacks a satisfactory explanation. In 152 individuals who reported a classical NDE during life-threatening conditions, the intensity of the NDE was positively correlated with phenomenological characteristics of the memory, such as sensory details, personal importance, and frequency of reactivation. Those who described more intense NDEs also reported more vivid and detailed memories of the event.
NeuroImage
September 1, 2024
Charlotte Martial, Andrea Piarulli, Olivia Gosseries et al.
10 citations
During fainting, some people have dream-like experiences with extraordinary, mystical features similar to near-death experiences. In 22 healthy volunteers who fainted under controlled conditions, eight reported such near-death-like features. Their brain activity showed higher electrical activity in delta, theta, and beta2 frequency bands in temporal and frontal regions, including the insula, right temporoparietal junction, and cingulate cortex. The richer the experience, the stronger the activity in these areas. The brains of those with near-death-like experiences also showed more complex, more connected, and more integrated neural networks compared to those without such experiences. These surges of neural activity may mark disconnected consciousness during fainting.