Frontiers in Psychology
August 15, 2018
Christopher Timmermann, Leor Roseman, L. Williams et al.
228 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) share striking phenomenological similarities with the effects of the psychedelic drug DMT. In a placebo-controlled, within-subjects study, 13 healthy participants received DMT and placebo, then completed a standard NDE measure. DMT significantly increased NDE-like features compared to placebo. NDE scores were linked to DMT-induced ego-dissolution and mystical experiences, as well as baseline traits of absorption and delusional ideation. Nearly all NDE features overlapped between DMT-induced experiences and a matched group of actual NDE experiencers. These results indicate a remarkable similarity between the DMT state and NDEs, warranting further research.
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.
Memory
June 12, 2019
Héléna Cassol, Charlotte Martial, Jitka Annen et al.
60 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are typically positive, but about 14% of 123 NDE accounts were distressing. These distressing NDEs included inverse, hellish, or void types, with inverse and hellish each appearing 8 times and void once. A higher proportion of suicide survivors reported distressing NDEs compared to classical ones. Memories of distressing NDEs were as phenomenologically detailed as those of classical NDEs. The findings suggest distressing NDEs require careful attention to help experiencers integrate them into their identity.
Brain sciences
July 14, 2021
Charlotte Martial, Géraldine Fontaine, Olivia Gosseries et al.
37 citations
People who have had a near-death experience often report a disturbed sense of having a distinct self. In a survey of 100 individuals who scored 27 or higher out of 80 on the Near-Death-Experience Content scale, 80 had their experience in a life-threatening situation and 20 did not. Participants completed inventories measuring ego dissolution and ego inflation during their NDE, as well as a scale of nature-relatedness. Ego-dissolution scores were higher than ego-inflation scores. Total NDE intensity positively correlated with ego dissolution and, more weakly, with ego inflation and nature-relatedness. Ego dissolution also correlated with the intensity of out-of-body experiences and a sense of unity. The findings suggest that dissolved ego-boundaries are a common feature of 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.
NeuroImage
June 1, 2024
Pradeep Kumar G, Rajanikant Panda, Kanishka Sharma et al.
20 citations
High-order interactions between brain regions, measured as synergistic and redundant information, change differently across three non-ordinary states of consciousness. During Rajyoga meditation, synergy increased across the whole brain in delta and theta brainwave bands, while redundancy decreased in frontal, central, and posterior electrodes in delta and beta bands. During hypnosis, synergy decreased in mid-frontal, temporal, and mid-centro-parietal electrodes in the delta band, and in left frontal and right parietal electrodes in the beta2 band. During auto-induced cognitive trance, synergy decreased in delta and theta bands in left-frontal, right-frontocentral, and posterior electrodes, and at the whole brain level in the alpha band. Redundancy changes during hypnosis and auto-induced cognitive trance were not significant. Subjective reports of absorption, dissociation, and mystical experience did not correlate with the high-order measures.
Nature reviews. Neurology
June 1, 2025
Charlotte Martial, Pauline Fritz, Olivia Gosseries et al.
19 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are episodes of disconnected consciousness with prototypical mystical features, often occurring during actual or perceived physical threat. Various explanatory theories have been proposed, but integration has been limited. Converging evidence from neuroscience—including non-human studies, psychedelic-induced mystical experiences, and research on the dying brain—now offers a comprehensive explanation. This Review discusses psychological and neurophysiological processes underlying NDEs, including cellular and electrophysiological brain network changes and neurotransmitter alterations. The authors propose a model encompassing a cascade of concomitant processes within an evolutionary framework and consider how NDE research informs debates on consciousness emergence near brain death.
Brain Structure and Function
January 1, 2021
Jitka Annen, Rajanikant Panda, Charlotte Martial et al.
15 citations
A world champion free diver's brain activity and connectivity shift markedly during a 6.5-minute breath-hold. EEG shows increased alpha wave power and connectivity, with decreased delta band connectivity. fMRI reveals heightened connectivity within the default mode network and visual areas, but reduced connectivity in sensorimotor cortices. These changes overlap with some meditation-related brain signatures but also include unique features suggesting altered somatosensory integration. Self-reports indicate that elite free divers may achieve a state of sensory dissociation during prolonged apnea, reflecting their ability to adapt psychologically and physiologically to extreme breath-holding.
Journal of cognitive neuroscience
September 1, 2023
Charlotte Martial, Helena Cassol, Mel Slater et al.
13 citations
Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) can be partially induced in a virtual reality setup. Seven healthy participants wore a VR headset and saw their virtual body from a ceiling viewpoint; in one condition their real movements were mirrored onto the virtual body, in the other they were not. Participants reported strong sensations of floating and being high up, but only weak to moderate feelings of being out of their body. Brain activity recorded with 128 electrodes showed that these subjective experiences were linked to increased delta and decreased alpha power, reduced theta complexity, and increased beta-2 connectivity, supporting the idea that delta activity plays a prominent role in certain conscious states.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
April 28, 2023
Aminata Bicego, Héléna Cassol, Jessica Simon et al.
13 citations
Spiritual beliefs, Openness to experience, and Fantasy proneness are associated with recalling a near-death experience (NDE) or an NDE-like experience (similar phenomenology without a life-threatening context). In a retrospective study of 181 people divided into four groups—NDE experiencers, NDE-like experiencers, controls who faced a life-threatening situation without an NDE, and controls with neither—multivariate logistic regression showed that spiritual beliefs predicted NDE-like recall, while Openness and Fantasy proneness predicted NDE recall. A discriminant analysis using these variables correctly classified only 35% of cases, indicating other factors also play a role.
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.
iScience
January 17, 2025
Paolo Cardone, Arthur Bonhomme, Vincent Bonhomme et al.
9 citations
In a small double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial with three adults who had prolonged disorders of consciousness after a coma, an intravenous sub-anesthetic dose of the atypical psychedelic ketamine increased brain complexity as measured by Lempel-Ziv complexity, but did not change the explainable consciousness indicator. Patients showed reduced spastic paresis and spent more time with their eyes open, yet their diagnosis of consciousness did not improve. No adverse effects occurred. The findings suggest a potential therapeutic role for ketamine in disorders of consciousness and support a link between brain complexity and conscious states.
Neuroscience of Consciousness
January 1, 2024
Charlotte Martial, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann
9 citations
People who have had both a near-death experience (NDE) and a psychedelic experience (PE) report overlapping mystical-like effects, such as feelings of unity and transcendence, and similar attributions of reality, psychological insights, and lasting changes. However, low-level sensory phenomena differ: NDEs involve stronger disembodiment, while psychedelics produce more visual imagery. The study used an online survey of 31 adults who had experienced both an NDE (scoring ≥27 on the NDE-C scale) and a PE with classic psychedelics. Bayesian and frequentist analyses confirmed these overlaps and differences, suggesting psychedelics can model the mystical aspects of NDEs but not their sensory features.
Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
May 1, 2025
Paolo Cardone, Pablo Núñez, Naji L N Alnagger et al.
7 citations
A patient in a minimally conscious state plus received psilocybin, a classic psychedelic, for the first time. No increase in overt behavioral repertoire was observed on validated scales, but new spontaneous behavior not previously seen emerged, and brain complexity, measured by the Lempel-Ziv complexity index, increased with changes in underlying periodic rhythms. This case report contributes to future investigations of psychedelics for disorders of consciousness and the link between brain complexity and consciousness.
Neuroscience of consciousness
January 1, 2024
Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Marie-Carmen Castillo, Charlotte Martial et al.
7 citations
Auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) produces richer and more distinct subjective experiences than ordinary rest, auditory stimulation, or imagination. In 27 trained participants, free recalls of experiences were longer during AICT than in other conditions. Text mining identified four distinct classes of discourse, with AICT forming its own class clearly separate from ordinary conscious states. Nine content categories emerged, including nature, animals, body modifications, and difficulty describing thoughts. AICT was specifically characterized by reports of nature, animals, body modifications, and difficulty describing thoughts. These findings indicate that AICT generates a unique and richer phenomenology compared to other conscious states.
Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Liège)
October 13, 2020
Olivia Gosseries, Charlotte Martial
5 citations
An interview with Olivia Gosseries explores the potential of psychedelic drugs, particularly psilocybin, as a treatment for disorders of consciousness such as the persistent vegetative state. While psilocybin is undergoing clinical investigations in healthy volunteers and clinical populations, experts propose extending this research to patients with disorders of consciousness. Gosseries, drawing on her empirical and theoretical work, supports implementing rigorous clinical trials to test efficacy. The interview also touches on ethical and legal challenges and discusses other non-pathological modified states of consciousness.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
August 19, 2024
Naji Alnagger, Paolo Cardone, Charlotte Martial et al.
3 citations
preprint
Disorders of consciousness, such as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), have few treatments. Using whole-brain computational models built from individual patients' fMRI and diffusion-weighted imaging data, this virtual clinical trial simulated the effects of LSD and psilocybin. The psychedelics shifted the brains of patients with disorders of consciousness closer to a critical dynamical state, with a larger effect in MCS patients. In UWS patients, the treatment response depended on structural connectivity, whereas in MCS patients it aligned with baseline functional connectivity. These results provide a computational foundation for considering psychedelics in treating disorders of consciousness and highlight the role of computational modeling in drug discovery and personalized medicine.
International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP
January 1, 2024
Charlotte Martial, Pauline Fritz, Helena Cassol et al.
3 citations
One year after a prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay, survivors who reported a near-death experience (NDE) retained vivid, stable memories with many phenomenological details such as visual features and emotions. Among 126 adult ICU survivors, 19 (15%) reported an NDE as identified by the Greyson scale. The most common NDE features were altered time perception, heightened senses, and life review; Greyson scores did not change over the year. One year later, 18% of the NDE group and 24% of the non-NDE group were less afraid of death. The findings suggest that clinicians should interview all ICU patients about their memories.
Advanced Science
November 20, 2025
Paolo Cardone, Charlotte Martial, Yonatan Sanz Perl et al.
2 citations
Simulated administration of LSD and psilocybin in computational models of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), including unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), shifted brain activity closer to criticality—the phase transition between order and chaos. The effect was greater in MCS patients. In UWS patients, the treatment response correlated with structural connectivity, while in MCS patients it aligned with baseline functional connectivity. These results provide a computational foundation for using psychedelics in DoC treatment and highlight the potential role of computational modeling in drug discovery and personalized medicine.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2025
Aminata Bicego, Naji Alnagger, Etzel Cardeña et al.
1 citation
Auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) can produce mystical-type experiences in healthy individuals, with 29% of participants reporting such experiences during AICT compared to none during a rest condition. The study examined twenty-seven people who could self-induce AICT, measuring their religious and spiritual practices and paranormal beliefs beforehand. Participants completed five conditions including rest, imagination, and AICT with or without auditory stimulation. The intensity of the AICT experience and features resembling near-death experiences were linked to mystical-type experiences only during AICT. This is the first demonstration that AICT, a technique distinct from hypnosis or meditation, can induce mystical-type experiences outside life-threatening situations.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2023
Yan Li, Yan Chen, Charlotte Martial et al.
A Chinese version of the Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale was translated and validated on 79 near-death experience testimonies. The translation used Brislin's back-translation model, and the scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.846). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the scale's structure. This new Chinese NDE-C scale is now available to screen people who have had near-death experiences or near-death-like experiences (e.g., from meditation) and to quantify their subjective experiences, enabling further research on this phenomenon in Eastern cultural contexts.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
September 28, 2022
Yonatan Sanz Perl, Carla Pallavicini, Juan Piccinini et al.
preprint
Brain states are often described on a single scale from full consciousness to unconsciousness, but this ignores the complex, high-dimensional nature of brain activity. By combining whole-brain modeling, data augmentation, and deep learning, researchers mapped states of consciousness into a low-dimensional space where distances reflect similarities between states. They found an orderly trajectory from wakefulness to brain-injured patients, with coordinates related to functional modularity and structure-function coupling, both increasing as consciousness is lost. Model perturbations provided a geometric interpretation of state stability and reversibility. The work suggests conscious awareness depends on functional patterns encoded as a low-dimensional trajectory within the vast space of brain configurations.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
July 2, 2020
Yonatan Sanz Perl, Carla Pallavicini, Ignacio Pérez Ipiña et al.
preprint
The level of consciousness—how conscious someone is—is often measured by how similar their brain activity is to normal wakefulness. However, this approach misses important information about how stable that state is. Using computer models of the whole brain, the authors show that the stability of a conscious state—how easily it can be disrupted—provides additional, complementary information. They propose a new framework that sorts brain states by both their similarity to wakefulness and their stability, which helps distinguish between different types of unconsciousness: natural sleep, anesthesia, and brain injury. This framework offers a more complete way to characterize and differentiate states of consciousness.
arXiv Preprint Archive
May 10, 2016
Enrico Amico, Daniele Marinazzo, Carol DiPerri et al.
A new data-driven method, connICA, extracts independent functional connectivity patterns (FC-traits) from brain scans of patients with disorders of consciousness after severe brain damage. Three main FC-traits emerged. The first relates to sedation, overall pathology, and level of arousal. The second reflects disconnection of visual and sensory-motor networks, time since injury, and ability to communicate. The third involves fronto-parietal and default-mode networks and interhemispheric interaction, associated with self-awareness and awareness of surroundings. Each trait represents a distinct functional process linked to degradation of conscious states, clarifying which neural subcircuits are disrupted in severe brain injury.