Comments on "The ketamine model of the near-death experience: A central role for the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor".
The Journal of near-death studies January 1, 1997 Antonio Bianchi 1 citation
Ketamine and ibogaine, both noncompetitive antagonists of the NMDA receptor, can induce experiences resembling near-death experiences (NDEs), but the character of these experiences differs markedly depending on the context of use—recreational versus operating room for ketamine, and hallucinatory versus initiatic ritual for ibogaine. In initiatic rituals, ibogaine can induce a superficial coma state. These observations raise the question of whether chemically-induced NDE-like experiences stem from the specific substance or from an actual comatose state.