The gamma-band activity model of the near-death experience: a critique and a reinterpretation.
F1000Research January 1, 2024 Nigel A Shaw 2 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound mental events occurring near biological death, often explained materialistically as hallucinations. Recent animal and clinical studies report a surge of high-frequency electroencephalogram (EEG) activity, specifically gamma-band activity (GBA), around the time of death, when cortical activity is otherwise low. This perimortem GBA burst has been proposed as the neural basis of NDE. This study examines three questions: whether standard GBA is contaminated by muscle artifacts, whether NDE-mimicking agents also involve GBA, and whether the surge originates subcortically (in the amygdala) and is recorded at the cortex via volume conduction. The authors conclude that while the GBA surge is genuine and intriguing, evidence does not support it as the neurobiological foundation for NDE.