Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
November 30, 2022
Calixto Machado, Andrew B. Newberg, Yanín Machado et al.
1 citation
Remembering near-death experiences and mystical experiences produces significant functional changes in the autonomic nervous system, as measured by heart rate variability. Using continuous electroencephalography with electrocardiogram monitoring, researchers compared the memories of two groups of participants. The method allowed continuous assessment of heart rate and heart rate variability during recall. The findings demonstrate that both types of experiences are associated with measurable autonomic shifts, confirming earlier reports of such changes.
World journal of critical care medicine
September 9, 2025
Calixto Machado
The Jahi McMath case, in which a girl was declared brain dead in 2013 after surgical complications, prompted a reevaluation of brain death and disorders of consciousness. Advanced ancillary tests, including neuroimaging and heart rate variability assessments, revealed significant preservation of intracranial structures, including the upper brainstem, despite extensive white matter damage. Residual cognitive processing and autonomic responses were identified, suggesting a novel disorder of consciousness distinct from brain death, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, minimally conscious state, and locked-in syndrome. These findings, supported by video analysis of purposeful responses, challenged conventional definitions and highlighted the need for advanced diagnostics and a nuanced understanding of consciousness.
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews
November 30, 2022
Calixto Machado, Andrew Newberg, Yanín Machado et al.
Memories of near-death experiences (NDE) and spiritual contemplative experiences (SCE) show similar brain activation patterns in delta, alpha, and gamma bands, along with frontal lobe activation, as measured by quantitative electroencephalography tomography. The Greyson Scale evaluation indicates a correlation between the attributes of NDE and SCE, such as cognitive timelessness, affective peace, transcendent oneness, and out-of-body sensations. SCE subjects exhibited statistically greater brain activation than NDE subjects. The study used QEEGt methodology, which incorporates MRI anatomical information to improve the precision of EEG source localization.