PeerJ
January 1, 2019
Daniel Kondziella, Jens P Dreier, Markus Harboe Olsen
34 citations
Near-death experiences are reported by 10% of a large, diverse sample of 1,034 lay people from 35 countries. People who have such experiences are more likely to also show signs of REM sleep intrusion: 47% of those with near-death experiences had REM intrusion, compared with 26% of those who had unusual experiences that did not meet the threshold for a near-death experience and 14% of those with no such experiences. This link remained strong after adjusting for age, gender, location, employment, and perceived danger; people with REM intrusion were nearly three times as likely to report a near-death experience.
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.
PeerJ
January 1, 2019
Daniel Kondziella, Markus Harboe Olsen, Coline L Lemale et al.
17 citations
People who experience migraine with aura are more than twice as likely to report a near-death experience (NDE) as those without migraine aura. In a sample of 1,037 adults from 35 countries, 13.0% of those with migraine aura reported an NDE compared to 6.1% of those without, an odds ratio of 2.33 after adjusting for age and gender. This association indirectly supports the idea that NDEs involve rapid eye movement (REM) sleep intrusion, a feature also linked to migraine with aura. The finding may relate to spreading depolarization, a brain wave pattern that occurs both in migraine aura and at the end of life.
Brain : a journal of neurology
June 12, 2025
Marwan H Othman, Attila Géry Toury-Puel, Karen Irgens Tanderup Hansen et al.
7 citations
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 50 intensive care unit patients with acute disorders of consciousness after brain injury received apomorphine, methylphenidate, or placebo. Automated pupillometry measured pupillary responses to verbal commands; neither drug significantly increased these responses overall. However, 20% of patients showed improved clinical arousal at least once after drug administration, with methylphenidate linked to more arousal events than placebo. Patients with greater baseline pupillary responsiveness were more likely to show arousal, suggesting this may predict stimulant effects. No adverse events occurred. The findings need replication but may guide future trials on consciousness recovery.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
October 21, 2019
Daniel Kondziella, Markus Harboe Olsen, Coline L. Lemale et al.
7 citations
preprint
Near-death experiences (NDE) are poorly understood but may involve rapid eye movement (REM) sleep intrusion, a feature of narcolepsy. Because migraine with aura is linked to narcolepsy and REM abnormalities, this study tested whether NDE are more common in people who have migraine with aura.
European journal of neurology
October 1, 2023
Bianca Raffaelli, Pia Kull, Jasper Mecklenburg et al.
6 citations
Among 808 migraine patients at a tertiary headache center, 2.7% reported having had a near-death experience (NDE) and 5.4% reported REM sleep intrusions. The prevalence of NDEs did not differ between those with and without migraine aura (2.8% vs. 2.6%), nor did REM sleep intrusions (6.3% vs. 4.9%). However, participants with REM sleep intrusions were more likely to have had an NDE (11.4%) than those without (2.2%). Higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores were associated with REM sleep intrusions. The findings suggest that NDEs and REM sleep intrusions may share underlying mechanisms, but migraine aura status does not influence their prevalence.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
January 28, 2019
Daniel Kondziella, Markus Harboe Olsen
2 citations
preprint
About 10% of people report having had a near-death experience, according to a survey of 1,034 adults from 35 countries. Those who also experience REM sleep intrusion—when dream-like mental activity intrudes into waking life—are nearly three times more likely to report a near-death experience. The association held even after adjusting for age, gender, location, employment, and perceived threat. The authors suggest that brain physiology must be well preserved for such experiences to occur and be remembered, even when life is in danger.