Near-Death Experiences: Scientists Find Clues to Visions from Other Side Agence France-Presse
go to original August 18, 2013

About 20 per cent of people who survive cardiac arrest report having had visions during a period known to doctors as clinical death. (Fairfax Media)

There may be a scientific explanation for the vivid near-death experiences, such as seeing a light, some people report after surviving a heart attack, scientists say.

Apparently, the brain keeps working for up to 30 seconds after blood flow stops, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

University of Michigan scientists did research on nine lab rats that were anaesthetised and subjected to induced cardiac arrest.

In the first 30 seconds after their hearts were stopped, they all showed a surge of brain activity, observed in electroencephalograms (EEGs) that indicated highly aroused mental states.

"We were surprised by the high levels of activity," said senior author George Mashour, professor of anaesthesiology and neurosurgery at the university. "In fact, at near-death, many known electrical signatures of consciousness exceeded levels found in the waking state, suggesting the brain is capable of well-organised electrical activity during the early stage of clinical death."

Read the rest at WAtoday

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