Resuscitation 52 (2002) 5 – 11 Review article Near death experiences in cardiac arrest: visions of a dying brain or visions of a new science of consciousness Sam Parnia a, *, Peter Fenwick b a Department of Medical Specialities, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO 16 6YD, UK b The Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK Received 1 July 2001; accepted 14 September 2001 Abstract Very little is known about the dying process and in particular the state of the human mind at the end of life. Cardiac arrest is the final step in the dying process irrespective of cause, and is also the closest physiological model of the dying process. Recent studies in cardiac arrest survivors have indicated that although the majority of cardiac arrest survivors have no memory recall from the event, nevertheless approximately 10% develop memories that are consistent with typical near death experiences. These include an ability to ‘see’ and recall specific detailed descriptions of the resuscitation, as verified by resuscitation staff. Many studies in humans and animals have indicated that brain function ceases during cardiac arrest, thus raising the question of how such lucid, well-structured thought processes with reasoning and memory formation can occur at such a time. This has led to much interest as regards the potential implications for the study of consciousness and its relationship with the brain, which still remains an enigma. In this article, we will review published research examining brain physiology and function during cardiac arrest as well as its potential relationship with near death experiences during this time. Finally, we will explore the contribution that near death experiences during cardiac arrest may make to the wider understanding of human consciousness. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Cardiac arrest; Near death experiences; Dying brain; Visions of a new science www.elsevier.com/locate/resuscitation 1. Introduction The dying process, and in particular the subjective experience of dying is an area of which very little is known and, until now, has been largely ignored by scientific investigation. However, recent studies in car- diac arrest patients have begun to shed some light on the likely experiences that we may have at the end of our lives. Certainly from a clinical point of view, the question of what our patients’ experience when they face death, is a very real and important issue with everyday practical relevance. Knowledge of this process may help doctors and other carers deal with the anxi- eties of patients who face death. In this review we will examine the evidence related to the state of the human mind at the point of death, as well as its potential contribution in the wider attempts to understand the nature of human consciousness. The advent of modern resuscitation techniques has enabled many critically ill patients who would other- wise have died, to be resuscitated successfully. Some of these survivors have recalled unusual experiences from their period of critical illness. In 1975 an American doctor, Raymond Moody, published a best selling book in which he collected the experiences of 150 people who had been close to death [1]. Recurring features in their accounts included seeing a tunnel, a bright light, de- ceased relatives, a mystical being, entering a new do- main, reaching a point of no return, a review of their lives as well as ‘out of body experiences’ in which people described a feeling of separation from their * Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-2380-777222x3308; fax: +44- 2380-701771. E-mail address: parnis@soton.ac.uk (S. Parnia). 0300-9572/02/$ - see front matter © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII:S0300-9572(01)00469-5