Near death experiences (NDEs) occur when a person is close to death, after fainting or in simply stressful and threatening situations
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Near Death Experiences-Psychological Explanations
Some people hold paranormal beliefs and this leads them to interpret events in terms of paranormal explanations
For example vieweing a NDE as a spiritual experience
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Near Death Experiences- Biological Explanations
Endorphins are released at times of pain and stress that lead to feelings of euphoria and detachment
Recent Research --> NDEs are related to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) which may occur during cardiac arrest of fainting.
Hypoxia may cause REM intrusion which create mixed sleep/awake state that could like OOBEs disrupt the integration of sensory info.
Alternatively Hypoxia caused a flood of neurotransmitter glutamate which cuases neuronal death . As a defence the brain creates a protective blockade to prevent neuronal death and this blockade is the source of NDE
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Near Death Experiences- Research- Natural
Ring (1980);
Interviewed 100 people who had NDEs
Found that 60% of survivors reported a sense of peace
33% reported OOBEs
25% entered a tunnel
Few had a kind of 'life review'
Nelson et al (2006);
55 people with NDE and 55 controls
Found that NDE group were more likely to also experience REM intrusions
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Near Death Experiences- Research- Artifical
Jansen (1993);
Experimented with the drug ketamine
Gave it to patients to observe effects
Found that it can produce the classic symptoms of NDEs
Jansen (2009);
Ketamine found to trigger the same blockade as glutamate
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Near Death Experiences- Evaluation
Psychological;
The fact that NDEs are not experienced by all NDE patients means there is likely a psychological component to the experience e.g. some people may expect to have such experience and then if they experience a certain physiological charactersitic they label these as a spiritual event
Spiritual;
Van Lommel et al (2001);
Followed 334 cardiac survivors over 8 years
Found those who had experienced a NDE subsequently regarded it as a life changing, spiritual experience
Those who didnt have a NDE continued to fear death
This suggests that it is a spiritual experience but that doesnt mean that it is cuased by spiritual factors
Research --> lacked appropriate controls. Interviewer bias may have affected the data collected as Moody (1975) descrived them as a wonderful experience whereas more recent research has found that for many people they are frightening
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A03- IDA
Reductionism;
If it can be shown that mental experiences occur when the brain is inactive in a NDE then this might count as a demonstration of soul and mind sperate from the body (Parnia)
By contrast if the real reductionism comes from those who attempt to 'draw a mystical cover over the NDE' then they are ignoring the evidence in favour of a scientific explanation
Primary issue= authenticity of paranormal processes
Cultural Differences;
Augustine (2008) presented a comphrensive review of NDEs in different cultures and provided examples such as India's NDEs involve encountering Hindu figures, and Japan saw no light appearing
There were also consisent features such as going through a tunnel, feelings of peace, OOBEs and meeting a barrier between life and death
Such differences and similarities suggest that both psychological and pysiological factors are involved
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