Study exposes tricks of mind

NEAR-DEATH experiences are not paranormal but triggered by a change in normal brain function, according to researchers.

Psychologists who reviewed a range of phenomena such as out-of-body experiences, visions of tunnels of light or encounters with dead relatives, say they are tricks of the mind rather than a glimpse of the afterlife.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Cambridge University say that most of the experiences can be explained by a reaction in the brain prompted by a traumatic, though sometimes harmless, event.

Caroline Watt, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, said: “Some of the studies we examined show that many of the people experiencing a near-death experience were not actually in danger of dying, although most thought they were.

“The scientific evidence suggests that all aspects of the near-death experience have a biological basis.”

The researchers say that many common near-death experiences could be caused by the brain’s attempt to make sense of unusual sensations and perceptions occurring during a traumatic event.

Out-of-body experiences, for example, may happen when there is a breakdown in the brain’s multi-sensory processes, and visions of tunnels and bright lights could stem from a breakdown in the brain’s visual system caused by oxygen deprivation.