Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - “At the time of a near-death experience, one of the first and most common elements to occur is the out-of-body experience (OBE). An OBE is defined as ‘the separation of consciousness from the physical body.’ When using the term OBE in this article, we will be referring only to OBEs occurring during NDEs. While NDErs are unconscious or clinically dead, their consciousness separates from their body. Their point of conscious perspective usually rises above their body. From this viewpoint, they may see and hear ongoing earthly events that may include the frantic efforts of medical personnel trying to resuscitate them. It is uncommon that consciousness during NDEs moves beside the physical body and only rarely goes below the body. About half of NDErs describe OBEs with awareness of ongoing earthly events.
“Most people have not had an OBE. This makes it difficult for many people to accept that OBEs are possible. However, this section will provide incontrovertible evidence that OBEs do occur during near-death experiences with accurate and verified OBE observations.
“Susan’s near-death experience is an example of an OBE. Her heart stopped from a severe allergic reaction to an intravenous injection of contrast for a medical scan. Severe reactions like what Susan experienced are fortunately extremely rare. Susan’s OBE observations during her NDE were later verified:
I was getting a CT scan as a diagnostic test for stomach problems. After I was injected with the contrast dye, I started sneezing uncontrollably. The scans were performed, and the nurse informed me that it was time for me to leave. At this point I couldn't speak or breathe. I then passed out, and the nurse frantically called for the code blue team. By the time the code blue team arrived, I guess I was 'dead.' I saw the team enter and surround a person; at least that's what I thought at the time. It never dawned on me that the other person was me. I was very calm but felt terrible for the lady (me) as the code blue team struggled to get her heart started. I saw 'me' being intubated and chest compressions as they tried to revive me. I saw my catheterization and everything else around me. Forty-five minutes later my heart started to beat on its own. I was pulled back into my own body. I saw everything and related this to the code blue team later, and they verified that what I saw really happened. I saw everything that happened in detail during my death. Every member of the code blue team confirmed this later.
“One of the earliest studies of the accuracy of OBE observations during near- death experiences was by cardiologist Michael Sabom, MD. Most NDErs in his study underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). His study included thirty-two NDErs who had OBEs during their NDEs. The study comparison group was twenty-five “seasoned cardiac patients” who did not have NDEs at the time of their close brush with death. Dr. Sabom asked the patients in both groups to describe their own resuscitations. This study concluded that the NDErs with OBEs were far more accurate than those in the control group in describing their resuscitations. The findings of Sabom’s study were consistent with the NDErs’ generally firm belief that what they observed in their OBEs really happened, including witnessing their own CPR.
“Penny Sartori, PhD, published another study with methodology similar to Dr. Sabom’s study. In her interview of fifteen near-death experiencers, eight of them described OBEs. She also asked the NDErs who had OBEs to describe their own resuscitations. The study comparison group were patients who underwent resuscitation without associated OBEs. Sartori’s study found several NDErs who were remarkably accurate in describing what they saw during their OBEs. The comparison group that did not have OBEs was highly inaccurate and often could only guess at what occurred during their resuscitations. Sartori’s study provides further evidence that those having NDEs after their hearts stop can have remarkably accurate OBE observations.
“It is a medical fact that a highly lucid NDE-like consciousness during CPR resuscitation without an associated NDE should not be possible.”
Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence
for Survival of Consciousness in
Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the
next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article.
Footnotes
have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at
https://www.nderf.org.