Studying death and near-death experiences requires neuroscientific expertise [Letter to the Editor]

[en] Parnia et al.1 recently published suggestions for the study of death and experiences recalled in a near-death context. We have serious reservations about the authors’ statements. In this commentary, we discuss the omissions and knowledge gaps inherent to the authors’ paper, which among others include incorrect neurological claims about brain death and misunderstandings regarding the terminology of consciousness. Although we believe that (near-)death research deserves a framework guideline, the paper by Parnia and colleagues is misleading and, contrary to the authors' intention, hinders the scientific understanding of near-death experiences and the neural mechanisms occurring in the dying brain.

Research center :

CHU de Liège-Centre du Cerveau² - ULiège

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

Martial, Charlotte ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques

Gosseries, Olivia ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Consciousness - Coma Science Group

CASSOL, Héléna ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Service de médecine de l'appareil locomoteur

Kondziella, Daniel

Language :

English

Title :

Studying death and near-death experiences requires neuroscientific expertise [Letter to the Editor]

Publication date :

August 2022

Journal title :

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

ISSN :

0077-8923

eISSN :

1749-6632

Publisher :

Wiley, Oxford, United Kingdom

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 17 August 2022

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