Major Peer-Reviewed Studies on Out-of-Body and Near-Death Experiences

🧠 Major Peer-Reviewed Studies on Out-of-Body and Near-Death Experiences

Below is a curated list of significant peer-reviewed studies addressing out-of-body experiences (OBEs), near-death experiences (NDEs), and veridical perceptions—accurate perceptions reported during periods of clinical unconsciousness. These studies play a central role in debates around consciousness and its potential independence from brain function.

🔹 1. Parnia, S., et al. (2014)

Title: AWARE—AWAreness during REsuscitation: A prospective study
Journal: Resuscitation, 85(12), 1799–1805
DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2014.09.004

Landmark study on cardiac arrest survivors.
Found that 2% had verified awareness during flat EEG.
Included one verified case of accurate auditory perception during clinical death.

🔹 2. van Lommel, P., et al. (2001)

Title: Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: A prospective study in the Netherlands
Journal: The Lancet, 358(9298), 2039–2045
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(01)07100-8

Studied 344 cardiac arrest patients; 18% reported NDEs.
Included veridical reports and experiences during unconsciousness.
Found no correlation with oxygen levels, drugs, or physiological factors.

🔹 3. Greyson, B. (2003)

Title: Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit
Journal: General Hospital Psychiatry, 25(4), 269–276
DOI: 10.1016/S0163-8343(03)00053-2

Developed and used the Greyson NDE Scale.
Analyzed the frequency and features of NDEs among cardiac patients.

🔹 4. Fenwick, P., et al. (2002)

Title: The neurophysiology of the near-death experience
Journal: Consciousness and Cognition, 11(1), 90–98
DOI: 10.1006/ccog.2001.0502

Reviews neurophysiological and theoretical models of NDEs.
Suggests brain-based explanations may be insufficient to account for certain phenomena.

🔹 5. Kelly, E. W., Greyson, B., & Kelly, E. F. (2007)

Title: Unusual experiences near death and related phenomena
In: Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century

Part of a peer-reviewed and widely cited scholarly book.
Catalogs and critiques materialist explanations for OBEs and NDEs.
Includes documented cases of veridical perception.

🔹 6. Holden, J. M. (2009)

Title: Veridical perception in near-death experiences
In: The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation (Praeger)

Reviews over 100 cases of accurate perceptions during NDEs.
Includes OBEs verified by third-party evidence.

🔹 7. Sartori, P. (2008)

Title: The near-death experiences of hospitalised intensive care patients: A five year clinical study
Journal: Journal of Near-Death Studies, 27(1), 31–52

UK nurse researcher documented ICU patient recollections.
Found several cases of accurate awareness during resuscitation.

🔹 8. Mobbs, D., & Watt, C. (2011)

Title: There is nothing paranormal about near-death experiences: How neuroscience can explain seeing bright lights, meeting the dead, or being convinced you are one of them
Journal: Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(10), 447–449
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2011.07.010

Presents skeptical, brain-based interpretations of NDEs.
Argues against supernatural or dualist explanations.
Offers a critical counterbalance to other studies.

🔹 9. Nelson, K. R., et al. (2006)

Title: Does the arousal system contribute to near-death experience?
Journal: Neurology, 66(7), 1003–1009
DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000203258.90676.4c

Links NDEs to REM intrusion and temporal lobe activity.
Supports materialist models rooted in neurophysiology.

📚 Bonus: AWARE II (Ongoing)

Continuation of the original AWARE study.
Incorporates visual and auditory targets, EEG monitoring, and patient interviews.
Preliminary findings suggest further cases of veridical perception.
Full results pending publication.

Major Peer-Reviewed Studies on Out-of-Body and Near-Death Experiences