homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Neuroscientists find evolutionary origin of near-death experiences

Animals have been feigning death as a defence mechanism for eons. Humans took it to the next level.

Tibi Puiu
July 2, 2021 @ 7:12 pm

share Share

Credit: Flickr, William Gibson Kiel.

Many people across different cultures and historical contexts have reported experiencing near-death experiences. When going through such singular life-threatening episodes, it’s common to experience things such as no pain, seeing a bright light at the end of a tunnel, or detaching from one’s body and floating above it, and even flying off into space. This universality suggests that near-death experiences have some biological origin and purpose — and a new study seems to confirm this idea.

Evolution towards a bright light at the end of a tunnel

Despite several theories used to explain near-death experiences, no one’s really sure what causes them or why humans have them. Religious people believe near-death experiences provide evidence for life after death – in particular, the separation of the spirit from the body. Whereas scientific explanations for near-death experiences include depersonalization, which is a sense of being detached from your body. Scientific author Carl Sagan even suggested that the stress of death produces a remembrance of birth, suggesting the “tunnel” people see is a reimagining of the birth canal.

According to researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and the University of Liège in Belgium near-death experiences in humans may be the result of evolutionary mechanisms. Their investigations suggest that these harrowing episodes have arisen as a result of thanatosis — a defense mechanism in which animals feign their death to improve their odds of survival.

It’s widely believed that thanatosis exploited predators’ tendencies to avoid dead prey. Thanatosis is characterized by a number of different features: catalepsy, immobility with a prone but stiff posture maintained by pronounced tonic muscular activity; ‘waxy flexibility’ of the limbs, which if moved by an external force maintain the newly imposed position for long periods; and unresponsiveness to external stimuli, while remaining fully aware of the environment.

Thanatosis is of widespread occurrence in arthropods and in all classes of vertebrates, possibly including humans (hence the phrase ‘scared stiff’).

 “As a survival strategy thanatosis is probably as old as the fight-or-flight response,” Daniel Kondziella, a neurologist at the Copenhagen University Hospital, said in a statement.

The researchers found that thanatosis, or tonic immobility, occurs in insects, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Their investigations also showed that humans can experience both thanatosis and near-death experiences when threatened by an imminent life-threatening attack such as an encounter with a grizzly bear, going through a severe traffic accident, or an assault from another human.

 “We show that the phenomenology and the effects of thanatosis and near-death experiences overlap,” said Charlotte Martial, a neuropsychologist from the Coma Science Group at the University of Liège.

Kondziella and Martial conclude that the acquisition of language caused humans to transform death-feigning into the much more elaborate and rich perceptions that characterize near-death experiences, which can extend to non-predatory situations. For instance, about one in ten patients with cardiac arrest in a hospital setting undergo such an episode. 

“Of note, the proposed cerebral mechanisms behind death-feigning are not unlike those that have been suggested to induce near-death experiences, including intrusion of rapid eye movement sleep into wakefulness,” Daniel Kondziella explains.

“This further strengthens the idea that evolutionary mechanisms are an important piece of information needed to develop a complete biological framework for near-death experiences.”

The notion that near-death experiences are the product of an inherent biological need to survive makes sense. However, this is far from the last word on the subject. Near-death experiences are not readily amenable to well-controlled laboratory experimentation, which greatly limits research, although this may change perhaps using pharmacological means.

The findings were reported in the journal Brain Communications.

share Share

Scientists find spiders smell with their legs and the science behind it is fascinating

Spiders have always lived alongside humans, so it’s surprising how much we still don’t know about them. One long-standing mystery was related to how spiders detect smells. Now, our latest research has finally uncovered the secret. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we demonstrated that male spiders use olfactory […]

Scientists uncover how your brain flushes out waste during sleep

Scientists uncover a pulsating system that flushes out brain waste during non-REM sleep.

Woman's nut allergy triggered after sex in bizarre first

She was allergic to Brazil nuts, but it wasn’t any she ate that sent her to the hospital.

Weekend warriors, rejoice: working out once in a while is also good for your brain

It seems that even exercise just on the weekend still has significant cognitive benefits.

Can Your Voice Reveal Diabetes? This New AI Thinks So

Researchers have developed a voice-based AI tool that can detect Type 2 diabetes with surprising accuracy.

Breakdancer develops one-inch lump on his scalp after 20 years of headspins

Surgeons removed the man's "breakdance bulge" and the patient is now okay.

Archaeologists uncover 1,300-year-old throne room in Peru linked to powerful female ruler

Recently studied murals suggest a powerful female leader once ruled the Moche.

Scientists Use Math to Show New Type of Particles Once Considered Impossible Might Be Real

Researchers uncover new particle behaviors that break the two-type mold of quantum mechanics.

Hobbyist Builds AI-Assisted Rifle Robot Using ChatGPT: "We're under attack from the front left and front right. Respond accordingly"

The viral video sparked ethical debates about the broader implications of AI weapons.

Drones Helps Researchers Uncover a Lost Mega-Fortress in Georgia

Researchers have long known about the formidable scale of the Dmanisis Gora fortress, but a recent study has unveiled its true magnitude. Using drone-based imagery and photogrammetry, a team of scientists has revealed that this 3,000-year-old structure in the Caucasus Mountains spans an astonishing 60 to 80 hectares. A cultural crossroads The South Caucasus is […]